Thanks for all the super nice comments guys . I mean it. here is the last
piece.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Beka blinked as the smoke began to clear. Where was that explosion? Was it near Harper? She needed to turn her thoughts away. She couldn't save him if they were all dead. The ship was battered but the battle wasn't lost yet. Dylan had always called her the best pilot in the Commonwealth. It started as a joke as in the beginning she was the only pilot in the Commonwealth. Two years had passed and fifty planets had joined. He still called her that. She planned to live up to the title.
The ship shuddered again but Tyr informed them that trance had opened the loading bay doors. The slipfighters were free. It was a new battle now. It raged before her like a dragon and Beka aimed the Andromeda into its heart.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Harper came back slowly. The hours of pain and exhaustion had taken their toll. He opened his eyes cautiously.
With a yelp he tried to leap back and firmly smacked his head on some debris.
"Ow!" He groaned at the new insult.
He was on his hands and knees. The conduit had given away in the last explosion. A mass of cables had been torn from Rommie's interior walls and the conduit cover must have snagged them. He had passed out from pain when the pipe had been ripped from his leg. He didn't remember falling but the cover caught him saving him from instant death. He now hung precariously over the slipstream drive. He tried to shift but the conduit cover swung unpredictably nearly dumping him off.
"Whoa." He whispered. "This is not good." The world started to swim in front of his eyes again. "Not now" he swore. The pain came back full force despite his protests. A broken collarbone, legs torn to pieces and the migraine from hell were all too much for Seamus Zelazny Harper. His body collapsed against the conduit cover and it swung dangerously. Once again he slept.
+++++++++++++++++++
Trance didn't go back to the command deck after she had managed to get the loading dock doors open. She new something was wrong with Harper. She had the 'feeling' he wasn't in the conduit anymore so she headed towards the area where the giant slipstream core was held.
+++++++++++++++++++
Beka flew like she was a part of the larger machine. Andromeda and her had become one. She may be broken but the Andromeda had heart and gave it her all.
Dylan Barked commands
Tyr flew the slipfighters often treating them like little kamikazes as he flew them directly into the Kalderan vessels when they got to close to fire upon.
Rommie fought like a she-devil.
Despite it all the Kalderans were still gaining ground. With out slipstream there was no place for them to run.
A sudden explosion came from over and behind that Andromeda. Two Kalderans vessels were destroyed.
"What the." intoned Beka but she was interrupted by Dylan.
"Tyr where did that come from?"
"I'm not sure sensors.wait." Tyr had Rommie switch to the view behind them.
Slowly a smile crept across Dylan's face. He had dreamt about it but Beka knew it still had seemed unreal to him. Heck, she didn't really understand the full impact of the last two years of struggle or of what they had truly accomplished until now.
Despite the battle that continued on for a moment Dylan, Beka and Tyr stood in awe.
"Unbelievable." Whispered Beka finally.
"Maybe you're not as crazy as I thought." Smiled Tyr to Dylan.
The Commonwealth had come to save them. A full fleet made up from a wide variety of member worlds flew past the weakened Andromeda and intercepted the Kalderan ships. The Kalderans quickly realizing the sudden turn of events scattered.
Fighters from the Sabra-Jaguar Pride gave chase.
Beka couldn't believe it. "Ne'Hollander's, Than, Perseids, Castalians." She checked what scans Rommie had been able to gather. "Nearly half of the of the renewed Commonwealth with more on the way."
"Archduke Charlemagne Bolivar is hailing audio only." Informed Rommie, her hologram still fluctuating.
"Archduke Bolivar how can we thank you!" gushed Dylan.
"Well we couldn't let the symbol of the Commonwealth be destroyed could we? It wouldn't be good for moral." Bolivar almost sounded bored. "The Perseids and others are requesting permission to board and assist with repairs." The archduke's voice crackled over the bad link.
"By all means permission granted."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Absolutely no freakin' way!" It had been nearly seventy-two hours since that final battle and eight hours since Harper woke up.and had woken in a sour mood.
"Harper please!"
"Beka no!"
Harper lay on a bed in the medical bay. He wore a white medical garment and had various blue gel packs attached to different parts of his body. He didn't even no what those were.
Once the Commonwealth had rode to their rescue the Than had helped get him down from his precarious perch over the slipstream drive. He was finally starting to feel better but as usual when he was sick he didn't want an audience. Plus he didn't fully trust half the members in the Commonwealth.
Trance worked nearby as Beka tried to convince him to take some new meds that the Castalians had suggested might promote bone growth.
"It's supposed to work better then nano-bots."
"The fish people.really." He answered disgustedly.
"Shhh Harper! They helped save our lives we don't want to offend them." She glanced back nervously at the group of Castalians and Perseids that stood near the door watching the procedures. One of the Persieds even waved.
Beka plastered on a fake smile and waved back.
"There is absolutely no way you're going to inject sushi tech into me! Even I have standards!"
Beka sighed frustrated. "The Perseids helped them develop it. You like the Perseids. Come on."
"Rekeeb's bunch! Now I'm even more convinced . I said it before I'll say it again. No freakin' way."
Just then Rommie the AI pushed her way past Harper's audience and walked into the medical bay.
Harper had been to afraid to ask when no one mentioned her and his eyes lit up with excitement. It was all Beka could do to keep him on the bed as he tried to leap to his feet.
"ROMMIE YOU'RE ALIVE!!"
"Well, no actually. but I am functioning. The Than are very skilled at android repair." Rommie smiled turning her body for him to see. "See.Good as new."
"Where were you? What happened?"
"Harper calm down." Intoned Trance from where she was running some tests on his blood.
Harper swallowed loudly. He didn't like to argue too much with the new Trance. But she smiled kindly at him quelling his fears. "You should be resting, it's the only way you'll get better."
"This is exactly the reason we didn't tell you right away." Chimed in Beka.
Harper begrudgedly laid back on the medical bed. "Rommie. please!" he pleaded. Yet he felt his eyes droop a little. he was tired.
"I was trapped under debris from the explosions much like you were but I." She paused the memories obviously were not all that pleasant. "I was cut off from my self, I couldn't hear or feel the rest of me. I couldn't even call for help."
"You were alone." He whispered sadly.
She nodded. "But I knew it would be okay. I trusted you, Dylan and the others to come find me." She gave her newly repaired shoulders a shrug and then gave a small smile. "And. You did. there really isn't much more to the story. Dylan and the Ne'Hollander's dug me out and the Than repaired me."
"Well."he smiled drowsily but tired to sit up anyway "I'll run a few scans and make sure everything's okay for sure."
"Forget it mister your leg and shoulder are still healing you're not doing anything but taking these meds." Beka growled as she pushed him back again.
Rommie walked to his side. "Harper, I trusted my friends to come save me. You don't have to worry we won't leave you."
Rommie slyly took the medical injector from Beka. Harper didn't notice has he studied Rommie's face.
"Trust...it's hard to trust sometimes." He broke her gaze suddenly intent on staring at his fidgeting hands.
She reached out with her left hand to grasp his chin forcing him to look at her once again. "It's easy, all you have to do is trust yourself. And me."
"And the aliens." Smiled Beka looking once more over her shoulder at the curious crowd
With that Rommie reached forward with the injector and clicked the button.
Harper jumped with surprise. "HEY!" he protested loudly but all three of the female crew just laughed.
Things would soon be back to normal as Harper was left alone on the medical bed to pout and rest.
The end.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Beka blinked as the smoke began to clear. Where was that explosion? Was it near Harper? She needed to turn her thoughts away. She couldn't save him if they were all dead. The ship was battered but the battle wasn't lost yet. Dylan had always called her the best pilot in the Commonwealth. It started as a joke as in the beginning she was the only pilot in the Commonwealth. Two years had passed and fifty planets had joined. He still called her that. She planned to live up to the title.
The ship shuddered again but Tyr informed them that trance had opened the loading bay doors. The slipfighters were free. It was a new battle now. It raged before her like a dragon and Beka aimed the Andromeda into its heart.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Harper came back slowly. The hours of pain and exhaustion had taken their toll. He opened his eyes cautiously.
With a yelp he tried to leap back and firmly smacked his head on some debris.
"Ow!" He groaned at the new insult.
He was on his hands and knees. The conduit had given away in the last explosion. A mass of cables had been torn from Rommie's interior walls and the conduit cover must have snagged them. He had passed out from pain when the pipe had been ripped from his leg. He didn't remember falling but the cover caught him saving him from instant death. He now hung precariously over the slipstream drive. He tried to shift but the conduit cover swung unpredictably nearly dumping him off.
"Whoa." He whispered. "This is not good." The world started to swim in front of his eyes again. "Not now" he swore. The pain came back full force despite his protests. A broken collarbone, legs torn to pieces and the migraine from hell were all too much for Seamus Zelazny Harper. His body collapsed against the conduit cover and it swung dangerously. Once again he slept.
+++++++++++++++++++
Trance didn't go back to the command deck after she had managed to get the loading dock doors open. She new something was wrong with Harper. She had the 'feeling' he wasn't in the conduit anymore so she headed towards the area where the giant slipstream core was held.
+++++++++++++++++++
Beka flew like she was a part of the larger machine. Andromeda and her had become one. She may be broken but the Andromeda had heart and gave it her all.
Dylan Barked commands
Tyr flew the slipfighters often treating them like little kamikazes as he flew them directly into the Kalderan vessels when they got to close to fire upon.
Rommie fought like a she-devil.
Despite it all the Kalderans were still gaining ground. With out slipstream there was no place for them to run.
A sudden explosion came from over and behind that Andromeda. Two Kalderans vessels were destroyed.
"What the." intoned Beka but she was interrupted by Dylan.
"Tyr where did that come from?"
"I'm not sure sensors.wait." Tyr had Rommie switch to the view behind them.
Slowly a smile crept across Dylan's face. He had dreamt about it but Beka knew it still had seemed unreal to him. Heck, she didn't really understand the full impact of the last two years of struggle or of what they had truly accomplished until now.
Despite the battle that continued on for a moment Dylan, Beka and Tyr stood in awe.
"Unbelievable." Whispered Beka finally.
"Maybe you're not as crazy as I thought." Smiled Tyr to Dylan.
The Commonwealth had come to save them. A full fleet made up from a wide variety of member worlds flew past the weakened Andromeda and intercepted the Kalderan ships. The Kalderans quickly realizing the sudden turn of events scattered.
Fighters from the Sabra-Jaguar Pride gave chase.
Beka couldn't believe it. "Ne'Hollander's, Than, Perseids, Castalians." She checked what scans Rommie had been able to gather. "Nearly half of the of the renewed Commonwealth with more on the way."
"Archduke Charlemagne Bolivar is hailing audio only." Informed Rommie, her hologram still fluctuating.
"Archduke Bolivar how can we thank you!" gushed Dylan.
"Well we couldn't let the symbol of the Commonwealth be destroyed could we? It wouldn't be good for moral." Bolivar almost sounded bored. "The Perseids and others are requesting permission to board and assist with repairs." The archduke's voice crackled over the bad link.
"By all means permission granted."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Absolutely no freakin' way!" It had been nearly seventy-two hours since that final battle and eight hours since Harper woke up.and had woken in a sour mood.
"Harper please!"
"Beka no!"
Harper lay on a bed in the medical bay. He wore a white medical garment and had various blue gel packs attached to different parts of his body. He didn't even no what those were.
Once the Commonwealth had rode to their rescue the Than had helped get him down from his precarious perch over the slipstream drive. He was finally starting to feel better but as usual when he was sick he didn't want an audience. Plus he didn't fully trust half the members in the Commonwealth.
Trance worked nearby as Beka tried to convince him to take some new meds that the Castalians had suggested might promote bone growth.
"It's supposed to work better then nano-bots."
"The fish people.really." He answered disgustedly.
"Shhh Harper! They helped save our lives we don't want to offend them." She glanced back nervously at the group of Castalians and Perseids that stood near the door watching the procedures. One of the Persieds even waved.
Beka plastered on a fake smile and waved back.
"There is absolutely no way you're going to inject sushi tech into me! Even I have standards!"
Beka sighed frustrated. "The Perseids helped them develop it. You like the Perseids. Come on."
"Rekeeb's bunch! Now I'm even more convinced . I said it before I'll say it again. No freakin' way."
Just then Rommie the AI pushed her way past Harper's audience and walked into the medical bay.
Harper had been to afraid to ask when no one mentioned her and his eyes lit up with excitement. It was all Beka could do to keep him on the bed as he tried to leap to his feet.
"ROMMIE YOU'RE ALIVE!!"
"Well, no actually. but I am functioning. The Than are very skilled at android repair." Rommie smiled turning her body for him to see. "See.Good as new."
"Where were you? What happened?"
"Harper calm down." Intoned Trance from where she was running some tests on his blood.
Harper swallowed loudly. He didn't like to argue too much with the new Trance. But she smiled kindly at him quelling his fears. "You should be resting, it's the only way you'll get better."
"This is exactly the reason we didn't tell you right away." Chimed in Beka.
Harper begrudgedly laid back on the medical bed. "Rommie. please!" he pleaded. Yet he felt his eyes droop a little. he was tired.
"I was trapped under debris from the explosions much like you were but I." She paused the memories obviously were not all that pleasant. "I was cut off from my self, I couldn't hear or feel the rest of me. I couldn't even call for help."
"You were alone." He whispered sadly.
She nodded. "But I knew it would be okay. I trusted you, Dylan and the others to come find me." She gave her newly repaired shoulders a shrug and then gave a small smile. "And. You did. there really isn't much more to the story. Dylan and the Ne'Hollander's dug me out and the Than repaired me."
"Well."he smiled drowsily but tired to sit up anyway "I'll run a few scans and make sure everything's okay for sure."
"Forget it mister your leg and shoulder are still healing you're not doing anything but taking these meds." Beka growled as she pushed him back again.
Rommie walked to his side. "Harper, I trusted my friends to come save me. You don't have to worry we won't leave you."
Rommie slyly took the medical injector from Beka. Harper didn't notice has he studied Rommie's face.
"Trust...it's hard to trust sometimes." He broke her gaze suddenly intent on staring at his fidgeting hands.
She reached out with her left hand to grasp his chin forcing him to look at her once again. "It's easy, all you have to do is trust yourself. And me."
"And the aliens." Smiled Beka looking once more over her shoulder at the curious crowd
With that Rommie reached forward with the injector and clicked the button.
Harper jumped with surprise. "HEY!" he protested loudly but all three of the female crew just laughed.
Things would soon be back to normal as Harper was left alone on the medical bed to pout and rest.
The end.