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		Adena Sun presents:
			Providence John Crichton glanced out over the stars, feeling the hackles rise instinctively at their unfamiliarity.   Just another sign that he should not be here, that humans maybe weren’t meant to live with the stars.  He had been back aboard for only three days, since the others came through the wormhole and found him.  Yeah, he had found Earth.  Right place, wrong time.  He had landed in his hometown, fifteen years before he had even left.  He was almost tempted to stay.  The easy way out; run away from the freak in the bondage outfit who wanted only to protect him, run away from the psycho commandant with the pheromone scent, and run away from the woman he could not bear to look at because all it brought was heartache. Aeryn.... The thought of her filled his mind with images.  Fleeting kisses, stolen moments before she even understood what love was.  He pulled out the bottle of lakka and tapped it against his forehead.  What D’Argo didn’t know couldn’t kill him.  Granny had her ways of giving him what he needed.  ‘Do I need this?’, he thought, ‘or is the real thing the only answer?’.  The thought of surrendering to her, the one who had hurt him, only drove him to remove the lid from the bottle and inhale deeply. His mind at once reeled with the images.  Aeryn.  But not the Aeryn he knew.  The one who lived, and loved, and mourned a man who looked just like him.  She no longer mourned, but he could no longer trust her.  Memories that were not his own, but those of a dead twin.  Talking, laughing, crying, loving.... things he did not experience.  A bedroom on Talyn.  I never slept on Talyn.  He felt the rush of love, of lust run through him as if it were happening right there, right then.  How can I remember this?  Or are these just my fantasies of Aeryn in technicolour?  He leaned against the wall of the terrace to steady himself against the onslaught of memories that he couldn’t remember.  They were getting stronger.  But his heart couldn’t take the alternative.  A flash of Aeryn crying in his arms as he soothed her gently.  Another of her lying on a bed, his notebook open in front, a field of stars behind.  A radiant smile on her face. That is enough!! John shook his head to rid himself of the plague of memories that were too happy and too longed for for him to bear.  He stalked out of the terrace, in search of the witch. Noranti stood in the mess hall, another of her stews creating a foul stench that threatened to burn the insides of Moya.  She kept so little company, and even the DRDs were afraid to go near her.  Only John ever came and that was in private, in search of the drugs which would cure his heartache.  She smiled at that as she removed the lid from her pot.  The Luxan  would not be amused at their dealings.  And poor Aeryn would be horrified.  No matter, thought Noranti, it is for her good, too.  She was about to take a sip of her chfolak stew when Crichton, her favourite, walked right in and slammed the bottle of lakka on the counter. “Finished already?  It will take some time to make more, especially without the others knowing.” “I didn’t come for more, Granny, I came to find out what the frell this stuff is!”  Crichton tried to keep his voice low.  Chiana had a habit of being in shadows and Sikozu reported all to Scorpius. “It is lakka.  It removes painful thoughts.  I explained all of this to you in the beginning.”  The old woman tasted the stew and recoiled at its bitterness. “I know what you said.  What you didn’t say was that it would create more painful memories!” “I honestly have no idea what you are saying.  Lakka does no such thing.”  Her voice was quick and her pitch was high as she mashed the contents of a ceramic bowl,  third eye blinking. “You told me this would help me forget her.  Instead, I’m getting flashes of memories that I don’t remember!  Things that happened to him, not to me.”  He moved round to the other side of the counter to stand beside her, his addled and tired brain trying to keep up with the frustrating woman and his body trying not to heave at the smell of her cooking. “Oh.  That.  Well, I would have warned you about that part, but then you never would have played along, would you?”  Her nonchalant attitude only angered him further.  He was raised a Southern gentleman, and never wanted to hit a lady.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t sorely tempted. “I knew it!” he gasped in exasperation.  “You knew this would happen!  Why the frell did you let me take this crap if you knew it wasn’t going to help me?!” She sighed.  “If you knew, you wouldn’t have taken it.”  She began ripping some sort of leaf, adding it to the contents of the bowl which were now nothing more than dust.  “And I needed you to see.  You can be so blind, for one so intelligent.” “How is this supposed to help me get over her, when all it does is make it hurt even more?” The anger was still there, but the pain was all the more evident. “Oh, I didn’t want you to get over her.  I wanted you to want her more.”  She played with the dust between her fingers, watching as it fell back to the bowl, enjoying the rough texture against aged skin.  “So much depends on it.” “What the frell are you--”  Crichton was abruptly cut off when she blew the dust into his already red eyes.  Not again.  I’m sick of seeing the truth.  He reeled around, desperate to regain his vision. Or maybe seeing nothing won’t be so bad.  “Dammit, you old witch, I told you never to do that to me again!” “You need help along your journey, Commander.  Why else do you think I’m here?” “Why are you doing this to me?”  He was so tired of being used and broken. “Because I am the only one who can show you truth.”  She moved to where he crouched on the floor, still rubbing his eyes.  “You wish to push Aeryn away when destiny brought you together.  And destiny relies on you and Aeryn being side by side in the cycles to come.” He sighed deeply at the thought. “Look, lady, I know I once thought it was fate, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna forgive her when she runs away and comes back expecting everything to be OK.” “Which is exactly why I came along.”  She touched his forehead gently, like a mother checking for fever.  “The two of you must be together.” “I can’t do it anymore.  She’s hurt me too much, and now I’m the one pushing her away.” “You must.  For the sake of millions of lives you must. “ “What do you mean?” “Open your eyes,” she stroked his forehead once more, “and you will see.” The light flashed bright before him, and Moya faded away. Part 2 The streets before him were empty, deserted.  The smell of rain and oil mixed together, intoxicating and stimulating memories of winter nights running round the wet streets with his friends.  He was but a ghost here, with the old woman just beside him. “Where are we?” he asked, fearing that he knew. “Earth.  Not quite as you remember it.”  She stared at a tabby alley cat, which screeched indignantly before running off. “I-is this what’s happening on Earth now?” “Hmm? Oh, no no no.  In this world, you never left.  This would be a little later than our present.”  The sound of pulse pistols chilled him, and he jumped at the sight of peacekeepers marching down the street. “Peacekeepers? On Earth? You mean - “ “Yes, just one of many alternatives.  No matter the action, there is always an alternative effect.  The Peacekeepers came to this Earth about three cycles ago.” “I hardly recognize the place.  How did they....what happened?” “Surprise attack.  Earth was unprepared.  But this is inconsequential.  Some things, however, do not change.” “What do you mean?”  He followed a prowler up above him as it patrolled from the sky. “Well, you were taken by the Peacekeepers to work as a scientist, along with many of your old co-workers.  During this time, you discovered the secrets of wormhole technology.” “Oh, great, frelling wormholes follow me no matter where I go...” “Our friend Scorpius desired to use this knowledge, but you escaped.  You joined the underground movement.  You remain the most wanted man on Earth.” “You mean, even if I didn’t get lost in Oz, there was still a chance that I’d end up being chased by the Rocky Horror reject? “ “One of many possibilities.” “You’re starting to sound way too much like Einstein. “ he muttered. “What is happening to Earth is not our main priority.  Look, over there.” Across the street, at the entrance to an alley, he saw a man wearing a long coat and hidden by shadows.  He leaned out into the street light for a moment, and Crichton saw that he was looking at himself.  This other Crichton ducked back into the alley at the sound of the prowler over head, and was soon joined by a female Peacekeeper, who, judging by their passionate greeting, wasn’t going to arrest him. “Aeryn...” he whispered.  “Noranti, if the Peacekeepers have enslaved Earth, how did I meet Aeryn?” “After your escape from Scorpius, you and the other rebels were attacked.  She was one of the soldiers in the attack, and was injured.  Despite protests from the others, you took her with you and cared for her until she was well.  She fled, but you continued to run into each other.  Eventually, Aeryn was working as a spy for the rebels, and the pair of you were lovers.” I wonder if she caused me just as much pain in this reality? He sighed.  “So, no matter where I go, I meet with Aeryn?” “Not necessarily.  But the realities in which you do not meet are not pleasant.” One last longing look at the clandestine lovers, and another flash of light.... Part 3 Crichton recognised Moya’s gentle hum immediately, but the smell was all wrong.  The stench of burnt flesh permeated the air, and the walls were thoroughly damaged.  There were no DRDs in sight, wiring dangled from the walls like vines, and the Leviathan’s movements were slow and shaky.  Zhaan stood by the viewscreen, head bowed in prayer.  Crichton could not deny the mixture of happiness and guilt at the sight of her.  The Delvian’s sadness was palpable. “What’s going on here?” “Watch, and you will learn.  Heed my warnings that it will not be pleasant.” Zhaan raised her head, tears a contrast to her perfect blue.  She reached out and touched Moya’s wall, and Crichton noticed how the ship seemed to recoil from her touch. “Moya....I wish I could help you to ease your pain.  But there is so much in all of us.” Moya’s hum grew more miserable. “I know you miss Pilot.  We all do.  But the damage was too great.  He could no longer obtain the nutrients he needed from you.  We tried, we all did, but nothing could be done.”  She sighed sadly as more tears fell.  “I only wish there had been another way.” Moya’s tone indicated absolution, but the pain was still there. D’Argo’s voice sounded gruff and out of place over the comms.  “Zhaan, prepare for another attack.  Scarran dreadnought right behind us.” “But we’re out of Scarran territory!” “Yeah, but we’re in Peacekeeper territory.  They think Moya’s under Peacekeeper control!” “Surely they must know!  Moya is no longer wearing a control collar!  They have to listen to reason!” Crichton heard his own voice over the comms and felt a little embarrassed, as you do when you hear your voice.  Do I really sound like that? No way. “Zhaan, since when have the Scarrans listened to anything?  They don’t care if we’re Peacekeeper or not, they just want target practice!” “Moya is incapable of starburst, we have no way of escaping them! She cannot handle anymore pain!” “Dammit, Zhaan, we know that.  This war has taken a lot out of her, I know.  But we cannot get away from them this time.”  Zhaan’s head fell and she sobbed loudly. “What war?”  Crichton asked Noranti. “The Peacekeepers and the Scarrans.  In this reality, you and Aeryn never met.  Therefore, you never went to the Gammak base and met Scorpius.  The Peacekeepers were unable to develop wormhole technology, and so the Scarrens used their already obvious advantage to start the war.”  Her eyes turned to Zhaan, sobbing against Moya’s bulkhead.  “Moya is an innocent bystander.” “How do you know about the Gammak base?” “I see many things, Commander.  If you were only so observant you would realise that.” He heard his own voice, panicked and afraid, over the comms.  “The dreadnought’s powering up!” “Defence screen is at 10%.  That will do nothing against a dreadnought!”  D’Argo yelled.  “John, this is it... we’re frelled.” “Zhaan?  Prepare yourself for impact.”  Crichton shouted over the comms.  “Moya, we are so sorry...forgive us.  You have saved us so many times and we wish we could do the same for you.  You watched over us when we lost Rygel, Chiana...and we did everything we could to help you when we lost Pilot.”  “Thank you, Moya.”  D’Argo added.  “And my friends, thank you for everything.” Zhaan could do nothing but pray.  She held her hands against Moya’s wall and communicated silently, asking her goddess to deliver them all to a better place.  They had fought for so long, and lost so much. “I don’t want to see anymore.”  John begged Noranti.  “Take me home.” “Patience, Commander.”  She hushed him.  Crichton fell back as the impact hit, watching in shock and horror as Moya’s tiers began to cave in, hearing his own final scream over the comms.  And he could only watch as Zhaan fell victim to the void of space, screaming at the sight of her being destroyed by the pressure.... Another flash, and he was never so thankful for not being able to see.... Part 4 Crichton came back to himself in Moya’s mess hall, relieved that there was no smell of burning Leviathan, no Zhaan sobbing in the corner.  He shook his head to rid himself of the awful image.  Noranti was tasting her stew again, as if trips through parallel dimensions made a difference to her cooking. “Tell me we’re back in Kansas...” he groaned. “We are in your reality, yes.  Did you enjoy the trip?” “Oh yeah, that’s twice in one month I’ve been shown how easy it is to frell the universe.” “I hope you have learned something.” He sighed.  He didn’t like to think about it.  “Yeah, I get it.  Aeryn and I are meant for each other.  Despite the fact that she left me twice, won’t tell me anything and may or may not be carrying my child....” “Is forgiveness a foreign concept to your species?”  Noranti sighed, frustrated. He snorted at that, then in thought stroked his thumb across his lips. “Tell me this: why?  Why is it so important that me and Aeryn are together?  What, can we change the universe or something?” She approached him, tenderly stroking his cheek.  “Look not to the past for what you seek.  Look at what the two of you can achieve.  Think not about hurt, about betrayal.  The fate of this universe relies on what you can only do together.  What you will bring into this world.  The seed has already been sown...” He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly as realisation dawned on him. “The baby...” he whispered. Noranti bowed her head in assent.  “In each reality in which you and Aeryn find each other, you bring a child into the world.  That child learns from both of you, from all its family aboard Moya.  Its birth marks a change.  It is not what you and Aeryn do as friends, as lovers, as enemies that will change our fate.  It is what you do as parents that destiny relies on.” He was practically speechless as questions flooded into his head.  “T-that’s why you’ve been giving me the lakka?  Not to make me forget Aeryn, but to make me remember her?” “I knew you were hurting.  I needed you to see her, to want her, to know how happy you could be together.  So I used the memories of he who died, to show you what could be.  What must be.” John had to sit on the stool by the counter to stop himself from collapsing.  He couldn’t trust his legs at the moment.  He rubbed his eyes, tried to clear his head, took a deep breath.  “How do you know all this? Our future, our past?” “Those who have eyes can see.  But you must first know where to look.  Ask no more of me, and you shall find the answers you seek.  You know what you must do.  And there is so little time.” He sat there for another while, trying to grasp the knowledge she had given him.  Feeling a little steadier, he rose, but before leaving he said: “Thank you.  I think.” But Noranti was too involved in her stew to notice anything in the room.  She tasted it, when John left.  It was sweet now, a pleasant odour and aftertaste.  “Ah, time and patience.  All is looking better.” John found himself again on the terrace.  The instinctive shudder of looking at unfamiliar stars was nothing compared to the nerves in his body. The baby.  Did that mean it was his child?  Or was that completely insignificant, as long as it was raised by him and Aeryn? Damn.  Why can’t it ever be easy? He heard the old woman’s words echo in his head. “You know what you must do.  And there is so little time.” As he sighed,  the doors behind him opened.  He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.  The light step, the sweet scent.... it was all Aeryn.  Taking a deep breath, he turned to her, and her tentative smile made him want to scream because she was the one who wanted to talk for once. “Hey.” “Hey.” She fidgeted with her belt, nervously.  When was she ever nervous?  “I was wondering if we could talk.  There’s so much I need to say to you.” He thought for a moment.  He thought about the lovers meeting in secret, on an Earth occupied by Peacekeepers.  He thought about Zhaan wailing as Moya collapsed around her, all because Aeryn was never stabbed.  And he thought about the child she carried within her.  Is that enough? “I’m ready to listen.” He smiled, and she relaxed a little in his presence.  Fate brought them together, and now he knew why. His nerves were getting the better of him and he wished he hadn’t left the lakka with Granny.  Not that it would help much, in light of the revelations of the past few arns.  Aeryn was standing right beside him.  Fate, providence, destiny - whatever you wanted to call it, it was seriously giving him a headache. “So,” he began nervously, “you said you wanted to talk.” “And you want to listen,”  she said it more as a question, because she was still not used to their role reversal.  “So ask me anything.  Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell you.  I owe you that much at least.” She watched as he chewed the pad of his thumb; a line appear over his right eyebrow.  All so familiar, so uniquely Crichton, yet all so achingly distant. He wasn’t going to miss an opportunity like this, a chance to finally get the truth out of her, rather than hearing it from someone else.  “Tell me why you left.” Aeryn knew that would be the first thing he would ask, as she began to comprehend just how much she had hurt him.  In spite of her preparation, her breath trembled and her palms began to sweat. “I needed to... get over him.  To get away.  To figure out what I wanted.  I didn’t want to be afraid of you anymore.” That shocked him.  “Afraid?” “Afraid of losing you.  Afraid of how much you could hurt me.” She took a deep breath before continuing.  “ I...I never saw you as a clone, a copy... you were still John Crichton.  I realised that the moment I saw you run up to the transport pod when I returned from Talyn.  And that was when I realised that I couldn’t get close to you again, because I could not bear to lose you.”  She smiled, bittersweet.  “For the first time in cycles, I began to think that Peacekeeper ideals aren’t so barbaric after all.  If you can’t get close to someone, you can’t get hurt...” “And now?” “I discovered I was wrong.  I remembered how long I had been alone.  I had always wondered what it would be like to meet someone, run away from the life I knew.”  Her face darkened.  “My mother’s influence.”  She sighed.  “I missed you.  I needed you.  And no matter how much it hurt, I knew I had to be with you.” He could accept her grief as her reason for leaving.  Crichton knew how much she had been hurting back then.  He should have taken it as flattery, proof that after all these cycles she truly did love him.  As much as it had pained him to be pushed away when all he wanted was to comfort her, he knew that she had been unprepared for such grief.  He knew how he felt when she had died, but unlike her, he had been there long before.  The matter of her leaving was simple, solved, and he could forgive.  The matter of her originally having no intention to return, and not telling him about the baby, still had to be resolved. “Aeryn, you knew you were pregnant before you left Moya.  Why didn’t you say anything?”  His blue eyes bore into her, and she flinched.  She loved his eyes, how they revealed everything, but at the moment she didn’t like what she saw reflected there. She stumbled over her words, emotion hitting hard.  “Didn’t I hurt you enough?  Would it have made you feel better to know that not only was I pregnant, but the father might be some nameless prowler pilot I recreated with cycles ago?” His anger flared.  “Frankly, yes, because then I wouldn’t have spent all that time wondering what the hell you were doing with my child, and you didn’t even trust me enough to tell me the truth!”  It was the first time since her return to Moya that he had displayed anymore than indifference towards her. “I didn’t know if it was yours---”  She began, anger rising in spite of herself. “Hell, Aeryn I had already considered that possibility.  I had a lot of time to do nothing but think about that.  But you didn’t tell me otherwise.  You didn’t tell me anything.  I know you were hurting, and I understand that, but dammit Aeryn do you honestly think I would have hated you for something neither of us had any control over?” “I was frightened.  I didn’t know what to do.  I needed to find out if it is yours, but - -” “You never made it that far.”  He softened slightly.  “But that doesn’t explain anything.  You wouldn’t have come back here if it wasn’t for Scorpius finding you, would you?” Aeryn was about to plead her case, do anything for his forgiveness, when D’Argo’s gruff voice crackled over the comms. “John, Aeryn, get up to command now!” “What’s up, D?”  John asked, both irritated and relieved by the interruption.  Aeryn looked at him, clearly more not as relieved as he. Were you honestly expecting a quiet moment?  D’Argo’s voice filled the room once more.  “We are in serious frelling dren.” The crew gathered in command, breathless, all present except for Scorpius, and Sikozu was clearly annoyed at being torn from his side. None could understand the level of D’Argo’s concern until they looked at the view screen.  A wormhole, swirling brilliant blue, had appeared right before them, threatening to swallow Moya whole.  Moya and Pilot’s nervous energy could be sensed throughout the ship, while Aeryn looked on jealously at her rival for Crichton’s attention.  Scorpius stalked his cell, the wormhole’s very presence electrifying him. Yet it wasn’t the thrilling ocean of azure before them which had so alerted their captain.  It was what had come flying out of it which had him so worried.  A command carrier, a large black dent in the sea of blue, seemed to be orienting itself after it had come spinning out of the wormhole. “Um, Crichton, aren’t you supposed to be able to predict these things?”  Chiana asked, spider-walking closer. “I was busy, Pip.  My mind can’t be everywhere at once.”  Aeryn glanced sideways at him, unsure if there was anger or just amazement in his voice.   “Scorpy, you know anything about this?  Or do command carriers always come this way into Tormented Space?”  Now there was anger, and Scorpius sighed at John’s inability to grasp the nature of his intentions. “I was fully unaware of any such thing.  Unless, the Peacekeepers have now developed wormhole tech to such an extent that they can send a command carrier through unharmed.” D’Argo interrupted the half-breed.  “I saw it come out, it had no control.  Looks like it was just coincidence.” “Just our frelling luck.”  Crichton muttered.  Pilot’s disembodied voice added to the tension in the room.  “Moya is very frightened, and wishes to starburst immediately.” “Do it, Pilot.  Tell Moya she will be fine.” “The wormhole is directly in our path, and we are too close.  We must change positions.”  Pilot continued. “Just do it, you yotz!  Get us out of here now!”  Rygel ordered, his throne sled rising with his voice. “Rygel, shut up.  Pilot, the command carrier still looks disoriented.  You have time.”  Crichton added. Moya’s massive mass began to slowly turn, dangerously close to the wormhole.  While Pilot appreciated John’s interest in the phenomena, he and Moya shared a dislike for them.  Too much damage, too many unhappy memories. “What the frell?!”  Chiana yelled, as the others moved closer to see what had spooked her.  A mass of black objects moving at full speed, spinning out of the wormhole, and hurtling directly towards Moya.  “Those are Marauders!”  Aeryn shouted. “Pilot, starburst now!  We need to get out of here before those things hit us!” Chiana added, pulse racing as she watched the Marauders come out of the wormhole. Moya’s tail lit up, a blue to rival that of the wormhole, moving to encompass the entire ship.  But it was too late for starburst.  Just as the energy signature of Moya hit full power,  a dozen Marauders crashed straight into her, sparks flying, systems failing.  The crew fell to the ground with the impact, all unprepared for the sheer force of it.  Pilot screamed for Moya,  her agony too much for him to bear, and he soon joined the others in blackness. Sikozu awoke, instantly aware of new surroundings.  Her thoughts went to Scorpius, had he survived the impact?  She tried to consider his cell in relation to where the Marauders had hit, but her head was cloudy from unconsciousness.  She recognised a cell, still on Moya, her wrists shackled in front, Rygel and Noranti in similar positions beside her.  Her mind ran through all the possibilities, and she was slowly learning to consider the impossibilities. Rygel had not yet awoken, his tiny body weighed down by the shackles.  Noranti sat between the two, mumbling in that horribly distressed manner of hers, upsetting to watch.  “Good ship gentle creature so much pain so much pain all locked up have to get out have to get away....”  Sikozu could not bear to watch the old woman like this. “Quiet!  Tell me what has happened!  Who has taken us prisoner?”  she demanded. “Oh they hit they came fast fast so quickly you all slept I couldn’t -” “Enough!  Tell me what happened!”  Sikozu shouted. Noranti wailed as if in physical pain, as if she had been the one hit by the out of control Marauders, and Sikozu began to wonder just how much damage they had inflicted upon Moya.  As Sikozu was about to demand further answers from the howling eternal, a Peacekeeper soldier entered, his plain black signifying a lack of rank that did not match his attitude. “What is going on in here?” he insisted, ready to call for backup. “It is nothing, she is simply upset, leave her be, I can calm her.”  Sikozu came as close to begging as she would ever allow herself,  the shock of seeing a Peacekeeper aboard Moya registering with her quick mind.  She knew what they were capable of. This particular Peacekeeper, all pressed and crisp, knew better than to pay any attention to the ramblings of a desperate prisoner.  As Noranti continued her bawling, the Peacekeeper simply approached her, Sikozu yelling as he raised the butt of his pulse pistol.  She could only close her eyes, and wished she could cover her ears to protect herself from the sickening sound of metal against temple.  Noranti’s crying ended instantly, and she slumped to the side, looking calm and peaceful. The soldier straightened himself, indulged himself in a self-satisfied smile, and leaning in close to Sikozu, whispered, “No trouble from you, pretty one.  Or I might just have to use the other end of this pulse pistol, and it would be such a shame to ruin that lovely face of yours.”  She could smell his breath and resisted the urge to spit in his smug face.  Sikozu was clever.  She knew when to be still.  She listened as his footsteps retreated from the room, heard him laugh with other soldiers.  Four at least, outside this cell alone.  At least three, maybe four cells to hold all of them, she calculated the number of soldiers that would take.  Multiply that by two, and you’re no where near the number of actual Peacekeepers that could have come from the Command Carrier. She sighed, realising the odds.  She muttered, knowing there was no one to hear her say the words Chiana would tease her for. “Oh, frell.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ John Crichton awoke with one hezmana of a headache.  No matter how often his brain had been used and abused in his time in both the Uncharted Territories and Tormented Space, he still couldn’t get used to the pain that accompanied numerous and frequent head injuries.  He glanced around him, his arms heavy in front of his body, the shackles tight up to his forearms.  Aeryn sat across from him, and he could hear D’Argo’s gravely voice from a nearby cell, Chiana’s high-pitched squeaks in between as they argued.  A harsh voice told them to be quiet.  Crichton looked over to Aeryn when the room stopped spinning, she was awake and alert and none too happy with their current situation. “It’s about time.  I’ve been awake for about half an arn.”  “Sorry, darlin’, but from the looks of things I’m wishing I hadn’t woken up at all.”  He stretched his neck in an attempt to lessen the pressure in his temples.  “What happened?  All I remember is the Marauders coming straight towards us.” Aeryn’s face darkened.  “Moya took quite a hit.  Those of us who weren’t knocked out in the impact were taken out when Moya started leaking trejin gas.” “Trejin?” “A waste gas.  It acts as a sedative.  It was too much, there was no time to fix anything before it took effect.”  She lowered her eyes.  “Pilot screamed, then the comms went dead.” “You okay?  I mean, that gas-”  She knew what he was implying.  “It’s non-toxic.  Near as I can tell, the Peacekeepers came aboard not too long after the crash.  They must have fixed the leaks when they came.  I woke up in here, the others are in cells nearby.” He closed his eyes.  How the frell had the PKs gotten through that wormhole?  He remembered what Einstein had told him.  Past, present, future...was it possible?  “Talked to anyone?” “I got told to sit down and shut up by some smug grunt.  That’s the only contact I’ve had.”  He could tell she was angry.  Hell, she used to be that smug grunt. “How the frell do we get out of this one?”  He muttered. “If you tell me you have a plan, I’ll kill you before the Peacekeepers get a chance.”  She said, half-serious. “Hey, it can’t be any worse than this, can it?”  If looks could kill.... As if in reply to his question, there was much fussing in the corridor, someone shouting orders, the sound of boots hitting the ground in attention.  The door to the cell slid open, and two soldiers entered, one standing by each of the prisoners.  A dramatic pause, then enter the wicked witch of the west. Grayza floated in, Braca ever faithful behind her.  She pulled up close to John, eyeing him with admiration and contempt.  Her smile made him shiver, and Aeryn stared at the back of the woman she had heard so little about in spite of her role. “John.   It has been far too long.”  She kneeled in front of him, too close for comfort, and flashbacks of Arnessk flooded his mind.  “I see you’ve found your beloved Aeryn Sun once more.  Does she know what you’ve been up to?”  She glanced over her soldier at the raven haired Sebacean, whose expression of anger and confusion made her smile.  “Apparently not.  Let’s fill her in, shall we?” “Don’t you dare, you frelling bitch!”  John ground out angrily. Grayza’s hand slid delicately between her breasts, finding that small spot of moisture which had so much power.  Aeryn could see none of this.  The commandant brought her hand up to caress John’s face, ever so delicately, like a snake dancing before it strikes.  He twisted and tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go.  The smell was intoxicating.  He saw Aeryn in front of him and closed his eyes, and tried to see past Grayza, to see Aeryn and bring him back to his senses.  His view was blocked and his vision impaired.  All there was before him was need, lust, desire, and the disgust, the hatred, the pain that ran through him from the memory. Aeryn Sun could only watch, horrified, as the man she loved passionately kissed their worst enemy.  Her heart crumbled to dust, and she realised now what he had felt like when she left him for another..... Aeryn could not stop the tears that welled up in her eyes.  She was furious.  Heartbroken.  She watched Grayza pull away from John, he following her like a puppy, his eyes glazed with desire.  His breathing heavy.  She remembered Grayza’s words: this had happened before.  Her mind whirled through all the possible explanations, unable to settle on anything that made sense.  There would be a reasonable explanation for this.  There had to be.  Where was Sikozu when you actually wanted her around? Grayza smiled, satisfied that she had tortured both of them enough.  She leaned in close to Aeryn, and whispered, “You are very lucky to have had him as a lover, Officer Sun.  He is most....experienced.” Aeryn tried to rise up and smack Grayza with her shackles, enraged.  The soldier beside her quickly struck her around the head with his pulse pistol, and she slumped to the ground, able to think only of the irony of John’s betrayal.  Crichton’s vision had cleared just in time for him to see Aeryn go down, and he screamed at Grayza. “Get away from her, you freakin’ witch!” “Silence, John  You should be glad she’s alive at all.  I don’t take kindly to traitors.”  Grayza motioned to the soldiers.  “Take her.  High Command will be glad to punish one of its most notorious traitors.”  John watched, helpless, as the two grunts lifted Aeryn’s limp body almost effortlessly, and carried her from the room. Grayza waited, almost serenely as the doors closed, before turning to John.  “Just the two of us, dear Crichton.”  She sat, seductively, on a chair in the corner.  He was raging.  He had been violated once more, and worst of all, Aeryn had seen it all.  He could only imagine the look on her face.  He remembered his own thoughts from when she had been with his twin, and prayed she was not capable of hate for him. “What do you want?”  He asked, because it was all he could say that didn’t involve foul language. “You.”  She crossed her legs, Basic Instinct style.  “You have cost me much.  We can no longer afford to waste time playing chase.  We have you, and there will be no escape this time.”  She stood and stalked over to him, kneeling down and grabbing his face roughly.  “You humiliated me.  I have not forgotten that.  And you will pay.” “What you gonna do?  Rape me again?  Humiliation is the least you deserve when you have to resort to drugs to get some.” She slapped him, the sound echoing throughout the cell.  He stood his ground; he wouldn’t allow her the satisfaction of his fear.  Crichton licked the inside of his cheek, tasting blood. “You have fire.  Pity, really.  I would have kept you well had you chosen to remain with me.  Now you’ll just have to suffer.” “What are you going to do with Aeryn?”  Grayza smiled that chilling smile once more.  “Officer Sun will be suitably punished.  I hear her old regiment can’t wait to see her suffer the Living Death.  Some have even offered to give her the fatal dose of radiation themselves.”  She rose.  “The rest of you will remain here, until the Command Carrier is suitably repaired.  You will all be punished, in time.” He watched her turn to leave, contempt blaring in his bright blue eyes.  She stopped just as the doors opened, and turned her head to say: “I suggest you get some rest, Commander.  The Aurora Chair can be so tiring.  But, of course, you already know that.”  She left, and he cursed her name at the top his voice. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Braca stood outside the cell which held Scorpius, the pride evident in his sly smile.  He passed his hand over the door control, and they slid open almost silently.  Scorpius did not even raise his head in acknowledgement, which served only to infuriate the captain. “Scorpius.  Alive and well I see.  You are a hard man to kill.” Only then did Scorpius look at his former second-in-command.  “Braca.  Ever loyal to those above.  I take it Grayza is behind this little coup.” Braca snorted.  “Our being here is purely accidental.  A wormhole opened without warning, and here we are.  Commandant Grayza has the intelligence to take advantage of a good opportunity.” “How fortunate for you.  It seems that fate has dealt you a good hand.” “Fate has nothing to do with it.  We simply know an opportunity when we see one.”  Braca stepped closer.  “Unlike you,” he sneered.  “you were forever wasting valuable opportunities.  You could have mastered the wormhole tech cycles ago, but you allowed yourself to be walked all over by a simple group of outlaws.”  He smiled triumphantly, Scorpius showing no reaction.  “Grayza has succeeded, where you failed so many times.” Scorpius did not allow Braca the satisfaction of anger, simply because he felt none.  As soon as Braca left the cell, he pulled a small comm from beneath his right glove.  He tapped it once, and said; “Report.  I am in range of the Carrier.” Failure? He thought to himself as his spy rattled off information in a secretive whisper.  Oh Braca, you never learn, do you? Aeryn awoke slowly, feeling as though she were underwater, a feeling  she knew all too well.  The bright lights surrounding her hurt her eyes, and she quickly screwed them shut again.  Voices were blurred in her ears,  she couldn’t tell how many were around her.  Peacekeeper training, as instinctual as it was to her even after so many cycles, appeared to be failing her.  She had always been taught to gather as much information as she could about her surroundings, her captors, in case she was ever taken prisoner.  Unfortunately, her instructor had not mentioned how to do this when you’ve been on the receiving end of a blunt object. She slowly opened her eyes again, allowing herself to adjust to the bright lights, squinting as she glanced around the room, not wishing for her captors to know she was awake.  Only two others in the small room; one looked like a med tech, the other a soldier.  Their conversation was minimal, as it always was between soldiers and techs.  The med tech was looking intently at data on the screen in front of him, the soldier standing at the door, as if Aeryn was in any fit state to try and escape.  She could feel the dull pounding in her skull grow heavier with the effort of looking around her, and her mouth felt dry.  Her limbs felt numb and heavy, and there was a sharp ache in her lower abdomen.  She’d been drugged; the effects similar to that of Moya’s trejin gas.  Why would they drug me?  I was out cold.  She stretched, ever so slightly, and felt something pulling in her belly, and realised where the pain was coming from.  she couldn’t help but let out a pathetic whimper from the pain, her mind too cloudy to hold it back.  The tech and soldier looked at her, coldness in their eyes.  the soldier raised his wrist and spoke into his comm, too much for Aeryn to make out.  The tech approached her, checking her pulse, flashing a small light in her eyes.  He pulled down the thin sheet which covered her, lifting the hem of her gown to view her abdomen.  A tiny row of stitches, clean but an angry shade of red.  He pulled on a surgical glove and adjusted one of them, which she had pulled when she moved.  Aeryn closed her eyes shut tightly, desperate to get up, to push this man away from her and run out of here.  Her body was too heavy, and she tried to remember what sedatives were used by the Peacekeepers, but her mind was incapable of thinking beyond movement. The soldier’s comm whispered something, and he stood back from the door, saluting in advance.  The tech pulled Aeryn’s gown back down and covered her with the sheet, obviously in a great hurry to present his findings to the impending visitor. Aeryn turned her head towards the door, limply, trying to focus and shake off the double vision.  The door slid open, two soldiers entering, followed by Grayza herself.  Aeryn felt a flash of anger, of pain, and a moment of clarity.  John.  She could remember John.  With Grayza.  Her mind began to clear, but her mouth was too dry to scream her desired obscenities.    Grayza spoke quickly with the over-excited med tech, obviously the first time he had accomplished anything of value.  The Commandant then glided over towards the bed on which Aeryn lay, clearly very pleased with herself. “Well, Officer Sun, how are you feeling?”  Grayza asked, smugly. Aeryn glared in anger, her voice dry and raspy as she struggled to form words.  “What....did you...do.....to me?” Grayza leaned in close.  “You were keeping a little secret, Officer Sun.  Lucky our med tech discovered it, you were about to be given a fatal dose of radiation.” The stitches..... “Such an interesting discovery.  And such a valuable one.  The first human-sebacean half-breed.” No.... “Our scientists are already fascinated.” Aeryn’s breath caught in her chest.  “Stay....away from...my child.” Grayza laughed, and gently stroked the prone former Peacekeeper’s face.  “Dear Aeryn, I will not harm it.  You, on the other hand, will be put to death when that child is born.”  Her smile was wicked.  “Your old regiment has waited long enough for your death.  I’m sure they can wait a few more monens.”  A tear fell from Aeryn’s eye, the sickening sensation of feeling returning to her body was nothing compared to what now threatened her. Grayza was about to leave the room, the soldiers around her standing stiff.  She stopped at the door to say;  “Get some rest, my dear.  You are going to need your strength in the coming monens.  Pity,  I’m sure Crichton would have loved to see his child.”  Aeryn wanted to scream. She could only hear Grayza’s authoritative voice coming from the hallway:  “When she is recovered, put her in the designated cell.  Keep watch, I don’t want anyone taking action against her.”  The soldiers sounded their obedience loudly, and there was the sound of retreating footsteps. Aeryn lay unmoving, frozen, for a thousand microts.  She moved her hand to her belly, feeling the rough stitches, the tender bruises, and prayed to all the deities she did not believe in that this was all just a bad dream. D’Argo growled at a passing soldier, while Chiana was crouched in the corner.  Sikozu was thinking, and Noranti had just come to.  Rygel grouched, but even Sikozu could see the fear in his eyes, and she knew nothing of his previous torment. Images of Durka overtook him, cycles upon cycles of imprisonment. torture.  Never to see family again, no chance for vengeance.   He could fool no one with his front, his attitude., not right now.  Rygel, sixteenth Dominar of the Hynerian Empire, was afraid. He was terrified, because it was all happening again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Crichton paced his cell, nervous energy mixed with hatred fuelling his movements.  His thoughts were jumbled, worry about Aeryn and pure hatred for Grayza. The Living Death.  That was what Grayza had said.  Aeryn’s old regiment have been waiting for this for cycles.  They won’t waste time. Hope sparked, spluttered, died.  Grayza won’t waste time, either.  She’ll probably watch the whole thing, the sadistic bitch. No.  Hope rising.  Aeryn can’t be dead.  After everything, it is not going to happen like this.  She’s supposed to die old, surrounded by grandchildren, not alone on a Command Carrier, not forever trapped in a frelling coma. Alone?  The trail of thought came alive. Why was Aeryn taken over there alone?  Grayza said something about the Command Carrier being repaired....damaged by the wormhole...We could make use of that information. If I could get out of here, he thought.  If I could get out of here, I’d take on every single PK on Moya single handed, go to the Command Carrier, kill Grayza very, very slowly, and get Aeryn as far away from here as possible. Well, Johnny, getting out of here should really come first. He missed Harvey.  At least then he was talking to someone, and not just himself.  It seemed more justifiable.  John’s thoughts quickly returned to Aeryn, their current situation.  D and Pip across the hall.  Scorpy down to the right, Sikozu, Granny and Rygel to the left.  Too many Peacekeepers everywhere else.  He crouched in a corner, where he felt out of sight of the  parading soldiers.  No exits.  No tricks.  No communication.  No hope? A familiar, yet quiet whirring made itself known from beneath the bunk.  John cocked his head, checked the PKs at the door weren’t paying attention, and leaned down slightly to get a better view. Two small bright spots appeared, jiggling slightly, excited at being noticed.  It moved forward a little, into the light, and John breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of an old friend. “Hey, 1812, how long you been there, huh?”  He asked, as if expecting an answer.  The DRD chirped and he hushed it, checking the guards once more.  “Look, little guy, I’ve got a plan.....” Crichton moved back into the corner, making sure he was out of plain sight of the guards, 1812 still in his hands.  He held the DRD up to eye-level, as he began to work out his plan in his mind. “OK, little guy, I need some help.  You remember how we play this game - one blink for no, two for yes, got it?” 1812 blinked twice, eyestalks bobbing up and down emphatically.  Crichton smiled at the one friend he had during his time on Elack.  Only 1812, Elack and her Pilot had truly seen him at his worst. “Good.  Don’t make any noise, OK?  Are the other DRDs active?” Blink. “Is Pilot alright?” Blink. “Is he conscious?” Blink. Blink. Blink. “Alright, I’ll take that as halfway.  Are there many guards around him?” Blink. “Well, that’s a bonus, I suppose.  Can you get a message to the others for me?” Blink. Blink. “What about Scorpy?  Still in his cell?” Blink.  Blink. That frustrated him a little.  His hopes of being right about Scorpius were once again dashed. “Can you get to Pilot?” Blink!  Blink! “Try and get some of the DRDs activated again,  I need to contact the others, OK?” 1812 chirped, and John nervously looked to the door.  He set the DRD down and watched as it made its way up the wall before disappearing through a vent, intent on completing its journey.  He prayed this would work, memories of previously failed plans coming to light.   Aeryn’s life was hanging in the balance, and he refused to go back to the chair.  And to Grayza’s bed.  If he could at least talk to the others, attempt something..... But how do you get off a ship full of Peacekeepers, never mind finding your way onto another? For Aeryn, he would die trying. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pilot tried to make sense of the fog in his brain, too cloudy.  Moya’s pain, leaking gasses, ruined systems - it was all too much for him.  He struggled to stay conscious, glancing at the two guards who conversed before him, barely noticing his existence.  He looked at the controls before him.  some systems had been repaired, if only to allow the Peacekeepers to stay on board.  DRDs were inactive.  Three cells on tier 9 were in prison mode.  He didn’t dare attempt anything just yet.  Rebellion would lead to a control collar, and he was not willing to put Moya through that again. The guards laughed aloud, too involved in their own business to notice one little DRD wheeling up beside Pilot, eyestalks looking from right to left conspiratorially, about to share a secret.  Pilot looked at it quizzically,  taking a moment to recognise the rogue DRD.  Not one of his own, but Commander Crichton was so fond of the little one; he wondered if the others would be jealous.  1812 nudged him, blinking excitedly.  Pilot whispered something in control language, so afraid of what would happen to Moya if he were caught.  1812 continued to nudge and chirp, Pilot understanding its commands, and answering negatively.  He was not putting this ship at risk.  The DRD continued his verbal assault, Pilot glancing at the soldiers in fear.  Peacekeepers everywhere.  Everyone locked up.  Officer Sun taken away. Officer Sun?! Pilot’s mind whirled.  Aeryn was aboard the Command Carrier; his dearest friend alone and in danger.  He considered the possibilities; perhaps reactivating a few of the DRDs so that the others could communicate.  He did not dare to be caught doing such, but with Aeryn in trouble he had to try something.  A plan began to formulate in his head.  Two guards could be disposed of easily.  He shooed 1812 away momentarily, whispering orders to him.  Pilot groaned loudly, gurgling in the back of his throat.  The Peacekeepers immediately paid attention, listening to his painful groans.  They wanted this Pilot to remain alive, to save the time and resources it would take in order to replace him.  The pair walked over cautiously, hands going for pistols.  “Don’t tell me the frelling creature’s gonna die.  You know we’ll be the ones stuck in clean up.”  One said, as they leaned in close. “Doesn’t look right to me.  Those Marauders did a lot of damage.  Should we get the techs in?”  Asked the other. “Nah, we can take care of it.  Probably just in pain.” They both moved a little closer to get a better look, one reaching over to try and find Pilot’s pulse. Pilot can be a devious creature when he wants to be. A large claw swung out, grabbing one Peacekeeper.  The other was soon in a firm grip too.  Pilot squeezed hard at their throats, his hatred for the Peacekeepers taking over any peaceful doctrine he believed in.  A quick death.  No communication, no trouble, buy the others some time.  One soldier reached for his comm, but 1812 quickly fired at his hand.  Perfect shot.  Two more, and their pistols were useless. The pair soon ended their struggles, their bodies limp and lifeless.  Pilot threw them across his den, and they fell far down below him, a satisfying thunk as they hit the bottom.  Pilot deplored violence, really. 1812 twittered like an excited child, while Pilot silently apologised to Kayhanu for such a vile act.  But there was work to be done, and others would soon arrive for their shifts in the den. “Return to Commander Crichton.  I will activate the others.”  Pilot winced and groaned as another wave of pain hit him, reverberating from all throughout Moya.  “Thank you, little one.  Moya has truly accepted you as one of her own.”  1812 beeped and chirped, returning to his true master, pleased to have completed his mission. ---------------------------------------------------------- Crichton sat on the floor in the corner of his cell, lights now dimmed, as Moya recognised the sleep cycle.  He prayed this would work, but this was only the beginning of it.  Communicating with the others was one thing, getting out of there was another thing entirely.  He tried to gather his thoughts. Three cells.  Pilot’s hurt, Moya’s hurt.  Aeryn on the Command Carrier.  Command Carrier damaged.  Aeryn facing certain death. His thoughts always returned to Aeryn, no matter their predicament.  He thought about what Noranti had told him, about how he and Aeryn would save the universe.  Well, their child would save the universe.  Alternate realities had been doomed otherwise. Looks like you were wrong, Granny.  Me and Aeryn aren’t going to get the chance to be parents after all.  Guess this is one of the doomed possibilities, huh? A child.  Our child.  I’ll never know now.  She’ll be dead by now.  If she is, I swear to God Grayza will suffer, fate be damned. He jumped out of his thoughts when 1812 chirped above him, travelling down the wall, obviously pleased with itself.  “Hey buddy, good news?” Blink.  Blink. John smiled.  Part one nearly sorted.  Part two.... well, I’ll think of that when the time comes. “Commander?”  Pilot whispered, a disembodied voice coming from 1812.  It would have been comical if the situation weren’t so dire. “Hey, Pilot, how you doin’?” “I am in a great deal of pain, as is Moya.  We are unguarded at the moment, but I fear others will come and discover what has happened.  Moya could be given another control collar if they find out---” “Hey, hey it’s alright Pilot, I won’t let that happen and you know it.  Can you get me in touch with the others?” “DRDs have made their way into the cells, I have modified the command frequency so that you can communicate.” “Thanks Pilot.”  John leaned in closer.  “Guys, can you hear me?” Chiana and D’Argo looked at each other,  not realising where the voice had come from.  Noranti nearly screamed in delight, but Sikozu quickly silenced her.  She crawled on hands and knees to look beneath the bed, where a single DRD stared back at her.  Scorpius too noticed the DRD in his cell, he had wondered when someone would try something so ridiculous. “John?”  They almost all asked simultaneously.  “Yeah, you guts all OK?” “How the frell do ya think we’re doing?”  Chiana whispered annoyed. “Good to hear from you too, Pip.  What about the rest of you?” “We’re all fine in here, apart from Rygel moaning all the time.  Noranti’s got a bit of a head wound, not that it’ll make much difference to her personality.”  Sikozu said, with venom. “I am unharmed, John.”  Scorpius added. “Yeah, well who asked you.”  John muttered. “As a matter of fact, John, I may have some information which could be of great importance.” “Don’t waste any time, Scorp.  The PKs took Aeryn, she’s up for execution and her time is running out.” Scorpius almost smiled.  “My....spy tells me that the Command Carrier was badly damaged.  They were not...created for wormhole travel.  Apparently, their presence in Tormented Space is purely....accidental.” “So the Peacekeepers haven’t mastered the wormhole technology?”  D’Argo tried to keep his gravely voice as quiet as possible. “No.  But if John is not protected, they soon will.  Which is why you must leave.”  The Scarran-Sebacean lilted. “Not without Aeryn.  You really wanna protect me, Scorpy, keep me alive, then you’ll do everything you can to get Aeryn off that Command Carrier.  How bad is the damage?  Is it gonna give us an advantage?” “The damage is severe enough that they do not risk bringing us on board.  I gather there was also a rather large loss of life, and therefore lower security.”  Scorpius was angry that John would not save himself, but knew enough of the Human’s mind to know that without Officer Sun’s presence, his life would not last too long.  “You need not worry too much about Officer Sun just yet, John.  She is safe, apparently in a cell.  She was the first to be taken because her old regiment are badly needed, and cannot be reinstated until her death.”  He cocked his head.  “Odd that she is still alive.” “Yeah, well I one would like her to stay that way.” Chiana growled.  “You got a plan, Crichton?” “So far, all I’ve got is, ‘get the hell outta here, get Aeryn and kill Grayza’.  Just don’t ask me for specifics, Pip.” “S’not as if your plans ever work, anyway.”  She played. “Funny, Pipsqueak.  Look, Pilot and Moya are both pretty frelled.  Pilot is unguarded, but from what I’ve seen, shift change is every four arns.  That gives us a little time.  Most of the DRDs are back online, so we can use them to communicate for now.  Any ideas?” “I can’t believe you’re even considering this, Crichton.”  Sikozu admonished.  “This is suicide.  There is no way we’ll be able to escape a ship full of Peacekeepers and find our way onto a Command Carrier.”  She sighed.  “And I can’t believe you would even think about joining them, Scorpius.  I thought you were the only intelligent one on board.” Scorpius smiled that crocodile smile.  The young one’s admiration constantly surprised him. “Listen, you little brat, when one of our own is in danger, we are infamous for ridiculous suicide missions, so keep your mouth shut and do as you are told!”  Rygel snarled, his show of desire to help Aeryn shocking everyone.  Noranti muttered beside them, “It has begun....has begun...The end will be here....must be saved....” Crichton sighed.  “Look, guys, enough, OK?  We are doing this.” “Just what, exactly, do you have in mind, John?  In case you haven’t noticed we’re slightly out numbered.”  D’Argo added. “We have the DRDs, at least, Pilot’s not looking to good but he can help.” “I will do whatever is required, Commander.”  Pilot’s strained voice emanated from 1812.  “Remember that I will not put Moya at risk of becoming a Peacekeeper prisoner once more.” “I understand, Pilot, we all do.   Just listen, OK?”  ------------------------------------------------------------ The lights had flickered throughout her journey.   Aeryn tried to take in everything as she went by.  Damaged conduits, injured officers, and fewer soldiers than normal.  She had spent her entire life on Command Carriers; she knew how many people there should be, the ratio of soldiers to techs, locations of officer’s quarters.  She may have only been a prowler pilot, only an officer, but she could tell when something was wrong. The three Peacekeepers, security level, pushed and prodded her along the way.  Aeryn only half-listened to their comments, their threats as she walked along.  Something about being a traitor, about payment.  She had learned only too well what her former peers thought of her from her last visit to a Command Carrier.  Only words, after all. But words were something John had taught her the power of, and she knew how cold, how cruel they could be.  How they could make you love someone or break your heart. The security guards threw her roughly into a small cell, equipped with only the barest essentials, none too different from the barracks she had lived in on any other Command Carrier.  Darker, though.  There was a sort of finality about them; and she remembered the days when she knew no matter how terrible things were, she would soon be moved to another ship, another Leviathan, another crew.  She missed the comfort of unpredictability. A guard spat at her feet as he closed the door. “That’s for your half-breed bastard!”  He said with venom. Aeryn stared at the door, hoping that pure hatred for what she once was would burn through it.  Hearing their retreating footsteps, she relaxed slightly, breathing shakily.   She had refused to let them see her vulnerable, and instead maintained stoic silence. She moved her hand to her belly and dropped her head.  Pregnant.  Pregnant with John’s child.  I’d like to say I never doubted it, but when has fate ever been so kind? Pregnant and alone on a Command Carrier. But Aeryn Sun was not weak.  They could lock her up, torture her, take everything from her, but she would not show them any sign that they had won. There is no way,  she vowed silently, there is no way in hezmana that my child is being born on a Command Carrier. Anger surged; she screamed and punched the wall to her left.  A Command Carrier was never going to hold her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Pilot, can Moya do us one favour?”  John whispered into the DRD in front of him. “What is it?” Pilot winced in pain. “When she was first hit, she started to leak that trojan gas, right?” “Trejin, you fool!”  Sikozu flared. “Right, right whatever.  It acts as a sedative.  Is there any possibility that Moya could release the gas?  Only if it won’t harm her.” “She... could do so.  I will have to ask.” “Crichton, how the frell is this going to work?  It’ll knock us out, too!”  Chiana argued. “Not if we’re prepare.  We got the DRDs for backup, we just gotta get out of these cells, and head to the docking bay.  And we’ll need weapons.” “Moya feels she will be able to do as you request, though she cannot guarantee that she can release enough to dispose of all Peacekeepers on board.” “Just tell her to do what she can, Pilot, focus on this tier.  Have the DRDs in defensive positions, just in case.”  Crichton backed up in his cell.  “Everyone, move to the back of your cells.  Use the sheets from the beds to cover your face.  All we can do is hope for the best.” “This is suicide...” Sikozu muttered. “Scorpy, any more information from the Command Carrier?” “My spy tells me that Officer Sun is still alive, though he has been unable to ascertain the reasons for the delay in her execution,  They have been slow to repair the damage to the Command Carrier, and there are no more ships available to them.   However, we are still greatly outnumbered.”  “Well, we’ll deal with that when we come to it.”  Crichton sighed.  Aeryn was alive at least, that was as much as he could hope for.  “Pilot, is Moya ready?” “Ten microts.  I wish you all well.” They all waited in their respective cells, mouths and noses covered, praying it would be enough protection.  If they were all knocked out and couldn’t escape, Pilot would get the blame, and they owed both him and Moya too much to risk their safety.  The bluish gas began to emanate from ducts in the corridor, too high up for the soldiers to notice immediately.  They began to fade, one by one slowly falling to the ground, too numb and confused to do anything about it.  DRDs appeared, poking and prodding the fallen guards, looking for signs of consciousness.  The gas continued to pour from the ducts, half-hearted protests from down the corridor.  “Pilot, they’re all down on this tier.  How much did Moya get out?” “There are still many soldiers on other tiers.  I shall try to continue, but I fear for Moya’s safety.” “Do whatever’s best for Moya, Pilot.  Get these doors open.” He waited impatiently as the door in front of him slid open, glancing out into the corridor before stepping out.  Everyone was down, the others waited for John’s signal before joining him.  They searched the guards frantically for keys to their shackles, finally resigned to using the DRDs to remove them.  Once their shackles were removed, they began to throw the soldiers into the cells, removing their pulse pistols and claiming them as their own.  Rygel almost cheered when he discovered his thronesled  disregarded in a nearby cell.  With all the soldiers locked up, they began to move down the corridor,  cautiously, making their way towards the docking bay.  Crichton ran ahead, reaching the door first.  “Everybody ready?” he asked.  Everyone nodded their assent. The doors slid open slowly, quietly, to reveal a dozen Peacekeepers standing around Lo’La.  “Oh, frell,”  Crichton muttered.  “We need to get rid of them.” “Anyone got a plan?”  Chiana asked. Crichton and D’Argo looked at each other for a microt.  “Suicide?”  Crichton asked. “Suicide.” D’Argo agreed.  “On three, everyone.” “Uno, dos, tres!”  Crichton counted off.  They ran in in unison, pulse pistols blazing, trying to hit as many Peacekeepers as possible.  Rygel headed towards Lo’La, unnoticed by the soldiers.  Bright light flashed around them, a shoot out as the others hid behind crates, trying to get in another few shots, dispose of the Peacekeepers before more arrived.  The path became clear, and they began to head towards Lo’La, still shooting now that the numbers were becoming more even.  “Where’s Crichton?”  D’Argo yelled, firing as he entered Lo’La. “I thought he was ahead of us!”  Scorpius answered, concerned for John’s safety. Unnoticed by the others, Crichton had made his way to Aeryn’s prowler, urgently barking orders to Pilot.  “Just keep that door closed, Pilot, and whatever you do don’t let anyone into your den, OK?”  He pulled down the roof of the prowler.  “We’re not abandoning you, Pilot, I swear.  You take out as many Peacekeepers as possible, we’ll get Aeryn back, I promise.” “Good luck, Commander.  Good luck to you all.”  Pilot answered. The hangar doors opened, taking care of any Peacekeepers who remained in the bay.  The prowler took off first, followed by Lo’La, both speeding swiftly from the Leviathan, turning to remain unseen by the Command Carrier. Sighing in relief, the group aboard Lo’La relaxed slightly.   That was just the easy part.  “Everyone alright?”  D’Argo asked. “We are unharmed, Ka D’Argo.”  Scorpius replied. “Where is Crichton?”  asked Noranti. “He took Aeryn’s prowler.” “Thank goodness, there’s no more room for you oversized bipeds aboard this ship.”  Rygel grouched. “Crichton?  You alright?”  D’Argo asked.  No response.  “Crichton?”  D’Argo watched as the prowler began to travel towards the Command Carrier. “Crichton?!”  Scorpius snarled.  “Where are you going?” John ignored their words, switching his comms channel.  He took a deep breath before saying, “Grayza.  If you can hear me, listen to what I have to say.  Let Aeryn go, and I’m yours.  No tricks, I won’t try to escape.  You can do what you want with me, just don’t hurt her.” The comms were silent for a long time, and he thought he would lose his chance.  Then finally, an unknown voice, a grunt or tech, spoke: “Come aboard.  Disable your weapons.” Those on Lo’La could only watch in horror, Scorpius in a fury, as the prowler docked on the Command Carrier. Crichton sat in Grayza’s quarters impatiently awaiting the arrival of Commandant Cleavage herself.  He fidgeted, aching to see Aeryn alive and well.  The wait was making him nervous in spite of himself; Grayza testing his resolve.  He wasn’t going to break, not for her.  He didn’t exactly know what Grayza would do to him (well, he could guess what she wanted to do), but if it meant Aeryn getting out of here, unharmed, he would do whatever it took. The damage to the Command Carrier was obvious, even from Grayza’s quarters.  There seemed to be a problem with the power, lights flickering, and he had seen the breakages along the way.  A weak spot, anything, would help him.  He knew their numbers were down, but that didn’t make much difference considering he was alone.  He was willing to give up, not put up a fight.  John Crichton could be stubborn, stupid, but he knew when his game was up.  It was the same when he handed himself to Scorpius in exchange for Jothee.  He was too considerate for his own good; too prepared to give his life for others. Grayza entered, alone.  She knew him too well, knew he wasn’t stupid enough to try anything when Aeryn Sun’s life was in the balance.  She also knew when she held all the cards. “Well, Crichton.  I thought you’d make an escape sooner or later.  Your Leviathan is putting up a fight, we’re trying to send more soldiers aboard.” “Moya doesn’t take anything lyin’ down, Grayza.  Neither does Pilot.  You try to hurt them, and I go out the window.”  He was angry, and had more than any right to be. She walked close to him.  “Such nobility.  Does everyone of your species possess such qualities?” “I’m a dyin’ breed.”  he drawled.  “Where’s Aeryn?” “She is quite safe, I assure you.  She has not been harmed in the least.” “You have to let her go.  She’s innocent, does her death really matter that much?” Grayza poured herself a drink, slinking towards the table seductively.  “Actually, her capture will suffice for now.  High Command has allowed her regiment to be reinstated, under special circumstances.” Crichton cocked his head, no desire to play games with this woman.  “What ’special circumstances’?” “Her execution has been delayed; she is too important to us now.” “Delayed? For how long?”  However long Aeryn would live, he knew he could not outlast her for long.  She would take his heart with her. Grayza slowly approached him once more, daring to gaze into those beautiful blue eyes.  “Only a few monens.  When her time comes, she will die for what she has done.”  She watched as he processed the information, and saw the anger and disbelief flare in his eyes as he comprehended. “No...you didn’t....” he gasped in shock. “Congratulations, Commander.  It’s a pity you’ll never get to see the little half breed.  I’m sure it will look just like you.” It was his.  After all this time, worrying, he now knew the baby was his, and began to wonder how he ever thought otherwise.  Not that he would ever see his child, if Grayza had anything to do with it. “Let her go.”  he growled in anger. “That is quite impossible.  Why, our med techs would protest against it.” “You have me, you don’t need her anymore.  Just let her go.”  he was searing.  “Please.”  he never wanted to beg, but his was too much. Grayza smiled at his pleading, she had found something which truly controlled the Human.  “That child will be of too much importance to our medical history.  Our diagnosans cannot wait to study it.” Crichton flared with anger and surged towards Grayza, sending her drink flying across the room.  He landed a top her in a heap on the floor,  grasping her wrists tightly, practically foaming at the mouth.  He already had a daughter he would never know, he did not plan on leaving a child in every corner of the universe. “That is my child!”  he screamed. “ You have no right, no right at all to treat it like a frelling lab rat!”  She struggled beneath him.  “If you touch my child, if you harm Aeryn I swear I will plan the most painful slow death imaginable, and I will enjoy every microt of it.” Grayza simply laughed.  “Ah, that’s the passion I was looking for, Crichton.  I knew you had it in you!”  Two guards entered, right on cue, immediately pulling the infuriated Crichton from their Commandant.  Braca followed them in, and quickly helped his mistress to her feet. “Take him away.  We will begin work once the Aurora chair is repaired.” “You bitch!  Let me see Aeryn, now!”  yelled the Human. “No.  I prefer you this way.  You will be so much easier to break when all your hope is gone, Commander.  Rest well, you will need it.” He struggled as he was pulled away, anger coursing through him.  The only thing that would please him more than seeing Aeryn would be seeing Grayza dead. With Crichton gone, only Braca and   Grayza remained.  She calmly dusted herself off, while asking for a full report on the current situation. “The other prisoners have indeed escaped, and we have been unable to establish contact with anyone aboard the Leviathan.  The prisoners may have taken out some of the soldiers, but the Leviathan has done the rest.” “The others are of little consequence at the moment, Captain.  We have Crichton, we have his halfbreed child as a bonus.  Order all hands to focus on repairs, the sooner we are able to contact High Command, the better.” “Yes, Ma’am.”  Braca paused a moment before daring to ask, “Ma’am, what exactly are you intending to do with Crichton?” Grayza reached out and caressed the captain’s cheek.  “I’m going to do exactly what Scorpius never did.  I’m going to break John Crichton.  The future of the Peacekeepers depends on it, with the Scarrans growing in numbers.”  She leaned in close.  “You are excused, Captain.” Braca gulped.  “Yes, Ma’am.” Grayza smiled to herself as he left.  It looked as though everything was going her way after all. Crichton sat on the edge of the bed in his cell, chewing the pad of his thumb and shaking nervously.   Aeryn lay flat out on the bed in hers, ignoring the catcalls made by those walking past.  She thought she recognised the voices; old friends showing their true worth.  All she wanted was to be with John, even if he had kissed Grayza.  Possibly more, from what she had been told.  He wouldn’t do that, not in his  right mind, not of his own free will.  It didn’t stop the hurt, though, and she could at least truly appreciate what she had done to him.  She had to get out of here.  John had to see his child being born, growing up - she knew how much this meant to him.  She had seen the look on his face on the Royal Planet, when he had held his child in his arms.  He would be a perfect father. She thumped her head against the pillow and began to drift off, hoping she would awaken on Moya, and this would just be a bad dream. Crichton jumped from his thoughts when someone entered his cell unannounced; a Peacekeeper looking suspicious, checking that no one had seen him enter. John stood, ready to face whatever was before him. “You are John Crichton?”  The soldier asked.  He looked a little like Crais; his skin dark and tanned, his hair black.  “Congratulations, you’re the first person on this side of the universe who doesn’t recognise me.”  he answered dryly. “My name is Eydos.”  He whispered.  “I have been in communication with Scorpius.” “You’re the mole? Wait, are the others alright?  You’ve talked to them?” “I have only spoken to Scorpius, he assures me they are fine.” “I’ll believe that when I see it.  Look, kid, d’you know where Aeryn Sun is?” Eydos nodded.  “She is in a cell nearby.  Scorpius was asking about her.  She has not been harmed.  She is to be kept until the birth of her child.” Crichton sighed.  “Yeah, yeah, I know.  Look, can you take me to her?” Eydos shook his head. “There are too many about, I could not risk it.  Just be glad she has not been harmed.  Had they not found out about the child, she would be facing the Living Death by now.”  Eydos walked closer.  “Scorpius wishes to communicate with you, but you must be quick.  I am under his service, I will do whatever it takes to help.” Crichton collapsed on the edge of the bed, exhausted.  “Fine, put me through to him.”  Eydos tapped his comms.  “Scorpius, I am with Crichton.” Scorpius spoke clearly, and Crichton could not resist the shudder that came so naturally at hearing his voice. “Crichton, are you unharmed?” “Yeah, Scorpy, seems your chair is broken, my torture has to wait a few days.  How you guys holding up?” “We’re fine, John.” Came D’Argo’s reply. “What about Aeryn?  Is she OK?” “Ah, hell, D.  They found out about the baby.  They performed the surgery.”  He took a deep breath to calm himself.  “They’re gonna keep her here  til the baby’s born.  Then she’s going on trial.” “What?!” Chiana yelled. “They can’t do that!” “Not if I have anything to say about it.  Looks like my plan of self-sacrifice didn’t work out the way I wanted.”  John added. “John, we will get you out of there.  You can trust Eydos.  He knows the penalties he will face if he betrays us.” Resigned, John asked, “What’s the plan, Scorpy?” “At the next change of guard, Eydos will take both you and Officer Sun to a safe place.  Ka D’Argo will then attack.  We are out of sight, and your Leviathan is willing to attempt Starburst if necessary.” Crichton could not voice his loathing at the fact that Scorpius would save his life.  It did not, however, negate his hatred or mistrust.  “Fine.  Whatever, as long as Aeryn gets out of here.  How long?” “Two arns, then I will come for you.”  Eydos answered. “You guys just stay out of sight, OK?  Make sure Lo’La’s ready.” “She always is.  Take care, John.” D’Argo offered. The comms switched off.  Crichton put his head in his hands. “John Crichton.”  said Eydos. “You have two arns.  I suggest you get some rest.  No one should come to you til then.” “What if someone does?” “Then we will wait.  Do not worry, the Aurora Chair won’t be working again for days.  I have made sure of that, under strictest instructions from Scorpius.” John almost laughed.  Scorpius not trying to get him into the Chair?  What was the universe coming to? He nodded his understanding, and followed Eydos to the door.  Aeryn was close by.  He could only hope she would forgive him for what she had seen. He returned to his bunk and collapsed, the emotional if not physical strain taking its toll on him. Two arns passed quickly, and Eydos arrived on time, slipping into John’s cell.  He handed John a pilot’s uniform, to help disguise him.  He turned his back as Crichton dressed, discussing the plan. “Your friends do not belief in specifics.  They simply told me to get you and Officer Sun to the landing bay, and they would take care of the rest.” Crichton paused.  “They’re just gonna blow up the Command Carrier?!”  Eydos shrugged.  “Apparently so.  Do not worry, you should be aboard transport by then.  I hope.” “You hope?  Man, I knew D’Argo was getting a little too trigger happy with that ship...”  He finished buckling his boots.  “How do I look?” Eydos looked at him critically.  “Terrible.  You’ll do.  Put on that helmet, it’s the only thing that will truly disguise you.” Disguise fully in place, and doubts running rampant, John and Eydos stepped out into the hall.  “What about security cameras?”  John whispered. “Taken care of.  They were barely functioning anyway.” “Thank heavens for little wormholes....” Crichton muttered. “This way,” Eydos whispered, trying to look natural.  He lead Crichton to a cell much further down the corridor, and glanced inside.  Just as he was about to open the door, a voice boomed from beside them. “What are you doing?”  asked the grunt, built like a quarterback.  John did not want to speak, knowing it would give him away. “We were told to check on this prisoner.  She is to be taken to the med bay for checks.” “I wasn’t told she would be taken away.  I should ask the lieutenant.” Eydos tsked.  “You can ask if you want, you’ll only annoy him-” “You mean ‘her’.” “Yes, of course, her.  Between you and me, it’s getting a bit hard to tell these days, don’t you think?  Anyway, she gave the orders, so I’ll go ahead and take this traitorous little tralk to the med bay, alright?” Quarterback looked at Eydos for a long moment, weighing him up.  John was just generally shocked.  The guy was better at blagging his way out of trouble than Chiana. Eventually, the big guy decided it was in his best interests to let them through, even opening the door for them, and slamming it shut when they entered. John punched Eydos in the ribs immediately upon entering. “What the frell was that for?”  Eydos clutched his ribs. “For calling Aeryn a tralk, now hush.”  He walked over to the bed, where Aeryn lay with her back to him. “Aeryn?  You OK?”  he caressed her hair slowly, not wanting to scare her when she awoke.  Her eyes fluttered open slowly,  taking a moment to gather her senses.  She looked at John in shock. “John?” She sat up. “What are you doing here?” “Hey, d’you really think I’m gonna let you stay in a place like this?”  He pulled her close.  “C’mon, we’re getting out of here.  This place is gonna go boom pretty soon.” Aeryn rose, John holding her hand.  “John, who is that?” She asked in reference to Eydos, who stood at the door. “This is Eydos, Scorpy’s spy.  Yeah, I can’t believe it either.  He’s gonna help us get out of here, but we gotta hurry.” Eydos grabbed the blanket from the bed, and wrapped it around Aeryn, making it go over her head like a hood.  “We’ll get you a uniform when we get out of here, Officer Sun.  You’ll need it to get to the docking bay.” The three left the cell, Aeryn in between the two.  She would rather have fought her way out than pretend to be the weak prisoner, but she realised she had little choice.  When they had cleared the cell level, Eydos grabbed a uniform from a locker, and they waited while Aeryn pulled on a flight suit and helmet. It had all been too easy, so far. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grayza lay in her bed, wide awake knowing it was well in to the sleep cycle.  But she was restless.  She was happy, knowing her superiors would be pleased with her, and felt the need to celebrate.  That low burning deep in her belly was what kept her awake, and she knew only one way of satisfying that need.  She reached for her comm.  “Braca?  Bring me Crichton.  I need to.... interrogate him further.” Braca grudgingly agreed, knowing full well what the Commandant was referring to and feeling slightly jealous.  He made his way to the cell where Crichton was kept, nodding his acknowledgment of the salutes.  There was no guard outside Crichton’s cell, and he decided that whoever was meant to be there would pay dearly for their absence.  Braca stepped inside, and it took a moment for him to realise that the cell was completely empty.  He noticed Crichton’s clothes lying on the floor, no sign of him anywhere. Fuming, Braca tapped his comm: “All security, the prisoner Crichton has escaped!  Search all levels, he may well have  a female accompanying him.”  A quick run to Aeryn’s cell confirmed it.  “ I repeat, John Crichton is missing, as is Aeryn Sun!  All personnel, find them now!” Grayza’s voice came over the comms.  “Braca! What is going on?!!” “It appears Crichton and Officer Sun have escaped, ma’am.  All personnel have been designated for retrieval.” Grayza slid out of bed, absolutely furious.  “Find them now!  If they leave this ship, I will have your head, Braca!” Crichton, Aeryn and Eydos heard the orders over the comms and swore in unison.  They were practically at the docking bay. Eydos spoke into his comms.  “Scorpius, Ka D’Argo, give us 60 microts, they are onto us.” “You sure that’s enough time?”  Crichton asked, as they walked hurriedly, not wishing to run lest they drew attention to themselves. “We’re here, we just need to secure transport.  There, a marauder.  Large enough for three.  Go!” They began to run once they were in the hangar, when someone who would have to pay dearly shouted, “It’s them!” “Oh, frell.” Muttered Aeryn.  Eydos turned and began to fire, John grabbed Aeryn and began to run to the marauder, counting down in his head.  He reached the door, desperately trying to pull it open when pain seared through his shoulder and he realised someone had shot him.  Aeryn asked if he was alright and he groaned in reply.  “Let’s just get out of here!”  He practically pushed Aeryn in to the ship, though she had truly always wanted to fly a marauder.  Crichton waited, and shouted: “Eydos! Hurry!” Eydos turned momentarily to shout back to John, but it was a fatal mistake.  One lucky shot and Eydos was on his back.  Braca was the one holding the gun, smiling sinisterly.  Crichton wanted to go back, but Aeryn pulled him in, knowing their time was running out.  She started up the marauder, turning it towards the doors.  They were still closed, and she took aim. D’Argo took aim too.  Lo’La was charged up, ready to fire.  “Three, two, one....” D’Argo counted down. Fire. The marauder came flying out of the Command Carrier just as the shot hit,  debris flying everywhere.  One other ship escaped uninjured, speeding off to recovery before D’Argo could catch it.  The marauder headed straight for Moya. Another massive loss of life.  But fate required them to be together.  What choice did they have? The marauder landed safely, and Aeryn could only look at Crichton with tears in her eyes. The stars were judging her, for her role in the deaths of so many.  But what could they say that they hadn’t said before?  She attempted a defiant stare, but her strength was gone.  She let the twinkling lights pass their judgement; she could not find the energy to challenge their decisions. Aeryn sat by the window of the terrace, staring but not seeing.  Her head was reeling and her body ached, but she was too tired and too awake to even think about sleep. Crichton watched her carefully through a gap in the door; her body slack and still as she sat, contemplating the future that had been forced upon them.  He had wanted to talk as soon as they returned, to see if she was alright, but Sikozu had insisted upon treating his injured shoulder. “Possible long term damage and probable scarring.”  She had said. Story of his life. He took a deep breath before slipping into the room, letting the door slide shut behind him.  She did not need to turn to know it was him, familiarity had brought them the innate ability to sense when the other was near.  Or maybe she just didn’t care.  Either way, they had a conversation to finish, and there was no way she was going to keep anything from him now. “Hey.”  He stood to her side, she didn’t need to turn her head for him to see the tears that threatened to spill. Things were really frelled up this time. “Hey,” she said, and he was reminded how much he loved her low voice.  “Umm...How’s your shoulder?”  She asked, making only brief eye contact when she spoke. “Oh, yeah, it’ll be fine.  No problems.”  He was half-hearted, in more ways than one, but she didn’t seem to notice. She nodded a little too quickly, swallowing hard.  “ Pilot tells me that... Moya will need time to recover.”  She sighed.  “We’re going further into Tormented Space, the Peacekeepers who were onboard have been left on a habitable planet and we need to get as far away as possible.” He nodded, not that she was looking.  “Yeah, that...that makes sense.  We just have to hope the PKs aren’t so lucky with wormholes again.”  Aeryn gave him no response.  He couldn’t blame her, he wasn’t exactly sure how to broach the topic that so desperately needed discussing either. They sat in silence; as they often had before.  Just like all those other times, there were words hanging between them, dying to be spoken, but unable to be voiced.  The stars seemed to be pitying them now. She ran a hand through long dark hair, a nervous gesture that was foreign to her nature, and her sigh shook as she fought to fight back the sobs in the back of her throat.  “I wanted to wait.”  She said at last. “For what?”  He asked softly. She exhaled loudly, before replying.  “For things to be better.  For our child.” He sighed, considering what she had said.  “Aeryn....out here, in Tormented Space, the Uncharted Territories, wherever we go, there are going to be people chasing us, trying to kill us.  It’s just our lot in life.  All we can do is try our best to make sure that child is kept safe.” She smiled sadly.  “That wasn’t what I meant.” John looked at her then, unsure.  “No?” “I meant us.”  Aeryn raised her gaze, finally chancing eye contact.  “You said it yourself, you don’t trust me with your heart.  I wanted to change that before we brought a child into this.” He chewed his lip, feeling her eyes upon him.  “Aeryn.  When they took you aboard the Command Carrier, I swore I would give my life to get you back.  When Grayza told me what she had done to you, about the baby,  I was ready to tear her apart.” She snorted.  “I thought the two of you were close.” “Aeryn, that woman has raped me!  She violated me, right in front of you, no less.  I had no choice, she....she has this, this pheromone.  Heppel oil, or something, and she---” She raised her hand.  “No.  Don’t.  You don’t have to tell me.  I have absolutely no right to be angry with you, considering what I have done to you.  And I knew, somehow, that you would never do that, not willingly.” “Never.”  He said it with true conviction.  She allowed the air between them to settle before asking the question she was afraid of. “What do we do now?”  John saw the tear that fell slowly down her cheek, breaking his heart.  He reached out, taking her hand gently, drawing her into a strong embrace as they huddled on the floor.  Her body felt soft against his, long hair tickling his arms and their position sending shooting pains through his shoulder. “Aeryn, I was ready to kill for you today.  To die for you.  For our child.”  He stroked her hair, softly.  “I love you, no matter what.  I just need you to promise me one thing.” She pulled back to look into his eyes.  “Anything.” “No more secrets.  No more hiding.  I know you have made some promises, and I don’t expect you to break them.  I know how important loyalty and honour are to you, it’s part of who you are.  But when it comes to how you feel, if something’s bothering you, you have to tell me.  I can’t stand being pushed away anymore, Aeryn.  I need you to trust me.”  He caressed her cheek.  “Can you do that?” She captured his hand, kissing his palm.  “Anything.”  She nodded.  “How can you forgive me?” John could feel himself close to tears as he looked into her eyes.  “Because the past needs to stay in the past.  I can’t live another day without being as close to you as I can be.  I am so tired, Aeryn.  All I want is us, happy and together.  Besides,”  He smiled, reached out and lightly placing a hand on her belly.  “we have someone else to think about now.  Our future is more important than our past.” She let the tears flow freely.  “Grayza took that choice away from us.  She wanted to take everything.” “And she’s gone now.  Yes, she made the decision for us, all we have to do is prove she didn’t hurt us.  We just have to make it through this.” “We can.  We will.  As long as we’re together, we will.”  She meant what she said, too, because he had asked for honesty. He held her close, ignoring his pain, no longer caring for the past.  He had nearly lost her; nearly lost both of them.  Because of that, Crichton was more than happy to have both Aeryn, and their unborn child, alive and well and in his arms. Maybe fate will get it right this time. John smiled at her, kissing her forehead gently.  “We’re having a baby...” He said, half in awe. “I know, I feel sorry for the poor thing already.  We couldn’t even take care of a frelling Vorc.”  She said, half serious. “I know, us, as parents.  It’s terrifying.  Or maybe it’s just ridiculous.”  They both laughed, images of a demon child running through both their heads. “We can do this, can’t we?  Raise a child on Moya?”  She asked. “Don’t you mean, raise a child, period?  Aeryn, we can do this.  We’ve destroyed two Command Carriers, defeated all sorts of critters, and survived living with Rygel.  We can do anything.” He watched as her smile turned from innocent to seductive, as she raised long lashes to look at him. “Anything?  Just what did you have in mind?”  She trailed a finger down the side of his face, slowly, gently. “Oh, I, uh.....I can think of a few things.”  He pulled her closer.  “I think we have a lot of catching up to do.  I mean, you’re pregnant, and I wasn’t even at the conception.” “We can fix that.   If you really want to...” John Crichton had always been a man of many words, and not always the right ones.  But now, he felt that words were of no consequence, and actions would be so much more effective. He lightly cradled the back of her head, dipping down slowly.  Their lips met tenderly, passion rising.  “Possible long term damage and probable scarring.” Some wounds couldn’t be healed, only soothed.  Right now, John Crichton and Aeryn Sun were content to ease each other’s pain as best they could, focusing only on the future. Noranti glanced through the window at the top of the door, pleased with the sight before her.  She said nothing to the DRD at her feet, instead she smiled, safe in the knowledge that the human had taken her advice.  Maybe there was hope for this reality after all..... John Crichton gently cradled his newborn son in his arms, marvelling at the miracle he and Aeryn had created.  Jack Eydos Crichton had arrived in this world only four arns previously, making his presence well and truly felt.  Aeryn lay sleeping on the bed in the makeshift med bay, her body exhausted from the effort of giving birth. He had never been happier.  The past eight monens had been bliss.  The hurt only lingered at the back of his mind like a ghost, because the future seemed so much better.  The future was worth living for, the past was not.  He and Aeryn had reached the levels of intimacy he had always dreamed of, and she had become so much more than he ever had believed.  He watched her sleep, chest rising and falling softly, a smile on her face that reflected the tears of joy he had seen when she first held her son in her arms.  Jack gurgled in his sleep and stretched, and Crichton acknowledged the thick black hair, the long limbs, and thought of Aeryn.  But the bright blue eyes were completely his, something Aeryn had commented on immediately.  He was beautiful, everyone agreed.  Even Rygel claimed the infant to be acceptable, and Chiana had been fascinated by the entire pregnancy.  D’Argo had seemed close to tears, he hadn’t felt so proud since Jothee was born.  The entire crew had become closer as they awaited the birth of the newest member of their family.  Hell, even Scorpius had become somewhat domesticated in the past few monens, and Sikozu and Noranti had been valuable throughout, in spite of protests from all. Crichton was awoken from his admiration for his son when Pilot’s voice came over the comms. “I apologise for the disturbance, Commander, but there is a ship approaching.  We have received a distress call, they are asking to come aboard.” “Any weapons, Pilot?” Crichton asked in a whisper. “Moya detects none, however their ship is quite badly damaged.  The others are awaiting D’Argo’s approval in the docking bay.  He asked for your assistance.  He does not wish to endanger your child.” “I’ll be there soon, Pilot.”  He allowed himself to marvel at Jack once more, before sighing resignedly.  “It just doesn’t stop, buddy, does it?” “What’s going on?”  Aeryn asked sleepily.  Crichton turned towards the bed, leaning in to kiss his lover. “There’s a ship outside, they want to come aboard.  Pilot says the ships been damaged, they just want help.” She stretched, reaching out to take her son in her arms.  “If you’re sure it’s safe.  Hello, little one.”   She beamed at the sleeping child, softly caressing thick silken hair.  “Why don’t you go ahead, I’ll be along shortly.” “You sure?  You should be staying in bed.”  A tiny hand gripped his reflexively.  “Go.  I’ll be fine, I had a good rest.” With one last kiss for both Aeryn and their son, Crichton headed towards the docking bay. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crew had been brought aboard, the ship left floating dead in space, too much damage for Moya to risk. There were only three of them, all bruised and wounded.  Sikozu and Chiana helped as much as they could to clean them up.  After an arn or two, when the three strangers had rested sufficiently, they began to tell their story. “My name is Haceth Mar.  This is Biyn Rell and Gara Dem.  We....we were going home, we live in a small colony on Drica IV.  It all just started so suddenly, we had to get out of there....” Haceth trailed off. “What happened?”  Chiana asked. Biyn continued.  “Peacekeepers.  They just appeared from nowhere.  There was....a swirling blue light, and this ship appeared.  We...we received a transmission from them, someone named Grayza...” “No.  Grayza is dead!  We destroyed the Command Carrier!”  Crichton told them, not wanting to believe the witch was alive. “I know what I heard!” Biyn shouted.  “She told us to...to back down, that we were under Peacekeeper arrest.  We didn’t know what to do, we were afraid to move.” “And that’s when it happened.” Gara continued, seeing that Biyn was too upset.  “They had...something.  This massive weapon.  All I remember seeing a bright light heading towards our planet, and then....” Gara flinched at the memory. “Then what?”  D’Argo asked.  He didn’t like where this was going. “They destroyed the planet.  Turned it to dust, completely.” The crew sat in shocked silence, unable to believe what they had heard.  Aeryn was the first to speak, as she gently held Jack in her arms, leaning against John for support. “Why would the Peacekeepers attack your planet?”  She knew Peacekeeper manoeuvres just as well as Scorpius, who, finally allowed to roam around Moya, stood silently contemplating the news. “Drica IV is home to many Scarrans.  But we have lived in peace with them for cycles!  They don’t even agree with the war!  Everything is gone.” “Or maybe they just needed a test subject.” Haceth dripped with venom, while Gara began to sob in memory of all that he had lost.  The others attempted to comfort him, and offered them sanctuary aboard Moya for as long as they needed it.  Jack began to wail in response, and Aeryn left the room to calm him.  Before he could follow, John was stopped by Scorpius. “John, this revelation should be welcomed.”  The half-breed whispered.  “If the Peacekeepers have truly mastered wormhole technology, then you are safe.” “I am not safe, Scorpy!  Grayza’s exactly the type to get her kicks by killing me!  And I do not feel safe knowing the Peacekeepers are capable of destroying entire planets!” He moved in close, not afraid of the former Peacekeeper. “I know you hate the Scarrans, and you’re happy the PKs have finally got the advantage.  But I refuse to celebrate that.  Not while my family is at risk.”  John eyed Scorpius angrily, before leaving. Scorpius could not help but smile. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- He found Noranti in the mess hall, exactly where he knew she would be.  She was singing happily, throwing various items into her stew pot, her voice rising as she did so.  She didn’t even hear him enter. “Noranti.”  He attempted to get her attention. She stopped her dancing and singing.  “Oh, Crichton!  I wasn’t expecting you!  I thought you would be with your little one.  How is the beautiful boy?” John sat by the table, ignoring her questions.  “Noranti, you....you told me that....when my son was born, things would change.  He would save us.” “And things have changed, have they not?” She asked, tasting something Crichton didn’t want to touch with a ten foot pole. “Yeah, for the worse!” “I did not say things would change for the better.  Not yet.  One cannot change the universe simply by being born.”  She licked her lips and dropped the vile thing into the pot. “Yeah, but....you told me that my child would save the universe.” “And he shall.  If you do your job properly.  I’ll be keeping an eye on you, of course.  His birth does not necessarily entail success.  You may fail.” John sighed.  “You’re telling me that my son has to fight against this.  I have to teach him to do it.”  He rubbed his eyes and longed for bed.  “I don’t know if I can do that to him, Noranti.  I can’t ask him to handle that much responsibility.” She approached him then, carefully laying a hand on his shoulder.  “You do not have to ask him.  If he is raised correctly, he will turn out just like his father.  Selfless. Loving.  Willing to risk himself for others.  He will save this universe, simply because it needs saving.  You and Aeryn, everyone on Moya, must teach him honour, loyalty and sacrifice.  Everything you have both learned and taught in your time here.  Then, he will fulfil his destiny.” “And...if I don’t want him to?” “Then this universe is doomed.  And you will have given nothing of value to your son.”  He rose to leave, turning back to her when he made it to the door. “Noranti?  Thank you.”  He wasn’t sure if he meant it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aeryn gently winded Jack, as John had taught her to do.  The news they had received about the Peacekeepers had cast a dark shadow over them all.  As she rubbed her baby’s back, slowly rocking, John entered the room, smiling at the sight. “Hey, is he asleep?”  He whispered, kneeling down beside the bed. “Almost.  Then I can maybe get another four arns sleep, and that’s if I’m really lucky.”  He could hide nothing from her.  “Are you alright?” “Yeah, yeah, it’s just all that...Peacekeeper stuff.  It’s scary.” “I know.  I never thought the Peacekeepers would ever have that much power.  What a day for you to be born, little one.” He sat beside her on the edge of the bed, as she shifted Jack to lay in her arms.  John smiled at the half open eyes, the baby sleepy and with a full stomach for now.  He was perfect.  “Let’s not worry about that now, huh?”  He put his arm around Aeryn and kissed her softly.  “We have too much to celebrate today.  Nothing can overshadow this.” They gazed at the little one for a long time, as his beautiful blue eyes fell shut, his breathing loud, tiny hands scrunched up by his face. Aeryn sighed.  “He’s going to have a hard life ahead of him, isn’t he?”  She rested her head on John’s shoulder, exhausted. John smiled.  “Yeah.  But he’ll be loved.  He’ll survive.”  He kissed Aeryn’s forehead, and held a tiny hand in his. “He’s going to save the universe one day.”
				The End