The Potato Guard used an anti-nav device to confuse my navigation system and blind-folded me, but black balloon girl, whatever her real name was, let me go with the rose sword and the quantum drive, fulfilling her end of the horrible bargain the Extrovert Starmada was entering into. I needed to contact them so they could make arrangements.

  But first, I needed @zerogstar, and I had no time to waste.

  After a long walk and a buggy ride, they deposited me outside the Flamingo Las Vegastroid casino.

  Despite everything, I couldn't help but laugh when the Potato Guard marched off, leaving me surrounded by mechanical flamingos and tourists posing for photos. More flamingos! I started running, away from people, away from the pond, toward a more secluded spot that oriented me toward the Old Dutch Republic.

  kittyboy: "@astrowave, come in."

  astrowave: "Here."

  I tried to cut right to the point.

  kittyboy: "Bad news. Lots of it. @bitchfrog was sold as anticipated, but I don't have her location. I need you to start tracking all ships leaving the area and go back to look for ships that left after our last known location. Should be from the Old Dutch Republic. Got that?"

  astrowave: "Yes, I'm on it. I've been monitoring already. What else?"

  kittyboy: "Excellent! Thank you."

  I ran around the Flamingo Las Vegastroid casino, not bothering with the crowded sidewalks. The casino was surrounded by ponds, gardens, and grassy picnic areas. I needed to get to the southwest side, then down Flamingo Road to make my way to the Old Dutch Republic.

  kittyboy: "@foxcutter was also sold. We'll have to hope he can pull off what @zerogstar was planning and contact us, but I'll fill you in later. I have a quantum drive that might have the information, but it's locked. We'll have to wait until we can access it."

  I slowed down when I spotted a group of flamingos standing apart from the others. I noticed that some of them were bound to one another. I laughed again. These were my flamingos, the ones from Flipper that I had hacked.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  kittyboy: "Most importantly, @zerogstar is missing. I believe the Shoemaker kept her. He handed us over to the Gravemind Syndicate. Do you remember the girl with the black mesh with balloon patterns from Bar None? Well, she's in charge here."

  astrowave: "What? How is that?"

  astrowave: "Never mind. I'm on my way. Let's get @zerogstar."

  kittyboy: "No! Stay there. Look for @bitchfrog. I'll get @zerogstar."

  astrowave: "Are you sure?"

  kittyboy: "Yes! I got this. You try to find @bitchfrog's ship. Otherwise, we'll lose her."

  I really hoped I had this. I knew it had to suck for @astrowave, a former Thunder Ops soldier, to be stuck on the ship while we were out in the field, but hopefully he could channel that energy for when we needed his brute force.

  As we chatted, I inspected my flamingos. Two of them were still physically connected together, and I recognized them right away as Rufus and Doofus, the lead flamingos from my sled ride. The others in the pack had managed to slip out of their bindings, but the hack job I had done on them kept them loosely linked together to stay in close proximity.

  astrowave: "Understood. Anything else?"

  I needed to act fast. I hooked in to the two flamingos. It was much easier this time, having hacked them once already.

  kittyboy: "Good luck. Over. And thank you! Over and out."

  I hopped onto one of the flamingos. The other would be for @zerogstar. Doofus was my steed to ride into battle.

  astrowave: "Good luck."

  If you've never ridden a mechanical flamingo, I can tell you that it is better to have them pull you on a chariot. It's extremely uncomfortable. But they are surprisingly fast. Doofus, Rufus, and I sprang forward across the lawn. I plotted a course for the Old Dutch Republic, specifically the cobbler building. I'd enter the same way we did the last time, destroying anything that got in my way.

  Tourists screamed, jumping out of the way, as my mechanical flamingo's legs whirled us forward. What appeared to be pedestrian security hollered after us, but they were more for show than anything, IMHO, and they didn't stand a chance of keeping up with me anyway.

  "To battle!" I screamed, raising my sword high above my head.

  Tourists must have thought this was some kind of show. Cheers rose from the early evening crowds as I shouted. The fake sun was deep in its downward motion. I followed its path westward.

  "To battle and triumph!" I shouted, rallying the crowd and opening up a path for Rufus, Doofus, and I. A lane formed before for us, a runway to launch through the spectators. Applause, laughter, and joyful shouts urged us on from both sides.

  Onward we rode, leaving the crowd behind.

  "Speed and courage," I whispered to myself.

  I patted Doofus on the shoulder. "Speed and courage."