Minus One

Title: Minus One
Author: Natasha Bennett nbennett@islandnet.com
Introduction: Being hunted by the Andromeda, Harper seeks help from Commonwealth traitors.
Rating: PG-13 for violence.
Spoilers: Ouroboros, Immaculate Perception, pretty much anything from Seasons 1 and 2.
Disclaimer: Everything in this story belongs solely to Tribune Entertainment, Gene Roddenbery, and Natasha Bennett (because she wrote this). This includes all characters, places, events, Magogs, Perseids and Sparky Colas.
Author's note: I am well aware of the fact that I probably got the number of Magog larvae Harper had is probably wrong.



Sitting alone in the Eureka Maru, Harper calmly munched on a food improvisor as he watched the ship he was attached to frantically try to destroy him. Wincing a little at the taste, he chugged down a Sparky cola to help him choke down the rest. He put his feet up on the computer station. And waited.

Finally, an angry voice said over the intercom. "We know you're out there, Fildas worm! We can detect our power drain! Rest assured that Dylan Hunt and his Commonwealth fleet will not be amused by this!"

Harper rolled his eyes, and decided he had quite enough. He flipped the communication channel on with his boot. "This is Seamus Harper of the Eureka Maru." He paused, letting that sink in.

"Seamus Harper..." the alien voice mused. There was a long pause as the name clicked in. In a panicked squeal he shrieked, "High guard!"

"Thankfully, no," Harper said dryly. "I understand that you're the most technology enhanced allies we've got next to Jaguar Pride. Well, um, I've just spent the last thirty minutes or so attached to your ship in this old rust bucket and you still haven't found me. I must say that I'm deeply depressed by this."

"But I-"

"I also understand it that you've had some resentments for Dylan Hunt and his crew. Rumor has it that you're thinking of leaving our beloved Commonwealth and planning an ambush for us," Harper continued mildly, opening another Sparky.

"Ah..umm....well that's not true of course Mr. Harper we hold the Commonwealth in the highest regards-"

"Save it," Harper said curtly, wiping the foam off his mouth. "You're thinking of attacking the Andromeda? Fine. I'm in."

There was a long pause. "In what?" The alien voice asked casually.

Harper rolled his blue eyes again. "Frigging hell, do I have to spell it out for you? I'm in. I want to help, because I dare say you're in sorry shape as it is. And not only that, there are a few others in the Commonwealth that question Hunt's actions over the past year as well. Powerful people."

There was another long pause. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harper, but rumor has it you've tried this little ploy before, and the next thing those unfortunate people had was the Andromeda rammed down their throats-"

Harper grinned. "You think this is a trick? Well believe me, baby, it isn't. The Andromeda and I are finished. It's over." He frowned for a moment, a shadow passing through his tired red eyes. "It's done."

Another long pause, then, "You are cleared for docking. But Mr. Harper, why do you want to attack the Andromeda?"

Harper said nothing for a moment. "I want them to suffer like they did to me," he finally said.

***************************************

The entire ship was a mess, Harper noted in disgust as he walked to the bridge escorted by two brutes behind him. Brutes with guns that could incinerate him in a moment. Harper rubbed the stubble on his cheek as he was hustled onto the bridge. The Captain, Marex Perianto, observed him carefully with golden-rimmed eyes. "Is he clean?"

"No bugs were found. One blaster was in his jacket. It was broken," the brute replied.

Marex nodded. "You understand, Mr. Harper, we like to take all precautions."

Harper nodded, feeling very worn out and tired. He knew how he must look. He wore baggy pants stained with dirt and blood from three weeks ago, a leather jacket that was slashed in different places, one hand burned and crudely bandaged. He stank of beer and Sparky, and his rugged face was stained with dirt and tears. His blue eyes, however, were very clear and cold. "What are your plans?"

The Captain shook his fat head. "Ah, believe me, Mr. Harper, I would like to tell you. However, there is still the unfortunate small question of your loyalties. This could very easily be a cunning trick to discover the Commonwealth's true enemies."

Harper stared at him evenly. "I've suffered from the Andromeda more times then you can imagine. I've had Magog larva inside me. Do you have idea what that feels like!? I lost two of my best friends, one maybe gone forever and another turned into a stranger. And now, just recently, I had to leave my friends, my home, and the people I loved all for one man-Dylan Hunt!" He closed his eyes briefly, then continued. "Now you tell me, do you really think I went through all that just to fool you when the Andromeda could easily destroy you with one shot?" He tilted his head, brushing a lock of greasy blond hair away from his eyes. "Sorry, but you're just not worth the effort."

Marx said nothing for a moment, thinking. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harper, that's just not good enough." He gestured to a station with a screen beside it. A station with a screen. Memory interface.

Harper glared at him angrily, then plugged a wire into his data port and into the computer. He closed his eyes. And remembered.

***************************************************

3 weeks earlier.....

************************************************

"Holy freaking Moley..." Harper muttered to himself as the fire spread to the other houses. A low pitched whine, and the ground in front of him exploded in a shower of dirt.

Turning, Harper activated the comm once again, his back against a broken stone wall. "I'll do what I can, Dylan....but boss, I'm not going to lie to you. It's a freaking war zone down here. Call me as soon as you get this message." He clicked off the interlink. Four hours to receive the signal, four hours back. Plenty of death if he couldn't figure out who was firing at the villagers. "Great, just great. Ask for some shore leave and this is what I get."

A suddenly explosion above him threw him to the ground. He crawled in the dirt to a dead villager, feeling for a pulse. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Damn. Attacking innocent civilians on a world filled with sunshine and surf. Whoever these people are they're not very nice." He took out his blaster slowly and walked as low as he could around the corner of another building.

He suddenly rammed into a shrieking woman. "My stomach, my stomach!" She shrieked in Harper's ears, shoving him away with bloodied wrists. "Help me, oh please somebody help me!" Instantly she fell as stray shot hit her in the back.

Breathing hard, Harper glanced around the corner. What he saw left him numb. He had reached the town center. Encircled all around was a group of villagers tied to a post. Some of them were shrieking in agony. Most were deathly still, their stomachs ripped open.

"Magog," Harper whispered, one hand going to his own stomach. "God, why did it have to be Magog? And what the hell are Magog doing here!?" A good question, considering that the nearest Magog he knew of were years away. Desperately he searched for answers, but found none. Nor could he figure out what to do. Then he heard more shrieks nearby, followed by grunts of Magog. Turning, Harper ran up the hill and saw a bunch of Magog fighting with a group of villagers.

Harper aimed very carefully. He squeezed off a couple of shots, destroying a few Magog, but it was too late. With a snarl the remaining Magog tore the remaining villagers apart with their claws before they spotted him. They raised a very big weapon.

Harper scrambled out of the way just as they fired. Something fell into the dirt beside him and released a bluish gas. Harper immediately covered his mouth, but it was too late. It went straight into his lungs and burned. "What the-!?" He shouted to no one in particular. "Since when do the Magog have that kind of sophistication? Whatever happened to just-" The rest of the sentence was ended in a cough. He tried to run and stumbled. The entire area was now clouded with blue smoke. He couldn't see his way around it. The Magog were coming closer!

Harper opened his mouth and did the one thing logical to his mind at the time. "HELP!" He called out. "SOMEBODY....HELP!" He coughed, feeling himself grow faint from screaming and not getting enough air.

Hissing, the Magog drew closer. Dazed, Harper raised his blaster, perhaps for the final time. They would never take him out without a fight, and if they tried he had a nasty surprise in store-

A cloth clamped over his mouth. Surprised, he tried to turn his head away, but the hand held firm. "Breathe!" A woman's voice hissed. "It's the antidote!"

Reluctantly, Harper allowed himself to breathe. It tasted like sweet honey, among other things. Immediately his lungs began to clear and he nodded. He tried to stand but instantly collapsed to the ground, already unconscious.

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, the woman grabbed Harper and slung him over her shoulders.

**************************

Harper awoke to the sound of home cooking. Puzzled, he opened his eyes and found himself in a small hut that looked in desperate need of repair Old tools and assorted machine bits were scattered on the shelves, but they themselves hadn't been used anytime soon.

Finally, his blurred eyes focused on a woman slowly stirring a pot. He must had been dreaming, for she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long flowing red hair and was probably in her late twenties, but this was no innocent maiden, for her violet eyes were cold and calculating. Muscles bulged from her arms and legs.

Wincing, Harper lifted himself up from the bed where she had put him. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Six hours," the woman calmly replied, stirring the pot.

Harper thought for a moment. Six hours. Two more till the Andromeda came.

The woman stared at him for a moment, sizing him up. Are you all right?"

Harper nodded. "I think so," he said. "What...what was-"

"My own recipe," the woman said. "It clears the lungs of everything, as well as adds a strong sedative into the bloodstream. I'm sorry, but it was necessary. I didn't know who you were."

"And you do now?" Harper remarked mildly. He never wore ID in his life, and he wasn't about to start. Being on board the meanest warship in the galaxy tended to cause more problems then awe.

"Not until I saw this," The woman said, removing a pin from her pocket and tossing it to Harper. He caught it and stared at it. It was the official pin of the Commonwealth. Harper remembered Beka giving it to him to fix for Dylan's birthday.

"Are you....High guard?" The woman asked uncertainly.

Harper had to laugh. "Well, I wouldn't exactly go that far..."

The woman frowned. "You aren't one of us. I saw your ship land not far from here. Tell me, who are you?" she asked, honestly curiously.

"Harper. My name's Seamus Harper," Harper replied honestly. "You?"

"Riana. You were...attacking the Magog," she prompted. "You were trying to save us. Why?"

"It's what I do now," Harper said simply. "There's a ship....a big-ass ship that's going to be here soon, in about two hours. It's the Andromeda Ascendant."

"The Andromeda?" Riana whispered, her face very still. "Now I know I must be dreaming."

Harper grinned in spite of himself. "Sometimes I think it's a little crazy too. But believe me, it is."

"And...you're a member of this Commonwealth?" Riana asked.

"Are you kidding? I'm the virtual backbone of the Commonwealth, baby. Without me, there would easily be no Commonwealth," Harper replied.

Riana smiled back. "Well, at least now I know that the myth of Commonwealth soldiers being flawless and humble isn't true." She stood. "Forgive me, but you don't look like a soldier."

"Hey, I may not have the uniform or the salutes, but I've been through a few bumps and scrapes," Harper protested. "Hmm, that smells good. What is it?"

"Stew," Riana replied, handing him a bowl.

Harper immediately dug into it, realizing for the first time how hungry he was.

"Magog stew," Riana said offhandedly.

Harper closed his eyes and forced himself to swallow what was left in his mouth. "They're edible?"

"Quite," Riana agreed. "I'm a herbalist of sorts, you can say."

"Blah!" Harper spat, whipping his mouth.

Riana laughed. "It's all we have, I'm afraid." She stared at him for a moment. "You're cute. I'm glad I helped you. I almost didn't." She turned away. "I've lived alone for a long time now. I don't like visitors."

"All right, hang on for just a minute-you've been eating Magog?" Harper persisted.

"Whenever I can," Riana said simply. "I've tried my best to stay out of the Magog's way, killing the stray one here and there. I'm a survivor."

Harper glanced at her in surprise. "So am I." He pushed away the dish. "Riana, I was being serious. There is a ship coming-"

"I believe you," Riana said softly. "The trouble is, Harper, that it's already too late."

"What do you mean?" Harper asked.

Riana looked down, her face pale. "While you were sleeping I traveled to the village. Everyone's dead now."

"Oh," Harper said simply. He was silent for a long minute.

"No, you shouldn't blame yourself," Riana said, guessing what he was thinking. "They never stood a chance. And neither would you if you had tried to save them. These things are relentless, and they have no mercy in them." She stared at him for a long moment. "Besides, it looks like you've got enough grief to last you a lifetime."

Harper looked up. "Wha-? What do you mean-"

"Your eyes. Just....something about your eyes," Riana muttered, glancing down. "I can always tell with people."

"Really?" Harper couldn't grin in spite of himself. "And what am I thinking now?"

Riana stared at him thoughtfully. "That you care easily enough, but you also have a terrible side that most would be very lucky not to see." She smiled. "And no, what you're thinking now is not going to happen."

Harper blushed, but his mind was elsewhere. There were still very unsettling matters to consider. "Riana....how did these things get here? The last time we met with the Magog, they were years away!"

Riana frowned. "I'm not really sure. They came last year. There was...light. A brilliant flash of blue light. And in the center of the village sat baby Magog. Seven of them....just crying." Her lips twisted in hate. "I knew what they were. But the others didn't. They took it upon themselves to nurture the Magog, to help them grow. Well, they grew up fast. The Magog ate the ones that cared for them first. Then they grew, and spread. This, I suppose, was their final assault. I quickly moved as far away from the village as I could as soon as they arrived. They haven't found us in the mountains." She paused. "Yet."

Harper stood with Riana's help. He stared at the old machine parts. "You have scanners?"

"My husband," Riana said simply. "He's dead now."

Harper nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Riana replied. "It was a long time ago." She shrugged. "The only thing that works now is an old archive. That's how I knew what that was-" she gestured to the pin.

Harper went to the machine and stared working on it.

"What are you doing?" Riana asked him, joining his side.

"Fixing these sensors," Harper replied. "Hmm..."

"You're an engineer?" Riana asked.

Harper glanced at her and snorted. "Only the best."

She rolled her eyes. "Definitely not humble."

"Not one of my qualities, no." He stared at the active sensors. "Ah, crap. This is definitely not good."

"What?" Riana asked.

"The Magog are searching the mountains now. Looks like they know other people do not wish to be disturbed...good, they haven't found the Maru yet." He stood. "It's only a few kilometers from here. We can make it before dark." He started for the door and turned when he saw her standing, looking around uncertainly. "Riana, we don't have a lot of time! They're very close now!"

Riana bit her lip."This is my home...I can't just leave it. We have been through so much together too many times-"

For a moment Harper suffered a moment of heartache as he was vividly reminded of the Andromeda. He shook his head. "Riana, it's not as though I'm not grateful for saving my life and um...the nourishment, but if we don't get out of here, then these Magog will want us to become mommy and daddy for their new offspring." He took out his blaster. "And believe me, that is one experience I've been through too many times."

*************************************

Nervously Marex tapped on Harper's shoulder. Opening his eyes, Harper took out the cyberlink. "What!?" He demanded.

"Oh, nothing, nothing really, I was just wondering why you wanted to help this woman," Marex said, cringing.

"This isn't a home movie," Harper snapped, then sighed. "Because I meant what I said. Helping people was what the Commonwealth stood for," he replied. "Or at least it did, three hundred years ago...." He shook his head. "Anyway, we decided to make a beeline for the Maru. May I continue now?"

Marex nodded eagerly.

Harper sighed irritably. "Honestly..." He closed his eyes.

*********************************************

Red fire shrieked past his head as Harper ran raced towards the Maru. He heard a sudden whine. "Look out!" He shouted, pushing Riana face-first into the boulder. He stood, about to fire, when a Magog sudden fired and shot the blaster in his hand. "ARGH!" He shouted in pain, his hand badly singed. He bent down and glanced to his left, then to his right. The Maru was only meters away, but they were pinned down.

"Damn. Whatever happened to teeth and claws? All right, if they want to fight rough, then let's cheat," Harper said, taking out a long small silver object with his other hand.

Riana stared at it in wonderment. "Is that...is that..?"

"Yep. A genuine force lance. I sort of decided to take it along, just in case....well, just in case I needed it."

"Your way of meeting girls, in other words?" Riana asked frankly.

Harper grinned in spite of himself. "Well, I haven't really figured out how to fire it, and my staff fighting's pretty lousy....but if there's one thing I should be able to figure out, is how to make this into a pretty handy grenade."

Riana shook her head, the corners of her mouth dripping in hatred. "To think...that my people had those things in their stomachs. Can you imagined what that feels like?"

"Actually, yes," Harper replied, setting the timer.

"You? How?" Riana demanded.

"I had them in me," he said simply.

"You...you did?" Riana whispered. "Now no more?"

"My friend Trance, she um...she got rid of them with a Tesseract machine," he said.

Riana tilted her head. "I remember hearing about that. The machine that took the crew to all sorts of different places and times?"

"Yep. Trance activated the machine, and it took out all seven of them." As soon as he said that Harper frowned in though.

"What?" Riana asked.

Harper shook his head. "Nothing. Forget it. Anyway, we zapped the little critters and life pretty much turned back to normal...with a few differences. Here, cover your head."

Riana did so. Harper peered above the hill and threw the force lance with all his might. It landed in the center of the Magog assault and sent them flying.

"Come on!" Harper said, taking her soft hand. As one they ran down the hill to the Maru.

Harper held up a communications link. "Maru, prep for launch!" He ordered.

'Stand by,' the computer said cheerfully.

They could hear the engines gear up.

"One thing is for sure, Harper," Riana remarked. "You sure have a lot of interesting tales."

Harper grinned. "Well, as soon as we get on the Maru, I'll have to tell you some of them."Riana stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. "I'd like that," she said, and smiled.

*******************************

A few minutes later, they were safely on the Maru in space. "Ow!" Harper said for the eighth time.

"Oh, would you please stop that," Riana hissed as she expertly bandaged his burnt hand.

"I don't suppose you have any more herbs on you, do you?" Harper asked her.

Riana shook her red head. "Just the stuff that knocks you out."

"Tempting...but I'll pass. I need to find the Andromeda. Not that I need their help now considering that there's no flight technology on your world, but I would like to know where they are," He explained.

Riana stared out at the red planet, still able to see buildings turn into ash. "To think...all those years...all those friendships...for nothing." She stared at him. "I've left virtually everything behind me now. Where do I go? What do I do?"

"I know that it's hard. Believe me, I went through the same thing myself when I left Earth," Harper said. "I was extremely lucky to find the right people....well, eventually. And trust me, there is plenty to do on the Andromeda."

"Really?" Riana asked. "But...I'm not High guard."

"And you think I am?" Harper said, taking her hand. "There are really good people on the Andromeda. They'll help you get through this no matter what happens. Besides, Trance is extremely lax on her botany now that she's...well, it's complicated. We could really use someone with your talents."

"I would like that. I really would. Helping the Commonwealth was always a dream I've had since I was a little girl," Riana admitted, smiling.

Harper shook his head. "Wasn't mine."

Riana suddenly looked down and frowned.

"What?" Harper asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Riana said, smiling. "Everything is just perfect now."

"Ah, and speak of the merry ship," Harper said as the Andromeda came into view. "This is Captain Harper of the Eureka Maru, requesting permission for docking."

"Permission granted, Captain," Beka Valentine said with slight sarcasm.

"Harper..." Riana said nervously, gripping his shoulder. "I really don't think this is such a good idea."

"Nah, trust me it's all good. Everyone will love you-well, except Tyr, but he's basically okay if you don't get on his bad side," Harper replied.

Riana stared at him for a long moment. "I just want to say...thank you, Harper. You're a really good person. I would hate anything to happen to you."

Harper glanced at her in surprise. "Thanks...I think."

The Maru docked into the Andromeda's hanger bay.

******************************************

Harper bounced onto the bridge. "Dylan, you won't believe what's happening down there! There's Magog and they've pretty much killed all the inhabits and we've got to-" He paused as he stared at their grim faces. "What is it?" He glanced to his left. "Oh, this is Riana. Don't worry, she's-"

"Step away from her, Harper," Beka ordered.

"What!? What are you-"

"There's Magog larva inside of her. My scanners detected them instantly," Rommie said gently.

"Seamus?" Riana whispered. "What are they doing?"

"It's okay, Riana," Harper said. "No guys, you don't understand. She's my friend and-"

"She has only a few minutes to live, and then they're going to hatch," Rommie said.

"And attack us," Tyr added.

Harper turned to Riana. "Riana...did you know about this?"

Her violet eyes swelled with tears. "I'm sorry, Seamus. When I went to the village...I was ambushed. I was hoping there was something you and your High guard could do."

Harper struggled for words. He turned to Dylan. "So what can we do?"

"Step away from her, Mr. Harper," Dylan said grimly, rasing his force lance.

"Wha-!? No. No!" Harper protested. "There might be something we can do for her, some means we can try. We can rebuild the Tesseract machine again! We can talk to the Perseids...." He glanced at them. "Come on, guys. Tyr, you said that when there's life there's hope. You people didn't give up on me even when I did, don't give up on her!"

"We had weeks to find an answer for you, Harper. She has only a few minutes," Rommie said gently.

"All right, so we'll put her into stasis. Whatever!" With growing horror Harper saw that he wasn't making any impression on them. And why should he, he realized with raw hatred he never knew existed. She was a stranger to them.

"Seamus, please...don't let them hurt me," Riana whispered to him with growing terror, she gripped his shoulder, tears falling down her violet eyes. She stared at him accusingly. "You said they were good people. I don't want to die."

"Step away, Harper," Dylan ordered. "There's nothing we can do."

Harper shook his head. "I won't," he said, starring firmly into Dylan's blue eyes.

"Tyr," Dylan ordered.

Nodding, Tyr pulled Harper away from her with surprising gentleness and held him firmly. There was surprising sympathy in his brown eyes.

Riana clung to thin air, shaking visibly. "No, please...don't do this...Please!"

"Thirty seconds, Dylan," Rommie said.

"Dylan," Harper said, starring at him with frank honesty. "If you do this, then it's over. I'll never set foot on this ship again."

Dylan paused to consider this, then abruptly lifted his force lance and fired. It went straight through Riana's chest. She crumpled soundlessly to the deck.

Harper closed his eyed, tears already starting to form.

*********************************************

It had taken two weeks to escape.

He hadn't spoken to anyone, not even Beka. He would barely even look in their direction. Even Trance couldn't help him. Dylan said that he was sorry, but he had to do it. Harper just glared at him through burning blue eyes.

Eventually, the crew gave up trying to talk to him, but Rommie kept a firm scan lock on him in case he fulfilled his promise. Harper couldn't even step out of engineering without Dylan or Beka or Tyr waiting, their arms grimly folded. It seemed like they were doing shifts to keep an eye on him. He stared at them as though they were strangers and stalked back to engineering.

Finally, the Andromeda was in a heavy battle with a Neitzschean Pride. Harper had quietly slipped out of engineering and into the Maru's bay. Silently he geared up the engines.

Rommie noticed a second too late. She appeared briefly before him, her brown eyes wide with concern. "Harper, don't-"

With one hand Harper grabbed his blaster and shot the transparent woman in the chest. She disappeared instantly.

Then, he finally left the ship.

*******************************

Slowly Harper backed away from the memory interface, tears forming in his eyes. With one hand he jerked the wire out of his data port. "There, you see?" He snapped angrily. "Proof positive of what happened. He just....he just killed her. The only woman I..." he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Show me what you've got," he demanded.

Immediately Marex showed him a map. "We have allies, those that joined the Commonwealth only because they had to. They're willing to help us....if you're willing to help us cripple their ship with your command codes. We need a place to converge, to focus our efforts."

Harper looked down and pointed. "Here."

"Taila four," Marex agreed. "A wise choice. There we'll plan our final assault."

Harper simply nodded. "Good." He stared out at the view screen. The Andromeda was searching for him now, he knew.

They'll never find him.

****************************

A few hours later, Harper was back in the Maru, flying with the other ships towards Taila 4. He activated the comm. "Is this link secure?" He asked tightly.

"Perfectly," Trance replied. "So far, so good, it seems. The rest of the Andromeda crew don't suspect anything. Well, at least they don't suspect the truth."

"Good," Harper closed his voice, then asked, "How's Beka?"

"Mad as hell. What else did you expect?" Trance said sharply.

Harper nodded, not really surprised. "Better she be furious at me then figure out....all this mess."

"Harper....you don't have to do this," Trance said after a moment's hesitation. "Not alone."

"Yes, I do," Harper said.

"But if you fail-"

"I won't," Harper said mildly, and snapped off the comm. He stared silently out into vastness of space, and the small planet they were approaching. He shivered. "I can't."




The Andromeda Ascendant slowly orbited a small world, its tired crew grim-faced and with worried thoughts.

Minus one.

"Open a comm," Dylan Hunt, Captain of the Andromeda ordered.

Rommie complied. The face of a business-like alien appeared. "Yes, Captain Hunt, what can we do for you?" He asked busily.

"We're looking for one of our crew. He goes by the name of Seamus Harper," Dylan replied calmly. "Have you seen him?"

Without pausing in his work the director replied, "We've had an interplanetary blackout two weeks ago. No ship has been permitted to enter our planet ever since."

"You sure?" Dylan asked.

"Quite sure, Captain. Now, good day," the director replied, and crisply broke off communication.

"Well, one system down, about a billion more to go," Rommie said grimly. "I'm getting the vague impression that Harper really doesn't want to be found. And, if he's upgraded the Maru's engine core then he could easily be anywhere. This could take months, if not years."

Dylan turned. "Trance, any idea where he is?"

Trance shook her head, her eyes heavy with sorrow. "Believe me if I knew I would tell you. But Dylan, I know that he's angry and hurt. He thinks we betrayed him."

"We did," Tyr remarked. "We killed a woman he obviously cared for. People have left this ship for lesser reasons." He glanced around in surprise. "And yet those people just keep coming back. This ship is depressingly like a giant vacuum in some people's lives-"

"Anyway," Trance continued smoothly. "My point is that even if we could find him there's no guarantee that he'll want to stay. "

"Oh, he'll want to after I'm through with him," Beka said, speaking up for the first time in hours. She stared at them darkly. "You can count on it."

"Rommie, show us a map of the systems nearby," Dylan ordered calmly.

A map of a number of systems appeared.

"Eighty planets," Rommie declared. "And that's assuming he hasn't upgraded the Maru slipstream drive."

"And the more we guess the more time he has to expand that window," Tyr snarled. "This is hopeless. And pointless. And stupid."

Dylan nodded reluctantly. "We might just need to give him time to work things out. Then....um, Beka?"

Beka observed the star systems carefully. "Taila 4. He's at Taila 4," she said.

"What?" Dylan asked, puzzled.

She looked started. "It's a planet we frequently went to in the Maru days. It's the worst slum pit in the entire galaxy. You could literally buy anything there."

"So why would he go there?" Dylan asked.

"I honestly don't know," Beka admitted, her blue eyes hard. "But trust me, he's there. I know he is."

"How, exactly?" Rommie asked, puzzled.

"I just do!" Beka exploded, making all of them jump. Even Tyr. She gazed at them pleadingly. "Please. I know he's out there, alone. He can only get into trouble."

"And worse, drag that trouble to us," Tyr remarked, starring at Beka thoughtfully. "It's certainly worth a try."

Dylan looked uncertain. "Well...if that's how you feel, then by all means, Rommie, take us there."

"Activating slipstream," Rommie said promptly.

Beka nodded, and said no more. She abruptly stepped from her station and left the bridge.

The android version of Andromeda joined Dylan quietly.

"This could be a problem," Dylan said softly, watching with true worry as Tyr guided them through slipstream.

"So what do we do?" Rommie asked.

Dylan said nothing for a moment. "Tell Trance to call Harper again. Warn him that we're coming." His face was grim. "And that we're going to try everything we can to stop him."

*************************************

"I really don't think this is a good idea, Mr. Harper," Marex said nervously.

"Why not?" Harper asked calmly, wading through the hoards of thieves and back stabbers in the slum markets of Talia 4.

"The meeting's in the west wing of the city. We're in the east! It'll take us hours to get there on foot!" Marex protested.

"Look, Marex, I just need to pick up some supplies first. Then we'll be on our way. Hopefully there'll still be someone left alive to bargain with," Harper said. His eyes narrowed as a sly hand reached for his belt. "How would you like to have your ears sliced off?"

The little kid with a fat grubby face saw that Harper wasn't taking a survey and abruptly melted in the crowd.

Harper had other things to worry about, however. His eyes suddenly closed. "Ah, crap," he said.

"What?" Marex asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Harper snapped. "Let's um...let's pick up the pace a little, all right?"

**************************************

Harper walked alone in the small alley, watching Marex disappear to get the supplies Harper needed. It was past midnight, and dirty streetlights allowed him to see a little. Only the very stupid would be outdoors at a time like this. Or the very desperate.

A sudden shadow behind him made him turn casually. He grinned. "Jarin," he greeted cheerfully, recognizing the Maru contact instantly. "It's been a while."

"Not long enough, if you ask me," Jarin snapped, coming out of the shadows. Jarin was literally a large-chested monster with claws and blue muscles that bulged. Everywhere. He stared at Harper angrily through completely onyx eyes. "You have a lot of guts coming here, Seamus. They say that you and the rest of the Maru split on your business partners and joined with the Andromeda and Dylan Hunt's sentimental policies."

Harper raised an eyebrow innocently. "Do they? And where did they get that absurd notion?"

In response, Jarin held up a video chip, showing Harper laughing with Beka on her birthday. As he watched himself he blew a toy whistle and threw confetti into the air. From the bridge of the Andromeda.

Angrily Jarin snapped the video chip shut. "I never thought you could sink so low. You and the rest of the Maru were the best of the worst. You knew how to survive when times got tough. You made us profits. And now, business is in sorry shape." He took a step forward. "I want compensation."

"Alright, maybe just maybe I signed on with Dylan Hunt's merry little gang for a time, but no more. Okay? Hunt and I are finished. The only reason I signed on in the first place was because Beka did." Harper said, not without a little bit of impatience.

"We want our money back," Jarin growled. Harper was casually aware of the men circling around him.

"That's what I'm trying to say-I don't have any money. Dylan didn't even give us the gratitude to pay us for risking our necks every week. So, either you can pound me into a bleeding pulp or you can leave this place, but you're not going to get anything from me." Harper replied, holding his hands in the air. "Personally, I opt for the second option."

"And I opt for the first," Jarin snarled.

"And here I thought we were friends," Harper said, sadly shaking his head. "Jarin, you really don't want to do this."

"And what if I do, little man? Just what do you plan to do about it?" Jarin asked.

Harper sighed and shrugged. "Well, like you said, Jarin, I'm a survivor." He suddenly whirled around, drawing a force lance from his belt. Blue fire shrieked across the room into the chest of one man. In three seconds he killed Jarin's friends, then turned his force lance coldly to Jarin.

Only Jarin wasn't there.

Startled, Harper looked around.

Suddenly Jarin's fist connected with Harper nose. He stumbled, blood dripping heavily. Snarling, Harper raised his force lance and fired. A small click answered. It had run out of power!

Jarin grinned.

Harper frowned. "All right. You asked for it, my friend." He pushed a button It instantly expanded into a staff, but Harper held it to close. It hit him squarely on the foot and on the forehead. "OW! CRAP!" he shouted, stupidly dropping the force lance. It rolled away.

Jarin laughed for the longest time. "Now it seems you're out of weapons." He pumped his blue gigantic fist. "I think I'm going to enjoy this slowly."

"You never were big in the brain department, Jarin," Harper remarked. "Did you really think that I would be stupid enough to bring only a force lance in a place like this?" Harper took out a small cylinder object and bounced it from hand to hand. "Now, let's see, how does one of these gizmos work?" He asked offhandedly.

Jarin recognized the object a second too late. His eyes widened in terror.

Harper tossed the object to Jarin who held it in shock. Harper waved coldly. "Bye bye."

The object exploded straight through Jarin's chest. Gasping, he fell, already dead.

Harper turned away from the terrible smell which only Haldarians could produce. "Ugh..." he said, pinching his bloodied nose. A sudden sound made him whirl around, started. He gulped. This time, he had no weapons or gizmos.

Marex held up his webbed hands harmlessly. "It's only me!" Trembling, he held up a paper bag. "I have some of the stuff you wanted."

Harper bent down and retrieved his force lance, and turned it back into a blaster. "How convenient that you missed all the fighting," he said dryly.

"And how unfortunate that I couldn't risk my life to assist you," Marex said, looking down unhappily.

Harper had to laugh. "Come on," he said, setting the force lance to recharge. "We'll pick up the rest of the stuff, then get to the meeting."

"Mr. Harper?" Marex said, looking down at Jarin's body. "We still need too..."

"Oh," Harper said, wiping blood away from his nose. "We'll dump him into the recycle chambers, I guess." He looked away in disgust. The smell was nauseating, and it was not getting any better. "Come on."

Reluctantly Marex took one of Jarin's legs. "It's a cruel universe we live in, Mr. Harper," he said sadly.

"You bet it is," Harper agreed, taking the other leg. "And someone out there still owes me 84 thrones."

*******************************

Meanwhile, above the planet a small ship launched from the Andromeda's main docking bay and headed straight for the planet.

*******************************

Not all of the Maru's contacts were bad.

"And thirty pounds of Kilondite," Gerintax, an old grizzled human said, handing Harper the bag. "You all right now, kid?"

"Yeah," Harper replied, throwing the bag of ice away from the smaller and safer alley they were in. "The bleeding's finally stopped. Thanks." He touched the circular purple bruise on his head and winced. Another purple bruise was spreading on his nose and upper right cheek. He was a mess.

Gerintax shook his head. "Honestly, whenever the Maru comes across something bad, you're always the one to get hit first. What is it with you?"

"I don't know. Maybe deadly blaster fire and ugly bad-assed aliens just find me too attractive to resist," Harper replied, sniffing. "So, that's the rest?"

"Yep. All I could get on short notice. Quite a load of stuff you have here," he said, eyeing the ingredients thoughtfully. "Combined, it could make one hell of a powerful-"

"Thank you," Harper said curtly. "If we need anything else, we'll call."

Gerintax raised his hands defensively. "Right. None of my concern. I learned that the hard way, and so did you, Harper. Just tell me-is there going to be fireworks?"

Harper couldn't help but smile a little. "A whole planetful."

"Ah, that's the kid I remember two years ago," Gerintax said, grinning. "How's Beka doing?"

Harper's smile fell. Stubbornly he focused his blue eyes on the darkness beyound the streetlight."All right, I suppose. I haven't had much time to think about it."

Gerintax eyed him with a speculating glance. "I'm sorry to hear that." He said softly. He sighed. "Well, I've gotta get going. Take careful of yourself, kid."

Harper shrugged. "Certainly trying to."

Gerintax smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Come back any time. You'll always be safe here." He left just as Marex entered.

"Most of it's stored on the Maru now. This is all that's left," Marex said, pointing to the crates in front of Harper. "We should get going."

Harper closed his eyes briefly. "Good." He took out the force lance and aimed it at Marex's head.

Marex's face was one of pure astonishment. "What...what are you doing?"

"Collecting my merchandise, then leaving. Thanks, Marex. I could have never had gotten it without your help." Harper said sadly. "Or money."

"We had a deal!" Marex squealed.

"Yes," Harper replied off-handedly. "We did." And pulled the trigger.

Marex fell in a blaze of sparks.

Bending down, Harper retrieved the portable comm Marex was using moments earlier and activated it. "This is Seamus Harper to the fleet. By now you probably realize that your captain has mysteriously disappeared from your scanners. You might also realize that some ships are now converging on your position. I doubt you have time to leave, but I would be very surprised if you didn't try," He grinned. "And thanks for the lift."

A hundred angry shouts answered him. Smiling, Harper tossed the comm aside and picked up the small bag, and suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

In front of him stood Beka Valentine. Her hard blue eyes kindly informed him that she was not amused. A blaster protruded from her hip.

"Hi, boss," Harper said mildly.

***********************************

"Tyr's rounding up the rest of our gallant allies now," Rommie said, entering the quiet bridge of the Andromeda. "The ships trying to flee will be stopped by the local authorities."

"Good. How's Beka doing?" Dylan asked.

"She's just met up with Harper," Rommie answered.

There was a long pause.

The silence was broken when Trance entered, her braided red hair bouncing around her. She joined Dylan's side. "Are they together?"

"Yes," Dylan said grimly.

Trance shook her head. "This will be extremely hard on them both. If there was only some way we could spare them this pain-"

"There isn't, Trance. We had no choice, and neither does Harper. Remember, he knew this would happen. He asked for this. He said that it would be all right."

"I only hope it is," Trance said, then sighed. "Dylan, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dylan asked, honestly surprised.

"For what I did. Believe me, I had no idea this was going to happen."

"Do you regret it?" Dylan asked.

Trance shook her head firmly. "No. Harper lived, and that was all that mattered at the time."

"Well, let's just hope he stays that way in the next few minutes," Dylan remarked dryly.

***************************************

Both Harper and Beka stared at each other for a long hard minute. Once friends. Perhaps no more. A red rat scurried past them.

"Seamus," Beka greeted coldly. "You're not looking so good."

Harper realized that she had heard everything that had happened in the past few minutes. He shrugged and touched his swollen nose. "Jarx wanted to show me a few fighting techniques I can use with my face." He said nothing for a moment. "He's dead now."

"Like this fellow," Beka said.. "Seems like you've been having a busy day. It's....quite a collection you have, Seamus," she remarked, circling around the crates. "T-3s, hand grenades, Marish explosives. Some of these could perhaps destroy whole planets." She stopped. "Or whole ships."

"So they can," Harper said, "if used in the wrong hands."

Silence for a long moment.

Beka swallowed. "We're worried about you, Harper. This collection makes me even more worried." Her hard blue eyes softened. "Come back with me. We miss you. All of us-Trance, Rommie, Dylan, hell even Tyr, though he's not saying anything."

Harper stared at her and said nothing. Drops of rain fell from the grating above him and rolled down his vest.

They're your friends," she added sharply. "I was your friend, once. Your family. I thought that mattered to you. But then you run off without even saying a word, and after everything we've been through..." the last sentence was spoken mildly, but Harper could literally feel the acid in her voice.

Harper shook his blond head. "I can't go back. Ever. Not after what happened. Not after what Dylan did." He sighed. "I don't expect you to understand."

Beka said nothing for a long moment. "I think I do, better then you might ever want me to. I think that you're lying to me, Harper. I think you truly cared for that woman, but you knew she was dying anyway, and that Dylan had no choice. And, I don't think that you're really mad at Dylan. I think you just used that woman's death as an excuse to get off the ship."

"Really?" Harper asked mildly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do, because I've know you for far too long, Seamus," she said calmly. "And I know B.S when I see it."

When Harper said nothing she continued, "I think you left the ship on the pretense of being furious so that we would think that you left to cool off, never suspecting that you were on a secret mission, doing something that you don't want Dylan or especially me to know about. Something bad." She stared down at the crate. "Then, you would come back all happy and everything would be all right again. That's the theory which led me here, and it's that theory makes me extremely nervous."

"That's not true," Harper said.

She snorted. "You've already killed two people, one in cold blood."

"He was quite willing to kill us," Harper remarked dryly.

"Harper!" Beka snapped, the full power of her voice in one word.

"All right!" Harper shouted, all pretense gone. He closed his eyes and his voice softened. "All right, fine. I was angry, now I'm not. Nor was I going to ever help Marex in his little plots to destroy you. But this isn't really what you think."

"Then tell me what the hell it is," Beka said, both relieved and furious at the same time. "Harper, more then anything I want to help you through this, but you're not making things very easy for me!"

"I can't," Harper said. "Not even to you, Beka. I'm sorry, but this is dangerous enough as it is, and I can't allow anyone to get in my way. This is too important!"

"Why, Harper? What's at stake, exactly, for you to just go off like that and leave us?" Beka demanded.

"The universe," Harper said flatly.

Beka said nothing for a moment. "Then it's more important then either of us. If what you're saying is true, then we have to stop it. Together. Like we've always done before."

"We can't, Beka. Not this time. I have to do this alone," Harper said.

"Why? Harper, I'm your Captain, and I'm your friend! What makes this any different then what we've done in the past? Is it that you don't trust me? Is that it?" Beka demanded very sharply.

"No!" Harper snapped. "I have to do this because it's my own damn f-" he abruptly closed his mouth then turned and began working on the explosives again.

"Harper..." she said, a note of warning in her voice. Her blaster was aimed straight at his head.

Harper barely gave it a glance. "Oh, is that your solution Beka? To kill me? After everything we've been through?"

"I'm not going to kill you, Harper. But you are coming back to the Andromeda with me, one way or another. Before you do something we'll all regret," Beka said firmly.

"Go away, Beka!" Harper snapped impatiently. "This doesn't concern you!"

Beka aimed at the roof above him and fired. Metal grating fell and smashed on Harper's shoulder. She raised her eyebrow expectantly.

"Ouch!" Harper shouted, touching his bruised shoulder and looking at her in shock.

"Yes, Harper. It does. Because, like it or not, I'm your friend," Beka said.

Okay, okay, you win!" Harper snapped, throwing down his tool "We'll talk to Dylan." He moved forwards and picked up one of the explosives. "Oh, hey! Do you know what this does when it's activated without a detonator?"

"No, what?" Beka demanded impatiently.

"It leaves you blind for a month. Catch!" Harper tossed her the active explosive, and rushed through the other tunnel. "Maru, prep for launch!" He shouted.

Beka threw the detonator to the ground and turned away as the seconds ticked down. Finally, it went to 00:00. Beka cringed, but nothing happened. "Seamus..." Beka muttered, shaking her head.

But Harper was already gone.

***************************

"Okay, let me get this straight," Beka said later from the bridge of the Andromeda. "The plan was for me to flush him out, and you to catch him if by some slight chance he escaped in the Maru. Now, and here's the part I find really funny, how exactly did he get away from you in the Maru!?"

"He activated a techion pulse which disrupted my scanners," the android version of Andromeda said, looking at her sadly with brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Beka."

Beka sighed and put her hand to her forehead. "If he would just tell me what he's doing...he's never done this before. Ever. Whatever it is must be pretty damned important. He said...he said that the entire universe was at stake. Now how can that be unless....." She suddenly slammed her fist on the counsel. "Oh my God, we've been so stupid! It was right in front of us all the time!"

"Beka?" Dylan asked.

"The Magog! On that planet he went to! If they somehow get off it they'll grow and infest every system there is! He's going to destroy them!"

"Then why all the secrecy?" Rommie asked her. "We're not exactly sympathedic with the Magog's plans to infest the universe. It just doesn't make any sense."

"I haven't got the foggiest idea either," Beka admitted, her lips set in a firm line. "But believe me, I intend to ask him that very question when we see him next." She stepped up to the station. "All hands, battle stations. Andromeda, prepare slipstream drive. I want to get there before Harper does."

Andromeda glanced at Dylan uncertainly, who nodded. "Slipstream drive. Aye."

As Beka piloted them coldly through slipstream the hologramatic version of Andromeda appeared before Dylan. "Do you think we've bought Harper enough time?" She asked softly.

"I really hope so. But Beka's figuring this out fast," Dylan said.

"What else could we expect from Beka?" Andromeda asked.

Dylan smiled. "Andromeda, I think that techion pulse damaged our engines more then we thought."

"I'm on it," Andromeda replied.

With a grinding whine, the Andromeda Ascendant slowed down, much to Beka's barely concealed rage.

***********************************************

From the bridge of the Eureka Maru Harper sat cross-legged on the floor, assorted parts scattered all around him. Explosives were dissected, and combined to form a very large object on the floor. A sudden beeping alerted his attention. He stood and checked his scanners. "Thanks, Dylan," he said softly. "Computer, how long until the Andromeda exits slipstream?"

"Three minutes," the computer replied.

"No problem. I'm finally done, Transfer all of Beka Valentine's command codes to me and give me a one-minute warning before the Andromeda comes," Harper replied, carefully starring at the object in front of him, looking for possible errors.

There were none. It was a 100% guaranteed nova bomb.

Carefully, very carefully, he loaded it into the weapons dock, then scrambled back to his seat. He pulled up the navigation seat and keyed in some coordinates.

"Warning. Close proximity to the sun presents extreme risk-"

"Yeah, yeah. So my hair will get a little singed, which is nothing compared to what could happen if I can't pull this off. Proceed with coordinates," Harper ordered.

The Maru shrieked forwards towards the sun which eight planets circled around.

'One minute until Andromeda exits slipstream,' the computer said.

Harper frowned. Damn. He was still too far away, but he had to risk it. "Maru, eject the nova bomb, authorization Seamus Harper one-five-eight-four."

"Acknowledged," the computer said, and dropped the nova bomb into the sun. It instantly exploded, engulfing a dozen planets nearby."

Harper turned the Maru completely around and headed for the nearest slip point.

'Attention. Andromeda Ascendant exiting slipstream.'

"Damn!" Harper swore. "Open a comm." With a small beep it complied. "Beka! Dylan! Get out of here!" He yelled in the comm.

"All right, Harper, whatever game you're playing at now-"

"No games! I just sent the damn sun to blow and it's going to turn every frigging thing in this system to ash! If you don't want to be here-"

"Activating slipstream drive," Beka said instantly.

Harper was about to reply when he was suddenly pitched forwards and his head hit sharply against the window. He was instantly knocked out cold.

**********************************

"Engaging slipstream!" Beak said.

"Dylan, the Maru's been caught in the beginning of the shock wave," Andromeda suddenly said. "It's not responding to friendly hails."

"Can we go after it?" Dylan demanded.

Andromeda shook her head. "Not at this distance."

"The hell we're not!" Beka snapped hotly. "Harper's led me on a merry goose chase long enough! And so helps me if he damages the Maru in any way-" She geared the Andromeda after the tiny ship that was floating adrift in space. "Setting grapplers to

maximum."

"Beka, we'll never make it!" Andromeda protested.

"I got Dylan out of a black hole, didn't I?" She retorted. "Compared to that, getting Harper out of an impending nova should be easy."

*********************************

A few minutes later, the Andromeda emerged out of slipstream, the tiny Maru trailing behind it in tow. Neither ship had escaped damage, a fact that a furious Beka was certainly going to remind Harper. And, she was also going to get to the bottom of this conspiracy. Even if she had to bash it out of Harper's skull in some way, a fact that was certainly sounding more attractive as the Maru slowly and painfully docked.

Harper finally emerged, bruised and tired, but basically Harper. He grinned. "Hey, Boss! Did you miss me?"

Beka restrained the tidal wave of profanities that threatened to erupt from her mouth. Instead she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "All right, Harper. Start talking," she ordered.

Harper shrugged. "There's little to tell. I saw a problem, and I delt with it."

"By destroying an entire system?" Beka exploded. "Who knows how many millions of lives you killed!? Messing with nova bombs? Do you have any idea what kind of damage those things can do? Harper, you have done bad things in the past, but this-"

"Well, except for the Magog, absolutely none," Harper interrupted when he had the chance. "The rest of the planets were empty. I checked." He sighed. "Riana...knew she was dying, I think. It was her final wish that I stopped the Magog. I had to do this."

"By blowing up the planet and the rest of the empty planets nearby before they spread," Beka replied. "Okay, I get that part. But how did the Magog get there in the first place? And why all the secrecy? Why the conspiracy? You could have just asked us, and we would have helped you without chasing after you believing you were going crazy!"

Harper grinned. "You'll never know."

"ARGH!" Beka snapped. "Honestly, I don't know whether to welcome you back or to kill you." She stared at him furiously and held up a finger. "Well here's something that's not a conspiracy, Seamus. You are going to spend the next eighteen hours scrubbing the burnt residue off the Maru, and so help me if you take one little break I am going to order Andromeda to zap you repeatedly in places that you might not want to be zapped. Do we understand each other!?"

Harper shrugged and grinned. "Perfectly, boss."

"Good," Beka said coldly. She stormed off in a cloud of bellowing steam. Shrugging, Tyr followed, not caring one way or another. Dylan tailed after them, giving Harper both a passing glance. Harper had never in his life seen so much sternness and gratitude at the same time.

Harper waited until only Trance Gemini was left. He folded his arms. "So what exactly happened to keeping Beka occupied while I planted the nova bomb?"

"There were....complications," Trance admitted. "Like it or not, Harper, the two of you share a bond that's closer then any friendship. Beka didn't have to figure out where you were. She knew right away, and that you were hiding something, simply because she knew you better then anyone else. It was difficult to fool her."

"And almost costly," Harper said. "More so then the rest of this mess." He shook his blond head. "Eight planet. Millions of lives. Certainly something to keep you up at night, isn't it Trance?" He asked.

"That was unavoidable, and something we'll all have to answer to eventually" Trance said heavily. "But you can't blame yourself for doing this. If you hadn't-"

"Dylan would have," Harper answered bluntly. "Which would have involved Beka knowing that we would have to kill millions of lives to destroy the Magog, and they would know about the hidden nova bombs on the Andromeda, and-" Harper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "And things would have gotten a lot worse then they already are now." He shook his head. "No, I could never get her involved in this." His eyes were downcast. "Not when all of this happened because of me."

"It wasn't your fault, Harper. If anything, it was mine," Trance protested. "I activated the Tesseract machine. I had no idea that the Magog larva would be transported to another planet instead of destroyed. And it was only a miraculous stroke of bad luck that they were seconds away from hatching and didn't need a host."

"Yeah, well, tell that to Riana and the rest," Harper said miserably.

Andromeda instantly appeared in front of them. "The point is Harper, is that we prevented a catastrophe. A million lives is better then a billion."

"And you stopped it, Harper, without any help from us," Trance added. "Beka might be furious with you for quite some time, but I'm proud of you." She smiled. "And I'm personally glad that you're back home."

Harper returned her smile. A little. "So am I, Trance. Believe me, so am I."

***************************************************

Meanwhile, light years away from the Andromeda, was a destroyed system with no slipstream routes. Within that system were charred planets, shattered stars, and one tiny planet. Badly singed, with deep cracks in the crust, but still a planet nevertheless.

And on that planet, lived a single Magog survived. He limped painfully in his burned world, over his dead kindred, his fur matted with blood. He stared upwards at the dark empty sky, tears of pain and sorrow in his eyes.

And painfully, through the primitive levels of his consciousness, he wondered what kind of monster did this to them.


THE END


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