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"Moya." D'Argo didn't need to mention it to Crichton sitting next to him. His eyes were locked upon it, and the few Prowlers circling around it's perimeter.
Chiana leaned over D'Argo, "That is not.. exactly what I wanted to see."
Rygel showed a hint of nervousness at her remark, D'Argo more stoically registered it, while John was oblivious.
The Luxan ship hesitated as one of the Prowler's drew very close, before veering off into another orbit of the Leviathan. D'Argo navigated the craft into one of Moya's hangar bays.
-----
Rygel's Voice: Previously on Farscape.
The crone drifts close to John's ear whispering, "Aeryn is with child."
John is sitting in the deputy's chair and says to the caged neural clone, "She'll be there... always."
"You're not listening to me, it's too late for me." cries Aeryn.
Harvey speaks through the bars, "Not all of her, she is... damaged goods."
"You died. I watched that happen, and yet you're still alive."
Harvey looks up to John, "If Aeryn is necessary to any plan, then I must compromise."
John threatens Harvey, "Aeryn is not part of your interest refrigerator head."
Harvey has taken over John's body, and says "Officer Sun... what luscious lips... amongst", grabs her throat, "other things. Crichton was a very lucky man."
"You want fate? I've got fate right here. Coin toss." John pulls a coin out of his pocket.
Aeryn catches the coin. "Just make a frelling wormhole and go home." She tosses the coin on the floor.
"There is no home, there is no wormhole, there's only you. Aeryn, anywhere in the universe. You pick the planet."
The coin begins to fall, as John goes to catch the coin, it slips through his fingers. It bounces on the ground and rolls into one of Moya's ducts, gone.
-----
My name is John Crichton
An astronaut
Three years ago I got shot through a wormhole
I'm in a distant part of the Universe
Aboard this living ship of escaped prisoners
My friends
I've made enemies
Powerful, dangerous
Now, ALL I want is to find a way home
To warn Earth
Look upward and share the wonders I've seen
-----
Crichton is first down the ramp and is greeted by Peacekeeper's with pulse rifles. They lower them when Aeryn enters and orders them to stand down. D'Argo who had since disembarked, nevertheless, keeps his Qualta Blade in a ready position.
John keeps his focus on Aeryn, saying nothing. Rygel and Chiana are the first to leave the vincinity of the landing gear, as D'Argo and John hesitate. Rygel doesn't deign to recognize the Peacekeeper presence, saying aloud "I rarely think that I'd be half as happy to be back aboard this ship now." Chiana innocently bumps Crichton a few steps closer to Aeryn as she passes him.
"Welcome back to Moya. D'Argo, Chiana, Rygel.. John." Aeryn says the last perfunctorally. "D'Argo, it's all right, they are from the Pleizar Regiment. Erryl, Vipik, Lonas. Serto and Kaban are patrolling around the ship.." she pauses.
Vipik speaks up, "And Qurtav, our second in command."
Chiana fondles Lonas' rifle, reveling in his nervous response as the others speak.
In the meantime, Sikozu is off the vessel and proceeds to look around the maintenance bay. She excitedly rambles on as she explores the room "A fine specimen, in good health although there are signs of stress..."
Aeryn continues, "We've been monitoring the Peacekeeper comms and it lead us to your location."
"... I really must converse with the Pilot about these marks." Sikozu stops at one of the Peacekeepers and asks Chiana "Do we not have a troubled relationship with the men in black?"
John finally speaks, "Not with any who play nice, right Aeryn?" Aeryn looks away and at one of the other troopers.
"They had no place in the fleet anymore, because of me. Those who wouldn't give up combat positions were imprisoned, until the Command Carrier's destruction allowed them to escape and hijack the prowlers."
Chiana had now moved behind Erryl and was stroking his back. She called out to Aeryn, "Can we trust em?" Chiana suddenly pulled Erryl's pulse pistol from his holster, the man twitched, but remained roughly at attention.
Vipik spoke out, "The army that will let us fight is as good as the one that keeps us locked up. We were not traitors, but our commander's have surely betrayed us."
Chiana laughed, "You don't mind if I keep this?" She caresses the peacekeeper's thighs, "Do ya?"
"Uh, go ahead." mumbles a conflicted Erryl. Chiana slinks away and follows Rygel and Sikozu out of the bay.
D'Argo finally leaves the safety of his ship. "I'm going to see Pilot." Lonas falls in step behind him. D'Argo snarls "Alone." Aeryn nods to Lonas and he stops following the warrior.
John's eyes haven't left Aeryn's face since he arrived, until he turned back into the ship and yelled "Granny, where are you?"
From inside the ship a voice comes out "I must sleep now." followed by silence. John curses, and then turns back to Aeryn.
"Aeryn, we need to talk."
She faces him once again, hiding all emotion. "Sure."
John motions towards the exit of the bay, but Aeryn is not following.
Aeryn talks again, "It is my shift on prowler patrol. Later?"
John looks at the other peacekeepers, "Let the Three Stooges take care of that. It's something sorta urgent."
"I'll be back in three arns." She moves off without turning back to him.
In his head Harvey whispers, "You need to be more forceful than that John. Her world, but your time, John. It is your life too. And you have far fewer cycles of patience to expend."
An echo in his head of Noranti, "Be forgiving, be kind. ... Her life, her world, on her time, you will know".
Harvey sneers "Conscience doth make cowards of us all." He slaps the own woman in the vision.
John shouts in his mind "Get in your room Harvey, no television, and NO telephone."
By the time John looks up again, Aeryn's Prowler had blasted off.
-----
John was tired as he watched the prowlers come and go, holding his breath each time until a man exited the fighter. Erryl, Vipik and Lonas had gone out on patrol, while the two who had returned identified themselves as Serto and Kaban. John simply nodded at their greeting. Eventually Granny got off the ship, wandering sleepilly out of the bay. "Granny, don't get lost now. I need another voice for when I talk with Aeryn." She babbled something as she walked through the doors. An arn after Aeryn took off, he left the bay for his quarters.
On the way there he heard some soft words coming from the direction of the empty cells. As he neared the noises he noticed they had been converted into a sort of rough barracks. Coming around the corner he saw Chiana with the two Peacekeepers, both of their uniforms in a state of disarray. Chiana turned around seductively while doing a little bump and grind against one of the men's leg.
"Heya John, wanna join the fun, heh.." she lets out a little giggle as her hands pass over the face of Kaban. She disengages from Serto and approaches predatorily at Crichton.
John stiffly leans close to her and whispers "What are you doin, Pip?"
She laughs as her arms encircle him and she pretends to nibble at his ear. "I'm helping out the ship."
"Oh really... I guess the DRD in the corner is filming a documentary on the forbidden dance. Pilot run out of reading material?"
"Ha, aahhh.. not quite. I haven't seen enough of these guys enough to know how dangerous they are yet. So I'm takin a little look."
John quips "A few more minutes there won't be much left to imagine Chi."
She purrs "Mmmmm. I'm just going to disarm them, jealous?"
"You seem more apt to disrobe them."
"Well then I know they're not hiding anything... at least nothing I haven't dealt with before." She smiled as she pulled away from Crichton.
John speaks up so the soldiers can here, "Maybe later Pip, four's too much of a crowd for me." He continued along the tier until he reached his room, grabbing up some cartridges for Winona as well as a notebook he acquired on a commerce planet long ago. As he stepped back into the corridor he heard noises coming from Aeryn's room, a grunting noise and then the groan of a woman.
He breaks into a jog and bursts into the room, just as the lady on the bed rose up with an ecstacy filled moan. Crichton was in shock. The peacekeeper Erryl was resting on the bed, and was yelling at Crichton who quickly ran back into the hall.
-----
D'Argo took another drink out of the fellip nectar bottle, letting out a loud belch as Crichton entered the galley.
John quickly grabbed up one of the other bottle's and drained about half of it in one gulp. He then proceeded to hiccup.
"Whoa, go easy there John."
"Oh *ipp* my mind's wasted *ipp* why the frell *ipp* not."
"No reason, but they only brought over a single case of that stuff. You know how your weak stomach can't handle the juice without throwing it up.."
"Don't *ipp*in remind me. I just saw *ipp*, well you don't wanna know."
"Good, I don't wanna hear about it anyway." D'Argo downs another swallow.
"I'll *ipp*, tell you *ipp* any *ipp*" D'Argo slaps John on the back very hard. "Ouch, you damn Luxan. Oh. One of the peacekeepers was, well, recreating..."
D'Argo bolts up and draws his Qualta Blade, stunning John, and charges for the door until he hits the counter and doubles over it. He turns around facing John. "I got your back Crichton, when I'm through with him he'll wish he never touched Aeryn."
John got up and stumbled forward, slurring "No, no, no Durgo. The guy wash banging.. *ipp*" D'Argo punched him in the face, sending him backwards onto the table. "Uh thanks... uh well, he was with the Funbags Gravity Didn't Forget."
D'Argo blinked "Huh?" He thought a second and then slapped himself on the forehead and fell sprawled across the counter. "Yotz, Crichton, Noranti.." Slaps himself again "Frell."
Crichton finally gets up and drags D'Argo to one of the seats, opening two more bottles, and then deciding to get out a third.
-----
A few microts later...
John is excitedly jabbering "So the rabbi says..."
D'Argo interrupts "Where the frell is my Qualta Blade?"
"Ya, exactly, and the donkey is like, 'I thought you used a little guillotine.'"
D'Argo boils into a laugh deep in his belly as he gropes around on the floor for the sword.
John giggles for a while and then continues "And the point of the story is that you never trust Furlow as far as you can throw her."
"Unless its near a cliff!", adds D'Argo. Both of them pound their fists on the table laughing. D'Argo rests his Qualta Blade on the table and accidentally sends a blast off which blows up the case of fellip nectar sending it spraying all over them. Both are subsequently paralyzed by fits of rumbling laughter.
John finally manages to say, "We're so totally frelled. Ha!"
"No this is totally frelled," says D'Argo as he begins licking the drops off of the table. "This is some strong dren here."
John babbles, "I mean, on one side we've got the Peacekeepers. On the other there is the Scarrans."
"Throw in Chiana's bunch and we got a Nebari sandwich."
"And we're the mustard, squeezed in the middle by all sides. Oh ya I meant to say something to you bout Pip, but I forgot what it was."
"Don't worry, I forgot who is Pip anyway. What about lunch again?"
"I think its about to strike back, watch out!" John manages to hurl into Noranti's stewpot, not that the long rotted mush inside would taste any worst for it.
"Inferior human, now a Luxan warrior can handle his liquor."
"Human's... are superior!" shouts John, raising his arms and flailing them around threateningly. D'Argo barely contains a guffaw.
John finally finds the track he was on, "The Luxans and the Charrids are all over the conflict to. And they all want what I got, and I don't got what I want, and I don't even know what I want."
"Well, you gotta pick a side."
"Either side will kill billions. Is there any other way in a war?"
D'Argo got a hint of seriousness back. "John, there is always a winner, always a loser, and the poor drunk slobs who just get in the way."
"Ya, thats us."
"If my people will fight the Scarrans, then I'll fight the Scarrans."
"Really? I thought you wanted to settle down... sow some oats and stuff."
"If what Scorpius said is true, there might not be any Luxans left after this war. Without wormholes to help even it out."
"I can't do that, not after everything Scorpy has done."
"Maybe it's different, if my people are joining the Peacekeepers... there must be more to it than we see." With that D'Argo fainted dead away.
John poked at the Luxan, "D'Argo. D'Argo! Wake up." The warrior was sound asleep. "Human's are superior!" shouted John again, realizing he was likely only concious due to having thrown up most of what he drank earlier. Then he poked at D'Argo again, "Dammit D'Argo, wake up. Frell it. Way to guilt trip me and leave me hangin man." John got up from the chair and started to weave his way out of the galley.
-----
Dong... Dong... Dong... John couldn't comprehend how he could have a hangover already, let alone one so loud. He leaned on a wall for it to pass. The disorientation remained as he suddenly heard a bird chirping 'cuukoo, cuukoo, cuukoo'. A clock? Suddenly he could feel a ticking noise in his skull, like a pickaxe heading for his cerebellum.
Finally John played a hunch and brought Harvey out of the dumpster.
"Dammit John, I'm a doctor, not a timekeeper."
John replied befuddled, "Time?"
"It's been three arns John."
"No Harvey, it's been three very long, very hey hey hey it hurts me cycles, glayven."
"I'm not talking about your miserable tour through the uncharted territories you drunken monkey. Aeryn's prowler should be docking with Moya at any moment."
John thought a second "Ya your right. Well buckle up buckeroo. Time to ride!" Crichton kicks Harvey in the rump, knocking him onto all fours and straddles his back. He pokes the side of Harvey's head and his coolant rod apparatus spins out. Grabbing ahold he pulls back and shouts "Hi-yo Scorpy, away!"
-----
Rygel peered out of the duct at the passing Crichton. He was going down the hall in some bow-legged hopping motion, occaisonally slapping his own ass and shouting "Yeehaw".
Under his breath Rygel murmers "They've got him too. Or he's gone totally fahrbot... again." The Dominar waits patiently until Crichton is farther down the corridor. Then he pushes off the grate and makes his way towards one of the equipment bays. Before he makes it in the door though he feels a finger trace the back of his ear. Through the touch, and more noticeably the smell, he can tell it is Chiana.
"What you been up to Rygel? Find anything, interesting, lately." She encircles his hover throne with one of her legs, holding it close to the ground.
"Not very much, our new friends haven't properly welcomed me into their chambers as of yet."
"Oh, they're rea-aaa-al friendly people Rygel, once you get to know them."
"Certainly, I expect you've had much more experience than I. Perhaps I should properly introduce myself to them."
"That'd be.. nice. You know, Pilot wants to.. talk to you." the last said with a young girlish accusing voice.
"Ah yes, I've been meaning to catch up with the old chaffeur.. er chap. If you would be so kind to remove your leg..."
Chiana cuts him off as he tries to move his throne, "Leaving so soon, Sexy?"
Rygel begins to pet her leg, "Pilot can wait." His hand continues toward her stomach as she smiles. "There is always time to enjoy.." he pulls Chiana's chest cover down slightly ".. the company of good friends."
She puts her head back and laughs, "Oh Sparky, now your getting it."
Rygel smiles, "Quite." He touches the electrode to her bare skin, the unpleasant shock of the electricity coursing through his skin caused him to release a small fart. After a few seconds Chiana fell to the floor, Rygel breathed deeply for a moment, then placed the small instrument back into one of his throne-sled's hidden compartments. He grabs ahold of Chiana's unconcious body and drags her into the equipment room.
-----
"Whoa there fella." Crichton hops off of Harvey as they approach the Maintenance Bay door.
Behind him he hears the voice of Harvey, "One thing Kemosabe, before I return to my tepee."
John took the moment to wait at the door, "Sure thing Tonto."
"Officer Sun, despite all you have shared together, is nevertheless still a Peacekeeper. You must react accordingly."
John pushed open the door to see Aeryn and who must be Qurtav kissing. He stood dumbstruck until the prowler pilot noticed him and broke away from Aeryn. When she saw Crichton and his expression a hint of anger crossed her face. She commanded Qurtav to "find the other prowler pilots," and then started pulling off her flightsuit.
As Qurtav passed John the human placed his arm on the broad armored chest. The Peacekeeper looked at the shorter and less muscular Crichton and laughed as he pushed through him.
In the back of his mind Harvey was screaming a war cry, but John continued to stumble cautiously towards Aeryn without paying any more attention to the leaving soldier.
"Aeryn.. I can't fathom why. I've tried, I try, and I just don't.."
Aeryn confronts him strongly "Shut up Crichton. You always talk, and talk, and I don't want to listen anymore." He tries to get into a word, but she keeps attacking "Do you think I owe you? You go around like Commander-Captain Kangaroo, frelling every female we come across, while you expect me to be the Virgin Marilyn Monroe of the Uncharted Territories?"
"Captain Kirk, and the Virgin Mary, Aeryn..."
"That is another thing, stop correcting me, I don't care. It's not important, and..."
John interrupts her "Yes, your right its not important." His voice gets more violent "I'm not important. What we had is not important. I don't have anything with you, and you won't let me try to create something. I want to know though if you have anything..."
Aeryn shouts over him saying "to tell me." with "I have nothing for you Crichton. I hope I never will." She charges past him towards the door, knocking him out of the way.
Harvey is blocking the exit yelling at John "Act John. If she will not give you the chance to ask, you must demand the information." Aeryn passes through the figure of Harvey and out of the bay. He shrugs and says to Crichton "You make things difficult. I might as well return to my cell."
A couple of minutes after the image of the neural clone disappears Crichton finally shouts "Aeryn" and chases after her. Through the entrance though rolls a metallic sphere, John stops in his tracks, but the ball explodes in front of him.
-----
John hears the sound of a throne-sled in the room as he tries to figure out if he is hurt. A movement causes a small squeak, damn those leather pants! He keeps his eyes closed, and the throne sled seems to be coming from deeper in the room towards him.
"Wait John." says Harvey.
The throne-sled sounds like it is almost on top of him.
"Not yet... now."
John's hand flies up and encircles Rygel's throat.
"Chr.. gurgle gurgle," gasps Rygel.
"How come whenever I'm knocked unconcious from a bomb, Buckwheat, I see your ugly face when I wake up?"
Chrichton loosens his grip just enough to let the Hynerian use his vocal chords. "Unfortunately for me, I've yet to figure out how to make a lethal explosive. Now unhand me."
John shoved Rygel away and got up, there was a heavy throbbing in his head.
Rygel questioned John nervously, "Tell me, what are your feelings towards our Peacekeeper guests?"
John thought a while before answering, "I don't trust them, I want.. all of them gone."
"That'll have to do. Chiana, D'Argo, and most certainly Aeryn are under their control."
"What?"
"Do you think Aeryn and Moya could have found there way to us so quickly and without incident Crichton? A Peacekeeper squad that has supposedly turned over a new leaf, that doesn't happen."
"But Aeryn changed, and they were locked up..."
"Even more reason not to believe their story. It is utter dren. The others are being controlled, trust no one Crichton. Possibly the Nebari, they had you too."
"Naw, that's not possible. I can remember everything since I've been back, and some things I'd rather forget. I'd recall my eyes coming out for a breather."
"You were with D'Argo, and he tried to kill me, before you arrived in the galley and I was able to escape. Since then I've been, arranging a resistance."
"All right, lets get Pilot on the line and figure out whats going on."
"No, they might be monitoring the transmissions. And if they see you going up there they will shoot you if you do not react like they expect. Although, now that I can trust you, put this on."
Rygel brings over a complete Peacekeeper armor suit to Crichton.
John start slipping it on, "Where'd you snurch this from Rygel?" He smelled something awful as he put on the torso section. "What the hezmana is that smell?"
Rygel talks as he busily works with some clutter on one of the tables, "Sometimes the opportunity for thievery doesn't present itself. Turn around." John does so and feels Rygel put a heavy weight on his back, and then weld it place.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing back there?"
"Patching the hole." said Rygel matter of factly as he completed his work. He then shoved Crichton's helmet on, locking John in with the nasty smell.
"Wait a minute, that smell, the hole, get this off of me."
"We don't have the time Crichton. Keep this helmet on, and the filters engaged. Whoever is in control of the ship might try to fill it with gas, or release the atmosphere entirely."
Now encapsulated in the armor Crichton moved Winona to the new holster. He turned to Rygel, "I'm gonna go have a chat with Pilot, don't do anything until I figure out what is going on and come up with a plan." At this last Rygel let out a little snort of annoyance, as he piloted the throne sled to pick up some gear from the table. Crichton went to leave, but he stopped to ask Rygel "Hang on Rygel, I got a question. You've had some sort of power before, what did you do when war seemed unavoidable?"
Rygel waited a long microt before responding quietly "The last time I tried to avoid a war, I ended up imprisoned and tortured for my cycles than you will ever hope to see in your lifetime." He hovered out of the room, towing his junk with him.
-----
As Crichton was making his way to Pilot's den he heard a sudden tapping in his head. "Tis some visitor," John muttered, "tapping at my chamber door. Only this, and nothing more."
The incessant tapping grew in volume. Crichton remembered the notebook which he had stuff in one of the compartments of the suit, opening it and looking at his notes from before Aeryn came back.
A pounding in his head, as he approached the Pilot's chamber door. Eagerly John wished the morrow, vainly he sought to borrow, from his book a surcease of sorrow...
"Enough Crichton."
John opened the shutters of his mind, and a raven in a black leather suit flew out and alighted atop the Den's chamber door. The raven's beak cawked out between leather straps aligned across its face, "This really has become quite ridiculious John. Your desire to ignore me is quite embarassing."
"I've never so feared what you've had to say."
Harvey the raven, "Oh the fool I must suffer."
"Prophet!" said John, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore. Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-- On this home by horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore."
"Nevermore. Not until you have overcome your own fear's John, and your opposition. Why do you fear, John?"
"I'm afraid of Aeryn, of losing her, and having her. Or having her then losing her. Without her, I don't know if I can live. With her..."
"You don't know if she will live. The ever present moral quandry, between desire and cost."
John laughed, "I've got so many issues that my imaginary friend is now my therapist, that is just fabulous."
"If it gets the job done John. Tell me about your dreams."
"I thought you had the front row seat to the movie Harv? In the crapper during that episode?"
"You might be surprised John, about how little and how much I can learn from your mind."
"I have this one dream, and it scares the hell out of me everytime. I'm with Aeryn, and she loves me. An-and, she tells me to mind the baby, and then she has to go somewhere. Of course it immediately begins to cry and I go over to change it's diaper. No matter what I do it always ends up messed up, it's in a Peacekeeper uniform, or a little thermal suit, once in a while I end up accidentally snapping off one its four claws. I just can't do it right, and Aeryn... she never comes back. I stand there holding the baby, and it cries and cries, and I cry."
"There is little I can do about the latter, if that becomes the case. I can assure you though that Aeryn is not so hopeless."
"She's stuck on the other John. Sometime's I think I'm stuck on the other John, if only I could compare."
"Two different people John. Alternative paths, and necessarily different destinations."
"I can't find a way to the places I want to be."
"Then you must redefine the courses available to you, as I have. Aeryn will never fall in love again with the John Crichton that was, because she is no longer the person you remember. As her heart has hardened, so must yours."
"Is that why she was with Qurtav?" asks Crichton.
The raven bobs its head up and down for a second before answering, "I doubt Qurtav will be much of a problem. Jealousy, while possibly giving us strength, at times may cloud judgment, which we will need. For instance, what is your plan for what is behind this door?"
"Plans, you know what happens to all our best laid schemes Harvey. They all end up going to hell anyway..."
"I trust Rygel, at least to point you in the direction of the enemy and tell you to start shooting. It buys him time."
"Well there ya go, there's our war plan, go in firing. Speaking of war, have you figured out the whole Scarran-Peacekeeper Big Bang fiesta yet?"
"How so John?"
"Well I've been thinking a bit, bout the whole 'all your ass belong to Crichton' philosophy you've been mentioning. Why keep trying to duck the inevitable? Aeryn's rejoined the Peacekeepers, D'Argo is thinking about taking his ship and killing Scarrans. Chiana and her resistance. And Rygel's coup is guaranteed to be bloody. Sikozu Svala Something er other, I don't get the feeling I got her whole story yet anyway. All my friends seem to be out for blood. Between me and my 'Better' Brother, we've probably killed more than all of them combined, and here I am worried about getting my hands dirty. Naaa.. Why the frell should I start a war though?"
"The reason all wars start John, boobs, beer and badguys."
"Sounds like sunday football with the Dallas Cowboys."
"If Helen could launch a thousand ships, surely Aeryn is worth a wormhole here and there."
"Chicks really dig war? I doubt that is why the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers are circling round."
"Well there are those who get drunk with power, or just really unfriendly types like the Scarrans. And Aeryn is an atypical woman. Is your motivation to conquer any worst than the Peacekeeper's, the Scarran's?"
"It could be worst. Then again, what's to stop me from getting intoxicated with all that wormhole technology? I could buy a wig and live out my mad scientist fantasies, complete with Kid Frankenstein and Aeryn Warrior Princess at my side."
"Whatever suits your fancy John, all of your knowledge, it would be a pity for it to go to waste. Even if you only use it to lay waste to your enemies. And it will give you Aeryn, one way or another."
"What do you mean by that, I don't quite follow?"
"She only understands, and more importantly respects, strength. It is what attracts her to men like Qurtav. Reinvent yourself Crichton, you can't follow the same route to Aeryn's heart."
"Different destination. If I can't have her love, I should just take it by force?"
"If that is necessary. She has a stranglehold on your heart, and she is enjoying every minute of it. It is only fair that you turn the tide to your favor."
"Doubtless," said John, "what it utters is its only stock and store, caught from some unhappy master. Whom unmerciful disaster followed fast and followed faster, till his songs one burden bore."
The raven flew away after sputtering "You obviously haven't paid attention."
Crichton thought once again of all Harvey promised, for all too long a moment. He whispered "Nevermore," and opened the door to Pilot's Den.
-----
Across the catwalk to Pilot's console was Commandant Grayza, stroking Pilot's shellhead. She turned at the opening of the door. "Ah, Lt. Qurtav, Has the Hynerian and Kalish been captured yet?" Crichton aimed Winona at her, but he knew the blast was guaranteed to pass through her and into Pilot. He almost took the shot.
A look of concern crossed her face, "Lieutenant?" She instinctively drew closer to Pilot, and discretely hit one of the buttons on his console to attract her men.
"Step away from Pilot you bare breasted bitch."
She smiled as she heard this, and began to take a step back. Pilot reached out a pincer on her arm, dragging her back to him. "Mmmm. You'll have to wait your turn. Pilot is very, possesive."
Crichton moved a few steps closer, then a DRD came down the walkway and sprayed out a cloud of some chemical. By reflex John held his breath, before realizing that the filters were doing their job. He kicked the DRD back towards the console, elliciting a grunt from Pilot.
"Pilot, how bout you let Dominatrix Barbie go pal?" Pilot responded only with a growl and look of distaste at Crichton. John slowly moved a couple steps closer as he continued.
"I know you don't see much action down here, but I don't feel she's your type is all. The ying and yang don't seem compatible."
"Grrr.. Some females are interested in intelligence and sensitivity, traits that may be lacking in your lesser species." Grayza carressed his chin. Pilot snapped out as Crichton tried to gain another step "Keep back! She is mine."
"Make me." Crichton started forward again, then Pilot roared in agitation, ripping off one of his arms and hurling it at John. As much from revulsion as from the force of the blow, the human was knocked backward, and slipped off the catwalk covered in the slick goo sprayed by the DRD. He flails out an arm and manages to grasp the side of the platform and hang on.
A DRD rolls up to the catwalk in front of his hand. Crichton tells it to "Shoo," but it begins to ram into his hand and use its welding tool on the fingers of his glove. Soon John's grip fails and he falls from the walkway.
-----
To be continued...
-----
... right now.
One minute Crichton was falling, the next he was brutally yanked to the side. When the disorientation passed he was looking into the face of Sikozu, and she was hanging on to him. She was standing on a walkway, but upside down. Until Crichton realized that he was still facing downward and that she was under a walkway. With her other arm she took a pack off her back and threw it down. A while later the splash reverberated up the chamber.
John was about to speak when Sikozu put a finger to her mouth, then pointed upward in the general direction of Pilot, to her ear, and then gestured in a rough circle indicating both of them. Below him and a little off to the side, John noticed another walkway. Sikozu watched his eyes and after fiddling with something Crichton couldn't see above him, she finally turned her attention back to him and swung him over to the other platform. She soon followed with a quiet leap over the small distance.
She followed him out of Pilot's chamber. Once they were out John turned to her and asked "What is going on?"
"I was going to see Pilot about the marks in the maintenance bay, because it seemed as if someone forced their entry into the ship recently. Before I got there though I saw D'Argo come out of the Den, he had been sprayed with something that smelled like fellip nectar. Through the door I saw a glimpse of Grayza next to Pilot, and I instantly hid myself. Later on I entered from a different tier and tried to figure out what was going on. She must be using the heppel oil on Pilot, but because of his high metabolism she must stay with him constantly to keep its effect."
"That explains D'Argo, but Chiana, Aeryn, the Peacekeeper boys?"
"They all have the implants. Except for one, Vipik, most likely to keep him rational. The male counterpart to the gland creates an intense need for sexual release, indeed the effect exists to a lesser degree for the female version as well."
"So that explains why Grayza wouldn't stop..."
"I relayed this information to Rygel, who already seemed to know. He gave me a bomb to plant under Pilot.. but I couldn't do it. I mean, without getting caught of course."
John gave her a knowing look, possibly of their shared predicament, "Rygel's not very good with volatile chemicals, so you probably have little to worry about anyway. Course the little toad is probably already far away from Moya in a transport pod as well."
"You mean he left without me.. oh and you too I suppose."
"That's Rygel for ya."
Just then Crichton heard a communicator buzz, coming from both Sikozu and his back. Rygel's voice came through, "Sikozu, Crichton, if your alive you have about a hundred microts to get to a transport pod if you want to stay so." In the background they heard blaster fire.
-----
Ninety microts later they spied Rygel being chased by a group of DRDs. They were firing little lasers at the Hynerian, but they were being absorbed by the energy shield the Hynerian was wearing. He yelled for the two to hurry up or get out of his way as he raced toward the transport pod. Crichton and Sikozu were heading for the nearest one when Rygel told them to continue to the next one which already had the ramp down.
As John rushed into the pod he noticed Chiana, D'Argo, Aeryn, Noranti, and a Peacekeeper unconcious and tied up upon the floor. When Rygel got into the pod Crichton shut the door. He looked at his watch, it had already been over a hundred microts. He moved over to Rygel and asked "What happens at one hundred microts?"
"I ran into a little trouble and doubled the time setting."
As he said that a loud pop was heard, and Moya began to decompress.
-----
All of them were gathered in Pilot's Den, except for Aeryn who was burying her former comrades in space. She didn't believe Crichton when he told her that he didn't fight with Qurtav. She sniped that "You shot him in the back," and left before he could explain.
There were at least five dead Peacekeepers on her prowler, even Harvey was surprised at Rygel's effectivity. It was the asphixiated corpse of Commandant Grayza though that justified it all for John. He kicked it over the side immediately upon entering, and didn't watch it as it fell and made a satisfying thump far far below.
Sikozu immediately checked up on Pilot, who had weathered the temporary loss of air, and all scent of heppel oil, far better. She was excitedly discussing a variety of topics that she couldn't quite cover with the other Pilot. D'Argo and Chiana were suffering from a hangover off to the side.
John went over to Rygel and lifted him by the furry eyebrows. "What exactly happened Sparky?"
"I made it into Command with the help of the DRD we brought from Elack. It knew a few old Leviathan tricks, but we couldn't get through with Pilot watching the door. I tried to get her," pointing at Sikozu, "to provide a distraction to Pilot, but she proved unreliable."
"So you just sent me in their to talk to Pilot, knowing who was in there?"
"Yes, I believed you capable enough of irritating Pilot, you annoy me all the time."
"I.. almost died Rygel, you ever think of that. If Babel-on five over hear didn't save me I'd be swimming in the shallow end of the guano pool."
Sikozu was about to speak, but Rygel responded to quickly, cocking his head to the side and grinning, "But I would be alive." With this he turned away and got out of the den before Crichton could snatch him. John was angry, to be a tool with only a set value.
Finally Sikozu was able to get his attention. "You should know that when giving me the bomb Rygel also gave me a device to attach it to the walkway. It attracts an oppositely charged plate very strongly."
"Buckwheat gave you a fridge magnet, so what?"
"There is another one on your back, I had to react quickly, but my strength couldn't have caught you."
"He couldn't have known you would have caught on, or Grayza could have killed me some other way. The slug sent me in to my death."
Sikozu thought a moment, "Well you were in full peacekeeper armor, the DRD's lasers would not have penetrated that easily. Grayza wasn't carrying a weapon that I could see, and I told Rygel as such. He couldn't have guessed that I would see your back as you fell and would activate the attractor. The probability of your death probably ranges from 1 in 2567 to.."
John waves her off, "Never mind Sikozu Svala Shanti Sugaysi Shanu Spock.."
Chiana came over and spoke, "Rygel is a.. frog, but he is also.. a gambling frog. Sometimes its hard, but.. you trust him.. you know? He always bails on us, but he usually comes back, at least when it... counts. Even when there is, a lot of pain at risk."
D'Argo drew up behind her and put his arms over her protectively, as John walked out of the Den. While Sikozu went back to chatting with Pilot, and Noranti continued to sleep, constantly since her earlier exertions, he asked Chiana quietly "What happened Chiana?"
She stared off into nothing, "Maybe.. someday. If Rygel tells you. It's up to him. I, I owe him that much, if anything."
-----
In the darkness of Rygel's quarters the Hynerian is busy reshuffling goods among his various hiding places. Despite leaving for Hyneria some time ago, he knew. Chiana's visions must be contagious. As he closed one of the scratched out burrows he heard a step behind him, and caught his breath. As his throne rotated he saw only the legs of John Crichton, illuminated in the little shaft of light allowed while rearranging his things.
Rygel sighed, then said "I know, you don't trust me, and you never will. I've stabbed you in the back one time too many. I will not apologize, and I will do it again. It's my most proficient skill. And I'll let you know that I have been pummeled by experts with more experience than you can ever hope for. Now proceed with the beating quickly... I'll try not to fall asleep while your doing it. I'm very very tired."
John was quiet a second, a silent soliloqouy was coming from the shadows about him. Finally he took action, a sloshing noise was heard, and soon he placed a glass down in the light on the table to his side. Rygel eyed the glass nervously, as he heard Crichton pour another. He placed the bottle upon the table, and picked up the other glass.
Stepping out of the black towards Rygel, Crichton handed him one of the glasses. The other he raised and said "Dominar."
