Chapter1

Hey! *waves* I'm back with an actual chapter! Woohoo! Thank you to all the people who actually bothered to read and review! I feel LOVED! :) Due to a generally positive response, maybe I will make that site! Annnnnnnnnnnd, since I've recieved more than one concern about the subject, Beka is NOT dead, and we do not know if she will end up as such! (Well, I do, but I'm not telling! MWAHAHA!) I only said she wasdying ! This is science fiction people! Until someone is actually confimed dead, it's not wise to jump to any conclusions......... actually, even then you shouldn't! (The Affirming Flame comes to mind) Don't worry my little muffin heads! ANYhoo, this is the first part of the backstory to the prologue! I may jump around between flashback and not flashback between chapters, but I dunno, I'll wait and see how it goes! And, oh yeah, feel free to tell me how bad this is! I suck at starting stories!

~~~~~~Spooky~~~~~~

Chapter 1: The Beginning

So, explain to me again why it is absolutely nescessary' that you A: go alone, and B: take my ship! And don't pull any of that seatbelt crap on me again. Beka Valentine, first officer of the Andromeda Ascendant, glowered at the captain.

Dylan sighed, he was very tired of the conversation, Beka, if you were a single planet surrounded by Nietzschean homeworlds, about to negotiate signing onto the New Commonwealth, which would you prefer? A conspicuous High Guard warship with skeleton crew at best, or a small, inconspicuous, privatly owned salvage ship with one person?

Yeah yeah, I know..... but why alone?

Because I need you and everybody else here to run the ship! Rommie can't be completely self reliant, however much she would like to.

There was a pause, then, I'm going with you.



Hey! Tyr, Harper, Trance, and Rev are perfectly capeable of running Andromeda for a few days! And, I might add, you're taking my ship! You take my ship, you play by my rules; and my rules say I'm coming with you, end of story!

Dylan opened his mouth to make another argument, but the look on Beka's face told him it was a waste of breath. Instead, he just gave another exasperated sigh, and turned to walk toward the hangar deck. Beka allowed herself a small victory smile to his back before following him.

**********************

Harper's face popped up on the Maru's viewscreen, Hey boss, what's up?

Well, as you know, Dylan decided to play Mr. ambassador hero again. And as you also probobly know, I'm not about to let him fly my ship into the middle of several large Nietzschean homeworlds, all of which are against the restored common wealth I might add. Think you guys can handle the Andromeda for a few days?

Me? Are you kidding? This ship is in the best, not to mention most gorgeous, hands you could give her! Beka could hear Rommie snort off to the side at the gorgeous comment, followed by the sound of closing doors as she apparently left the bridge.

We'll be fine. Trance gave a more satisfactory answer before the viewscreen clicked off.

Beka pushed a few select buttons, setting the auto-pilot for their destination. She looked up as Dylan walked onto the bridge.



So, the auto-pilot should take us straight to Domar. She got up and walked towards the door.

Where are yo going?

I'm going to take a shower.

**********************

Harper steped away from the viewscreen as the image of Beka clicked off. Both He and Trance turned at the sound of Tyr entering.

the Nietzschean looked from one to the other.

Well, the boss decided to babysit Dylan on his little joyride. So it's just us for a few days. Well, us and Rev. Harper gestured towards said magog, who was standing a few yards away listening to the conversation.

They're both fools. Trying to sign on a planet between feuding Nietzschean homeworlds? It's scuicide.

Hey, I think the kids are old enough to take care of themselves now. Besides, Dylan said to come after him if he wasn't back in a few days, I'm assuming that still applies.

C'mon Harper, Trance decided to avoid a larger disagreement between the engineer and the Nietzschean, let's go fix that, um, thing, in med bay that got broken.



You know, she gave him a look, That thing....

Oh, oh yeah! Harper left the bridge rather quickly, followed by a giggling Trance.

The divine is restless, Rev Bem broke the sudden silence, I have a bad feeling about this.

Tyr turned his eyes to the view of the Eureka Maru swiftly dissapearing into space, As do I.

*************************

Beka sighed as she let the warm water run down her body, and wondered for the millionth time if this had been a bad idea. Somehow, on a potentially dangerous (not to mention potentially stupid) diplomatic mission with Dylan was not how she had been planning to spend the next few days. Still, it was probobly better than letting him go off alone and manage to get himself killed, in her ship no less. It might be kinda nice actually, spending all that time with Dylan, alone......

She mentally berated herself for that train of thought, mumbling to herself, He's my friend nothing more.....

But you wish it was more.......

She argued with her mind, I don't want to be anything more than a friend to him!

Yes you do. Beka's mind was not to be defeated.



Then why are you so happy to be alone with him?

I'm not!

Yes you are....

Beka had no reply for that. Why did her mind have to be so damn observant? At least it couldn't speak on it's own. She sighed again and rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, trying valiantly to beat back the very unplatonic thoughts that were sneaking into her mind.

the sound of Dylan's voice over the Maru's intercom made her jump.

Damnit Dylan! I'm kinda busy at the moment!

Well you'd better get in here, now! We've got company......

Beka jumped out of the shower, securing a towel around herself, and dashed towards the bridge.

Dylan didn't look up from his seat in the pilot's chair as he heard Beka enter,

Well well, Dylan could tell from Beka's voice that she was standing behind him, though he still didn't look up, looks like someone found out about your little excursion.

I tried alerting Andromeda, but it appear's they're jamming our communication lines.

There was a moment of silence, then Beka moved to stand beside him, Out of the chair, let's go!

Dylan's jaw dropped. He now realized that Beka was not only telling him to get out of the pilot's chair, but she was doing so in nothing but a towel.

What? You didn't expect me to trust you to fly my ship out of the way of a bunch of angry Nietzscheans, did you?

But, but... you're...

Hey! Would you rather have me pilot in a towel or take the chance of getting blown into salvage scrap?

Dylan didn't trust himself to answer that question. Instead, he got out of the chair, still with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Thank you! Beka quickly sat herself down, and pressed a few select buttons on the main console as she grabbed the controls.

What are you doing?

Getting us far enough away so we can slipstream.

But won't that....

Take us off course? Yes, but I'd rather be late than alive than dead! She twisted the controls, bringin the Maru out of the Nietzscheans' line of fire.

Dylan muttered to himself, I sure hope you know what you're doing....

Slipstream..... now! Beka punched in the commands.

Nothing happened.

Beka pounded on the console, until her thoughts were interrupted by a blast hitting the side of the ship, rocking it violently backwards. Beka echoed her previous words, Oh shit.

************************
To Be continued.........
************************

So, that's chapter 1! Dija like? *Looks* Man, they're gonna get the royal crap beat out of them aren't they..... this story is gonna wind up being pretty long! Please ignore any glaring plot holes that I may have overlooked! C'mon people, I wrote the majority of this in science class, gimme a break! It may be a while before the next chapter is out (two tiny little things called school and work), but hopefully not too long! Oh yeah...... the Beka piloting in a towel thing is somehow my history teacher's fault... I don't know how, but it is.... Review please! And be kind..... :)