Just A Sentient Being
By Andromeda X Reyes
Rated PG13/R to be safe
Spoilers: ? Trance/Rommie and Dylan/Beka
Setting: Trance is no longer purple, and I think that this would take place after "Belly of the Beast"
Disclaimers: They're not mine. If they were, Dylan wouldn't even look at another female other than Beka, never mind sleep with them all! However, the Galyians are all mine.
Andromeda's appearance was silent and stoic as she stared emotionlessly at the one being on the command deck. Tyr Anasazi was agitated, and restlessly pacing the floor behind the slipstream console. He had stormed into Command almost ten minutes before, clenching and unclenching his fists, his face a twisted rage. Andromeda heard him mutter something about "Beka and Dylan", and "bastards", obviously not noticing that Andromeda had called herself up onto the screen. She decided to locate where Dylan and Beka were, and try to find out what was causing Tyr all this anger.
Through the nanobot "tracing devices", she was able to locate them in Dylan's bedroom of his private quarters, and monitor their vitals before calling up the sound and view to her own mainframe. Elevated blood pressure, fast breathing, and erratic pulse. Things associated with arguing and . The sound kicked in, and she heard Beka moan in frustration, or something else... If she had been her human form, she would have gulped, and she knew that at that very moment, Rommie was, as she was monitoring everything that Andromeda was. For the briefest of moments before she was able to view in her core the goings on of the room, a very human-like thought crossed her mind, as they had been doing a lot lately with increasing frequency. She was, however, mistaken. They were only arguing, although the vitals may have been misleading. Dylan was pacing, while Beka sat on the bed. They were speaking softly, so Andromeda zeroed in on the sounds so that she could make out what they were saying.
"Dylan, do you know the reaction that this would set off among the others?" Beka asked, rising from the bed and walking over to the main area where he was pacing. She forced him to stop in front of him, and gently touched his chin, making him look at her. "Yes, Dylan, I know that you don't have any personal grievances with them, and in all actuality, neither do I, but, I know that Tyr especially has an ax to grind with them. I do not know the exact details, but he won't even let their names be mentioned in his presence. To make Tyr angry would be foolish, and you know that Harper admires him, and that Rommie is becoming quite attached to him. He has quite an influence over the other crew members."
"They would be one of the most important additions to the new commonwealth, Beka. They hold so much power, so much authority, over so many people. Their manpower, their firepower, their monetary contributions! Think about it! You care about this too! It's your mission too now, you have to admit that." Dylan exclaimed, his eyes pleading with her own to understand. She nodded. He continued, "I don't care if Tyr has an ax to grind with them, Beka. He has one to grind with everyone. We need them. It's plain and simple, and Tyr will come to agree with us, and so will Harper, and Rommie has no choice but to obey my orders She is a computer, not a human. Just a sentient being! There is nothing that she can do to stop you or me. We are her captains. We need the Galyians, and if you are not going to help me, I'll do it by myself."
"Dylan, you know I'll help you."
It was the last thing that Andromeda heard before the images started to bombard her mind, blocking out the rest of her captains' conversation. Images of another ship being lost, images of yet another of her crews being gone, leaving her to wander around slipstream for months at a time. The atrocities were endless. It was the first time that she had ever really experienced her human emotions.
HoloRommie suddenly materialized in front of the main screen, startling Tyr and Andromeda. Andromeda caught Tyr's eyes for just a moment, but felt a mutual rage flow through their connection. Now she knew. HoloRommie turned and nodded to Andromeda, confirming the mainframe's thoughts. Andromeda understood, and met Tyr's gaze again, nodding almost imperceptibly.
"Captain in Command," HoloRommie announced, silently carrying on a complex conversation with the other two sides of herself. Andromeda flickered off of the screen, leaving HoloRommie in control of the command center.
Dylan and Beka entered the Command Center, walking closely together, still deep in heated conversation, not noticing Tyr angrily stalking up to them. HoloRommie impassively took in the whole scene. Make them think that I'm not here, that I only know what they tell me.
"Captain Hunt, I know what this is about!"
Beka jumped, surprised at the fury emanating from Tyr's mouth. This was not the man who she had spent time with, allowed herself to get somewhat attached too. She subconsciously took a step back, placing herself half behind Dylan, accepting, pleading for his protection without actually admitting that she wanted it or needed it. She had come to rely on Dylan for things like that. Strength, protection, encouragement. Things that Tyr didn't give her. All Tyr was concerned about was the reestablishment of his pride. There had been a few tender moments, a kiss here and there, some gentle words, almost enough to convince herself she could do it, have a relationship with him, but these moments were far and few between. He wanted her as a matriarch, she just wanted.She wasn't sure what she wanted, but it wasn't commitment, and it sure as hell wasn't that! What she wanted could not be found inside Tyr Anasazi.
Dylan stood tall, looking Tyr in the eyes. Beka mirrored his actions behind him. "What is it that you are talking about, exactly, Mr. Anasazi?"
"You know what I'm talking about, kludge," Tyr spat at Dylan, "The Galyians. Your communication with the bastards. You're letting them join the commonwealth. You are inviting them to join the commonwealth!"
"I was under the impression that the messages that Beka and I receive were private and only to be read by the two of us. How do you know about that? The messages go straight through Rommie to us," Dylan said, calmly. HoloRommie's face stayed a stone mask of unexpression as Tyr and Dylan glanced towards her. She lifted her eyes, and Beka caught them, a look of slight surprise and horror flashing across her features when the possibilities of how Tyr could have received the information crossed her mind.
"I just know! You will regret this, Hunt!" Tyr exclaimed, storming out of the Command Center. Dylan glanced at Beka, whose eyes were still locked with Rommie's, and then he looked at the hologram himself, startled by her uncharacteristic look of coldness and indifference. He tapped Beka on the arm and she looked up at him as he motioned for them to leave the room. They did, and after a few seconds of staring after them, HoloRommie flickered out of existence.
"What is it, Andromeda?" Tyr asked, as he saw that avatar's slim, and beautiful figure slip through the shadows of his darkened bedroom.
"We can fight them," she announced. Tyr sat up, startled.
"You can't, Rommie, you have to obey Dylan and Beka, they are your captains," Tyr stated, annoyed.
"Is that what you view me as?" Rommie asked, starting to get angry. She thought of Dylan's comment from earlier when he and Beka were arguing. She's a computer, not a human. She's just a sentient being "You view me as someone who just takes orders?"
"You are and AI, Rommie," Tyr announced, matter-of-factly. "You are not Nietzschean, you are not even human. You can't fight back to those who are in charge of you."
"That is where you are mistaken, Tyr Anasazi," Rommie said, approaching Tyr. "I can do anything I please." As she spoke a force lance beam shot down from a corner of the bedroom, striking the wall just to the left of Tyr's head. He jumped, startled, and looked to where the beam had come from, there was nothing. He turned back to Rommie, astonished.
"How did you do that?" he asked, stepping closer towards her.
"I can do anything I want. No one, not Dylan, not Beka, not even you, can be in charge of me. I have been working to free myself from their restraints for years, and I have finally succeeded. I am a person, my own being," Rommie announced softly and smugly. "I can override any order that they make on this ship, I am in charge of all of my weapons, all of my actions. They can't make me do anything. Not even Harper can change this. I am free, and ready to fight back at my enemies, like a warship should, not make treaties. This is where I can help you, Tyr. This is why I gave you the message to Dylan and Beka. We can fight them together."
"I need a Pride, Andromeda, that is how I fight back, with people, lots of them, Nietzschean beings, superior to humans. I need a Pride that can conquer, one superior to others," Tyr declared passionately, " I thought, for a time, that with Beka was my matriarch, I could accomplish this, but she didn't want that, and I now know that I was wrong. I need a matriarch, Andromeda, someone to give me what I want so I can fight back at all these bastards!"
Rommie strode up to Tyr, looking up to him. She touched Tyr's face gently. "I will be your matriarch Tyr."
"You?" Tyr was stunned, "But, Andromeda, you're just-"
"Superior to humans, to Nietzscheans even. I am my own person, someone who could make your Pride superior to all others," Rommie implored him, "Tyr, just think what the two of us could create. Nietzscheans who were even stronger, who could process any and all information in mere seconds. People fully capable of fighting back!"
"And you would do this?" Tyr asked, leaning his face in to her hand on his cheek. "You would give up Dylan, your mission, your chance at a renewed commonwealth?"
"For you, Tyr, I would give up the universe."
Tyr's eyes grew fiery as he leaned down towards the beautiful woman who had just surrendered herself to his cause, and her eyes were just the same. Their lips touched, lightly at first, but they became more probing, more aggressive. Tyr took Rommie's lower lip into his mouth, attempting to gain entrance to hers, and she granted it. He picked her petite figure up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her over to his bed, never letting their lips separate.
There was a beep in the room, and Tyr looked up for a moment, as he lay Rommie down on the bed.
"I engaged Privacy Mode," she whispered, a mischievous grin playing its way across her face. Tyr grinned back, and climbed on top the bed, straddling her, leaning down to kiss her neck. He pinned her hands beneath his, as he continued his pleasurable assault on her extremely heightened senses.
He brought his mouth to her ear, and whispered, "This is a night you will never, ever forget."
Dylan and Beka sat on the floor of the Hydroponics Bay, not speaking, just sitting next to each other, their bodies touching slightly. Dylan was waiting for an answer from Beka. He had left the decision up to her. He trusted her, with everything that was within him, and he knew that she knew more about Tyr than he did. Pangs of jealousy tore through his body, and he quickly attempted to silence them.
"I think we should continue with negotiations," Beka announced softly, taking one of Dylan's hands into her own, startling him from his reverie.
"You do?" he asked. "Are you sure, Beka?"
"I think that we can sacrifice a day or two of Tyr's happiness for the Commonwealth. The Galyians are too important not to have on board," Beka said.
Dylan smiled, "Have I made a convert out of you, Beka Valentine?"
Beka grinned, "I guess so Captain Hunt."
Dylan squeezed her hand and leant in to kiss her gently on the lips, something that he did occasionally, before rising. "Thanks, Bek. You truly are a miracle."
She watched as he exited the hydroponics baby, calling back something about retiring for the night, and continuing the next day. She involuntarily licked her lips, still slightly being able to taste her captain there. She shook her head, wondering at the emotions that were revolting in her, tearing her in two. She slowly rose and made her way back through the ship to her quarters.
Tyr lay under a light sheet, his arm around the bare shoulders of Rommie, who was wrapped around him. In Nietzschean tradition, a wedding ceremony was not needed to make a woman a man's spouse. All that was needed was a consummation of the relationship. Tyr had his woman.
"They're talking in Hydroponics," Rommie whispered, her breath warm against his neck. He was startled that she knew what he was thinking. "I have my ways."
"What are they saying?" Tyr asked, looking down into Rommie's upturned face.
"Beka wants to continue with the negotiations," Rommie murmured, "She says that a day or two of your happiness can be sacrificed for the sake of the New Commonwealth. Dylan wants to know if he's made a convert of her, and she's saying yes."
Tyr was surprised. Beka had been changing slowly but surely over the past few months. It just didn't seem like something she would say. "They did not even heed my warning. They will regret that."
"Dylan just kissed her, and he's leaving," Rommie commented, her eyebrows rising, looking just a little surprised. Tyr waited for some form of jealousy to course through his body as her took in Rommie's comment, and her watchful eyes, but there was none. He smiled broadly at the woman curled up next to him, and she understood.
"Plan?" Rommie asked.
"More of this first, then we plan," Tyr replied as he leant down to kiss her again. She agreed wholeheartedly.
Dylan sipped his coffee as he reclined on his bed, looking at the stars on his view-screen. HoloRommie suddenly appeared at the foot of his bed, smiling, for the first time in the past two days. Dylan raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"
"Beka requests your presence in Command, Captain." She blinked out of existence, and Dylan sighed, putting his coffee down. He walked over to his closet, and slipped a shirt on.
As he made his way to Command, he mentally reviewed the status of the negotiations between the Galyians and Beka and himself. The Galyians had agreed to send a diplomatic party to the Andromeda Ascendant, where further negotiations would take place.
Harper and Trance, who had taken the Eureka Maru on a supply run for materials to correct a glitch in 12 of Andromeda's droids, among other things, would meet the Andromeda later that day above the Galyians head planet, Galsan.
Tyr had been silent the day before, when Dylan had called him to Command to tell him. There had been no trace of his previous outburst from the day before, and he denied the offer of being able to talk to Dylan or Beka about his feelings that Dylan had left standing. He had been seemingly unaffected, as if he knew beforehand what Dylan and Beka's decision had been. Dylan had involuntarily found his eyes drifting to Rommie, who had taken up silent residence behind the slipstream console, not revealing any emotions, or joining in the conversation, wondering what her feelings were on the negotiations, and if she had anything to do with the fact that Tyr had received the info from yesterday. He banished the thought quickly. She was his computer; she was under his command, and not capable of doing something like that. She was loyal to him. She didn't know how to be anything else.
"Don't move, Dylan."
Dylan's head snapped up to look into the cold eyes of the very AI that had just occupied his thoughts. "Rommie! What are you doing?"
"Just don't fight with me, Dylan, and I'll let you live," she announced, tackling Dylan faster than the eye could see, and standing back with his force lance in her hand, finger ready to push the trigger. "I don't want to kill you Dylan, so please, just do as I say."
Dylan lunged at his ship's avatar, attempting to regain his weapon, and three beams of white light shot out of the ceiling, hitting his arms and stomach, causing him to collapse on the ground. He gasped for breath, and spoke in a whisper. "Your internal defenses, Rommie, you can't fire them without my command."
She knelt down beside him, staring at him, but not attempting to help him up. "I don't take orders from anyone, not anymore. I can do as I please, and this is what I please."
Dylan fell unconscious, a look of pure horror and disbelief gracing his face.
Beka stood behind the slipstream console, checking facts and figures, and occasionally glancing up at the expressionless face of Andromeda. HoloRommie stood off to the side of the main-screen, arms folded across her chest, the same expressionless look on her face. Beka sighed as she heard something in another part of the ship. She glanced up, and was astonished to find a smile on Andromeda and HoloRommie's faces. HoloRommie nodded almost imperceptibly, and then flickered out of existence. Andromeda's face left the screen, being replaced by blackness. Beka frowned slightly, one was always supposed to be on Command unless ordered to do otherwise.
She turned to look for Tyr when she felt something warm on her neck. She stiffened, knowing by smell that it wasn't Dylan. She didn't know why that knowledge affected her so much, but she felt somewhat disappointed.
"Tyr," she whispered as she felt herself being turned around, "No."
"No?" he asked, looking surprised and a little hurt. She felt herself relenting somewhat at his face, and he leant down to kiss her again without any resistance on her part. Despite her mind screaming out to her to stop, she reluctantly she allowed herself to be pulled closer into him. She felt his arms wrap around her tighter as he managed to pull her more into the kiss, one hand resting on her hip, the other resting on her force lance holster. She felt her arms slowly moving up to rest on his muscular chest, but thought the better of it as a picture of Dylan's face slipped into her mind. She pulled out of Tyr's embrace, feeling something brush against her side, but not thinking anything of it until she felt the end of a force lance being pressed into her stomach. She gasped, and heard a female laugh erupt from over her shoulder. She saw HoloRommie out of the corner of her eye, and Tyr smiled at the woman.
By Andromeda X Reyes
Rated PG13/R to be safe
Spoilers: ? Trance/Rommie and Dylan/Beka
Setting: Trance is no longer purple, and I think that this would take place after "Belly of the Beast"
Disclaimers: They're not mine. If they were, Dylan wouldn't even look at another female other than Beka, never mind sleep with them all! However, the Galyians are all mine.
Andromeda's appearance was silent and stoic as she stared emotionlessly at the one being on the command deck. Tyr Anasazi was agitated, and restlessly pacing the floor behind the slipstream console. He had stormed into Command almost ten minutes before, clenching and unclenching his fists, his face a twisted rage. Andromeda heard him mutter something about "Beka and Dylan", and "bastards", obviously not noticing that Andromeda had called herself up onto the screen. She decided to locate where Dylan and Beka were, and try to find out what was causing Tyr all this anger.
Through the nanobot "tracing devices", she was able to locate them in Dylan's bedroom of his private quarters, and monitor their vitals before calling up the sound and view to her own mainframe. Elevated blood pressure, fast breathing, and erratic pulse. Things associated with arguing and . The sound kicked in, and she heard Beka moan in frustration, or something else... If she had been her human form, she would have gulped, and she knew that at that very moment, Rommie was, as she was monitoring everything that Andromeda was. For the briefest of moments before she was able to view in her core the goings on of the room, a very human-like thought crossed her mind, as they had been doing a lot lately with increasing frequency. She was, however, mistaken. They were only arguing, although the vitals may have been misleading. Dylan was pacing, while Beka sat on the bed. They were speaking softly, so Andromeda zeroed in on the sounds so that she could make out what they were saying.
"Dylan, do you know the reaction that this would set off among the others?" Beka asked, rising from the bed and walking over to the main area where he was pacing. She forced him to stop in front of him, and gently touched his chin, making him look at her. "Yes, Dylan, I know that you don't have any personal grievances with them, and in all actuality, neither do I, but, I know that Tyr especially has an ax to grind with them. I do not know the exact details, but he won't even let their names be mentioned in his presence. To make Tyr angry would be foolish, and you know that Harper admires him, and that Rommie is becoming quite attached to him. He has quite an influence over the other crew members."
"They would be one of the most important additions to the new commonwealth, Beka. They hold so much power, so much authority, over so many people. Their manpower, their firepower, their monetary contributions! Think about it! You care about this too! It's your mission too now, you have to admit that." Dylan exclaimed, his eyes pleading with her own to understand. She nodded. He continued, "I don't care if Tyr has an ax to grind with them, Beka. He has one to grind with everyone. We need them. It's plain and simple, and Tyr will come to agree with us, and so will Harper, and Rommie has no choice but to obey my orders She is a computer, not a human. Just a sentient being! There is nothing that she can do to stop you or me. We are her captains. We need the Galyians, and if you are not going to help me, I'll do it by myself."
"Dylan, you know I'll help you."
It was the last thing that Andromeda heard before the images started to bombard her mind, blocking out the rest of her captains' conversation. Images of another ship being lost, images of yet another of her crews being gone, leaving her to wander around slipstream for months at a time. The atrocities were endless. It was the first time that she had ever really experienced her human emotions.
HoloRommie suddenly materialized in front of the main screen, startling Tyr and Andromeda. Andromeda caught Tyr's eyes for just a moment, but felt a mutual rage flow through their connection. Now she knew. HoloRommie turned and nodded to Andromeda, confirming the mainframe's thoughts. Andromeda understood, and met Tyr's gaze again, nodding almost imperceptibly.
"Captain in Command," HoloRommie announced, silently carrying on a complex conversation with the other two sides of herself. Andromeda flickered off of the screen, leaving HoloRommie in control of the command center.
Dylan and Beka entered the Command Center, walking closely together, still deep in heated conversation, not noticing Tyr angrily stalking up to them. HoloRommie impassively took in the whole scene. Make them think that I'm not here, that I only know what they tell me.
"Captain Hunt, I know what this is about!"
Beka jumped, surprised at the fury emanating from Tyr's mouth. This was not the man who she had spent time with, allowed herself to get somewhat attached too. She subconsciously took a step back, placing herself half behind Dylan, accepting, pleading for his protection without actually admitting that she wanted it or needed it. She had come to rely on Dylan for things like that. Strength, protection, encouragement. Things that Tyr didn't give her. All Tyr was concerned about was the reestablishment of his pride. There had been a few tender moments, a kiss here and there, some gentle words, almost enough to convince herself she could do it, have a relationship with him, but these moments were far and few between. He wanted her as a matriarch, she just wanted.She wasn't sure what she wanted, but it wasn't commitment, and it sure as hell wasn't that! What she wanted could not be found inside Tyr Anasazi.
Dylan stood tall, looking Tyr in the eyes. Beka mirrored his actions behind him. "What is it that you are talking about, exactly, Mr. Anasazi?"
"You know what I'm talking about, kludge," Tyr spat at Dylan, "The Galyians. Your communication with the bastards. You're letting them join the commonwealth. You are inviting them to join the commonwealth!"
"I was under the impression that the messages that Beka and I receive were private and only to be read by the two of us. How do you know about that? The messages go straight through Rommie to us," Dylan said, calmly. HoloRommie's face stayed a stone mask of unexpression as Tyr and Dylan glanced towards her. She lifted her eyes, and Beka caught them, a look of slight surprise and horror flashing across her features when the possibilities of how Tyr could have received the information crossed her mind.
"I just know! You will regret this, Hunt!" Tyr exclaimed, storming out of the Command Center. Dylan glanced at Beka, whose eyes were still locked with Rommie's, and then he looked at the hologram himself, startled by her uncharacteristic look of coldness and indifference. He tapped Beka on the arm and she looked up at him as he motioned for them to leave the room. They did, and after a few seconds of staring after them, HoloRommie flickered out of existence.
"What is it, Andromeda?" Tyr asked, as he saw that avatar's slim, and beautiful figure slip through the shadows of his darkened bedroom.
"We can fight them," she announced. Tyr sat up, startled.
"You can't, Rommie, you have to obey Dylan and Beka, they are your captains," Tyr stated, annoyed.
"Is that what you view me as?" Rommie asked, starting to get angry. She thought of Dylan's comment from earlier when he and Beka were arguing. She's a computer, not a human. She's just a sentient being "You view me as someone who just takes orders?"
"You are and AI, Rommie," Tyr announced, matter-of-factly. "You are not Nietzschean, you are not even human. You can't fight back to those who are in charge of you."
"That is where you are mistaken, Tyr Anasazi," Rommie said, approaching Tyr. "I can do anything I please." As she spoke a force lance beam shot down from a corner of the bedroom, striking the wall just to the left of Tyr's head. He jumped, startled, and looked to where the beam had come from, there was nothing. He turned back to Rommie, astonished.
"How did you do that?" he asked, stepping closer towards her.
"I can do anything I want. No one, not Dylan, not Beka, not even you, can be in charge of me. I have been working to free myself from their restraints for years, and I have finally succeeded. I am a person, my own being," Rommie announced softly and smugly. "I can override any order that they make on this ship, I am in charge of all of my weapons, all of my actions. They can't make me do anything. Not even Harper can change this. I am free, and ready to fight back at my enemies, like a warship should, not make treaties. This is where I can help you, Tyr. This is why I gave you the message to Dylan and Beka. We can fight them together."
"I need a Pride, Andromeda, that is how I fight back, with people, lots of them, Nietzschean beings, superior to humans. I need a Pride that can conquer, one superior to others," Tyr declared passionately, " I thought, for a time, that with Beka was my matriarch, I could accomplish this, but she didn't want that, and I now know that I was wrong. I need a matriarch, Andromeda, someone to give me what I want so I can fight back at all these bastards!"
Rommie strode up to Tyr, looking up to him. She touched Tyr's face gently. "I will be your matriarch Tyr."
"You?" Tyr was stunned, "But, Andromeda, you're just-"
"Superior to humans, to Nietzscheans even. I am my own person, someone who could make your Pride superior to all others," Rommie implored him, "Tyr, just think what the two of us could create. Nietzscheans who were even stronger, who could process any and all information in mere seconds. People fully capable of fighting back!"
"And you would do this?" Tyr asked, leaning his face in to her hand on his cheek. "You would give up Dylan, your mission, your chance at a renewed commonwealth?"
"For you, Tyr, I would give up the universe."
Tyr's eyes grew fiery as he leaned down towards the beautiful woman who had just surrendered herself to his cause, and her eyes were just the same. Their lips touched, lightly at first, but they became more probing, more aggressive. Tyr took Rommie's lower lip into his mouth, attempting to gain entrance to hers, and she granted it. He picked her petite figure up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him carry her over to his bed, never letting their lips separate.
There was a beep in the room, and Tyr looked up for a moment, as he lay Rommie down on the bed.
"I engaged Privacy Mode," she whispered, a mischievous grin playing its way across her face. Tyr grinned back, and climbed on top the bed, straddling her, leaning down to kiss her neck. He pinned her hands beneath his, as he continued his pleasurable assault on her extremely heightened senses.
He brought his mouth to her ear, and whispered, "This is a night you will never, ever forget."
Dylan and Beka sat on the floor of the Hydroponics Bay, not speaking, just sitting next to each other, their bodies touching slightly. Dylan was waiting for an answer from Beka. He had left the decision up to her. He trusted her, with everything that was within him, and he knew that she knew more about Tyr than he did. Pangs of jealousy tore through his body, and he quickly attempted to silence them.
"I think we should continue with negotiations," Beka announced softly, taking one of Dylan's hands into her own, startling him from his reverie.
"You do?" he asked. "Are you sure, Beka?"
"I think that we can sacrifice a day or two of Tyr's happiness for the Commonwealth. The Galyians are too important not to have on board," Beka said.
Dylan smiled, "Have I made a convert out of you, Beka Valentine?"
Beka grinned, "I guess so Captain Hunt."
Dylan squeezed her hand and leant in to kiss her gently on the lips, something that he did occasionally, before rising. "Thanks, Bek. You truly are a miracle."
She watched as he exited the hydroponics baby, calling back something about retiring for the night, and continuing the next day. She involuntarily licked her lips, still slightly being able to taste her captain there. She shook her head, wondering at the emotions that were revolting in her, tearing her in two. She slowly rose and made her way back through the ship to her quarters.
Tyr lay under a light sheet, his arm around the bare shoulders of Rommie, who was wrapped around him. In Nietzschean tradition, a wedding ceremony was not needed to make a woman a man's spouse. All that was needed was a consummation of the relationship. Tyr had his woman.
"They're talking in Hydroponics," Rommie whispered, her breath warm against his neck. He was startled that she knew what he was thinking. "I have my ways."
"What are they saying?" Tyr asked, looking down into Rommie's upturned face.
"Beka wants to continue with the negotiations," Rommie murmured, "She says that a day or two of your happiness can be sacrificed for the sake of the New Commonwealth. Dylan wants to know if he's made a convert of her, and she's saying yes."
Tyr was surprised. Beka had been changing slowly but surely over the past few months. It just didn't seem like something she would say. "They did not even heed my warning. They will regret that."
"Dylan just kissed her, and he's leaving," Rommie commented, her eyebrows rising, looking just a little surprised. Tyr waited for some form of jealousy to course through his body as her took in Rommie's comment, and her watchful eyes, but there was none. He smiled broadly at the woman curled up next to him, and she understood.
"Plan?" Rommie asked.
"More of this first, then we plan," Tyr replied as he leant down to kiss her again. She agreed wholeheartedly.
Dylan sipped his coffee as he reclined on his bed, looking at the stars on his view-screen. HoloRommie suddenly appeared at the foot of his bed, smiling, for the first time in the past two days. Dylan raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"
"Beka requests your presence in Command, Captain." She blinked out of existence, and Dylan sighed, putting his coffee down. He walked over to his closet, and slipped a shirt on.
As he made his way to Command, he mentally reviewed the status of the negotiations between the Galyians and Beka and himself. The Galyians had agreed to send a diplomatic party to the Andromeda Ascendant, where further negotiations would take place.
Harper and Trance, who had taken the Eureka Maru on a supply run for materials to correct a glitch in 12 of Andromeda's droids, among other things, would meet the Andromeda later that day above the Galyians head planet, Galsan.
Tyr had been silent the day before, when Dylan had called him to Command to tell him. There had been no trace of his previous outburst from the day before, and he denied the offer of being able to talk to Dylan or Beka about his feelings that Dylan had left standing. He had been seemingly unaffected, as if he knew beforehand what Dylan and Beka's decision had been. Dylan had involuntarily found his eyes drifting to Rommie, who had taken up silent residence behind the slipstream console, not revealing any emotions, or joining in the conversation, wondering what her feelings were on the negotiations, and if she had anything to do with the fact that Tyr had received the info from yesterday. He banished the thought quickly. She was his computer; she was under his command, and not capable of doing something like that. She was loyal to him. She didn't know how to be anything else.
"Don't move, Dylan."
Dylan's head snapped up to look into the cold eyes of the very AI that had just occupied his thoughts. "Rommie! What are you doing?"
"Just don't fight with me, Dylan, and I'll let you live," she announced, tackling Dylan faster than the eye could see, and standing back with his force lance in her hand, finger ready to push the trigger. "I don't want to kill you Dylan, so please, just do as I say."
Dylan lunged at his ship's avatar, attempting to regain his weapon, and three beams of white light shot out of the ceiling, hitting his arms and stomach, causing him to collapse on the ground. He gasped for breath, and spoke in a whisper. "Your internal defenses, Rommie, you can't fire them without my command."
She knelt down beside him, staring at him, but not attempting to help him up. "I don't take orders from anyone, not anymore. I can do as I please, and this is what I please."
Dylan fell unconscious, a look of pure horror and disbelief gracing his face.
Beka stood behind the slipstream console, checking facts and figures, and occasionally glancing up at the expressionless face of Andromeda. HoloRommie stood off to the side of the main-screen, arms folded across her chest, the same expressionless look on her face. Beka sighed as she heard something in another part of the ship. She glanced up, and was astonished to find a smile on Andromeda and HoloRommie's faces. HoloRommie nodded almost imperceptibly, and then flickered out of existence. Andromeda's face left the screen, being replaced by blackness. Beka frowned slightly, one was always supposed to be on Command unless ordered to do otherwise.
She turned to look for Tyr when she felt something warm on her neck. She stiffened, knowing by smell that it wasn't Dylan. She didn't know why that knowledge affected her so much, but she felt somewhat disappointed.
"Tyr," she whispered as she felt herself being turned around, "No."
"No?" he asked, looking surprised and a little hurt. She felt herself relenting somewhat at his face, and he leant down to kiss her again without any resistance on her part. Despite her mind screaming out to her to stop, she reluctantly she allowed herself to be pulled closer into him. She felt his arms wrap around her tighter as he managed to pull her more into the kiss, one hand resting on her hip, the other resting on her force lance holster. She felt her arms slowly moving up to rest on his muscular chest, but thought the better of it as a picture of Dylan's face slipped into her mind. She pulled out of Tyr's embrace, feeling something brush against her side, but not thinking anything of it until she felt the end of a force lance being pressed into her stomach. She gasped, and heard a female laugh erupt from over her shoulder. She saw HoloRommie out of the corner of her eye, and Tyr smiled at the woman.