Congratulations, you're a mother!?
Pilot's image appeared in the clamshell in command where Aeryn, D'Argo, John, and Rygel were.
Pilot: "Officer Sun, I am being hailed by Captain Crais. He and Talyn have arrived and he is coming aboard Moya. He is indicating that he needs to speak with you."
Aeryn: "Let him know I am in command."
Pilot: "I informed him of that at first contact. He indicated that it was private and he wanted to meet you in the docking bay."
John and D'Argo looked at Aeryn.
Aeryn: "When will he be docking?"
Pilot: "Approximately 40 microts in docking bay 4."
Aeryn: "Thanks Pilot."
Aeryn strolled out of command. D'Argo and John looked at each other.
D'Argo: "What is that about?"
Rygel: "You can bet if it has to do with Crais, it can't be good."
John looked at Rygel. He hated to admit it but Buckwheat was right. Crais had been a great help to them in destroying Scorpius' gammak research base but Crichton still didn't trust him. D'Argo saw the look of concern on Crichton's face.
D'Argo: "May be we should take a walk to the docking bay?"
John: "If Aeryn wanted us there, she would have asked us. I am sure we will know soon what is going on."
*****
Crais and Aeryn spoke for nearly an arn. Afterwards Crais asked Pilot to assemble everyone in command, he had to speak with them. By the time Crais got to command, D'Argo, John, and Rygel had been joined by Jool and Chiana. John waited for Aeryn to walk in behind Crais.
John: "Where is Aeryn, Captain Crunch?"
Crais looked at him with his patented PK glare.
Crais: "Officer Sun is elsewhere. She asked me to tell you what Talyn and I have discovered."
Crais took a breath and started to talk.
Crais: "Talyn is able to tap into PK high command com channels and we picked up a message a solar day ago."
John: "What was it and what does it have to do with Aeryn?"
Crais: "Scorpius has requested that a certain cargo be brought to his command carrier and PK high command is arranging for the delivery of that cargo in less than 48 arns."
Jool: "Is he trying to build another research base all ready?"
John: "Not possible, it took nearly a cycle to construct that one. What is the cargo Crais?"
Crais: "Leverage. He needs you back Crichton. His wormhole technology is incomplete and he needs the formulas in your head."
John: "Tell me something I don't know."
Crais looked into Crichton's cool blue eyes.
Crais: "The cargo he asked for is a child."
John: "What kind of leverage does a child hold for him to get me back?"
Crais: "It is not you he is trying to lure. It is Aeryn. Controlling Aeryn means controlling you."
Chiana slipped off the table she was sitting on.
Chiana: "What does this child have to do with Aeryn?"
Crais: "The child's name is Tyren. Tyren Sun. He is Aeryn's son."
The room was filled with a stunned silence. No one knew what to say or think. John's head was swimming with this knowledge. He couldn't wrap his mind around what Crais had just said. D'Argo was the first to speak.
D'Argo: "How can Aeryn have a son?"
Crais: "I am sure that you all are well aware that PK procreation is assigned. When PK are born their genetic markers are kept on record and when the high command decides it is time for peacekeepers to procreate they compare genetic markers and assign you a mate to recreate with to produce a genetically superior child. When the child is born, it is immediately taken and raised on a ship such as the Zelbonion and taught the peacekeeper doctrines."
John's mind finally cleared enough for him to put a legible sentence together.
John: "How old is Tyren?"
Crais: "According to Aeryn's records, he would be five cycles old."
John: "That would mean she had him just before…"
Crais: "Just before she joined you all on Moya."
Chiana looked around at all of them then at Crais.
Chiana: "We can't let Scorpius get his hands on Tyren."
John: "We won't Chi. Pilot, where is Aeryn?"
Pilot: "In her quarters Commander."
John: "I am going to talk to her. Crais, you have Talyn keep scanning command's communications. We need to know what ship and a location."
Crais: "He is all ready doing that. Crichton, I think I should warn you, Aeryn didn't take the news well."
John: "No dren Sherlock. You just told her that her baby who she hasn't laid eyes on in several cycles is being given to a leather-face monster, how did you expect her to react? Let me guess, like a soldier and not a mother. I will never understand peacekeepers."
D'Argo: "John, what do you want us to do?"
John: "There is nothing we can do until Talyn locates the transport with the boy on it."
John rushed out of command.
******
Aeryn was sitting on the side of her bed with her back to the door. John appeared in the door. He spoke softly.
John: "Aeryn?"
She cleared her throat so he couldn't hear it break when she spoke.
Aeryn: "Crais told you."
John: "Yes."
She heard his boots coming toward her. She quickly wiped her face and turned slightly so he couldn't see her tears. John sat beside her on the bed. He reached out to touch her shoulder. He hesitated for a moment and then touched her.
John: "Aeryn, why didn't tell me?"
She looked over her shoulder at him. She turned toward him.
Aeryn: "Peacekeeper's life is about battle and your regimen. When you are assigned to procreate, it is to fill the ranks and nothing more. You are not allowed to put any claims on the…(she hesitated as her voice broke with emotion. Once she regained her composure, she continued to speak) child."
John held her hand.
John: "Did you get to see him at all before they took him?"
Aeryn: "We are not like you humans. Bonding is frowned upon. PK high command takes control of a child's life from the moment they are born. Training begins before they can even speak."
John: "Did you get to see him?"
She looked in John's eyes and a slight smile formed through her tears.
Aeryn: "For a moment, one precious moment. I touched his tiny hand then they took him away."
John: "Who is the father?"
Aeryn: "A peacekeeper soldier like me."
John knew enough from her tone of voice to let that question go. John reached up and touched her cheek. He gently wiped away her tears.
John: "I am not going to let Scorpy hurt your child. Your son."
She laid her head on his shoulder. John gently stroked her mane of raven hair. They sat there in silence.
******
After two arns of uncertainty Pilot chimed into the coms.
Pilot: "Officer Sun, everyone, Talyn has found out about the ship carrying the child. It is a marauder with a crew of two, a commando and a caretaker for the boy."
Aeryn was standing in command with D'Argo, Crais, and John. Aeryn was too emotional to speak. John took her hand in his.
John: "Pilot, has Talyn gotten a location?"
Pilot: "Yes. However there is a problem, the ship is at least 16 arns away from out present location. Moya will not be able to catch it before it reaches Scorpius' command carrier."
Crais: "Talyn can!"
Aeryn looked at Crais.
Aeryn: "I will get my stuff and take my prowler over to Talyn. I will meet you there."
Crais: "Okay."
John: "I am coming with, wait for me."
D'Argo: "So am I?"
Aeryn looked at John.
Aeryn: "You can't John that is exactly what Scorpius wants."
John: "Then he better be careful for what he asked for because he is about to get it."
D'Argo walked over to John.
D'Argo: "Aeryn is right, John. You can't risk Scorpius taking you prisoner again. You said yourself that the knowledge in your head could fry a universe."
John: "This is Aeryn's son, we are talking about. He is in danger because of me."
Aeryn: "It is not your fault that this is happening. But you are right he is my son and you have to let me handle this my way."
John looked in her eyes.
Crais: "We must go. We must intercept the marauder before it gets into Scorpius' range. Otherwise we will have more than one commando to deal with. Pilot, I will have Talyn send Moya our coordinates once we have retrieved the child and gotten as far away from Scorpius' command carrier as possible."
Pilot: "Yes, Captain."
John held Aeryn's hand for a moment. He nodded his head.
John: "I will stay on Moya."
Aeryn shook his hand slightly and ran out of command.
Aeryn: "Crais, D'Argo I will meet you on Talyn."
Crais: "On my way, I will have Talyn plot an intercept course for the marauder."
Crais left command. D'Argo was about to walk out. He looked back at John.
D'Argo: "Don't worry. We will be back before you know it."
John: "I am relying on you to take care of both of them 'D'."
D'Argo: "I am not going to let anything happen to Aeryn or Tyren, you have my word as a Luxan and as your friend."
As John watched Talyn break off from Moya and speed off, he felt like a family of rattlers had moved into his stomach. Chiana came up to command where he was.
Chiana: "Are you okay with being left behind?"
John: "No."
Chiana: "You do understand why though, don't you?"
John: "Understanding doesn't always make it any easier Pip."
She touched his arm and left him alone in command.
Pilot's image appeared in the clamshell in command where Aeryn, D'Argo, John, and Rygel were.
Pilot: "Officer Sun, I am being hailed by Captain Crais. He and Talyn have arrived and he is coming aboard Moya. He is indicating that he needs to speak with you."
Aeryn: "Let him know I am in command."
Pilot: "I informed him of that at first contact. He indicated that it was private and he wanted to meet you in the docking bay."
John and D'Argo looked at Aeryn.
Aeryn: "When will he be docking?"
Pilot: "Approximately 40 microts in docking bay 4."
Aeryn: "Thanks Pilot."
Aeryn strolled out of command. D'Argo and John looked at each other.
D'Argo: "What is that about?"
Rygel: "You can bet if it has to do with Crais, it can't be good."
John looked at Rygel. He hated to admit it but Buckwheat was right. Crais had been a great help to them in destroying Scorpius' gammak research base but Crichton still didn't trust him. D'Argo saw the look of concern on Crichton's face.
D'Argo: "May be we should take a walk to the docking bay?"
John: "If Aeryn wanted us there, she would have asked us. I am sure we will know soon what is going on."
*****
Crais and Aeryn spoke for nearly an arn. Afterwards Crais asked Pilot to assemble everyone in command, he had to speak with them. By the time Crais got to command, D'Argo, John, and Rygel had been joined by Jool and Chiana. John waited for Aeryn to walk in behind Crais.
John: "Where is Aeryn, Captain Crunch?"
Crais looked at him with his patented PK glare.
Crais: "Officer Sun is elsewhere. She asked me to tell you what Talyn and I have discovered."
Crais took a breath and started to talk.
Crais: "Talyn is able to tap into PK high command com channels and we picked up a message a solar day ago."
John: "What was it and what does it have to do with Aeryn?"
Crais: "Scorpius has requested that a certain cargo be brought to his command carrier and PK high command is arranging for the delivery of that cargo in less than 48 arns."
Jool: "Is he trying to build another research base all ready?"
John: "Not possible, it took nearly a cycle to construct that one. What is the cargo Crais?"
Crais: "Leverage. He needs you back Crichton. His wormhole technology is incomplete and he needs the formulas in your head."
John: "Tell me something I don't know."
Crais looked into Crichton's cool blue eyes.
Crais: "The cargo he asked for is a child."
John: "What kind of leverage does a child hold for him to get me back?"
Crais: "It is not you he is trying to lure. It is Aeryn. Controlling Aeryn means controlling you."
Chiana slipped off the table she was sitting on.
Chiana: "What does this child have to do with Aeryn?"
Crais: "The child's name is Tyren. Tyren Sun. He is Aeryn's son."
The room was filled with a stunned silence. No one knew what to say or think. John's head was swimming with this knowledge. He couldn't wrap his mind around what Crais had just said. D'Argo was the first to speak.
D'Argo: "How can Aeryn have a son?"
Crais: "I am sure that you all are well aware that PK procreation is assigned. When PK are born their genetic markers are kept on record and when the high command decides it is time for peacekeepers to procreate they compare genetic markers and assign you a mate to recreate with to produce a genetically superior child. When the child is born, it is immediately taken and raised on a ship such as the Zelbonion and taught the peacekeeper doctrines."
John's mind finally cleared enough for him to put a legible sentence together.
John: "How old is Tyren?"
Crais: "According to Aeryn's records, he would be five cycles old."
John: "That would mean she had him just before…"
Crais: "Just before she joined you all on Moya."
Chiana looked around at all of them then at Crais.
Chiana: "We can't let Scorpius get his hands on Tyren."
John: "We won't Chi. Pilot, where is Aeryn?"
Pilot: "In her quarters Commander."
John: "I am going to talk to her. Crais, you have Talyn keep scanning command's communications. We need to know what ship and a location."
Crais: "He is all ready doing that. Crichton, I think I should warn you, Aeryn didn't take the news well."
John: "No dren Sherlock. You just told her that her baby who she hasn't laid eyes on in several cycles is being given to a leather-face monster, how did you expect her to react? Let me guess, like a soldier and not a mother. I will never understand peacekeepers."
D'Argo: "John, what do you want us to do?"
John: "There is nothing we can do until Talyn locates the transport with the boy on it."
John rushed out of command.
******
Aeryn was sitting on the side of her bed with her back to the door. John appeared in the door. He spoke softly.
John: "Aeryn?"
She cleared her throat so he couldn't hear it break when she spoke.
Aeryn: "Crais told you."
John: "Yes."
She heard his boots coming toward her. She quickly wiped her face and turned slightly so he couldn't see her tears. John sat beside her on the bed. He reached out to touch her shoulder. He hesitated for a moment and then touched her.
John: "Aeryn, why didn't tell me?"
She looked over her shoulder at him. She turned toward him.
Aeryn: "Peacekeeper's life is about battle and your regimen. When you are assigned to procreate, it is to fill the ranks and nothing more. You are not allowed to put any claims on the…(she hesitated as her voice broke with emotion. Once she regained her composure, she continued to speak) child."
John held her hand.
John: "Did you get to see him at all before they took him?"
Aeryn: "We are not like you humans. Bonding is frowned upon. PK high command takes control of a child's life from the moment they are born. Training begins before they can even speak."
John: "Did you get to see him?"
She looked in John's eyes and a slight smile formed through her tears.
Aeryn: "For a moment, one precious moment. I touched his tiny hand then they took him away."
John: "Who is the father?"
Aeryn: "A peacekeeper soldier like me."
John knew enough from her tone of voice to let that question go. John reached up and touched her cheek. He gently wiped away her tears.
John: "I am not going to let Scorpy hurt your child. Your son."
She laid her head on his shoulder. John gently stroked her mane of raven hair. They sat there in silence.
******
After two arns of uncertainty Pilot chimed into the coms.
Pilot: "Officer Sun, everyone, Talyn has found out about the ship carrying the child. It is a marauder with a crew of two, a commando and a caretaker for the boy."
Aeryn was standing in command with D'Argo, Crais, and John. Aeryn was too emotional to speak. John took her hand in his.
John: "Pilot, has Talyn gotten a location?"
Pilot: "Yes. However there is a problem, the ship is at least 16 arns away from out present location. Moya will not be able to catch it before it reaches Scorpius' command carrier."
Crais: "Talyn can!"
Aeryn looked at Crais.
Aeryn: "I will get my stuff and take my prowler over to Talyn. I will meet you there."
Crais: "Okay."
John: "I am coming with, wait for me."
D'Argo: "So am I?"
Aeryn looked at John.
Aeryn: "You can't John that is exactly what Scorpius wants."
John: "Then he better be careful for what he asked for because he is about to get it."
D'Argo walked over to John.
D'Argo: "Aeryn is right, John. You can't risk Scorpius taking you prisoner again. You said yourself that the knowledge in your head could fry a universe."
John: "This is Aeryn's son, we are talking about. He is in danger because of me."
Aeryn: "It is not your fault that this is happening. But you are right he is my son and you have to let me handle this my way."
John looked in her eyes.
Crais: "We must go. We must intercept the marauder before it gets into Scorpius' range. Otherwise we will have more than one commando to deal with. Pilot, I will have Talyn send Moya our coordinates once we have retrieved the child and gotten as far away from Scorpius' command carrier as possible."
Pilot: "Yes, Captain."
John held Aeryn's hand for a moment. He nodded his head.
John: "I will stay on Moya."
Aeryn shook his hand slightly and ran out of command.
Aeryn: "Crais, D'Argo I will meet you on Talyn."
Crais: "On my way, I will have Talyn plot an intercept course for the marauder."
Crais left command. D'Argo was about to walk out. He looked back at John.
D'Argo: "Don't worry. We will be back before you know it."
John: "I am relying on you to take care of both of them 'D'."
D'Argo: "I am not going to let anything happen to Aeryn or Tyren, you have my word as a Luxan and as your friend."
As John watched Talyn break off from Moya and speed off, he felt like a family of rattlers had moved into his stomach. Chiana came up to command where he was.
Chiana: "Are you okay with being left behind?"
John: "No."
Chiana: "You do understand why though, don't you?"
John: "Understanding doesn't always make it any easier Pip."
She touched his arm and left him alone in command.