The Andromeda dropped out of slipstream near an abandoned planet. "Wow! That was cool!" Estay exclaimed. "I've never ridden in slipstream befor."
"All right, these are the coordinates you gave me," Dylan said. "Where is this Cad?"
"He's around here somewhere," Estay replied studying the view of the stars. "At least he was the last I heard."
"This is pointless!" Tyr exclaimed. "She is obviously leading us on a wild goose chase."
Just then, the hologram of Andromeda appeared. "I'm picking something up. It's moving out from behind the moon's shadow." They all watched as a huge ship came into view.
Estay turned and stuck her tongue out at Tyr. "Told you."
"I have an incoming message from the ship," Andromeda announced.
"Put it on screen," Dylan commanded.
A man appeared before them. He had spiked blond hair and brown eyes outlined with black eyeliner. He was dressed in black leather and reclined on a pile of cushions with about twenty women surrounding him. "This is my territory," the man said, in an uninterested tone. He paused as one of the women fed him a grape, then said, "Pay the toll or die."
"Would you accept two slightly used thieves?" Estay asked.
This got the man's attention. He studied Estay and Rullin closely. "My, my, it's been a long time. You two've grown. How have you been?"
"Actually, we ran into a little trouble," Estay replied. "You remember Merdan? Well, we kinda had another run in with him."
"Oh? Ended badly, did it?"
"Only for him. He's a bit angry at us. So, I thought why not go live with our good friend Cad? Maybe work a few odd jobs?"
Cad rubbed his chin. "Hmm, there is a slight problem, I'm not Cad."
Estay blinked. "Oh, who are you then? Tal?"
The man shook his head.
"Bek?"
"Uh-uh."
"Pim?"
"Try again."
"Ren?"
"Sorry."
Estay fidgeted nervously. There was only one left. "Kel?"
"Correct!" Kel stood up and walked closer until his face filled the screen. "So, I have a different idea for you little girl," he said menacingly. "Why don't I blast you and everyone else aboard into dust?" He laughed maniacally then cut communications.
Estay frowned and turned to face the crew. Rully had his arms crossed. She shrugged. "What are the odds?"
"Kel's ship is powering up their weapons," Andromeda announced.
"I thought you said this guy was your friend," Beka said.
"Well it's complicated," Estay replied. "He has six different personalities. Five like me."
"Andromeda, come about," Dylan commanded. "Beka prepare to slipstream as soon as we're clear of Kel's ship."
They managed to escape just before Kel fired. Estay breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, he won't follow us. He never leaves his territory."
"That was your plan?" Captain Hunt demanded angrily.
Estay shrugged. "Yeah."
"You endangered everyone aboard this ship!"
"Sorry. This doesn't count as my favor does it?" Estay asked. "You're still gonna bring us somewhere right?"
"Oh, and where would you like to go next? The Magog homeworld perhaps!?!" Tyr demanded. "Captain, we should drop them both off at the next planet we see."
"No, no, wait!" Estay exclaimed. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? I mean, you did say you faced danger all the time. This can't be too much of a change."
"I said we face danger not search it out!" Dylan shot back.
"Um, actually, sometimes we do," Beka interjected. Dylan shot her a look. She threw up her hands in defense. "Sorry, butting out."
Estay sighed. "Look Captain, I'm sorry I almost got us killed but I promise this next place isn't dangerous at all."
Rullin looked at her in surprise. "And where is that?"
Estay looked at the floor. "Rylos 7," she muttered.
"What? Oh, no. No, no, no!" Rully exclaimed.
"What's so bad about that?" Trance asked. "It's supposed to be a really nice place to visit. Very safe."
"Do you know why that is?" Tyr asked. "Because the punishment for almost every crime is death."
"Not the best place to start a career as a thief," Beka pointed out.
"Hey, they can't kill ya if they can't catch ya," Estay replied.
The Captain shook his head. "No, I'm not dropping you of on some planet so that you can steal and get yourselves killed."
"Well, what do you suggest?" Estay demanded. "We're not going to anymore orphanages. What do you want us to do, farm?"
"No..." Dylan said. "I've decided that I'm going to keep an eye on you two myself."
Estay crossed her arms. "Meaning..."
"You can stay."
"Yes!" Rullin exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"This is not wise. Not only will we have to babysit these two brats, but we will be in even more danger than usual because of that one's schemes," Tyr said leveling a glare on Estay.
"Oh, no, we'll behave I promise," Estay said.
"You had better," Dylan warned.
Yay! Fanfiction.net lives again and I'm back from my camping trip. So...a round of chapters for everyone.
"All right, these are the coordinates you gave me," Dylan said. "Where is this Cad?"
"He's around here somewhere," Estay replied studying the view of the stars. "At least he was the last I heard."
"This is pointless!" Tyr exclaimed. "She is obviously leading us on a wild goose chase."
Just then, the hologram of Andromeda appeared. "I'm picking something up. It's moving out from behind the moon's shadow." They all watched as a huge ship came into view.
Estay turned and stuck her tongue out at Tyr. "Told you."
"I have an incoming message from the ship," Andromeda announced.
"Put it on screen," Dylan commanded.
A man appeared before them. He had spiked blond hair and brown eyes outlined with black eyeliner. He was dressed in black leather and reclined on a pile of cushions with about twenty women surrounding him. "This is my territory," the man said, in an uninterested tone. He paused as one of the women fed him a grape, then said, "Pay the toll or die."
"Would you accept two slightly used thieves?" Estay asked.
This got the man's attention. He studied Estay and Rullin closely. "My, my, it's been a long time. You two've grown. How have you been?"
"Actually, we ran into a little trouble," Estay replied. "You remember Merdan? Well, we kinda had another run in with him."
"Oh? Ended badly, did it?"
"Only for him. He's a bit angry at us. So, I thought why not go live with our good friend Cad? Maybe work a few odd jobs?"
Cad rubbed his chin. "Hmm, there is a slight problem, I'm not Cad."
Estay blinked. "Oh, who are you then? Tal?"
The man shook his head.
"Bek?"
"Uh-uh."
"Pim?"
"Try again."
"Ren?"
"Sorry."
Estay fidgeted nervously. There was only one left. "Kel?"
"Correct!" Kel stood up and walked closer until his face filled the screen. "So, I have a different idea for you little girl," he said menacingly. "Why don't I blast you and everyone else aboard into dust?" He laughed maniacally then cut communications.
Estay frowned and turned to face the crew. Rully had his arms crossed. She shrugged. "What are the odds?"
"Kel's ship is powering up their weapons," Andromeda announced.
"I thought you said this guy was your friend," Beka said.
"Well it's complicated," Estay replied. "He has six different personalities. Five like me."
"Andromeda, come about," Dylan commanded. "Beka prepare to slipstream as soon as we're clear of Kel's ship."
They managed to escape just before Kel fired. Estay breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, he won't follow us. He never leaves his territory."
"That was your plan?" Captain Hunt demanded angrily.
Estay shrugged. "Yeah."
"You endangered everyone aboard this ship!"
"Sorry. This doesn't count as my favor does it?" Estay asked. "You're still gonna bring us somewhere right?"
"Oh, and where would you like to go next? The Magog homeworld perhaps!?!" Tyr demanded. "Captain, we should drop them both off at the next planet we see."
"No, no, wait!" Estay exclaimed. "Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? I mean, you did say you faced danger all the time. This can't be too much of a change."
"I said we face danger not search it out!" Dylan shot back.
"Um, actually, sometimes we do," Beka interjected. Dylan shot her a look. She threw up her hands in defense. "Sorry, butting out."
Estay sighed. "Look Captain, I'm sorry I almost got us killed but I promise this next place isn't dangerous at all."
Rullin looked at her in surprise. "And where is that?"
Estay looked at the floor. "Rylos 7," she muttered.
"What? Oh, no. No, no, no!" Rully exclaimed.
"What's so bad about that?" Trance asked. "It's supposed to be a really nice place to visit. Very safe."
"Do you know why that is?" Tyr asked. "Because the punishment for almost every crime is death."
"Not the best place to start a career as a thief," Beka pointed out.
"Hey, they can't kill ya if they can't catch ya," Estay replied.
The Captain shook his head. "No, I'm not dropping you of on some planet so that you can steal and get yourselves killed."
"Well, what do you suggest?" Estay demanded. "We're not going to anymore orphanages. What do you want us to do, farm?"
"No..." Dylan said. "I've decided that I'm going to keep an eye on you two myself."
Estay crossed her arms. "Meaning..."
"You can stay."
"Yes!" Rullin exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"This is not wise. Not only will we have to babysit these two brats, but we will be in even more danger than usual because of that one's schemes," Tyr said leveling a glare on Estay.
"Oh, no, we'll behave I promise," Estay said.
"You had better," Dylan warned.
Yay! Fanfiction.net lives again and I'm back from my camping trip. So...a round of chapters for everyone.
