Author's Note: I'm sorry that my chapters are so short. I tend to think
up stories in chunks, if that makes sense. Thanks for all the great
reviews. I'm glad people still read Andromeda fic even though one of the
best characters left. Of course, fanfiction is the best place to ignore
that fact. May fans forever take non-profitable advantage of their
favorite shows!
Now, on with the plot.
***
Beka glared hard at Rommie, telling herself mentally not to kill the messenger. "Alright," Beka ground out. "The tracking device is set to a frequency picked up by a receiver in my room." Without further explanation, the blond captain spun on her heel and left. With a shrug towards his ship's AI, Dylan followed.
In a matter of minutes, the three of them stood over the small receiver. Beka read out loud the co-ordinates listed on the screen. Rommie raised an eyebrow. "Beka, the co-ordinates you just listed are located on the Andromeda's bridge."
Beka heaved a sigh. "Well, I suppose I'd be more surprised if Tyr actually forgot to remove the tracker before he stole my ship. Captain, permission to install lethal internal defenses on the Maru?"
"Permission granted." Dylan replied distractedly. Now two of his crew were AWOL, and that wasn't even counting Rev Bem. But knowing Rev, he'd be in a lot less trouble than the other two.
***
Tyr strolled into the diner on the Klarmachen Drift, and took a moment to savor the atmosphere. A true Nietzschean station, the Klarmachen orbited a small Dragon-controlled planet. There were numerous species populating the tables and bar stools. Though composed and calm- unlike the rowdy human drifts he had visited- the room was full of Nietzschean activities: lying, cheating, illegal dealing, and gambling. Tyr grinned; it was the very anti- essence of the Andromeda.
"Sidon! Over here!" A tall, black creature waved at Tyr, who promptly walked over to his table. The creature stood and shook hands with the Nietzschean.
"Pallir, how have you been?" Tyr asked, looking the alien over. Pallir was of a species that lived on the edges of the Milky Way. He was around six feet tall and had oozing black skin that hardly looked solid enough to hold in organs. He was an arms expert and dealer, which Tyr thought a wise move on Pallir's part. Any being with such a laughably defenseless body needed heavy firepower.
Tyr had first met him during his days as a mercenary, and had found him a useful source of news and rumors. Of course, Pallir didn't know Tyr's real identity or of his position on the mighty commonwealth ship. Things like that tended to make it rather difficult to gain the trust of those outside the law. To Pallir he was Sidon, a dishonored member of an Earth-based Dragon family, intent on finding a way of redeeming himself. Pallir liked to update him on Earth's politics, and together they discussed everything from weaponry to philosophy.
Both men sat down. A young woman with dark curls came to take their orders. As always, the drinks were on Tyr. Pallir never told him anything until he had his favorite- a drink called a Dying Sun- in his hand. The Nietzschean didn't mind; predictability was something he liked in others.
When both men were sipping on their choice of alcohol, Pallir began to study his Nietzschean companion, tilting his bald head to one side. "I was surprised to hear from you. It had been nearly a year; I figured you were dead."
Tyr laughed, a deep, hearty sound that caused nearby patrons to glance at him. "Dead? No. You know I can't afford death until I have redeemed myself in the eyes of my family. Not until I have earned a wife. But a lot has happened on Earth this past year, I hear. Do you know much of the kludge rebellion?"
"Ahh, I thought you might be interested in that. It originated in Boston, they say. Not to far from your birthplace?"
Tyr nodded. "I heard it was crushed quickly, despite it's range."
"The Drago Katsov would have everyone believe that. The fact is, the fighting lasted nearly two days, and for weeks afterwards there was an epidemic of human sabotaging and bombing." Pallir leaned back in his chair, remembering his latest business trip to the human home world. The streets had been covered in rubble, the buildings burnt parodies of actual living structures. In many parts of the city, human corpses lay rotting in the sun, the Nietzschean bodies already carefully laid to rest. Pallir wasn't in the habit of taking sides in other species' wars, but the aftermath of the uprising spoke of passion- hate, fear, despair- embedded deep in the human hearts. He almost felt sorry for the miserable slaves. Almost. "It wasn't until the Dragons began mass exterminations that control was restored."
A haunted look passed over Tyr's features. "And what of Boston? What of the instigators?"
At this, Pallir leaned forward intently. "Almost all of the human rebels in Boston were killed. A handful were captured and were to be publicly executed. But somehow, they escaped their prison. It's an embarrassment to the Dragons, and most of them will say that the humans were killed against orders by a guard- a man who lost his son in the attack. That doesn't explain why the bodies were never displayed."
"Surely the kludges would be hunted down in no time?"
"That's where the rumors get interesting." Pallir smiled and sipped his drink. "Next to the prison there is a docking bay for cargo ships. A few ships left during the night the prisoners were 'killed'. Nothing illegal, mind you. Each ship had the clearances to come and go. But I've heard that the bay briefly lost power, and that the security systems went down for a few minutes, too."
"But the ships would all have destination records," Tyr pointed out. "Why not search other planets?"
"Because, Sidon, if the Dragons launched a large-scale search, they would have to admit they lost something. Not to be disrespectful of your people, but the Dragons' pride seems to be a hindrance sometimes. Besides that, some of the destination planets weren't completely Dragon controlled."
"Oh?"
"You seem rather interested in this matter. May I ask why?"
Tyr closed his eyes, as if considering an answer. "Men will go to extremes for the sake of family."
Pallir gave a knowing look. "Ahh. If you are hoping to impress your people with the catch of a criminal, I can give you some additional information. You know I always hope you will find the means to rejoin your family, my friend."
Now, on with the plot.
***
Beka glared hard at Rommie, telling herself mentally not to kill the messenger. "Alright," Beka ground out. "The tracking device is set to a frequency picked up by a receiver in my room." Without further explanation, the blond captain spun on her heel and left. With a shrug towards his ship's AI, Dylan followed.
In a matter of minutes, the three of them stood over the small receiver. Beka read out loud the co-ordinates listed on the screen. Rommie raised an eyebrow. "Beka, the co-ordinates you just listed are located on the Andromeda's bridge."
Beka heaved a sigh. "Well, I suppose I'd be more surprised if Tyr actually forgot to remove the tracker before he stole my ship. Captain, permission to install lethal internal defenses on the Maru?"
"Permission granted." Dylan replied distractedly. Now two of his crew were AWOL, and that wasn't even counting Rev Bem. But knowing Rev, he'd be in a lot less trouble than the other two.
***
Tyr strolled into the diner on the Klarmachen Drift, and took a moment to savor the atmosphere. A true Nietzschean station, the Klarmachen orbited a small Dragon-controlled planet. There were numerous species populating the tables and bar stools. Though composed and calm- unlike the rowdy human drifts he had visited- the room was full of Nietzschean activities: lying, cheating, illegal dealing, and gambling. Tyr grinned; it was the very anti- essence of the Andromeda.
"Sidon! Over here!" A tall, black creature waved at Tyr, who promptly walked over to his table. The creature stood and shook hands with the Nietzschean.
"Pallir, how have you been?" Tyr asked, looking the alien over. Pallir was of a species that lived on the edges of the Milky Way. He was around six feet tall and had oozing black skin that hardly looked solid enough to hold in organs. He was an arms expert and dealer, which Tyr thought a wise move on Pallir's part. Any being with such a laughably defenseless body needed heavy firepower.
Tyr had first met him during his days as a mercenary, and had found him a useful source of news and rumors. Of course, Pallir didn't know Tyr's real identity or of his position on the mighty commonwealth ship. Things like that tended to make it rather difficult to gain the trust of those outside the law. To Pallir he was Sidon, a dishonored member of an Earth-based Dragon family, intent on finding a way of redeeming himself. Pallir liked to update him on Earth's politics, and together they discussed everything from weaponry to philosophy.
Both men sat down. A young woman with dark curls came to take their orders. As always, the drinks were on Tyr. Pallir never told him anything until he had his favorite- a drink called a Dying Sun- in his hand. The Nietzschean didn't mind; predictability was something he liked in others.
When both men were sipping on their choice of alcohol, Pallir began to study his Nietzschean companion, tilting his bald head to one side. "I was surprised to hear from you. It had been nearly a year; I figured you were dead."
Tyr laughed, a deep, hearty sound that caused nearby patrons to glance at him. "Dead? No. You know I can't afford death until I have redeemed myself in the eyes of my family. Not until I have earned a wife. But a lot has happened on Earth this past year, I hear. Do you know much of the kludge rebellion?"
"Ahh, I thought you might be interested in that. It originated in Boston, they say. Not to far from your birthplace?"
Tyr nodded. "I heard it was crushed quickly, despite it's range."
"The Drago Katsov would have everyone believe that. The fact is, the fighting lasted nearly two days, and for weeks afterwards there was an epidemic of human sabotaging and bombing." Pallir leaned back in his chair, remembering his latest business trip to the human home world. The streets had been covered in rubble, the buildings burnt parodies of actual living structures. In many parts of the city, human corpses lay rotting in the sun, the Nietzschean bodies already carefully laid to rest. Pallir wasn't in the habit of taking sides in other species' wars, but the aftermath of the uprising spoke of passion- hate, fear, despair- embedded deep in the human hearts. He almost felt sorry for the miserable slaves. Almost. "It wasn't until the Dragons began mass exterminations that control was restored."
A haunted look passed over Tyr's features. "And what of Boston? What of the instigators?"
At this, Pallir leaned forward intently. "Almost all of the human rebels in Boston were killed. A handful were captured and were to be publicly executed. But somehow, they escaped their prison. It's an embarrassment to the Dragons, and most of them will say that the humans were killed against orders by a guard- a man who lost his son in the attack. That doesn't explain why the bodies were never displayed."
"Surely the kludges would be hunted down in no time?"
"That's where the rumors get interesting." Pallir smiled and sipped his drink. "Next to the prison there is a docking bay for cargo ships. A few ships left during the night the prisoners were 'killed'. Nothing illegal, mind you. Each ship had the clearances to come and go. But I've heard that the bay briefly lost power, and that the security systems went down for a few minutes, too."
"But the ships would all have destination records," Tyr pointed out. "Why not search other planets?"
"Because, Sidon, if the Dragons launched a large-scale search, they would have to admit they lost something. Not to be disrespectful of your people, but the Dragons' pride seems to be a hindrance sometimes. Besides that, some of the destination planets weren't completely Dragon controlled."
"Oh?"
"You seem rather interested in this matter. May I ask why?"
Tyr closed his eyes, as if considering an answer. "Men will go to extremes for the sake of family."
Pallir gave a knowing look. "Ahh. If you are hoping to impress your people with the catch of a criminal, I can give you some additional information. You know I always hope you will find the means to rejoin your family, my friend."