Chapter 4

"Good plan, good plan, good plan!" John muttered repetitively under his breath as he walked down the corridor to Scorpius and Sikozu's laboratory. There was something to be said about a plan when even the person who came up with it was doubting the outcome. But it was the only plan they had.

"Yo, Sputnik! How's the stun bomb coming?" He said as he entered the laboratory. Sikozu looked up from her work at the use of the nickname she despised.

"It is coming along well. It would be finished quicker however if you didn't interrupt!" Sikozu snapped angrily. John sighed.

"Well, we don't have long. Pilot confirmed that Aeryn has finished verifying the information I gave her, and is now beginning to gather supplies," He said. "Once the bomb is done, take it to the cell where Noranti is waiting to help you conceal it."

Sikozu nodded, then turned her back to John and resumed her work. John sighed again, and wandered off to check on Pilot, and to be sure all the other arrangements whee taken care of.

"Heya Pilot! How's everything going? " He asked with a smile as her approached pilots console. Pilot was deep in thought, his four arms moving precisely as they were needed, monitoring all of Moya's systems. When he heard John, he bowed his head in greeting and returned to his thoughts before answering.

"All the preparations have been made, Commander Crichton. Aeryn is currently on tier 18, moving towards her required position as we speak. Sikozu and Scorpius have completed their project, and it is in the cell, awaiting your activation. D'Argo and Chiana are in command, monitoring all comm. signals, and Rigel is in the access shaft above tier 14. The only thing left is for you to get Aeryn into position."

"Thanks Pilot. How are you and Moya? The last few days have been pretty difficult…" John reached up to pat Pilot's cheek.

"We are fine, Commander. Moya thanks you for your concern, and agrees with me when I say that we would do anything to assist you in getting Aeryn Sun back."

"Thank you Pilot. Wish me luck, knowing my plans, I'll need it."

"Good luck Commander Crichton."

John slowly walked through Moya until her reached Tier 14. When he was there, he tapped his comm. badge twice, as signal that he was in position. After he heard D'Argo, Rigel and Sikozu's signal, he strode forward, whistling. If Aeryn was taking the route Pilot suspected she would take, she should be able to hear him when she reached this tier. For now, He just had to wait.

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Rigel crawled along Tier 14's access shaft, following the sound of the human's whistling. He was not particularly happy with the arrangement, but it was better than having that peacekeeper tralk on the loose. Suddenly, he hard the mechanical whir of a DRD as it approached Crichton, beeping out the same tune as the human was whistling. Rigel gulped as he recognised Pilot's signal. Aeryn was on her way.

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"Aeryn! There you are! So, have you verified my explanation yet? Or are you still happy as a peacekeeper. You were back when I met you, but I knew there was something different about you. I knew you could be more," As he'd expected, John's words caused Aeryn to pause for a microt, before attacking John with the same moves she'd used in their sparing lessens over the last three and a half cycles, so John was used to them, and knew the counter moves.

"What do you want from me, you frelling human?" Aeryn said, as John knocked her to the ground, trapping he arms by her sides using an old move he learnt when he was training on Earth.

"I want to know if you want to remember the last three cycles. I want to know if you want to remember me, and everything I've been through, and everything the crew's been through, but most importantly, I want to know if you want to remember what you've been through." John paused, and Aeryn took the opportunity to try and throw him off, but he just re adjusted his weight and continued. "Just give it a chance Aeryn, try to remember. At least then you can make a decision about whether you are happy on Moya. About whether you are happy not being a peacekeeper. About whether you are happy to go back to murdering hundreds of innocent lives, like the lives of everyone onboard Moya, who have been chased from their homes, tracked through the uncharted territories, and who are hunted, even here in Tormented Space. Just Give your memory a chance!"

"I am born and bred a peacekeeper. I will always be a peacekeeper. You cannot change me" Aeryn said and threw John of her, not realising that he had planned that she would do that, and not noticing the access hatch she had rolled near.

"I have changed you Aeryn, and I am very sorry for what's about to happen." John said, getting to his feet. Aeryn looked puzzled for a microt, until John called out "Now Sparky!"

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"Now Sparky!" Rigel heard from his position in the access shaft, near the hatch.

"Why the yotz am I doing this? I am a Dominar!" He grumbled as he exited the shaft and approached Aeryn with the sedative in one hand. When she felt him inject her, Aeryn turned startled, and moved to grab the Hynerian but the concoction kicked in well before she had a chance to get to him.

"Next time, get a DRD! Rigel said to Crichton, before climbing on board his throne sled as it whirred down the corridor and hovered off.

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After Rigel had left, John lifted Aeryn's unconscious body into his arms with the same ease he had on the planet. She looked almost serene, with her eyes closed, and her lips turned up into a smile. The gash on her head from the falling rubble had almost completely healed, which once again reminded John that humans were inferior physically to Sebaceans.

When he reached the cell Aeryn was to awaking in, he found Noranti.

"NORANTI! What the frell are you doing here? Pilot said the bomb was in position, you were meant to have left already!" John yelled in a whisper, not wanting to wake Aeryn.

"Yes, well, I wanted to make sure that my sedative was not too strong. Chiana accident swallowed some after I finished making it, and she is still out cold." Noranti said, tilting her head to the side, as she checked Aeryn's pulse. "She's okay, she should be waking up soon."

"Right, thanks. Well, here goes," John said, as he places Aeryn against the cell wall, and slipped out of the cell, closing the door behind him. "Sink or swim."

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