Part 3
"So, let me get this straight," Crichton said, looking at Crais as if he'd grown an extra head. "You want...to take my wife, my *pregnant* wife - and this guy - and go off on a wild goose chase to find Tauvo - who is supposed to be dead?"
"John, it is my decision to go with them. Tauvo contacted me," Aeryn said firmly.
"I didn't even know that you knew him!" Crichton exclaimed, rather less than thrilled with the whole plan.
"I didn't think it would make you feel any better to know that we were friends."
"Just...friends?"
Aeryn groaned inwardly, knowing where this would lead. "We were once recreational partners..."
"What?!" Crais, Crichton and Senva exclaimed in unison. Aeryn's lips thinned in anger.
"...but that was a long time ago and neither of us ever felt anything significant for the other. We became friends long before you ever came to the carrier," Aeryn finished, looking at Senva.
"Why are you telling him?" Crichton asked, still wondering who this guy was.
"Tauvo and he were lovers when Tauvo defected," Aeryn replied.
Crichton stared at her, then at Senva, then at Crais. "Lovers? As in...?"
"Are you aware of any other meaning of the word?" Crais snapped.
"This is the thing you didn't want to tell me," Crichton said, realisation dawning.
"Yes," Crais said stiffly, "but now you know. It does not alter our intentions."
"Aeryn," Crichton said softly, moving closer to speak only to her. "It's too dangerous for you to do this right now."
"I will take every precaution," Aeryn answered, just as softly. "If Tauvo is where he said he would be, it will not take long to find him and Crais will protect me if need be."
"Yeah, I know, but...."
"John...I have to go. If Tauvo is alive we must find him and I must be there."
Crichton dropped his gaze, seeing that Aeryn would not be dissuaded. "Yeah, okay. Just...don't do anything stupid."
"That's your department, John," Aeryn said, giving him a sideways look.
"Yeah," Crichton said quietly, not bothering to argue, "so don't do anything I would do."
Crichton looked up and raised his voice again. "Fine, go. It's insane, but go. Crais, what do we do with you gone?"
"You and Lt. Hals will take over command. If anything unexpected occurs, you will contact me...immediately," Crais answered, stressing the last word.
"Who will be in overall command?"
Crais paused. "You will be."
Crichton smiled.
"But I expect you to consult Lt. Hals at all times and agree with her on a course of action whenever possible. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Captain," Crichton said slowly.
Crais turned to Aeryn and Senva. "I suggest we do not waste anymore time."
Aeryn turned to Crichton after the others had left the room. Crichton looked back at her.
"Never say goodbye," he said softly, tipping her chin up for a kiss.
***
"Captain Crichton," Laynie said, glancing quickly up from her work.
"Hey," Crichton said, looking at Laynie. "I...wanted to confess something."
"What?" Laynie asked, moving across to another console.
"I know about you and Crais."
Work stopped.
"Don't tell me he actually told someone?" A slight note of bitterness.
"Not exactly. I kind of...tricked him into telling me."
A nod of acceptance.
"And I know about the baby. That Crais did tell me."
"So you know how fahrbot I am."
"You're not the kind of woman I pictured Crais falling for," Crichton said, honestly.
"Falling for?" Laynie laughed cynically. "I hadn't noticed that myself. He wants it both ways and I don't. I should have stopped it long ago...and what am I supposed to do now? Do you think that Bialar is the type of man I thought I would want?"
"No."
"Well, I do. I want him. I'm pregnant with his child and I want him to acknowledge that. But I want the family life...like you and Aeryn have." She shook her head. "And I don't know if I will ever get that with him."
"I'm trying to talk sense into him," Crichton said, understanding her point of view only too well.
"It will take more than a few words," Laynie said, looking down. "Nothing short of a miracle will do it."
Crichton looked seriously at her. "You might get that."
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking back up at him.
"Crais left an arn ago. With Aeryn and this other guy. They're trying to find Tauvo."
"Bialar's brother?" Laynie asked in confusion. "I thought he was dead."
"Yeah well," Crichton answered, "we all did. Aeryn got a message supposedly from him and they've all gone off to find him. I figured...while they're gone...we can keep each other company."
"You're worried about it," Laynie said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I'm worried. Crais and Aeryn...going off together. That's always meant bad news for me."
"You mean...." Laynie broke off, looking vaguely nauseous at the thought.
Crichton shook his head. "I thought...at one time...he had a thing for her. I don't really believe that he would try anything now. Plus, with you and all.... I'm more worried about Aeryn being hurt...or the baby."
He gave himself a shake, trying to dislodge those thoughts. "What about you? How are you getting on with Bialar junior?"
Laynie smiled slightly. "The child is female," she said softly.
Crichton broke into a grin. "I love girls," he said happily. "Still hoping for a Crichton III this time, though. So, Laynie junior then?"
She bit her lip. "Alyssa."
"Cute name. Family?"
"My mother."
"You feeling okay?"
She gave a wry smile. "Terrible, but at least now I can sympathise with my pregnant patients better. I always thought they were exaggerating."
Crichton feigned horror. "You mean Aeryn's actually serious when she says she'll cut off my mivonks if this happens a third time?"
"Well, I couldn't guarantee it," Laynie answered, managing a chuckle. "But I wouldn't advise taking the risk."
***
Aeryn looked down, not sure how to answer Crais' question. "My...most enduring memory of your brother...is of one night in the officer's lounge. Our unit had just returned from a long battle and we were all celebrating. Tauvo was...thoroughly drunk," she said, shooting a sideways glance at Crais, "and singing a very loud version of the fifteenth battle march...with slightly altered words."
Crais searched his memory for the lyrics of this particular song, ran them through his head and suppressed a chuckle.
"He was never the most serious of Peacekeepers," Aeryn said. "I think...that maybe I gravitated towards him because he had the memories of a family life that I wanted...with some part of myself. Although I did not always value him as much as I should have."
"He...must have trusted you with his life," Crais said, looking over at her.
Aeryn pursed her lips, considering this. "He...was always willing to take risks," she answered. "That must be the only thing you had in common. In all other ways, he was...your opposite."
"Perhaps if we had never been conscripted, we would not have been so different," Crais said slowly.
"Maybe."
Crais paused. "I...am having trouble accepting...what Officer Senva has told me."
"I had no idea until Tauvo told me," Aeryn replied honestly, "and that was only three weekens before he was forced to defect. I...knew that they were friends, but.... I think Tauvo was more cautious in that than in any other part of his life...because he knew what would happen to you if it was found out."
"He did more for me than I did for him," Crais said quietly, the old feelings of guilt rising up again.
"That's funny," Aeryn said, biting her lip. "He always thought you did too much. He never cared to be anything more than one of us."
"I became so...obsessed with rising through the ranks. I told myself that I was doing it to protect him. But, in doing that, I lost touch with who he really was."
"It was a long time ago, Crais, we've all made mistakes. Tauvo never had any doubt that you cared for him," Aeryn said, looking seriously at him. "It was the one thing I always envied about him."
Crais was silent. Aeryn pulled herself to her feet, standing for a moment looking out of Talyn's viewscreen. She gently placed a hand on Crais' shoulder. He looked back at her, then at her hand and the bonding tattoo on the back of it and then back to the viewscreen.
"Whether or not we find him, Crais," Aeryn said softly. "You had family who loved you. That is something I have always wanted."
Her boot heels clicked on the floor as she left the room, leaving Crais alone with his thoughts.
***
Crichton had been in command exactly three arns and eight hundred microts when unexpected event number one occurred.
"Drunk and disorderly?" he repeated. Then, in a tone of complete and utter disbelief, "*Braca*?"
Then, moving past disbelief into horrified shock. "He tried to *what*?!"
"He held a pulse pistol to his head and threatened to take his own life, sir. Fortunately, he didn't have the motor skills to operate it."
Crichton leant back in his chair, his face white. "Jesus Maxwell Christ," he said weakly. "Where is he now?"
"The holding cells on tier three, sir."
Crichton stared in space, unable to believe what he was hearing. He knew Braca was refusing to settle, but he'd never thought.... This had to be some kind of sick joke.
"I'll...go down there and speak to him," he said, trying to maintain some kind of composure.
Lt. Hals nodded quickly and left, leaving Crichton feeling more unsettled than he had in a long time.
***
"The chances of finding him on a planet of this size are minuscule," Crais said as they entered the space dock.
"The co-ordinates I received ended with a sequence of numbers not related to the planet's position. I believe that they are a clue. If I can find a map of this planet, I may be able to at least determine which area we should begin looking in," Aeryn replied.
Crais stopped walking. "You did not mention this before."
"I'm mentioning it now, Crais."
It was such a Crichton-like statement that Crais' fists clenched involuntarily. "Where do you intend to locate a map?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
"I'd imagine that we can acquire one for a small amount of currency. Many travellers must come through here. It is a pleasure planet, after all."
Crais spun on his heel, leaving Aeryn and Senva to follow him. He headed to the one place long experience had taught him was always the font of knowledge in these places.
The bar.
***
Crichton sat down quietly against the wall opposite Braca's cell as soon as the officers guarding him had gone. He was struck by the feeling of deja vu, but last time he had sat outside Crais' cell and opened his heart to the man who had pursued him relentlessly for a cycle. This was different. He'd brought Braca here, he'd made himself responsible for him. Which meant that this was his fault. Damn, he hated it when he screwed up.
Braca had obviously moved past the loud stage of being drunk and had entered the melancholy stage. He was sitting on the floor, with his back to Crichton. Crichton wasn't even sure if he knew that he had company.
"Why d'you do it?" he asked simply.
"I will not be a traitor. I am a Peacekeeper for life," Braca said, his voice flat and expressionless. He didn't turn round.
"So you're gonna kill yourself instead?" Crichton asked, his eyes boring holes in Braca's back.
"It is better than to live to become contaminated like you."
Crichton thumped his fist down on the floor, sitting up straight. "Goddammit Braca! Will you just stop acting like you can't think for yourself?! You served Scorpius for over two cycles and survived, that's gotta mean that there's a brain under that thick skull. Will you start using it and realise that I haven't brought you into hell?"
"I will not stay here!" Braca exclaimed, now turning to face Crichton and letting the expression return to his voice. "You let me go Crichton or I will do this again!"
"You're drunk, Braca," Crichton said matter-of-factly. "And I'm guessing that you've never been drunk before. Because career officers don't do that, do they?"
No answer.
"Which means that you've already done one new thing...and that you really don't know how to handle your drink. Besides, here's the deal: I can't let you go, you know too much already. If you want to kill yourself, that's fine, but I'm not going to let you do it under my command. You're going to be staying here, under twenty-six arn suicide watch and I'm going to get someone to talk to you until you realise just how frelling stupid you're being."
No answer.
"At least you remember how to take orders."
***
"I've established his rough location. It's a city about four-hundred metras away. We should investigate transport," Aeryn said, moving back to join Crais and Senva.
"Excellent, Lieutenant," Crais said, rising to join her. "Let us hope...that the rest of the journey will be as easily managed."
***
"Captain...Doctor Plasa is suggesting anti-depressants. What is your opinion?"
Crichton shook his head. "He's not depressed," he said, definitely. "He's just stubborn. He doesn't need drugs, he needs a good kick up the eema."
Laynie raised an eyebrow. "Your methods are a little unorthodox, but I do agree with your assessment. He doesn't require medical treatment."
"He just...I didn't think how hard it would be to get him to stop thinking like a Peacekeeper," Crichton said, leaning on his elbow. "I mean, I guess Aeryn took time but she had the thing with her mother and she wasn't a senior officer. Braca...he can't start thinking like a renegade."
"He's not one," Laynie pointed out, sympathetically. "He didn't choose to leave, that marks him out from everyone else here."
"It's like releasing an animal who's been in captivity back into the wild and finding that it doesn't have the skills to survive," Crichton said, running a hand over his forehead.
"Except that he can be taught those skills," Laynie answered. "With time...and patience...and support."
"I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision."
"Why *did* you bring him here?" Laynie asked. "I've never understood it."
"My neither," Crichton said, taking a deep breath. "I just...he can be a snivelling little weasel, but I think there's potential. He could be useful to us, if he can just shake himself up a bit. I mean, second-in- command is a hazardous position, especially with Scorpius. He can think ahead, plan, adapt to new commanders. If he can just re-apply those skills here.... I was mad, basically."
Laynie gave a wry smile. "That makes two of us."
***
"Aeryn, I suppose you now have a plan for locating Tauvo in this city," Crais said.
"If I know Tauvo - and if it is him - he'll have given us a clue. Something that only Aeryn would recognise," Senva added, squinting in the bright light.
"Agreed," Aeryn said, sitting down on a nearby wall. "The question is, what?"
"We should find accommodation first," Crais pointed out. "We may be here for some time."
Aeryn paused a moment. "Senva, do you still have the list we were given at the space port?"
Senva produced it from his pack after a brief search. Aeryn immediately began scanning it, apparently looking for something.
"Aeryn?" Crais said, then tried again when he got no response. "Aeryn, what are you looking for?"
Aeryn ignored him, then stopped and looked up. "That," she said, her finger indicating a name on the list.
Crais and Senva looked. "Killian Towers," Crais read. "Would you care to explain?"
"Tauvo's wingmate when I met him was named Killia. That's where he is."
"I am beginning to think that he is having fun at our expense," Crais commented dryly.
Senva smiled for possibly the first time in Crais' presence. "That sounds like Tauvo."
***
Unexpected event two happened precisely one solar day and five arns after unexpected event one.
"What?" Crichton asked, staring at Captain Lisac, head of their secondary base, on the screen in front of him.
"We have a civilian here who is asking to be put in contact with Captain Crais."
"They can't, he's not here, why in all hezmana has a civilian tried to track down the resistance?"
"She doesn't seem that interested in the resistance, Captain," Lisac answered formally. "Only in Captain Crais."
Crichton raised an eyebrow. "Old girlfriend?" he asked.
"No."
Damn, Lisac had no sense of humour.
"She claims to be his mother."
***
"We'd like a room," Aeryn told the clerk.
The clerk looked up, then from Aeryn to Crais to Senva. "Just the one?" he asked, doing a creditable impression of Basil Fawlty. "For all three of you?"
"A large room," Aeryn said flatly, not prepared to argue. Getting separated was the last thing they needed. "And we are searching for someone we believe is staying here. A Tauvo Crais."
"We have no one by that name here at present," was the less-than- encouraging response.
"Are you certain?"
"Quite certain, madam. I have two rooms available. Number thirty-three with private facilities, or number fifteen without."
Aeryn paused. "Number fifteen," she said.
"Very well, madam," the clerk said, with no perceptible pause. "Here is your key. Top of the stairs on your right."
"Thank you."
"This better be another clue," Senva muttered.
They quickly ascended the staircase and came to a halt outside room fifteen. Aeryn, showing the first signs of apprehension, put her key in the lock and opened the door. The three of them stepped inside, all unconsciously holding their breath.
The room was large and airy, with huge bay windows at the far end and a window seat. Sitting on the window seat, legs crossed, was a man. The three of them stood side by side and stared at him.
He smiled. "Hello," Tauvo said simply. "It's nice to see you all again."
***
Crichton jaw was now hovering approximately three denches above the floor.
"You're Crais' *mother*?" he asked, staring at the woman standing in front of him. He'd had Captain Lisac do DNA tests, which had confirmed her identity already, but frell....
"Yes, I am Sayla Crais," she replied calmly.
Crichton blinked a couple of times and surreptitiously pinched himself on the leg. She didn't disappear, so it seemed safe to conclude that he wasn't hallucinating.
"You don't look old enough to have a son Crais' age," he said, still stunned. It wasn't flattery, just honest fact. She almost looked younger than Crais, for frell's sake!
"I was only sixteen cycles when he was born," she said, smiling.
She was quite tall, with very long blond hair in a complicated braid down her back. Her eyes were blue. She looked absolutely nothing like Crais.
Crichton tried to gather himself. "You...don't look much like him," he said.
"He and Tauvo both took after their father."
Of course, he knew that, he'd seen it in Maldis' castle all those cycles ago.
"Where is my son?" she asked, not beating about the bush anymore.
"He's not here just now, he's...on a mission," Crichton said, deciding that it might be best not to reveal what they were looking for.
"When will he return?"
"A weeken, maybe two. Hopefully sooner rather than later since my wife is with him," Crichton answered.
"Your wife?" An eyebrow was raised.
"She is involved with the project," Crichton said, his tone warning her not to hint at any more.
"Of course. And will you allow me to wait here?" Sayla said, smoothly changing the subject.
"I'll assign you some quarters," Crichton said, still not quite sure that this was for real.
"Thank you," Sayla answered, giving him a thoroughly winning smile.
"You're welcome," Crichton replied quickly.
As they walked down the corridor he began to chant to himself. Crais' mother. Crais' mother. Mother. Mother.
***
Crais, Aeryn and Senva stood, each suddenly utterly unsure of what to do. Tauvo unfolded his long legs and stood up, moving across the room in a few strides and coming to stand in front of the group.
"Bialar, Aeryn, Jian," he said, meeting each pair of eyes in turn. "Having taken the trouble to find me, I would have expected that you would intend to talk to me."
In the end, it was Senva who broke the stale mate first, moving forward the few denches necessary to wrap Tauvo in his embrace. Tauvo held him tightly, closing his eyes and murmuring something that both Crais and Aeryn tried very hard not to hear. After a few microts, Tauvo self-consciously broke the embrace and greeted Aeryn and Crais in kind. Aeryn returned his hug warmly, Crais a little awkwardly, but the feeling was there.
"Well," Tauvo said finally. "Where should I begin?"
"Where have you been for the last thirteen cycles?" Crais asked, breaking his silence. "Why did you not contact me?"
"Once I defected I was forced to flee as deep into the uncharted territories as I could," Tauvo said, meeting his brother's eyes. "I only discovered a few monens ago that you were no longer a Peacekeeper and leading the resistance. When you were, I could not have risked making contact and you know that."
"Why did you contact Lt. Sun if you knew that I was in command?" Crais demanded.
Tauvo smiled. "Lieutenant? Congratulations," he said warmly to Aeryn. "I contacted Aeryn because she was the only one who knew I had defected. Only she would have believed that my message could be genuine."
"What have you been doing all this time?" Aeryn asked, restating Crais' earlier question.
"Whatever I had to do. Some things that I'm proud of, some that I'm not. Working to earn my keep wherever I was, manual labour for the most part."
That did explain the changes in his physique, Crais decided. Tauvo had never been lacking in muscles, but he'd bulked up quite a bit. He looked fit and healthy, unlike many of the defectors Crais had encountered whilst working for the resistance.
"What do you intend to do now?" Crais asked, bluntly.
"I was hoping that you might have a job for me," Tauvo said, regarding him thoughtfully. "I still know how to fly and I haven't forgotten everything I learnt as a Peacekeeper. I want to be of use to the resistance...and I'd like to be with my family again."
Crais cleared his throat. "I am...certain that I can find a suitable position for you," he said. "We can leave immediately."
Tauvo shook his head. "If I know you at all brother, you will have been working far too hard. I'll show you around the city tomorrow and we can catch up on some of the last thirteen cycles. One day off won't kill you."
Crais was experiencing the strangest feeling of deja vu. Funny, he didn't remember his brother being quite so much like Crichton.
"Very well," he agreed. "Perhaps we can begin now."
Tauvo and Aeryn exchanged glances. "I think maybe we should explore on our own," Aeryn said.
"Jian and I have a few things to talk about," Tauvo agreed.
Aeryn opened the door and propelled Crais out with her. "I think perhaps we should hire a second room," she said, when the door had closed.
"Then we should inform them of that decision."
"Somehow," Aeryn said quickly. "I don't think they'll notice."
***
And then there was unexpected event number three.
Laynie Taan had her quarters right next to the medilab. It was her choice, she liked to be as close as possible. Her attitude to her work might not be obsessive in the same way Crais' was, but she knew herself to be a doctor twenty-six arns a day regardless of whether she was on duty or not. Medicine had always been her life, through her training, through her junior practice, through the miserable twenty cycles she had spent with the Peacekeepers, through the now twelve cycles she had used her skills for the resistance. If there was a medical emergency, she could be there almost immediately.
It was the early hours of the morning when she awoke from a nightmare about someone trying to drill a hole through her stomach only to realise that the pain was real. She curled into a foetal position as the gut-wrenching cramps almost made her black out. Just managing to reach her comms on her bedside table, she hit them.
"Doctor Kelna," she gasped into them. Then, as a desperate afterthought, "Captain Crichton, I...need your help. In my quarters. Now."
She cried out as another wave of pain hit. "Help me," she whispered. "Please help me."
"So, let me get this straight," Crichton said, looking at Crais as if he'd grown an extra head. "You want...to take my wife, my *pregnant* wife - and this guy - and go off on a wild goose chase to find Tauvo - who is supposed to be dead?"
"John, it is my decision to go with them. Tauvo contacted me," Aeryn said firmly.
"I didn't even know that you knew him!" Crichton exclaimed, rather less than thrilled with the whole plan.
"I didn't think it would make you feel any better to know that we were friends."
"Just...friends?"
Aeryn groaned inwardly, knowing where this would lead. "We were once recreational partners..."
"What?!" Crais, Crichton and Senva exclaimed in unison. Aeryn's lips thinned in anger.
"...but that was a long time ago and neither of us ever felt anything significant for the other. We became friends long before you ever came to the carrier," Aeryn finished, looking at Senva.
"Why are you telling him?" Crichton asked, still wondering who this guy was.
"Tauvo and he were lovers when Tauvo defected," Aeryn replied.
Crichton stared at her, then at Senva, then at Crais. "Lovers? As in...?"
"Are you aware of any other meaning of the word?" Crais snapped.
"This is the thing you didn't want to tell me," Crichton said, realisation dawning.
"Yes," Crais said stiffly, "but now you know. It does not alter our intentions."
"Aeryn," Crichton said softly, moving closer to speak only to her. "It's too dangerous for you to do this right now."
"I will take every precaution," Aeryn answered, just as softly. "If Tauvo is where he said he would be, it will not take long to find him and Crais will protect me if need be."
"Yeah, I know, but...."
"John...I have to go. If Tauvo is alive we must find him and I must be there."
Crichton dropped his gaze, seeing that Aeryn would not be dissuaded. "Yeah, okay. Just...don't do anything stupid."
"That's your department, John," Aeryn said, giving him a sideways look.
"Yeah," Crichton said quietly, not bothering to argue, "so don't do anything I would do."
Crichton looked up and raised his voice again. "Fine, go. It's insane, but go. Crais, what do we do with you gone?"
"You and Lt. Hals will take over command. If anything unexpected occurs, you will contact me...immediately," Crais answered, stressing the last word.
"Who will be in overall command?"
Crais paused. "You will be."
Crichton smiled.
"But I expect you to consult Lt. Hals at all times and agree with her on a course of action whenever possible. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Captain," Crichton said slowly.
Crais turned to Aeryn and Senva. "I suggest we do not waste anymore time."
Aeryn turned to Crichton after the others had left the room. Crichton looked back at her.
"Never say goodbye," he said softly, tipping her chin up for a kiss.
***
"Captain Crichton," Laynie said, glancing quickly up from her work.
"Hey," Crichton said, looking at Laynie. "I...wanted to confess something."
"What?" Laynie asked, moving across to another console.
"I know about you and Crais."
Work stopped.
"Don't tell me he actually told someone?" A slight note of bitterness.
"Not exactly. I kind of...tricked him into telling me."
A nod of acceptance.
"And I know about the baby. That Crais did tell me."
"So you know how fahrbot I am."
"You're not the kind of woman I pictured Crais falling for," Crichton said, honestly.
"Falling for?" Laynie laughed cynically. "I hadn't noticed that myself. He wants it both ways and I don't. I should have stopped it long ago...and what am I supposed to do now? Do you think that Bialar is the type of man I thought I would want?"
"No."
"Well, I do. I want him. I'm pregnant with his child and I want him to acknowledge that. But I want the family life...like you and Aeryn have." She shook her head. "And I don't know if I will ever get that with him."
"I'm trying to talk sense into him," Crichton said, understanding her point of view only too well.
"It will take more than a few words," Laynie said, looking down. "Nothing short of a miracle will do it."
Crichton looked seriously at her. "You might get that."
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking back up at him.
"Crais left an arn ago. With Aeryn and this other guy. They're trying to find Tauvo."
"Bialar's brother?" Laynie asked in confusion. "I thought he was dead."
"Yeah well," Crichton answered, "we all did. Aeryn got a message supposedly from him and they've all gone off to find him. I figured...while they're gone...we can keep each other company."
"You're worried about it," Laynie said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I'm worried. Crais and Aeryn...going off together. That's always meant bad news for me."
"You mean...." Laynie broke off, looking vaguely nauseous at the thought.
Crichton shook his head. "I thought...at one time...he had a thing for her. I don't really believe that he would try anything now. Plus, with you and all.... I'm more worried about Aeryn being hurt...or the baby."
He gave himself a shake, trying to dislodge those thoughts. "What about you? How are you getting on with Bialar junior?"
Laynie smiled slightly. "The child is female," she said softly.
Crichton broke into a grin. "I love girls," he said happily. "Still hoping for a Crichton III this time, though. So, Laynie junior then?"
She bit her lip. "Alyssa."
"Cute name. Family?"
"My mother."
"You feeling okay?"
She gave a wry smile. "Terrible, but at least now I can sympathise with my pregnant patients better. I always thought they were exaggerating."
Crichton feigned horror. "You mean Aeryn's actually serious when she says she'll cut off my mivonks if this happens a third time?"
"Well, I couldn't guarantee it," Laynie answered, managing a chuckle. "But I wouldn't advise taking the risk."
***
Aeryn looked down, not sure how to answer Crais' question. "My...most enduring memory of your brother...is of one night in the officer's lounge. Our unit had just returned from a long battle and we were all celebrating. Tauvo was...thoroughly drunk," she said, shooting a sideways glance at Crais, "and singing a very loud version of the fifteenth battle march...with slightly altered words."
Crais searched his memory for the lyrics of this particular song, ran them through his head and suppressed a chuckle.
"He was never the most serious of Peacekeepers," Aeryn said. "I think...that maybe I gravitated towards him because he had the memories of a family life that I wanted...with some part of myself. Although I did not always value him as much as I should have."
"He...must have trusted you with his life," Crais said, looking over at her.
Aeryn pursed her lips, considering this. "He...was always willing to take risks," she answered. "That must be the only thing you had in common. In all other ways, he was...your opposite."
"Perhaps if we had never been conscripted, we would not have been so different," Crais said slowly.
"Maybe."
Crais paused. "I...am having trouble accepting...what Officer Senva has told me."
"I had no idea until Tauvo told me," Aeryn replied honestly, "and that was only three weekens before he was forced to defect. I...knew that they were friends, but.... I think Tauvo was more cautious in that than in any other part of his life...because he knew what would happen to you if it was found out."
"He did more for me than I did for him," Crais said quietly, the old feelings of guilt rising up again.
"That's funny," Aeryn said, biting her lip. "He always thought you did too much. He never cared to be anything more than one of us."
"I became so...obsessed with rising through the ranks. I told myself that I was doing it to protect him. But, in doing that, I lost touch with who he really was."
"It was a long time ago, Crais, we've all made mistakes. Tauvo never had any doubt that you cared for him," Aeryn said, looking seriously at him. "It was the one thing I always envied about him."
Crais was silent. Aeryn pulled herself to her feet, standing for a moment looking out of Talyn's viewscreen. She gently placed a hand on Crais' shoulder. He looked back at her, then at her hand and the bonding tattoo on the back of it and then back to the viewscreen.
"Whether or not we find him, Crais," Aeryn said softly. "You had family who loved you. That is something I have always wanted."
Her boot heels clicked on the floor as she left the room, leaving Crais alone with his thoughts.
***
Crichton had been in command exactly three arns and eight hundred microts when unexpected event number one occurred.
"Drunk and disorderly?" he repeated. Then, in a tone of complete and utter disbelief, "*Braca*?"
Then, moving past disbelief into horrified shock. "He tried to *what*?!"
"He held a pulse pistol to his head and threatened to take his own life, sir. Fortunately, he didn't have the motor skills to operate it."
Crichton leant back in his chair, his face white. "Jesus Maxwell Christ," he said weakly. "Where is he now?"
"The holding cells on tier three, sir."
Crichton stared in space, unable to believe what he was hearing. He knew Braca was refusing to settle, but he'd never thought.... This had to be some kind of sick joke.
"I'll...go down there and speak to him," he said, trying to maintain some kind of composure.
Lt. Hals nodded quickly and left, leaving Crichton feeling more unsettled than he had in a long time.
***
"The chances of finding him on a planet of this size are minuscule," Crais said as they entered the space dock.
"The co-ordinates I received ended with a sequence of numbers not related to the planet's position. I believe that they are a clue. If I can find a map of this planet, I may be able to at least determine which area we should begin looking in," Aeryn replied.
Crais stopped walking. "You did not mention this before."
"I'm mentioning it now, Crais."
It was such a Crichton-like statement that Crais' fists clenched involuntarily. "Where do you intend to locate a map?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.
"I'd imagine that we can acquire one for a small amount of currency. Many travellers must come through here. It is a pleasure planet, after all."
Crais spun on his heel, leaving Aeryn and Senva to follow him. He headed to the one place long experience had taught him was always the font of knowledge in these places.
The bar.
***
Crichton sat down quietly against the wall opposite Braca's cell as soon as the officers guarding him had gone. He was struck by the feeling of deja vu, but last time he had sat outside Crais' cell and opened his heart to the man who had pursued him relentlessly for a cycle. This was different. He'd brought Braca here, he'd made himself responsible for him. Which meant that this was his fault. Damn, he hated it when he screwed up.
Braca had obviously moved past the loud stage of being drunk and had entered the melancholy stage. He was sitting on the floor, with his back to Crichton. Crichton wasn't even sure if he knew that he had company.
"Why d'you do it?" he asked simply.
"I will not be a traitor. I am a Peacekeeper for life," Braca said, his voice flat and expressionless. He didn't turn round.
"So you're gonna kill yourself instead?" Crichton asked, his eyes boring holes in Braca's back.
"It is better than to live to become contaminated like you."
Crichton thumped his fist down on the floor, sitting up straight. "Goddammit Braca! Will you just stop acting like you can't think for yourself?! You served Scorpius for over two cycles and survived, that's gotta mean that there's a brain under that thick skull. Will you start using it and realise that I haven't brought you into hell?"
"I will not stay here!" Braca exclaimed, now turning to face Crichton and letting the expression return to his voice. "You let me go Crichton or I will do this again!"
"You're drunk, Braca," Crichton said matter-of-factly. "And I'm guessing that you've never been drunk before. Because career officers don't do that, do they?"
No answer.
"Which means that you've already done one new thing...and that you really don't know how to handle your drink. Besides, here's the deal: I can't let you go, you know too much already. If you want to kill yourself, that's fine, but I'm not going to let you do it under my command. You're going to be staying here, under twenty-six arn suicide watch and I'm going to get someone to talk to you until you realise just how frelling stupid you're being."
No answer.
"At least you remember how to take orders."
***
"I've established his rough location. It's a city about four-hundred metras away. We should investigate transport," Aeryn said, moving back to join Crais and Senva.
"Excellent, Lieutenant," Crais said, rising to join her. "Let us hope...that the rest of the journey will be as easily managed."
***
"Captain...Doctor Plasa is suggesting anti-depressants. What is your opinion?"
Crichton shook his head. "He's not depressed," he said, definitely. "He's just stubborn. He doesn't need drugs, he needs a good kick up the eema."
Laynie raised an eyebrow. "Your methods are a little unorthodox, but I do agree with your assessment. He doesn't require medical treatment."
"He just...I didn't think how hard it would be to get him to stop thinking like a Peacekeeper," Crichton said, leaning on his elbow. "I mean, I guess Aeryn took time but she had the thing with her mother and she wasn't a senior officer. Braca...he can't start thinking like a renegade."
"He's not one," Laynie pointed out, sympathetically. "He didn't choose to leave, that marks him out from everyone else here."
"It's like releasing an animal who's been in captivity back into the wild and finding that it doesn't have the skills to survive," Crichton said, running a hand over his forehead.
"Except that he can be taught those skills," Laynie answered. "With time...and patience...and support."
"I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision."
"Why *did* you bring him here?" Laynie asked. "I've never understood it."
"My neither," Crichton said, taking a deep breath. "I just...he can be a snivelling little weasel, but I think there's potential. He could be useful to us, if he can just shake himself up a bit. I mean, second-in- command is a hazardous position, especially with Scorpius. He can think ahead, plan, adapt to new commanders. If he can just re-apply those skills here.... I was mad, basically."
Laynie gave a wry smile. "That makes two of us."
***
"Aeryn, I suppose you now have a plan for locating Tauvo in this city," Crais said.
"If I know Tauvo - and if it is him - he'll have given us a clue. Something that only Aeryn would recognise," Senva added, squinting in the bright light.
"Agreed," Aeryn said, sitting down on a nearby wall. "The question is, what?"
"We should find accommodation first," Crais pointed out. "We may be here for some time."
Aeryn paused a moment. "Senva, do you still have the list we were given at the space port?"
Senva produced it from his pack after a brief search. Aeryn immediately began scanning it, apparently looking for something.
"Aeryn?" Crais said, then tried again when he got no response. "Aeryn, what are you looking for?"
Aeryn ignored him, then stopped and looked up. "That," she said, her finger indicating a name on the list.
Crais and Senva looked. "Killian Towers," Crais read. "Would you care to explain?"
"Tauvo's wingmate when I met him was named Killia. That's where he is."
"I am beginning to think that he is having fun at our expense," Crais commented dryly.
Senva smiled for possibly the first time in Crais' presence. "That sounds like Tauvo."
***
Unexpected event two happened precisely one solar day and five arns after unexpected event one.
"What?" Crichton asked, staring at Captain Lisac, head of their secondary base, on the screen in front of him.
"We have a civilian here who is asking to be put in contact with Captain Crais."
"They can't, he's not here, why in all hezmana has a civilian tried to track down the resistance?"
"She doesn't seem that interested in the resistance, Captain," Lisac answered formally. "Only in Captain Crais."
Crichton raised an eyebrow. "Old girlfriend?" he asked.
"No."
Damn, Lisac had no sense of humour.
"She claims to be his mother."
***
"We'd like a room," Aeryn told the clerk.
The clerk looked up, then from Aeryn to Crais to Senva. "Just the one?" he asked, doing a creditable impression of Basil Fawlty. "For all three of you?"
"A large room," Aeryn said flatly, not prepared to argue. Getting separated was the last thing they needed. "And we are searching for someone we believe is staying here. A Tauvo Crais."
"We have no one by that name here at present," was the less-than- encouraging response.
"Are you certain?"
"Quite certain, madam. I have two rooms available. Number thirty-three with private facilities, or number fifteen without."
Aeryn paused. "Number fifteen," she said.
"Very well, madam," the clerk said, with no perceptible pause. "Here is your key. Top of the stairs on your right."
"Thank you."
"This better be another clue," Senva muttered.
They quickly ascended the staircase and came to a halt outside room fifteen. Aeryn, showing the first signs of apprehension, put her key in the lock and opened the door. The three of them stepped inside, all unconsciously holding their breath.
The room was large and airy, with huge bay windows at the far end and a window seat. Sitting on the window seat, legs crossed, was a man. The three of them stood side by side and stared at him.
He smiled. "Hello," Tauvo said simply. "It's nice to see you all again."
***
Crichton jaw was now hovering approximately three denches above the floor.
"You're Crais' *mother*?" he asked, staring at the woman standing in front of him. He'd had Captain Lisac do DNA tests, which had confirmed her identity already, but frell....
"Yes, I am Sayla Crais," she replied calmly.
Crichton blinked a couple of times and surreptitiously pinched himself on the leg. She didn't disappear, so it seemed safe to conclude that he wasn't hallucinating.
"You don't look old enough to have a son Crais' age," he said, still stunned. It wasn't flattery, just honest fact. She almost looked younger than Crais, for frell's sake!
"I was only sixteen cycles when he was born," she said, smiling.
She was quite tall, with very long blond hair in a complicated braid down her back. Her eyes were blue. She looked absolutely nothing like Crais.
Crichton tried to gather himself. "You...don't look much like him," he said.
"He and Tauvo both took after their father."
Of course, he knew that, he'd seen it in Maldis' castle all those cycles ago.
"Where is my son?" she asked, not beating about the bush anymore.
"He's not here just now, he's...on a mission," Crichton said, deciding that it might be best not to reveal what they were looking for.
"When will he return?"
"A weeken, maybe two. Hopefully sooner rather than later since my wife is with him," Crichton answered.
"Your wife?" An eyebrow was raised.
"She is involved with the project," Crichton said, his tone warning her not to hint at any more.
"Of course. And will you allow me to wait here?" Sayla said, smoothly changing the subject.
"I'll assign you some quarters," Crichton said, still not quite sure that this was for real.
"Thank you," Sayla answered, giving him a thoroughly winning smile.
"You're welcome," Crichton replied quickly.
As they walked down the corridor he began to chant to himself. Crais' mother. Crais' mother. Mother. Mother.
***
Crais, Aeryn and Senva stood, each suddenly utterly unsure of what to do. Tauvo unfolded his long legs and stood up, moving across the room in a few strides and coming to stand in front of the group.
"Bialar, Aeryn, Jian," he said, meeting each pair of eyes in turn. "Having taken the trouble to find me, I would have expected that you would intend to talk to me."
In the end, it was Senva who broke the stale mate first, moving forward the few denches necessary to wrap Tauvo in his embrace. Tauvo held him tightly, closing his eyes and murmuring something that both Crais and Aeryn tried very hard not to hear. After a few microts, Tauvo self-consciously broke the embrace and greeted Aeryn and Crais in kind. Aeryn returned his hug warmly, Crais a little awkwardly, but the feeling was there.
"Well," Tauvo said finally. "Where should I begin?"
"Where have you been for the last thirteen cycles?" Crais asked, breaking his silence. "Why did you not contact me?"
"Once I defected I was forced to flee as deep into the uncharted territories as I could," Tauvo said, meeting his brother's eyes. "I only discovered a few monens ago that you were no longer a Peacekeeper and leading the resistance. When you were, I could not have risked making contact and you know that."
"Why did you contact Lt. Sun if you knew that I was in command?" Crais demanded.
Tauvo smiled. "Lieutenant? Congratulations," he said warmly to Aeryn. "I contacted Aeryn because she was the only one who knew I had defected. Only she would have believed that my message could be genuine."
"What have you been doing all this time?" Aeryn asked, restating Crais' earlier question.
"Whatever I had to do. Some things that I'm proud of, some that I'm not. Working to earn my keep wherever I was, manual labour for the most part."
That did explain the changes in his physique, Crais decided. Tauvo had never been lacking in muscles, but he'd bulked up quite a bit. He looked fit and healthy, unlike many of the defectors Crais had encountered whilst working for the resistance.
"What do you intend to do now?" Crais asked, bluntly.
"I was hoping that you might have a job for me," Tauvo said, regarding him thoughtfully. "I still know how to fly and I haven't forgotten everything I learnt as a Peacekeeper. I want to be of use to the resistance...and I'd like to be with my family again."
Crais cleared his throat. "I am...certain that I can find a suitable position for you," he said. "We can leave immediately."
Tauvo shook his head. "If I know you at all brother, you will have been working far too hard. I'll show you around the city tomorrow and we can catch up on some of the last thirteen cycles. One day off won't kill you."
Crais was experiencing the strangest feeling of deja vu. Funny, he didn't remember his brother being quite so much like Crichton.
"Very well," he agreed. "Perhaps we can begin now."
Tauvo and Aeryn exchanged glances. "I think maybe we should explore on our own," Aeryn said.
"Jian and I have a few things to talk about," Tauvo agreed.
Aeryn opened the door and propelled Crais out with her. "I think perhaps we should hire a second room," she said, when the door had closed.
"Then we should inform them of that decision."
"Somehow," Aeryn said quickly. "I don't think they'll notice."
***
And then there was unexpected event number three.
Laynie Taan had her quarters right next to the medilab. It was her choice, she liked to be as close as possible. Her attitude to her work might not be obsessive in the same way Crais' was, but she knew herself to be a doctor twenty-six arns a day regardless of whether she was on duty or not. Medicine had always been her life, through her training, through her junior practice, through the miserable twenty cycles she had spent with the Peacekeepers, through the now twelve cycles she had used her skills for the resistance. If there was a medical emergency, she could be there almost immediately.
It was the early hours of the morning when she awoke from a nightmare about someone trying to drill a hole through her stomach only to realise that the pain was real. She curled into a foetal position as the gut-wrenching cramps almost made her black out. Just managing to reach her comms on her bedside table, she hit them.
"Doctor Kelna," she gasped into them. Then, as a desperate afterthought, "Captain Crichton, I...need your help. In my quarters. Now."
She cried out as another wave of pain hit. "Help me," she whispered. "Please help me."