The Decision

Dylan knocked and a sleepy, visibly irritable Harper opened the door. This alone managed to annoy Dylan, but he kept his patience. After a while of standing there, Harper said:

"Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

Harper hesitated, but stepped to one side; however when Dylan saw the state of the darkened room he changed his mind.

"...On second thoughts...let's go to my office..."

Harper followed him hesitantly, sensing trouble. Thinking about it he was relieved Dylan hadn't gone into his room and seen it with the lights on- he didn't want to have to explain the smashed items near walls. He had no idea what Dylan wanted to talk about, but after his attitude over the past days, it couldn't be good.

They entered, sat down and Dylan looked at him gravely.

"Harper, you are a brilliant engineer, but..."

He realised he had Harper's absolute attention and searched for the right words.

"You are the best engineer among the engineering crew, but I'm wondering if you're the best leader...because being the best engineer isn't everything. You've got to work hard as well, turn up for shifts, and not go off on holidays without permission – set an example.

Harper looked at him at first with suspicion, which slowly turned to betrayal.

"I do work hard." He said, dazed.

"I know but there are others who work harder. Lieutenant Jason Flinte for example; His work has been exemplary and I don't want to hold him back because I'm biased towards you, because I've known you longer, and we're...friends."

"Friends..." Harper echoed distantly.

This disturbed Dylan slightly, but he went on regardless.

"I've been talking to Rommie and she thinks, with your recent behaviour, you need time out from the stress of work."

Suddenly it hit Harper like a commonwealth cargo ship and he stood up in astonished alarm.

"Wh-What?!"

"The break will only be temporary, then you can get back to work again; under Lieutenant Flinte..."

"Jason? ...how could he..."

"Jason had nothing to do with it, he doesn't even know yet- it was my decision."

"Jason's good but he's not a genius, I mean- what was wrong with me in charge?!"

"Well...there have been complaints recently – about your attitude...and Rommie tells me you take 3-4 our breaks when you feel like it...Harper I warned you about the third strike. Your work has even been getting sloppy."

Harper was furious almost beyond words.

"Oh I see, I've saved your butts countless times and this is what I get? Well big freakin deal cos I don't have to work here, other ships would love a freakin genius for an engineer!"

Harper stormed out before Dylan could answer and ran to his room. He collected all his things together, and packed. Sitting on his bed despairingly, he tried to calm down and partially succeeded, but it felt like he'd lost everything. First Earth and now Andromeda, he really had lost anywhere he could call home, anyone he could call family. He heard a ship-wide announcement diplomatically declaring the 'changes'. He felt humiliated and his anger rose again. He jacked into Andromeda.

"This is a ship-wide announcement. I quit. Goodbye."

Angry tears fell and blurred his vision as he checked around his room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and he nearly missed the one thing he could never leave behind; his old tin whistle.

In the storm one boy stood, tears streaming down his face and mingling with the rain.

"I could have saved you! Why didn't you give me in to them? Two lives for one... How could you?! I don't understand!!" he screamed against the noise of the wind.

He slammed the light metal into the graves of his parents and ran against the beating wind.

Brendan searched through the small box of items as Harper watched in curiosity.

"I got somethin' for you. Been saving it. Here...it's your old tin whistle."

Harper caught the instrument and deep memories resurfaced at the metal's very touch.

"...no, no no I- uh, I threw this-"

"Into you're parents grave. Yeah you did. I pulled it out for you; been savin' it. You know, for when you're ready to play it again."

Packing it alongside everything else his moment of reflection was interrupted by a knock at his door. He ignored it, but a second knock came.

"I'm busy go away."

The muffled reply came. Of all the people he might have expected, or hoped, he couldn't help but be surprised.

"Chief? It's me Jason...I just wanna..."

Harper opened the door. The memories of his dead family and the expression on Jason's face softened his feelings.

"Jason, before you say anything I know you had nothing to do with it, and hey I guess if I had to choose I would have chosen you too. I'm not mad at you."

"...you said you were leaving...please don't go. You obviously don't know how much you'd be missed or you wouldn't even think about leaving."

Harper laughed bitterly.

"Yeah sure. You know you're the first person I've seen since I made my announcement? Not Beka, not Trance, not Rommie, but my replacement. Kinda fitting huh."

Jason looked at him in amazement.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Well anyways I gotta get going, but...thanks."

Jason nodded uneasily and left. Harper sighed. Then he saw the store of Neu Bayern Weissbrau he'd purchased on the last drift...

TBC