A/N: Thanks for some more of the great reviews!!! Just a little clarification for Rommie's Voice: I understand your confusion about the time thing, and here's me trying to explain it…this story takes place in the future, so Rommie and Dylan were together while Trance and Beka were having their babies, and letting them grow up, THEN they got separated, THEN Rommie got pregnant. (Although I never envisioned the crew to have aged 18 years, if that makes sense. I find it easier to see them in my head, as they are in the series now.) The rest of your questions, I'm pretty sure, will get answered later...ESPECIALLY THE ONE ABOUT DYLAN"S DAUGHTER AND ALL OF HER POWER AND SHIP AND SUFF, mehehehehe. (Sorry I got excited about the suspense I created.) I really appreciate your review and questions, I'm sure you've helped other people understand too. Not to mention the fact that you kept me on the ball Thanks again.
One more thing I feel that I need to mention: this story is based on a dream that I had a few weeks ago after eating FAR too much Chinese food, so if some stuff doesn't make sense, I'm makin' up the answers as I go. Feel free to ask more questions, but don't make them too hard, like "How could the big ship have gotten so close to the Andromeda if they were moving at blah blah per hour, and they were fully fueled and…" I don't know the answer, I just write down what the voices tell me to. Thanks again for all of the reviews, you really don't know how encouraging they are.
Oh yah, And I have a feeling this is going to be a short chapter, sorry 'bout that. This is going to be a chapter where some of your questions are answered, unless you think that this stuff is too obvious…
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"Hail them." Dylan said. A bead of nervous sweat ran down his forehead. The rest of the crew looked at him, they had not finished questioning Ethan, but did as their captain ordered.
"I'm detecting six energy signatures, like warheads. Four are operational, but two are broken, kind of like they're being disassembled and used for energy. Dylan, they're all Commonwealth missiles." Tyr said. Beka looked at Ethan, then at Dylan, who looked at her and smiled. She smiled back, a little too innocently.
"No response to our hail." Jakob said as he pushed buttons on one of the consoles. "But, they're not blocking our transmission. It's odd, Dylan, it's almost as if the AI for that ship wants us to talk, but the people inside don't want to listen."
"You know, Jake, I've heard your mother say that something is "odd" on countless occasions, but somehow I don't think that such a small term can cut it this time." Dylan looked over at the young pilot and gave a reassuring smile. "Let me send them an audio message, and see if they respond to that."
"Patching to the alien vessel." Jake said as he pushed some buttons. "Frequencies open."
"This is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. Please allow us passage. We do not wish to destroy you." Dylan shut off the frequencies and turned to Beka. "Do you think they'll buy it?"
"Not a chance. 'We will destroy you!' Ha, they're at least three times as big as us." Beka looked at Dylan doubtfully.
"Uh, Beka?" Dylan turned to face her as she started walking out of command. "How the hell did that ship get six Commonwealth missiles?"
"Well, uh, Dylan," Beka looked hesitant. "Maybe you should ask them while we're 'destroying their vessel'" Dylan raised his eyebrows.
"I think my idea is a bit better than shooting them with our slingshot and waving our torch at them."
"Face it Dylan, talking never resolves anything. If you were smart, you'd run away before they shoot their slingshot at us. I have a feeling that their slingshot has had a few upgrades." Beka looked at his sarcastically and turned to leave command.
"Yeah? Well it's just like you to leave when we're about to be destroyed." Dylan called after her.
"I have to take a piss. My bladder can't take all this stress." Beka yelled to him. She was already out of view.
"It's just like her to be pessimistic." Dylan shook his head, and returned to the matter at hand.
"I'm sorry Dylan, I didn't know there was a reason to be optimistic at a time like this." Harper defended Beka. Dylan looked around at the rest of his crew. Fear was in every one of their eyes. Even Tyr had a drip of sweat on his forehead.
"Uh, Harper, you had better prepare to take all power, even life support, and reroute it to the forward thrusters. I'll pilot the slipstream if I have to." Dylan finally succumbed to the fear in his stomach. "So much for their destruction." He whispered to himself.
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The audio echoed through the command of the alien vessel. Several Nietzscheans laughed at the final warning. The pale girl from the planet stood in a corner, facing the view screen. Her eyes were still staring at a spot in front of her, and her hands were clasped tightly in front of her.
"You see, they really do care." One of the Nietzscheans turned and looked at her. "How long would it take for us to destroy them?" The girl moved only her eyes and looked at him. "Answer me, girl." She looked back to where she was staring before. "It's wearing off Judika, give her more." He ordered one of the Nietzscheans, who stood up and walked over to a hollow in the wall. He shuffled around a bit and finally turned, revealing a long white spike. He walked over to the girl and grabbed her hand. He viciously plunged it deep into the palm of her had, and it made a hissing noise. The entire ship shuttered for a moment and let out a long, metallic groan. A tear trickled down the girl's cheek, but she did not flinch. "Now tell me," the Nietzschean commander walked up to her so she was looking directly into his abdomen. "How long will it take for this ship to destroy the Andromeda?"
"Seven point two – four seconds." The girl answered sadly.
"Good." The command Nietzschean turned to face the visual of the Andromeda on the front screen. "Good. You know, it's a shame that your body became used to the ambilite. I hate to waste so much of it, when there are so many slaves, your one dose, could affect. When you were a child, you only needed a drop. Prepare to attack the Andromeda." He ordered the girl to ready the ship. Some of the Nietzscheans laughed and clapped their cups of alcohol together. They sat on the floor, for there were no chairs or consoles on command, only a large white light that shone from the floor in the center of the room. The girl walked mechanically over to it, and stood in the middle of it. Her eyes flickered and closed. "Oh, and Loren," The Nietzschean called Judika looked at the girl. "Send up some more drinks."
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Also, in the background section of the first chapter I said that the name of Loren's ship is the Wrath of Serenity, but I changed to the Rage of Serenity, I think it adds a bit of poetic irony ha ha.