Goodbye
Chapter 2
Disclaimer- I don't own them! Only the character's I make up.

Trance slammed her hand down on the alarm clock, rolling herself out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the small apartment that been her home for the last two months. She headed to the kitchen and grabbed a quick meal; heating it up and sitting at her make shift table, she thought back on the last two months. She had sold the fighter days after she got here; she smiled to herself remembering how she had dealt her way in to selling it for way more than it was worth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~two months earlier~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Now listen here lady, like I said before; I can give you 300 thrones and that's it."

Trance looked at the filthy dealer. "Well that's just not good enough, the dealer down the street offered me 3500, but...I liked you and thought we might be able to work something out, I guess I'll just go to him then." she turned around and began to walk off, a sly grin planted on her face.

"Wait." grumbled the dirty man. "I can give you 3400"

Trance continued walking "Good day sir."

The man cursed " Fine, 3600, but that's as high as I go."

Trance smiled and turned around "You know this isn't just any old slip fighter, it's a Commonwealth one, and better yet, one from the Andromeda Ascendant; plus its been redone by the best engineer you can find, been completely redone; if you wanted to make sure someone never found you, this would be the fighter to do it in. After I think about it I couldn't accept any less than 3900."

The mans face went red "3900!!! You think I just got that lying around, and plus you've taken stuff out, like a lot of the commonwealth information."

Trance smiled sweetly "Yes, well I couldn't let that information fall into the hand of anyone not Commonwealth, and about that kind of money; you have a very profitable shop here, I do think you have that amount just lying around."

The man took another look at the little purple alien "Ok how about 3700?"

Trance got a stern look and stared at him "How bout 3900"

"3750"

"3825"

"3800"

Trance smiled wide "Sir, I believe we have a deal."

The man turned around mumbling all the way to his desk. He pulled out a big metal box, and looked up at Trance "So 3775... was it."

Trance grin "I think you mean 3800."

The man looked down "Oh yes. Old age, mind going." He pulled an amount of cash out setting it on the desk as he counted out loud. "1000, 2000, 3000, 3500, 3600, 3700...3800" there you go miss, you know you would have never got this from the guy down the street."

Trance picked up the money and put it in her small bag, pulling out the access codes and placing them on the desk. "Well good thing I never went to him then, pleasure doing business with you...maybe we'll meet in the near distant future." She smiled at the flabbergasted sales man, and walked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trance smiled, she loved that about Harper and Beka, they had taught her skills she thought she's never use. But now they might as well be dead…She stopped mid thought...wait one of them was dead. Her skin tingled again; she slid her plate away from her, suddenly not so hungry. She slowly got up and walked back to her bed room, looking in her closet; she pulled out her cloths for work; a pair of tight black pants, and a short red halter top with a low neck line.

She turned and headed to her small bathroom, and took a quick shower. Stepping out, she rapped a towel around her and started to dry her hair. It didn't take long, it was much shorter than it used to be; she had cut it not long after moving here, she has also dyed it; green with pink tips. She put a little gel in it and spiked it up so just the very tips curled a little.

She headed back out to her bedroom to grab her cloths and pulled them on. Taking a look in the mirror to see if everything looked right, it did. She walked back to the bath room to start on the makeup; white eyeliner, blue eye shadow with a little sparkle, bright red lip stick, no blush needed, nor cover up. She grabbed a pair of green earrings, and put them on. She looked behind her ear at the spot that had been growing for weeks, a little gold area, she figured it was cause she was eating differently, either that or from stress, but she didn't think much of it.

She took one last look at herself, perfect as normal. She threw on a pair of high heel black boots. And walked out heading towards her job; she had landed the job only a few days after arriving here. She was the main bar tender at the hottest club on the drift, the Tiki Lounge, it was named after a club she had read about in Harper's 'Clubs and Bars of Ancient Earth', it wasn't much like the one on earth, but it paid good and her boss wasn't a jack ass. She loved this job, she had friends, her life was almost normal again.

She walked in through the large front doors, greeted by the bouncer, a Nietzschean named Jonny, well at least that's what they called him; they didn't know his real name. Her and Jonny got along pretty well, he watched over her and the other girls "Hey Jonny"

"Hey Trance, slow right now but there's a ship docking to night, should get busy later, good thing you came."

Trance smiled "Good. Maybe I'll have some fun."

Jonny laughed a deep laugh, "Not to much, can't drink all the customers under the table again."

Trance laughed, "Yeah well I'll be good then." She walked back to the bar, smiling at the regulars. She waved at Kiki who was serving someone, she opened her locker and pulled her security clip out and clipped it on her pants, the boss made all the girls wear one, it was a great little gadget; if things got to wild and someone grabbed her all she had to do is say shock and the other person was shocked. It had helped her more than once.

Kiki walked over "Hey Gim, you're early."

Trance smiled "Yeah, thought I'd start early, good thing, you like you're the only one on tonight."

Kiki smoothed her long brown hair, she was a hybrid of human and something else, she was as mysterious about her past as Trance was. " Yeah Tink called in."

"Yo tender who I got to fuck to get a drink around here?!"

Trance looked over at the man then back to Kiki "I'll handle him you take a break."

Kiki laughed "Okay"

Trance walked up to the man "Well you don't have to fuck anyone, just tip good, what'll be hun."

The man looked Trance up and down "Can ya do a Conlan."

Trance smiled "Oh yeah... 4 thrones."

The man handed her the money "You'll get a tip if you can actually do it."

Trance put the money in the till and smiled, she bent down and grabbed a glass placing it on the top counter and then a shaker placing it next to the glass she scooped some ice and put it in the glass, then looked up at the man and smiled wickedly, she grabbed the bottles needed for the drink and lined them up on the lower counter. Some of the regulars stopped what they were doing to watch. And she was on... She grabbed the first bottle and spun it in her right hand up and over the top of her hand. She grabbed the second bottle and spun it in her left. She poured the first into the shaker and slammed the bottle back on the counter, she quickly poured the second while grabbing the third and spinning it in her right hand, and slammed the second down, she poured the third while grabbing the fourth and spinning slamming the third she grabbed the glass and slammed the bottle and poured the last bottle into the shaker, she popped the top on and picked it up shaking it with one hand while holding the glass, she twisted the top of the shaker and poured it into the glass and set it back on the counter and slid it to the man smiling at his dropped jaw. She reached out a popped his jaw back up. He handed her two thrones. Trance smiled while the regulars clapped and cheered.

Kiki walked up and laughed, "Show off."

Trance smiled "Yeah, I try."

"That miss Trance is why you're my most prized employee."

Trance looked over to her boss Jim "Hey" Kiki walked off to sever some one.

Jim moved next to Trance as she dried some glasses " We've got a big ship coming in, might get wild. Make sure your clips working, and keep an eye on Kiki, she has a habit of picking fights."

Trance smiled "Yeah, I will."

Jim nodded "Good, I'll be in the back office if you guys need me." he walked off towards the back.

Another costumer called and Trance was on again, same show as normal depending on the drink. Things went on as normal for about an hour. They got word that the ship was docking and the bar started filling up. She noticed they were Commonwealth, not big deal they got at least four a week here it was a in the middle of a major slip rout. She saw a young crew member waiting at the bar; she made her way over "What can I get ya."

The boy smiled "9 shots of treks, and a pitcher of the cheapest beer ya got, for table 5."

Trance nodded "Okay then I'll be right there." she was stuck as waitress tonight too due to Tink calling in. So she grabbed 9 shot glasses and lined them up quickly, grabbing two bottles of treks and spinning it upside down she poured in a line down the shot glasses meeting in the middle. She placed them on the tray and grabbed a pitcher and poured the beer into it placing it on the tray in the middle of the shots. Balancing the tray on her hand she made her way to table 5 where 9 young officers sat talking and laughing. "Ok people, 9 shots of treks," she placed the shots in front of the people "and the best beer 5 thrones can get ya." she placed the pitcher on the table with the glasses. "That'll be 15 thrones."

The man who had ordered paid her. "Your pretty good."

Trance put the money in her side bag. "Thanks, what ship you guys from?"

One of the girls spoke "War ship, the Andromeda."

Trance nearly dropped her tray, recovering she smiled. "Oh
cool think I've heard of that."

Another girl spoke up "Not many haven't, we nearly get our selves killed on a weekly basics, with Captain hero and the helm."

Trance smiled "Well if it's for a good cause…"

Another guy laughed "Yeah, but we haven't had a good
engineer in two months since he died, and the chief med officer left around the same time. Never met her, but I hear she was close to the guy."

A tall blonde girl frowned "I met the engineer, Harper, he was cool, he hit on me...a lot."

The first spoke again "Yeah he hit on me too. They were close, she called once and said she needed his help and he dropped everything and left."

Trance smiled slightly "Yeah sounds like she would take it hard."

The tall blonde laughed "Well I heard she broke the captain's nose as soon as they brought the body on board, he said something about a report and bam, she slugged him, put her in the brig."

The man who had paid spoke up "Yeah Captain Valentine and her were friends too, she hasn't said much about her since she left, no one really has, they didn't ever try and go after her."

The blonde laughed out "Captain Hunt was probably scared she's hit him again."

Trance laughed, "You think these captains will show up?"

"Don't know, Captain Valentine always hits the card tables, she might show up."

Trance nodded "Well if you guys need anything else just ask." she headed back to the bar 'Great, fucking great, of all the drifts they have to show up here!' if Beka showed up, it would be bad, and if Dylan even bothered talking to her she'd break more than his nose.

"Yo miss...um tender...ummm"

Trance turned around and corked a smiled. He was an officer, young, no older than 20, she knew him she had treated him for burns once, and a broken arm, and a broken leg, she had seen him a lot. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her. "Yeah baby."

The boy smiled "I'll have a beer."

Trance smiled "Okay then." she poured the beer and slid it to him."2 thrones"

The boy handed her the drink and smiled "Thanks" he looked at her for a second "Have we met?"

Trance smiled "Oh hun use a better line." hopping he'd think she think he was hitting on her.

He smiled "Ok I guess not."

She smiled "You all alone hunny, a sweet boy like you."

The boy half smiled. "Yeah well I'm deep in the ship, not many girls want the guy that spends his day and mostly night in the middle of a ship, carrying on conversations with a ship."

Trance laughed "Well, mingle here, the girls are different, even you could meet some one."

He looked back at his drink "Maybe after a few more beers."

Trance smiled "That's the way." she heard some one yell and looked that way. "Good luck with your search." she walked over to the girl yelling. "What can I get ya tonight."

The girl looked at Trance for a moment "Tucan cocktail"

Trance smiled "Okay then" she did her act and managed to get most the Andromeda crew's attention, and handed the girl the drink. Who paid the 4 thrones smiling. Trance walked over to Kiki "Hey I'm gonna take my break." she looked over at the Sweet guy. "Hey I think he needs another drink." she smiled and walked towards the back for her break, grabbing a beer on the way by. She sat down on a crate leaning her head back and thinking. If she could make it though this night she'll be happy. She popped the top on the bottle and took a long gulp. Her skin tingled, she barely noticed it anymore, it had done it since she had left
Andromeda, she took another drink and breathed out slowly, long night. She took another dink and finished off the beer, she threw it to a near by trash can and stood up, ready to head back in.

Things went pretty uneventful the rest of the night; there was a small fight that Jonny happily took care of, almost bouncing as he threw the boys out. After a few hours the Andromeda crew had mostly cleared out. Trance looked over at Kiki, laughing loudly at the sweet boy, they had been that way for a while now, Trance smiled slightly.

Kiki walked over to Trance. "Hey I'm gonna head out, okay?"

Trance laughed "Yeah go have fun, at least one of us will."

Kiki smiled "Thanks." she looked over at the boy then back to Trance a wicked smile on her face. "I love a man in uniform."

Trance looked at the boy "Be nice, he's a sweet one." Kiki gave her a smiled and bounced off, heading out. Trance looked around, and started wiping down the bar, within an hour the rest were cleared out thanks to Jonny who was now tossing them out the front doors. Trance walked back to Jim's office and knocked and slowly opened the door "Hey Jim, its mostly cleared out I'm gonna go, k?"

Jim looked up "Yeah, Okay, be careful."

Trance nodded "Yeah yeah." She headed back to the bar, and took off her clip, putting it back in her locker. She walked back out the larger front doors laughing at Jonny, smiling as he easily tossed the drunken boys out.

She headed down the now buzzing streets as the drift woke up for the morning, walking past the vendors and down the small streets to the low rent apartments she called home. She walked in and turned on a music file, then headed towards the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

Walking back out she sat on the couch winding down from her night. She picked up a flexi she had picked up last week and started reading. She had made it through about two chapters when she heard a knock at her front door.

Looking up she frowned "Who the hell?" she mumbled as she got up, and made her way to the door. She pushed the button and the old door hissed open, revealing the last person she ever expected to see again; the resident Avatar of the Andromeda Ascendant, Rommie.

"Hello Trance." Said Rommie in a cool calm voice. A slight smile on her face.

Trance was in shock, of all of them to show up at her home, it was her. "Um…Hi…Come in." She stepped to the side letting he in.

Rommie walked in and looked around. "So this is where you ran off to."

Trance smile. "Yeah its no Andromeda but its home now, I
tried to give it my touch."

Rommie sat on the couch. "You did...saw you working tonight, you're good; again you managed to surprise me."

Trance sat in a chair across from her. "Thanks..." she looked at Rommie "They sent you didn't they?"

Rommie smiled "No... they don't know I'm here, Beka headed back hours ago; I told her I was gonna check out the bar the crew had been talking about, something about a 'Hot' Bar tender that was good with her hands."

Trance smiled and even blushed a little. "Yeah I saw a lot of the crew there, one left with my friend."

Rommie grinned, "Figured some would."

Trance looked down at her hands "Rommie, why are you here?"

Rommie's grin faded "I wanted to make sure you were ok, we miss you, it hasn't been the same with out you and Harper. We've already lost him, now we have to lose you too?"

Trance looked back up "Well, I had to leave, I couldn't be there anymore."

Rommie scanned her eyes over Trance "You've changed a lot."

Trance smirked "I thought a new look was in order."

Rommie frowned slightly "You changed more than the outside, you were completely different in that bar, the way you carried yourself, the way you talked. I barley recognized you."

Trance looked stern "Well ya know what, I made that choice all by myself, no one holding my hand, I had to grow up." she looked at Rommie's face, a mix of shock and confusion. "Listen, if you're here to ask me to come back, well, just don't bother; I can't go back there, not now, not after everything that's happened. This is where I am now, and I'm happy."

Rommie frowned "Ok Trance, I won't ask but I will say this. That if you ever want to come back, I'm sure Dylan will let you."

Trance felt anger rise "Dylan will let me!! Oh I'm so honored; Captain Ego's gonna take me back! So I can do what? Work in medical, and water plants and...And give reports when ever he wants them, no mater what happen and who died!!" she was yelling by this time.

Rommie leaned back a bit "Trance I know what Dylan did, was in a way wrong and don't think he doesn't regret it to this day. But you can't stay mad at him over this."

Trance breathed out "You don't understand do you, its everything in the last two years. Treating me like I was just the little girl that could see things, well I'm more than that and the only person that truly saw that is gone, so my reason for staying is gone too." Rommie flinched at the sound of hate in her voice. Trance put her hand up before Rommie was able to speak "Rommie, I know it took a lot for you to come here but, I need to get some sleep; I'm on the afternoon shift at the club. So if we're done..."

Rommie stood up. "Ok I'll go, but I brought you this, it was found in Harper's quarters; its addressed to you, we haven't read it." she places a flexi on the table and smiled she went to walk out.

Trance looked at the flexi and quickly spoke "Um…Rommie, could you not tell Dylan and the others about this little meeting?"

Rommie smiled "I didn't plan on it." she walked to the door, and opened it. She turned to Trance once more. "Lets try and keep in touch, just you and me. You might not be part of my crew anymore, but your part of my family like it or not."

Trance smiled slightly "I'll try."

Rommie looked out the door "That's all I ask." with that she was gone and down the street shutting the door behind her.

Trance looked at the flexi placed on the table, should she read it; could she read it? She stood there staring at it for what seemed like forever. Finally her heart got the best of her and she picked up the flexi, pressing the on button and placing it back on the table. Within seconds, a small hologram Harper popped up, there he was, looking back at her as real as he'd ever be again. She felt tears already starting up and he hadn't even said a word. Then he spoke...

"Hey Trance babe." She went weak at the knee sitting down. "If you're hearing this then its happened, I'm dead, I know, you never thought the great Shamus Z. Harper could die, well its probably taken me by surprise too." A half smile planted on his face. "I just hope I went out with a bang, or at least old and married to a hot babe that thought the world of me. But even I know that's probably not true, I most likely was on some planet in the middle of nowhere with either you or Beka, holding me. Ok you're probably wondering what the hell I'm going on about; ok I'll get down to the point. Trance I wanted you to know something, I loved you with all my heart, I have from the moment I met you and you looked into my eyes with those sparkling orbs. I just hope I was able to tell you, if not I have now and you know. I hope you're doing ok, and you've met your self a hot guy you can love, and if anyone hurts you, say the word and I'll haunt them forever. I just wanted you to know I loved you till the day I died and longer. Goodbye my purple Princess." he slowly faded out to nothing.

Trance looked at the area that used to house the man she had loved for so many years. Tears steaming down her face. She sat there crying until she fell to her side and pulled her knees up to her chest, drifting into darkness letting the sleep over take her.