Chapter Text
“How did I get here?” Legundo sighs.
Of course, as usual, he only has a vague idea of an answer. Looks like the aliens decided to put him into a new “world” again, also known as a freakishly complicated and big terrarium.
How long has Legndo been some ambiguous extreme environment lab rat for aliens? He really has no idea. All he has is the artificial light cycle in the too-high ceilings that the aliens have long since adapted him to, but the days here are far shorter than human daylight cycles. All he knows is that it's been over a thousand alien days. Which means nothing, really. He has yet to come across any other sapient creatures to get real answers from, let alone learn the needed languages to try asking in the first place.
With another sigh, Legundo starts tugging branches off of the closest trees. He goes about his usual scoping of the land and semi-frantic gathering of resources for a few hours. It isn't until he's going through the agonizing motions of chipping some flint with cold, numb fingers that a shock of clarity hits him. A borderline panic inducing type of clarity.
“This… isn't a new world, is it.” Legundo flatly asks the open air.
Look, he may not be much for keeping track of every new world’s carbon coding, but he can pick up on things. And yeah, maybe the aliens are just reusing some terrain and climate settings from his previous tundra nightmare, but Legundo has definitely felt this chill before, the plants are all the same, and the fake sky ceiling looks suspiciously familiar. He’s definitely seen that cloud before. It looks like a cat. Sort of.
Before he can investigate further, said sky literally falls. Loudly and without warning. With the loudest explosion and full-ground shake, a giant, colorfully metal something bursts through the roof, clearly on fire.
Did. Did something just crash into Legundo’s terrarium????
“Oh, they better not be testing some new and never before seen disaster on me.” Legundo mutters gravely before quickly turning and sprinting in the opposite direction just in case. “Weekly tornadoes were bad enough.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Avid is holding the ship’s pilot stick as tightly as his hands can grip it, which, given his species’ notoriously dexterous fingers, would normally mean everything is under control.
Seeing as the ship just crashed through the roof of a soace station, everything is distinctly not under control.
“Avid–!!!”
“I know, Marm!!” Avid shrieks back, cutting his co-captain off.
He and his crew were just doing a normal supply run! Because they’re a merchant-delivery vessel! Which does normal merchant and delivery related things!!
But apparently the people behind the current contract are shipping some distinctly not legal things. Apparently something in the cargo is very, very interesting to local pirates. And the government. Which definitely means Avid accidentally agreed to deliver a doomsday device or something.
With one last yank of the steering stick, Avid initiates the steering lock and scrambles out of his chair, hand slamming on the button to lower the shutters of every single window on the ship. He snatches up his communicator as Marmalade similarly springs out of her own chair, easily catching on to the plan.
“This is your captain speaking, meet me at the escape pods now!” Avid’s voice electronically echoes throughout the entire ship.
By the time Avid and Marmalade reach the pod bay, everyone else is already there. Viking looks pained as he stares at every new damage ping appearing on his com. Drift is fidgeting in place, very much not accustomed to anything more high stakes than trade negotiations. Apo seems stoic but her tail is lashing out of agitation as she continuously checks the straps of the heavy medical bag she hastily packed.
Avid nods in acknowledgement at everyone. “Good, you're all here. Marm–”
“Coordinates for all the pods are already synced to end up within a 30 block perimeter.” Marmalade declares, punching something into her com.
“Right. We’ll need to split ourselves between two pods– Marm and I will take one right after you guys. When you land, stay put until we get there, got it?” Avid instructs, “Viking, you're second in command in case you guys don't get a signal from our pod in a thousand ticks.”
Viking looks alarmed at being appointed as the “in case the captains die” deputy but quickly nods. Everyone stares at each other for a beat.
Marmalade makes a wide gesture. “For void’s sake, what are you guys waiting for?! Go!!!”
Everyone scrambles into motion. Avid and Marmalade wait until they see the escape pod getting launched away through the tiny viewing window before they dash for their own.
“Do you think we'll land somewhere safe?” Marmalade asks as she turns on the navigation system.
Avid hides a grimace as he gets a ping on his com. The ship’s final update to him is the climate readings of the station they've crashed into.
“Avid? What does your com say? Is it safe? Did our ship accidentally destroy something important?”
Plastering on a reassuring grin, Avid shoves said device into his pocket. “Don't worry, Marm! It says this place is still habitable.”
He doesn't mention that its habitability rating is equal to a deathworld’s.