A/N: After posting the last chapter, I realized Tech never made an appearance! The title of the story did change to match what I have in my docs. A very obvious Robinson reference, seeing as how it's probably my favorite part about the whole show. nwn

I did switch to calling Wrecker's exoskeleton to "exosuit." "WiCC" stands for Wrist Computer/Comlink, the device everyone has strapped to their wrists, and EMUs are the spacesuits.


"Yeah, you better run!" Wrecker said as he unsteadily stood. "I'm just getting started!"

"Start by getting off my arm!" Hunter said.

"Oh, sorry!"

Wrecker retracted his exosuit foot, releasing Hunter's pinned arm. Hunter turned to Crosshair and hauled him into a seated position. Crosshair, still clearly dazed, shook Hunter's hand off.

"What was that?" Crosshair demanded.

"The robot weaponized Wrecker," Hunter explained broadly.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter," Wrecker said. "It must seen-"

"Wait!" Hunter barked before Wrecker could take a step. "Don't go after it alone. It's still moving. Wrecker, get Echo, and we'll follow it together. Let's see what it's after."

"Easier targets," Crosshair predicted.

"It went after us because we were in the way." Hunter pointed in the direction from which they'd first approached. "It wants something that way. Now come, quickly."

Wrecker nodded reluctantly. He was able to pick up Echo with one metal arm, holding Echo with ease as the team set off. Hunter activated his comlink.

"Tech, are you watching?"

"Always, Hunter," came the response.

"Where's the robot headed?"

"To the lower decks, it would appear."

"Strange," Hunter muttered. "Are any colonists still in the halls?"

"No, and most of the crew have moved to their primary posts as well. The robot appears to be ignoring them all now."

"See, it doesn't want us," Hunter said to Crosshair. "Tech, where are you?"

"On our Jupiter."

"Quinlan should be down there," Echo said, remembering Samantha's words. "Is he with you?"

"He left when the alert was raised. Cameras were damaged on several decks, and I've lost visual of him."

While Hunter and Tech tracked the robot, Echo switched his comlink frequency to Quinlan's.

"Hey, Quinlan, where are you?"

Echo watched his comlink attempt to connect, then an error message flashed on the screen. He grimaced and hoped Quinlan hadn't done something dumb like try to stop the robot on his own. Unfortunately, the odds of Quinlan seeing a killer robot on the loose and hiding were about as likely as Crosshair stopping calling Echo "Bird."

In other words, zero.

Quinlan wasn't part of Echo's team, Security Force 99. He wasn't part of the Resolute's security team, either. Instead, he was traveling to Alpha Centauri to be part of the security force there. With the colony expanding, the need for security was, unfortunately, increasing. Having no family with which to travel, Quinlan had been given the choice of traveling with a random family or with the five-person security team hired by the Resolute for "unexpected dangers encountered in unfamiliar space."

Kind of made one wonder if someone was expecting an attack from an alien robot.

Anyway, Security Force 99 had an empty bunk in their Jupiter, seeing as how all Jupiters were built for six people. One condition of the team having a Jupiter -a privilege usually reserved for the colonists- was that their empty spot went to solo travelers.

Quinlan, with his cheerful attitude and outgoing personality, had fit right in with the team, unlike most of their past passengers. He got along with Crosshair, even if Quinlan couldn't keep silent for more than five minutes.

Tech had timed him. Multiple times. Echo was pretty sure Quinlan knew when he was being timed, and intentionally messed with Tech's numbers.

"Anything?" Hunter asked.

Echo glanced up, then realized Hunter was talking to him. He shook his head. Hunter frowned, but didn't comment.

"Ah, Hunter?" Tech said.

"Yeah?"

"It's here."

"Hide!" Hunter ordered.

There was a brief pause, then Tech said, "It wasn't interested in me. I'm going to-"

"Don't engage!" Hunter interrupted. "You stay on the Jupiter, Tech. We'll be there soon."

"But if I could-"

"Tech! That thing beat Wrecker in minutes. Do not engage, or I'm launching you out the airlock if that thing doesn't kill you."

"Fine, you don't have to get so upset," Tech muttered.

"Tech," Crosshair said blandly, "You have the reflexes of a dizzy labradoodle."

Echo snorted, but Crosshair had a point. The youngest of the Batcher brothers was a master with anything tech -hence the nickname- but his reflexes were nonexistent, in addition to being a beanpole with no actual combat experience. The robot could step on him and not even notice.

"Hunter," Tech said, suddenly sounding hesitant, "Scanners are picking up an anomaly outside the Resolute."

"Outside the… what is it?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know, it's an anomaly," Tech said. "But I would recommend that we change course."

"Tell it to the captain." Hunter slapped open the door to the lowest deck, then stopped briefly and raised a finger. "I'm not being literal, Tech, don't call the captain with that again."

"It was one time."

"Just don't do it. Where's the robot now?"

"It appears to be headed for the engine."

"That can't be good," Echo said.

"You don't say, Bird," Crosshair said.

"Don't start," Hunter snapped.

Tech was waiting at the entrance to their Jupiter. He barely acknowledged them with a glance, his attention divided between the hall, his tablet, and his WiCC. He was, as usual, wearing an expression of detached interest, not a strand of his toffee-brown hair out of place.

While Hunter and Crosshair sprinted past, Wrecker stopped long enough to drop Echo on his foot, then followed. Echo grabbed the airlock door for balance, his metal fingers clattering under the J99 imprinted in the door.

"Echo, we should wait inside," Tech said.

Echo shook his head, then raised his comlink. "Hunter, do you see it yet?"

The only response was an animalistic -or perhaps alien- shriek. Echo blinked at his comlink, then looked at Tech. From Tech's raised eyebrow, Echo wasn't hearing things.

"Hunter, did you hear that?"

Another shriek. But from down the hall, Hunter's voice.

"Breach!"

Tech grabbed Echo's arm. "Echo, we should put on our suits."

"No, not until-"

A rumbling groan ran through the station. Boots slammed against metal, then the others rounded the corner. Echo let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Get inside!" Hunter ordered sharply.

Echo swiveled, then promptly tipped. Tech grabbed him, and Echo nearly dragged them both down before Tech was able to balance both of their weights. The two of them got into the hub at the same time as the others.

"What happened?" Echo asked, twisting to follow Hunter grabbing his EMU.

"Did you hear that noise over the comms?" Hunter asked, grabbing Echo's suit as well. "It must have been a command or something. The robot broke through a window to get back outside. We barely had time to seal the bulkhead door. Wrecker, help Echo."

Echo caught the EMU pants when Hunter tossed it to him, then Wrecker easily lifted Echo into the air so he could get his legs into the pants.

"Haven't had to do that in a while," Wrecker laughed.

Echo huffed. "Because it's embarrassing."

"So's giving yourself a concussion when you fall over," Crosshair said, his back to the others as he suited up.

Wrecker laughed, and Echo flushed at the memory. In his defense, he was still getting used to his prosthetic legs. He'd been too stubborn to ask Wrecker for help again in getting his pants on, and had managed to hit his head on his footboard on the way down.

Echo leaned against his seat to get the top half of his EMU on while Wrecker went to get their helmets. Hunter and Tech, both in their EMUs, were bent over Tech's tablet. Crosshair finished putting on his helmet, then looked up through the hub's skylight. Echo followed his gaze.

The colonists' Jupiters were detaching from their airlocks, headed into open space while the threat on the Resolute was resolved. Except, the robot wasn't even on the Resolute anymore.

"There," Hunter said. "There's its craft. Tech, find us the shortest route, and we'll intercept it. Keep it from the colonists."

The floor shuddered. Echo looked at Tech when he made a startled noise, then back to the skylight.

A Jupiter two decks up seemed to freeze in place. It shook, then the thrusters faltered. It's nose tipped over backward. The thrusters failed, but the Jupiter moved closer to the lower deck, top-first!

"Hunter!" Echo said, pointing.

"Brace yourselves!" Tech yelled.

The floor was yanked away from Echo. His foot skittered sideways, throwing Echo to the floor. Thuds, grunts, and a yelp came from the others, then Crosshair's body collided with Echo.

"Airlock compromised," stated the computer.

Echo thrust himself up, then had to bite back a shout when he kept going. He looked quickly around, seeing everyone else floating nearby. Wrecker was clear across the hub, a sheepish grin on his face.

"We've been forcefully detached from the Resolute," Tech said, his voice as calm as the computer's. "I suggest we get to the cockpit, Hunter."

"On it," Hunter said.

A long, deep groan ran through the Jupiter. Echo stretched out a hand to catch the back of his chair, and found it shaking. He looked around to see if the others noticed.

Hunter was reaching for something solid. Wrecker held onto the wall near the ceiling, not seeming to care that the contact was making his exosuit rattle. Crosshair eyed the ceiling warily, and Echo doubted Tech was seeing anything beyond his WiCC.

"Wait." Tech twisted, his brows furrowing. "Hunter, that anomaly. It was some kind of energy spike."

Hunter, still reaching for the wall, just gave a distracted, "So?"

"It's much stronger now."

Echo frowned. Everyone else, even Tech, wore expressions of confusion. An energy spike in the middle of open space?

Then Wrecker's eyes went huge. "Hunter, there's a… Tech, what is that?"

Echo's gut clenched at the nervous tone of Wrecker's voice. He strained to see what had Wrecker's attention, but from his angle could only see the Resolute.

Hunter finally gained the wall and kicked over to Wrecker's side. He turned and squinted, blinking rapidly.

"It looks like an opening…" Hunter trailed off. His eyes shot wide, just as the Jupiter's shaking intensified. "Strap in!"

Echo pulled himself into a chair and strapped in. Crosshair, who'd barely lifted from the floor, easily resituated himself into his seat, then reached for Tech.

"Wait, I have to-" Tech started.

"Leave it to the autopilot!" Hunter ordered. He soared to Tech's side and pushed him into a chair.

"I don't trust the computer to fly us safely!" Tech protested.

"For once in your life," Hunter said, forcefully clipping Tech's restraints, "Trust the people who programmed this pod!"

The Jupiter jerked, throwing Tech against his restraints before he could retort. Echo's head slammed against the headrest. His vision crossed briefly and when he blinked, Hunter was gone.

"Hunter!" Wrecker yelled.

Wrecker let go of where he'd braced himself to jump across the room. Echo twisted to follow, eyes widening when he saw Hunter floating limply against the back wall.

"Hunter, can you hear me?" Echo asked as he reached to release himself.

"I got him," Wrecker said.

Wrecker cradled his arms around Hunter, quickly checking him over. As he did, something flared from above. His gut already twisting in alarm, Echo slowly raised his head.

A massive metal strut was headed toward the J99, moving slowly, almost ponderously.

"Wrecker," Echo breathed.

"Hunter's okay," Wrecker said. "Just got-"

"Wrecker, get strapped in!" Echo yelled.

"Brace for impact," the computer chimed in.

Wrecker curled over Hunter, his exosuit extending to cover them both and the arms grabbing the countertop. Echo grabbed his restraints, tightened his jaw, and watched the strut's creeping approach.

At the same time, something occurred to Echo. "Why hasn't the computer taken over yet?"

Silence was Echo's only response, then Crosshair hissed, "Tech, you're an idiot."

Echo clapped a hand to his helmet. "Tech?!"

The strut hit the Jupiter before Tech could speak, if he'd bothered to try. For how slow the strut had been moving, it hit hard.

Echo was jerked upward against his restraints. His face smacked against his helmet's dome, and it took several seconds for his vision to focus. Clattering rang out around him, hopefully just dislodged supplies.

His intact leg was knocked sideways. Echo twitched it closer to his seat and shook his head, trying to see what had hit it.

Everything was too dark, which took several more seconds for Echo to realize that the lights had gone out. They flickered back to life, and Echo saw Tech busily bent over his WiCC.

Echo looked up. The strut was gone, and the view outside the skylight was a spinning kaleidoscope of stars, more stars, and something green-blue that grew closer with each rotation.

Echo's stomach sank, and it had nothing to do with the spinning. "Tech, what's the status on the autopilot?"

"Unplugged," Tech said.

He could have at least sounded slightly ashamed, Echo thought bitterly. He stared at the rapidly approaching planet.

"Do I want to know the chances of surviving the crash?" Echo asked weakly.

"There's nothing here to crash into," Tech said.

"Tech? Look up."

A beat of silence.

"Oh. Hold on, making corrections."

Echo looked away from the planet. Tech had started working faster. Crosshair watched the skylight, his face blank. Twisting, Echo met Wrecker's eyes.

Then gravity abruptly returned. Echo hit his face on his helmet again -for half a second, he wanted to throw the blasted thing across the room- and lifted his head to a couple dots of blood floating in his vision.

"Stabilized," Tech and the computer said in sync.

Echo touched his tongue against his cut lip, and gave Tech a tired glare. The youngest Batcher didn't notice, entrenched with something on his WiCC.

"Brace for-"

Again, something hit their Jupiter, out of nowhere. Echo bit his tongue when the impact threw him forward. Tech gave an incoherent shout and Wrecker yelled Hunter's name.

"Exceeding entry parameters," the computer said.

"Entry?!" Echo yelled. "What entry?!"

Flames washed across the skylight. Echo swallowed against a wave of nausea. Their spinning was slower, giving him fractional glances of dark sky, flaming wreckage, mountains, and empty plains.

"We'll be fine," Tech said. "The hub is theoretically built to withstand crash landings."

"That's reassuring!" Hunter's voice came. Echo had never been so glad to hear Hunter's voice, even if it was a bit slurred.

"Trust the people who built the pod, Hunter," Tech said primly.

"Adjust parameters," the computer requested.

"This is why I should have been in the cockpit," Tech said.

"This is why we don't unplug the autopilot, Tech!" Echo said.

"I don't trust the autopilot."

"Brace for impact," the computer stated.

Echo gripped the armrests and bit out, "Tech, if we survive this, I will kill you."

In the next flash of ground through the skylight, lavender raced toward them. Echo fixed his eyes on the skylight, breath stuttering. Dozens of possibilities of what would happen on impact raced through Echo's head, cutting off with a resounding crash. Echo's face slammed into his helmet for the final time, and everything went dark.


A/N: Leaving this as marked complete even though, obviously, they can't die in the initial wreck. But this crossover goes on through the entire LiS show, and I don't know how much I want to post. I might post some plot-less one-shots if anyone's interested.