1Disclaimer: I do not own or have any rights to Andromeda! Gene Roddenberry is a genius. If I did own it I would be typing this story from somewhere exotic not my 5x7 bedroom.
Warning: This is complete and total AU that means I have messed with these characters so much that they don't even know who they are anymore. ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!
AN: This is just something I came up with when I was watching the first episode of 'Andromeda' again today. I am one of the few, but firm Dylan/Rhade fans out there. This is short and kind of sad, but what can I say it wouldn't get out of my head. Now on with the story…
DH/GR
Background Information for my story-
Gaheris Rhade's body was still on the Andromeda. When Beka and her crew had pulled them from the black hole and time had started for them again, Dylan could not make himself get rid of it because contrary to popular belief the Nietzchean was not dead. Yes, he had been injured, but the wounds were repairable…if only just. He did however betray the Commonwealth and the High Guard so Dylan despite how hard the decision was for him decided to keep him in med bay in a stasis unit. The story ignores most things after season one.
Beginning
Beka didn't know what to think. The flexie she was holding in her hand could mean so many different things. She knew she had to talk to Dylan before she formed any sort of conclusion, so with that in mind she set off to find him. Two hours later she succeeded. He was on the observation deck wit Tyr. She took a deep breath and walked in,
"Dylan, I need to show you something"
He looked at her serious face and tense body language and decided it was best not to argue. Tyr also noticed these things and made to leave, but as he was almost to the door, she stopped him.
"Tyr, you stay maybe you could help me out. You see, you told me that a Nietzchean would never ever even consider a relationship with a human female. Yes or no?"
"It would be pointless" he answered, not sure where this was going
"Right" she continued "so, human women bad. Got it. How about human men! Would a Nietzchean ever have a relationship with a man? Is homosexuality not unproductive to the goal of procreation?"
"Beka why are you suddenly so interested?"
"Oh, I don't know maybe it's because I don't like being lied to!" she spat looking at Dylan as though he were a Nightsider
Then it clicked. Dylan got it. She knew, there was no other explanation for it. He was sure he'd put away everything incriminating, but he must have missed something. So he decided to speak up before Beka got any angrier.
"Beka how did you find out?"
"I found this" she muttered darkly as she passed him the flexie. Dylan took it and it felt like ice was rushing through his veins. It was a picture…of himself and Gaheris. Both out of uniform on shore leave. Dylan was leaning against an exotic looking tree with Gaheris leaning against him facing him. He remembered that day. He starts talking out loud without even realizing what he's doing.
"It was so hot there. He didn't want to go, I talked him into it" he looks away from the picture in part disgust and part heart ache. "We spent the entire time together. We had decided that I would tell Sarah I wasn't going to marry her the next time I saw her in person. We were married that week under Nietzchean law. God, I cannot believe how stupid I was! That was the best week of my entire life. Two weeks later I found out what a fool I was when he sabotaged my ship and tried to kill me."
Dylan was crying lightly not loud drawn out sobs just a few tears leaking out every now and then. It was heart breaking. At some point Tyr had left them to their conversation, he simply did not deal with crying captains. Also if this Rhade person could be with a human…yes he definitely need to do some thinking.
"Dylan oh my god I had no idea he meant so much to you. I knew he was your best friend but…"
"Beka, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want to talk about this any more." He dropped the flexie to the floor and left.
Beka stood thinking about everything she had just learned, then bent over to get the flexie. It had landed with the back facing up. She noticed there was writing on it. She started reading it, about half way through she decided two things, 1) she shoudn't be reading it and 2) Dylan definitely needed to see it.
"Andromeda, where is Dylan?"
"He's in med bay Beka." With those words Beka took off for med bay at a run.
IN MED BAY
Beka walked in and looked around and didn't see Dylan. Then she noticed a door she'd never seen before open. She cautiously walked in, not sure what to expect. She found Dylan there staring into one of the stasis units. As she walked closer, she saw that it was none other than Gharis Rhade. She spoke startled,
"Rhade? But… how? I thought…" she trailed off not sure how to finnish
"He isn't dead. I thought he was, but He could be saved so I put him in here because despite knowing what he did was wrong, and I do know it was wrong, He dosen't deserve to die. My original plan was to take him to Tarn Vedra and let them deal with him, but that obviously isn't going to happen now…is it?"
"No Dylan, not yet," here she paused and debated what to say next. "Dylan, You're in essence the last and highest ranking High Gard officer right?"
"As far as we know, yes."
"Then you could hypothetically pardon pretty much any crime that took place on this ship…if you had just cause of course. Right?"
"Beka," Dylan sighed "I know where your going with this and I would love to more than anything in the cosmos, but my morals and the oath I took as a high guard officer will not allow me to do that. There is no just cause."
Beka fidgeted and then spoke "Dylan, here, you should read the back." She hands him the flexie and walks out of med bay and up to command deck
ON COMMAND DECK
Beka enters and everyone looks up from what they're doing Tyr decides to voice what they're all thinking
"Why do you look so disgustingly happy?"
Beka just smiled and hopped up on the pilots seat. "Let's just say we might be getting a new crew member…or should I say old crew member back. Don't worry about it just be prepared to be friendly and hey maybe Tyr will actually like this one!"
BACK IN MED BAY
Dylan sat on the floor reading the flexie, it said,
Dylan,
If your reading this, I am dead. I hope you are reading this Dylan.
My people are not happy with the direction that the Commonwealth is going. They do not feel secure.
I had little choice in my actions, but the ultimate decision to betray you was my own. I had to choose
Between my people, my blood, and the person I love with every ion of my being. Some might say I took the
Easy way out, they might be right, but what's done is done. If you are alive to read this letter, I don't regret
my actions. You asked me once Dylan, if you could trust me, the truth is you don't have to. The idea of hurting you
makes me physically ill even as I write this. One of us had to die Dylan, this is the best way.
Love Eternally, Gaheris Rhade
Dylan looked at the stasis unit behind him and quickly moved to open it. He entered the long list of codes needed and when the door opened and the mist cleared, There stood Rhade looking completely the same as when Dylan had put him there…if not a little older(stasis units do not stop natural aging.) Slowly the newly freed man started to blink as he woke up. He looked at Dylan when he finally had his wits about him again. Dylan searched his mind for something to say, but all he could come up with was-
"Is it true?" he held up the flexie for his ex-first officer to see.
Gaheris looked at it for only a few seconds before remembering what it was "Yes Dylan, every word is truth."
With those words they were in each others arms "Gaheris, is this it? Is this nightmare finally over?"
"How much time has passed? I never meant for this to happen. How am I not dead?" The questions came almost faster than Dylan could answer them.
"It has been over three hundred years. I know you didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know before, or I would have gotten you out of here so much sooner. The Commonwealth has fallen I'm trying to rebuild it with a crew of five and Andromeda. What do you think is it even possible?"
Rhade stared at him for a few moments and then concluded, " Dylan, where you are concerned, I have given up on the idea of impossible."
Up on command deck Rommie was just full of yummy gossip, telling of what she'd seen in med bay to a smirking Beka Valentine.
End