Author's Remarks: Thanks for all of the feedback!! Hopefully these next few chapters will make some more things seem a bit clearer if anything was a little fuzzy.
Chapter 5
Dylan and Rommie were roughly thrown into a small, dark cell beneath the Academy. The walls were made of large, heavy stones; the door that shut swiftly behind them was made of a titanium alloy, reinforced by steel.
"I'm quite sorry that things had to turn out this way," Rycar's voice echoed down the corridor. He quickly made his way to their cell, his blue robes flowing behind him. "However, the Andromeda Ascendant will be a valuable asset to my planet."
"What do you hope to accomplish by this?" Dylan asked. "You realize the Commonwealth will come looking for us. Plus," he added for emphasis, "my crew is still on the Andromeda."
The chancellor laughed and shook his head.
"You fool, I have an entire school of militants at my disposal, along with the power to warp space and time to my will. Plus, scans of your ship reveal that there is only one crew member on board at this present time."
"What?" Dylan and Rommie said simultaneously, looking at each other.
"They wouldn't…" Dylan started, but Rycar interrupted him.
"Shortly after your arrival, an escape pod was jettisoned from your ship. It crashed in the forest not far from here. I sent a group of guards to investigate. Any who were aboard surely are dead, either by the crash or at the hands of my guards. Now," Rycar said, turning away, "I must go take my ship."
He walked away, his guards trailing, leaving Dylan and Rommie alone in their cell.
After they had left, Rommie turned to Dylan.
"Ten thrones says Harper is the one who suggested using the pod."
"Another ten says Beka was flying it," Dylan said. Then he added, "I ordered Tyr to watch over those two, obviously he failed, so double or nothing says that Trance is their innocent bystander."
"You're on."
~~~~~***~~~~~
"So, Beka, what's your big plan for getting us out of this?" Harper chattered.
"Drop your weapons!" the lead figure shouted.
"My big plan?!? Why all of a sudden am I in charge?!?" Beka exclaimed.
Suddenly, the same bush that moved before, moved again.
"What?" Trance asked. "There are more of you?"
As the guards looked towards the bush, a figure shot out of the brush opposite the bush, tackling two of the guards. Harper and Beka seized the opportunity, shooting two more of the guards. Trance hit the ground as a lightfight quickly erupted. Harper ran to the two fallen figures and quickly seized their rifles.
"Here!" he shouted tossing one at Trance. "Shoot!"
Remembering the figure that had started the brawl, Trance looked over in that direction. The mysterious figure was wrestling with one of them, as the other one was starting to get up. Trance quickly aimed at the guard and fired. The black-clad figure fell lifeless. The mysterious rescuer then focused his attention on the other figure. Wrestling with him, the helper landed 3 quick punches, and the guard fell limp.
On the other side of the clearing, Beka and Harper weren't faring as well. Hiding behind a fallen tree, they were in a shootout with the last two guards, and their cover was quickly being chewed away be the incoming fire. A shot erupted out of nowhere, and struck a guard. Trance knelt beside Harper.
"Thought that you could use some help," Trance said with a small grin.
They made quick work of the other guard with three quick shots.
As the sound of blasts finally died down, they all stepped into the clearing. Harper looked to where their mysterious rescuer was. He was lying on his back next to the guard he had been in melee with, breathing heavily.
Harper walked over and extended his hand to him, helping him up. For the first time, they finally had a good look at their rescuer. He wore a dark green tunic with a black vest over it, and black pants with a yellow stripe down both outseams. His strawberry blonde hair was tousled from the fight. His body was that slightly less built than Harper's, although he was about two inches taller than Harper.
"Thanks, friend," Harper said, skeptically.
"Anytime," the mysterious person replied, still heaving, "I'm just glad that I could help."
"Seamus Harper, genius engineer," Harper said with flourish, while Beka rolled her eyes. He pointed to Beka. "This is Beka Valentine, my boss." He then pointed to Trance. "Trance Gemini, our doc."
"Kael Lidar," the person replied, "and this…" he said pointing to the bush that had been moving earlier, "is…"
Abruptly, a slender female figure near the same height as Beka shot out of the bush and shouted, "Kael, look out!"
The all turned to see the guard Kael had knocked out, staggering to his feet, brining his gun to bear on Kael.
Even as the guard pulled the trigger, Kael closed his eyes and took a quick, yet deep breath.
As the lightshaft raced towards him, Trance turned her head, fully expecting to see a smoking hole in their newfound friend's chest. All she heard, though, was Harper mutter "Holy shit", quickly followed by an "Ow!" from the woman. She then heard another rifle shot and looked up.
She saw the guard crumpling to the ground, Harper with his weapon smoking, Kael's lady friend with a shot wound in her arm, and Kael with his eyes still closed and his hand now in the air. Beka and Harper were looking at Kael's lady friend. Trance quickly ran over to her.
Harper turned to Beka and finally spoke. "I think our new friends are a little more than what they're cracked up to be."