Thanks to everyone who reviewed :D Here's the next part
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Displaying none of her usual spunk, Purple Trance's eyes were clear and calculating, her voice dead serious, "Dylan, I can explain..."
"No. Don't listen to her, she's an impostor sent here to..." Gold Trance interjected.
"Stop." Dylan commanded. He remained calm, his blue eyes hard as steel, his forcelance never wavering. "I *will* get to the bottom of this."
Before he could continue, an explosion rocked the ship. Tyr, who was manning the command deck while the others tended the emergency, came over the COM, "Captain to the bridge, we are under attack."
"What!? Now!?" Harper exclaimed.
"Of course! Why not? It's not like we are in the middle of anything important." Beka remarked dryly.
"Hunt to command, I'm on my way." Dylan announced, he returned his attention to the two Trances. "Until I know exactly what is going on here, you will be separated. Rommie, escort Gold Trance to her quarters and confine her there until further notice. Beka, take the other one to the med. bay, check her for injuries then join me in command. Harper, you're with me."
"Aye Captain." Rommie said as she drew her forcelance and advanced on Gold Trance. "Just a precaution." She said. Gold Trance glared at Dylan and Rommie before allowing herself to be lead from the room.
"I really think I should go with Beka." Harper stated. He was still very confused, his thoughts tripping over each other as he considered the possibilities. Was this his purple princess? Had she really returned? Or was she an evil murderous thing to be feared, as Gold Trance claimed. He shook his head trying to make sense of it all.
"Beka will relieve you on command when she has this Trance secured." Dylan's voice was commanding and left no room for argument.
Harper took one last look at the Purple Trance before grudgingly following Dylan through the door. The ship was hit again, Harper and Dylan glanced at each other and began to run.
Beka was alone with the young girl, a million questions racing through her mind. Trance suddenly found the floor very interesting and studied intently. She squirmed slightly under Beka's heated stare.
"Shouldn't we be going to med. deck?" Trance said shyly, her gaze still on the floor. She looked to Beka every bit the lost and scared girl Beka hired to be her ES officer what seemed like eons ago.
"Trance..." Beka began but was cut off by Trance's gaze returning to her face.
"Not yet, Beka. Soon though, I promise." With that the purple girl turned and began to shuffle toward the door. Having been cut off from the source of her anger and hate, Trance seemed deflated, almost defeated. Beka finally got her feet to obey her brain and followed.
*Soon* Beka thought, but noticing the air that now surrounded Trance, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth after all.
***************
Moments later, Dylan and Harper arrived in Command.
"I see you finally decided to join me, Captain." Tyr said sarcastically. He glanced at Harper, and scoffed, "You look undamaged, little man. I assume your emergency is well in hand?"
Harper opened his mouth to comment on the fact that he would need *two* hands to deal with this particular emergency but Dylan interrupted his thoughts as he took his post.
"Tyr, report."
"Three Drago-Katsov ships exited slipstream and upon detecting us, began to attack. I could have handled them but I wouldn't wish to rob you of the opportunity to make friends with them as they try to kill us." Tyr allowed a little smirk as he finished speaking. Harper rolled his eyes, and snickered.
Dylan ignored them, "Rommie, report."
The Andromeda's hologram sparked to life next to her captain. "I attempted to establish communication, no response."
"Damage?"
"Aft sensors off-line, damage to secondary life support. Rerouting." Andromeda closed her eyes briefly, "Harper should be able to repair the sensors from command. No other damage to report, the modifications to my hull integrity seem to be working remarkably well."
"Of course they are, *I* am a genius!" Harper exclaimed as he ducked under his counsel. "And don't sound so surprised, when has something I've invented *not* worked?"
The hologram began ticking off items from her infallible memory banks but stopped when Dylan gave her a look that said *Don't go there* She turned her attention back to the enemy ships.
"Andromeda, open a communications channel." Dylan requested.
"No response." Andromeda's alter ego stated from a screen directly in front of Dylan.
"All right, then, Tyr, standard defensive and offensive salvos on my mark. Mark!"
"Aye Captain." Tyr grinned ferally. *Finally* he thought. He began firing upon the Dragan ships with carefully concealed glee. There was nothing more satisfying to the Kodiak than the fall of an enemy at his own hands. Especially when that enemy was a Dragan.
"The Drago-Katsov ships have been destroyed." The hologram reported.
Harper popped back up from under his station, "I've jury-rigged the sensors, they'll work but I'll have to go down eventually and repair them manually." He noticed the stand-down from battle, "What? It's over already? Not that I'm complaining but, those were *Dragans* right?"
"Yes, Mr. Harper," Dylan said, still looking at his displays, searching for more ships. "I don't think they were searching for us. There were only three of them, they weren't heavily armed and their attack was confused and hurried. I think it was all a mistake."
"Mistake or no, I'm glad it's over! Um...boss? I think we have a little unfinished business?" Harper was practically bouncing with anticipation. With the battle over, there was only one thought on his mind...well...two thoughts.
"Yes, Mr. Harper, we do. Tyr you have command." Dylan joined Harper and together they exited leaving Tyr slightly perplexed.
"Ship, is there something I should know?" Tyr demanded.
Andromeda just shook her virtual head, "You're not going to believe this," She said as she explained the recent events to Tyr.
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Displaying none of her usual spunk, Purple Trance's eyes were clear and calculating, her voice dead serious, "Dylan, I can explain..."
"No. Don't listen to her, she's an impostor sent here to..." Gold Trance interjected.
"Stop." Dylan commanded. He remained calm, his blue eyes hard as steel, his forcelance never wavering. "I *will* get to the bottom of this."
Before he could continue, an explosion rocked the ship. Tyr, who was manning the command deck while the others tended the emergency, came over the COM, "Captain to the bridge, we are under attack."
"What!? Now!?" Harper exclaimed.
"Of course! Why not? It's not like we are in the middle of anything important." Beka remarked dryly.
"Hunt to command, I'm on my way." Dylan announced, he returned his attention to the two Trances. "Until I know exactly what is going on here, you will be separated. Rommie, escort Gold Trance to her quarters and confine her there until further notice. Beka, take the other one to the med. bay, check her for injuries then join me in command. Harper, you're with me."
"Aye Captain." Rommie said as she drew her forcelance and advanced on Gold Trance. "Just a precaution." She said. Gold Trance glared at Dylan and Rommie before allowing herself to be lead from the room.
"I really think I should go with Beka." Harper stated. He was still very confused, his thoughts tripping over each other as he considered the possibilities. Was this his purple princess? Had she really returned? Or was she an evil murderous thing to be feared, as Gold Trance claimed. He shook his head trying to make sense of it all.
"Beka will relieve you on command when she has this Trance secured." Dylan's voice was commanding and left no room for argument.
Harper took one last look at the Purple Trance before grudgingly following Dylan through the door. The ship was hit again, Harper and Dylan glanced at each other and began to run.
Beka was alone with the young girl, a million questions racing through her mind. Trance suddenly found the floor very interesting and studied intently. She squirmed slightly under Beka's heated stare.
"Shouldn't we be going to med. deck?" Trance said shyly, her gaze still on the floor. She looked to Beka every bit the lost and scared girl Beka hired to be her ES officer what seemed like eons ago.
"Trance..." Beka began but was cut off by Trance's gaze returning to her face.
"Not yet, Beka. Soon though, I promise." With that the purple girl turned and began to shuffle toward the door. Having been cut off from the source of her anger and hate, Trance seemed deflated, almost defeated. Beka finally got her feet to obey her brain and followed.
*Soon* Beka thought, but noticing the air that now surrounded Trance, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the truth after all.
***************
Moments later, Dylan and Harper arrived in Command.
"I see you finally decided to join me, Captain." Tyr said sarcastically. He glanced at Harper, and scoffed, "You look undamaged, little man. I assume your emergency is well in hand?"
Harper opened his mouth to comment on the fact that he would need *two* hands to deal with this particular emergency but Dylan interrupted his thoughts as he took his post.
"Tyr, report."
"Three Drago-Katsov ships exited slipstream and upon detecting us, began to attack. I could have handled them but I wouldn't wish to rob you of the opportunity to make friends with them as they try to kill us." Tyr allowed a little smirk as he finished speaking. Harper rolled his eyes, and snickered.
Dylan ignored them, "Rommie, report."
The Andromeda's hologram sparked to life next to her captain. "I attempted to establish communication, no response."
"Damage?"
"Aft sensors off-line, damage to secondary life support. Rerouting." Andromeda closed her eyes briefly, "Harper should be able to repair the sensors from command. No other damage to report, the modifications to my hull integrity seem to be working remarkably well."
"Of course they are, *I* am a genius!" Harper exclaimed as he ducked under his counsel. "And don't sound so surprised, when has something I've invented *not* worked?"
The hologram began ticking off items from her infallible memory banks but stopped when Dylan gave her a look that said *Don't go there* She turned her attention back to the enemy ships.
"Andromeda, open a communications channel." Dylan requested.
"No response." Andromeda's alter ego stated from a screen directly in front of Dylan.
"All right, then, Tyr, standard defensive and offensive salvos on my mark. Mark!"
"Aye Captain." Tyr grinned ferally. *Finally* he thought. He began firing upon the Dragan ships with carefully concealed glee. There was nothing more satisfying to the Kodiak than the fall of an enemy at his own hands. Especially when that enemy was a Dragan.
"The Drago-Katsov ships have been destroyed." The hologram reported.
Harper popped back up from under his station, "I've jury-rigged the sensors, they'll work but I'll have to go down eventually and repair them manually." He noticed the stand-down from battle, "What? It's over already? Not that I'm complaining but, those were *Dragans* right?"
"Yes, Mr. Harper," Dylan said, still looking at his displays, searching for more ships. "I don't think they were searching for us. There were only three of them, they weren't heavily armed and their attack was confused and hurried. I think it was all a mistake."
"Mistake or no, I'm glad it's over! Um...boss? I think we have a little unfinished business?" Harper was practically bouncing with anticipation. With the battle over, there was only one thought on his mind...well...two thoughts.
"Yes, Mr. Harper, we do. Tyr you have command." Dylan joined Harper and together they exited leaving Tyr slightly perplexed.
"Ship, is there something I should know?" Tyr demanded.
Andromeda just shook her virtual head, "You're not going to believe this," She said as she explained the recent events to Tyr.
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