Part 15

Dylan Hunt never thought he'd see his first officer again, as Beka lay unconscious on the cot. She looked pale and lifeless, her skin gaunt and her eyes hollow from a mixture of starvation and hypothermia. He hadn't quite believed it when they discovered recent Maru activity on the scanners, then to find it dead in space, Dylan had feared the worst.

"She isn't in the best shape," Rhade moved forward next to Dylan. "And I think she's lost her mind, scans indicated she hasn't eaten anything substantial for days, and she almost froze to death."

"In her time frame, we were only gone a week, no one goes mad in a week, Rhade," Dylan objected.

"She thought we were all dead," Rhade reminded him. "She must have seen what happened, she had no food on board, her ship was dead in space; who knows what that can do to someone, even Beka."

"Tell me what she said about Harper again," Dylan asked, as he considered Rhade's words.

"Said she got him from the Arkology, and then he disappeared, she then thought we have killed him and had come back to kill her," Rhade remembered.

"Harper couldn't have just disappeared," Dylan objected. "He was blind; he needed the Maru, so how why would he have disappeared, and left Beka behind?"

"Why was the Maru shut down; drained of power?" Rhade asked to counter Dylan's questions and tone. "Maybe whoever did that, took Harper?"

"There's no sign of a fight on board, if there had been hostilities on board that ship, we'd have found evidence and there was nothing," Dylan insisted.

"I have to agree on that, I have found no evidence, but I still find Beka's words concerning," Rhade admitted. "Finding her in that state, it was not expected."

"Did she mention Rommie?" Dylan then asked.

"No," Rhade answered.

"Harper was with Rommie on the Arkology, and neither of them has been seen since it was destroyed," Dylan sighed. "Other than the words of a hysterical Beka," he added.

"You still think Harper is dead?" Rhade figured. "Along with Rommie."

"If Harper had still been alive, he would have been with either Rommie or Beka, or we'd have found him in Seefra with us," Dylan said trying to make sense of it. "You were on the Arkology too and found yourself there," Dylan stated as fact, then sighed. "He's not with Beka, and we have absolutely no trace on Rommie, the Andromeda's presence back in this system would have been felt by Rommie, if she was in this sector," Dylan stated. "In seven days without a ship she wouldn't have got far, even with Harper, so yes, I firmly believe they were both on the Arkology when it exploded."

Rhade frowned. "Beka truly seemed to believe Harper was on the Maru with her," he offered, considering the benefit of doubt. "And Harper did have a bounty on his head when we were last in this universe, just because we left doesn't mean life stopped on this side of the Route of Ages."

Dylan sighed. "We were also convinced that Beka was dead," he remembered. "But we've found her," he added, with tired hope. "All those months we searched for Beka, Harper and Rommie in Seefra, nearly a year, yet they were left behind all along, dead or dying," he gestured to Beka's sleeping form.

"Makes you wonder why they were left behind," Rhade offered. "Having all three of them in Seefra might have meant we would have got home sooner, especially Harper when we started dealing with those suns, why did Trance only bring us two to Seefra? It makes no sense."

"We somehow managed, though, thanks to lady luck," Dylan sighed. "But I thought we left all the problems behind."

"We did that when we arrived in Seefra," Rhade pointed out.

"Now we have try and help Beka, try and determine what is true and what is not, as well as get our own heads together after our experience in Seefra, and with what's transpired," Dylan frowned. "I'm just getting used to the fact I've found my home," he sighed, and showed how distracted he actually was.

"Those two were close, and if Harper is actually dead then it must have hit her hard, they were like brother and sister," Rhade acknowledged. "I will sweep the system for reports, just in case, maybe she was telling the truth about Harper disappearing."

"Do it," Dylan agreed, and rubbed his face, feeling tired. "If you find a strong enough lead, we'll follow it, but right now I need to return to Tarn Vedra, I hope you can understand."

"I understand, I too wish to reunite with my wife; and children soon," Rhade acknowledged in understanding. "I've been away from this universe for too long to not start prioritising some of my time."

"The Andromeda is on course for Tarn Vedra, and once there I will be planet side for a few days, keep me updated if you find anything," Dylan ordered. "Oh, and when you're ready to depart for Tarazed, feel free to take a slip fighter," he added.

"Thanks," Rhade offered. "So what are your long term plans now that we're back?" he then asked. "Continue with rebuilding the Commonwealth?"

Dylan paused, and didn't appear to have an answer, as he shrugged. "I honestly don't know, right now for the first time in my life I don't have an answer," he admitted.

"Do you know what Trance's plans are?" Rhade then asked, but Dylan could only shrug in response, as he backed away and left med deck. Rhade was left to look down at Beka, still sleeping as her body was recovering with the aid of IV drips. "And what are your plans now, Beka?" he asked, not expecting a reply, but his concern was clear as he fondly stroked her hand.


Trance sat alone in her quarters, focusing her energy as she explored the universe around her. The past few weeks had been a testing time, and one that she was still recovering from, and she knew now that in other possible futures things hadn't been so tough in Seefra, she had sensed that all of them had been in Seefra in other timelines, and they had worked together, but this timeline was not that one and she now felt sadness that maybe even though she succeeded, she might have lost as well.

Her eyes watered, as she considered her own situation. Her sun was now in its rightful place, her destiny revealed and accomplished, her work was now done. Trance also knew that things would get easier now, the order had returned, no more needing to manipulate the universe and its people to achieve her goals, now she had time to simply exist, and even play again, just as she did in her early days.

Her thoughts returned her to her youth, when she was the carefree youngster. Trance remembered fondly her tail, and ability to be destructive when she was trying so hard to be careful, her childish charm. When she was different, and with that thought Trance looked at herself in the mirror and frowned, when she was the colour of youth, she considered, suddenly feeling very old as she looked at her reflection, seeing the adult colourings of her people.

As she continued to remember her youth, her purple energy and enthusiasm, she remembered the one person she considered her best friend and partner in crime a lot of the time, Seamus Harper. In those days she was easily a match for his own enthusiasm and energy, able to keep up with his spirit and wild abandon. They were both older now, wiser to the horrors of the universe, so much had happened between them, and now she wasn't even sure he was still alive.

So she continued searching for any trace, having by chance found Beka by the same method, Trance wouldn't give up until she knew for sure of Harper's fate, and time now allowed her some personal space.

TBC