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[This occurs shortly after SoD, and before anything much has happened in Season 3]
"Hey, Aeryn."
"Hey - "
She was by the bench again, fiddling with some Tech task that would have been beneath her not so long ago, but she paused and looked up.
"You know - first time since I got here, I'm not sure I want to go home, if I should, if I dare . . ." It sounded lame to Crichton, Lord knew how it would translate. But Aeryn gave a little 'hmm?' and a twitch of an eyebrow, so he ploughed on.
"If I, somehow, make a wormhole, and get back to Earth, will Scorpy, will the Peacekeepers, follow?"
"What if he works it out first?"
"You think I should go back to warn them?"
"Is your Earth ready for the Peacekeepers - or Nebarri - or Scarrans -"
"Or any of the other people we've pissed off . . ." He settled on the bench, clearing a space with his butt. Aeryn worked on quietly.
"We have troops we call peacekeepers back home," he said.
That 'go on, I'm listening' look. Hell, it felt like he'd known this woman for ever.
"Sort of international army. We send them to trouble spots, to stop people wiping each other out - protect civilians - refugees - that sort of thing . . . We usually don't let them shoot though."
"You put soldiers into conflicts and don't let them use their weapons?! What are they supposed to do - throw stones?"
"They're kinda buffers. Witnesses. That - " It sounded pretty lame even to Crichton.
She looked at him - curious - "And it works?"
"Not very often." He grinned, and Aeryn gave him the look which said 'are you sure they put your brain back in the right way?'
"No, John," she said. "No, your Earth is NOT ready for our Peacekeepers. Barely even for Zenetan pirates."
Gently she took the laser scalpel he was fiddling with and got back to work.
"Do you think we three could hold the Earth against them all?"
"Three? Me, you and D'Argo? Defend a whole planet?"
"Yup! Three Musketeers - " He slapped a wrench into her waiting palm. "Whadaya think?"
She looked at him a long serious moment, took a deep breath - "No," she deadpanned. "No - I think we might have to get Talyn in on that!"
