Zoltan, along with the rest of Delta Training Lance, is assigned to practice riding the giant avian rakhtor beasts, using lances to spear floating "sky gardens" as practice for waashu-fighting techniques. During the course of the training exercise, the rakhtor of Tor Sapphire (a Jupani cub) misbehaves, and the rest of the squad has to herd the avian back onto course.

The group proceeds to attack the floating sky gardens with varying results … until another "sky garden" seems to float up. Zoltan realizes that it's not a sky garden at all, but a waashu – a giant floating jellyfish-like creature. Zoltan heads off Tor, who is trying to spear the waashu, unaware of its true nature. A call for retreat is sounded by the airship, but Zoltan presses on anyway, to save the cub from being caught by the monster. He succeeds, felling the creature.

Back on the airship, Zoltan is both commended and reprimanded for his actions. While he saved Tor, he technically did not follow orders, so he is assigned to report to the Head Cook for potato-peeling duty. The rest of his Lance volunteers to join him (though Tor, having disobeyed the order to retreat as well, is already committed to the duty).