Summary: New friends are made by all.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda, and I don't own Harper. (cry, sniffle, cry) However, I DID create the planet and its people from my own little mind. If they resemble other characters, either in the show, other fanfics, or real life, it's purely coincidental.
Lysation Love
Chapter 4
"Dylan, they've found us," Beka said as the Andromeda shuddered from the impact of a missile. Dylan had quickly run to command; going to his station as he answered Beka.
"Enter slipstream, get us out of here," He ordered tersely. Today was not going well in his view and he found himself wishing that for once he could just go lie down in his quarters.
"Brace for slip—hang on; they're hailing us!" Beka said in disbelief. The firing had stopped and Dylan exchanged a wary glance with Beka.
"Shall I put them through Captain?" Andromeda's AI asked onscreen. Dylan gestured to do so; more than a little confused, and almost instantly Rommie's face was replaced by a pale, round faced man with a grim expression.
"Greetings sir; I assume I am talking to the Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant?" The man asked. 'Well, got to admit everyone's polite around here' Dylan thought to himself ironically.
"I'm Captain Hunt. May I ask why your ships attacked us unprovoked?" To his credit, the man onscreen looked uncomfortable and seemed genuinely apologetic.
"Forgive my officers Captain, the Nietzscheans are newly in our employment, and you are the first Outsider ship to enter this sector in many, many years."
"I don't understand, are you from Lysat?" Dylan asked as Rommie, who stood beside him scanned her files for information on other planets nearby. Laughing, the man shook his head.
"Indeed, we are not. I am Lord Philammon of the Kingdom of Planet Geitha, and as a precaution it is necessary to fire upon any unidentified ship that enters the border of our planet."
"Dylan, my records contain little information about the planet's history, however they show that Geitha is known for its powerful military and totalitarian state." This was said by Rommie, and wasn't heard by Philammon.
"In other words, not someone we want as an enemy," Beka pointed out.
"But do we want them as a friend?" Again, this was spoken so only those on the deck could hear. No sooner had Dylan uttered them then Trance and Rhade entered Command.
"Captain, I would again like to sincerely apologize for our actions. If you require assistance in repairing your ship, we would be more than happy to offer our help," Lord Philammon stated.
"Offering to fix the damage they caused. How thoughtful," Rhade remarked.
"Yeah well, with our engineer on Lysat, we can't really be picky, can we?" Dylan said as he moved to the center of the room, facing Lord Philammon.
"Forgive me for over hearing Captain, but is your engineer, by chance, helping her Esteemed Majesty Empress Liandra with her Imperial ship?" Lord Philammon peered into the screen, as though carefully watching Dylan to see how his face.
"Yes, as a matter of fact he is. Why do you ask?" Dylan remained cautious of the man; it wasn't smart to trust someone who only minutes ago had been firing at you.
"Oh, just a matter of personal interest I suppose. You see, Lysat is our ally and only neighbor. In fact, my bride, and Geitha's future Queen, resides there."
"How nice," Trance said, loud enough that the others turned to glance at her and wonder what she had meant by her words.
"You're engaged to the Empress?" Dylan asked curiously, for indeed, Philammon did not appear to be much younger than her.
"No no, I'm am betrothed to one her daughters, the Princess Semele." Surprised, Dylan hid his startled feelings well, and simply nodded.
"I think we'd like to accept your offer of help," Dylan stated. Beka sighed, wishing they could hurry back to Lysat; she didn't like the idea of Harper being left alone on a strange planet for so long. Unseen by the others, Trance's eyes closed as though in pain at Dylan's words.
Capital of the Empire of Lysat
Having made their way to the beach, drenched and laughing at their excursion, Harper collapsed onto the sand, arms crossed beneath his head. Sitting beside him, arms clasped around her legs, Semele asked in a curious tone of voice.
"Shouldn't you continue working on my Mother's ship?" Opening one eye to look at her, Harper otherwise didn't move a muscle.
"Is that an order Your Highness?" Shrugging, Semele lay down next to him, observing the sky, which was quickly turning gray.
"There is no rush," Semele answered at last. A mist began to form and the wet dew-like drops settled on Harper's face, his eyes closing.
"Glad to hear it," He mumbled, then fell quiet again. Not wishing to disturb the silence, Semele rolled onto her side and studied the engineer. She had fully intended to get up and return to the Palace after a few minutes—the Empress would worry otherwise—but before she knew it, she too had fallen asleep, the thick fog falling upon the two like a blanket.
"Excuse me, Your Highness?" An embarrassed clearing of the throat woke Semele up. Lifting her head and rolling over, she stared sleepily up at the guard who shifted nervously on the sand in front of her. Suddenly aware of her soaked dress and sand covered form, Semele still managed to look dignified as she stood up and addressed the guard. Glancing down at Harper, she gently nudged him with a foot, saying to the guard,
"Yes?"
"Uh..." The man glanced at Harper, who was slowly waking up, uncertainly. "The Empress requests your presence in her chambers."
"Very well, I shall join her shortly. You may go," The man bowed quickly and turned to leave. Standing, Harper looked around in confusion, yawning.
"I had a wonderful time Seamus, thank you," She said to him softly. Offering a swift smile she then turned and walked quickly back to the Palace.
"Uh...sure." Harper rubbed his eyes, stared at Semele's retreating form for a moment, before heading back to the ship.
"Your Majesty," Semele kneeled in front of her mother for a full ten seconds; her hair cleaned and clad in a fresh dress. Liandra stared down at the girl in consternation, at last tapping her daughter's shoulder impatiently.
"Explain to me why you missed your correspondence with My Lord," She inquired sharply, dark eyes glaring at Semele.
"It was not intentional. I was merely helping the engineer, as you ordered me, and I lost track of time." Her words were carefully spoken, but her eyes did not raise to meet Liandra's.
"Do not lie to me girl; you have not replied to his calls in weeks. He grows suspicious that you shall refuse the engagement. Does Lysat's peace mean nothing to you?" Liandra's words were sharp and spoken harshly. When she finished, Semele was still for a few moments; at last standing, fists clenched, she glared down at her mother, every bit as regal in bearing as the Empress.
"Lysat means everything to me," She replied vehemently. Liandra's eyes narrowed, but Semele continued without giving her a chance to speak.
"All my life, you have told me, as well as my brothers and sisters, how our lives are given to the people and the land. Our choices are not our own; and I understand that. But I'm no longer sure that this marriage is what's best for Lysat, or for Geitha, for that matter."
"Foolish child!" Liandra stood as well; a full two inches taller than her daughter, she was an intimidating figure, but Semele still glared at her.
"The only reason Lysat maintains it's independence, as well as it's peace and prosperity, is because of Geitha's generous trade. They are a larger population than us, they have more weapons, despite our impressive military. One silly girl's heart is of no importance compared to the billions of lives it saves,"
"But why me? Philammon does not love me; my sisters are all equal to my beauty or more so. Why should he care which one he makes his 'Queen'?" Semele asked in frustration, making her way to a window at the side of the room. The sky was beginning to clear and Semele had a perfect view of the ship's holding. Despite her somber expression, light came back to her eyes as she saw Seamus again moving around outside the ship, tools spread out on the ground around him. Following her, and saying in a softer, though still cold, voice, Liandra rested a hand on Semele's shoulder.
"He chose you many years ago Semele; our choice as to which Princess marries the King of Geitha was not part of the bargain our ancestors made. You have a duty; it is not the place of Royalty to seek their own happiness when their people's future is in jeopardy," Nodding slightly, Semele couldn't help her eyes filling with tears, though she remained composed. Following her gaze, Liandra glanced at her daughter's taught posture and frowned to herself. Tightening her grip on Semele's shoulder to the point where the girl gave a small gasp of pain, Liandra leaned forward and whispered,
"Remember child, your heart, your life, is not your own. It belongs to Lysat; and to me." A shudder ran through Semele's frame; turning, she hurried out of the room, blinking away the rebellious tears that streamed down her face.
"Harper, are you there?" Wiping his hands on his pants before answering, Harper picked up his communicator from his tool belt and said jauntily.
"I'm here boss; how's it going up there? You guys blow those Nietzscheans outta the sky...er...space?" Grinning to himself, Harper could almost hear Dylan roll his eyes.
"Actually, it apparently was a mistake. They kindly have helped fix up the Andromeda and are even escorting the Maru back to Lysat."
"What?" Harper asked, grin gone, confusion taking its place.
"It's a long story...anyway, are you almost done fixing the ship?"
"Yeah, sort of." Harper said; in truth he wasn't sure how close he was to being done. It depended on whether the Lysations simply wanted the ship to fly or if they wanted it to work at its full capacity.
"Well hurry up and fix it. We'll be there in a day or so. Hunt out"
"Yes sir." Harper mumbled to himself, giving a mock salute as though Dylan was in front of him.
"Who are you talking to?" A voice asked curiously. Startled, Harper blushed slightly as he turned to face Semele.
"Uh, just Dy-er, the captain. He'll be here shortly to pick me up. Don't worry though, I'll have this ship up and flying in no time." He smiled, self-consciously aware of the fact that his clothes were still covered in sand, his hair even more messier than usual, while she looked perfect; every hair carefully twisted into a complicated knot, strands of sapphires and amethysts strewn through the braids. Her dress was crisp and hugged her form in some places, but was loose in others.
"Good; I'm afraid I lied when I said there was no rush." Harper sighed mentally as he recognized the statue-like expression that was back on Semele, no; the Princess' face.
"How much time are we talking here?" He asked, trying to calculate how long it would take to fix the ship completely.
"My betrothed does not come for me for at least a few days. And the wedding celebrations shall last for at least a week before we must leave." Seeing his confused face, she added, "It is tradition for the newly married King and Queen of Geitha to arrive in the Imperial ship."
"I see. That's, that's...interesting," For some reason he felt disappointed, though that was a foolish feeling. What was wrong with him? Giving a slight nod, he turned back to his work. To his surprise, Semele did not leave.
"Seamus, are you...are you married?" Her voice had changed back to the normal tone she'd used when they were out on the sea. Again turning to look at her, Harper noticed that her hands were clutched tightly in front of her, and her face was pale.
"Nah, I've never been married. Never even met a girl who liked me back," He gave a grin to try and lighten her mood, but she only gave a slight nod. Turning her head to peer out to sea, causing the long silver earrings she wore to sparkle in the dull light, her voice was steady, but quiet.
"Can you keep a secret, Seamus?" Suddenly he felt uncomfortable, fiddling with the tool in his hands. All of his instincts told him to promptly say 'no' before she told him some political piece of information that would come back to haunt him. However what came out of his mouth ignored the rest of his brain.
"Sure, if you want me to." Was his reply, his eyes fixed on her rigid form.
"I don't want to be married. Especially not to whom I must wed." Again she turned to face him, a wan smile on her face that did not meet her eyes.
"Still, it is a small price to pay for the well being of others, is it not?" Not knowing what to say, Harper simply nodded. Suppose the Nietzscheans had agreed to leave Earth if a person were forced to marry one of their own? Not that that was ever going to happen, but still, in the same situation, Harper couldn't justify refusing such an offer. Yet he felt bad for her, and wished he could have helped in some way.
As if reading his thoughts, Semele gave him a small smile. Walking towards him, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently. Sure he was turning beet red, Harper tried to stutter some response, but she spoke before he could.
"That's a thank you for the lovely afternoon. Now come, you've been working all day. Won't you retire and have supper? We shall eat privately so you won't be bothered by the throngs of people who will no doubt have many questions for you." Still stunned, Harper at last managed to swallow and nod, sure that she must think him dumb or simple in the head.
"This way, I already sent for food." She said, slipping her hand into his and leading him back to the Palace. Much the same way she had grasped his hand when they had first met.
End of Chapter 4
Sorry this took so long and is so short; school's been driving me crazy. I'll try to have the next chapter up as quickly as possible.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda, and I don't own Harper. (cry, sniffle, cry) However, I DID create the planet and its people from my own little mind. If they resemble other characters, either in the show, other fanfics, or real life, it's purely coincidental.
Lysation Love
Chapter 4
"Dylan, they've found us," Beka said as the Andromeda shuddered from the impact of a missile. Dylan had quickly run to command; going to his station as he answered Beka.
"Enter slipstream, get us out of here," He ordered tersely. Today was not going well in his view and he found himself wishing that for once he could just go lie down in his quarters.
"Brace for slip—hang on; they're hailing us!" Beka said in disbelief. The firing had stopped and Dylan exchanged a wary glance with Beka.
"Shall I put them through Captain?" Andromeda's AI asked onscreen. Dylan gestured to do so; more than a little confused, and almost instantly Rommie's face was replaced by a pale, round faced man with a grim expression.
"Greetings sir; I assume I am talking to the Captain of the Andromeda Ascendant?" The man asked. 'Well, got to admit everyone's polite around here' Dylan thought to himself ironically.
"I'm Captain Hunt. May I ask why your ships attacked us unprovoked?" To his credit, the man onscreen looked uncomfortable and seemed genuinely apologetic.
"Forgive my officers Captain, the Nietzscheans are newly in our employment, and you are the first Outsider ship to enter this sector in many, many years."
"I don't understand, are you from Lysat?" Dylan asked as Rommie, who stood beside him scanned her files for information on other planets nearby. Laughing, the man shook his head.
"Indeed, we are not. I am Lord Philammon of the Kingdom of Planet Geitha, and as a precaution it is necessary to fire upon any unidentified ship that enters the border of our planet."
"Dylan, my records contain little information about the planet's history, however they show that Geitha is known for its powerful military and totalitarian state." This was said by Rommie, and wasn't heard by Philammon.
"In other words, not someone we want as an enemy," Beka pointed out.
"But do we want them as a friend?" Again, this was spoken so only those on the deck could hear. No sooner had Dylan uttered them then Trance and Rhade entered Command.
"Captain, I would again like to sincerely apologize for our actions. If you require assistance in repairing your ship, we would be more than happy to offer our help," Lord Philammon stated.
"Offering to fix the damage they caused. How thoughtful," Rhade remarked.
"Yeah well, with our engineer on Lysat, we can't really be picky, can we?" Dylan said as he moved to the center of the room, facing Lord Philammon.
"Forgive me for over hearing Captain, but is your engineer, by chance, helping her Esteemed Majesty Empress Liandra with her Imperial ship?" Lord Philammon peered into the screen, as though carefully watching Dylan to see how his face.
"Yes, as a matter of fact he is. Why do you ask?" Dylan remained cautious of the man; it wasn't smart to trust someone who only minutes ago had been firing at you.
"Oh, just a matter of personal interest I suppose. You see, Lysat is our ally and only neighbor. In fact, my bride, and Geitha's future Queen, resides there."
"How nice," Trance said, loud enough that the others turned to glance at her and wonder what she had meant by her words.
"You're engaged to the Empress?" Dylan asked curiously, for indeed, Philammon did not appear to be much younger than her.
"No no, I'm am betrothed to one her daughters, the Princess Semele." Surprised, Dylan hid his startled feelings well, and simply nodded.
"I think we'd like to accept your offer of help," Dylan stated. Beka sighed, wishing they could hurry back to Lysat; she didn't like the idea of Harper being left alone on a strange planet for so long. Unseen by the others, Trance's eyes closed as though in pain at Dylan's words.
Capital of the Empire of Lysat
Having made their way to the beach, drenched and laughing at their excursion, Harper collapsed onto the sand, arms crossed beneath his head. Sitting beside him, arms clasped around her legs, Semele asked in a curious tone of voice.
"Shouldn't you continue working on my Mother's ship?" Opening one eye to look at her, Harper otherwise didn't move a muscle.
"Is that an order Your Highness?" Shrugging, Semele lay down next to him, observing the sky, which was quickly turning gray.
"There is no rush," Semele answered at last. A mist began to form and the wet dew-like drops settled on Harper's face, his eyes closing.
"Glad to hear it," He mumbled, then fell quiet again. Not wishing to disturb the silence, Semele rolled onto her side and studied the engineer. She had fully intended to get up and return to the Palace after a few minutes—the Empress would worry otherwise—but before she knew it, she too had fallen asleep, the thick fog falling upon the two like a blanket.
"Excuse me, Your Highness?" An embarrassed clearing of the throat woke Semele up. Lifting her head and rolling over, she stared sleepily up at the guard who shifted nervously on the sand in front of her. Suddenly aware of her soaked dress and sand covered form, Semele still managed to look dignified as she stood up and addressed the guard. Glancing down at Harper, she gently nudged him with a foot, saying to the guard,
"Yes?"
"Uh..." The man glanced at Harper, who was slowly waking up, uncertainly. "The Empress requests your presence in her chambers."
"Very well, I shall join her shortly. You may go," The man bowed quickly and turned to leave. Standing, Harper looked around in confusion, yawning.
"I had a wonderful time Seamus, thank you," She said to him softly. Offering a swift smile she then turned and walked quickly back to the Palace.
"Uh...sure." Harper rubbed his eyes, stared at Semele's retreating form for a moment, before heading back to the ship.
"Your Majesty," Semele kneeled in front of her mother for a full ten seconds; her hair cleaned and clad in a fresh dress. Liandra stared down at the girl in consternation, at last tapping her daughter's shoulder impatiently.
"Explain to me why you missed your correspondence with My Lord," She inquired sharply, dark eyes glaring at Semele.
"It was not intentional. I was merely helping the engineer, as you ordered me, and I lost track of time." Her words were carefully spoken, but her eyes did not raise to meet Liandra's.
"Do not lie to me girl; you have not replied to his calls in weeks. He grows suspicious that you shall refuse the engagement. Does Lysat's peace mean nothing to you?" Liandra's words were sharp and spoken harshly. When she finished, Semele was still for a few moments; at last standing, fists clenched, she glared down at her mother, every bit as regal in bearing as the Empress.
"Lysat means everything to me," She replied vehemently. Liandra's eyes narrowed, but Semele continued without giving her a chance to speak.
"All my life, you have told me, as well as my brothers and sisters, how our lives are given to the people and the land. Our choices are not our own; and I understand that. But I'm no longer sure that this marriage is what's best for Lysat, or for Geitha, for that matter."
"Foolish child!" Liandra stood as well; a full two inches taller than her daughter, she was an intimidating figure, but Semele still glared at her.
"The only reason Lysat maintains it's independence, as well as it's peace and prosperity, is because of Geitha's generous trade. They are a larger population than us, they have more weapons, despite our impressive military. One silly girl's heart is of no importance compared to the billions of lives it saves,"
"But why me? Philammon does not love me; my sisters are all equal to my beauty or more so. Why should he care which one he makes his 'Queen'?" Semele asked in frustration, making her way to a window at the side of the room. The sky was beginning to clear and Semele had a perfect view of the ship's holding. Despite her somber expression, light came back to her eyes as she saw Seamus again moving around outside the ship, tools spread out on the ground around him. Following her, and saying in a softer, though still cold, voice, Liandra rested a hand on Semele's shoulder.
"He chose you many years ago Semele; our choice as to which Princess marries the King of Geitha was not part of the bargain our ancestors made. You have a duty; it is not the place of Royalty to seek their own happiness when their people's future is in jeopardy," Nodding slightly, Semele couldn't help her eyes filling with tears, though she remained composed. Following her gaze, Liandra glanced at her daughter's taught posture and frowned to herself. Tightening her grip on Semele's shoulder to the point where the girl gave a small gasp of pain, Liandra leaned forward and whispered,
"Remember child, your heart, your life, is not your own. It belongs to Lysat; and to me." A shudder ran through Semele's frame; turning, she hurried out of the room, blinking away the rebellious tears that streamed down her face.
"Harper, are you there?" Wiping his hands on his pants before answering, Harper picked up his communicator from his tool belt and said jauntily.
"I'm here boss; how's it going up there? You guys blow those Nietzscheans outta the sky...er...space?" Grinning to himself, Harper could almost hear Dylan roll his eyes.
"Actually, it apparently was a mistake. They kindly have helped fix up the Andromeda and are even escorting the Maru back to Lysat."
"What?" Harper asked, grin gone, confusion taking its place.
"It's a long story...anyway, are you almost done fixing the ship?"
"Yeah, sort of." Harper said; in truth he wasn't sure how close he was to being done. It depended on whether the Lysations simply wanted the ship to fly or if they wanted it to work at its full capacity.
"Well hurry up and fix it. We'll be there in a day or so. Hunt out"
"Yes sir." Harper mumbled to himself, giving a mock salute as though Dylan was in front of him.
"Who are you talking to?" A voice asked curiously. Startled, Harper blushed slightly as he turned to face Semele.
"Uh, just Dy-er, the captain. He'll be here shortly to pick me up. Don't worry though, I'll have this ship up and flying in no time." He smiled, self-consciously aware of the fact that his clothes were still covered in sand, his hair even more messier than usual, while she looked perfect; every hair carefully twisted into a complicated knot, strands of sapphires and amethysts strewn through the braids. Her dress was crisp and hugged her form in some places, but was loose in others.
"Good; I'm afraid I lied when I said there was no rush." Harper sighed mentally as he recognized the statue-like expression that was back on Semele, no; the Princess' face.
"How much time are we talking here?" He asked, trying to calculate how long it would take to fix the ship completely.
"My betrothed does not come for me for at least a few days. And the wedding celebrations shall last for at least a week before we must leave." Seeing his confused face, she added, "It is tradition for the newly married King and Queen of Geitha to arrive in the Imperial ship."
"I see. That's, that's...interesting," For some reason he felt disappointed, though that was a foolish feeling. What was wrong with him? Giving a slight nod, he turned back to his work. To his surprise, Semele did not leave.
"Seamus, are you...are you married?" Her voice had changed back to the normal tone she'd used when they were out on the sea. Again turning to look at her, Harper noticed that her hands were clutched tightly in front of her, and her face was pale.
"Nah, I've never been married. Never even met a girl who liked me back," He gave a grin to try and lighten her mood, but she only gave a slight nod. Turning her head to peer out to sea, causing the long silver earrings she wore to sparkle in the dull light, her voice was steady, but quiet.
"Can you keep a secret, Seamus?" Suddenly he felt uncomfortable, fiddling with the tool in his hands. All of his instincts told him to promptly say 'no' before she told him some political piece of information that would come back to haunt him. However what came out of his mouth ignored the rest of his brain.
"Sure, if you want me to." Was his reply, his eyes fixed on her rigid form.
"I don't want to be married. Especially not to whom I must wed." Again she turned to face him, a wan smile on her face that did not meet her eyes.
"Still, it is a small price to pay for the well being of others, is it not?" Not knowing what to say, Harper simply nodded. Suppose the Nietzscheans had agreed to leave Earth if a person were forced to marry one of their own? Not that that was ever going to happen, but still, in the same situation, Harper couldn't justify refusing such an offer. Yet he felt bad for her, and wished he could have helped in some way.
As if reading his thoughts, Semele gave him a small smile. Walking towards him, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently. Sure he was turning beet red, Harper tried to stutter some response, but she spoke before he could.
"That's a thank you for the lovely afternoon. Now come, you've been working all day. Won't you retire and have supper? We shall eat privately so you won't be bothered by the throngs of people who will no doubt have many questions for you." Still stunned, Harper at last managed to swallow and nod, sure that she must think him dumb or simple in the head.
"This way, I already sent for food." She said, slipping her hand into his and leading him back to the Palace. Much the same way she had grasped his hand when they had first met.
End of Chapter 4
Sorry this took so long and is so short; school's been driving me crazy. I'll try to have the next chapter up as quickly as possible.