Three days later.
"So, hows your friend," asked Sophia, "I thought you said that she had only minor injuries and would be awake by now." Sophia gently rocked Traed to sleep as she followed Trance to Buffy's bedside.
"Yes, but I guess she just needs a little more rest," Trance replied. "Will you be alright here without me?"
"Yes, thank you though. I have these two," indicating the two hulking Neitzschean warriors, "to watch over me. I'll just go and put down Traed after I check on my Pride again."
Trance smiles a quiet goodbye to the Matriarch's retreating back. She returns her attentions to Buffy. "Come on, it's time to wake up. You've got a lot of people worried about you. It's been three days since you came to us, shouldn't you be up by now." Trance speaks softly to the sleeping girl as she changes the bedding. Buffy is clean and now wears a pair of white sleep pants and tank top Trance found in storage. "Now, I'm just gonna go check on my plants, I haven't been paying them much attention since you got here." Makes a last adjustment to the bedding before she finally tucks her in. "I'll bring you one of my plants, I'll bet that would cheer you up." Trance leans in close. "It's time to wake up now, you've still got so much to do. You can't sleep the world away anymore," Trance breathes before she leaves the room.
Charlemange contemplated the viewing screen in front of Dylan and himself. "We seem to have managed to avoid the Magog for the last three days. With the aid of your mister Harper and Tyr, the repairs and fortifications have been completed in record time. I've contacted the rest of my fleet, and they should reach us sometime later today or early tomorrow. If our luck holds, we should have assembled an effective offensive against the Magog long before they are able to track…" An alarm goes off.
Andromeda's hologram form appears next to Dylan. "We have incoming slipstream."
"Shit, you just had to say it," said Beka under her breath from her position at the slipstream controls. Harper and Tyr stride onto the deck as the alarm continues to peal.
Rommie goes to stand beside Dylan. "I recognize the first three ships, they are of the Orca Pride, but why would…"
Before Rommie can even finish her thought, a squadron of 40 Magog fighter planes stream out after the Orca ships.
"Dylan," called out Beka.
"What?"
"We're screwed."
Holo-Andromeda opens the viewing screen to reveal Guderian, Alpha of the Orca Pride.
"Captain Hunt, what are you doing here," he said belligerently.
"By the looks of it, saving you."
Guderian snarled, "Not if that Kodiak…" pauses as canon fire blasts into his ship, "Yes, it would be much appreciated if you and your friends would help us," he gritted out through clenched teeth, clearly displeased with the notion of asking help from the Andromeda with Tyr still on board.
"Guderian, of the Orca Pride? I really must thank you for leading the Magog scum right to us," Charlemange growled, quirking his scared eyebrow.
"Charlemange Bolivar? Well, well, well, isn't this fortuitous."
"I really don't think that now would be the time to exchange quaint peasantries," called Tyr.
"Hate to say it, but the big guy's right. Less bitey more fighty," Harper quipped.
"Andromeda," Dylan said.
"Already on it," she replied, "charging weapons."
As canon fire starts to shake the Andromeda.
The Neitzscheans on the Medical Deck are jarred out of their peaceful respite. They are eerily silent, even the children. Testimony of their Neitzschean strengths and the ordeal they have been through. The males struggling to arise from their sick beds, the need to protect the women and children overriding their healing bodies' protestations. Each and every one silently sending out a prayer, a blessing, a hope for a better future into the void.
Please, Sophia entreated to whoever or whatever would hear, please keep my Pride safe and strong. She turns her head down to look at the sleeping baby in her arms. And do not let me see the end of my line.
Meanwhile on the Hydroponics' Deck
Trance stumbles on her way to the door. "I have to get to the Med bay before…"
"Damn it," shouted Harper as sparks from a short-circuiting panel discharge right behind him. "I hate the Magog, I hate the Neitzscheans, and I absolutely hate when the two come together to royally screw up my day."
"Ever so sorry for disrupting your life. What would you rather be doing with your precious time? Tinkering down in the engine room, yes, that's ever so helpful. Or perhaps we interrupted your alone time, and just feel really sexu…"
"That's enough," bellowed Dylan, "I know we're all a little stressed right now, but if you don't stop, I'm going to shove both of you into the weapons' launcher and you can be the Magog's problem." Dylan turned back to Rommie. "Rommie, report?"
"All ships are taking heavy canon fire, but we've managed to destroy 11 of the Magog's. That leaves 29 to our 19. I just don't know for how long we can keep this up before…they're starting to attach themselves to the ships," Rommie finished quietly.
"Your fleet better be here soon, or we're all going to die," Tyr cuts in cynically
Andromeda gives a fearsome shack as two Magog ships fasten to her outer hull.
"We've been breached," Rommie said, "they've penetrated a corridor a few meters away from the Medical Deck and a hanger deck on my starboard side."
"Traed, my Pride" Charlemange whispered before running out of the Command Deck with two Neitzschean warriors at his side.
"Tyr, Harper, follow him, make sure everyone's okay," ordered Dylan.
"Oh joy, Magog," Harper whimpered, reluctantly running to the door.
"You would think that your DNA hadn't been encoded with a back-bone," Tyr said as he ran after the Sabra-Jaguar Alpha.
The corridors teemed with Magog, a seemingly endless stream of snarling, spitting brown fur and razor teeth. And with them came the essence of evil. The Dark One, The Abyss that Rev Bem had confronted on the Magog's Worldship.
On the Medical, a Slayer awakens. All within her being screaming at her to awaken and fight, and gnash, and maim, as the First did, as all who Follow do.
Buffy's eyes pop open. Yes.