"I'm going to miss you," Ali said sadly as she hugged Harper good-bye.
He'd slowly eased himself into the family in the past week, but his
awkwardness often showed. At the moment he was blushing in the embrace of
his new sister who he'd once thought was a babe.
"I'll, uh, miss you too," Harper replied as he stepped back. "But I'm coming back so it's not like you're never going to see me again."
Ali smiled sadly and kissed Harper on the cheek before she turned and walked away.
"Shay." John trailed off as he held Harper's shoulders. Dylan and Beka had gone into the Maru in order to give Harper some privacy.
"John," Harper replied. He hadn't been able to bring himself to call the king Dad and he really didn't want to. The man he remembered as his father had died protecting him and he wanted to preserve that memory.
"I just wanted to say thanks.for everything," the engineer spoke softly.
John nodded, "I had this whole speech planned out but. Look, I know this whole situation has been.difficult for you, but I want to thank you too."
Harper grinned crookedly while John continued, "I want to give you something to remind you of who you are, in case.well, it's just.here."
John dug a ring out of his breast pocket and handed it to Harper, who examined it in his hand. It was a gold ring with a large red ruby in the middle and two diamonds on each side.
"It was my father's favorite ring and now I want you to have it. Red is the symbol of Salckon royalty and I guess the two diamonds represent Ali and I."
"It's." Harper stuttered in amazement, "it's priceless. How could you give me something like this?"
"Because someone I thought I'd lost forever came back from the dead, and I want this person to remember me."
At this, Harper frowned and said, "I'll see you again."
John replied solemnly, "Just.don't forget me."
"I won't. I promise."
With that, Harper pocketed the ring, hugged John and said his last good- byes. Harper walked up to the Maru and waved before going in and closing the door. The ship took off and disappeared into space, leaving John and Ali alone with the challenge of getting the Commonwealth integrated into their system.
"I'll miss him."
"I know."
The Eureka Maru exited slipstream. There was only one more jump before they reached the Andromeda.
"Ya know," Harper began as he talked to Dylan, "I admire you."
"Really?" Dylan asked, obviously surprised and slightly disturbed.
"Yah. I could never buckle down and be a politician."
"I'm not a politician," the captain said indignantly, "I'm a soldier."
"Uh-huh."
Dylan frowned and exited the kitchen, leaving Harper alone. The engineer poured himself a bowl of cereal and ate. Long minutes passed in peace and all of a sudden shrieking alarms shattered the silence.
"Dylan! Beka! We've got a problem!" Harper cried out as he ran to the helm. When he got there his eyes went wide. Hundreds of Magog swarmships and Nietzschean battlecruisers were speeding around in space. Harper could hear the ships grab hold and the aliens begin to board and all the color drained from his face.
"B-Beka?! D-D-Dylan?!" His voice shook as he spoke, betraying his fear.
This is not happening! Harper thought madly to himself. Beka and Dylan wouldn't leave me. They couldn't.
An incessant thudding seemed to echo throughout the Maru's corridors. Harper closed his eyes against the sound as he turned around to face whatever evil would come. He didn't open his eyes but he braced himself against the blows he was sure he would receive. The thudding continued to sound in his ears and he realized with a start that it was his own heart beating. He clung to that sound as his world erupted around him.
Thud thud.thud thud.thud thud.thud.thud..thud...thud........
"I'll, uh, miss you too," Harper replied as he stepped back. "But I'm coming back so it's not like you're never going to see me again."
Ali smiled sadly and kissed Harper on the cheek before she turned and walked away.
"Shay." John trailed off as he held Harper's shoulders. Dylan and Beka had gone into the Maru in order to give Harper some privacy.
"John," Harper replied. He hadn't been able to bring himself to call the king Dad and he really didn't want to. The man he remembered as his father had died protecting him and he wanted to preserve that memory.
"I just wanted to say thanks.for everything," the engineer spoke softly.
John nodded, "I had this whole speech planned out but. Look, I know this whole situation has been.difficult for you, but I want to thank you too."
Harper grinned crookedly while John continued, "I want to give you something to remind you of who you are, in case.well, it's just.here."
John dug a ring out of his breast pocket and handed it to Harper, who examined it in his hand. It was a gold ring with a large red ruby in the middle and two diamonds on each side.
"It was my father's favorite ring and now I want you to have it. Red is the symbol of Salckon royalty and I guess the two diamonds represent Ali and I."
"It's." Harper stuttered in amazement, "it's priceless. How could you give me something like this?"
"Because someone I thought I'd lost forever came back from the dead, and I want this person to remember me."
At this, Harper frowned and said, "I'll see you again."
John replied solemnly, "Just.don't forget me."
"I won't. I promise."
With that, Harper pocketed the ring, hugged John and said his last good- byes. Harper walked up to the Maru and waved before going in and closing the door. The ship took off and disappeared into space, leaving John and Ali alone with the challenge of getting the Commonwealth integrated into their system.
"I'll miss him."
"I know."
The Eureka Maru exited slipstream. There was only one more jump before they reached the Andromeda.
"Ya know," Harper began as he talked to Dylan, "I admire you."
"Really?" Dylan asked, obviously surprised and slightly disturbed.
"Yah. I could never buckle down and be a politician."
"I'm not a politician," the captain said indignantly, "I'm a soldier."
"Uh-huh."
Dylan frowned and exited the kitchen, leaving Harper alone. The engineer poured himself a bowl of cereal and ate. Long minutes passed in peace and all of a sudden shrieking alarms shattered the silence.
"Dylan! Beka! We've got a problem!" Harper cried out as he ran to the helm. When he got there his eyes went wide. Hundreds of Magog swarmships and Nietzschean battlecruisers were speeding around in space. Harper could hear the ships grab hold and the aliens begin to board and all the color drained from his face.
"B-Beka?! D-D-Dylan?!" His voice shook as he spoke, betraying his fear.
This is not happening! Harper thought madly to himself. Beka and Dylan wouldn't leave me. They couldn't.
An incessant thudding seemed to echo throughout the Maru's corridors. Harper closed his eyes against the sound as he turned around to face whatever evil would come. He didn't open his eyes but he braced himself against the blows he was sure he would receive. The thudding continued to sound in his ears and he realized with a start that it was his own heart beating. He clung to that sound as his world erupted around him.
Thud thud.thud thud.thud thud.thud.thud..thud...thud........