Pip pushed through the bushes and vines that stood in her way, puffing angrily. She had never been great at chance games, and today was no exception. Luck wasn't Pip's forte it seemed. Whenever she and her team drew straws to see who would have to do rounds that night, more often than not, Pip drew the shortest.

Today was one of those times. Kovo had laughed in her face when she pulled her hand pack from the pile, a stump of a straw in its grasp. She had retaliated by sticking the straw far up his nose, to the point she was actually afraid he might not get it out. She didn't stick around to find out. She could hear his cries of pain behind her as she walked to the airlock, hit the button, and stepped out into the jungle.

She grumbled to herself as she stepped over uprooted trees and avoided low hanging branches. It wasn't that rounds were hard; they were just boring. She'd rather be in the training room, working on her roundhouse kicks and back handsprings to help prepare for any upcoming battles.

Even though she was the most advanced in their class, Pip wanted to be better. She was always pushing herself to the limits, almost to a fault, and spent more time in the infirmary than anyone else at the base. She and the nurses were on first name basis at this point.

Pip paused for a moment, shrouded by a large oak tree, and listened to the jungle around her. She thought she had heard a noise behind her, but all she could hear now were the sounds of wildlife around her. There were tons of different kinds of animals here on Jacara, some not yet discovered by scientists. The planet attracted explorers from all over who were looking to find something new and claim it as their own, or who simply came to observe and learn.

But Jacara was also home to the training bases. Five, to be exact, all concentrated on different skills and specialties. Pip could still remember the day she had been brought to Jacara and how nervous she had been. Only three, she didn't know what to expect from the strange new planet that was so different from the one she knew. Even as a child, she had an idea that Jacara wasn't temporary, and it made her sad to think she would never see home again. It had taken her a while to adjust to her new life, but after a few months, it seemed she had forgotten her home planet Zuul for good.

But Zuul was always with her. A pin her mother had given her was permanently placed right above her heart so home was always near. Once, Kovo had tried to take the pin from her training jacket as a joke. His arm was broken for six weeks after that.

She powered forward, following the faint line in the ground that outlined the base's perimeter. The sun had gone down only an hour ago, but the chill had come on quick. Pip was thankful she left her training jacket on; the thick inner lining was made to withstand any weather circumstance, including a late-night chill. Along with being practical, the jacket was also stylish. Sleek black, except for the bright yellow band around the top of her left sleeve. All training bases had a specific color assigned to them so it was easy to identify where a recruit was from.

Pip's base was known for training some of the greatest hand-to-hand combat fighters in the galaxy, the Danica Warriors. Even as a young girl, Pip could tell she was special, different from the other kids in her bunk. She picked up on maneuvers quicker, her stamina was higher. She could fight for hours without missing a beat, something her best friend Kaia resented. Kaia was often Pip's sparring partner, and no matter how many times she begged their fellow teammates, no one would ever switch with her. Pip didn't take it personally; if someone was constantly kicking her ass, she might want to switch too.

A shadow darting through the woods caught Pip's eye, making her pause. She was about halfway through rounds towards the back of the base and nowhere near the entrance. She crouched low in a fighting stance, ready to take on whatever was waiting for her. Danica Warriors didn't use weapons, but Pip knew her hands were better than any sword out there.

Slowly, a figure made its way through the bushes and towards Pip. She raised her fists higher, ready to attack, but quickly dropped them. She couldn't help the aggravated groan that escaped her lips as she recognized the purple band around the left sleeve of the figure's jacket.

"Just what I need. A Bedor Student lurking in the shadows," Pip said sarcastically. The figure stepped into the light of the moon, showing off short, curly hair and piercing green eyes.

"And just what I was looking for. A Danica Warrior," the girl shot back. She leaned against a nearby tree and crossed her arms. She looked bored as if this whole conversation was the last thing she wanted to do with her night.

"I don't have time for you, Bedor. I'm busy."

"I'm sure you are, Danica." She looked down at her perfectly buffed nails. Pip couldn't help but pick at her ragged ones. "And I do have a name you know, though I'm not sure you have the brain capacity to remember it."

Pip couldn't help the flare of anger that ripped through her body. The Bedor Students were part of another training base on Jacara, specializing in knowledge and healing. They were the ones who used Jacara's unique wildlife and foliage to discover new advances in medicine. They were also one of the most stuck up bases on the planet, and oftentimes they would butt heads with the neighboring Danica Warriors. Brains and brawns rarely coincide well, and the two bases were a great example of that.

"Well, in that case, don't bother sharing it with me. I have more important things to do with my time than standing here and talking to a walking encyclopedia."

"Cute. Very cute," the student answered coyly. She looked Pip up and down, exaggerating her movements. Pip was happy for the darkness of the night, which helped mask the growing blush in her cheeks.

She turned on her heel and started walking around the perimeter again, but could hear the Student following close behind. She tried to ignore the sound of her footsteps, but it was clear she didn't spend much time in the Jacara jungles. Her steps were loud, and Pip knew that the noise could attract anything in the jungle. She stopped abruptly and turned around, causing the student to almost knock her over.

"Why are you following me?" Pip asked shortly.

"I told you. I need you for something," the student answered with a smirk.

"And since when did the Bedor Students need anything from anyone. I thought you were supposed to know everything."

The student started to circle, like a cat trapping its prey. Pip stood perfectly still, not giving this stranger the satisfaction of making her squirm.

"Even so, everyone needs help every once in a while. This is something my brains can't help with. I need a burly warrior who can follow orders brainlessly. You seem to fit the bill quite nicely."

"Except I don't follow orders from Bedor trash," Pip spit out. For the first time, she could see the Student's smile falter a bit. A flicker of anger flashed in her eyes, and Pip felt satisfied she had cracked her mask.

"Rudeness isn't necessary. And you'll like this, I promise. It's something every Danica Warrior wants."

"And what's that, exactly?"

The smug smile returned. "A challenge."

Pip studied the girl's face, trying to make out her intentions. Her green eyes held a playfulness, like she was having fun toying with Pip and wasting her time. Her curly hair fell in a mass around her head and shrouded part of her face, making her even more mysterious. Her jacket was more to the likeness of a lab coat, the purple band contrasting the steel grey of the fabric. If she hadn't been a student, Pip might even admit the girl was pretty. But she was a student, so to Pip that made her automatically ugly, inside and out.

"What kind of challenge?" Pip asked finally, her curiosity winning out in the end. The student was right; there was nothing a warrior loved more than a challenge, especially Pip.

"I guess you'll have to follow me to find out," the Student said, turning and walking back towards the direction she came.

"I can't. I have rounds," Pip argued.

"Just as I said. Following orders brainlessly," she said over her shoulder. She walked back through the bushes, not checking to see if Pip would follow.

Pip stood and watched after the Student, weighing out her options. She knew rounds were just a precautionary measure. No one had ever actually found anything during rounds, and she was almost done anyway. She could take the leftover time to check out what the girl was talking about, but was it wise to trust a Bedor Student, especially one who had done nothing but insult her?

Her feet seemed to move of their own accord, and soon she was walking through the same bushes that the girl had gone through moments ago. Pip was worried for a moment that she had lost her, but soon she stumbled upon a small clearing, the student standing straight in the middle.

"So you decided to think for yourself for once," the Student teased.

"I always think for myself. That's what it takes to be a team leader of the Danica Warriors. I wouldn't expect you to understand that. Every man for himself when it comes to Students."

The student looked slightly annoyed, but didn't comment. Instead, she turned around again and walked further into the jungle, beckoning Pip to follow. Pip jogged up beside her and soon the two fell into a steady pace. They walked in silence for some time, until the Student finally broke the silence.

"I'm Lora, by the way," she said unprovoked. Pip was hesitant to give her own name, but she couldn't think of how Lora would use the information against her.

"Pip."

"Such interesting names you all have, you Danica Warriors. Is that even short for anything?"

"It's just a name, jeez. Must you Bedor Students analyze everything?"

"Well it is what we're taught to do," Lora said with a shrug.

"Well, make fun of my name again and I'll show you what I was trained to do," Pip shot back. Lora held both hands up in surrender, and the two fell back into silence.

Pip was just starting to become worried about how far she was from base when Lora suddenly stopped. Ahead of them was an even larger clearing, a small hill standing in the middle. All around, different trees of every vibrant color of the rainbow swayed in the chilly breeze. The flowers all gave off their own unique scents, which mixed together to create the sweetest smell Pip had ever experienced. Small birds swooped in and out of the clearing, singing songs to one another. Pip had never been so deep in the jungle before and was amazed that she was surrounded by so much beauty and didn't even know it.

"Pretty amazing, right?" Lora said, noticing Pip's astonished face. Pip couldn't even think of something smart to say back. Lora nudged her, shaking her out of her reverie and bringing her back to reality.

"So, why exactly are we here? If you wanted to take me on a date, you could've just asked." Pip couldn't help but notice Lora's reddening cheeks before she quickly turned away. She wanted to call Lora out on it, but she started to answer before Pip could.

"You see that hill out there? There's a very rare flower that grows in a small cave on the other side of it. I've been studying it for weeks now, and I think I've finally figured out a way to use its properties to create a healing serum. A serum so powerful, it could heal a broken bone in a matter of minutes."

"Is that even possible?" Pip couldn't help but be impressed. She had always thought of the Bedor Students as uppity, scholastic types that thought they were better than everyone else. She had never stopped to think about the good their research might be doing, even for the Danica Warriors.

"I'm thinking yes, but I won't be sure until I actually get my hands on the flower and bring it back to one of the labs at my base," Lora answered, turning to look up at Pip. "That's where you come in."

"What do I have to do with a stupid flower?" Pip asked blankly. She wasn't sure if Lora knew this, but Danica Warriors weren't secretly expert gardeners.

Instead of answering, Lora knelt down and picked up a loose stone nearby, reared back, and chucked it towards the hill. As soon as the rock hit the ground, a large beast scurried around the side of the hill and attacked it, like the world's ugliest guard dog. The animal was grotesque, with a bulbous head filled with thousands of eyes and a dripping mouth filled with thousands of sharp teeth. Its body was quick, but it oozed purple puss from gaping holes in its abdomen that Pip could smell even from the bush line. It made her want to gag.

"What is that thing?" Pip asked as she pinched her nose, trying to alleviate the smell.

"A mormar pulsimatite. But us Bedor Students call them stink beetles for short. Vicious things. Able to swallow a man whole without skipping a beat. And the pus is poisonous, so if their teeth don't get you, they have a backup plan."

"So you want to use me as beetle bait. That's your challenge?"

"I understand if you're scared, or if you think it's too difficult for you. I guess I'll just have to find another brainless warrior to take on this awesome challenge." Lora said, feigning pity. Pip couldn't say no to a dangerous plan like this one, and Lora knew it.

"I'm the best in my class. No one else would even try. I shouldn't even try," Pip said honesty. "But it'd make a pretty epic story."

Lora explained the plan to Pip. Pip would walk out into the middle of the clearing and engage the beetle in combat, while Lora snuck around the hill and stole the flower. Once both girls were sure of what their job was, Lora nodded her head and walked around the perimeter of the clearing, until she was exactly opposite Pip. From there, Pip would be able to see Lora's signal and set their plan in motion. After a minute, Lora raised three fingers in the air in the traditional Jacara salute, and Pip knew that was her cue. She took a deep breath, steadied her body, and walked out into the clearing.

Not even a second later, the stink beetle was crawling its way out of the cave and barreling towards Pip. The cold blanket of battle fell over her as she jumped, landing gracefully behind the creature and striking out at its back with her large, heavy boot. The creature cried out in pain before whipping around, striking at Pip with its massive teeth. She dodged the attack easily, sliding to the left and rolling into a crouched position. Out the corner of her eye she could see Lora duck into the cave. She pushed off the ground like a rocket and hit the creature under its chin, snapping its head back in with a loud crunch.

The beetle roared with pain, swatting at Pip and hitting her on her right side. She flew through the air, the creature was stronger than she'd anticipated, and hit a tree with a dull thud. She fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, but regained her composure quickly. She turned to look for the creature and found it clawing towards the cave, the flower, and Lora. Pip worked her legs furiously and cut the creature off before it reached the entrance of the cave. Over her shoulder, she could see Lora using a delicate pair of clippers, cutting a few stems of a bright blue flower.

"Any time now, brainiac. I can't hold him off much longer," she yelled into the cave before landing another blow on the creature. Purple puss dripped onto her left boot, burning a hole through the tough material. Her foot flamed up in pain and she bit back a scream.

"Almost got it. I just need one more clipping," Lora shouted back. She trimmed the final flower and slipped the cuttings into her inner coat pocket.

"Run!" Lora screamed as she teared out of the cave and towards the thick jungle, back in the direction of the Danica base. Pip performed a final roundhouse kick, catching the creature square in the face, before running behind Lora, close on her heels.

The two girls ran as fast as they could, but Pip could hear the creature gaining on them. Its putrid smell clogged Pip's nose, making it hard for her to breathe. She could feel its foul breath on the back of her neck, and she knew it would catch them if she didn't do something quick.

"Lora! Your clippers," Pip shouted at Lora's back. Lora turned slightly, trying to hear what Pip had said, but there was no time to repeat herself. She snatched the clippers out of Lora's unsuspecting hands and flung them over her shoulder. They buried themselves deep in the creature's head, stopping it in its tracks. The creature fell to the ground with a loud thud, but the girls didn't stop until the clearing was far behind them.

Finally, they slowed down and stopped to catch their breaths. Pip was used to exerting a lot of energy, so she recuperated quickly. Lora, on the other hand, was bent over, her head between her knees, gasping for air. Sweat drenched her hair and face, and she was so red she was practically purple.

"How," Lora stopped to gulp in more air, "how do you do that all day?"

"You get used to it. And I practice. A lot." Pip felt bad for Lora, but she couldn't help the smirk that crawled onto her face. Sure, Lora and her had been a team for a moment, but at the end of the day she was still a Bedor Student, and seeing her struggle was just too satisfying.

"Well, thank you for your help. There was no way I could've gotten that by myself." Lora's breathing finally slowed and she could stand up straight.

"You're right. You couldn't have." Pip couldn't help herself. A student admitting they needed help, especially from a warrior, was almost unheard of. "I just hope that flower was worth it."

"Trust me. This flower is going to do a lot of good. You'll thank me for this one day."

"We'll have to see about that," Pip said skeptically. The idea of thanking a student for anything made her skin crawl. But the fact that it would be Lora did make it slightly better.

The two walked back towards Danica base silently, the rush of the battle gone. Pip didn't know what was left to say, so she didn't say anything at all. She was surprised Lora was walking her back in the first place; she had expected the other girl to head straight back to Bedor and never look back. But it seemed like she was lingering, like she wasn't quite ready to say goodbye.

When they finally reached the airlock at Danica, they stood together and stared at each other awkwardly. It wasn't often Pip was left speechless, but she couldn't find any words to break the silence. Her natural instinct was to be rude, but after everything the two of them had been through, that didn't feel right. All that was left was empty noise; she had no idea where the two of them went from there.

"Well, I guess this is where I leave you. I have to get back before the cuttings start to wilt," Lora said after a while. Pip was thankful the other girl could at least form a sentence. Looks like those Bedor brains did come in handy for something.

"Yeah. Well, I should get back too. Reports to fill out. Things like that." Pip was constructing sentences like a four-year-old. She hoped Lora wouldn't notice.

If she did, she didn't say anything. Instead, Lora held her hand out to Pip, a gesture of good faith. It was common for warriors to shake with warriors, and students with students, but it was almost unheard of for such a familiar gesture to be shared between a warrior and student.

Pip hesitated for only a moment before she reached out and took her hand. Lora's was soft and delicate, whereas Pip knew hers were rough and calloused from her many years of training. She imagined Lora's hands turning the pages of books, holding pencils and writing delicate words. Her face flushed for the second time that night, and she knew it was visible in the glow of the moon. Lora took notice, but didn't pull back. Instead, she let her hand linger longer, as if she didn't want to let go.

But after a moment, they did let go. And Lora turned and walked back towards Bedor and didn't stop to look back. Pip watched her go for longer than she'd be willing to admit before she hit the button on the airlock and walked back into Danica, feeling like someone new.