Child of the Sun Chapter 4, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Dylan did not feel that the compliment he had given both Alura and Trance was inappropriate. Trance had given him hope so many times without asking for anything in return that he couldn't help wanting to comfort her when she sounded so wistful about Alura being like her mysterious father and not like her. Though it remained to be seen if Alura was truly as good a woman as Trance, Trance was indeed, all heart. And Alura had saved them from the Magog with great risk to her own life.

And both women were beautiful. It was fact, nothing more. He had always been aware of Trance's physical perfection, but when she was purple she had seemed so young. Not to mention that she was a member of his crew and therefore under his protection and slightly off-limits. And when she had switched places with herself, leaving red-and-gold Trance on the Andromeda, it had taken him a little while to trust her again. But with all they had been through in the past couple years and with Trance revealing herself to him; she had earned his complete trust and respect.

In some ways, knowing what she was had made her seem beyond him. Like she wasn't meant to walk the same path as a lowly mortal like him. But living proof that she was very "human" was discussing field polarities with Harper not ten feet away. If Trance could've had Alura with a Nietzschean, it stood to reason that she could live a "normal" life with another species as well. Maybe someday he'd ask her about it.

Trance was the only person on the Andromeda that he trusted beyond the shadow of a doubt. The others could be swayed by the hope of treasure or thoughts of their own survival, or fall victim to the control of the Abyss as Beka had already done once, and of course he didn't know Alura well enough to judge her yet, but Trance was his Light. What exactly that meant for the future of their relationship should this war ever be over and the Commonwealth restored to what it was meant to be, he didn't know. What he did know was that he would do anything in his power to keep her happy and by his side until he figured it out.

"Thank you, Dylan," Trance responded softly.

He knew that she knew him well enough not to read any more into the remark than he had meant. Somehow, she had always understood him better than anyone else. And she did frequently display rather powerful empathic abilities.

"You're welcome, Trance."

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Alura rejoined Trance and Dylan, Harper trailing after her. They had discussed all they could until she was able to fully assess all the damages to the Dance, and Harper had other duties to take care of that would, of course, come first. But Alura was hopeful that they'd be able to build a replacement core without having to put the Andromeda and her crew in danger by stopping at a repair drift that would leave them exposed and alert others to their location.

"Uh, Boss?" Harper began tentatively.

"Yes, Mr. Harper?" Dylan responded, the "Mr." letting Harper know that he wasn't off the hook yet.

"I just wanted to apologize about before, I had no idea we were in danger or that it would be as quick as it ended up being to fix the slipstream. I really am sorry, boss."

"That's alright, Harper," Dylan conceded. "I know how good a motivator the Magog are for you. It worked out okay in the end, and all of us being safe is what really matters in the long run."

"Thanks, boss."

Harper grinned before grabbing a flexie off a nearby workbench and heading out the door.

"Shall we?" Dylan asked, again allowing the two women to exit the room before him.

Alura knew that Trance and Dylan were watching her every move, trying to figure her out. The truth was, she was doing the same thing. She didn't really know that much about them other than things her father had told her, and considering the fact that Trance was her mother, it really was a shame. It was also strange to meet two people that she immediately trusted as fully as she trusted them. Dylan was a Champion of the Light, and Trance was, well, Trance. If there was anyone in the universe she should trust it was these two. But for someone who had never trusted easily, the feeling was still an odd one.

As they moved more toward the front of the ship and up five levels, more people moved around the halls and corridors. Evidently Dylan had been telling her the truth. She saw no other Nietzscheans. She got some strange looks from a few of the humans, but most just glanced at her and went back to their business. Alura supposed it was because new races were being discovered by each other all the time. Trance having been on board longer than anyone other than Dylan probably helped as well. Since she had already changed colors once, what was to say her species didn't come in an array of colors?

Alura almost laughed at the thought of a rainbow of Avatars all standing in a row. She had met a male Avatar once; he had been a pale shade of green with the most shocking orange hair. But he had not asked her to leave with him because of how strong her Nietzschean side was. She was woefully under-taught in the ways of the Avatars, but she was pretty sure they were a generally solitary race, some of them observers of other humanoid species. She wasn't sure how many were like Trance, actively involved in the course of Fate, but she knew it wasn't many, if any at all, other than her mother.

They finally reached the bridge, and Alura stopped letting her mind wander.

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Trance glanced around the bridge, noting that Rommie and Rhade were back at their posts. When the three of them walked into the room, Rhade and Beka glanced their way. Rhade immediately smiled at Alura, but though she was sure her daughter had seen the greeting, Alura did not respond to it, averting her eyes. Beka, as usual, was a little more vocal.

"What the hell is going on?" she blurted. "Please tell me that's not another Trance. Changing colors is one thing, but becoming a different species is another entirely. It was weird enough when you lost your tail."

"Beka, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Alura. She'll be staying on the Andromeda until she and Harper can get her ship fixed."

"Hey," Beka said simply.

"Captain Valentine," Alura responded calmly. "Thank you for destroying those Magog. That was an excellent display of shooting."

Beka's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you know that was me? It could have been any of us. The Andromeda could have done it herself."

Alura's shoulders lifted slightly and fell. "It was a logical assumption. You are standing at the primary weapons console and there was something... human about the counterattack."

Beka made a noise that noted her acceptance of Alura's explanation and the bridge was silent for a few moments. Dylan cleared his throat and moved to the security station where Rhade was standing.

"Rhade, you're relieved. Thank you for staying on duty the extra fifteen minutes until I could get back to the bridge."

"Of course, Captain," the Nietzchean replied. On his way off the bridge, he stopped in front of Alura, who was still standing beside Trance. "It was a pleasure meeting you, and thank you for your earlier assistance. I'm sure I'll be seeing you in the corridors."

Unlike when he had smiled at her, this was too direct an interaction for Alura to ignore. To Trance's consternation, all her daughter did was nod. Rhade looked slightly wounded, but he smiled politely and continued on his way.

"Alura, if you ever need directions while on the Andromeda, just ask the AI. I'll have to ask you to leave the bridge now, but feel free to come and find me if you ever need anything."

"Thank you, Dylan, for everything," Alura answered.

"I'll walk you back to your room," Trance said.

Dylan glanced at her and a silent communication passed between them. Anything Trance learned about her daughter she would share with him.

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Trance and Alura had only just left the bridge when the silence was broken.

"Dylan?"

"Yes, Beka?"

"How did she know this was the primary weapons control? Was she raised on the Andromeda in her reality?"

"No," Dylan frowned thoughtfully. "She said this was the first time she had met me and that she had been raised planet-side."

"Don't you find that a little suspicious?"

"A little. But I'm sure she'll tell us more when she's ready."

"Dylan, I am all for looking for the good in people..."

"Since when?" Rommie couldn't help interrupting.

The android struggled not to smirk when Dylan tried to hide a snort of laughter. Beka was always suspicious of people she didn't know. From past experiences, Rommie thought it would be a better use of Beka's paranoia to not trust the people she did know.

Beka ignored them both, "... but we can't afford to trust the wrong people, especially now that the Commonwealth has a price on our head."

"She just saved our lives," Dylan pointed out. "Until she does something more questionable than knowing the layout of the Andromeda's bridge, I intend to give her the benefit of the doubt."

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"Alura?"

The taller woman stopped and looked at Trance.

"Did Telemachus do something in your reality to make you dislike him?"

"No," Alura shook her head. "I've never really met any members of the crew before today. I don't have anything against any of them, it's just..."

Alura trailed off, and Trance took another shot at a guess.

"Did your father's Pride look down on the Nietzscheans of Terazed?"

Alura sighed heavily. "I know you're curious about my father, and me, but things that happened in my reality don't have any impact on this one. I may never be willing to talk about my past, and I'm sorry if that puts a damper on any relationship I might have with anyone on this ship, but that's how it is."

Trance frowned thoughtfully. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Your past is part of who you are, but I look forward to getting to know you better, even if I only know you from this point on."

"Thank you for not pushing it. I may someday be ready, but right now I don't see it happening." Alura paused for a moment and began hesitantly, "I suppose I should apologize to the Lieutenant Commander for my rudeness."

Trance smiled, "I'm sure he'll appreciate that. The Andromeda can help you find him."

"Thank you."

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Alura watched her mother walk back in the direction of the bridge. She steeled herself and requested, "Andromeda, please locate Telemachus Rhade."

"Telemachus Rhade is currently in his quarters," the holographic Andromeda replied, appearing in the hall next to Alura. "Would you like me to show you the way?"

"Yes, thank you."

Alura studied the holograph as she walked, wondering what Danny would think of it. There were a handful of bots on the Dance, but an android of Danny had never been built. Danny was a much more technologically sophisticated holograph and he had never had the desire to be bound to an android form. He wasn't translucent like the Andromeda's holograph unless he wanted to be and at his highest settings, those termed hard light, he could interact fully with physical items, that was more than enough for him.

The holograph stopped moving and Alura stopped as well.

"These are Rhade's quarters," the holograph reported. "Let me know if you need directions back to your room when you're done."

Before Alura could thank her, the holograph was gone. Alura took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few moments later it slid open and Alura found herself staring at Telemachus' chest. A tank top that was more of a second skin than a shirt clung to every angle, swell and dip of his well-formed body. He must have been in the middle of changing out of his uniform.

Both of Telemachus' eyebrows rose when she looked into his face, and Alura suddenly realized she hadn't said anything yet.

"May I come in?" she asked, the words coming easier than she had expected them to.

Telemachus looked surprised but motioned her into the room. Alura stepped into a sitting room more spacious than her entire quarters. There was a desk in one corner with several flexies on it. She could see that some of them were holo-novels. There were also several shelves of personal trinkets on the walls, a few paper books among them, and a small sofa and a chair with the requisite coffee table. Several plants completed the décor and made her feel almost at home. Alura wondered if they had all once been her mother's.

"Sit down," Telemachus offered.

Alura perched on the edge of the sofa. Telemachus sat in the chair, his muscular arms resting lightly on the arms of the chair.

He motioned to the organic replicator on the far wall, "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you," Alura answered. "I actually just came to apologize and explain my behavior."

Telemachus' eyebrows rose again, but he didn't say anything.

"I was rude, and I'm very sorry. I tend to go on the offensive around Nietzscheans, it has nothing to do with you personally."

"I thought you told Trance that your father raised you? Wasn't he a good father?"

"Not entirely," she admitted. "He wasn't really a hands on kind of father for the greater portion of my life. He left me in the care of other Nietzscheans most of the time and they didn't appreciate the duty."

"Did they mistreat you?"

Telemachus sounded angry on her behalf and the very idea washed any remaining doubts she had about him away. He wasn't anything like most of the Nietzscheans she had ever met. From now on she would think of him as a man, not just a Nietzschean.

"Not overtly while my father was around. But I was treated like what I am, a half-breed." Telemachus frowned deeply at the negative term, but Alura finished her explanation. "When my father died, I was sold into slavery. A Nietzschean bought me and I was often treated worse than his human slaves. Luckily, a human bought me from him two years later and freed me. But since then, I have found it very difficult to not expect every Nietzschean I meet to immediately hate me."

"I'm sorry," Telemachus said simply when she was done.

Alura smiled and got up. "There's no need for you to apologize. I just wanted to let you know that I didn't really mean to be rude. Thank you for giving me the chance to explain."

"Of course."

Alura turned back at the door. "I'm sure we'll run into each other."

"I look forward to it," Telemachus answered, and this time it was Alura that was surprised.

Alura smiled and left the room before the silence could be become awkward.

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A/N: In case you haven't been able to tell by now, any time I refer to "the ship made flesh" android, she's always "Rommie." The holographic version is labeled as such and the ship itself is called the Andromeda or Andromeda Ascendant. Hopefully I'm doing it in a way that isn't too confusing! Also, remember that anytime I refer to an Avatar, I am ONLY referring to Trance's race, never Rommie.