Gene Roddenberry's

Andromeda

vs

STAR WARS

"All That Glitters..."

"When some looks into

the face of the Devil,

They often see

their own reflection."

-Anonymous

approx. CY 7985

Chapter Two

"The Kafreion System was the home of a High Guard defence station back in the old days, from what I can tell it cost the Nietzscheans four battleships and half a strike fleet trying to take it," Dylan told his crew, "The Magog drove the Neitzscheans from the planet not long after, and when they moved on the planet was left by itself. This despite the fact that it was a key stronghold in the Triangulum Galaxy."

"Yes," Tyr added, "My people had other things to worry about after the Jaguar's betrayal, and the Magog invasions. One small planet was no concern to them."

"Beside that, the Than Hegemony placed the planet under their protection."

"We're transiting into Kafreion," Beka reported, "everybody hold on to something."

Space-time unfolded before the Andromeda Ascendant with the characteristic energies of a transit back into normal space. Lightning continued to flare for a moment on the slipstream rudders as they began to retract back into the ship.

"So here we are," Beka started, "What now?"

"Rommie," Dylan ordered as a response to his first officers flippant question, "Scan the system, lets see if our mysterious friends left any trace for us to follow."

"Scanning," Rommie reported.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Trance asked, her gold skin and warrior outfit still looking somewhat odd to Dylan as he looked down on her."

Dylan considered his answer for a moment.

"Any trace of who they were, why they were here, and where they went," Dylan told her, "Anything that could help us evaluate them and prepare us for any dealings we may have with them."

"Dylan," Rommie called out, "I'm detecting a large mass approximately 2 light-minutes form our current position. Its big, at least 1600 metres long, wedge shaped with a large T-shaped tower structure. It appears to be our ship."

"So much for finding something out about them before hand," Dylan said with some resignation, "Rommie set an intercept course."

Dylan noticed the image Andromeda began to display in the forward monitors, he turned to her lifelike robot avatar as she reported.

"A small tri-winged transport is approaching, two passengers aboard. They are holding station less then 1 light second from our position."

The craft was white with two canted wings hanging below while a third large wing protruded straight up from the main body of the craft. The cockpit was somewhat separated from the main body with a large black canopy dominating that section of the craft."

"We are being hailed," Rommie told them, "The transmission is in common,"

"Let's here it," Dylan ordered.

"Unknown vessel, this is Captian Tealera Meduk of the Imperial Star Destroyer 'Starhammer', identify yourself and declare your intentions immediately, or be destroyed," a strong female voice demanded.

"A little overconfident aren't they," Tyr remarked, "One missile and that shuttle would be reduced to constituent atoms."

"Open a channel," Dylan said, "I'm going to talk with them."

"This is Captian Dylan Hunt of the Systems Commonwealth Heavy Cruiser 'Andromeda Ascendant'. Our intentions were to meet the people who defeated the Magog swarm in the system less then five days ago."

"Stand by," the voice ordered.

"Dylan," Rommie whispered, "I'm detecting some sort of radiation leaking into the electromagnetic band from out of nowhere, it appears to emanating between this shuttle craft and the larger vessel. I believe it may be some form of faster then light communication, that shuttle is relaying our single to the larger craft."

"So the wedge craft is the Starhammer," Dylan reasoned through his surprise, "Very good Rommie, keep analysing that radiation."

"They're transmitting,"

A visual feed opens on the monitor and the image of an attractive middle-aged woman in an olive green uniform appeared behind her a pace too large to fit in that shuttle supported Rommie's theory. She had long dark hair pulled back severely in a tight ponytail. A plaque with six squares arranged in two horizontal rows, one blue layer and one red layer was placed over her left breast, two small cylinders in a little pocket lay above the right breast closer to the shoulder.

"I am Captian Meduk," the strong female voice heard earlier said. Then her brain seemed to catch up as she realized what she was looking at.

"Your human," she gasped.

"Yes, I'm human, and so is most of my crew, I'm Dylan Hunt. Captian, I'd like to speak with you about the actions your people took in this system only a few days ago.

"Would you care to join my crew and I aboard the Andromeda for dinner, I'm interested in learning about your motivations for joining that battle and more about who you are."

Meduk, it seemed, had not yet completely recovered from the discovery of humans aboard alien vessel.

"Captian" Dylan probed, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, of course," she replied seeming to regain her wits quickly, "I would greatly enjoy, joining you for dinner Captian. Perhaps you will allow me a few questions of my own?"

"Certainly Captian," Dylan replied, "Shall we say one hour then."

Dylan turned as the transmission ended and prepared to leave command. As he stepped down from the captain's station he nearly bowled over one of his four hundred new crewman.

"Sorry, Chief," Dylan said after determining that the other was all right. It was going to take some time to get used to having a large crew once again.