Echoes of future past, part 22

Rommie took a few sidesteps so that she was standing next to Trance. She looked at the golden-skinned alien, a smile on her lips, "So, you and Harper huh?" Trace smiled back, "I got tired of waiting for him to make the first move, and decided to take to offensive. I didn't get the impression that he minded all that much." Rommie nodded, "Harper's feelings for you have always been strong: that's why he was a little, shall we say 'upset' when you swapped places with your old self." Trance nodded, "I know: I missed him. I mean, I missed all of you, but I missed Harper the most." Rommie nodded, "I understand."

Dylan stood behind the pilots seat as Ryan brought the Maru out of slipstream at the first transit point, "I must say I'm impressed with how you handle slipstream." Ryan smiled, "Hay, I've been flying the cords since I was old enough to reach both controls at the same time. When you have a few trillion Magog on your tail, you get good or you get eaten." Tyr smiled, "You certainly have your mothers affinity for this ship." Dylan turned to face the Nietzschean, "I'm glad to see the two of you have patched things up: I was thinking of havening you transferred to another ship it was so bad." Tyr smiled again, "I assure you Captain Hunt, that had you tried you would have suffered an unfortunate accident before the paper work want through."

"And you would have suffered a painful death soon after that, Mr Anasazi." Came the voice from behind. Try and Dylan looked round to see Rommie standing in the hatchway, one hand on her forcelance. Dylan smiled, "What was it you told me once: pray that no harm ever comes to that ship of mine because it's the only thing in the universe that could protect me from you?" Tyr grinned, "Yes, well, having her romantically involved with you dose change things a little: I will have to remember that before I threaten you again." Rommie laughed, "I'll deal with you later."

With a shudder, Ryan brought the Maru out of slipstream, and unbuckled the restraints holding him in the pilots seat, "Ok, next slip 'ill take us to Magog central, and it's game time from then on. Anything you want to do before the fun begins, do it now." He looked at Dylan and Rommie, "And there are limits as to what I mean by 'anything'." The two of them blushed as Ryan headed off to the crew quarters and the bathroom beyond. Trance started running the last few checks on the Maru's systems while Dylan, Rommie and Tyr started checking their various weapons and unpacked the Lancer armour that they would wear while on the World Ship.

Ryan strolled back into the cockpit, a gun-belt now securely tight around his waist, twin large calibre Gauss-pistols hanging off it, and a forcelance strapped to his lower thigh. He grabbed his armour, weighed it in his hands, and with a shrugged, rested it against the pilots seat. He sat down and gripped the controls tightly, "If anyone has anything they'd like to say, now's the time." They looked at each other, no one saying a word. Ryan shrugged, "Well, don't say later that I didn't give you the chance."

Dylan found himself taking Rommie's hand in his as the Maru made the final trancit to slipstream.

TBC