Chapter 2 - Rating and disclaimers as Chapter 1
Please read and review.
It was very quiet on the command deck of the Andromeda. Dylan looked around him at the remnants of his crew. They would carry on of course, what else could they do. He would have to start looking for some replacements. How could anyone possibly replace those they had lost?
He still half expected to see Beka stride on to the deck and take over the slipstream chair. He missed her presence, her bad hair days and her wide grin. He knew he wouldn't find another pilot to equal her. Her inborn ability and skill didn't occur that often. He remembered his other pilot. Dawn had been a born pilot too, and a loyal crewmember. Her execution at the hand of Rhade still had the power to shock him, even after 300 years.
He smiled wryly, he missed Tyr too. It wasn't the same without the big Nietzschean on the weapons controls. Tyr was a man of few words but he made every one of them count. Dylan missed the interaction between Harper and Tyr, occasionally irritating but more often amusing. The large, solemn and controlled Nietzschean and the small hyperactive mudfoot engineer. Those two had come to terms with each other and Dylan knew that behind the annoyance that Tyr usually showed in the presence of the little Professor there was a deep and growing friendship between the two men.
The ship's voice cut through his reminiscences. "A small vessel is in our vicinity, they are requesting permission to dock. I have no visual contact. My sensors are picking up two lifeforms on board."
Harper was out of the slipstream chair and running for the docking area before anyone could stop him. Dylan chased after him and soon managed to catch up with the smaller man. He caught hold of Harper's arm. "I know what you're thinking, it can't be them. You know better than anyone the mess that the Maru was in when she returned. No one could possibly have survived that."
Harper wriggled free. "We don't know that." There was desperation in his voice. "Perhaps they weren't on board when the damage was done." His voice was husky with emotion and his face showed clearly what he was feeling.
Dylan cursed under his breath. Harper had come so far in his recovery; this event would set him back weeks. He felt a surge of antagonism towards the unknown occupants of the approaching craft.
The Rommie hologram shimmered into existence in front of him. "They are waiting for an answer Dylan, they are not armed and Andromeda does not think that they represent a threat to her safety."
Dylan sighed. "Give them permission to dock and tell them to remain inside their vessel until I arrive at the bay."
Harper had an extremely stubborn expression on his face. "I'm coming too. If it is them I don't want to miss a second of their arrival."
A short time later armed and ready the two men entered the docking bay. A small ship sat in the very centre of the area. It was battle scarred and rusty. As Harper and Dylan watched the hatch opened and a figure appeared in the doorway. She was filthy and battered but it was unmistakably Beka Valentine. She exited the craft and the space behind her was filled with a tall dark man. "Beka, Tyr." Harper could hardly contain his excitement.
Tyr also left the ship. He was in a worse state than Beka. A visor covered the entire upper half of his face. He seemed to have suffered injuries to his legs and he stumbled as he walked towards Dylan.
Harper raced over to Beka, he was beyond speech, and he just wanted to touch her and reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming. He placed his hand on her arm and she shrugged it off, totally ignoring him. He tried again and was roughly pulled away by Tyr who threw the small engineer to the ground. Harper looked up at him with an expression of surprise on his face that Dylan would have found funny in other circumstances.
"Tyr," Harper began. "Shut up kludge and leave her alone. We have come back for the Maru and when we have it we will be leaving."
Dylan intervened. "Beka, what happened to you?" She shrugged. "We don't want to talk about it, it happened, it's over." She looked over at Harper as if seeing him for the first time. "Sorry kid," she said. "It's better that we don't stay." She and Tyr left the docking bay and walked into the Andromeda's interior.
Dylan was furious and started to go after them. Harper picked himself up and followed the Captain. "Give them time boss, please, something really bad must have happened to them. I've never seen Beka like that before."
Beka Valentine and Tyr Anasazi made their way to the Nietzschean's quarters. Tyr opened the door. "Ship," he requested. "Engage privacy mode."
Beka fell on the bed, totally exhausted. It had taken all her energy to dock the ship and walk as far as the crew quarters. Tyr sat beside her and lifted the visor from his face. He turned to Beka his face full of concern. He looked directly into her tired blue eyes; his own eyes were as white as pearls.
Please read and review.
It was very quiet on the command deck of the Andromeda. Dylan looked around him at the remnants of his crew. They would carry on of course, what else could they do. He would have to start looking for some replacements. How could anyone possibly replace those they had lost?
He still half expected to see Beka stride on to the deck and take over the slipstream chair. He missed her presence, her bad hair days and her wide grin. He knew he wouldn't find another pilot to equal her. Her inborn ability and skill didn't occur that often. He remembered his other pilot. Dawn had been a born pilot too, and a loyal crewmember. Her execution at the hand of Rhade still had the power to shock him, even after 300 years.
He smiled wryly, he missed Tyr too. It wasn't the same without the big Nietzschean on the weapons controls. Tyr was a man of few words but he made every one of them count. Dylan missed the interaction between Harper and Tyr, occasionally irritating but more often amusing. The large, solemn and controlled Nietzschean and the small hyperactive mudfoot engineer. Those two had come to terms with each other and Dylan knew that behind the annoyance that Tyr usually showed in the presence of the little Professor there was a deep and growing friendship between the two men.
The ship's voice cut through his reminiscences. "A small vessel is in our vicinity, they are requesting permission to dock. I have no visual contact. My sensors are picking up two lifeforms on board."
Harper was out of the slipstream chair and running for the docking area before anyone could stop him. Dylan chased after him and soon managed to catch up with the smaller man. He caught hold of Harper's arm. "I know what you're thinking, it can't be them. You know better than anyone the mess that the Maru was in when she returned. No one could possibly have survived that."
Harper wriggled free. "We don't know that." There was desperation in his voice. "Perhaps they weren't on board when the damage was done." His voice was husky with emotion and his face showed clearly what he was feeling.
Dylan cursed under his breath. Harper had come so far in his recovery; this event would set him back weeks. He felt a surge of antagonism towards the unknown occupants of the approaching craft.
The Rommie hologram shimmered into existence in front of him. "They are waiting for an answer Dylan, they are not armed and Andromeda does not think that they represent a threat to her safety."
Dylan sighed. "Give them permission to dock and tell them to remain inside their vessel until I arrive at the bay."
Harper had an extremely stubborn expression on his face. "I'm coming too. If it is them I don't want to miss a second of their arrival."
A short time later armed and ready the two men entered the docking bay. A small ship sat in the very centre of the area. It was battle scarred and rusty. As Harper and Dylan watched the hatch opened and a figure appeared in the doorway. She was filthy and battered but it was unmistakably Beka Valentine. She exited the craft and the space behind her was filled with a tall dark man. "Beka, Tyr." Harper could hardly contain his excitement.
Tyr also left the ship. He was in a worse state than Beka. A visor covered the entire upper half of his face. He seemed to have suffered injuries to his legs and he stumbled as he walked towards Dylan.
Harper raced over to Beka, he was beyond speech, and he just wanted to touch her and reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming. He placed his hand on her arm and she shrugged it off, totally ignoring him. He tried again and was roughly pulled away by Tyr who threw the small engineer to the ground. Harper looked up at him with an expression of surprise on his face that Dylan would have found funny in other circumstances.
"Tyr," Harper began. "Shut up kludge and leave her alone. We have come back for the Maru and when we have it we will be leaving."
Dylan intervened. "Beka, what happened to you?" She shrugged. "We don't want to talk about it, it happened, it's over." She looked over at Harper as if seeing him for the first time. "Sorry kid," she said. "It's better that we don't stay." She and Tyr left the docking bay and walked into the Andromeda's interior.
Dylan was furious and started to go after them. Harper picked himself up and followed the Captain. "Give them time boss, please, something really bad must have happened to them. I've never seen Beka like that before."
Beka Valentine and Tyr Anasazi made their way to the Nietzschean's quarters. Tyr opened the door. "Ship," he requested. "Engage privacy mode."
Beka fell on the bed, totally exhausted. It had taken all her energy to dock the ship and walk as far as the crew quarters. Tyr sat beside her and lifted the visor from his face. He turned to Beka his face full of concern. He looked directly into her tired blue eyes; his own eyes were as white as pearls.