Ok, so as this is my End-of-Season-4 story, I have to make up the plot from that season to get it to mush with this story. It's probably nothing like what will happen on the show.

Echoes of future past, part 39

Sen-Tel's eyes widened, "They're in my quarters: take them." Trance smiled, and allowed her farther to drop to the floor, "Thank you, but if you think I trust you to be alone with my ship, or friend, you are very much mistaken." The knife pinning Flux's had to the wall shot across the room, and Trance caught it expertly, "Flux, you will retrieve the Engine of Creation fragments from my fathers quarters while he stays here." She held the bloody knife out, pointing it at Sen-Tel, "Don't be long: it would bode ill for him if I was to get bored." Flux nodded and darted from the room.

Slowly getting to his feet, Sen-Tel looked at his daughter, "You truly are more powerful then you where ten years ago. What happened?" Trance smiled, playing with the knife, "Just before I joined the crew of the Eureka Maru I was approached by what appeared at the time to be a human. She new of my mission, and what Dylan was, and told me what would happen if I was to deliver him to you as planed. She also told me what would happen if you where to ever obtain the complete Engine of Creation. I asked for proof of what she said, and, well, let's say I 'saw the light' as the saying goes. I agreed to help her defeat the Spirit of the Abyss and retrieve the Engine of Creation, in return for a favour, to be replayed when the time was right: She said I would receive 'my hearts true desire' when it is all over."

Trance looked her farther in the eye, "To tell the truth, I would have done it for the chance to get even with you: I never wanted this mission, like I never wanted to join the military: you're right, I am a glorified gardener, but that's what I want to do, all I've ever wanted to do. You wanted me to be a warrior, a General, War Leader!"

Flux returned, pushing a trolley laden with four boxes. Trance smiled, "Good: load them onto the Maru. And don't try anything funny: I can snap your mind without breaking a sweat." Flux hurriedly pushed the trolley up the ramp and into the cargo ship, then ran back out. Sen-Tel looked at Trance as she started to push the gurney holding Rommie back into the ship, "I offer you one last chance to return to your people, one last chance to fulfil your destiny!" Trance turned to face him, "I'll tell you what my destiny is: if I ever see you again, it'll be my destiny to kill you. Leave these galaxies alone: they are under my protection." The airlock slammed shut.

With a shudder, the Maru lifted off and headed back out into space. Several targeting systems tried to lock onto the Maru, but Trance shrouded the ship with a field of interference, keeping them from obtaining a firing solution. With one last look at her former home, Trance took the ship into Slipstream. As she made her way through the cords, she thought to her self, "I'll need some help, and I know just who to ask."

Reverend Bohemian Fartraveller sat mediating, thankful that this Wayist monastery was hard to find: ever since his transformation on Empyrium, he had been hounded by scientists intent on finding out just what he had become. He had been forced to move about from monastery to mission, trying to find somewhere peaceful to reflect on what had happened to him. The soft footsteps from behind brought him back to the real world, "Trance Gemini: It has been to long." Trance smiled, "That it has my friend, that I has. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I need some help, and you are the only one I can turn to." The Wayist got to his feet, "As ever, I seek to serve the divine. What do you need me to do?"

He stood patiently as Trance filled him in on what had happened since they had last met on Empyrium: Tyr's plan to destroy the Drago-Kazov, the battle that had all but destroyed the Commonwealth fleet, the ensuing chaos, Dylan's desperate plan to hold things together long enough to defeat the World Ship, Tyr's return from his self imposed exile, the battles against the Kalderans, Nightsiders, Pyrian's, as they tried to hold everything together, the eventual stalemate that resulted in too much death and destruction on all sides. She then told him of Ryan, his trip back through time, the final attack on the World Ship, Dylan's fight with the Spirit of the Abyss, the bomb, Rommie's injury, and her death, and finally of her own mission to retrieve the Engine of Creation from her people.

Rev Bem nodded, "I understand your reasons, but not why you need my help?" Trance looked at the stars, "It takes to people to activate the Engine of Creation. I don't intend to use it at full power, but even at a lower setting it will, hopefully, be able to do something wonderful." Rev Bem smiled, "Then lead on."

Beka stood at the pilot's station, twiddling her thumbs: with Dylan in a near catatonic state, she was still acting captain. But the Andromeda was dead in the water, her slip-drive off-line, and her sub-light drive low on fuel. Harper was doing his best to fix the problem, but things where still tense. She drummed her fingers on the controls, "Harper, how long till we can get out of here? As much as I love deep space, this is getting real old, real fast."

The Engineers voice came back over the com-system, "Hay, I'm doing my best here, but we really need to book Andromeda in for a tune up: I've got leaking AP-valves, a misaligned slipstream lenses, ruptured power conduits and fractured support beams. We are taking major overhaul her!" Beka nodded, "Ok, I here you, but try and remember, only five shipyards where ever built that could handle a Glorious Heritage class Heavy Cruiser: the main High Guard fleet yards at Tarn-Vedra, the Newport New yards in orbit of Earth, the Sinti Orbital Array, the new Mobius yards and the San-Ska-Re navel yards. New, as Tarn-Vedra is cut off from slipstream, Newport New yards where destroyed during the fall of the first Commonwealth, and our old friend the Balance of Judgment all but destroyed the Sinti Orbital Array, and the Drago-Kazov knocked the Mobius yards out of commission, our only hope is to get to San-Ska-Re and hope that the Than will let us use their facilities."

Andromeda appeared on the main view screen, "Beka, a slip fighter just exited slipstream: Banshee class, Drago-Kazov markings." Beka stood bolt upright, " Drago's? I thought those guys where all but extinct?" Andromeda nodded, "It appears that we where mistaken. The fighter is a reconnaissance model: there is a good chance that it was sent to find us so the remainder of the fleet could catch us alone and unsupported." Beka started punching commands into the controls, "We have to stop it: fire a missile, launch a grapple line, anything, just stop it before it reaches slipstream!" A spread of missile shot out from Andromeda, hunting for the fleeing slip fighter. The smaller craft dodged and weaved, avoiding the missiles. Beka slammed her fist down onto the controls, "Launch another spread!" Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to her, "I cant: those where my last missiles. We are unarmed."

To Be Continued