Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or its characters and am making no money
off of this story. Boo hoo.
A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews. Please continue to read and revue.
************************************************************************
Chapter 3
Beka had even considered telling Harper about her plans and bringing him in on her revenge mission. But that would have meant also telling Harper about the disk and his reaction to it. Right now Beka didn't have the courage to tell Harper, knowing she was to blame for Harper having to see the death of his parents on that disk. Maybe someday the time would be right and Beka would find the courage.
A few minutes later Beka exited the slipstream and shut off the slipstream drive. She looked out of Maru's window and stared at Earth. It was a rather beautiful planet when viewed from this distance. From this distance nobody could see the ugliness that was on the planet's surface.
***
Trance was about to go after Harper when Dylan called her over. Trance took a last look back at the engineer before trotting over to her captain.
Dylan looked down at the golden alien and saw the compassion in her eyes. "Trance, I need your help with Harper."
"Of course, I'll do anything to help Harper," Trance promised.
Dylan smiled down at the alien. "Good. You might have noticed that Harper is upset right now. Beka is going off on a supply run and Harper is suspicious that something is bothering her. I reaffirmed to Harper the excuse Beka gave him, but Harper still didn't buy it."
Trace frowned at the High Guard captain. "Harper knows Beka too well to be fooled. I imagine Harper wants to go with Beka."
Dylan nodded his head and ran a hand through his hair. "He did. That's why he's was upset just now. I would like you to talk to Harper and see if you can get him to talk about his nightmare. I don't know what his nightmare was about last night, but I bet it will come back tonight. Harper is worried about Beka and I think that might trigger another nightmare. If that happens Harper will need somebody to talk to with Beka gone."
The golden skinned alien smiled sweetly at Dylan as she protested. "Dylan, I don't believe I am the one Harper should be confiding in. Harper has always trusted Beka and confided in her the most of any of us and I can't replace Beka as his confidant. I think you should let Harper go with Beka."
Dylan glared at Trance. He didn't know what to say. Dylan was trying to keep Harper and Beka apart and now Trance had just suggested the opposite. "Trance, I don't think it's a good idea to let Harper see Beka right now. Beka is tearing her guts out with guilt over finding the disk on Mantu. Seeing Harper will only make her guilt worse. I can only imagine what the consequence of that would be and I don't want to see Beka hurting any more than she already is."
Trance understood Dylan's dilemma. The golden woman didn't like seeing Beka hurting and didn't want to her hurt even more. She didn't want Harper to be reminded that he had seen his parents' death on the disk either. But Trance knew what had to be done. "Dylan, trust me. The only person who can help ease Beka's guilt is Harper. Ever since Harper joined Beka's crew, Beka has always been there for Harper when he needed her. Now she needs him and you won't let him. How do you think he feels? Beka isn't going away to deal with her guilt, she's running away from her guilt."
The High Guard captain thought a moment and had to admit Trance had a point and not the point at the tip of her dainty ears. Before Dylan could respond to the alien woman Holo Rommie materialized in front of him.
"Dylan, my sensors have detected slipstream. Beka has already left for San- Ska-Re," the hologram announced.
Trance sighed and looked at the floor. She had hoped she was in time. "Dylan, I don't think Beka is going to San-Ska-Re."
The High Guard officer looked at Trance and was about question the alien, but thought better of it. Instead, Dylan turned to Holo Rommie. "Let's see if you're right Trance. Rommie where is Beka headed?"
The hologram blinked several times as she retrieved the necessary data. "My sensors indicate the Maru traveled the slipstream to Earth."
Trance's eyes betrayed the feeling of sadness she was feeling. Trance had wanted to be wrong but knew she wasn't. The alien knew that Beka taking the Eureka Maru to Earth would only lead to trouble.
Dylan looked back to the golden-skinned woman, surprised that her face was absent a smug look. That could only mean Trance was worried and if Trance was worried then Dylan decided it was time for him to start worrying as well. "Why would Beka go to Earth? And more importantly, why would she lie about it?"
Holo Rommie merely frowned at the question. She had her suspicions, but before she could enlighten her captain, Dylan appeared to have figured it out.
"I think I just came up with a reason why Beka would lie about taking the Maru to Earth, and I don't like it. Beka is after revenge is she Trance?"
Trance looked down at deck below her feet. "I'm afraid our Beka plans to attempt to kill Burko."
Dylan clenched his fists. Beka could be so stubborn and infuriating. "Killing Burko won't take away the guilt she's feeling."
Trance had to agree. "This is not the way I had hoped Beka would deal with her guilt. I was hoping I we all could convince her in time. This is why I wanted Harper to speak with Beka."
Dylan grabbed Trance by the arm and started walking. "Maybe it's still
not too late."
Dylan led Trance down the back down the corridor in the same direction
he had last seen
Harper disappear.
***
Harper was heading for the docking bay when AI Rommie caught up with him. Harper was about to tell the avatar to take a flying leap off of herself when Rommie spoke up first.
Rommie knew what she had to say wouldn't improve the engineer's mood but decided to go ahead. Harper would find out soon enough anyway. "Harper Beka has already left on the Maru,"
Harper looked as if he would attack the AI at any second. Dylan and Trance arrived just then, distracting Harper from his anger.
"Mr. Harper, I'm going to need you to go on a mission right away," The captain announced.
Harper really didn't feel like going on a mission right now and was planning to tell Dylan where the High Guard captain could stick the mission. "I'm sorry Dylan, but you're gonna have to get somebody else to go. Right now I have my own mission."
"How do you know your mission and mine aren't the same?" Dylan asked.
AI Rommie and Harper shared confused looks, but Trance looked as if she knew what the captain was up to.
Finally Harper figured what Dylan had meant. "You mean you're giving me permission to go after Beka?" He had expected Dylan to argue like the captain had earlier. Harper looked at Trance and just knew his golden goddess had something to do with it.
Dylan nodded his head which earned him a stern look from AI Rommie. Rommie was protective of her crew, especially her engineer.
"Great. I'll get a slipfighter and be in San-Ska-Re in no time," Harper enthused.
Dylan sighed deeply. This wasn't going to be easy to explain. "Harper, Beka didn't go to San-Ska-Re. She went to Earth."
"Dylan, Are you sure Harper should go?" Rommie questioned. "I didn't have a very favorable impression of Earth my last visit there with Harper. If the Nietzscheans capture Harper they would execute him."
"They'd have to catch me first Rom-Doll," Harper retorted smugly. He didn't care how many Nietzscheans he had to face to help Beka. Suddenly, a frown crossed the engineer's face a question came to his mind. "Dylan, why would Beka take the Maru to Earth and lie about where she was going?"
"You'll have to ask Beka. Now don't just stand there Mr. Harper; you have a mission so get a move on," Dylan ordered the engineer. Dylan mentally berated himself. The High Guard captain wasn't in the habit of passing the buck like that.
Harper didn't need any further motivation and left his three crewmates as he quickly made his way to the slipstream fighters.
A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews. Please continue to read and revue.
************************************************************************
Chapter 3
Beka had even considered telling Harper about her plans and bringing him in on her revenge mission. But that would have meant also telling Harper about the disk and his reaction to it. Right now Beka didn't have the courage to tell Harper, knowing she was to blame for Harper having to see the death of his parents on that disk. Maybe someday the time would be right and Beka would find the courage.
A few minutes later Beka exited the slipstream and shut off the slipstream drive. She looked out of Maru's window and stared at Earth. It was a rather beautiful planet when viewed from this distance. From this distance nobody could see the ugliness that was on the planet's surface.
***
Trance was about to go after Harper when Dylan called her over. Trance took a last look back at the engineer before trotting over to her captain.
Dylan looked down at the golden alien and saw the compassion in her eyes. "Trance, I need your help with Harper."
"Of course, I'll do anything to help Harper," Trance promised.
Dylan smiled down at the alien. "Good. You might have noticed that Harper is upset right now. Beka is going off on a supply run and Harper is suspicious that something is bothering her. I reaffirmed to Harper the excuse Beka gave him, but Harper still didn't buy it."
Trace frowned at the High Guard captain. "Harper knows Beka too well to be fooled. I imagine Harper wants to go with Beka."
Dylan nodded his head and ran a hand through his hair. "He did. That's why he's was upset just now. I would like you to talk to Harper and see if you can get him to talk about his nightmare. I don't know what his nightmare was about last night, but I bet it will come back tonight. Harper is worried about Beka and I think that might trigger another nightmare. If that happens Harper will need somebody to talk to with Beka gone."
The golden skinned alien smiled sweetly at Dylan as she protested. "Dylan, I don't believe I am the one Harper should be confiding in. Harper has always trusted Beka and confided in her the most of any of us and I can't replace Beka as his confidant. I think you should let Harper go with Beka."
Dylan glared at Trance. He didn't know what to say. Dylan was trying to keep Harper and Beka apart and now Trance had just suggested the opposite. "Trance, I don't think it's a good idea to let Harper see Beka right now. Beka is tearing her guts out with guilt over finding the disk on Mantu. Seeing Harper will only make her guilt worse. I can only imagine what the consequence of that would be and I don't want to see Beka hurting any more than she already is."
Trance understood Dylan's dilemma. The golden woman didn't like seeing Beka hurting and didn't want to her hurt even more. She didn't want Harper to be reminded that he had seen his parents' death on the disk either. But Trance knew what had to be done. "Dylan, trust me. The only person who can help ease Beka's guilt is Harper. Ever since Harper joined Beka's crew, Beka has always been there for Harper when he needed her. Now she needs him and you won't let him. How do you think he feels? Beka isn't going away to deal with her guilt, she's running away from her guilt."
The High Guard captain thought a moment and had to admit Trance had a point and not the point at the tip of her dainty ears. Before Dylan could respond to the alien woman Holo Rommie materialized in front of him.
"Dylan, my sensors have detected slipstream. Beka has already left for San- Ska-Re," the hologram announced.
Trance sighed and looked at the floor. She had hoped she was in time. "Dylan, I don't think Beka is going to San-Ska-Re."
The High Guard officer looked at Trance and was about question the alien, but thought better of it. Instead, Dylan turned to Holo Rommie. "Let's see if you're right Trance. Rommie where is Beka headed?"
The hologram blinked several times as she retrieved the necessary data. "My sensors indicate the Maru traveled the slipstream to Earth."
Trance's eyes betrayed the feeling of sadness she was feeling. Trance had wanted to be wrong but knew she wasn't. The alien knew that Beka taking the Eureka Maru to Earth would only lead to trouble.
Dylan looked back to the golden-skinned woman, surprised that her face was absent a smug look. That could only mean Trance was worried and if Trance was worried then Dylan decided it was time for him to start worrying as well. "Why would Beka go to Earth? And more importantly, why would she lie about it?"
Holo Rommie merely frowned at the question. She had her suspicions, but before she could enlighten her captain, Dylan appeared to have figured it out.
"I think I just came up with a reason why Beka would lie about taking the Maru to Earth, and I don't like it. Beka is after revenge is she Trance?"
Trance looked down at deck below her feet. "I'm afraid our Beka plans to attempt to kill Burko."
Dylan clenched his fists. Beka could be so stubborn and infuriating. "Killing Burko won't take away the guilt she's feeling."
Trance had to agree. "This is not the way I had hoped Beka would deal with her guilt. I was hoping I we all could convince her in time. This is why I wanted Harper to speak with Beka."
Dylan grabbed Trance by the arm and started walking. "Maybe it's still
not too late."
Dylan led Trance down the back down the corridor in the same direction
he had last seen
Harper disappear.
***
Harper was heading for the docking bay when AI Rommie caught up with him. Harper was about to tell the avatar to take a flying leap off of herself when Rommie spoke up first.
Rommie knew what she had to say wouldn't improve the engineer's mood but decided to go ahead. Harper would find out soon enough anyway. "Harper Beka has already left on the Maru,"
Harper looked as if he would attack the AI at any second. Dylan and Trance arrived just then, distracting Harper from his anger.
"Mr. Harper, I'm going to need you to go on a mission right away," The captain announced.
Harper really didn't feel like going on a mission right now and was planning to tell Dylan where the High Guard captain could stick the mission. "I'm sorry Dylan, but you're gonna have to get somebody else to go. Right now I have my own mission."
"How do you know your mission and mine aren't the same?" Dylan asked.
AI Rommie and Harper shared confused looks, but Trance looked as if she knew what the captain was up to.
Finally Harper figured what Dylan had meant. "You mean you're giving me permission to go after Beka?" He had expected Dylan to argue like the captain had earlier. Harper looked at Trance and just knew his golden goddess had something to do with it.
Dylan nodded his head which earned him a stern look from AI Rommie. Rommie was protective of her crew, especially her engineer.
"Great. I'll get a slipfighter and be in San-Ska-Re in no time," Harper enthused.
Dylan sighed deeply. This wasn't going to be easy to explain. "Harper, Beka didn't go to San-Ska-Re. She went to Earth."
"Dylan, Are you sure Harper should go?" Rommie questioned. "I didn't have a very favorable impression of Earth my last visit there with Harper. If the Nietzscheans capture Harper they would execute him."
"They'd have to catch me first Rom-Doll," Harper retorted smugly. He didn't care how many Nietzscheans he had to face to help Beka. Suddenly, a frown crossed the engineer's face a question came to his mind. "Dylan, why would Beka take the Maru to Earth and lie about where she was going?"
"You'll have to ask Beka. Now don't just stand there Mr. Harper; you have a mission so get a move on," Dylan ordered the engineer. Dylan mentally berated himself. The High Guard captain wasn't in the habit of passing the buck like that.
Harper didn't need any further motivation and left his three crewmates as he quickly made his way to the slipstream fighters.
