A/N: For new readers: Please read "Through the Looking Glass" before starting this fic. This is an Alternate Universe and a sequel, so you'll probably be completely lost andconfused otherwise.

Glass Shards
Chapter 1: The Fallen

"Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten"
-Terry Pratchett, Ancient Earth

Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant sat mentally exhausted in his office. The ship's halls were silent, there were no crew members scurrying about their duties, no one saluting him or calling him sir. There was nothing. He was alone. All four thousand members of his old crew had been dead for over three hundred years.

They were gone.

His friends, family, his parents. Sara.

He had nothing.

The universe around him had fallen apart during his time in the black hole. It had decayed into a heartless and cold echo of the glory it once was. There was no central government. The planets moved about their business alone, and their people were left to carve out a life any way they could.

There was no order. Only chaos. The Long Night.

The only things he had left of his past were his memories and his ship. The Andromeda's AI was the only "living" reminder of all he had had. She was all that was left of a more civilized and peaceful time. The height of the Commonwealth.

How could so much have fallen?

Dylan buried his face in his hands.

"Dylan?"

Looking up at the holo-image of the ship's avatar, he motioned for her to continue.

"History databanks on the Eureka Maru state that the Commonwealth and the Nietzscheans fought each other into a standstill. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and by the time that they were finished neither was in any shape to take over what was left. The civil war created a power vacuum, which they could not stop or fill. The Magog were then free to scatter throughout the known worlds and terrorize their way across the tri-galaxies without anyone to stop them. The Nietzschean Alliance crumbled and they separated into squabbling prides. Tarn Vedra cut itself off from slipstream and hasn't been heard from since. The Commonwealth and the Nietzscheans fell from inside as well as out."

"Andromeda, please tell me this is all just a bad dream."

"I'm sorry Captain. I wish I could."

Dylan sighed.

"Did you really mean what you said to the Maru crew?" asked Andromeda. "About restoring the Commonwealth?"

"I'm the last survivor of an old age. A better age. We had peace Andromeda, more than these people do now so isn't our duty to try? This is something I have to do. I have to try and rebuild what was lost."

"With these...people?"she asked a bit disdainfully. "Are you sure we can trust them?"

"Right now they're all we've got."

"Two humans, a child, whatever species Trance is, a Magog, and two Nietzscheans?"

"I'm not comfortable with it either but...most of them I think we can trust."

"And the Nietzscheans?" she asked. "Tyr is one thing but..."

"Rhade."

Dylan closed his eyes.

Rhade. Or at least a man that looked exactly like him. He had been in complete shock as he had stared at the scruffier version of his former First Officer as Gaheris's body had still lain cooling not twenty feet from him. Looking between the two had been surreal.

To have the face of the man who had just tried to murder him alive and walking around his ship was not something he had expected. His gut had twisted as he had looked between them. The fresh wounds that Gaheris's betrayal had caused him deepened even further and the guilt and confusion in having killed his best friend echoed through his mind.

To lose one Rhade only to gain another.

What were the odds that he would be pulled out of the event horizon by a descendant of Gaheris Rhade. What were the odds that that descendant would be a genetic reincarnation of the man. They were in the trillions. There had never been a documented case of Nietzschean genetic reincarnation in the history of the Nietschean peoples. They had their legends about Drago Museveni, but that's all they were. Legends. Right?

But situated now with the proof that it was indeed possible, felt like being marched over by a complete Lancer Regiment.

And the legacy of Gaheris Rhade still wouldn't let him get away with anything simple. Rhade had betrayed him, and this new Rhade somehow managed to end up in Drago-Kazov Pride. Dylan's mind reeled and his thought processes became completely blocked. He couldn't think.

Telemachus Rhade.

No. What had he called himself? Ah yes.

Nez Pierce.

Gaheris would turn in his grave right about now. He might even consider Dylan's killing of him a favour so as to not have to witness this.

Dylan couldn't even begin to fathom what had happened to Rhade's family to associate them with the Drago-Kazov. The Majorum were fiercely independent, many of their factions sided with the Commonwealth, loyalists to the end. The Treaty of Antares, had changed the minds of others.

He sighed again. The Commonwealth had only wanted peace among its worlds. And signing a treaty with the Magog had been a peaceful resolution, no more bloodshed like the massacre of Brandenburg Tor. But the Nietzscheans wanted blood. They wanted to eradicate the Magog and drive them out of Commonwealth space. Vengeance for their fallen brothers.

And it had cost them everything.

A reverent hand trailed slowly down the cool glass. For the lone occupant of the room it was like staring into some morbid mirror of sorts.

Telemachus let out a hitched breath as he stared down at the body of a man he never thought he'd meet.

Gaheris Rhade. The man whose genes were identical to his own.

Though truth be told, the Nietzschean he now looked down upon wasn't anything like he thought he'd be.

Clean shaven, military crew cut, a Commonwealth Officer. A highly decorated officer if the pins on his chest were any indication.

He had betrayed this ship. Typical Nietzschean in that capacity, it was no wonder that the AI gave him wary and cold looks.

His ancestor.

And for some reason, just staring at him gave Telemachus an uneasy feel about something. Something in his mind felt like it wanted to click but couldn't. There was something missing and he didn't like it. His jaw clenched. He hated it when this happened. It was always there but just out of reach, mocking him.

Gaheris Rhade.

Rhade.

Telemachus turned on his heel to leave. Maybe it was the cryofumes getting to him. Taking one last look at the progenitor of his line, as eerie as it was to see almost himself lying there, he exited the room.

He'd feel better once he reached the Maru.

A/N: Whooo look at that! The first chapter of Part 2! I don't know when the next will be up, I should really be doing my Psych paper now! I have notes for a lot of later chapters but these first few are a bit open for direction. My brain will come up with something though!

Comments on reviews for Chapter 19 of TtLG:

Jade Rhade: Good to see you back! Muse's are tricky things, mine keeps running away to play with the Jedi (thanks for the review for 'Downhill' btw). Geico! And yay! FA is in the works, that's good to hear. And you're cancelling your SW fics? But the 'further notice' is good, you might be going back to them someday eh? Thanks for reviewing!

Beka Rhade: Tyr is definitely around, speaking of which I just got a little brainstorm for chapter 2:)

babsj: Nope, not rude at all. Leaving your x-over? I tend to leave my PotC fic hanging all the time. I feel bad about it.

A huge, big thank you and smoochle to everyone who reviewed, every comment I get inspires me to keep writing and to finish my works for you guys!