Ok, my Muse is playing games, so under TV crossovers, you'll find the start of the story 'Knife Edge', sequel my Andromeda/Stargate SG-1 story 'Eye of the Storm'.

Chrysalis, part 12

The Andromeda exited slipstream and almost immediately alarms started going off.

Beka looked at the main screen, "What the hell is going on?" Andromeda's face appeared, "I am detecting over a dozen ship's all around us. Beka, it's the Genites." The first officer reacted instantly, "Battle Stations!" The lights went blue as the Andromeda went to alert status.

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Dylan heard the alarms going off and dashed to the com-unit,  "Andromeda, report." The AI's face appeared, "Dylan it's the Genite: they where waiting for us. Hold. The lead ship is hailing us." Dylan took a deep breath, "Put them through."

The image on the screen changed to show a well-groomed man in a Genite uniform, "Captain Dylan Hunt I presume. Commodore Thaddeus Hardcastle of the Knights of Genetic Purity, at you service." Dylan looked at the other man, "If you are indeed at my service, you will stand down and let us pass." Hardcastle shook his head, "I'm sorry captain, but I can't. If it was up to me I would, but like you, I have my orders. Please, surrender before anyone get's hurt."

Dylan's eyes narrowed, "People have already been hurt, and your being here has confirmed that your organisation was behind it. In the name of the restored Systems Commonwealth, I ask you to surrender." Hardcastle sighed, "I'm sorry it has come to this Captain, I truly am. Among the other Knights, I am considered to be a liberal: I have no quarrel with you, only the Nietzscheans who brought down the old Systems Commonwealth. But you have left me no choice." The screen went blank.

Andromeda's face reappeared, "Dylan, we're being targeted by the Genite ship's. They're firing." The ship shook as a few missiles made it past the PDL system. Dylan looked round the room, torn between staying with his wife and heading to command. In the end, he knew the only way to help Rommie was to defeat the Genite's and get proof that Masters worked for them. He turned to Harper, "Stay here, please." Harper nodded, "Sure thing boss: I'll keep an eye on her for you."

The ship shook again as more missiles hit, but Andromeda had already turned to face her attackers, and was returning fire.

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In the hallway outside, a pair of stealthy figures moved along towards the room, Gauss pistols drawn. The lead held up third hand to stop the second, and carefully looked round the corner: the two Nietzschean Lancers stood watch, their forcelances out and ready.

Two carefully aimed shot's ended their lives in a heartbeat.

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Dylan opened the door to find himself looking down the barrel of Gauss gun.

Masters' face was deadpan, "Please, make a scene captain, and give me an excuse." Dylan looked passed the security agent to the figure beyond, "So it was you after all." Ambassador Spencer smiled, "You really think we'd let you get away with what you've done? It's not ad enough that you're genes aren't pure, but to become involved with an Android? This I can't understand."

Trance made the mistake of choosing that moment to walk round the corner, Paul cradled in her arms. Spencer smiled winded to a grin, "Well the gangs all here now." She drew her own weapon and pointed it at Trance, "Before you get any bright ideas Miss Gemini, I've read you file: I doubt very much that I could 'kill' you, but that chilled you carry is not as robust as you appear to be." Her gun flicked to the side slightly, "Over against the wall." Trance did as she was told.

The mired of possible futures opened up before Trance, and most of them where bad. She knew that the most important thing she could do was to protect Paul: his destiny was like a shinning beacon on the darkness. The only problem was, she didn't now how to protect him. True, Spencer's gun wouldn't kill her permanently, and she could turn so her body protected the baby in her arms from danger, but it would still take her time to regenerate, and there was no way to know what would happen in that time.

Masters' eyes hadn't left Dylan or Harper, "Lose the weapons and step out into the corridor, nice and slow." Dylan carefully removed his forcelance from its holster and tossed it to the ground, while Harper did the same with his Gauss pistol. They moved over to stand next to Trance.

Spencer smiled, "Now I want you to tell your crew to cease fire and signal your surrender." She moved her gun so it was pointed directly at Paul, "And don't think for a moment I won't do it: I haven't been ordered to hurt the infant, but it's life means nothing to me." Dylan slowly nodded, "Andromeda, stand down and surrender."

The AI's holographic form appeared, "Dylan, are you sure that such a good…" She stoped when she saw the weapons, and were they where pointed. Dylan nodded, "I', sure." Spencer looked at the hologram, "And don't try any funny stuff, or you'll be looking for a new captain. Now clear a path to the nearest escape pod." Andromeda nodded, "50 to the port side, two decks down. There are no crewmembers between there and here."

Spencer motioned with her gun, "Well Dylan, you're the captain: lead on." Masters grabbed Trance roughly by the forearm, "And don't make any sudden moves, or I'll re-decorate the walls brain-mater gray."

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The grope made its way along the deserted corridors towards the escape pod. Dylan looked over his shoulder at Spencer, "You realise that the Nietzscheans are going to know that New Salem is a Genite base now, and will probably destroy the planet." Spencer laughed, "You really think I care about those fools? They where useful, a tool to use when we tried to convince you that Drago-Kazov where behind the attack. But like any tool, they where untimely expendable."

Dylan shook his head, "You're willing to condemn an entire planet to death to cover your actions?" Spencer shrugged, "What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

"When great evils happen, I am in the habit of looking out for what good may arise from them as consolations to us, and Providence has in fact so established the order of things, as that most evils are the means of producing some good." A voice said from behind, "Jefferson was good, but I've always been of the opinion that Churchill was the better speaker."

Spencer span round, "You!"

To Be Continued