I decided for all you loyal fans to finally get this up. The last chapter will probably be added tommorow or thursday.

9 Questions

"What was Terzead like?" Beka asked as they sat in the mouth of the cave watching the sunset.

"A pain actually. Being the genetic reincarnation of Gaharis meant that everyone expected me to be perfect," Rhade replied.

"Isn't that what all nietchzeans are anyway?" Beka teased.

"It's different than what you'd expect. The academy was kind of fun though. I think the only reason I was able to stay in was because my mother talked to some people."

"No way, you almost got kicked out academy?"

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

Rhade hesitated for a few minutes thinking back and he smiled. "Well you see we were in three main groups. There were the officers and pilots, the lancers, or the plebs. I was like the head of the officers. Anything tricks played on the other groups had to be approved by me. Any tricks played by any student on a professor or visiting big wig had to be approved by me. So you can see that we got in a lot of trouble."

"Damn I never pictured you as the playing tricks type."

"Do you remember back when I first joined the crew and you kept getting water balloons thrown at you?"

"That was you! I thought it was the lancers."

"Nope I take full blame."

"I am so going to get you back for that."

"I never doubted that for a second. That's why you'll never find out anything else."

"What else did you do?" Beka narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not talking."

"Come on Telemachus."

"You know Tel and Tim work just as well and take less breath to say."

"You're changing the subject."

"I'm giving you a couple options on what you can call me."

"Okay Tim, what kind of tricks have you done?"

"How about this. I'll answer one of your questions for every one of mine that you answer?"

"Fine but I go first," Beka shifted so that she was sitting cross-legged in front of him.

"Sure," Rhade leaned back against the wall.

"What kind of tricks did you play?"

"You haven't given me a time that you want to know about."

"In the academy."

"Trust you to ask that first. Mainly we just reprogrammed the autochiefs, and locked people in empty classrooms over the weekend. We would also reprogram the simulators for unwinable battles."

"You really did that?" Beka replied as his hand caught hers and they began a game of thumb war.

"Yes, and now I get two questions. What's your original hair color?"

"That's a secret!"

"Hey you're the one who started this." Rhade pinned her thumb and looked up into her eyes.

"Fine brown. My dad designed the nanobots so I could change the color and style all I wanted," she shifted until they were side by side. She pinned his thumb this time.

"Will you have dinner with me when we get back to Andromeda?" Rhade pinned her thumb but didn't take his eyes from hers.

Beka stared at him, "where did this come from?" She asked after a few seconds.

"Well," Rhade pulled his hand from hers. "Here it's just you and me, and on Andromeda there's a lo more people. I know you don't like commitments but I thought maybe you'd, you know, like to go out sometimes." Rhade silently thanked his genetic heritage for not being able to blush.

"Answer one thing for me," Beka had turned again so that she was facing him. "Earlier you said that you came here to get away from Andromeda. Who is it you have to get away from so bad?"

Rhade stared out at the stars. "You don't know what it's like to lose control. There are times when it just gets so hard that if I don't leave I know something will happen."

"Why is control so important?"

Rhade looked back at her, "hell Beka, I'm a nietchzean. You've pointed that out before. If I lose control instincts take over and people get hurt," he turned away and stared out at the stars again. When he spoke again his voice was a whisper while his eyes held a look of long remembered pain. "I don't want a repeat of what happened before."

"What happened?" Beka asked her voice also close to a whisper, it was almost apologetic.

Rhade pulled his knees up to his chest. He didn't say anything as he thought about when he had graduated from the academy. Beka wasn't pushing it now but he felt she had the right to know. "There was a party when I graduated from the academy. There was a lot to drink and I drank most of it. I wasn't drop dead drunk but I was close enough that when Hannah walked in I lost control. Amanda was born nine months later and my best friend ended up in the hospital." He stretched out and picked up a small stone tossing it out into the night.

Beka didn't say anything but just got up and went over to where they'd spread out the blankets earlier and lay down. Rhade sat in the mouth of the cave for a while listening to her breathing. She wasn't asleep but she didn't move or make any other sounds. Remembering her comment about getting cold he got up and after dropping his shirt on the floor and kicking off his shoes he slipped under the blankets pulling her body close to his.

"I still love you Beka," he whispered.

Beka's only reply was to intertwine her fingers with his and shift closer.

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP PRAY THE LOARD MY SOUL TO KEEP AND IF I DIE BEORE I WAKE, FEED JAKE

Okay what do you think?