Chapter 2 The story and an ultamatum
"So what exactly did you do while you were away?" Beka smiled at Rommie, leaning back against the couch. They were in the rec room, relaxing after they had finished unpacking and getting everyone settled in. Emma was asleep on the couch next to her, safely protected within blankets and pillows. They had rearanged the furniture in the area so that everyone was sitting in a small simi-circle. Tyr was to her left next to her on the couch, Rommie directly across from her leaning forward waiting for an answer. Alli was smiling, sitting sideways in her chair legs swung over the arm rest of the chair. Zee and Thorne were sitting next to each other, comfortable within the others presence. Rob was sitting beside Dylan. "What happened first; looking around the room isn't going to help, I want you to answer. That is why I asked you." smiling sweetly across at her.
"You are not making my life any easier." Beka pointed across at her, before relenting and smiling at her, "What do you want to know?"
"What did you do when you left?" Not being deterred by Beka's first statement.
"I went to drift point, the closest one was only a slip away. That's where I met Alli. She was so different, innocent looking, she was also dangerous. I like that about her. I thinkt the first thing that struck me about her was the way she looked, she was so, cute." Alli looked up, smiling as Beka looked over at her before contining. "She was having a few problems and I needed someone that would be able to repair the Maru on a routine basis. She was scared at first, I really couldn't blame her. The prospect of leaving a place you had made your home and going off with what had to be a crazy cargo pilot, was frightening. She aggreed as long as I would protect her from her problems. Which I did, I think I wanted someone to protect since I was used to doing it here and even before here with Harper. And look what I did with him." Harper smiled as he took another sip of his soda.
"And Boss you know that I wouldn't be here with you if you hadn't went and save my ass, I know you didn't have to." Beka nodded.
"I always thought you were. And I guess I was right." Harper looked away looking at the floor. "But I know that even with her being frightened I think that she doesn't regret being on board with the rest of us."
"I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was a scary thought, Beka herself was scary. I mean when I first met her I was working in the cargo bay, fixing things that they always broke on a routine basis. I ended up pissing off the wrong people, and they came to make me pay for my mistakes. Beka could hear me screaming for help, and she just came running in with no concern for herself. She was so fast, so strong. She took all of them out then grabbed my arm and ran. I couldn't do anything I was in shock by being threatened then saved by this crazy woman. When we stopped it was next to the Maru. I wanted to believe that she had helped just out of the kindest of her heart but everyone who had ever helped me, met me had wanted something in returne. I didn't trust anyone, but there was something about her that I just could sense. She just said it was nothing and went to walk away, when she turned around she looked right at me. 'Hey kid try to stay out of trouble there won't always be some person to come to your aid.' I didn't really want her to leave me alone, so I asked if there was anything I could do, anything that she needed. She asked if I knew of any engineers. I was shocked, I didn't know what to say, so I just shrugged, told her I could look around. three days later she showed up again at a local bar, we started talking. I told her that I might have been able to find her engerneer but she is a little shy and doesn't really like space. Beka told me that if she wanted the job to show up at the end of the week, I think that she knew I was talking about myself."
"I wanted to make sure she was alright. She seemed to be a little catuios, closed to anyone I didn't find out until later why. Why she was the way she was at the time and if Alli gets around to tell anyone that is her choice not mine. But Alli was a wonder, a dream come true. I needed someone who would be able to put up with me and she needed someone she could trust. I had to earn it too. But I think I finally got through to her. I know how it feels to not be able to trust anyone. The pain that it can cause and the pain that causes you to do it. Even though I knew that she was talking about herself I didn't let on just told her the deal, and if she wouldn't have shown up I would've left too. I can only help people that want my help." Alli smiled slightly swinging her legs back and forth.
"You were so patient with me and I thank you for that." Rommie saw Beka nod.
"I knew that you were trying to protect yourself, hell I do that to this day." They sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds until Rommie leaned forward again,
"Well what you do after that," Beka opened her mouth to speak as Rommie sat up, eyes closing. Beka immedatily reached over to grab Emma, "Slip opening, they're powering their weaponds." Rob stood up walking over to Beka taking Emma, Rommie watched as he walked with them to command. Beka climbed into her station, looking at the read outs. Announcing the sitution to everyone.
"10 ships, Nietzschean, Drago-Kasvo pride." She rang out quickly seeing Rob go to sit down on the floor, holding Emma, he was good with hand to hand combat but when it came to ships he hated them, he liked to live on them, good medic, but he nothing about anything. Alli slid into one of the access. Thorne stepped up next to Tyr, who nodded in consent. Zee stood back waiting for the fighting to begin.
"What the hell?" Beka looked up as the ships opened fire on the Andromeda. "I can't get us out of this. We're trapped Dylan,"
"Tyr. Return fire."
"Returning fire." Rommie watched as the missles were launched and were picked off one by one none of them connecting with the targets.
"Rommie, explain."
"They are using a blocking mechanism I don't know...I just don't know. Prepare for impact." Dylan looked over as Beka was blown from the pilots chair, her right arm burned from where the feedback in the station hit her. Zee walked over to her, adminstrationg first aid, Thorne looked back at her as Trance came in.
"Recieving message."
"Surrender the child and mother and you will be allowed to leave. You have 2 hours and not a second more."
"So what exactly did you do while you were away?" Beka smiled at Rommie, leaning back against the couch. They were in the rec room, relaxing after they had finished unpacking and getting everyone settled in. Emma was asleep on the couch next to her, safely protected within blankets and pillows. They had rearanged the furniture in the area so that everyone was sitting in a small simi-circle. Tyr was to her left next to her on the couch, Rommie directly across from her leaning forward waiting for an answer. Alli was smiling, sitting sideways in her chair legs swung over the arm rest of the chair. Zee and Thorne were sitting next to each other, comfortable within the others presence. Rob was sitting beside Dylan. "What happened first; looking around the room isn't going to help, I want you to answer. That is why I asked you." smiling sweetly across at her.
"You are not making my life any easier." Beka pointed across at her, before relenting and smiling at her, "What do you want to know?"
"What did you do when you left?" Not being deterred by Beka's first statement.
"I went to drift point, the closest one was only a slip away. That's where I met Alli. She was so different, innocent looking, she was also dangerous. I like that about her. I thinkt the first thing that struck me about her was the way she looked, she was so, cute." Alli looked up, smiling as Beka looked over at her before contining. "She was having a few problems and I needed someone that would be able to repair the Maru on a routine basis. She was scared at first, I really couldn't blame her. The prospect of leaving a place you had made your home and going off with what had to be a crazy cargo pilot, was frightening. She aggreed as long as I would protect her from her problems. Which I did, I think I wanted someone to protect since I was used to doing it here and even before here with Harper. And look what I did with him." Harper smiled as he took another sip of his soda.
"And Boss you know that I wouldn't be here with you if you hadn't went and save my ass, I know you didn't have to." Beka nodded.
"I always thought you were. And I guess I was right." Harper looked away looking at the floor. "But I know that even with her being frightened I think that she doesn't regret being on board with the rest of us."
"I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was a scary thought, Beka herself was scary. I mean when I first met her I was working in the cargo bay, fixing things that they always broke on a routine basis. I ended up pissing off the wrong people, and they came to make me pay for my mistakes. Beka could hear me screaming for help, and she just came running in with no concern for herself. She was so fast, so strong. She took all of them out then grabbed my arm and ran. I couldn't do anything I was in shock by being threatened then saved by this crazy woman. When we stopped it was next to the Maru. I wanted to believe that she had helped just out of the kindest of her heart but everyone who had ever helped me, met me had wanted something in returne. I didn't trust anyone, but there was something about her that I just could sense. She just said it was nothing and went to walk away, when she turned around she looked right at me. 'Hey kid try to stay out of trouble there won't always be some person to come to your aid.' I didn't really want her to leave me alone, so I asked if there was anything I could do, anything that she needed. She asked if I knew of any engineers. I was shocked, I didn't know what to say, so I just shrugged, told her I could look around. three days later she showed up again at a local bar, we started talking. I told her that I might have been able to find her engerneer but she is a little shy and doesn't really like space. Beka told me that if she wanted the job to show up at the end of the week, I think that she knew I was talking about myself."
"I wanted to make sure she was alright. She seemed to be a little catuios, closed to anyone I didn't find out until later why. Why she was the way she was at the time and if Alli gets around to tell anyone that is her choice not mine. But Alli was a wonder, a dream come true. I needed someone who would be able to put up with me and she needed someone she could trust. I had to earn it too. But I think I finally got through to her. I know how it feels to not be able to trust anyone. The pain that it can cause and the pain that causes you to do it. Even though I knew that she was talking about herself I didn't let on just told her the deal, and if she wouldn't have shown up I would've left too. I can only help people that want my help." Alli smiled slightly swinging her legs back and forth.
"You were so patient with me and I thank you for that." Rommie saw Beka nod.
"I knew that you were trying to protect yourself, hell I do that to this day." They sat in a comfortable silence for a few seconds until Rommie leaned forward again,
"Well what you do after that," Beka opened her mouth to speak as Rommie sat up, eyes closing. Beka immedatily reached over to grab Emma, "Slip opening, they're powering their weaponds." Rob stood up walking over to Beka taking Emma, Rommie watched as he walked with them to command. Beka climbed into her station, looking at the read outs. Announcing the sitution to everyone.
"10 ships, Nietzschean, Drago-Kasvo pride." She rang out quickly seeing Rob go to sit down on the floor, holding Emma, he was good with hand to hand combat but when it came to ships he hated them, he liked to live on them, good medic, but he nothing about anything. Alli slid into one of the access. Thorne stepped up next to Tyr, who nodded in consent. Zee stood back waiting for the fighting to begin.
"What the hell?" Beka looked up as the ships opened fire on the Andromeda. "I can't get us out of this. We're trapped Dylan,"
"Tyr. Return fire."
"Returning fire." Rommie watched as the missles were launched and were picked off one by one none of them connecting with the targets.
"Rommie, explain."
"They are using a blocking mechanism I don't know...I just don't know. Prepare for impact." Dylan looked over as Beka was blown from the pilots chair, her right arm burned from where the feedback in the station hit her. Zee walked over to her, adminstrationg first aid, Thorne looked back at her as Trance came in.
"Recieving message."
"Surrender the child and mother and you will be allowed to leave. You have 2 hours and not a second more."