A/N:PEOPLE REVIEWED! Now I'm all excited...
prin69: You totally ROCK! You've freaking reviewed everything I've written! I love all your fics too! Thanks so much!
Janet: Thanks for all your sweet comments! Much appreciated!
bunny-bot: To answer your question...Harper's not actually trying to draw Rommie in her android form, he's trying to draw the actual warship Andromeda. And y'know, can't get all her attributes right. I actually didn't find it so funny o.O Thanks for the review!
Jamieson Z: I'm so glad you liked this! Yes...I did make the characters a little (or a lot, I'm not sure) of character, especially Harper because he's a main part of the plot. I agree with your criticism...it's just kinda hard to make them fit the story! Thank you!
Chapter Three: Beka Darling!
"Well...that certainly was..." Beka blew a stray strand of blonde hair out of her eyes.
"...Interesting," Dylan supplied the word for her, sighing slightly.
Dylan, Beka, Rhade, Harper, Trance and Rommie all stood in Command, trying to process what had just happened through their brains.
"Did that just...did they actually beat us?" asked Harper, running a hand up his face.
"I think so..." Trance replied softly.
It had started out quite simple. A few Nietzschean cruisers who began firing on the Andromeda, which of course had returned fire when suddenly a slip stream portal opened and literally hundreds of Nietzschean ships began pouring out. The Andromeda of course, being one of the most powerful ships in the Known Universe, had put up one Hell of a fight.
Until the Nietzscheans had revealed their secret weapon.
God only knows what they had called it, but it was probably one of the most destructive weapons ever created. It was right up there on the list with nova bombs. In fact, none of the crew was exactly sure what had happened, one minute they were fine, the next, they were knocked out and lying uselessly on the floor of Command.
"Rommie?" asked Dylan, pulling himself up off the ground.
She was on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms propping herself up.
"You were out for hours," she said quietly.
Dylan sighed and ran one of his hands through his disheveled brown hair, "Where are we?"
"A new system," replied Andromeda, "My sensors have been severely damaged, I cannot confirm our exact location."
"Yeah? Well that helps," Harper mumbled as Trance helped him up.
"How did we get here?" Dylan enquired to no one in particular.
"I pulled us into slipstream at the last moment. Whatever weapon was used on us, it took longer for it to affect me the way it affected you," answered Rhade, "Must have something to do with me being Nietzschean."
"It always does, doesn't it?" said Harper, glaring at Rhade who easily ignored the comment.
"How bad is it?" asked Beka, trying to change the subject.
"Well..." Harper stared a small silver screen, "Looks like almost all of the main thrusters are damaged, the weaponry wiring is completely fried, sensors are offline, slipstream drive is---"
"We get the point Harper," said Dylan, "Do what you can to fix it."
"How long do you think we'll be stuck here?" asked Trance, worried.
"With the slipstream core damaged as badly as it is, it doesn't look like we'll be going home for Christmas..." Harper explained, and then seeing everyone's blank looks, he decided to rephrase his sentence, "We'll be stuck here for a few months at the least."
Dylan sighed again as everyone else in the room hurried to do whatever they could to improve their situation, if that was possible. He then looked to his right and noticed that Rommie was still on the floor.
"Rommie?" he crouched down next to her and when she didn't acknowledge him, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Dylan..." she said, not looking at him.
"This isn't your fault Rommie," he said, "You are not to be held responsible for every single mishap on this ship, is that understood?"
She nodded and smiled weakly at him.
"Good," he returned her smile and placed his hands under her arms to pull her up even though he was quite aware that she didn't need to be helped.
"Dylan? Harper says that communications is jammed so we can't contact anyone for help right now," Beka told him.
Upon hearing her voice, Dylan felt a strange feeling consume him...suddenly hehad to see her face and was standing next to her in the blink of an eye.
Rommie wasn't quite sure what had happened, she'd been enjoying her close proximity to Dylan and had actually let him pull her up, resting her entire weight on him when all of a sudden, he had dropped her.
"Beka..." Dylan said in a low voice.
"Yeah Dylan?" Beka replied, barely even looking at him.
"I never noticed..." he continued, feeling lightheaded, "I think..."
Beka turned and stared at him, confusion filling her eyes, "Dylan? Are you okay?"
"Wow, your gorgeous..." he said.
And then collapsed.
At the sound of his body hitting the floor, everyone—who had previously been completely absorbed in what they were doing—turned and stared at his limp body. Beka's eyes were wide with shock as she found herself not knowing what to do. Finally, someone gathered their wits and hurried to Dylan's side.
"Dylan?" said Trance, turning him over and placing two of her fingers on his wrist, "I think he fainted, we should get him to Med Deck and find out why."
Rommie managed to stand up again and helped Rhade carry Dylan out of Command.
"What was that?" asked Harper, coming to stand next to Beka.
"I..." her voice trailed off for a minute, "He just...he just started talking to me and then he told me I was gorgeous and...and then he just fainted!"
"Yeah...uh..." Harper exchanged glances with Trance before turning back to look at Beka, "Usually men don't faint after complimenting women."
"That's what I thought," Beka replied, "It was weird though, he looked sorta like he was in a daze."
"Well, we'll find out," Trance smiled and walked out of Command to go check up on Dylan's state.
Forty-five minutes after Trance and Rommie had first stepped into the infirmary on Med Deck, they walked back into Command to inform their fellow crewmates about Dylan's state.
"So? Is he all right?" asked Harper.
"Um..." Trance looked at her feet, "Physically, he's fine..."
"And..."
"Well..."
"Yes..."
"You see..."
"Trance!"
"He's completely delirious!" Rommie shouted, looking like her head might explode.
"Excuse me?" asked Rhade.
"That's what I said," Trance mumbled.
"He woke up a long time ago...and all he can do is cry out for you!" Rommie shouted again, pointing at Beka.
"WHAT?" yelled Beka, Rhade and Harper all at the same time.
"Exactly," Trance whispered.
"Me? Why me?" Beka asked.
"I don't know," Rommie said snidely, "All his tests have come back clean and—"
Just then, Dylan burst into Command, a bouquet of roses in one hand, a box of chocolates.
"How very cliché," joked Harper and then his face grew serious, "Hey...those chocolates are from my secret stash!"
"Beka!" yelled Dylan and he was next to her in one bound, "Oh Beka! How I've missed you!"
He dropped what he was holding and took her hands.
"Beka, darling...I simply cannot bear for us to be apart any longer! Your enchanting beauty has captivated me!"
Harper stared with shock, his mouth wide open. Trance had an undecipherable expression on her face and both Rhade and Rommie looked thoroughly upset.
"Uh..." Beka was wholly unsure of what to say.
"I can see you are speechless," said Dylan standing up and wrapping his arms around her, "Don't worry Beka dear! You don't have to say anything! I already know you love me!"
Dylan hauled her out of the room, and oddly enough, no one could find the ability to stop them.
And once they were gone, Harper was the only one who could find his voice and he said very, very quietly:
"Our Captain has gone crazy..."
A/N: Uh oh, what's wrong with Dylan? Why is he suddenly obsessed with Beka? Is there jealousy somewhere? Is anything even wrong with Dylan? Will I ever start writing chapters of decent lengths?
Only time will tell.