Setting: Crais' final farewell during Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. I have used ~tildes~ to insert Talyn's thoughts.
Your comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading.
SOMETHING RADICAL
"Yes Talyn...I'm here."
Crais lowered himself onto the deck. There was little time to explain the situation or his plan. "No need to be afraid. Talyn, the firing mechanism on your cannon was taken by the Peacekeepers."
The hybrid reacted anxiously, as Crais had expected. "The rest have been captured. And Moya...Moya will soon be enslaved, unless we do something. Something radical. You and I...together."
The young Leviathan cried out, fearful, confused.
"We can destroy the Command Carrier and give the others a chance to escape; however, there is a price. If you initiate starbust here, within the Command Carrier, the seam between time and space will be improperly aligned, yet the energy surge will weaken and collapse the Carrier, giving Crichton, Aeryn...Moya the opportunity to flee."
~At what price?~
"I believe that we will be channeled through that seam into possibly another dimension, or even another time."
~We will survive?~
"Yes, I believe we will, although in a different actuality than the one we now know."
~And if I refuse?~
"Talyn, you must do this. You and I have no chance here. I do not believe that Scorpius intends to honor his agreement to release us. And now, without your weapons, you are at his mercy as well."
~How will we get back?~
"I am not sure that we can return, but they cannot follow us, of this I am certain. No matter, for they will believe we were destroyed. I have arranged to discharge a small portion of debris from your flight hangar." Crais brushed the deck fondly with his hand for a moment. "It may be better where we're going, or worse. There is no way to know."
~Can we tell the others?~
"No, there is no time. We must act now, Talyn. You *must* decide."
Crais listened and nodded. He leaned forward, eyes closed, for a moment resting his forehead against the cool, polished deck. He came quickly to one knee and stood as the systems flickered to life. Coat straightened, shoulders squared, he directed Talyn to open a comm channel.
"I am just making my final good-byes," he began in a strong, clear voice heard ship wide.
"Where are you, Crais?" Scorpius' growled in response.
"I am standing in your heart...and I am about to squeeze."
The lights on Talyn's bridge brightened as the hybrid powered up. The resulting energy surge drove back the squad of Peacekeepers who attempted to board him.
"You are the most repellant of creatures, Scorpius," Crais continued. "You weren't born into the Peacekeepers. You weren't conscripted against your will. You chose to be one."
"The last time I left...this ship...my ship...I did so under a veil of secrecy. *You* forced that situation. *You* took away my command. *You* stole my life from me. Well, this time Scorpius, I am not leaving quietly."
The carrier shuddered as Talyn hovered high above the deck of the docking bay, his energy levels at maximum power.
"Talyn...," Crais hesitated briefly as he awaited the hybrid's response. "Starburst."
# # #
It had felt no different from any other starburst. Oddly enough, according to the location vectors, their position had not even changed. In fact, nothing seemed to have changed, other than the fact they were now quite alone.
Within microts, he intercepted the first transmission meant for the Command Carrier from a Prowler squadron returning from patrol. The pilot was confused...the Carrier was not at its former coordinates, and neither was the Leviathan they called Moya.
Crais rechecked his calculations. They were without flaw; the seam had opened.
"Talyn, we must leave this quadrant immediately."
~But why... if they could not follow?~
"Do as I tell you. We will set course for the Hemeketa sector where we can have your weapons refitted. However, we must leave, quickly."
~Are Moya and the others safe now?~
He stared out the view screen at the vacant expanse of space where the Carrier had once been. The seam had opened, yet apparently the blast created by the pent up energy inside the confined hangar had thrown Talyn clear. Yet, the seam *had* opened.
"I'm sure they're fine, Talyn, but we must leave now. There are other ships in the area converging on this location. It would be best if we are not discovered."
Crais continued to gaze vacantly into the vast, black vista. It was likely that Peacekeeper High Command would blame the Carrier's disappearance on the Scarrans, although there were no Scarran ships within a solar day of this location. Perhaps Scorpius' experimentation itself might be laid blame for the loss. His and Talyn's disappearance would be but an insignificant part of the mystery. Finally, they were free.
It seemed his theory about the correlation between the channel of energy during starbust and the displacement of time and matter in wormholes was correct, with only one slight miscalculation. He wondered how long it would take either Crichton or Scorpius to figure it out, *if* they ever did. He ran his hands lightly along Talyn's systems control, head tilted in thought, brow cocked, and smiled.
Your comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading.
SOMETHING RADICAL
"Yes Talyn...I'm here."
Crais lowered himself onto the deck. There was little time to explain the situation or his plan. "No need to be afraid. Talyn, the firing mechanism on your cannon was taken by the Peacekeepers."
The hybrid reacted anxiously, as Crais had expected. "The rest have been captured. And Moya...Moya will soon be enslaved, unless we do something. Something radical. You and I...together."
The young Leviathan cried out, fearful, confused.
"We can destroy the Command Carrier and give the others a chance to escape; however, there is a price. If you initiate starbust here, within the Command Carrier, the seam between time and space will be improperly aligned, yet the energy surge will weaken and collapse the Carrier, giving Crichton, Aeryn...Moya the opportunity to flee."
~At what price?~
"I believe that we will be channeled through that seam into possibly another dimension, or even another time."
~We will survive?~
"Yes, I believe we will, although in a different actuality than the one we now know."
~And if I refuse?~
"Talyn, you must do this. You and I have no chance here. I do not believe that Scorpius intends to honor his agreement to release us. And now, without your weapons, you are at his mercy as well."
~How will we get back?~
"I am not sure that we can return, but they cannot follow us, of this I am certain. No matter, for they will believe we were destroyed. I have arranged to discharge a small portion of debris from your flight hangar." Crais brushed the deck fondly with his hand for a moment. "It may be better where we're going, or worse. There is no way to know."
~Can we tell the others?~
"No, there is no time. We must act now, Talyn. You *must* decide."
Crais listened and nodded. He leaned forward, eyes closed, for a moment resting his forehead against the cool, polished deck. He came quickly to one knee and stood as the systems flickered to life. Coat straightened, shoulders squared, he directed Talyn to open a comm channel.
"I am just making my final good-byes," he began in a strong, clear voice heard ship wide.
"Where are you, Crais?" Scorpius' growled in response.
"I am standing in your heart...and I am about to squeeze."
The lights on Talyn's bridge brightened as the hybrid powered up. The resulting energy surge drove back the squad of Peacekeepers who attempted to board him.
"You are the most repellant of creatures, Scorpius," Crais continued. "You weren't born into the Peacekeepers. You weren't conscripted against your will. You chose to be one."
"The last time I left...this ship...my ship...I did so under a veil of secrecy. *You* forced that situation. *You* took away my command. *You* stole my life from me. Well, this time Scorpius, I am not leaving quietly."
The carrier shuddered as Talyn hovered high above the deck of the docking bay, his energy levels at maximum power.
"Talyn...," Crais hesitated briefly as he awaited the hybrid's response. "Starburst."
# # #
It had felt no different from any other starburst. Oddly enough, according to the location vectors, their position had not even changed. In fact, nothing seemed to have changed, other than the fact they were now quite alone.
Within microts, he intercepted the first transmission meant for the Command Carrier from a Prowler squadron returning from patrol. The pilot was confused...the Carrier was not at its former coordinates, and neither was the Leviathan they called Moya.
Crais rechecked his calculations. They were without flaw; the seam had opened.
"Talyn, we must leave this quadrant immediately."
~But why... if they could not follow?~
"Do as I tell you. We will set course for the Hemeketa sector where we can have your weapons refitted. However, we must leave, quickly."
~Are Moya and the others safe now?~
He stared out the view screen at the vacant expanse of space where the Carrier had once been. The seam had opened, yet apparently the blast created by the pent up energy inside the confined hangar had thrown Talyn clear. Yet, the seam *had* opened.
"I'm sure they're fine, Talyn, but we must leave now. There are other ships in the area converging on this location. It would be best if we are not discovered."
Crais continued to gaze vacantly into the vast, black vista. It was likely that Peacekeeper High Command would blame the Carrier's disappearance on the Scarrans, although there were no Scarran ships within a solar day of this location. Perhaps Scorpius' experimentation itself might be laid blame for the loss. His and Talyn's disappearance would be but an insignificant part of the mystery. Finally, they were free.
It seemed his theory about the correlation between the channel of energy during starbust and the displacement of time and matter in wormholes was correct, with only one slight miscalculation. He wondered how long it would take either Crichton or Scorpius to figure it out, *if* they ever did. He ran his hands lightly along Talyn's systems control, head tilted in thought, brow cocked, and smiled.