Awakening
By Sailor Shipper
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Disclaimers: The farscape world belongs to Jim Henson Productions.
Cold and unyielding mettle reverberated under her dark boots. Captain Tharagra walked steadily forward, moving from her transport pod and into the docking bay. Behind her six armed solders followed, awaiting their Captain's command.
"Stay close," Tharagra commanded. "There are only six hostiles but they will be waiting in ambush."
Tharagra's bright yellow-green eyes moved restlessly from place to place, not allowing even the slightest detail to escape her sharp gaze. Tharagra's sharp hearing picked up a slight sound to her left. Wordlessly she snapped around, pulse rifle in hand, and fired. A figure leapt from the shadows rolling away from the sparks. Tharagra moved just in time to avoid a return of weapon fire. Pulse shots broke out from various corners of the docking bay.
"Show yourselves." Tharagra yelled. "Give up without a fight or be killed."
"And let you space Nazis play chess with my mind?" A male voice responded.
"Not in this life time."
This time Tharagra was not fast enough. She felt a deep burning in her left shoulder as a pulse blast struck her. With a gasp of anger Tharagra grasped her wound, blood seeping past her finger. Her eyes narrowed and suddenly Tharagra felt as if her body was being pulled and twisted. Dark brown fur covered her skin. Tharagra's hands twisted into claws as her mouth and noise elongated into a fang filled snout. A long bushy tail sprang forth as pointed ears on the side of Tharagra's scull. With a snarl for furry Tharagra stood, her newly acquired fangs barred in a feral grin of rage.
"Oh crap," The male voice said. "This can't be happening."
One of Tharagra's solders gave out a cry of surprise. Then all six Peacekeeper commandos turned on their captain. Tharagra moved easily out of the way. Then in a blind rampage she attacked. With one easy rip of her claws Tharagra tore the nearest Peacekeeper open. Soon all that could be heard was cries of dying Peacekeepers and a deep throated growling.
One Tharagra had dispatched of the last person under her command she stood breathing heavily. Tharagra was still in her new form, covered in blood and gore of what had once been officers under her command. None of that registered, just as the rage subsided Tharagra felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, then darkness.
***
Awareness came back to Tharagra with painful clarity, a deep burning pain shot trough her wrists. Opening her eyes and sitting up with a gasp of pain Tharagra found that she was once again in Sebacean form. Soon after that her brain registered that her hands hand been bound with metal handcuffs. It was these restraints that caused her such pain.
"Well, well, well. Looks like Fido has finally woken up."
Tharagra's gaze focused on a tall man looking at her from out side her small cell. He looked back with a combination of hate and disgust, a spark of madness was noticeable in his voice.
"I see that werewolves really do exist." He rambled on. "They just decided to hide out in space."
"What do you want?" Tharagra spat. "I know you're that human called Crichton."
"Smart creature, aren't you?" Crichton countered. "Its nice to see one of you behind bars. I've had enough of your stinking race chasing me. Not that big of a surprise that at least one of your are a flea bitten werewolf."
Tharagra snarled in rage, ignoring the burning in her wrists as best she could. Tharagra lunged at her cell door, intent on getting at the insolent human. Crichton simply jumped back and laughed.
"I wouldn't try that again, Fido." He explained. "Those handcuffs are pure silver, if I had my way it would have been used to pierce your heart, not hold you down. Lucky for you the rest of the crew wants you alive. If you try and go into werewolf form again those cuffs will cut into your wrists."
"Consider yourself lucky, human." Tharagra snarled. "Its easy to be brave when your on the other side of the bars. Know this if I find a way out I will enjoy ripping your throat out with my bare hands. Only a fool and a coward gloats over a defenseless enemy."
Crichton drew his pulse pistol and fired once. Tharagra hissed in pain as her leg was hit, it took all her willpower to keep from changing into her wolf form.
"Not so tough now, Fido," Crichton raged. "You Peacekeepers are all alike, blood thirsty killers convinced of your own superiority. What are you going to do flea bag, glare me to death?"
Crichton raised his pulse pistol, ready to fire again.
"John don't even think about it!" A firm voice stated. "Now put the gun down and leave her alone."
A raven-haired woman was walking quickly to where Crichton was standing. Her gray eyes sparkled with determination. Crichton lowered his weapon and turned around.
"Aeryn we can't trust her not only is she a captive Peacekeeper she is also a werewolf."
"That gives you no right to torture her." Aeryn stated firmly. "Now go back to our cabin and let me deal with her."
A brief battle of wills ensued as gray eyes stared down blue. Finally without a word Crichton returned his pulse rife to his hip holster and left. Tharagra watched then entire exchange through pain fogged eyes, her sharp mind imagining a thousand painful ways to harm Crichton.
"John Crichton may be crazy but he still grows on you." Aeryn stated to herself. Tharagra easily picked up the comment.
"Like a plague, you mean." She sneered.
Aeryn turned to face Tharagra, opening the cell door so she could inspect Tharagra's newly acquired wound.
"Crichton's not usually like this." Aeryn felt the need to once again defend him. "But after having his mind frelled with by six different races John has grown a bit more paranoid about strangers. I have no idea what the frell his ranting about werewolves is."
"You would defend him, he is your mate after all."
"How did ..?" Aeryn started, Tharagra's eyes fell to the barely noticeable bulge in Aeryn's mid section.
"I didn't make Captain by having the observation skills of a blind Hynerian."
"And I suppose you'll go off about keeping the Sebacean blood like pure." Aeryn accused.
"Your human may not be one of my favorite people but I'm not as close minded as he may think. Pity he is though."
***
"How long do you plan to keep Tharagra caged up and in chains, John?" Was the first thing Aeryn asked as she walked into the cabin she now shared with John.
"Until we find a better way to keep her restrained. I don't trust Peacekeepers, especially when they start changing into horror move rejects."
Aeryn let out a sigh and gave Crichton a look of frustration mixed with affection.
"For once can't you use an explanation that the rest of use can understand?" Aeryn pleaded.
"On Earth there are quite a few legends of humans that take the form of wolfs." John explained. "The legends very from place to place as well as how the transformation happens, but in most of the legends werewolves are evil and highly dangerous."
"Your being over cautious, John." Aeryn countered. "I spent several arns talking with Tharagra, she is a lot less close-minded then most Peacekeepers. She may be aggressive and have a fighters spirit but is a lot safer to have aboard then I was, as you well remember."
"I'm thinking of your safety, Sunshine." John moved to gather Aeryn into a firm embrace. "As well as our child's."
His hands rested on the slight swell of Aeryn's stomach. For a brief moment Aeryn allowed herself the rare luxury of enjoying John's warm embrace. Then she pulled away to face him again, determination in her eyes.
"You gave me a chance, allowed me to grow out of the Peacekeeper mind set. You also gave Chinana a chance, even when the rest of us wanted to space her on site. Why won't you give Tharagra the same chance?"
"Lets just say something about that werewolf rubs me wrong." John stated simply.
***
Tharagra leaned against a wall, listing to Moya's gentle hum. She had stopped trying to gage how long she had been a captive. Tharagra's handcuffs no longer burned her wrists and now scars had began to form.
Most of Tharagra's time was spent in contemplation of her shift and the death of those who had served under her command. Though she had no memory of killing her officers Tharagra felt a detached regret. Killing was what she had been trained for but not to such a violent degree. Silently Tharagra vowed to never allow her rage to allow her to kill companions again, blind killings would be reserved for her enemies.
Crichton had moved quickly to the top of her list. Other than Aeryn he was the only one who would come to see her. There was a distinct difference between when Aeryn visited and when Crichton showed up. Aeryn would come to talk, enjoying, in her own way, having another Sebacean to talk to. Crichton would come to antagonize Tharagra, making his dislike of her very clear.
A familiar presence made itself know, Tharagra looked up in time to see Aeryn walk into the cell. Without a word she walked over to Tharagra and unlocked her handcuffs. For a moment Tharagra just sat there, rubbing her scared wrists, then a slight smile appeared.
"Finally managed to steal the key from your human." Tharagra stated.
"Actually I convinced him as well as the rest of the crew that you were no threat. John's not too pleased but no one else minds all that much."
Tharagra stood up, stretching her muscles. She flexed her arms and fingers, hearing them pop from lack of use. The Tharagra concentrated hard and shifted into her were form for a brief moment. Noticing Aeryn's surprise she shifted back.
"Just wanted to test that change." She assured Aeryn.
"Careful around Crichton. He's still paranoid and wont like your shifting."
"I'll just practice when your human is not around. I need to learn just what I can do with this."
Tharagra's lithe body moved in an elaborate battle dance, every muscle moved in harmony as she punched and kicked. Her long brown hair, which even in the best conditions had an unkept look, waved about her hair in a wild cloud. Her sharp eyes focused intently on the practice dummy as her foot connected, knocking it against a far wall.
"Normally I'll join you, unfortunately I'm just not up to it nowadays."
Tharagra turned to Aeryn who was standing at the doorway, a hand on her increasingly swollen belly. Grinning at her only friend Tharagra did a few cool down exercises as Aeryn walked over to her.
"Your loss." Tharagra responded. "I could use a good sparing partner, your human wouldn't last three micronts and the others don't come near me."
"Speaking of John I'm impressed. The two of you went three solar days without so much as a word."
"That's your doing, Aeryn." Tharagra chuckled. "As long as you keep him away from me, your human won't do anything that makes me want to gut him. What is his problem any way? You were a Peacekeeper once also and he gave you a chance."
"I don't understand myself. It has something to do with your other form, some kind of ingrained hate against werewolves."
Aeryn suddenly winced in pain and grasped her side. With a look of concern Tharagra reached out a hand and placed it on Aeryn's shoulder. Aeryn didn't respond, just stood there gasping.
When the pain subsided Aeryn was able to get out.
"Just the baby, kicking again."
Tharagra kept a comforting hand on Aeryn's shoulder as her friend faced the pain.
"Get your dirty hands off her, Flea-bag." Crichton's voice rang out.
Tharagra turned around to receive a sucker punch in her jaw. Spitting blood, her eyes flashing, Tharagra glared at the human.
"What did you do to her, Freak?" He demanded. "If you hurt Aeryn or the baby.."
That was enough. Crichton's accusation was the last thing that shattered what little tolerance that Tharagra had for the human. With an enraged yell she attacked. Tharagra lifted Crichton by the throat and slammed him against a wall. Fire sparkling in her eyes as she began to crush his throat.
With her free hand Tharagra pulled Crichton's pulse pistol from its holster and brought it to the side of his head.
"That's it, human." She snarled. "I put up with your dren for to long. You better have made your peace with Aeryn and left a message for your child 'cause I am going to kill you."
Tharagra ignored Aeryn's pleads as her fist tightened.
"I don't even want to waste my werewolf form on you."
Tharagra could feel something began to tingle in her legs. It was a feeling much like they had been asleep and had just began to wake up. Slowly Crichton's face faded from view as realty shifted around her and changed into nothingness.
The beginning.