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SUMMARY: There are some changes ahead for the crew of the Andromeda Ascendent, but first they have to battle an unknown enemy.
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: These characters are not mine. Rather, they are the property of Tribune Entertainment et al. I am taking them and using them for my own amusement, but make absolutely no money from the deal.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: A couple of things. First, if you’re a fan of Dylan Hunt then this may not be for you. Secondly, I will admit that I am a Tyr/Beka fan, and Eureka Maru is being written with that slant. Thirdly, this does not follow on from the end of season 3. In fact, it was written way before the end of season 3 and we're not even going to touch season 4. As time passes I may find a way to incorporate what happened in the season 3 finale, but there are no guarantees.
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The silence was growing in Command, uncomfortably so. The crew, dressed in variants of black clothing, all looked towards Beka, their trust in her showing openly on their faces. She leaned back against a console, wishing that she’d decided to hold this meeting on the observation deck, which would have been far less formal. Perhaps there, the pressure on her might have been less. “Look guys,” she began, feeling as though her back was to the wall in more ways than one, “I’m just the acting first officer.”
“On the contrary, Captain Valentine,” Tyr’s smooth voice intoned from somewhere off to the side. “You are now the very real captain of this ship.”
She sighed. Trust Tyr to point out the obvious, which was something she really didn’t need at this point in time. It was, however, somewhat of a comfort to have him being himself; normalcy had been severely lacking in the days since Dylan’s death. The random attack on Scherzando Drift had changed all of their lives forever, something that she knew that Trance with all her possible futures would feel guilt over for a long time. But there was no way anyone could have predicted the senseless act of violence that had resulted in the death of Captain Hunt by his own force lance.
Tyr was pointing out more than the obvious, she realised. He was reminding her of who she was. She was Captain Beka Valentine, and had been since before her path had crossed with that of Dylan Hunt’s. Mentally, she made a note to thank the Nietzschean later; he seemed to understand her better than a lot of people, including her own family, which really said something either about him or her sorry excuse for a brother. She forced herself back to the issue at hand.
“So what are we going to do?” Trance asked, her golden skin looking unnaturally pale against the black leather suit she was wearing.
A quick glance over at Tyr seemed to strengthen her; he nodded, encouraging her to say something. “Well, as Tyr said, I guess I’m now the captain.”
“I have already altered the ship’s registry to reflect that,” Rommie informed her. “Might I suggest you appoint a new first officer? My suggestion would be to give Tyr that position.”
All eyes swung away from Beka to focus on Tyr. “Whatever,” he said in a bored tone, flicking a hand to emphasise his state of non-committal. “If Captain Valentine approves then I am willing to accept the position.”
“Okay, you’re in,” Beka replied cheerfully. It was a relief to have made one decision, even if it was a relatively minor one. She had known Tyr would support her if this eventuality came to pass. It was with a shudder, however, that she remembered how that realisation had come about; when they had once entertained thoughts of forcibly taking over the ship and making Dylan a permanent resident of V-Deck.
“Now what?” This came from Harper. “Is it business as usual, boss?” He stood uncomfortably in front of Beka; every so often his hands rose to the collar of his shirt, as though the material was scratching his skin. He wasn’t used to wearing such formal garments, and she knew he’d be more at home in his usual clothes.
“Now,” she said, “we get changed.” She took a look at Trance; the golden girl really didn’t look good in black, she decided. “After that, yes, it’s business as usual. I’m something will come up.” She smiled weakly. “It usually does.”
Harper nodded and shuffled out of command, Trance not far behind him. Rommie had insisted upon the formal attire for Dylan’s ceremony, and Beka had agreed with the proviso that she didn’t have to wear a dress. That wasn’t who she was. So instead she was in a suit similar in cut to one of Rommie’s military uniforms, while Tyr had decided to wear black leather – just for a change, she thought sarcastically. She noticed that he hadn’t followed the others and thought that perhaps he saw no need to change. She on the other hand couldn’t wait to get comfortable in leather pants and a co-ordinating top.
“Captain Valentine.” He fell into step beside her; apparently he didn’t care to remain in command.
“First Officer Anasazi,” she replied in an even tone.
He appeared to take the hint. “Beka, might I have a word?”
“Sure Tyr, but you’ll have to walk with me, okay?”
Tyr nodded his assent and they began their walk through Andromeda’s corridors. Beka always appreciated the time she spent with this man, even if he had made it clear many months ago that they would be nothing more than friends. Although his attitude sometimes left a lot to be desired, Beka understood that this was who he was. She knew as well, that her own attitude was something that could be interpreted as an undesirable trait in a female, especially from a Nietzschean perspective.
“So,” he began, “might I enquire what your plans are for us now that you are in charge?”
Beka shrugged. She wasn’t quite certain where life would lead them, but she was fairly sure that it wouldn’t take long for the Commonwealth to contact them and she told Tyr that. “To be honest, I’m surprised they’ve not already contacted us. Dylan was the great hero after all.”
Tyr nodded his agreement. “However, news tend to move slowly from Scherzando. It is more than likely that they have not yet had time to form a suitable response.” He paused briefly as they reached the door to her quarters. “I have no doubt that they will suitably eulogise him when the time comes.” Sitting down on Beka’s bed he continued. “It will, of course, be suitable for them, rather than for Dylan, but what can you really not say about a man who survived three hundred years in a black hole and then set about rebuilding a dead institution.”
Beka pulled out a change of clothing from her closet and disappeared into her bathroom. “You think the Commonwealth is dead?” she called through.
“It is certainly no more alive than it was before Dylan’s attempts to resurrect it. Having read about the old Commonwealth I see very little of it in today’s version.” He placed his hands behind him on the bed and leaned back. “Perhaps he should have accepted the leadership position he was offered, meanwhile his life has been wasted with one very stupid move.”
Beka re-emerged in a white T-shirt and black leather pants, pulling a brush through her hair. “You don’t think he should have got involved?”
“It was not his fight.” Tyr’s mouth turned into a slight smile. “It was one of his most amusing qualities, this habit of getting involved where no involvement was needed. It is indeed a shame that it eventually killed him.”
She nodded at his reflection in the mirror. “He did sort of have that immortal quality to him, didn’t he?”
“It is unfortunate that he did not fully realise how mortal he was.”
Beka found herself wondering if the Andromeda’s crew, herself included, had also believed that Dylan Hunt was totally infallible; after all he had survived three hundred years in the event horizon of a black hole. Placing the brush back on the vanity unit she turned to face her friend. “So, how do we feel the void that’s been created?”
Tyr shrugged. “Do we even need to?” He paused. “I doubt that the Commonwealth will really want to keep us around, do you? We are not exactly High Guard material.” With those ominous words he stood up and headed towards the door. “In the meantime, what are your plans?”
Andromeda’s new captain grimaced. “I guess I need to do some reading. See what Dylan was working on, how he kept records, that sort of thing.”
“You don’t know?”
“I was a first officer in name only, Tyr,” she replied with an embarrassed smile. “He pretty much kept all the Commonwealth stuff to himself. My job was to rally the troops. Seems I had a knack for it.”
“I see.” But Beka wondered if he really did. She wasn’t sure if she did either. All she knew for certain was that she was about to find out a lot more about Andromeda and the Commonwealth than she had previously known existed. And since she was now officially the ship’s captain, Andromeda had to give up her secrets.
“Actually, I could do with your help.” They’d fallen into step again upon leaving her quarters.
“My help?”
“Yeah. Since you’re now the first officer, you should probably read up as well.”
To her surprise, Tyr looked puzzled. “Why? Dylan didn’t require you for you to do that.”
“Well, I’m not Dylan. And I think you should know what’s going on, in case something happens to me.”
Was it her imagination or did Tyr’s face suddenly take on a very strange expression? “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he told her forcefully. She wasn’t sure if he genuinely believed it or was trying to convince himself.
“Isn’t that a little un-Nietzschean of you?” she finally asked.
He smiled tenderly at her. “Then let me rephrase. It is in my best interests to ensure that nothing happens to you.”
Beka stopped in the middle of the corridor and stared at him. She realised a long time ago that Tyr’s best interests were what guided him through life, yet maybe it was the tone of his voice or the look in his eyes that could make her forget that they were not meant to be together. So often, his words and actions appeared to contradict his severe Nietzschean beliefs, leaving her confused. “Thank you,” she said at last, not knowing anything else to say in response to his declaration.
Tyr nodded silently and they stepped into what had been Dylan’s office. They moved wordlessly, assigning themselves each an end of the desk, passing flexis between them. They highlighted various passages, made note of what they believed to be of importance. Silently, they carved out the way that they believed the Andromeda should be run while they had command of her.
Three hours into their task, Beka placed her flexi down and looked across at her companion. She had to admit they worked well together. While she had an eye and a head for business, he seemed to instinctively know how to protect their backs in order to get the deal of the day complete. She was glad that Rommie had recommended what she could not come out and voice; there were really few she could have trusted fully to take the position of first officer and Harper and Trance just didn’t have the worldly experience that Tyr possessed.
“Beka.” The hologram of Andromeda appeared before them, her hands clasped behind her back in her usual pose. “I have received a message from the provisional government of the Commonwealth. We are commanded to rendezvous with a...” she paused and frowned, “a replacement senior crew.”
Beka exchanged a look with Tyr. “That didn’t take them long,” she observed dryly. “Okay, Andromeda, I’ll come up to Command to prepare for slipstream. You better get Harper working on the Maru. I want my ship in top working order before we meet up with our replacements.”
Andromeda smiled thinly. “He and Trance should probably hear that from you.”
“Okay,” Beka knew she was right, but it still didn’t mean she was eager to tell them that they were about to lose their home of the last three years. Rolling her eyes at her second in command she stood up and headed for the door. “Come on, first officer, I need you with me when I tell them.”
Harper was upset, loudly so, at the news that the Andromeda was to get new officers. He didn’t think it was right; they were the crew, and besides what other engineer was going to pay as good attention to Andromeda as he did? Beka attempted to hide a grin when she heard that question, but she knew that any set of Commonwealth engineers was going to have problems with the amount of rewiring that Harper had done to the centuries old ship. She attempted to console him as best she could, but it was obvious that it was going to take a long while before he calmed down. In the meantime she wondered just what havoc he would create in order to cause more problems for his replacement.
So wrapped up in Harper’s complaints was she that Beka didn’t notice that Trance hadn’t said a word until the man beside her said, “What is your opinion, Trance Gemini?” She silently thanked Tyr for his concern for their crew; he was already making a wonderful first officer, it was just a shame she couldn’t keep him.
The girl didn’t seem too bothered. “Whatever happens will happen,” she replied cryptically, earning a bewildered look from Harper.
“How can you say that?” he asked. “Doesn’t this place mean anything to you?” When she didn’t respond he continued. “This is home.”
“So is the Maru,” Trance finally told him. “Besides, I’ve had a lot of homes. The Andromeda was just one more.” She seemed strangely calm about the situation, causing Beka to wonder, not for the first time, just what sort of life Trance had had before they had met.
“Yeah, well,” he scoffed. “I’m a little tired of all this constant moving around. We got a good gig going and some big guys want to take it away? Man, this is so not good.”
“For once, Harper, I think I agree with you.” The words from Rommie surprised everyone, but she stood there, arms folded across her chest. “I have had many crews, most of the time I had little personal interaction with them. You have been,” she cocked her head as though in thought, “different.”
“Different?” Tyr let out a sharp laugh. “I suppose that is true. We take more risks than any crew of the Commonwealth ever would.” He didn’t seem particularly impressed with the fact. “We don’t conform to Commonwealth standards, or abide by petty rules and regulations.”
“Which makes you, if you don’t mind me saying,” Rommie’s face creased into a small smile, “more human.”
Somewhere, from the vicinity of a small engineer, there came a small giggle. Tyr pretended to ignore it.
“There is something to be said for rules and regulations.” The face of Rommie’s computer double appeared on a screen. “They maintain order, and assist in the optimum running of a Commonwealth vessel.”
Rommie glared at Andromeda. “Oh please, are you trying to tell me that you’d rather have a Commonwealth crew with no personality that just abuses us and takes us for granted?”
“A Commonwealth crew is trained to know how a ship should be run.”
“I think we’ve done okay, haven’t we?”
“Yeah, we’ve done very well,” Harper chimed in. “I can’t believe you’d chose a Commonwealth crew over us.”
The face on the screen glared at him and Beka decided to hastily intervene before either a fight broke out or, perhaps worse, the holographic Andromeda got involved. There could be nothing more confusing than watching three personalities that looked almost identical argue with themselves. It was more than enough to bring on a headache at times and right now, a headache was one thing that Beka didn’t need. “Um, okay, guys, I hate to break up the party, but I don’t think it’s something we have a choice over.”
“But Beka,” Harper whined.
She smiled sweetly. “I’m captain now, Harper, you’re just the engineer. I say we don’t have a choice. Deal with it.” Turning, she headed for the pilot’s chair and buckled herself in for the slipstream drive.
Three pairs of eyes turned to Tyr who shrugged. “As first officer, I’m inclined to agree with her. There is little we can do. The Commonwealth prefers to have a Commonwealth captain to go with its Commonwealth crew. Andromeda is still their ship.”
***
Four hours later, Beka powered down the slipstream drive and breathed a sigh of relief. Manoeuvring through the corridors of space always forced her to concentrate until her head hurt. This time, she was grateful that the extreme concentration had meant she’d not been able to think of other things. Such as Andromeda, the future, and Tyr.
“I thought a ship was supposed to be waiting for us.”
Tyr’s voice cut into her thoughts, causing Beka to look outside. “Andromeda?” she queried when she saw nothing. “Any sign of the Starry Heart?”
The ship’s face appeared onscreen. “Negative. However, my sensors are picking up something.” An intense look of concentration crossed her features for a few moments. “Beka, it would appear that there was a Commonwealth ship here. However, it has been destroyed.”
“Destroyed?” Harper echoed. “That doesn’t sound too good.”
Tyr agreed with him. “It certainly doesn’t.”
“Any idea how?” Beka asked.
Andromeda’s hologram shook her head. “I’m picking up debris but nothing substantial enough for analysis.”
“What about escape pods?” Trance asked. “Is there any possibility that some of the crew may have survived?”
“Negative.” Andromeda paused. “Interestingly enough, it does look to be a small debris field.”
“Meaning?” Beka asked.
“A precisely targeted explosion,” Tyr told her, “possibly causing a chain reaction throughout the ship.”
“Start at one end and make your way through to the other?” Harper chirped.
Tyr nodded. “If you were to hit one particular location with a particular type of weapon it would be possible to break the ship apart piece by tiny piece.”
“So now what?” Beka asked as she stood up. “I know I’m the captain but quite frankly this has me puzzled as well as concerned.”
“Do we return to the Commonwealth or stay out here?”
She turned to Tyr and nodded. “Since we are here we probably should investigate further, perhaps salvage as much as we can.” She shrugged. “If we’re going to report back to the Commonwealth we should probably have something to give them.”
“And if we do not return to the Commonwealth?” Tyr didn’t wait for an answer. “We would most likely become prime suspects in the attack? Perhaps we did not like the prospect of relinquishing Andromeda.”
Beka nodded. “I know which I’d prefer.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Okay, we need to salvage what we can, attempt to…” Her voice trailed off as she felt the ship come to a shuddering halt. “Andromeda?”
“I am being held by some kind of forcefield. All systems appear normal, but I cannot move.”
“Any idea what’s causing it?”
“Negative, although there does appear to be an electrical pulse generating it.”
“Can you pinpoint where it’s being generated from?” Tyr’s hands were poised on his console. “Perhaps we can target it and shoot at it.”
“No!” A sharp cry came from Trance. “We don’t know what’s out there. You could hurt an innocent life form.”
The Nietzschean shot her a withering glare. “Innocent? I beg to differ. It is holding us here and is more than likely responsible for the deaths of our Commonwealth replacements. I say we shoot now, before it can inflict further damage.”
“That might be a problem,” Andromeda reported. “My weapons are off-line.”
Beka wasn’t sure that ‘shooting at it’ was the correct answer to her earlier question, even if weapons were functioning, but she appeared to have precious few options. “I don’t know guys,” she began hesitantly, “but I want to know what’s holding us. Trance, Andromeda, I want you to see if you can figure out where this electrical charge is coming from. Harper, I want as much power to the engines as you can give us. If this thing loosens its hold I don’t plan on sticking around.” There, she felt better now. As first officer she had so rarely been given command; if Dylan had been onboard he had always taken immediate control of a situation, allowing little room for discussion. She had led the ship’s fighter squadrons, but rarely had she been in a position to lead the entire crew, something she had been accustomed to on the Maru, albeit on a smaller scale. Now she was back in charge of a crew again and it felt good. More than that, it felt right.
“Beka.” Andromeda’s voice brought her back to the current situation. “I’m receiving a transmission, origin unknown.” She paused and the face on the computer screen took on a worried tone. “I think they might be responsible for holding me.”
“Play it.”
“Unknown vessel, you are trespassing.”
“Um, sorry about that,” Beka responded hastily. “I’m Captain Beka…”
“Who you are is of no consequence. Prepare to be boarded. Any attempt to escape and you will be fired upon.”
“Interesting,” Tyr remarked coolly as the transmission abruptly ended. “They apparently believe they can fire while cloaked.”
Beka cast a glance at him. “Think they might be more superior than the Nietzscheans, at least in terms of technology?”
He laughed without humour. “A Nietzschean vessel would not be hide itself. That fact alone reassures me of Nietzschean superiority. Our captors, whoever they might be, are cowards if they cannot show themselves.”
Beka chose not to respond directly to his scathing comments. “Well, I guess we should prepare for their arrival.”
“You’re going to allow them to board? Do you not wish to defend your ship?” Tyr shook his head in disbelief.
“I can’t see that we have much of a choice,” she told him grudgingly. “Think about it, we were supposed to meet with the Starry Heart at this location, but all we can find is wreckage.”
“You think they were given the same ultimatum?”
“Yes. And like any good Commonwealth vessel she probably attempted to defend herself and refuse to be boarded.”
“So we let them board?”
She smiled. “Forces them to show themselves, doesn’t it. And meanwhile, we get to live a little longer.”
A small smile graced his face. “Sometimes, I have to admit I like your thinking. However,” the smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, “do not expect me to give up this ship without a fight.”
“None of us will,” she replied. Calling for Andromeda to open a shipwide channel she began her announcement to the crew. “Attention all hands. We are about to be boarded. I like it probably as much as all of you and rest assured I’m not about to lose control of Andromeda without a fight. Until that time comes, however, I want you all to remain calm and go about your duties. First Officer Anasazi will be making a round of all decks shortly. Beka Valentine out."
“I will, will I?”
“Yes, and take a security detail with you. I want to know exactly when this boarding party arrives and what they do to the crew.” She turned to holo-Rommie. “Any sign of the enemy?”
The hologram looked a little perplexed. “Not yet, Beka, and I still can’t pinpoint their location.”
“Well, keep working on it.”
***
Several hours later, there was still no sign of the boarding party, and the senior crew found themselves having an impromptu meeting in Command to discuss the situation. There was one notable exception and Beka made a mental note to catch up with her afterwards.
“I don’t get it boss,” Harper said. “Everything’s working fine. I got a team monitoring every single tiny system, but even with maximum power, this baby’s going nowhere.”
“So ‘making a run for it’ is not an option?” Tyr asked.
“No way. I can’t move us one tiny millimetre. And hey, with the little ultimatum they gave us I wouldn’t want to get us moving any further than that unless we could slipstream instantly and lose the bastards.”
“So, we’re being held here by an unknown enemy who is probably responsible for the destruction of the Starry Heart, and we can’t do a single thing about it, while they take their own sweet time in boarding us,” Beka said. “Does that about sum it up?”
“I would say so, yes,” Tyr replied. “Can I just state for the record that I utterly dislike this feeling of forced helplessness.”
“Statement duly noted,” Rommie responded, ignoring the dirty look the Nietzschean threw in her direction. “On the plus side, if there is one, the crew don’t seem to be too concerned. Oh,” her face fell. “This isn’t a plus. Beka, when this is over, you might want remind the crew of the Commonwealth protocols regarding fraternisation.” The android turned slightly red. “There are currently ten couples fraternising and not one of them has engaged privacy protocols. Oh my!” Her face turned even redder.
“You mean, they’re screwing?” Harper asked, his eyes wide. “Man, whatever they’re on I want some.”
Andromeda appeared onscreen. “I don’t think so, Harper. All crewmembers concerned are acting extremely out of character. And they are not the only ones. I’m getting strange readings from all over the ship. For example, did you know Lieutenant Dorska played basketball?”
Beka blinked. “No.” Dorska was usually to be found in one of the science laboratories.
“Neither did I.”
“That’s out of character all right.”
“I know. Captain Valentine, effective immediately I am relieving you of duty.”
“What?” three voices exclaimed simultaneously.
“I suspect that no one is going to be immune to whatever this is, including yourselves. Therefore, I am relieving all of you from duty for the safety of the crew and myself. I will attempt to discover why the crew is behaving so unusually.” Her eyes widened. “Er, Harper, you may want to get down to the arboretum. Trance needs some, er, assistance.”
“Right on it, Rom Doll.” The engineer disappeared quickly from Command. Beka decided she didn’t want to ask what kind of assistance Trance needed.
“So,” Tyr began hesitantly, “now that you are a lady of leisure, what are your plans?”
“I’m not sure,” Beka replied, “but I think a nap in my quarters might be an idea. Care to join me?”
“Of course,” was the immediate reply.
***
“Ahem!”
At the sound of holo-Rommie’s cough, Beka began to stir. Slowly, she opened her eyes, not really wanting to be disturbed.
“I have discovered the cause for the crew’s behaviour,” the hologram announced. “I thought you might want to know. Both of you.”
Her stress of the word ‘both’ caused Beka to open her eyes fully. As she did, she became aware of a figure at the edge of her peripheral vision. The accompanying feel of a limb lying across her stomach made her remember just what had happened and she groaned.
“Well, Ship,” said a muffled voice from the pillow beside her. “Do not keep us in suspense. What is the reason for our behaviour?”
“It would appear that our visitors’ preferred method of boarding was to inject our environmental systems with some kind of toxin. Trance is identifying it now. However, it is safe to say that had I not begun venting when I did it is likely that the crew would be dead by now.”
“Is everyone okay?” Beka asked.
“They appear to be. However, my avatar is attempting to break up a fight in Command.” She paused as if concentrating and then shook her head. “It’s Harper.” The hologram disappeared, leaving two embarrassed people lying next to each other. For a time neither spoke or moved.
“How are you feeling?” Tyr asked at last.
“Sore,” Beka admitted. “That was some workout.”
“I’m inclined to agree.”
“So, I guess we can blame our unknown captors for this.”
“Or use it as an excuse.”
She rolled onto her side and regarded him. “An excuse? Tyr, I’m surprised you’re not already out of this bed and swearing on the progenitor’s bones that you’d never have done this if you were in full control of your faculties.”
Tyr lifted his head from the pillow and smiled at her. “That would be a most severe reaction, Beka, and you are not worthy of that.”
She frowned. “Thanks, I think.”
“You should think,” he told her, lifting his arm from her waist and running a gentle finger down her cheek. “And later, we will discuss this. But right now, Captain Valentine, I believe we have a situation we should attend to in Command.”
When Beka and Tyr arrived on the Command deck the first thing they saw was the diminutive AI standing between Harper and another crewman with a hand on the chest of each of them. Quickly sizing up the situation, Tyr strode forward and grabbed Harper’s collar, yanking him backwards a couple of metres.
“Do you wish to tell us what is going on?” the Nietzschean enquired.
Harper glared at his would-be opponent. “Johnson here threw out valuable supplies,” he shouted, pointing wildly at the other man.
“Is this true, Johnson?” Beka asked.
The lieutenant nodded and looked sheepish. “Yes, Captain. It is.”
Beka shook her head in confusion. “Why?”
The young man didn’t appear to have an answer. Seeing the pleading glance he was sending her way Rommie decided to help him out. “It was during the gas attack,” she said, “so to be fair, Lieutenant Johnson is not to blame for what he did.” She threw a pointed look towards the captain and first officer. “A lot of people did things they wouldn’t normally do. I should also state that the supplies in question just happened to be two cases of Harper’s Sparky Cola, hardly essential to the survival of the crew.”
“Essential to my survival,” Harper muttered, his anger now dissipating into a sulk.
“Beka!” Andromeda’s face appeared on screen. “There has been an unexpected result from this incident.”
“Oh?”
“The cases of cola were undetected by our captors. They drifted away without being fired on.”
Tyr’s eyebrows rose. “That’s interesting. I wonder if we’d get the same result from, say, a slipfighter?”
“If we knew where that cloaked vessel was we could target it,” Beka added.
“Yeah,” Harper grumbled, “if we knew where it was.”
“Actually, we do.” Trance’s clear tones rang loud across Command and everyone turned to look at her. “Andromeda and I have managed to figure out what’s holding us. It’s like a hundred invisible bucky cables and they all lead in one direction.” She indicated the schematics that Andromeda brought up on the screen.
“Interesting,” Beka murmured. “So basically, we can probably assume they planned on holding us here until we were all dead and then salvage the ship.” She folded her arms across her chest and a tight smile graced her features. “I suppose that’s one way of doing business.”
“I think I preferred working for Gerentex,” Harper muttered in disgust.
“I recommend taking a slipfighter out and shooting them,” Tyr suggested emphatically. “That would certainly solve our problems.”
Beka nodded. “Nice idea. I’m just concerned that they’d spot any life signs on board. A manned slipfighter isn’t quite the same as a case of Sparky Cola.”
Tyr appeared to be deep in thought. “I seem to remember that one of Harper’s little… devices… helped us out once before. Perhaps we could use it to mask the slipfighter. Our captors could be made to think it’s just another storage container.”
Beka remembered the time to which he was referring. “It’s possible, but I was only able to use to make the Maru look like Andromeda. It doesn’t mask life signs. And someone would still have to fly the fighter.”
“I’ll do it,” Trance offered. “They won’t see me.”
Tyr shook his head and blinked. “Forgive me if this is obvious, but… Andromeda can see you. How can you say they won’t?”
The golden girl smiled brightly. “That’s because I want Andromeda to see me. I want all of you to see me, but I don’t want them to see me so they won’t.”
Tyr was still confused; it showed in his face but he attempted to shake it off and switched to another concern. “Whoever goes out in that fighter would have to shoot directly and precisely at a cloaked vessel, wherever it is.
“I know where it is.”
Tyr ignored her interruption. “I thought you were also against killing innocent life forms.”
Trance’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Gee, Tyr. You think they’re innocent?”
“No, I don’t think they’re innocent,” he replied in frustration. “I just don’t know if you’re the right person for the job.”
“I’m the only person for this mission,” Trance stressed. She turned to Beka. “Trust me, Beka, I can do this.”
Beka shrugged. “I don’t see we have much of a choice, guys. Our own weapons are still offline, and we all know it’s just a matter of time before they attempt to kill us again.” She turned to Harper. “Get that device out of storage and start recalibrating it.”
“Right on it.”
Tyr sighed and looked at Trance. “Very well, since you’re determined to do this, we should ensure you still remember how to pilot a slipfighter. Follow me.”
***
In Command, four anxious pairs of eyes watched as Trance brought the fighter out of its hanger. The idea was for her to drift slowly towards the cloaked vessel, using minimum power. At the last possible second, Harper would give Andromeda’s engines a sudden burst of power, hoping to attract the vessel’s attention. Trance would then fire upon it before turning back and making a mad dash back to the Andromeda.
Beka stood on the piloting platform, her hands tightly gripping the slipstream handles as she watched the events unfold on screen. Over to her left, Tyr stood at his customary post. She cast a quick glance in his direction. The expression on his face was grim, yet she could see the fierce determination that lurked beneath the surface; he was not about to surrender to an inevitable death to a faceless enemy. He would go down fighting or escape to see another day, whichever turned out to be the most suitable course to take. This was the part of the Nietzschean attitude Beka found herself admiring; the ability to make snap decisions as to how best preserve one’s life. You could never say that Tyr Anasazi was a reckless man; each move he made was precisely calculated.
The slipfighter continued its agonisingly slow path and while Beka’s eyes remained fixed on it, her mind began to drift back to the events of the night before. Grudgingly admitting to herself that neither one of them was responsible for their actions she couldn’t help but wonder where things now stood between them. Over the past few years they had developed a steady friendship, a far cry from their first days as enemies and then uneasy allies. Early on, he had pledged his support to her and, despite their philosophical differences, that support had continued. She was certainly glad to have him as her first officer, even if it was just for their final mission onboard Andromeda.
What lay in store for them after that was hard to tell. Who knew how the Commonwealth would accept its first crew, as highly unorthodox as it was; she doubted they’d be given prime positions. She also doubted that Tyr would stay on and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to either. But that didn’t mean a future where they continued to work side by side together.
“Trance is on her final approach, Harper get ready.” Andromeda’s voice brought Beka out of her musings and she silently berated herself for taking her mind off their current situation. Refocusing her eyes on the screen, she saw the representation of the fighter close in on its target.
“Now Harper.” Beka felt the ship tremble as the young engineer and his team gave it all they had.
“Missile away.”
The universe appeared to come to a halt as all eyes watched and waited. Suddenly there was a blinding flash and Andromeda shuddered.
“I’m free and Trance is returning. Let’s move.”
Beka needed no further instruction as she prepared to transit to slipstream.
***
They’d been guests of the Commonwealth for several days before anyone told them of their future. During that time, they’d been forced through various bureaucratic events beginning with a memorial service for Dylan and ending with Tyr being an honoured guest at a Commonwealth-Nietzschean symposium. Before each event, they’d been strongly encouraged to wear the uniform of the Commonwealth’s High Guard. The outfit appeared to suit only Rommie, who’d worn it on a semi-regular basis before, and looked very wrong on Harper and Beka. At nearly event they were thanked for their hard work and dedication to the cause. At Nietzschean events, several prides offered Tyr high places within their communities; he’d declined each one for the reasons that Beka couldn’t fathom and didn’t dare ask about.
Finally, on the morning of the fifth day, Beka was summoned to appear before several members of the Commonwealth government, including the Minister of Defence, of whom Harper was suitably disdaining.
“Defence Minister?” he snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll put on a real good defence for us.”
Harper wasn’t the only one sceptical of the Commonwealth’s intention. Tyr had already packed his meagre possessions into a bag and had made ‘suitable arrangements’ for a rather large piece of cargo he owned that Beka preferred not to know about. Trance had begun the careful transfer of many of her prized horticultural specimens from Andromeda’s arboretum to the Maru.
“I mean we all knew this day would come,” Beka confided in Rommie shortly before her appointment. “Dylan was the only reason the Commonwealth ever put up with us.”
“You’re a fine crew, Beka,” the android replied. “I’m hoping they’ll realise that.”
“Don’t count of it,” Beka smiled tightly. “Bureaucrats are all the same. It’s all about profit and looking good.”
“Something you should be good at, then.”
“Maybe, but right now we’re costing the Commonwealth credits and as Tyr reminded me the other day, we’re not exactly High Guard material, no matter how they tried to stick us in those uncomfortable uniforms.”
“Without you, I would never have been set free from that black hole.”
“Without Gerentex, you mean,” Beka sniffed. “Which doesn’t exactly sound too good. The Commonwealth reborn thanks to a thieving, conniving bastard.”
“Thanks to Dylan, you mean.”
“Oh yes, the man who couldn’t die, until he did.”
Rommie shot Beka a disapproving look. “You’re sounding more like Tyr every day, all cynicism and sarcasm.”
The captain rolled her eyes. “Well maybe he has the right attitude. I mean, I don’t even know why I’m going to this thing anyway. It was a done deal as soon as we were ordered to meet up with Starry Heart.”
Rommie stood up straight and looked straight at a woman she had come to regard as a friend. “For what it’s worth, Captain Valentine, it’s been a pleasure serving with you.”
“Thanks, Rommie. I’ve got to admit, at times it was almost fun.”
The AI laughed. “I’ve certainly never had a crew quite like you.” She looked wistful. “I’ll certainly never have an engineer like Harper again, that’s for certain.”
“You should be relieved. At least now you can return to having a proper crew and be the ship you were supposed to be.”
But somehow, Rommie found that thought didn’t please her at all.
***
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Harper muttered as he stowed his gear around his bunk onboard the Maru. “Man, they so could not wait to be rid of us.”
Trance stood in the doorway and watched him. “We were their guests for a week, Harper.”
“Yeah right.” Harper closed a hatch with a thump. “They just had to make it look good, but had it not been for that attack they wouldn’t have had to have us at all. I know the Commonwealth,” he said, wagging a finger at his friend, “and they would have even held Dylan’s service without us if they could have.”
“But they didn’t,” Trance smiled, “and that’s the main thing.” She left Harper in his tiny quarters and headed for the cockpit where Beka was going through a pre-flight checklist.
“Harper okay?” Beka asked as she flipped some switches.
“I think he’s going to miss Andromeda,” Trance replied as she began to assist.
“Yeah.” Beka looked out of the viewport to where the Andromeda Ascendant was docked. “We all will.”
“She was our home for three years.”
“I guess. You know the last time I spoke to her she said she didn’t even know what she was going to end up doing. Sad really.”
Loud footsteps sounded down the gangway. “What’s sad?” Harper asked as he entered the flight deck.
“Andromeda not knowing her future,” Trance told him.
“Oh, that.” Beka was surprised that Harper didn’t seem too concerned. She shot him a look, wondering if he was keeping something back, but his face was uncharacteristically blank.
“Well, I think we’re ready,” she said, deciding to change the subject. She didn’t want to dwell too long on those they were leaving behind. Tyr had silently walked away from her that morning, leaving her in no doubt that his path in life evidently did not lie in the same direction as hers. She couldn’t really blame him, or even be surprised at his actions. One night together under questionable circumstances did not a relationship make. Especially for a human and a Nietzschean, salvage ship captain and mercenary. They really were too different. She just hoped he’d take care of himself.
“Engines are good to go, boss,” Harper told her. “I say let’s blow this joint.”
“Sounds good to me, Beka,” Trance agreed.
“Beka, we have a guest. I’m letting him board.”
Beka jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. “Andromeda?” she gasped, before turning to face Harper.
The engineer shrugged and smiled weakly. “Well, Beka, we couldn’t leave her behind, so I figured out a way to bring her with us. Still got a bit of tweaking to do though. You know, that whole split personality thing. Right now, she and the Maru have a few conflicts of interest that I need to work on.”
“And what exactly did you leave on the Andromeda, boy?”
Harper grinned broadly at the new arrival. “Just the bare basics. That’s one artificial intelligence they’ll have to rebuild from the first chip up. Rommie’s back in my quarters. I still need to work on her a bit too.”
Beka stared in open-mouthed amazement, first at Harper then to the man standing in the doorway. His muscled frame took up most of the space and she could only watch as he lowered a kit bag to his feet. “Tyr,” she said at last, “is Harper responsible for you as well?”
The Nietzschean cast a glance around him. “No,” he replied. “After I left you this morning it occurred to me that I needed a ride off this backward planet. Where shall I stow my belongings?”
“Trance will show you,” Beka replied, “but right now strap in. We’re out of here.”
FINIS