Thanks for all the wonderful comments...
Thanks for Eljay being my Beta reader she's a good egg ... don't blame her for the last part of the update though...I haven't given it to her yet.
Beka swore loudly. "That double crossing, back-stabbing, piece of..."
"Beka, really," Trance interjected. "That won't help."
"When I get my hands on him. If he hurt one hair on that kid's head I'll..."
This time it was Andromeda's damaged AI that cut off her rant. "C-communications repaired. Incoming mess-sage."
Beka quickly searched for a monitor that wasn't damaged. Maybe it was Harper. "Rommie, on screen," the irate Captain shouted over her shoulder.
The screen popped and fizzled but slowly an image appeared.
"Captain Valentine, I presume."
"Who they hell are you and what do you want!?" replied Beka, exasperated. I have no time for this, she thought to herself.
"My name is Bloodmist and I think we will get to know each other quite well."
"Listen buddy if you don't get to the point..."
"I think you should take the time to listen to me, Captain, as I am here to make you a deal."
"I have no time for this crap," swore Beka as she balled her fist to hit the disconnect button.
"Captain Valentine, if you disconnect you will never see Captain Hunt again."
Beka's fist stopped its downward motion inches from the button. "Let's hear what you've got to say."
"I thought you might be interested," cackled the Magog.
"What have you done?" questioned Rommie from over Beka's shoulder.
The Magog ignored her and continued to address Beka. "My master wishes to make a trade. Send the purple girl over to us and we will set your High Guard relic free."
Beka resisted the urge to smash the monitor to pieces. Her voice was low and controlled when she replied. "You know there is no way I can do that."The Magog sneered at her and he licked his pointed feral teeth. "You have two hours."
The screen flickered to black.
"Dammit!" Beka pounded her fist against the unresponsive screen. What was she going to do? She certainly couldn't just hand over Trance. That wasn't an option. She also couldn't let them kill Dylan. She had no idea what happened to Rev Bem. Rommie was damaged and not up to another battle yet. And every second she hesitated her chances of finding Tyr and Harper grew fainter and fainter. At least she had her lucky charm. Together she and Trance would figure something out.
Beka turned to face her friend. "Trance?"Rommie's scared face frowned sadly. "She's al-already at the loading dock doors. I'm sorry B-eka I couldn't stop her. S-she's going to tra-de herself for Dylan."
Beka started to swear in at least three different languages.
Rommie blinked. "Vocal transmitters repaired.... Beka, Language!" The avatar sounded shocked.
Beka started to pace. "Dammit, what was she thinking? She barley knows how to pilot."
"We are close enough that slipstream is not necessary," replied Rommie calmly.
"What exactly am I suppose to do Rommie!?" Beka snarled
"What do you mean?"
"How dare they put me in this situation! Now I have to choose. Either chase after Trance and possibly Dylan--with no proof that he is on the world ship or even still alive--or chase after the kid, who isn't old enough to know how to take of himself...never mind that he's with that back stabbing no good..." Beka resumed swearing in foreign languages.
"You have to decide on what is the greater good," replied Rommie. "It's a decision that can only the Captain can make."
Beka's pacing slowed. "And, I'm the Captain," she replied sarcastically.
Rommie gave a wry smile as she regained more and more control over herself. "Yes, and I trust you to make the right choice."
Beka sighed and rubbed her hand across her face. "Trust..." she murmured. "The smarter choice, for the greater good would be for me to go after Trance and Dylan. Trance has been by my side for years... and Dylan, well he's Dylan."
"The smarter choice isn't always the right choice," answered Rommie, playing the devil's advocate.
"Hmm." Beka began to pace again as her thoughts raced through her head. "I trust Trance. I trust Dylan. I don't Trust Tyr and Harper needs to be able to trust someone."
"But, I can't leave my Captain behind," Rommie once again tried to show both sides.
"You don't have to go anywhere."
"Excuse me?"
"You're going to wait here. Monitor the world-ship; be available if Trance and Dylan need you. The Maru and I are going after Harper and we're going to kick someone's ass."
Harper hobbled behind Tyr. The drugs had left his system and so had the adrenaline produced by seeing Dionysus again. After getting the chip, they snuck back to the slipfighter. From there, Tyr entered the coordinates and minutes later they were on the other side of the planet. Harper was now being led on a forced march through a heavily wooded area. Harper was exhausted. Never in his life had he just wanted to curl up and sleep so badly. His stomach then let out a loud protest. There was that too--he couldn't remember the last time he ate. The sky was growing dark and it was getting harder and harder to see. He was starting to lag behind. Tyr was getting impatient and Harper was getting annoyed. People needed food and rest. Didn't he know that!? Stupid Ubers with long legs. Harper cursed to himself. He wouldn't give Tyr the satisfaction of knowing he was tired; he could last just as long as the Tyr could.
Harper's stomach growled again, loudly. "Traitor," he whispered.
Suddenly Tyr placed a hand on his chest stopping him.
"Tyr?" Harper looked up with surprise. Tyr motioned him to be silent.
Seamus felt the heady feeling of adrenaline course through his body for the umpteenth time that day. Weren't they looking for the bones? Maybe there were guards? It would make sense. Harper crouched low and took shallow breaths in an attempt to make himself invisible. His stifled the urge to sigh. It felt so good just not to be moving.
Harper looked up at a strange whistle. So did Tyr, but much to Harper's surprise Tyr whistled back.
Harper pushed himself even further back in to the bushes. What was going on?"
Dim lights began to bob and weave through the forest. Foliage nearby began to rustle. "Mr. Anasazi?" a voice whispered.
"Yes," hissed Tyr.
"You got him?" said the unknown voice.
"I said I would and I do," Tyr snarled.
"Tyr what's going on?" Harper hissed from his hiding spot.
Tyr ignored him as three men stepped out of the shadows. The men ranged in age from mid 20's to late 50's. The oldest of the three stepped forward. He was obviously the one in charge. What surprised Harper the most was that they were human. Not Perseid, not Nietzschean, but human. None of them were tall, nor did they look like warriors, yet they all carried weapons of some sort. They reminded Harper of Earth.
"Well, where is he then?" questioned the front man.
"Harper, come here," Tyr barked. It wasn't a request.
Seamus' legs protested as he forced himself to stand tall. He stood at least a foot shorted than these men and a good two feet shorter than Tyr, but he wouldn't allow them to see his intimidation.
Harper stepped up to Tyr's side. "Tyr, who are these guys?"
Tyr turned to the men. "A minute if you please."
The lead men shrugged and backed off a bit to talk to the others. None of them let there guard down though.
Harper couldn't help but watch them curiously.
Tyr knelt down in front of him blocking his view and demanding his attention.
Harper turned on him. "You had this planned all along didn't you?! You're just going to dump me. You're just like everyone else!" His own anger surprised him.
Tyr looked at him but not with out some empathy. "When I realized your potential I considered this to be an option, yes."
"Potential!? I didn't do anything!" Harper shouted.
Tyr glanced over to the men who looked on curiously. "You got me in, I got my revenge and the location of the progenitors bones."
"Now, you're going to ditch me here! What about Rommie, Beka and the others?" Harper choked. His anxiety bubbled to the surface.
"We can't help them now, we each have our own battles. You have always said you wanted to go home." Tyr looked at him with concern.
"This isn't my home," Harper grunted. "I don't even know these people."
"I can't take you back to Earth; nor can I take you back to the Andromeda. I have my own quest. Here at least you can be with your own kind. I have talked to these men. They will teach you to survive."
"I don't belong here, Tyr. I want to stay with you. I can help, I'm really good with maps and--"
Tyr raised his hand stopping his verbal torrent. "Truly, do you even know where you belong anymore? I can't take you with me and this is the best I can provide for you."
Harper let his eyes fall to the ground. He was so tired of change. He just wanted to be wanted by someone. "Fine I'll stay," he whispered barley audible.
"That's my boy." The Nietzschean smiled proudly.
"Will you come visit me?" Harper whispered, still unwilling to meet Tyr's Eyes.
Tyr frowned slightly. "Not for a while, but I will check up on you. I expect you to grow strong, little man...and have many wives."
Harper couldn't help but smile. "I'd settle for a girl friend."
Tyr laughed and embraced him. "Be strong little man. Farewell." And in that instant Harper was left standing alone as the three strangers walked over to him.
Harper sighed, his heart heavy. He had to face facts; he would never truly have a place to call home again.
The men started to lead him towards a village. They seemed nice enough. The youngest looking one, who had said his name was Woody, tried chatting with him amicably but Harper said little. His attention kept drifting upwards as the stars twinkled and glowed. Ever so often he could see the flash of a ship as it left the spaceport hundreds of miles away.
Somewhere up there, there had to be a place for him. Didn't there? Right now he wasn't sure...
He felt as if he were already three parts dead.
Trance crept along the stone corridor. Her purple skin reflecting in what little light there was. The Magog told her to come and she did. He just didn't need to know she was here did he? Beka said she was lucky. Trance knew she was good at finding things. She knew a lot of things. She knew that Dylan couldn't die, he was too important. So were Beka, Tyr, Rev and Harper. They all just didn't know it yet. Well maybe Tyr knew it but he doesn't know why—yet. It wasn't for the reasons he imagined.
Trance, knew if she let things go wrong now it could be very bad. She knew where Dylan was. But she wasn't headed that way...first she needed to find Rev Bem.
Seamus Harper dreamed.
He dreamed of a little girl -- long black hair with daisy's tangled in. She laughed, rolling in the tall golden grass. She was full of life. Seamus smiled; she was full of spit and vinegar.
There was a small house on a hill. The wind breezed lazily over the rocks from the harbour and caressed its walls.
"This is how it should have been." He whispered sad and happy at the same time.
"No," the little girl called as she leap-frogged in a circle around him. "This is how it is."
"Can I stay with you?" he asked.
"Not yet silly," she giggled as she started to skip through the field away from him. She was getting farther and farther away. "Wait he called." But she didn't hear him and he knew he couldn't go after her.
He sat down allowing the tall grass to block his view. He didn't want to watch the little girl leaving him. He felt so very small and insignificant. He wished he was a field mouse and could just disappear in to a whole in the ground. Unrepentantly he bowed his head and sobbed into his hands.
Slowly he began to notice a warmth, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. He hadn't even realized he had been cold. He blinked his eyes as two arms enveloped him.
"Shh, little one why do you cry?"
He hiccupped as he tried to see her face but the sun was blinding leaving the voice silhouetted. "I-I don't know. The universe seems too big."
"You only need to find your place in it then it's not so scary."
"I'm lost." He whimpered, feeling like a very small child. "I don't know where I belong."
"You belong to me. Where ever you are, I am."
"Mama?" He asked nearly inaudible.
He didn't hear an answer.
Harper shivered and opened his eyes. He was lying on his bunk. "No," he moaned. He was back with the humans--back on Sinti.
It was dark and he could hear Woody snoring from another bunk. The three men had led him back to their village. They fed him and led him to a bunkhouse. He saw very little of the town but Woody said he would show him around in the morning. Harper really didn't care where he was anymore. There was only one place he wanted to be.
He pulled his blanket tightly around himself but he couldn't seem to get warm—or drown out Woody's snoring. Maybe if he closed his eyes, and fell asleep quickly he could find his dream again. Maybe he could find the warm sun and the house on the hill.
Beka slammed her fists down on the Maru's consul, and then she apologized. "I'm sorry Maru it's not your fault. I shouldn't take it out on you. I just can't even find a trace of which way they went. I don't even know where to start looking. They could be anywhere." Beka gazed out in to the starry landscape. "I hope he's okay." She sighed. "I hope Tyr's motives... well I don't know what I hope. He's just a kid and the universe seems so big."
A streak of light startled her from melancholy. She quickly glanced at the sensors. Many more streaks of light zipped past the Maru. It was meteors. In fact it was the Persied meteors. The Maru shuddered as one of the small rocks bounced of her hull.
Beka Valentine smiled she was no fool. She knew an omen when one bounced off her hull. She turned the Eureka Maru on its axis and pointed it towards Sinti. She braced for slipstream. The universe wasn't so big—if you knew where you needed go.
TBC