He had absolutely no idea how to respond. All he could do was stare at those huge brown eyes and wonder what she'd lived through, and how she'd survived. "What?" he finally managed.
"After the Andromeda was destroyed, Beka and I tried everything we could to restore the Commonwealth, just like Dylan would have done. But hope died with him… We tried making contacts with as many systems as we could… We got in touch with you because of Geharis. You were our last hope." She began to tremble and Rhade put his hands on her upper arms to try to hold her still. He wanted to hear more, but he didn't know if she could handle telling him, so he just waited for her to continue, gently holding her so she wouldn't topple over.
"You'd become a champion among your pride during a great battle-" Surely she couldn't tell him the rest; she'd been a fool to reveal so much, but she'd seen so many horrible things and it would have felt so wonderful to have some one to share a little bit of that burden.
"A champion?" he asked, prodding her to continue. When she didn't, he gently wiped the tears from her eyes again, trying to calm her so she'd be able to tell him what had happened.
She smiled half-heartedly at the gesture, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to clear her mind. Rhade's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Tell me what happened." She opened her eyes and searched his face, wanting desperately to tell him everything. The temptation was too much to resist.
"You were in the battle that crushed the Commonwealth for good. You fought for the Nietzscheans, and you won." Rhade pulled back in shock. "No. It didn't happen like that," he said with a hint of anger.
"I shouldn't have said anything," Trance replied, standing and preparing to leave. She felt more alone than she had in a long time.
Rhade stood and grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. "How did I die?"
"You were executed as a traitor to your people," Trance answered, her eyes locked on the ground. "Beka and I were able to convince you speak to your leaders on our behalf. You died because of us." She looked at him, reaching up and caressing the side of his face with her hand. "You were just like Geharis, coming through in the end. But I was too late." She dropped her hand and tried to leave again, but he still held her arm.
"You came back. You made things right."
"I know," Trance sniffled, "But I still remember everything I did wrong. I still remember seeing all my friends die, seeing the Commonwealth destroyed. If you knew how many times Harper's died-" Rhade began to laugh. When Trance looked at him in shock, he shrugged and replied, "Everything happens to him." Trance smiled a little, then began laughing herself. It really was rather ironic.
Rhade was relieved to see her laugh, and he embraced her, giving her a gentle squeeze. He didn't really know her as well as the other crewmembers, but even a Nietzschean didn't like to see a woman cry.
"No one's supposed to see me like this," Trance said, laying a head on his shoulder. It was only supposed to be a quick hug, but she liked being held for once.
