Chapter 1

The Last Shinning Star

" Captain, report to command "

" On my way " replies Dylan Hunt, commanding officer of Shining Path to Truth and Knowledge, better and famously known as the Andromeda Ascendant.

As he marches onto the Command deck of the ship he casts a quick glance around to see which of the crew are present. He notes that his first officer, Beka Valentine is at her customary position at the helm of the warship.

Tyr Anazasi is stood scowling at the weapons console, but apart from the two of them the deck is deserted.

" Report" Dylan says as he takes his place in the centre of command.

" One vessel has entered the system and the slip drive is still off line " Tyr barks " at the moment there is only one small frigate out there, but they may have reinforcements nearby. They have just begun a search pattern of the system. The ship estimates that it take roughly 3 hours for them to locate us. "

" Andromeda" Dylan calls, and the face of the computer AI appears on the screen " Status of repairs and refuelling ? "

Andromeda does not reply straight away, her eyes close as processes the request.

" Refuelling is complete. Harper estimates that it will take at least 3 ½ hours for the drive to be repaired, although he.." Andromeda is cut of as Harper contacts the bridge himself, as he appears on the main view screen he can be seen in one of the conduits, with panels removed and repairs looking nowhere near complete.

" Boss " He starts with " It's a complete mess down hear. The repairs that I'm doing are going to be temporary at best. Within 5 jumps we are going to need a complete overhaul, which is going to take even a genius like myself 2, maybe 3 weeks"

Dylan looks dismayed at the prospect of Andromeda being stuck in one system. It would invite countless attacks from the Drago - Katsov.

" However, I can give you an option to get out of this system a lot quicker and a lot further than usual, and lose any chance of pursuit, but Rommie won't like it and Beka had better be better than we think she is"

Dylan looks at Harper, the exposed circuits and trashed equipment behind him and lets out a sigh.

" Go on Mr Harper " he says, prompting the young engineer.

"Well, I can rig the slip stream drives to operate at 250 % of their normal limits. This would have the effect of travelling quicker while the drives engaged and operate 3 times longer. In theory " Harper suggests.

" But the drive will be half destroyed, leaving me stuck in the system that I emerge in. Estimated repair time of at least 2 months " Said Rommie as the avatar walked into the command deck. .

" Beka, could you manage it ?" Asks Dylan

" Sure, but I think that I'm gonna need a couple of hours rest first" Beka replies, not to sure of being able to back up what she was saying " I've been up for 16 hours straight "

" Right, Harper, make the modification's, Beka, get some rest, Tyr you have command, alert me the moment anything changes" Dylan says, having made his decision. " If you need me, I'll be assisting Mr Harper, Oh, Andromeda, send a signal to the Than home world, tell them it would be a good idea to activate their system defences. Once we lose the pursuing ships, they are gonna figure that we've gone to ground in their system, and come looking for us.

" Aye Captain " Said the voice of Andromeda as she vanished from the screen.

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" All stations report ready " reports Beka as Dylan walks onto the command deck. "Trance is standing by in case of any casualties, Harper's is in engineering and, well, that just leaves the three of us, here"

"Very well ", replies Dylan, after listening to Beka's report. During which she was having trouble not smiling as she made the report in the military like manner she posses, " Lets bring it, Beka, I want to head, as much as possible with Harper's modifications, as far as possible away from this system and if you can manage it, to the galaxy's edge."

" No problemo, " said Beka as she grasped the Slip stream control handles

" Hang on, this is gonna be rough "

The Andromeda, which had be very close to the atmosphere of a gas giant, suddenly broke from its orbit and sped towards the slip stream range of the system. Just as the ship was acquired by the weapons array of the pursuing Drago - Katsov frigate, which, in a fire fight would not have lasted very long, she entered slipstream in a blaze of white light.

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The ship felt out of control, at least that's the first thing to flash through Tyr's mind, as Beka almost lost her grip on the slip stream controls for the third time. Harper had rigged the drives, no doubt, but, Tyr thought as the ship bucked, veered and dived, enough is enough. At this rate the Andromeda would literary tear itself apart. Just then the ships voice started reporting system failures and hull stress way in excess of design limits. Before Tyr could open his mouth to voice is concerns, he heard Dylan's voice.

" Harper" Dylan called from his position on the command deck " Something is wrong "

Before Harper, who was having trouble holding on to his console, could respond Beka called from her station

" Harper, if you don't shut the drives down now, we are all going to die, I'm losing control! "

Just then the ship gave the biggest jolt yet, and Harper, who, being at his station in main engineering, was 40 decks below the command deck, lost his grip and went flying into the main bulkhead, straight into the world of unconsciousness.

As Dylan continued trying to raise Harper, Andromeda's holographic form appeared next to him. The hologram kept flickering, another sign of the strain being placed on the ships power supply.

" Dylan, Harper is unconscious. Unable to computer abort the drive so my avatar is heading to shut down the drives manually"

" Dylan "

As Dylan turned to look at Beka, his attention was caught by the main view screen at the front of the bridge. The slip stream string that they were travelling down was turning pure white, and then the white light started growing brighter and brighter until it was blinding to all except the hologram.

" Energy pocket has formed around us" Came Andromeda's calm voice. A the same moment Rommie had reached engineering, saw Harper lying on the floor with a large bruise forming on his head. A quick scan revealed nothing life threatening, so the Avatar proceeded to the main panel and disengaged the Slip Stream drive's power supply.

Back on the command deck there was a sigh of relief as Andromeda stopped shaking and shuddering.

Suddenly Andromeda's voice came across the speakers

" Dylan, power has been cut " at soon as the words had been spoken a energy beam shot like lightening, hitting the forward hull of the ship and throwing all of the bridge crew to the floor and into instant unconscious. Trance, who had been on her way to attend to Harper's injuries was thrown 30, meters down a corridor and landed, breaking her neck.

Rommie, through her up-link to the rest of the ship, who see was starting to see as her sister rather than herself, knew what was happening, but was unable to prevent herself from being thrown, similar to Trance across the room. However, unlink Trance, who had a wall to stop her fall, the Avatar was thrown over the railing and down into the slipstream core itself, just as the core exploded.