Female Of The Species. Part Two
by Nicola
Cert: PG-13
Disclaimers: See Part One.
Archiving: Sure! But always contact me first!
Summary: The plot thickens…
“What do you mean he’s disappeared?” Chiana snapped.
“I mean he’s disappeared. There one microt, gone the next. Disappeared.”
“How long?”
“A few arns. I’ve searched the streets, I can’t find him anywhere.”
“What’s the time where you are?” Chiana asked suppressing a yawn.”
“Morning. Sunrise was half an arn ago. I’ve been all the likely places but I can’t find him, he’s not even answering his comms.” Aeryn’s voice betrayed her concern.
“Did the two of you have a row?”
“No!” Aeryn’s answer was abrupt but honest.
‘Bang goes that theory.’ Chiana thought hopelessly. Why would he have gone then?
“Where are the others?”
“It’s midnight her Aeryn. They’re all asleep. Except for me and Pilot.”
“Well send D’argo down as soon as possible.”
“D’argo? Why D’argo?”
Aeryn sighed impatiently. “He’s always complaining how much he can smell us, now’s his turn to prove it, he can find John.”
“Ok Aeryn. I’ll wake him.” She terminated the connection and raised her eyebrows at Pilot. “Don’t you just long for a day where nothing happens? Peace?” She sighed. “I’ll wake D’argo, then I’ll be back.”
She smiled as she left Pilot’s chamber. She wouldn’t have believed it but talking to Pilot had been so interesting. The stories she had heard about her friends had made her rock with laughter. The image of Aeryn punching John because he pronounced it ‘Tavloid’ and not ‘Tavlek’, Rygel stealing John’s shoes when he believed him to be dead. The story he had passed on about the Zenetan pirates; D’argo’s admirer, ‘You are the female of your species, right?’ Chiana chuckled; she looked forward to returning to his company once she had awoken D’argo to find John. Lost. Again. That was something else she’d heard a lot about, John getting himself into a dren-load of trouble. Frequently. Well, not to worry, D’argo would find him and soon he’d be back on Moya - a target for her teasing.
Approaching D’argo’s cell she opened the door. Covers drawn over him, his strong frame remained motionless, except for the gentle rise and fall of his STRONG frame. Strong yet gentle; the warrior with a heart. Well, technically two but…
“D’argo,” she purred, sliding down beside him her hands running over his muscular shoulders, “D’argo,” she whispered again.
“Not now Chiana,” he murmured sleepily.
“D’argo, get up!” She shoved him roughly. “There’s a problem on the planet.”
“John can sort it.” D’argo growled gruffly.
‘John is the problem,’ “D’argo!” She sat heavily over him. “D’argo, John’s gone missing and Aeryn wants your help to find him.”
“But it’s the middles of the night!” he protested.
“And?” Chiana’s voice was stern. “You never know, this could be serious.”
“Alright, alright.” He rolled over to get dressed. “I’m on my way.”* * * *
Impatiently Aeryn paced at the landing pad, her eyes upturned to the paling sky. Striding restlessly she was unable to evade a single pursuing thought. Something John had said: ‘More to this than meets the eye.’ And then he had disappeared.
“Problem solving isn’t my area of expertise John. I need you for that.” She mumbled aloud. At least with D’argo they could soon trace him. He may have gone out for a walk and simply got lost. Maybe.
Descending rapidly D’argo landed the prowler untidily, clambering clumsily out; his face disgruntled.
“When we find John I will kill him for making me miss my sleep,” he shook his head. “What’s that noise?”
“What noise?” Aeryn was impatient.
“That ringing noise.”
“Ringing?” Aeryn’s head snapped around, “That’s what John…”
“What John what?”
“Never mind. It’s probably nothing.” She turned away her thoughts focused on finding John. “I’ll take you to where John was last and then you can go from there.” She looked back at the Luxan, “Alright?”
“No.” D’argo shook his head uncomfortably, “With that ringing I can’t concentrate so I can’t-”
“For frell’s sake D’argo, you don’t need to concentrate you just need to smell!” Aeryn’s voice rose aggressively.
“Aeryn-” D’argo clamped his heavy hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re worried about John. I am too. But getting angry won’t help. I suggest we ask around to see if he’s been spotted, after all if this town is as you say, entirely populated by females, I’m sure he’d stand out. Someone must have seen him.”
Aeryn nodded silently, turning back to the town and heading towards the town’s central building. Perhaps the mayoress Varala could help.~
“Missing? Indeed?” Her eyes widened sympathetically. “I’m afraid I can not help you there. I have not seen him since you both left me yesterday and no one else would have seen him as curfew forbids people to be on the streets at night. I’m afraid only your friend is to blame for his disappearance.”
“Frell.” Aeryn smacked her fist into her flat palm with curt annoyance. “Well what can you do to help us find him?”
“It can be reported to the town’s officials, but that is all.” She glanced across at D’argo. “I see you brought another male to help you in your search.” Her eyes glared disapproval but Aeryn ignored it.
“This is D’argo.”
Varala extended her hand in a cool welcome and D’argo took it, wary of a reaction. She squeezed his hand gently and he squeezed hers watching a cool smile creep over her features.
“You are strong Luxan.”
“I have often been told this.”
She studied his hands her fingers tracing the calloused marks on his palms. “Strong hands, you must have worked hard in your life.”
“I-” D’argo stuttered his reply but Aeryn cut sharply in.
“Look, this isn’t helping us find John.” She snatched D’argo’s arm. “I suggest we explore the barren lands outside the town’s enclosure. He may be lost out there or injured.” She hauled the luxan away, tossing her dark hair out her eyes, determination fixed on her features. The more time she spent with Varala the more she understood what John meant about them creeping her out. For someone who had spoken about the ‘poison’ of the opposite sex she seemed to enjoy her time in D’argo’s company a little too much.
“We’ve got 6 and a half arns of daylight left.” She said briskly, “That’s plenty of time to search.”
“Next time we go to a planet, put John on a leash,” D’argo growled wearily, lack of sleep visible in his eyes and he struggled to fight a yawn. “This has happened to many times.”* * * *
Chiana re-entered the chamber and smiled at Pilot. “I told you I’d come back.” In reply Pilot lifted his head in surprise.
“Chiana,” His voice seemed weaker, strained.
“Pilot, are you alright?” She clambered up on the console in front of him, sprawling next to him concern filling her dark eyes.
“I am fine Chiana. Just a-little-tired. That is all.”
“You sure? You don’t sound too good.”
“I have woken Rygel and asked him to wake Zhaan from her meditation, so she may be informed of the situation on the planet.”
“Pilot!” Chiana snapped, “Don’t change the subject!”
“I was not aware there was a set topic of conversation.”
“Pilot!” Chiana’s breathless voice was filled with exasperation. “Just answer the question! What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong Chiana, except that Commander Crichton has gone missing.” Pilot turned evasively away and Chiana groaned softly. What was it John had once said? ‘Like getting blood from a stone.’
“Pilot?” Zhaan’s voice came gently over the comms, concerned. “Rygel tells me there is a problem I need to be informed about.”
“Indeed. Proceed to join the others in command and I will explain.”
Chiana strode out of his chamber to meet Zhaan. “This conversation isn’t over yet Pilot.” She growled.* * * *
Seven arns after they had entered the wilderness they returned. Two of them. Trudging through the darkness Aeryn folded her arm across her chest, the loathsome feeling of helplessness beginning to consume her.
“We should head back to Moya.”
“No!” Aeryn’s curtness stung D’argo and he glanced across at her, squinting in the near black gloom. “We are not leaving this planet.”
“Aeryn-”
“No! I am staying here until I find John. We will not leave till we are all back together again.” She growled adamantly.
“And what if we can’t find him.” D’argo’s voice was almost a whisper.
“We will.” Aeryn’s voice dropped quieter. D’argo glanced across at her watching the hope slowly fading from her eyes. They stopped outside the accommodation.
“You coming inside?”
Aeryn declined and ambling away left D’argo to enter alone.
There had to be an answer, a logical reason. John could not have simply disappeared, he had not gone into the barren lands and there had been no peacekeeper sightings. Zhaan had been scanning continuously since she was awoken from her meditation. An air of suspicion hovered around the town and Aeryn shivered. The longer she spent in this environment the more she hated it; the worse her distrust became.
A young figure watched her closely from the shadows, fingering a thick silky braid that hung out of the mass of waist length hair.
“They tool my husband too.” She said softly. “Actually, my betrothed. They took him the day before our wedding. When this madness began.”
Aeryn whirled around trying to focus into the dark shadows where the figure of a young girl crouched. John’s words echoed back to her. ‘This kid just told me to go.’ ‘This kid,’ Did he mean this creature?
“Last night, did you speak to John?”
“I told him to leave, before he was claimed but he didn’t listen.”
Aeryn advanced on the young girl. “What do you know about this?”
“If I knew where your friend was I’d know where Garoth was.”
“Garoth, is he your…”
“Betrothed.” She nodded scrambling to her feet. “You should leave now before more is lost.” She choked.
A whirring noise echoed through the deserted streets: the curfew alarm. Panic filled the young girl’s face and Aeryn darted towards her, clutching her arm in a strong grip.
“Wait!” She cried.
“Let me go!” The girl struggled. “I must go!”
“Tomorrow then.” Aeryn hissed. “Come to the bar so I can talk to you.”
The girl snatched her arm out of Aeryn's grasp and broke away. “I make no promises.”
Confused Aeryn watched her go. Her husband had gone? Been claimed? By who? Or what? Her head spinning she made her way back to her room thoughts chasing round in circles in her mind. Loud her heartbeat in her head, she could feel her pulse heavy under her skin. Creeping into the room she shut the door, sinking herself immediately into an impermeable pool of liquid ebony, thick and cloaking. A small shaft of dusty silver fell through the window from the light of a small crescent moon. The room was silent; D’argo must already be asleep. In the inky darkness Aeryn could not see the bed and did not look favourably on the idea of fumbling over her Luxan comrade to get into bed. Instead she sat on the windowsill curling herself up in the cramped space, the cold glass steaming at the touch of her clammy hands. Closing her eyes wearily she tried to slide herself into a comfortable position. Her mind continued to buzz angrily. Her confusion irritated her. She could fight an enemy to solve a problem but when she didn’t know what to fight or how to fight it…John could not have just vanished. There had to be a logical reason. Cursing her ignorance Aeryn tried desperately to fit the puzzle together, but like John had said the pieces didn’t seem to fit.
* * * *
Groaning Aeryn peeled her eyes open, swallowing the stale taste that rested in her mouth. She must have fallen asleep. Her muscles ached with stiffness and she tried to massage feeling back into her shoulders. Squinting out of the window she watched the sun seep slowly over the silent town. The light had not yet touched their room and the bed was still in a shadowy darkness. Trying to roll the cramp out of her neck she groaned, fighting a yawn she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. The shorter days and nights were beginning to take their toll on her and the effects were staring to show.
“D’argo,” she called, “are you awake?”
No reply. “Wake up!” She called loudly. No sound. “Don’t make me come over. D’argo!” Still D’argo made no sound. Aeryn listened closely. She couldn’t even hear D’argo’s heavy breathing anymore. “D’argo!” Crumpling off the windowsill she forced her cramped limbs into action. Kneeling on the bed she put her hands out to shake him awake but felt nothing. Peering into the haziness she tried to strain at the darkness, a flat shape of a bed. Empty.
“Oh frell.” She moaned. “D’argo!” She raised her voice one last time; waiting expectantly for the silence she knew would follow.* * * *
Zhaan listened to Aeryn with a sinking heart, rubbing a hand across her sleepy eyes.
“And there’s no sign of D’argo.”
“None.”
“And still no sign of John.”
“None.”
Zhaan shook her head in weary confusion. “And do you have any idea of where they could be?”
“None whatsoever.” Aeryn sighed. “Are you alright Zhaan? You don’t sound right.”
“It’s getting late here Aeryn,” Zhaan replied jadedly, tying the belt around her tunic and shuffling out of her cell. “I haven't slept for over 20 arns and I was just about to try and rest when…”
“Oh Zhaan, I forgot,” she sighed, “listen Zhaan, can you send Stark down to this planet?”
“Stark has retired to his quarters for the night, shall I come down?”
“No.” Aeryn replied adamantly. “It must be Stark.” Aeryn scratched the back of her neck. “I've got an idea Zhaan…you have to send Stark down. Before nightfall, I’m afraid you can’t let him sleep.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Oh and Zhaan? Tell him to bring some handcuffs.”
End of Part two!!!