Author's Note: I know most of the time, adding an original character spoils the story, but I'm going to add one more aside from Tristan. Trust me, I think you guys are going to like her.
Chapter 8
Another week passed before any event of significance occurred on the Andromeda. Over the seven days, Tristan woke up with nightmares three times. The first two times were not sever, and after Telemachus sat with him for a few moments, the child calmed down enough to get to sleep. However the third happened while the adult Nietzschean was on duty in command.
Tristan had revived in a cold sweet and the shadows of the dark room seemed to be closing in on him. He quickly untangled his sheets and padded out of the quarters, still bare-foot and in the white pajamas. After a little over two weeks, he'd learned how to reach several destinations on the Andromeda on his own. He knew his way to command, the mess hall, the machine shop, the quarters he shared with Rhade, and Beka's room. Upon reaching it, the ever-present AI slid open the doors for the child, and Tristan silently entered. He knew that Beka would be there: it was her time for sleep as well.
The Andromeda had informed Beka that he was on his way long before Tristan ever got there. She sat up in bed, and turned over a corner, silently telling the child that it was okay and that he was welcomed. Tristan clamed in and curled into a little ball on the edge of the bed. Beka smiled and tucked the covers around him then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the child's temple. Tristan immediately relaxed and fell asleep again.
In the morning, he was once again with Harper in the machine shop while Beka joined the remaining senior officers in command. She took her place behind the slipstream council. A moment later, Telemachus came to stand next to her.
"Andromeda told me that Tristan had another nightmare."
"Yeah but nothing as sever as before," Beka assured him. "I let him spend the rest of the night with me, and he's fine now."
"Really?" a smug smile crossed the Nietzschean's face. "Hum, I have heard of several men who'd be jealous."
"Are you one of those men, Mr. Rhade?" Beka returned the tease.
Telemachus was about to answer when Rommie interrupted. "Captain, I'm detecting five slip fighters that just came out of slipstream."
"Ours?" Dylan inquired.
"No, they're older, pre-New Commonwealth," Andromeda replied. "Though they do appear to be of Tarazed design."
Dylan glanced over his shoulder at Rhade. "Expecting anyone?" Telemachus replied that he wasn't.
"Front ship is hailing us," Andromeda announced from an adjacent screen to the images of the slip fighters.
"On screen," Dylan told the ship. A second later the image of the slip fighters changed to that of a young woman, about twenty five, with dark eyes and straight black hair that fell to her shoulder blades. She was dressed in uniform, but not that of the new High Guard but rather a uniform that belonged to the home guard of the old Tarazed republic. The bone blades on her forearms were partially covered by long sleeves.
"So yours is the face that launched a thousand starships," the woman smiled broadly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kali Rhade, ensign in the Tarazed home guard and first cousin to Telemachus."
For his own part, Telemachus looked quite surprised, but it was obvious he recognized her. "What are you doing here?"
"What?" she pretended to sound hurt. "Not happy to see your favorite relative?"
"Concerned would be a better word," Rhade told her, arms folded over his chest. "What's going on, Kali?"
The amused look on the woman's face was replaced with a serious appearance. "Trouble back home, Tel. Among other things. Do you mind if we came on board?"
The lutenant commander looked at the captain than at the AI. Dylan shrugged his shoulders. "By all means. If she's family, let's bring them in."
On the way to hanger bay nineteen, Telemachus wore a mask of deep concern over his face. He was very worried, mostly about the family he left behind on Tarazed. He'd been afraid there would be trouble for them ever since he had been accused of treason. His concerns increased tenfold after the beginning of the civil war between the part of the Commonwealth under the control of the Collectors and those who still believed in Dylan's mission.
The sound of Beka's voice had broken through his thoughts. Telemachus slowed down a bit to let Dylan take the lead by a few feet and fell into step next to the first officer.
"Telemachus," she asked, and he noted that whenever she used his first name, her tone as well as her entire demeanor softened. "Is this the cousin you told me about earlier? The one who's…"
"Half human?" he finished for her. "Yes, Kali is the one I spoke of, however I did not anticipate that you would meat her so soon. I believe you'll like her, Beka. Kali is quite… interesting."
Beka regarded him for a moment. "You're worried about your family," she stated, knowing it was true.
Telemachus gave her a sad smile. Beka had certainly learned to read his moods well. "Yes," he admitted. "I am concerned for their well being. Those who remain on Tarazed, anyway."
Beka was about to ask what he meant, when the three of them passed the machine shop. The doors were wide open and the sound of clear laughter could be heard. Dylan told them to hold and peaked inside the shop. Within the engineer's domain, Tristan was sitting on the floor giggling in delight and clapping his hands as Harper reenacted a scene from one of the stories he'd been telling the child.
"And then, the great Hercules took out his sword," Harper extended the force lance in his hand as a prop. "He lunged at the Hydra and…"
Dylan cleared his throat authoritatively. "Mr. Harper."
Harper stopped his role play and glared at the captain. "Boss! You messed me up on the best part!"
Tristan looked very much interested in the story and was patiently waiting for him to leave so that Harper could finish. "Hercules wins," the captain assured him. "Hercules always wins."
"Hey!" Harper grumbled and put away the force lance. "You just ruined the story!"
"You'll both live," Dylan said. "Harper, we have company and apparently news from Tarazed. I want you in hanger bay nineteen." He briefly glanced down at Tristan. "You better come too. I'm not thrilled with the idea of leaving you here alone."
Tristan quickly climbed to his feet and followed Harper and Dylan out of the machine shop. He walked next to Beka and Rhade, and the adult Nietzschean tapped his shoulder lightly. Telemachus was glad that for once, the child didn't pull back. So far, Tristan hadn't let anyone but Beka touch him. It was good to see that he was becoming comfortable with him as well.
"Where are we going?" Tristan asked.
"To meat a relative of Rhade's," Beka told him, "and some other people that Dylan needs to talk to."
"Oh," the boy sounded half surprised. The only family he'd ever known was a mother who sold him for little over the price of a tank of fuel. He had virtually no idea what real families were supposed to be like. All Tristan knew for certain was that the Andromeda, with Beka, Rhade, and the rest of the crew was the first place he could begin to call home.
Author's End Note: In Chapter 3, Telemachus said that his cousin's name was 'Khalia.' I changed it to Kali. It was just a little too close to someone else's name. (That was a possible spoiler.)