THE FARSCAPE EPIC RPG UNIVERSE: NEW CHARACTERS & SETTING.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story, and others, were written based on the characters from my Farscape RPG group. So far I've gotten some very nice reviews here on the fan-fic stories based on the RPG characters and Farscape AU story lines, so I'll continue to post them as long as people enjoy reading them. But first I need to explain a bit about our RPG so you can follow the extra characters and the alternate Farscape universe(s) we have going.
Further note: Some tweaks I have given other players' original characters are sparked only from my own imagination, based on the description given to me by their owners, and though the experience of RPG play with these players/owners. Any faults in their characters occurring in any of my stories are solely the result of my own incompetence with handling their characters… and not from the original owner/creator.
The name of the original group on Yahoo is "Farscape Epic RPG", but it was hijacked by a hacker and Yahoo was less than helpful with attempting to regain control, so the regular members moved to a new group that is now called: "The Alliance Wars" and it can also be found on Yahoo groups for those who wish to look us up.
The game is still based in an alternate Farscape universe that diverges from the shows timeline somewhere after Talyn's birth but before the Chiana/D'argo relationship.
The Jared Berret character here is basically the same Shrike 457 character from the "Fallen Angel" series posted here, although the original meeting between Chiana and the Shrike took place in a different way in the game. Berret is eventually discovered to have been a human abducted from Earth at some point by a mysterious race of slavers who have the ability to use wormholes to travel. He ends up being sold to the Scarran Black Syndicate and because he was apparently so bothersome as a slave, he was used as an experimental subject for illegal Peacekeeper microbe enhancement technology the Syndicate obtained. Surprisingly, Berret survives the experiment where most other Sebacean subjects died immediately or lasted barely a cycle - mostly as a raving mad men or women. Which is why the Peacekeepers abandoned the project that was intended to create a breed of super soldier for their ranks. The Syndicate believes Berret to be another Sebacean, as the slavers never elaborated on where they acquired him in the first place, and oddly enough, its his rather deficient Earth human physiology that lets him adapt to the microbe augmentation and survive.
Berret is restrained under an electronic control collar locked around his neck. The microcomputer inside the collar links itself directly to its subject's nervous system to deliver instructions, enforce behavior patterns, and suppress it's wearer's personality… and in some cases, wiping that personality out totally. Berret is one of the unlucky ones; the double blows of microbe augmentation and the collar completely wipe away all of his memories and who he was before being captured. He is given the designation – Shrike Enforcer 457 – in the Black Syndicate High House of Arckatius, and for ten Earth years or cycles, he serves as a brutal assassin for the organization. Garbed in dark gunmetal armor and black cloak of the Shrike, Berret uses the strange brace blades they arm him with to leave an unknown body count behind him during his enforced service.
Freedom finally comes to him at the hands of a certain young Nebari thief… and then the real adventure begins. During his time aboard Moya, Zhaan (who is still alive in our universe) helps Berret try to recover some of his lost memory through Unity sessions. They piece enough of his fragmented memories together to learn that his first name had possibly been "Jared" (or some form of that name). Strangely, at first Chiana avoids using his supposed given name – as if doing so would be to acknowledge that Berret had a life at one time that had not included her. Over the cycles, her reluctance to use it fades as they both become more secure in their hard-won, and rather difficult at times, relationship.
Zhaan's help eventually does allow Berret to recover a few things about his past, but at a heavy price. For every positive clue revealed, a hundred darker facts about his service to the Syndicate come to light. The Unity Sessions with the Delvian slowly taper off as Berret realizes just how bloody his life as a Syndicate Enforcer had been. Chiana is the only light in his limited experience, and he grows dark and brooding, cutting himself off from most emotions, as he concludes that the Nebari girl would find his past just as horrific as he does, if she knew. Berret's sanity is balanced on a knife's edge for the first few cycles of his new life as he attempts to prepare himself for the day Chiana fully understands the secret he thinks he hides, and the in evident conclusion where they would have to part ways.
Luckily for him, Chiana is much wiser than he will let himself believe.
(The Jared Berret / Shrike 457 character belongs to Chant99.)
The other new characters in this story line are original player characters.
Andar Murdough - is a Sebacean teacher from a forgotten and lost colony. Andar's people have lost so much knowledge over the cycles that space flight is considered science fiction. Andar is abducted by aliens who experiment on his brain trying to increase intelligence in 'lesser' species. The project works much better then they thought, and Andar steals a shuttle and eventually finds his way to Moya. Andar becomes a sponge for any sort of knowledge and begins to go through Moya's data banks learning everything he can. He often sees machines or gadgets in his mind and will disappear for days into his workshop to build them. (The Andar character belongs to Murdough2000.)
Malika Phatan - is a 125-year-old Delvian teenager. After spending a number of cycles as a Peacekeeper slave aboard a command carrier, she and her mother escape in a Prowler, but at the cost of the life of a young PK officer who fell in love and secretly married Malika. After a time of running and hiding, the pair run into a Syndicate Shrike and the meeting leaves young Malika with an intense hatred and distrust for the Enforcers when the assassin kills a client Malika took a job as a bodyguard for, and almost kills her and her mother in the process. Sometime after that, Malika's mother is tragically killed, leaving the girl alone. She hears a story about an escaped Leviathan with a Delvian Pa'u aboard and sets out to find the living ship with the hopes of fulfilling her mother's dream of her becoming a Pa'u. She finds Moya and Zhaan (who is alive in our game) and the older Delvian agrees to take her in. However, now there is a Shrike aboard Moya as Chiana's companion, and she is having a hard time controlling the tendencies for violence she developed during the hard life she lived on the run from the Peacekeepers. Through young, Malika is also a skilled healer and thanks to her parents, an educated student of exobiology. She sets up a small lab on one of Moya's lower tiers, mostly to hide out from having to be around Berret ... and possibly Andar. Both Andar and Malika feel an attraction to each other, but the Delvian isn't sure she wants to open her heart to another after what happened to her Peacekeeper husband. (The Malika character belongs to Lonegirl189.)
Sean Crichton - 70 years after the disappearance of astronaut John Crichton, his descendant Sean uses John and DK's research to construct the Wanderer Module. In an attempt to prove that his ancestor's theories were sound, Sean repeats the slingshot effect and is also thrown halfway across the universe only with a slightly different result. The Wanderer module is somehow draw backward in time to the Farscape module's location and is expelled from a wormhole near Moya. Sean finds himself stun to be surrounded by a group of aliens and suddenly faced with a family legend. (Some early stories take place before Sean's arrival, while at the time of some later stories, Sean has used a wormhole to return to Earth, carrying advanced technology with him in an attempt to get his homeworld ready for the threats that face them. Using a device built by Andar, Sean was also shot forward to his own time, though no one has any way of knowing if the younger Crichton has made it safely.) (The Sean Crichton character belongs to Marspsi12.)
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS & TERMS: Created by Chant99 for the series. (Note: The crews' children appear in different stories in the "Future Tense" series from the ages of 4 to in their 20's.)
Andrea (Sun Crichton): Ages 8 & 27, oldest daughter of Aeryn Sun and John Crichton. Working now with Rygel and the alliance to form pacts with other races in the Territories, Andrea also has a secret she's keeping from her parents.
Missy (Melissa Sun Crichton): Ages 6 & 25, youngest daughter of Aeryn Sun and John Crichton. Wife of Jalen and mother of Terralyn
Jalen ('Len ): Ages 8 & 27, son of Chiana and Jared Berret. Husband of Missy Sun Crichton and father of Terralyn
Chulee ('Lee): Ages 6 & 25, daughter of Chiana and Jared Berret.
Terralyn: ('Alyn) Age 4, daughter of Missy Sun Crichton and Jalen. Granddaughter of John Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Chiana, and Jared Berret.
Joban Rickler: First Sergeant of the 1st Elite Hynerian Guard at Rygel's Palace on Hyneria. Father of Tamilla and Nella. A large Sebacean man and farmer from a colony back-world that was overrun by the Scarrans. After his wife was killed, Joban took his daughters and escaped, becoming a refugee until finding his way to Hyneria and a position in the Hynerian Royal Guard. During his tour of duty at the palace, Joban meets Shrike Berret and his family (in "Future Tense"), during a raid on the crewmate's apartments by the Nebari to recover Chiana and the secret she holds about the Nebari Contagion, the ex-farmer helps fight off the attackers to save the crew and is wounded. Sometime in the cycles afterward, Joban retires and occasionally travels aboard Moya with his new friends, helping with their cargo hauling business.
Tamilla: Oldest daughter of Joban Rickler and maid at Rygel's Palace. Later becomes mate to D'Argo's son, Jothee.
Nella: Youngest daughter of Joban Rickler. A nurse on Hyneria.
Zhara (Mihyta Zhara): Young Delvian acolyte of Zhaan's and a friend of Chulee's. Barely out of her teens for a Delvian at 120 cycles old, Zhara has yet to take her vows for the first level of the Delvian Seek. A pretty girl of good humor and a loyal friend to Chulee and the rest of the crew, she also carries a torch for Berret who's been alone now for over five cycles after Chiana's death (in "Future Tense: Twilight's End"). Besides pressure from Chulee to consider the young Delvian for a companion, Zhaan and Malika also try their best to interest the Shrike in their friend and student.
Marai: The master assassin once known as Val'Cirrus (In "The Grandmaster") The reptilian female has now been healed and rehabilitate by the Shrike Grandmaster Shenna and is a full Master Shrike in the Mek-Klor-TaZ Shrike clan and Shenna's Right-hand. Marai deeply regrets her Syndicate past and is instrumental in finally bringing Berret into the fold of the Shrike clan. Despite their past almost deadly encounter, both Marai and Berret become allies and respected friends.
Warna Druz: An 18-cycle-old Sebacean girl and Shrike apprentice to Marai in the Mek-Klor-TaZ clan. She travels to Earth with her teacher in search of Berret and later accompanies him on a mission. Warna is fiercely loyal to Marai, especially after both her parents have died and Marai and the Clan raised her. Warna is also a very skilled pilot.
Mytell ('Tell): Assistant to Nerri, former rebel leader and now Proconsul of the "Nebari Free States" on Nebari Secondus, and Chiana's brother. Mytell is also Chulee's suitor. After seeking permission to court his superior's niece and passing uncle Ka'D'Argo's severe scrutiny, Mytell is even more daunted to finally met his beloved's father upon his return to the Territories. (In "Future Tense: Twilight's End")
Lerris: Once Nebari Ambassador to Hyneria (in "Future Tense") Lerris has moved up to become Chancellor of Nebari Prime. Lerris and his henchman, Hyril, were responsible for the attack on the crewmate's quarters 20 cycles ago and the near fatal injuring of Chiana and Berret's son, Jalen. Berret viciously killed Hyril in an act of vengeance, but reluctantly left Lerris alive at Rygel's urging. Even after 20 cycles, Berret's hatred for Nebari outside of his family still burns, especially when it comes to Lerris.
Lyric: A 10-cycle-old Nebari orphan that Berret discovers on a New Syndicate (in "Future Tense: Twilight's End") outpost during a raid. Berret adopts the young girl into his family (both close and extended, meaning Moya's crew and the Shrike clan) A situation which creates more tension between Berret and Lerris, after the Chancellor attempts to take custody of the Nebari waif.
Chiana, Clone of: Using stolen DNA, the New Syndicate (in "Future Tense: Twilight's End") creates a clone of a teenage Chiana in an attempt to obliterate Berret before he can fulfill Shenna's wish for him to become the next Grandmaster of the Territories most powerful Shrike clan. The threat of a rogue Enforcer that once destroyed an old Syndicate High House is too great for the new organization to risk, so the clone is constructed. Born with the memories of a rebellious teen Chiana, the Syndicate leads her believe that Berret is responsible for the original Chiana's death, and trains her to become a Shrike Enforcer, who's sole purpose is to track Berret down and kill him.
Val'Cirrus: see "Marai".
Arckatius: The Scarran leader of the Black Syndicate House that enslaved Berret and made him a Shrike Enforcer / Assassin. Arckatius is a distant cousin of Scorpius's and is slightly demented for a Scarran, believing himself to be a "King". In "The Grandmaster", Arckatius sends his Master Shrike, Val'Cirrus after Berret to kill him and bring back his control collar - which contains information about several operations that Berret took part in for the Black Syndicate. Berret had vowed to kill the Scarran Syndicate leader in repayment for his enslavement, and the life he feels that Arckatius has destroyed. Driven by the haunting nightmares of the lives he was forced to take as a Syndicate Enforcer, Berret felt that killing Arckatius would go some way in atoning for his "sins." He also held the Scarran responsible for what he thought at the time as his inability to love Chiana... and that the Nebari girl could never love him in return because of the things he had done in his Syndicate past. Arckatius met his end somewhere in the events that take place in the story "I, Assassin." (Also a currently on-going story line.)
Grandmaster Zear Shenna: The leader of the mysterious Shrike Clan of Assassin Warriors of legend. A Delvian man well over 1600 cycles old, Shenna sometimes appeared when Berret or the crew found themselves needing help. For some reason Shenna has a mysterious interest in Berret and is somehow able to keep track of him and the crew no matter where they traveled in the Territories. The crew isn't sure what his agenda is, but so far he seems to genuinely have the group's best interest in heart. Grandmaster Shenna revealed some of the true history of the Shrike Clans to Berret and Chiana in "The Grandmaster", where they learned that the Syndicate 'borrowed' the term 'Shrikes' for their assassin Enforcers... playing off the old legends of the ancient warrior / assassin / soldiers to increase the fearsome reputation of their killers. Shenna appears to be a kindly old man with a tendency to dolt randomly at times, but in reality he is a cunning shrewd manipulator of those around him… luckily mostly for their own good.
Magda: One of the Scarran leaders of the New Syndicate. May have been responsible for creating and training the Enforcer Chiana clone.
Kessca: a young Skykarian female Shrike and friend of Warna. Member of a Shrike clan strike team.
Ardenin Reese: Sebacean First Shrike (unit leader) of a clan strike team.
Tamos Hunter: young Sebacean male Shrike. Youngest member of a clan strike team.
Tonk: Simterrian Shrike member of a clan strike team. Simterrians are large apelike beings that resemble a Wookie on steroids. Easily twice the mass of a Luxan, the Simterrians usually serve as the heavy weapons unit of a strike team. Their battle armor often includes shoulder-mounted weapons such as missile pods or light pulse cannon.
Hark: Simterrian Shrike member of a clan strike team. Like all Simterrians, Hark rarely speaks unless he has something important to say, and when he or Tonk do speak, it's wise to listen to what they have to say. Fiercely loyal and courageous, there are few better fighters to have on your side.
Lark: Street name of a Nebari prostitute that Berret forces to help him in his plans to kill Arckatius in "I, Assassin."
Nireese: a Sebacean / Nebari half-breed First Shrike in the Mek-Klor-TaZ Clan. Master Shenna sends her to help Chiana and the crew of Moya find Berret after he goes after Arckatius in "I. Assassin". Her younger brother was killed when the Scarrans annexed her home world.
Shrike 568: Chiana in an alternate reality in The Dream Crystal Series story "The Genesis Throw".
Master Shrike – Black Syndicate:Within the Black Syndicate a Master Shrike is a skilled assassin serving their Syndicate House of their own free will – as opposed to a Shrike under a control collar who is a slave. Syndicate Master Shrikes are often distinguished by their armor and weapons, which are of a better quality. Their cloaks often have trimming of some color – depending on the House or personal taste. A dark blood-red is often a favorite color for its symbolism. Of course, Syndicate Master Shrikes do not wear control collars.
Master Shrike – Shrike Clans: Within the traditional ancient Shrike clans, Master Shrike is the title given to agents with many cycles of experience. They are often teachers and mission leaders in the field – outranking First Shrikes and common Shrike Agents, and outranked only by the clan Grandmaster. Master Shrikes commonly cross teach whatever skills they excel at to apprentices as a whole, but they also take on apprentices as close personal students, who often double as personal assistants of a sort. While the Grandmaster is the head of the clan, it's the Master Shrikes' lineages that are recorded on the Clan's Rolls. (An ancient scroll listing all clan members and the lines they've passed through. While there is an actual scroll sometimes brought out for ceremonies and important political events, its doubtful that all of the Clan's entire history can be held on one scroll. Most likely there are a number of older scrolls stored somewhere safe, or the record actually resides in a large tome or even a computer database known only to the current Grandmaster) A Master Shrike has the right to "recruit" or otherwise bring in new students that they feel have a talent to contribute to the Clan as a whole. If that Master Shrike is not available to take the potential student on at the time, they may requested that another Master Shrike accept the student as a apprentice, and that Master Shrike adds the student on under their lineage. A Master Shrike may have any number of First Shrikes, Shrike Agents, and/or Apprentices under their lineage at any time. Once a First Shrike reaches the rank of Master Shrike, they start their own lineage on the Clan Rolls. It's considered something of a great honor to have the Grandmaster him or herself record an Apprentice's name to the Roll under a Master Shrike's lineage.
First Shrike: the unit leader of a Clan Strike Team, or can be a more experienced solo field agent. A First Shrike can be in charge of a number of common Shrike agents but generally do not have the experience yet to teach agents or apprentices on a wide scale. Master Shrikes and the clan Grandmaster outrank them.
Shrike Triad: A Black Syndicate term only, referring to a trio of collared Shrike Enforcers programmed to work together under the direction of a Syndicate Master Shrike. Commonly this arrangement is an assassination team for high-priority targets. Most Luxan eradications require the use of a Shrike Triad to accomplish successfully, which is one of the reasons Luxan warriors hate Shrike Enforcers so much, as they view the practice as dishonorable. The Shrike Clans do not use this term at all; instead, any operational group of three or more Shrike agents is referred to as a "Strike Team".
Strike Team – Shrike Clans: A Clan designation only, meaning a group of three or more Shrike agents that commonly work together as a team on a regular basis. Or a specialized group gathered together briefly for a special operation. One First Shrike as leader always heads the team, but occasionally in some cases a Master Shrike will accompany a Strike Team as overall commander.
"THE CHAINS OF FATE" SERIES NEW CHARACTERS & TERMS Alternate AU to the show & my normal RPG group stories. Some of these characters may crossover into other AU storylines such as the "Dream Crystal" line.
Sinn: Berret's most commonly used alias. Also the named he used as a masked pit-fighter.
Tessen Korr: the alias Berret takes while working as a mercenary scout. It is also similar to a Scarran phrase -' tes Zen Caor' - meaning, "Nobody, insignificant person, or non-entity".
Istrish: Female Sykaran Shrike freed by Berret who becomes part of a rebel army of ex-Enforcers. She helps rescue D'argo and nurse him back to health in the "The Chains Of Fate" AU version of the Peacekeeper Wars. She also appears in several other AU & RPG stories, along with a number of the other freed Shrike Enforcers. Istrish is reputed to be the first collared Shrike that Berret himself frees from Syndicate Slavery.
Marktaal: A male Sykaran Shrike freed by Berret who becomes part of a rebel army of ex-Enforcers.
Horgo: A male Vorcarian Blood-Tracker Shrike who is part of a rebel army of ex-Enforcers.
Vennic: a male Szalned Shrike. Szalneds are approximately seven earth feet tall with four arms. Vennic is also part of the rebel Shrike army.
Jaleecee ('Leecee): a sixteen-cycle-old girl, half-Sebacean / half-Nebari, who works as a serving girl in the military camp where Tessen Korr acts as a mercenary scout. She is from a well-to-do family and is considered a proper lady, despite being a half-breed. However, her parents are killed in some conflict, and her and her older brother flee their home world, only to end up as camp help on a planet in the midst of a civil war. She also takes side-work caring for Korr's living quarters.
Kenrikk ('Rikk): Jaleecee's older brother. He is not happy with his younger sister's working arrangement with the Korr, and has had several altercations with him over dishonorable rumors spreading through the camp.
Haze: Young Corporal in the regular military forces fighting the civil war.
Acrooks: Another young Corporal in the regular military forces fighting the civil war.
Satuur: An older Private in the regular army. Most people feel him to be untrustworthy for some reason they can't quite put their finger on.
Raydoon: A thief acquaintance of Chiana's
Saifee Madden: Boss of a local criminal gang that Chiana seeks employment from.
KiEel Ry'Balton: Second in command of Saifree Madden's crime ring.
Stolie: Strong arm man for Saifee Madden. There is bad blood between him and Chiana.
Clivea Brendal: Saifree Madden's biggest rival in the gambling and prostitution gambits, and also the chief prosecutor of that world's justice system. Also running to be elected Regional Governor.
Pa'Looua Leaf: One of many common names for a natural neural depressant found through out the Charted and Uncharted Territories. The roots and leaves can be chewed, brewed into a tea, or condensed for use in other medications. Berret learns of the herb from Noranti in "Take From Me, My Shattered Soul" and finds it helps quiet the specter of the Scarran control collar left inside his mind which is progressively driving him deeper into madness. However, over time the effects are weakening even as Berret increases the dosage. In it rare form, Pa'Looua Leaf is used to claim nervous herd beasts on some planets.
Chroot stick : Something like a cigarette.
Sniper Rifle: As the name suggests, a pulse rifle built for extreme accuracy over long ranges. As opposed to a standard Peacekeeper rifle, the pulse sniper rifle has a longer barrel which fires a concentrated pulse bolt about the diameter of an adult's little finger. The stock is also slightly larger for comfortably bracing the weapon off the shooter's shoulder and it has a powerful optic sight that can be linked directly to the helmet visor of a Shrike's Enforcer armor. The fore-stock of the weapon also has a built in bipod. Berret has one of these that was supplied with the Wraith Scout Ship he stole from Arckatius's stronghold in his escape.
SOME ORGANIZATIONS & GROUPS IN THE STORIES
Mek-Klor-TaZ Clan: The true name for the Shrike sec that Grandmaster Shenna leads. This branch of Shrikes has served the Hynerian throne and Rygel's family for many generations. A pact of secrecy, support, and service as existed between the two organizations and is so strong that it is one of the few things Rygel would never think of betraying. The Dominar never reveals his knowledge all the long cycles aboard Moya to Berret, though he keeps an eye on the ex-Enforcer at Shenna's request.
Scarran Black Syndicate: (The Syndicate, Black Syndicate) Criminal organization that has it origins dating back to early Scarran culture. In modern times the membership is no longer restricted to only Scarrans, though the head of each family, known as "Houses" is typically a Scarran. The organization is technically outlawed and considered an enemy of the state by the Scarran Imperium, but the government is not above using the Syndicate as a resource if the situation warrants it. The Black Syndicate also has strong ties into other cultures and worlds and rumor has even into the highest ranks of Peacekeeper Command. All is not always peaceful inside the Syndicate as well. The hierarchy is divided into "High" and "Lower" Houses, each with their own territories, free agents, and preferred illegal operations. There are often violent and bloody feuds between various Houses over one thing or another. Each Syndicate House employs Enforcers or Assassins they call Shrikes, after mythic warriors of legend. Rumor has it that about 1000 cycles ago, a Syndicate House stumbled across one of the scattered real Shrike clans or schools. After enslaving the survivors they forced them to reveal some of their secrets and used them to re-create the Shrikes as a weapon for Syndicate use. Using controlled slaves or free-willed murderers garbed in a version of Shrike battle armor and cloaks, the Black Syndicate wrote a bloody name for itself through the next 1000 cycles of history on the edge of brace blades made from a rare element that could shear through some metals, as well as flesh, as if it were paper.
New Syndicate: The organization that is attempting to arise from the ashes of the Scarran Black Syndicate some cycles after its collapse. The new criminal order was formed mainly of old Black Syndicate survivors and some former Peacekeepers that found a life of crime was more profitable than continued service to a dying military branch, along with some of society's dregs from other species.
Nebari Free States: (also referred to as the NFS for short.) The new free world created by Chiana's brother Nerri and his rebel fighters, where Nebari who have fled the Establishment on Nebari Prime can live freely without the fear of mental cleansing, or under the Establishment's oppressive rule. The world that they have settled has been renamed, Nebari Secondus – much to the annoyance of the rules of Nebari Prime. The Establishment does its best to reabsorb the rebels, but they also have secret military bases that they can retreat to or attack from if needed. This leaves them in pretty much a stalemate, until Rygel the Sixteenth forces them to come to an unsteady truce for the shake of the New Alliance.
Nebari Secondus: The world settled just outside Hynerian space by Nebari rebels and refugees. See Nebari Free States.
MORE TERMS
Nebari Bonding: The Nebari form of marriage. Life partners exchange vows before priest or other spiritual leader, at the end of which their witnesses pierce their left ears with matching earrings. Bonding is the one single aspect of Nebari culture that Chiana would not joyfully go out of her way to scoff at or disrespect.
Nebari Bonding Earrings: Used just like Erp humans use wedding rings to denote a bonding. There are many different variations, but they look something similar to Erp's Celtic Trinity Knot.
Nebari – Cheek Rubbing Ritual: Nebari by nature are highly sensual before mental conditioning. Kissing and sexual intimacy are often casual play for those who have escaped the Establishment before Mental Cleansing. Nebari constantly touching another person cheek-to-cheek is a form of body language to let the other person know they are special to them… and not just another casual frell.
Nebari Nicknames: The nicknames of 'Len & 'Lee for Chiana and Berret's children, stem from a Nebari custom I invented for the stories where close friends and family members used a shortened version of a person's name as a sign of a close or intimate relationship. Thus Jalen and Chulee are sometimes referred to as 'Len and 'Lee by their parents and other members of the crew. Chiana sometimes calls Berret - 'Ret, while Chiana is called 'Ana by her brother when they meet. Nerri's name is not shortened in the story but would probably be something like 'Ri if it was. The ( ' ) is suppose to indicate a slight Nebari accent on the name. I leave that up to the reader to imagine exactly how that would sound to them.
Shella-tai: Nebari term of endearment. Usually spoken from parent to child, but can often be used by one person in speaking to another person who is significantly younger than the speaker to indicate fondness for them.
Shella-Madai: Nebari term of endearment from child to adult who is not a parent, but whom they are fond of, or respect. Similar to an Earth child calling a close family friend "Aunt" or "Uncle" even though there is to blood or marriage ties to the family. Use of the term often dies away as Nebari children enter the annoying teenage cycles.
SaiDa – Nebari word for father, dad, or daddy.
SaiNa – Nebari word for mother, mom, or mommy.
"Shi'mo Bak Ko, Shi mo Ko Die": Luxan curse phrase that's better off not being translated in polite company.
"Luk ki VaIsh": Luxan curse that is loosely comparable to saying, "Damn it!" "Frell me!" and "Screw it all to hell!" all rolled into one.
"Klaz-kik',": Scarran derogatory term meaning, "half-breed".
"Makva cUuz J'cot!": High Scarran words phrased in a insult. Meaning to use a certain appendage to go fornicate with one's self.
BAT' RELLITE: The Scarran term for a rare alloy used primarily to make the blades of a Shrikes brace weapons. The molecules of the metal are arranged in layers that vibrate in opposite directions from each other, creating a "saw-like" effect on the molecular level. Thus blades made from this element never need to be sharpened and can easily cut through lesser grades of metals – with the exception of Qualta. Qualta is denser and has a refracting quality that blocks Bat'Rellite's molecular cutting effect. This quality in Qualta is one reason why Luxan make their weapons, particularly the Qualta Sword, out of it. Weapons constructed of this material would most likely never blow up from accidental over-charging and remain serviceable for hundreds of cycles. The armor of Shrike Enforcers from High Syndicate Houses often have Qualta inlays to help defeat attacks by other Shrikes, as there is often in-fighting among the Houses for power and territory.
Wraith Scout Ship: A three man scout craft larger than a Prowler but smaller than a Marauder or Transport Pod. Used by Peacekeepers mainly as covert surveillance vessel, it is equipped with a stealth system that renders it invisible to most scans and detection networks, but not to line of physical sight. The large wings tilt upwards for landing and deploy lighter sections of "sensor sails" for its high-gain scanning equipment and systems. The ship's profile somewhat resembles an Earth-like bird of prey. The Wraith has a fairly advanced Artificial Intelligence computer, or A.I., for a brain to run all its stealth and covert scanning systems. It is standardly armed with a drop-down missile system in its belly, put can also be outfitted with slow-fire pulse cannon in its nose section, but that requires more space-taking equipment so the option is rarely used among PK forces. The slightly larger duel engines on the Wraith will eventually outrun a Prowler on the straightaway, but would not compete with the Prowler for maneuverability in a dogfight or planet's atmosphere. The craft is normally painted a flat-black, and likewise any Peacekeeper fleet insignia are of a darker color to blend in. The more wealthier Syndicate Houses have managed to acquire a few of the ships, to spy on other Houses, but mainly to have a stealthy way of getting their agents in and out of places they don't wish to be seen entering or leaving. Syndicate Wraiths have no PK insignia on closer inspection, which makes them suspicious to the observant spaceport personnel. The Wraith that Berret stole was first refitted once aboard Moya, using stored spare parts, with a pair of 'electric guns' each consisting of three smaller Prowler pulse cannon that rotate at high speed inside the slow-fire cannon ports of the Wraith. The result is a weapon system that gives a high rate of fire that does not burn the barrels out. The design originated from the need to find a way to fit spare armament that was on hand into a port designed for a much larger and more powerful weapon. John commented that Berret had in fact, "recreated the old Vulcan machinegun" in a way. The main draw back of this system is that targeting is limited, and the craft has to be very nearly pointed at what it's attacking to be effective. The next refit was designed and implemented mostly by Aeryn Sun, who replaced the existing drop-down missile pod with a turret that swiveled a complete 360 degrees. Prior to this, missiles targeted at something behind the Wraith had to be programmed to leave the pod and run out in front of the ship for some distance, then turn and fly back to engage the target at the rear. A practice that Chiana turned out to be very talented at – much to Berret's growing collection of new gray hair – but also wasted time and the missile's fuel. The missile pod and then the turret could be stocked with a various number or combination of missile types, but the crew was limited to whatever they could scrounge up, trade or barter for, or steal. Keeping track of ship's weapons stock was sometimes difficult as Aeryn was constantly moving armament around between the Wraith and two Prowlers as it was needed or used up. The A.I. also has the capability to trace a small tracking device if it gets to a certain point near the edge of its range and follow it. The option is risky, as the A.I. if left to fly and navigate on its own can be a safety hazard to other ships inside the close parking orbit of a busy commerce planet. (The Wraith Scout Ship was created, designed, and belongs to Chant99.)
Wanderer Module: Sean Crichton's experimental craft. It can be describe as a slightly larger version of the Farscape Module, but with technology about 70 years more advanced. (The Wanderer Module was created and belongs to Marspsi12.)
Leviticus System: Section of space where a stable wormhole to Earth was discovered. Andar Murdough built a device that slung Sean Crichton and the Wanderer Module forward to his own time, along with a store of Peacekeeper technology to help Earth prepare for what the Territories had in store for it. Berret later used the wormhole to travel to Earth in the Wraith after Chiana's death. Marai and Warna later used the wormhole to bring him back.
THE "FUTURE TENSE" CHRONICLE:
The Events from "Future Tense":
This story takes place approximately 11 cycles after the show's timeframe and my RPG game. At this time it has been already discovered that Berret is a human that had been abducted by alien slavers and sold to the Scarran Black Syndicate as a slave. Being a human is what had allowed Berret to survive the implantation of the experimental microbes that normally killed the average Sebacean. The microbes alter Berret's physiology to the point where he can no longer be considered an Earth human and in the beginning he feels no connection to John or Sean as being a member of the same species. Unlike the two Crichtons, he has no desire to return to Earth, as he would no longer fit in even if he could remember all of his past on his homeworld. Sometime during his time aboard Moya, Zhaan (who is alive, as well as Crais and Talyn in this universe.) helps him retrieve some memories from his past, one of which is his first name - Jared.
At John insistence that humans generally have two names, Berret adopts the name Jared Berret. While John sometimes refers to Berret as J.B., Chiana on the other hand often ignores or refuses to use the name Jared in the beginning. As she starts to realize she had feelings for the ex-assassin beyond their relationship as friends and crewmates, she finds she's strangely reluctant to acknowledge anything that was part of Berret's life before their meeting and sticks to the name Berret which she had given him. As time goes on and the pair go through various trials and adventures and are Bonded (Nebari version of marriage) the reluctance fades and she's comfortable using his first name, only falling back on the name Berret in times of severe stress or trouble.
The Events in "Future Tense: Broken Mirror":
The story picks up approximately a quarter cycle after the events in "Future Tense". The crew has decided to pick up their cargo hauling business when Jalen has recovered enough from his injuries despite the growing war between the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans. On a supply run, an accident resulting from the use of a new Scarran weapon transports Zhaan and Berret into an alternate reality - and eleven cycles into the past.
Needless to say, the reality they end up in is the one from the show. This was written during the Chiana / D'argo relationship but before the arrival of Jothee or the death of Zhaan. This story is still ongoing and is nowhere near finished yet. It may take some time to do so as I have several other stories also in the works - so please be patient with me.
The Events in "Future Tense: Twilight's End":
Twenty cycles have passed since the events in "Broken Mirror." Chiana has passed away due to a strange illness, leaving her children, Berret, and the rest of the crew to go on without her. Berret has discovered that the microbes the Syndicate infected him with are not allowing him to age normally, well into his sixties, Berret still appears to be a man in his mid 30's. Growing no closer to old age and a time of rest, and feeling the loss of his beloved Bond-mate, Berret decided to leave Moya and return to Earth to explore his past. Time passes for Berret until Rygel and Shenna sent a plea for him to return to the Territories to help them face a growing menace that threatens them all. Berret returns to take part in one final conflict for control of the Territories - and the everlasting safety of his family and friends.
This story is also on-going and already has well over a 100 pages written and it's maybe half done. Unfortunately I jump around quite a bit when I write so this story is in sections that need more parts written yet to join them together.
The Dream Crystal Series: Synopsis
Trying to make a long explanation short, but this is a story line that can only be fleshed out over time … The Dream Crystal is an artifact of some elder race that has the ability to fracture or alter space and time. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line it has been broken into five different pieces. The resulting fragments are disbursed throughout the universe causing some chaos… such as alternate events and realities – much like messing with a wormhole. One can easily mistake a crystal for a virtual game that shows you alternate lives and events in a story-like fashion. The bad thing is using one too often or incorrectly cannot only cause a split from the current timeline but also create a false echo of that crystal in the new timeline. Each time a crystal fragment is split, the resulting echo crystal becomes more increasingly unstable, and the timelines degrade into a more grim and dangerous existence.
The show timeline is the result of one of the original five pieces of Crystal. My RPG is the result of another original piece of the five. The other three original realities have yet to be seen or discovered which ones they are. (And actually, they may not really be important anyway for our purpose) Somewhere along the line, Chiana comes into possession of a Dream Crystal, though we're not really sure yet if its one of the original shards, or an echo at this point. Believing it's simply a new game, Chiana experiments with it and a number of different reality storylines result, some timelines not so bad, some turning the lives of Moya's crew upside-down in not so pleasant ways.
Eventually, reality will become so damage and fragmented that alternate universes will collide and blend disastrously as time unravels. Zhaan's Goddess will have to step in, in a bid to reunited the original five crystal shards and set the universe back on its proper course. Unable to interact with the physical realm herself, she calls upon a Berret that has not only been dead for 700 cycles in the original timeline, but who has also been alive for the past 700 cycles at the same time in another reality. She arms him with the memories of all his possible lives, and sends him searching through key alternative realities for the original five pieces and at the same time destroying the false echoes to delete their effects on natural reality. Craving only to return to the afterlife to rest with his love, Chiana, and their children and friends… Berret is tormented as he travels through alternate universes becoming different versions of himself, sometime finding the friends he'd once known as allies, sometimes as enemies… and sometimes missing all together. Unfortunately, its more often than not, these old friends are the key to his success or failure. Success being the final return to rest with his loved ones, failure meaning the total destruction of everything that ever was.
So you now might have an idea of how all these Farscape Alternate Universes might be linked in some ways.
And Now -
Also of course, the above cast of characters and list of new terms is subject to change and/or additions as characters and things become more or less important in each story line. I deal mostly in my RPG Universe, dipping only occasionally into the Farscape show Universe before a certain point or points. Sometimes the RPG Universe will take a turn into my "Fallen Angel", "Shattered Soul / Chains Of Fate", or "Dream Crystal" series (Nasty business I think some of the Dream Crystal series will turn out to be.) But I will attempt to keep the new terms and character reference updated as best I can… or remember to do.
As always, I have several storylines going, and go back and forth to keep from getting bored and the story from getting too stale. So it may sit for a while, while I give it a rest and work on something else. I feel its better for the story in the long run instead of forcing ideas to come just to finish it up. Besides… it all really boils down to what story Chiana, Berret, and the crew feel like whispering to me at any given moment… and sometimes they like to keep me hanging too.
Some stories are meant to be the end of the adventure, and maybe the beginning of something else. After all, even Captain Kirk died in the end so that the story and the adventure could live on elsewhere. But then again... does anyone really die in Sci-fi?
Thanks for bearing with me through this long explanation. I truly also apologize for the layout of my last few stories, I have yet to figure out how to get the format from MS Word to transfer right to the site, but it still doesn't work right for me.
I truly hope you enjoy the story.
Chant99