A/N this is a How-Beka-Met-Harper story. I know it has been done before but I am doing it now.
Beka piloted the Maru down to the surface of Metticalle 4. Her crew, Fred Vexpag, Rev Bem, and Bobby were all behind her looking out the view screen.
"Not the prettiest of planets." Vexpag said simply. No one argued with him. He was right. It was black looking and smoggy.
"Look, I know it doesn't look like much but they have people that can fix the ship." Bobby said defensively. Coming to this...place was his idea.
The Maru's engines had been shot by some planets "law enforcement" trying to keep the Maru from getting their cargo to their buyer in time. Well they had succeeded. Unless the Maru was fixed in one day and 3 hours, the Maru would miss their current employers.
"I hate planets."
"WE KNOW BEKA!" Vexpag shouted jokingly. "You told us 34 seconds ago!"
"Fine then." Beka muttered.
As soon as they landed, Beka said "Let's just find someone to fix this and be gone. We need to get to Mr. Somprez's in time. Bobby, stay here with Rev, Vexpag, come with me."
Fred nodded and followed her off the Maru. Beka looked around as they walked. She couldn't help but wince. There were slaves, men beating women, one woman beating a man, children in the street, more beggars then people giving. Poverty. God what happened here? Beka was spared thinking about this for a while as they entered a parts shop.
"Excuse me." Beka said to the guy behind the counter. "Hey!" The guy behind the counter still stared resolutely in the opposite direction.
"Hey buddy, she is talking to you!" Fred snapped. The man turned around ignoring Beka and said,"What can I do for you sir?"
Beka raised her eyebrows then narrowed her eyes. "It is my ship we need the parts for." She said coolly.
"Are you interested in a new engine?" The man continued to ignore the angry pilot.
"NO! Talk to Beka, she knows what she needs, she is the Captain!" Fred said angrily.
"Fine. Women Captains, what is the universe coming to these days?" he muttered. "What do you want?"
"My ship has problems and I need an engineer to help me."
"We don't do that here. You will have to find someone else."
Beka closed her eyes and counted to 10 before continuing.
"The sign in front of your shop says you will install the parts."
"Well not for you." He said simply.
"Hey, ass-hole, watch it." Fred said as the guy started to eye Beka with pure loathing.
"Well then tell me where I can find someone." Beka snapped.
"Try the guy next door. He might no someone." The guy muttered.
"Thank you." Beka said in an exhausted voice full of sarcasm.
"Ca-razy bitch." The man muttered. Fred turned around and punched him in the jaw. The man toppled backwards and hit a shelf.
The man started screaming all kinds of profanity Beka never heard before. "You crazy human, what was that for."
"Watch the attitude around my friend."
"FRIEND? That isn't your slave?" Beka's eyes narrowed and made a move towards the man but Fred smiled and stuck an arm out to stop her.
"Save it for Bobby, you can yell at him for making us come here."
Beka grinned back and left.
An hour later they were walking down another poverty filled street. Crazy people of all different species lined the streets begging and screaming as though tortured by invisible hands.
"Fred, we should be getting close right?"
"Yes, the creep's friend, Mr. Vegher, said that this Mr. Harper lives right next to..." Fred turned his nose up and pointed to,"the dump"
Beka sighed. She walked around to the place the rude man's friend had described. It couldn't even be called a house. It looked like a large metal shack. She found what she thought was the door and banged a few times. No answer. She tried again.
"Maybe he isn't home..." Fred suggested.
Beka sighed annoyed. "Really? I hadn't thought of that."
Vexpag just smiled.
"Hey, you looking for Harper?" came a voice.
Beka and Fred whipped around. A balding, slightly overweight man stood there.
"Yeah, do you know him?" Fred asked.
"Yup. M'name is Woody. I taught him all he knows. Well, at least part of it."
"Where is he?"
"Who are ya and why do ya wanna know?"
"We have a job offer." Beka said.
Woody scowled but nodded. "This way."
Woody brought them to the dump's entrance.
"HARPER! SOME PEOPLE ARE HERE TO SEE YOU ABOUT A JOB!" Woody yelled.
A small man came over a pile of garbage with some piece of machinery in his hands.
"Look Woody, this could come in useful, almost good as almost new!" Harper exclaimed
"Hi are you Harper?" Beka asked skeptically. He was short. As she could tell had blond hair, blue eyes and black skin. Wait...pitch black skin? She looked more carefully and saw he was covered in dirt. He also was young. Way too young. 20, max.
"Why?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"We need help with our ship. It...it got hit."
"With what?"
"A missile."
"Ah."
"We need someone to help fix it our engineer recently...quit." Beka said. Vexpag looked at her. Rodey, their ex-engineer, quit to go to some big company that handled shipping needs. Beka hated those companies. Took profit from the little guys, like her!
"That depends on what you need..." Harper trailed off looking over their shoulders. A big human man with bulging muscles came up to them.
"Get out of my way." He said in a deep voice.
"Gimme one good reason why I should." Beka said, just as menacingly.
"Because I have business with the little man, kludge."
"Kludge? Look at yourself. No bone blades so not a Nietzschean, human I presume. Don't go call me a kludge and expect it to be insulting you moron." Fred said.
The man just stood there dumbstruck. Then as if suddenly deciding something, he lunged at Beka. He pinned her to the ground when Fred took out a gun and without hesitation, shot the man in the back. He fell over backwards unpinning Beka. She sat up and looked at the man, clearly dead. Nobody on the street was looking at them except for Harper. Which just goes to prove that his happened so often the people didn't even care anymore.
"Why did you do that? You didn't have to kill him." Beka said.
Fred shrugged. "You don't mess with my crew." Beka raised her eyebrows and turned to Harper.
"So can we talk to you?"
A/N So you see that lovely purple button that lets you review? Please push it! And review! PLEAS!?!?!