It was one of the good days on Moya. It had been for sometime. The food was plentiful and everyone was on mutual terms for once. Chiana was exploring Moya, Noranti and Rygel were in the centre chamber eating as per usual. Ka D'argo was in command and John was helping Aeryn perform long over due maintenance on her Prowler. Things were going far too well for John's liking. Even Aeryn had noticed nothing major had happened since they were restored from their crystalline state. But they never said anything. In their opinion if they mentioned anything about the lack of things happening, then fate would frell them once again, which it was sure to do for one of them sometime soon.
"John, could you pass me the welding torch?" Aeryn asked from underneath her Prowler.
"Sure. Here you go baby," John replied, sliding the welding torch to where Aeryn was laying. "What's the problem?"
"Laser probe." John slid the laser probe to her as well. "I noticed when we were scouting ahead the other day, the wheels take longer than they should to retract. I reckon a sensor just needs re-aligning... oh and there is a crack in the undercarriage too... it's only minor at the moment, but I will fix it before it gets any worse." She pulled the welding mask off her face. "You know John...I am surprised that you haven't once said 'Are you sure you should be doing that in your condition'."
John smiled, "What after last night? Nah... I think you are fully capable of anything."
Aeryn stopped what she was doing and slid half way out from where she was. Her cheek was smudged with grease and her hair was coming un-braided. She looked up at John with what he called 'playful seriousness,' "And what do you mean by that?" she asked.
John crouched down and looked directly into his fiancée's beautiful grey eyes, "Oh you know very well what I mean," he replied teasingly.
"No...I don't know what you mean," she replied with fake hostility. Aeryn pushed John off balance and sliding out from under her Prowler quickly pinned him down before he had the chance to get up. She smiled down at him, and ran a hand under his t-shirt, causing him to groan. "Now that's a great view..." John teased.
Aeryn stood up and pulled John to his feet, but before she could do anything John pushed her against her Prowler. He pressed close to her, "Does this make it clear?" he whispered into her ear, his warm breath making her body tingle and his free hand caressing her lower back.
"Crystal." She replied taking his hand and pulling him round to the other side. Aeryn climbed the stepladder to the cockpit after removing her boots and dropping her gun belt to the floor. "Come on, they won't miss us."
John followed her after doing the same and closed the hatch behind him. He kissed her deeply and passionately, "You know...Aeryn..." John said, trying to unzip the fly on Aeryn's leather pants as she unzipped his, "this has to be one of my favourite places to make love to you...even though it's damn awkward."
Aeryn nodded, "But not as awkward as your module...here...does this help?" she asked shifting position under him and removing her pants for him. John kissed her affectionately, and started to un-braid her long dark hair. She pulled his black t-shirt off slowly and ran her hands over his back as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulders, "When..." John mumbled.
"When what?" Aeryn managed to mumble in reply as John's mouth covered hers with tender kisses.
"When are we...actually going to...get married?" John asked sliding off Aeryn's top, her skin feeling soft as silk in his warm hands.
"You only asked me three weekens ago..." She said, rolling him over so she was on top.
"Yeah...I know that," John groaned as he hit his head on a panel, "But the sooner the better right?" he asked, as Aeryn rubbed the sore spot on his head better.
"Yes...soon. There's no damage."
"God damn it woman, you're so gorgeous," he smiled at her as she helped to remove his underwear, watching her intently every second.
"Mmm... you are beautiful too," Aeryn replied, after she finally managed to remove her underwear too. She continued kissing him warmly as she slid herself onto him with a slight gasp. Smiling down at him her hair tumbled over her shoulders as she watched different emotions creep over her lover's face. John smiled up at her and pushed the stray tendrils of hair behind her only for it to fall back over her shoulders within seconds. Aeryn moved slowly against him as he cupped her breasts in his hands, pinching her hard nipples softly in his fingertips. She bit her bottom lip as she lay on top of him and he pulled her closer to him. They moved slowly and sensually against each other; waves of electricity running through their veins. Their lips met in long and tender kisses, their tongues caressing each others as they fought for breath. Aeryn could feel him pulsing insider her and he could feel her wetness on his erect penis making it even harder to fight to keep the myriad of sensations under control to prolong lovemaking as long as he could. He could see she was tiring and placed his hands lightly on her hips to help her along. She flashed a smile that melted his heart and he buried his head in her neck taking in her sweet scent, tasting her skin with sweet kisses that he knew make her shudder with pleasure. They whispered loving and affectionate words throughout and ran their hands over each others bodies. John could feel her body start to tense and her eyes glaze at the beginning of a climax that was sure to be one they would share at the exact same moment as it often was, when D'argo's voice crackled over the comms.
"Aeryn, you'd better finish what you're doing with your Prowler, we may need the weapon...is Crichton down there with you."
"Yeah, John's here," she replied trying heard to regulate her breathing. She looked down at John and frowned, resisting the urge to tell D'argo to 'get frelled' but she instead replied, "Why? What's the problem?"
"You two had better prepare some weapons...we are receiving a transmission in Peacekeeper coding, except, the person sending the transmission said he is longer a Peacekeeper,"
"Damn, there's never enough time," John said, smiling up at the naked woman above him.
For once Aeryn smiled too, "There's still time...now we better get dressed before they find us in here like this," she said trying to free her underwear from under John's backside.
After struggling to get dressed as quickly as they could in the confines of the Prowler cockpit, John got out of the Prowler, followed by Aeryn. "Do we have a visual?" she asked, as John helped her down.
"No we don't, but he claims that his ship is in trouble and that his crew are dead." D'argo replied.
John looked at Aeryn and sighed, "You know I knew that three weekens of nothing happening was too good to be true."
Aeryn nodded in agreement, "I say we starburst. I do not want to let anyone on that could potentially put our lives in danger.
"I disagree Aeryn. The communication that came through was from a non-peacekeeper ship, and the ship is the only thing on Moya's long range scans."
Aeryn sighed, "What do you think John?"
John wrapped his arms around her waist and gently nuzzled her cheek, "I think...that this guy...whoever he is, may be a good bargaining chip...and I know if he threatens you or your pregnancy, you would cut off his mivonks...or kill him."
Aeryn shook her head, "John, the transmission was in Peacekeeper Coding. Remember what I told you a few cycles ago? Peacekeepers are trained not to repair their own ship, but to find and secure someone else's...it may not be a Peacekeeper ship, but the transmission that was in Peacekeeper coding claimed he was ex-peacekeeper and Peacekeepers never lie right?"
"I think he is telling the truth...what would a Peacekeeper be doing out here in Tortured Space, on a non-peacekeeper ship?"
Aeryn frowned, "You forget we have the Scarrens and Peacekeepers hunting us down now..."
"Well what if this guy is telling the truth, most likely he would be a deserter right?"
"Right."
"Well then...he may be a great help in decoding Peacekeeper transmissions, in guessing what they may do next..."
"Okay," Aeryn sighed, "But if anything does happen..."
"Yeah I know...no sex for a weeken." John said with a cheeky smile, causing Aeryn to punch him playfully.
"Pilot...bring the ship on board and starburst immediately, just in case there is another ship nearby and activate the cells on tier one" Aeryn said grabbing her chain pulser.
"Are you sure that's a big enough gun? I'm sure a smaller pulse rifle will do." John asked suggestively. He was amazed that only a few minutes ago she was making love to him so tenderly and unafraid to show feelings, and now she wore the blank mask that hid any sign of emotion of what had gone on between them before hand.
Aeryn stared at John, "Are you sure you don't want a bigger gun? You do realise there could be a whole platoon of Peacekeepers coming off that ship!"
He shook his head and held up Winona; his favourite pulse pistol "Na. Winona rarely lets me down...look, if you're that worried, I put her on the second setting."
"Good," she replied, pulling him in front of the hangar doors, "now when he boards, I want you to escort him to a cell until we know what his intentions are."
Aeryn and John were joined by Chiana with a pulse rifle and D'argo with his Qualter blade. The doors opened to reveal a small smouldering transport ship.
"HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND TURN AROUND! REMAIN SILENT!" Aeryn yelled before the doors had a chance to fully open. "Chiana, search him for weapons."
Chiana smiled, "Sure..." She approached the male cautiously, "Spread your legs." She demanded, obviously enjoying running her hands over his body before handcuffing him. "He's clean..."
"Turn around...SLOWLY!" Aeryn commanded.
John lent in to whisper in Aeryn's ear, "Easy Aeryn, the guy may be injured."
"He's standing isn't he?" she hissed in reply.
Everyone readied their weapons as the man turned around slowly as instructed. Aeryn froze in a mixture of horror, surprise and disbelief. "Velorek." She said; her voice barely audible. "Get him to a cell..." she growled, quickly replacing the blank mask that had momentarily slipped from her face.
"Aeryn? Is it really you?" Velorek asked.
D'argo glared at the stranger recognising the man from an image seen cycles ago, "This is Velorek?" Aeryn nodded at D'argo unable to speak.
"So this is the guy from the Peacekeeper recording?" Chiana asked, studying the visitor.
Aeryn shook off the shock and composed herself, "It doesn't matter right now...just get him to a cell okay?" she snapped.
"Damn Aeryn, you sure are moody today. Hormones is it?" Chiana replied vehemently.
"Chiana..." John scolded, "Do you see that Chain Pulser she has in her hand?" John didn't need to continue. Chiana had taken the hint as she offered to escort the unwelcome guest to his cell. Nobody dare mess with the ex-peacekeeper now she was pregnant. "D'argo...go with her."
D'argo nodded, "We'll meet back in command to discuss what to do with the visitor." D'argo replied.
"D'argo...I'll need to talk to Pilot first." Aeryn shouted after him before turning to John "I want him off Moya now. John do you know who that is? That is Velorek... the Velorek that was once my lover and the Velorek that was executed for treason."
"Is there any way that you know of, that Velorek could of survived his execution?" John asked kindly, putting a reassuring arm around her waist.
Aeryn shook her head pulling herself free from John's grasp, "Not unless he was banished...but that only happens when someone becomes irreversibly contaminated and even then it's rare. He could have been secretly reassigned if High Command did not want to lose him..."
He could see she looked worried, "What?" John asked, taking her hand in his to calm her down.
"Why...why is he here on Moya. Why now? What if he still loves me?"
"We'll find out why he is here," John said softy, "And who cares if he still loves you? You're with me now, not him."
"That's the point...if Velorek finds out we are together..." she paused, not sure whether she should continue.
"What?" he asked giving her hand a supportive squeeze. She looked into the blue eyes she loved so much.
"I'm just not sure what he'll do."
John looked slightly worried, "Why? What could he do?"
She shook her head, "Don't worry John," she replied; placing a hand tenderly on his cheek, "I'm going to sort this out as soon as I've spoken to Pilot."
And leaving John standing alone and confused, she left the maintenance bay.
To Be Continued...