Author's Note: If only every chapter got writen as fast as this one, I'd
have my own novel by now! ^_^ Anyway, here's chapter four. As always please
R&R.
Chapter 4
The mess hall, which was designed to serve five hundred people at a time, was filled with crew. Tristan, who had learned to remain precisely two feet away from the person in front of him and didn't like being touched, found it very difficult to navigate through the crowd and still follow Rhade. Everyone was just so much bigger than him and people occasionally glanced down, astonished to see a child on the war ship. Tristan tried his best to avoid bumping into anyone, still on the reflex that he could come across someone who would be terribly offended and raise a hand to him, but at his size it was often unavoidable to be bumped into. Telemachus had offered to carry him, but the boy categorically refused. He even refused help in getting down from the med table which was a good meter off the floor. Naturally, he fell and landed on his hands and knees, but then simply got up and without so much as a whimper, dusted himself off. To Tristan, touch was defined by pain and Rhade guessed it would take much time and effort to convince the child that this was not always the case.
Telemachus spotted a table near the corner window and smiled to himself. If there was no Dylan, Harper, or Trance to converse with, Beka always preferred to eat alone. As nice as the new crew was, they weren't family. They didn't know her story. Telemachus hoped that one day he would earn enough of her trust to be part of that. He glanced down at Tristan.
"Alright, we're here."
Beka noticed their approach before the duo reached her table. First she saw Rhade and had nearly missed the small figure hiding behind him. But as soon as she saw him, she recognized the boy immediately. Beka was about to scold the adult Nietzschean for taking the child out of med bay, but didn't want to get into a petty argument in front of him. Besides, the boy looked much better.
"Rhade, what brings you to my little corner of the mess hall?" she asked in the sweetest voice she could muster, mostly for the child's benefit.
"I would like to properly introduce you to Tristan," he looked down at the boy, who took a small step forward. "Tristan, this is Captain Beka Valentine."
"Hi," he waved a little shyly, and Beka smiled at him.
"Hey, kid, nice to see you're feeling better. Hungry?" Tristan nodded.
"I'll bring something for you," Telemachus offered and was gone before Beka could protest. Luckily there was not enough time for an strained silence to set in as Dylan and Harper arrived at the table. Tristan eyed both newcomers with suspicion and then climbed onto the chair next to Beka.
"Hey," Harper sat opposite of him, "This our latest rescue?"
"Mr. Harper," Dylan gave him a warning look then turned his eyes on the boy. "Don't mind him. What's your name?"
"Tristan," he replied shortly, not at all convinced that the two men were friends.
Dylan raised an eyebrow. Beka had filled the captain in on what Rhade had told her, so he was a little taken back to hear that the boy now had a proper name. But then it wasn't quite so surprising after all.
"Ah another knight of the round table," the captain mused. "I assume our lieutenant commander is responsible for this."
"Yeah," Beka replied. "Believe me, it's a big improvement over earlier. Tristan, these are my friends, Dylan and Harper."
"Welcome to the Andromeda," Dylan smiled at him. "I hope you find my ship comfortable."
Young brown eyes widened in surprise. "This whole place is yours? You're in charge here?"
"Yeah," Dylan nodded. "Although sometimes I guess that's just what everyone want's me to think and in reality I have absolutely no control on this ship."
Beka and Harper laughed at this and the spiky haired engineer snapped his fingers. "Damn, boss, you found us out."
"So much for the master plan," Beka shrugged and the trio laughed. Tristan missed the joke, but giggled anyway simply because laughing made him feel good. By that time, Rhade had returned with a plate of food which he set on the table in front of the boy.
Once again, Tristan's eyes went wide in amazement as he stared at the food. "Is this all for me?"
"It's not that much," Telemachus sat down on his other side. "I'll give you more, but it isn't healthy to overeat, especially on an empty stomach."
"But this is all for me?" the child looked so anxious, as if he was afraid that Telemachus would suddenly change his mind and take the food away.
"Yes, Tristan, this is all for you," Telemachus replied patently.
"Wow! Thanks, Rhade!" enthusiastically grabbing a piece of bread, Tristan began to eat faster than humanly possible.
Harper felt as if he was staring at a younger version of himself. Exactly the same question regarding food echoed in his mind, a memory from the time he first joined Beka on the Maru. For someone fresh off a slave planet like Earth, it was a novelty that not everyone had to dig through garbage for a scrap of food. He felt sorry for the boy, but at the same time knew that the child was very lucky that they found him when they did. It would take time, but Tristan would be alright.
Harper was still lost in tragic memories of the past and nearly missed Dylan's voice. "Beka, Rhade, may I please see the two of you in privet for a moment?" The trio began to get up, but Tristan's eyes fixed on Rhade then on Beka. Fear of being abandoned yet again flashed over his face.
"Kid, it's okay," the first officer assured him. "We'll be back before Harper has a chance to get on your nerves." With that she and Dylan began to leave.
"Captain Hunt just wants to see us on Commonwealth business," Rhade told him, as if the word 'commonwealth' meant anything to Tristan. "We'll return soon enough. In the meantime, Harper can entertain you."
"What?" the young man looked up. "Oh yeah, entertain him. Sure, will do. You like card tricks, Trist?"
* * * * * * * * * *
In the captain's office, Dylan sat down behind his desk and rested his elbows on the table facing Beka and Rhade. "As glad as I am to see that he's doing better, what are the two of you are planing to do with the boy."
"Do with him?" Beka glanced over at Rhade, who wore a frown on his face. "What are we? His parents?" Telemachus raised an eyebrow at the idea, but remained silent.
"You're the two people he trusts most on the ship," Dylan replied. "So I'd like to know what are your intentions."
"Under normal circumstances," Telemachus chose his words carefully, "it would be appropriate to return to Tarazed and let him be adopted. As I mentioned to Captain Valentine, children like him are not uncommon on my homeworld. However..."
"However normal circumstances would mean that we didn't have a price on our heads that is the dream of every lowlife and bounty hunter in the three galaxies," Beka finished. "We can't go back to Tarazed."
"Well I'm open to suggestions," the captain leaned back in his chair and the room fell into silence.
"I believe," Telemachus finally said. "That since we can not return to Tarazed and we certainly can't leave him on some drift, Tristan may stay here." Beka opened her mouth in protest, but he held up his hand in a gesture of silence. "You said it yourself, captain, the child does trust me as far as anyone here and I do not mind sharing my quarters."
Dylan though for a moment. "If you can keep him from getting into trouble and disrupting my ship, Tristan is welcome to stay here."
"I believe I can do that," Rhade nodded, "with sufficient help."
As soon as she realized that the lieutenant commander was referring to her, Beka held up both hands in protest. "Wait a minute, I can't even take care of small animals. What makes you think I'd be any good as a first time mother to a four-year-old half Nietzschean kid? I mean, I feel bad for him, but seriously you guys need to find someone else."
"He doesn't trust anyone else, Beka," Telemachus replied, and then leaned closer and whispered. "Do not let her mistakes impair your decisions."
"Besides," Dylan hadn't heard Rhade's last comment. "You took care of Harper, who was in a similar situation as our current young guest."
"Harper wasn't four!" she objected.
"Nonetheless," Telemachus pressed. "The equation is still the same. All Tristan really needs right now is to feel loved and cared for. Everything else can wait."
Beka folded her arms under her chest and glanced back and forth between the two men. "I must be insane, but fine I'll help take care of him."
"Excellent!" Dylan brought his hands together and pushed himself out of the chair. "Then until further notice, you two are responsible for him."
Chapter 4
The mess hall, which was designed to serve five hundred people at a time, was filled with crew. Tristan, who had learned to remain precisely two feet away from the person in front of him and didn't like being touched, found it very difficult to navigate through the crowd and still follow Rhade. Everyone was just so much bigger than him and people occasionally glanced down, astonished to see a child on the war ship. Tristan tried his best to avoid bumping into anyone, still on the reflex that he could come across someone who would be terribly offended and raise a hand to him, but at his size it was often unavoidable to be bumped into. Telemachus had offered to carry him, but the boy categorically refused. He even refused help in getting down from the med table which was a good meter off the floor. Naturally, he fell and landed on his hands and knees, but then simply got up and without so much as a whimper, dusted himself off. To Tristan, touch was defined by pain and Rhade guessed it would take much time and effort to convince the child that this was not always the case.
Telemachus spotted a table near the corner window and smiled to himself. If there was no Dylan, Harper, or Trance to converse with, Beka always preferred to eat alone. As nice as the new crew was, they weren't family. They didn't know her story. Telemachus hoped that one day he would earn enough of her trust to be part of that. He glanced down at Tristan.
"Alright, we're here."
Beka noticed their approach before the duo reached her table. First she saw Rhade and had nearly missed the small figure hiding behind him. But as soon as she saw him, she recognized the boy immediately. Beka was about to scold the adult Nietzschean for taking the child out of med bay, but didn't want to get into a petty argument in front of him. Besides, the boy looked much better.
"Rhade, what brings you to my little corner of the mess hall?" she asked in the sweetest voice she could muster, mostly for the child's benefit.
"I would like to properly introduce you to Tristan," he looked down at the boy, who took a small step forward. "Tristan, this is Captain Beka Valentine."
"Hi," he waved a little shyly, and Beka smiled at him.
"Hey, kid, nice to see you're feeling better. Hungry?" Tristan nodded.
"I'll bring something for you," Telemachus offered and was gone before Beka could protest. Luckily there was not enough time for an strained silence to set in as Dylan and Harper arrived at the table. Tristan eyed both newcomers with suspicion and then climbed onto the chair next to Beka.
"Hey," Harper sat opposite of him, "This our latest rescue?"
"Mr. Harper," Dylan gave him a warning look then turned his eyes on the boy. "Don't mind him. What's your name?"
"Tristan," he replied shortly, not at all convinced that the two men were friends.
Dylan raised an eyebrow. Beka had filled the captain in on what Rhade had told her, so he was a little taken back to hear that the boy now had a proper name. But then it wasn't quite so surprising after all.
"Ah another knight of the round table," the captain mused. "I assume our lieutenant commander is responsible for this."
"Yeah," Beka replied. "Believe me, it's a big improvement over earlier. Tristan, these are my friends, Dylan and Harper."
"Welcome to the Andromeda," Dylan smiled at him. "I hope you find my ship comfortable."
Young brown eyes widened in surprise. "This whole place is yours? You're in charge here?"
"Yeah," Dylan nodded. "Although sometimes I guess that's just what everyone want's me to think and in reality I have absolutely no control on this ship."
Beka and Harper laughed at this and the spiky haired engineer snapped his fingers. "Damn, boss, you found us out."
"So much for the master plan," Beka shrugged and the trio laughed. Tristan missed the joke, but giggled anyway simply because laughing made him feel good. By that time, Rhade had returned with a plate of food which he set on the table in front of the boy.
Once again, Tristan's eyes went wide in amazement as he stared at the food. "Is this all for me?"
"It's not that much," Telemachus sat down on his other side. "I'll give you more, but it isn't healthy to overeat, especially on an empty stomach."
"But this is all for me?" the child looked so anxious, as if he was afraid that Telemachus would suddenly change his mind and take the food away.
"Yes, Tristan, this is all for you," Telemachus replied patently.
"Wow! Thanks, Rhade!" enthusiastically grabbing a piece of bread, Tristan began to eat faster than humanly possible.
Harper felt as if he was staring at a younger version of himself. Exactly the same question regarding food echoed in his mind, a memory from the time he first joined Beka on the Maru. For someone fresh off a slave planet like Earth, it was a novelty that not everyone had to dig through garbage for a scrap of food. He felt sorry for the boy, but at the same time knew that the child was very lucky that they found him when they did. It would take time, but Tristan would be alright.
Harper was still lost in tragic memories of the past and nearly missed Dylan's voice. "Beka, Rhade, may I please see the two of you in privet for a moment?" The trio began to get up, but Tristan's eyes fixed on Rhade then on Beka. Fear of being abandoned yet again flashed over his face.
"Kid, it's okay," the first officer assured him. "We'll be back before Harper has a chance to get on your nerves." With that she and Dylan began to leave.
"Captain Hunt just wants to see us on Commonwealth business," Rhade told him, as if the word 'commonwealth' meant anything to Tristan. "We'll return soon enough. In the meantime, Harper can entertain you."
"What?" the young man looked up. "Oh yeah, entertain him. Sure, will do. You like card tricks, Trist?"
* * * * * * * * * *
In the captain's office, Dylan sat down behind his desk and rested his elbows on the table facing Beka and Rhade. "As glad as I am to see that he's doing better, what are the two of you are planing to do with the boy."
"Do with him?" Beka glanced over at Rhade, who wore a frown on his face. "What are we? His parents?" Telemachus raised an eyebrow at the idea, but remained silent.
"You're the two people he trusts most on the ship," Dylan replied. "So I'd like to know what are your intentions."
"Under normal circumstances," Telemachus chose his words carefully, "it would be appropriate to return to Tarazed and let him be adopted. As I mentioned to Captain Valentine, children like him are not uncommon on my homeworld. However..."
"However normal circumstances would mean that we didn't have a price on our heads that is the dream of every lowlife and bounty hunter in the three galaxies," Beka finished. "We can't go back to Tarazed."
"Well I'm open to suggestions," the captain leaned back in his chair and the room fell into silence.
"I believe," Telemachus finally said. "That since we can not return to Tarazed and we certainly can't leave him on some drift, Tristan may stay here." Beka opened her mouth in protest, but he held up his hand in a gesture of silence. "You said it yourself, captain, the child does trust me as far as anyone here and I do not mind sharing my quarters."
Dylan though for a moment. "If you can keep him from getting into trouble and disrupting my ship, Tristan is welcome to stay here."
"I believe I can do that," Rhade nodded, "with sufficient help."
As soon as she realized that the lieutenant commander was referring to her, Beka held up both hands in protest. "Wait a minute, I can't even take care of small animals. What makes you think I'd be any good as a first time mother to a four-year-old half Nietzschean kid? I mean, I feel bad for him, but seriously you guys need to find someone else."
"He doesn't trust anyone else, Beka," Telemachus replied, and then leaned closer and whispered. "Do not let her mistakes impair your decisions."
"Besides," Dylan hadn't heard Rhade's last comment. "You took care of Harper, who was in a similar situation as our current young guest."
"Harper wasn't four!" she objected.
"Nonetheless," Telemachus pressed. "The equation is still the same. All Tristan really needs right now is to feel loved and cared for. Everything else can wait."
Beka folded her arms under her chest and glanced back and forth between the two men. "I must be insane, but fine I'll help take care of him."
"Excellent!" Dylan brought his hands together and pushed himself out of the chair. "Then until further notice, you two are responsible for him."