Chapter Text
Star Command
Four of the best Rangers currently in Star Command were waiting for Commander Nebula in Conference Room Gamma. Why they were called for a meeting was unknown to them. Rocket Crockett and Warp Darkmatter were playing cards, Ty Parsec was working on an old blaster, and Buzz Lightyear was rewriting the training manual. Again.
”Why are you editing that thing again, Lightyear? Haven’t you already written it seventeen times?” Warp asked as he shuffled the cards in his hands.
”Twenty, not seventeen Warp.” Ty cut in, not looking up from the disassembled blaster.
”Really Buzz? How could you have possibly rewritten the manual that many times?” Rocket asked with a stunned look on his face.
”Typos and new rules. Some of the new cadets have created a need for rules that should be painfully obvious not to do. Like don’t set your fellow recruits on fire.” Buzz explained. His voice cracked on the last word from exasperation. The other men looked at him in stunned silence.
”You have to be joking.” Ty said. That had to be a joke. It just had to be.
”I’m not. I really wish I was. I rewrite these manuals so much because someone does something stupid that needs to be addressed so no one else does it.” Buzz sighed. He rubbed his temples after he closed the program on his tablet.
”What is wrong with these cadets? Have we had any promising recruits this term?” Rocket complained.
“No.” Warp muttered.
”I really hate Rookies. We weren’t this awful.” Rocket huffed.
”That could be argued. At least you lot didn’t maim each other for jokes.” Commander Nebula said as he entered the conference room. The Rangers all got to their feet and gave the Commander a salute before he told them to sit back down.
”Alright men, I have assignments for all. Buzz, The Galatic Alliance is holding a conference on Tangea in one month. Madam President wants to bring them into the Alliance. She requested you to be in charge of security.” Nebula stated. He gave Buzz a data pad which Buzz immediately started to read. Warp scowled and mumbled something under his breath. Nebula’s eye twitched as heard exactly what Warp said. None of the others did, or they didn’t acknowledge what they heard.
”Thanks for volunteering to help him Darkmatter.” He snapped. Warp said nothing but nodded.
”Rocket, I have a few Rookies that have promise. I want you to evaluate them. Try not to make them cry.” Nebula said as he turned to the dark skinned Ranger giving him the other data pad.
“I make no promises.” Rocket replied with a flat look. If the Rookies couldn’t handle one ‘mean’ commanding officer they wouldn’t last very long as Rangers. He glanced at the names. At least Stella Silver had some promise. She just needed some help on her test scores and aim.
Rocket smirked as he noticed the note next to one name. Commander Nebula was giving him permission to haze this one poor soul!
“Ty, the LGM’s want your input on the modifications to the suits. Don’t blow up another moon. I’m still getting calls from Jupiter.” Nebula said. Ty’s grin turned into a deep scowl.
”I got hit with a neuron disrupter, it was an accident. Blame that idiot rookie who tried to impress his ex-girlfriend. What an idiot. Have we found out what happened to him?” Ty asked.
“No, his family hasn’t heard from him since he was kicked out of the academy. But it is not unusual for him to just drop off the radar according to his folks.” Nebula replied.
“Alright I’m done, now go get to work.” Nebula said dismissing them. He was on his way out of the conference room when Warp stopped him.
”Wait, why was I called here?” Warp asked with a scowl towards the Commander.
”Before you decided to be a smart-ass, well more so than usual, you were going to help Rocket torture... I mean train Rookies.” Nebula smirked as he left the room. The men varied in reactions upon hearing the Commander yell as he was tackled by his desk. Pity to amusement were on the four Rangers faces.
”I’ll go contact Madame President to start planning. Warp, help Rocket plan his training for the Rookies. You’ll have more fun there. Political maneuvering is a pain. If one of the Rookies is Gretyud Fitcur, make it painful. He’s responsible for eight new rules on his own.” Buzz said as he left the room. Warp and Ty shared a look. Did Buzz, Buzz Lightyear, rule stickler, rule writer just give permission for someone’s life to be made a living hell?
“Warp my man, help me make Gretyud Fitcur’s life misery. We have approval from both Nebula and Buzz to be cruel to this kid.” Rocket grinned in a way that showed to much teeth. Warp returned the feral grin, he grabbed Rocket’s datapad and began to read over the notes on the soon to be suffering Rookies.
“I’m out. Film the ‘training’ Rocket. Make it an example for future morons.” Ty called, waving a lazy salute as he existed.
”We are horrible.” Warp grinned as he looked over the notes on Fitcur. This kid had seriously ticked off a lot of people.
”I know, Nebula is furious with this weasel if he wanted us to combine forces against him. Now let’s plan...” Rocket grinned as he started explaining to Warp just what he had come up with in the short meeting.
Warp regretted his comment. He could be hazing a rookies with permission! Now he was about to go to one of the places he least he wanted to go to.
Nothing on Tangea could be good.
Tangeans were arrogant, and this was coming from Warp.
He was well aware of the irony when he told Buzz about his...reluctance of Tangeans years ago.
His grandfather was a bounty hunter who came crashing into Tangea trying to get his target. His grandmother was a Tangean and helped dear old grandad catch him. They fell in love, yada yada, grandma was kicked out of the family, blah blah, she kept her last name to thumb her nose at her pompous relatives, Pops didn’t have a last name so took Darkmatter when they finally married.
Warp Darkmatter was considered gum on the shoes to Tangeans for being mixed. Outsiders were bad enough to the royal pricks, but those who were mixed?
Warp got into fights when some of his Tangean cousins, who didn’t hate his grandma, came to visit. To be fair Gran Darkmatter was not the best role model, considering how many times she instigated those fights.
Eh, the bloodlust was part of the reason Gran and Pops fell in love anyway.
Pops always said that he was a goner when he saw Gran bash the targets head with a bottle of wine.
Hopefully he could avoid his arrogant relatives and the conference would be short, sweet, and simple.
A guy could hope right?