Part Ten
Beka was shocked when she saw how many humans stretched across the hanger.
"if you like to have a look and pull forward anything that pleases you Miss August. Then maybe we can negotiate." Lane told her, gesturing down the line.
As she walked Beka studied the humans, keeping up the act. She couldn't help wondering if any of these people had known Harper on Earth.
Knowing it would look strange if she just pulled Harper from the crowd Beka chose a couple of other short blond males to step forward. Finally she saw Harper. He was pale and had an arm wrapped protectively round his chest. Because he was paler then normal the purple bruise on his face looked like it would jump forward. What scared Beka most however was how he was standing; he didn't even look up, kept his eyes down like the others. He seemed to have lost the cocky edge she knew so well. He was leaning heavily against the wall and they guy beside him had one hand supporting his elbow. The dark haired guy glared at Beka, almost daring her to say anything.
Beka bit down her anger, not wanting to believe that someone had done this to her friend.
"Look up at me" She commanded, keeping up the act. She saw Harpers face change as he heard her voice, but the hope and shock were gone by the time he looked up.
Turning to Lane who stood beside her Beka said.
"I would like him taken to my quarters to examine him further."
Lane took the hidden meaning she put into the words and two guards came forward, holding Harpers arms and dragging him out the door.
Beka walked through the rest of the humans as quickly as possible, wanting to reassure her friend and get him back to the Andromeda.
Finally she was led back to her quarters. She spotted Harper, hands behind his back tied to a heavy cabinet. His head was bent down and his teeth clenched together and eyes screwed shut in pain.
Quietly she whispered "Seamus?"
She saw him let out a shaky breathe when he heard her voice, relief flooding through him.
He looked up at her, blue eyes shining and tried to give her a grin. Beka smiled back though she didn't quite feel it and quietly untied him.
Once untied she pulled her friend in to a hug but let go at once when she let out a cry of pain. She flooded with concern as she looked at him.
"Are you okay? What hurts?"
Harper gave her a grin again, the same grin he always gave when there was something wrong. "Nothing boss just banged my ribs a little."
Beka scowled at the lie and wordlessly lifted his black T-shirt, forcing herself to ignore any winces of pain and she focussed only on the injures. His chest was covered in bruises and she could see the out lines of boot prints and hands.
"Harper, what happened" she said
"It's nothing" Harper muttered pulling down his T-shirt, "Nothing"
Beka let it go, raising an eyebrow. She fished around in one of her bags, finding the first aid bag ad supplies. She sat Harper on the bed and scanned his chest, scowling at the readings as they showed he had broken and cracked ribs. Quickly she prepared a syringe and moved forward to inject him. Harper moved back on the bed, panic in his eyes and Beka stopped.
"It's okay, it's okay. Seamus it's just some nano-bots. I wanna fix your ribs"
Harper swallowed, embarrassed by his fear. "Sorry Bek" he muttered as she gave him the injection.
He shivered as he watched her, unbelieving she was there.
After a few moments of silence while Beka packed away the med-kit he said,
"Beka what the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to get you, why do you think" Beka said not looking up.
Harper jumped, before he could answer, as the door crashed open. Beka spun round hand reaching for her hidden weapon but froze when she saw how many Neitzschen's stood before them. She kept her hands open at her sides and out of the corner of her eye she watched Harper. He was still sitting on the bed, hands gripping the edge which was making his knuckles turn white.
Lane however ignored the young human and stood in front of Beka.
"You nearly fooled us Captain Valentine" he said, cruel smile playing across his lips.
Beka scowled at the Neitzschen "Guess your smarter then you look" she muttered.
The smile vanished from Lanes face and he advanced on the captain, a knife in hand. "I'd be careful what you say if I were you." Lane snapped.
"Leave her alone" Harper yelled, suddenly jumping forward and standing in front of Beka, pulling himself to his full height.
Lane laughed, grabbing Harpers collar, pulling the human forward and knocking him towards the guards who held his arms tight.
Beka's jaw tightened as she watched how her friend was treated but there was nothing she could do as more guards came forward. Gripping her arms so tight that she knew it would bruise. Beka was quickly searched, her weapons left on a pile on the bed.
Looking at the weapons Lane gave her a bemused smile before backhanding the young captain. Beka stayed on her feet at the Neitzschen's her and she heard Harper swear and Lane laugh.
Turning back to his men Lane ordered
"Take the kludges to a high security cell and make sure they won't be able to escape."
The two crew mates were marched through the station. They stopped outside a plain door and Harper was pushed inside followed by Beka who skidded on her knees. Harper managed to stop his momentum on the wall and was now muttering "Crap, crap, crap" to himself.
Some colour had returned to his pale cheeks and Beka guessed the nano-bots had done a lot of work on his damaged ribs.
Pushing herself to her feet the captain walked over to her friend.
"Harper calm down" she ordered gently
He stopped and looked up at her "Calm? How can I be calm? Do you know what they could do to us?"
"No I don't" Beka said quietly "But I do know I need you with me on this. I need my good-looking genius engineer okay?"
He swallowed, pushing down his fear and nodded slowly "Okay, okay. Sorry boss"
"Don't be sorry. How are you feeling" Beka asked
"Better" Harper said taking a deep breath now that his ribs would allow it. "So do you have a plan?"
Beka gave a small smile "The plan was to come and get you."
Harper grinned at Beka's sheepish smile.
The two friends fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Sitting next to each other with their backs against the wall, shoulders touching gently. Finally Harper broke the silence looking over at his captain. With a confused look the engineer asked
"Boss?"
"Yeah Harper?" she said
"What's with your hair?"
Beka was shocked when she saw how many humans stretched across the hanger.
"if you like to have a look and pull forward anything that pleases you Miss August. Then maybe we can negotiate." Lane told her, gesturing down the line.
As she walked Beka studied the humans, keeping up the act. She couldn't help wondering if any of these people had known Harper on Earth.
Knowing it would look strange if she just pulled Harper from the crowd Beka chose a couple of other short blond males to step forward. Finally she saw Harper. He was pale and had an arm wrapped protectively round his chest. Because he was paler then normal the purple bruise on his face looked like it would jump forward. What scared Beka most however was how he was standing; he didn't even look up, kept his eyes down like the others. He seemed to have lost the cocky edge she knew so well. He was leaning heavily against the wall and they guy beside him had one hand supporting his elbow. The dark haired guy glared at Beka, almost daring her to say anything.
Beka bit down her anger, not wanting to believe that someone had done this to her friend.
"Look up at me" She commanded, keeping up the act. She saw Harpers face change as he heard her voice, but the hope and shock were gone by the time he looked up.
Turning to Lane who stood beside her Beka said.
"I would like him taken to my quarters to examine him further."
Lane took the hidden meaning she put into the words and two guards came forward, holding Harpers arms and dragging him out the door.
Beka walked through the rest of the humans as quickly as possible, wanting to reassure her friend and get him back to the Andromeda.
Finally she was led back to her quarters. She spotted Harper, hands behind his back tied to a heavy cabinet. His head was bent down and his teeth clenched together and eyes screwed shut in pain.
Quietly she whispered "Seamus?"
She saw him let out a shaky breathe when he heard her voice, relief flooding through him.
He looked up at her, blue eyes shining and tried to give her a grin. Beka smiled back though she didn't quite feel it and quietly untied him.
Once untied she pulled her friend in to a hug but let go at once when she let out a cry of pain. She flooded with concern as she looked at him.
"Are you okay? What hurts?"
Harper gave her a grin again, the same grin he always gave when there was something wrong. "Nothing boss just banged my ribs a little."
Beka scowled at the lie and wordlessly lifted his black T-shirt, forcing herself to ignore any winces of pain and she focussed only on the injures. His chest was covered in bruises and she could see the out lines of boot prints and hands.
"Harper, what happened" she said
"It's nothing" Harper muttered pulling down his T-shirt, "Nothing"
Beka let it go, raising an eyebrow. She fished around in one of her bags, finding the first aid bag ad supplies. She sat Harper on the bed and scanned his chest, scowling at the readings as they showed he had broken and cracked ribs. Quickly she prepared a syringe and moved forward to inject him. Harper moved back on the bed, panic in his eyes and Beka stopped.
"It's okay, it's okay. Seamus it's just some nano-bots. I wanna fix your ribs"
Harper swallowed, embarrassed by his fear. "Sorry Bek" he muttered as she gave him the injection.
He shivered as he watched her, unbelieving she was there.
After a few moments of silence while Beka packed away the med-kit he said,
"Beka what the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to get you, why do you think" Beka said not looking up.
Harper jumped, before he could answer, as the door crashed open. Beka spun round hand reaching for her hidden weapon but froze when she saw how many Neitzschen's stood before them. She kept her hands open at her sides and out of the corner of her eye she watched Harper. He was still sitting on the bed, hands gripping the edge which was making his knuckles turn white.
Lane however ignored the young human and stood in front of Beka.
"You nearly fooled us Captain Valentine" he said, cruel smile playing across his lips.
Beka scowled at the Neitzschen "Guess your smarter then you look" she muttered.
The smile vanished from Lanes face and he advanced on the captain, a knife in hand. "I'd be careful what you say if I were you." Lane snapped.
"Leave her alone" Harper yelled, suddenly jumping forward and standing in front of Beka, pulling himself to his full height.
Lane laughed, grabbing Harpers collar, pulling the human forward and knocking him towards the guards who held his arms tight.
Beka's jaw tightened as she watched how her friend was treated but there was nothing she could do as more guards came forward. Gripping her arms so tight that she knew it would bruise. Beka was quickly searched, her weapons left on a pile on the bed.
Looking at the weapons Lane gave her a bemused smile before backhanding the young captain. Beka stayed on her feet at the Neitzschen's her and she heard Harper swear and Lane laugh.
Turning back to his men Lane ordered
"Take the kludges to a high security cell and make sure they won't be able to escape."
The two crew mates were marched through the station. They stopped outside a plain door and Harper was pushed inside followed by Beka who skidded on her knees. Harper managed to stop his momentum on the wall and was now muttering "Crap, crap, crap" to himself.
Some colour had returned to his pale cheeks and Beka guessed the nano-bots had done a lot of work on his damaged ribs.
Pushing herself to her feet the captain walked over to her friend.
"Harper calm down" she ordered gently
He stopped and looked up at her "Calm? How can I be calm? Do you know what they could do to us?"
"No I don't" Beka said quietly "But I do know I need you with me on this. I need my good-looking genius engineer okay?"
He swallowed, pushing down his fear and nodded slowly "Okay, okay. Sorry boss"
"Don't be sorry. How are you feeling" Beka asked
"Better" Harper said taking a deep breath now that his ribs would allow it. "So do you have a plan?"
Beka gave a small smile "The plan was to come and get you."
Harper grinned at Beka's sheepish smile.
The two friends fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Sitting next to each other with their backs against the wall, shoulders touching gently. Finally Harper broke the silence looking over at his captain. With a confused look the engineer asked
"Boss?"
"Yeah Harper?" she said
"What's with your hair?"