To nourish children and raise them against odds is in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons. -Marilyn French

Valuable Odds

Thomas replayed the events of the day over and over in his head as he sat in a dark room.

"I wish I had seen this coming. I feel that I have let Mother down, some how. I should have seen the signs that he was plotting against me, but I believed that he would never do such a thing," thought Thomas sadly.

He moved his legs to keep them from going to sleep.

"When I get out of here, Elam and Lexine are going to die. But how shall they be killed? I think a slow poisoning will do fine for the both of them. Which poison to do it with, though?"

"Damn, damn, damn. As long as no one finds out then everything will go according to plan."

"Oh Elam, everything will go according to plan. You shouldn't worry about what happened. It was nothing more than a little bump on the road to success." Replied Lexine calmly.

"A bump on the road to success!? That girl is going to ruin everything we have planned! Why it could take years to reachieve where we are, Lexine. That girl has got to go, or we're never going to leave this hellhole," ranted Elam as he glared Lexine.

"Why don't you go torture your brother, Elam, and leave me alone!" said Lexine coolly.

Elam shoved Lexine up against a wall and said harshly "Don't you ever speak to me like that, again! If you do, I'll kill you. Understand, Lexine?"

"I do, Elam. I have to get some sleep. So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Elam let go of Lexine, which sent her sliding down the wall. He stalked out of the room, causing Lexine to bolt the door after he had left.

"What the hell have I unleashed?" thought Lexine as she sat down on the bed.

"Finola, why don't you go to bed? You've been up since we got back last night. If you want someone to watch over him, I'll do it?" said Doyle, as she looked young woman with concern.

"No, I have to be here when he wakes up, and I'm not sleepy anyway." She replied while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Nola, I'm ordering as your mother to get some sleep. I'll wake you up when Harper wakes up, okay." Said Doyle as she pushed Finola toward a bed. Finola took off her shoes and crawled under the covers. She was asleep as her head hit the pillow.

Doyle busied herself straightening the med bay that she didn't notice Andromeda watching her.

"Everything looked fine," said a female voice in a harsh tone.

Doyle turned her head and saw Andromeda looking at her harshly with her arms crossed.

"I was doing some busy work, that's all," replied Doyle as she turned to face Andromeda.

"No, you were meddling with medical equipment that you haven't a clue how to use."

"I was meddling?! I was trying to keep busy until Harper wakes up, and I have every right to touch the equipment," retorted Doyle loudly.

"No, you don't because you don't have the proper clearance. Now, stop whatever you're doing and sit down."

"Oh, you are such a…………."

"Ladies, please restrain yourselves. With all this bickering going on it's a wonder Nola can sleep," interrupted Harper as he gestured toward his sleeping daughter.

Doyle and Andromeda paused for a moment before speaking at once.

"Harper, please tell Doyle she is not to touch the medical equipment until further notice."

"Harper, tell Andromeda that I will touch the medical equipment whenever I want to."

"Doyle, Andromeda please, pretty please stop fighting and listen to me."

"Well," said Doyle and Andromeda at the same time.

"Can you two stop antagonizing each other for forty-eight hours? That's all I ask for right now. If this is the kind of atmosphere Nola grew up in, I'm surprised she turned out fine at all."

Doyle opened her mouth but was interrupted by a piercing scream. Harper and Doyle ran over to Finola. Finola was breathing heavily as Harper and Doyle kneeled next to her. She wrapped her arms around Harpers' neck and pulled him closer. She buried her face in his chest and cried loudly. There was a muffle sound of her voice but they couldn't understand what she had said.

"Nola, sweetie, could you please repeat?" asked Doyle.

Finola turned her head and said, "They were here to kill us. We tried everything but they got through. They wanted to kill…me."

"Who wanted to kill you, Nola?" asked Harper gently.

"The Prides," she whispered "the Prides."

Elam burst into the room holding Thomas.

"Nothing is going your way, is it Elam?" asked Thomas in a calm tone.

"That damn Bartender got away! He got away! How the hell is that possible! Is there something you haven't told me, Thomas?" raged Elam.

"Oh, I don't think I have, but if you release me I might be able to remember better."

"You're going no where, Thomas. You're too much of a liability to be walking around. So tell me what you know before I kill you right now." Said Elam, as he looked his brother in the eyes.

"I don't know anything, Elam."

"If that's the way you want to play then I guess I should have some fun," he said as he pulled out a knife.

"The Prides?" asked Harper "You mean the Nietzschean Prides?"

Finola nodded her head in agreement.

"Nola, what exactly do you mean the Nietzschean Prides wanting to kill you?" pressed Doyle.

Finola sighed and said, "My biological mother was a member of the Chameleon Pride."

"Do you know anything about them?" asked Harper.

"The Chameleon Pride numbers just under seven thousand and lives on four planets, Eden, Paradise, Nirvana and Heaven. They are known for their absence of bone blades, adaptation of Wayist teachings and willingness to help planets under Nietzschean rule. Which has resulted in a pledge by all the Prides to annihilate them." Said Andromeda in a calm tone.

"That would explain why you heard those two guards, Nola?" asked Rhade.

"Uh, yeah," said Finola closing her eyes.

"What brings you here, Rhade?" asked Doyle quickly.

"Dylan wants to have a meeting," said Rhade as rocked on the balls of his feet.

"Why?"

"He just does," replied Rhade.

"Hmm, are you sure this will work, Elam? They might have already figured everything out?"

"Don't question me or you'll end up like Thomas. Dead. Understand, Lexine?"

Lexine gulped and nodded her head yes.

"That's my girl," said Elam as he patted Lexine on the head. Lexine pushed Elam's hand off her head and glared at him. Elam looked at her and laughed. Lexine got up and tried to walk out the door, but Elam grabbed her by the wrist.

"Let me go, Elam." Pleaded Lexine as she struggled to get loose. Elam said nothing but flung her on the bed. He walked out of the room and locked the door. Lexine could hear muffled voices and a pair of footsteps retreating. She slid off the bed and pounded on the door.

"Please let me out, please," she begged as she pounded on the door. When nothing happened she walked over to the window and looked out. She sighed when she saw that there were an increased number of guards tonight.

"Damn, him. He's got everything covered. How am I supposed to get out of here?" she thought sadly as she looked over the room. A glint of metal caught her eye, and a plan started to form in her mind.

Finola looked around the now empty bar and then back at the man standing before them. He looked exactly like Thomas only taller and younger.

"I see you've chosen the wrong side, Rhade. Such a pity, too." Said the man.

"Hi, Elam. We want to talk with Thomas." Replied Rhade.

"I don't think that's possible on the account my twin brother slipped and a knife pierced his chest last night. Such a sad thing, but life does go on." Elam replied cheerily.

"Oh, that's the story you're telling everyone Elam! Why am I not surprised?" said a harsh female voice. Elam turned around and saw Lexine standing there looking at him. The fractured crew of the Andromeda seized their chance and tackled Elam. Lexine tried to escape but a shot stopped her in her tracks. She turned around and saw Harper pointing a gun at her. She smiled calmly and then plunged a hidden knife into her stomach. Everyone watched in horror as she collapsed to the floor. Elam let out a mournful cry and pushed Dylan and Finola off him. He ran over to Lexine and looked at her with painfully. He kissed her and then took the knife out of her stomach. And before anyone could stop him he plunged the knife into his stomach.

"Mr.Har…" Dylan started to say.

"Uncle Dylan, there was nothing my Father…" Interrupted Finola as she rushed to her fathers' side.

Dylan held up his hand to silence her.

"What I was going to say is Mr. Harper you acted bravely."

Doyle smiled when she saw Finola resting her head against Harpers' chest and Harper wrapped protectively around Finola. She saw that they were both asleep and covered them with a blanket. She saw resting by Finola foot her comm. unit, and it was still playing. She picked it up and looked at it. She saw Harper playing with a younger version of Finola. Ever so often Beka, Dylan, Rhade, Trance or herself would appear on the screen. She could see that everyone was having a wonderful time. She turned off the comm. unit and placed it on a table. She turned off the lights and walked out of the room.

"All of us raised a wonderful woman against the odds of the future," she thought as she drifted off to sleep.