* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dylan and Beka entered command deck blasting at Than soldiers. Felix and Harper followed, doing the same. Tyr was fighting with a soldier and seemed to be winning. He gave the soldier one last punch and the soldier was knocked out cold. Trance shot a couple more soldiers. Felix knocked one out with a swift kick and then shot it. Harper and Dylan went right to work trying to get Andromeda's defenses back online. Three more soldiers entered and started firing among the crew. Tyr took them all down with only a few shots.
"Tyr," Dylan said, "guard the entrance to command deck. Beka, you help him. Harper, keep trying to get Rommie's defenses back online. Felix, stay with Harper and Trance. Andromeda, is the General onboard?"
Rommie paused as she did a search of the ship. "Yes, he is."
"Let's page him and see if we can't get this all straightened out."
* *
"General, I'm sure if you contact your weapons dealer, he can tell you what happened," Dylan tried to negotiate with the Than General.
"No," the Than argued back. "No negotiations. This woman is a criminal and must be punished."
"Hey look, you pernicious little devil, I don't know what your problem is, but I didn't make the mistake. I just run whatever the dealer gives me," Felix yelled. "So don't punish me for something your idiot weapons dealer did."
Dylan grabbed her arm before she could leap at the General in a fit of anger. Her fists were clenched and she was ready to fight anybody who tried to take her away. One of the soldiers got nervous and pulled the trigger when Felix shoved passed Dylan. Tyr pulled his gun and started shooting again. Soon they were all shooting at each other and the Than were losing.
Felix stood next to Harper as she shot down some Than soldiers. One of the soldiers took aim at Harper. Felix was prepared to shoot the soldier, but her gun locked up and wouldn't fire. She pushed Harper out of the way of the shot and instead got shot herself in the chest. She fell to the floor with a loud thud and everything seemed to stand still for a moment. All realized she was down and stopped shooting. The Than General called for his men to retreat. Harper took a few shots in anger at the retreating soldiers, but didn't hit any of them. He dropped by Felix's side and grabbed her hand. Trance and Beka also knelt by her side.
"I guess I won't be lonely anymore," Felix said with a gasp. "I'm going to see Mom and Dad."
"No, you're not," Harper said. "Rommie and Trance are gonna fix you up and then you're going to go out and live to be a hundred. You can't die now."
Felix heard Trance sniffle and looked at her. "Trance," she said, "you never told me what species you are."
Trance laughed a little and bent down and whispered something in Felix's ear. Felix smiled and looked at Trance with teary eyes. "Are you really a…" And with that she took her last breath and passed on. Now Trance was crying and Beka had a tear in her eye. Everybody was silent. Harper stood up and stormed out of the command deck.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Trance sat near a window on the observation deck. She gazed at the stars and thought to herself. She hadn't known the girl very well, but she still felt for her death. She knew Harper must have grown attached to her in some way. He locked himself up in machine shop and asked Andromeda to engage privacy mode. That was three hours ago. Now he wandered onto obs deck carrying a Sparky Cola in one hand and a flexi in the other. Trance looked at him with sympathy in her eyes.
"Are you okay, Harper?" she asked sweetly.
He sat down next to her and let out a deep sigh. "It's just… she'd become like the sister I never had over the three days she was here. And she was so young, she didn't deserve to die. I swear, if I ever see that Than again, I'll kill him."
"Killing him won't solve anything. Some people in the universe are meant to live to be very old, while others aren't. That's just the way things work out here." Trance tried her best to calm Harper down. He was really upset.
"And it was in the hands of the Than to decide whether or not Felix lived to be old?"
"Not the Than," Trance said, "but the powers that be."
"You know, you're starting to sound a lot like Rev Bem," Harper laughed.
"Maybe," Trance said. "But maybe that's a good thing. Rev always gave everybody hope when there was none."
Harper looked Trance in the eye. "Thanks, Trance," he said. He gave her a huge hug and she hugged him back. "Aerosmith," he suddenly said loudly. Trance gave him a look, but he said, "Never mind…" He stared at the floor for a moment. "Hey, wait a minute!" he said. "You told Felix what species you are, didn't you?"
"No chance, Harper…" Trance said with an impish smile.
The End
Dylan and Beka entered command deck blasting at Than soldiers. Felix and Harper followed, doing the same. Tyr was fighting with a soldier and seemed to be winning. He gave the soldier one last punch and the soldier was knocked out cold. Trance shot a couple more soldiers. Felix knocked one out with a swift kick and then shot it. Harper and Dylan went right to work trying to get Andromeda's defenses back online. Three more soldiers entered and started firing among the crew. Tyr took them all down with only a few shots.
"Tyr," Dylan said, "guard the entrance to command deck. Beka, you help him. Harper, keep trying to get Rommie's defenses back online. Felix, stay with Harper and Trance. Andromeda, is the General onboard?"
Rommie paused as she did a search of the ship. "Yes, he is."
"Let's page him and see if we can't get this all straightened out."
* *
"General, I'm sure if you contact your weapons dealer, he can tell you what happened," Dylan tried to negotiate with the Than General.
"No," the Than argued back. "No negotiations. This woman is a criminal and must be punished."
"Hey look, you pernicious little devil, I don't know what your problem is, but I didn't make the mistake. I just run whatever the dealer gives me," Felix yelled. "So don't punish me for something your idiot weapons dealer did."
Dylan grabbed her arm before she could leap at the General in a fit of anger. Her fists were clenched and she was ready to fight anybody who tried to take her away. One of the soldiers got nervous and pulled the trigger when Felix shoved passed Dylan. Tyr pulled his gun and started shooting again. Soon they were all shooting at each other and the Than were losing.
Felix stood next to Harper as she shot down some Than soldiers. One of the soldiers took aim at Harper. Felix was prepared to shoot the soldier, but her gun locked up and wouldn't fire. She pushed Harper out of the way of the shot and instead got shot herself in the chest. She fell to the floor with a loud thud and everything seemed to stand still for a moment. All realized she was down and stopped shooting. The Than General called for his men to retreat. Harper took a few shots in anger at the retreating soldiers, but didn't hit any of them. He dropped by Felix's side and grabbed her hand. Trance and Beka also knelt by her side.
"I guess I won't be lonely anymore," Felix said with a gasp. "I'm going to see Mom and Dad."
"No, you're not," Harper said. "Rommie and Trance are gonna fix you up and then you're going to go out and live to be a hundred. You can't die now."
Felix heard Trance sniffle and looked at her. "Trance," she said, "you never told me what species you are."
Trance laughed a little and bent down and whispered something in Felix's ear. Felix smiled and looked at Trance with teary eyes. "Are you really a…" And with that she took her last breath and passed on. Now Trance was crying and Beka had a tear in her eye. Everybody was silent. Harper stood up and stormed out of the command deck.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Trance sat near a window on the observation deck. She gazed at the stars and thought to herself. She hadn't known the girl very well, but she still felt for her death. She knew Harper must have grown attached to her in some way. He locked himself up in machine shop and asked Andromeda to engage privacy mode. That was three hours ago. Now he wandered onto obs deck carrying a Sparky Cola in one hand and a flexi in the other. Trance looked at him with sympathy in her eyes.
"Are you okay, Harper?" she asked sweetly.
He sat down next to her and let out a deep sigh. "It's just… she'd become like the sister I never had over the three days she was here. And she was so young, she didn't deserve to die. I swear, if I ever see that Than again, I'll kill him."
"Killing him won't solve anything. Some people in the universe are meant to live to be very old, while others aren't. That's just the way things work out here." Trance tried her best to calm Harper down. He was really upset.
"And it was in the hands of the Than to decide whether or not Felix lived to be old?"
"Not the Than," Trance said, "but the powers that be."
"You know, you're starting to sound a lot like Rev Bem," Harper laughed.
"Maybe," Trance said. "But maybe that's a good thing. Rev always gave everybody hope when there was none."
Harper looked Trance in the eye. "Thanks, Trance," he said. He gave her a huge hug and she hugged him back. "Aerosmith," he suddenly said loudly. Trance gave him a look, but he said, "Never mind…" He stared at the floor for a moment. "Hey, wait a minute!" he said. "You told Felix what species you are, didn't you?"
"No chance, Harper…" Trance said with an impish smile.
The End