One Act Of Sacrifice -- General

[A Moment In Subtext]

Andromeda
One Act Of Sacrifice
By. A Moment In Subtext

Trance Gemini sat in her quarters, alone except for her bonzai tree. Or she had been alone. She look up from her pruning when another Avatar appeared.
"Trance Gemini?" The girl asked hesitantly.
Trance rose. "I am Trance Gemini."
"I - I am Amalthea."
"Would you sit?" Trance said, motioning. "Tell me why you're here."
"Oh, I couldn't do that." Amalthea said. "Not here."
"Why not?" Trance asked, then tilted her head. "The Nebula doesn't know you're here, do they?"
Amalthea shook her head.
Trance nodded and suddenly their surroundings changed. There was a large rock, on a white sandy beach, seemily nowhere. Trance sat on the rock, her bonzai tree in her lap, and motion to Amalthea to do the same.
Hesitantly, Amalthea complied. Trance put her hand on the younger girls shoulder.
"Leaving the Nebula is a big decision, child." She said softly. "But one that sometimes must be taken. Things in the Nebula are. . .kind of bad now."
"I know." Amalthea said. "That's why I've left. I'm going to help you."
"That's very kind of you." Trance said. "But what did you have in mind?"
"My sun is very near the Andromeda, and she is in desperate need of power."
"No! Oh, Amalthea, no! I don't even know you but I beg you, please reconsider."
"I have considered and reconsidered several times. I'm dead if I go back to the Nebula anyway."
"You're - they - Would they truelly kill you?"
"That's the price for betrayal now."
"How horrible!"
"Yes, it is." Amalthea agreed.
"Am I in danger?"
"Now. Perhaps it is because you are travelling with one of the Paradine, Mora has granted you a pardon from the death penalty." She paused. "For now. I'm going to go through with this, Trance. Because I have to, and because no one else will, no one else can. It takes us one step closer to the perfect possible future."
Trance smiled at Amalthea. "You're a good person, Amalthea."
"Thank you."
"Are you certain this is what you want?"
"Nothing is ever certain." Amalthea said sadly. "But it is what it is, and I will do it."
"Well said. I will send Dylan toward your sun, then."
Amalthea smiled with relief. "You'r a good person too, Trance Gemini."
"Certainly." Trance said with a slight twitch of a smile. As soon as Amalthea was gone she sighed. "It is what it is, and it is a great sacrifice. But it cannot be helped. I do hope you're right, Amalthea." She disappeared as well, leaving the white sand and the see under the moon.
Out of the shadows stepped Mora.
"Oh, yes, Trance Gemini. It is a great sacrifice. But it is the only one you get." She said.
"Understood." Trance said, pruning away another bit of her bonzai tree. She set the pruners down on the table and stood up. "Well, time to go bring Dylan back."