Summary: Even a Scarran half-breed can fall in love. A/U

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Farscape

Rating: T+

Pairing: Scorpius/Sikozu

HYBRIDS:

PART I

70 SOLAR DAYS LATER:

10 SOLAR DAYS OF PEACE

Scorpius stood in his quarters aboard his Command Carrier looking at various reports for the sector they were in. He'd taken an assignment in the Uncharted Territories with two agenda's ever present in his mind. One of them was for Peacekeeper High Command and the other was personal. After the bioloid was of no more use, he rid himself of the cursed creature masquerading as his Sikozu. The war with the Scarrans was over, peace was ten solar days old. Scorpius put no thought to it. His mind was consumed with thoughts of his Kalish consort. It enraged him to know that her people, the resistance, had seen fit to rip her from his side, and to send back a very bad copy. His Scarran eyes hadn't been fooled for one second.

Scorpius was forced to stomach the bioloid's touch, had to listen to her council so he wouldn't give the game away. All the while he had no idea what was being done to Sikozu. In a show of frustration, Scorpius tossed the reports on to the table, and growled at them. Not one of them told him what he wanted to know. Where was Sikozu? Leaving the table, he walked up the steps to take a seat in the opulent red dais that came standard aboard all Command Carriers. He closed his eyes, picturing her face as she'd been; long curls of vibrant ginger hair, golden orange skin, and beautiful teal eyes.

No other woman Scorpius had ever had liaisons with had ever captured his attention in quite the same way as Sikozu had. The moment they met, she'd been hurled into the grave that was meant to be his final resting place. He made the choice to save her. At first he thought it was they would benefit each other, and there was the possibility for more. Then, after the events on Katratzi, and the first time he'd taken her as a lover, he knew she meant more to him.

"Sir?"

Scorpius opened his eyes, his gaze resting upon Braca. He got up and closed the distance between them and made sure to keep his pace even so as not to give away any hint of emotion. "Yes, Braca. Do bring any new information?"

"I do, sir," Braca replied, going to the table. He set down a small data device that had been brought to him via a courier. "You'll want to see this."

Scorpius sighed, giving his attention to the small data chip. He tapped it and a small hologram appeared of a woman he thought was dead. Natira. A snarl curled his lip as the message played.

"Scorpius, it's been too long. Knowing you as I do, you most definitely assumed I perished when my Shadow Depository was attacked two cycles ago. You have no idea how I've longed to pay you back, and now I can. I have what you desire most in my possession."

Scorpius reigned back his roar of brutal hatred for the traitorous arachnid. He made sure to keep his voice calm, "Were coordinates included with this message, Braca?"

"They were sir," Braca confirmed. "I've already ordered the Command Carrier to make best speed to Natira's new Shadow Depository."

"Good work Braca," Scorpius rested his hand on his Captain's shoulder.

SHADOW DEPOSITORY:

Sikozu woke, her body feeling heavy from sedation. The light burned her eyes as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She blinked rapidly and pushed herself into a sitting position. Sikozu looked out the floor to ceiling window seeing nothing but clouds. That told her, she was no longer underground being held prisoner by her own people. Getting up, she swayed back and forth. Her body had spent two standard months inside a bio-pod while her people attempted to break her allegiance to Scorpius. When it hadn't worked, they must have sold her. But why would they? Unless Scorpius had attempted to rescue her. Would Scorpius try to save her?

Sikozu stumbled over to the door. It was locked. She had to pry off the faceplate where she might be able to short out the magnetic lock. If she could focus for longer than a few microts. Blind luck seemed to be on her side as she yanked out the right wires. A click told her the door was now unsealed. She slipped out into the corridor, peering down the hall. No one was there. Sikozu had to find a transport, she had to get back to Scorpius, and hope he would still have her after everything her bioloid had done. That scared her the most. The mere thought that he could be through with her.

Out in the long, deserted corridor Sikozu leaned against the wall, making her way towards the sound of people talking. Each step she took, the lethargy fell from her mind, and from her limbs. She was able to increase her pace until she came to another closed door. Through the colored glass she saw Scorpius. Her heart skipped a beat. Had he come for her? Was he there to rescue her? She pressed the center command control, not realizing that a guard had come up behind her. A strong hand clamped over her mouth and an equally strong arm wrapped around her, holding her tight against her new captor.

Sikozu had a sudden burst of adrenaline, jamming her elbow into her captor's gut. Once she was free, she was running through the massive open door. "Scor…" A clawed hand clamped over her throat cutting off her yell.

"Now, now, you've gone and ruined my plans."

Sikozu fought the strong hold, failing miserably. Her body was still so weak, no doubt from the sedatives administered to her via the bio-pod. All she could do was stare at the man she never thought to see again. Scorpius was standing just out of her reach. Had he known she would be here?

Scorpius had to force his body to remain where it was. He was faced with Natira holding Sikozu. Beside him, Braca's hand went to his sidearm, but did not draw it. Not until he was ordered. "Natira, you would be wise to reconsider."

"Why?" Natira wondered, her tone deadly. Scorpius came back to her because of this young Kalish girl. To her, there was nothing special about the girl she held. A feeble, fragile child. Yet, Scorpius wasted no time in coming for her. "Are you so eager to have your pet back?"

"Scorpius…" Sikozu choked out. "Don't…" The claws dug into the side of her neck painfully, but as far as she could tell, they didn't draw blood.

Scorpius flicked his gaze to Sikozu, and then looked back to Natira. He made sure his face was as neutral as he could make it. "You know how much I hate it when someone interferes with my plans."

"Is your plan to rescue this girl?" Natira asked, tightening her grip a little more. "I could be persuaded to let her go… for the right price of course." Whatever terms they agreed to, she would not be honoring her side of the deal. Natira wanted to kill this Kalish right in front of Scorpius. It would be ample payment for his planning to kill her in the past.

"And what is the going rate for me to reclaim my property?" Scorpius took a step forward, careful to keep his gaze on Natira. The clever arachnid that she was might already to know the true extent of meaning Sikozu held. He hadn't known his depth of emotional linkage to her, until the second he saw her bioloid return to his Command Carrier. It was then he realized the Kalish had betrayed Sikozu.

"Is that all she is to you? Property?" Natira yanked the girl back against her. "What do you think? Could that cold blooded Scarran half-breed truly care for you?" It was in his eyes; the fire of hatred she saw there. That loathing was directed right at Natira.

"I mean… nothing…" Sikozu tried to say with what limited air she could breathe in.

It wasn't true, Natira could see it in the way Scorpius flicked his gaze to the Kalish. "You've changed," she accused in a heated hiss. In a fit of rage, she shoved the girl into Scorpius arms just to see if she was right.

Scorpius caught Sikozu in his arms, his eyes still on Natira. Against his chest, she coughed and fought to take a deep breath. Rage rushed through him at Natira's rough handling of Sikozu. He breathed in the scent of his Kalish, smelling a new scent; a mixture of her and him. That rocked him to his core. It was something he thought would never happen. "Braca, take her to the Marauder."

"Scorpius?" Sikozu wanted to wrap her arms around him and stay by his side, but she didn't dare show suck weakness in front of him. She wanted to stay with him no matter what.

Risking it, Scorpius looked at her and said, "Go, I'll be right behind you." Ever so slightly, he dug his fingers into her side to give her a small amount of reassurance. Sikozu had seen him do some terrible deeds, some she had participated in, but for this he wanted her well clear of it all. He planned to rip Natira's head off and deliver it to High Command.

"You have changed," Natira lamented, "and it's because of that Kalish." Gone was the angry youth she'd once taken in. Gone was the revenge hungry, calculating Peacekeeper she's betrayed two cycles ago. This was a new version of Scorpius standing before her, and she could see the clear intent of murder in his blue eyes.

Listening to the sound of Braca leading Sikozu away, Scorpius stepped in close to Natira. At one time he'd been enticed by her unique beauty, her conniving mind, and her ruthlessness. Now, the thought of her left his mouth filled with ashes. He didn't need to know if she'd harmed Sikozu in any way. The fact that Natira was in possession of his clever consort was enough for him to dispose of the menacing arachnid. Using his Scarran strength, his hands wrapped around her throat. "I should have done this, cycles ago," Scorpius squeezed. Natira fought him, feebly, but a few microts later he heard a very satisfying crunch. The light left her yellow/red eyes, and she dropped to the floor. Scorpius looked at each one of the guards. None of them made a move against him.

On the Marauder, Sikozu dropped into one of the seats feeling every ounce of exhaustion that the adrenaline had chased away. Her body ached, her mind was dull, and all she wanted was to see Scorpius. She closed her eyes, but she dared not keep them closed too long lest she fall back to sleep. Opening them, Scorpius swam into view. He was there, kneeling in front of her, and he was holding his breath. Just this once she gave in to her gut reaction. Sikozu threw her arms around his neck. He embraced her in return and brought her astride his lap.

With only Braca as witness, Scorpius stood up holding Sikozu as close to him as he could. He let down the barrier between his mind and his emotions. Relief was the first to rush through him. Sikozu was alive, she was in his arms, and he was holding her. A long sigh escaped him. It was strange to think that one woman, in all the galaxy, could have such a hold on him. Barely above a whisper, he breathed into her ear, "You are the most important one to me."

"Most important, save Crichton," Sikozu replied, repeating the response she'd given to him in his cell aboard Moya. That time, he'd only been asking for her allegiance. This time she was hoping for a different answer, a different outcome to their circumstances.

"No," Scorpius said, giving up on keeping her at arm's length emotionally. "You're not more important than Crichton." He held her securely against him as she pulled back to look at him.

"What?" Sikozu never thought she would hear him deny the importance he'd once bestowed on John Crichton.

"He did it, Sikozu," Scorpius answered, "John built the wormhole weapon and brought the Scarran Empire to their knees. I saw it with my own eyes." It had been the culmination of everything he'd wanted to happen. The Scarrans had seen real power, and it had frightened them.

"He actually built it?" Sikozu shook her head slowly in surprise as Scorpius lowered her to the deck of Marauder. During her time on Moya, Crichton had been adamant that he would not build wormhole weapons. "How did you convince him?"

"He had no other choice," Scorpius answered. "He weighed the fate of Officer Sun's life, and that of his newborn offspring, against the probability that the Scarrans would win the war." As he said those words, his Sabacean side commended John's choice to protect his wife and child.

"The culmination of everything you wanted," Sikozu said and nodded. The information inside Crichton's mind had been an obsession for Scorpius. One she understood, and out of curiosity she shared.

"Not everything," Scorpius replied softly. He wanted her to look at him, to hear the weight of his words and understand them.

Sikozu looked up at him, hearing what he wasn't saying. Scorpius was acting gentler than he'd ever had. "Do you want me?" She asked, needing to hear him say it.

"Yes," Scorpius replied without hesitation. He brought his hand up, grasping her throat gently, much as he had in the transport pod when he offered to show her how to turn it into a bomb. Her hand covered his, as her body shuddered. "Braca, take us back to the Command Carrier."

"Yes, sir," Braca quickly did as he was ordered. He knew how off balance Scorpius had become since losing Sikozu. And now he had her back. Braca wasn't going to question it, he was going to nod, and do what he was told. He, too, was happy that the precocious little Kalish had been found. Some small measure of normalcy was returning to his little corner of the universe.

COMMAND CARRIER:

Scorpius sat on the edge of the bed listening to Sikozu dry her body and change into sleeping attire. He indulged in letting all of his senses focus on her, on the beat of her heart, and on every breath she took. His quarters filled with her familiar scent putting him at ease more than he'd been in the last fifty solar days. Everything else around him faded away except the presence Sikozu exuded and the scent he could hardly believe filling his nostrils. It was something he thought would never happen, something he thought, up until now, that he didn't want.

"Scorpius," Sikozu called his name, seeing him with his closed, and a small grin gracing his black lips. He'd had that grin on his face since they came home. That thought stopped her. Home. When had that happened? When had she started to think of this Peacekeeper Command Carrier as home? She didn't know. All she knew was that she was home, and she was with him. "Scorpius," Sikozu tried again.

Scopius opened his eyes, a satisfied rumble sounding in his chest. Sikozu stood just out of reach clad in small black shorts and a matching tank top. Her usual mop of golden orange hair was combed back, and darker under the light due to the shower she'd just had. He got up to go to her, his hands resting on her slender hips. With Sikozu, he could let down his barriers, and give in to what he wanted most. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to her brow and breathed in the scent that was uniquely her. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to have you back."

"Almost as much as I am relieved at being here," Sikozu responded, bringing her arms up to drape them over his armored shoulders. He was acting so strange, but it wasn't giving her a cause for alarm. She liked the way he kept close contact with her. Upon returning to the Command Carrier, he made sure to keep her in his quarters, and away from anyone else; including Braca. He wanted to keep her all to himself. Sikozu was not about to question him, or his actions. Not yet.

Scorpius dipped his hands lower, griping her by the back of her thighs. Easily, he lifted her up against him, and then walked back to the bed. He resumed his previous place with Sikozu in his lap. "Why did your people detain you for this long?" Scorpius inquired.

"Because I would not give you up," Sikozu answered without hesitation. She placed her hands on his chest, the tip of her right index finger rubbing back and forth. When he did not press for more information, she kept speaking. "They were not interested in your proposal to begin an assault on the Scarrans from within their territory. To them, I was abandoning my oath to the resistance. I was a traitor for siding with a half Scarran, and Peacekeeper."

"They wished for you to betray me?" Scorpius asked, snarling in response.

Sikozu nodded, "But I would not, and they punished me for it."

"By sending back a bioloid version of you," Scorpius finished. After everything he'd endured in his life, one of the few moments he could truly cherish were the times he had with Sikozu. She was the one woman in this universe that he knew he cared for. To think that her people were capable of such cruelty shouldn't be a surprise to him, and at the same time, it was. They had dared to take her from him.

"They don't see me as a true Kalish, given the fact I was genetically engineered to fight for their cause. To them, I am weapon," Sikozu admitted. "I was kept in a bio-pod, directly linked to my double via subspace comm link. I saw and heard everything."

"Everything?" Scorpius looked away from her. Sikozu didn't let him keep his eyes away from her for too long. Her index finger touched his jaw, urging his head to turn so that he might gaze up at her. He didn't have to see how she felt about his relations with her clone. Sikozu kissed him, chasing away his uncertainty.

Breaking the kiss, Sikozu made sure his gaze was locked with hers, "I chose you over my own people. When we were waiting for Crichton's bomb to go off, I knew I belonged by your side, facing whatever the galaxy could throw at us." While they were alone there was no pretense between them, as it had been on Moya. She was taking a risk voicing how she truly felt. Scorpius prided himself on being Sabacean, on being a soldier, and guarding himself against his emotions. No matter what happened, she was going to see this through.

For the first time in too many cycles, Scorpius found himself feeling deeply for the woman in his arms. He wasn't analyzing her for weaknesses, he was letting his emotions guide him. Having been apart from her for fifty days had taught him more than he thought he needed to learn. Sikozu had become essential to his day to day life. It had happened in small increments that he didn't even notice until she was gone. "Then my side is where you'll stay," Scorpius replied.

Sikozu smiled at his words. She was about to make her reply when the chime sounded, signaling someone was at the door. "Who could that be?"

"It would be Braca and a medic," Scorpius answered moving Sikozu so that she was laid out on the bed on top of the black fur blanket. "He waited longer than I thought."

"Why would he bring a medic with him?" Sikozu asked, making no move to sit up. "I am undamaged."

"Indulge me," Scorpius kissed her quickly and deeply, before pulling away from her. Right now, more than anything, he wished to have his suspicions confirmed. Every breath he took, his lungs filled with the mixed scent of her and of him.

Outside, Meeklo Braca, Captain, stood next to one of the doctors assigned to the Command Carriers medical area. He didn't understand why Scorpius had sent for one. Neither he, nor Sikozu had seemed to be injured in any way. Then again, his Commander's orders rarely made sense to him. All that was asked of Braca was that carried them out to the letter. Two microts later, the door whispered open. "Sir, the medic, as ordered."

"Commander," Dr. Andal shook her head, "forgive me, but you don't appear injured."

"You would be correct." Scorpius nodded. "Sikozu is in need of your medical expertise."

Dr. Rhea Andal stepped passed her commanding officer, "What do you need me to do?"

"A medical scan will suffice," Scorpius answered leading the Doctor to where Sikozu was still lying down. She saw him then, and sat up; a sudden wave of panic flitting through her eyes. "I need you to confirm a suspicion for me." He added, walking over to his young Kalish.

Panic washed through Sikozu upon seeing Scorpius and the Doctor coming over to her. Gone was the man who held her in his lap, who smiled at her with ease, and in his place was the Peacekeeper Commander everyone feared and obeyed. "Scorpius?"

To forestall any further argument she could mount, Scorpius gave her a level stare, "The Doctor is only here to perform a medical scan." Knowing the medical would hold her tongue, he took a seat next to Sikozu again. "Let the medic scan you, and then once it's over, we'll talk."

"You will tell me what it is you suspect?" Sikozu pressed.

"'Honesty' and 'Inclusion'," Scorpius replied, giving her the two words she had given him in his cell aboard Moya.

"Very well," Sikozu cast her gaze over to the Doctor.

Scorpius made himself get up, to leave her in the capable hands of the medic. In reality, all he wanted to was stand beside her in case she needed him. It was why he forced himself away, lest he give away that she was a chink in his armor. "Braca," Scorpius concentrated his attention on his loyal Captain, "I want a status report on the Kalish resistance. Specifically, the last known location of Sikozu's cell."

"Are you planning revenge?" Braca asked, a small glimmer of hope in his voice.

"In a manner of speaking," Scorpius answered. "They need to learn what it means to cross me."

"I'll see that it's done," Braca stated.

"I know you will, Captain," Scorpius nodded.

From her place on the bed, Sikozu kept her gaze rooted on Scorpius and Braca as they spoke low to one another. When she could near discern what the other way saying, she turned her attention to the Doctor. "Might as well get started. What do you need me to do?"

"Lying back would be a good place to start," Andal said. She picked the scanning wand, adjusting the settings for Sikozu's Kalish DNA. "Do you want to tell me what Commander Scorpius suspects?" She asked.

"I have no idea," Sikozu replied truthfully, resting her hands one atop the other over her abdomen. What could he have detected about her, that she couldn't discern herself? This was her body, after all. She closed her eyes to take stock of every twinge, ache, and pain inside her.

"I'm going to start the scan now, and you'll feel a subtle thrum through your body, but there will be no pain. This is going to be a deep scan." Andal advised.

Sikozu felt the pulses radiate through her extremities, just as Dr. Andal said she would. A small whimper escaped her when the scanning pulses center over her lower abdomen. The thrum caused a twinge of pain.

Andal studied the readings on the scanner, seeing what she knew had to be the suspicion Commander Scorpius needed confirmation on. To Sikozu she said, "You're perfectly healthy."

Sikozu nodded, not daring to speak. She would wait until they were alone before having a conversation with Scorpius about what he suspected was wrong with her. Every cell in her body felt normal and knew she wasn't hurt, but it was that twinge of pain from the scanner that had her concerned. Sikozu sat up, placing her feet on the floor. She took a moment before getting up, and then went to stand at the top of the steps with her arms crossed over her chest to watch him.

Dr. Andal went to the Commander, and handed him the scanner, "Sir, I assume this is what you suspected."

Scorpius glanced at the results and then to the medic he said, "You're dismissed, as are you Braca." The two left without another word. He set the device aside, and then turned to go to her. He stopped two steps below her so their gazes were even with each other. "Are you alright?"

"I am," Sikozu nodded. "One moment of brief pain, but that was nothing."

"Hmmm…" Scorpius rested his hands on her sides, pushing up the hem of her black tank top. The tattoos she had gotten were revealed one by one. He recalled the day she got them done, and that night he had delighted in exploring them one by one. The heat of her raw flesh on the tip of his tongue sent shivers up and down his spine. From the amount of time they spent in recreating, he should have considered every ramification.

"Your silence is causing me to worry," Sikozu brought her hands up to cup his face. "Say something…"

Scorpius took her hands from his face, placing them over her lower abdomen, "The medic confirmed my suspicion. You're carrying my child." Even as he said the words, had the evidence, he still couldn't believe it. Until this very moment he thought his ability to create an offspring beyond his capability.

"What…?" Sikozu looked down at her hands, his left resting atop them. "How is this possible?" She asked in a dazed whisper, her eyes going back to his. Logically, Sikozu knew how she could become pregnant. She and Scorpius had indulged in carnal acts regularly and with great vigor.

From the tone of her voice, Scorpius didn't hear revulsion. He heard pure confusion. It mirrored his own. "Being a hybrid, I wasn't certain I could father a child." He never put himself in the position to find out, until he started his affair with Sikozu.

Sikozu closed her eyes, lowering her head. "I was engineered to kill Scarrans, not to be pregnant." She had told him a fraction of what he needed to know about her abilities while they had been trapped on Katratzi. Now it was time to tell him the rest of it. Pulling away from him, she returned to her place on the bed, sitting on the very edge with her heels resting on the frame. When he said nothing, she looked back at him. His face was closed off; emotional barriers were slamming back in place. "I did not mean that how it sounded."

"Then tell me how you meant it," Scorpius tried to keep the bite out of his voice.

"I am not a natural born Kalish," Sikozu said, sadly. "The scientist that made me, and others like me, took great pains in perfecting my DNA. My limbs reattach, I emit that specialized radiation to destroy the Scarrans heat producing gland, and my superior mind. Due to my extensive modifications, the lead scientist informed all of her creations that they were sterile." She dropped her head into her hands, "I did not think this was possible."

Seeing her so vulnerable had the Scarran in Scorpius curling his lip in disgust, but the Sabacean wanted to go to her, to assure her it would all work out in the end. With a small hiss, he gave in, and went to her. Scorpius sat, the leather of his suit creaking. He placed his right hand on her lower back where he felt the heat of her body bleeding through his glove.

Sikozu shuddered from his light touch. His arm came around her waist, drawing her closer to his side. She went willingly, wanting to be in his arms. "How do we do this?" Sikozu asked, her voice barely a puff of air. Did he even want this child? Did she? Raising an offspring had never factored into her life's plans since she believed she could never create life.

Scorpius had no way to answer her. Instead, he rested his brow to the side of her head, his nose brushing against her hair. He was feeling just as confused as she was. A child? The universe moved in mysterious ways, and it still had the capability to surprise him. Was this where his life was prepared to go now that he had no war to fight against the Scarrans?

"What if our child requires a cooling suit?" Sikozu asked, pulling back to look at him. A terrible idea was occurring to her, and it was one she had hoped never to have. If they did this, kept the child, she wanted to be sure it would be healthy. To do that, Sikozu would need the scientist that created her.

Scorpius got up, walking away from the bed. He needed to think, to move while he processed everything. Without looking back, he left his quarters. As the doors closed he heard a small pained gasp from Sikozu. That almost had him stopping to go back to her, but he didn't. He kept moving down the hall of his Command Carrier.

FIVE ARNS LATER:

Sikozu had only meant to lie down and wait for Scorpius to return. If he returned at all. The last thing she intended to do was fall asleep. The exertion of the day had taken its toll on her body that she could do nothing else but sleep. Then, some feeling was pulling her back into the waking world. Her eyes opened to find Scorpius sitting beside her, his hand resting on her lower abdomen. He had a curious expression on his face, one she'd not seen before. Pure contentment. "Have you processed this yet?" Had she?

"Not entirely," Scorpius replied. He was coming to accept it, though. Sikozu was carrying his child. He thought himself a singular being in the galaxy, having survived in spite of the odds stacked against him. Now, he contributed to the creation of another singular being.

Sikozu sat up, breaking the contact between them. She sat, her hands folded in her lap almost sick when a question tumbled from her lips, "Do you even want me and this…?"

Scorpius cut her off, his hand going to her throat. This was the first time he saw fear from her, fear of him. His hand moved to the back of her neck, pulling her close once more. He was not a man prone to emotional declarations, or emotions of any kind, but with Sikozu, he was different. She made him feel things he thought long dead. "I spent fifty solar days without you, and that will never happen again," Scorpius assured her as he held her against his chest.

TBC…