hopeful_romantic (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hopeful_romantic) wrote2011-11-26 09:28 am
hopeful_romantic) wrote2011-11-26 09:28 am
"Deus ex Machina" Farscape Fanfic (Part 9)
Title: Deus ex Machina
Genre: Farscape; J/A; romance/action
Rating: PG or PG 13 at most for violence and some suggestive situations; mild swearing.
Disclaimer: Please see Part 1
Author's Notes: See Part 1
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Aeryn stepped protectively before John, facing whatever threat might present itself. Though what presented itself, was nothing like what Aeryn expected. Through the dark hole in the abandoned building's wall, three small Unthar appeared, two males and a female.
The female Unthar suddenly raised a pulse gun.
"Whoa there, Miss Piggy," John said carefully.
"Here," she said, tossing the gun to Aeryn.
Deftly, Aeryn caught the weapon. The female Unthar motioned the two males forward. They too had weapons, small grenades and a couple of guns. They set the weapons down in front of a wary Aeryn who held the new pulse gun ready in her hand.
"You're wondering how we found you," the female Unthar said. "And why we're helping you."
Aeryn was silent.
"We Unthar have highly sensitive senses of smell and hearing," she answered in her quiet, incongruously melodic voice. "You were not that hard to find. Usually, that's why the Scarrans use us as spies and scouts."
Aeryn's face turned dark.
"If we really wanted to help the Scarrans, why would I have given you the weapons?" the Unthar female pointed out reasonably.
John stepped forward to stand next to Aeryn. "Why are you helping us?"
"My people have been held under Scarran domination for cycles. There is no love lost between my people and theirs. And, they killed Toqra," she said grimly. "He was my father," she said simply.
"I've heard of you, John Crichton, Aeryn Sun."
John looked out of the corner of his eye at Aeryn where she stood tense and ready.
"The grenades were developed to fight Sacrrans. They target Scarran physiology, stunning them and disabling their heat probes. The pulse guns, I'm certain that you know how they work," the female Unthar finished dryly.
The small Unthar gestured to the two male Unthar with her. We will attempt to try and distract the Scarrans so that you can get back to your pod."
"What will you do when we leave?" John asked.
"The Scarrans will not care about us. They will be too busy attempting to retrieve you."
She motioned the other Unthar away and toward the small hole in the wall. "Be prepared, there should be enough commotion to cover your escape."
After the Unthar had left, John bent to pick up one of the grenades, studying it. "Well, Sundance?"
"It's not one of our plans," Aeryn replied.
"So maybe it'll work," John finished in a wry tone.
Aeryn smirked slightly and bent to pick up some grenades. John did the same, eyeing the small black orbs, no bigger than grapes. He held one up to Aeryn, a question in his expression. She shrugged lightly, "At least we have the pulse pistols."
John nodded slightly and continued to gather up the grenades, putting them in small leather pouches that the Unthar had also provided. Once they had gathered up all the weapons, they made their way to the dark hole in the wall. Aeryn was the first one to duck out, and John ducked out right after her. A quick scan of the immediate surroundings showed them that there were none of their pursuers nearby. In the distance though, they could hear the sounds of the commotion that the Unthar were causing with the Scarrans.
"We should hurry," Aeryn said.
John nodded, and they quickly began making their way through the marketplace, trying to go as unnoticed as possible. They were passing one of the bars when it went wrong.
"Peathekeeper," the very large, very drunk Sebacean looking man slurred.
Aeryn turned, pulse gun in her hand aimed as she tried to get a clear shot.
"Peathekeeper, your kind took my homeworld from usth," he slurred.
"Hey, buddy," John began, trying to free himself from the strong grip of the man.
Suddenly the situation went from bad, to worse.
"Crichton," Gaio growled.
"No, thiss one'ss mine," the drunken man slurred, dropping his grip on John's arm and stepping toward the Scarrans.
Suddenly, several things began to happen at once. Daska, who was with Gaio, shot the drunken man, Gaio herself turned a heat probe on Crichton, and Aeryn moved to attack. The gathered people suddenly saw their danger, and with yells and screams began to run from the area.
As John dropped to his knees, he yelled out to Aeryn, "Just run. Get out of here."
Aeryn looked prepared to attack, despite John's urgings so he called out once more. "Run," his voice full of desperate command.
It was the desperate cast of his tone that finally sent Aeryn ducking out of the reach of the Scarrans.
Daska began stepping over the dead man's body and through the panicked crowds after the retreating Aeryn.
"Stop," Gaio commanded. "The female is unimportant, only this one, Crichton, is necessary."
She looked to where Crichton was down on his knees under the effects of the heat probe. He had began to register the increasing pain of the continued probe.
"Take this one," Gaio ordered.
Daska growled, instinct telling him both to chase after his prey, and to follow Gaio's orders.
"Now," Gaio repeated, her voice menacing.
Daska hissed once more, and then grabbed Crichton from where he knelt. Gaio released the heat probe and John gasped. The female Scarran strode away, heading back to her unit's base camp. The Scout ripped the gun from the holster at John's hip, being the one recognizable weapon that the Scarran could see. Then Daska followed Gaio, holding onto Crichton's arm roughly, practically dragging him.
The crowds now parted quickly before the threat of the Scarrans and they reached the base camp in short order. Daska threw John down roughly and Gaio stepped over to where he knelt, his hands flat on the ground before him.
"Report to Iajo. Tell him that we have Crichton."
Daska saluted and went back out into the now rapidly clearing marketplace to find Iajo and the other Scarrans of his team. Gaio turned back to Crichton and focused her heat probe back on the kneeling human.
"Tell me Crichton, what you know of wormholes."
John groaned in pain.
"Tell me human, and you may live. I promise you, if we do not get what we want from you alive, we could simply dissect your brain and get the information that way."
John laughed darkly with a touch of hysteria in his voice. Gaio intensified the probe and John collapsed to the ground as the Peacekeeper mind probe reacted with the Scarran probe. He struggled to maintain awareness as his thoughts and memories were torn through, the two probes conflicting, and throwing everything into chaos...
There was a wash of images and John felt almost dizzy with the rush of them: John sitting watch over Aeryn as she recovered from Larraq's attack; they reached hungrily for each other before D'Argo docked to save them from the flax; Aeryn taught him how to field strip a pulse rifle; he chased her down the corridor as they laughed after finally returning to their own bodies; John watched as Aeryn brushed her long dark hair; she taught him how to fight hand to hand and perform a pentak jab; John slid a plate toward Aeryn with food cubes in the design of a smiley face; John pressed Aeryn to the wall of Talyn as he kissed her; he lay dying and Aeryn sat crying next to him; John lay next to Aeryn as she worked through his journal slowly sounding out the English words written there...
John's eyes flickered, wild, as he tried to fight the probes and maintain consciousness.
"Gaio," Iajo said darkly as he, Daska, and the other Scarrans returned from the trading center.
Gaio broke off the probe and John collapsed fully to the ground, gasping in pain.
"As you reminded me, War Minister Ahkna wishes to interrogate this one. It is a weak species, try to not kill the human."
Gaio nodded respectfully and backed away, allowing Iajo to step up next to Crichton. The ruling caste Scarran considered the human laying before him, and sneered with contempt.
"Erasok," he addressed one of his warriors, "Report to the Dreadnought that we have the human Crichton."
"Crichton, it is useless to resist. You will tell us what you know," Iajo growled out.
John laughed grimly and a bit madly. "Okay, let's see, beer is best when you have a pepperoni pizza to go with it; you can't argue with a woman; God may not play dice with the universe, but She sure as hell plays a mean game of poker; love shows that God has a sense of humor..."
He was cut off when Iajo suddenly and viciously kicked him in the gut. John doubled in on himself, groaning in pain. When he did so, through the blur of shock, he noticed the grenades still in a small pouch at his belt. Daska had left them, taking only the obvious weapon, the gun. Before he could think of stopping himself, John reached into the pouch and activated the grenades, preparing to throw them.
"Okay, how 'bout, bomb beats rock?" John said grimly, and rapidly tossed the grenades out. "Or in this case, grenade beats Scarran."
The grenades burst in rapid succession. As they did, bright blue light spilled forth from each explosive. The Scarrans screamed as the grenades effected them, disrupting their ability to use their heat probes and stunning them. John took his chance. He scrambled up to his feet and tried to get his bearings enough to attempt to run from the Scarrans.
Then, shots from a pulse gun began to come from the dubious cover of a small stall at the edge of the marketplace. John dashed in the direction of the shots. Aeryn continued to lay down cover fire until John reached her in the small stall.
"And Aeryn Sun beats all," John murmured.
Aeryn rapidly moved to help support John. Together, they ran out of the back entrance of the market stall and into the passageways of the marketplace. Behind them, the Scarrans were still in a disarray. Iajo growled out orders, but most of his warriors were still stunned and disabled by the multiple grenades that John had thrown into their midst. Only Daska, who had been reporting to the Scarran Dreadnought, was minimally effected. He pursued Aeryn and John into the marketplace.
"Crichton!" Daska growled as he chased them through the open market.
"I used all my grenades," John panted as he ran with Aeryn's support.
Aeryn twisted while still running and shot back at the pursuing Scarran, but it effected him very little. Daska tried to return her fire, but the pulse gun that he had taken from John had no remaining charge. With a growl, he threw the gun from his hand, and continued to chase his prey.
"The pouch on my hip," Aeryn said.
John fumbled with the pouch, finding it difficult to remove as they ran. Finally, he managed to tug it off of Aeryn's belt, and he reached awkwardly inside. Several grenades tumbled out of the pouch, rolling harmlessly over the ground.
"Frell," John swore fiercely.
He continued to fumble with the pouch, finally pulling the last three grenades from the leather bag. He activated one and threw it, but it missed; as did a second. Finally, the third struck Daska and took him down.
Aeryn and John ran the rest of the way to the transport pod and stumbled into it. The door closed behind them and Aeryn quickly made her way to the controls. Deftly, she started the pod's engine and began to head back to Moya. Once she had the transport on its way, she went back to John who had collapsed just inside the door.
"John?"
John lay shaking on the floor, his eyes flickering wildly as he tried to maintain awareness.
"Aeryn," he gasped.
Aeryn reached for John, half taking him into her lap as he continued to shake...
Gently, Aeryn rested her forehead on John's shoulder.
"I am reminded at this point, of a word that you actually brought to this vessel," Aeryn said and lifted her head to look at him. "Hope," she said simply.
Their eyes met and held each other in an intense gaze.
"I would be lost without you," John whispered.
"Then you'll never be lost."
Tenderly, they rested their foreheads together.
"No matter what happens," John spoke softly, "you...have worked your way...into my heart."
Aeryn looked up into John's eyes once more. She smiled softly and allowed him to see her naked emotion and love. "You've shown me that I have one," she whispered tenderly.
John cupped her face in his hands, intimate and gentle, and brought his lips close enough to hers that Aeryn could feel his soft breath. He remained close enough to kiss and in a low tender voice he said, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied in a voice as soft as his…
Suddenly, the wormhole equations that were buried in John's mind burst forth. They filled his mind in a swirl of blue equations, and the probe seemed to suddenly burn. As the equations twisted and turned in a strange dance of color and information, the probe recorded them in a cacophony of pain.
Aeryn brushed John's fevered brow as he writhed in her arms. The probe was burning through his brain.
"John, John," she repeated helplessly.
Suddenly, in a final flash of fire, the probe finished its task and made his way through John's skull and out of his ear.
"What the frell?" Aeryn gasped, reaching deftly for the tiny spider like probe. It tickled in her hand as it crawled against her skin. She clenched her fist, keeping the tiny thing within it despite her intense desire to drop it from her hand.
Carefully, she lowered John's head to the floor and moved back away from him. She drew her pulse pistol and then crouched down. Carefully, she released the tiny probe from her hand. Before it could get away, Aeryn used the butt of her gun to crush it. She did so several times, wanting to make absolutely certain that the probe was destroyed. When she was certain that the probe was indeed dead, she returned to where John lay.
"John?"
"I feel like 'Drowning Pool' is playing a concert in my head," John groaned. He smiled somewhat weakly at Aeryn's confused look. "Never mind, Baby."
John reached a hand up to tenderly touch her cheek. "We got away?"
"For now," Aeryn replied. "Can you stand?"
John nodded and gingerly began to stand. He wavered on his feet and Aeryn reached for him. He waved her off gently. She hovered near as John made his way to one of the seats toward the front of the pod. Aeryn settled in the seat next to him.
"Do you think we can reach Moya with the comms yet?"
"We can try," Aeryn responded.
"Hey, Pilot, can you hear me? Pilot?"
"Commander...hiss...hiss..."
"Hey, Pilot," John tried once more.
"Commander," John could finally hear clearly.
"Pilot, listen to me, we have to get out of here now. Deploy the docking web and have Moya starburst as far away as possible."
"Commander?" Pilot asked.
"Trust me, Pilot. Just do it."
As the pod continued away from the asteroid, John and Aeryn could finally see Moya ahead of them.
"Deploying docking web," Pilot informed them. "Preparing to starburst."
The docking web surround the transport pod and it was brought carefully into the docking bay. Once the pod was safely on board, Moya immediately starburst away from the asteroid.
When Aeryn and John left the pod, they were greeted by D'Argo and Chiana.
"John, what happened?" D'Argo asked.
"What the frell happened to you?" Chiana asked at the same time.
"Peacekeepers, Scarrans," John and Aeryn replied simultaneously.
"Wait, what do you mean Peacekeepers?" D'Argo demanded.
"Scarrans?" Chiana asked nervously.
"Wait, guys," John said, holding his hand up a moment to hush them. "Pilot, do a scan for any Peacekeeper or Scarran vessels."
After a few moments of waiting for Pilot and Moya to scan for enemy vessels, Pilot spoke over the comms. "There are no Scarran or Peacekeeper vessels in the immediate area, Commander. But we will continue to scan if you wish."
“Yes, Pilot, good."
"John, will you explain what in the hezmanna happened?" D'Argo asked impatiently.
"Big D, I feel like dren right now. Aeryn will explain it. I'm going to go get some rest," John replied, moving past D'Argo before the Luxan warrior could protest, and making his way out of the bay and to his quarters.
As he walked down the corridor, Scorpius stopped him. "John."
"Not now, Grasshopper," John said, trying to brush past the half-Scarran.
Scorpius blocked John's path, forcing him to the wall of the corridor. "I will not allow the wormhole information that you possess to fall into Scarran hands, John," Scorpius said in his elegant and cultured sounding voice.
"Scorpius, you sound like a broken record," John replied as he took a deep breath before continuing. "I've had a really bad day and just about enough of people frelling with my head. Back off," John finished darkly.
"You do not understand just how 'bad' a day you will have if you end up in Scarran hands. This disregard of the Scarran threat is unacceptable," Scorpius said, his voice menacing.
John shoved at Scorpius, and the half-Scarran allowed himself to be pushed back some.
John began to walk away.
"Consider what would happen to your Earth, John," Scorpius said, almost casually.
John whirled on Scorpius. "I said, back off, Scorpius."
Then John turned to head to his own quarters once more, only to be stopped by Scorpius saying, "There is someone who is willing to provide you with information about the creature that Grayza sent to Earth, and what she may have learned about your home- world from it."
Slowly, John turned to face Scorpius.
"Master Katoya will give you the information if you accept to receive training from him."
"What's in this for you, Grasshopper?"
"I have told you, I will not allow the information on wormholes to fall into Scarran hands. Master Katoya's training will teach you how to resist the Scarrans. Mental discipline is something that you are sorely lacking."
"There you're wrong, Grasshopper," John answered and began to sing, "I 'know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em; know when to walk away; know when to run..."
"This is not something to be taken lightly, John Crichton. The Scarrans will spare no one, not even your Earth, if they are allowed to gain access to wormhole technology." Scorpius moved menacingly toward John.
John was silent a moment before he spoke in a determined voice, "We'll talk about this later, Grasshopper."
"Yes, Crichton, we will." Scorpius replied simply, as he stopped when he was standing mere inches from Crichton's face.
John turned away without another word, and headed to his quarters. He immediately sought his bed and collapsed onto it without bothering to undress, or even take off his black boots. In moments, John fell into a deep sleep fractured only by vivid dreams...
TBC
Genre: Farscape; J/A; romance/action
Rating: PG or PG 13 at most for violence and some suggestive situations; mild swearing.
Disclaimer: Please see Part 1
Author's Notes: See Part 1
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Aeryn stepped protectively before John, facing whatever threat might present itself. Though what presented itself, was nothing like what Aeryn expected. Through the dark hole in the abandoned building's wall, three small Unthar appeared, two males and a female.
The female Unthar suddenly raised a pulse gun.
"Whoa there, Miss Piggy," John said carefully.
"Here," she said, tossing the gun to Aeryn.
Deftly, Aeryn caught the weapon. The female Unthar motioned the two males forward. They too had weapons, small grenades and a couple of guns. They set the weapons down in front of a wary Aeryn who held the new pulse gun ready in her hand.
"You're wondering how we found you," the female Unthar said. "And why we're helping you."
Aeryn was silent.
"We Unthar have highly sensitive senses of smell and hearing," she answered in her quiet, incongruously melodic voice. "You were not that hard to find. Usually, that's why the Scarrans use us as spies and scouts."
Aeryn's face turned dark.
"If we really wanted to help the Scarrans, why would I have given you the weapons?" the Unthar female pointed out reasonably.
John stepped forward to stand next to Aeryn. "Why are you helping us?"
"My people have been held under Scarran domination for cycles. There is no love lost between my people and theirs. And, they killed Toqra," she said grimly. "He was my father," she said simply.
"I've heard of you, John Crichton, Aeryn Sun."
John looked out of the corner of his eye at Aeryn where she stood tense and ready.
"The grenades were developed to fight Sacrrans. They target Scarran physiology, stunning them and disabling their heat probes. The pulse guns, I'm certain that you know how they work," the female Unthar finished dryly.
The small Unthar gestured to the two male Unthar with her. We will attempt to try and distract the Scarrans so that you can get back to your pod."
"What will you do when we leave?" John asked.
"The Scarrans will not care about us. They will be too busy attempting to retrieve you."
She motioned the other Unthar away and toward the small hole in the wall. "Be prepared, there should be enough commotion to cover your escape."
After the Unthar had left, John bent to pick up one of the grenades, studying it. "Well, Sundance?"
"It's not one of our plans," Aeryn replied.
"So maybe it'll work," John finished in a wry tone.
Aeryn smirked slightly and bent to pick up some grenades. John did the same, eyeing the small black orbs, no bigger than grapes. He held one up to Aeryn, a question in his expression. She shrugged lightly, "At least we have the pulse pistols."
John nodded slightly and continued to gather up the grenades, putting them in small leather pouches that the Unthar had also provided. Once they had gathered up all the weapons, they made their way to the dark hole in the wall. Aeryn was the first one to duck out, and John ducked out right after her. A quick scan of the immediate surroundings showed them that there were none of their pursuers nearby. In the distance though, they could hear the sounds of the commotion that the Unthar were causing with the Scarrans.
"We should hurry," Aeryn said.
John nodded, and they quickly began making their way through the marketplace, trying to go as unnoticed as possible. They were passing one of the bars when it went wrong.
"Peathekeeper," the very large, very drunk Sebacean looking man slurred.
Aeryn turned, pulse gun in her hand aimed as she tried to get a clear shot.
"Peathekeeper, your kind took my homeworld from usth," he slurred.
"Hey, buddy," John began, trying to free himself from the strong grip of the man.
Suddenly the situation went from bad, to worse.
"Crichton," Gaio growled.
"No, thiss one'ss mine," the drunken man slurred, dropping his grip on John's arm and stepping toward the Scarrans.
Suddenly, several things began to happen at once. Daska, who was with Gaio, shot the drunken man, Gaio herself turned a heat probe on Crichton, and Aeryn moved to attack. The gathered people suddenly saw their danger, and with yells and screams began to run from the area.
As John dropped to his knees, he yelled out to Aeryn, "Just run. Get out of here."
Aeryn looked prepared to attack, despite John's urgings so he called out once more. "Run," his voice full of desperate command.
It was the desperate cast of his tone that finally sent Aeryn ducking out of the reach of the Scarrans.
Daska began stepping over the dead man's body and through the panicked crowds after the retreating Aeryn.
"Stop," Gaio commanded. "The female is unimportant, only this one, Crichton, is necessary."
She looked to where Crichton was down on his knees under the effects of the heat probe. He had began to register the increasing pain of the continued probe.
"Take this one," Gaio ordered.
Daska growled, instinct telling him both to chase after his prey, and to follow Gaio's orders.
"Now," Gaio repeated, her voice menacing.
Daska hissed once more, and then grabbed Crichton from where he knelt. Gaio released the heat probe and John gasped. The female Scarran strode away, heading back to her unit's base camp. The Scout ripped the gun from the holster at John's hip, being the one recognizable weapon that the Scarran could see. Then Daska followed Gaio, holding onto Crichton's arm roughly, practically dragging him.
The crowds now parted quickly before the threat of the Scarrans and they reached the base camp in short order. Daska threw John down roughly and Gaio stepped over to where he knelt, his hands flat on the ground before him.
"Report to Iajo. Tell him that we have Crichton."
Daska saluted and went back out into the now rapidly clearing marketplace to find Iajo and the other Scarrans of his team. Gaio turned back to Crichton and focused her heat probe back on the kneeling human.
"Tell me Crichton, what you know of wormholes."
John groaned in pain.
"Tell me human, and you may live. I promise you, if we do not get what we want from you alive, we could simply dissect your brain and get the information that way."
John laughed darkly with a touch of hysteria in his voice. Gaio intensified the probe and John collapsed to the ground as the Peacekeeper mind probe reacted with the Scarran probe. He struggled to maintain awareness as his thoughts and memories were torn through, the two probes conflicting, and throwing everything into chaos...
There was a wash of images and John felt almost dizzy with the rush of them: John sitting watch over Aeryn as she recovered from Larraq's attack; they reached hungrily for each other before D'Argo docked to save them from the flax; Aeryn taught him how to field strip a pulse rifle; he chased her down the corridor as they laughed after finally returning to their own bodies; John watched as Aeryn brushed her long dark hair; she taught him how to fight hand to hand and perform a pentak jab; John slid a plate toward Aeryn with food cubes in the design of a smiley face; John pressed Aeryn to the wall of Talyn as he kissed her; he lay dying and Aeryn sat crying next to him; John lay next to Aeryn as she worked through his journal slowly sounding out the English words written there...
John's eyes flickered, wild, as he tried to fight the probes and maintain consciousness.
"Gaio," Iajo said darkly as he, Daska, and the other Scarrans returned from the trading center.
Gaio broke off the probe and John collapsed fully to the ground, gasping in pain.
"As you reminded me, War Minister Ahkna wishes to interrogate this one. It is a weak species, try to not kill the human."
Gaio nodded respectfully and backed away, allowing Iajo to step up next to Crichton. The ruling caste Scarran considered the human laying before him, and sneered with contempt.
"Erasok," he addressed one of his warriors, "Report to the Dreadnought that we have the human Crichton."
"Crichton, it is useless to resist. You will tell us what you know," Iajo growled out.
John laughed grimly and a bit madly. "Okay, let's see, beer is best when you have a pepperoni pizza to go with it; you can't argue with a woman; God may not play dice with the universe, but She sure as hell plays a mean game of poker; love shows that God has a sense of humor..."
He was cut off when Iajo suddenly and viciously kicked him in the gut. John doubled in on himself, groaning in pain. When he did so, through the blur of shock, he noticed the grenades still in a small pouch at his belt. Daska had left them, taking only the obvious weapon, the gun. Before he could think of stopping himself, John reached into the pouch and activated the grenades, preparing to throw them.
"Okay, how 'bout, bomb beats rock?" John said grimly, and rapidly tossed the grenades out. "Or in this case, grenade beats Scarran."
The grenades burst in rapid succession. As they did, bright blue light spilled forth from each explosive. The Scarrans screamed as the grenades effected them, disrupting their ability to use their heat probes and stunning them. John took his chance. He scrambled up to his feet and tried to get his bearings enough to attempt to run from the Scarrans.
Then, shots from a pulse gun began to come from the dubious cover of a small stall at the edge of the marketplace. John dashed in the direction of the shots. Aeryn continued to lay down cover fire until John reached her in the small stall.
"And Aeryn Sun beats all," John murmured.
Aeryn rapidly moved to help support John. Together, they ran out of the back entrance of the market stall and into the passageways of the marketplace. Behind them, the Scarrans were still in a disarray. Iajo growled out orders, but most of his warriors were still stunned and disabled by the multiple grenades that John had thrown into their midst. Only Daska, who had been reporting to the Scarran Dreadnought, was minimally effected. He pursued Aeryn and John into the marketplace.
"Crichton!" Daska growled as he chased them through the open market.
"I used all my grenades," John panted as he ran with Aeryn's support.
Aeryn twisted while still running and shot back at the pursuing Scarran, but it effected him very little. Daska tried to return her fire, but the pulse gun that he had taken from John had no remaining charge. With a growl, he threw the gun from his hand, and continued to chase his prey.
"The pouch on my hip," Aeryn said.
John fumbled with the pouch, finding it difficult to remove as they ran. Finally, he managed to tug it off of Aeryn's belt, and he reached awkwardly inside. Several grenades tumbled out of the pouch, rolling harmlessly over the ground.
"Frell," John swore fiercely.
He continued to fumble with the pouch, finally pulling the last three grenades from the leather bag. He activated one and threw it, but it missed; as did a second. Finally, the third struck Daska and took him down.
Aeryn and John ran the rest of the way to the transport pod and stumbled into it. The door closed behind them and Aeryn quickly made her way to the controls. Deftly, she started the pod's engine and began to head back to Moya. Once she had the transport on its way, she went back to John who had collapsed just inside the door.
"John?"
John lay shaking on the floor, his eyes flickering wildly as he tried to maintain awareness.
"Aeryn," he gasped.
Aeryn reached for John, half taking him into her lap as he continued to shake...
Gently, Aeryn rested her forehead on John's shoulder.
"I am reminded at this point, of a word that you actually brought to this vessel," Aeryn said and lifted her head to look at him. "Hope," she said simply.
Their eyes met and held each other in an intense gaze.
"I would be lost without you," John whispered.
"Then you'll never be lost."
Tenderly, they rested their foreheads together.
"No matter what happens," John spoke softly, "you...have worked your way...into my heart."
Aeryn looked up into John's eyes once more. She smiled softly and allowed him to see her naked emotion and love. "You've shown me that I have one," she whispered tenderly.
John cupped her face in his hands, intimate and gentle, and brought his lips close enough to hers that Aeryn could feel his soft breath. He remained close enough to kiss and in a low tender voice he said, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she replied in a voice as soft as his…
Suddenly, the wormhole equations that were buried in John's mind burst forth. They filled his mind in a swirl of blue equations, and the probe seemed to suddenly burn. As the equations twisted and turned in a strange dance of color and information, the probe recorded them in a cacophony of pain.
Aeryn brushed John's fevered brow as he writhed in her arms. The probe was burning through his brain.
"John, John," she repeated helplessly.
Suddenly, in a final flash of fire, the probe finished its task and made his way through John's skull and out of his ear.
"What the frell?" Aeryn gasped, reaching deftly for the tiny spider like probe. It tickled in her hand as it crawled against her skin. She clenched her fist, keeping the tiny thing within it despite her intense desire to drop it from her hand.
Carefully, she lowered John's head to the floor and moved back away from him. She drew her pulse pistol and then crouched down. Carefully, she released the tiny probe from her hand. Before it could get away, Aeryn used the butt of her gun to crush it. She did so several times, wanting to make absolutely certain that the probe was destroyed. When she was certain that the probe was indeed dead, she returned to where John lay.
"John?"
"I feel like 'Drowning Pool' is playing a concert in my head," John groaned. He smiled somewhat weakly at Aeryn's confused look. "Never mind, Baby."
John reached a hand up to tenderly touch her cheek. "We got away?"
"For now," Aeryn replied. "Can you stand?"
John nodded and gingerly began to stand. He wavered on his feet and Aeryn reached for him. He waved her off gently. She hovered near as John made his way to one of the seats toward the front of the pod. Aeryn settled in the seat next to him.
"Do you think we can reach Moya with the comms yet?"
"We can try," Aeryn responded.
"Hey, Pilot, can you hear me? Pilot?"
"Commander...hiss...hiss..."
"Hey, Pilot," John tried once more.
"Commander," John could finally hear clearly.
"Pilot, listen to me, we have to get out of here now. Deploy the docking web and have Moya starburst as far away as possible."
"Commander?" Pilot asked.
"Trust me, Pilot. Just do it."
As the pod continued away from the asteroid, John and Aeryn could finally see Moya ahead of them.
"Deploying docking web," Pilot informed them. "Preparing to starburst."
The docking web surround the transport pod and it was brought carefully into the docking bay. Once the pod was safely on board, Moya immediately starburst away from the asteroid.
When Aeryn and John left the pod, they were greeted by D'Argo and Chiana.
"John, what happened?" D'Argo asked.
"What the frell happened to you?" Chiana asked at the same time.
"Peacekeepers, Scarrans," John and Aeryn replied simultaneously.
"Wait, what do you mean Peacekeepers?" D'Argo demanded.
"Scarrans?" Chiana asked nervously.
"Wait, guys," John said, holding his hand up a moment to hush them. "Pilot, do a scan for any Peacekeeper or Scarran vessels."
After a few moments of waiting for Pilot and Moya to scan for enemy vessels, Pilot spoke over the comms. "There are no Scarran or Peacekeeper vessels in the immediate area, Commander. But we will continue to scan if you wish."
“Yes, Pilot, good."
"John, will you explain what in the hezmanna happened?" D'Argo asked impatiently.
"Big D, I feel like dren right now. Aeryn will explain it. I'm going to go get some rest," John replied, moving past D'Argo before the Luxan warrior could protest, and making his way out of the bay and to his quarters.
As he walked down the corridor, Scorpius stopped him. "John."
"Not now, Grasshopper," John said, trying to brush past the half-Scarran.
Scorpius blocked John's path, forcing him to the wall of the corridor. "I will not allow the wormhole information that you possess to fall into Scarran hands, John," Scorpius said in his elegant and cultured sounding voice.
"Scorpius, you sound like a broken record," John replied as he took a deep breath before continuing. "I've had a really bad day and just about enough of people frelling with my head. Back off," John finished darkly.
"You do not understand just how 'bad' a day you will have if you end up in Scarran hands. This disregard of the Scarran threat is unacceptable," Scorpius said, his voice menacing.
John shoved at Scorpius, and the half-Scarran allowed himself to be pushed back some.
John began to walk away.
"Consider what would happen to your Earth, John," Scorpius said, almost casually.
John whirled on Scorpius. "I said, back off, Scorpius."
Then John turned to head to his own quarters once more, only to be stopped by Scorpius saying, "There is someone who is willing to provide you with information about the creature that Grayza sent to Earth, and what she may have learned about your home- world from it."
Slowly, John turned to face Scorpius.
"Master Katoya will give you the information if you accept to receive training from him."
"What's in this for you, Grasshopper?"
"I have told you, I will not allow the information on wormholes to fall into Scarran hands. Master Katoya's training will teach you how to resist the Scarrans. Mental discipline is something that you are sorely lacking."
"There you're wrong, Grasshopper," John answered and began to sing, "I 'know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em; know when to walk away; know when to run..."
"This is not something to be taken lightly, John Crichton. The Scarrans will spare no one, not even your Earth, if they are allowed to gain access to wormhole technology." Scorpius moved menacingly toward John.
John was silent a moment before he spoke in a determined voice, "We'll talk about this later, Grasshopper."
"Yes, Crichton, we will." Scorpius replied simply, as he stopped when he was standing mere inches from Crichton's face.
John turned away without another word, and headed to his quarters. He immediately sought his bed and collapsed onto it without bothering to undress, or even take off his black boots. In moments, John fell into a deep sleep fractured only by vivid dreams...
TBC