TITLE: A Past to Outdo

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Andromeda series, I'm just borrowing.

NOTES: As promised, the last two chapters. I hope you have enjoyed this trilogy, I had fun writing it! Thanks to all who left feedback :) Later!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Fire and Flames

"Any woman who knows burning of passion and the bitterness of hate can tell the difference between fire and flames."

High Priestess Sova Tunor III

CY 532-539

Beka used Harper to pull herself up from the floor. She was still dazed from the blow to the head, but she'd heard the message loud and clear. They had to get to Lane and surrender the ship, or they would all die.

"Sure you're alright, boss?" Harper asked.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Let's just get that bitch."

The ship rocked. It was under attack. No doubt Lane was putting up a fight. Beka and Harper held onto each other for balance as they staggered towards the cockpit. "When we get back to Andromeda, we're going on vacation, ya hear me?" Beka said. "Nothing but the sand, the sea and the sun."

"Don't forget the cocktails," Harper answered.

"The cocktails are a given."

The cockpit was just ahead. "You ready?"

Beka got the dagger she had acquired, having lost her gun, and nodded. It was strange, but they each felt that while they were together, no matter what happened, it was going to be okay. They had ben through so much, but always survived when they were together.

Harper opened the door, but there was no-one inside. The ship was rocked again, and Harper saw that the weapons were set to fire automatically, as was the ship to fly itself. Before either one of them could turn comprehend what it meant, Beka was grabbed from behind.

"You should really have expected that," Lane said. She had Beka's gun and held it to her hostage's head, wrapping her arm round Beka's already bruised neck. Harper could tell she was in tremendous pain.

"How could you?" Harper said. "How could you let me think that I..." he trailed off, still hardly believing the recent revelation. "You're not even human, you're just some kind of disease that steals peoples' lives."

Lane chuckled and feigned being upset. "Aw, Seamus. Hurt me like that again and I'll have to hurt your friend." She pulled her arm tighter on Beka's throat. Beka cried out.

"What do you want? It's over," Harper told Lane.

"It's not over 'till I say it's over," Lane replied, grinning. She reached into her pocket with her gun hand, being careful not to let her guard down, and brought out a needle. She tossed it to Harper, who caught it on instinct.

"Take it," she ordered.

"Don't you dare, Harper!" Beka cried. Lane tightened her grip, and tears of agony fell from Beka's eyes.

"Think of it as a parting gift," Lane said wickedly. "Take it, or I kill her," she repeated. She was not a woman to bluff.

"Alright! Alright," Harper caved. He couldn't lose Beka. He found a vein in his left arm and injected the substance.

"No!" Beka sobbed in despair.

"It's been a pleasure." Lane shoved Beka into Harper's arms while she made her getaway.

Beka coughed and tried to shake off the intense pain when she did, she whimpered; "Harper, are you crazy! Why'd you do that!"

"She was gonna kill you!" he protested, but the drug was already starting to take effect. "I'm sorry..." he whispered. It was absorbing his concentration, stealing his reality and infecting his senses. He closed his eyes and began to lose his balance.

Beka grabbed him by the shoulders. "No, don't you go to sleep on me Seamus, you stay awake. I'm gonna be right back, okay, and we're gonna get out of this, just STAY AWAKE!" she shouted, and got up. Lane was not going to get away with this.

"Is there an escape pod?"

"Back of the ship...up one level..." Harper said, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

Beka ran the same direction as Lane had, and waited until she was out of Harper's sight to do what she knew was going to hurt like hell. She pulled the armband down. The pins carved through her flesh as she did so, and the tears were streamed down her face. Once it was past her elbow, leaving three deep gashes all the way along her arm, it slid off without further trouble.

Climbing up the ladder sent ripples of anguish through her bones and flesh, as her body begged her to stop. But she reached the next level, and saw Lane, almost at the escape pod. The pure loathing for that woman pushed Beka onwards. Lane saw her and smiled as she pressed a button on the control panel from inside. The doors began to slide shut. "Now it's over," she said.

"You're damn right it is!" Beka shouted back, and threw the armband. It seemed to glide in slow-motion towards the pod. It fell right into Lane's hands and beeped before it activated.

Lane stared at the device. "Oh sh-"

Fire roared through the corridor. Thankfully for Beka, the escape pod doors closed before the explosion could engulf her. But the ship was still being attacked by the Calliopian ships. She dragged her protesting body down to the cockpit, where Harper was lying against the wall.

"Hey, Harper, I'm back," she said, as she reached him.

"Hey boss, where'd you go?" he said, slurring his words. It was clear he wasn't all there.

"Just taking care of business," Beka replied, looking frantically around at the ship's controls, trying to find a way to stop the auto-fire. Panels exploded and fires sparked up. Smoke slowly filled the room.

Beka couldn't understand the controls. Two of the panels were already too burnt to use. She was still crying, not from the pain but from a frenzied panic that had taken her over. They had come this far, and now she was going to kill them both because she couldn't find the right control. Another panel exploded, throwing her off guard. She finally just gave up, and collapsed next to Harper, who, it appeared, had passed out.

As the ship exploded around them, Beka held him in her arms, shielding him from the burning flames. "I'm so sorry, Harper," she whispered, not bothering to hold back the tears.

"That's supposed to be my line," came a weak reply.

Beka let out a brief giggle through her sobbing. Harper wasn't going to let her die alone. It was already happening. Her eyes stinging and her lungs were filling with smoke.

"Why's it so hot in here?" Harper slurred. Beka realised he was still delusional and probably didn't know where he was or what was happening. And there was no reason for him to know.

Yet another panel overheated and exploded and the flames grew taller and hotter.

"We're on the beach, Harper. You had too many cocktails," Beka told him. She held Harper's weakened body closer. He started to cough.

"Just go back to sleep," Beka said. "I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

"Promise? I don't wanna get sunburn," Harper replied quietly.

Beka smiled again. "I promise."

Beka held him tighter and closed her eyes. At least they had found each other again. The ship jolted again from another hit, and a recorded voice sounded. "Weapons disabled, unable to continue auto-fire."

Beka opened her eyes. Showing on the viewscreen was the most beautiful sight she ever saw. Andromeda.

End of chapter twenty

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