Disclaimer: I don’t own Andromeda, okay? There, you happy now?

Summary: Dylan is framed for crimes he doesn’t remember he committed. He and Rommie are put in the slammer. With the help of our friendly neighborhood jail guard freaks, he makes the realization of a lifetime.

"Dylan, the High Guard starship Raging Dragon is hailing us," said screen Andromeda.

Dylan looked up from his console and said, "On screen."

A man in High Guard uniform appeared. "I am Captain Raynold Alvers of the starship Raging Dragon. Permission to come aboard, sir," said the young captain.

"Permission granted," said Dylan. "Hunt, out."

The transmission dissolved.

Rommie, the only other crewmember in currently in Command, approached Dylan as he was headed to the hangar deck to receive his guests. "Pardon me for saying this, but do you think that was a wise decision?"

"Well, why wouldn't it be?" asked Dylan, halting before he reached the door.

"For one, the Raging Dragon is a police task force specifically designed for arrest missions. It has fire power strong enough to subdue even me," explained Rommie.

Dylan thought for a moment and said, "And for two?"

"It has over a thousand lancers on board and fifteen are on their way here with Alvers," replied Rommie.

"Standard arrest force," said Dylan thoughtfully. "Arm internal defenses, initiate on my mark. External defenses on standby should we be grappled. See if you can jam their Comm channels. You're with me," he said. "Beka, Command Deck, now," he called he and Rommie left for hangar deck six.

The two High Guards entered the hangar deck. "Greetings, Captain, welcome aboard the Andromeda Ascendant. Please follow me to the Observation Deck for proper accommodations," said Dylan to the party of sixteen before him.

Dylan and Rommie led the way to the Obs Deck.

"So how may we be of service, Captain?" asked Dylan when they entered.

Alvers drew a force lance. "By order of the first triumvir of the Systems Commonwealth, you, Captain Dylan Hunt are under arrest on various charges."

"Mark," said Dylan to Rommie through gritted teeth.

Internal defense probes emerged and fired warning shots at the crew of the Raging Dragon. Dylan and Rommie scrambled for the door and managed to lock the men within the Obs Deck.

"Communications to the Dragon have been jammed. Override in four minutes and counting," reported Rommie as she followed Dylan to Command.

"Beka, take us to Slipstream, pronto!" said Dylan, breaking into a run towards Command. Rommie was never more than three feet behind him.

"What the hell was that?" asked Beka when she emerged from Slipstream and Dylan and Rommie entered Command.

Andromeda's screen AI appeared before Dylan could reply. "Explain later. The Raging Dragon is emerging from Slipstream and they've opened sedative fire on us."

"Evasive maneuvers," commanded Dylan. "Slip jump to the Prolon System.”

“The Prolon System? Are you crazy?” exclaimed Beka. “We’ll get totally lost!”

“That’s why I have you. Now, maximum speed,” said Dylan confidently.

The Andromeda entered Slipstream and emerged in the clouded Prolon System. Beka steered the starship over to the sanctuary of a cloud.

“The cloud of ion particles is successfully jamming all out-going and in-coming hails,” reported screen Andromeda.

“Rommie, Obs Deck on screen,” said Dylan.

The Observation Deck was visible on the left screen.

“I’ve taken the liberty of confiscating their weapons. They are open for questioning,” said Rommie.

“Good,” commented Dylan, heading to the Obs Deck himself.

Dylan entered the room.

“Captain Hunt, you are evading arrest and that is a serious offense,” said Alvers.

“What is it that I’m being arrested for, Captain?” asked Dylan.

Alvers extracted a flexi from his jacket pocket and read. “Triple Homicide of the Perseid Lower Chamber of Scientific Study and Research. Robbery of the mass weapons production on the Coxi Drift. Sabotage of the Slipstream cores available in the most recently inaugurated Tarazed Slipfighter drift. The evidence was caught on tape, if you care to see it yourself.”

Dylan took the flexi and left the room for his quarters.

Holo-Rommie stood before him, arms crossed as usual.

“Andromeda, is this true?” he asked her, displaying the flexi before her eyes.

She replied, “We were docked and present in all the locations at the given time, but I can’t say anything beyond that.”

“My memory is a bit hazy at the times they’ve recorded,” said Dylan, rubbing his temples, trying to remember.

“Are you saying that you committed those crimes?” asked the hologram.

Dylan shook his head slightly. “No, but maybe someone is trying to frame me, as per usual.”

“Extremely farfetched, but highly possible from the logical view,” replied Holo-Rommie. “But only one person we know can do that. Bartolome Naz.”

“True, but maybe somebody stole his work to try to stop the Systems Commonwealth from being restored to its former glory,” thought Dylan out loud. “I’ll turn myself in, in the meantime, you can try to find the real criminal.” He stood. “The Commonwealth may appoint a new captain, perhaps the change will be best.”

“No, Dylan. That is unacceptable,” said Holo-Rommie. “They will charge you for evasion of arrest as well as all those crimes you couldn’t have committed. You will be condemned to die!”

“Since when do you reject your captain’s orders?” asked Dylan.

Holo-Rommie looked down and said, “My apologies for worrying about your welfare,” before fritzing out.

“Rommie, come on, I didn’t mean it that way,” said Dylan, but Andromeda ignored him. He headed for Command.

As he entered Command, Dylan didn’t see Rommie anywhere, not even on screen.

“Beka, you have command,” he said, turning towards the Obs Deck.

“Andromeda, disarm defenses and return their weapons,” ordered Dylan when he entered the Obs Deck.

The defense probes stood down and the confiscated force lances dropped down from the ceiling.

Alvers cuffed Dylan and took him to their transport ship, the Tentacle 1. They launched and attempted to return to the Raging Dragon.

“I’m virtually blinded in this dump!” complained Alvers when he couldn’t navigate through the ion fog.

The doors to the cockpit opened, Rommie entered. “Maybe I can help.”

The lancers aimed their force lances at her. Alvers said, “You are intruding.”

“Hey, I’m High Guard, aren’t I?” she said.

“You are still not cleared to be on this ship,” said Alvers.

“And since when is the restoring vessel of the Systems Commonwealth restricted?” she retorted, stepping closer and laying a hand on the console.

“I have no choice,” said Alvers, arming his force lance.

“Let me guess, I’m under arrest,” said Rommie with an ironic smile. She accessed the computer and manipulated the AG field, the fifteen lancers were thrown backwards and out of the cockpit.

Alvers shot her.

“Oh, hell yeah,” said Rommie, grabbing Alvers by the neck, causing him to drop his force lance.

“Here’s the deal, you let us go free and we’ll lead you back to your ship,” said Rommie.

“You must speak to the director first, but he will pardon you in full,” gasped Alvers.

Rommie tightened her grip in his neck. “You’re lying.” She flung him into a chair and tied him down. “We’re heading back to Andromeda.”

Ten minutes later, Rommie docked the Tentacle 1 in Andromeda’s hangar deck.

“What the hell were you thinking out there?” demanded Dylan, anger evident in his voice.

“Do you think that I’ll surrender my captain to a lancer squad without a fight?” countered Rommie.

“Now, they’re after you as well,” said Dylan, his anger transforming into worry.

Rommie saw the change take place and said, “Then we go together, just like before.”

Suddenly the Andromeda shook.

“Dylan, they’re shutting down the ship’s engines, we’re being towed by the Raging Dragon,” reported Rommie.

“Damn, I’ve got to surrender to them. It’s the only way to keep the Andromeda out of harm’s way,” decided Dylan, reentering the Tentacle.

“Then, I’m coming with you,” said Rommie, following him.

The Tentacle launched again. This time, however, they reached the Raging Dragon and submitted to arrest.

The Raging Dragon took them to Tarazed’s system and locked them in an eight by eight foot cell in the prison drift.

About an hour after their arrival, a guard entered with a sinister look on his face. He took Dylan out of the cell and brought him to a room. He was returned half an hour later.

“Rommie, if I get within two feet of you, kick me. That’s an order effective until further notice,” said Dylan when the guard had gone.

“Why?” questioned Rommie.

“They’ve drugged me,” he answered simply.

Disobeying Dylan’s orders, Rommie approached and placed a hand on his forehead. “Oh, God,” breathed Rommie, “Dylan…” she trailed, eyes betraying her concern.

And she looks at me like that. When did I fall in love with her? he thought to himself, closing his eyes, trying to stem the wave of emotions Rommie’s presence always caused in him.

“You’re burning up,” said Rommie. “What else did they do to you?”

“Banged me up a little,” he said. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he backed away from Rommie.

“Dylan?” said Rommie.

Dylan slumped against the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know what the drug does, Rommie. That’s why I need you to stay away.”

“What does it do?” she asked him.

Dylan remained silent, battling himself. He was fighting the overwhelming urge to take advantage of his ship and kiss her senseless right then and there. No, I won’t give in. I won’t. I love her too much to take away her own free will to love anyone she chooses, especially Gabriel.

Rommie was still waiting for an answer.

Dylan still wasn’t giving her a reply. Come on, Hunt, you’ve hidden it from her for over three years. If she really matters to you, you can’t do that to her, thought Dylan. He was getting very, very hot. His inner devil was saying, Take her, she can be yours. What you always wanted is within reach. Just force her to love you! Command her!

Rommie was watching Dylan intently. Not a single bead of sweat escaped her sight. A shiver of attraction crawled up her spine.

The involuntary movement didn’t go unnoticed. “Rommie, are you alright?” he asked, worried. It wasn’t like androids to shiver, but then again, Rommie wasn’t an average android, not by a long shot.

“Yes, I’m fine,” replied Rommie, trying to avoid his gaze. “What about you? What does that drug do?” she asked again.

Silence again.

“Why won’t you tell me?” she asked, extreme concern was clouding her face.

Good God, when she looks at me like that, I swear she loved me back, thought Dylan. “There are nanobots inside me. They injected them into my nervous system,” he said vaguely. A sad expression overtook his features as he came to the realization that he’d never have what he desperately wanted.

Rommie never missed a single muscle contraction in Dylan as much as possible, and this time was no different. “Dylan, what’s wrong?” she asked, edging closer to him, not wanting to disobey orders, but at the same time, not wanting to be too far away.

“It’s nothing,” said Dylan, turning away.

Suddenly, the nanobots electrocuted him, causing a yelp to escape his lips.

“Dylan, what happened?” Rommie placed a bracing hand on his shoulder.

“Nanobots electrocuted me. Their drug hasn’t overtaken me yet,” gasped Dylan.

“You have to tell me what it’s trying to make you do,” she pleaded with him again.

He refused to give her an answer.

I guess I’ll have to see for myself, she thought, examining what was inside with her scanners. The nanos are tweaking at his brain, but what are they making him do? She observed the brainwaves, but before she could decipher the pattern, Dylan swatted Rommie’s arm away from his shoulder, severing her capabilities to screen his internals.

The nanobots were electrocuting him again. “Don’t do it, Rommie. I won’t let you risk getting hijacked,” he said.

She tried to protest.

“That’s a direct order, Andromeda,” he said in his High Guard tone.

Rommie hung her head and stalked over to the opposite corner of the cell. She sat on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

I’m so sorry, Rommie, but I can’t let you near me. I won’t take advantage of you, thought Dylan, feeling ashamed of having to dismiss Rommie the way he had.

“How about we go investigate the places ourselves?” suggested Tyr to Beka, who was running through the surveillance clips for the umpteenth time.

“Let’s go,” replied Beka.

The two of them left Trance and Harper in Command as they proceeded to the Maru.

When the pair arrived in Sinti, they started searching the crime scene. Tyr searched inside the Perseid office while Beka examined the knocked down door.

After a few minutes of studying the door, she found traces of a black powder on the door and floor. She took a sample and scanned it. It was carbon.

Moments later, they returned to the Maru and went to the Coxi drift.

Four hours later, the Maru reentered the Tarazed system. After an hour of searching the Slipfighter Hangar Drift, they boarded the Andromeda.

Harper examined the carbon powder that they’d gathered from the three crime scenes. “It has Dylan’s DNA in it, where’d you get it?”

“The first is from outside the Perseid office, right outside the door,” said Beka. “The second is from the safes from the Drift. And the third is from the floor near the control panel of the Drift.”

“Alright, here’s my take. The first sample is from his left and right fingers, from when he set his force lance. The second is from his fingernails when he forced open one of the safes and proceeded to open the door of it. The third is supposed to be blood from his mouth,” said Harper.

“You lost me,” said Beka.

“It’s like what I did with Abel Ledrone, except this is a poor apparition. Whenever the organic part of the body is touched, carbon filaments are scraped off,” explained Harper.

“Wait a sec, Rommie, find out what was in those safety deposit boxes at the bank,” said Beka.

“They contained notes made by the three dead Perseids on a project to create a new kind of nova bomb, possible enough to wipe out the Magog Worldship. The Slipfighters were supposed to take the prototypes and test them on the Dragans,” replied Rommie. “Wait, there are two beings entering the ship. It’s Dylan and an unidentified person.”

The said pair entered the Command Deck.

“Who are you?” demanded Tyr, aiming his gauss rifle at them.

“I am Rick Alvers, science master,” said the stranger.

Beka shot the carbon Dylan, making it crumple to the floor in a heap.

“Why did you have those Perseids killed?” she asked Rick.

“My cursed brother being in the Commonwealth forces and the Commonwealth being horrendously weak, I offered my services to the Drago-Kazov. They paid me a hefty amount to do such a simple job,” said Rick. “All I had to do was stop the Super Nova Bombs from reaching the test site, which I have done.”

Beka nodded to Tyr, who leapt at Rick and bound his arms behind his back.

“Andromeda, did you get all that?” asked Beka.

“Yes,” replied screen Rommie.

They prepared to take this newfound evidence to the Tarazed authorities.

Rommie had been sitting still for the past few hours with Dylan just watching her. Suddenly, she raised her head. “Captain, the Andromeda has found evidence that clears your name.”

“Oh, finally,” he replied. He gave another yelp.

“Captain,” said Rommie worriedly.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” said Dylan.

“We’ll be back on the Andromeda within the next hour,” reported Rommie.

Dylan cringed at the sound of her being so professional.

True to Rommie’s words, they were released and returned to the Andromeda less than an hour later.

“Hey, boss, how was the prison cell?” asked Beka, entering Dylan’s quarters half an hour after they had docked.

“Cozy,” he said sarcastically. Beka came closer to him.

Suddenly, he placed a hand behind her head and kissed her fiercely. When he pulled away, he looked as shocked as she was. He wasn’t able to counter the nanobots this time.

“Oh, crap, the nanos,” cursed Dylan, departing for Med Deck immediately.

Beka just stood there with her fingers on her lips.

On Med Deck, Trance was there.

“Trance, for once I’m glad you’re not human. The men at the prison injected nanos into my nervous system,” said Dylan.

“Do you know their effects?” asked Trance as she strapped Dylan onto a chair as a safety precaution.

“Yeah, it makes me want to kiss any girl that comes within two feet of me,” said Dylan. “I don’t know why it doesn’t work on you.”

“Did you?” asked Trance, scanning Dylan.

“Yes, Beka. I fought it when I was with Rommie,” said Dylan.

“Those nanos are easily dealt with,” said Trance after reading the scanner’s results. She prepared to inject counter-function nanobots into Dylan. “Ready?”

Dylan nodded.

Trance injected him with the nanos.

“Do you know why they drugged me with those?” asked Dylan as he felt the counter-function nanos doing their work.

“It was probably what they thought would end up as suitable entertainment,” said Trance thoughtfully.

“What do you mean?” asked Dylan.

“Well, if you work at a prison like those guards, perhaps you get bored and try to spice things up a bit,” said Trance, unstrapping Dylan from the medical chair. “Their plan backfired because you didn’t kiss Rommie let alone do anything further than that.”

“But why didn’t the drug work harder when it first entered my system?” he asked as he stood up.

“It probably would have, but it didn’t because it was Rommie,” replied Trance, putting away her materials to hide her knowing smile from Dylan.

“What, because she’s an android?” asked Dylan, trying to escape the truth.

Trance turned to him and said, “We both know that that isn’t the real reason. I know you’re in love with her. It’s the fact that you really care about her that saved you from taking advantage of your ship.”

“Thanks, Trance,” said Dylan, leaving Med Deck.

Rommie was stunned and hurt, Dylan had kissed Beka. She hid herself immediately when Dylan came rushing past her, followed by Beka, who was in a daze. She went to Trance.

“Trance, do you know what that drug was doing to Dylan?” Rommie asked when she entered.

Trance nodded. “It makes him want to kiss every girl he meets, with the exception of me because I’m not human and am not someone he’s deeply attracted to,” she said.

Rommie’s face fell. “I’m an android and probably not that attractive, huh?”

Trance shook her head. “Did you notice anything strange about Dylan while you were in jail?”

“He was sweating a lot and his expression became that of a sadder one,” said Rommie. “But I couldn’t see anything unusual about that. He was reacting to the nanobots.”

“Or he would have you think. He was reacting to you,” replied Trance.

“You’re kidding, right? Why the hell would I make him sweat?” asked Rommie.

“I know you’ve loved him even before the Fall. I know he’s loved you since you emerged from the black hole,” said Trance simply.

“No way,” said Rommie in disbelief.

“Don’t believe me? Go to him and you’ll see,” said Trance.

Rommie left the Med Deck.

Trance just grinned mischievously.

In Dylan’s quarters, he was pacing. He had just cleared things up with Beka, who left with a strangled expression on her face.

“Damn, those guards should be sued,” grumbled Dylan after Beka had shut the door behind her.

Just then, someone else asked to enter. When the door slid open, Rommie was standing at the door. She stepped up to the doorway and stopped.

At the first sight of her, all thoughts about the guards were driven from his mind. Even in her normal uniform, Dylan found her irresistible. He began to wonder how he managed to get anything done with her around. Of course, I treated her like she was just a machine made for me to utilize, he thought, inwardly disgusted with himself for the way he treated her in the past.

Rommie just stood there, observing Dylan. He had a restrained expression on his face.

“Come on in,” he said.

She complied and entered, stopping an approximate three feet away from him.

“I’m lifting that previous restraining order,” he said, a slight smile playing across his handsome face.

Catching the point to move closer, Rommie made a motion to move, but held back instead.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, taking the step forward.

Being not too far from the door when Rommie entered, Dylan leaned over to the side and closed the door behind her. This done, he returned his gaze to Rommie, whose eyes held an unidentified emotion in them. He lifted his and hand and cradled her cheek with it.

Rommie felt an unknown wave of emotion sweep through her mechanical being. It was unknown yet welcome. She closed her eyes at the contact.

This is it. Trance was right. I’ve been hiding it from her for too long now, thought Dylan. It was now or never. He caressed her cheek a second more, needing it to steel himself, and kissed her. She responded almost instantly to his kiss, calming the stormy fear that he had in his heart that she would reject him.

Moments later, they pulled apart. Rommie stared into his eyes, uncertain of what had just happened.

“Dylan,” she began, but halted, not knowing how to proceed. It was uncharted territory for her to be unsure of what to do.

“Regardless of the protocol,” Dylan paused. “I love you, Rommie. Not just now, not just in that prison cell, but since we both awoke after over three hundred years had passed us by…”

Rommie silenced him with a finger to his lips, she said, “I know. I love you, too. Since you became my captain.”

That was all the admission Dylan need. He immediately sealed his mouth over hers in a passionate kiss.