Disclaimer: I do not own Andromeda, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

AN: I wrote this story years ago, so it is posible that some of you had read it. I had to leave it unfinished (fortunately not in a cliffhanger), but now I have decided to finish it. I am working now in the chapter 12. I am trying to fix grammar mistakes that I find now. Enjoy and review please.

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A game is never just a game. And a fight is never just a fight, not even a simple training. It was not a fight to death but both males were resolved to win. Nietzscheans did everything to win something, in war, the victory; in the displaying, the female and in the mate, the offspring. After some training sessions together, both men knew the advantages and weaknesses of the other. Now they were standing on the mat, bodies tense on guard, trying to predict the next movement.

One of them sniffed, "She is coming." His voice was cultured but somehow it emphasized the dangerous brightness of his eyes.

"I know." The other man mumbled in a deep voice.

The fight began again but this time it was more aggressive. Both nietzschean males were fighting to win and the scent of an attractive woman was a good incentive.

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Captain Rebecca Valentine stood in the shadows of the doorframe of the gym, watching the two nietzscheans fighting before her.

A month ago, they had joined Dylan Hunt in his insane crusade of restoring the non-existent Commonwealth. That had begun as something very different. She and her crew had taken on the recovery of the legendary Andromeda Ascendant, trapped in the event horizon of a black hole since the battle of Hephaestus, more than 300 years ago. It had been unexpected to find resistance in the form of the idealistic High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt and his stubborn nietzschean First Officer Gaheris Rhade. To complicate things, Gerentex, their employer, had a little surprise: a squad of mercenaries led by an arrogant nietzschean. More nietzscheans!

Finally she, her crew and the nietzschean mercenary had agreed to join Dylan and Rhade. A long time would pass till they would get used to work together but for a sexually needy woman, and Beka now was really needy, that was not the most important problem. There were five males on board but she could hardly consider Harper, who was like a little brother to her, or Rev Bem, who was a Wayist Magog, as 'males'. The logical choice would be Dylan. He was nice, attractive and she thought that she could easily seduce him. But there was no justice in the universe: she didn't feel attracted to Dylan. Instead those two hot-as-hell nietzscheans drove her crazy. Damnit, even their bone blades were sexy! When she was just captain of the Eureka Maru she could easily handle her needs. There was always some orbital with lots of men flying around her. And after her last serious relationship had failed she didn't know if she could ever trust another man on those terms.

Maybe never, she thought.

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After training, Gaheris walked around the corridors of Andromeda. He still couldn't get accustomed to the heavy silence, that absence of the mixed smells of people that had became familiar to him over the years. His mind went back to the time, so long ago but so close to him, when he had wives and children. He missed them. He was still an Alpha but not a husband nor a father anymore. Rhade felt the betrayal of his people to the Commonwealth like a knife stuck in his back. His own race had stolen his life from him.

Rhade reflected on the present. Dylan was Dylan, as always. He was not surprised with the captain's intention of restoring the Commonwealth. Dylan always needed something higher to believe in. Gaheris believed in the old Commonwealth but he was sceptical about a new one in this crazy universe.

And the others, they were a strange mixture. A pacifist magog who every time he spoke suggested his wisdom was the proof of the universe, fate or whatever surprising itself. The unknown purple girl, Gaheris was sure she knew more about all, behind that mask of innocence and silliness. Harper was the weak who had survived in a hostile world against all odds, making use of his intelligence. Gaheris saw Tyr as his rival, it was in his blood. Both were Alphas, superior males competing…

'Competing for what?' he thought.

And finally there she was, strong, stubborn, contradictory and beautiful. It was surprising how fast he had become accustomed to her scents, how familiar and comfortable they were for him. Captain Valentine was an intriguing woman…

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He couldn't ever forget her, he didn't want to. Sarah had been his future and now she was his past. It was painful but Dylan was again immersed in memories of her.

Sometimes he wondered 'Why do this, is it worth it to restore the Commonwealth?' There was always a voice inside his mind, Sarah's voice, telling him, 'Because it's the right thing to do'

Nietzscheans…he didn't want to hate them, his first officer and friend was nietzschean, a new member of his crew was too. But sometimes, Dylan couldn't avoid seeing them and feeling the rage. Curiously, at those moments, the voice of Sarah told him, 'An individual is not an entire race.'

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His mother, dead in a pool of blood.

Tyr Anasazi, out of Victoria by Barbarrosa remembered that picture every day. One day they would pay for all. He thought of who could help him on the Andromeda, who could be manipulated. Watch and learn to make his destiny one day.

He didn't trust anyone but himself, 'that would be un-nietzschean' he thought. 'I am nietzschean' he repeated himself every day. It is hard to know how to be nietzschean when you have not lived in a pride since you are a child. That made him think about Rhade. He could be an ally…or a rival. 'Is he nietzschean or High Guard?'

And Captain Valentine. He had not still put a label on her. She was a mere human but he could not ignore the physical attraction he felt for her. 'Just a chemical reaction'…

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Holographic Andromeda popped behind him, "Harper"

"Hey don't do that, you scared me!"

"I have some questions about your project", she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ask whatever you want, I'm all yours Drommie" Harper answered her as he continued with his work.

"What did you call me?"

"Come on, Andromeda is too long. Besides your avatar will need a name"

"My avatar is 'me' Harper. How do you intent to call it?"

He looked at her "She is not 'it', Andromeda. Trust in the Harper, I'm making a piece of art. Maybe Rommie…yes I like Rommie, it's very sexy" he smiled. "You wanted to ask something?"

"Yes, Harper. Don't you think you are making the avatar too realistic? I don't think it needs all those sensors. And it is not going to feed any children so it does not need nipples"

"Hey babe, believe me, some day 'she' will be grateful"

"Harper, just remember I am a warship, not sexual entertainment"

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So many alternatives, so many possibilities. So many times Trance Gemini felt she was still too young to know all the possible futures. Sometimes she wanted to just stay in a moment, like now in Hydroponics, surrounded by growing life. Sometimes she envied her crewmates, her friends. They could not see all the perfect futures but neither could they see the dark ones. She felt so young and yet so old.

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The Divine, always unpredictable in His ways. Rev Bem knew He had some reason for him to join such a diverse group for that quest. Probably a powerful reason. A pain in his heart reminded him every day that the Divine also had a powerful reason to let him be born, ripping apart the life of the woman he called mother.