Andromeda
New Arrival
Chapter Six
Reunions
The days following the death of Hex Mason were the most boring, yet somehow most hectic and chaotic, days for the entire crew. They were all mourning Hex's death, and there were several allotted days off for each crewmember. Somehow, they all expected him to send an impatient transmission after a couple days to tell them to pick him up.
No transmission came, and eventually, they were forced to move on. Trance had insisted that they stay, but in the end, no one had hope any longer.
It had been a year since then. Dylan had tried to hold everything together, but he had grown withdrawn in a way. He was the picturesque High Guard Captain, but the depth of emotions he had showed in the past seemed to be guarded now.
Tyr now served Arcanis as his First Mate and Second-in-Command. Truth be told, Tyr was being rewarded greatly for helping Arcanis breach the Andromeda, and he certainly didn't mind that. Still, Arcanis had strenuous demands, and at times Tyr had to strain to meet them. For the moment, Arcanis found no fault with him. . .but it was uncertain whether the situation would remain that way.
Harper constantly tried to stay cheerful and raise morale. His jokes were kicked into high gear, and his energy was always through the roof. No one was quite clear on who he was trying to convince, but most of the crew agreed that he was trying to convince himself that he was cheerful and fine more than he was trying to convince the crew to BE cheerful, though they had to admit, Harper was having limited success.
Beka doesn't really talk about that day. She tries to avoid the subject as much as possible. Whenever someone brings it up, she either changes the subject or walks away. As can be expected, she's quite welcome to Harper's company, since he's almost always joking and never really talking about that day either.
Rommie was handling things in her own way. She handled her duties and mourned in silence, though she had been, next to Harper, the closest to Hex. Sometimes she would talk with Trance, and others spend time with her on drifts or planets.
Trance was the hardest hit by this tragedy. She had loved Hex, and now that he was dead, she refused to believe it. She tends to stay by herself, or with Rommie. She'll often be found on Obs. Deck, leaning on the railing and looking out at space, or in Hydroponics. She looks for Hex on every drift and planet the crew finds themselves on.
Who knew things would change on a picturesque drift that was only good for vacations?
"Dylan, are you sure this is a good idea," Beka asked, eyeing Dylan suspiciously. "Vacation? I mean, we haven't heard anything from the troops Arcanis commanded in a year."
"Exactly," Dylan returned. "And it's been a boring, boring year for all of us. Seriously, can you stay cooped up on here for much longer without going insane?"
"He's right, boss," Harper added, and then ducked a glare from Beka. "You know how much I love Rommie, and even I wanna get outside for a change." He paused and glanced to the AI standing next to him. "No offense, I mean."
"None taken," Rommie returned, with a very slight smile. "Beka, they're right, you know."
"What's going on," came Trance's groggy voice from the entrance to Command.
"Dylan's just proposed a vacation," Beka told her quickly, hoping to make an ally out of Trance.
"Really? I think it's a good idea," the golden skinned girl returned. Beka was about to snap back a reply, but Dylan put his hand on her shoulder to remind Beka of what Trance always did when they landed, and her face softened in defeat.
"Fine," she heaved, "but I'm goin' straight to a bar and not coming back until vacation's over."
"That's your prerogative, Beka," Dylan returned, chuckling. "Everyone is free to do what they want with this week off. I wish I could give us more, but. . .well, we do have a schedule to keep."
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"Move it," Tyr's gruff voice called as he strode through the bridge of the large, dragon-shaped flagship of the New Armies of Arcanis. "I want these supplies loaded and ready to go YESTERDAY!"
"Tyr," came Arcanis' voice from behind him. "You really need to calm down, my Nietzschean hound." Before Tyr could proclaim that he was no hound, Arcanis continued. "Fine, Tyr," he stated wearily, "if you are truly that eager to prove yourself to me, I have a task for you." Arcanis strode up to the view screen of his ship and jabbed his finger at a 3D model of a planet that was in the far off distance. "Take a vacation."
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"Are you really sure letting Trance go off with Rommie is alright?" Beka and Dylan sat in the latter's quarters, playing a game of stones to pass the time during their discussion. "I mean, you know what they're gonna do."
"Yes," Dylan replied, nodding his head, "yes, I do. But there's nothing I can do to stop them, and honestly, I think it might be good for them. We all know Trance isn't having the easiest time of getting over him, and Rommie's not doing as well as she lets on."
"And if they get hurt," Beka asked, moving a stone. "What then?"
"They won't," Dylan returned, moving a stone to meet Beka's.
"I've got a bad feeling about things," Beka stated.
"So do I," Dylan admitted, "but I can't let it get to me."
"Oh, really?" Beka moved a stone and pushed herself up from the table. "Checkmate." That said, she turned and exited Dylan's quarters, as the Andromeda touched down on Arion drift.
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At a crystalline lake, a boy sitting on a cliff overlooking the lake, playing the guitar stopped in the middle of his song. He hesitated for a moment, and then turned his head around, seemingly able to see the Andromeda. Silver scales covered the left half of his torso, his left arm replaced with a silver-scaled arm that ended in a hand with fingers that tapered into claws. He has a patch of silver scales on his upper right leg, and one on his lower left. He has shoulder length silver hair, and wore a long black coat with gold trim, as well as a black t-shirt, printed with three bloody, jagged, red claw marks on the chest. His legs were covered in baggy camouflage pants that tucked into heavy combat boots. A sword sat on his right side. He smiled then, and began to push himself up from the cliff.
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"Geez, could this band be any worse," Beka grumbled, taking a sip from her beverage.
"I don't know, Beka," Dylan returned, sipping his own. "I think they're somewhat decent."
"C'mon Dylan, listen to 'em! This is Idancin'/I music," Harper returned.
"How d'ya figure, Harper," Beka asked. Dylan chuckled at the fact that Beka had walked right into Harper's trap.
"Well, why don't I show ya," Harper said, grinning, before sweeping Beka up onto the dance floor. Dylan was left laughing good-naturedly for the first time in a year.
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Tyr brooded as he strode angrily down the street of Arion drift. 'Why in the hell was I SENT to this backwater drift?! What could Arcanis POSSIBLY want here?' He had noticed the Andromeda landing, of course, which had partially contributed to his worsening mood. 'As soon as he makes me the genetic reincarnation of Drago-Musevnei, I will kill him.'
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"Trance. . .do you really think we're going to find anything," Rommie asked, sighing. "I mean, it's just that this is turning into one of our usual searches. We spend a lot of time asking around, and we find nothing."
"I don't know anymore, Rommie," Trance said, sighing breathily. "But I can't give up. He has to be alive. We all know what he is, he couldn't just die so easily."
"Well, normally I'd agree, but. . .we don't know what Ar-um, his brother-did to him on that planet. Could. . .one of them kill another one?" Rommie sounded confused, and Trance couldn't blame her. The metaphysical and supernatural normally didn't make much sense to a being made entirely of technology and science.
"Rommie. . .I know you don't know how old I am exactly, but you know I'm really old."
The AI nodded her head in confirmation. "Right. What's your point?"
"He's before my time," she returned. Rommie raised her brows in shock. "So I don't know him, and I don't even have anything to base it on." She paused and bit her lip tentatively. "And. . .there's something else."
"What is it," Rommie asked, sounding concerned.
". . .I can't guess with him."
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"You're looking for a guy like that?" The kind, bony elderly man gazed into Trance's eyes through his sunglasses before nodding. "I'll tell you a story."
"We really just want," Rommie began, but got silent when Trance raised a hand.
"Go ahead, sir," Trance soothed.
"Y'see. . .it couldn't have been more than seven months ago, now. . .this really weird lookin' kid came stumblin' into town. He was paranoid, but a good kid, and we let him stay places for free. He said he liked the lake best, though. Thought it looked peaceful and such. Well, was about three months ago, this gang of thugs comes up and starts makin' trouble for us. Things were lookin' pretty bad, a couple people were gettin' hurt, and then this kid jus' comes up out of the bushes and starts beatin' all of 'em single-handed. Was shootin' these blasts and stuff. We sort of adopted him after that. He kept us alive, the way he was helpin' us and all." By the end of the story, Rommie and Trance were both clutching each others hands, hoping against hope that the evidence was right.
"Could you tell us what he looks like, sir," Trance asked hopefully.
"Sure thing. Silver scales all over his body. Well, not ALL over. . .just on his cheek, and half of his upper body and one or two patches on his legs. His left arm's covered, though, and it ends in a big ol' hand with claws on the fingertips. Got a head'a silver hair that all the young girls find attractive. He doesn't seem to be interested in any of 'em, though. Got cornered once, and he said somethin' about some "annan," whatever that is."
"Rommie, go tell the others," Trance blurted excitedly. "Is that boy still here?"
"Sure is," the old man nodded, smiling. "Kid hangs out down by the lake all the time. Goes and sits there for days sometimes, just sittin', or writin', or playing guitar or somethin'." The old man grinned briefly and added, "I think he's down there now, if you wanna go see him or something." Without waiting for another word, Trance and Rommie took off in separate directions, Trance headed towards the lake, Rommie headed towards the bar where Dylan, Harper, and Beka were.
The old man removed his sunglasses and watched Trance leave with smile on his silver eyes.
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"I'm telling you he was right here," Rommie moaned, pointing emphatically to the spot where the elderly man had been seated, less than fifteen minutes prior. Trance was too glum to say anything, having had her hopes dashed. The boy the elderly man had spoken of was not to be found at the lake, though it appeared as if someone had been sitting on the edge of a rock not too long ago.
"Well, Rommie. . .I'm not saying your wrong," Dylan started, "but you said yourself that he didn't look like he was in any condition to move around too much."
"Yeah, and last I checked, old guys don't just get up and run away," Beka added.
"Hey," Harper interjected, "Rommie says there was some old guy here, and I believe her." Rommie smiled briefly at Harper while Beka rolled her eyes and Dylan suppressed a smile. The mixed merriment was cut short when Rommie cocked her head for a moment and then looked towards Dylan, her face serious.
"What is it," Dylan asked, already wondering if he knew the answer.
"The ship," Rommie stated. "It's under attack."
"What else is new," Dylan groaned as he spun and all of his crew headed back to the ship, Trance following a step or two behind everyone else.
The elderly man ducked out of an alley and followed at a much more stealthy, subdued pace. His sunglasses lay strewn on the floor of the alley, on top of a guitar, and there was a sword strapped to his side.
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"Great," Dylan mumbled.
"You're tellin' me," Harper enthused. "A year of silence, then Arcanis sends some of his creeps after us when we're on vacation!" The crew of the Andromeda was trying to fight off three groups of Arcanis' reptilian underlings, five in each group. Had there been two, it wouldn't have been overly challenging, but with three. . .it was a much different story. Dylan and Harper stood back to back, guarding the ramp, firing their blasters at any black-scaled creature that moved, while Beka, Rommie, and Trance were trying to fight their way into the ship itself, taking turns providing cover fire for Dylan and Harper.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join," chimed an elderly, amused voice. Heads darted up, eyes focused on the man about six feet away, and Trance and Rommie gasped.
"You," Trance called out.
"You have no idea how ironic that statement is," the elderly man returned, and his form seemed to melt and shift into a glob of silver light, which then reformed into the form of the boy Trance had hoped to find at the lake. Without waiting for further bandying of words, he drew his sword, and was in the fray in a flash. He slashed viciously at the reptilian creatures, felling three before anyone had time to blink. A fourth darted up behind him, leaping into the air in an attempt to pounce. The boy spun and shot out his left hand, palm outward, and a ball of silver energy shot forth from it, ripping through the creature and dropping it on the spot. The fifth fell victim to a savage rake of the boy's claw. "One group down," he called over to the stunned crew. "Time for two." The creatures were wary now, circling the boy in the opposite direction of the way he moved. "You guys are always so predictable," the boy stated, and then shot another ball of silver energy from the palm of his claw. It was large, and bowled through three reptilian creatures. Another found himself the victim of a blast from Harper's handgun while it was trying to sneak up on the boy. The boy stopped just long enough to give Harper quick thumbs up. There were still six creatures to deal with. Two swift, X shaped slashes from the boy took out two of the creatures, leaving three to fend for themselves. The first found itself without a head as a ball of silver energy collided with it. The second looked at his headless companion and then charged at the boy. That one wound up impaled on the boy's sword. The boy yanked his blade out, and the limp body fell to the ground. Now there was only one creature left. The boy merely smirked and quirked an eyebrow at the creature.
It turned and fled, dropping its weapon along the way.
The boy laughed and strode confidently over to Dylan, who stood rather speechless. "Heya, Dylan," greeted Hex Mason enthusiastically.
Harper passed out on the spot.
