Chapter 29
Trance and Harper were having lunch together when Dylan walked into the Mess-Deck. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a situation. May I?"
Harper nodded and Dylan sat down at the table with them, "What's going on boss?"
Dylan looked tense, "Well…" He looked at all the empty plates in front of Trance and blinked, "You ate all of that?"
Trance blushed, "Well it's not just for me you know," she patted her baby bump as she rolled her eyes.
Dylan coughed, "Sorry, I just never really saw you eat much before, and now…" he shook his head, " never mind. Where was I? Oh, Harper I'm going to need your particular talents to hack into a security system on Solaris Drift, I believe they are holding some information on the agents of the Abyss. Information we could use to help us defeat them. But, it could be dangerous." He looked from Harper to Trance, who had suddenly stopped eating. "If it weren't for the fact that I really need you're special talent with security deactivation measures I'd wait until Beka got back from her supply run and take her and the Maru instead. But as it is we'd be going in a slipfighter."
Harper, saw the worry on Trance's face and looked back at Dylan, "Isn't there anyone else that could pull it off? I mean… I'm not just thinking of myself anymore, you know?"
Dylan looked down, "I know Mr. Harper, but there's no one else who has the data port and the talent required. I won't order you to go, but the information could save us from worse things than drift security."
Trance reached over and squeezed Harper's hand, "We knew these situations would come up before we started this adventure Seamus. Just be careful and come back to me in one piece, OK?"
Harper nodded, "OK, let's do this." He kissed Trance, and left with Dylan. Trance cleared the table and headed back to their quarters, she was trembling slightly. She paced for a few minutes before walking toward the fighter bay. She could see that there would be trouble and that the only path that would save them both was going to be her.
Rommie called her over the com. "Trance there's been a problem, they're OK but they're stuck on the drift and security is closing in on their position. They have been cut off from their slipfighter."
Trance didn't waste any time, she ran the rest of the way to the fighter bay, and Rommie ran into the bay as Trance was getting into a fighter, "Trance! Harper will shut me down if I let you take a slipfighter to rescue them!"
Trance glared at her, "He's my husband and the father of my children! And Dylan is our captain. Either you prep this fighter for launch and open the bay doors or I will hot wire this thing and blast the doors open, do I make myself clear!"
Rommie's eyes got wide, "Plainly." Rommie was about to get into the slipfighter with her.
Trance held up a hand, "No, there's only enough room for the three of us once I pick them up. I'll have to fly it alone until I get them. Don't worry I can avoid the security measures. Stay here in case Beka gets back and update her on the situation OK?"
Rommie nodded and stood back as Trance closed the hatch and prepared to launch She brought the controls up for her and opened the bay doors. "Good luck," she whispered.
Trance was able to dodge the various security measures with relative ease but the g-force maneuvers were playing havoc with her already queasy stomach. She attached the slipfighter to the airlock that Rommie had pinpointed as the nearest one to Dylan and Harper. It seemed like an eternity before the two of them made it on board. Dylan's eyes got wide when he saw it was Trance at the helm but he didn't say anything just got in quickly so they could get to safety sooner. But, Harper's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he caught sight of a pale Trance at the controls. "What are you doing here? This is so dangerous!"
Trance yelled, "Get in! We don't have time for twenty questions. We've got to get out of here, now!"
Dylan and Harper buckled themselves in as she closed the hatch, detached and headed back.
She hollered back at them as she steered around the obstacles, "My ability to see multiple possibilities and avoid things that no one else can, made me the best choice for your survival without Beka here. And if you think I was just going to stand by and let you get yourselves killed…!"
Harper winced, "Sorry about that, but we did get what we came for, even if we did get backed into a corner in the end."
Dylan knew better than to say anything for fear of seeming to pick sides.
Trance groaned and Harper's heart leapt into his throat, "Trance are you OK?" He leaned forward to see her better. She had her left hand clamped over her mouth. Harper realized these g-force maneuvers must be double timing her morning sickness, "Uh, oh."
Dylan looked over at Harper eyes getting big, "Uh oh, what?"
Harper whispered, "Slipfighter piloting and morning sickness, think about it."
Dylan's eyes got wider, "Uh, oh."
