Part 38
"Commander." Tyr turned around to face the young man who approached. "It's no use, sir, they are no longer on the ship," the boy stated, nearly out of breath from running.
"Once again the Kodiak Pride is abandoned," Tyr remarked, showing no reaction. "Do we know when Captains Gerd and Vandes departed?"
"All I know is they spoke with Tabatha in the holding cells and then we can just about make out some tampering with the ship's sensors, it was enough time for a small transporter to leave unnoticed," the young Neitzschean acknowledged.
"She told them, they know about Harper," Tyr spoke, more to himself. "You should go back to your pride, your family," he then instructed to the boy.
"I am loyal to you sir," the boy interjected.
"Maybe so, but now is not the time as I once thought, now is the time to move back and reassess the situation, I will call for you when I regroup," Tyr stated. "You've done well, and you have a great future ahead of you, but go," Tyr stressed and his eyes directed the boy the leave.
Once the young man had left, Tyr looked over to the command crew and gestured to the ships captain. "I will leave now," he instructed.
"If you wish for us to take you some place?"
"That won't be necessary, but I will call on you again when the time comes," Tyr returned.
"We will be waiting, we still believe in your calling, we know you are the one," the captain offered. "We will return to our home world and await your call."
"I will ensure no harm comes to your shuttle," Tyr simply stated before leaving command.
"Sir, where are you heading, just so we know?"
Tyr stopped and turned around. "The Andromeda."
"That's a Commonwealth vessel, is that wise, sir?" the captain returned.
"I have unfinished business, and that's the best place to start," Tyr answered and left the command section to prepare for his journey.
---
Beka walked protectively beside Harper as they navigated the busy streets of Sinti, heading towards the facility. Rommie walked the other side of him, and Dylan led the way. The suns of Sinti were bright, and the city appeared to be clean and fresh with the early morning air.
"Harper, are you ok?" Rommie asked.
"Tired," Harper offered in almost a whine. "My feet hurt," he added with a grimace.
"The soles of your feet are healed," Rommie pointed out.
"Still hurt," Harper returned.
"Harper, quit your moaning we're almost there," Beka stated, seeing the building ahead of them.
"You're weren't the one being tortured less than a week ago, and now being walked at frantic pace," Harper continued, sounding more like his old self now.
Dylan gestured for them to stop on receiving a communication. "Go ahead, Trance," Dylan ordered, seeing the transmission was from the Andromeda in orbit.
"Captain," Trance's voice came back. "We are receiving a transmission from Tyr Anasazi, he wishes to talk."
"Tyr?" Harper piped up with confusion.
"What does he want?" Beka added.
"Is he giving us any indication of what he wants to discuss?" Dylan asked.
"Only that it concerns Harper," Trance returned. "Information we need to know."
All eyes instinctively fell onto Harper, who naturally looked away with the attention. "Look, Tyr didn't hurt me, he didn't help me, but he didn't do the actual torture," Harper attempted to explain.
"He was in charge and that's just as bad," Rommie dismissed.
"Tell Tyr to tell us what we need to know, and quit playing games," Dylan ordered, and there was a silence before Trance came back.
"He says he's not playing games, Harper is in danger and you should show caution," Trance returned.
"Ok, he's got my attention, put him through," Dylan sighed and waited for the tones of Tyr to respond. "Tyr, I understand you now wish to talk."
"Is Harper with you?" Tyr asked.
"Just tell us what we need to know," Dylan stated.
"My Pride is disbanded, and two of my captains have deserted and I believe they are looking for Harper," Tyr responded.
"Why?" Beka asked.
"And who?" Harper added.
"Harper?" Tyr picked up and Dylan threw Harper an angered glare for revealing his location so easily.
"Lighten up, this is Tyr and I still trust him," Harper snapped and moved closer to the communicator. "I'm here, Tyr."
"I understand now that I did not act in your best interest, I have been told the truth," Tyr continued.
"That Tabatha is low life scum, glad you're on the same page at last," Harper stressed. "Next time be a little quicker, your goons almost killed me."
"Vandes and Gerd are the men I believe are after you," Tyr then revealed and Harper visibly paled.
"Oh crap, what the hell did I do to them? Didn't I scream loud enough the first time?" Harper stressed, with panicked tones.
"Who are they?" Beka asked towards Harper.
"The ones who tortured me, the lunatics Tyr so kindly left to take care of me," Harper moved away clearly troubled.
"Still trying to convince us that Tyr is the good guy?" Beka offered and Harper looked away.
"I admit I made some unwise choices," Tyr responded to Beka's words.
"Taking Harper from the Andromeda was the first one," Beka snapped.
"Hey, I wanted to go!" Harper shouted back, and then paused on seeing the reaction from his friends. "I mean, at the time, it wasn't just as much my decision as Tyrs, so quit giving him such a hard time, he's trying to warn me about those two nut jobs, give him a break," Harper quickly offered.
"Can you give us anymore about these men?" Dylan asked with resignation.
"Transmitting details now," Tyr returned. "I was wondering if I would be able to dock on the Andromeda, I have travelled through most of the past twenty hours and I need to recuperate," Tyr asked.
"Did I just hear Tyr ask if he can bunk on our ship?" Beka checked and saw Rommie give an equally surprised expression.
"Understand you will not have the access or privileges that you had before, but you are welcome to dock," Dylan offered, and saw Harper's appreciation to the gesture. Dylan knew Tyr had lost the battle, and if nothing else would relish the opportunity to remind him a few times.
"Understood, it will only be for a few days while I collect my thoughts," Tyr offered.
"You are welcome to stay for as long as you need," Dylan stated.
"Just don't get too comfy," Beka added before Dylan closed transmission.
"Rommie, be extra alert to any threats, Beka, stay close to Harper at all times and don't let him out of your sight," Dylan ordered.
"We're taking Tyr's words seriously?" Beka checked.
Harper scoffed. "If Vandes and Gerd are after me, then hell yes, we're taking them seriously."
"You remember what they did?" Rommie checked.
"All too clearly, the only time I wish I did forget," Harper frowned, as they began walking again towards the looming facility building.
---
"Did you pick any of that up?"
Vandes checked his device and only briefly nodded his head. "Tyr, we should never have trusted him." Both men watched from a short distance, as the small party entered the Sinti building.
"I blame the Commonwealth, they have destroyed a great warrior with mindless drivel, we should have known he'd go running back to them," Gerd returned.
"He's no longer our concern, his warning serves no purpose," Vandes remained defiant. "We need what's in that kludge's head, you heard the lady she told us the power that could be gained."
Gerd looked at Vandes with slight hesitancy. "She was crazy, don't you think?"
"If you truly believe that then why are you here?" Vandes demanded.
"I hate kludges that remain alive, unfinished business," Gerd answered.
Vandes considered a response. "You may kill him, but only after I get the information I seek," he stated.
"I think we have a deal," Gerd smiled broadly. "I still think she was a nut job, don't say I didn't warn you."
"Either way, we still get to kill a kludge so why complain?" Vandes reasoned.
"Can't argue with that, and a kludge that Anasazi values, makes the mud foot even more delectable," Gerd mocked.
"We have to act fast, they have brought him here to fix his head and I can't risk any damage to the information I seek, we go now and we do it quick, you with me?" Vandes checked.
"Right beside you, let's go, as planned," Gerd motioned.
---
Harper fidgeted as he looked at his coffee, all of them were now seated in the eating area awaiting attention.
"Everything ok, Seamus?" Beka whispered, sensing his tension.
"Yeah," Harper returned, though clearly he was still on edge.
"Need anything?"
"I'm good," Harper stared at his drink.
"You know what to do with that, right?" Beka checked, gesturing to the coffee.
"Yeah," Harper sighed, and brought the cup to his lips taking a sip. "I just like the idea that those two freak heads could be gunning for me."
"You're here with me, Rommie and Dylan, Harper, so relax," Beka assured him.
Harper took a deep breath and nodded his head. "I need to use the bathroom," he announced, and everyone got to their feet. "OK, feel free to join me," Harper spoke with some uncertainty.
"Safety in numbers, Mr Harper," Dylan stated. "Beka, Rommie wait outside," Dylan ordered as they headed for the bathroom.
"We were never planning on going inside," Beka confirmed, as she took a spot outside with Rommie taking the other side of the door.
Dylan simply smiled as he walked in first, and Harper could only smirk as he followed. The next moment was a sudden flash of activity, and a blur as Harper felt arms around him and a hand over his mouth preventing him calling out. When he regained his focus, he saw Dylan lying on the floor unconscious with Vandes stood over his body.
"Kludges, they can never go too long without the call of the nature being needed," Vandes announced with some satisfaction. "Now I'm guessing your lovely female company is just outside, tell me runt, do they know what we look like?"
Harper could barely move in Gerd's hold and his memory was taking time out to replay over and over the pain and torment the two Nietzschean's had put him through previously, he was afraid and unable to hide it. Rapidly he shook his head, but in truth he could barely remember if Beka and Rommie had seen a photo. Vandes moved closer and removed a knife from his belt that he placed with ease against Harper's neck, as the hand was removed from Harper's mouth.
"Call for your friends to join us, sound panicked and scared, shouldn't be too difficult for you," Gerd stated. "Say you accidentally knocked your captain out, claim a fit or something, use what's left of your imagination."
"Then what?" Harper asked between heavy breaths.
"Well, it can go either one of two ways," Vandes said with precision. "We know how kludges minds work, so it's really up to you." Vandes finished by heavily patting the back of Harper's neck, so hard he felt a sharp pain from the action.
Harper looked at his tormentors and his gut churned, they slowly removed the knife and backed away into the cubicles. Harper took some deep breaths, and then moved to lie on the floor, once he found the courage he yelled for Beka and Rommie. Almost instantly the door floor open, and Beka and Rommie raced in to find Dylan unconscious and Harper half lying on the floor.
"What happened?" Beka immediately went to Harper's side.
"I don't know, I suddenly felt dizzy and then someone grabbed me, and I lashed out, I think I hurt him," Harper stammered, doing his best to look unfocused.
"Dylan is fine, he should wake up soon," Rommie immediately announced, as she accessed her captain. "You must have lashed out with some force."
"Lucky strike," Harper shrugged, looking nervously towards the cubicles and back to Dylan.
Rommie checked Dylan again before pausing, and then looked at Harper. Her eyes told him she suspected something, and Harper was suddenly afraid, both for her and for him. "I need some air," Harper declared and hurriedly got to his feet.
At that moment one of the cubicle doors opened and Vandes stepped out, he glanced at the group of people around the fallen man and headed for the basins. "You're friend is a psycho, I saw him attack this man," he stated, seemingly unimpressed. "You should keep a tighter reign on him."
"We didn't ask your opinion," Beka returned not happy by a stranger's condemnation of her friend.
"Just saying," Vandes dried his hands, with Harper glaring at his every move.
"Stay with Dylan, Rommie, I'll go with Harper to get some air," Beka announced and took Harper's arm encouraging him to leave with her.
The sound of a flush and the other cubicle opened, Harper caught sight of Gerd exiting and asking Rommie if the guy was ok, even Harper was convinced by his acting concerned, and he felt sick to know he was playing his part in conning his friends.
"Beka, we have to get out of here," Harper hissed under his breath once they were clear of the bathroom. "I trust Rommie can looked after herself and Dylan, so we just have to run."
"Run?" Beka checked. "What do you mean?"
"Just hurry," Harper picked up the pace and began to push past people, with Beka in tow. Rapidly picking up the speed so they were running through the facility, Harper headed towards the exit and out into the daylight.
"Harper, stop, what the hell is going on?" Beka demanded.
"No, no stopping!" Harper protested and attempted to fight Beka, as she struggled to stop him running. "We have to get away from here, those two men back there in the bathroom are Vandes and Gerd, so come on!" he stressed.
"Right, running, good plan," Beka declared and no longer attempted to stop Harper.
"Ah!" Harper suddenly cried out, and came to a stop with a grimace. "No, not now, please," he stressed through clenched teeth, and his eyes were tightly closed.
"Harper, what is it?" Beka got a hold of his upper arms to keep him from falling.
"Fit, badly timed fit," Harper gasped as his body fell forward into Beka's hold, more by luck than judgement.
Beka looked back at the facility; they had barely got more then a hundred feet away and were now in broad daylight, in an open square. She saw the two men calmly walking out of the building, almost as if they expected that Harper wouldn't get too far if he ran.
"They drugged you, this isn't a fit," Beka whispered, holding onto Harper who was not suffering the usual spasms, he had simply collapsed in her hold.
"But I'm still conscious," Harper gasped.
"The drugs must have only affected your muscles, your motor functions," Beka tried to move with Harper but he was a dead weight in her arms.
"You have two choices, Miss Valentine, you hand him over and walk away without fuss, or you come with us, keep the kludge in check but you don't interfere, doing so could get him or yourself killed, so what's it to be?" Vandes calmly offered.
"You don't really want me along, so why offer?" Beka sneered, keeping a tight hold on the practically paralysed engineer in her hold.
"We know the kludge respects and responds to you, and that could work to our advantage," Gerd now spoke up. "We always do our homework," he added, as explanation.
"How about you just leave us the hell alone?" Beka asked. "That's my preferred option."
"If that was to be a third option, at this moment in time, that option would be your death, so take your pick," Vandes was growing tired of waiting. "You can't stall for too long, your precious captain won't awake for a number of hours and in truth, we're not really your patient kind of guys," Vandes spoke with mocking tones.
Beka took a deep breath, she had hoped that delaying these guys would give Rommie and Dylan and chance to realise what was happening, but she had to give the ubers credit, they had done their homework.
"Ok, I'll come with you, but you dare hurt Harper and I won't be accountable for my actions," Beka warned, keeping hold of Harper with all her effort, as the two Nietzscheans took their weapons before escorting them towards the spaceport.
"Interesting, I almost can't wait to see what you have planned because we almost certainly have hurt planned for your kludge friend," Gerd announced with joy.
TBC