Ambassador Crichton and the Allarian Republic
 

by Ilana
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, okay? They belong to those other people. I only use them because I love them. :)

Rating: Pg-13...the UST gets resolved "a bit"...what can I say...I'm a shipper. :) OOH!! Also, a VIOLENCE warning for the end of the story. You may be offended. You may not...who knows?

Summary: Aeryn and John get stuck on an alien planet, masquerading as mates to save their lives. This takes place between "Jeremiah Crichton" and "Durka Returns." I created the Allarians, but if you guys ever wanna borrow 'em for a story, that's okay too.

Replies: I'd love, love, love feedback! I really, really want to know what you guys think. But, I must warn you to be gentle. I don't own a flame-proof suit yet, but it is next in line on my X-Mas list alongside a pulse rifle and a John Crichton blow-up doll. This is my first fic ever, and I'm planning another one based on the conversation at the end of this story. Right now, it's called "Crais's Sun", but if you know me, you know how much I love to change titles (over and over and over again).

Thank You's: One last shout out to my friend Meg for helping me work out the kinks and complications. She spent some late nights listening to me freak out or whine about the continuity of my story. Thanks for helping me make it all make sense, girl! I hope that you're loving the college life. Everybody, ENJOY!!!!!
 

---

Officer Aeryn Sun woke with a pounding head. She tried to move into a more comfortable position, but found that her limbs felt heavy and numb. Fear clutched at her heart, making her feel cold all over. Oh no, it's the living death, she thought as tears sprang into her eyes. Since Moya's pregnancy, the temperature aboard the ship had been fluctuating at rapidly changing intervals, and Aeryn had started sleeping in the refrigeration unit to keep her body temperature down. She had thought that she would be safe there from any sort of drastic temperature changes that Moya felt necessary to keep her baby alive and healthy. In an effort to keep the rest of the crew comfortable, Pilot had opened the cargo bay doors, but it hadn't been enough for Aeryn. She had begun to feel strange, and John had come up with the idea of her residing in the refrigeration unit. She could not remember anyone signaling her that something aboard Moya was not right. She tried to call out for help, but could not seem to make her mouth work properly. All that came out was a small whispering noise. Something is most definitely not right here, she thought in alarm. It was too dark. It was so dark that she could not see anything that was around her, yet she could hear some kind of commotion that sounded very near. I've got to stay calm. Just stay calm, Aeryn! What if they don't find me in time? What if I succumb to the Living Death? What if...

"Be careful with her, Lirio! If you injure her they will never help us!"

"Dayla, calm yourself. They will probably not help us anyway with the way we took her from them."

"When they hear of our problem, they will be more than willing to help us. If they help us they will get her back...eventually."

Aeryn's eyes widened as she heard the foreign voices and realized that she was in greater trouble than she had first thought. Okay...okay, so I'm not in the refrigeration unit. I'm not even aboard Moya!! Just...just stay calm. What can I do? She started to shuffle her hands around in an effort to release them from whatever seemed to be holding them. Hearing the commotion from whatever she was inside, her captors silenced their argument.

No, no, no!! Aeryn what have you done? Please don't look at me. Please just continue on your way. Please...

Suddenly, sunlight was blinding her. Aeryn tried to see who her captors were, but all she could see were dark shapes looming over her. They looked humanoid. She tried to cry out, but her voice was still a soft whisper.

"You see, Dayla, I told you to give her more. Now she is awake. Get me the pack...quickly!"

One shadow turned its head down into the odd-shaped box that Aeryn was being held in as the other shadow drifted away. It spoke in a deep, masculine voice, "I'm sorry, my dear, but you need your rest. You are so very important to us, and we can't have you running off, can we? Oh, yes, I wouldn't try to speak or cry for help; the drug we have administered has numbed your vocal chords. You will do more harm to yourself than good."

"Here we are Lirio," the other shadow spoke in a softer, feminine voice. "My, my, she certainly is beautiful. Moltair would like her."

"Thank you, my dear. Yes, she is lovely, but we have more important things to worry about than Moltair's desires. Now, here we are..." Aeryn could see the shape of a needle coming towards her, the bright sunlight glinting off of the metal. More drugs, she thought grimly. Suddenly, the vision of Namtar and his needle in her eye flashed before her. She began thrashing about violently in the box, trying to free herself. Why wouldn't her limbs move the way she wanted them to? The drugs, she realized. The drugs are making me numb. No, no, no! Please, no more needles. I've got to get out of here. She felt the prick of the needle in her neck and suddenly the world started to fade to black. Her last thought before she went under once more was.....Peacekeepers.

------2-------
John Crichton raced through Moya's hallways from the refrigeration unit towards the command. "Pilot!" he yelled into his communicator. "PILOT!!"

"Yes, Crichton?" Pilot replied, obviously unaware of John's distress.

"Pilot, can you locate Aeryn anywhere aboard Moya?" John asked, hoping...no, praying that Pilot's answer would cause his fears to be unnecessary.

"Why, no. I am sorry, but I cannot seem to locate Aeryn Sun anywhere on Moya. All of the transport vehicles are safely in the landing area," Pilot replied with a tint of fear in his voice.

"Oh God, okay. Uh- Pilot, I'm going to the command. Keep searching for her. Isolate the search tier by tier if you have to." But John already knew that she would not be found.

They had been experiencing a long period of calmness lately, and they had taken to having shifts at the command in case of an emergency. John had been sitting in the command, waiting for Aeryn to come and take over the next shift. When she did not arrive on time, John thought something was odd. She was always so annoyingly punctual. John thought that she was just oversleeping and he would let her rest. With the way the heat aboard Moya had been affecting her, he didn't want to wake her and make her cranky for the rest of the day. Nearly two arns later, John knew that something wasn't right. He had walked - very quickly - down to the refrigeration unit to check and see is Aeryn was allright, but when he arrived there she was nowhere to be found. Her clothes were neatly folded next to her sleeping pallet, and the blankets were drawn down and rumpled. She had been there, but where was she now? It wasn't like Aeryn to skip out on command duty. Oh, god, where could she be? This can't be good, John thought as he turned to leave the frigid compartment. As he turned to leave, he noticed two small red dots on a light blanket on the floor. Blood, he thought grimly, and that was when John knew that something was definitely wrong.

Back in the command, John called Zhaan and D'Argo on their comm units and they came trudging into the command.

"John, what is going on?" D'Argo demanded angrily. He had obviously been asleep when John had summoned them to the command.

"Look, I can't really explain," John answered in despair, " I don't know myself, but Aeryn is missing. I found little blood drips on her blanket. It's not enough to make me think that she was seriously injured, but Pilot says that she is not on Moya. All of the transport vehicles are here, and - look Zhaan -" he handed the blanket to her and she headed off to the lab to do some analysis on the red blood spots.

D'Argo's face went from a look of anger to one of concern and understanding as John related the rest of his tale. "How could she have just disappeared from Moya without anyone knowing that it was occurring?" he asked, obviously at a loss of what to say to John. He could see that John was extremely upset. He knew that John and Aeryn had grown relatively close in their time together on Moya, what he did not know was the extent of the bond that they shared.

"I- I don't know! Damn-it!" John cried, obviously losing his composure.

"Uh, John?" Pilot's voice broke John's descent into anger.

"Yeah, Pilot. Go ahead."

"I am afraid that this is all my fault. I left the cargo bay doors open so that the rest of the crew would remain comfortable as Moya's temperature fluctuated. It appears that there was a ship aboard Moya last night. I did not read it on screen because of a temporary glitch in the system brought on by Moya's pregnancy. The unidentified ship has since left, but I cannot know where. I am sorry."

Oh, God. Please Aeryn. Please be okay. "Pilot, was the ship Peacekeeper?"

"No, Crichton. I do not believe it was, but I cannot be sure. I believe that, had it been a Peacekeeper vessel, we would not be free at this moment."

"Yeah, yeah. You're right. Umm- thanks Pilot. Let me know if you figure anything else out. D'Argo, I'm going to the lab to work with Zhaan. See if you can't figure out a way to track the ship somehow. I dunno-"

D'Argo broke in saying, "John, I will do whatever I can. Go help Zhaan.

"No, D'Argo. I will not require any further assistance," Zhaan replied as she entered the command. "It is as you suspected, John. Aeryn's blood. BUT...I also found traces of Hellar-Root. It has rather unusual abilities. It numbs the entire body, and also affects some internal organs."

"Like what," John asked curiously.

"Well, it affects the vocal chords mainly. It numbs them to the point where speech becomes impossible. Had Aeryn tried to call for help, we would not have been able to hear it. I believe that they injected her while she was asleep. If enough Hellar-Root is administered, it will render a person unconscious for arns."

"Okay, this is good," John replied quickly, "We know what these bastards used. So, uh, where can we find this Hellar-Root? What type of planet? We can start searching this part of the---wherever we are."

"John, it is not that simple," D'Argo growled. "We do not even know who these abductors are. They could be the Peacekeepers. This could be some sort of Peacekeeper trick to capture us without a fight."

John ran his hand through his hair. He was clearly frustrated. "Look, D'Argo. We have to find Aeryn. Who knows what could be happening to her? I mean, we-"

Pilot suddenly cut off John, "There is a transmission coming in from a planet called
Allaria."

The view screen jumped to life as Aeryn's limp form filled the area that had previously held a view of the stars.

John's heart leaped up into his throat when he saw her. She was lying limply on a small straw mat in what appeared to be a tree house. Her chest rose and fell very slowly. She was still in her sleeping outfit of a sleeveless top and John's boxers. She was obviously out of it. She had a large bruise on her neck. A large man rose up behind Aeryn and looked into the view screen. He looked humanoid, except for the fact that he was extremely tall. "We are the Allarians, and we need your help. I realize that our methods used to get your attention were not honorable, but our cause is great. If you desire to see this female again, we can make some arrangements. We want you," he said as he pointed at John, "to come and meet with our people. You will stay with us unharmed to help us in our cause. You will not bring weapons with you. If you do, we will harm your female."

"Why me," John asked angrily. "Hey, haven't you already harmed her enough? What do you want? What do you need my help for?"

"These questions will all be answered when you agree to come to Allaria. Your ship may remain in our planet's orbit, but only you may travel to the surface with our representatives."

"Why should I trust you?" John asked.

"You shouldn't...yet. But, if you do not come, we will have no choice but to discard your female. She is quite lovely. Many of our men have voiced their desire for her, ah, unique look. I'm sure that we could find someone willing--"

"No! No, I'll come. Just send your representatives as soon as we are in orbit." John turned to look at D'Argo and Zhaan. Both had odd expressions on their face. "I don't want to hear anything right now. From either of you. I'm going down there." John said as he left the command.

"Very well," they said in unison.

------3------
John walked among the huge trees, staring at them in wonder. They were purple with
light blue leaves. He couldn't believe his eyes. Allaria was a gorgeous planet. The forest area he was traveling through was beyond compare with anything else he had ever seen. The two Allarians John walked between glanced at each other knowingly after seeing the expression on his face. The Allarians were just as amazing as the land in which they lived.

The two Allarians had come in a small transport ship to collect John from Moya and bring him down to their village. Zhaan and D'Argo had not been happy about John going down to the planet alone and unarmed, but John was adamant about helping Aeryn. They had nothing more to say after he had finished with them. He waited alone in the cargo bay area until the Allarian ship approached and docked. The two Allarians that emerged from the ship were even larger than John had first assumed them to be when he had spoken with the other Allarian about Aeryn. They wore loose fitting pant and no shoes. They were also bare-chested. Their muscles were enormous, as was their size. They checked him over for weapons and found none. As John went to grab his pack, they stopped him.

"You will not need your things on Allaria," the largest Allarian said to him. "We will provide for you while you are there as an ambassador for your people."

"Ambassador, huh? Well, then, let's go," John replied casually. Secretly he was thinking,

Good God, these things are gonna kick my ass.

During the short ride to the planet surface, John tried to make small talk, but the Allarians were not very receptive. He found that the two Allarians were named Lorak and Zemtoe, and that their city was in some sort of danger. When he pressed for more details about Aeryn, they got very angry, so he kept his mouth shut for the rest of the journey.

Now, they were walking through the colorful and dense forest, and John could see no signs of a city. He wondered how far they were taking him. He could see that they were in a deep part of the forest and he wondered where they could have put a city so far out there.

"We are here," Lorak said happily.

"Where?" John asked.

"We are at the city of M'Lorka. The capital of Allaria," Lorak replied.

John laughed. "I hate to break it to you guys, but it looks like your city has disappeared. Now, if you'd just gimme back my friend, I'll--"

"No, no. Look up," Zemtoe cried.

John did.

"Oh my God! Woah! Okay, this is so much cooler than the Ewok village in Star Wars. Hey, you guys aren't, like, related to them or anything...are ya?"

Lorak and Zemtoe just stared at him with blank expressions on their faces.

"No, I guess not. Okay, okay, never mind. Let's go."

------4------
John entered the small room where they were keeping Aeryn. He had demanded to see her, saying that he wouldn't even consider meeting with the representatives until he knew that she was alright. Desiring to prove to him that they really were a giving, peaceful people (and that they were not prone to flights of abduction), they allowed John to be with Aeryn for a few arns before his first meeting to discuss terms of agreement.

He knelt down by the mat that Aeryn was laying on. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, but John knew that there were drugs raging through her system. He reached out and stroked her hair away from her face. With his other hand he grasped her thin, cold hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her hand, and was surprised at how cold it really was. "Aeryn, you're going to be okay. I'm here now, and I'm going to help you, okay?" John reassured her. He hoped that she could hear him, wherever she was.

Her eyes fluttered open, and her body jerked in fright.

"N-no Aeryn it's me. You're gonna be okay. Aeryn, look at me." John almost choked on his words when he saw how vulnerable she looked. Aeryn was never vulnerable.

"Aeryn?"

Her eyes turned and locked with his. He could see that she was having a hard time moving. "Aeryn, don't try to move. They gave you some sort of drug. You may hurt yourself if you struggle. I'm here, okay? I'm not gonna leave you, Aeryn."

She nodded once, very slowly, but kept her eyes locked with his. She started to move her lips, but no sound came out. He could see that she was very scared. "Hang on one second," he said as he got up and walked over to the doorway. "Hey, you." He called to an Allarian standing guard. "Do you have some sort of anecdote to the Hellar-Root?" At the guard's tentative nod, John said, "Good, I want it brought here immediately. If you really want my help, there will be no discussion." And he turned back to Aeryn.

"Aeryn, we're gonna fix you up in a sec," he said calmly, but inside he was ready to explode. He wanted to kill every Allarian that he could find. How could they do this to her? She was obviously suffering. Why would they go to such lengths just to have him brought here?

His thoughts were interrupted as a young Allarian woman brought a small vial to John. Where the Allarian men were impressive in size as well as looks, the Allarian women were not. They were extremely short and plain, very stocky, with an extremely small nose and beady eyes. He could see why the Allarian men would desire Aeryn. She was, after all - well - she was Aeryn.

"Thank you," he said as he studied the contents of the vial, but the young woman was already gone. "Okay, Aeryn, I'm going to give you this thing - whatever it is - I guess it's supposed to counteract the Hellar-Root that they gave you. That's what is making you feel numb, and that's why you can't talk. Do you understand?"

She nodded slowly and looked away.

John pulled the top off of the vial and found a large needle protruding from the edge. Ewwwwww, he thought as he wondered where to stick the needle. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to use the neck. That's what they did," he said to himself as he lowered even closer to Aeryn, eyeing the large bruise.

He was shaking, but somehow he managed to get the needle into the bruised area on Aeryn's neck and inject the entire vial. She immediately began to convulse and John pulled her into his lap as a cry ripped from her throat. He held her like a child, with her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair as she cried against him. She was choking and convulsing. He was scared for her. "Shhh. Shhh. Aeryn, I'm here. You're gonna be okay, Aeryn." She felt so small and helpless in his arms. This was only the second time he had seen her this way. The first was when he had saved her from Namtar. He didn't like to see her in so much pain.

"J-John," Aeryn coughed.

"Aeryn! Yeah, Aeryn, I'm right here." He looked down into her blue eyes. They were more alert, but filled with tears of pain and fear.

She clutched at his shoulders and pressed her face into the side of his neck. She wrapped herself in his embrace as tightly as she could. He is warm, safe. Feels good. I'm so cold. Need warmth. "John," she sobbed. "John, don't let go. I-I hurt, John."

"Where, Aeryn?" John asked, desperately wishing that there were something he could do to help her. He moved his hands over her, as if searching for some physical sign of the pain.

It hurt to move. It hurt to think. She grabbed him even tighter as a violent shiver ran through her body. "Everywhere," she whispered hoarsely.

John was at a loss of what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of. He cradled her in his arms on the dirty floor of the house high in the trees of M'Lorka. He brought his face down close to her ear and whispered to her as she curled up in his arms. He rocked her as he would have rocked a small child and she eventually fell into a restless sleep. Even as she slept, he held her tightly, willing her to be okay.

------5------
That was over four arns ago. Now, John sat at a long table in a lavishly decorated house amidst a large group of prominent Allarians.

Aeryn had awakened from her short nap only to find John preparing to go meet with the ruling body of Allaria. She had become very upset, but he managed to calm her, promising to return in a few arns. He left her in the capable hands of two Allarian women, who giggled in marvel at Aeryn's long legs and shapely figure. "See Aeryn, you've already got yourself a fan club," he said as he strolled out of the small house where she had been held. He'd been trying to ease her nerves with a calm attitude, but he was still very worried about her. She had been very pale when he left, not that she was ever the darkest person he'd known. But even for Aeryn, she was pale.

John's thoughts were interrupted as an older Allarian stepped from the shadows and seated himself at the head of the table. "Greetings, John Crichton. We are the Sovereign, the ruling body of Allaria. I am Refani, Leader of the Sovereign. Head of Allaria," he stated regally.

So I guess I'm meeting their President. Damn, I wish I'd remembered to bring my autograph book, John thought sarcastically. His patience was beginning to thin.

"Yeah, well, that's great and all, but I want to know why the hell you've brought me and Aeryn here," John stated. He was sick and tired of the games they were playing.

"Aeryn? Oh, that is your female. Is she your...mate?" Refani asked deliberately.

"My mate," John said with a laugh. Then, he noticed the hopeful glances from the rest of the Allarian males at the banquet table. He remembered what the Allarian females looked like and what had been said to him about Aeryn. She is going to be so mad. "Y-Yes, she is my mate. My wife, and I--" he stammered.

"Then we are extremely sorry for having removed her from your protection," Refani interrupted. His knowing eyes gazed at John levelly. His secret would be safe. "Now, we will return you to your dwelling as soon as we have our meal."

John was floored, "Wait a sec. What is this problem that you brought me here to solve? I wanna get the hell out of here. Let's make a deal so we can leave. What's the deal, fellas?"

"No," Refani replied. "We will meet tomorrow in the morning time to discuss such matters. Now, we feast!" He clapped his enormous hands regally, and a stream of Allarian women processed into the room with large serving trays loaded down with food. "Your... mate will be fed by the two we have designated as her maidservants. They will see that she is provided for while you are busy with ...other matters."

"Thank you...I think," John said under his breath as the short women moved around the table, placing all sorts of colorful delicacies on the large metal plates in front of each male.

"Well, why the hell not," John said to himself as he picked up the large goblet and took a gulp of the ruddy liquid inside. Damn...it was potent. And it was good! He reached for the utensils placed near his metal platter and began sampling the different foods as the talk turned to light conversation regarding the beauties of the planet.

------6------
After two arns of friendly conversation and good food, John was ready to get back to Aeryn. He had found that the Allarians were a robust people. Large in number and very strong, they had been residing high in the woods for as long as their history went back. He could not even begin to guess what sort of trouble they were having. Refani boasted that they had an army made up of the largest and best Allarians that could be found anywhere on the planet. They lived in an area that was easily cloaked, even during daylight. Who could possibly be causing them such distress?

John pondered all these things as he followed one of the young Allarian women assigned to Aeryn through the treetops. As he crossed over the third bridge from the banquet hall, he realized that they were not going back the way that he had come.

"Hey where are we going?" John asked the young, light-haired female as she jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice in the quiet night air.

"We are heading towards your new lodging," she answered meekly.

"Oh. That's cool."

"Cool, sir?"

"Yeah, you know. Good... okay... acceptable," he replied.

"Oh!" She said with a smile. "Cool."

John smiled at her realization. "Hey, what's your name, kid?"

"My name is Malia, sir," she answered. "You are John Crichton. Correct, sir?"

"That's correct. You don't have to call me sir, you know."

Malia looked at him as if he had sprouted another head. "It is a disrespect for we women to not address a male as sir. If anyone heard me speak to you with such disrespect, I would be punished severely. Especially since you are an ambassador of such great importance."

"How would they punish you, Malia?" John asked. He was intrigued by the social system that he was witnessing on the planet.

Malia looked at him with a glint of fear in her eye. "You would not like to know, sir," she answered. Then her face brightened as she changed the subject. "Your mate is very pretty. There are many Allarian males who would like to have her in their beds. You already see how plain we are, sir. They are liking of her unique beauty."

Seeing that she meant her comments as a compliment and not an insult, John just chuckled. After a moment of thought, he said, "You females are pretty in your own ways. Can your men not accept your unique qualities as beautiful?"

Malia looked at him strangely. "We did not always look like this, John Crichton," she said sadly. She brightened...deliberately, "But that is why you are here."

"What?" John asked; clearly puzzled by the direction their conversation had taken.

"I should not discuss these matters with you. You will hear more of this tomorrow. Please do not tell anyone of our conversation. I would be punished for some of the things that I said," Malia spat out quickly. "Well, here we are. Goodnight then. If you or your mate require anything throughout the evening, ring the bell by the window carving and we will come." Malia smiled prettily and then ran off into the darkness.

"What a weird place," John mumbled to himself as he opened the door to their new quarters. What he saw caused him to catch his breath. The house was beautiful. It was an enormous main room with winding halls running in three directions off into other smaller rooms. The furniture was carved into the floor. It was the same type of wood as the tree that they were residing in. There were mats and wall hangings of various colors all over the place. "Well, I guess as an ambassador, I'm moving up in the world... literally," he said as he gazed out one of the window carvings to the forest below. He was so high up in the trees that he couldn't even see the ground. He went from room to room, marveling at the magnificent architecture in each. The Allarians were surely amazing, even if they were odd. The last room that he found was the bedroom. It was at the very back of their "house". There was a dim light coming from the far corner by the largest window carving. John knew whom he would find there.

"Hey, Aeryn, how are you feeling," John asked as he walked over to her.

She was sitting on the large ledge in front of the window with a candle beside her, gazing out into the darkened forest. She was still wearing the boxers and nightshirt. At the sound of his voice, she turned and smiled wanly at him. She looked even paler in the moonlight. "I'm feeling better," she said quietly. "How was your meal?"

"Fine. I didn't find out too much of why we are here. I'm meeting with the Sovereign tomorrow. Hey, scoot over."

She slipped to the right and he sat next to her. He placed his back against the wall and turned to her, grasping her bare shoulder. She shuddered at his touch. "I was really worried about you, Aeryn."

She turned her face to him. " I know," was all she said, and at that she placed her cheek against the hand that rested on her shoulder.

He smiled and ran his hand over her back until his arm was around her shoulders. He pulled her right up next to him, and she placed her head on his shoulder. He could feel her sigh against his neck as he held her. They sat that way, staring out at the trees for a long time. Finally John stirred and said, "It's time to get some rest. You've had a hard day, Aeryn. And I've got a tough one tomorrow."

They both got up and stepped off the ledge into the bedroom. John noticed that there was only one bed and turned to Aeryn. "Hey, uh, Aeryn, don't be mad or anything, but I told the Allarians that you were my mate. I, uh, I didn't want any of their males to try to claim you and take you away. You know, so that's why we are sharing quarters. I mean, I can sleep on the couch in the main room if you--" he began.

"John!" Aeryn said. "I told the Allarian females the same thing." She smiled wryly. "I saw the way they treated their women. I knew that if I appeared unclaimed they would find the opportunity to keep me here indefinitely. I figured that you would say the same thing to the males."

He smiled at her as she blew out the candle. The room was suddenly plunged into further darkness than before. She climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up around her chin. "Well, come on if you are coming. I'm not going to wait for you all night," she teased.

"Aeryn are you sure? I mean I can go--" John stammered, he could feel his face getting red.

"John, this is a very big bed. I'm sure that we can both sleep comfortably in it," she replied, clearly exasperated with him.

"O-okay," he said, and he stripped off his shirt and hopped into the bed. The sheets were made out of some sort of loosely woven fiber. They felt softer than silk against his bare skin. "Man! This feels good," he said as he moved around into a more comfortable position.

"I know," Aeryn replied sleepily. Then, "John?"

"Yeah, Aeryn. I'm here."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Aeryn," John answered. He smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep with his "mate" beside him.

------7------
John woke the next morning to the sound of rain dripping through the trees. He turned over to check on Aeryn and almost rolled right on top of her. She had moved to the middle of the bed during the night and was sleeping directly behind him. He shifted his weight so that he was facing her, and he watched her sleep. Her face was wrinkled in concentration. What are you dreaming about, Aeryn, John wondered. You look better this morning. The dark circles under her eyes had disappeared, and she had some color in her cheeks. As he watched her, she smiled in her sleep. He could only imagine what she was dreaming, if she actually was dreaming. He hoped that it had something to do with their "encounter" in the transport pod when they thought they were going to die. He had awakened -smiling- from dreams of her more times than he could count since it had happened. He often wondered if she ever thought about kissing him. They were still so close. They hadn't let that one moment affect their relationship in the ugly way that it could have.

"John?" Aeryn's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him as he glanced up at her eyes, startled. He had been staring at her lips.

"Morning, Aeryn," he said quickly. "Uh, how did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you," she said with a knowing smile. "I was thinking, John."

"Yeah," he asked hopefully.

"Well, we really need to let Zhaan and D'Argo know that we are alright. Do you still have your communicator," she asked.

"Oh. Uh, yeah, it's on my shirt. I'll get it," he said as he slid out of the bed and walked over to the chair that he had thrown the shirt on the night before. "DAMN! It's cold in here, Aeryn."

"It is that," Aeryn said as she pulled the covers tightly around herself. "I think that the rain is making the temperature drop. It should clear up by the afternoon and return to normal. The forest areas are like that," she said.

"Yeah, the dense forest areas are like that on my planet too. Here we are. Now, lets call the ship and let everybody know we're alive." He tapped the communicator lightly, "Zhaan? D'Argo?"

It was Pilot who answered, "John! We have been wondering what happened to you. Did you find Aeryn?"

"Yeah, Pilot, I found her. She's doing fine now. Uh, we're gonna be here a little longer than we thought..."

"How much longer," D'Argo's voice growled through the communicator.

"D'Argo! Buddy! Good to hear ya!" John cried as he glanced at Aeryn. She was sitting up in the bed, grinning at him as D'Argo spoke some Luxan obscenities that not even the translator microbes could understand. "So, yeah, uh, we're okay, and I've got another meeting today with the leaders and we'll, uh, we'll call ya back when we know more." With that, John shut off his communicator.

"You know that D'Argo won't settle for that, John," Aeryn scolded him.

"Well, he's gonna have to for now. That's all I know. So, whats say we wrestle us up some grub?"

"Excuse me?"

"Get some food, Aeryn? Are you hungry? Would you like some food," he joked.

"I will never understand you humans," she said as she rolled out of the bed and sauntered towards the main room of the house.

John pulled on his shirt and followed her through the winding hallway. When they reached the main room, Malia and her companion were there with trays of food for them.

"Good morning, John Crichton," Malia chirped as he walked towards her.

Aeryn shot him a look. "Malia," John said, "I want you to meet my ... mate, Aeryn. Aeryn, this is my friend, Malia."

"Aeryn nodded an acknowledgement at Malia, then glanced over at the other young girl. "And who might you be?"

The younger Allarian looked as if she wanted to die when Aeryn spoke to her. "M-m-m-my name is Kahlana, ma'am," she said in a frightened voice.

"Kahlana, Malia, I want to ... thank you for your help yesterday. I was not in much of a speaking mood if you hadn't noticed," Aeryn said in as friendly a tone as she could muster.

""It was no bother, ma'am," Kahlana replied quickly.

"You don't need to be afraid, Kahlana," John said as he seated himself in one of the chairs around the large dining table. "Why is everyone so scared around here?"

Kahlana glanced at Malia before she spoke, "You are so very important to us, John Crichton. We cannot have you angry with us. We have to be careful what we say. We do not want to be the cause of your leaving Allaria."

"Why is it so important that I stay here?" John asked.

"Kahlana, go back to the banquet hall. NOW!" Malia commanded, her eyes blazing. "I'm so sorry John Crichton, but she is a child and does not know what she says. I will leave you to eat now. Here are some Allarian garments for you to don before you meet with the Sovereign today. They will appreciate your cooperation in such matters. You will be more comfortable among us as well. I will be back to retrieve you when the Sovereign has assembled," she said over her shoulder as she started to leave the room.

"Wait," Aeryn cried out. When Malia turned back around, she said, "What about me? I need some clothing as well if I am to move about and meet with the Sovereign."

"I'm sorry, Aeryn, but only John may meet with the Sovereign. We will come to dress you when John Crichton has left for his meeting. Your dress is a bit more, um, complicated. You will be attending a banquet with him this evening. All of the wives of the Sovereign will be there. We will make sure you fit in." She smiled.

"Wives. Plural?" John asked in amusement.

"Oh, yes. The men that serve on the Sovereign have many women that grace their beds. They are the mates of the Sovereign. Refani is the only member that has only one mate. The Sovereign women are very beautiful--" Malia cut herself off. "Well, I really must be on my way. I will be back for you John."

Beautiful, huh? John pondered that statement as he watched Malia leave the room. He glanced over at Aeryn. She had already started pacing the room like a caged animal. John knew that she was not pleased about waiting around for him all day while he met with the leaders of Allaria. Her chin was lifted defiantly as she stalked towards the door. "I cannot believe this, John! What am I supposed to do, sit around and wait for you all day? This is ridiculous! I mean, I--"

"Aeryn!" John yelled. When she finally quieted down and looked at him he said, "Sit down for a second. Eat some food and we'll talk."

She just stared at him with fire in her eyes.

"Dammit, Aeryn, just sit down," he said angrily. "Hear me out, okay?"

"Fine," she said quickly. "Talk. I'm listening."

He passed her the bowl of fruits and then a plate of sweet breads after she threw herself into a chair across from him. When she finally started to pick at the food, he began talking. "Aeryn, we have been in a situation like this before. Remember the bounty hunters? You said so yourself, it is necessary. You're just going to have to abide by the rules on this planet. We have no way of getting back to Moya without their help. If we call for help from D'Argo, you know there will be bloodshed ... possibly ours"

She rolled her eyes but nodded her agreement at that. "John, I just don't understand it. I don't like this planet at all. I don't think that you should help them. There is something that they are not telling us. You saw the way Malia reacted to the other server. She said too much to us."

"That may be so, Aeryn, but we have no way of getting out of here unless I hear them out.

Their problem may be something that I cannot remedy, and then they will have to send us home. I hope."

Aeryn just frowned in response to him. "Fine. Do what you want. I don't care," she said, sounding like she was a spoiled child.

"I was planning on doing that anyway, Aeryn," he replied in the same tone that she was using on him. Seeing her icy expression, he added, "Look, we can't change their ways. You know that I'd love to have you by my side--"

"John, don't try to coddle my ego. It won't work." She changed the subject; "You better get dressed now. Who knows when 'the Sovereign will assemble'," she said, mimicking Malia as she made a face.



------8------
As John was meeting with the Sovereign, D'Argo, Zhaan, and Rygel were having their own meeting aboard Moya.

"I don't like what is going on down there. I think that there could be great trouble brewing," Zhaan said as she chewed on a long, yellow food cube.

"I don't either," said Rygel. "I don't think it's fair that they eat Allarian cuisine, and we're stuck here with old food cubes."

D'Argo just rolled his eyes. "I think that wherever John goes, he makes trouble. He should fix his own messes."

Zhaan pressed her blue hands to the table. "D'Argo, he may not even know if he is causing a mess. They may be lying to him. I fear that they are. I sense that something is not right. The Allarians-well, they appear too eager. I believe that they need help, but I do not think that it is the type of help they have led John to believe they need."

"We can do nothing, Zhaan! John will not listen to us. I told you how he cut off the communicator before," D'Argo said angrily.

"I know, D'Argo," Zhaan replied evenly. "Perhaps we can speak to Aeryn. She will have more to say than John."

"How do we know that, Zhaan?" Rygel asked sarcastically, spinning angrily around the room in his "throne". He was still upset about the food cubes.

"We do not know, but it is our only chance. Pilot, is there any way that you can turn on John's communicator from up here. It seems that he has switched it off."

Pilot's face appeared in the view screen. "But of course, Zhaan. There. You may speak now. They should hear you."

"I hope it is not John that hears you, Zhaan," D'Argo said as he pulled his Qualta blade.

"D'Argo, that will do us no good ... here or there. Put it away!" Zhaan cried.

"It makes me feel better," he said.

Zhaan just stared. He put it away without another word.

------9------
Aeryn stared out the window carving into the forest. The sun was finally out, and the rain was a light mist in the air. She had eaten in solitude after John left, even though she did not have much of an appetite. She figured that she'd need her strength sooner or later. She did not trust the Allarians. She was angry with John because he trusted them. He wasn't the one who had been abducted. You always trust too easily. Fool! She frowned at the forest. What are you hiding in there, she wondered. They had gone from enemy to friend too quickly for her liking. If she was in charge ... well, she wasn't, and there was nothing she could do about it. She sighed. I guess I'll have to let John handle it, she thought glumly. John. What am I going to do with you, she wondered. She smiled, thinking about the morning. It had been strangely comforting to sleep next to John. She had never slept so peacefully ... ever. Her thoughts drifted back, back, back to the transport pod. She had been so afraid. Death was looming ahead of them, but John was there. He had comforted her. She knew that he knew deep down why she had saved him. She knew it too, even though she would never admit it to him. Never. Well, maybe never. She smiled again at the thought of his lips on hers. I wonder if he ever thinks of me. She remembered his hands, trailing down her back...

"Aeryn? Aeryn, it's Zhaan!" A voice broke through her daydream.

Aeryn jerked to attention. Where was that ...oh, the communicator. She ran over to the chair and snatched up John's shirt. Where was the damn thing? She fumbled with the shirt until she found it.

"Zhaan? I hear you. Go ahead."

"Aeryn, thank the good spirits! We were so worried. How are you feeling?"

"Stop the pleasantries and ask her to send us some food," Rygel's voice sounded in the background. "Some of us are starving while others sit in the lap of luxury."

"I'm fine, Zhaan. What's wrong?"

"Is John there," D'Argo asked.

"No, but I can relay a message to--" Aeryn began.

"No! We wanted to talk to you, Aeryn ... alone." Zhann replied quickly.

"Why? What do you want with me?"

"Aeryn, what is going on down there," D'Argo demanded.

"Hush, D'Argo," Zhaan scolded. "Aeryn, we fear that trouble could be brewing. Do you believe that the Allarians are being completely truthful with you and John?"

Aeryn paused. She remembered John's statement about D'Argo and the bloodshed. She did not want D'Argo down on the planet's surface, but she didn't completely trust the Allarians. She frowned because she knew John would be angry with her for even speaking to Zhaan and D'Argo. Damn you, Crichton! "Zhaan, I do not believe that the Allarians are telling John the whole story. He seems to trust them though. They have told me nothing."

"You know as well as I that John can be ... overly confident with his trust at times, Aeryn.

Do you believe that they pose a serious threat to you?"

"I'm not sure, Zhaan. John is meeting with the ruling body of Allaria at this moment. He should be able to find out the whole story today. You know, why we are here and what he can do to help them."

"No good can come of this," Zhaan said sadly.

D'Argo's voice broke in, "We should have never let him go down to the planet alone and unarmed. Now we will do things my way. Aeryn, I am com--"

"No, D'Argo!" Aeryn cried. "We don't know what they'll do if you come down here, especially if you bring weapons. John and I are in a very precarious situation. We have to tread very carefully. We have no way to defend ourselves"

"She's right, D'Argo. Who knows what the Allarians will do," Zhaan added.

"Look, Zhaan, D'Argo, I will speak with you as soon as I find out what is really going on here. There is some sort of banquet that John and I must attend. I will listen in and see what I can hear from the--"

"BANQUET!?! I demand to be brought down to Allaria as a representative. This is not fair, Zhaan. I am the negotiator here. What good will a dumb Peacekeeper and human do?" Rygel yelled.

Aeryn turned off the communicator and sat down in the nearest chair. She still ached and the stress of their situation was not helping her recover from the Hellar-root. She grabbed her head as pain shot through her temples. "I hate being the middle-man," she sighed as she drifted off to sleep.



------10------
John wearily stepped into the house, welcomed by the sound of Aeryn's laughter echoing down the winding hallway. He had never really heard her laugh before. It was a pleasing sound after the morning that he had had. It was deep and throaty, tapering off into a giggle that sounded like a child. A child. He could never imagine Aeryn as a child. It seemed that she had always been strong and independent. He smiled as he stepped into one of the smaller rooms off the hallway. Aeryn was sitting up to her neck in a tub of water. There were odd sorts of flowers and foamy things swirling around in the water. They exuded some sort of sweet smell into the room. Kahlana was sitting behind Aeryn, brushing her hair out. It appeared to be freshly washed. John didn't know what it was that Kahlana had said to make Aeryn laugh as she had done, but it must have embarrassed her as evidenced by the two bright red spots on her cheeks.

"Hello," John said as he strolled over and sat on the edge of the tub.

"Oh! John Crichton, you are back," Kahlana stated.

"Yep," he replied evenly. He turned his gaze to Aeryn, "Ya miss me?"

The bright spots on Aeryn's cheeks got even darker. She smiled smugly and splashed a little water at him. "Not really. Kahlana is much better company than you are. How was your meeting?" At John's grim expression, she became concerned. "What?" she asked compassionately.

"Later," he said.

Sensing the tension in the room, Kahlana got up and started towards the door. "Well, I will go see where your clothes are, Aeryn. I am sorry that I did not get to finish with your hair. We will finish later. John Crichton, Malia and I will be back later to draw you a bath."

Watching Kahlana leave the room, Aeryn started to twist her hair up behind her head and pin it back with some small wooden sticks that Malia had given her earlier.

"No, Aeryn, let me," John said as he shifted to sit behind her. "I need to do something to relax me after the day I had."

Aeryn wanted to turn around and face him, instead she said, "Tell me about it, John."

"Not just yet. I'm going to let you enjoy your bath first," he said as he brushed her hair. "How's your head?"

"Mmmm ...still hurts a little. I'll be fine."

"You always say that, Aeryn. I'll be fine," he mimicked her.

As he turned to place the brush on a low table across the room, something wet hit him square in the back of the head and ran down his back until it squished to the floor. Turning around, John saw that it was one of the foam shapes from Aeryn's tub. He looked up and saw her grinning at him expectantly. "What was that for?" he asked, mocking anger.

"I thought you needed to bathe a little." She shot him an innocent look. "I was just trying to be helpful. You better watch yourself, Crichton," she said. "Now, hand me one of those large towels."

"I think I'll just let you sit in there awhile longer and think about what you just did," he laughed at her as he leaned against the wall.

"CRICHTON! The water is getting cold!"

"Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a bunch," he said as he tossed her a large red towel and turned away.

"Panties?"

"Yah. Panties. Underwear? It's an Earth expression."

"John, I'm not wearing any underwear. That doesn't--," realizing what she had just said, her red spots returned and she walked out of the room.

"I'm very aware of that," John mumbled, also red, as he trudged out of the room and followed the water drips to the bedroom. Aeryn was sitting on the bed in a robe. She turned to him expectantly as he walked in.

"Well? Are you going to tell me what you found out," she asked, obviously losing patience with him.

"Yeah," he replied as he threw himself facedown on the bed beside her. He took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. She was not going to like this. He turned onto his side and put a hand on her arm, "This has to do with the Peacekeepers," he said gently.

She just stared at him, waiting for him to go on. Secretly, she was too scared to even say a word lest she betray herself with tears.

"This goes way back. You see how strong the Allarian men are. Well, they've been that way for as long as they can remember. If you can believe it, they claim that their women used to be just as strong and physically attractive. They had heightened senses, extreme strength, and massive weapons. They're obviously not as technologically advanced as the Peacekeepers, but they could fight like crazy. Half a cycle ago, the Peacekeepers came into this sector. I'm guessing they were looking for us, and instead they found the Allarians. They saw the strength of these people and tried to overtake them, but there were massive casualties, mostly for the Peacekeepers who landed on the planet."

"Why didn't they just blow up the planet when they realized they were losing the battle?" Aeryn asked slowly.

"This is the crazy part. The Peacekeepers thought that they could use the strength of the Allarians against their own people." John paused, clearly disturbed.

"What? What did they do, John?" Aeryn asked, her voice cracking.

"They came down to the planet and poisoned the water supply. Don't worry, it won't affect us. It's a genetically based poison. It only affects the Allarian women. It instantly altered the appearance of the women. They became shorter, weaker. Their eyes decreased in size, taking away their ability to see long distances. They lost the heightened senses, and now their senses are even less developed than ours are."

"Why would they do that? I mean, it doesn't make any sense. What purpose could that serve?" Aeryn asked, pulling her arm out of John's grasp. She knew what it felt like to have her body change so rapidly that she didn't even know if it was hers anymore.

"The Peacekeepers sought to control the Allarians. They obviously couldn't do it by force, so they are doing it through fear and disease. The Allarians are being forced to watch their people weaken generation by generation. The gestation cycle for the Allarians is very short. Some of the newest children born have already been affected. You should see some of these children, Aeryn. They are so small, and so sick. Most of the children born after the water was poisoned don't live past three months - a quarter of a cycle. Their numbers are depleting as fast as their strength is. The children that live are weak and helpless. Nobody wants to claim them either. You would hate it, Aeryn, they are all held in this one house. No one sees them. They are cared for by some of The Sovereign's hand-servants. The mothers don't want them ... nobody does. It's, it's disgusting--" he broke off, unable to go on.

Aeryn came to him at that moment when he thought he would break down. She pulled him into her arms as his hands circled her waist. He gripped her back tightly, fearing that he was on the edge of sanity. If she had seen what those children looked like. He let out an audible sob, and Aeryn held him tighter. She pressed her cheek against his. He took a deep breath and steadied himself before pulling back to look into her eyes. She smells so good. Pulling back, he saw that her eyes had welled up with tears.

"That's not the worst part, Aeryn," he said gently, still gripping her waist. She nodded for him to go on. "That was just their way to weaken the Allarians into submission. To insure that they would be able to keep the Allarians in check for a long time, and to keep them weak, they removed the strongest men that could be found anywhere on the planet. The Peacekeepers wanted to be sure that they would be able to fight the Allarians in case of an uprising. They took these men and sent them off to training camps. They, uh, they are used in fight training for the highest levels of Peacekeeper command. Some of them were taken to the labs to be, uh, studied. Those men were never seen again. The ones in the camps, well, they are killed in the training. I guess that's how they harden the soldiers. I dunno."

"But, John, what do they want with the Allarians?" Aeryn asked on the verge of tears. She remembered the commando training camps. She had participated in the killing of various aliens at the camps. It was a standard training procedure. She remembered the weapons, the screaming, and the blood all over her. She had the scars inside and out to prove her strength and commitment. They had told the trainees that the aliens were convicted criminals, and that the way they gave back to their society for their crimes was by dying at the hands of a Peacekeeper to make them stronger soldiers, able to defend helpless peoples. She had believed it ... then. Now, she knew what a lie that life had been, although she didn't know if she would ever be able to say that aloud.

"I think that right now it's all just to prove a point. Yes, the Peacekeepers are strong so don't mess with 'em. In the future, they may try to use this as a fear tactic to gain other worlds without a fight. Like, this'll happen to you if you resist assimilation."

"They could also make an impressive army if they learned enough about Allarian genetics, John."

"Yeah, but don't they already know enough to have made that poison."

"John, I've never heard of that type of genetic technology, and I served on Crais's ship with high level clearance to all areas. Who says that this has to be a poison? What if it's just some sort of ... virus that can be cured easily. What if it wasn't even caused by the Peacekeepers and they just took the credit for it to scare the Allarians? It could be some sort of natural degeneration of this particular race, brought on by something in their environment," she looked away, lost in her dark memories.

John cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him, "Aeryn, I'm so sorry about this. I know that it isn't easy for you to hear stuff like this. I can see it in your face that you're ups--"

"John, don't!" Aeryn pulled away and moved off the bed. John grabbed her wrist and she swung at him. He blocked her other arm and dragged her to a sitting position on the bed. He forced her to turn around and face him.

"Aeryn, don't you dare close off on me now. Why can't you admit that you're upset? Who wouldn't be after hearing a story like that ... about your own people?"

"John, to show emotion is a sign of weakness. I will not--" Aeryn began coldly.

"Aeryn, I need you on this. All of you, feeling and everything. Showing that you are upset is not a sign of weakness. It is strength to admit that you're scared or upset, or both even! Aeryn, let it out. I can see that you are upset. Just let it go."

"JOHN! I'm too close to this. I don't want to hear about feelings right now. We have more important things--" she choked on her words. Her eyes filled up with tears again. "We have to get ready--" she sobbed. "Please, John, don't make me do this." She began to cry uncontrollably.

"Aeryn, I'm not making you cry. You are." John said as he leaned towards her. This time she didn't pull away. He brushed a tear away from her cheek as more fell to take its place.

Aeryn was actually crying. He had never seen her cry before. He knew that she was holding something back. It must be something big to make her cry. It was a breakthrough for her, but at the same time it was as if everything was turning upside down for him. In the back of his mind he thought that she shouldn't be crying like this. He needed to comfort her, bring her back to sanity. He kissed one tear-stained cheek, then the other. She leaned into him as he kissed her forehead.

"John?"

He looked down into her eyes. They were incredible, even after she had been crying. They were sparkling in sadness, filled with feeling ... and desire. He wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and gently pulled her face towards his. She moved willingly into his arms as he pressed his lips against hers. She moaned against his mouth, and the exotic smells of the flowers from her bath invaded his nostrils, making him feel giddy with sheer pleasure. He leaned against her and she fell down to the bed. She returned his kiss deeply, and shivered as he trailed little kisses all along her jawline, moving down to her neck as he ran his hands down the sides of her body, feeling every curve. She ran her palms up his bare back as he concentrated on kissing her collarbone. Just as he found the tie to her robe -.

"John Crichton, we have your ba--," Malia started as she stepped into the room. "OH, my!"

John quickly pulled himself out of Aeryn's arms and laughed out loud at the expression on Malia's face. He turned and helped Aeryn into a sitting position and she immediately began fussing with her robe in order to not have to meet his gaze. He turned to the doorway. "Malia, were you saying something about a bath?"

"Umm, yes, we have your bath ready. Kahlana has gone to retrieve Aeryn's dress and your new outfit. If you do not require any further assistance, I will go find her," she replied quickly.

"Nope, I think we have everything covered here," he said sarcastically.

As Malia darted out of the room, John turned back to Aeryn. She was still fussing with her robe. He watched her for a moment before grabbing her arms and pulling her into a hug. She started at the unexpected contact, but then relaxed and put her arms around his neck as she placed her head on his shoulder. He ran his hands up and down her back as she turned her face towards him and nuzzled his neck.

"We always get interrupted, huh Aeryn," he chuckled.

Her reply was a small kiss placed behind his earlobe. He pulled back and stared into her eyes. "We'll never get to that banquet if I don't get my bath, you know," he said slowly, not really wanting to say it.

"I know," she said as she reluctantly pulled out of his arms. "Go. We have to be there tonight, and we can't have you smelling like dren." As he walked out of the room, Aeryn said hesitantly, "John?"

He turned back towards her. There was a weird look on her face, as if she had a question she wanted to ask, but didn't know how to word it right. "Yeah, Aeryn? Whatcha need?"

She shook her head, "No. Never mind. It's not important."

"You sure?"

"Yes. You had better get into the bath, John. We don't want to miss the banquet."

"Oookay." John walked out the door and turned one last time to look at Aeryn. She was sitting in the same place, staring at her hands in her lap. She looked lost in another world.

Well, I guess even Peacekeepers have daydreams, John thought as he headed down the winding hallway towards his bath.

------11------
John walked hand in hand with Aeryn through the treetops. The sky was darkening quickly, and he stole one last glance at her in the waning sunlight. He could not believe that this was the same person he had spent almost a cycle with aboard Moya. She looked so ... feminine. Aeryn turned to him as he stared at her and just rolled her eyes. I will never understand this human, she thought as she squeezed his hand.

He had taken a quick bath in the same type of odd water that Aeryn had. Malia had brought in a pair of black leather pants and a thick belt made of silver for him to wear to the banquet. He thought that he looked pretty good in the Allarian garb, but when he saw Aeryn he couldn't even remember what he was wearing. She walked out of their bedroom and his mouth dropped open. He couldn't help staring at her. She was wearing an extremely low-cut green and gold dress that ran to the floor. The dress had thin gold straps that hooked to a tight bodice with loose material flowing around the top of her chest. The dress was cinched at the waist with a gold strip of fabric that was braided up the back of the bodice. The rest of the dress was made up of loose and flowing alternating rolls of green and gold fabrics. When she walked, her legs peaked out between the folds of the fabric. She had thin gold sandals strapped to her feet. Her hair was up in twisted knots and curls around her head. Small tendrils braided with tiny gold and green flowers fell around her face and down her back. She walked over to him and snapped his mouth shut with her index finger under his chin. "What," she had said agitatedly. "What? Does it look that bad? Fine. I'm not going. I knew I looked stupid," she said as she stomped back to the bedroom.

John stopped her with a hand on her arm. "N-no, Aeryn. You look--. Gah- you look amazing. Don't change."

She turned to him and looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "You're not serious, John. Your women wear things like this on Earp?"

"That would be Earth, Aeryn. And sometimes women there do get dressed up. I think you look nice. You should do it more often," he smiled at her

"That's illogical. How could I fight a battle wearing this?"

He grabbed her hand and started out the door. "Aeryn, if you wore that you wouldn't even have to fight to win a battle."

Now they were walking to the banquet. Malia walked ahead of them, stealing glances back at Aeryn. John guessed that she was thinking of the way that the Allarian women used to be. He felt sorry for her, but at the same time he was wary because the Allarians still had not told him why he was there. When he had questioned the Sovereign at the previous meeting, they had said that all he would need to know would be revealed at the banquet. He could not even begin to imagine what he could do to remedy the situation.

Aeryn's warm hand on his arm pulled him from his musings as they approached the banquet hall. She tapped him urgently. "John? John!"

"What, Aeryn," he snapped at her. Seeing the hurt and surprised expression on her face, he apologized. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just stressed out." He put a hand to her shoulder and rubbed it gently. "What's wrong?"

She pulled away from him with the hurt expression still on her face and walked over to the gold plated door of the banquet hall. "What does that look like to you?"

"What?"

"That," she said, pointing to a small pattern near the bottom of the door. She knelt down to examine it further, and John took a quick glance at her leg that peeked out from the dress before he knelt down next to her.

"It looks like a sunburst, Aeryn."

"Yes, but look inside it. What do you see," she said fearfully, getting up and backing away from the door.

"Just another pattern, Aeryn. What's wrong? What are you getting at," he asked, slightly annoyed.

"I thought--. Never mind. I'm just being paranoid because I don't want to be here. Let's go."

"Aeryn," he grabbed at her as she walked away. "What did you see?"

"Nothing!" she hissed at him between her clenched teeth. "This is not the place to discuss it."

"Look, Aeryn, I'm sorry I snapped at you before. Don't act like a child and be angry at me all night."

Aeryn scoffed at him. "I am the one acting childish? You were the one snapping at people for no apparent reason. You know what? This is ridiculous. I refuse to have this conversation with you. Now. Let's. Go."

John rolled his eyes in exasperation as he led Aeryn through the gold-plated doors into the banquet hall. The sight he saw caused him to catch his breath. Aeryn must have caught it as well, for she turned to him and urgently whispered, "Something is wrong, John. Do you see the women?"

"Yeah, Aeryn, it's hard not to," he said, flinching as she shot him a jealous look.

All of the Sovereign that John had previously met were standing in groups around the room, drinking and talking animatedly. The thing that had caught Aeryn and John by surprise was the women that were there. They were obviously Allarian by appearance, but they were normal Allarian women.

"These must be the wives of the Sovereign," Aeryn said, observing that there were over twice as many women in the room as men.

"Yeah, but why haven't they been affected by the water supply?"

"I don't know, John, but I intend to find out right now," Aeryn said firmly as she moved towards a group of men.

John yanked her back and pulled her into a fake embrace as he whispered harshly in her ear, "Don't pull that bad-ass Peacekeeper commando crap right now! We will find out what the deal is, but we will do it without starting a fight."

"Why, John Crichton, your mate is the loveliest creature that I have seen all evening," Vetbig, one of the assembled sovereign, replied as he walked to where John had pulled Aeryn.

John let Aeryn go, but kept a hand at her waist as he turned to Vetbig and smiled his best "everything-is-great" smile. "Why, Vetbig, how nice to see you again. Thank you for the compliment to my mate." He turned to Aeryn, but she was staring at the far wall, scowling.

"Is something wrong, John Crichton?" Vetbig asked a little too eagerly.

"Uh-. Oh, no, she's just ... ah, she's still a little groggy from the drugs. That's all. Vetbig, I was wondering what the purpose of the banquet is. Am I to find out what purpose I can serve to help your people?"

Vetbig started, but recovered nicely. John still noticed the recovery but just smiled as Vetbig composed himself. Something is definitely going on, John thought. He tensed against Aeryn, and she turned, her face questioning his body language.

Vetbig began backing away slowly. "John Crichton, you will soon see your purpose here. For now, you and your mate should enjoy the festivities that we have provided. You will know when it is time."

John turned to reassure Aeryn when he realized that the room had suddenly grown very still and very quiet. He turned to look around and noticed that the main doors were closed tightly. As his eyes swept the room, he saw that Allarian guardsmen had circled the room. He recognized Lorak and Zemtoe. Lorak had a very disturbed expression on his face. He grabbed Aeryn tightly and pulled her behind him. She tried to protest, but he shushed her with a wave of his hand. She remained silent, knowing that something big was about to happen. She pressed her palms against John's bare back. He was tensed, as hard as a rock. She, too, was tensed, prepared for anything ... except for what was about to happen.

Rough hands suddenly circled her upper arms from behind, pinning them down. She cried out in pain as her legs were kicked out from underneath her. She collapsed against whoever was holding her, panting in pain as the breath was squeezed out of her. John spun around in a blur, but the Allarian guardsmen advanced and she heard him yell her name as he was attacked. The world started to turn to black and she could no longer breathe. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she heard a sickeningly familiar voice whisper in her ear, "Now you will get what you deserve, traitor bitch."

------12------
Fuzzy. Black. Numb. Pain. Sharp. STOP! Why are you... What are you... Where?

Suddenly, Aeryn jerked awake as she was slapped across the face once more ... hard. She gasped in surprise as her eyes finally focused on whom it was standing before her. It had been so long. She tried to move, but found that her arms were strapped to hooks in the ceiling. Her legs were chained together, so that she could not kick out at her captor. She straightened herself as much as she could in defiance. He had always been so smug.

She could see John passed out on the opposite wall, about ten feet away. He had blood and bruises all over his face and chest, but he was still breathing.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," Partak asked in his greasy voice. Aeryn had always hated the sound of his voice. She could remember it ringing out during training sessions. It always caused chills to run up her spine when he spoke.

"How did you find me?"

He lashed out and backhanded her across the face. She could taste blood and feel it running down her chin. "You will not speak until I tell you to, Officer Sun!" Partak screamed, mere centimeters from her face. "Although I'd hardly call you an officer anymore. You're pathetic. Although, I must say that you do look desirable in that Allarian costume," he drawled as he groped at her.

She jerked away from him, but her attempt was a futile one. "You disgust me," she screamed at him, knowing what would come next.

It didn't. She didn't feel his fist go into her stomach as she had expected. What is he planning, she wondered, not really wanting to know. He had been the one to administer the pain tests during her commando training. He could even make Captain Crais scream in pain. Even if it took days or weeks, he would continue the pain tests until the subject broke. He had driven many recruits to insanity. She watched as he strode over to where Crichton was slumped. No, no. Please, don't hurt him, she screamed in her mind. Her eyes almost welled up with tears, but she fought them back. Partak would never see her cry. He yanked Crichton up and beat him until he awakened. "Good. You are now ready to see this traitor whore receive her final pain test. Captain Crais has ordered me to take as long as I must."

"To do what?" John gasped between breaths of air.

"Why, to make her a raving lunatic, of course," Partak grinned. "You are here as a spectator. I figure that I can do two at once. It will probably hurt you more to see her suffer than if I beat you like I will beat her," he said as he strolled over to Aeryn. She turned her face away as he drew her close. He leaned over and ran his tongue over her shoulder. Then, he bit into her shoulder hard. She gritted her teeth against the burning pain and the feeling of his closeness, but she did not cry out. When he pulled away, there was blood on his lips. He licked it away and smiled. "Well, well, we will just have to find more entertaining ways to make you scream, won't we? Oh, now I remember. Dear Officer Sun, you forget that I trained you. I know what will make you scream." He walked over to a low table and pulled out two small blue rods. John looked from Aeryn to the rods, not knowing what they did. The expression on Aeryn's face told him that it wasn't good at all. Partak circled Aeryn. As he walked behind her, she flinched in pain and yelped. John saw that the two rods were place on each side of her ribcage. She looked like she was having a hard time breathing. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she gasped for air. When Partak finally pulled the rods away, she slumped against the wall. John could see that there was blood soaking through the sides of her dress.

"These are Fo'vva rods. They send strong electrical stimuli to the brain, causing intense pain. They also leave a nice bloody wound, as you can see. This used to make her scream like a child. Hmm...let's see where we can put these next." He jabbed one into her stomach and she grunted in pain, but did not cry out. John struggled against the wall. His heart was breaking for her. Her face was contorted into a mask of pain that John would never be able to forget as long as he lived.

"STOP!" he yelled as he jerked against the wall.

"What? Stop? But why? We are having so much fun. Aren't we," he said as he jabbed her again in the stomach. She sobbed ... once, and then fell silent, shaking in pain. John didn't know how much more she could take. He didn't know how much more he could watch either. "You see Crichton, this is what she deserves. She is a traitor, a whore, and she will be brought to Crais to be discarded, only after I have made her insane. She will be a lesson for the future. Perhaps Crais will keep her around for pleasure. She wouldn't know the difference anyway."

"You are a sick bastard!" John yelled, hoping that Partak would be angry enough to leave Aeryn alone for awhile and deal with him.

Partak just grinned and moved to Aeryn's neck. He placed a rod on either side and stepped behind her, so that John could see her face. Her eyes bugged out and she moaned. She coughed, once, and blood gurgled out of her mouth. She still did not scream.

"Well, she is proving a difficult task after all. I thought that all her time among you weaklings would have tainted her training. But I see now that I have no choice but to move along. He knelt down by Aeryn and lifted one of her feet. He ripped off her sandal and jabbed a rod into the center of the underside of her foot. She bit her lip so hard that more blood began to flow from her mouth. Finally, a scream of agony ripped from her throat. It did not stop for two more arns.

------13------

John was awakened by a strong hand on his shoulder. Lorak was hovering over him, a worried expression on his face. "Come, we must go. I have already contacted your ship. We must go find your Luxan friend. He is on his way down."

"Why the hell should I trust you?" John asked as he staggered to his feet. He looked around but Aeryn was not tied to the other wall.

"She is not here. Partak has taken her..." Lorak trailed off, looking away.

"What?"

"He-he has taken her to his quarters to..." Lorak began.

"Oh my God, no! We have to get her!"

"John Crichton. He took her arns ago. What is done is already done. We cannot help her without your friend. I will take you to his landing place. He has weapons."

"Fine, but on the way there you will explain to me what the hell is happening here."

"Yes! Yes, but let us go," Lorak said urgently. Crais's carrier has been summoned. He is personally arriving in two days."

"We're as good as dead."

"No, John Crichton. I will help you and your female escape."

"She's not my female, damnit!" John whispered in frustration.

"I knew that. But you would like her to be, would you not?"

"Yeah, but...well, never mind. It's too complicated. Now, tell me--" he stopped when he heard her crying. He knew that it was Aeryn. He could hear in her gasps and sobs that she had lost control. Partak had succeeded. She was insane. He grabbed Lorak and pulled him under the window carving. He could hear Partak chuckling softly as Aeryn began to scream again. "We have to help her...now."

"No. She is beyond help at this point. You cannot help her without your friend. The Allarian guards are everywhere. You will die if you attempt to rescue her now."

"Why are you here...you are a guardsman. You helped them deceive us!"

As Lorak led John into the forest he began to speak, "I do not agree with the methods the Sovereign have used to save my people. We deceived you. And I apologize for my behavior, as well as that of my people. The wives of the Sovereign were spared when they made a deal with the Peacekeepers regarding your capture. The banquet hall door was branded with a sign to warn that the water was not to be poisoned. Only the elite ruling class knew of it. If we would help search for you, the wives would be spared. If we found and helped to capture you, they would reverse the effects on all of the women and children that have suffered. We searched and one day came across your ship floating through space. Your cargo doors were opened and we acted rashly. Aeryn heard what we wanted her to hear as she was being transported. It helped to create the illusion that only you could help us. We tricked you into coming here without weapons. And we tricked your ship into staying in our orbit. What you heard about our army and the lab tests is the truth, but it was only the part of it that we wanted you to hear. You have proven yourself honorable. I am so very sorry to have caused you and you female so much pain. Ah, here we are."

D'Argo immediately sprang to action as they approached. He grabbed Lorak and slammed him into a tree. John yelled, "No, D'Argo, he is trying to help us. Don't hurt him." D'Argo eased off a bit as Lorak stepped to his feet.

"I honor your strength, Warrior," he said respectfully.

D'Argo only grunted in acceptance. "Crichton, what is going on down here?" he asked angrily.

"It's a long, long story. All I know is that we have to help Aeryn and get the hell outta here. Crais is on his way. I think that I have a plan."

"You think...." D'Argo said doubtfully as he followed John into the forest, lugging the weapons.



------14------

He leaned over her, grinning. Crais would be so pleased. He had broken her more quickly than he thought it would take. Her time among the fugitives had softened her. She trembled as he ran his hands over her face, but her blank stare let him know that she would not refuse him again. She would not even realize what he was doing to her. He felt his need for her grow when he remembered what it had been like to hear her scream in insane agony at what he had done to her. He had had enough for now. He lifted her broken form in his arms and placed her in a small closet at the back of the room. She would relish the darkness. It would ease her senses...or what was left of them. Plus, he needed to clean the blood off of the bed.

He walked back to the main room, only to find that his Allarian guards were missing. He thought that they must have gone to stand in the fresh air. He walked over to the table and picked up a star-shaped fruit. He was famished after finishing his "training" of Officer Sun. Just as he was about to bite into the fruit, he was hit from behind. He fell onto the table and it broke into pieces. He turned to see a huge Luxan male towering over him, growling. He knew that face well from the identi-files. "What have you done with Aeryn?" the Luxan asked angrily.

Partak smiled sleazily. "I think that it would make you blush, D'Argo."

He jumped up to strike at the Luxan, but one powerful swipe of his enormous arm and Partak flew out the window and fell to the forest below. He hit at least thirty large branches on the way down, and was dead before he even hit the ground. John and Lorak had finished tying up the other Allarians, and walked in after hearing Partak scream.

"Where is she," John asked urgently, scanning the large room.

"I did not see her in here," D'argo answered as he stepped towards the bedroom, "But, I have an idea where she might be."

They searched the bedroom until D'Argo found the back closet. He opened the door and saw a form lying in the corner. D'Argo called John over and went to help Aeryn up when she attacked. She was like a wild animal. She screamed obscenities at him that he could not understand as she scratched at his face and chest. She drew blood and D'Argo released her. She tried to gouge out his eyes. Tears were streaming down her face and she limped after him as he fled the closet. He had never seen her in such a state, it bothered him immensely. A warrior, reduced to a babbling animal. What had been done to her to make her so? He passed John as he was coming out of the closet. John didn't even see him. He ran straight for Aeryn. "D'Argo," he yelled as he passed, "Will you go with Lorak and the rest of his loyal army and round up the Sovereign?"

"Gladly," D'Argo said as he left the room.

John saw her crouching in the darkest corner of the closet. He crouched down and crawled towards her. He had seen the blood on D'Argo's chest. He knew that she wasn't stable. "Aeryn," he said slowly as he eased towards her. "You okay?" He was only about two feet from her now. She turned towards him quickly and he sat down. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Aeryn." He could see that she was severely injured. Her dress was barely shreds of material. He knew that Partak had done a number on her, but he had gotten what he deserved in the end.

Aeryn stared past him. "John," was all she said.

"Yeah, Aeryn, I'm here," he moved towards her. She scooted away further into the corner.

"John?"

"Aeryn, look at me. I'm right here."

She stared past him, seeing nothing. Wherever Aeryn was, John couldn't be sure, There was no sign of life in the blue eyes that stared in his direction. "John. JOHN! JOHN! JOHN!" She started screaming over and over. This time John reacted swiftly. He pulled her into his arms before she realized what was happening and cradled her head to his shoulder.

"No. NO! NO! Stop. Stop...stop.." she sobbed. Her eyes did not blink once.

"Aeryn, shh, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said as he stroked her back.

At least that time she didn't try to attack him. She was still tense all over, and she trembled periodically as she sobbed. He could feel her blood all over him, soaking through what was left of her dress. She needed to get to Moya. He rose slowly with her in his arms. She lay limply in his arms, trembling and weeping as he carried her to the transport pod. He didn't know if she would ever regain sanity. He dreaded the thoughts at the back of his mind.



------15------
John walked into Aeryn's quarters three arns later. She was lying on her bunk, staring up at the ceiling. Periodically she would cry out or shake, but there were no signs of her former self. Zhaan had tried to reach her through meditation when she had first been brought aboard. John and D'Argo had to hold her down as she was to frightened to let anyone but John near her. He doubted she even knew he was there. Zhaan could not do much to help Aeryn. She had said that there was too much going on in her mind. There was turmoil that would just have to sort itself out, if it ever could. She said that she sensed much pain and fear, mixed in with certain vivid memories of Partak. Zhaan had left the room deeply shaken by some of the more vivid memories that she had seen in Aeryn's mind. D'Argo had left to see to Moya's immediate starburst. John had started to clean Aeryn up.

Now, he sat at the edge of her bunk and watched her. He didn't know what to do to make her see him, really see him, so he just sat there for who knows how long. He thought about Lorak, and wished him luck in his mind. Lorak and his loyal followers had tied up the Sovereign and left them to be dealt with by Crais. They had taken the women and children that had been affected by the poisoned water and evacuated in ships. John had given Lorak the coordinates of the planet where they had met Namtar. He told them to look for Kornata, because she could possibly reverse the genetic effects of the poison. Lorak was most thankful.

He scooted closer to Aeryn as she began to sob again. At least she had stopped screaming, he thought glumly. He sat next to her on her bunk and touched her face. She turned away and said something incoherent. "Aeryn, Aeryn won't you please see me? I'm right here," John cried. He had so much to say. If he thought she could possibly hear him he would have said them. Ah, what the hell, he thought. "He put his face down near Aeryn's and whispered to her gently, "Aeryn, if you can hear me...it's John. I'm right here. Don't be afraid. Partak is gone." At the mention of his name, Aeryn's eyes widened and she grabbed at John's hand. He smiled hugely and turned her face so that her eyes were looking in his direction. "Aeryn, I'm right here! If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." He waited for what seemed like forever, but then there was the faintest of squeezes on his left hand. He almost yelled for joy. "Aeryn, I care for you so much. I want you back. I need you back. I need you. I need you, Aeryn. I don't know what I'll do if you don't come back to me. Don't you remember?" He put his face down close to her ear. "I think that I could fall in love with you, Aeryn," he whispered. "I want to kiss you again, and feel you again, but I want you to be there to enjoy it. If you care about me you'll come back, Aeryn. I know it hurts, and I know you're scared and in pain. I know he did horrible things to you, but I'm here Aeryn. If you come back I will not leave you. We'll get through this together. Aeryn, please," he sobbed. She was so lifeless again. He put his face on the pillow next to her and cried. The next thing he knew, he was asleep.



------16------
He woke up to a shuffling sound. There was something heavy on his chest. He opened his eyes to see Zhaan moving about the room, when he looked down he saw a mass of black hair on his chest. Aeryn. "Zhaan, what's going on?." He asked.

"Oh, Crichton, you are awake. It has been two days that you and Aeryn have been sleeping. I found you next to her and I moved you onto the bed. She did not seem to mind. I think your being there has given her strength. The moment you were next to her she curled around you. She awakened yesterday, and she was more alert. She has been talking to you in her sleep all day."

"Really?"

"Yes, she has had quite a lot to say. I will leave you now. Here is some food for you both." She replied as she left the room.

John hugged Aeryn tightly to his chest as she slept. His mind had started to drift again when she started mumbling. Suddenly, she was speaking out loud to him. "John, I do care. Pain. Love? Me? How? I never forgot the flax .... I want you so much, but the training....I, I can't feel......Partak....forcing...like the academy. Help me! John, you are the only one....I want.....you...I need.... I never needed anyone...you, human......so different...so...so....loving.....love.."

John smiled to himself and kissed the top of her head. She stirred and sat up groggily. John sat up right next to her. "Aeryn?"

She turned to him groggily and blinked a few timed, the blankness leaving her eyes as she recognized him. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheeks over and over. Suddenly, she remembered Partak, the room, what had been said, done, the screaming, and she was embarrassed. She looked down, but John lifted her chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. "You okay?"

"What do you think?" she asked solemnly.

"I think that you need to talk," John said.

"I don't--"Aeryn began, then seeing the expression on his face, she shut her mouth. "I'm hungry."

"Zhaan brought us some food. Let's sit at the table."

They sat at the table and Aeryn picked at the food while John watched her. "Aeryn, I know what Partak did to you. It was not your fault. I don't want you to feel embarrassed because you are the victim."

"John, I--," Aeryn began. Suddenly, she got up and ran out of the room. John jumped up and followed her. When he found her, she was in one of the bathrooms, vomiting. He sat by her on the floor and held her hair back until she was finished. After that, he pulled her into his lap and rocked her.

After a few minutes, she looked up at him. "I heard you somewhere in me. When I was lost. I heard you in here," she said, touching his forehead lightly.

He smiled and kissed her forehead in return. "I know," was all he said as he continued to rock her.

"John?"

"Yeah, Aeryn?"

"I wanted to ask you...before...but, I-I couldn't. I didn't know how you felt. I mean, I might now. I'm not sure. I--"

"Aeryn, what is it?"

She placed her head on his shoulder. "Do you think that I am....desirable," she asked hesitantly.

"Aeryn, there is no doubt about that," John answered truthfully without even thinking. "Why do you ask?"

"The things that Partak called me--" she began, her voice cracking.

"Aeryn, they were lies. He was a sick man. The opinion of one delusional and abusive--"

"John! He wasn't the only one to say such things." She paused, her body tensing.

John rubbed her shoulders. "What do you mean Aeryn?" he asked cautiously.

She was silent for a long time. "Crais used to say it too," was all she said before she broke down again.

John sat with her until she was calmer, and then he helped her back to her room. He laid her down and covered her with a thick blanket. She was half-asleep when she asked him to sit with her again. He lay on top of the blankets and she immediately nestled into his arms. He watched her sleep for a long time, wondering what had happened before...with Crais. Whatever it was, it wasn't her fault. That much he knew. He also knew that Aeryn harbored a dark past that wouldn't stay hidden forever.