Chapter 2
"I cannot stay..." Just as Harper and Justine were re-establishing their friendship, Dylan walked in. "Mr. Harper, may I see your guest for a minute?" He asked, so politely that Harper had a funny feeling.
"Uh, boss, we're kinda busy here-"
"Mr. Harper, do NOT contradict me!" Dylan roared, enormously adding to that feeling of unease.
"All right, all right, you don't have to get testy. Geez, you high guard officers all think you're authoritive."
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, so maybe you are."
"Justine?" Dylan said, beckoning her out of Harper's quarters and into his own. He immediately told Rommie to put them in privacy mode. "Now, Justine, how well do you really know Harper?"
"Well enough to know that I love him," she replied quickly.
"We both know that's not true. I know what you really want. I saw the way you looked at me when we first ran into you." he retorted in a low, suggestive voice.
"Yeah, so did I, I looked at you like a ridiculously conceited high guard captain who thinks a little too much of himself and not enough about his crew, like Harper. What would make you think that I prefer you to him? You must be completely demented! Now open this door and let me out now!"
"No, not until you admit the way you feel about me!"
"If you insist," she spat. "I cannot stand to look at you and I absolutely despise you." She then proceeded to bang on the door. "Andromeda! Harper! Someone get me out of here!" Harper ran to the door quickly and typed in his override codes.
"Justine, what's the matter?" he asked, taking her trembling body into his arms. She quickly explained the situation, while an intense look of horror grew on the betrayed engineer's face.
For a while, he was utterly speechless. Then said, slowly getting louder and quicker, "Dylan, you bastard! How could you? I trusted you, but I should have know that out of all of the girls you could have, you would pick mine. Hell, you could even have Rommie but you just couldn't let me be happy!" Harper yelled at Dylan, trying hard not to reveal that he was not the least bit angry. Just hurt.
Justine decided to state her opinion at this point. " Shay, I cannot stay aboard this ship for another second with that horrid captain of yours. I want to go back home."
Harper replied sadly, " And I can't leave. My family is aboard this ship. I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing Rommie or Trance again, and leaving Beka is out of the question. But I'll take you back with the Maru. We can go together, and then I'll come back here."
Then he turned to Dylan. "I no longer take orders from you. Rommie is a how ever is a different story, but I refuse to be pushed around by someone so self-absorbed and uncaring."
Dylan was infuriated. "Fine, you little bastard! But don't expect to stay on my ship!" Dylan considered what he had just said for a second. Then he reluctantly realized that he needed Harper. "Wait, Harper. You get your way this time. I hope you will come back."
"You know I will," Harper said coldly, "But not for you" he added, as he and Justine headed for the Maru.
"I cannot stay..." Just as Harper and Justine were re-establishing their friendship, Dylan walked in. "Mr. Harper, may I see your guest for a minute?" He asked, so politely that Harper had a funny feeling.
"Uh, boss, we're kinda busy here-"
"Mr. Harper, do NOT contradict me!" Dylan roared, enormously adding to that feeling of unease.
"All right, all right, you don't have to get testy. Geez, you high guard officers all think you're authoritive."
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Ok, so maybe you are."
"Justine?" Dylan said, beckoning her out of Harper's quarters and into his own. He immediately told Rommie to put them in privacy mode. "Now, Justine, how well do you really know Harper?"
"Well enough to know that I love him," she replied quickly.
"We both know that's not true. I know what you really want. I saw the way you looked at me when we first ran into you." he retorted in a low, suggestive voice.
"Yeah, so did I, I looked at you like a ridiculously conceited high guard captain who thinks a little too much of himself and not enough about his crew, like Harper. What would make you think that I prefer you to him? You must be completely demented! Now open this door and let me out now!"
"No, not until you admit the way you feel about me!"
"If you insist," she spat. "I cannot stand to look at you and I absolutely despise you." She then proceeded to bang on the door. "Andromeda! Harper! Someone get me out of here!" Harper ran to the door quickly and typed in his override codes.
"Justine, what's the matter?" he asked, taking her trembling body into his arms. She quickly explained the situation, while an intense look of horror grew on the betrayed engineer's face.
For a while, he was utterly speechless. Then said, slowly getting louder and quicker, "Dylan, you bastard! How could you? I trusted you, but I should have know that out of all of the girls you could have, you would pick mine. Hell, you could even have Rommie but you just couldn't let me be happy!" Harper yelled at Dylan, trying hard not to reveal that he was not the least bit angry. Just hurt.
Justine decided to state her opinion at this point. " Shay, I cannot stay aboard this ship for another second with that horrid captain of yours. I want to go back home."
Harper replied sadly, " And I can't leave. My family is aboard this ship. I couldn't stand the thought of never seeing Rommie or Trance again, and leaving Beka is out of the question. But I'll take you back with the Maru. We can go together, and then I'll come back here."
Then he turned to Dylan. "I no longer take orders from you. Rommie is a how ever is a different story, but I refuse to be pushed around by someone so self-absorbed and uncaring."
Dylan was infuriated. "Fine, you little bastard! But don't expect to stay on my ship!" Dylan considered what he had just said for a second. Then he reluctantly realized that he needed Harper. "Wait, Harper. You get your way this time. I hope you will come back."
"You know I will," Harper said coldly, "But not for you" he added, as he and Justine headed for the Maru.