I finally got the next part done, it's long! I spent the past two weeks dreaming up a cool way to confront the enemy, and days later I see almost the same thing on Andromeda! So, I promise I didn't copy it! Also, special thanks to gotmilk, who pointed me in the right direction.

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

"What is it?" Dylan and Beka made their way over to Tyr as the doors to Command swished open and Harper flew in, followed by Rommie.

"What's going on guys? He's not here is he?" Harper apprehensively asked, his eyes skirting to the view screen.

"No," Dylan stated.

"Yes." All eyes flew to Tyr.

"Say what? Tyr, I may not be a Nietzschean, but my eyes are perfectly fine. There's nothing out there."

"It's there alright, just not visible." The crew looked nonplussed as Tyr paused before elaborating. "Just as we were hit by that disturbance, I saw a fluctuation in the radiation and antiproton levels that shouldn't have been there unless there is a ship nearby. That disturbance was gravitational though. The kind of gravity given off by a slipstream drive. In very close proximity."

"Hey, cool!" Harper exclaimed. "Kind of like the wake given off by a boat."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Essentially, yes."

"So how do we find a ship we can't see, and have to be within metres to feel?"

"Electromagnetism. So simple yet so useful. If I were to initiate an EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, all electrical equipment shorts out, so if this guys disappearing act is the result of some highly advanced piece of technology, it'll be kaput for at least a few hours."

"Provided it''s not shielded."

"It's worth a shot," Rommie put in.

"Do it. Tyr, ready weapons so we can get him before he disappears again. But do not destroy the ship, understand? I want to know who this is." He looked directly at Tyr as he said this, wanting to get his point across. Tyr nodded his understanding, he too wanting to know who had done this.

Dylan glanced over at Harper, remembering his earlier talk with Beka. The young man was too engrossed in his work to notice the concerned look that flitted across the Captain's face. Here he was, the tough High Guard officer, and he was already starting to become attached to this rag tag crew. True, Harper had done some irresponsible things, but disciplining him for something like reprogramming the computers would pale in comparison to what he's currently going through.

"Here goes nothing." Moments later a massive burst of energy shot forth from the ship, saturating the immediate area in an electromagnetic field. The crew was tense, each hoping this would work for their own reasons. Moments later, a loud whoop emanated from Harper, earning him a very annoyed glare from Tyr. "It worked! We got you! Not so good anymore are you?"

A large gray ship fizzled into existence on the view screen. While it was not nearly as large as the Andromeda, it was sleek looking and had a formidable armament. It could do some serious damage to Andromeda if provoked.

"I'm receiving a transmission from the ship." Andromeda's face appeared on the second view screen.

"Well, lets hear what our new friend has to say."

The face that appeared was nothing like what they were expecting. A weathered-looking old man appeared on the screen. His long gray hair and beard masking most of his wrinkled skin. His eyes were the most striking. The black orbs seemed to look into Dylan's soul. He felt an indescribable coldness seeping into his bones. He was mesmerized, unable to tear his gaze away. The hatred almost stopping his heart.

"Holy freaking calimelons! We've been had by Santa Clause." Harper said, just loud enough to be heard. He too was unable to look away, his breath catching in his throat. Those were the eyes that he saw each night in his sleep since that fateful interface.

Harper's mumbled comment brought Dylan back to reality. "I'm Captain Dylan Hunt of the-"

"I know who you are, and I don't care," the man sneered. His gravelly voice only adding to his menacing persona. "Your crew member has committed a blasphemous act which will not go unpunished."

"Whatever it is he did -" the Captain started.

"Don't." The single, almost growled syllable silenced the crew. "Your crew member has that disgusting work of the devil in his body." The man spat each word, as though they left a horrible taste in his mouth. "Anyone who does such things to themselves are unnatural and must be terminated."

"I understand that your culture has different beliefs than we do, but that doesn't mean he is also subject to your laws."

"Your man not only came onto a drift partially owned by my government, but tried to engage one of my citizens, and associates, no less, in a sexual relationship."

Beka was getting really pissed off with people that strutted around like their beliefs were the only right ones, and that everyone else was subject to them. "So it was your 'associate' that put that virus into Harper's port, wasn't it," she grated out.

He leaned closer to the view screen, focusing solely on Harper. "Yes. Did you enjoy it?" he growled.

Harper's mouth went dry. Before he worked up the courage to respond, Beka interrupted. She'd seen Harper's reaction and wasn't about to let this bully tear her friend apart. He'd been through enough.

"Ya know, for someone claiming using technology to enhance your body is so evil, you sure have some pretty high tech toys."

"I don't answer to you. Smile, I'm about to light you up like the fires of hell." He abruptly cut the transmission.

"He's preparing to fire," Rommie reported.

"Tyr! Load missile tubes one through forty! Beka! Evasive maneuvers! Andromeda, what kind of weaponry are we dealing with?" Dylan yelled as he manned his station.

"He's only armed with missiles and AP cannons, but he's carrying a large armament."

Harper showed immediate relief on his face. "Huh, well that's not so bad."

"Brace for impact!" Tyr yelled, after not being able to shoot down one of the many incoming missiles.

The ship jerked, throwing Harper and Trance to the ground, while the other members of the crew gripped the nearest consoles. Sparks flew, filling the deck with a thick gray smoke, and the lights flashed before finding the power to remain on, and paneling fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing Beka's head. It was minutes before everyone regained their senses.

"Hull breaches on decks 19 through 22, life support down to ninety percent, and we've lost control of missile tubes thirteen through thirty."

"That was a lot more than your friendly neighbourhood missile," Harper nervously added. No one could miss the fear in his voice.

"He's right," Trance added, with only a waver in her voice. "The missiles are tipped with cesarium, a highly radioactive element. It increases the firepower of each missile five fold."

"We've underestimated him." Underestimating an opponent was something Tyr Anasazi almost never did, as it lead to mistakes and possible death. This man's appearance was most definitely deceiving.

"Return fire with all remaining tubes!"

"Direct hit!" The ship somersaulted from the force of the missile, a large chunk blown out of the hull. Before anyone could declare a victory, the ship righted itself and came around again, firing a new salvo at them. Beka put the ship into a loop hoping to loose the missiles and let the countermeasures get them. The whine of the engines as they worked overtime to propel the ship at top speed filled everyone's head. Another hit jolted the Andromeda, but this time there was more than sparks and smoke. The whine of the engines abruptly stopped. The all encompassing silence even more threatening than the explosions from the missiles.

"I've lost ninety percent of the power to my main engines. Unless power is restored, we're not going anywhere."

"Harper!"

"I'm on it!" He bolted from Command, headed for the engine room. His heart pumped so hard he could feel it pushing out against his ribs. This was it. His chance to show that he could help clean up the mess he brought aboard. He wasn't going to let the crew down again.

The immense heat from one of the many fires scorched his exposed skin as he entered, making him feel like he was on fire. Immediately noting the source of the power loss, he got to work while the battle outside raged on.

XxXxXxXx

"Andromeda, status!" Dylan frantically yelled. The latest missile hit felt like it had torn the ship apart. Almost like the point singularity weapon they'd recently been attacked with.

"I've lost all power to the engines, life support's critical, hull breaches have spread but the bots are starting to seal them, and counter measures have been disabled."

"I'm receiving a hail," Trance put in.

"Let's hear it."

The weathered face once again appeared on the screen, smoke also filling his cabin. "Looks like the playing field has been leveled. Our ships are both badly damaged. The only difference is, I'm ready to die for my cause." The transmission was abruptly cut.

"What the..." Beka's unfinished question echoed everyone's thoughts.

"I'm reading a massive build up of energy and he's powering engines. He's heading straight for us."

"We'll both be destroyed unless Harper gets those engines working in about thirty seconds," Tyr stated.

"Harper! I need those engines now!"

XxXxXxXx

"Come on, baby, please. I don't ask you for much, well actually I do, but unless you cooperate this will be one very unhappy ending. For everyone." The damage was extensive. He was close. Just one more connection.

"Harper! I need those engines now!" Dylan's frantic voice boomed over the comm system.

"I'm workin' on it!"

A loud explosion followed by the screeching of metal nearly deafened Harper just as he was about to make the last connection. He was thrown backwards, a searing pain tore through his hip. He landed heavily on the deck, the air forcefully expelled from his lungs. His head connecting painfully with the bulkhead. His vision darkened, and his world spun.

"Harper! Engines now!"

It wasn't the words Harper understood. It was the desperation in the voice. The desperation he'd heard countless times on Earth. The desperation that someone showed when they knew they were about to die. He wasn't ready to let that happen. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pushed himself up and started a painful crawl across the grating; his leg dragging behind him. About halfway there, his body decided it didn't like what was happening, and that familiar tingle filled his stomach before he rolled to the side and promptly lost was little food was in his stomach.

His breath started to hitch in his chest, tearing wracking coughs from his lungs. Dragging himself the rest of the way, he reached his shaking hand up and focused his eyes long enough to connect the last two pathways.

The most beautiful sound he ever heard filled his ears as the engines came back on line. Sheer relief flooded him, almost causing him to lose his frail grip on consciousness, but he knew that unless he got out of there, if the fire didn't burn him to death, the smoke would suffocate him.

XxXxXxXx

"I've got full power to the engines."

"Beka, get us out of his way!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," she yelled as she jerked the ship hard to port.

"Tyr, with whatever we've got left, open fire as he goes by. I don't want him coming at us again."

Moments later, a massive explosion jolted the ship, but this time it wasn't from weapons fire.

"Target destroyed," Andromeda calmly stated.

"Good job everyone. Let's get out of here before any of his friends come looking."

"Dylan, Trance, get to engineering immediately. Harper's seriously hurt."