A/N: To all who reviewed me- Thank You. I don't write to get reviewed, but it's nice when I do. I like to know that all the work I put in to writing this was appreciated. Once again, thank you. Only two more chapters after this one:)

P.S. I'm still having trouble with my breaks. I apologize.

"Those who never give their full trust are not self-centered. They are safety-nets."

King Sargon

CY6792

"So, are you going to bed?" Dylan asked Beka through a yawn as they reentered the main part of the ship. They had spent several hours looking for the supposed tracker but nothing had been found. Andromeda, herself, offered little help and even suggested it was one of a microscopic variety- a suggestion that did not aid in lifting Beka or Dylan's tired spirits.

Beka was still thoroughly annoyed that Dylan had stuck his nose in her mission but she also felt guilty that she had pawned much of her responsibility off on Harper. She grabbed a cup of coffee from a dispenser in the wall holding off her answer to him. "Na, I think I'm just gonna stay up. I don't need sleep." Her answer was offset by a long deep yawn. In all reality she wanted to go to sleep but her drive to find the child a home was greater. She was eager to prove to Dylan that she had taken care of it- that one, Beka Valentine, was fully capable of handling it herself.

"Are you sure?" Dylan asked yawning himself.

Beka stared almost transfixed at the coffee cup. "Positive."

Dylan, his eyelids half shut already, nodded absentmindedly and waved her off as he headed toward his quarters.

"Okay" Beka said aloud to herself pulling her gaze away from the coffee. "Time to work on problem number two." She walked sleepily over to the control panel and picked up the computer. She then walked over to the wall to plug it in.

The foldable computer was one of the few things without a wireless plug, but that was because, with all the traveling it was meant to do, it was universal. Harper had been afraid of loosing it, which could let god-knows-who access any of his files.

Beka slumped drowsily over her pilot's chair. "Andromeda, rerun the saved transmission." The large screen in front of her turned from a space view to a fuzzy screen which then faded into a picture.

Beka took a sip of coffee and straightened slightly in her chair. This particular coffee was made for soldiers who needed to remain alert in battle. It was more potent then sparkly cola but it didn't taste as friendly. That was mainly why Harper stayed clear of it.

Beka slowly drummed her fingertips on the armrest. She carefully scanned the two figures in the transmission. Both were obscured by their dense clothing and the large table in front of them.

"Andromeda, pause." Beka called out. She took another sip of coffee and attempted to straighten more. "Uh, split screen human races." The transmission shrunk so that it would only fill half the screen and a list of humanoid races appeared on the screen. The faces in the transmission looked human and if was likely they were an offshoot there of.

It was unlikely they were from earth. Few escaped from earth and almost none could afford their own private ship. Besides, Earthlings despised Nietzscheans as much if not more than the Sintu- Anarians. That was one group eliminated.

They couldn't be Sintu- Anarians themselves. Anarians were much paler and do to their homeworld had an almost sickly appearance, granted they were far from it. Their immune systems almost rivaled those of Nietzscheans.

The two couldn't be Nietzscheans. The child had no bone blades and although some Neitzscheans removed their bone blades to escape or hide it was not something they normally practiced on children. It was doubtful she had been born without them or she probably would have been 'mercy' killed at birth.

She couldn't be Vedran. Tarn Vedra was cut off from slipstream long before her parents would've been born.

After removing those names almost immediately Beka attempted to narrow the list down more. "Cross reference with enemies of the Sintu-Anarians." Two-thirds of the races were eliminated.

Beka took yet another sip of coffee. She eyed the remaining names for a moment. She recognized only two or three of the names. Luckily Andromeda had an archive with almost every race in the known universe included.

Beka downed the last bit of coffee and attempted to shake away the last remnants of drowsiness. "Okay. Photo reference the remaining races."

Within moments the list split screen with male and female photo identification of each race. Beka gazed at the screen. Her hand, sick of drumming, now moved up to her neck where she twisted the cheap gold chain absentmindedly. "Eliminate all races with a skin pigmentation abnormal to earthlings or Nietzscheans." About ten names disappeared leaving only twenty races left.

Beka paused a moment. She needed something identifying about the child that might narrow it down even more. Then it hit her- the child had blonde hair. Blonde hair was a recessive trait not exhibited by many human offshoots do to a limited gene pool that caused the founder effect to occur.

All of a sudden the list went black. Beka's eyes widened. "Andromeda, what happened?"

Andromeda's voice echoed over the speaker. "None of the listed races have record of a natural blonde."

Beka hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. How did she know the child was a natural blonde? She herself had hair coloring nanobots by that age. "Okay. Bring back the list from before the last search criteria." The list returned.

Beka was silent for a moment her hand still twisting in the chain. She was a bit jittery from the caffeine of the coffee. "Um, Andromeda, bring up, uh, the ship schematics. Splitscreen them."

The ship schematics appeared on the far right of the screen and the list of remaining human races and their photos shrunk to accommodate it.

Beka eyed the screen for a moment. "What is the uh, primary structural compound?"

There was a brief silence. "Teturian steel plating."

Beka sighed. That offered no help. Teturian steel was a cheap compound used in many ships. It could be bought almost anywhere and was found in many of the smaller spacecrafts.

"Uh, what is the primary compound of the internal computers?"

There was a longer silence this time and rather than Andromeda's voice coming over the speaker her Hologram form appeared at Beka's side.

Beka eyed the transparent form.

"I believe I can offer you more help in this form." Holo-Rommie said in a professional voice.

Beka smiled lightly. "Always thinking aren't you? And the structural compound would be?"

Holo-Rommie nodded. "A nitrogenous from of hydrochloric carbonate." Holo-Rommie folded her arms behind her back. "More commonly referred to as Angel's Silver."

Beka wrinkled her brow. "Who could get their hands on Angel's silver?" Beka said half to herself and half to the hologram beside her. "They would have had to buy it from the Dragons. The child has no boneblades therefore..."

"Not Nietzschean." Holo-Rommie finished for her.

Beka nodded. "But Nietzscheans wouldn't sell Angel's Silver to some random group of people And they've had a monopoly on it for at least a couple hundred years."

"They might have sold it to various companies," the Hologram suggested, "Even with its technological value its sale would profit the Dragons and provide money for things they aren't currently exploiting."

Beka smiled. "Teturian steel is fairly common, probably used in many companies."

"And the Angel's Silver was most likely purchased by the company for higher paying individuals."

"Check the ship for a company logo."

The Hologram closed her eyes but when she opened them she just shook her head. There isn't one.

Beka frowned. "What company wouldn't publicize? Well, the fact that they had Angel's Silver probably implicated them, at least in the eyes of the Anarian government, as Nietzscheans. They probably assumed them high-risk do to the lack of bone blades seeing as Nietzscheans only do that to hide. Perhaps they thought they were spies."

Beka leaned back in the chair carefully studying the screen, her eyes lightly glazed from forcing herself awake.

"There is also the possibility that it was not government related and that some assembly of citizens killed them. Perhaps of paranoia, of spite, or possibly blatant fear. It is also possible the Ambassador really did not know anything about their disappearance and was telling the truth." She said in reference to the conversation Dylan and the Ambassador had had earlier.

Beka shrugged her fingers still in her chain. "Either way, had they known a child was on board the outcome would have been different."

Holo-Rommie eyed Beka. "Would it?"

Beka turned to face the hologram, confused.

"Whatever faction killed the parents, for whatever reason, could have just as easily done that to the child."

Beka frowned. "Look, people don't purposely kill children."

Holo-Rommie sported a matching frown. "It has been my experience that they do."

Beka looked at the ceiling for a moment and then turned her gaze back to the hologram. "I know it may not be an easy concept for and AI to grasp but people have morals."

Holo-Rommie narrowed her eyes at the backhanded insult but the expression faded into one of sympathy...or pity. "Sadly not everyone posses your morals."

There was a somber silence for a moment. Beka shook it off and launched back into the matter at hand. "What company, what company purchases Teturian steel and Angel's Silver.

Holo- Rommie frowned as eighty-seven names appeared on the screen.

Beka eyed the hologram in disbelief.

Holo-Rommie stared straight ahead. She closed her eyes for a moment as if the following comment pained her. "My records are outdated... The Dragons had not began exploiting Sintu-Anaris back when I was commissioned nor when Captain Hunt was stationed as my captain."

Beka sighed. It was about two hundred years ago as she recalled. It was likely Andromeda did not even know who the Ambassador even was. He was christened about fifty years prior and would probably be at least another hundred with his race's lifespan being as great as it was due to their strengthened immune systems.

"Okay, um, lets try to narrow it down. Let's cross-reference with companies that have direct ties with the Dragons. "The list was reduced to ten.

Beka gave a tired smile. "Now cross-reference that with companies that have a history of selling to humanoid races."

The list went black again.

Beka let out an exasperated sigh.

Another dead-end.

BRAKE Break

Trance knocked tentatively on the door to Harper's quarters.

After some time to think, now relieved slightly, she thought it right to apologize to the little girl. In their only encounter she had shown a great desire to abandon Emily, a conversation that she was not proud of, especially since the whole of the accusations where probably manifestations of paranoia. She remembered the child's wild fearful eyes as she told the story.

She was now ready to extend the olive branch, or, rather, a Pequinta branch. The Pequinta was a rare pink flower that Trance, or rather her former self, had been growing in Hydroponics. Until a few days ago she had been neglecting her flowers.

For many years of her life on the parallel timeline she had forgotten them. At the end of things they had grown less important, with the exception, perhaps, of her little bonsai tree, but she was beginning to remember how being surrounded by such pretty things helped her relax and think clearer.

There was no answer at the door and Trance assumed the child to be asleep. She did not wish to wake her but rather decided to place the flower on the nightstand and come back later.

She hit a button on the panel to the right of the door and it slid easily open. Trance was a little afraid the door would wake the child bur when she entered she saw there was no one to wake. The child was nowhere in sight.

Trance smiled. The child had to be with Harper. She chuckled at the image her brain created of the poor tired thing trying to keep up with the buzzing Mr. Harper.

She debated for a brief moment whether or not to leave the flower as she had previously intended but was also very eager to set things right with Emily.

With the flowerpot still in hand she headed toward the engineers machine shop.

mini-break

When she entered she found Harper sprawled out on his bed, goggles still tight upon his eyes and a nanowelder still clutched in his right hand. He had worked as long as his body would let him trying to perfect the ship cover.

It was really an adorable sight, but the child was still nowhere in sight. Trance shook Harper gently to bring him just to consciousness.

Harper in reflex flipped the switch on the nanowelder nearly burning her. She had just barely gotten out of the way in time.

Harper, now fully conscious, turned off the nanowelder and set it to his side. He groggily propped himself upon his elbows and shook his head once or twice in attempts to shake some of the remnants of sleep away. "What is it?" he asked a light edge on his voice prompted by the unwanted wakeup call.

He moved into a full sitting position and removed the goggles, which, having been on several hours, had left red lines around his eyes.

"Do you know where Emily is?" Trance calmly asked with an innocent smile. She brandished her flower, "I wanted to make peace."

Harper ran his fingers through his flattened hair in attempts to reshape the spikes. "She's in her room," he said through a yawn.

By 'her' room Trance took it to mean his room. The engineer had obviously taken a shine to her to have used the possessive like that.

Trance looked at him curiously. "No she's not."

Harper's eyes narrowed and he eyed her questioningly for a moment. "What do you mean she's not? I put her there myself."

Trance bit the corner of her lower lip. "I mean, she's not. I was just there."

Harper's eyes widened. "Excuse me."

Trance was offset by the fear and seriousness that had slithered into his tone so quickly. She bit the corner of her lower lip. "I'm sure she's fine, Harper." Trance attempted. "She can't have gone f..."

Harper cut her off. "If you haven't noticed, this is a warship, full of dangers. There are hundreds of things here that were never meant for a child to get into. And what if she's lost? Andromeda can't find her. As far as this ship is concerned she's a ghost. We have to find her."

Trance forced a smile.

Harper was already out of bed. "We can cover more ground if we split up." The words were barely out of his mouth before he was out the door.

Trance, ignoring his desire to split up, quickly followed behind him.

BRAKE Break

Tyr stared fixedly at the 'Go' board carefully pondering his next move. The child sat across from him waiting patiently, her face still devoid of any signs of fatigue.

He had been thinking for over ten minutes now. "Are you sure you've never played this before?" Tyr asked, his eyes never leaving the board.

Emily smiled at him. "Nope. But this is just as interesting as Vedran Whist."

Tyr's eyes didn't wander nor did his expression change. "You've played Vedran Whist?"

The child nodded. "Mr. Harper showed me how."

"Mr. Harper?" Tyr gave a light almost unnoticeable chuckle that one could easily mistake as a snort.

Then, almost as if hearing his name, Harper burst through the door. "Have you by any chance seen..." He stopped short at the sight of Emily and his eyes narrowed.

Tyr was still eyeing the 'Go' board.

"What are you doing? Did you hurt her?" Harper's voice had turned to an accusing tone.

Tyr closed his eyes for a moment in irritation. "She came to me."

Harper looked skeptical.

The child tugged lightly on his shirt. "I was looking for Ms. Beka when I met Mr. Anasazi. Then he said he'd play a game with me."

Harper frowned as if he still did not believe it.

Tyr's own expression hardened. "Do you honestly think I'd hurt a little girl."

Harper flashed back to the Nietzscheans he had encountered on earth. They would've killed a child just as easily as an adult. He glared at Tyr but his expression quickly softened.

Tyr was not like other Nietzscheans and it was not fair of him to make such accusations. This was the same Nietzschean who had fought beside him and protected him when the Magog raided the Andromeda. This was the same Nietzschean who had given him strength when he was glued to the wall by spit in the Magog nest, his worst fears made real.

Tyr was different than other Nietzscheans- nicer, more compassionate, though he would probably never admit it.

"I'm sor..." he began but Trance, who had been a few moments behind, entered the room and he was cut off.

"Oh good, you found her." She said with relief.

The child, who was standing beside Harper, was still wary and somewhat afraid of Trance. She quickly moved to stand behind Tyr almost as if Tyr would keep her safe.

Harper's eyes widened at the action. He felt slighted. Why did she choose Tyr's protection over his? He had been watching her, taking care of her, protecting her, since she was taken on board the Andromeda.

Trance was also stunned, and somewhat saddened by the action. She frowned. How could the child be more frightened of her than the big scary Nietzschean?

Tyr acted as if he hadn't even noticed the child's attempts to use him as a shield. He, however, smiled inwardly. She was smart enough to recognize him as the strongest in the room, and the one capable of really protecting her.

"I-I came to apologize," Trance attempted. The flower pot now weighed heavy in her hands. "I didn't mean what I said earlier." she said in a tone similar to Motherboard Rommie, likely to make the words come out easier. "I now have a reason to believe you won't destroy the ship and I was... I was wrong to have made such accusations so, uh, prematurely. Especially toward one so young."

She walked over to the child and knelt to the child's level in attempt to look less threatening. She handed the pink flower to the child.

Emily took it slowly, carefully, eyeing the orange figure's expression. Her own wary expression soon faded into a soft sweet smile as she accepted the gift. "It's okay."

Trance smiled and a copper blush came to her cheeks. She stood back up using the back of Tyr's chair for support. Trance and the child, flowerpot in her arms, then took places next to Harper the child on his right between him and the chair she had been sitting in.

Harper took the child by the hand. He was still disheartened that she had hid behind Tyr rather than himself. He intended to take her back to the machine shop.

The child looked apologetically back at Tyr.

Tyr eyed the Engineer who was already headed toward the door. "We're not finished playing our game."

Harper turned his head back to Tyr. "Yes, you are." The words we're solid but lacked the previous edge.

Tyr eyed Harper disdainfully but let him take her. Harper had established himself as the child's parental figure and Tyr accepted it even though, right at the moment, he felt Harper was just being possessive.

Trance forced an awkward smile at Tyr. "At least you'll have time to finish your book," she said noting the book he had neglected on his bed.

mini-break

"Harper," Trance said softly as she caught up to him in the hall, "I think you could've let them finish their game."

There was a brief silence. Harper looked Trance in the eyes with a sad seriousness in his own. "As long as she's with me, I know she's safe."

"Okay." Trance said awkwardly her mood reflecting his. She turned from him down a conjoining hallway and headed back toward Hydroponics and her flowers.

Harper and the child walked in silence for a long while before the little girl finally broke it. "I was winning." A soft smile creased her lips.

Harper gave a forced smile lost in silent contemplation.

The child frowned. "Are you mad?"

Harper cast his eyes down for a moment before regaining his forward gaze. "No. I'm not mad. I'm just..." his voice died away. "Just thinking." He paused for a moment. "Do you trust me?"

The child turned her face to him and eyed him questioningly.

Harper continued looking forward. "I mean, to protect you."

The child thought for a moment and smiled. "Of course I trust you."

Harper found little reassurance in the belated words.

mini-break

When they reached the machine shop, the child instinctively sat down on Harper's bed.

Harper headed immediately for the tool on his counter and began working on the ship cover, trying not only to work out the kinks out of the cover itself but out of his own mind as well.

The child watched him in silence for several moments but boredom was setting in fast. "Can I help?" she finally voiced.

Harper paused for a moment, shaken from his thoughts. He eyed his soldering wand. "Um, I, uh, this is too dangerous. I, I don't want you getting hurt."

The child frowned and Harper gave her an apologetic half smile.

She slumped over on the bed insinuating her boredom when a shiny object that had been previously obscured by the messy blanket caught her eye. She picked it up and eyed it carefully. She balanced the object in her hands and, after looking it over completely, found the switch that turned it on.

She flipped the switch out of blatant curiosity and it began to spark. She let out a piercing scream. Her hand had been to close to the head and the sparks seared her hand. She quickly dropped the object and it landed with a thud on the ground.

Harper spun around dropping the soldering wand. He then hurried over to the startled figure.

Harper turned off the nanowelder that he had left on the bed earlier as it was still sparking on the floor. He cursed himself for not keeping a closer eye on her and for failing to keep her safe. "Are you okay? L-let me see" he attempted in a forced calm.

Emily clutched her hand close to her stomach.

The engineer tentatively and gently grasped her wrist. He then carefully pulled her fingers open revealing the seared palm. His eyes widened at the sight. There was no blood. The nanowelder had seared the flesh right off but there was no blood. There was, however, a liquid Harper recognized coming from her hand. It was superconducting fluid- the same fluid Rommie was infused with.

"You're an AI?" he asked in shock.

She eyed him still clearly startled and upset by what had just happened. "W-what? I'm not an AI." She eyed her hand and moved her fingers slightly wincing at the pain. "AI's don't bleed."

Harper was taken aback. "You see blood?" He eyed her in confused fascination.

His question worried her. "Don't you?"

Harper nodded almost absentmindedly in awe of the technology. He had to tell Beka. He smiled at Emily. "I uh, I'm going to get you some bandages. I'll be, uh, right back."

Emily sniffed and nodded.