Sudden Death, a farscape fanfic

Sudden Death

(Authors disclaimer: The characters of Farscape belong to Henson Productions. I just borrowed them for a short time.)

(This is in response to NMCrichton's scenario challenge on the ultimatefarscape bulletin board and dedicated to all the Crais' Cohorts. Enjoy! Love, Lady Crais)

NMCrichton's CHALLENGE:

Have Crais go to a PK base way off the interstellar path... It doesn't have to be and would probably be better if its not a top secret kinda base... Have Crais pose as PK captain under an assumed name, even out there the news of Crais would be known... The Commander not happy for being assigned in such a dismal area in a basically dren duty, has a chip on his/her's shoulder the size of a moon... Feeling self-important that a Captain on a need to know mission asks for assistance or whatever, the commander gets suspicious of Crais and questions him and stalls to check his request with High Command... This would be a calling a bluff situation... Each walking on eggshells yet threatening each other with assumed authority... Just when Crais feels he has the upper hand and just may get away with his plan, he is discovered for who he is...

THE RESOLUTION:

(Timeline: This story covers the events that lead up to Moya and the crew finding a wounded Talyn and Crais in Season Three's episode "Eat Me".)

Talyn came out of starburst quickly, slowing into what at first seemed an empty sector. Crais' knuckles were white where they gripped the console, his heart pounding in his chest. The Leviathan chirped nervously. "Yes Talyn," Crais whispered, "that was too close." He stood up straight, letting out a breath. This had been the second time they had to make a quick escape from the retrieval squad. The Peacekeepers were getting persistent.

He ran a hand over his head, trying to smooth his hair back into place and out of his eyes. "Scan the sector. See if there is some place we can lay low until I can determine who is leading that retrieval squad," Crais commanded as he loosened the collar of his uniform jacket, watching the clamshell as Talyn scanned the area. "Stop," Crais called, something catching his eye. Talyn chirped. "Expand the image."

Crais studied the display. He reached back to the transponder, creating a three dimensional image of the moon he had seen. What looked to be a Sebacean settlement darkened the fourth moon of a planet approximately a thousand metras away. Something nagged Crais in the back of his mind and he leaned towards the image. "Talyn, use the long range sensors to sharpen the image. Bring it in closer," he said softly. Talyn did as he was asked and Crais rested his hands on the console. It was laid out like an outpost. Research facility? "Scan for arms." The young Leviathan enhanced the image, the layout of the base suddenly peppered with red. "Military." Crais stroked his goatee, an idea forming in his head. "Talyn bring us in closer, but stay out of their sensor range."

The Leviathan moved towards the base as Crais opened the comm channels, listening. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed. It was a Peacekeeper base, more than likely a listening post, keeping tabs on the Uncharted Territories. Crais' eyes narrowed in thought. "Talyn, prepare a Peacekeeper iden-chip for me with a false name and proper DNA coding." Talyn chirped wildly as Crais walked off the bridge. "What am I going to do?" A sly smile crossed the Captain's face. "I'm going to find out who is chasing us."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Commander Tera Crane sat at her desk, her booted feet propped up on the console. She leaned her head on her hand, blowing a breath up to rustle the auburn bangs on her forehead. She closed her eyes and sighed in boredom. Tera was stuck on the farthest base Peacekeeper High Command could find, giving her command over the dumbest bunch of yotzes that ever enlisted.

"Commander Crane," a voice at her side called.

Tera slowly slapped the comm, opening the channel, never moving from her position. "What Lieutenant?" she asked in dullness.

"Commander, there is a Captain Lan Jorac requesting permission to land," the man replied, his voice tinged with excitement.

Tera dropped her feet off the console. My replacement, she thought hopefully. "Really?" she snapped. "Does the Captain have the proper clearances?"

"Yes Commander. He does." Tera's eyebrows rose. Fresh meat. "He claims his Prowler is damaged."

Tera thought for a moment. "Clear him. I will meet him personally." She stood up and tugged her jacket down, running a hand through her hair as she marched out of the office.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I demand to see your commanding officer!" Crais bellowed at the security officer. "I have been waiting for over a quarter arn. This is unacceptable!" He tucked his iden-chip back inside his uniform.

"Sir, Commander Crane is on…" the officer started, flinching under Crais' steely gaze.

"The Commander…" Crais interrupted.

"Is right here."

Crais turned at the woman's voice, his eyebrows rising. "You are Commander Crane?" he queried, walking slowly towards her. She was of slight build with a pale complexion that was only heightened by her auburn hair, which she wore loose around her face. A pair of striking green eyes glared at him and Crais felt his groin tighten almost immediately.

"Yes sir. We were not expecting you." She met him halfway, letting her eyes travel slowly over him.

Her appreciative gaze did not go unnoticed. "My arrival…was not planned." He clasped his hands behind his back. "I was to rendezvous' with my special ops squad when a system's malfunction forced me to seek out your base."

Tera nodded. "Very good, sir. I will have my technicians get on it right away." She turned to her security chief and snapped her fingers, watching as the chief rushed off. She returned her gaze to Crais. "May I offer you some refreshments?" she asked pleasantly.

Crais shouldered the pack that contained nothing more than a change of clothing. He did not know how long it would take him to secure the needed information. "Thank you." He fell into step with her as she led him from the landing bay, studying her from the corner of his eye, counting the turns they made and the levels they traversed. "I need to verify the current location of my squad," he lied.

"Certainly Captain. If you supply me with the location of your rendezvous', I will…"

Crais stopped, gazing down at her. She turned and looked at him, her head tilted questioningly. "That will not be necessary, Commander Crane. All I require is quarters with a terminal and I will take care of it."

Tera's eyes narrowed, her anger flaring briefly. "Captain Jorac, sir, all communications to and from this base must go through me. If you would…"

Crais' own temper flared and snapped. He did not have time to bicker with her. "Commander, as your superior officer, I order you to fulfill my request immediately so that I may report in and locate my squad," he snarled, moving towards her. His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head in a menacing way. "Do…I…make…myself…clear?" he asked softly, emphasizing each word.

"Very clear, sir," Tera spat. "I will you show to a billet." She turned on the ball of one foot, her hands folded behind her ramrod straight back as she continued up the corridor to the security check point, Crais right behind. She waited, staring straight ahead as he slid his iden-chip into the slot.

Crais knew the drill and slid his hand into the slot next, waiting. The security officer nodded to Tera and then to Crais and the Captain walked past the station, following the Commander. It had been too long since he had been with a woman and his eyes drank in the sight of her as she turned to him. Careful Bialar, he mentally berated himself. He approached her slowly, Peacekeeper's moving up and down the corridor on their way to various stations or quarters. "I apologize for my…temper," he said softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of soft red hair behind her ear. "My journey has been tedious."

Tera swallowed. "I understand Captain." She took a step back as she triggered the door to his quarters. "My offer of refreshment still stands, if you would care to join me in a few arms…" She let the comment hang.

Crais simply nodded and walked into his quarters, leaving the Commander staring at the door.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tera stormed into her office and looked around, wanting nothing more than to wrap her hands around the Captain's neck. Never had she been so humiliated, at least ten of her officers witnessing the battle of wills that had ensued between her and Jorac. She picked up a crystal decanter of raslak that had been sitting on her desk and threw it against the wall.

The Commander planted her hands on her hips, standing in the middle of her office, head hung, eyes closed as she forced herself to calm down. Something was not right, she could feel it. Always, one to trust her intuition, Tera made her way around the desk, opening a secure frequency. It only took a few microts for a pimply-faced technician to answer.

"Yes Commander?" he asked nervously.

"I want all the information you can secure on a Captain Lan Jorac. Send the packet to my quarters," she barked.

"Yes Commander." He waited, expecting her to end the transmission. "Anything else?" he softly ventured.

Tera glared at him. "Yes, one other thing. Any transmissions or information requests that come from cell 21 on Tier 3 is to be copied and immediately forwarded to me."

The technician nodded, blanching slightly. "As you wish Commander."

She cut the transmission, sinking down in her chair, tapping her lips with her fingers. Something did not add up with Captain Jorac's story. And, if she were lucky, it would be her ticket back to civilization and a command worthy of her talents.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crais inspected the room with a practiced eye as he tossed his pack on the utilitarian bed in the corner. He gazed at the terminal, snorting in disgust. It was archaic, as was everything on the base, and he would consider himself lucky of he could coax the thing to work. He withdrew the transponder from his pocket, snapping it back into the cradle at the base of his neck. Immediately the gunship bombarded him with questions.

"Talyn, I have no patience for your inane chatter," Crais hissed as he sat down at the terminal. He slid the iden-chip into the slot and waited as the system verified his identity. Crais smiled to himself as the Peacekeeper screen came up, Talyn having already altered the authorization files from High Command. Quickly he entered the retrieval squad's last coordinates, searching the databanks for the report he knew would already be filed there. The report was locked and Crais stroked his goatee as Talyn worked to break the code. When the images finally appeared, the Captain leaned forward in his seat, a knot of dread gripping his stomach, knowing that he and Talyn were in serious trouble.

"Senior Officer Xalex Sun," he murmured. Talyn chirped, the Leviathan's comment echoing in Crais' mind. "Formidable indeed." The gunship chattered at him and changed the image, playing a surveillance log he had found before Crais could protest. In fascination, Crais watched as a younger Xalex Sun woke the child Aeryn Sun from her sleep. It was all clear to him now. Send Xalex after him and the Leviathan and capture Moya and the others as well, using Aeryn's loyalties against her. He wondered if High Command was aware of Aeryn's death.

"Talyn, copy that file. And see if you can find anything out on Aeryn's father," Crais said softly. He wasn't sure why he had the gunship copy the records, but he knew it would've meant something to Aeryn.

Crais rubbed his eyes, disconnecting from the system. He pulled the transponder, made sure the door was locked and quickly undressed, laying down on the bed for an arn of some much needed rest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tera walked to the terminal in her quarters, silencing the message chime as she opened the information packet her technician had forwarded. She perused the display, laying her hands on the console as a smile slowly spread across her face. As always, the technician had taken his duty one step further than necessary, cross referencing the DNA scan the Captain had so dutifully provided them at the check point with Peacekeeper records. "Well, well," she whispered, "Captain Bialar Crais." Tera shook her head, surprised at her good fortune.

She noticed the second information packet and reviewed it as well. "As I thought. You aren't rendezvousing with a special ops squad, you're running from them." She shut the terminal down, removing the towel from around her neck to dry her hair. Changing her mind, Tera opened her private channel, quickly recording a message and sending it off into space. It would take Sr. Officer Sun a few hours to reach the base.

Tera gazed at the table in her quarters, set for two. She hated to waste a good meal. Especially when she could use all of her assets to capture the renegade Peacekeeper Captain.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crais leaned back in the chair, studying Commander Crane over the empty dishes. She was a shrewd one, polite almost to a fault, respectful of his rank. It was the way she phrased her questions throughout the meal, though, that had set Crais on his guard. Particularly when she mentioned Talyn and himself.

Tera wiped her mouth and laid the napkin aside, picking up the decanter of raslak to pour out another drink. "More, Captain?" she asked, moving towards his glass.

"No. Thank you." He watched as she shrugged, pouring the raslak in her glass. What game are you playing, he thought.

Tera stood up and stretched, the glass in her outstretched hand. "I made sure your query to High Command was processed without delay," she lied, easing herself between Crais and the table. "We are so far out of Peacekeeper Territory that it may be tomorrow before you receive an answer. She sat the glass back on the table, straddling Crais' legs and easing herself down on his lap. "I am not usually this forward, Captain, but it has been a long time since I had the pleasure of a man of your stature," she whispered huskily, leaning down to lock her lips with Crais'.

Crais caught Tera's hands as they slid up his shoulders, tightly grasping her wrists. He was going to have to be very careful with her, lest she discovered the transponder he had taken great pains to hide. "One would think that as the Commander of this base, you could enjoy anyone you wished," he whispered, breaking the kiss. He trailed his lips down her pale neck as she moaned softly, her head back. He took both of her hands in one of his, wrapping an arm around her and standing, holding her against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist, carrying her to her bed and falling atop her as he continued to taste her. He released one of her hands as he shifted, lifting her shirt, his lips lingering on her stomach.

Tera smiled as she lifted her free hand, reaching out to the silent alarm button built into the headboard. "Yes, one would think. But it is not everyday that I am visited by the infamous Captain Bialar Crais." Crais' head immediately snapped up, his eyes narrowed in rage. "It's too late Crais. You see, I made sure I knew what you were looking for and I must admit, your iden-chip is a perfect forgery." She leaned up on her elbows. "A little too perfect. Sr. Officer Sun should be here within the arn to pick you up." Her face hardened. "And even if you try to escape, you'll never make it off this base alive." She pushed him back, trying to extricate herself from his grasp. But Crais still had one wrist in his hand.

"Unfortunate for you that you discovered my identity," he growled. Crais lunged off of the bed, pulling the Commander with him, capturing her in his embrace, her arm locked behind her back, trapped between his chest and her body. She was no match for him as she struggled against his hold, the hand around her waist caressing a breast as it moved up to firmly grasp her chin.

"You'll never escape," she hissed, her eyes wide with terror.

"On the contrary, Commander, I will." With a snap of his wrist, Tera's neck broke and Crais let her fall limp to the floor. He knelt down, jerking her iden-chip from around her neck in case he needed it, shaking his head as he sighed. That was the second beautiful woman he had killed. He silently hoped there was not a pattern emerging.

Crais pulled the transponder from his pocket. "Talyn, be ready. The retrieval squad is on its way." He found the Commander's spare pulse pistol and checked the charge. There was nothing in his pack he needed, the extra data chips in an inner pocket of his jacket, his own pistol still holstered at his thigh. He stepped up to the door, peering up and down the now empty corridor, the security lights flashing red. Calmly, head tilted arrogantly, secure in his deception, Crais moved towards the landing bay, Peacekeepers passing him as he entered the main corridor on their way to their stations. He turned another corridor, his Prowler in view as the security guards found Commander Crane's body.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

She had been right in her assessment of the Peacekeepers under her command, Crais thought as he settled the Prowler in Talyn's bay. They had run about helter-skelter, unsure why the alarm had been sounded. Crais had already been in the Prowler by the time the security detail arrived and fire upon him. Talyn had started firing on the base, taking out the frag cannon turrets quite easily as Crais made his escape, not one shot the Peacekeepers had fired hitting either of their targets. The Leviathan chirped at Crais as he marched onto the bridge. "Starburst immediately!"

The first blast rocked the gunship, throwing Crais across the bridge as Talyn banked, firing and taking out two of the pursuing ships. The third, however, was faster and fired, knocking out the weapon's array. Crais struggled to his feet. "No Talyn! Do not engage them! Starburst now!"

But the gunship was going nowhere. The third ship, a Vigilante-class Marauder, fired again, this time with an immobilizer beam.

"Talyn!" Crais yelled. "Use all of your resources to break free!" The retrieval squad was not getting either of them without a fight. Although Talyn was putting up a valiant effort, even Crais wondered if he was strong enough to break free. "Yes Talyn! Draw from me if you must!"

Talyn did exactly what Crais asked as the Marauder fired on him, finally pulling a few denches away, then a few more. The shields were failing rapidly and still the Leviathan gunship moved, until finally, he broke free, using the last of his energy and almost all of Crais' to starburst.

Crais fell to the deck, the skinsteel cool against his skin as the stars blurred around them, unconsciousness rapidly approaching. "Talyn," he croaked, his eyes closing. "Send out a distress signal to Moya. "We…must…warn them…"