Part 25
Beka wished that the screaming would stop. She wasn't sure who was screaming or why they were screaming but she wanted it to end. It was several seconds before she realized the sounds were coming from her own mouth.
Tourk stood close to the rail looking over into the mist. He could no longer see Hunt. The mist however was clearly visible. It boiled angrily and seemed to glow more brilliantly than Tourk had ever witnessed.
'Feed well my lady and soon I will control you completely. Then there shall be no one powerful enough to stand in my way.' Tourk thought with an evil grin.
With one final glance into the mist, Tourk drew back from the railing and raised his hands in triumph.
The crowds around the pit began to scream in victory. They began clapping and singing. Many of them began dancing. They all chanted Tourk's name. He remained standing in the center of the bridge with his arms raised high, the blue sash around his chest blowing gently in the breeze.
One lone figure was not celebrating. For her there was nothing to celebrate. Beka fell to the ground in a heap. She had stopped screaming. She stared blankly at the place where Tourk had managed to toss Dylan over the side of the bridge only moments before.
'This isn't happening.' She thought. 'He can't be dead. There was so much he was destined to do. There were so many things I wanted to tell him.'
Suddenly someone in the crowd screamed. One of the women pointed toward the bridge where Tourk still stood with his arms upraised. All of the celebrating stopped as the Palorians turned to look in the direction the woman was indicating. It took Tourk a moment to realize that they were not looking at him but instead at something directly behind him. Turning slowly Tourk was shocked to see Dylan Hunt, Captain of the Starship Andromeda Ascendant, clambering over the railing of the bridge.
"But how? No, its not, you couldn't possibly, I don't understand." Tourk sputtered, unable to express himself at seeing the man he thought he had just tossed to his death standing before him once more.
"You know Tourk," Dylan said casually with a satisfied grin on his face, "you really should tell your workers not to leave ropes hanging from the support beams. Makes for a really messy, unfinished look to an otherwise superb building job."
Beka had not noticed the cessation of the celebrating around her. She had completely ignored everything and everyone for the last few minutes, lost as she was in her grief.
However at the sound of Dylan's voice, she raised her head. Looking in the direction of the bridge, she did not at first believe what she saw.
'He is alive! I didn't lose him!' she thought nearly overcome with emotion at seeing him again.
Rising quickly she raced toward the bridge. She managed to get almost to the edge before a guard overcame his own shock and grabbed her, stopping her from reaching Dylan. She fought the guard feverishly trying to make him let her go. Dylan quickly stepped forward, intent on going to help her but Tourk stopped him.
"Hold Captain Hunt. We are not yet finished. I will not be denied my victory."
Looking once more at Beka who had stopped struggling with the guard, Dylan gave her a small smile, which she returned. Turning, he again faced Tourk.
"Then by all means, let's finish this Tourk." He said determinedly.
Beka wished that the screaming would stop. She wasn't sure who was screaming or why they were screaming but she wanted it to end. It was several seconds before she realized the sounds were coming from her own mouth.
Tourk stood close to the rail looking over into the mist. He could no longer see Hunt. The mist however was clearly visible. It boiled angrily and seemed to glow more brilliantly than Tourk had ever witnessed.
'Feed well my lady and soon I will control you completely. Then there shall be no one powerful enough to stand in my way.' Tourk thought with an evil grin.
With one final glance into the mist, Tourk drew back from the railing and raised his hands in triumph.
The crowds around the pit began to scream in victory. They began clapping and singing. Many of them began dancing. They all chanted Tourk's name. He remained standing in the center of the bridge with his arms raised high, the blue sash around his chest blowing gently in the breeze.
One lone figure was not celebrating. For her there was nothing to celebrate. Beka fell to the ground in a heap. She had stopped screaming. She stared blankly at the place where Tourk had managed to toss Dylan over the side of the bridge only moments before.
'This isn't happening.' She thought. 'He can't be dead. There was so much he was destined to do. There were so many things I wanted to tell him.'
Suddenly someone in the crowd screamed. One of the women pointed toward the bridge where Tourk still stood with his arms upraised. All of the celebrating stopped as the Palorians turned to look in the direction the woman was indicating. It took Tourk a moment to realize that they were not looking at him but instead at something directly behind him. Turning slowly Tourk was shocked to see Dylan Hunt, Captain of the Starship Andromeda Ascendant, clambering over the railing of the bridge.
"But how? No, its not, you couldn't possibly, I don't understand." Tourk sputtered, unable to express himself at seeing the man he thought he had just tossed to his death standing before him once more.
"You know Tourk," Dylan said casually with a satisfied grin on his face, "you really should tell your workers not to leave ropes hanging from the support beams. Makes for a really messy, unfinished look to an otherwise superb building job."
Beka had not noticed the cessation of the celebrating around her. She had completely ignored everything and everyone for the last few minutes, lost as she was in her grief.
However at the sound of Dylan's voice, she raised her head. Looking in the direction of the bridge, she did not at first believe what she saw.
'He is alive! I didn't lose him!' she thought nearly overcome with emotion at seeing him again.
Rising quickly she raced toward the bridge. She managed to get almost to the edge before a guard overcame his own shock and grabbed her, stopping her from reaching Dylan. She fought the guard feverishly trying to make him let her go. Dylan quickly stepped forward, intent on going to help her but Tourk stopped him.
"Hold Captain Hunt. We are not yet finished. I will not be denied my victory."
Looking once more at Beka who had stopped struggling with the guard, Dylan gave her a small smile, which she returned. Turning, he again faced Tourk.
"Then by all means, let's finish this Tourk." He said determinedly.