The Aftermath pt 1

by Angelesque

angelesque119@hotmail.com

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The infirmary was dark. It suited her mood. She stood by the window and stared at the stars. Talyn was visible from here, tucked in close to his mother. Moya was still unable to get a response from her child. Outwardly there appeared to be nothing wrong, other than the fact he was more floating than flying. She scanned the stars. Moya's systems would detect danger long before it was visible
to her naked eye, but she still looked.
Aeryn Sun ran a hand through her dark hair. She felt frustrated, impatient. Out there somewhere was... What? She didn't know, only that whatever it was, it could disable a heavily armed ship flown by a very experienced tactician.
She half turned, her eyes resting on the prone figure on the bed. He was still unconscious. She wandered to his bedside. There wasn't a mark on him.
'Like captain, like ship,' Aeryn though and she shivered. This wasn't a particularly pleasant allegory to be making. If she was right... if she was right... She folded her arms across her chest and paced to distract herself from that rather awful thought. She and Crais may not always have agreed, and there was a part of her still furious with him for taking Talyn, but she wouldn't wish that upon him.
Her eyes were again drawn to the ship visible through the window.
Peacekeepers. It had to be. Or maybe the Nebari. Or, or, or..
There were too many factors, too many possibilities. She remembered the Heloisians and the Plovakians. She shook her head and fought the strong desire to kick something. Preferably him.
'Damn it Crais, what happened?' She said aloud. She knew it was useless, that he couldn't hear her, but she needed to know - a nervous tension filled her, a tension that grew more pronounced every time she looked upon the damaged Leviathan. She felt as if Moya's every move was being
watched, as if there were an invisible enemy watching, waiting, judging the moment of the kill. She shuddered. She'd been dead once - she wasn't in a hurry to repeat the experience.
Crais gasped then, nearly making her jump out of her skin. She raced to his side.
His eyes flew open and he stared at her, in bewilderment and growing disbelief.
"Aeryn?" He murmured hoarsely and tried to rise.
Aeryn placed a firm hand on his chest. "Just lie still," she commanded softly.
"Where...?"
"You're on Moya. Talyn has been damaged. We found you two solar days ago. You've been unconscious since then."
"Aren't you dead? Or am I?"
"Neither of us are," Aeryn said, pushing a hand through her hair as she realise she'd got an awful lot of explaining to do. "Look, can we cover this later? Talyn's in a right mess and we could really do with finding out what happened." She looked at him expectantly.
Crais closed his eyes. "It's a little hazy," he told her. "I remember a Peacekeeper Retrieval Squad and a battle, then..." He trailed off and opened his eyes. "Does that help any?"
"Peacekeepers," Aeryn said with a sniff. Her gaze travelled to the window again. "Why the frell didn't you Starburst?"
"I don't remember."
"Fantastic."
Crais hauled himself into a sitting position and attempted to get off the bed. His legs didn't hold him and Aeryn grabbed him before he fell.
"I suppose I should have know you wouldn't listen to me," Aeryn said dryly. She helped him back on the bed. "I guess it was too much to ask that you actually paid attention to something someone told you."
"I didn't feel that bad," he said in way of explanation.
Aeryn pointed out the window. "Talyn doesn't look that bad, but the damage was severe enough to render you unconscious for at least two solar days." She took a deep breath and curbed her anger because he sat there looking bewildered and more than a little lost.
"Aeryn," he said quietly. "I can't sense him."
She regarded him for a microt, then softened. She held out the transponder. "Probably because I took this out. I'd done just about everything else I could think of and you still hadn't revived." She shrugged. "Removing it didn't make much noticeable difference, but I figured... Well I presumed you might share Talyn's pain and I didn't think that was conducive."
"You have been concerned for me?" Crais sounded surprised.
"Only so far as I know Talyn would be upset by your death," Aeryn replied primly.
"Thank you," he replied dryly.
"Well what did you expect?"
He nodded. "I want to return to Talyn," he told her then. He looked at her.
"You can't even stand," Aeryn exclaimed.
Crais proved her wrong by lowering himself slowly off the bed. Aeryn folded her arms as an indication she wasn't going to catch him a second time, but though he was shaky, he stood.
"Stubborn, impossible, arrogant," she muttered as she watched him take a few uncertain steps. She wasn't sure whether to feel irritated or admire his sheer determination.
Crais paused at the end of the bed and glanced at her. "Are you coming or not?" He enquired.
Aeryn gave him a long look, then sighed. "I suppose someone ought to keep an eye on you."


It took them several microns to get from the infirmary to the docking bay. Aeryn watched Crais as he edged down the corridor, using the wall as support. She didn't help him, though she was close enough to stop him if he fell. She kept her face blank. They didn't talk.
They reached the docking bay. Crais stared at the expense between the door and the transport pod. He wondered if his legs were strong enough to get him across without making an ass of himself. He doubted it. He looked at Aeryn and saw she was already aware of his problem. She lent against the
opposite side, her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised.
"Go on," she said. "I need a good laugh."
The look she got in return was black.
"All right, you were correct. But Talyn needs me."
"That's emotional blackmail."
"Yes. I know. But it works, doesn't it?"
It was Aeryn's turn to give a dark look.
Crais smiled faintly. "Would you help me?"
She blinked at this. She pushed herself away from the wall and took his arm