Lieutenant Talyn Rac Part Nine: How’s It Going To Be
by Sorlk Lewis
Quick Disclaimer: Yes, I have once again used a title of one of Third Eye Blind’s songs as my sub-title. I just couldn’t help myself, it was just to perfect for this section.
“Hi ya Scorpy, did ya miss me?”, asked John Crichton. He had dropped down so as to trap Scorpius in-between the chair and himself. John had his two pulse pistols trained on his tormentor, “What, not even a ‘hello Crichton, let me rape your mind some more’? I’m crushed Scorpy, real crushed. I come in here to see ma new best bud and I don’t even get a hello. What is up with that Scorpy?”, he finished with sarcasm dripping from his voice. Scorpius didn’t answer. John took a step toward the Scaren/Sebacean and blinked a drop of sweat away from his eye. Suddenly Scorpius was gone. John spun around trying to clear his eyes of the sweat that began poring down his face. “Anyone care for a margarita shooter?”, asked Scorpius. In the blink of an eye, John was in the Aurora Chair again. Every enemy he had made in the Uncharted Territories filled the room. Crais spoke, “Start up the chair Officer Sun.” Aeryn was standing behind the control counsel and started flipping levers and pushing buttons. John’s breath caught for a moment, “Aeryn!? What are you doing!? Don’t do this! Aeryn! Aeryn… I love you, don’t do this! Aerynnnnnn!”, he finished as the chair started up. John shot upright in a cold sweat from their hiding place. Aeryn was leaning over him, “John!? What’s wrong?” He tried to catch his breath and think straight. “What is wrong? I heard you yelling and thought that the Peace Keepers found you.” John looked into her bright blue eyes, “A nightmare. It was just a nightmare.” “You had a dream.” “Yeah, a very bad one.”, John then remembered that Aeryn had heard him yelling, “What did I yell out Aeryn?” She blushed slightly at what he said while he was sleeping, but decided against telling him about it now, “You were begging for something from me. You didn’t want me to do something.” “Did I say anything else.” “No.”, she answered to quickly for it to be the truth. John finally had his breathing back under control. He stared at the dark sky. After a few microns of silence, “We should get moving Crichton. I will go get Talyn.” Aeryn jumped up and started towards the dry creek bed. “Right.”, mumbled John as he prepared to move out.
“Sir, we need more reinforcements. The natives have already taken out two commando groups. There is no sign of Rac, Sun, or Crichton.”, stated the Lt.. The captain glared at the woman and responded with a fierce hatred, “Talyn is no longer a Rac, he is a Sun. Is that understood?” “Yes sir.” “About the reinforcements, I have already sent seven more teams.”, he thought over his next words carefully, “Once you find Crichton and the Suns’, bring me Aeryn and Talyn… alive.” “Yes sir.” “Dismissed.” “Aye sir!”
Scorpius walked down the hall followed by several soldiers. The small entourage rounded the corner and stopped in front of the captains chambers. “Gen scan complete.”, sputtered the computer as the door opened. This was now Scorpiuses’ show.
Talyn ducked out of sight once again. They were now thirty metras from the base’s ‘back door’. “Crichton, I still believe this is magra-farbot.” “I know Aeryn, I know.” He started at the base entrance through Aeryn’s oculars. “How many are there?” John turned to face Aeryn, “What?” “How many Peace Keepers are there at the door?”, Aeryn emphasized each word as to get her point across. “I’m not stupid, I just didn’t hear you the first time.” Aeryn rolled her eyes. “In answer to your question, there are three commandos and one officer. If Talyn succeeds, we should have no problem getting in.” Aeryn finally broke eye contact with John, “If being the operative word.” “Why won’t you give him a chance Aeryn?” “I… we have given him several chances and everytime he has lied to us.” He stared at the ground and barely spoke aloud, “He can be more.” The silence was awkward until gunfire erupted from the base entrance. “Oh shit, Talyn was successful.”, mumbled John as he double-checked his two pulse pistols. “Let’s go.”, stated Aeryn as she leapt up. “Lead the way Sundance.”
Four guards detained and drug Captain Rac down the hall as he yelled, “High Command will never stand for this!” “They already have.”, replied Scorpius coolly as the doors sealed shut behind him. The Scaren had told High Command of Captain Rac’s emotional involvement and his ‘erratic’ behavior. That is how he once again had control over another base. As soon as he had finished his thoughts on Rac’s emotional involvement, an alarm sounded for the third time in three weekens. A Lt. rushed into the room, “Sir, there is a breach at level three, entrance six. There is a disturbance being caused by another Peace Keeper.” Scorpiuses’ eyes darkened, “Describe this Peace Keeper.” “He is about seventeen cycles old, short black…” The Lt. was interrupted by sputtering and static over his com, “There…two more… man and woman… returning fire…” The Scarens eyes filled with surprise, delight, and fury all at once, “Crichton!”
Talyn heard voices as he began to regain consciousness, “Talyn, hey Talyn wake up. He isn’t dead, is he Aeryn?” “No, he isn’t. He was just stunned by the pulse riffle. You are lucky he was hit, it would have probably killed you.” “Oh thanks. I guess we can chalk that up to another part of human inferiority, right?”, said John in his usual sarcasm. “No, I didn’t mean…” “Hey, he’s coming to. Talyn, can you hear us?” The young Sun finally opened his eyes, the bright light blinding him temporarily. “Turn off the flashbulb Crichton.” “Oh yeah, right.”, John turned off the flashlight as he called them. The painful white light was now replaced with a dull, red, pulsating one. Talyn tried to sit up and found he couldn’t because of a shooting pain through his left side, “What happened?” “You were hit with a pulse blast meant for me.”, stated John dryly. “Where are we?” In a game show host voice, John said, “And I believe Miss Sun can answer the million dollar question for you.” They both gave him a bizarre look. John just shrugged, “So Aeryn, where are we?” She looked at the low hanging ceiling as she spoke, “As far as I can tell, we are in an access tunnel leading to the backup life support system for about a third of the base. We are directly over a rec area.” “Well, let’s keep the noise level of our party down then.”, quipped John. Talyn spoke again, “We should start moving again.” John pushed him back down as he tried to get up again, “Cool it there boy. We don’t need you reopening that wound of yours there. Aeryn had a hard of enough time patching you up the first time.” Talyn dropped his head back to the warm steel floor as John continued; “Aeryn and I have some unfinished business with an… old friend. We can also secure a marauder or Prowler by our selves.” “John is right. We can take care of everything, you better stay here and wait for us.” Crichton started to back up to the nearest junction, “Just look at is some R&R Talyn.” John disappeared behind the bend in the tunnel. As Aeryn started to back up, she warned Talyn in a low voice, “I have already promised this, but Crichton told me to give you another chance. If you do anything to hinder our escape, you will pay for it in a most unpleasant manor.” She didn’t even give him a chance to respond to the threat because she also disappeared around the curve in the tunnel. “What have you done Talyn?”, he said aloud to himself. Oh no, I am starting to act like that human now.
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Moya had been hovering at the edge of the system for several solar days. They had heard nothing of Crichton or Aeryn. “D’argo, Zhaan, Moya has found something of interest.” “What is it Pilot, we are very busy right now.” For the past four arns, she and D’argo had been adding weapons to one of the transport pods for a rescue attempt. “We have picked up a Peace Keeper communication.” D’argo came on, “What did it say?” “It stated… that all available Peace Keeper transports should report immediately to the base. They… seem to be under attack.” D’argo and Zhaan jumped up and ran towards command, practically plowing over Chiana on the way there. “What? What is happening?” “We will find out in command”, replied Zhaan. Chiana joined the run. “Can the attack be confirmed Pilot?” “I am working on it D’argo.” After what seemed an eternity Pilot came back on, “Confirmed. There seems to be a war breaking out about one solar days travel from the base. The natives have discovered the Peace Keepers presence.” Chiana came forward, “What are we going to do now?”
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Aeryn and John crawled through the ventilation shaft above the captains chamber. Aeryn paused when she heard voices. “What do you mean Crichton has disappeared!?”, yelled Scorpius. The Lt. swallowed hard, “He is gone sir. We believe he is now on the base along with Aeryn and Talyn Sun, sir.” “Well find them… alive! Dismissed.” “Yes Sir.” Aeryn and John could hear the padding of the Lieutenants feet travel out of chambers below. Scorpius cursed something untranslatable and kicked a chair across the room. John repositioned so he could look through a grate at the Scaren/Sebacean. The panel began to creak and groan. “Oh shit! Aerynnn!”
To Be Continued…