"Emissary ship now docking." "The universe is unequivocally a safer place with you in it, captain Hunt." "Moldar doesn't make that easier." "Viceroy Moldar is dedicated to mending this vicious misconception of him as provocateur." "This is why he wishes to see you." "Well, then he should let me enter his star system first." "See, that would be a good step to build trust." "It is to be arranged as per the viceroy's wishes, but, captain Hunt, you understand." "These wars we're subjected to make detente markedly difficult." "Especially if you're a sweet-talking gun runner." "Mr. Harper's right." "Selling war and destruction does have a way of coming back and biting you." "I disagree." "We are a peaceful, loving race, drawn into conflict by... captain, i'm picking up a cargo vessel with no signature departing phrynia system." "This must be an example of how you're drawn into wars you don't want." "Let's haul them in, Beka." "Following into slipstream." "We won't find arms smuggled on a ship out of your system, would we?" "I mean, that would be... destabilizing, and you're from a peaceful, loving planet." "Incoming Transmission." "Transmit and begin scanning." "Ship-wide scan initiated." "Captain, that's intrusive and highly inappropriate." "Two things you don't know anything about, huh?" "Unless there's a profit in it." "Hello." "Finally, something new to look at around here." "Identification... known smuggler captain rox nava." "I assure you, this person in no way represents the viceroy." "Well, then you have nothing to be worried about, do you?" "This is captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant." "You have been identified as a smuggler ship." "Prepare to be boarded." "Captain, is the Commonwealth always so forward?" "This is starting to get exciting." "My ship is not subject to your laws." "Besides, none of the specious charges against me have ever been proven." "Specious?" "Did she just say "specious"?" "I think i'm in love." "Perhaps they've never been proven because no one's been able to catch you." "Until now." "Regardless, you know you have to catch me with my pants down, captain, and unfortunately for both of us, i appear to be totally dressed." "Dylan, preliminary scans pick up no contraband of any kind, and the life forms of the crew." "I told you." "Nothing untoward being smuggled out of our system." "If you have nothing to hide, why are you running?" "Maybe i like the chase." "How about you?" "Prepare to be boarded." "Search my... hold, as long as you're here." "Dylan?" "Deeper scans reveal further life forms aboard the vessel in a protective radiation hold." "Wait a minute." "Is it just me, or does that look like... 100... 100 life forms." "She's not smuggling weapons." "She's smuggling people." "The universe is a dangerous place, but in our future, my crew and i fight to make it safe." "I am Dylan Hunt, captain of theAndromeda ascendant, and these are our adventures." "Captain." "Rox nava's ship has just brought weapons on-line." "After inviting us on board?" "That's rude." "What kind of arsenal could they possibly have that could harm us?" "Well, whatever they've got, they seem ready to use every last bit of it." "Beka?" "Missiles locked on." "Perhaps we should save their cargo... if it's people, and all?" "Rommie, hail captain nava again." "Aye." "Oh." "I'm disappointed, captain." "Thought you'd already be on your way." "Yeah, well, change of plans." "Since you've engaged your weapons, you'll be coming over here to my brig." "I'm afraid that's no place for a woman like me." "And neither is oblivion." "You have to know this is a fight you can't win." "Perhaps, but i got famous by being reckless, you know." "All those weapons, they're for us." "Try and apprehend us, and we will blow ourselves up." "Rommie, cut audio." "Aye." "She's bluffing." "Probably." "Definitely." "A woman like that is used to getting what she wants and getting away with it." "So?" "So... if this ploy doesn't work, she's just going to move on to the next one." "I mean, look at her." "The woman has never met a man she couldn't play." "Play here, boss." "I'd let her play me." "Rommie, audio." "Aye." "Goodbye, captain nava." "I have my orders." "Target gfg lens on the cargo ship." "Thank you." "Targets locked." "Captain, the cargo." "You have five seconds to surrender yourself." "Andromeda, initiate missile tubes 1 through 25 in five, four... three... two, one." "All right, captain." "I'm all yours." "Got to warn you, though." "Usually i'm not such a sucker for a man with all that... muscle." "Well, actually, i'm not as big as i used to be." "Viceroy Moldar has one request after he grants you passage into his star system." "That i hand over rox nava." "Yeah, not going to happen, and whatever her cargo really is, it stays onAndromeda until i say otherwise." "But, but, but viceroy Moldar will not approve." "Well, then, when he gets here, i'll just have to change his mind, now, won't i?" "They're really starting to bug me." "Captain Hunt, i do believe you owe me an apology." "For?" "I told you i wasn't smuggling people, you accuse me of lying, and now you discover it was true." "You know, you are a thief and a liar, and you're going spend the rest of your life in a Commonwealth prison." "Apology accepted." "The life forms we scanned in the containers from your cargo appear to be body armor." "Is that correct?" "Mm-hmm." "Analysis of the armor indicates it's made from some kind of bio-thread." "Commonwealth files show no known material quite like it." "All right, i want to know where it came from and where it was headed." "Great, you know what?" "You're free to go." "But i keep your cargo." "You can explain everything to Moldar when he gets here." "That's a death sentence." "You know what?" "It's not my problem." "That's very good." "Oh, come on." "Is he really worth protecting?" "Viceroy Moldar gets his armor from... i don't know." "Well, gee, that's very clear." "I feel so much better now." "The encrypted maps on my ship will give you the coordinates to where we were headed, the atol pi system." "As if they haven't already had enough killings there with the civil wars." "I didn't start the fight." "Since the armor is living, is there anything we need to know for stowing it?" "I pick it up, i deliver it." "That's what i know." "Be careful." "Be lucky." "Thanks, rommie." "Mm-hmm." "You can't do this without me." "You know that." "Look, i have done things for Moldar that i hated." "I did them to survive, but i've got a score to settle." "I'm sure you do, but for now, you're going to sit here quietly." "I'll check in on you later." "Entering the phrynia star system." "Keep scans on high alert." "From every bit of info i can gather, this whole system's total anarchy." "Many cultures have tried to have us destroyed." "This is the debris of their attempts." "Couldn't have anything to do with the bio-armor, could it?" "Hmm." "Let's find out." "Is this delay intentional?" "I'm sure not, viceroy." "I could have this ship, or one just like it." "It would become you, viceroy, to perfection." "Well, i hope we didn't keep you waiting." "May i introduce to you, captain, the bountiful leader of phrynia system, herald to the new coming, viceroy Moldar." "Viceroy, captain Dylan Hunt." "I warn you, captain, if you think cooling my heels is something i will tolerate, well, you will be sadly and abruptly mistaken." "Look, don't try the tough guy talk." "It doesn't work with me." "Shall i show you what i can do?" "It's a neat trick, but i'd rather have you show me what you're up to." "I'm not up to anything." "Rommie." "A quick review?" "You are king of this." "You smuggle out goods to the highest bidder." "I don't need to." "In this system, i am all-powerful." "In reality, you're afraid..." "afraid you'll lose power." "You barely have a hold of what you already have, but i can make it so that you're free to do as you please and not hide anything." "I have nothing to hide." "Rommie." "TheAndromeda ascendant controls the corridors of space in and between three galaxies... military and inter-political planetary nexus." "Conversely, any and all who oppose my preeminence face one end... ruin." "I've sent two of my crew to deliver the armor." "See, my mission here is to prevent you from shipping weapons, and clearly, all armor is defensive." "Your point?" "You know what i'm offering." "Protection." "You let me do as i like for a price... correct?" "Moldar, a guy like you doesn't pick sides." "You benefit from wars." "You stoke them for profit, and there is enough to go around for everybody... so... look at the ship, think about it, cool your heels." "You can give me your answer at dinner tonight as my guest." "Maneuvering the phrynia system." "I'm supposed to be this rox's delivery girl?" "Rocks in Dylan's head is what." "My concern is what the buyer will say when we show up instead of rox." "We promise we'll make it up to them big time." "No bait like greed." "I can handle that." "I admire your instinctive insight into smuggling, Beka." "That'd be experience, Rhade." "Not all of us are goody-goody academy pinheads." "Oh, um... i wasn't talking about you, Rhade." "Lighten up." "Irony." "[Sniffing]" "Something's a little funny with this." "That's better." "That thieving wench better not be sending us into a trap." "Dylan trusts captain nava's coordinates, and i think captain nava as well." "Our only concern is to make the rendezvous on time." "Well, all cliches of human females aside, i've never once been late for a date, even a bad one, which, come to think of it, is practically all of them." "I've heard." "The way Harper often teases you... yet i never seem to hear details." "Maybe now that there's this time together, we could change that." "You want to be friends?" "If we share stories from our past, it would be possible... even interesting." "Yeah." "Yeah, that'd be nice... if you live that long." "I will live that long." "I assure you." "Captain?" "My system has detected a problem with the armor in the secure cargo hold." "Either someone has moved it, or, defying logic, it's moved itself." "You've got to be kidding me." "Tell me what the cargo supervisor said." "She saw nothing unusual." "Her exact words were, "i believe i'd know if there was anything out of the ordinary."" "That sounds like a bit of attitude." "It was unusual." "She also attempted to access my monitoring systems." "Review shows some material lost due to possible accident." "She contends she was concerned so many organic life forms in a confined space would trigger attack alarms." "So she went on-line." "And accidentally erased some data." "It could account for false readings." "Yeah." "This was no accident." "Confine the supervisor to her quarters, and i want a recount on that body armor." "Come on." "You're going to let me deliver my cargo?" "Sort of." "Oh, well, this truth thing isn't so bad after all, is it?" "Yeah, but don't get too comfortable with it just yet, because now i'm going to need you to lie." "To whom?" "Moldar." "Forget it." "You won't have to lie to him by yourself." "Really?" "Yeah." "And who would be psychotic enough to accompany me on such a doomed mission?" "Your new smuggling partner." "So on the eve of my graduation from the academy, recruited top cadet for the e.s.o., asked to address the entire assembly, and suddenly, i'm forced to realize how little i know about the real world." "I go blank." "Couldn't speak." "Could you imagine that?" "You know... it's so amazing, i can't." "I have been doing all the talking." "Hadn't noticed." "Why don't you tell me something about your past?" "Why don't we zoom ahead into the present and stick to you?" "What would you like to know?" "What do you really want from us?" "From theAndromeda?" "From Dylan?" "Same as you..." "i want to be on the right side." "And by "right," you mean "winning."" "Occasionally, the two happily coincide." "I know nietzscheans, Rhade." "Don't pretend you're on a mercy mission." "You cannot generalize about all of us based solely on your experience with tyr." "I'm not... unfortunately." "Well, perhaps if you'd told me about your past as i've requested more than once, i would know this." "You know why they call it the past, Rhade?" "Because it's passed." "It's over." "I see no need to relive what i've already lived through once, especially if that once was more than enough." "I see." "The nietzscheans have an old saying..." ""the past is gone, the future yet to be, the present just that... a gift, wrapped for us to enjoy."" "Well, that is lovely, but i think what stays with you in the present is knowledge, and if i know one thing, it's that a nietzschean will always put himself first." "Who does he think he is to keep me waiting for dinner and not allowing me to leave?" "Perhaps we should have them send out for something?" "Well, excellent." "Everyone's getting along." "I will tear you to pieces!" "Pull you seam from seam!" "Once is too much, captain." "Twice is an invitation to die." "He seems a bit flustered." "Or confused." "Maybe we should come back later." "Hmm, maybe for dessert." "Perhaps something light and frothy?" "You are very wise." "Hey, excuse me, excuse me, captain, if i may, by your virtue, intercede... what the viceroy means is... is dinner ready?" "You... it is just like you to do something like this." "Oh, i see." "Okay, fine." "Play it that way." "Let's get out of here." "Blow the hell out of this planet." "If that's what he wants." "Viceroy, viceroy..." "Dylan Hunt." "I dislike surprises, so i will..." "overlook this as... as an indication of the magnitude of abstract parturition involved in being the preeminent" "Commonwealth starship captain." "Yes." "Apology accepted." "Apology?" "And just to show that there are no hard feelings... you tell him, rox." "Meet our new partner." "Ta-dah!" "Partner?" "You no longer want a percentage of my business." "You're trying to take it over." "Is that correct?" "I have taken it, Moldar, because, frankly, what are you going to do about it?" "Now, look." "I know all about the armor." "He forced me." "But what i want to know only you know." "Now, tell me where the armor comes from." "Not on your life." "On yours, then." "I've analyzed the area Moldar comes from." "Sodium, toxic to his species, is in the soil." "It's a good thing we brought him along." "I've isolated a small area where the gravity is denser than the rest of the planet." "Now, what would cause that?" "Forces that don't like things light." "You're a heavy worlder, Dylan." "You could move around down there no problem." "Hmm..." "you're a heavy worlder too." "I had rommie weigh you in the shower." "Really?" "Mm-hmm." "Well... next time, join us." "Send a squad suicide." "Make sure that rox and Hunt never get off the planet." "As you order, viceroy, it is done." "Rox is right." "This place is a war zone." "Incoming hail." "This is it." "[Voice]:" "You are in violation of the atol pi." "State purpose and destination." "This is theeureka maru." "I have a multl-signal broadcast code." "[Voice]:" "Key sequence for silent authorization." "If rox was lying to us, we'll be dead inside of a minute." "[Voice]:" "Authorized for entry." "Corridor passage Transmit begin." "Drift off-load zaarth 14." "Nice meeting you too." "15, 16, 17. perfect." "So you can take the rest of that back to your boss and tell him not only will Moldar sell him twice the amount of armor next time for half the price, but, in fact, that'll double the value to him" "at less than twice the rate, so in fact, this is a really good thing." "So, 44 suits, 17 packs, we're in biz." "Oh, thanks for bringing me here." "Nice place..." "for a murder." "Actually, it reminds me of a fairy tale." "Really?" "Yeah, it's... it even has mention of a magical armor in it, though, i've got to say, i do prefer the fairy tale to this." "Captain Hunt, when i imagined getting sweaty with you, this is not what i had in mind." "Really?" "What did you have in mind?" "Kicking your ass." "Oh, wait a minute." "You came with me because you knew it was the right thing to do." "Now, i don't need you kicking my ass to impress me." "I am grateful for your help." "Good, because unless i have some latent flying skills i'm totally unaware of, i have no idea how i'm going to help you with this one." "I think i'd rather have you kicking my ass." "Any thoughts?" "Well, several, none of which should be said aloud in the presence of a lady." "So what's stopping you?" "Just my inner female, of course." "Someone's up there." "Contrary to what most men think, there are certain situations in which even the most majestic of force lances is useless." "There is nothing useless about my force lance." "[Bang]" "My turn to be impressed." "I'll show you its other uses later." "Promises, promises." "Just watch my back..." "or in this case, my bottom." "Let's get out of this hellhole." "They have their armor." "I see no reason to stay longer." "We're being hailed..." "a courier fromAndromeda." "This isAndromedacourier lieutenant kent." "I have an encrypted message from captain Hunt." "Transmit." "Beka, Rhade." "The bio-thread you're Transporting may act in unpredictable ways." "You have to make sure that... [beep]" "What the hell are you doing?" "It's a little late for that message, don't you think?" "We've already delivered the armor." "Delivered, yes, but one suit of armor is missing." "What are you talking about?" "One is missing." "Miscount." "Of what kind?" "I don't know." "You counted wrong." "You don't believe me." "Search the ship." "I already have." "Then you already know there isn't another suit of armor on board, which means we loaded as many as we gave them." "Now... if you're finished obsessing over a simple math error, let's get out of here." "Don't worry." "I won't hurt you." "Everybody hurts... unless i obey." "No, i'm... i'm here to help you." "No." "You've come here for the armor." "That's all anybody wants." "Well, i'm not just anybody." "Why wouldn't you want the armor?" "It gives power." "The power to kill." "Ultimate power." "Ultimate power rests in life." "If the old woman appears... the old woman?" "Who keeps me here." "She controls everything." "There's a myth from Tarn-Vedra." "It's a place like this, someone like you, and the old woman." "It's very, very strong." "It's strange to me." "All right, she's coming." "We have to leave." "I'll get you back to my ship where you'll be safe." "Yes." "I... right." "That is... is that... you know, i'm going to cut that unless you say otherwise." "I don't know anymore, but i'm willing to take the risk." "Come on." "So, i never did get your name." "Cavava." "Nice to meet you, cavava." "I'm captain Dylan Hunt." "Damn." "Party crashers." "Oh, so, guys, tell me about those slick suits, huh?" "But, you know, first, i've got to warn you that you really..." "you don't have a chance, so which one of you wants to take the licking first?" "I could take all of you at the same time if you'd like, because it really makes no difference to me." "I don't want to die." "Well, that makes two of us, cavava." "Hey!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait." "I've got to warn you, guys..." "in about 10 seconds, you're going to be in a lot of trouble." "One... two... three..." "Dylan!" "You'd better hold on tight." "I'm going to make this go a little bit quicker." "Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." "[Bang]" "That's for you... that's for you... and that's for the god you rode in on." "Stay here." "I'll be right back." "They're wearing the armor." "Yeah, i noticed." "Hey!" "The eyes." "Shoot for the eyes." "Thanks for telling me." "I just figured it out." "That's good work for a little girl." "Don't get me started." "We should get back to the ship, but first, i've got a fairy tale to pick up." "Does it have to be so cold in here?" "I'm afraid so." "It's the only way to keep the armor in check." "It slows its metabolism and any other change it may go through." "You want them to never know..." "what they could be?" "Some potential's better left untapped." "Do you realize the fate you've consigned my children to?" "Yes, i do... the same as yours..." "never to leave this room." "Never is a long time." "You were wrong about one thing." "Expecting something and being prepared for it... two very different things." "Are you saying i'm a prisoner on your ship?" "I'm remembering a lesson from my childhood... who the old woman really was and what she really wanted." "That was what?" "Chaos, and you would be that woman." "A child's tale." "A dream." "No, a nightmare... and this is where it ends." "Don't make me kill you." "You mean like this?" "Why make a threat if you can't follow it through?" "Well, age sure hasn't mellowed you." "[Ribs cracking]" "You were saying you didn't want to kill me." "Like, if you were to push on my chest like this, here, until you reached into my chest cavity and ripped out my heart... is that what you mean?" "Andromeda, freeze cargo hold in five seconds." "Five... four... three... two... one." "Theeureka maruhas returned." "The armor's strength comes not from the bio-thread, but from the intricate weave." ""There's magic in the web of it."" "It's a line from a childhood story." "The magic here is pure science." "The interlacing living cells are able to absorb and distribute whatever energy comes in contact with them in a very simple manner." "Worth a fortune." "Moldar's wealth and power." "Being hit, the armor acts like a muscle, contracts all its mass at the point of impact, making it impregnable." "So what about the other armor?" "Beka's." "Yes, very odd." "Though she was several slipstream jumps away, her armor ceased any biological function when i froze its creator." "A psycho-physiological connection." "Hmm, one which knows no such boundaries as space or time, instead traveling like consciousness beyond forms we can measure, but the armor, its ability to shape-shift comes from bio-chromes in its exoskeleton, not unlike animals that can change their appearance" "in relation to their environment." "The ultimate camouflage for the deadliest of Hunters." "Now, tell me." "Who's the Hunter and who's the prey?" "You wanted to see me?" "Excuse me." "I know i defied orders, Dylan, and i wish i could tell you why, but i can't... not won't, can't." "I really just... have no idea what made me put on the armor." "I did." "All right." "Let's move past that for a moment." "Is there anything else bothering you?" "Like what?" "I don't know, Beka." "You tell me." "Perhaps something personal, a problem with someone on the crew?" "Well, right now, the only person on this crew i seem to have a problem with is you, Dylan." "I have been loyal to you beyond the call of duty, beyond the call of friendship." "I've saved you, Dylan, more times than i can count." "Me." "You owe your life to me, and if you can't figure that out, everything i've gone through on this ship... was a mistake." "Whoo-hoo." "Trouble?" "I don't know yet." "You look bothered, and since you were so kind, making sure i wasn't arrested for my past indiscretions... i could repay you." "You know, just oversee the disarming of atol pi system, and that's how you'll make up for your past." "Yes." "I did agreed to do that, didn't i?" "But there's still your troubled mind." "Captain Hunt, in my experience, which isn't small, i've always been able to tell when a man wasn't thinking just of me." "Well... i'm a complicated guy." "Hmm." "But i guess i could give you an hour to figure me out." "I'll take that." "No, let's..." "let's make that two." "Okay." "Um, you know... it's going to be over six hours before we reach the next slipstream portal." "Oh." "Oh."