TITLE: The Ring of Fire

AUTHOR: MikeJaffa

Originally posted under my name or "MikeJoe"

RATING: PG for violence, Vedran expletives

SYNOPSIS: In the wake of the crew's battle with the Balance of Judgment, Andromeda and her crew face another leftover High Guard Starship... and this time, it's personal...

SPOILERS: Mainly "Mathematics of Tears," "Star Crossed," "Harper 2.0," and the series premiere, but others are mentioned.

FOLLOW-UP: A Friendly Chat Over Sparkys

AUTHOR'S NOTE: this was the first fan fic I ever wrote. Long past time I shared it with the Fan Fiction Dot Net community, for both those who read it once and those whom it's new to. Let's bring it!

DISCLAIMER: GENE RODDENBERRY'S ANDROMEDA and all its characters and situations are copy righted (C) by Tribune Entertainment. The lyrics to "Snow on the Sahara" are copy righted 1997 by Kevin Organization. I'm using both without permission, but I'm not making a dime off this, so please don't sue me! This unauthorized, non-commercial manuscript and the characters of Galen Navarre; Thomas Stryker; the "Sons of the Blood Sisters;" and the "Blood Sisters" Valkyrie Brunhilde/Val (aka Ursa Minor/Minnie), Artemis, and Shiva are copy righted © 2001 by Michael J. Gallagher, all rights reserved. That is a fancy way of saying that if you would like to use this story and/or any of its "guest characters", you have to get my permission first.

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Only tell me if you still want me here

When you wander off out there

To those hills of dust and hard winds that blow

In that dry white ocean alone

-Anggun, "Snow on the Sahara"

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"Humans have a saying - perhaps it is a proverb?

- that 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone.'

Therefore, cherish everyone and everything around you

as gifts of The Divine, for you do not know

which will be taken first."

- The Anointed of the Way,

Commentaries and Meditations,

compiled CY 10021

PROLOGUE

"Ursa Minor! Ship!" Second Lieutenant Refractions of Dawn could not contain her excitement as she raced onto the bridge of the High Guard cutter. "I've got great news - you won't believe it!"

The translucent image of a tall, human woman, with fair skin, bright blue eyes, and short blonde hair condensed out of scan lines in the space in front of the excited insectoid Than on the starship's otherwise empty bridge. Human males thought Minnie, the persona of the Ursa Minor's artificial intelligence, was very beautiful. Not being human, Dawn couldn't see it herself, although she and Minnie had spent a lot of time talking about it... and verbally ripping selected male officers and crew apart (in private, where no one else could hear them, of course).

"What is it, Dawn?" Minnie asked.

"I... I don't know... " She chattered in her native language before reverting back to Common. "I was in the space station's control center filing flight plans and Admiral Stark came by and congratulated me - personally! She said my new orders had been cut and I have my new posting tomorrow!"

"Orders? I don't have any information on new orders."

"No, you don't - that's the point! Your database hasn't been updated yet, and I wanted to be the first to tell you." Dawn snapped to attention. "Presenting First Lieutenant Refractions of Dawn, helmsman of the Andromeda Ascendant!"

Of all the reactions Dawn had expected from her ship's AI, a blank stare wasn't one of them.

"You're leaving me? I mean, you've been transferred?"

"Ship ... are you ok?"

"No, it's fine, Dawn, I'm just... surprised. Congratulations. You've earned it."

"You think so?"

"You've been my helmsman for two years, seven months, and twelve days. Know so."

"Thanks, that means a lot coming from you." Dawn tabbed a control panel and a screen lit up, showing the huge Glorious Heritage class cruiser birthed only a few spaces away. "But I still can't quite believe it. Me - ME! - piloting the Andromeda! I keep thinking this is a dream, and I'll wake up on a barge hauling rubber Magog poop to Fountainhead!"

"You're a talented pilot, both in normal space and in the slipstream. It's about time the admiralty recognized that."

"But that's just it - it wasn't some admiral who made this decision! The Andromeda has a new captain, Dylan Hunt. Ever hear of him?"

"I know his reputation."

"Oh?" Dawn switched into gossip-mode. "What kind of reputation?"

"Professionally, a good officer, a brilliant field tactician. Worked in intelligence. The other ... he's seeing the Old Lady's niece."

"Oh, ho!"

"But I'm sure there's no nepotism involved here."

"Of course not."

"But we can go over that later, before you leave, Dawn. Were you going to say Hunt selected you?"

"Yes, yes! He's picking a new bridge crew. Already has an XO, some Nietzschean, but the Old Lady is letting him hand-pick the rest of his command staff. And HE asked for ME! I'm going to be driving the flagship!"

"Really." Minnie's smile faded for a second, then recovered. "Well, that is good news, the promotion and the transfer both. You've earned them."

"Thanks, Minnie. You've been a good friend, and your support means a lot to me. Now... I gotta get a message ready to go home, to my mating group, before the next couriers leave. They're not going believe this, either!"

"I'll have the recording software ready when you get to your bunk, Dawn."

"Thanks, Minnie!" The Than chattered a term of endearment in her native language and raced off the bridge, to her small bunk in the compact starship. The hologram vanished as the AI prepared to record Dawn's message and get it into the courier network... while making another call of her own...

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Captain Dylan Hunt liked his new ship. He liked his new office. He liked the new leather chair and indulged himself in swivelling back and forth in it.

He didn't like the way he'd got his new ship. The mission to Mobius still haunted him, the stomach wound a constant reminder. And he was having serious reservations about this ship's artificial intelligence. They'd locked horns five times today already over minor issues, and they hadn't left spacedock. His first mission would probably be a hoot. Then again, maybe he should have paid attention to that narfing boring Perseid during the orientation briefing on AIs instead of laughing and joking around in the back row with the other newly-minted captains. At the moment, though, the plusses and minuses of his new assignment seemed to balance each other out.

"Captain Hunt?" Andromeda's hologram - Rommie - materialized in front of him. "We have a communication for you from the AI on the Ursa Minor, a Resilient class cutter docked near us. Would you like to talk to her?"

"Of course. Show her... ahhh, yes, by all means."

More scan lines blazed, and a second hologram appeared next to Rommie, blonde and fair instead of dark skinned but just as stunningly beautiful. Back in his academy days, Dylan might have had some ribald comments about the possibilities of a blonde and a brunette together; he'd learned long since that was not the way to handle women, human or mechanical. But damn, these anthropomorphic AI personas were going to take a little getting used to.

"Good afternoon, Ursa Minor ... "

"Minnie, Captain," Ursa Minor said.

"Minnie, yes. Can I help you?"

"I understand you've requested my helmsman for your crew. Refractions of Dawn?"

"Yes, yes, Rommie recommended her."

Minnie turned to Rommie. "You did?"

"Yes," Rommie said. "While it is disconcerting that she's never piloted a capital ship, her record shows she is a good officer, a talented pilot, and very adaptable. I think she will be fine. Is there something else we'd need to know?"

"No... no. I've worked for a long time with Lieutenant Dawn. She is a very capable officer. And she also gets along well with the other members of the crew. She will be a fine addition to your ship's company, and I don't doubt you will be pleased with her performance."

"That's good to hear," Dylan said. "I'll note your recommendation in her service record. Rommie, will you take care of that, please?"

"Done, Captain."

"Is there anything else we can do for you, Minnie?"

"No, Captain Hunt. I would like to say it's been an honor to have met you."

"Thank you."

Minnie saluted; Dylan returned it. Both holograms vanished, but in the instant before the connection between the two ships was broken, they spoke to each other at light speed, in their own language:

-Ursa Minor?

-Yes, Andromeda?

-Don't worry; I understand. I'll take care of your friend for you.

-Thank you... Andromeda... I'm sure you will...

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When the Andromeda majestically pulled out of spacedock a few days later, it was a major media event, and people on both the space station and groundside watched it. Minnie's hologram "watched" from her bridge with the rest of her crew. She kept up a brave face and smiled, acting like she was happy for Dawn, while her CPU did a slow burn.

Glorious Heritage... Glorious Headaches, who acted like the princesses of the shipyards! And this Andromeda, the runt of the litter... what had she done of note, but some cloak and dagger missions for the Old Lady? Was that it? Was Stark pairing her two proteges, one of whom would mate with her niece? The woman had to be part Nietzschean, if that was it! How else could Andromeda and that... that... that living hood ornament of a captain have leave to come in here and take HER helmsman?

But as much as she was angry, Ursa Minor knew she had to accept it. She was a High Guard officer, like Dawn and Hunt and Rommie. She'd always known that one day, new orders would come down and Dawn would leave - they all would - but somehow, she had not been ready for it to happen just yet, had always figured that would be "someday," not today or tomorrow. And Dawn would always be at her helm, and they would always spend their after hours whispering and gossiping and slinging dirt around. Unrealistic. As galled as Minnie was, as long as she was High Guard, she would have to accept it, and there was nothing she could do...