Quips And Veils and Raboin Tails

 by Sharon Shoji
 

Disclaimer: The characters of the TV series “Farscape” are the property of creator Rockne S. O’Bannon.  I have borrowed them with love and respect but not permission.  The other characters are mine and if you’re familiar with the series, you’ll know who they are.

My thanks to the talented actors who have brought to life, characters so fully realized that it is a joy and pleasure to write about their continuing adventures.  And a personal thank you to my friend and Beta reader, Joy and my sister and writing partner, Maria without whom this story would never have been told.
 

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Quips and Veils and Raboin Tails
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~1~
“A hamburger.  A nice, thick, juicy hamburger.  With fries.  And a Coke.”  John recited wistfully, his eyes closed.  “I can barely remember what that tastes like.”

Aeryn arched an eyebrow as she stabbed another of the bright green food cubes.  “That’s another weakness I’ve observed.”  Ignoring the flash of anger that crossed John’s face, she continued.  “If you eat different things, you want them.  *I* seldom eat anything other than food cubes.”

“Well, thank you, Martha Stewart,” he said sarcastically, pushing his plate away.

“My name is Aeryn,” she retorted.

“Just joking, Sunshine,” John answered, leaning back in his chair and glaring at her.

“Humor,” she snorted.  “What a useless trait ...”

“Obviously,” John said, rolling his eyes upward.  “Since Sebaceans seem to have none...”

“Yooman Yotz...” she hissed, flinging a food cube at him.

“That’s ‘human’ he corrected, ducking as the hard cube flew by him.  “And who are you calling a Yotz?”

“You.  You Yotz!”

“Putz!”

“Putz???”

“Yah.  It’s a double Yotz.”

“Double Yotz???!!....”

John and Aeryn yelped simultaneously and slapped the back of their necks, turning to see D’Argo standing behind them, his hands on his hips.

“Hey,” John protested as he gingerly touched the nape of his neck. “Watch that tongue of yours.”

“Can’t you two even eat a meal without arguing?” he growled, stomping over to the food dispenser.

“We weren’t arguing,” John muttered.  Turning to Aeryn he bent his head down, “Is my neck bleeding?” he asked worriedly.

Aeryn bent forward to look, then stopped as she saw D’Argo’s watchful eyes on her.  “Don’t be such a whiny-ass booby,” she said quickly, pushing John away from her.

“That’s whiny-ass baby,” he corrected automatically, then suddenly realizing the insult, opened his mouth, but his retort was cut short by Rygel’s hurried entrance.

“Where *is* everyone?”  he huffed, hovering over the table where John and Aeryn sat.  He snorted in irritation as D’Argo brushed past him and sat down.   “Evidently manners are unknown on Luxan, ...” he began, as he regained his balance, then clamped his mouth shut as D’Argo turned his head and rumbled menacingly.

“Zhaan! Where is Zhaan?” he demanded, quickly angling his hover platform away from the fierce warrior.

“Here, Your Eminence,” a soft voice responded.  He grimaced, mollified by her tone and nodded to her as she walked gracefully into the room.

“She plays him like a Zarkanian lute,” Aeryn whispered, leaning toward John as they exchanged an amused glance.

“As I was saying,” Rygel continued, raising his voice and glaring at John and Aeryn who sat back, returning his look with mock contriteness.  “I have a very important announcement.”

He ran his stubby gray fingers down the front of his robe, smoothing the rich material as he waited until he felt he had their undivided attention.

“As you know, we are approaching a number of commerce type planets and through complex, delicate and, if I might add --skilled -- negotiations, I have successfully concluded a highly beneficial trade agreement with the Raboins which will bring us much needed fresh food supplies.”
“Modest, and proud of it,” John murmured under his breath.

“What?” Rygel shot back tersely.  John opened his mouth to repeat his comment, but at the feel of Zhaan’s gentle hand on his shoulder, he reconsidered.

 “Maps, he amended. “I was wondering if they also had any maps or star charts.”

Rygel tilted his head in thought.  “An excellent suggestion, Crichton.  I’ll contact them again,” he said loftily as he floated toward the doorway.  “Their leader was most accommodating.

“And gracious,” he added, glancing pointedly at D’Argo.  As the Luxan surged to his feet, Rygel’s eyebrows shot up in consternation and he spurted his hover platform into the hallway, disappearing hurriedly around the corner.
 

~2~
“A Leviathan,” she said aloud, savoring the word greedily. “What I could do with a ship like that.”

Rising fluidly from the low couch, she walked to the balcony, her pale lilac tunic swirling around her.  As she looked down through the thick green foliage, she stared speculatively at the large stack of food storage containers on the ground, ready and waiting.

“Yes, this Rygel may have just bargained for more than he expected,” she said, a cruel smile curving her beautiful mouth.  Reaching up, she absently fingered the edge of her unadorned ear.   “I’ll get my status back,” she hissed, her violet eyes narrowing as her hand closed into a tight fist.  “And with that ship, I’ll be unstoppable.”
 

~3~
“Not bad,” Aeryn commented as John set the shuttle down smoothly in the small landing area.  “For a human,” she added.

John bristled, then relaxed and grinned as he saw the amusement in her grey eyes.  She had initially had a hard time grasping the “teasing” aspect of humor but now seemed to get it -- all too well.

“Oh yah, no problem,” he said expansively, as he gestured at the complicated control panel.  “All I need is a couple more arms and a big hat and I could take over for Pilot.”

“If you two are ready,” growled a familiar voice.  “I want to get the cargo loaded and get back to Moya.”  Looking out of the shuttlecraft’s windows D’Argo curled his lips in disgust.  “These trees are too big.  Too tall.  Too... green.”

“I rather like it,” Aeryn said, slinging her pulse rifle over her shoulder.  “Although green does seem a strange color for trees.”

“What color are trees on Sebacea? Pink?” John joked, following her out of the shuttlecraft.

“As a matter of fact....”

John abruptly collided with Aeryn, smashing her up against D’Argo, who had stopped dead in his tracks.

“Geez, you guys!” he exclaimed, untangling himself from the strap of Aeryn’s rifle, “At least put on your brake lights!”  Suddenly aware of D’Argo and Aeryn’s silence, John peered around the Luxan’s large frame and let out a low whistle at the sight of the slender woman moving toward them.

“She looks like Zhaan, only purple!” he whispered in surprise.

“Welcome,” she intoned, bringing her hands together.  Curving them gracefully toward herself, she touched her forehead.  “I am Skanda,” she softly.  Gliding smoothly forward, she extended her hands, palm out, toward them.

D’Argo stepped forward and ducked his head in acknowledgment, copying her gesture as he introduced himself and touched his hands to hers.  He shivered slightly as a ripple of warmth coursed through his body  and as he looked into her eyes, he was startled to see they were deep green.  Shaking his head slightly, he looked again and was confused to see her eyes were now violet colored.

“D’Argo?” John said hesitantly.  “Are you okay?”

D’Argo shook his head again, as if to clear it, and stepped back.  “These are my shipmates,” he said in a deep voice, indicating John and Aeryn.

Skanda moved to John, her hands extended.  Copying D’Argo’s greeting, he introduced himself, then caught his breath as their hands touched and he was hit by an aching flash of heat.  Her eyes, he thought to himself.  So clear and blue...

“And I’m Aeryn Sun,” Aeryn said briskly, breaking in.  She touched her hands to Skanda’s, puzzled by the slight itch she felt in her palms.  Glancing into her deep violet eyes, she was startled to see a flash of irritation that was quelled so swiftly she wondered for a moment if she had imagined it.

“And where is Rygel?” Skanda asked, quickly dropping her hands from Aeryn’s.  “I am most anxious to meet your leader.”

“Leader?” D’Argo repeated in a strangled voice.

“Ah, we don’t use that term,” John said, stepping forward as he elbowed the Luxan sharply in the ribs.  “We just call him Rygel.”  Seeing that Skanda was still waiting for an explanation, he glanced at Aeryn only to see her looking expectantly at him.

“He, uh, has to stay on the ship.  Enemies, you know,” John said, bobbing his head.  “They’re everywhere.  Someone always wanting to kill him.”

“Yesss,” D’Argo hissed, flexing his strong hands.  “Kill him....”

“So he asked us to come in his place for the signing ceremony,” John finished quickly.  Gesturing to the heavy container at D’Argo’s feet, he continued.  “And here is the water purifier you requested.”

Skanda murmured her thanks, smiling and tilting her head graciously.  “I’m afraid your food storage containers are not yet ready.  Perhaps you could all join me for a meal while we wait?”

John stared raptly into her face.  There was something so familiar about her, he thought.  So achingly familiar....

“And I hope you don’t mind heights,” she added turning to D’Argo.  “The Raboins are tree dwellers and our living quarters are tucked safely up in the tree tops.”

“Not at all. I look forward to seeing it,” he rumbled, ignoring Aeryn’s amazed protests.  Hefting the large container onto his shoulder, he fell into place at Skanda’s side.

John darted over to her other side, causing Aeryn to frown slightly as she brought up the rear.  She found their behavior puzzling and had misgivings about Skanda, despite her pleasantness toward them.  Swinging her pulse rifle up, she cradled it in her arms as she walked but even it’s familiar weight failed to comfort her.

Sighing, she lowered the rifle, resting it against her hip.  “I guess I’ll have to use my brain again to figure this out,” she muttered in irritation.
 

~4~
 Pilot looked up as Zhaan and Rygel approached, his dark golden eyes glowing in the pulsing light of the control panel that surrounded him.

“Is there a problem?” Zhaan asked, noticing the agitated way in which he was tapping his pointed hooves over the various controls.

“Moya is worried,” he said in his flat clipped voice.  The vertical pupils in his eyes widened, then telescoped tightly into a thin black line.  “She senses Peacekeeper equipment on the planet’s surface.”

The ship shuddered and groaned, sending the nearby DRDs scuttling away.  Zhaan closed her eyes in empathy as Rygel gasped softly.

“Peacekeepers?” he whispered, his voice breaking slightly.  He lowered his hover platform, edging closer to Zhaan, as if for comfort.

Pilot shook his head slowly.  “Not Peacekeepers.  Just their equipment.”

“We should leave orbit quickly,” she said.

“After we load the food,” Rygel reminded her.

“And everyone is aboard,” Pilot finished, turning to stare at him.

“Don’t take that tone with me,” Rygel snapped, shrugging his shoulders and adjusting his robes.  “It’s not my fault that I am here on this ship, rather than planetside.  As a matter of fact, *I* should be leading the landing party, not D’Argo.  After all, I was the one who negotiated so brilliantly.  And this trade agreement is much more advantageous than the last one.  All we got from those cheap Maveks were some questionable computer chips and a bag of stale nuts.”

“Which Crichton said you ate before they could be scanned,” Pilot interjected.

“They were small....”

“And potent,” Pilot finished.  “D’Argo referred to the resulting gaseous fumes you produced as similar to the breath of a Palmolian Meat Hound.”

Rygel snorted indignantly.  “When I was a prisoner, I was forced to subsist on those wretched food cubes -- when I was lucky enough to be fed at all.  After more than 130 cycles, I think I deserve something better.”

“Better than what everyone else eats?” Pilot asked curiously.

Rygel blinked, then drummed his short fingers on his chest.  He glanced at Zhaan who gave him a small smile and lifted an eyebrow in question.  “For the time being, considering our dire situation, I guess I am forced to throw my lot in with all of you,” he sniffed condescendingly.  “But don’t think that means I think of any of you as my equal....”

Pilot tilted his head.  “Holding yourself above the others, only holds you apart from them.  We are all shipmates,” he said, reaching out to tentatively touch Rygel’s hand,  “together with Moya.”
 

~5~
“Would you like some?”

John nodded in mute fascination, his interest torn between the savory smell of the soup and the Server’s prehensile tail, holding the ladle.  He ran his eyes admiringly over the beautiful buff colored fur that covered the tail and slim body.  The young Raboin tossed her thick mane and smiled shyly, her smooth cat-like face showing her enjoyment at the unexpected attention.

Deftly filling his bowl, she dropped the ladle back into the pot she held and using the tip of her tail, reached into her apron pocket, fished out a spoon and politely handed it to him.  Grinning his thanks, John began to eat, pausing to glance at Aeryn sitting stiffly next to him, trying to avoid being touched by the Servers.  He knew she tried hard to overcome her Sebacean teachings about contamination from other alien lifeforms and he often wondered if the growing friendship they shared was due solely to the fact that, as a human, he appeared to her as less ‘alien’ than their other crewmates.

He watched as she took a hesitant sip of the thick, steaming soup, then smiled as her face lit with surprised pleasure.  “Better than food cubes?”  he asked innocently as she dug into her bowl enthusiastically.

Aeryn paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth and glanced down at the odd looking vegetables in her bowl.  “Sometimes different is good,”  she admitted equably.

“My feelings exactly,” Skanda said smoothly, suddenly appearing behind John to lean over his shoulder and whisper in his ear.  Aeryn continued to eat but her eyes never left Skanda’s hands,  watching with concern as they stroked the nape of John’s neck then moved around to lightly touch a point on his neck, right below the angle of his jaw.

As she moved away to stand by D’Argo, Aeryn leaned in toward him. “John,” she whispered urgently.  She looked with concern into his pale blue eyes, slightly soft and out of focus.

“Hey!  Space Boy!”  she said, raising her voice slightly as she grabbed his hand and gave it a tug.  “You barbaric, methane-farting yooman!”

“Yes?” he said vaguely.  Aeryn felt a chill run through her as he continued to gaze calmly at her.

“What’s the matter with you?”  she said, tugging desperately at his hand again.  “I’ve had better conversations with a farking Tavlek!”

John abruptly shook his head and glanced down in confusion at her hand which was still gripping his tightly.

“Areyn, what’s wrong?” he asked, looking up anxiously.

“You tell me,” she said, letting out her breath as she saw light and recognition return to his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly.  “It was kind of like my mind hiccuped, then I heard your voice.”  He shook his head gingerly.  “I still feel a little groggy....”

“Your mind hiccuped?” she repeated.  “Is this a technical term?”

“I was just trying to explain it simply ....” he began, stopping as he saw the familiar warning lift of her chin.

“Oh. I see,” she hissed, snatching her hand away.  “Simple enough for a plootz like me....”

“That’s putz.  And did you just call me a “farking Tabloid”?  he asked, wrinkling his face in irritation.

“That’s Tavlek, and yes I did.”

“But they’re so damn  .... ugly!” John protested.

“Just another alien male, as far as I’m concerned,” Aeryn retorted.

But before John could pursue her comment, they were both distracted by the sound of  D’Argo’s low growling purr.   Glancing across the room, they were surprised to see him with Skanda, their heads close together as she reached up to stroke his tattooed chin.

“Speaking of which, it looks like our hostess has a thing for tall, crabby and alien,”  John said in amusement, “And wait’ll she finds out about that tongue of his,” he added with a grin, looking at Aeryn.

But she was watching Skanda, and as the Delvian looked over and saw John joking with Aeryn, she turned her deep violet eyes toward her and Aeryn felt a jolt of angry irritation.  The look was gone in a flash, but in that instant Aeryn suddenly knew her instincts about Skanda were right.

“John,” she said, her voice pitched low as she turned toward him.  “Be careful.  Skanda seems to be able to....”

“So, you are finished with your meal,” Skanda commented walking up to them, D’Argo trailing intently after her. “I hope it gave you pleasure,” she said warmly, reaching out to take John’s hand as he rose.  Her eyebrows flicked up in surprise as John let her hand go and edged closer to Aeryn.

“You no longer find my company engaging?” she asked with facetious coyness.  “Usually my guests are more .... susceptible to my charms.  But then I am not familiar with your species,” she said thoughtfully.  Looking from John to Aeryn, she frowned slightly and tilted her head. “You are not of the same species, are you?”

“Similar enough,” Aeryn interjected before John could answer.

“I see,” Skanda murmured, sensing her aggressive feelings. “He is your .... concern?” she asked, giving Aeryn an appraising look.

“We are shipmates,” Aeryn answered, then stepped forward as Skanda moved closer.  “And I would not hesitate to protect him,” she added quietly, her eyes holding Skanda’s.

Skanda stepped back involuntarily, making a small noise of irritation.  “I intended no harm,” she said stiffly, “You misunderstood my overtures of friendship.” Turning, she began to speak to a pair of Raboins who had entered the room.

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” John demanded under his breath.

“Just trying to make sure you don’t get another case of mind hiccups,” Aeryn whispered back tersely.  “So do your part, and stay away from her.”

Before John could argue, Skanda ushered the two Raboins toward John and D’Argo.  “I was telling Ka D’Argo that it would honor us if you would dress in Raboin attire for the signing ceremony,” she explained.

As John accepted the small cloth bundle he was presented, he glanced down at the skimpy loincloth the male Raboin was wearing.  “Well,” he muttered in resignation.  “When in Rome...”

As the Raboins turned to leave, John stared at the backless design that allowed for their prehensile tails.

“Somehow I don’t think the rest of that saying was, ‘dress as the Romans do’.... ” he groaned under his breath as he heard Aeryn snicker.
 

~6~
“They are trading for a water purifier, Tuatha.”

A murmur of dissatisfaction and envy circled the small room.

“It really should be ours,” ventured an older male with a broad dark stripe down his back.  Encouraged by his neighbors, he rose to face the head of the table, his ears laid back in anger.  “Tuatha, we know they bargained with the food they stole from our storage caves.  Since it was our food in the first place, whatever it was traded for, should also be ours.”

He sat down, as the rest of the room nodded and hummed in agreement.

“So what do you propose we do, Makis?” a soft voice asked, cutting through the grumbling and complaining.  “Steal it?” he prompted.  “You all feel it is yours.  Why not just take it?”

The Council Chambers became quiet as the members exchanged sheepish glances.  The blue figure at the head of the table, rose gracefully and walked slowly around the table, looking at each member in turn.  Stopping beside a young spotted female, he reached out to lightly lay his hand on her shoulder.

“Ruzella, what is your opinion?” he encouraged, in a low voice.

She glanced around the table, her ears swiveling self-consciously as all eyes turned to her.  “Well,” she said, straightening up and clasping her tail in her hands to keep it from twitching.  “Just because they stole from us, does not make it right for us to steal from them,” she answered.

“Very good,” he said warmly, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.  He moved smoothly to the front of the room, his pale blue tunic swirling fluidly around his ankles.

“There was a time when I thought that it was possible to reason with Skanda, ” he said, his luminous eyes pained with remorse.  “To avoid a confrontation.”

“But she wants no part of compromise,”  a sleek dark male interjected, his ears quivering in irritation.  “Thanks to you, at least a small group of us were able to escape to the caves.”

“Yes, Vadram,” he said nodding his head in acknowledgment.  “And you have all lived your lives honorably, making me proud to lead this clan of Raboins.

“But you all know my ultimate goal is to bring all the Raboins together.  My leadership over the past 100 cycles can never make up for the split Skanda and I brought to your people.”

“An ambitious dream but I do not think I will live to see it happen,” Makis uttered in frustration, his tail snapping angrily.  “The Tree Dwellers would gladly join us, but Skanda would never give up her power over them.”

“You are right, Old Friend,” Tuatha agreed, “but that is the beauty of dreams.  There are no guarantees.  It makes triumph that much more sweet to savor.”

“And failure?” Vadram asked.

Tuatha smiled gently.  “If you choose not to dream, you will never be disappointed by failure.  But then, neither will you know the joy of achieving your heart’s longing.”

“So,” he said, turning to face the Council members.  “Where do you stand?”

“With you,” Makis said, rising.

“As always,” Vadram added with a smile, joining the rest of the Council as they rose to face their leader.
 

~7~
Aeryn dabbed John’s face with a cool damp cloth.  She knew his body temperature was normally higher than hers, but she was sure this was well above his normal range.  And the tiny red bumps appearing in clusters on his arms and neck worried her even though John insisted that they just itched.

“Maybe it’s a reaction to the food I ate,” he said, panting softly.  “Or the mind hiccup Skanda gave me.”

“I scanned everything they brought to the table,” she said, rising from the edge of the low bed where John lay.  “It should have been safe for all of us.”

She turned as a young Server padded into the room.  “These are from all the dishes served to you,” she said as she handed Aeryn a cloth wrapped bundle.  Glancing over at John, she uttered an “oh!” of surprise, her tail wrapping around her small body as she hugged her arms around herself.

“He does not look good,” she said worriedly, raising her wide yellow eyes up to Aeryn.

“That’s why I’m taking this food back to our ship,” she explained, gesturing to the bundle.   “We have a laboratory where we can analyze it.”

“You think our food made him sick?” the Raboin asked anxiously, her ears twitching rapidly.

Aeryn stooped down to face the young female.  She could tell how upset she was and instinctively reached out to pat her shoulder.  She blinked in surprise at the feel of soft fur beneath her hand, and then her eyes widened in wonder that the feel was not at all repulsive to her.

Evidently, Aeryn was as much a curiosity to the young Server who took the opportunity to reach up and stroke the back of her hand as it rested on her shoulder.

“Aren’t you cold with just this skin?” she asked.

“Sometimes,” Areyn said with a small smile.  “That’s why we wear clothes.”

“Except when we’re....”

“John!”

“.... taking a shower.”

Aeryn sighed and rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet.  She nodded her thanks to the young Server who dashed out of the room, then looked down at John.

“Don’t they ever shut up on your planet?” she asked in exasperation.
 

~8~
D’Argo sipped appreciatively, sighing as the hot liquid warmed his throat.  “This reminds me of my homeworld,” he rumbled, holding the mug under his nose and savoring the spicy aroma.  He turned at the sound of slight rustling and found himself looking into dark green eyes, soft and warm with feeling.  Reaching out, he lightly stroked her hair, trailing his fingers through the silky dark hair that framed her face.

“It’s been a long time, Té D’Argo,” she said softly, turning her face to rub her cheek against his hand.  “But I’ve never forgotten you.”

“Or I, you,” he said with a smile.

“I see you have survived two Campaigns.”  She reverently touched the two titanium rings that pierced his collarbones. “Are you content with the life of a warrior?”

Capturing her hand in his, he held it to his chest.  “My mind and heart are unchanged.  I would still gladly give it up for a life with you, Té LoLaan.”

“You would leave your ship?” she asked, moving closer to press her body against his.

“If it is your wish,” D’Argo murmured, slipping his arms around her.

“Tell me about her,” she urged, smiling into his eyes.  “I would like to know about this wondrous ship that has carried you so far away from me.  And tell me about your brave shipmates.  I want to know all about them.”

As D’Argo pulled her into his embrace, Skanda grimaced and tried to push him away.  She had sensed this alien male would be more susceptible than the other, but she hadn’t counted on him becoming unmanageable.  And while her abilities were strong, the hold she had on him was still tenuous and she needed to act quickly.

“We’ll have time for that later,” she promised, reaching up to trace the dark tattoo on his chin.  “Now tell me about that beautiful Leviathan.....”
 

~9~
“Aeryn, please stop pacing.”

“I’m not pacing,” she snapped.  Plopping down onto a nearby stool she crossed her arms tightly and glared at Zhaan.  “See? I’m sitting.”

Zhaan looked up from the glass tube she was scanning and smiled sympathetically.  “I’m sure it’s just John’s human bacteria reacting with one of the native foods. From the symptoms you described, he seems to be in discomfort but not in danger.”

“Well, the danger he and D’Argo are in, is something that not even your science could analyze,” she retorted.

Zhaan paused, suddenly sensing Aeryn’s anxiety.  “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice rising in frustration.  Angrily she slammed her fist onto the countertop, nearly upsetting Zhaan’s row of vials and beakers and sending the lab DRD careening off the edge of the table.  “Sorry,” she muttered, jumping up to steady the rattling glassware as  Zhaan reached down to pick up the DRD.

“What does your intuition tell you, Aeryn?”

“I’m a Peacekeeper,” she replied shortly.  “ We follow orders.  Intuition is not necessary.”  A sudden memory came to mind.  Matala circling her on the practice mat. Taunting her with other things she had previously thought unnecessary -- science, culture, the art of attracting males....

She started as she felt Zhaan’s hand on her shoulder.  “Intuition might not be necessary for a Peacekeeper, but that is no longer who you are.  You are an important member of this crew.  We could not make it without your bravery,  your intelligence .... and your intuition.”

Aeryn frowned.  “Don’t try and play me like Rygel....” she began, her grey eyes wary.

Zhaan held up both hands in protest.  “I’d never do that to someone who sleeps with a pulse rifle at her side.”  Seeing Aeryn relax, she tilted her head, her luminous light blue eyes full of concern.

“So you sensed something wrong about the Raboins?” she prompted gently.

“No, it was that Delvian, Skanda ....”

Aeryn gasped sharply as she was hit by a flash of shock and outrage.  She could feel the waves of seething anger roll off of Zhaan but the pain and sorrow she saw reflected in her pale eyes took her breath away.

“Zhaan?” she whispered, taking a startled step back.

Zhaan closed her eyes and brought her hands up to her face.  Aeryn could tell the effort she was using to bring herself under control, and breathed a sigh of relief when she lowered her hands and she saw the Delvian’s usual serene features again.

“I’m sorry.  I thought John or D’Argo had told you,” she said apologetically.

“I am the one who should apologize,” Zhaan said urgently.   “Forcing my emotions on you, goes against all I was taught.  All I believe.”

Aeryn nodded, intrigued by her uncharacteristic outburst.

“Who is Skanda?”

Zhaan winced slightly, as if even the sound of her name was too much to bear.

“Someone who has committed an unconscionable crime.”  Looking at Aeryn, her eyes widened in alarm.  “Why do you think D’Argo and John are in danger from her?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, her eyebrows creasing together.  “She seems to be able to distract John and D’Argo somehow ....”  She glanced down at her hands, turning them over to look at her palms.  “And they both acted oddly when they touched her hands, but I only got a strange itch.”

“What else?” Zhaan asked tensely.

“When we were eating she stopped by John and stroked his neck and it made him ... ” she frowned as she searched for an explanation.

“Turn inward?”

Aeryn nodded slowly.  “He said he felt like his mind had hiccuped and although I was able to bring him out of it, he still doesn’t seem like himself.”

“To find her at last, but under these circumstances....” Zhaan uttered, turning abruptly and leaving the room in a rush of swirling fabric.
 

~10~
“May I enter?”

John turned his head gingerly to see a short, darkly striped Raboin standing politely in the doorway.  At his weak nod, she padded softly over to the low bed and lowered herself onto her haunches to get a better look at him.

“My name is Zohee, I’m a Healer.”  As John tried to reply, she laid the back of her hand gently on his flushed cheek.  “Yes, I know who you are, John Crichton.  You and your shipmates have been the topic of conversation all morning,” she said with a small smile.  “And Deela, the young Server you were kind to, was so worried about you that she sent me here to see if I might be able to ease your suffering.”

Her ears swiveled in concern as she noticed the red rash covering his arms and neck.  “Is this on your body too?” she asked, pointing to his arms.  At his slow nod, she  reached down into her hip pouch and retrieved a small container.

“This will take away the Hot Rash you have and will make you more comfortable.”  She dipped a flat spoon into the bright green jelly-like substance and smoothed a little onto his arm.

John groaned softly as a slow numbing coolness spread over his arm.  The Healer nodded in satisfaction and spread a little over his throat and neck.

“What is it?” John asked, his voice soft and raspy.

“Zslyam.”

“Slime?” he repeated hoarsely, looking at the jar.  “I’m almost afraid to ask ....”

Zohee smiled.  “Zsly - am,” she said distinctly.  “We make it from a Numleaf Plant that grows outside the caves.”

Looking at his clothes, she twitched her ears.  “Are these coverings for warmth, protection or modesty?”

“Yes,” John said with a grin.

“Well,” she said, her tail tapping as she laughed, “I need to remove some of them in order to put zslyam on you.  So just stop me when I get to the modesty coverings.”

John chuckled as she helped him off with his tee shirt and pants, then closed his eyes and sighed in relief as she began lightly applying the zslyam on his rash covered skin.

“This stuff is great,” he enthused softly.  As the cool tingling spread through his body, he suddenly opened his eyes.  “My mind,” he said in surprise.  “It feels clear.”

Zohee nodded.  “I thought that might also be part of your problem.  This should get Skanda out of your mind and block her from using her Touch on you again,”  she explained as she continued to smooth on the numbing green gel.  Pausing, she looked intently into John’s eyes.  “She does not know this about zslyam, of course.”

“She’ll never hear it from me,” he assured her.  The Raboin grunted softly, seeing the honesty in  his clear gaze.

“The Touch does not work on us, but we see her use it on the others that come.  The ones she trades with.”  Zohee’s face darkened in anger.

“What is this “Touch” she uses?”  John asked.

“I am not sure,” she said, as she carefully wiped the wooden spoon on a cloth before closing the container.  “She touches people differently but the result is always the same.  They trust her because they think she is someone else -- someone from their heart.”

“That’s it,” John murmured.  He suddenly knew why she seemed so incongruously familiar in an intimate way.  “But how?” he asked, turning his head to search Zohee’s face.  “How could she know about Karen?”

Zohee shook her head sadly.  “She goes into your mind, past your thoughts and into your emotional memories.  She takes them and uses them to manipulate you and get what she wants.”

John shuddered, suddenly sick at the thought of Skanda in his mind that way.  “That’s not right,” he whispered painfully.

“No, it is not,” she said vehemently.  “It is why the Delvian Seek stripped her of her rank.  And later, when the Delvian Council found out she was mind manipulating others, they banished her to a lifer’s colony. She is here only because she managed to turn the captain of her prison transport and convince him to drop her off on Raboes.”

“Prison transport?  A Peacekeeper prison transport?” John asked in a hollow voice.

“Yes, you know of them?”

“Oh yah.  They win the ‘Biggest Butt Heads in the Galaxy Award’ every cycle.”  Seeing the blank look on Zohee’s face, John smiled and changed the subject.

“So why do they come here?  They wouldn’t want your food --  I have it on good authority that they only eat food cubes,” he added in an amused voice.

“They give Skanda food and water and equipment in exchange for the red crystals we mine,” Zohee explained.

John stared in stunned amazement.  “Synaptic processors,” he said softly.
 

~11~
“What is wrong, AerynSun?”

She smiled as she leaned her elbows on Pilot’s console.  “AerynSun?”

He tilted his large domed head to look down at her.  “Are we not sufficiently known to each other now, that I may call you AreynSun?  Or would you prefer OfficerSun?”

“No, I just think it’s funny how you say my names altogether.  You only use one name for everyone else.”

Pilot nodded, his claws continuing to move over the controls.  “You are .... different .... to me.”   Seeing her look of surprise, he continued.   “You were the first to speak to me as an individual, apart from Moya.  When we evaded scanning by the Marauder, you said we worked well together.”

“We do,” Aeryn said, also remembering the tests Pilot patiently helped her run on Rygel when the Hynerian was suffering from the effects of the tannot-laced food.

“And because of how you treat me, the others now think of me as more than just a hologram to call at will.  They come and talk to me in person, like you do.”  Stretching his hard carapace, he twisted around to face her.  “And I have you to thank for that, AerynSun.”

“So you can overlook the fact that I’m a Peacekeeper?” she asked half-jokingly.

Pilot’s brow ridges shot up in amusement.  “It is strange, but  I no longer think of you as a Peacekeeper.”

“Do you think of me as ... a friend?” Aeryn asked, her casual tone at odds with the intense gaze she fixed on Pilot.

He wrinkled his face as if in thought, his claws moving more slowly over the console. “That word is not even in my species vocabulary,” he said flatly.  Then bobbing his head in what Aeryn had come to know as his laugh, he added, “But then neither is putz or yotz.”

She grinned in agreement, leaning companionably against Pilot’s control hub.  He watched as her face grew serious again and reached one arm out and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

“Tell me what troubles you, AerynSun.”

Aeryn sighed heavily.  “John is sick and we don’t know why.”

“Crichton ill?” Pilot said with concern.  “Why is he not here, on Moya?”

“He can’t be moved so I brought food samples back for Zhaan to test.  She thinks it’s just his human bacteria reacting with the food he ate.”

Pilot leaned in closer. “Is she running more tests?”  He watched, puzzled, as Aeryn shook her head.

“She’s in  her quarters meditating right now.”  At Pilot’s questioning gaze, she continued.  “She’s upset about another Delvian we met on the planet,  a female named Skanda.”

“Another Delvian?” Pilot asked his eyes widening in surprise.  “What is she like?”

“She’s not Zhann’s deep blue color, she’s lighter -- kind of purple.  And her eyes are dark, not light like Zhaan’s.”

Pilot’s pointed hooves clattered rapidly across the console as his eyes darted over the display screens.  “There is not much in Moya’s data banks about Delvians,” he said regretfully.  “But I remember Zhaan mentioning that as a Priest, attainment of each level brought about physical as well as mental changes.”  Tilting his head to look at Aeryn he noticed her brow creased in thought.  “But you think there is reason for concern.  You see Skanda as a danger.”

“I’m not used to speculating this way,” Aeryn said, running her hand through her dark auburn hair.  She pushed away from the control console and started pacing back and forth.

“Just tell me what you sensed was wrong,” Pilot prompted.

Aeryn paused, frowning slightly.  “She talked in a very calm and soothing way like Zhaan, but there was a cold hardness to her eyes -- especially when she looked at me.  And she seemed to resent the friendship I have with John.”

“What else?”

“When John and D’Argo touched her hands, they reacted strangely.  I felt nothing.  Just a funny itch on my palms,” she said, rubbing her hands together involuntarily.

“What did Zhaan think about these incidents?”

“She was so upset, she left the room,” Aeryn said.

Pilot nodded, his claws dancing across the control panel.  “Not even Moya’s extensive data banks can help you.  The answers lie with Zhaan.”
 

~12~
“Tell him,” he whispered urgently.

“No.  *You* tell him,” she whispered back.

“But she is *your* birth sibling.  You should tell him ...”

“But I’m new on the Council.  *You* tell him...”

Tuatha abruptly swung the door open, and stared down into the startled faces of Ruzella and Vandram.  “Why don’t you *both* come in and tell me.”

Standing aside, he motioned them into the Council Chambers, trying to hide a smile as they passed him and he noticed their tails, held straight out behind them in surprise.

“Makis and I were just speculating as to why Skanda hasn’t had the signing ceremony yet,” he explained, nodding at the older Raboin who was seated at the meeting table.

“Tuatha, Makis,” Ruzella began nervously, ducking her head in greeting as Vandram did the same.  “I have news about the Off-Worlders staying with Skanda and the Tree Dwellers.”  Glancing at Vandram and getting an encouraging nod, she continued.

“My birth sibling Deela told me that the shorter male with the smooth face is very sick.  His companion, the female with the dark mane, has taken portions of food back to her ship to analyze.”

“And the Luxan?” Tuatha asked, staring at her intently.  Seeing her ears twitch in puzzlement, he mimicked D’Argo’s long tentacles and beard with his hands.

“Oh,” she said, grinning in comprehension.  “Deela said, that one must have been very tired.”

“He seemed quite strong and vigorous when I caught a glimpse of him this morning,” Makis exclaimed, his nose twitching in disbelief.  “Why do you and Deela say he is tired?”

“Well, Skanda said something to him about taking him to bed,”  Ruzella explained.

There was dead silence in the room.  As Tuatha lowered his gaze to compose himself, he flicked his eyes over to Makis and Vandram.  Although they were both standing calmly, he could see the tips of their tails quivering in suppressed amusement.

“Well, uh, yes, I see,” Tuatha said, clearing his throat.  “Thank you for the information, Ruzella.”

As the door shut behind her, the three let out a collective breath, then started laughing softly.

“If he is not tired now, he certainly will be,” Makis commented with a grin.

“What worries me more, is the possibility that he may not be with her of his own choice,” Tuatha said, with sudden concern.

“You think she used her Touch on him?” Vandram asked, his ears upright with worry.  “But to what advantage?”

“I don’t know if it would work on a Luxan, but if he had something she wanted ....”  Tuatha’s closed his eyes against the anger and outrage he felt boiling within him.  The thought of Skanda defiling the Fourth Sensation by using it in such a way was beyond his tolerance.

“By Khalaan,” he swore softly.  “What she does with this precious gift, reduces it to no more than emotional mind rape.”

He turned to the two Raboins who were staring at him at him in wide-eyed concern.  “See that the youngest and oldest are safely in the caves,” he said grimly.  “Then gather all those who are willing, and meet me at the edge of the forest.”
 

~13~
“John?”

“I’m in here, Aeryn.”

Aeryn peeked around the corner.

“It’s okay,” he chuckled, motioning her forward with his hand.

She walked into the bathing room slowly, staring at the sight of John, up to his neck in what looked like a huge soup pot.

“I hope they were kidding when they said they wanted to have us for dinner,” she said, her eyes wide.

“Yup,” John said with a grin, “ A doctorate in Cosmic Theory and I’m reduced to the Soup du Jour.”   Looking at the slender frosted blue vial Aeryn held, he asked if it was from Zhaan.

“Yes, although it doesn’t appear that you need it to counteract your reaction to the food you ate.  What happened?”  she asked curiously.

“I was zslyamed.”

“You were slimed?” Areyn repeated cautiously.  “Is this another technical term like brain fart?”

“Ah, excuse me, but that was brain hiccup, if you don’t mind,” he corrected her.  “And the stuff is called zslyam.”

“Slime?”

“Zsly-am.”

“Sli-me.”

“Zslyam!”

“Whatever!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up.  “And what the hex are you doing in a cooking pot?”

“Well, the Raboins don’t shower or bathe in water like we do, so in order for me to wash the zslyam off, they had to bring this pot over from their kitchen.”

“How did you get the zsly-am in the first place?” Aeryn asked.

“A healer brought it,” he said, pointing to a large jar on a nearby table.  As Aeryn walked over to examine the container, John grabbed a towel and stepped out of the water.  “Just don’t touch it with your bare hands,” he said over his shoulder, as he wrapped the towel around himself.

Aeryn quickly snatched her hand back, looking at the bright green blob on the tip of her finger.  She blinked in surprise as she felt a cool numbing sensation begin to spread over her entire hand.

“And just what part of ‘Don’t touch it with  your bare hands’ didn’t you understand?” John said in exasperation as he reached around her to grasp her wrist.

“It’s made from a plant called a Numleaf,” he said, dragging her over to the large pot and dunking her hand into the water.  “And the more you use, the more powerful the numbing capabilities.”

He swished her hand back and forth in the warm water, then lifted it out and examined it closely.  “Can you feel this?” he asked, lightly running his fingers across the palm of her hand.

Aeryn shivered and snatched her hand back with a small gasp.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” John grinned, mentally filing her reaction away.

Her indignant reply was interrupted by Deela’s boisterous entrance.

“John Crichton!  John Crichton!  I am so glad you are better,” she exclaimed, bounding in, her tail whipping and back and forth happily.

“I am too,” he said warmly.  “And thanks for sending Zohee,” he added, reaching out to playfully tweak her ear as she bounced around in front of him.

Deela yipped and batted his hand away, beaming with pleasure.  “I have clothing for your companion too,” she added turning to hand Aeryn a cloth bundle.  “This is for you to wear at the signing ceremony, Aeryn Sun,” she said respectfully, ducking her head.

Aeryn took the bundle, hefting it’s light weight in her hand.  “Traditional Raboin clothing?” she asked cautiously, glancing down at Deela’s short apron-like skirt, the only garment she was wearing.

“I hope that is not distasteful to you?” the young Raboin said, her ears twitching worriedly.

“Of course not, we are happy to honor your customs,” John said smoothly.  “It’s just that our species has customs of it’s own.  Especially in respect to our females.”

“I see,” Deela said nodding her head.  “You do not wish for your companion to be uncovered in the presence of other males.”

“Ah....well, uh... something like that, yes,” John answered, trying not to look at Aeryn whom he was sure was on the verge of either slugging him or Deela.

“I will get you more wraps, Aeryn Sun,” she promised, then disappeared in a pattering of footsteps.

“Now before you go flying off the handle.....” John began as he turned to face Aeryn.

“Thank you, John.”

John stood facing her, his mouth still open.

Reaching forward, she hooked her finger under his chin and snapped his jaw shut.   “What’s the matter?  Are those translator microbes malfunctioning?”

“I just thought you’d be mad at me for butting in,” he said.

Aeryn shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably.  “Despite what I was taught, I’m finding other species and ideas to be ... interesting.  I just don’t know what to do sometimes.”

“Your curiosity will make a scientist out of you yet,” John grinned.

“I don’t think so,” she said, snorting softly.  “I told you before, I’m more comfortable shooting at something.”

“Well, with Skanda around, just make sure there’s a silver bullet in that rifle of yours.  Which reminds me, “ John said suddenly, walking over to the small table,   “I need you to put some zslyam on my neck.”

Handing the jar to Aeryn, he demonstrated how to use the flat wooden spoon to apply the zslyam.  “I know this sounds weird, but this will protect me from Skanda,” he explained as he sat down on the table with his back toward her.  “Somehow when she touched me earlier today, she was able to get into my head.”

“I know,” Aeryn said, smoothing a thin layer of the green gel over the nape of his neck,  “Zhaan explained it to me.  She said Delvians can experience a mind level called the Fourth Sensation which allows them to make a deep emotional connection with someone special.  They use it to enhance feelings that are already established.  Usually during ....,” Aeryn paused awkwardly as John grinned.

“I think I got your drift,” he assured her, glancing back over his shoulder and smiling at her.

Aeryn cleared her throat self-consciously.  “Well, what Skanda does, in some twisted way, is get in and manipulate your emotions.  Evidently, something the Delvians consider a high crime.  The Seek asked her to leave and when she continued misusing it, the Delvian Council banished her to a lifer’s colony. ”

John nodded thoughtfully as Aeryn continued to lightly smooth the zslyam round his neck.  “When we first met her and touched hands, did you get a flash of anything?

No,” she said shortly.

“Nothing?” John pressed, turning around to look at her.

Aeryn set the jar and spoon down, her eyes on her hands.  “A slight itch.”

“But...”

“John, if you haven’t already figured it out, this Fourth Sensation only works when there are emotional memories it can resonate,” she said, her voice edged with a combination of annoyance and embarrassment.

John blinked as the full meaning of her words suddenly dawned on him.  “Oh,” he murmured.  “I just thought it didn’t work on you because you’re another female.”  Seeing her discomfort, he reached out for her hand.

“I don’t know how it is for Sebaceans, but even for humans, not everyone is lucky enough to make an emotional connection with someone.  Something special.  Something beyond just the physical part.”

“Is this the ‘clicking’ you spoke of?” she asked curiously.

John smiled and looked down at her hand in his.  “That’s part of it.”  He rubbed his thumb across her palm, noticing how she curled her fingers round it.  “The rest you kind of just discover together.”
 

~14~
“Where is he?” she stormed, ripping the coverings off the low bed and throwing them at the hapless Raboin.  “Where is Ka D’Argo?”

“I do not know,” he said in a quavering voice.  “He was not here when I came to summon him for you.”

Skanda towered over the young Server, her anger and rage pouring hotly off of her.  He panicked and backed away as her hand shot out but he was not quick enough.

“Who was in this room last?” she growled, giving his ear a vicious twist.

“Zohee,” he gasped, dropping to his knees.

She released him, shoving him contemptuously away from her.

“Then the other one, John Crichton, will have to do,” she said coldly.

Turning on her heel, she strode down the hallway, scattering frightened Servers out of her way.  As she reached John’s room, she paused and took a deep breath, smoothing her lilac tunic over her body as she composed her features into a pleasant mask.

“I hope you don’t mind me coming here unannounced....”  she began warmly, then stopped cold at the sight of John and Deela helping Aeryn to adjust her Raboin garments.

“Stand away from him,” she ordered curtly.

Aeryn moved to stand defiantly in front of John who tucked Deela behind him.

“I told you, I protect him,” she reminded her.

Skanda hit her with a furious burst of rage, followed by a swift backhand.  But Aeryn reacted with instinctive ease, deflecting her swing with one arm as she smashed the heel of her other hand upward into Skanda’s chin.  The blow catapulted her backwards, throwing her against the Guards who had rushed into the room.

“Take them!” she screamed, her voice raw with fury.

Three Guards piled onto Aeryn, pinning her against the wall as two more grabbed John.

Skanda smiled triumphantly, as John struggled against the two strong Raboins who held him immobile between them.  Standing closely, she ran her hands up his bare chest, grinning maliciously as he squirmed and tried to pull away from her in disgust.

“Have you forgotten me already, my dear?” she murmured.  Reaching up, she stroked the back of his neck, then traced the angle of his jaw with her fingertips.  At his lack of reaction, she paused, her violet eyes narrowing.

“What’s the matter, Skanda?”  John taunted.  “Having trouble getting a man’s attention when you can’t get into his mind and grab him by his frontal lobes?”

“How do you know about....” her voice trailed off as she saw Deela cowering in the corner.

“Leave her out of this,” John warned, trying to pull free from the two Guards.  “She had nothing to do with what I know.”

“No, but I’ll wager her good friend Zohee has been here dispensing information as well as medicine.”  She stepped back, her face a cold mask as she considered him.  “Your sudden resistance to me is a puzzlement but one which I doubt will be of any use to you at this point.

“Throw him in the mine we closed last cycle,” she said to the Guards, watching in satisfaction as they dragged him, struggling, out of the room.

“And his companion?” one of the Guards holding Aeryn asked as Skanda swept by him into the hall.

“Amuse yourselves with her,” she said over her shoulder, without even a backward glance.

Without waiting to find out what they intended, Aeryn growled and kicked out, fighting desperately.  Suddenly, one of the Guards holding her arm, grabbed his face, screaming that he couldn’t see.  She took split second advantage of the situation and elbowed him powerfully in the midsection.  As another Guard grabbed his face and the third toppled over clutching his knees, Aeryn quickly dispatched them both with a well placed kick and a two-handed slam to the back of the neck.

As she stood over them, panting roughly, she noticed large bright green blobs on the faces of two and the knees of the third.   Turning to look behind her, she saw Deela grin broadly and with a flourish, drop the wooden spoon into an empty jar of zslyam.

“Good job,” she said, nodding as she tried to catch her breath.

“We must go!” Deela said suddenly, her ears swiveling at the distant sound of running footsteps.

“Where?” Aeryn asked, following as Deela ran to the balcony.

“Down!” she said and disappeared over the railing.

“Easy for you, you have a tail!” Aeryn shouted as she leaned over and looked down into the thick foliage.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw the three Guards groaning and getting to their feet.  “I guess this is what John calls the lesser of two evils,” she muttered.

Taking a deep breath, she swung herself over the railing and let go.
 

~15~
“That should do it,” Zhaan murmured, placing the tiny stopper back into the slender blue vial.  She watched as the small cloud of mist hovered over D’Argo’s face, then dissipated with a slow, sparkling burst.

D’Argo sneezed, his eyes flying open.  He started up in confusion, then relaxed back onto his bed as he recognized Zhaan’s face leaning over his.

“Zhaan,” he sighed in relief, giving her a warm smile.

Zhaan placed her hands lightly on either side of his face, humming softly as she stared intently into his eyes. After a few seconds, he grunted in surprise as he felt his mind slowly clear.

“How did I get back on Moya?” he asked, his brows creased in puzzlement.

“After Aeryn told me about Skanda being on Raboes, I came down to the surface in one of the mini-pods.  I landed just as a Raboin named Zohee brought you into the landing area.”

“Zohee ... I remember now.  She put something cold on me,” he said with a shudder.

“It was a native numbing agent called zslyam,” Zhaan said as she leaned back and folded her hands gracefully in her lap. “She put it on you in an attempt to counteract the effect Skanda was having on your mind.”

“Why?” he rumbled.

 “John asked her to help you,” she said.  “Evidently, Zohee trusts him and risked much to get you out of Skanda’s quarters.”

“I was in her quarters?” D’Argo exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.  “But I was with .... I mean, I thought I was with ....”  A momentary flash of painful regret crossed his face.

Zhaan’s lips thinned into a tight angry line.  “Skanda made you think those thoughts and relive those memories.  And when you were lulled into falsely trusting her, Zohee said she tried to get information from you about Moya and us.  Information I’m sure she hoped would get her off of Raboes.”

D’Argo looked at Zhaan, surprised by her vehemence.  “But if she wanted to leave, she could have joined us.....”

“Never,” Zhaan said tightly, her pale eyes full of pain.  “She is far too ambitious to content herself with joining this crew.  She would want Moya for herself.”

"It would seem you know her well," D'Argo observed. Sensing the torrent of emotions she was struggling to control, he reached out, took her hands and held them to his chest. "Who is she?" he asked gently. Zhaan turned her luminous eyes to his, her voice heavy with sorrow. "My sister."

~16~
“Are you injured, Areyn Sun?”

Aeryn shook her head, catching her breath as she swayed gently in the stout netting.  “Why didn’t you tell me there were safety nets under the balconies?” she muttered irritably.  “I would have felt a lot better about jumping over the railing.”

Deela twitched her ears and grinned.  “But you followed me anyway, did you not?  You know when to trust your instincts,” she said with an approving nod.  Crawling over to the edge, she grabbed a thick rope ladder and clamored down, Aeryn close behind.

“My birth sibling Ruzella said Tuatha and the Cave Dwellers are meeting at the edge of the forest.  I will take you there.”

Aeryn shook her head.  “You go and tell them what has happened.  I need to find John.”

Deela nodded and pointed to a narrow path through the forest.  “Follow that,” she instructed.  “It is a short way to the caves.”

Aeryn took off, running as fast as she could.  The path was overgrown and steep but she was determined and shortly found herself at the edge of a clearing.  Stooping down, she rested on one knee, panting unevenly.  She could see the mines directly ahead but there was no sign of John and the Guards.

Suddenly hearing voices, she ducked behind a fallen tree.

“Now, you look like a couple of reasonable guys, so why don’t we just call it quits, right here, huh?”  John asked, looking from one Guard to the other.  “I’ll just get in my shuttle and go away.  Far, far away.”

The Guards continued to drag him forward toward the nearest mine.  As one held him, the other began to pry off the boards that sealed it shut.

“What was that?” John asked warily, at the sound of ominous scuttling noises coming from inside the mine.

 “Morlian Death Spiders,” the Guard answered, peering down into the darkness.

John sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.  “Yup. That figures. Morlian Death Spiders. Couldn’t be a grizzly bear or a wild mountain lion -- *that* I could handle.  Nope. Got to be something called Morlian Death Spiders .....”

There was a solid *thwump* and with a surprised cry, the Guard abruptly pitched forward, falling down into the open mine.  As the Guard holding John rushed over to look down the mine shaft and call after him, another *thwump* toppled him in after his comrade.

“What the .... Aeryn!” John exclaimed in relief as he looked up and saw her running toward him.  “How did you ...?”

She tossed a heavy fruit pod onto the ground at his feet.  “These pack a good punch, when they’re thrown hard enough.  Although I do feel naked without my pulse rifle.”  Stopping in front of him she looked down at his loincloth then craned her neck around to check out the backside.  “Speaking of which...”

“Hey, hey,” he sputtered, putting his hands behind him.  “Shouldn’t you be doing some kind of macho commando thing instead of trying to look at my butt?“

“Don’t forget, I’ve already seen you completely naked,” she said smugly, turning to jog back toward the forest.

“What?” John demanded, falling in beside her.

“When they first brought you on Moya, they took your clothes to examine you, remember?”

John groaned.  “That’s right, you were in the cell ....”

“I must say I was surprised.”

John stopped in his tracks, his hands on his  hips.  “Do I even want to know this?”

Aeryn paused, an eyebrow arched in amusement.  “I was only going to comment, that human and Sebacean males are quite similar.”

“Well,” he murmured, watching her firm backside and shapely legs as she turned and jogged off,  “Morlian Death Spiders aside, maybe this won’t turn out to be such a bad day after all.”
 

~17~
Pilot winked into view, his agitation clear even in the holoimage.

“Is there trouble?” Zhaan asked, rising gracefully from the edge of D’Argo’s bed.

“Marauders,” he stated shortly.  “Two Marauders.  We are just beyond their sensor range.”

“Why are they here?” D’Argo wondered, coming up behind Zhaan.

That is impossible to guess,” Pilot said.  “But we must move Moya away before we attract their attention.”

“I will go and get the others,” D’Argo announced.

“I will go with you,” Zhaan said, as Pilot’s imaged shimmered and disappeared.

D’Argo opened his mouth to protest, but seeing the determination on her face, merely nodded.  “Just give me a few minutes to dress.  Somehow swordfighting in this loincloth seems too dangerous a prospect,” he said glancing down.

“What’s happening?  Where is everyone going?” Rygel demanded as he flew into the room.  “And why is D’Argo half-naked?”

“We’re going planetside,” Zhaan explained.  “And he’s not half-naked.  He happens to be wearing Raboin clothing.”

“For the signing ceremony,” he added, glaring at Rygel.

“I see,” Rygel said in a small voice, his short hands clutching his robes tightly to his chest.  “How unfortunate I am not sufficiently recovered from my food poisoning to accompany you  ....”

“Oh, you’ll go all right,” D’Argo growled, grabbing him by his hover platform.  “You got us into this, you can at least see us through it.”
 

~18~
Tuatha looked across the clearing at Skanda who was shouting at the small group of Guards in front of her.

“I think it will take more than their fear of Skanda to make them attack us,”  he commented to Makis.  Glancing behind him at the crowd of Cave Dwellers milling about anxiously, he shook his head.  “I was hoping to make this a peaceful meeting.  I loathe the idea of anyone being hurt over this.”
The Guards advanced reluctantly, urged on by Skanda.  She stepped forward, glaring balefully at Tuatha.

“How nice to see you, my dear brother,” she said, her voice brittle.  “And what brings you and your meddling Council here?”

“The same as always, Skanda,” he said quietly. “The chance to reunite the Raboins .....”

“Under *you*?” she finished.  “I think not.”  Looking over the large group gathered behind him,  she laughed.  “You think because you have so many backing you up, that you will win.  You should know the Raboins by now.  They are cowards.  They could not fight if their lives depended on it.”

Stepping back, she gestured to her Guards.  “But I have trained my Guards well.  They would not disobey my orders.”

“Nah.  They’re just not competent enough to obey them,” John said as he and Aeryn stepped out from the crowd.

“No!” she exclaimed harshly, her voice raw with frustration.  She grabbed the nearest Guard by the scruff of his neck and cuffed him roughly with her other hand.  “Don’t just stand there,” she screamed at him, “Do something!”

He staggered to his knees and reached down for a rock which he lobbed half-heartedly toward the others.  It was thrown so clumsily that everyone had time to step aside.  Everyone except Deela.

The rock hit her squarely on the forehead, cutting a deep gash above her eye.  She cried out in surprise, then as she touched her head and found blood on her fingers, began wailing piteously.

“Oh great!  Throw a rock at a kid!  What kind of lame-ass fighting do you call that?”  John shouted indignantly, as a sobbing Deela was surrounded and fussed over.  “Who threw that?” he challenged stepping forward, “I want to see your face before I kick your butt ...”

“John, look!” Aeryn said, grabbing his arm and pointing past the clearing at D’Argo, Zhaan and Rygel’s approach.

“Zhaan!” Tuatha exclaimed rushing toward her.  “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Tuatha!” she said warmly, taking both his hands in hers.  “I heard you left the Seek to search for Skanda but that was the last news I had of you.”

“But how are you here?” he said worriedly, searching her face.  “I thought you were on a prison transport .... ”

“Another story, best told when we have more time,” she said with a smile.

“Well, I am thankful that we are able to meet again at all,” he said, giving her hands an affectionate squeeze.   His eyes darted behind her at the sound of low growling.  “And although I have heard of him, I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting your Luxan friend,” he added with a smile, extending his hands.

John grinned as he watched the introductions.  “I’ll bet D’Argo would rather be biting his hands, rather than clasping them,” he said under his breath to Aeryn.

Aeryn snorted softly.  “Some males can be excessively territorial,” she sniffed.  Then, seeing Skanda approach, she stepped in front of John, her arms crossed.

“Oh. Uh-huh. Unlike Sebacean females,” he murmured, smiling to himself.

Skanda swept by them without a glance, stopping to plant herself directly in front of Zhaan and Tuatha.

“Well, well.  First, my concerned brother follows me here, now I have my loving sister,” she said, her voice sharp with sarcasm.

“Skanda....” Zhaan said, tentatively reaching out to touch her arm.

Skanda pulled back, shrugging off her hand.  “Why are you here now?  Where were you when the Council sentenced me?”

“I was there, Skanda, I spoke in your defense.”

“But you said what I did was wrong....”

“And I still do,” Zhaan said earnestly.  “But I also think the Council was very wrong in banishing you.”

“Yes, I heard when you continued to be outspoken, your activities resulted in you being arrested for anarchy,” Skanda admitted grudgingly.

“They did,” Zhaan replied reflectively.  “I am ashamed to admit that for a long time I blamed my arrest and imprisonment on you.  I’ve only now come to fully realize I’ve held on to my bitterness and anger toward you for far too long .... I need to let those feelings go and take responsibility for my own actions.  Just as you must for yours.”

Skanda smiled derisively.  “Why, Zhaan, you are so full of enlightenment today.”

Ignoring the taunt, Zhaan continued, “We all have different talents and abilities where the Fourth Sensation is concerned.  And if you could control and use yours .....”

Skanda laughed harshly.  “But I do control and use it.  It is how I have managed to trade so well and get what I want.”  She looked at Zhaan’s ear and hand rings and a shadow of envy crossed her face.  “So you have joined the Seek now?” she commented.

“While I was in prison, the revelation of my true path came to me,” she acknowledged.

“And now you are here to do what .... help me?” she challenged.

Zhaan reached out for her hand again.  “The Seek teaches that we are all here to help others.”

“Well, I am not one of those ‘others’ who need help,” Skanda said, dropping Zhaan’s hand dismissively.  “I rely on myself, because when it comes down to it, I am all I have.”

“No, Skanda, you have us,” Tuatha said.

“For what?  More lectures on how I should live my life?  More guidance?”  She smiled smugly.  “I know my path.  I have great things to accomplish.”

“And how do you expect to do that?” Tuatha asked curiously.

Her answer was interrupted by Pilot’s frantic call.

“Attention!  The Marauders are entering orbit!”

“Marauders?” John exclaimed.  “Why would they come here?”

Skanda smirked.  “I was in your mind, John Crichton.  I know who you are.  And more importantly, who would pay well to know where you and your shipmates are.”

“Crais,” Aeryn hissed.

“Quickly, to the caves,” Tuatha shouted as they heard the Marauders approaching the landing area.
 

~19~
“John Crichton, I have your coverings.”

John turned and smiled broadly at the sight of Deela holding a neatly folded pile of his clothes in one hand and his boots in the other.

“Excellent!” he said with obvious relief as he gathered everything into his arms.  “This loincloth is definitely not my style.”

“And it is strange not to see a tail,” Deela commented, craning her neck to look behind him.

“Geez!”  John exclaimed as he motioned for her to turn around so he could dress.  “You’re as bad as Aeryn.”

“Did she also comment on your lack of a tail?” Deela asked curiously.

“What?” John said, pausing as he pulled his tee shirt over his head.

“I was just wondering if that was why she was staring at where your tail should be,” Deela explained.

“She was?” John said in surprise.  Glancing over Deela’s shoulder to the other side of the cave, he caught Aeryn watching him.  He winked at her, grinning as she started and colored slightly then quickly turned away to listen to a conversation D’Argo was  having with Tuatha and Makis.  “Busted,” he murmured with a smile as he shrugged his vest on.

Suddenly the discussion between D’Argo and Tuatha escalated into an argument and Zhaan and John converged on the two as Makis stepped in and tried to calm them down.

“Ka D’Argo, we do indeed know how dangerous the Peacekeepers can be,” the older Raboin assured him.

“But D’Argo is right,” Aeryn interjected.  “The Marauders bring highly trained Peacekeepers called Commandos.  Their success is counted by their kills.”

“And I repeat, we will not fight to kill others,” Tuatha said resolutely.

D’Argo roared in frustration and turned on his heel, stalking out of the cave.  Aeryn ran after him, shouldering the pulse rifle he’d brought along for her.

“There’s gotta be something we can do,” John said, looking from Tuatha to Makis.  “Haven’t you ever had to defend yourselves?”

Makis shook his head.  “We have always been a peaceful group and until now, have never had Off-Worlders who meant us harm.”

Tuatha nodded.  “We are basically farmers and trade food for other things we need.”

John looked around the large cave with it’s various storage rooms and passageways.  “Well, at least this looks like a safe place for everyone,” he commented.  “Although I wish we had something....” his voice trailed off as he noticed a pile of dark baseball sized pods near one of the cooking fires.

Remembering how Aeryn had knocked out the Guards with the fruit pods she’d thrown, he walked over to examine them.  He sighed in frustration as he picked one up.  “It must be empty,” he muttered, tossing it up and catching it.

“What are you doing?” Deela asked, her eyes wide as John continued to toss and catch it absentmindedly.

“Just thinking,” he said.  Looking at the pod closely, he was puzzled not to see any type of stem.  “I thought this was a dried fruit, but it must be a seed pod, right?”

Deela shook her head, her ears swiveling in agitation.  John glanced over at the fire and saw them mixed in with the wood logs.  “I see.  You use them to supplement your fuel,” he said, looking around and noticing piles of them next to all the fires.

“But where do you get them?” he asked curiously, poking a finger into it and finding it hollow.

“It’s papooya,” Deela said, taking his elbow and leading him to the opening of the cave.

John looked down at a herd of Vartogs that two young Raboins were urging toward a cave on the other side of the clearing.  As  he watched, one of the large animals stopped, squatted, then ambled off, leaving a sizable pile of ....

“Shit,” John exclaimed, dropping it from his hands as if it were a hot coal.

Deela blinked, her tail whipping back and forth as she tried not to laugh.  “Since they just eat vegetation, the papooya is very good fuel.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” John muttered, looking at his hands.  He was surprised to find them relatively clean.  Cautiously, he sniffed them.  “Huh.  Kinda like dried hay,” he said to himself.  Stooping down, he picked up the papooya.  “Deela, would you please bring me a jar of zslyam?” he asked.  As she ran off, he fished a knife out of his vest pocket and cut a slit into one side.  Squeezing the ends together, he spooned the zslyam Deela brought into the open slit.  As he let go, the slit closed and the zslyam sealed it.

Hefting it experimentally in his hand he grinned.  “Reminds me of the water balloons DK and I used to throw at the girls during recess,” he said with satisfaction.  Looking around for a likely target, his eyes fell on Rygel.  The Hynerian had left his hover platform and was sitting on a bench next to Zhaan, snoring softly.

“Wish me luck,” he said, winking at Deela who grinned and patted him on his back with her tail.

John lobbed the zslyam filled papooya and watched as it traveled in a slow arc, then dropped straight down, landing with an explosive *splat* next to Rygel.

“Wow,”  John said in awe.  “I never thought the little guy could move so fast.”

He and Deela stared at the sight of Rygel, in Zhaan’s lap, shrieking and brushing blobs of zslyam off of himself.

“What is going on?” D’Argo roared as he entered the cave with Aeryn.  “And what is he doing in your lap?” he demanded stalking over to Zhaan and lifting the Hynerian up by the front of his robes.

“I’ve been attacked!” Rygel cried.  “Another assassination attempt!”  Suddenly he stopped and sniffed at the green blob on his finger.  “Hmmm,” he murmured, licking it.  “Rather tasty.”

“Please put him down, D’Argo,” Zhaan coaxed, holding Rygel’s hover platform under him.  D’Argo growled and let go, watching in amazement as he continued to lick the zslyam off his fingers.

“I see your stomach can withstand anything,” he commented, his eye wide.

“Do you feel any numbness in your fingers?” Zhaan inquired, examining his hands with concern.

“No.  This zslyam seems to have no effect on me whatsoever.”  As he leaned forward to reach for a large blob of zslyam clinging to Zhaan bodice, D’Argo’s hand shot out and sent him spinning off.

“I knew you’d have something to do with this,” Aeryn said tartly as John and Deela  walked over, grinning broadly and ducking out of the way as Rygel sailed erratically by them.

“I think I have a weapon,” he announced, nodding at Tuatha and Makis as they joined them.  “Something that will stop the Commandos without killing them.”

“Impossible,” Aeryn began, then looked over at the zslyam on the bench, then at Deela, remembering how she had helped her escape Skanda’s Guards.

“But how did you throw it so far without touching it?” she asked.

“The Raboin equivalent of a water balloon,” he said.  Quickly he explained what he’d done and looked expectantly from face to face.

“Well?” he prompted.  “We have everything we need right here.  Deela can organize the kids to fill them for us.”

“But what about....?” Tuatha delicately raised his eyebrows and tilted his head toward Aeryn and D’Argo.

“What do you say, guys?” John said, turning to face the two.  “Do you think you can put your attitudes on stun, for once?”

“Not killing your enemy is illogical,” Aeryn said irritably.  Then looking at John, she added, “But we were taught the same thing about lesser lifeforms, and I’ve found that to be incorrect.”

“But I am a Luxan warrior,” D’Argo growled fiercely.  “I have never turned away from a fight or avoided conflict much less ....” his voice trailed off as he looked at Zhaan and found her gazing at him expectantly.  “On the other hand,” he finished gruffly,  “there is no dishonor in defeating an enemy without bloodshed.”

“Good!” Tuatha said, clasping his hands in relief.

“And none too soon,” Makis added, his ears twitching as he turned to look toward the cave entrance.
 

~20~
“Oh yah.  Dressed in all that black leather in this green vegetation.  They really blend,” John commented, peering down at the first squad of Commandos that had appeared at the edge of the forest.   “And what’s with the bad eye make-up?”

“That’s not make-up,” Aeryn said irritably, crouching down next to him.  “Those are tattoos.”

“Yeowch,” he said softly, grimacing.  “And I won’t even ask where else they are.”  Turning, he looked at her speculatively.  “Do you have any?”

“What?”

“Tattoos.”

“Yes.”

“Huh.”  John blinked.  She was still in the short Raboin tunic and since he didn’t see any on her arms or legs, that must mean they were.....

“They’re splitting up now,” Aeryn pointed out, abruptly bringing his attention back to their situation.  “They’ll fan out and try to keep us pinned down here.”

“I am Squadron Leader Otts,” announced one of the Commandos as he stepped forward and looked up toward the cave entrance.  “We are here for the criminal John Crichton and the escaped prisoners who are his shipmates.  Give them to us and you will not be killed.”

“Liar,” Aeryn whispered, pointing behind Otts.  “The second squadron is in place now and they are getting ready to launch a nerve gas bomb.”

“Can you take out the launcher?”  As she nodded and sighted along her pulse rifle, John put a hand on her shoulder.  “Just the launcher,  Aeryn, not the Commandos.”  She gritted her teeth but nodded her head again.

“We only want the criminals, we will not harm you,”  Otts continued, surreptitiously looking to the side to see if the launcher was ready.  He raised a finger, but before he could give the signal, the base of the launcher blew off, throwing the Commando next to it backward and sending the bomb rolling harmlessly away.

“Wow!” John said awestruck.  “That was one heckuva shot.”

Aeryn grinned as she got to her feet.  “Let’s see what Otts has to say about things now.”

They walked over to where Tuatha, Makis, D’Argo and Zhaan stood at the cave entrance, looking down at the Commandos.

“Those you speak of, are our friends and are under our protection,” Tuatha said, his voice ringing out across the clearing.  “So take your soldiers and leave before anyone gets hurt.”

Otts stared in disbelief, then laughed.  “You have one person with a pulse rifle who is such a lousy shot, he missed the gunner and hit the launcher,” he sneered,  “And you threaten us?”

“Shhh,” John shushed softly, pulling an outraged Aeryn back.  “No need to give our hand away and let him know that shot was on purpose.”

Raising his hand, Otts signaled for the Commandos to come forward.  “You see before you, the best of the best,” he said smugly, indicating the soldiers to either side of him.  “When Skanda contacted us, she also told us the Raboins had no weapons of any kind.  So just how do you plan on protecting your criminal friends?” he said with a smirk.

Makis turned and nodded, and the air was suddenly filled with a hail of papooya bombs.  The Commandos reacted by shooting at them and getting covered by a rain of zslyam.  And the papooya that found it’s target, burst open on impact covering them further in the thick greenish gel.

The Raboins launched another volley and the Commandos tried to retreat back into the woods but were stopped by a herd of Vartogs that were being driven from a nearby cave.  The animals were startled by the strangers and in their anxiety began a high pitched squealing that drowned out the orders Otts was trying to give the Commandos.

“Look!” Zhaan exclaimed.  “It’s Rygel!”

As the Commandos pulled off their helmets in an attempt to hear Otts’s orders,  Rygel zipped in and began spitting zslyam at their faces.  The soldiers automatically brushed it off with their hands and as the numbing gel began to take effect, they suddenly found their hands and fingers to be useless.

“What are you doing?” Otts demanded as the Commandos began dropping their weapons and staring at their hands.

“Squadron Leader,  I can’t feel my hands,” one of the Commandos said plaintively as she jiggled her limp hands from her wrists.

“Un die cah fee mah fay,” another mumbled trying to slap his numb face with his lifeless fingers.

“We are sorry to have caused you and your squadron harm,” Tuatha said calmly as he walked up, glancing around at the incapacitated Commandos.

“The effects are not permanent,” Makis said as he joined his friend.  Then added thoughtfully, “But then we’ve never seen it used in such quantities before so we can’t say how long the effects will linger.”

Otts yelled in frustrated rage and pulling his hand phaser, pointed it at Tuatha.  “I will not leave this planet without John Crichton and his criminal shipmates.”

A sharp blast of energy and heat flung the phaser neatly from his hand.  And as it landed at his feet, he looked up to see Aeryn lowering her pulse rifle.

“Lousy shot, huh?” she snorted, as she walked up to him.  Looking him up and down, she twitched her lips in disgust.  “Since when is there honor in pulling a weapon on someone who is obviously unarmed and means you no harm?”

“I should not have to remind you about the worthlessness of lesser lifeforms, Officer Sun,” he said cuttingly.  “Or has contact with these aliens already contaminated your reasoning?”

“Quite the opposite,” she said quietly as John and Zhaan joined her.

“I do not intend to leave without at least taking one prisoner with me,” he declared.  Reaching behind him, he pulled a Crys-blade from it’s sheath, the crystal shaft already dark with the blood of its victims.  His eyes darted among the three standing in front of him, then he had the bad judgment to reach for Zhaan.

He had never heard the full-throated roar of a Luxan warrior before and his mind barely had the time to register it before D’Argo’s tongue shot out and he was hit on the back of the neck and rendered unconscious.

“D’Argo, I could have handled that boy easily,” Zhaan said, looking down at Otts laid out at her feet.

“Sorry,” he muttered, stepping over the Squadron Leader to stand in front of her.  “I keep forgetting you don’t need my protection.”

“I didn’t exactly say that,” she said softly, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow as they turned to walk back to the caves.
 

~21~
“Will Tuatha go back home now?” John asked as he helped Zhaan clear the table.

“I think he feels like he *is* home,” she said, smiling fondly.  “I could sense a strong bond of respect and affection between him and the Raboins.  Reuniting them is just the beginning of his dream.”

“And Skanda?”

Zhaan’s face darkened.  “I didn’t see her once we ran to the caves,” she said sadly.

“I have a feeling she managed to lay low until the Commandos recovered and left with them,” he said reassuringly.

“Yes,” D’Argo added, “She is one who will always survive.”

Zhaan shook her head.  “It is hard not to still think of her as that young child who needed our help and protection.”

“She needs to find her own way, just as you did,” D’Argo rumbled.

“And I need to let her,” Zhaan said resolutely.  “My anger and bitterness -- that was all about me.”

“Perhaps you will feel better after you meditate,” he suggested.

“I’m sure I will,” she said warmly.  “Then afterward, maybe you would consider joining me?  We have not had much time lately to enjoy each other’s company.”

John watched as they walked out together.  “Oh yah,” he said under his breath as the sound of D’Argo’s low purring  echoed from the hallway.

Smiling to himself, he turned to find Rygel still eating.

“Crichton,” Rygel said, his mouth full.  “That was an excellent meal you and Zhaan prepared.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” he said, surprised at the compliment.

“Yes, thanks to the food I negotiated from the Raboins,” he added, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

“Hey, Big Guy, try this instead,” John said, tossing him a napkin.  Looking around he saw they were alone.  “When did Aeryn leave?” he asked.

“I didn’t notice,” he said, his voice muffled by the napkin.  Seeing John head for the hallway, he added, “but I’d try the terrace, if I were you.”

John looked back but Rygel was busy eating again.

“If I didn’t know better, I might think he was being friendly,” John said to himself as he strode along the corridor.  “Nah.  He’s probably just hoping we might both accidentally fall off.”

As the airlock hissed open, John paused.  The view of the stars from the terrace was overwhelming and he was always amazed by the scope and beauty of it.

“Would you like some company?” he called out.  “Or did you come here to be alone?”

Aeryn looked over her shoulder and smiled, which was all the encouragement John needed to join her.

“You must be glad to be back in your clothes,” he commented, reaching out to tug her black vest.

“There was a certain freedom to wearing the other clothes,” she admitted.

“Way too much, for me,” John muttered under his breath.

“So I won’t be seeing you in that Raboin loincloth anytime soon?” she joked.

“Nope,” John said, patting his chest.  “From now on, it’ll just be these clothes or nothing.”

“Oh. I have a choice?”

John did a double take and then shook his finger at her.  “One of these days, your teasing is going to get you into trouble.”

Aeryn smiled then turned to look out at the stars.  “It’s hard to believe how much my life has changed in such a short time.”

“I hear you there,” he said with feeling.

“But it’s different for you,” she said turning to face him.  “You’re a scientist.  New and different is what you want.  It’s just confusing to me.”

“Well, I assure you, since I came here I’ve had new and different beyond my wildest dreams.”  He smiled as he watched her emotions flit across her face and wondered idly how he had come to know them so well in such a short time.   Reaching out, he took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“I have a feeling that curiosity was always in you.  Even when you were being trained, weren’t there times when you wanted to know the ‘why’ of things?”

“Yes,” she said flatly.  “But it was quickly beaten out of me.”

John’s anger flared in her defense and for a second he felt a twinge of sadness at what she’d had to endure.  “Well, I’m glad you’re here with us now,” he said softly.

She nodded her head.  “I am too, because I realize now, that I could never go back.  I know too much.”

John smiled.  “Knowing makes all the difference, doesn’t it?”

“But doesn’t it make it harder?” she asked, searching his face.  “I mean, after tonight’s dinner, I know how good food can taste.  I’ll hate to go back to those food cubes.”

“Yes, but you can go back to the food cubes with the memory of how good tonight’s dinner was,” John said.  “And isn’t that better than never having the experience just so you won’t miss it?”

Aeryn shook her head and looked out at the stars.  “Sometimes you talk in circles like Zhaan.”

John chuckled and followed her gaze and they stood hand in hand for a long time in comfortable, companionable silence.

 “You know, I never got a chance to thank you for saving me from being tossed down that mine with those Morlian Death Spiders.  And for standing up to Skanda on my behalf.”

Aeryn smiled self-consciously and shrugged.  “Well, if you can’t take care of yourself, I guess I have to.”

“Yah. I guess you do,” he said, smiling back.  He rubbed his thumb slowly against her palm, noticing the way she closed her eyes and sighed.  Bringing her hand up, he nuzzled her palm and kissed it.

“John?” she said uncertainly, her eyes flying to his.

Reaching up, he lightly stroked the curve of her eyebrow, then leaned in to gently kiss the path his fingers had traced.  As he felt her lean into him, he smiled and brushed his lips across her cheek as he slipped his arms around her.

“John,” she repeated, but this time her voice was low and breathy.

“I’m here,” he breathed warmly across her ear.  She shivered and clutched at his shoulders, then gasped as he flicked his tongue across her ear.

“Tell me if I’m doing anything wrong,” he murmured.

Aeryn leaned back in his arms and stared at him.

“Hey,” he protested with a soft laugh.  “I have enough trouble knowing what human women want, much less females of a completely different species.”

“We are not so different,” she said, her eyes dropping to his mouth.  Reaching up, she trailed her fingertips across his lips, tracing their curve as he slowly smiled.  “When I saw you and Gilina,” she began hesitantly,  “you were...”

Cradling her face in both his hands, John gently pulled her toward him. He brushed his soft mouth against hers then slowly ran the tip of his tongue across her lips.  As he coaxed her mouth open with little kisses, he relaxed his hold on her face and gently stroked his fingers along her cheeks and down her neck.

He kissed her gently and carefully, moving his mouth slowly against hers until she began  to return his kiss with awkward eagerness.  Lifting his head, he looked down at her slightly parted lips and half-closed eyes.  The sense of trust he felt from her as well as the look of utter pleasure on her face touched him like nothing else had ever done.

“I take it Sebaceans don’t kiss much,” he said, cupping her cheek and rubbing his thumb gently across her lips.

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