| Love
When You Least Expect It |
Beka looked at her companion as she piloted the Maru toward Andromeda. Rhade had come with her on a mission to get the Nelzor pride to sign Dylan’s Commonwealth charter. It had been a major victory considering they had been loyal to Tyr, when he had most everyone believing he was their reincarnated messiah.
Rhade was different from most Nietcheans she had ever met, he wasn’t self absorbed, he cared about other people, and he possessed an honor that seemed to be his way of life.
“We are ready to receive you.” Andromeda’s voice brought Beka out of her thoughts.
“Beginning docking procedures.” Rhade answered.
He took the opportunity to look at Beka while she was distracted, this woman intrigued him the way no other had. He had tried to be friends with her and lately she seemed to have warm up to him. He assumed her previous hostility had to do with Tyr.
Rhade seethed as Tyr Anazasi came to mind, it was men like him he gave his race a bad name. He had an opportunity to study him during the time he was transporting him as a prisoner. The man cared only about himself. Well now that he was dead they didn’t have to deal with him.
The ship landed on the deck broke his thoughts and they walked out to meet Harper, “just in time boss, Dylan has a reception going on for Tri Lorn.”
Beka groaned, “Not another reception.”
Harper shrugged, “ever since our encounters with Tyr Anasleazy and the Abyss people are joining us left and right.”
Beka turned to Rhade, “we better join in.”
He shrugged, “I don’t mind receptions.”
After the docking bay was empty red ooze came out and formed into a person. The new person looked around at the vessel he had been ordered to destroy. The glorious power of the Abyss flowed through every part of him.
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Dylan smiled as he saw his three crew members enter the room. “Ah you’re just in time, everyone meet Tri Lorn.”
Each one put fake smiles on their face to greet one of the leaders of the CommonWealth. Soon he looked at Rhade, “hello Commander.”
“Tri Lorn.” Rhade’s voice was cool.
“Look I know I haven’t been the best person to work with, thanks to the Collectors but I’d like to start over.”
“Perhaps.” Rhade replied concealing his emotions.
Suddenly Rommie came up to them, “Dylan can I speak to you?”
“Of course” He followed grateful to get away from the stuffy leader. “So what can I do for you?”
“I think something is messing with my sensors, Harper’s trying to find the cause.”
“Do you think it’s an intruder?”
“That’s a strong possibility.”
Dylan thought fast, “Ok I’ll stay here and distract our esteemed leader, get Beka and Rhade to search the ship.”
Rommie nodded and went off to talk to Beka, Dylan quickly took Tri Lorn’s attention, and “so tell me about you’re recent encounters.”
Dylan sighed as a big smile came over the other man’s face, so he would be bored listening as long as the man was distracted.
Soon Beka and Rhade were walking the corridors of the ship, Beka held a scanner while Rhade used his senses. Beka looked at him, “must be nice to be genetically engineered.”
Rhade smiled, “yes but I admire how humans get by as well.”
Soon Beka’s scanner began to beep, “it’s in cargo bay five.”
They put their weapons on ready and slowly entered. Just then the door slid shut and as it did, a man they’d never seen before jumped out knocking Beka to the ground. Rhade raised his weapon but couldn’t risk firing, not with Beka in the crossfire.
Beka managed to throw the man off her and get to her feet, Rhade fired but the man began to shimmer and his eyes grew red. “An agent of the Abyss.” Rhade muttered.
“What a surprise.” Beka replied.
Just then a creature disappeared in the blink of an eye. They tried to go after it but the doors wouldn’t respond.
“Andromeda open the doors!” Rhade barked.
But Andromeda didn’t respond. Beka pulled open her comm. link, “Dylan can you read me?”
Dylan’s voice came back, “Yes?”
“An agent of the Abyss is loose on the ship and we’re trapped in cargo bay five.”
“All right hang tight until Harper can get there, I’m going to ship wide...” just then his voice cut out.
“We lost communications.” Rhade said, “Its probably affected ship systems.”
“Well let’s try to find a way out.” >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tri Lorn turned to Dylan, “how’d it get on the ship?”
“I’ll tell you as soon as I find out, in the meantime stay here.”
Dylan soon found Rommie, “It’s not the spirit of the Abyss but whatever it is its moving fast, some areas of the ship are losing oxygen.”
“Well let’s find some weapons and take this thing.”
Just then Andromeda’s voice came, “I’m reading ten Magog life signs.”
“Why only ten?” Rommie asked.
“They’re testing us, worlds are joining the Commonwealth and when Nietcheans join the Abyss gets worried, it’s trying to undermine the strength at its source, we better hurry.”
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In the cargo bay Beka paused at the control panel, “is it getting stuffy?”
Rhade sniffed the air, “It seems like this section of the ship is losing oxygen.”
How long?”
“An hour maybe two, I can go an hour longer but you’re human, you should conserve you’re energy.”
“I’m not going to set here Rhade.”
He came to the control panel, “then we both better hurry.”
Harper hurried toward command, in order to restore oxygen he had to do it there. He spared a thought for Rhade and Beka. “Hang on just hold on.”
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Rommie raised for force lance and shot the Magog in front of her, “that’s eight.”
Dylan came up behind her, “I just got one but there’s one more still missing.”
Just then a scream came from the reception room and they both hurried but by the time they got there the Magog had finished what it was sent to do. Dylan shot it quickly and went to Tri Lorn’s side.
Rommie looked down, “there’s nothing you can do for him.”
“I know.”
Just then Harper’s voice came, “I got communications but it’s trying to get into command!”
“Hang on Harper we’re coming.”
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Beka felt woozy and Rhade helped her to the ground, “you’re beginning to feel the effects.”
“Forget me and try to find another way out.”
“I’ve tried but this place is being guarded by force fields.”
“Can we contact the others?”
Rhade shook his head, “Don’t talk Beka all we can do is wait.” He looked at her growing worried; her breathing was becoming shallower. He decided to keep he distracted, “did I ever tell you of my life on Tarazed? You don’t have to talk just blink once for yes and twice for no.”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to talk.” She was whispering like him.
“Whispers don’t take to much air.”
“Just tell me.” She whispered.
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Dylan and Rommie soon arrived to find the thing headed to command, “It’s over!”
The creature turned toward Dylan’s voice, “the Abyss will beat you.”
“Sorry not today.”
Dylan put his force lance on high power and threw it. A fatal electrical discharge came from it and the creature writhed in pain and fell to the ground. “Andromeda open command doors.”
Harper relaxed when he saw who it was then grew concerned, “I got oxygen back but I can’t raise Beka or Rhade.”
“Rommie take Harper and get to the cargo bay.”
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“And that’s how I met Dylan.”
Telemacus looked down to find Beka’s eyes open, “that’s incredible how you grew past the shame Gaheris Rhade brought to your family.”
“You were listening?”
“Yeah I was.” Beka yawned; it was getting harder to stay awake.
“Hang on Beka we’ve got more oxygen I can feel it.”
Beka looked at him and touched his cheek, “you’ve taught me that Nietcheans have honor, I’m in love with you.”
She was delirious, he thought to himself sadly, he wanted to reply he felt the same but knew it would present complications since she wasn’t aware of what she was saying.
Beka’s last sight before closing her eyes was of Rommie.
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Beka blinked in the hard glare of the light but her surroundings came into focus, Trace smiled, “welcome back.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the medical bay.”
“How long have I been here?”
A full day you suffered from oxygen depletion to the brain, you’ll be ok in a day or two.”
“What caused all of this?”
“The Magog and the Abyss just rest now and I’ll explain it all later.”
It was a long three days before she was released, Telemacus had come to see her but always when others were around, she had met what she said. She knew she had feelings for him but had thought they’d go away.
She had admitted her feelings for Tyr but that had been a disaster. But she wasn’t going to let those memories keep her from living in fear.
She found Telemacus in the arboretum. “Hello Beka are you well?”
She stood next to him, “I’ll recover in time, thank you for keeping me sane in the cargo bay.”
“A warrior always helps a fellow warrior.”
“Thanks for telling me you’re story, it meant a lot.”
“Beka about what you said, I know you were delirious...”
Beka touched his arm making him look at her, “Telemacus I meant every word, and I don’t expect you to feel the same.”
“I do.” He replied simply.
“Wow really?” Beka felt a thrill course through her.
“Yes you’re everything a man could ever want.”
“So where do we go from here?”
He moved closer to her, “how about one day at a time.”
“Great idea.” She replied.
Beka closed the remaining distance between them as their lips met in a searing and soul shattering kiss.
THE END