This chapter is dedicated to prin69, who has been really encouraging and friendly and generally awesome! You rock!
To everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Thank you so much! I really appreciate the fact that you're taking time to read my random bits of writing and I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one! (And to D. Lerious: the asterisks and parentheses are just supposed to be a pretty pattern separating my author's notes from the actual story. Sorry if it was confusing!)
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My life is very confused right now. This is because of a lot of things, the most important being that Trance says I'm in love with Telemachus Rhade, which is kind of a problem because it makes me seem like a complete fool whenever I'm around him. Plus, Dylan's called a meeting in Command to discuss a message from the Drago-Kazov Pride, and who knows what they want? Probably just an excuse to capture the Andromeda and make the crew die slow, painful deaths by giving us to the Magog. And on top of all that, I just stubbed my foot on a stupid little bot. Who makes them that small, anyway? They're hazardous, I swear.
I'm on my way to Command right now, to see what kind of surprises the Nietzscheans have thought up recently. I'm really torn between a reluctance to make an idiot out of myself in front of the crew and the hope that Dylan will give me and Rhade some alone time on the Maru. Of course, it really depends what happens. If the Nietzscheans just decide to say "hi" before blowing us up on the spot, I might not have to worry about anything. But if it comes to a trip to Earth, like Rommie said it might, Dylan will probably send me down on the Maru with Harper, just because that's where Harper's from. I don't know. We'll see.
There's Command, straight ahead. And on the other side of those doors, Rhade (with the rest of the crew) is probably waiting impatiently, wondering why the hell the acting first officer is late. Well, it's hardly my fault – I was talking to Trance in hydroponics about my problem (if I can even call it that anymore) with Rhade. So technically that makes it Rhade's fault. Except that I don't really want it to be Rhade's fault. Gah! Why can't things be simple?
The crew looks up as I walk in and make my way to the pilot's console. "Sorry I'm late," I say as brightly and innocently as I can, even though the innocent part is sort of difficult for me to fake and completely unnecessary, since the crew all know that I'm most definitely not innocent. I shoot a glance at Trance, who gives me her secret little smile and turns back to the main screen. "Shall we get down to business?"
"Yeah, Boss," Harper chimes in from behind the console that he shares with Trance. "What's Rommie been sayin' about a field trip to Earth?"
"All in good time, Mr. Harper," Dylan says from the front of the room, where he's standing between the main screen and the captain's console. "Before I explain what's going on, Rommie has some interesting stuff to share with us. Rommie?"
A picture of Rommie's face appears on the main screen. "I received a message from the Drago-Kazov Pride at 0700 hours. It's from their new leader, Ylizavetta Santiago, who apparently seized power within the Drago-Kazov after they joined the Nietzschean alliance. Under her direction, the Drago-Kazov Pride has withdrawn from the alliance. Shall I show you the message?"
"Please do," Dylan says. Immediately Computer-Rommie's face is replaced by a picture of another woman. I can tell she's Nietzschean just by looking at her – her silky black hair, perfect tan skin, lean muscles, boneblades and the array of guns and force lances strapped to her hips are a dead giveaway. I can almost hear Harper panting, even from halfway across the room. It's not surprising; he's always attracted to the women who are most likely to chop him up into bits and fry him.
"Greetings, Captain Hunt," Ylizavetta Santiago begins, leaning forward, an utterly Nietzschean look of slyness, determination and self-importance on her face. Oh Divine, I really hate Nietzscheans. Well, most of them, anyway. But this isn't a good time to get into that again. Ylizavetta's image is still talking. "As I hope you are aware, I am Ylizavetta Santiago, the new leader of the Drago-Kazov. I come to you with an entreaty for assistance. Recently my Pride has been experiencing difficulties. Ever since the revolution on Earth, in which your Seamus Harper played a large role, the Drago-Kazov have been unable to restore any sort of order on the planet. Our objective is to establish a peaceful Commonwealth republic with equality for both humans and Nietzscheans, but our efforts have been undermined by insurgents. It is my hope that with your assistance, we will be able to establish an effectively functioning government that will provide all the people of Earth with everything they need. I look forward to speaking with you and your Chief Engineer as soon as possible. Santiago out." The screen blanks out.
"How'd a woman like her get to be leader of the Drago-Kazov?" I ask before anyone can say anything. "Besides being full of cleverness, self-importance and supposedly good intentions."
"Because she's one sexy babe," Harper says at the same time Rhade says, "Probably through succession by combat."
Everyone glares at Harper and turns to look at Rhade, where he's standing at the weapons console with Android-Rommie. "She most likely challenged the former leader, whose name is no longer spoken under Drago-Kazov traditions, to a weaponless duel and won. According to Dragan law, the winner of such a duel officially becomes the new leader," he explains.
"Man, Rhade, how do you know all this about the Drago-Kazov?" Harper asks him wonderingly.
Rhade gives him his trademark look, which seems mild but is really just a mask for hiding his real emotions. "A strong Nietzschean knows all he can about his friends and his enemies." And what are the Drago-Kazov to Rhade, I wonder? Enemies or friends? Only he knows, and he prefers to keep his secrets.
Dylan looks thoughtful. "So succession by combat is a test of strength as well as capability to rule. That means that Ylizavetta Santiago is probably a force to be reckoned with."
"So, what are we going to do, Dylan?" I ask as nonchalantly as I can, even though I'm kind of worried about his answer. I can't really tell him that I need time alone with Rhade – I can only hope he'll put us together on this mission. I want to spend time with Rhade, and the only time we really get along the best is on missions like these. Except for the whole thing with the bio armor... But I'm not going into that right now. Yet part of me wants to forget about the Drago-Kazov and spend the time we have left planning a defense against the Magog worldship. Dylan's High Guard approach to everyone else's problems is all fine and heroic, but he knows my opinion is that we should be worrying more about keeping ourselves alive and out of trouble. I can't help it – that's the way I was raised. You learn things like that when you grow up on a smuggler's cargo ship.
"Well, I should think that's fairly obvious, Beka. Harper and I are going to pay a little visit to Earth to talk with Ylizavetta about the state the planet's in right now. We'll be taking the Maru down, so naturally I'll want you to come with us. Rhade will come as well, and I want the two of you to search out Harper's dear cousin Brendan Lahey, who may want to be a part of our negotiations with the Drago-Kazov, whether or not he's been invited. He may be able to tell us more about the current state of Earth than Ylizavetta herself. Trance and Rommie will stay behind to update the archives on everything that's happened on Earth since the revolution and to make sure nothing goes wrong." Dylan stops and looks at us all, as if measuring our reactions to his orders. "But the first part of all that involves getting us there. Beka – prepare for slipstream."
As I pull the slipstream controls down from overhead, I can feel the relief crashing over me. I think I'd cheer, if it weren't a totally un-Beka-like thing to do. But it's just what I've been hoping Dylan would say – I've been assigned to work with Rhade! As I guide the ship into slipstream, I can feel the heat of happiness in my chest. Thank the Divine that Dylan's so predictable!
The slipstream to Earth is an easy one to follow, as slipstreams go, so it doesn't take all my concentration to navigate. Now that my immediate problem is solved, I'm free to worry about whether or not Dylan's new whim is the smartest thing to do. We don't know anything about this Ylizavetta Santiago, but as soon as she mentions wanting to join the Commonwealth, he's off like a shot. I don't think he really gets that he's so famous now that just about everyone knows everything there is to know about him; which means they also know how to fool him, and Dylan isn't the hardest guy in the galaxy to fool. Especially when the person who's doing the fooling is a Nietzschean.
Of course, once Dylan's mind is made up it's pretty hard to make him change it. Whether or not it's a good idea to make a trip to Earth, that's where he's taking us and it's too late to stop him.
"Preparing to exit slipstream," Rommie announces from the weapon's console. "We will arrive in the Earth system in ten seconds."
The slipstream thread twists off to the right, and I turn the Andromeda to follow it. Exit threads are spinning off to the sides every so often, but I can't get out yet – I have to find the thread to Earth.
"Five seconds," Rommie says. Where is it? The stupid thread should be here somewhere...
There it is. I nudge the Andromeda onto the exit thread and everyone in Command is thrown forward as the ship explodes into real time. "Welcome home, Harper," I say, punching the button that shuts off the slipstream drive and pushing the controls up again.
"We are approaching stable orbit," says Rommie. "My sensors have picked up a slipfighter heading in our direction."
"Surely they don't think a single slipfighter could take out the Andromeda," I mutter. I type in a course that will take us into orbit around the planet.
Apparently I wasn't as quiet as I thought I was, because Dylan says, "Don't be so negative, Beka. Whoever's in that thing probably just wants to admire the Andromeda." I can't help but snort as Rommie draws herself up to her full height with pride. Somehow I don't think that's really the reason there's a slipfighter headed our way, but the fact that Dylan thinks so just proves his universal goodwill toward everyone. And that's the universal goodwill that will probably get him killed one day.
"He's hailing us," Rommie tells Dylan.
"On screen."
A picture of a Nietzschean man appears on the main screen. "Greetings, Captain Hunt," he says. "My name is Tarachand Johari. I've been ordered to guide your ship to the Drago-Kazov capital, where our leader awaits you."
I can feel a twinge of misgiving. Does Dylan really trust this guy? He's a Drago-Kazov, and they've proven that their Pride isn't terribly trustworthy. "Are you going to trust this guy?" I ask skeptically before I realize that the Nietzschean is still on-screen and can hear me clearly. Oh well, tough for him.
"Lighten up, Beka," Dylan says, giving me a look. What? I can't help that I'm cynical. "I'm sure Mr. Johari is perfectly trustworthy." He glances around the room at all of us, then back at the screen. "We'll be on our way in a few minutes, Mr. Johari, if you wouldn't mind waiting."
"Not at all," Johari says, and the screen blanks out.
"Let's get to the Maru," Dylan says. "We don't want to keep them waiting long." Harper, Rhade and I follow him out of Command and down to the hangar where the Maru is kept. I climb into the cockpit, strap myself into the pilot's chair, and fire up the engines. Harper takes a seat at the console behind me, and Rhade and Dylan stand on either side of me. For some odd reason, knowing that Rhade's hand is resting on the pilot's seat behind my right ear is somewhat comforting. This annoys me a little; I hate having to admit to myself that I'm a bit nervous about this whole adventure.
I grip the piloting controls and lift the Maru out of the hangar. As the Andromeda's airlock closes behind us, I turn the Maru around to see Johari's slipfighter hovering a safe distance away. "Hail Mr. Johari, Beka, and tell him that we'll follow him down to the surface," Dylan orders. I purse my lips – I'd really rather not, because I have a bad feeling about this – but I do it anyway, since Dylan has a way of breathing down the back of my neck that makes me slightly edgy. The slipfighter turns and makes a course for Earth.
I follow in his wake at a safe enough distance that we won't be hit by his engine exhaust. He's making for the continent known as North America – at least, I think that's what it's called. Harper told me once, but I didn't really bother to remember. Johari hails me, and I put him on-screen. "I'm sending you the coordinates for the spaceport," he says, before the screen blinks out to show a satellite picture of the area we're heading for, with the coordinates written along the bottom of the screen.
"Hey, Harper," I say over my shoulder, "Looks like you really are going home. We're heading for the spaceport in Boston."
"Oh, joy," he says, as if he can't decide whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.
As the Maru approaches the planet through the clouds, I throw on the reverse thrusters to slow our momentum. But something's wrong. There's a hiss and spit from the general direction of the engine room, followed by a loud rattling noise, and finally a crash. "Stupid thrusters..." I mutter, worried, and throw on the emergency thrusters instead. But they're not working either; there's a noisy clunk in the engine room. I'm really frightened now. "Hell!" I shout. "Some damn kludge has sabotaged my ship!"
"Holy crap!" Harper yells, and makes a dash for the engine room. Rhade rushes to take his place at the console. Dylan's shouting something in my ear, but I've tuned everything out in an effort to get the Maru under control again.
The Maru is heading for the spaceport at a dangerous speed. We're all going to die if I don't do something quick. Taking a better grip on the controls, I jerk the Maru out of her course and pull up, so that we're coming in at a shallower angle. This may not be a good thing, though, because now we're on a straight course for the ocean. And once we make impact, there's no place for us to go but down...
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Okay, this is where you guys come in. I have absolutely no clue what happens next, so I really, really need you to review with ideas and suggestions! Also, in your reviews I'd like to know who you think sabotaged the Maru and how you think Beka is going to get everyone out of this mess that I oh-so-unkindly put them into. I can't really write more until I have ideas, so please review soon!
Cheers,
the Lady Katherine
