like_jonah_from_the_whale4

Like Jonah From The Whale
by Xenutia



Disclaimer: While I'd like to at least say the plot is mine, if not the characters and universe involved, I can't even say that. The idea of delving into Harper's past, and how he came into contact with Beka, is hardly exclusive to me. But this particular version of events is mine. The characters, ship, and other aspects of Andromeda's universe belong to Tribune, except Eric Guldavian and the Magnus, which are mine. Knowing my luck the show will tell its version before I get this finished, but oh well.
Rating: PG-13. I'm still not sure how US ratings work. Where I am (the UK) it would be a 15, which feels about right to me.
Summary: In a sense this is a sequel to Let There Be Light'. It's not essential to have read that as this takes up years after those events...but for anyone that read it, yeah, consider it a sequel. Another pretty awful chapter in Harper's life, but this time...will it have a happier ending?
Spoilers: I'm not aware of any, if anybody finds anything I should have warned them about let me know. There are nods to some episodes in later chapters, mostly Fear & Loathing In The Milky Way', but not really spoilers. They just relate to background information on the characters a little bit.

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Beka eyed the man walking ahead of her,trying to appear both unconcerned and uninterested - nonchalant, even. He really was incredibly attractive. Unable to help herself, she let her gaze wander down to his ass, watching his leather pants pulling taut as he walked.

Yup. Very attractive.

Eric Guldavian. It had been a while. She had put him out of her mind, purposefully, just as she had put Rafe and her father and all of her unsavoury youth out of it. She was going straight now, had been since she set up business for herself with Rev. Eric belonged to the past, all the drunken fumbles in the back of the Maru or some planetside dive redundant, meaningless in her current life. Eric belonged to the past, and still would, if he hadn't turned up in her present. Not for the first time that evening, Beka regretted letting Rev return to the Maru, wishing he had come along to chaperone. There was something very calming, very reassuring about having him around, something she hadn't found in many people throughout her life.

Would she tell Rev anything? To a point, yes, she supposed she would. That made him the best friend she had ever had.

The thought, an abstract one in this time and place, saddened her. That so few in her life could be counted as such. But one was still more than many found in lifetimes far longer than hers.

Eric led her through the deepest, smog-drenched bowels of the station, his faint cynic's smile resting on his lips ready to surface, his cool grey eyes appreciative when they alighted, briefly, on her. Beka fought the flush rising in her cheeks, and quickly averted her eyes.

So, uh...what have you been doing with yourself? Or shouldn't I ask? Eric questioned, mildly.

You shouldn't ask, Beka shot back, with a grin that came with odd reluctance. Small stuff. Cargo, salvage...you name it, I've probably done it.

Eric shot her a grin.

Not that, she corrected, mock-dangerously.

I wouldn't think it for a second, Eric assured her smoothly, still smiling. I couldn't help but notice you had a Magog with you. Now is that normal, Beka?

Since when have I been into normal, Eric?

He laughed, richly, his blonde head rolling back so that the sound echoed.

Beka challenged back, playfully. What have you been doing with yourself?

As she spoke they stepped out into a flood of light, a larger, higher, airier room than any they had yet encountered on Fresia Galla; a hangar deck, stretching away to all sides, shadows chased back by the fluorescents overhead.

he replied, gesturing broadly with a magnanimous sweep of his bare arm.

Beka followed his gaze, and her jaw fell loose in awe. There, in front of her, was a ship, towering up to the distant ceiling. It dwarfed the Maru, its gleaming, sleek lines and sweeping curves majestic in the flattering, intense backwash of light.

she commented, attempting to disguise her jealousy with a joking lilt to her voice. See you finally followed my fine example and got yourself your own ship.

Well, I couldn't possibly let myself be outdone, he laughed. And definitely not by you. Interested in seeing inside?

Is a Perseid grey? she returned.

Eric allowed one last, indulgent half-smile, before leading her inside.

***

Eric gave Beka the grand tour, beginning with the hold and aft engine rooms, and working steadily up to the cockpit. Beka nodded through his brief explanations and laughed at his off-colour stories and scandals, but her mind, this time, was elsewhere.

She was jealous, and it was no use pretending otherwise. Not to herself, and probably not to Eric. He had known her too long to be fooled for one minute by anything she said counter to her obvious nature. He doubtless didn't believe her when she said she had gone straight, despite it being the whole - well, almost whole - truth. He certainly wouldn't believe a lie.

In fact, it had always been difficult to trick Eric, over anything. His was perhaps the most naturally devious and intelligently entrepreneurial mind she had ever encountered, including Rafe's. Once, she had admired that, and it had attracted her to him like a moth to light. That hopeless infatuation had passed, and painfully, but there was still an echo of it, far back where logic had no jurisdiction. Rev's sound advice took up the predominant seventy-five percent of her brain, but there was still that twenty-five percent, always looking for the Big Score, looking for easy breaks, helplessly drawn to that quality in others. Especially men.

Stop it, Valentine. You're not getting into this again.

Easy to say. But, perhaps, not so easy to carry out.

As they walked up a long ramp to the cockpit, nodding brief introductions to the three crew members Beka didn't know and one she did, they passed a young man working with fierce concentration at a control panel, replacing a part with quick, nimble hands. He was small, horribly thin, and terribly dirty, standing out from these butch, well dressed, healthy ship men like a Than in a human brothel. Eric's eyes clouded almost too quickly to see, but Beka was sharp, and though he brushed the look of confusion and displeasure off almost instantly, she saw it loud and clear. He offered no introduction, as he had with the others.

The young man looked up at the sound of boots on the ramp, turning bright, clear blue eyes on her, tragically lively in his gaunt face...and betraying the fear his casual, concentrating stance was designed to hide. There was a thick, blood-stained bandage taped beneath his right ear, in desperate need of changing. Beka knew something wasn't right, but was at a loss to know what. Perhaps a disagreement of some kind, one which was still fresh enough to be unresolved. Eric could be intimidating when he wanted, and though he failed to frighten her, she could well see how a kid like this would be nervous.

she prompted, falsely light. Aren't you going to introduce me?

Eric faltered for barely a second. Of course, I'm sorry. My mind isn't always what it could be, Beka, with the amount of sleep I get. Beka, this is Seamus Harper. He's only temporary; we put in to Fresia Galla earlier today for repairs, but our engineer died about a month ago, so...

You hired from the station, Beka finished. Remembering the very ill and unfed look of many of the station's poor residents, it made sense.

They told me he was good. We'll see. The boy flinched at that, but said nothing, and carried on with his work. Eric continued along the ramp to the cockpit, and taking his lead, Beka followed.

The last of Eric's crew was sitting in the pilot's chair, feet up, sipping something that steamed and filled the room with an unfamiliar, exotic aroma. Beka breathed in deep, enjoying the smell. The crew man looked up, muttered a hasty evening, miss', and exited with a predatory, knowing look to his captain with Beka found deeply insulting.

They know something I don't, Eric? she commented, dryly.

Now, Beka...would I keep secrets from you?

Beka didn't reply.

Would he keep secrets from her?

She would see.

***

Rev tapped the Maru's science display with one curved, yellowed claw, thoughtfully. It had been hours since Beka agreed to dinner aboard Eric Guldavian's ship, and Rev had not been idle. As he had said, he had spent the time busily tracking the intercept signal from Fresia Galla, running checks and cross-checks. The signal originated from a ship called the Magnus, currently docked in the station's hangar bay.

He had received a message from Stamp a little over an hour ago, nothing more stimulating or important than a reiteration of his earlier messages; they had a deadline for delivery. The blueprints, instructions for a sail barge, were supposed to have been bought and paid for by miss Ambrosia Price as a birthday present for her son, and neither would suffer any more delays. Rev fobbed Stamp off as politely and truthfully as he could, adding that they had a good lead on the intercept, and that their stop was for fuel and they would shortly be resuming course to the Favran system.

Stamp had accepted the explanation, but reluctantly. Rev breathed a sigh of relief when the screen went dark and the comm was cut. Since then, he had redoubled his efforts to track the signal.

And now he had. He smiled wryly, the claw still lightly beating a tattoo on the readout.

The Magnus. He had checked Fresia Galla's docking permit manifest.

The Magnus was registered under the name of one Eric Guldavian.

To Be Continued...

***


Author's Note: More Harper and Beka interaction next chapter, I promise...but you know how it is. You have to get the story set-up out of the way first sometimes.