[AN] For those who have been hankering for a little more excitement...

:)

"Are we there yet?"

I growl. "Really, Boss? I will remind me you this was your damn idea."

"I must have been outta my mind."

I glance over at her fighter, perched next to mine on the current cold and dark comet that was meandering its way into the Z983 start system. Our approach toward the comet had been tense as we tried to carefully keep it between ourselves and any sensors that might have been looking our way.

So far we hadn't been shot at, but with our luck it was probably only a matter of time.

"Scanners still clear." I comment. "If somebody's still out here, they're being awfully quiet."

Kuvira groans. "I was not built for this waiting shit."

"Tough. You volunteered," I remind her. "And this won't be for shit if we don't get back with any info."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

I pretend not to notice she's flipping me off through the cockpit glass.

I adjust stiff muscles and keep watching the long range sensors, looking for any signs of life or mysterious space weapons. Or a supply ship.

Gods, I could use a beer.

"Oh hey, look at that," Kuvira observed drily. I glanced out in front of us and saw the telltale sign that the gas inside the comet was heating up in the solar radiation; a small dust tail was just beginning to form.

"How much time do you think we have?" I wonder. "Probably not long."

She grunts. "Don't care, let's get the fuck out of here before I kill myself."

With one last glance at the scanners, I fire up my engines. "Okay, remember the plan. Head for the first planet but keep your sensors focused on mystery planet. I'll watch in front of us. Let's see if anybody twitches."

"Finally," she says with relief. "I was about to die from boredom."

"Drama queen."

We bid the comet goodbye and gunned it for the expedition site. Our hope was that appearing so suddenly so far into the system would protect us from overly an prepared hostile reception but as we flew closer to our target without any sort of sensor hits I started to wonder if Unalaq had cleared out already.

"I got a quiet contact," Kuvira calls out. "Passive hit from the mystery site. Looks like a broadcast."

"Copy that." My gaze is fixed on my forward scanners. "Still quiet at the target."

We fly closer, and the expanse of land under a dusty atmosphere grows clearly in detail.

"Any life signs?"

I squint at the readings. "Not a one. Let's sling shot around the back and head to the other target."

"Sounds good to me. Going in hot is my favorite approach."

We slid closer to the planet, letting the gravity well of the planet help accelerate us without having to flare our engines, the so called 'sling shot' affect. Then with a blare of klaxons my alarms go off.

"You were saying about passive hits?" I shout in irritation.

"Maybe that was foreplay," she snarks. "I've got one contact, incoming fast."

"Roger that. Let's split this party up, heading topside."

"Hitting the basement."

We soar apart to see what our incoming does. Unfortunately it follows Boss; I'd expected it to follow me as I had been slightly in front.

"Looks like I'm prettier, Avatar,"

I snort. "Shut up, Boss. Swing around so I can come in behind whatever it is."

"Copy that, taking a shimmy to the left."

"Smart ass."

Kuvira peels wide, and after a moment our contact changed course to follow her. My sensors have finally got a good enough look at it and I find myself staring at essentially a big tube in space. There are a couple of sensor arrays on each end, but other than that it's nothing but smooth metal a little bigger than our fighters.

"Avatar," she says after a moment. "You getting any life signs from that thing?"

I stare at my screens with growing confusion. "Negative, Boss. What the hell is it? I've never seen anything like it."

"Beats the fuck out of me," she mutters. "It's trying to get a radar lock on me though."

I wrench my stick around. "Keep doing your evasive, I'm gonna try something." With a whoop I go full throttle and race my fighter in a wide loop to come in around our as yet unidentified hostile and my radar pings away as it acquires a lock. Nothing happens. Whatever it is just keeps slowly trying to follow Kuvira around space. "Boss, not only are there no life signs, I don't think it's got a remote pilot. I've got lock and it didn't change course."

She laughs. "If this is an example of that so-called doomsday shit Izumi is worried about I think we're good." I see a distant flare as she throws her throttle, speeding up. No change in speed from her pursuer. "Come on Avatar, blow this thing and let's go check out planet-side."

"Copy that, I'm getting bored." I thumb my missile controls and fire two off. "Birds away."

"Fly little birdies," she jokes. "Still no sign it's doing anything but try to follow me."

"Getting close, keep your speed up, Boss. Impact in three… two… one…"

What happens next is beyond imagining. A miniature sun blooms in front of me as the tube disintegrates in a massive explosion. "Oh shit, Boss…" I warn, and then I'm thrown back against my seat as a the first shock wave hits my fighter.

"What the holy fuck," I dimly hear Kuvira cry over the radio. "Avatar, come in!"

New klaxons fire as my fighter shakes violently. My canopy glows as the rapidly expanding explosion engulfs me. I grit my teeth as I fight blackout; my body is being flung through incredible G-forces as my fighter tumbles out of control through space.

"—do you copy!"

I can hear Kuvira's voice getting more frantic but I can do no more than grunt painfully. I desperately want to fire my thrusters to take me out of my spin, but can't until I know a safe heading. My human arm is pinned but inch by inch my prosthetic arm muscles force my hand onto my stick. By feel alone I struggle with the controls, willing my poor ship into some semblance of control.

"Shit! Watch your tail, Avatar!"

Instantly I slam full throttle counting that information enough for direction, and I get thrown around again for my trouble. Under the mighty force of my engines the spin eventually stops and I blearily lift my head. My ship shudders as another shock wave envelops it, but this time it carries me forward and my fighter surfs the wave for a few terrifying seconds.

"Goddamn it Avatar, do you read me!" Kuvira demands again.

I sigh and flip my face shield up. "Read you loud, Boss." I can hear her relief.

"Oh thank fuck," she growls. "If I had to go back without you the Doc would torture me to death."

I rub my face with one gloved hand. When I pull it away I blink in surprise. The material is covered with blood. "Looks like I got a nose bleed in all the excitement."

She swears again. "You're bleeding? You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. Fucking awful headache though."

"Okay, well, fuck planet-side. We're going home, almost to you." She pauses. "Can you fly?"

I bristle instantly. "Can outfly your scrawny ass any time, Boss!"

"Hey, just asking," I can hear her smirk. "Only one of you engines is dangling by a bolt and the other one is sparking like it's on fire."

"Son of a bitch," I sigh.