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"Star-Crossed" - Episode #120 (spoilers below!) (Click here for review)

Returning from the Scherezade Drift, which just signed the Commonwealth charter, the Andromeda encounters a passenger ship entering the area and under attack by a Restorian ship (see "Ties that Blind"). Dylan has their weapons destroyed, but they unexpectedly ram and destroy the passenger ship, killing all 536 aboard. In response Dylan decides to find and destroy the terrorist's base, which Tyr is enthusiastic about.

Just as they are leaving, Rommie finds an escape pod and when brought on board it contains an android named Gabriel (Michael Shanks). Gabriel is repaired by Harper, who notices he is crammed with logic chips. He says he is a teacher of ancient languages, fleeing a wave of book burning. Soon Gabriel and Rommie are alone and she is quickly attracted to him as he flatters her in various ways. In speaking to Beka later Rommie refers to Gabriel and her as "synthetics" and Beka mentions how such are worshiped some places and hated in others.

Soon the Andromeda is approached by three ships which are from the Free Trade Alliance Enforcement Wing, apparently mercenaries hired to protect FTA shipping interests. Their commander is named Shura (Jennie Hogan) and she offers to help them against the Restors. Shura has data from Beka's brother which indicates the Restors have a old High Guard Perilous class ship, "The Balance of Judgement" (TBoJ), originally designed to be a starship killer.

Rommie tells Gabriel he will be dropped off for his safety. He begs to stay, offering his stored military memoirs as a help. Dylan is not in favor of this, but Rommie promises to take care of him and to partition her emotions into her avatar only. She argues with her computer and hologram selves about Gabriel, with them accusing her of being in a love triangle, unapproachable Dylan being the third side. Later, after kissing Rommie, Gabriel is able to get alone and attach a transmitter to some wiring. He contacts TBoJ and says their plan has begun.

On the bridge Harper is jealous of Gabriel, but Tyr tells him and Rommie to focus on dealing with the Restors. When Rommie next encounters Gabriel he is reading her logs, but says he only wanted to know more about her. He finds her "fascinating" and when they kiss he reaches for some circuitry and somehow interfaces them into a virtual reality where simulations of their bodies intertwine.

Distracted, Rommie fails to deal with an attack by a Restor. Dylan dives the ship to escape, but when Shura's group destroys the Restor, TBoJ appears and destroys Shura's ship. The other FTA ships and Dylan retreat into slipstream.

Finding Gabriel trying to escape in a lifepod, Rommie learns he is the avatar for TBoJ and if he doesn't leave he will kill her whether he wants to or not. Harper "operates" and seems to sever his communication with TBoJ.

Dylan gives Footprint Magnification Systems (FMS) to the FTA ships and Gabriel sends a message to TBoJ, with Rommie watching, telling him the Andromeda's supposed weaknesses. Soon TBoJ contacts Dylan and says that with his crew gone he continued his mission of protecting the Commonwealth by founding the Restors as a way to eliminate the destruction of planetary environments. In the following battle the FTA ships lay a minefield that the TBoJ knows of and destroys. Realizing Gabriel "infected" her Dylan shoots Rommie and shuts down the AI network.

When revived on the Maru Rommie insists her and Gabriel be left behind, which he does. The Maru leaves very slowly and then drops 30 missiles in the path of TBoJ, allowing inertia to cause a collision and destroy him.

Gabriel asks Rommie to leave with him (assuming Harper can upgrade their power and life support systems) and she agrees, telling Dylan she is in love. Later she confronts Gabriel on the Maru, finding out that a previous coded transmission from TBoJ was a copy of its core personality. Gabriel admits it would consume him and then he'd start over, rebuilding a ship and then the Restors. Rommie tells him she loves him and then fires a force lance at him.

In the end Rommie asks Dylan to dismantle her so that she can escape her pain and not go insane as the Pax and the Balance had. Dylan hugs her and tells her that as her Captain he is her heart and will not let her die or go insane.

Synopsis 05/09/01 by Larry Kramer

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