I Don't Seem So Bright in a Well-Lit Room

Chapter (lucky?) Thirteen

The Gooseberry sat unattended and seemingly abandoned when Teeg discovered it lazily hanging out in a forest clearing. This was both a good thing (if there was only one working ship on all of Chagrin, what better place than right in front of them?), and a highly suspect thing (if there was only one working ship on all of Chagrin, what are the chances it would be right in front of them?)

She signalled for everyone to keep quiet, keep their eyes open, and keep low in the brush until she could determine whether this was a trap, just a really great parking spot (in Chagrin terms) or perhaps just a pit stop for a deadly anteater Teddy Bear to stop for a pee.

Oh, she knew it was an obvious trap, as did Gekko and Clory, but felt it was best not to alarm Potto (who would no doubt ask a lot of arbitrary questions about it) or Aye (who would no doubt panic and get that vacant stare a dog gets when caught in a thunderstorm). Best to let on it was just the pee break.

Clory spoke with the surrounding trees through vibrations sent underground. Even though most ignored her (trees being very good at ignoring things) she found out from a rather extroverted pine that there was indeed a Teddy Bear close by. 

They needed this ship, however. From the tree tops Gekko signalled to Teeg that she couldn't see any enemies, Teddy Bear or otherwise.

"How we all gonna fit in there?" Aye asked far too loudly, making Teeg shush him, which made Potto giggle and get shushed himself.

Clory moved ahead slowly. She wavered her arms back and forth lightly to give the impression she was merely a shuffling tree blowing in the non-existent breeze. It didn't matter whether or not there was a breeze...no one suspects the foliage. Once beside the ship, she opened the hatch. 

Immediately a hidden Toobli sprang towards her from his hiding place behind some lovely throw pillows. 

Clory started madly swatting with her branchy limbs but he was too fast for her. He cut and slashed, and slivers of Clory flew about like a woody blizzard. She plunged her rooty toes into the ground to stabilize her body and before he could jump up again, she grabbed him. This wouldn't last long. The little bugger was strong for his size and had too many sharp bits. If he started spinning, he might just saw through her like he were a living wood chipper.

Gekko whistled from above and sent Teeg a quick telepathic message. 

"There are more coming now. Many, many more," Teeg shouted, relaying the message. 

Aye froze (again). As much as he liked to think of himself as a bar brawler, he really was more of an under-table-hider. He was also more of a punch taker than a punch giver, even if that punch were served in a bowl and spiked with Alorean anti-freeze gin-bourbon. 

There was too much going on, and though his brain screamed "RUN!!", his body yodelled "Which way? Oh shit, it doesn't really matter! Death is upon us!", which kept both brain and body at a stand-still.

Potto was more concerned with Clory's welfare then his own. This was not some kind of marvellous bravery; it was an ignorance to his dire situation. It was an inability to see past the one thing that was concerning him without considering any cause-and-effect. It was very much like accidentally dropping a coin off of a bridge and then jumping off to retrieve it, forgetting that there was a one-thousand-and-forty-foot drop and a very hard ground that would splatter the very brain that was still thinking "Oh! My coin!" 

As he ran towards her (which was a horrible idea), he looked up. There was a strange piece of space garbage floating in the sky right above the clearing. He stopped (which was a much better idea).

Gekko dropped down to the ground and stood by Teeg as the two readied themselves for a fight to the death, one they were sure to lose, but always ready for.