A month after her release, Rommie was doing some diagnostics, which were
almost done, when she started to daydream about various things such as her
good times with John, however, she heard a male voice.
"Rommie? Quit daydreaming!"
She came back to reality, and found Dylan there, giving her his annoyed look.
"I was uh almost finished"
"Not good enough. Get your work done." Dylan then left to go to his duties.
The next day, when he arrived on the bridge, Dylan noticed Rommie with an outfit that had a dark purple desighn of Opian originaand was pink. Usually, it would not really bother him to see her wear it, but today it did.
"What's with the outfit? I feel that it is not appropriate" Dylan never did think it was appropriate, but had indulged her, until now.
"But you didn't say anything before…"
"Well, I'm saying it now. Please go change"
And so she did. Rommie was noticing that unimportant little things, which she did were starting to bother Dylan. If it wasn't her outfits , it was something else.
"What was that all about?" Beka asked. She had heard the tail end of the conversation.
"Rommie was wearing something inappropriate"
"But she's worn that outfit before"
"It's still inappropriate"
"I see. You seem to be picking on her a lot lately"
"! As the captain it is my right to decided what is appropriate and not appropriate to wear for duty!" Dylan was starting to get impatient and annoyed.
"Oooh.. kaay" Beka decided to drop the subject, as she knew well that Dylan's beef was not with Rommie's outfit.
A bit later, Rommie had changed and had put on a High Guard uniform to be on the safe side.
"That's better." Dylan commented as she came back.
More of Dylan's complaining over small things could be seen during the next diplomatic function they had. It consisted of governement officials from several planets in a system, who were expressing interest in joining the Commonwealth. Over the course of the evening, Dylan always seemed to have something to complain about to Rommie.
When she was talking to one of the guests, Dylan interrupted them.
"Sorry, but Andromeda has to tend to the other guests".
As they were walking together, Dylan said,
"You shouldn't let a guest monopolize your attention"
"Aye" she replied as he left to socialize with guests, as she was about to do.
Then, Dylan complained that Rommie had arranged for too much food to be brought. Rommie had always done this, as even she could not estimate how much food people would eat, and she figured that the crew would eat the leftovers. To boot, he also told her that her dress was too short.
"Funny" she thought, "I always wear my formal dresses at this length." She knew, however, the true reason of his complaining.
The day after, Dylan was at his quarters doing paperwork, when Rev came in.
"What brings you here, Rev?"
"I wanted to talk to you"
"Oh?"
"We have all noticed how you've been tending be bother by every little thing that Rommie does"
"What makes you say that?" Dylan did not really want to talk about this.
"Well, you complain about things that you didn't complain about before. Something tells me that you haven't quite forgiven her, nor allowed yourself to let go of your anger."
Dylan thought for a minute before he said.
" I've forgiven her."
"have you? It seems that since you don't want to lash at her for what she did, you lash at little things as they bother you now, and they help let out your anger."
" No I don't"
"Are you sure? Well, I have to go back to my prayers. Think about what I said." Rev decided it would be better to have Dylan think about things.
"Will do" Dylan replied as Rev left.
The next week, there was to be a conference on a planet called Kambu. During this conference, the whole crew except for Tyr and Rev attended a celebration. While she was schmoozing at the party, she met a young woman by the name of Jalicia. She was human with ordinary brown eyes and brown hair. She had some interesting stories to tell and Rommie enjoyed them.
"I knew what troubles you, my child" she said, as they went to a private area to converse.
"What?"
"You can't be with the one you love"
"How do you know?"
"I have my ways" she answered mysteriously. Rommie figured that somehow he had some connection to the organization by being an ally or a spy of it., and had made the connection somehow. But how??
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a duty to stay at this party"
"No problem, I understand. Tell me more about yourself"
And so Rommie did, but neglected on purpose to talk about her mission to Yabor.
Late that night, Jalicia, whom Rommie had become friends with, got Rommie to go with her to this place, which turned out to be a magic shop. It had herbs, powders, and other things. Rommie only went because there was something trustworthy about Jalicia and going with her by sneaking out seemed like the right thing to do. Also, it was late, and everyone else was asleep in their hotel rooms.
"A magic shop?" Rommie asked incredulously " There is no such thing as magic, just science you can't understand."
"There are times when one must have faith" she replied as a young man with purple eyes and red hair come up to them and asked if they needed anything.
"So, tell me about the various so-called magic supplies." Rommie was rather curious.
"Well….." and so Jalicia told her about the various things.
Meanwhile, Dylan got a call from Rev.
"Dylan?"
"Yes?" he answered suppressing a groan of tiredness.
"As it turns out Planet Binbian needs our help sooner than they realized. The government was wondering if you could come sooner."
"Will do." Dylan then proceeded to call everyone, all of whom, but Rommie responded.
"Where is she?" Beka asked "We gotta go soon"
"Probably met another guy so she will….."
" Stop with the jokes!" Dylan said " You guys go to the Maru, and I'll try to find her.
An hour laterBeka, and Harper were waiting on the Maru, while, Dylan waiting for Rommie at the Hotel, as well as looking around in the local area. Rommie was still at the magic shop, unbeknownst to them. She had gotten engrossed in some of the erotic stories that she found copies of, as well as learning how, this magic stuff really worked.
"oh no! It's getting late! I'd better get back before they find me."
"Well, I've had a good time" Jalicia said. "Here's my contact information"
"Thanx. Here's mine, but don't give it to anyone"
Just as she was about to reach the hotel, she saw Dylan come her way.
"Where in the hell where you?" he was angry.
"I went with a new friend to see a magic shop"
"Friend?"
"Don't' worry it's a she"
"Why did you spend the night at a magic shop?"
"Out of curiosity."
"We'll talk later; we have to go to that planet to help sooner than planned" Dylan said this as he had his blank face on.
As they came in Harper asked
"So, did you meet a new guy?"
"No. a new friend. She taught me a little about so-called magic. "
Dylan just glared at her. He was not pleased that she was not there when he needed her to be there.
Back at the ship, Dylan had Rommie come into his office.
"Why did you run off?"
"I did not run off! The party was over, and I was free to do as I pleased"
"Why didn't you answer my call on your comm"
"I didn't get your call"
Dylan did not believe this, even though Rommie was telling the truth.
"How could you not get my call, given all your sensors and you built in com?
" I can't explain it, but I didn't get your call" Rommie was getting nervous as she was afraid that Dylan would not believe her.
"Maybe it was magic" he said sarcastically "magic called 'let's turn off my comm.' "
"Dylan, I would never deliberately do that!"
"the same way you would never lie to me?"
Rommie sighed and said nothing, and was starting to get a bit peeved. It was tiring that she still had to prove and reprove herself and that she couldn't do anything without Dylan's being critical.
"Look Dylan, what I am telling you is the truth and if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm tired of being on trial here. What do I have to do to get you to trust me again??"
"A lot" Dylan said simply.
A few days later, a surprise visitor came to the Andromeda.
"Rommie? Quit daydreaming!"
She came back to reality, and found Dylan there, giving her his annoyed look.
"I was uh almost finished"
"Not good enough. Get your work done." Dylan then left to go to his duties.
The next day, when he arrived on the bridge, Dylan noticed Rommie with an outfit that had a dark purple desighn of Opian originaand was pink. Usually, it would not really bother him to see her wear it, but today it did.
"What's with the outfit? I feel that it is not appropriate" Dylan never did think it was appropriate, but had indulged her, until now.
"But you didn't say anything before…"
"Well, I'm saying it now. Please go change"
And so she did. Rommie was noticing that unimportant little things, which she did were starting to bother Dylan. If it wasn't her outfits , it was something else.
"What was that all about?" Beka asked. She had heard the tail end of the conversation.
"Rommie was wearing something inappropriate"
"But she's worn that outfit before"
"It's still inappropriate"
"I see. You seem to be picking on her a lot lately"
"! As the captain it is my right to decided what is appropriate and not appropriate to wear for duty!" Dylan was starting to get impatient and annoyed.
"Oooh.. kaay" Beka decided to drop the subject, as she knew well that Dylan's beef was not with Rommie's outfit.
A bit later, Rommie had changed and had put on a High Guard uniform to be on the safe side.
"That's better." Dylan commented as she came back.
More of Dylan's complaining over small things could be seen during the next diplomatic function they had. It consisted of governement officials from several planets in a system, who were expressing interest in joining the Commonwealth. Over the course of the evening, Dylan always seemed to have something to complain about to Rommie.
When she was talking to one of the guests, Dylan interrupted them.
"Sorry, but Andromeda has to tend to the other guests".
As they were walking together, Dylan said,
"You shouldn't let a guest monopolize your attention"
"Aye" she replied as he left to socialize with guests, as she was about to do.
Then, Dylan complained that Rommie had arranged for too much food to be brought. Rommie had always done this, as even she could not estimate how much food people would eat, and she figured that the crew would eat the leftovers. To boot, he also told her that her dress was too short.
"Funny" she thought, "I always wear my formal dresses at this length." She knew, however, the true reason of his complaining.
The day after, Dylan was at his quarters doing paperwork, when Rev came in.
"What brings you here, Rev?"
"I wanted to talk to you"
"Oh?"
"We have all noticed how you've been tending be bother by every little thing that Rommie does"
"What makes you say that?" Dylan did not really want to talk about this.
"Well, you complain about things that you didn't complain about before. Something tells me that you haven't quite forgiven her, nor allowed yourself to let go of your anger."
Dylan thought for a minute before he said.
" I've forgiven her."
"have you? It seems that since you don't want to lash at her for what she did, you lash at little things as they bother you now, and they help let out your anger."
" No I don't"
"Are you sure? Well, I have to go back to my prayers. Think about what I said." Rev decided it would be better to have Dylan think about things.
"Will do" Dylan replied as Rev left.
The next week, there was to be a conference on a planet called Kambu. During this conference, the whole crew except for Tyr and Rev attended a celebration. While she was schmoozing at the party, she met a young woman by the name of Jalicia. She was human with ordinary brown eyes and brown hair. She had some interesting stories to tell and Rommie enjoyed them.
"I knew what troubles you, my child" she said, as they went to a private area to converse.
"What?"
"You can't be with the one you love"
"How do you know?"
"I have my ways" she answered mysteriously. Rommie figured that somehow he had some connection to the organization by being an ally or a spy of it., and had made the connection somehow. But how??
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a duty to stay at this party"
"No problem, I understand. Tell me more about yourself"
And so Rommie did, but neglected on purpose to talk about her mission to Yabor.
Late that night, Jalicia, whom Rommie had become friends with, got Rommie to go with her to this place, which turned out to be a magic shop. It had herbs, powders, and other things. Rommie only went because there was something trustworthy about Jalicia and going with her by sneaking out seemed like the right thing to do. Also, it was late, and everyone else was asleep in their hotel rooms.
"A magic shop?" Rommie asked incredulously " There is no such thing as magic, just science you can't understand."
"There are times when one must have faith" she replied as a young man with purple eyes and red hair come up to them and asked if they needed anything.
"So, tell me about the various so-called magic supplies." Rommie was rather curious.
"Well….." and so Jalicia told her about the various things.
Meanwhile, Dylan got a call from Rev.
"Dylan?"
"Yes?" he answered suppressing a groan of tiredness.
"As it turns out Planet Binbian needs our help sooner than they realized. The government was wondering if you could come sooner."
"Will do." Dylan then proceeded to call everyone, all of whom, but Rommie responded.
"Where is she?" Beka asked "We gotta go soon"
"Probably met another guy so she will….."
" Stop with the jokes!" Dylan said " You guys go to the Maru, and I'll try to find her.
An hour laterBeka, and Harper were waiting on the Maru, while, Dylan waiting for Rommie at the Hotel, as well as looking around in the local area. Rommie was still at the magic shop, unbeknownst to them. She had gotten engrossed in some of the erotic stories that she found copies of, as well as learning how, this magic stuff really worked.
"oh no! It's getting late! I'd better get back before they find me."
"Well, I've had a good time" Jalicia said. "Here's my contact information"
"Thanx. Here's mine, but don't give it to anyone"
Just as she was about to reach the hotel, she saw Dylan come her way.
"Where in the hell where you?" he was angry.
"I went with a new friend to see a magic shop"
"Friend?"
"Don't' worry it's a she"
"Why did you spend the night at a magic shop?"
"Out of curiosity."
"We'll talk later; we have to go to that planet to help sooner than planned" Dylan said this as he had his blank face on.
As they came in Harper asked
"So, did you meet a new guy?"
"No. a new friend. She taught me a little about so-called magic. "
Dylan just glared at her. He was not pleased that she was not there when he needed her to be there.
Back at the ship, Dylan had Rommie come into his office.
"Why did you run off?"
"I did not run off! The party was over, and I was free to do as I pleased"
"Why didn't you answer my call on your comm"
"I didn't get your call"
Dylan did not believe this, even though Rommie was telling the truth.
"How could you not get my call, given all your sensors and you built in com?
" I can't explain it, but I didn't get your call" Rommie was getting nervous as she was afraid that Dylan would not believe her.
"Maybe it was magic" he said sarcastically "magic called 'let's turn off my comm.' "
"Dylan, I would never deliberately do that!"
"the same way you would never lie to me?"
Rommie sighed and said nothing, and was starting to get a bit peeved. It was tiring that she still had to prove and reprove herself and that she couldn't do anything without Dylan's being critical.
"Look Dylan, what I am telling you is the truth and if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm tired of being on trial here. What do I have to do to get you to trust me again??"
"A lot" Dylan said simply.
A few days later, a surprise visitor came to the Andromeda.