Part 31

Dylan moved swiftly along the corridor, staying close to the wall to avoid any surprise attention. Moments later he gave the call sign and emerging from the shadows, Rhade appeared from an unseen hiding spot.

"We must stop meeting like this, captain," Rhade spoke with a grin.

"Beka's been captured, and with her the Maru," Dylan stated gravely.

"Is she ok?"

"She accepted surrender, and she knows what she's doing," Dylan answered assuredly. "Part of me thinks she simply wanted the chance to check on and be with Harper."

"You don't think he's here?" Rhade asked, glancing up and down the passageway of the palace.

"If he was, we wouldn't be finding it so easy to make our way to the prison block," Dylan stated with a frown. "He's their key to getting the Andromeda, the rest of these prisoners are just trophy's now, Harper's on Rico's ship, I have no doubt about that."

"Do you think Harper will help them?" Rhade casually asked, as he followed Dylan further into the prison block.

"I don't think he'll have a choice, and he's the one person in this universe who knows the Andromeda better than me," Dylan stressed, as he checked the heavy door that greeted them now. "And Rhade, I don't mind admitting that I'm a little worried," he added as he tried the door, and found it didn't budge. "Rhade, a little help?"

Rhade moved beside Dylan and together they made some progress, and finally the door opened.

"Our target?" Rhade checked.

"Yussuf first and foremost, then we'll see who else we can rally to our cause, that is once we've got past the twenty odd soldiers up ahead," Dylan frowned and gestured gravely, seeing a group of soldiers prepping their weapons, and getting ready to defend their stronghold. Dylan glanced at Rhade and they took a defensive position arming their Force lance's ready for the fight.


Silently Trance observed the progress on all fronts, she had seen the transmissions showing Dylan and Rhade sneaking into the prison block whilst the rest of their forces helped Yussuf's men fight for control, without them even realising. Trance had also seen the Maru's last stand, before it was engulfed by the larger ship, and Beka was taken prisoner. Her orders had been to protect the Andromeda at all costs, and she had remained waiting for any further orders, that had so far failed to materialise.

Dylan was concerned more than he cared to admit, Trance knew this but she didn't share the same concerns. She wanted only one thing, and that was to see Harper again and if it meant helping him to take the Andromeda from Dylan, Trance was prepared to do that, for the greater good.

Taking a deep breath, Trance felt the possible futures flowing through her but her own was still uncertain, as was Harpers, and the rest of the crew. The only thing she did know was that The Andromeda was going to play a factor in her destiny, it just wasn't clear yet exactly how, but it appeared that both hers and Harper's were linked somehow.

Her true destiny was already realised in the Seefra System, and Trance smiled allowing her warmth to glow around her slightly, unknown to those crewmen still aboard with her, manning their stations. Now she was ready for life, and the next challenge that she knew would direct her to her own perfect future, and that challenge was not far away now.


"I don't know what's with him," Darla complained, talking as though the person she was speaking of was somewhere else, but Harper was sat in front of her without reaction. "Maybe you over did the mind crap?" She grabbed Harper's face and found nothing from Harper in reaction, he simply stared ahead blankly.

Rico took a calmer stance, and observed the unresponsive human. "The kludge is still with us, he's just choosing to ignore us, they are like that, human scum," he seethed. "I can see it in his eyes; he is hearing our every word."

"I had him, brother, he was mine," Darla stressed with frustration, not telling her brother that Harper had remembered her. Still believing she couldn't be heard by the human, Darla moved to sit beside Harper, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, and her hand then playfully stroked his hair. "I blame you for this," she then added like a spoilt child, and her anger to Harper's lack of response to her touch was obvious.

"You went too far, Darla, I told you it was a bad idea to pretend to be that woman that he's fond of," Rico argued, then took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter, and will you get the hell away from him!"

"That's Yussuf speaking, Rico, kludges are not unclean," Darla offered defiantly without moving, remaining where she was, close to Harper.

The cell door opened and in seconds Beka Valentine was dragged in, fighting her guards as she was dumped unceremoniously on the floor.

"Harper!" Beka recognised immediately but before she could wait for an answer, Rico grabbed her hair. "Ow!" she screamed angrily.

"We meet again, Miss Valentine," Rico sneered. "You won't be leaving so easily this time."

"But I will leave," Beka stressed. "And with Harper."

Rico simply laughed at her defiance. "Secure her to the wall like the animal she is," he ordered arrogantly.

"Do you want her wrists secured too?" the guard asked.

"No, just by her ankle, she won't cause us any trouble whilst her precious kludge is sat opposite, in the state he's in," Rico confidently spoke. "Darla, come," he barked.

"Staying," Darla spoke, staring at Beka as she was secured to the opposite bunk by the ankle, the long chain reaching to the far wall with little give.

Once secured the two guards, with Rico, left the room and the silence followed as Darla and Beka sized each other up.

"So you're Beka Valentine," Darla partially smiled. "Seamus has spoken of you, if only briefly."

"Seamus," Beka ignored Darla, with her full attention on the human, having already noticed his lack of reaction to anything. "Harper, speak to me, come on, it's me, it's Beka, I'm here now."

There was a flicker of a smile on Harper's face, but he said nothing in return. All the while, Darla continued to drape herself over him, and when she saw this bothered Beka, she began to lightly peck Harper on the cheek. Harper only grimaced with irritation to her touch, as it became more intense over his still bare torso.

"Stop it, get the hell off him," Beka demanded, seeing how uncomfortable Harper looked, noticing the looks of pain her friend was displaying.

"Make me," Darla challenged and Beka wasted no time in getting to her feet, only to quickly find she was unable to reach Harper's cot, the restraint around her ankle falling just short of Harper's bed frame, and she fell to her knees, as her ankle was snagged by the chain.

Darla only laughed in response, and Harper barely appeared to notice as he stared blankly ahead.

"Harper, listen to me, come on," Beka pleaded, getting as close as the chain allowed with Darla smirking back at her, from Harper's side.

Harper moved his head slightly, finally showing some sign of awareness. "Beka," he spoke evenly.

"Seamus," Beka smiled, but then watched as Darla quickly turned Harper's attention back to her, and she forced him into a kiss and embrace, and Beka couldn't help but notice the little resistance Harper showed to Darla's charms.

Beka wanted to feel sick, seeing her friend manipulated by the Nietzschean female, obviously playing him for nothing more than some petty point against her. She looked at Harper now, seeing his wrists tightly secured by heavy metal cuffs, connected to a chain that was itself secured to the chain around Harper's ankle. Like her, Harper was secured to the wall by the chain around his ankle, and an easy escape was looking unlikely.

Her engineer was in no position to do anything to stop the woman forcing herself onto him, as Darla pushed him further into the embrace and kiss, even if he wanted to stop, it would be difficult, and Beka instead tried to determine her friend's mind set. Harper appeared numb, and distant in the short time she had been there, but she couldn't see a mark on him. His arms were slightly discoloured from the cuffs but that seemed to be the only mark on his body, but she had seen him grimace with pain when Darla had touched him, only there was nothing to support that pain that she could see and fear rose inside of her.

After a few more moments, with Harper failing to completely respond to Darla, she finally broke the kiss, and stared at Harper who seemed to numbly look back at her, showing no emotion of any kind. "I need to go," Darla then announced flatly, and glanced at Beka, before quickly pecking Harper on the cheek and leaving his side finally. "I'll be back soon, don't go anywhere," she smiled and left the cell.

"Harper," Beka then spoke up, and looking clearly unimpressed. "She's playing with you."

"I know," Harper responded without emotion, and then he looked at Beka. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Beka asked dubiously.

"You look like her," He offered, avoiding Beka's stare, as she noticed something for the first time since she had arrived.

Beka stared open mouthed at Harper for a moment. "First, what?" she quizzed a little distracted, and then quickly continued. "And second, you can see again, can't you? That treatment worked, didn't it? They managed to complete it," she enthused brightly, but Harper just nodded his head not sharing her joy. "Is your sight back to normal now?"

Harper shrugged. "Yeah more or less, no more blurred or fuzzy vision," he droned with little enthusiasm.

"This is amazing, I never thought you'd see again," Beka smiled broadly, and it was clear she wanted to get closer, to embrace her friend. "But what did you mean when you said 'you look like her'?" she then asked confused.

Harper looked uncertain for a moment, and his doubt was clear. "I see someone who looks like you in my head, and I think I associate you with the name Beka but I can't be sure."

"You're making no sense, Harper," Beka stressed.

"Just don't expect me to believe you, ok?" Harper stated firmly and looked away. "Tired of the games, tired," he repeated, looking troubled.

"Harper, what have they done to you?" Beka now spoke with fear, and tested her restraints, feeling more inclined than ever to be close to her friend.

Harper brought his knees up to his chest without answer, and hugged himself whilst avoiding Beka's demanding stare.

"Seamus, look at me," Beka requested softly, and after a few moment's Harper's blue eyes found Beka's. "I am who you think I am, I am Beka Valentine and if they'd messed with your head, they've messed with the wrong person, do you hear me?" Beka stated assuredly. "They will pay, I promise you that."

Harper looked unsure, as he continued to stare at Beka, before finally looking away from her without response. The silence unnerved Beka, as she finally conceded to the fact she wouldn't get closer to Harper, so she returned to her cot, and they both simply sat in silence, as Beka's focus remained on Harper who seemed to become more troubled and even frightened.

"Harper, I'll get you out of here, and we'll fix everything, ok," Beka finally assured him, but all she received from Harper was a cold stare, that was so unlike him.

"I'll get myself out of here, by any means necessary," Harper spoke frankly.

"Harper do you remember me at all?" Beka then asked.

"If you're who you say you are, then yeah," Harper offered quietly, without conviction as his chin rested on his knees, as he continued to hug himself.

"So, why give me this cold shoulder, and this distrust?" Beka needed to know. "I've done nothing to hurt you, Seamus; I'm on your side."

Harper attempted to answer a couple of times, looking directly at Beka as if sizing her up, before the words finally made themselves heard. "My head is scrambled, I can't trust what it tells me," Harper stressed, trying to explain, his emotions becoming apparent as the strain he felt was finally revealed, and his hands clamped themselves around his head, with the chains rattling around his head. "I just hear noise, and everyone who talks to me just seems to enjoy making that noise louder," he said through gritted teeth. "Is this even real, or is it just another game?" he demanded, and Beka realised he really wasn't sure.

"Harper please, get a grip and trust your instincts, without those you will lose yourself and you can't let that happen," Beka pleaded, once more wishing she could go and hold her distressed friend. "Don't let what these monsters have done to you defeat you," she added desperately now, as she saw Harper slowly begin to rock, as his body shook indicating that he was losing his hold on his emotions, and possibly his sanity.

The cell door quickly opened, and to Beka's horror she saw Darla rush in and quickly take Harper in her arms holding him tightly, and quietly reassuring him with fondness she never thought she'd see in a Nietzschean, especially towards a human.

Beka could only watch now, as Darla smiled knowingly back at her, and it was painful to watch Harper respond to Darla's comforting actions, whilst the woman was laughing at him behind his back.

"Harper, don't let her do this to you!" Beka demanded strongly, but she could see that for the moment Harper was too lost in his own despair to care, accepting Darla's comforting hold, as if his life depended on it.

TBC