:( no reveiws for that one - I know your reading it...

Chapter 5

Harper came onto command not in the best of moods and fully intending to yell at Dylan. What could be more important at the moment than making sure Beka was OK? The look on Dylan and the officials' faces however stopped him before he had chance.

"That ship in the hanger," hissed the reptilian Jexacaran, "it belongs to you?"

Harper automatically look to Dylan, did they mean the Maru?

"We followed Beka after she ran off but when they saw her ship they became… agitated and insisted on talking to me in private," clarified Dylan.

"So it belongs to the woman, please call her here to explain herself," another of the officials asked.

"Why, what's going on Dylan? Tell me,"

"I don't know anymore than you I called you here hoping you could shed some light on the situation as they wont tell me anything"

"Situations of this nature aren't normally discussed with anyone other than the accused… however since we don't know who the accused is then maybe it is right to show you."

At a signal from their leader another of the Jexecarans handed a data chip to Dylan who brought up the video it contained on the main screen. A shaky but identifiable picture of the Maru filled the view as it took off from a lush green planet before pausing for a minute then turning and firing several rounds into what can only have been a structure hidden behind the foliage as a second later huge ball of flame shot into the sky and the ship turned and flew out of view.

"The structure was destroyed a few weeks ago and belonged to one of our governments financial backers in an adjacent system. Luckily he wasn't there at the time but many of his personnel – not to mention the real estate – were destroyed. We have been searching for the perpetrator and now have found them. If it is the woman's ship then she must be the one who did this. We will take her into custody now."

"Wait – Beka is my first officer and would have been unable to destroy anything for many weeks. She was taken prisoner and then confined to this ship since." Interrupted Dylan.

"Never the less she must be questioned and stand trial. We will get the truth eventually."

"It wasn't Beka," cut in Harper in a small voice, "it was me…"

7 weeks ago…

I shot them all, those bastards had done this to her and deserved to be punished. After a while no more came and the building rang with a cloaking silence. Finally I reached the exit hatch and carefully pulled Beka out before running through the thick undergrowth to where I had hidden the Maru.

Crashing through the leaves I got to the airlock and took Beka through to her small cabin laying her gently on her bed and trying not to see the scars and the way that her skin was mottled black and blue.

Walking through to the pilot's chair I started the take off and mechanically went through the motions as I tried to deny what I had seen. As I rose above the undergrowth a terrified scream came from the quarters behind me. I ran through to where had left Beka to find her alone but tossing on the bed as if tied down by something and her petrified moans went straight to my heart. I ran back into the pilots seat and targeted the prison before pressing down on the firing controls and not stopping until all of the ammo was gone. Then I turned away from the horrendous place and headed straight back to Andromeda, my only though that I had to keep Beka safe.