Part 30
Harper's POV
I paced the small room that housed the incased Gorgonyte…the murderer. He was mine…sitting
quietly just ripe for the picking gazing up at me with big woeful eyes that kept replaying the
savage beating I had already given him. He'd be the first to quench my revenge's thirst, The rest
of their race would be next to satiate its hunger. Rage burned behind my wide eyes. He sat there
in fear of me…a little kludge…he knew first hand what damage I could do. The thought made
me clinch my fists and he cowered giving me these puppy-dog please don't hurt me again show
me mercy sorta eyes. As if I was suppose to feel remorseful for what I had done to him…as if
Beka didn't look the same way before he took her away and ran disturbing tests on her. As if beka
didn't claw and scratch to get away giving him those same eyes before she was overrun.
"This rounds for you beka" I said cracking my knuckles and stepping toward the keypad to open
the cell and dance with the green devil. Suddenly the air in the room seemed thick…somehow
burnt and crisp and a light of amazing magnitude engulfed the room but disappeared just as
quickly as it had arrived…almost like a twinkle of a star only red and hot. I shielded my eyes to
the awesome glow and when I opened them back up again the grogonyte was long gone from my
thoughts. My rage had dropped away leaving only wonder and confusion. There was this strange
red being…it was different yet familiar. Something cute that had turned fiery and seductively
dangerous. I felt the need to run but her familiar beauty made me stay. I could see power and
strength coursing underneath the skin of the intruder…the power was in her hair and her skin. It
was in her black clothes and her startling variety of weapons. Is it her? She stared at me with cold
burning eyes and pushed me back with a force and strength that made it known that she not only
different on the outside…but on the inside as well. Slowly everything that was familiar about her
fell away only leaving a beloved stranger. Beloved stranger? An emotional paradox. I could feel
my chest cave in and the wind that once occupied my lungs fled on impact when my back finally
hit Andromeda's solid walls. I knew who it was as she swaggered over…but my mind couldn't
believe it…another reincarnation of …of…
"Trance!!?" I gasped before I sank to the ground grabbing my chest and letting the my pain etch
it's way onto my face. She squatted in front of me. And I no longer cared about trying to get air in
my lungs. I was to busy trying to figure out this situation…why was this happening. I couldn't
wrap my brain around what was going on…all I knew was this new remake of the Trance was
even more dangerous then the last. I had learned to love the golden Trance after my purple babe
left…but this one…no…this one was to far gone, to dangerous and forceful and looked almost
emotionally void except for anger. It seemed to be what was fueling her.
"Stay" she said and I nodded in fear for my life. Never before had I actually feared Trance in this
manner. The doors swung open with a force that matched the demanding stride of the irate Tyr
that stomped in. He saw the Trance demon and recoiled.
"You touched my tree." she said and the power I had seen before and the brilliance of her
crimson red skin seemed to grow even more as she set forth to attack. Her fight with Tyr didn't
last long and he fell with a limp merciless thud at her leather boots.
"Ok Andromeda send the rest of your crew hear to stop me, or you can get on with what you
have to do fix Beka then we can all talk, there's gonna be a few changes on this ship. " Trance
announced to Andromeda and then the room fell silent and her thick lashed gaze fell on me once
again.
"Trance what happened to you?" I said quietly with pleading eyes. I wanted to cry. I had lost her
again and even though all accounts would say that she is standing right there...staring at me,
frowning at me like a drago slaver would do to a lowly kludge, I knew that wasn't Trance
anymore, not a Trance I want to know at least. My trance was still dead. And seeing this imposter
was only making me feel the loss all over as if it had just happened, It felt like she was teasing
me…just standing there so I can gaze over her and reminisce about times and a women I'd never
see again.
"Nothing happened…I'm just hear to fix some mistakes." She said forcefully apparently waiting
for andromeda's next move. But there was no one to come to my rescue, no one to stop her. Tyr
was down for the count, Dylan was no longer able to make command decisions and was currently
being detained and rommie was seeing to beka. A small shuffle was heard behind us and only
then did I remember that the cowering gorgonyte was still in the room. Trance's eyes slowly
made there way to the gorgonyte…she stared at him seeming to be thinking something through.
She decided force was the best course of action and with short strained tug she ripped the door
away from the cell and guided the gorgonyte out with an odd gentleness.
"Come" She ordered and when I didn't move soon enough she growled a growl that would make
Tyr jealous.
"OK…Ok…" I said making light of the menacing situation. She guided the gorgonyte along who
strode beside her quietly while pushing me in front with her gun in my back. I could feel my
heart beat in my ears…I knew where we were going…meddeck …She was taking the alien to
finish what he had started? Had she grown that spiteful…that angry…had she changed that
much?
"Why are you doing this Trance?"
"So Andromeda won't try to shoot me with her internal defenses." She said giving me a good jab.
"No…all of this…why are you doing this? What's going on Trance?" I gestured wildly with
exasperation.
"I'm gonna set things right…I can't put the future in your hands anymore…things must change
and I'm gonna make sure it happens. I've tried passive, I've tried faith…now it's time for force."
She said…she was talking about her other forms. Talking about how purple trance would drop
clues but stay passive and hope for the best. While Gold trance was more aggressive but still
believed that we could make the right decision in the end with a little guidance and a little butt
kicking. But this trance…she didn't have any faith and she was far from passive…She was an
extreme…
"I'm sorry Trance…" I said softly…and I really was sorry. I shook my head.
"Sorry for what?" She snapped.
"Sorry you feel you have to be this way to make a difference…" I said and I could feel the words
hitting her…I could feel the poke of the gun in my back lessening and our pace slowed. I turned
slowly…
"Trance…please tell me what's going on…we were best friends remember. We told each other
everything…well mostly everything. I still haven't told you about how I got public lewdness on
my wrap sheet." I smiled and she smiled a weak smile remembering all the times she tried to pry
details out of me but I wouldn't tell her a thing, which drove her nuts but I knew she liked it. Out
of the corner of my eye I could see something moving…slowly using stealth skills I'd never seen
before. Trance stood quietly smiling at me but noticed my eyes shift and she quickly spun to her
left letting fly three small throwing knives that made a high pitched shriek as they flew through
the air.
"Nice try Seamus!" Trance bellowed as her knives soared.
"ROMMIE!" I yelled and with her superior reflexes rommie lept out of the way unholstering her
forcelance and squeezing off a few shots before tumbling to a squat. Trance dodged all the shots
skillfully using shackled on her wrists and ankles to deflect most of the shots and leaping in the
air to deflect the rest…she came down with a resounding thud with a knife in one hand and a gun
in the other…Trance grinned seeming to enjoy this confrontation. Rommie charged Trance and
they fought in what looked like a choreographed dance flowing moves linked in chains of
impressive grabs and counters. Neither one could get the upper hand on the other. Rommie
finally made the first contact with a backhand that sent Trance staggering backward. She wiped
the blood from her lip and crouched into a cat like fighting stance with knives in both hands. And
Rommie gestured for her to bring it on letting her leather coat sway behind her and bringing her
fist up in an old fashion stance everyone knew as good 'ole earth street fighting. Rommie did
some fancy foot work and Trance just smiled tapping her heals causing blades of come out of the
toe of each shoe.
"Damn." Rommie said looking somewhat impressed as Trance lunged. Rommie tried to evade
Trances advances but trance was to quick for her, slashing and kicking with tricky combos that
Rommie just couldn't' keep up with.. Trance finally sliced Rommie in the stomach forcing the
Avatar to double over. Trance quickly took advantage and swiftly kneed her in her face sending
Rommie stumbling back flailing her arms to keep her balance. Trance giggled hauntingly and
slowly walked after Rommie who was now sadly hobbling away holding onto the walls. As soon
as Trance put her hands on her she sent an electrical surge through her body causing Trance to fly
several feet in the air and land hard down the corridor. Trance groggily got to her feet and they
both stood injured and now wary of each others skill. Trances eyes shifted to the medlab that
wasn't that far away and Rommie caught it. Trance took off for medlab and Rommie instinctivly
drew her force lance but must have known that Trance would be able to deflect and dodge every
shot she fired so she resorted to the next logical choice to keep her from beka.
"Stop Trance…stop or I won't hesitate to shoot him." She said and trance stilled, turned slowly
and squinted at Rommie who's forcelance was know pressed against the temple of the gorgonytes
head. I had to wonder…
What was so special about this gorgonyte? I flashed back to how she told us not to hurt
him…She knew those would be her last words…her last chance to communicate with her
friends…with me and she used it to tell me not to hurt him. Then I flashed back to how gently
she removed him from his cell as though he had some extreme importance. Did rommie pick up
on it to?…that this Gorgonyte was something more then we could see. Out of all the Gorgonytes
on that ship Trance chooses to she spared him. The very one who had done these heinous crimes
to Beka is the one she decided to spare…There was something we were all missing, something
we aren't realizing. But my thoughts were cut off when Trance decided to make her move.
Something that caught Rommie by surprise…all of a sudden I felt Trance arm wrapped around
my throat and cold steel pressed against my neck and once again the standoff began…
The playing field was now even and it was anyone's game…