The Hunter, part 19
Dylan sat in his office, almost comatose: he'd lost her again. He had finally worked out how he felt for her, and he'd lost her, maybe for good this time. If only she'd stayed they could have found a way out of it, they could have been together.
He didn't hear Andromeda when she called to him. She tried again, but still he didn't' respond. In the end she gave up, and her holographic form appeared before him, "Dylan!" He looked up in shock, "Huh? What did you say?" Andromeda's eyes fell slightly, "Harper reports that the slipstream drive is back on-line."
Dylan nodded, "Ok, tell Beka to set course for New St. Petersburg. I'll be up later." Andromeda looked at him with concern, "Dylan, it's not your fault she ran again." Dylan shook his head, "I told her I'd arrange a pardon for her and Dex, but what dose she see as soon as she steps through the airlock? A squad of Lancers there to take her into custody." Andromeda took a step closer, "Dylan, I scanned the Argo when we first brought it aboard: it has enough firepower to take out a Nietzschean Destroyer, yet they deliberately avoided using it: They used electro-static mines to stop the Slipfighter's, and the missile they used to disable my slipdrive could have done serious damage to an inhabited section, probably even killed people."
Dylan looked up, "So what are you saying?" Andromeda smiled softly, "I think that despite everything, Rommie still loves you." Dylan shock his head, "It's not enough: twice I've hurt her in ways I can never make up for, no mater what I could try." His eyes met those of the hologram, "I love her: I realised that on New St. Petersburg. I love her, and I told her so. She admitted she still loved me. We where going to be together, but now I've lost her again."
Andromeda smiled, "I have something for you Dylan." The office door opened, and a service-android stepped through, a flexi in its hand: It placed it on the desk and left. Dylan picked the flexi up, "What's this?" Andromeda smiled again, "I had Harper place a tracker on the Argo when he was getting it ready for the trip to New St. Petersburg: I wanted to make sure that you came back in once piece. That's the frequency you need to follow them through slipstream. The signal should still be strong enough to track, if you leave now."
Dylan jumped to his feet, "I need a ship!" Andromeda stepped out of the way as he headed for the door, "There's a Slipfighter prepped and ready in hanger-one. Good luck Dylan." He stopped, "Tell Beka I'll meet up with the fleet at New St. Petersburg, but this is something I have to do."
The Slipfighter blasted clear of Andromeda and turned to face the slip- portal. Dylan set the tracker to the frequency of the Argo's tracker. He smiled slightly when it picked up a strong signal. He took the ship into slipstream.
TBC
Dylan sat in his office, almost comatose: he'd lost her again. He had finally worked out how he felt for her, and he'd lost her, maybe for good this time. If only she'd stayed they could have found a way out of it, they could have been together.
He didn't hear Andromeda when she called to him. She tried again, but still he didn't' respond. In the end she gave up, and her holographic form appeared before him, "Dylan!" He looked up in shock, "Huh? What did you say?" Andromeda's eyes fell slightly, "Harper reports that the slipstream drive is back on-line."
Dylan nodded, "Ok, tell Beka to set course for New St. Petersburg. I'll be up later." Andromeda looked at him with concern, "Dylan, it's not your fault she ran again." Dylan shook his head, "I told her I'd arrange a pardon for her and Dex, but what dose she see as soon as she steps through the airlock? A squad of Lancers there to take her into custody." Andromeda took a step closer, "Dylan, I scanned the Argo when we first brought it aboard: it has enough firepower to take out a Nietzschean Destroyer, yet they deliberately avoided using it: They used electro-static mines to stop the Slipfighter's, and the missile they used to disable my slipdrive could have done serious damage to an inhabited section, probably even killed people."
Dylan looked up, "So what are you saying?" Andromeda smiled softly, "I think that despite everything, Rommie still loves you." Dylan shock his head, "It's not enough: twice I've hurt her in ways I can never make up for, no mater what I could try." His eyes met those of the hologram, "I love her: I realised that on New St. Petersburg. I love her, and I told her so. She admitted she still loved me. We where going to be together, but now I've lost her again."
Andromeda smiled, "I have something for you Dylan." The office door opened, and a service-android stepped through, a flexi in its hand: It placed it on the desk and left. Dylan picked the flexi up, "What's this?" Andromeda smiled again, "I had Harper place a tracker on the Argo when he was getting it ready for the trip to New St. Petersburg: I wanted to make sure that you came back in once piece. That's the frequency you need to follow them through slipstream. The signal should still be strong enough to track, if you leave now."
Dylan jumped to his feet, "I need a ship!" Andromeda stepped out of the way as he headed for the door, "There's a Slipfighter prepped and ready in hanger-one. Good luck Dylan." He stopped, "Tell Beka I'll meet up with the fleet at New St. Petersburg, but this is something I have to do."
The Slipfighter blasted clear of Andromeda and turned to face the slip- portal. Dylan set the tracker to the frequency of the Argo's tracker. He smiled slightly when it picked up a strong signal. He took the ship into slipstream.
TBC