"Where the hell is everyone?" Dylan stalked to his console, never taking his blue eyes off of the black vessel in front of them. Something in his heart told him that something was very wrong. Someone, or something was still very much alive on that ship.
The ship, the black ship had nova bombs. So, whoever was on it, could blow the Andromeda out of the stars without so much as a blink.
Friend or foe. That was the question that only the powers upstairs knew.
Rommie answered the question, "Tyr is on his way. Rev is also making his way to the bridge. Trance…"
Her answer was cut short when Trance, Tyr and Rev walked into the battle ready bridge. Trance's round face lighted up as she spotted the black warship.
"She is so pretty!" the purple alien exclaimed.
Beka noticed the bouncy engineer hadn't shown with the main group, was he down in the engineering section? In fact, she hadn't seen him for the best part of a couple of days. Was he hiding?
"Where's Harper?" both Beka and Dylan spoke at the simultaneously.
Rommie raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes searching some electrical data file in her head.
"Last place I checked he was in his quarters but he's not there," she offered, confusion was eating at her voice, "Though he has engaged privacy mode."
Another shot rang across the hull, it seemed like the Angel was getting impatient. Also a little dangerous in her old age. The Andromeda could defeat her in battle if pushed but only, if the nova bombs weren't present. The other ship could react badly and blow them all to the divine.
"Put me on ship wide," Dylan growled, his good mood slowly disappearing. Why did every Commonwealth ship they encountered, have a major chip on the shoulder?
He cleared his throat and carefully chose his words. It wouldn't help if Beka jumped him for belittling her engineer.
"Mr Harper, would you please report to the bridge," he said rather eloquently, silently he added, If it wouldn't be to much of a damn problem!
"Coming!" Harper's voice floated in the bridge's silent air, exasperation was clear.
Minutes later, the small engineer waltzed onto the bridge. Dylan wanted to shake the younger man, didn't he recognize an emergency situation when he saw one?
"Glad you could join us mister Harper," Dylan knew he'd regret that comment as soon as he said it. Beka shot him a foul, don't-speak-to-MY-crew-like-that stare.
Harper shrugged but quickly walked over to his little spot on the bridge. He knew full well that he was going to get a little prep talk about his time keeping skills of late.
What do they expect? They keep running by my quarters at six in the freaking morning! Plus beka has me retuning the Maru and Rommie has me crawling inside her insides looking for the most idiotic of things! Harper kept his face smiling his smile. Part of him actually thought about rewiring Beka's shower. The other half thought about Dylan's.
The grin on his face got bigger but, never one not to piss on his parade, Tyr spoke to him.
"Wipe that damn silly look of your face boy. Can't you see we're in battle?" the good looking Nietzchean growled, his dark eyes bore into him.
Harper shot back his response, "No? Really?! So that's why the ship is rocking, I thought you had dropped one of your weights."
He could see Tyr just itching to hit him, see the anger and fury behind the dark brown eyes. Harper stood silent, silently egging the large man on, wanting to be hit.
Instead, Tyr just growled. He tore his gaze from the small human and back onto the view screen.
"Do not test me child," Tyr muttered.
Dylan stood, watching the pair. They had never been quite right, ever since the battle of Witch head. He shook his head, now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.
"Rommie, put me on ship to ship. Let me try to talk to the Angel," Dylan heard Harper walk a little closer to the railing. He could feel the engineer eyeing up the black vessel and probably thinking about who owned the salvage rights.
"One Winged Angel, this is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant," he sated in his most official voice, "Decease all weapons fire."
Bekja snorted, "Yeah, like that will work."
Rommie flickered into life, "Dylan…she's responding."
The screen Rommie disappeared and was replaced by the other ship's avatar, Sephiroth. His green eyes regarded Dylan coolly, a pleasant smile etched on his lips.
"Captain Dylan Hunt, it is good to once again see you," Sephiroth lied sweetly.
Dylan copied the smile, "You as well. Though, why are you firing on the Andromeda?"
He didn't want to ask the most obvious question, how the hell are you still here?
An apologetic look came from the silver haired avatar, "Angel is having problems trying to figure out who allies are. Her sensors are faulty and she is a little confused. Perhaps your engineering crew could aid us?"
Dylan nodded slowly, he knew how this could backfire in his face. If he walked right over there, the avatar could be waiting to slice his head off. As much as anyone, he liked where his head was.
"Of course," Dylan sighed, "Give me a few minutes and I'll be right over."
*******************
Give me a minute and I'll be right over, Harper thought as he left the safe confines of the Maru, He really should replace I with, my little engineer and the huge Nietzchean who doesn't like him.
Tyr stalked ahead of him, looking odd in the Commonwealth uniform. It strained against his over abundant muscles, while it simply hung on Harper's frame.
Harper tugged at his collar, it really was an itchy uniform. How could Dylan stand wearing this thing? It was really irritating and didn't make having a data port that fun. The uniform really left nothing to the imagination, it chaffed in all the really wrong places.
You have to hid the data port Mr Harper, Dylan had ordered, The Angel isn't quite up to speed with new technologies yet.
Why did Dylan have to play captain all the time? Shouldn't he be over here instead of Harper? This is one of his ships anyhow.
"Child, would you stop daydreaming?" Tyr's voice brought him out of his mental whining.
"I'm not. I'm just reminding myself of how fun all the other ships we've encountered have been," Harper muttered. He knew Tyr could hear everything he said.
Angel's avatar greeted them on the bridge. His face lighted up like a child who's been given a brand new toy to play with. His silver hair making him look so innocent.
"Welcome to the ship! Mr's…?" Sephiroth's voice trailed off, unsure of the two names. Dylan hadn't shared the information. Simply saying that they could only spare two of the crew.
"I am Tyr Anasazi and this is…" Tyr was interrupted by the ever eager Harper.
"Seamus Harper," Harper extended an arm over to him. He could see the searching of their names in the avatars databanks and hoped the impromptu file changing of the crew held up under close scrutiny.
It obviously did.
"Where is Captain Parisindy?" Tyr asked, he eyed up the bridge. It would make a good platform for a strike against his enemies.
"Oh…the captain. Well, she…um…it really is quite funny," Sephiroth stuttered, his green eyes darted over to where the holographic version of Angel stood, "She lost her head, it was some really trivial matter."
Tyr raised an eyebrow, not believing what the being had said. Dylan had warned them about how…unstable the Angel and her avatar were. Keep them happy, answer everything. No matter how silly or trivial the question.
Sephiroth looked over to Harper, "Aren't you a little small for a High Guard officer?"
"Not really, if I was a huge High Guard officer how would I fit to do the really fine and delicate jobs?" Harper said without hesitation, "Like, crawling around the tight access ways?"
The answer seemed to sooth the avatar, his green eyes smiling, "Speaking of which. Can you fix my sensors?"
Harper clapped his hands together, a sly grin forming, "Trust in the Harper. The Harper is good."
****************************
Ok, kids, I think we've had enough fun story for now. I'm sick of watching this again. Seeing the ship's avatar…the damn ship itself. I just wanna crawl up in my bed and pretend this never happened to Rommie or Dylan or Beka or Trance and Rev. hell, I wish it never happened to Tyr as well.
Captain Parisindy didn't lose her head in some trivial matter. Sephiroth sliced her freaking head off all because she refused to sing baa baa black sheep or something.
I've seen the vids! Hell, I got to see it first hand. It really is gruesome. Almost put me off sparky cola.
What happened is that, the ship realised that her captain was getting rid of her. Saying that she was far to dangerous to keep in the fleet. Angel wasn't happy so she reprogrammed her avatar to start bumping off the crew. It worked.
Days later, the commonwealth found her and even then it was a bloody struggle to get the reins back on. She didn't want to go back, she knew what the punishment was for killing her crew. A complete systems purge. Death for a warship.
When this is over and if the D-man doesn't throw my ass off the ship, I'm gonna make jacking into any other ships outta bounds. The only ship that I know wouldn't hurt me is Rommie. Ok, and the Maru.
Ah crap…gotta go.
(Muffled sounds and footsteps)
*************************
Ok, chapter5 right? Sorry for the wait. I kept rereading it and adding to it. This is the finished product and I hope I have the right gender for my captain p!