Nosedive's heartbeat quickened and he followed Duke's gaze to the sign.  'Welcome to Drake, capital of Puckworld.'  "Home?  We're really home?"  Nosedive's voice squeaked as he spoke and his 'mouth' went dry as he turned in a tight circle to absorb as much as he could.
    He didn't see Duke before his mentor tackled him to the ground.
    "Hey, Duke what..."  The rest of his words were cut off when Duke placed a hand over his beak and pointed to somewhere just in front of them.  Remaining silent, Nosedive followed his finger to what he was looking at.  Some Saurians were holding some nasty weapons on some Duck prisoners, obviously from one of the concentration camps.  Dive clenched his teeth together, har, to keep from moving or saying anything.  He remembered the concentration camps only too well.
    "I only see four guards.  Do you think we can chance breaking them out, kid?"
    Nosedive looked Duke directly in the eyes.  Face completely serious and hard with memories.  "The way I see it.  We have no choice.  I don't know about you but there is no way I'm going to turn my back on them when we might be their only chance of escape."
    "Glad to see we're on the same wavelength, Dive."  Duke gave him a lope-sided grin.  "I think our best bet would be to do a sneak attack.  Work our way through the underbrush.  Your training as a member of The Brotherhood of the Blade has given you enough ability in 'stealth' that you should be able to reach your position undetected.  Since I'm the vetran I'll take out the two far guards, you take out the two nearest ones.  When they're gone we get the prisoners as deep in the trees as we can.  We go in fifteen seconds from the time we move from our previous spot, okay?  Alright, good luck.  On you mark, get set, go!"
    As the last word left Duke's beak, Nosedive was off.  Duke was right, he did move silently throught the trees like some kind of cat instead of a Duck.  In his head he begun to count as he moved.  He reached his position at six.
    Impatiently he continued counting to fifteen as he drew his puck launcher and took aim.  At fifteen exactly he fired two careful shots, hitting both guards in the head.  The contact of rubber against helmet could be heard but not loud enough to attract any attention and both slid to the ground unconscienous.  Satisfied Nosedive stuck to the shadows and moved forward to see how Duke had faired.
    He caught the last guy fall as Duke put his sabre away and stepped into the sunlight.  Nosedive moved up beside him in time to catch the last of a conversation the older man was having with one of the prisoners.
    "Duke, did I hear right?  He said he knew of a safe place they can go to get in touch with the resistance?"
    Duke smiled grimmly, "Yep.  He'll be leading the way as soon as he gets the others organized.  I'll be up front with him but I want you to bring up the rear in case there's some trouble."
    "No problem.  Just stand back and watch the kid at work."
    Duke laughed and slapped Nosedive on the back as the prisoner jogged back to them, gasping.  Duke turned serious immediately.  "So Nat, is everyone ready?"
    "Yes.  Is this your friend, um, Nosedive?"  He asked eyes wide as he took in Nosedive.  Not one to back down, Nosedive 'assessed' Nat as well.  The man was extremely thin, with dark tan and a scragly mop of grey hair.  He must have been at least forty years of age but something told Nosedive he was probably only twenty or thirty.
    Finally Nosedive cleared hi throat.  "We should get going before anyone notices what's happened.  I don't want to be caught off-guard with our limited fire power."
    Both Nat and Duke nodded in agreement.  Nat barked some orders to the group of about ten prisoners and as he and Duke began walking they all fell in behind them.  As soon as the last one went past Nosedive did a quick check to see if anyone was coming and then took his position up at the rear of the pack.  Keepin his eyes open, surprisingly they reached the place that Nat had talked about without incident.
    It was a cave of sorts.  As everyone else went inside Nosedive stayed at the entrance watching the trees and shadows for any movement.
    "Excuse me?"
    Nosedive looked down, slightly startled, to see a small 'girl' about ten years old.  She was dirty, her brown hair falling in tangels down her back and her cloths were not much but held together by threads.  "Yah?"
    "Nat told me to give you a message.  He says that the resistance is sending a team here to escort all of us to one of their underground bases.  And... Duke says to look before you shoot because they should be showing up soon."  She said clearly, not faultering once during her speech.  The she gave him a warm smile and went back inside before he could say anything.
    Nosedive watched her retreating back and shook his head slightly, not wanting to think of what she had gone through being the Saurian's captive but unable to keep the thoughts at bay.  Once again he focused on his job and a few hours later the members of the resistance finally showed up.  They were all blind folded and taken to the base.
    As the blindfold came off Nosedive had to blink at the bright lights.
    "You okay Kid?"
    Looking to his left he saw Duke leaning nonchantedly against the wall.  "Well, so far the room service stinks and don't even get me started on the interrior decorating."
    Duke smiled at that and stood up straight.  "Well, we have a meeting with the guy in charge so you'll be able to register all of your complaints with him."
    "When are we doing this?"
    "Right now.  Don't worry, I already have the directions."  Without another word he turned and began walking down a dark corridor, giving Nosedive no choice but to follow him.
    They walked down the tunnel about sixty feet before Duke came to a stop in front of a rough door and knocked.  From inside a deep voice told them to come in and they complied.  Nosedive's eyes widdened as he saw who sat behind the desk inside.  "General Mallard!"
    The General, Mallory's father, looked up and stared at him for a moment.  "Do I know you?"
    "It's Duke and Nosedive.  From Canard's team."
    Now it was the General's turn to look surprised.  Looking at Duke a light of recognition appeared in his blue eyes.  But when his attention refocused on Nosedive it took a lot longer for the same recognition to appear.  Not getting up from his seat he met each of their eyes.  "We'd presumed you were all 'dead'.  It's been nearly two years without contact."
    "Yah, but it wasn't our fault.  Besides, as you can see we're alive and kicking.  That is, everybody but Canard, he's in dimensional limbo, Wildwing leads us now."  Nosedive explained quickly.
    "They're all here?"
    "No, General.  But it's a long story.  Perhaps if you have some time at the moment, we can tell it to you."
    "Go ahead Duke, I'm all ears."