Chapter 2 - Rekindling the Light
Present Day
Of all the places on board the Andromeda, the Observation Deck was Dylan's favorite. He would sit on one of the stone slabs interspersed in the room and just stare out the large window at the stars. Rev Bem would usually find him here and counsel him with words of wisdom of the Divine. Sadly he left the ship a year ago to join the Wayist Church, and his absence was felt even more so whenever Dylan was in this room. He missed him.
Dylan wiped away a single tear as it rolled down his face. He exhaled and continued to reflect on everything that brought him to this moment. It had been two years, eight months, and eleven days since Dylan and the Andromeda were rescued from the black hole. They found that the universe had tore itself apart and civilization collapsed. It was on that day they decided it was their duty to pick up the pieces, and persuade the Known Worlds to once again band together in unity. And today that day had arrived. They had succeeded in the improbable; the re-establishment of the Systems Commonwealth. The charter was to be ratified in two days at Sinti; the new Capital Planet of the Restored Commonwealth. Dylan's mission and dream was about to come true yet he wasn't in the mood for celebrating just yet.
Rommie knew exactly where to find Dylan. Of course she knew where everyone was at any given time. Being an avatar of a living ship had it's advantages. She could access the internal sensors as naturally as you or I would use our five senses. However she didn't need them to know where he would be today. Dylan had been her Captain for five years, and no one who knew him better than she.
As the doors leading on to the Observation Deck slid open she had found her Captain. He was sitting in his usual spot staring out the window amongst the stars. He would usually come here to think and clear his head.
"I was wondering when you would stop by." Dylan said without looking away from the star field. He didn't have to turn his head to know who just walked in.
"The Terazed delegation is on approach; ETA 10 minutes." Rommie reported. She then dropped rank and slowly sat down next to her friend. "Are you all right?"
"It seems like everything we've worked for is finally coming together. So why am I expecting the other shoe to drop?"
"Charlemagne Bolivar?" She had seen the same intel as it came in by courier ship this morning. Charlemagne Bolivar, the Alpha of the Sabra-Jaguar Pride and one of their allies had been reported meeting with the various Alphas of the smaller Nietzschean prides. Those same prides had been allying themselves with their mortal enemy the Drago-Katsov.
"I was always hesitant of accepting Bolivar's invitation to join the Commonwealth but the enemy of my enemy is my friend right? It just doesn't make any sense."
"Reports have also indicated that the Dragans have been bringing more slave laborers to their homeworld to work at their shipyard facilities. Fleet production has been increasing over the past six months." Rommie reported in. Stability in the known worlds was starting to fall away from the new Commonwealth and it seemed like history was repeating itself yet again.
"If there is anything that remains constant in the universe, it is that Nietzscheans are never to be trusted."
"Even Tyr?" asked Rommie.
Dylan exhaled before answering. "I trust Tyr to be Tyr, which is never reassuring" he added with a small laugh. "The sooner we are underway to Sinti the better I'll feel." He got up and headed for the door and Rommie followed suit as they headed towards the hanger deck.
"If there is anything that remains constant in the universe, it is that Nietzscheans are never to be trusted."
"Even Tyr?" asked Rommie.
Dylan exhaled before answering. "I trust Tyr to be Tyr, which is never reassuring" he added with a small laugh. "The sooner we are underway to Sinti the better I'll feel." He got up and headed for the door and Rommie followed suit as they headed towards the hanger deck.
Dylan, Rommie, Beka, and Tyr stood at the entrance to the hanger deck to greet the delegation from Terazed. Harper was absent as to not incite a diplomatic incident and Trance volunteered to keep an eye on him.
"Presenting First Triumvir Naomi Satris of Terazed" announced one of the envoys as per diplomatic protocol. Satris was a tall and slender woman with short blonde hair and a direct descendant from Dylan's original crew. When she smiled he couldn't help but see his old Chief Engineer and the thought made him nostalgic.
"Captain Dylan Hunt. Welcome on board the Andromeda. My First Officer Captain Beka Valentine; my Chief Arms Officer Tyr Anasazi; and my ship's Avatar". Dylan suddenly recognized another familiar face of someone that just departed from the transport.
"I understand you already know Admiral Telemachus Rhade, Commander of the Terazed Home Guard" Triumvir Satris said after she noticed Dylan's eyes glance over her shoulder. They had first met a year ago when the Andromeda first visited Terazed. They had almost killed one other.
"Captain Hunt, it's a pleasure" Rhade said as he saluted in military fashion.
"What an unexpected surprise Admiral" Dylan was genuinely surprised.
"I wanted to see to the Triumvir's safety personally as well as to formally transfer a detachment of Home Guard Lancers over to your command, Captain."
Dylan couldn't help but notice a somewhat cold look exchanged by both Tyr and Rhade.
After the pleasantries were exchanged, Dylan asked Beka and Rommie to show everyone to guest quarters. He and Tyr stayed back to oversee the Lancers disembark from the transport. Andromeda normally had a crew of over four thousand, and for a long time they had to make do with just the seven of them. Sinti had begun recruiting for the new High Guard but recruits were hard to come by. Dylan had managed to sign on a number of civilians, doctors, engineers, even soldiers to supplement his crew. Now the Andromeda had proper High Guard Lancers on board, it reminded Dylan of the good old days. Though he had to remind himself that the good old days were coming back, and he was going to make sure nothing got in the way of that.
Tyr looked on with his usual cool demeanor though there was something else Dylan noticed. He saw it when Rhade came on board and now here again.
"Something on your mind Tyr?"
"We just received a detachment of 300 High Guard Lancers. We are outnumbered 3 to 1 Captain."
"They are Commonwealth Tyr. We all are now."
"They are also Nietzschean. Never forget that."
It was then Dylan noticed the recognizable bone blades on the majority of the Lancers disembarking off the transport. Dylan couldn't help but feel uneasy. He never thought of himself as prejudice towards Nietzscheans before the Fall. But after dealing with them in recent years, it was hard not to be weary of them.
"Andromeda…" Dylan called out and the holographic avatar of the ship appeared before him. "Keep an eye on our new guests."
Harper was always more comfortable with machines rather than people. You couldn't offend a machine. Which was why Dylan had asked Harper not to be on deck to greet the Triumvir. Though Harper had heard she was a total babe, another reason why he probably shouldn't be there. Trance had volunteered to keep him company however Harper had forgotten she was even there. He was so busy tinkering with one of the slipstream control systems from a slip fighter that he didn't even notice when Trance had left the room.
Trance on the other hand was more comfortable around plants. Sure she loved people but it was really around her plants she felt like herself. When she walked into her quarters, anyone looking in would mistaken it for a miniature greenhouse. There was barely room for a bed. Did she actually sleep? No one really knew, not even her friends. She was always very private, but everyone knew she loved her plants. However no one knew about the importance of one in particular. It looked like an ordinary bonsai but only Trance knew the significance of it. The moment the door slid closed behind her she walked to that bonsai. She took it off the shelf and stared down at it as if it were conversing with her. No one could see it glow and shimmer but she could. After a few minutes a tear rolled down her purple face. The perfect possible future was still out of reach but this moment was still in flux. The next few days would be critical, and it may still be possible. She then placed the bonsai back in its place and left the room and headed back to Harper.
