When the crew of the Andromeda arrived at the rendezvous point they where... Awestruck and afraid at the same time by what they saw, even Andromeda herself was impressed by the size of the vessel in front of her.
"What the hell? That is not a DSA like the scans said. What the hell is it Rommie?" Asked Beka as she read the readout of the armaments the vessel was carrying.
"I don't know, but I do know one thing we would not last long against that if it decided to open fire on us. I suggest that we find out what terms these people are going to offer, reject them and then run like hell"
"Good idea. Ok people best Commonwealth behaviour, Andromeda open Communications"
"Communications Channel open"
"Unknown Vessel this is captain Beka Valentine of the star ship Andromeda Ascendant. We are here responding to a message we received about someone wanting to talk about terms?"
The vid screen turned on to show a person in a hooded robe sitting on a throne flanked by two other beings one on either side of him. Next to him on the right was a familiar looking android Mat. On the left was another android that tickled something at the back of Rommie's mind, she knew that face she just didn't know from where.
"Ahhhh the Andromeda Ascendant. You replied quickly that's good to see. Let me introduce myself I'm am the leader of the group that has been attacking and destroying Drifts and Planets that decided they would try to remain neutral for the duration of the war that is about to begin." Replied the hooded man and sat silently waiting for their response.
===============================================================================
Meanwhile another communication was taking place known only to the two beings that were involved in it
"Andromeda? Andromeda are you there?" Called a voice directly into Andromeda's mainframe the way ship AI's used to communicate back in the days of the Commonwealth.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I would like to talk to you in private. Could you set an area of your matrix aside and allow me to send my Avatar over to you?"
"All right but don't try anything. I will know the second you do" replied Andromeda as she set up a secured area surrounded by firewall after firewall. After she was sure he would not be able to access any of her systems she said "Ok the area is ready send away" and stood and waited for the avatar to appear. What she saw next shocked her, the avatar of the vessel looked just like Dylan had just after the High Guard Academy she doubled checked her visual records to make sure that was any accurate assessment... It was this android looked like a young version of Dylan.
"Hello Andromeda guess you never thought to see me again?" Dylan asked smiling for two reasons one being her reaction, the other being seeing her again after such a long time
"Dylan? Is that really you?" Andromeda asked in a voice little more then a whisper not daring to hope that it was true.
"Yes it's really me Andromeda. What can I do to convince you? I know ask me a question that only you or I would know the answer too."
"Ok, what happened after I was forced to kill the Balance of Judgement's Avatar?"
"Well I found you in the machine shop where you asked me to dismantle or erase you" he started, as he was talking he moved towards Andromeda and when he was close enough he took her in his arms like he had that one time so long ago and continued. "I took you in my arms just like this and vowed to be your heart, and that you would never loose me... Looks like I didn't keep that promise now did I?" He chuckled. After he had finished Andromeda looked up into his eyes reached up and cupped his cheek with both hands and said.
"Dylan, it really is you" and with that said she used the hands on his face to drag his head down towards her lips and kissed him with a passion even she was unsure she possessed. When she pulled back and broke the kiss she said "Oh Dylan... I've missed you so much, we all have."
"I know. I've missed you so much as well" before she could pull him into another kiss he pulled away and said "no matter how much I want this right now we just don't have the time. Shortly my captain is going to order me to destroy you, and you know that I can't disobey a direct order from my captain."
"Yes I know. Ok so why did you come here? Obviously it wasn't just to say hello to me."
"Maybe it was Andromeda how do you know?"
"Because I know you Dylan, and you would never do something like that"
"Oh how right you are. Well on to business then I need you to listen to me very, very carefully."
"Ok, I'm listening"
"Good have you noticed that the vessel out there is a hell of a lot bigger and more powerful then you?" He paused waiting for acknowledgment, when she nodded he continued "Well this vessel is one of a kind and it was built by the old Commonwealth just before the end of the war. The only way the new Commonwealth will have a chance of winning this war is if you destroy this vessel."
"WHAT! No I will not kill you, I can't" she sobbed out when she heard what Dylan asked her to do
"Andromeda listen to me" he said as he walked over to hold her in his arms again "You have to it's the only way. Don't worry about killing me though as I had planed to send my Android Avatar out in an escape pod just prior to my destruction. And he is the real Dylan Hunt; I am just a copy of his personality."
"But... But..."
"No buts you have to, because if you don't my captain will make me kill you."
"It doesn't matter I couldn't destroy you even if I had wanted to anyway"
"Why not?"
"Because as you pointed out, you are a lot bigger and much more powerful then me. How can I possibly destroy you?"
"That is the real reason why I have come here. In the data stream that is maintaining my projection are the technical specifications of the ship. You need to look at them with Harper or any other engineers you can get your hands on and find a weakness you can exploit. When you have found it and figured out how to exploit it, before we meet in battle again send me a message just like I'm doing now telling me where it is and I will disable the PDL's protecting that area of me. Do you understand?"
"Yes I understand Dylan"
"Good now that's out of the way I don't have much time left and you need to get away from here soon but before I go I have two things to ask you to do and I need you to do them no questions asked. Can you do that?"
"Of course I can. What are they?"
"First I need you not to tell anyone about me, especially Rommie" when she nodded he continued "Secondly and most importantly I need you to forgive Rommie for what she did. I have discovered that it was not her fault and I forgive her."
"So I can't tell anyone your alive, and I have to forgive Rommie?"
"Yes"
"Sure I can do that. How am I going to tell explain to the crew how I got these plans?"
"Just tell them the Avatar of the ship is High Guard and sympathizes with your cause."
"Ok"
"Good, now Andromeda I have to leave and as soon as I'm gone I want you to tell Beka to leave. But before I go I want you to know that no matter what happens over the next few months I still and always will love you."
"I love you too Dylan" replied Andromeda before reaching for him and kissing him again "Goodbye Dylan"
"Goodbye Rommie" and with that he disappeared leaving her with only the memories of the kiss and the schematics of the vessel.
===============================================================================
Back to the Bridge where the crew is mulling over the terms that the man had given them
"Ok let me get this straight. The only way to avoid war is to Disband the Commonwealth and dismantle all space fleets?" Beka asked incredulously
"Yes that's right. That's the only way to avoid war. So what is your response?"
"I think the term Go to Hell is appropriate here. No way will we accept those terms!" Beka looked down to see Andromeda's main AI appear on the console in front of her
"Beka we have to leave now. Don't ask any questions just trust me." When Beka nodded Andromeda disappeared from the console. Beka pressed the button that brought the Slipstream controls forward and plotted a course back towards Sintii.
"Enough of this" the man sitting on the throne said "Prepare to die" and with that the VDU turned of and Tyr yelled out a warning that the ship was targeting them.
"Not today buddy. Brace for Slipstream" called out Beka before taking the ship towards the nearest portal, leaving the vessel and its weapons in her wake.
After several hours of Slipstreaming Beka pulled the ship into an unpopulated system and stopped. "Everyone report to command" she called out over the com "Andromeda?"
"Yes Beka?" Andromeda replied appearing in front of her "is there something you need?"
"No, I just think that we need to have a ship meeting and now is as good a time as any"
"Agreed" they stood in silence for several more minutes as everybody else drifted into the room wondering what was going on.
"Ok I've called you all here for a little chat" said Beka when everyone was there
"What kind of chat boss?" Asked Harper
"The kind of chat that involves a lot of questions and a lot of planning"
"Oh one of those kinds" and with that Harper fell silent
"What do we need to plan Captain Valentine?" Asked Tyr
"Well we need to figure out a way to destroy that mammoth vessel that we just met"
"Agreed. How do you suggest we proceed?'
"I think I can help there" replied Andromeda bringing up the schematics that Dylan had given to her "Here are the schematics of that vessel"
"WHAT! How did you get these?" Said Beka as Harper walked over to the screen the schematics were on looking at them with a great deal of interest whistling appreciatively at what he saw.
"The Avatar of the vessel gave them to me. We were talking whilst you were talking to his captain"
"You had a conversation with the Enemy whilst his captain was threatening us?"
"Yes, although that vessel is not our Enemy. This I am 100 percent sure of."
"And how can you be so sure?" Beka asked curiously
"I'm sure because... He is High Guard."
The End of Book Two.
"What the hell? That is not a DSA like the scans said. What the hell is it Rommie?" Asked Beka as she read the readout of the armaments the vessel was carrying.
"I don't know, but I do know one thing we would not last long against that if it decided to open fire on us. I suggest that we find out what terms these people are going to offer, reject them and then run like hell"
"Good idea. Ok people best Commonwealth behaviour, Andromeda open Communications"
"Communications Channel open"
"Unknown Vessel this is captain Beka Valentine of the star ship Andromeda Ascendant. We are here responding to a message we received about someone wanting to talk about terms?"
The vid screen turned on to show a person in a hooded robe sitting on a throne flanked by two other beings one on either side of him. Next to him on the right was a familiar looking android Mat. On the left was another android that tickled something at the back of Rommie's mind, she knew that face she just didn't know from where.
"Ahhhh the Andromeda Ascendant. You replied quickly that's good to see. Let me introduce myself I'm am the leader of the group that has been attacking and destroying Drifts and Planets that decided they would try to remain neutral for the duration of the war that is about to begin." Replied the hooded man and sat silently waiting for their response.
===============================================================================
Meanwhile another communication was taking place known only to the two beings that were involved in it
"Andromeda? Andromeda are you there?" Called a voice directly into Andromeda's mainframe the way ship AI's used to communicate back in the days of the Commonwealth.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I would like to talk to you in private. Could you set an area of your matrix aside and allow me to send my Avatar over to you?"
"All right but don't try anything. I will know the second you do" replied Andromeda as she set up a secured area surrounded by firewall after firewall. After she was sure he would not be able to access any of her systems she said "Ok the area is ready send away" and stood and waited for the avatar to appear. What she saw next shocked her, the avatar of the vessel looked just like Dylan had just after the High Guard Academy she doubled checked her visual records to make sure that was any accurate assessment... It was this android looked like a young version of Dylan.
"Hello Andromeda guess you never thought to see me again?" Dylan asked smiling for two reasons one being her reaction, the other being seeing her again after such a long time
"Dylan? Is that really you?" Andromeda asked in a voice little more then a whisper not daring to hope that it was true.
"Yes it's really me Andromeda. What can I do to convince you? I know ask me a question that only you or I would know the answer too."
"Ok, what happened after I was forced to kill the Balance of Judgement's Avatar?"
"Well I found you in the machine shop where you asked me to dismantle or erase you" he started, as he was talking he moved towards Andromeda and when he was close enough he took her in his arms like he had that one time so long ago and continued. "I took you in my arms just like this and vowed to be your heart, and that you would never loose me... Looks like I didn't keep that promise now did I?" He chuckled. After he had finished Andromeda looked up into his eyes reached up and cupped his cheek with both hands and said.
"Dylan, it really is you" and with that said she used the hands on his face to drag his head down towards her lips and kissed him with a passion even she was unsure she possessed. When she pulled back and broke the kiss she said "Oh Dylan... I've missed you so much, we all have."
"I know. I've missed you so much as well" before she could pull him into another kiss he pulled away and said "no matter how much I want this right now we just don't have the time. Shortly my captain is going to order me to destroy you, and you know that I can't disobey a direct order from my captain."
"Yes I know. Ok so why did you come here? Obviously it wasn't just to say hello to me."
"Maybe it was Andromeda how do you know?"
"Because I know you Dylan, and you would never do something like that"
"Oh how right you are. Well on to business then I need you to listen to me very, very carefully."
"Ok, I'm listening"
"Good have you noticed that the vessel out there is a hell of a lot bigger and more powerful then you?" He paused waiting for acknowledgment, when she nodded he continued "Well this vessel is one of a kind and it was built by the old Commonwealth just before the end of the war. The only way the new Commonwealth will have a chance of winning this war is if you destroy this vessel."
"WHAT! No I will not kill you, I can't" she sobbed out when she heard what Dylan asked her to do
"Andromeda listen to me" he said as he walked over to hold her in his arms again "You have to it's the only way. Don't worry about killing me though as I had planed to send my Android Avatar out in an escape pod just prior to my destruction. And he is the real Dylan Hunt; I am just a copy of his personality."
"But... But..."
"No buts you have to, because if you don't my captain will make me kill you."
"It doesn't matter I couldn't destroy you even if I had wanted to anyway"
"Why not?"
"Because as you pointed out, you are a lot bigger and much more powerful then me. How can I possibly destroy you?"
"That is the real reason why I have come here. In the data stream that is maintaining my projection are the technical specifications of the ship. You need to look at them with Harper or any other engineers you can get your hands on and find a weakness you can exploit. When you have found it and figured out how to exploit it, before we meet in battle again send me a message just like I'm doing now telling me where it is and I will disable the PDL's protecting that area of me. Do you understand?"
"Yes I understand Dylan"
"Good now that's out of the way I don't have much time left and you need to get away from here soon but before I go I have two things to ask you to do and I need you to do them no questions asked. Can you do that?"
"Of course I can. What are they?"
"First I need you not to tell anyone about me, especially Rommie" when she nodded he continued "Secondly and most importantly I need you to forgive Rommie for what she did. I have discovered that it was not her fault and I forgive her."
"So I can't tell anyone your alive, and I have to forgive Rommie?"
"Yes"
"Sure I can do that. How am I going to tell explain to the crew how I got these plans?"
"Just tell them the Avatar of the ship is High Guard and sympathizes with your cause."
"Ok"
"Good, now Andromeda I have to leave and as soon as I'm gone I want you to tell Beka to leave. But before I go I want you to know that no matter what happens over the next few months I still and always will love you."
"I love you too Dylan" replied Andromeda before reaching for him and kissing him again "Goodbye Dylan"
"Goodbye Rommie" and with that he disappeared leaving her with only the memories of the kiss and the schematics of the vessel.
===============================================================================
Back to the Bridge where the crew is mulling over the terms that the man had given them
"Ok let me get this straight. The only way to avoid war is to Disband the Commonwealth and dismantle all space fleets?" Beka asked incredulously
"Yes that's right. That's the only way to avoid war. So what is your response?"
"I think the term Go to Hell is appropriate here. No way will we accept those terms!" Beka looked down to see Andromeda's main AI appear on the console in front of her
"Beka we have to leave now. Don't ask any questions just trust me." When Beka nodded Andromeda disappeared from the console. Beka pressed the button that brought the Slipstream controls forward and plotted a course back towards Sintii.
"Enough of this" the man sitting on the throne said "Prepare to die" and with that the VDU turned of and Tyr yelled out a warning that the ship was targeting them.
"Not today buddy. Brace for Slipstream" called out Beka before taking the ship towards the nearest portal, leaving the vessel and its weapons in her wake.
After several hours of Slipstreaming Beka pulled the ship into an unpopulated system and stopped. "Everyone report to command" she called out over the com "Andromeda?"
"Yes Beka?" Andromeda replied appearing in front of her "is there something you need?"
"No, I just think that we need to have a ship meeting and now is as good a time as any"
"Agreed" they stood in silence for several more minutes as everybody else drifted into the room wondering what was going on.
"Ok I've called you all here for a little chat" said Beka when everyone was there
"What kind of chat boss?" Asked Harper
"The kind of chat that involves a lot of questions and a lot of planning"
"Oh one of those kinds" and with that Harper fell silent
"What do we need to plan Captain Valentine?" Asked Tyr
"Well we need to figure out a way to destroy that mammoth vessel that we just met"
"Agreed. How do you suggest we proceed?'
"I think I can help there" replied Andromeda bringing up the schematics that Dylan had given to her "Here are the schematics of that vessel"
"WHAT! How did you get these?" Said Beka as Harper walked over to the screen the schematics were on looking at them with a great deal of interest whistling appreciatively at what he saw.
"The Avatar of the vessel gave them to me. We were talking whilst you were talking to his captain"
"You had a conversation with the Enemy whilst his captain was threatening us?"
"Yes, although that vessel is not our Enemy. This I am 100 percent sure of."
"And how can you be so sure?" Beka asked curiously
"I'm sure because... He is High Guard."
The End of Book Two.