Things have calmed down a little in my ever so hectic life so I thought I'd post a little bit more, hopefully you enjoy and I should have a few more posts soon... maybe, it'll be finished by summer I hope!

Part 36

'Any news?'

Rommie looked up from the console and frowned as Dylan approached, for a moment it was like old times on the command deck, only Dylan was dressed more like a civilian. With a sigh she answered. 'We're been scanning all communications, checked with all the known space ports that could possibly have been a destination for the Nietzschean fleet as they returned to their space, there's nothing Dylan.'

'They will know we will want those hostages back, they'll contact us in good time,' Dylan stated confidently.

'And if they don't? If they are happy to simply add to their slave numbers?' Rommie questioned.

'I can't think like that, it's just not something I can begin to consider right now,' Dylan stated tiredly, as he leaned on the console and rubbed his face; he needed sleep.

'At least Harper is ok,' Rommie offered.

'He once again gave us quite a scare,' Dylan agreed, for a moment they had all thought the sudden pain in Harper's gut must be newly laid eggs. For some very painful minutes they were unclear but were thankful to find it had just been Harper's eagerness to get out of bed that had led to him aggravating a healing surface wound on his stomach. 'I should know what we need to do,' Dylan then spoke.

Rommie sensed his unease. 'Dylan, you're not the captain of the Andromeda any more, you are not part of the Commonwealth, and you do not need to take on this responsibility.'

'So people keep telling me, with much enthusiasm,' he snapped suddenly angered. 'Harper is my friend, and he needs my help, doesn't that count for anything or did I retire from that duty as well?' Rommie's emotionless face caused Dylan to calm down. 'I'm sorry, I do realise my current situation I'm just feeling a little bit useless right now, and that's not your fault.'

'I'm sure if you wanted to,' Rommie prompted.

Dylan smiled. 'Trance has suggested the same thing, in fact I've just brought Beka up to speed with events and yeah, she said the same thing, that I'll never stop being the captain of this ship,' he smirked. 'Not sure Roseby will say the same thing.'

'If you need someone to push you,' Rommie half smiled. 'Just let me know.'

'Do it,' Dylan stood up straight, preparing himself.

'Dylan, go to the Commonwealth, get back your rank, get back your ship and then,' Rommie paused for a moment. 'And then we'll help you get Harper's family and friends back, deal?'

'Deal,' Dylan agreed. 'And thanks, if my own ship wants me back that's all the encouragement I need.'

'Just let that be the last time I tell you what to do, technically that's your job,' Rommie joked.

'Don't worry, Rommie, when you next see me I won't be retired, and I'll be bossing you about like the good old days,' Dylan beamed before leaving the command deck to set the ball in motion.

'Yeah, and don't make me regret I ever pushed you back,' Rommie spoke under her breath, and then smiled.

Hertzler paced up and down, offering the occasional glance to the people stood uneasily before him. Looking troubled he tried to avoid their eyes, he wanted to speak but felt his own soldiers looking at him curiously.

'Sir?' One of them spoke. 'Sir, I just need to know your intentions, my family, please don't hurt us, don't separate us, please, I have a newborn daughter,' Zal spoke with despair; his arms rattled the chains around his wrists as he begged.

'Be quiet!' Hertzler snapped, he stopped pacing and turned to the prisoners. 'My intentions were only on your home, on Edenia,' he began and slowly the pacing returned. 'We were going to storm in and take over, a kludge was to be our key,' Hertzler shook his head with sorrow. 'Wasn't as easy as we were led to believe and now all I have is you pitiful excuses of life to show for it.'

'Please,' Zal whimpered, protectively standing by Junia and the children.

'I need to know if you're willing to betray the kludge, willing to betray Seamus Harper!' Hertzler suddenly demanded and he was met with shocked faces and silence. 'Tell me!'

Zal looked between them all, Naomi was shaking her head and Junia looked afraid. 'Don't ask us to do that, please,' he finally spoke.

'You're here because of him; your home was almost destroyed because of him! Why do you still protect him?' Hertzler demanded, and when no one spoke he strode over to Naomi and grabbed the infant in her arms.

'No, please!' Naomi wailed as the kid was pulled from her grasp.

Hertzler examined the baby, already crying. He held the baby aloft and checked the kid's reactions. 'This kid is sick, weak, like his father,' Hertzler stressed. 'Wouldn't survive more than a few hours in our camps,' he frowned. 'He's no more a bargaining tool than a lit fuse waiting to explode.' To everyone's surprise Hertzler handed Naomi the child back. 'Once again, a plan built on nothing but false hope,' Hertzler strode away, leaving the bemused prisoners alone.

Hertzler continued to walk, his anger rising as he considered his options. On arriving in the control room he moved to his communications officer. 'I need you to contact the Commonwealth, Captain Hunt.'

'What?' Beka exclaimed loudly.

'They rejected my request,' Dylan shrugged and no one could hide their surprise.

'Dylan you won that battle on Edenia single handed, without you,' Beka offered and then paused. 'This is your ship, Dylan, without you the new Commonwealth wouldn't even have it, hell there wouldn't even be a new Commonwealth, who do they think they are?'

'The guys in charge?' Harper piped up. 'And do we have to have this meeting around my sick bed? Guy healing here,' He complained as he rubbed his eyes.

They all looked at Harper in annoyance before relaxing. 'How you feeling?' Beka finally asked.

'Fine, thanks for asking,' Harper mocked. 'What's going on?'

'Dylan has to stay in retirement, Commonwealth orders,' Rommie spoke up, ignoring the glance from Dylan.

'They don't want you back?' Harper offered his surprise.

Dylan sighed and mono toned. 'They feel I have deserved the rest and retirement after my many years of service,' he frowned and then sighed.

'You showed them how much easier it is to be the Commonwealth without you around, they don't want 'Mr Destruction and Do Good' back on their case,' Harper smiled. 'You should never have retired.'

'Thank you, Mr Harper,' Dylan returned. 'But this doesn't exactly help us.'

'Forget my family, we could spend the rest of our lives looking, they've gone, we gotta accept that fact, the ubers don't make it easy at the best of times,' Harper sadly spoke.

Beka took Harper's hand. 'Don't give up, Seamus, we'll find them.'

Harper half smiled and looked at Beka. 'You're looking better,' he remarked and Beka only smiled in returned, still holding his hand.

'I don't see how we'll find them without the Commonwealth, without The Andromeda,' Dylan stressed.

'I could retire, and then be re-commissioned,' Rommie suggested.

'Oh, then it'll be like the old days, just us vs. the bad guys!' Trance rejoiced, but didn't get the same enthusiasm from her crew mates. 'I was just thinking out loud, it could be like that,' she tried to consider.

'I can't believe they've dumped you, can't Rhade say anything, he still has rank and position?' Beka asked.

Dylan shook his head. 'Maybe the Commonwealth are right, I retired when I did because I needed to,' Dylan considered with a heavy sigh. 'I want to help Harper, I really do but maybe we need to keep the Commonwealth out of this, we still have the Maru, right?' Dylan looked at Beka.

'Yeah,' Beka looked at Harper, then to Dylan. 'That I'm the captain off remember?'

'Doubt you'll let me forget,' Dylan half smiled.

'The Nietzscheans might not be looking for a small freighter, they might miss it looking for the Commonwealth fleet demanding freedom to the prisoners,' Trance looked hopeful.

'Who are we kidding, the ubers know all about us, know everything we've done,' Harper sighed. 'They be expecting anything, but most of all they'll be expecting me, that's all they want, me for the kids.'

'Harper,' Trance offered, she fearfully glanced towards Dylan as her concern became real.

'We're not stupid, either are the ubers, well not as much as I'd like to think they are,' Harper dismissed. 'They still want Edenia and I can still give it to them, I want my family and friends safe, they can give that to me, done deal.'

'Harper, we won't let you do that,' Dylan warned.

'You'll give my kid a life sentence to have the crappy upbringing his dad did?' Harper stressed.

'You survived,' Dylan tried to reason.

'Well that's ok then, I'll get some more sleep and get on with the rest of my sorry life then,' Harper sniped.

'Harper, you know better than any of us that Ubers do not give fair deals, they'll want you, they want Edenia and they'll still want your kid,' Dylan returned sharply and Harper's expression went from anger to resignation.

Rommie then stepped forward. 'Dylan, you need to go to Command Deck, the Nietzscheans want to talk.'

'To me? I'm not in charge,' Dylan responded.

'They are asking for you by name,' Rommie returned. 'Roseby has requested you attend.'

'I'm coming with you,' Beka stated.

'Me too,' Harper made to move but Trance stopped him.

'You can't risk injuring yourself again, you're staying here.'

'I will play a feed to med deck, Harper,' Rommie offered, as she began to walk with Beka and Dylan.

Once out of earshot Dylan whispered to Rommie. 'Put a time delay on the feed to the med deck, we don't want to give Harper any more nightmares if the ubers have any nasty surprises in store, use your best judgement.'

Rommie nodded her head in understanding and they walked solemnly towards Command.

TBC