Dark Horizons: Dark Sun

by Meridian1

(Spoiler: Premiere) A What If starring the darker version of Officer Aeryn Sun, Pleisar Reg...

Title: Dark Horizons 3: Dark Sun

By: Meridian

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING HERE…I mean, well I did write it, but I don't own the characters or possess any kind of permit thingy from anyone even related to people who work on the show Farscape. If you don't sue me, I promise to write a better story next time (note: don't sue me then either, k?)

Spoilers: Only the first half of the Premiere. And if you haven't seen that or heard most of the details, you wouldn't be trying to read this. Basically, it takes off from the middle of the Premiere. You've been warned

SPECIAL NOTES FOR THIS SERIES!!!!!
Yes, this is a series, but no, there is no continuity. The best way to explain this is to look at the title. The Dark Horizons Series is all about one character at a time, twisted into a story line separate from the established on the show. Specifically, these stories may go over new ground, or may revise old episodes in traditional "WHAT IF?" format. Basically, one character is not nearly as nice as they've been portrayed on television. This may sound funky, but it will throw you for a loop, and trust me, it makes more sense as you go along.

Special Thanks To: Michelle…my poor, sympathetic reader who was finally convinced into liking this show, and is now fully in the grip of being a true SCAPER! Welcome Michelle

*Italics * = thoughts

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"Sir, he claims to be a human from a planet called Erp, but he's shown himself to be…"

"To be what, Officer Sun? A clever imposter? An accomplice to a ship full of escaping prisoners? My brother's murderer?" Aeryn Sun stopped speaking at her Captain's reprimanding tone. He circled the alien as he spoke, his eyes devouring details as her own had done, but she detected none of the objectivity in his analysis as had been in hers. In the short time she had been forcefully ensconced with the alien, she had observed him as she would any other inferior species: as an inferior.

Another worthless species, and not even the brains or the muscle to have any impression. He does look Sebacean, though he is clearly not. That could still be dangerous. Her analysis was considered closed on that point, leaving her ready to dismiss him as the weaker creature he was, though she was prepared to handle him should he surprise her…again. Him not being a Sebacean had caught her off guard. That would not happen again.

"Brother's what?" Aeryn Sun refocused her slightly wandering attention on the two speakers once more. The alien glanced at her briefly as if looking for an explanation. To his credit, he held Captain Crais' gaze while the superior officer angrily sneered at him.

"You charged my brother's Prowler in that white, death-pod of yours." Aeryn held her back stiff when she heard the charge leveled at this alien. The destruction of a Prowler was a serious loss; that the pilot killed was the Captain's brother meant nothing to anyone save Captain Crais. Tauvo Crais was no outstanding member, not intelligent enough to merit promotion nor skilled enough to earn appointment to a Marauder squad. Though only an Officer, Aeryn Sun had had her sights set on a Marauder assignment, something well within the reach of her abilities but not those of Tauvo Crais. His connection to a captain in charge of a Command Carrier was his only recommendation, but it was a powerful one. With him gone, Aeryn felt the surge of pride that told her the appointment she coveted was to be hers. Finally.

"You talking about that near-miss I had when I first got here? That was an accident." Aeryn held her look of stoic obedience, but threw in a sneer of distaste, one she was sure was not too different from that of her Captain. An accident? And the Freolorian Massacre was only a training simulation. No Prowler pilot, even that frelling moron Crais would have allowed himself to be killed by 'accident.' The alien, the human was lying.

"It was no near-miss for my brother." Aeryn nodded minutely, relishing the look of panic, as the alien saw no support in the gesture. And why should he? He is an assassin, and worse, he destroyed one of our Prowlers. The only possible reservation she held at handing this alien over was his assistance on the leviathan. However, as he had freed them, thanks to the snerched fork, she had brought them to the planet with her Prowler. She could have neither pity nor honor-bound debt to this simple, stupid creature.

"A human? That will require some study. I shall personally enjoy pulling you apart and seeing what you're made of." Aeryn watched, impassive, as he indicated for the guards to haul the alien away with the Luxan. The human made a few protests, but, thoroughly outnumbered and outmatched anyway, he was lead out of the square before Captain Crais turned back to her.

"Sir, Officer Aeryn Sun, Icarion Company, Pleisar Regiment. I reported to you…"

"Yes, I am aware of that, Officer Sun." Biting her tongue, she hesitated to speak again until she could better divine her captain's mood. His words with the alien were harsh and threatening, but he appeared triumphant. Sensing her hesitation, Crais shook his blinding rage to return to proper protocols. "Officer Sun, you have performed your duty. You will rejoin your unit and await further instructions."

"Yes, sir." She turned to follow the remaining honor guard; one of the soldiers broke formation to walk with her to her Prowler, handing her a spare pulse pistol as was befitting for any Peacekeeper to possess. Two metras away from the captain, Aeryn halted as she heard her name barked. About-facing, Aeryn stood at attention. "Sir?"

"Officer Sun, I would like to know how you knew this criminal." A simple enough question, and she answered truthfully.

"The Luxan was on the leviathan. When I saw the transport pod, I knew he was on planet…"

"Not the Luxan, Officer Sun. The human." Momentarily stunned to silence, Aeryn nodded and swallowed.

"Sir, I was captured by the leviathan's starburst threads and held prisoner with the alien." This seemed to peak the captain's interest, and Aeryn decided against the usual procedure of waiting for a question to provide the answer. "I thought him to be a defector, sir. I attacked until he answered my questions as to who he really was."

"And he told you what you told me?"

"Yes, sir."

"How long were you in contact with this alien, Officer Sun?" Smart as she was, Aeryn could not ignore the obvious direction of this line of questioning. Indeed, the concept of contamination had haunted her as soon as she discovered the alien was not a Sebacean. I must divert his suspicion. I am not contaminated.

"Not long, sir. No more than a half-arn. I made it clear to the other prisoners that I would kill him if left alone with him. They seemed to dislike that idea." The lie came easily. She had a promising career ahead of her, and Aeryn knew it. No alien, no matter who or what he was, would ever compromise that. A half-arn in custody was considerably shorter than even the most mild of possible contaminant periods, the captain had to know that.

"Very good, Officer Sun. Your quick thinking may have saved you from unpleasant review. Dismissed." Aeryn nodded at the scant praise and none-too-subtle threat. The guard that had secured her Prowler backed away as she climbed into it and started the drive. She did not think of the alien again.

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

"I told you to get out of there, but would you listen?" John Crichton sighed over his shoulder as he submitted to the frisking. The large, tentacled alien awaiting similar treatment growled. The guard smacked them both with rifle butts, ordering them to be silent.

"Turn around," barked the masked figure, and Crichton complied. The rough search ended with the soldier ripping his puzzle ring from around his neck, painfully snapping the chain against his skin. Holding the silver trinket up to Crichton's nose, he demanded anew. "This some kind of weapon?"

"No, it's just…" A quick jab to his gut stopped his forward motion. Just trying to take back the necklace was unacceptable, apparently. Dropping to his knees, gasping, Crichton could barely respond to the orders to stand and explain. "Just…just…just a toy…." He wheezed and groaned as hands dug into his arms and dragged him up. He could not miss the look of undisguised superiority thrown by his fellow prisoner as he struggled to stand.

Well, maybe I should gut-check him and see how he likes it. The alien noticed the face Crichton was making and grunted threateningly. Smiling, he whispered under his breath, "Squid-head." This brought out a new round of growls for which the alien was assailed by his three guards, blows raining in from all over. Crichton and his own captor watched amused and unimpressed, respectively, as the prisoner was brought back under control.

"Greiz, take this to the techs, tell them to make sure it's no weapon." The commanding soldier tossed the necklace rather carelessly for something he still supposed could be dangerous. Crichton saw his opportunity to escape in the split second that the commander turned. He reached down, pulling out the spare rifle in the other man's belt and shoved at the same time. The large alien threw the three guards on his arms, crushing one's head into the wall as he bounded after Crichton. He was glad he had when the human started haphazardly shooting at the Peacekeepers.

"Freeze! Don't move! Or I'll fill you full of…little yellow bolts of light!" Crichton's hand shook as he aimed the weapon. They dropped, hands coming up. "Keys!" They were tossed without complaint.

"Give up, alien! You'll never escape!" Crichton tried not to think about escape further than getting the cuffs off. However, the binders made using the keys next to impossible. He turned to the larger alien. "Can you get me out of here?"

"What?"

"Away from these rent-a-cops, away from Crais?" Crichton felt his heart swimming when it looked like the alien would refuse. Growling, he nodded and took the keys to unlock Crichton's binders. The latch gave just a second before the larger creature shoved him backwards. Crichton was more surprised by running into another body than by the attack. The Peacekeeper who had been sneaking up behind him gave a short cry, not unlike a grunt as the other two leaped to jump the Luxan. The warning had obviously gone out, probably thanks to the lurking guard because Crichton could feel and hear the pounding of approaching footsteps. The large alien, no matter how tough he was, was no match for these Nazis with those binders.

"On your feet, scum!" The order was directly contradicted by a vicious kick to his ribs. Breathing heavily, Crichton rolled over on his side to attempt to stand. Once more, impatient Peacekeepers dragged him upwards despite his protesting muscles.

"Thought you could get away, did you, John Crichton?" He shivered involuntarily at the menacing voice in the shadows, not drowned out by the stomping gait of a small platoon of soldiers tacking down the other prisoner. Crais. Summoning his bravado and every bit of John Wayne cockiness, Crichton leveled an annoyed but fearless stare at the Peacekeeper captain.

"Thought I'd give it a shot, asshole." That earned him another blow capable of snapping him in two, but he smiled through gritted teeth; it was worth it. Crais shared the smile, only his was one of triumph and menace. Almost casually, he walked over and brought Crichton's head up by grabbing a fistful of the other man's hair and yanking upwards. Just as nonchalantly, he whipped Crichton's head down and into his knee. This time, Crichton reeled backward, his fingers reaching tenderly to assess the damage to his now-bloody nose.

"Coward!" Crichton's ears resounded the thundering cry from his fellow prisoner. A sideways nod from Crais, and he too was silenced. Beyond that, he could not be certain because his world was spinning. Without much thought or care for consequences, Crichton collapsed on his back, the blood from his nose running over his lips and back into his nose and down his throat.

"Take them to the transport. They are to be placed in maximum-security containment. Contact High Command and have the channel open when I return to the carrier. Move!" The entire team scurried in synchronous motion, scooping Crichton and the Luxan together as they went. Crais watched the efficient crew's movements and slowly returned to his own escort. A report was handed to him saying that the leviathan would soon be back in custody, as would the other prisoners. The Captain nodded, dismissing the messenger.

All the way back to the carrier, he devised new and increasingly awful punishments for the human murderer.

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

"Officer Sun, do you know why you have been called here?" Aeryn held her chin high; her eyes were fixed in front of her, not glancing at the deck sergeant.

"No, sir." If this was an inquest, she wanted to hear the charges first before she ventured any guesses. It was too soon for this to be an investigation into charges of contamination. Crais had only returned from the planet himself three arns ago. The prisoners on the planet had arrived ahead of him and were shuttled into custody immediately. The escaped leviathan had been recaptured as well and collared. The prisoners on board, the Delvian and the Hynerian, had surrendered rather easily after her Prowler squad weakened their ship to the point of possible compromise of internal shield integrity.

In short, she had no idea why she was standing here in front of the Deck Sergeant and Prowler Squad Commander Derac Wervel. As soon as the attack had been called off, she had returned to the carrier immediately, having learned her lesson about disengaging the last time. Stepping out of her Prowler, a tech had relayed the order to attend this meeting. The conference room of the carrier was rarely used, save for serious matters.

"Officer Sun, you have recently requested a transfer to Marauder detail, is this correct?"

"Yes, sir." She held in her questions though she desperately wanted to know what any of this had to do with that request.

"And you have just taken the lieutenancy exam, have you not?"

"Yes, sir."

"If you were to receive a promotion to that rank, into which branch of the service would you wish to enter?" Confusion. She floundered, considering for the first time the real implications of such a promotion. Though she knew she deserved it, Aeryn had never thought of life as a lieutenant; she thought of it as a Marauder captain. Lieutenancy was just one more step closer to that goal.

"I would still request a transfer to a Marauder squad, sir. May I ask what this is…"

"Silence, Officer Sun." She immediately complied. "This is not an inquest, Officer, you may relax." Taking the suggestion as it was meant, Aeryn held her poise but allowed her apprehension to slide away. "This is more a…an informal questioning. Captain, would you rather finish?"

"Yes, Commander Wervel, that would be best. Dismissed, Commander." Aeryn risked a sideways glance to see Wervel salute, turn, and walk out of the room, the door shutting after him. The hitherto silent third party spoke only after Wervel's departure. "At ease, Officer Sun." Again, Aeryn held herself stiff; such invitations of comfort were formalities, all Peacekeepers knew that. "That is an order, soldier. At ease."

"Sir?"

"At ease! You do know the meaning of the command, do you not?" Unsteady and unsure, Aeryn allowed for the minutest amount of relaxation to appear in her stance. "Better. Officer Sun, you were captured by the prisoners aboard the leviathan that escaped, were you not?" The questions made no sense, and Aeryn found her discomfort gaining ground.

"Sir, in my report to Captain Crais…"

"Yes, yes," the unnamed captain waved her hand at Aeryn in frustration and resumed sitting in the chair at the large obsidian table, her chin perched on her finger tips. "I am well aware of what you told Captain Crais, Officer Sun. What is more important to me is that I be very sure that you are telling me the truth. In such cases as these, it is better to start with questions you need not debate too much…before I attempt any that may…challenge you."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Then let's cut out the dren and come right to the point, shall we? My name is Captain Alyrin Tahutha. That is my classification aboard this vessel and how you will address me, understood?" Aeryn held her chin firmly square, acknowledging the information, as she ought. "However, for your purposes, all you need know is that I outrank Captain Crais in every respect. Whatever half-truths or normal dren you think you can tell him won't be told to me. Understood?"

True panic really bit into Aeryn's gut when Tahutha nodded at the slightest widening of Aeryn's eyes. She knows I lied about the contamination period. Fortunately, Captain Tahutha had no wish to pursue that thread at the moment.

"As I promised, we are going to speak plainly, Officer Sun. My questions are particularly directed at the prisoner of the leviathan with whom you were discovered on planet a few arns ago. And I do not mean the Luxan."

"The human, sir?"

"Precisely," Tahutha gestured at the chair to her right. "Sit, Officer Sun. That is an order." Aeryn mechanically pulled out the chair and took up a stiff posture in it. Sighing, Tahutha shook her head. "You won't ever be able to relax, will you? Pity. And I had such plans…Captain Sun."

For the first time in her life, Aeryn Sun was surprised beyond her ability to mask it. Captain? What does she mean by that? Captain Tahutha grinned almost cruelly as Aeryn pieced back together her mask of studied, subdued indifference.

"I've seen the results on the lieutenancy exam, Officer Sun. You would have been a lieutenant before this carrier ever reached base command in the Ricamne system." All of the hope Tahutha's earlier words inspired drained out with the phrase 'would have been.' Then she intends to see that I do not receive the lieutenancy. She mocks me with 'captain.' All but hearing the internal monolog, Tahutha spoke again to stop the drum of disappointment.

"No, Officer Sun, you will not be promoted to a lieutenant." She allowed Aeryn a short microt to digest this news and recover completely. "If you maneuver and politic correctly, you will be Captain Aeryn Sun within the next half-cycle." Once more, Aeryn had to forcefully support the mask she wore, patching the cracks as joy and hope seeped out from behind the façade.

"And how would I do that, sir?" Her words were almost even, something that pleased her and Captain Tahutha greatly.

"By being our…liaison to this human." Of all the tasks she could have been asked to perform, Aeryn would never have dawned upon this one.

"I'm not sure I…"

"Oh do shut up and drop the act, Officer Sun." The irritation in Tahutha's face was enough to convince Aeryn without the disgust in her voice. "You have been in a position to know more about this alien than any other. More over, you were trapped with him in a time of great stress and convinced him to trust you. These are interesting facts, Officer Sun, ones that make us think you would be perfect for the job."

"Sir, I was only incarcerated with that alien for…"

"Half an arn? Sure you were, Officer Sun. I don't believe that for a microt. Once we have the recordings from the leviathan, we may know for certain, but I am an especially clever person, or so I pride myself; I know when I am hearing a lie."

"Sir, if this is to lead to a charge of insubordination, I would rather have the formal inquest."

"I'm positive you would." The amusement that was plain on Tahutha's face encouraged Aeryn, but she was not relying on her superior's mercy. "Officer Sun, there will be no inquest. You will never be confronted about lying to Captain Crais. You will not be asked to appear for contamination hearings either. You are in too delicate a position for us to risk wasting you as a resource."

Aeryn's mind whirred as she placed the pieces of information together. Captain Tahutha offered too much. The charges, the only ones she had ever been too careless to make, or rather in to hopeless of a position to prevent, were all going to be eradicated, buried forever. On top of that, Tahutha dangled out the promise of a promotion far above her expectations of the present. All for being a political tool.

Not frelling likely.

"Sir, forgive me for assuming so much, but I find that hard to believe." Tahutha did not appear offended or incensed by her presumption to speak so bluntly. "The diplomatic position you wish me to assume is far too easily filled by a more political person than myself. I cannot be special in that respect."

"You are somewhat correct, Officer Sun. I am well aware that you would wish for nothing more than to be a Marauder captain and live and die that way. However, your intelligence recommends you for so much more. Circumstance has placed you in a position to attract our notice and to make you a very useful animal."

"Our notice, sir?" Tahutha smiled.

"Peacekeeper Intelligence, Officer Sun." Aeryn reigned in any look of surprise, silently kicking herself for not deducing it sooner.

"And you wish to recruit me to aid Intelligence, sir?" A nod. This was no offer. It was going to be an order. If she fought, protested the assignment, Captain Tahutha had the power to see she would suffer for it. There could be no dissention, not for the time being anyway.

"Correct, Officer Sun. As I said, I wish for you to be our…connection to the human. And do not worry about Captain Crais. He won't be in a position to cause you any trouble." Returning to her subordinate nature, Aeryn processed the assignment and formulated the proper questions to ensure that her task ran smoothly.

"What am I to do, sir?" Tahutha nodded, pleased at finally reaching an agreement, an end to the discussion. Now it was down to mission specs and protocol that both of them could easily give and digest.

"You have the human's trust. All you must do is use it."

"Sir, I doubt he is stupid enough to trust me. He saw me as he was being taken away. He must know that I have no intention of aiding him." Tahutha frowned, nodding slightly as she did so.

"Even so, you have learned more from him than we have after a standard interrogation. Our last hope is either you or the Aurora Chair. You are much closer than the nearest interrogation chamber that is equipped with a Chair."

"What should I say, sir? Why would he trust me now""

"Because, Officer Sun, you've just been deemed irreversibly contaminated."

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

"So you're a Luxan?" Ka D'Argo glared at his cellmate but knew better than to attempt to strangle him…again. The chains looped through his collarbones and around his wrists and ankles had prevented him from successfully murdering the genetic mishap who was locked down across the cell from him. The shielding between them prevented any movement between what were essentially separated cells, but D'Argo had cheerfully ignored that after an arn of the incessant ramblings coming from his cellmate.

"Yes." His answers grew increasingly short each time he answered the 'human' in hopes that it would stop asking. It was not a successful plan, but D'Argo kept hoping.

"Huh. And what were those other two? The blue lady and the little guy who floats? And what about that thing in that shell? Hello?" After his belated pause, D'Argo sighed and answered once more.

"She was a Delvian. The other was a Hynerian. The pilot was a pilot; it has no other distinction." That seemed to silence his companion. When the silence lasted, D'Argo found himself, much to his chagrin, bored and cagey. Out of this sheer boredom, he decided to turn the inquisition back on his cellmate. "What are you?"

"Human. Name's John Crichton."

"I am Ka D'Argo." Crichton smiled, his own tension and nervousness draining at the alien's…No, D'Argo's…attempt to be civil. It was a considerable improvement over having an irritated and easily infuriated alien in close quarters.

"Nice to meet you."

"We have already met."

"It's an expression…never mind." Crichton sighed. Suddenly, he was seized in violent coughs; whatever the Peacekeepers did well, it was not housecleaning. In his cramped position, chained into a sitting-squatting position, Crichton was in no mood to be misunderstood. The Peacekeepers are handling that themselves. "So, what do you think happened to them? The others on your ship, I mean?"

"They are either dead or in custody. It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" D'Argo looked up sharply at the human's incredulous tone. "I thought they were your friends?"

"By trial only. Had anyone else been trapped in that ship, they, too, would have been my coconspirators. I do not claim them as allies." Crichton shook his head.

"Allies?" Crichton choked off his sarcastic remark at the unyielding glare D'Argo leveled at him.

"Is that not what your people call those you collaborate with in times of battle?"

"Oh, yeah, no, sure, I got it. I just thought that you were a little…closer than that. My mistake." Crichton returned to stretching out the kinks in his legs and arms, leaving his new acquaintance to rest in silence once more.

Had the door not opened at just that moment, D'Argo felt he would have been dangerously close to pursuing conversation with the human. The Peacekeepers that entered drew his attention and his snarls. Satisfied and trusting that chains held the Luxan in check, two guards walked into the room escorting a willing prisoner to her own place in the cell. One dissolved part of the invisible barrier to admit her; Crichton watched the crackling along the edge of the invisible wall for only a second; the prisoner immediately captured his attention. She was chained in a similar fashion to his Luxan 'friend,' standing with legs and arms bound with some movement possible. No neck harness was attached to be comparable to the chain around D'Argo's collarbones.

"Right then," the guards congratulated one another as they resealed the electric barrier as soon as they had cleared the room. It did not matter that the prisoner was one of them, a Peacekeeper; they were bred to follow orders and not to care. Crichton paid their exit no mind; his eyes were riveted to the prisoner in the chains against the wall in the middle of the room. On his side, D'Argo hissed and lunged at the full length of freedom he had in his chains. She was immobile, holding her at-attention posture even now that she was confined and clearly not in the good graces of the Peacekeepers for whom she had devoted all of her life.

"Hello again," Crichton muttered. Aeryn Sun's eyes slid in his direction, but she otherwise ignored his snide remark. Irked by this and his present situation, Crichton snapped. "Helllllooooo??? Earth to Miss Superior Being? Come in! Oh, or don't you remember me? I'm the nice 'Erp' guy who you gave to your people's version of Hitler. Doesn't ring a bell? No?"

"Shut up, human." Aeryn did not look in his direction but stared straight ahead of her at the door through which her comrades had left.

"Well, excuuuuuuse me for living, lady, but where I come from, people like you can still be held responsible for their actions. I guess you're lucky your people aren't so principled."

"Frell you, human."

"Just what did you do to get put in here anyway?" Crichton broke off his leer at Aeryn to raise an eyebrow in question at D'Argo.

"Peacekeepers rarely will imprison their own, not for any crime." The hatred that dripped from his voice caused an involuntary shudder to tap along Crichton's spine.

"That is none of your business, Luxan."

" 'That is none of your business, Luxan,' " John parroted, making a face at his Peacekeeper cellmate and sending a reassuring look to D'Argo to confirm that he was only mocking her. Last thing I need is for that moose to be on my case, too.

"Silence, human."

" 'Silence, human.' Human? Luxan? We have names, you know. Or don't you even care?"

"I do not."

"Well, aren't we just one bright ray of sunshine today? Hey, D'Argo! What did you say this species was?" Sensing a joke at the Peacekeeper's expense, D'Argo cruelly grinned, all too ready to join in.

"Sebacean."

"Well then, Sebacean, what did you do to get locked away? Must have been something really naughty. Maybe she didn't shine her boots enough." Crichton chuckled, his mirth increasing as Aeryn turned to glare at him. When he did not cower under her withering gaze, she turned away. She would not permit him to know that such courage was impressive. Few could meet the eyes of any Peacekeeper and hold the look, let alone when that Peacekeeper was angry.

"You will be silent, human."

"My name is John, remember? John Crichton? You must remember me. I tried to shake your hand and you kicked my ass? What's the matter, you beat up on so many that you forget little old me? I'm hurt, Aeryn." Her whole head jerked in his direction as his comment found purchase. "I remember you." Sneering, he added under his breath, "bitch."

"What does a female canine creature have to do with me?"

"Nothing. She just would be a lot nicer and a lot less likely to bite." Crichton surprised himself with his snappish comment; fear had yet to really sink its teeth into him, so for now he was immune to the panic she was trying to instill in him. My nose still hurts like a son of a bitch, so I think I'm allowed to be sarcastic-not-happy-prisoner-guy.

"You have no right to talk to me thusly."

"Oh, because you're this superior being, right?"

"I am your better in every respect, human."

"If you wouldn't mind, I do have a name. Use it."

"If it will shut you up."

"It won't," D'Argo muttered loudly. Crichton made a face but ignored the comment otherwise.

"Sure, I'll be good, ma'am. Just say, "Please shut up, John" or "Please shut up, Crichton" and I will. Scout's honor."

"Scout? You are in the military?" Aeryn only marginally restrained her surprise; the truth in her astonishment would serve her purposes while not appearing out of character.

"Boy Scouts, Aeryn, the Boy Scouts of America."

"You will address me as Officer Sun," Aeryn barked before resuming her incredulous questioning. "Your people train their progeny at young ages for military service?"

"Not unless tying square knots, hiking, and holding soap box derbies count as military activities, Officer Sun. It's a…recreational club. 'Scout's honor' is an expression to…you know what? Doesn't matter. Forget I said anything."

"That should not be hard, hu…Crichton."

"That must have hurt," Crichton rolled his eyes. The absolute silence struck him as odd so he glanced back at Aeryn. She was staring at him with a puzzled look. Not again. "What now?"

"Why would that hurt?"

"Another expression. I just meant that correcting yourself must have been painful."

"It was not."

"Fine, whatever, look, I'm going to be quiet now and you're going to ignore me and act like a fascist, that's just fine with me."

"There is a god," D'Argo mumbled. Crichton threw him a killer look; Aeryn ignored them both. They remained quiet and contemptuous of each other for another half arn by Aeryn's count. Occasionally, she would catch the Luxan staring at her with a critical eye. To him, she would give no outward indication that she had noticed or that she cared; inwardly, she cataloged his observations and tried to pull out some meaning from them.

As it turned out, she had not long to wait to divine his intentions.

"You've been contaminated."

There was no hint of uncertainty or question in the Luxan's remark. Aeryn stiffened a little more, as would have been appropriate for one in her position. The gesture was one of indignant pride that refused to submit to the humiliation that he wished to cause her by this deduction.

"What's that mean? Contaminated with what?" Crichton's words were nervous and cautious, bordering on the burgeoning terror that was finally taking root as he contemplated the seriousness of his situation. To his amazement, Aeryn spoke directly to him without any other provocation than the sound of his voice.

"With what? Are you that frelling stupid? It's your fault, you…HUMAN!" Aeryn leapt at him, straining against her chains, letting the anger guide her words as she struggled vainly to reach him. Much to her satisfaction, he cringed and folded back against the wall.

"What did I do? I'm not the one who locked you in here! Why don't you talk to your buddy, Crais?"

"How dare you address the captain that way? Frelling human!" Aeryn lurched again and again, her rage slowly becoming real; breaches of protocol, such as the human's lack of respect for rank, no matter whom he addressed, was enough to insult all that she had been born to represent: order, dignity, obedience, and superiority.

"She is contaminated by an alien, Crichton." D'Argo's menacing tone redirected Aeryn's rage. She threw her weight in his direction, straining against the chains in an angry posture, faintly displaying a bit of desperation. To look partially unnerved that the Luxan planned to reveal her crime was all she had to do to convince both prisoners that her pride had been so slandered.

"By an…me?"

"Yes. She is 'irreversibly contaminated.' Peacekeepers detest aliens, Crichton. You are an alien, and you were in contact with her…alone…for too long, so she is to be executed to make sure she won't pass on your disease. Isn't that right, Peacekeeper!?!" D'Argo's bellow reverberated in Crichton's ears as he watched Aeryn stop struggling and resume her rigid stance. Only her deep breaths betrayed the exertion she had made trying to silence D'Argo.

"Because of me?" Crichton shook once then stilled himself; he did not enjoy being considered a contaminant, a virus that infected anyone. However, seeing as who I'm infecting, maybe it's not that bad. He shook his head. No, that's not right. She doesn't deserve to die… A war between selfishness and the inherent conscience within him began to escalate. Part of him wanted Aeryn…Officer Sun…to suffer for her betrayal, for abandoning him to Crais. His conscience told him she had no choice and that she could not be blamed for her captain's vindictive streak.

"Because of you, human!" That broke the tie in the tug-of-war in an instant. He smiled at her outraged irritation. Eyes twinkling, Crichton spoke very definitely.

"Good."

"Good!?!" Aeryn sensed she was losing her advantage with the human. He detested her, just as she had warned Captain Tahutha he would. Crichton glared back as she scoured him with her eyes. His terror was evident, though well disguised behind genuine courage. That he was brave only meant that he would be foolhardy enough to depend on that courage alone to survive. However, courage meant unpredictability, and unpredictable creatures were difficult to keep under control.

This will not be easy.

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

The personal quarters of the captain of a command carrier had always been exaggerated and aggrandized to be nearly palatial in comparison to the cramped barracks of the grunts working and dying for their commander. Captain Tahutha ran a finger over the finely grained material that constituted the fabric runner over the small table next to Captain Crais' bed.

Technically, Crais was not allowed any personal possessions, save for those taken in battle or surrendered by an enemy. The display of Hynerian heads in the corner attested to his adherence to that rule, as did the glass on the table, but the fabric runner was not something she expected any enemy would be carrying or would offer in surrender. The detail on the stitching was too ornate; no ruler would part with such a treasure, but more importantly, no commander would desire such a trinket. It could have only limited appeal in trade and to only a select few who would be interested.

Then why does he have it? Intelligence might be interested on some inside reporting. If the fabric scrap had some personal significance, it could be vital that they were aware of it. And any alliances or weaknesses attached to it. Perhaps it is Crais who has been contaminated.

It would not have been the first time, if that were the case, and Tahutha knew it. Gently she tugged at the frayed edge of the runner and tickled the loose string against her fingers.

"What are you doing in my quarters!?!" Crais' bellow was enough to rattle the expensive glassware resting on the runner. Without hesitation, Tahutha snatched the glass and procured a flask from the inside pocket of her jacket.

"Good health to you, too, Captain Crais. Raslak?" Crais approached slowly with the stalking, hulking gait of a predatory beast, more alike to the ancestor of the Luxan they had in custody than the creature that had spawned the Sebacean race. Crais rudely snatched the flask and the cup from her hands. The flask was chucked halfway across the room, the glass placed gently back on the table.

"I will not repeat the question…Captain?" The note of surprise at her title brought a smile to Tahutha's lips.

"Captain Alyrin Tahutha. I've been attached to your ship for routine inspections, Captain Crais. I thought perhaps an informal introduction would make the unpleasant nature of such reviews more enjoyable." The offer was all but spoken aloud, and they both understood it clearly. Unperturbed by Crais' gruff stance and greeting, Tahutha sat back on his bed and reached to finger the runner once more. "Your quarters are a tribute to your success, Captain. I've not seen such luxury since I left the Palace of the Autocrats on Tezrahn Nine. Your collection of trophies is, indeed, impressive."

"Thank you, Captain Tahutha. I…apologize for my actions. I had no knowledge that an inspection was due." Calmly, Tahutha stood, deliberately exaggerating every languid step as she retrieved her flask.

"Yes, High Command prefers not to alarm the crew of the carrier by standing on ceremony, you know. I have spoken with your Deck Sergeant, your Tech Captain, and one or two Officers just to mingle. No one knows my classification but myself and my team." Tahutha ran her fingers over the lips of one of the impaled heads, admiring the considerable skill that had been employed to both preserve and deodorize the stale body part.

"How large is your team, Captain Tahutha?" Tahutha smiled and slid gently back towards Crais, reaching for the cup on the table once more.

"Let's not talk business, not now. That is not why I have sought you out, Captain Crais." A rough hand tore the glass once more from her grip, but Crais' smile betrayed no anger at her continued presence. He turned for a moment to retrieve two other glasses, less ornate, standard-issue glasses given to most captains upon promotion to command of a carrier.

"Is that so, Captain? How very interesting…and not in the least unpleasant." Smiling the secret knowing smile that conveyed interest, Tahutha tipped an open flask over both cups, pouring an emerald-colored syrup. Crais dutifully added some water as soon as she was finished, and they toasted to one another's health.

"It is indeed so, Captain Crais," Tahutha purred as the liquid soothed across the sponge at the back of her throat. Her usually smooth voice gurgled slightly, earning her a smile from Crais. "I might have simply come and gone without your notice. You would have received a copy of the report later, but this way is much more social, don't you think?"

"I do. I must confess, I had thought you a spy when I came and found you handling my things. It is not unlike High Command to perform covert examinations of captains."

"Exactly. Is that not what this is? I had every intention of making myself known to you, however, just not to your soldiers. I trust you will discreet?" Crais tilted his glass and emptied it in one swallow; Tahutha followed his lead and did the same, hiccupping slightly to imply the slight buzz of drunkenness. Crais leaned close and took her glass, placing it with his on the table to his side.

"You need not fear me, Captain Tahutha." His lips brushed the against hers. Chuckling, Tahutha pulled back slightly.

"Alyrin, please." With all the restraint of a wild animal, Crais pressed his lips to hers, forcing her head closer by a strong hand at the back of her neck. Tahutha jerked the rest of his body closer by seizing his coat lapels. Crais responded with a growl that was not all together unattractive and shoved her to the bed. Holding her there with his weight, Crais focused on trapping her arms behind her back. As soon as he had done so, he pushed them painfully a bit further, relishing in the cry from his new partner as he bit her lower lip, gently at first and then harder.

Crais lived the rest of the night entirely in his head, just as the suggestive, psychotropic drug's effects intended he do. In the living, conscious world, Tahutha had only to tolerate his rough advances to the point of the biting kiss before he fell into a drugged stupor. No sooner had Crais succumbed than she was nearly throwing his body off her. She tenderly massaged her inner lip, tasting blood's bitter saltiness where she tongued it. Sighing, she set to the task of rudely ripping at Crais' uniform, eventually stripping him completely and setting him askew in his bed. Once his head was settled on the pillow, Tahutha leaned in close enough to feel his heavy, drugged breath on her face.

"Sorry, Captain, I don't frell losers like you. Especially not those with weird, sadistic fantasies," she growled. For extra measure, she slapped him viciously across the cheek and spat on him. With a final tug at a few strands of hair for added authenticity, Tahutha felt secure enough to remove the sponge that had soaked up most of her drug. All Intelligence officers were trained to build up a tolerance to the substance, but avoiding consumption as much as possible was the best defense in a bad situation.

She resumed her inspection of the quarters, not finding anything too extraordinary besides the runner and the glassware that Crais had insisted on preserving and protecting from her touch. Tahutha captured the image for transmission to base command to run a check on objects' planet of origin. Briefly, she glanced at the report of the leviathan escape incident that was waiting on Crais' large desk.

"Deceased: Tauvo Crais…" Stunned, Tahutha glanced back at the unconscious captain sprawled out in his bed. She scanned the entire report, but there was no mention of the human prisoner. Tauvo Crais' death was attributed to froonium drive problems. The tech responsible for Prowler repairs was already facing execution for the incident. The human was not listed as having been the cause, nor was his ship reported as being sighted.

Interesting. Crais intends to have this human for himself. He does not know that Peacekeeper Intelligence tapped the satellite feed. I must speak with our insider at once. Crais had no idea that his, like all command carriers, was infiltrated with Intelligence spies either, but for that, Tahutha could forgive him; it was not common information for obvious reasons. Her assignment to retrieve the strange alien, the human, who looked Sebacean, would be opposite to the wishes of Captain Crais. Perhaps the captain intended to study the corpse for scientific reasons, but High Command wanted the human alive.

And they didn't insert me because they trusted Crais would handle it correctly. The Intelligence insider planted on the ship had assured her through secret message that Crais could not be persuaded to break off his attack of vengeance. He has disobeyed protocol already to retrieve the human and the prisoners. He will do so again, with greater ease.

That was not permissible. Until she could extract some information from the human or move him to a secure location, the human was at the mercy of a crazed captain whose loyalties were definitely in question at this point.

Then I must distract the captain until we reach base command. Tahutha easily pirated her way into Captain Crais' private connection to the command center and entered the console through the electronic back door the insider had left for her. Their destination was arranged to be the same as before; the carrier would escort the prison transport leviathan, Moya, to the lifers' colony and then would return to base command. Tahutha easily inserted an urgent connection to High Command, leaving a warning message and asking for immediate orders to be sent to the carrier for extraction from the escort detail.

Á blinking light turned blue as the insider tapped the communication channel. It was a warning for Tahutha that her actions would not go unnoticed for long and that the connection needed to be severed. The light flickered to yellow; the spy would repeat the message at another time for her. The light went green before it went back to the dull gray it had been; the spy needed to confer with Tahutha and soon. Tahutha arranged an affirmative message and killed the connection.

Stretching and leaning back in Crais' chair triumphantly, Tahutha glanced once more at the slumbering captain. He slept, enthralled by the hallucinations that were so real and not at all exaggerated so as to spoil their authenticity. Quite satisfied, Tahutha retrieved her flask, rinsed the glasses to erase trace of the drug, and exited Crais' quarters with plans falling together.

The spy would want instructions; passing notes back and forth as they had been, with her established agents picking up the signals for which only Intelligence officers knew to look, it was a system that only worked so long. More intimate details were necessary.

We must also incorporate the information that Officer Sun learns from our prisoner. With all the clandestine work, Tahutha had to remind herself the reason for intrusive Intelligence presence. High Command regarded the human as an important source of information. If medical scans proved that he was another, distinctively evolved species after all…the complications were more than Tahutha wanted to consider.

Which is why Officer Sun's work is so important. If they had any chance of discovering the human's secrets, Aeryn Sun was it. Tahutha took Aeryn's objections seriously, knowing full well that the human would be suspicious, but she weighed the opposite and determined that the chance was good enough to be worth the risk.

Risk of what? Tahutha was not sure. There would be some risk if Aeryn were exposed as an informant and not a confidant; the human might refuse to talk to them, period. Aeryn would have to proceed carefully, but Tahutha sensed the potential in that otherwise distinction-less grot.

Aeryn would succeed. If she did not, all was not lost. The human will last a lot longer under a micro scanner anyway.

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

The mission was ready to be a disaster, especially if the present ruse persisted, and Aeryn Sun was extremely anxious about that happening. The human was not oblivious enough for her liking; he might have been ignorant, afraid, or unsure of most everything around him, but he was curious and asked far too many questions. Eventually, she would run out of lies to give him about why nothing had happened to him or her for that matter. The Luxan had not been removed either, a fact which heightened the human's suspicion.

It is better to tell him the truth, to make him think I have confidence in him. It might earn his trust…or it might drive him farther away from us. Aeryn shook the last part of her thoughts from brain. Referring to herself as 'us' was the ego of an Intelligence officer. By no stretch of her limited imagination did Aeryn intend to pursue a career in Intelligence. Tahutha was using her, so she would use the captain right back. The Marauder assignment would be hers.

Only the human stood in the way. On the infrequent briefings for which Tahutha pulled her from the cell, under the pretence of trial, Aeryn learned that the human confused the med techs and the researchers. He never fought them but had yet to allow them to stick him with any injectors or to remove any blood for analysis. Though it would be a simple matter to restrain him and forcefully take the fluid, Tahutha wanted the alien to trust the Peacekeepers. For her part, Tahutha had distracted Captain Crais from following up on his threats on the human's well being; how she did so, Aeryn never asked.

I must get this human to talk to me about what he is doing here, what he intends. We must know if there are more like him in the universe. The prospect of Peacekeepers being infiltrated by this doppelganger species was a frightening one, and Aeryn had decided that was not an acceptable risk.

So, for the umpteenth time, she twisted in her chains to loosen the kinks in her muscles and performed some cursory stretches to keep herself from cramping up. Each time she moved suddenly or noisily, the human's eyes flickered over in her direction. Slowly, he had withdrawn into himself, his whole being taking on the aura of a prisoner, a trapped and desperate animal. If he fully degenerated, she would have no chance to coax him into trusting her. Something drastic was necessary if she were ever to have his trust.

"I come up for final review today, human." Crichton started at the coldness of her address. Her stoicism and restrained fury did not scare or intimidate him; he met her gaze with a cowed and resigned sigh. "If I am to be sentenced to the Living Death, I would wish for you to attend. It is your doing, you deserve to watch."

"Shut up, you Peacekeeper bitch. I'd gladly go watch you die if it would get you out of my hair. But I didn't do anything to you." Crichton snapped and turned away in disgust. Does she have to blame me for everything? Why not just blame me for your stupid contamination rule in the first place? Seeing his contempt, Aeryn switched her approach.

"There is a possibility I will be spared. Too bad the same cannot be said for you. Your resemblance to a Sebacean will require cycles of study. I would not trade places with you for all the Marauders in the universe."

"Way to be comforting, Officer Sun."

"I supposed you deserved to know the truth. You will be kept here indefinitely for study, and you will most likely be dissected after your death for anatomical research." She paused when he cringed and softened the blow. "You need not fear for your life. Peacekeepers preserve honor. You will not be slain for the purpose you may be dissected after your death, but you will never be terminated for that purpose. If you cooperate, perhaps you will be granted some…privileges." This seemed to interest Crichton; any possible way out of the cell, alive was a welcome solution.

"Cooperate? No one will tell me anything. How can I cooperate with that?"

"Allow them to test you." Play on his guilt. He is human, too compassionate for his own good. He genuinely regrets causing my situation. It is a weakness. "If they can classify you, I may be spared the Living Death." His answering chuckle was devoid of true mirth.

"And why would I care?"

"Because you are weak. You care. I don't know why, but you do. I do not care."

"That's not entirely true."

"It is."

"Oh?" The human pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged his lower forehead, a gesture she had seen him make frequently while trapped in the cell. "So, you're telling me that if you had a way to avoid death, you wouldn't take it? Wouldn't do everything in your power to escape your sentence?"

"She is a Peacekeeper," D'Argo growled. "They are ignorant of any life except that of a Peacekeeper. She would rather die than live disgraced. And you would be a disgrace, Peacekeeper." Aeryn spun and jerked her hands threateningly at the Luxan. He barked out a vicious laugh, mocking her effort. "And you could never end your life. It would be the final testament to a wasted, disgraceful life."

"Silence, Luxan! At least I am no mindless rifle-fodder! My life has much direction. You are a brute and an inferior!"

"Yeah, and you're a real bitch, Officer Sun. What's your point? Superiority is not a birth right, and it certainly is not copyrighted by your precious Peacekeepers." Crichton enjoyed the tag team insults that he and D'Argo threw at the cornered Peacekeeper. This was as close to camaraderie that they were ever going to get.

"Officer Sun!" The door was violently shoved open and three soldiers entered, one wearing a captain's laurels. Crichton had picked up a few of the subtle differences in the Peacekeeper uniforms based on who came to the door and from asking D'Argo. For some reason, the Luxan knew a lot about the Peacekeepers, something Crichton would not have suspected.

"Sir." Aeryn stood ramrod straight as the captain circled her.

"You have been accused of being irreversibly contaminated by Captain Bialar Crais. Are you aware of the consequences that may result if your are found to be contaminated?"

"Yes, sir." One more circle was completed before the captain was satisfied.

"The final decision has been made, Officer Sun. You have been deemed clean and fit to return to duty." The relief in Aeryn's nod was only obvious to Captain Tahutha; it was not entirely false either. This was Tahutha's method of conveying to her that the charges had been taken care of completely and would never be a problem to her, regardless of their success with the human.

"Thank you, sir."

"Save your gratitude, Officer Sun." Tahutha paused in the well-rehearsed script to take a practiced glare at the human sitting in his cramped position. She turned back to Aeryn and resumed a mask of indifference. If the ruse was to succeed, it needed to be flawless; no captain would care about this routine procedure. "Officer Sun, as your first duty, you are to see that you are reassigned under my command."

"Yes, Captain."

"Secondly," Tahutha struggled with the words, as if the idea behind them brought her immense pain. Like plasma bursts through the gut. She focused on that image and that pain to summon the correct amount of bitterness to her lips. "Secondly, you are to be placed on special assignment until we reach base command."

"Yes, Captain. What are your orders, sir?"

"You will be the escort of our new…guest…this 'human' as you call him." The horror Aeryn presented was merely a copy of those emotions she had felt the first time the order had been given. Though Tahutha objected, Aeryn's argument had been sound; the human would be hesitant to trust her unless he felt he was on the inside of the information track. Letting him know that Aeryn was assigned to him was a subconscious manner of inserting her in his mind as his ally, his representative; added to the burgeoning, grudging respect he held for her already and it would amount to trust. Tahutha and Aeryn were certain of that much if nothing else.

"Sir, I must state my objection to this assignment…"

"You have your orders, Officer Sun. You will follow them or we will reconsider our verdict on your performance. Is that clear?" Aeryn ducked her head marginally.

"Sir." Tahutha nodded her head towards Crichton, and the two guards flanking her strolled over in his direction. Crichton tensed and inched back against the wall as they bent beside him to remove the chains. The metal links fell away, but neither guard had the patience or inclination to wait for the prisoner to stretch and stand on his own. They each grabbed an arm and yanked.

"Wait…please…" Crichton whimpered, hanging limp in their grasp. Merciless and impatient, the guards tugged at his sagging form. Crichton seized his opportunity to take them both by surprise. Suddenly springing up, he managed to set them both off in their footing; their imbalance allowed him to shake their vice-like grips. Freedom had been his only goal, so Crichton had no plan for escape once he lost his keepers.

Tahutha did not hesitate. No sooner had Crichton thrown his escort than she was pulling her pulse pistol. Without stopping to double-check her aim, she fired a medium power setting blast directly into the thickest, fleshiest part of his thigh. Tahutha nodded to Aeryn, who strode over to pull the screaming human to his feet. The very microt his leg was forced to support any weight, he went down again in agony.

"Stand up, human!"

"Sir?" Tahutha shifted to place one hand on her hip. A universal symbol of irritation…I love it. Crichton's thoughts could not cut over the pain that was streaking across his vision. Barely, he lolled his head to catch a glimpse of Aeryn stepping forward in an almost defensive stance.

"What is it, Officer Sun?"

"He is damaged, sir. Given his already pathetic and inferior skills and genetics, surely moving him of his own power is not…necessary at this time." The guards held their places behind the fallen, gasping, bleeding human, waiting for the signal from Tahutha. Tahutha's eyes darted over the entire cell, settling finally on Aeryn after carefully scouring over the human's wound.

"I concur with your suggestion, Officer Sun. Take him to the med techs." Tahutha waved at Crichton; the guards leapt to obey the order. To everyone's surprise, Crichton fought their every attempt to pick him up.

"NO! No fucking way am I letting you do anything to me! LET GO OF ME YOU SICK BASTARDS!" Aeryn watched as the two guards easily deflected his flimsy blows and hefted him up, presumably to move him into a supported position. Almost thoughtlessly, Aeryn stepped over to Crichton's side and moved to seize his shoulder. His head whirled around at the sudden contact, his eyes shouting his panic and indignation. Gently and slowly, so as not to deepen his intense edginess, Aeryn pressed her thumb into the thick artery in his shoulder and moved to do the same with her other hand just at the base of his skull. His wild eyes drooped closed a minute later as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Well played, Officer Sun. I believe he will have much reason to trust you…now that you have demonstrated him some kindness."

"He responds better to that than stress or threats."

"You've been here to spy!?!" The enraged words of a very irate Luxan reminded the Peacekeepers that there was another prisoner in the room. Whatever else he said for at least a full sixty microts was lost as the translator microbes failed to transcribe what could only be determined to be rather unflattering language. D'Argo's indignation only allowed a sentence or two to translate at all. "You think you are superior! You have no honor! You are not warriors! May the shame of all that is unholy fall on your shoulders for this!"

"Silence, Luxan." At a sneer of derision, Tahutha's mouth hardened into a deep scowl. "I will not tell you again. Be silent or face consequences." Tahutha motioned for Aeryn to precede her through the door as her guards dragged an unconscious Crichton through behind them.

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

Bialar Crais sat at his desk, his fingers drumming steadily on the heavy stone and metal surface. At the end of the immense black piece of furniture, Lieutenant Teeg waited diligently for orders. She had been witness to the new orders issued by High Command to the carrier's commander, but only Captain Crais' orders directed her motions aboard his ship.

"Lieutenant."

"Sir?"

"It appears we have new orders." Crais stopped and sat back in his chair, perching his chin in his palm as he stared at the now vacant view screen. "Secure our leviathan transports. See that all prisoners are accounted for before we begin our new vector towards base command."

"Yes, sir. Which base shall I direct the pilots to?"

"The nearest base station would the Ghorenz Ice Rings. Set course."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed, Lieutenant." Teeg turned on her heels and strode out at her usual confident gait, heading to deliver the direct orders of her superior. As she exited, Crais called up the prison level camera system. A perverse desire to physically and mentally render his brother's murderer was dying within him. Too many protocols, too many duties of an ordinary nature, his night with Captain Tahutha…all of it was distracting from his intentions to see the alien assassin suffer. Seeing this 'John Crichton' being chained would rekindle Crais' own murderous urges.

Lieutenant Teeg returned with the necessary report to say all was well only microts later. She was walking into the captain's quarters to deliver the news personally when the captain himself bowled her over as he stormed out of his quarters.

"Lieutenant!" Teeg scampered to her feet, any irritation at being trampled disappearing as she fell at once into her role.

"Sir?"

"Why has the human prisoner been moved from his cell? I left standing orders to be notified of any changes to his situation."

"Sir, the prisoner is supposed to be incarcerated. Has that changed?" Frustrated with ease, Crais shoved his lieutenant aside and tore towards the barracks. He had to find Tahutha. Natural suspicion was the only way for a captain to claw his way through the ranks and into power. His lower background had made his own climb that much more difficult, but it had augmented his savage suspicion to the point of absolute paranoia in many cases.

That paranoid feeling was tingling all over now, and it was screaming Tahutha's name. The new addition to his carrier was trained to hide in plain sight, and only she could have lifted the human from his cell unnoticed or at least without attracting the attention of Crais' guards assigned to report to him.

She has much to answer for if I am correct. Crais smiled grimly as he worked his way to the guest level. And I usually am.

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

Crichton woke to a rude slap across his cheek.

"Wake up, Crichton." Aeryn crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. Alone with the human, she could express her irritation much more securely than she could in front of her superiors. Mute, she let the human test his bonds and perform an internal check.

"What…happened? Where have you taken me?"

"Medical station seven. Your leg needed to be fixed." Aeryn snapped her lips closed when she finished speaking, as if the answer was the most obvious fact in the world. Embarrassed silence hung between them while Crichton grew more wary of his subdued position and Aeryn waited for him to speak again.

"What did that chick mean about being my 'escort'?"

"Captain Tahutha wishes me to be your…keeper while you are in our custody. She is reasonably concerned about the threat you pose us."

"Threat? Listen, I just got here, and I haven't the foggiest what the hell is going on in this corner of the galaxy. I'm just me, and you guys travel in wolf packs. Threat? Who's kidding who, Officer Sun?" Aeryn tensed, hesitant and unsure how to proceed. The human had cut rather effectively through her thinly veiled half-truths. Only the meager discussion she and Tahutha had had on this possibility left her with any clue how to answer.

"You look Sebacean." It was no question and as an answer, it left Crichton more puzzled.

"So? Hasn't that happened before?"

"Not like this," Aeryn fidgeted. "Although you have not permitted us to do an internal scan to be certain, you basic anatomy differs very little, at least outwardly, from that of a Sebacean."

"And you think what?"

"It is not my place to think or care anything about it. I am only assigned to see that you do not pose any threat while we are en route to base command." From the hurt on his face, Aeryn deduced that her indifference wounded him somewhat. Why? She could not answer that question.

"You're not even the least bit curious why your superiors are so concerned about…what was it the big guy said? A 'higher-brain function deficient,' I think was the term. You're not curious?"

"Curiosity is counterproductive to following through on one's duty. If it would make you less hostile and resistant, I do have a list of questions I have been instructed to ask you concerning your species and your presence here."

"Oh? Medical bay and interrogation room. Wow, all purpose." Aeryn smothered a small smile; the human's sarcasm was provoking her to laugh at inopportune times. Up until now, his humor had been mostly at her expense, but now she could truly enjoy his joviality, even as she held onto rigid seriousness.

"You resort to humor quite often. Is this a common stress-response mechanism in humans?"

"Is that on your list?" Crichton sighed, his lips twitching as he fought against an exhausted smile.

"No." The smile that surfaced on his lips was mysterious and mischievous.

"Call me crazy, Officer Sun, but then it sounds like you are curious."

"I am allowed to make observations if necessary. You will answer the question."

"No, it's not the only response mechanism. As for common? At this point, I can barely remember what 'common' human anything is." Aeryn stored the nugget of information away and resumed her silent vigil. "That it? No more questions for today?"

"Will you answer them truthfully?"

"Not necessarily."

"Then more convincing pressures will be applied." Crichton swallowed the fear that rose in his throat at the coldness with which she spoke of possible torture. His skeptical mind began to pick at her assignment, trying to figure the angle in placing him in her custody. The prison cell was adequate in restraining him; John Crichton had never been a lock picker on Earth, let alone on the other side of the universe.

"You're supposed to be the good cop, right?" Aeryn raised an eyebrow, mutely conveying her confusion. Damn, lost in the translation. "On my world, when the police want someone to talk, they play a game called 'Good Cop, Bad Cop.' "

"How does a game coerce a prisoner into talking?"

"Basically, one cop is really mean. He's supposed to scare the suspect…prisoner in this case. Then the good cop is nice to the prisoner and tells him that he, the good cop, is on his, the prisoner's side. Get it?"

"Not at all. Why don't these…'cops' simply force the prisoner to speak?"

"Because it isn't allowed. And hey, you're not forcing me, so maybe you know more about the reasons behind that than I do."

"We are not forcing you yet, human."

"Don't go back to that 'human' shit, please?" Aeryn shrugged. "So you're the good cop then."

"I am not a 'cop.' I am your escort." Crichton smiled slyly, nodding as she spoke. Sure, and James Bond was only a captain in the British navy.

"Whatever. Look, do you think you can let me up from this table? I promise not to try anything funny." Aeryn shrugged again and loosened the restraints around his midsection and his upper body. Gradually and after a moment's rest and preparation, Crichton sat up to rest on his elbows. "What about my legs?" He rolled his good leg around inside the restraint around his thigh and shins.

"No."

"Okay, whatever you say." Boredom was Crichton's plague, and he took it out on the only person in the room with him. "So, this is your job? To sit here and watch me? Kind of…I dunno, lackluster, don't you think?"

"I do not think, Crichton."

"You don't think so or you just don't think period?" Aeryn scowled outwardly even as she laughed inside. If only you knew just how much I have to plan around you and your impossible, strange, alien behavior.

Aeryn never had a chance to answer the question. With unnatural haste, the door to the medical room was thrown open by two of Tahutha's guards. Only after they gave her the arranged signal did she back away from the table with the human and stand at attention. Mostly ignoring her, they sped to the table to examine Crichton, his bonds, and his wound. Such rushed movements were more common in battle than on a command carrier; it set Aeryn instantly on her guard. Neither of the guards spoke, but one conveyed through complex hand gestures that she was to leave…now.

Glancing once at Crichton and the two guards hurrying to release him and pull him to his feet, Aeryn darted through the open door. The sounds of the human protesting echoed only just past the entryway, tailing her swift and stealthy footsteps away. Tahutha had given her an emergency meet point for all whom she employed. If the urgency of the guards who had entered was any clue, the rendezvous was where she was to go.

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

(One arn previous)

Tahutha pulled her hair into a painfully tight hold in one fist and fastened it closed in a ponytail with a shrink band. The rest of her short red hair was easily bound in the metal wiring that condensed her thick hair into a small, cylindrical extension from her head. Perfect. The mirror reflected her regulation-style hair fashion, confirming her own opinion.

Two more solar days, and base command! Somehow, the completion, the successful completion of a mission excited her almost as much as the mission itself. Any mission for Intelligence meant danger, but only when the risk was greatest was she called in. Her high rank entitled her to a planet-bound job; she could have been a relay, told others how to work in the field. I prefer to set the example first-hand. And so she had, taking on the missions that would have meant oblivion for the less worthy or less experienced agents.

Base command would not be the end of this assignment. Debriefing the Intelligence Council would take days. Her notes and the more intimate ones taken by the observant and worthy Officer Sun would take much explaining. Intelligence walked the line between protocol and insubordination. To ensure that rules were being followed and that they forever would be, Intelligence officers often had to bend, fracture, or snap in two those very same rules. According to standard theory, Tahutha had exposed herself enough to be deemed irrevocably contaminated three times over; fierce loyalty, proven by her actions and her cunning, was the only way to prove that Intelligence work had not corrupted her as it had so many others.

"Captain Tahutha." No inquiry in the inflection; an air of menace and violence; a male voice. Years of practice and such analysis made recognition easy for the Intelligence spy. Tahutha's mind quickly placed the owner of the baritone rumbling, his name coming to her lips even as she refused to turn around.

"Captain Crais." Her own tone was dismissive, unconcerned, unimpressed, and uninterested. Without any effort, she conveyed to him that whether he intended to be dangerous or lecherous, she wanted none of it and would not tolerate advances in either direction.

"We must talk, Captain." The hissing of the door gliding shut sent a spike of alarm through her heart before she could tame it. Her guards should have been within earshot if not right outside the door. That they were not instantly alarmed or nearby worried her. Standard procedure dictated that they were to prevent anyone from intruding upon her private quarters; it made espionage that much easier when one did not have to protect their own sanctum. When Crais shut the door, without being invited to do so, a guard should have entered with some meaningless report that supposedly required immediate attention. Quelling panic, Tahutha turned her annoyed mask upon her intruder.

"Now is not the time, Captain. I must also ask that you not visit me in my personal quarters. It will reveal who I am to your crew and thus will make my task here impossible." Crais' answering smile was meant to unnerve, but Tahutha held firm to her façade of irritation.

"But you are not here to spy on them, are you, Captain?" Tahutha snapped her amazement to a look of confused surprise to conceal her chagrin. If he knows why I am here, he could jeopardize the whole thing!

"Then I suppose, if what you say is true, you know better what I am here to do? Please, enlighten me." In two steps, Crais was toe to toe with her; his height was his intimidation, the aura of danger rolled from his tense shoulders. Tahutha muffled surprise and held herself erect, meeting his icy, cruel, laughing gaze with a look of cool superiority and indifference to his show of bravado.

"Tell me, was it good for you, too?" For the moment she was confused, Crais had his opportunity. No Peacekeeper could truly be said to be stronger than another, not if they were at the same level and experience of training. Crais' own abilities had not diminished after years as commander and years out of fighting, but he was, admittedly, not as quick or as limber as a member of the active forces, such as Tahutha. However, using the element of surprise, he found it was not hard to subdue the agile woman. Pinning her against her own bed was a mockery of her loss.

"You are going to tell me where you've taken that murderer…"

"Or what, Crais?" Tahutha, though beaten, could muster nothing but ridicule for the man who had thought himself her superior. "You'll do what? Kill me? There are at least enough of my men left aboard to retaliate, and a well-placed spy to take your place. This ship and her prisoner are no longer your responsibility…if you don't play nice, that is."

Crais' answering laughter was malevolent and harsh, a barking, grating noise. Tahutha jerked her knee upwards, hoping to drive a blow home in a most painful manner while her captor was not paying attention. Crais blocked it and repaid her effort by twisting her arms underneath her body until she gasped.

"Your men, Captain Tahutha, are already being hunted down and exterminated. How do you think I got into your chambers so easily? I know as well as you the protocols for the protection of a high-ranking officer. As soon as I became aware of your scheme, I sent message on ahead to have your team eliminated. You are quite alone, Tahutha…if that is your real name."

"It isn't, but what does it matter, Crais? You clearly have the upper hand. So, allow me to bargain with you…" Tahutha smiled, subtly moving her hips into a more provocative position. Her hopes lay on distraction; Crais had parlayed her own momentary lapse of concentration into this victory, so she would do the same. "Intelligence wants to study this alien…this human, surely you know that is the reason I have been sent aboard to secure him." Crais seemed to mull over her words, fitting the pieces into the larger picture.

"How did Intelligence know? I know you were on my ship less than half a solar day after the human…how did you know that the human was in my custody?"

"Fool." Tahutha snapped, her lips curling in an ugly snarl. "Do you think your actions ever go unnoticed? My men were aboard your ship since it first took off, since you first assumed command and before. They informed Intelligence to send a superior to this ship the very second the human was in custody. Intelligence pays its operatives to be observant, you ignorant fahrbot cannon fodder!"

Crais' patience shattered under her barrage of insults. In mid-motion, reaching for her throat, Crais discovered just how deadly her accuracy was when she drove her knee into his groin. For all of one second, he went completely loose, and she tossed him aside, drawing her pulse pistol and aiming its sites on his chest, all while still lying on her back.

"You'll never leave this room alive, Captain. My crew will be receiving orders from my lieutenant with in the microt to have you arrested." Tahutha sneered and shook her head, careful, though, that she did not allow him to leave her sight as she mocked him. If she had to grant him any compliment, she had to admit that he had recovered rather quickly from her blow to his weakest spot.

"Wrong, Crais. I leave here now with new orders provided by you to take the human and his escort onto base command alone. Your carrier will redirect once more to take the other prisoners to a lifer's colony." Crais guffawed incredulously at her absolutely certain tone.

"And how will you accomplish this? I left orders to have your team routed out." Tahutha laughed, long and sharp chuckles that spoke of her cunning. Crais had to hold a slight well of panic at bay. She was too confident in herself, and he had planned around her intentions thus far…what had he missed?

"With whom did you leave these orders?"

"First Lieutenant Teeg. She will have a small squadron here in no time at all. Wherever you've hidden the human, it will be discovered." Tahutha smiled and reached into her vest. Keeping her weapon trained on Crais with her right hand, she activated the beacon in her vest with the left.

"My insider will see to it that those orders are ignored and erased. They never existed."

"Your men are already…" Tahutha fired a warning shot to silence him.

"This one is actually one of yours…supposedly. Do you think that Intelligence can rely on only Intelligence officers placed by assignment? Wouldn't strategically placing an operative on every carrier from the outset make our job that much simpler? Half of the information we have on you has come from my insider."

"Can your insider replace me and assume command? He would have to be in a place of considerable importance…"

"Yes, she is. You summoned me, Captain?" Tahutha smiled as Crais' eyes widened and he whirled around to face the person speaking from the door. The stern-voiced woman held a larger pulse rifle and acknowledged only Tahutha.

"Ah, welcome, Lieutenant Teeg. Or shall I be the first to address you as Captain Teeg?" Teeg held herself impassive. The promotion was considerable, but her duty and mind were focused on the present situation. "The men and orders left by Captain Crais?"

"Never existed."

"Excellent." Tahutha leaned up into a sitting position and reached for Crais' lapels. "Will she do, Captain? Is her position of enough 'considerable importance' for you? Your orders are already on record," Tahutha looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing on Teeg, "correct?"

"Captain Crais has received orders from base command to step aside. I am to assume command and follow the orders they provided. Per those orders, I am to take Captain Crais into custody on charges of abuse of power and irreversible contamination. Exactly one arn after delivering these commands to Captain Crais, he provided me with a request." Tahutha smiled; Teeg was the perfect spy: dutiful to a fault, her obedient nature translated easily into the role she played working under Crais.

"And what was that request, Lieutenant?" Crais growled, the sound of a trapped and hopeless animal. Tahutha retrained her weapon on him; trapped animals had ways of being more dangerous than free ones.

"Captain Crais ordered me to arrange his execution immediately. As a matter of honor, he wished to preserve his name and be executed before trial to clear him of the charges. High Command accepted his offer and has instructed me to assume command after I perform the execution before witnesses." Tahutha sighed in relief. All was well in her universe. The footsteps of approaching 'witnesses' were only the final mark in her plan. Teeg addressed the officers, providing the false identification for Tahutha that was not so much false as understated. The command carrier's officers were only to be aware that she was Intelligence, and that her report had sentenced the Captain.

"Captain Bialar Crais, have you anything to say before your execution?" Tahutha noticed his considerable rage. The indignity of being executed was awful enough, but that the sentence should be carried out in her quarters was overkill. *He should be grateful that this 'voluntary' execution does not call for the living death.*

"I am innocent. There are those who will vindicate me for this treachery." Defiant to his last breath, Crais turned at the last moment to take the plasma burst through the forehead instead of the back of his head. Teeg motioned for the others to take the body for evacuation. They addressed her as 'Captain,' which pleased Tahutha to no end. Still, her mission was not complete.

"Have my men retrieve the human and ready a transport. You will continue onwards per your orders, Captain Teeg." Teeg nodded and departed as Tahutha gathered the few things she had brought onboard. Her team would be at the departure point in no more than half an arn.

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

Tahutha's men were at the transport ahead of her, but Aeryn tried not to let that fact bother her. She had been too paranoid about the possible trouble to come directly. The more circuitous route had taken her longer, but she was reasonably sure it kept anyone from following her.

"You're here, excellent, Officer Sun," Tahutha smiled. "The human is already onboard, but I have been hesitant to send any of my men in with him until you arrived. Would you?" She gestured at the open hatch. Without pause, Aeryn climbed through. Halfway to the small chamber into which they had placed the human, Aeryn realized that she was abandoning her carrier and her captain. Crais was most likely clued in to their movements, and he would have the resources to identify her as cooperating with Intelligence. The thought made her edgy. Crais had a reputation for being unusually brutal to those he considered his enemies. Helping steal away the prisoner he desperately wanted to torture would definitely earn her the title of enemy.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd show up." Aeryn sneered at the human's arrogant presumption. His restraints kept him to a limit of about a metra's distance in any direction. Currently, he sat on the low bench, apparently not tempted to test the range of his manacles.

"I am your escort." He laughed wistfully.

"Right, I forgot. We're attached at the hip for now, huh?" She ignored his comment; the footsteps outside the door rattled throughout the cavernous ship. A microt later, Tahutha stepped through the hatch with an armed guard. Aeryn had the distinct impression that Tahutha required no bodyguard, but procedure demanded it.

"Officer Sun, your orders have not changed." Aeryn nodded and waited as Tahutha turned to address the human. "You are the human…Crichton, I believe." Nervously, he swallowed and then mumbled something affirmative. "It is the determination of Peacekeeper High Command that you are to return to base with my team for your own safety. You will obey any commands given to you by Officer Sun or myself or any other Peacekeeper of rank so long as you are in our custody. None of your nonsense will be tolerated. That includes escape attempts. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, I got it." Tahutha nodded once to Aeryn before departing. Crichton dropped his head into his hands. Aeryn watched his body spasm slightly and was alarmed until she realized what he was doing. He's crying?

"What are you doing, Crichton?" Slowly, his head came up and he fixed her with red, blood-shot and teary eyes.

"You have to help me…please. For God's sake, you can't just let them cage me like an animal. I'm a man!" Aeryn watched his pitiful display only marginally moved by his pleas. "I can't live that way…how can you let them do this?"

"Those are the orders." His eyes narrowed to furious slits.

"AND THAT'S IT? So long as it's 'orders,' it's okay for them to treat me like a lab rat???" Aeryn shrugged.

"Captain Crais would have killed you. Do you not prefer life to torture?"

"This is torture…only now I get to have a lifetime of it!" His head felt so heavy, so he supported it once more with his hands. Playing her role of confidante was made easier by his pathetic helplessness; Aeryn sighed, taking a seat next to him, unsure of how to comfort him in a manner appropriate for her position.

"What would you have me do?" He obviously misunderstood her exasperated question to be one of invitation, one of agreement.

"Can't you get me out of here? You could tell them I was asleep, then I could take my ship…"

"Your ship is on the command carrier. We've already launched this transport. It is thousands of metras away." Despair fought hope in his face; hope won and he recalculated.

"Fine, then let me have some sort of escape pod…when they get where they're going, it'll be too late."

"It would mean the Living Death for me." Crichton seemed to genuinely be upset at that. For a brief second, she appreciated his concern. At least the thought of her death was no longer pleasant for him. If she were to continue being his escort and the inside spy for Intelligence into the human's bizarre behavior, such concern would need to exist. It was a step closer to making him trust her.

"Come with me." The offer was so bald and trusting that Aeryn could find no reply for a full twenty microts. The human was willing to take her with him so that his escape would not mean her death. *But he doesn't understand. I cannot leave my life here. I'd go crazy if I was not able to be a Peacekeeper.*

"No."

"Please? Please? I am begging you, Officer Sun. Don't let them do this." Aeryn shook her head.

"I cannot abandon my life for yours. I am sorry." His crestfallen look actually pained her; her compassionate gaze took little cunning or deceit to form.

"Get out." He looked away, his angry words hovering in the air. Aeryn felt some unknown emotion literally burning in her gut. Frustrated and hurt by his dismissal, she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at her.

"I cannot help you that way." He scowled, tears threatening to return. "But," she paused as his eyes roamed over her body, searching for a reason to keep hoping it would all be all right. "But I give you my oath as a Peacekeeper that for as long as I am your escort, I will see to it that you remain safe. It is all I can do for you." The human was crushed but appreciative; she had him on her side once more.

"Thank you," he muttered as she stood to sit on the bench across from him, allowing physical distance to provide him with the sensation of privacy. An arn later, he sprawled out on the bench and closed his eyes. His breathing grew regular and deep as he succumbed to sleep. Aeryn had witnessed him denying himself rest in order to be sharp in case the opportunity to escape presented itself.

Assured that she was the sole conscious being in the detainment cell, Aeryn shook her head, allowing herself her first moment of candid action since accepting the mission under the Intelligence captain. Crichton was her responsibility, a prisoner akin to a dignitary, but only in comparison to other prisoners. Poked, prodded, eventually dissected…Crichton had no future. Her promise to protect him amounted to little more than the assurance that his life would never be compromised. If she could even achieve that much, it would be considerable indeed. A bitter taste of shame assaulted her.

Finally, she let the mask crack. The same behavior in him that had surprised her was stealing over her calm, Peacekeeper façade. As she watched Crichton shiver in his turbulent sleep, for no reason she could or would identify, Aeryn began to cry.

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

Captain Alyrin Tahutha stretched out in her seat. Her quarters, as ship's commander, were the largest, but she still longed for the expansive living suite of the planet-based quarters that were arranged for Intelligence officers of her rank. If asked to describe her official title, words were inadequate. Officers' Training Corps were mandatory, and most Intelligence officers were recruited from that program.

Others were selected by genetic testing for intellect and cunning; Alyrin had been one of those. Adding to natural gifts through perpetual study and observation, she was the model of everything Peacekeeper and the best Intelligence officer to be had. High Command knew this, thus granting her the unique status of the only field operative holding a rank above that of colonel.

Which also explained why High Command was going to accept her recommendation to have Aeryn Sun placed under her tutelage and formally assigned to the role of Crichton's escort for the rest of his containment. High Command would never refuse its best operative, the 'captain' of Intelligence who had yet to lose a man or a mission. They would agree to whatever Alyrin 'Tahutha' suggested, even if keeping Aeryn under her wing was a violation of several policies.

*After all, Crais kept his brother near him always.*

That thought reassured her. Intelligence needed someone in Aeryn's place. From her keen observations, Alyrin knew that Crichton would never trust any other Peacekeeper thrust into the role of escort, no matter what he or she did. Aeryn was in the right place at a crucial time to earn the strange creature's trust and respect, and she had proven herself worthy of it. High Command would have to simmer in silence about her recruitment of Aeryn Sun. With time, Alyrin felt confident Aeryn would become an Intelligence operative to rival herself. So, High Command and Intelligence Directors would all have to listen to her. She smiled knowingly.

There could be no doubt.

They would listen to Alyrin Sun.

The End