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It took a little over a week to raise nearly enough money for a starship, but it felt longer. After a week of giving blood, James managed to book a show with a prominent Brimstone bar. Afterwards, James had so much sweat, it looked like he had just gotten out of the shower when he headed toward the bunkhouse. He sat on his bunk and pulled out his counter.

Then, he pulled out the money he got from Takeo and spread it out over the bed in a line. He pressed a button on his counter and swept the gadget over the line of money. As he did, the number on the screen rose. "Well everyone, it looks like we have enough for a starship, now."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah."

Then, the bathroom door opened, and Tacit stepped out and asked, "What's zhe yelling about?"

"We're able to afford a spaceship now."

"Oh. How'd you get zhe money?"

"Giving blood, singing and uh, Takeo's way."

"What's Takeo's way?"

"You don't want to know," answered James.

"Hai, you don't."

"Okay zhen."

"Now," said James, "we can go look for one, right after I'm done showering."

With that, James went into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. From the main room, they could hear the running water after about a minute. Tacit climbed on James' bunk, took the credit counter and stuffed it under the blanket. "Quite a sum we've got here," he commented when he saw the screen.

He looked up and went over to where Takeo was sleeping. He climbed up and sat on his chest. When Takeo rolled on his side, he jumped off and landed right in front of Hisa. "Ugy! Mouse!"

He swiped her paw and hissed, "Don't touch me!"

In response, Hisa started crying, which awoke Takeo. Tacit sighed, got down and crawled under a bunk. "James, do something about you rabid son!"

Tacit heard this, but James did not. The Yinglet looked up from under the bunk and snapped, "Wha-Rabid?!"

Takeo kicked him back under the bunk and screamed, "JAMES!"

This time, he heard it. "Hang on!" he called.

Once he emerged from the bathroom, with a towel wrapped around his waist, Takeo, with Hisa in his arms, barked, "You son attacked Hisa!"

He saw Tacit emerge from under the bed with a paw over his head. "Tacit?"

"Well, she poked me!"

"Little kids do that!"

James sighed and went back in the bathroom. "You washed your hands, right Tacit?"

"Yeah."

M Half a minute later, James came back out, this time in a jumpsuit. "By zhe way," said Tacit, "I put your counter under zhe blanket."

Okay. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes," sighed Takeo.

Tacit crawled out from under the bed and put both paws over his head. James looked at Takeo and asked, "How hard did you kick him, and where?"

"Don't know, no care! He clawed my kid because she curious."

"Head trauma could be a big problem at his age."

"So?"

"That means that, if he gets hit in the head too hard, he could become suicidal!"

When Takeo turned away, James sighed, rubbed his eyes and said, "Just watch where you hit my kids, if you do."

"Tell you kid not be little bastard!"

"Do you think a scratch is worse than a kick? He said that he washed his paws!"

"I don't like anyone touching my daughter!"

"Do you think I appreciate that either? You never saw what I did when someone slapped Emmy!"

"I heard stories. You son glad I no took his hand off! We did that to ones who beat women or hit them!"

"Yeah, that would not have flown as well."

"So watch youself with my kid!"

James sighed and opened the door with a claw in his ear. Takeo went outside, followed by Tacit, and finally James. They all crossed the plane over into the hanger, where many ships sat. All shapes and sizes sat within, from bullets to boxes. "We should get something more Aerodynamic," said Takeo.

"Agreed."

"It might cost more, though."

That was when they found one. The shape of the separate sections made the whole thing look like a comet, and it was about five times their size. "That is one big comet."Yeah it is, you gonna buy it?"

"Oh yeah."

He saw a sign with the amount of credits it would cost. He looked over at the price, then at the screen of his counter. They were five thousand behind. He sighed and turned around.

"Five grand short," he muttered.

Takeo groaned, "I going to have to play my meat get more money don't I?"

"If you want, or feel like it's necessary."

"Then I'm not. I'm still numb!"

"Got anything you're willing to sell?"

Takeo threw up his arms and bellowed, "I no have anything start with!"

"Well then, got any other ideas?"

"No."

"I do."

"What are they?"

"Salvage."

"Oh, fun!"

"They already let us loot pods after dogfights. There we go. All we have to do is go to war and search wrecks like pirates."

"Oh, this will be so much fun!"

James saw Takeo sneering and asked, "Something up?"

"you go on you suicide mission."

"Suicide?"

"Oh I thought you going drag me along to battle to salvage stuff."

"Only if you want."

"Yeah no! Take Haru we can replace him!"

Haru gasped, and James asked, "Did you just call him disposable?"

"Hai, hai I did."

James sighed and asked Haru, "You feeling like joining a dogfight?"

"Uh, no!"

"Alright, come on, Tak."

Takeo sighed and handed Hisa to her brother while James looked down at Tacit and asked, "Tacit, you up for it?"

"Sure, why not," said the Yinglet, with a hint of spite.

James led them to the barracks and stopped to search for the commander. Upon finding him reviewing some documents, James asked, "Sir, is there a need for anyone to go out and look for foes?"

"Possibly."

"What's the nature of our situation?"

"Not very bad, but we have a few starting a problem."

"Starting a problem, eh?"

"Yes, yes. They want our supplies."

"And, we're going to give them a response?"

"Yes! That they are wanted dead!"

James looked at Takeo and Tacit and grinned. "Great," sighed Takeo.

"Well, what're we waiting for?"

"Not wanting death a third time so soon!"

"Let's go, Tac! Where are the targets, sir?"

"We have it in the GPS."

"Okay."

James nodded, turned and went back outside. With Tacit at his side, he went to where the pods were, climbed into one and strapped himself in. Tacit climbed on his lap and pulled the door shut. "This is private Scale ready to initiate a skirmish."

"Go right ahead scale," said a voice on the radio.

"Affirmative."

As James turned on the pod and prepared to take off, Tacit reached for the radio system and asked, "Can I try?"

"No."

"Yes, he can," said the radio person.

"He can?"

"What's the harm?"

With that, Tacit pressed a button. A laser fired and hit a Dracosith getting ready to check underneath another pod. "Wrong button, Tacit!"

The Yinglet looked through the window and slowly slid down out of view. James sighed and took flight. He pressed another button and said, "Private Scale here, who hears me?"

"Okuda here. Got any sushi or a diaper?"

"Diapers are in the bathroom, all food's in the fridge."

"Just asking cause you gonna need one."

"Emmy?"

"Yes?"

"How are things over there?"

"Good, and you?"

"Apart from your brother shooting someone, so far, so good."

"Really? Is he that dumb?"

"He's still learning."

"Yeah, he's stupid."

"Stupid," squeaked the younger Yinglet.

"Yes!" she hissed into the microphone. He looked up at James and asked, "Am I stupid?"

"No, you just have a lot to learn."

James looked through the window to find the fugitives out in space. "There you are."

He pressed the button Tacit touched and watched as a laser fired at them. He saw one of the pods fall apart and said, "Bullseye," before firing again. A miss. He kept firing until he finally hit. After that, he saw one of the pods charge towards him. He tensed his muscles, and he began to sweat as he repeatedly pounded the fire button.

Gradually, the pod grew closer, then it opened fire, yet James kept firing back. It was when they collided that the pod blew up. Takeo held Emily seeing their screen turned white and shut off. Then, as she started to shed tears, a voice on the radio said, "Can anyone hear me?"

"Dad!"

"Thank god, I think the impact jostled the system in this can."

"Ah that must've been it. On this side everything turned white and we had to turn the screen off."

"I can see that happening. And, I lost track of Tacit."

As soon as he said something, Tacit emerged from under the dash, and the screen came back on. "Never mind, he's under the dash."

Once again, they could see him. "Oh good he isn't dead!"

"Yeah, he's still alive."

Tacit lifted two connected wires into view and squeaked, "I fix it dad!"

"Fixed what," asked Emily from the radio.

"The screen it seems," said James.

"oh! That's good!"

He let the pod drift for a minute as an idea came to him. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Hmm, no not really."

"I'm thinking about teaching him more about machines."

"Oh gods!"

"What?"

"Him and machines?"

"What about it?"

"That's a horrifying mix!"

"That's why we train him."

"Why teach him?"

"He won't get any taller than the base of my tail, perfect height for small spaces."

"True, but he scatter brain."

"How do you know that?"

"He Yinglet!"

"You never know."

"Unless you get brain switched out!"

"Which I am NOT doing!"

"Why not?"

"Ever heard of Freaky Friday?"

"No, why?"

"Two people trying to get used to very different bodies."

"Nope, just nope!"

"Exactly."

"How about make a new kid!"

"Then, what would we do with him?"

Silence. James sighed and pressed a button. The pod released a net which collected the debris, including ash. As soon as it collected all of it, the net returned to the pod, and James turned and glided towards the planet. As he approached the atmosphere, he saw a ship with Dracosith colors floating in the void. "This is private Scale, can the unannounced ship please come back?"

M"Affirmative!"

"Permission to dock?"

"Permission granted."

With that, James brought the pod into the ship. He slowed to a stop, turned off the pod and got out. Haru ran into view followed by Takeo, who tripped. "Oh, I didn't know you guys would be here."

Both of them, without another word, jumped at each other. They both landed inside the still open pod. "Uh, can you get off?"

Takeo and Haru got up, and Haru said, "Sorry!"

James climbed out of the pod and pulled the net away from it. As Haru went in to search through it, he opened it. Dust flew as the net spread out over the floor. Haru coughed. and Takeo rubbed his eyes James jumped back and waved both hands like a madman before the dust settled revealing some of the loot.

Haru took the skull of one of the fugitives, put it on his head and said, "Look at me!"

"Nice hat, bone head," Takeo quipped in a dry tone. James snickered as he pulled a sheet of metal. Upon lifting the sheet, he noticed a clutch of eggs. "What the hell?"

Takeo shrugged and replied, "Think I know?"

James dropped the metal and picked up one of the eggs. "It's buzzing."

"What?"

"Feel it."

James handed the egg to Haru to feel it vibrate. "Toss it!" shouted Takeo, "They bees!"

"What?"

Takeo pointed at the eggs and cried, "Stinging bastards!"

Haru tossed the egg and ran while James just asked, "Do bee eggs buzz?"

"No, but one coming out of egg!"

"What?"

Takeo pointed and ran. James, however, stayed behind to watch as large grubs inched from within the eggs one by one. "What the hell? Can someone tell me something about these?"

When no one responded, he ran two fingers across one of the grubs. He felt fangs grab his fingers and gasped, "It's got me!"

He applied some pressure, which was enough to make it let go. While inspecting his fingers, he asked, "So, what can we do with these?"

"Kill them!"

"Besides that, what can we use them for?"

"What ever you want James, I no touch them!"

"Could they make pets?"

"If you want."

He turned to the rest of the crew and asked, "Do any of you know if these are sentient beings?"

Everyone shook their heads, and James said, "Well then, only one way to find out. I'd also like to know why Coyans had these."

"We might have to look in on that."

"Definitely. Right after dealing with this debris."

Upon seeing Takeo with a flamethrower, James raised an eyebrow and asked, "Uh, what's that for?"

"The bugs!"

"You are not burning them."

"Why not?"

"We could make money off of them."

"If you want. I not sleeping with them!"

"They won't be sleeping with anyone while we'e got them."

"Oh good! Just kill them!"

"There's no money in that, only emotional appeal."

"I swear to gods, of those things sting, me you getting stung by my katana!"

James waved one hand while sifting through the I rubble.

* * * * *

James yanked a grub off his hand before entering the Dracosith equivalence to a pet store. He went to the front counter, and the clerk said, "Yes?"

He plopped one of the grubs on the counter and asked, "What do you know about these?"

"Never seen them actually."

"Well, what could I get for them?"

"I'll give a 100 credits each, and that's stretching it."

"Alright, and I'll keep one."

"So how many credits to I owe you?"

He counted six and said, "Five hundred."

The clerk stretched an open hand towards him, and James set the rest of the grubs he carried down, dug through his pockets and handed over his counter. The clerk connected it to another counter and turned the knob before returning it and saying, "There you go."

He handed over five of the grubs, which they took to the back room. He took the remaining grub and went back outside. He turned and went to the lab, where he saw Haru. He saw him chasing a moving box and asked, "What's with the box?"

"I bought Hisa pet!"

"Oh, really?"

"Hai!"

The box opened to reveal a creature with the front end of a parrot, and the rear of a cat. "A Griffin?"

"Hai. These ones house cat sized."

"I didn't know they were actually a thing."

"Well they are. I think she will like it!"

"Well, I'm taking this grub in to be studied."

"You are? Why didn't you do that first?"

James gritted his teeth and said, "Yeah, that might have been the better idea."

James sighed and entered the lab. He saw someone inside staring into a vial with something floating inside. "Excuse me," he called.

The person looked up and gestured to themselves. "Me?"

"Yes, you. I found some eggs while salvaging some pods, and they hatched these grubs. I'm wondering if they're something to worry about."

"Uhh, what pod color?"

"Maroon."

"Damn it, someone bred my wasps! Ok, so far they are harmless as larvae."

"Can they be kept as pets?"

"If they don't grow up."

"Is there a way to stunt their growth?"

"Don't feed them jelly."

"Alright, can you feed them something else so that they don't starve to death?"

"Meat."

"Okay. By the way, I sold five of these to a pet shop."

Suddenly, the scientist took him by the shoulder and gasped, "Why?!"

"I wasn't using my head, that's why. They might still be there, it was just a couple minutes ago."

"We'd better go, now!"

"Where should I put this one?"

"On the ground."

James knelt down to put down the grub only to find his finger in its fangs. He pulled it out, stood up and went back outside. He went back to the pet shop and opened the door. To their relief, the store had just finished putting them in a tank. "How many credits have you got?"

"I've got-Hey, you took my eggs James! You should get them back."

James took a deep breath and said, "Okay, okay."

"He approached the counter and said, "Excuse me, there seems to be a uh, mistake regarding the grubs. Apparently, they were stolen."

"So?"

"Well, how much for all of them?"

"Six hundred, I got that just for one."

James sighed and handed over his counter. He bit his tongue and squinted as he heard the clicking of the knob on his counter. Finally, he took it back, took two grubs and began relaying them to the scientist. "Thanks."

"Uh huh."

James sighed and went back to the bunkhouse. He sat on his bunk and looked at the screen on his counter. He got back up and pulled the net out from under the bed. With both arms, he dragged it outside, slung it on his back and headed towards the shipyard.

He saw Hisa and Haru with the griffon. "Oh, hi guys," he grunted. "Which way is the shipyard?"

"Up north."

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

He carried the net across the plane into the the hangar and dropped it. Then, he dragged it to a Dracosith and asked, "How much for all this?"

"Three hundred credits."

"Alright then."

As he left the hangar, he asked himself how he would get the rest of the money. Takeo, seemingly having overheard, caught up with him and said, "Become woman and sell eggs!"

"What?"

"Those things I learn that grow babies."

"Why would I-"

"They go for grand piece."

"Oh why not."

Takeo patted his head like a dog and said, "Doesn't matter the species either. And you can give fifty of them."

James squinted his eyes and sneered. "You going to? Because I am."

"Why not. Do you know what race is in the highest demand that can lay eggs?"

"Uh, they looking for mammal ones and they neutralize them."

"They what?"

"You hear me!"

"Why do they do that?"

"Blank test slate and if people want custom babies."

"So, could we lay mammal eggs?"

"No. They go in and take them from things called ovaries.

"So, we would become women and let them take our eggs while we alternate races and species?"

"Hai, pretty much! I wonder how it is using that thing."

James took a deep breath and said, "Well, I guess we'd better not hold up. Lead the way."