Part 35

The room spun slightly, as fake Trance focused and found herself looking at a Neitzschean, she blinked her eyes feeling only some of her energy had returned, she needed more.

'So, let's recap,' Hertzler proclaimed loudly, his voice resonating around the room as fake Trance tried to clear the fog in her head. 'You gave us the kludge, Harper, who willingly decided to work with us until such a time he decided it was no longer worth his while so he jumped ship although under the pretence of still working for us but actually working against us,' Hertzler stated, all the while pacing up the down. 'You figure a way for us to re-capture Harper, but his annoying Commonwealth friends stop it, and then he returns to Edenia anyway,' Hertzler explained with frustration. 'We follow, war ensues and now,' he paused for effect. 'Where are we right now exactly in your great scheme of things?' Hertzler questioned out loud. 'That's right, we are running from Edenia because guess what? Your plan once again failed, we don't have the kludge and we still don't have Edenia, or its power!' he roared angrily.

'You have something better,' the fake Trance announced.

'Oh please, please tell me what I have that's better than total defeat and humiliation at the hands of Dylan Hunt and his motley crew!' Herztler demanded.

'Harper's son,' fake Trance smiled, and seemed to grow in strength as she stood straighter and allowed the news to sink in. 'I always have a back up plan, Naomi couldn't hide the truth from me, like she did from Harper,' Trance slyly spoke. 'We still have control, the Commonwealth will not allow anything to happen to one of their own and Harper's son falls into that category on all fronts.'

'What do you suggest?' Hertzler had to ask.

'You want Edenia's outpost positioning, I need a constant source of power to feed from, and Harper will want his son returned safely and out of Uber's hands,' Trance offered.

'The kluge, I hear, is practically dead and you're suggesting he doesn't even know he has a son,' Hertzler countered. 'What good is his son, if the kludge dies or is none the wiser?'

'He's in no danger, and he's clean,' Trance responded calmly.

'Next you'll be telling me it was just a scratch, don't take me for a fool, lady, don't think I'm so easily led by your strange behaviour and speeches, you have failed to deliver on all fronts so far!' Hertzler stressed. 'And I can smell your growing weakness, you reek of defeat. Seamus Harper has had your number all along, you're the only one who's failed to realise this, and he is not for turning that much is clear!'

For once, fake Trance appeared uncertain but she soon composed herself. 'It's true, I may have misjudged Harper's resourcefulness,' Trance admitted with a struggle. 'I knew I was playing with fire when I first approached him.'

'You've been burnt to a cinder as a result,' Hertzler spoke with satisfaction.

Trance simply smiled. 'Fire is in my blood, I do not fear it like your kind do, if I've been burnt then it doesn't harm me only drives me on.'

'Tell me your plan,' Hertzler demanded.

'Seamus Harper will wake soon, we need to get the message to the Andromeda that you have us, that you have his son, that you have Zal's son Zelazny,' Trance revealed. 'Keep it simple, Edenia and Harper in exchange for the kids.'

'They'll never buy it,' Hertzler dismissed.

'They'll have little choice.'

'There are always choices when it comes to that crew!'

'You sound defeated, that is not very Nietzschean,' Trance countered.

Hertzler took a long deep breath. 'The plan always depended on the kludge being a willing ally,' he carefully explained. 'That hasn't worked out so what we're left with is a complete mess, his co-operation will be like blood from a stone and any chance we had of converting him to our gains are gone, accept defeat this one time and we may be able to recover our losses before anyone notices, our prisoners will make fine slaves to the pride,' Hertzler decided.

'No, I need this to work!' Trance stressed with panic in her eyes.

'Too late already,' Hertzler casually decided.

'You can't afford to waste this opportunity; you could have Harper right where you need him if you want his co-operation! You have Harper's child on board this ship, his friends and his lover!' Trance pleaded, her voice breaking with desperation coming through.

'And they will be ample revenge only for the trouble he has caused us these past few months,' Hertzler stated, and then turned with a firearm aimed at Trance. 'Now to finish the job.'

'You can't kill me,' Trance spoke but still backed away slowly.

'Why?' Hertzler asked amused.

'You need me,' Trance offered, but her voice betrayed the fear she was feeling.

'Don't tell me, you have another can't lose plan up your sleeve, or more of the same rubbish you've been spouting lately? You're weak enough now that this gun will do serious damage, hopefully fatal, in fact, definitely fatal, which is for the best really,' Hertzler considered carefully. 'I don't usually like to do the universe a favour but on this occasion, it's my pleasure,' Hertzler grinned.

'No!' fake Trance finally realised her predicament but she was weak and as the gun discharged she already knew her fate was sealed. The eruption in her chest was fiery, and she fell motionless to the floor with her life finally extinguished before she landed.

'Should have done that months ago,' Hertzler declared with a matter of fact as he returned the gun to its holster. 'Now, what do we do with the kids,' he questioned and decided to give it some thought, leaving the body of Trance's sister lifeless on the floor.

--

'No!' Trance froze suddenly, and then looked upwards with confusion.

Dylan hurried over to the golden alien; she looked in pain as he reached an arm out to comfort her. 'What is it?'

Trance couldn't speak immediately, and then managed to compose herself. 'I'm not sure but it wasn't good, at least I don't think it was,' Trance tried to explain and then her eyes went wide. 'She's gone.'

'Who?' Dylan asked, and gestured to the crew members nearby to resume their work around them.

'My sister, she's been taken from this universe,' Trance spoke with a sense of relief.

'I'm sorry,' Dylan didn't know what else to say.

'I'm not,' Trance took a deep breath. 'She let the power consume her, she went against everything my people stand for.'

'She wasn't you,' Dylan remarked. 'But she wasn't all that different from your people, of the ones I've been in contact with.'

'Yet she was still able to pretend to be me, with no one noticing,' Trance offered. 'What does that say of me?'

'That we still have so much to learn about you, Trance Gemini, nothing more than that,' Dylan reasoned reassuringly, putting his arm around her shoulders. 'You should return to med deck, I know that when Harper wakes he'll want you there.'

'He was always able to tell the difference,' Trance half smiled.

'Well, we're still trying to work Harper out as well, so that's not all that surprising,' Dylan joked and then frowned. 'So, what do we do now?'

'Harper's son, his family, they are in Neitszchean hands,' Trance stressed.

'They'll want Edenia,' Dylan figured. 'And they'll need Harper.'

'How will we stop Harper agreeing to that exchange?' Trance asked with fear, as she looked up to Dylan, her eyes brimmed with tears.

'Still working on that conundrum,' Dylan admitted heavily. 'We could declare Edenia as Commonwealth, and make it unattractive to the Nietzscheans to attempt a coup,' he shrugged. 'But that would make the prisoners surplus to requirements, they'll either be killed or disappear into slavery, especially the kids.'

'Can the Commonwealth consider going to war against the Nietzscheans?' Trance asked.

'Could get very ugly very quickly, we are not the force we once was, so if there's an alternative I want to consider it at least,' Dylan moved away from Trance. 'And I'm retired.'

'This entire situation could make or break Harper,' Trance spoke with sadness. 'I fear the latter.'

'We'll work something out, the old crew, we'll think of something,' Dylan assured her.

'Does Beka know?' Trance asked. 'I keep meaning to visit but I hear she's not good with company right now.'

'She needs some time, but no, she doesn't know all the facts about Harper, only that he's on board and in good hands,' Dylan responded. 'I would prefer that she only know once she's ready, she needs to concentrate on herself.'

'Harper will need her,' Trance lightly argued.

'She needs us right now, I'm not saying Harper doesn't but if I'm honest he's taken too much from her these past couple years, its time she was given a break from his concerns,' Dylan returned.

'What happened to Beka wasn't Harper's fault,' Trance spoke with passion.

'Everything that has happened recently has been Harper's fault, Trance,' Dylan returned with an edge to his voice. 'Even now we're contemplating a very real war with the Nietzscheans for Harper so don't tell me he's innocent in all this.'

'Dylan, you can't think like that,' Trance argued. 'If anyone is to blame it's my sister and now she is dead! Harper was manipulated, drugged, deceived, you name it he suffered it and yes, he was aware of what he was doing a lot of the time but you know better than to place the blame on just one person, Dylan, you're better than that!'

Dylan turned away and gathered his thoughts before facing Trance again. 'I didn't mean it to sound like I was blaming Harper,' Dylan offered lightly. 'I don't know what I meant but all I do know is I take my eyes of the lot of you and look what happens.'

'Dylan, most of all this isn't your fault,' Trance offered.

'If I hadn't retired,' Dylan argued.

'You never retired,' Trance half smiled. 'You just let someone else take your ship for a ride. Look around you, Dylan, you're still Captain Hunt in this crew's eyes, your still issuing orders and people are taking them.'

'But you guys needed me to continue, you needed your captain,' Dylan frowned. 'I didn't think twice about the impact of me giving up the Andromeda would do to you all.'

'You didn't create this,' Trance stated firmly. 'So many different factors and circumstances created this, its how it's always been, and time does not rest on one person.'

It was Dylan's turn to offer a smile. 'Are you telling me that I'm forgetting this universe isn't all about me, me, me?'

'Something like that,' Trance smiled in return. 'And I think Beka should be told more about the situation, we all should, don't think you have to solve this on your own, we made a great crew remember, so use us.'

'Harper as well?' Dylan asked.

'When he wakes, he has every right to know what's going on,' Trance agreed. 'No more secrets.'

'Agreed,' Dylan offered. 'Ok, I'll consider our options and then once everyone is able, we'll get the team back in action, like old days!'

'That's if the Commonwealth will loan you the Andromeda for a few days,' Trance mocked.

'If it's going to be like old days then I'll just tell the Commonwealth a pack of lies and fight until I get my own way, why change things now?' Dylan joked as he led Trance away.

--

It had been quiet when he woke up. Harper had been disorientated until he realised he was home, back on the Andromeda and he couldn't help the excitement that he suddenly felt. It was as if his nightmare had come to an end, had never happened but all too quickly the harsh reality dawned, it had all happened and he was once again on med deck.

But he was home. Harper took several attempts to sit up, pains from injuries he never remembered receiving cautioned him to take it slow. He could hear voices, but they were in the other room, no one at that moment was paying him any attention and usually that meant he had been out of it for some time. With careful movements he moved to get off the cot, the aches confirming that he hadn't moved for a while as he battled to get in gear.

'Mr Harper?'

Harper closed his eyes, he'd been caught. He glanced at the medic and meekly smiled. 'I need to stretch my legs.'

'Ok, just give me a few moments to disconnect you,' the medic returned, and immediately began to remove the various things that Harper hadn't noticed were attached to his stomach and arms.

'What are they for?' he asked curiously.

'Just monitors,' the medic returned brightly.

'Monitoring what?'

The nurse's calm exterior began to falter slightly. 'Just as a precaution, you were badly hurt.'

'I don't remember,' Harper offered, as he tried to recall the last things he had done.

'That's not such a bad thing to forget, just concentrate on getting better,' she smiled, and Harper appreciated her words and was in no hurry to remember any more horrors.

'I need to speak to someone, who is around that I know?' Harper asked as he finally found his feet. The medic moved to his side and offered some support as he took his first steps.

'Captain Hunt?' she offered. 'And do you know Trance, Rev Bem, Rommie?'

On the mention of Rommie's name her hologram suddenly appeared. 'Harper, good to see you are awake, I have informed all who wanted to know.'

'Rom doll, are you a sight for sore eyes,' Harper grinned.

'It's good to see you too, Harper,' Rommie smiled back.

'Harper.'

Harper turned on hearing the familiar voice, he hadn't heard the door open but he now saw Beka Valentine stood by it, she looked worse than he had ever seen her, a deathly pale, her eyes gaunt.

'Beka?' Harper immediately moved towards her.

Beka moved towards him and they embraced, holding each other tightly seemingly afraid to let each other go. No words were said for a few moments as they took comfort in the hold.

'Beka,' Dylan's voice then spoke up.

Beka pulled away and looked at the captain, her arm still around Harper. 'I knew he was here, I kept an eye on him, after you told me, I couldn't just stay in my room.'

'You need to rest,' Dylan simply said.

'He's right Beka, you look dreadful,' Harper supported. 'What happened to you?'

'Nothing, just a battle wound,' Beka dismissed. 'And I'm fine, I'm feeling better already.' She hugged Harper closer to make her point.

Dylan didn't appear convinced but turned his attention to Harper. 'How are you feeling?'

'Better,' Harper shrugged. 'What happened?'

'We won,' Dylan offered.

'We did? Edenia's safe?' Harper checked.

'The Neitzscheans ran off, we will continue to protect Edenia but the city is free once again,' Dylan confirmed.

Trance chose her moment to step forward. 'And she's gone, Harper, you're free also.'

'Who's gone?'

'My sister, she's dead.'

'Oh,' Harper was considering this development.

'No more mind control, no more games or deceit, no more promises or deals, you're free of her now,' Trance smiled.

'What was the deal again? The original one?' Dylan enquired.

'She needed power,' Harper shrugged. 'I was going to gain control of Edenia and give her access to the power source, all the power a girl could want.'

'With that power, Harper, she could have done a lot of bad, she could have controlled this entire universe,' Trance reminded him.

'I know,' Harper agreed. 'And she would have needed me to keep giving her that power.'

'Is that why you agreed to help her? So you would be needed by someone?' Dylan asked.

'She caught me on a really bad day,' Harper only offered before suddenly going very still. 'Where's Naomi?'

'Harper, we need to sit down and talk,' Dylan offered, glancing at Trance.

'Where's Naomi?' Harper demanded again.

'Come on Harper, let's sit down,' Trance encouraged.

Beka looked at both Dylan and Trance, almost sensing their sudden concern and she simply led Harper towards the seating area without word, and he followed, trusting her judgement.

'So come on, what is it?' Harper asked a little agitated once he was seated.

Dylan took a deep breath to begin talking but Trance gestured to him to let her talk, and she took hold of Harper's hand. 'Before the Nietzscheans retreated they took some prisoners, they took Naomi, Zal and Junia.'

'And the kids?' Harper asked a touch of dread in his voice.

'They were with them,' Trance confirmed.

Harper was already shaking his head. 'No, no this can't be happening,' Harper stressed.

'I was there, Seamus, right up until my sister switched with me, they had reached the transport ship,' Trance continued, her eyes watering.

'She switched with you?' Harper asked with confusion.

'I think she saw sudden value in the children, in one of the children,' Trance implied with a heavy heart, and saw Harper continue to shake his head.

'You say she's dead now?' Harper checked.

'I felt her death,' Trance spoke with some pain at the memory. 'Seamus if I could have stopped her I would have, I wanted to stay; I wanted to be with him.'

Harper held her hand more firmly now, as he struggled to contain his feelings. 'You knew? You saw him?'

'He's beautiful,' Trance could only say.

'And now he's property of the ubers?' Harper tried to contain his anger.

'Who is?' Beka asked.

'My son, Beka, that uber bastard has my son!' Harper stressed, his emotions steaming through as Beka tried to take in the news that Harper was now a father. Harper however couldn't stop thinking about the situation, as his panic rose. 'He has Naomi, Zal, Junia and Zelazny too,' he was close to losing control over his emotions. 'Did the new little one arrive safely?'

'Junia and Zal had a beautiful baby girl,' Trance offered with a weak smile.

'She's been taken too?' Harper had to ask, and Trance only nodded her head to agree.

'Harper we will do everything in our power to find them and bring them home,' Dylan insisted.

Harper stood up and rubbed his face. 'Its already too late,' he stressed. 'Let's not kid ourselves, once ubers have slaves they don't hang around in processing them, they've already had their real identities erased, they are as good as dead.'

'Harper,' Dylan stood up. 'We will find them.'

'Arrgh!' Harper cried, as he clutched his stomach and doubled over.

'Seamus!' Beka rushed to his side, with Trance and Dylan closely following. 'Medics!' Beka yelled.

The medics quickly arrived, and Harper was thankful they hadn't moved too far away from the med deck, the pain in his gut was extreme. Flashbacks suddenly erupted in his mind, he could smell Magog, he remembered the cage where the ubers had left them, he then remembered the attack and the sudden shock of remembering sent him into darkness.

TBC