On the Maru, Becka was getting very angry.
"Andromeda," Becka said. "You know I don't like giving you orders, but if you don't open these doors and let me leave, so help me, I'll blast them open!"
"That won't be necessary Becka." Andromeda told her, as her image appeared on one of the Maru's screens.
"So, you finally decided to let me out?"
"No. That won't be necessary either." Andromeda said.
"Listen!" Becka shouted. "Harper may be walking into a trap! I understand that Dylan can't go against the Common Wealth, but they can't stop me from helping him! So don't tell me it's not necessary!"
"Becka." Andromeda said very calmly. "There is no need for me to open those doors, because we are all going to help Harper."
Becka didn't know what to say. She thought there was no way Dylan could convince the Common Wealth to aid Earth in it's fight for freedom.
"How did he do it?" Becka asked. "Was it the communication that Morak sent that finally convinced the Common Wealth to help?"
"No Becka. The Common Wealth still refuses to help Earth."
"Then what did they agree to?"
"They didn't agree to anything." Andromeda said. "Becka…. I am no longer a Common Wealth ship. I am free to do whatever I want, but Dylan, as well as all crewmembers that stay, will more than likely be charged with treason."
"For saving Earth!" Becka cried. "For crying out loud! What kind of Common Wealth did we help restore? If I knew they were like this, I never would have helped."
"I understand Becka."
"We're actually going to Earth?"
"Yes." Andromeda said. "Just as soon as my pilot gets herself up to Command, we'll be on our way."
A few moments later, Becka entered Command. Dylan, Rhade, and Lena were waiting.
"I hear we're going to Earth." Becka said.
"You heard right." Replied Dylan. "You feel up to piloting?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
Becka took her seat at the pilot's station.
"Whenever you're ready Becka." Dylan said.
A slipstream portal opened.
"Entering slipstream in 3... 2... 1..."
Andromeda and her crew was on there way. After this jump they only had two more to go. They only hoped that they would arrive at Earth in time to help Harper.
They exited the slipstream, and Lena left Command, heading for engineering, while Becka prepared for the next jump.
As Lena walked down the corridor, she stopped by the Obs deck. Ever since her first day aboard Andromeda, she enjoyed coming here and staring out at the stars.
It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She had come here many times to think about her future and what her life would be like if they were ever able to defeat the Magog and the Abyss. Things seemed to be going well, until the Common Wealth refused to let them help Earth.
She didn't regret staying aboard though. Harper, Trance, and Rommie had become good friends, and she wasn't about to jump ship just because some bureaucrat, lacking a backbone, ordered them not to go.
So, they'll all become fugitives,… but they'll be fugitives on the most powerful starship in the galaxy, especially with the modifications they copied from Eternity.
As Lena entered Obs, she noticed Andromeda looking out the view port.
"Andromeda?" Lena asked. "Is something bothering you?"
Andromeda turned around to look at Lena.
"I don't know what to do." Andromeda said.
"About what?"
"I always believed that I had feelings for Dylan, and that the only thing that kept us apart was Common Wealth protocol, but when he kissed me earlier, it was… I don't know. It's just not right."
"Are you saying that you don't love him?"
"Maybe I don't." Andromeda said. "I don't know. All I know is that now that I have a choice, and there is no protocol to prevent me from having a relationship, I find that I don't feel the same for Dylan as I did before. Perhaps I haven't felt that way for him for a long time, perhaps I never really did at all."
"Perhaps the feelings you have for Dylan just aren't quite reaching the same level of intensity that you feel for someone else."
"I don't know what you're talking about Lena."
"Andromeda, you may have a brain the size of a planet, but you're a terrible liar."
"How long have you known?" Andromeda finally asked.
"Approximately three months." Lena answered. "I can't believe Harper never noticed."
"He knows now."
"What?" Lena asked. "You told him?"
"Yes, but I also told him that I wouldn't come between him and Trance. We agreed to be just friends."
"Do you think that's something that you can really do? Even if you do remain friends, there's nothing "just" about it. You two, especially your Avatar and Harper have a special bond. I've seen it. You're like… family."
"You may be right." Andromeda said. "But regardless of how I feel for Harper, I definitely know that I do not have a desire to pursue a relationship with Dylan any longer. I accept him as my captain, and friend, but that's all. In fact if he tries to kiss me like that again, I think I'll throw up."
Lena gave Andromeda a questioning look.
"OK. I won't throw up, but I would if I could."
On Command Becka opens another slip portal and she pilots Andromeda perfectly to their exit point.
"You might want to take a break Becka." Dylan suggested.
"Are you kidding? These jumps are a piece of cake!" Becka said. "I could make these jumps when I was ten. Besides, Shorty needs us now. There's no telling what kind of trouble he's in. … Well the fact that he's taking on the whole Dragan Pride gives us some idea, but with Shorty, imagine the worst case scenario and multiply that by ten. That's generally how it works."
"I still don't understand why the Admiral is so willing to let the Dragans keep Earth." Rhade said. "He has to know that a war with them is inevitable. Allowing them to keep Earth is a bad military move."
"I agree Rhade, but when I tried to explain that to Admiral Stark, he said that it was necessary to keep good standing relations with the Dragans, and that it would be unwise to interfere."
"Starting final slip jump to Earth!" Becka announced. "Slipstream in 3... 2... 1.…We're coming Shorty."
Back on board Eternity, Harper and the others have just finished making the necessary modifications to the communications disrupter and Eternity's replicator.
"All we have to do now," Harper said, "is scan the prototype and have the replicator create enough for the job at hand."
They set the replicator up in one of Eternity's cargo holds and in minutes the hold is full of disrupters.
After creating the disrupters, they loaded them into Eternity's launch tubes. This would have been a simpler task if Eternity had droids like Andromeda. Harper made a note to fix that as soon as all of this was over, assuming he was alive when this was over.
"Harper." Eternity's hologram said, as they finished inserting the last disrupter. "We're nearing Earth."
"Thanks Eternity." Harper said. He looked over at Trance. "We better get to Command. I think it's almost show time."
"Show time?" Trance asked.
"It means things are about to start happening Trance." Harper explained.
Rommie and Rick followed them to Command and took their posts. Rommie stood at a console that would display tactical information of the system they were in and also any enemy or friendly ships within sensor range.
Rick stood at the weapons station. He was the obvious choice, considering his experience with weaponry. Overlooking the accident that nearly killed him and resulted in him becoming part man, part android, Harper didn't know anyone else more experienced in weapons, not even Tyr.
Trance monitored life support at a console across the room, opposite Rommie's station.
Harper sit down in his captain's seat and looked at the image of Earth on the main screen.
As they neared Earth, Harper noticed a ship in orbit. If Eternity wasn't cloaked the other ship would have detected them by now.
"Eternity." Harper said. "What's the classification of that ship?"
"Scans show that it's of Common Wealth design, but I don't have anything on record that fits it exactly. It must be something new. It's smaller than Andromeda, weaponry is about half, but I'm judging by it's smaller size and superior engines, that it would be much faster than Andromeda."
"Do you think the Common Wealth changed their minds about not helping Earth?" Rick asked.
"It would be nice to have some good luck for a change." Harper said.
"If they decided to help," Rommie said, "then where is Andromeda?"
"Rommie's right Harper." Trance said. "I don't think they're here to help.
Eternity's image appeared on a smaller screen.
"Harper, I've detected an incoming mission directed to that vessel. It's from Andromeda."
"Can you patch us in, so we can here what's going on?" Harper asked.
"Already done."
On the Command deck of the other vessel a large Nietzchean stood.
"Captain Ranak, I'm receiving a message from the Andromeda. It's Morak."
"Let's hear it." Captain Ranak said.
"Fleet Marshall Ranak, I have new information concerning the Andromeda. Everything is going according to plan. Cain did just as we expected. It won't be long till the Andromeda is just a memory. I also want to report that their engineer has ….."
The Nietzchean captain smiled.
"So, considering the length of time it took for this message to arrive, I can only guess that the Andromeda is no more. A pity really, I would have liked to been able to added her to my fleet."
"It would've never happened Ranak." Said a man, as he entered the Command deck. "Those Glorious Heritage ships were very stubborn, and loyal to their High Guard captains."
"Perhaps." Ranak said. "But I could have deleted her AI and installed a new one."
"You could've, if you we're able to get past her internal defenses, and then manage to gain access to her main frame, which I'm sure their Engineer has protected with all manner of defenses."
"You speak so highly of a Kludge Admiral?" Ranak asked.
"He may be a Kludge, but he is not one to underestimate."
"Baugh! No Kludge can best me or out engineer my crew!"
"Settle down Ranak. It doesn't matter. If what Morak says is true, then Andromeda and her engineer are probably already dead."
"I wish I knew what else Morak was going to say, before we lost transmission."
"I'm sure it was nothing important." The Admiral said. "I'll be going back to my quarters now. Good day Ranak."
"Good day Admiral Stark."
"Did you cut the transmission in time?" Harper asked.
"Yes." Eternity answered. "They didn't hear the part about us coming to Earth."
"I hope Dylan and the others are ok." Harper said.
"Don't worry Harper." Trance said. "They're fine."
"That ship is near the orbiting station." Rick said. "We should be able to launch the communication disrupters at both and then hit them hard with Eternity's weapons."
"OK folks." Harper said. "Let's do it!"
Rick stood at his station, monitoring the ship and orbiting station.
"Targeting systems are locked on."
"Fire disrupters." Harper commanded.
"Disrupters launched." Rick confirmed.
Seconds later the disrupters impact their targets, causing all communications within the ship and station to cease, as well as making it impossible for them to call for assistance.
Communications officer Julius, on the Nietzchean ship the Prowler, was in the middle of talking with the engineering officer on the station about repairs that were needed, when the communication abruptly ended. He tried time and time again to reestablish communications with the station, but continually failed. He then attempted to contact the captain over the com system, only to discover that it too was dead.
"You!" He shouted at another crewmember of lesser rank. "Go get the captain. Inform him that all communications systems are down. NOW!"
Moments later, a very irritated Nietzchean captain stomped onto his Command deck.
"Julius, what's this nonsense about losing Communications?"
"It's not nonsense captain." Julius answered. "Communications systems are gone. All of them, including internal communications. That's why I had to send someone to get you."
"Is this why we lost half the transmission that Morak sent?"
"No captain. We still had communications till just a few minutes ago."
Captain Ranak stopped to consider the possibilities. No communications. No way to call for help, if needed. He was unable to even properly command his crew without internal communications. There was only one conclusion he could come to. Some how, some way, they were under attack.
"Battle Stations!" Ranak shouted, but before anyone could respond the whole Command deck shook, throwing crew members out of their seats and into the floor.
The first wave of Eternity's missiles tore a huge gaping hole in the side of the Nietzchean Prowler, causing it to lose eighty percent of it's weapons and bringing life support down to thirty percent.
"Who's attacking us, and how did they get here without being seen!" Ranak shouted as he raised himself from the deck.
"Captain?" Julius said. "We appear to be receiving a signal from the attacking vessel."
"I thought all communications were down." Ranak said bitterly
"Apparently whoever disrupted our systems, are able to initiate a communications link with us."
"On screen." Ranak said, as he spit blood from his mouth. "I want to see who dares attack a Dragan ship."
The screen flickered to life, and Ranak was shocked by what he saw.
"Hello." Harper said. "I am Captain Seamus Z, Harper, of the Star Ship Eternity. I… am an Earther…. A Kludge…. And I order you to surrender, or I will destroy your ship and everyone in it."
"YOU? Order ME?" Ranak asked, unable to believe that this scrawny little man could have the nerve to even look at him, let alone talk to him with such contempt.
"Who do you think you are, to order Ranak, out of Barthra, by Challin, to do anything? I'll never surrender to a Kludge!"
"I told you who I am." Harper said. "Now Captain Ran-a-Lot, If you would look toward the space station, you will see,……well, you will see nothing Captain, because it's gone. We destroyed it, while we were attacking you. We asked them to surrender and they refused. Do you still refuse to surrender?"
Just then Admiral Stark walked onto the Prowler's Command Deck.
"Ranak! What's going on here?" Stark asked.
"It would appear that Andromeda's Engineer thinks he's a captain. He also believes that he can destroy us."
The Admiral looked worried.
"And you don't believe he can?" He asked.
"A Nietzchean cannot be defeated by a Kludge!" He shouted.
"You base this on what? Because you are physically stronger than him? Tell me Ranak, can your muscles stop a hundred missiles armed with explosive warheads when they come knocking on your ship's hull?"
"I will not be intimidated by a Weak Kludge!"
"I hate to interrupt your little lover's spat." Harper said. "But I'm in a hurry here. Either you surrender, or I destroy you. Make your choice, but you better choose wisely."