Chiana and Nireese where having a mid-day meal break in Moya's Center Chamber when John and Aeryn strode in. Both Nebari women halted their repast in mid-bite as the couple appeared.
"Okay," said John, "We've agreed to hear out your plan and if it's feasible... we'll let you help."
Nireese looked at Chiana with a slight hint of satisfaction in her strange brown eyes, as if she knew the crew could reach no other conclusion but to hear her out.
"You should also know," put in Aeryn, "That if this is a trick or you betray us in anyway... you will not live to regret it."
The half-Nebari woman shrugged one shoulder in vague acceptance. "Of course. Neither Master Shenna nor myself would betray Berret or any of his crewmates. You have my word, we seek merely to help in recovering Berret."
John held her eyes for a moment and then nodded. "All right, but before we hear your plan, we want some straight answers first."
"As you wish," replied Nireese. "But shouldn't we wait for the rest of your group to join us?"
"We have been elected to represent Moya's crew in this... discussion," said Aeryn with a meaningful side-look at John. "We thought the fewer people asking questions at this time, the less confusion there would be."
"A wise decision," agreed the half-Nebari female.
"This has to be a first," muttered Chiana sarcastically.
Crichton got an annoyed look at the comment. "Pip, you wanna stay for this meeting... or do you wanna go?"
Chiana held up her hand in surrender to show that she would behave herself. She took another bite out of whatever the raw vegetable was she had been eating and settled back to listen in.
"Okay, first question," continued the human, "Why exactly did Berret go?"
"It is as Chiana guessed. He's gone to kill Arckatius," supplied Nireese.
"How do you know this?" asked Aeryn with narrowing suspicious eyes.
Nireese eased back in her seat and pushed her half finished plate out of her way. "Master Shenna has been watching Berret for a long time. He deducted that sooner or later that he would try to avenge himself on the Scarren and the Syndicate. It is in his nature."
"How has Shenna been keeping tabs on Berret?" John fired in next. Nireese looked momentarily lost.
"Tabs?" she asked with a puzzled look, "I don't understand the context of this word?"
"Tabs, meaning, how is he keeping track of Berret?" John explained.
"I don't know," answered Nireese.
"You don't know!" Aeryn said disbelievingly. "Or you won't tell us?"
Nireese sighed. "Master Shenna did not reveal his sources of information to me. And if he had, I doubt very much I would be allowed to reveal them to anyone else. You can be assured though, the Master's information is accurate."
Aeryn looked angry and Crichton appeared as if he were about to lose his temper also. Chiana broke in before either could explode.
"Do you know where he has gone?" she asked.
"Yes, Berret has gone to the planet Sa'van-nah on the fringes of the Scarren Imperium."
"Why?" demanded John.
"Because that is where Arckatius will be," Nireese answered as if it should have been obvious.
Crichton rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We've already figured that bit out! The question is... why are Berret and this Arckatius heading for Savannah?"
"Apologies," said Nireese. "It is pronounced 'Sa'van-nah. In Scarren it means 'worthless place'."
"Yeah, whatever. Get to the point," John insisted.
"Sa'van-nah is a world that none of the Syndicate Houses have laid claim to as part of their territory. It has no useful resources other then a market place and a few refreshment and rooming houses. It is mainly a place to transfer from ship to ship or wait to catch your next means of transport. It is also the perfect place to hold a summit meeting seeing none of the Houses have bothered to establish a foothold there. Neutral ground so to speak."
Nireese stopped to sip at a glass of water while John tapped a finger along one cheek as he thought.
"So for some reason, the Syndicate has called a parley at this place?" he asked.
Nireese looked confused again. "Parley?" she asked of no one in particular.
"It means a meeting between rivals or enemies to discuss something," Aeryn clarified.
"Why didn't he just say that?" Nireese asked.
"That's just Crichton. You'll get use to him," Chiana added. "So what are they meeting about?"
"There has been too much in-fighting among the Houses in the last few cycles, especially among the lower caste. The higher Houses decided that too much time, effort, and resources were being expended in petty conflicts. So they decided to call a summit to work out the differences and improve profits. We learned this some time ago that attempts were being made to call the Houses together to settle disputes. Berret learned the same information and apparently has decided to use the opportunity to assassinate Arckatius."
"And how did your Clan come by this information? And do not tell us you don't know," ordered the Sebacean woman.
"We have many field agents whose sole purpose is collecting data. We monitor the Syndicate and all its Houses, both High and Minor, very closely... especially seeing they call their Enforcers - 'Shrikes'. You can imagine that would be of interest to us," replied the half-Nebari girl.
John rubbed at his jaw in contemplation.
"I can imagine that some of these agents you talked about are responsible for the trouble between the Scarren crime Houses too," he drawled.
Nireese gave him a mischievous Chiana-like smile. "You may be very well correct," she said.
Crichton shook his head. "Okay, I guess that falls outside our conversation and into the category of 'your business'. I'll give you that much," he gave in. "Now for the $500,000 question. What's this big plan of yours to get 'Ret back?"
"And how do we stop him before he kills Arckatius?" added Chiana.
"We don't," said Nireese simply.
"That's your big plan?" asked John incredibly.
Aeryn tossed an eating utensil she was toying with back onto the table. "We're back to frelling square one!" she announced.
Nireese looked from one to another. "Oh, you're never going to stop him from trying to kill Arckatius," she said. "If he fails this time and lives, he'll only try again later. There is nothing anyone can tell him that will change his mind about that. For good or ill, Berret will never have peace as long as that Scarren lives."
"So what are you suggesting we do?" Chiana inquired.
"Help and make sure Berret succeeds,"
"Excuse me!" John broke in, "We're trying to avoid getting dragged into this so the Syndicate doesn't put a price on our heads to go with the ones the Peacekeepers already have there."
"I wasn't suggesting you go in and announce that you're helping Berret," Nireese said in exasperation. I meant we help discreetly by arranging it to make it look like Berret's deed was done by someone else."
"What do you mean? Who?" asked Aeryn.
"I don't get it either," Chiana added with a shake of her head.
Nireese gave them a wicked smile. "Think of all the mistrust that will be present at the summit, all those feuding Houses in one place. I'm suggesting that we let Berret carry through with his plans... and that we simply arrange it so the evidence points to another Syndicate House... preferably another High House if possible."
John and Aeryn looked a one another and then at Chiana.
"You know, this could work," Aeryn muttered out loud.
"We let J.B. do his thing and plant evidence fingering another crime family. I can see that working. If the bad guys are that much on edge with each other, I don't imagine they will stop to look to closely at what ever evidence they find to see if its real or not," John agreed.
"Just think of all the splendid chaos that will ensue," added Nireese jovially. "It'll be tens of cycles before they can even try and get matters under control again.
Chiana gave the group at the table her first genuine smile in over a solar day.
"Sounds like fun," she said.
"Are YOU frelling MAD?" snapped Malika as she shot from her seat.
Besides her, Andar looked uneasy with not knowing what he should do. John, Aeryn, and Chiana had just gone over Nireese's plan with the rest of the crew. He expected the young Delvian girl's reaction as soon as he realized what they were getting at. The others didn't know about Malika's recent dreams... more like vivid nightmares, that she was having the last few weekens. In her visions, she was facing that Shrike that had almost killed her and her mother in the past. Only this time, Malika witnessed the Enforcer tear her mother apart before her very eyes instead of her employer. As she told the ex-teacher of her nightmare, the girl unconsciously wiped her hands together and against her sides... as if she were washing her mother's blood from them. Andar could almost see the stress drain from her face as she described the way the assassin then turned on her after her mother was dead, almost as if in her dream the daughter welcomed death after witnessing her parent's horrible demise.
"You want us to head into Scarren space? To a Syndicate summit meeting...!" Malika's eyes look half-wild as she regarded one after the other of her shipmates. "You're ALL farbed!" she spat. "We need to be going the other way, not toward them!"
"I for once agree with you," threw in Rygel. "This wasn't what I was expecting as far as help from the Clan."
"It is a little risky, Dominar," said Nireese, "But I believe we can handle it. As you know, Clan resources are spread thin at the moment with... other concerns."
The First Shrike's words seemed to remind the Hynerian of something.
"Ah-hum... well, yes. I guess you are correct, First Shrike," Rygel said. "I'm sure you, and the others, can see to what needs to be done to recover Chiana's worthless pet. Meanwhile, if anyone needs me to make an important decision... I will be in my quarters inspecting my possessions."
Rygel steered his Hoverthrone out of the chamber before anyone else could ask him any further questions.
Crichton shook his head at the odd happening. "Why do I get the feeling there's something more here then meets the eye," he muttered low enough so only Aeryn could hear.
"I don't know," Aeryn said a little louder, "But when I have the time... I will find out what it is. Even if I have to skin Rygel alive to do it."
Malika rapped on the table to get their attention back.
"Hello? Am I the only one here that has a problem with going into Scarren space?" she asked sarcastically.
"So it would seem," rumbled D'argo from one corner of the room. His tone and manner plainly indicating that he thought the Delvian youth was being childish. Malika turned her green eyes on the Luxan and locked him in her stare.
"Frell you, D'argo!" she shot back. "We'll see how smart you are when some Shrike's brace blades separate your Tancus from your nose... just before its uses them to take the rest of your head off!"
She looked back at the rest of the group. "If you insist on doing this, I'm getting in my Prowler and leaving." The girl turned to Andar. "Are you coming with me then?" she asked.
Before the Sebacean man could answer, Zhaan cut it.
"Malika..." the older Delvian called to get her attention. "You cannot leave the group now even if you wanted. There are no inhabitable systems within Prowler range. You and Andar would die in deep space."
"We could hook up with an out-going convoy from that jump-off world that you're going too. There are plenty of space merchants that would gladly transport us in return for having a gunship to run convoy defense," Malika answered stubbornly. "Moya would just have to drop us just outside the system and we'll hitch a berth with one of the next traders to leave Sa'van-nah."
"Please, Malika..." Zhaan started to say.
"Malika, I don't think I want to leave Moya and the others in this mess," Andar suddenly put in.
The younger Delvian ignored her mentor at the man's unpredicted statement.
"What?" she asked in disbelief. Her mouth opened and worked silently for a few microts before sound continued to come out. "...You - you can't be serious! You wanna stay and die with them? Are you insane too?"
"Malika, listen..." Andar tried.
"No!" she blurted out over him. "No... you listen. Haven't you been listening to anything I've been telling you?"
"I have, Malika. I've listened to every word," he told her. "You know I take everything you tell me to heart. But running isn't the answer here. Now more then ever, we have to all stick together."
Malika stared at the Sebacean as if he'd just betrayed her.
"He's right, you know," said John quietly from the side. She hadn't realized that the human had moved from his place besides Aeryn and was standing almost right next to her. Malika turned to find herself staring into Crichton's blue eyes. "We are all each other has now," the human told her. His hands lightly rested on her shoulders. They began to move up and down her arms, as if he could rub her fears away.
"There is no one else we can count on but one another, and it's when we stand together that we are strongest."
At the table, Chiana murmured, "I wish someone had told Berret that before he decided to leave."
Nireese reached over and grasped one of her hands in support and squeezed it gently. John and the others plainly heard her comment.
"That's right, Pip," the astronaut continued, "Someone should have sat down with J.B. and explained this to him. You mess with one, you mess with all... right, heavy Dee?" he asked with a glance at the Luxan.
"Right, John... my blade and my honor belong to you all," D'argo swore.
"I will always stand with you and the others, John," Aeryn joined in without having to be asked.
"...And me," added Chiana.
Nireese nodded to them. "I pledge my and my Clan's allegiance," she said. Chiana smiled her thanks to the half-Nebari, noticing that she was also doing her best to help assure the Delvian girl.
"Moya and I can always be counted on," Pilot said from the clamshell holo comm.
"All right!" exclaimed John trying to lighten the mood a bit. "We got ourselves a regular 'United Nations' theme going on here." He smiled brightly at Malika; the Delvian gazed at him in wonder. "Hey, D'argo..." he called, "... who's the daddy?"
The usually serious warrior gave a great belly laugh as he recalled the old joke. It was good and proper for a warrior to laugh with his comrades into the face of danger before going into battle... it set the mood.
"I'm the daddy!" he rumbled back at the human, in good spirits.
John's eyes never left Malika's. "That's right, big guy. You're the daddy," he repeated. "And who's your big brother?" the human asked Malika in a solemn tone.
"You?" Malika supplied a few microts later.
"That's right," John said with a small nod of his head. "I'm the big brother... and I'm going to be right there with you come hell or high water... and so will Aeryn."
Andar's hand slipped into hers a microt later.
"And I will be right here beside you," he promised.
A new hand settled on her shoulder from behind. "Turn around, and I will be right behind you," said Sean Crichton's voice.
Zhaan stepped up beside John "You see?" she asked gently, "You are much stronger then you thought you were."
Malika looked at the others all gathering around her. Somehow, she was feeling stronger. Her real family had just been her parents and her... and then Rahlin when he came along and they married. With them all gone, she had gotten use to relaying only on her self. Now this new feeling flowed through her, almost the same thing as when her parents were alive, but different. Still, it was an unmistakable feeling of strength and support. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it so.
"We can't do this without you, kiddo," John told her quietly; making it clear that without her the group wasn't whole. Malika slowly nodded to him and looked back into his eyes. Suddenly she found herself saying two words she never thought she be saying to another living being.
"I'm scared." The words were barely audible.
John's eyes softened. "We all are," he told her.
Somehow, his admission made the girl feel as if everything might be all right - she wasn't totally alone any longer. It seemed natural when she found herself sinking against his chest in a brotherly supportive hug. She finally realized why Chiana sought comfort there occasionally in John's arms... the human had a way of making you feel safe when things seem their darkest.
"We're all scared, kid," Crichton assured her over and over while stroking her hair to relax her. "There's nothing to be ashamed of there."
Alppa said good evening to the night shift cook and left the Inn by the side employee entrance. He was glad to be finally ending his day of work at the rooming house as a floor manager. The smell of Scarren food was overpowering and upsetting his delicate stomachs. Also, having all those rough looking individuals about the place set his nerves on edge - especially the cloaked ones. He had been warned by the Inn owner to avoid those and to not ask any questions about what he saw. It was also suggested that he forgot anything he might see as soon as he saw it... if he wanted to remain employed, and healthy. The big feline type being at the front door absolutely set his teeth on edge... the cat-like person smiled at him menacingly with it's fanged incisors each time he saw Alppa. It made his whiskers tingle and his ringed tail twitch in discomfort. That was the main reason he chose to leave by the back exit.
He had just cleared the slim alleyway leading to the rear door and was strolling passed the single loading dock for the Inn, his mind on the hunk of imported MussMuss cheese that he had back at his apartment, when he unexpectedly ran into the person.
The being seemed to dissolve out of the shadows before him. Alppa let out a squeak as he was started.
"What do you want," he said in his high-pitched voice. He saw now that it was a humanoid Sebacean type being - not the feline one from inside. The man smiled a smile that didn't touch his blue eyes.
"You are one of the floor mangers for this Inn?" the male asked in an eerie tone of voice.
Alppa then saw that the man's eyes held a strange sort of silver tint in them. He had a sudden feeling that this creature could see better in the dark of the loading dock then he could. Whatever he was... he wasn't a Sebacean.
"Y-Yes," Alppa answered while looking for a way to escape. "Why do you want to know?"
Again the nerve-racking soulless smile.
"Are you working tomorrow?" the silver-eyed man asked.
"No... who are you and what do you want with me? Why all the questions?" Alppa wanted to know.
"You just saved your life," replied the man, "I have some questions I need the answer to about your place of employment."
Now Alppa was really becoming afraid. His species wasn't known for their bravery.
"What do you mean saved my life?"
The man only grinned once again.
"You want to know something about THEM! Don't you!" he suddenly figured out. "Look! I don't know anything.... I-I can't tell you nothing!"
The man took a step toward him. His dark overcoat making him look more sinister by the microt. He bent down a bit until his strange eyes were level with Alppa's own.
"Oh... I believe you can,"
His words froze Alppa's blood as the being's hand casually rested on his small shoulder. There was a tiny audible click and the sting of a needle in that area. Alppa felt his legs suddenly go numb and he started to fall. The last thing he remembered before it went totally dark was the unchanging smile on the man's face.
"Okay," said John, "We've agreed to hear out your plan and if it's feasible... we'll let you help."
Nireese looked at Chiana with a slight hint of satisfaction in her strange brown eyes, as if she knew the crew could reach no other conclusion but to hear her out.
"You should also know," put in Aeryn, "That if this is a trick or you betray us in anyway... you will not live to regret it."
The half-Nebari woman shrugged one shoulder in vague acceptance. "Of course. Neither Master Shenna nor myself would betray Berret or any of his crewmates. You have my word, we seek merely to help in recovering Berret."
John held her eyes for a moment and then nodded. "All right, but before we hear your plan, we want some straight answers first."
"As you wish," replied Nireese. "But shouldn't we wait for the rest of your group to join us?"
"We have been elected to represent Moya's crew in this... discussion," said Aeryn with a meaningful side-look at John. "We thought the fewer people asking questions at this time, the less confusion there would be."
"A wise decision," agreed the half-Nebari female.
"This has to be a first," muttered Chiana sarcastically.
Crichton got an annoyed look at the comment. "Pip, you wanna stay for this meeting... or do you wanna go?"
Chiana held up her hand in surrender to show that she would behave herself. She took another bite out of whatever the raw vegetable was she had been eating and settled back to listen in.
"Okay, first question," continued the human, "Why exactly did Berret go?"
"It is as Chiana guessed. He's gone to kill Arckatius," supplied Nireese.
"How do you know this?" asked Aeryn with narrowing suspicious eyes.
Nireese eased back in her seat and pushed her half finished plate out of her way. "Master Shenna has been watching Berret for a long time. He deducted that sooner or later that he would try to avenge himself on the Scarren and the Syndicate. It is in his nature."
"How has Shenna been keeping tabs on Berret?" John fired in next. Nireese looked momentarily lost.
"Tabs?" she asked with a puzzled look, "I don't understand the context of this word?"
"Tabs, meaning, how is he keeping track of Berret?" John explained.
"I don't know," answered Nireese.
"You don't know!" Aeryn said disbelievingly. "Or you won't tell us?"
Nireese sighed. "Master Shenna did not reveal his sources of information to me. And if he had, I doubt very much I would be allowed to reveal them to anyone else. You can be assured though, the Master's information is accurate."
Aeryn looked angry and Crichton appeared as if he were about to lose his temper also. Chiana broke in before either could explode.
"Do you know where he has gone?" she asked.
"Yes, Berret has gone to the planet Sa'van-nah on the fringes of the Scarren Imperium."
"Why?" demanded John.
"Because that is where Arckatius will be," Nireese answered as if it should have been obvious.
Crichton rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We've already figured that bit out! The question is... why are Berret and this Arckatius heading for Savannah?"
"Apologies," said Nireese. "It is pronounced 'Sa'van-nah. In Scarren it means 'worthless place'."
"Yeah, whatever. Get to the point," John insisted.
"Sa'van-nah is a world that none of the Syndicate Houses have laid claim to as part of their territory. It has no useful resources other then a market place and a few refreshment and rooming houses. It is mainly a place to transfer from ship to ship or wait to catch your next means of transport. It is also the perfect place to hold a summit meeting seeing none of the Houses have bothered to establish a foothold there. Neutral ground so to speak."
Nireese stopped to sip at a glass of water while John tapped a finger along one cheek as he thought.
"So for some reason, the Syndicate has called a parley at this place?" he asked.
Nireese looked confused again. "Parley?" she asked of no one in particular.
"It means a meeting between rivals or enemies to discuss something," Aeryn clarified.
"Why didn't he just say that?" Nireese asked.
"That's just Crichton. You'll get use to him," Chiana added. "So what are they meeting about?"
"There has been too much in-fighting among the Houses in the last few cycles, especially among the lower caste. The higher Houses decided that too much time, effort, and resources were being expended in petty conflicts. So they decided to call a summit to work out the differences and improve profits. We learned this some time ago that attempts were being made to call the Houses together to settle disputes. Berret learned the same information and apparently has decided to use the opportunity to assassinate Arckatius."
"And how did your Clan come by this information? And do not tell us you don't know," ordered the Sebacean woman.
"We have many field agents whose sole purpose is collecting data. We monitor the Syndicate and all its Houses, both High and Minor, very closely... especially seeing they call their Enforcers - 'Shrikes'. You can imagine that would be of interest to us," replied the half-Nebari girl.
John rubbed at his jaw in contemplation.
"I can imagine that some of these agents you talked about are responsible for the trouble between the Scarren crime Houses too," he drawled.
Nireese gave him a mischievous Chiana-like smile. "You may be very well correct," she said.
Crichton shook his head. "Okay, I guess that falls outside our conversation and into the category of 'your business'. I'll give you that much," he gave in. "Now for the $500,000 question. What's this big plan of yours to get 'Ret back?"
"And how do we stop him before he kills Arckatius?" added Chiana.
"We don't," said Nireese simply.
"That's your big plan?" asked John incredibly.
Aeryn tossed an eating utensil she was toying with back onto the table. "We're back to frelling square one!" she announced.
Nireese looked from one to another. "Oh, you're never going to stop him from trying to kill Arckatius," she said. "If he fails this time and lives, he'll only try again later. There is nothing anyone can tell him that will change his mind about that. For good or ill, Berret will never have peace as long as that Scarren lives."
"So what are you suggesting we do?" Chiana inquired.
"Help and make sure Berret succeeds,"
"Excuse me!" John broke in, "We're trying to avoid getting dragged into this so the Syndicate doesn't put a price on our heads to go with the ones the Peacekeepers already have there."
"I wasn't suggesting you go in and announce that you're helping Berret," Nireese said in exasperation. I meant we help discreetly by arranging it to make it look like Berret's deed was done by someone else."
"What do you mean? Who?" asked Aeryn.
"I don't get it either," Chiana added with a shake of her head.
Nireese gave them a wicked smile. "Think of all the mistrust that will be present at the summit, all those feuding Houses in one place. I'm suggesting that we let Berret carry through with his plans... and that we simply arrange it so the evidence points to another Syndicate House... preferably another High House if possible."
John and Aeryn looked a one another and then at Chiana.
"You know, this could work," Aeryn muttered out loud.
"We let J.B. do his thing and plant evidence fingering another crime family. I can see that working. If the bad guys are that much on edge with each other, I don't imagine they will stop to look to closely at what ever evidence they find to see if its real or not," John agreed.
"Just think of all the splendid chaos that will ensue," added Nireese jovially. "It'll be tens of cycles before they can even try and get matters under control again.
Chiana gave the group at the table her first genuine smile in over a solar day.
"Sounds like fun," she said.
"Are YOU frelling MAD?" snapped Malika as she shot from her seat.
Besides her, Andar looked uneasy with not knowing what he should do. John, Aeryn, and Chiana had just gone over Nireese's plan with the rest of the crew. He expected the young Delvian girl's reaction as soon as he realized what they were getting at. The others didn't know about Malika's recent dreams... more like vivid nightmares, that she was having the last few weekens. In her visions, she was facing that Shrike that had almost killed her and her mother in the past. Only this time, Malika witnessed the Enforcer tear her mother apart before her very eyes instead of her employer. As she told the ex-teacher of her nightmare, the girl unconsciously wiped her hands together and against her sides... as if she were washing her mother's blood from them. Andar could almost see the stress drain from her face as she described the way the assassin then turned on her after her mother was dead, almost as if in her dream the daughter welcomed death after witnessing her parent's horrible demise.
"You want us to head into Scarren space? To a Syndicate summit meeting...!" Malika's eyes look half-wild as she regarded one after the other of her shipmates. "You're ALL farbed!" she spat. "We need to be going the other way, not toward them!"
"I for once agree with you," threw in Rygel. "This wasn't what I was expecting as far as help from the Clan."
"It is a little risky, Dominar," said Nireese, "But I believe we can handle it. As you know, Clan resources are spread thin at the moment with... other concerns."
The First Shrike's words seemed to remind the Hynerian of something.
"Ah-hum... well, yes. I guess you are correct, First Shrike," Rygel said. "I'm sure you, and the others, can see to what needs to be done to recover Chiana's worthless pet. Meanwhile, if anyone needs me to make an important decision... I will be in my quarters inspecting my possessions."
Rygel steered his Hoverthrone out of the chamber before anyone else could ask him any further questions.
Crichton shook his head at the odd happening. "Why do I get the feeling there's something more here then meets the eye," he muttered low enough so only Aeryn could hear.
"I don't know," Aeryn said a little louder, "But when I have the time... I will find out what it is. Even if I have to skin Rygel alive to do it."
Malika rapped on the table to get their attention back.
"Hello? Am I the only one here that has a problem with going into Scarren space?" she asked sarcastically.
"So it would seem," rumbled D'argo from one corner of the room. His tone and manner plainly indicating that he thought the Delvian youth was being childish. Malika turned her green eyes on the Luxan and locked him in her stare.
"Frell you, D'argo!" she shot back. "We'll see how smart you are when some Shrike's brace blades separate your Tancus from your nose... just before its uses them to take the rest of your head off!"
She looked back at the rest of the group. "If you insist on doing this, I'm getting in my Prowler and leaving." The girl turned to Andar. "Are you coming with me then?" she asked.
Before the Sebacean man could answer, Zhaan cut it.
"Malika..." the older Delvian called to get her attention. "You cannot leave the group now even if you wanted. There are no inhabitable systems within Prowler range. You and Andar would die in deep space."
"We could hook up with an out-going convoy from that jump-off world that you're going too. There are plenty of space merchants that would gladly transport us in return for having a gunship to run convoy defense," Malika answered stubbornly. "Moya would just have to drop us just outside the system and we'll hitch a berth with one of the next traders to leave Sa'van-nah."
"Please, Malika..." Zhaan started to say.
"Malika, I don't think I want to leave Moya and the others in this mess," Andar suddenly put in.
The younger Delvian ignored her mentor at the man's unpredicted statement.
"What?" she asked in disbelief. Her mouth opened and worked silently for a few microts before sound continued to come out. "...You - you can't be serious! You wanna stay and die with them? Are you insane too?"
"Malika, listen..." Andar tried.
"No!" she blurted out over him. "No... you listen. Haven't you been listening to anything I've been telling you?"
"I have, Malika. I've listened to every word," he told her. "You know I take everything you tell me to heart. But running isn't the answer here. Now more then ever, we have to all stick together."
Malika stared at the Sebacean as if he'd just betrayed her.
"He's right, you know," said John quietly from the side. She hadn't realized that the human had moved from his place besides Aeryn and was standing almost right next to her. Malika turned to find herself staring into Crichton's blue eyes. "We are all each other has now," the human told her. His hands lightly rested on her shoulders. They began to move up and down her arms, as if he could rub her fears away.
"There is no one else we can count on but one another, and it's when we stand together that we are strongest."
At the table, Chiana murmured, "I wish someone had told Berret that before he decided to leave."
Nireese reached over and grasped one of her hands in support and squeezed it gently. John and the others plainly heard her comment.
"That's right, Pip," the astronaut continued, "Someone should have sat down with J.B. and explained this to him. You mess with one, you mess with all... right, heavy Dee?" he asked with a glance at the Luxan.
"Right, John... my blade and my honor belong to you all," D'argo swore.
"I will always stand with you and the others, John," Aeryn joined in without having to be asked.
"...And me," added Chiana.
Nireese nodded to them. "I pledge my and my Clan's allegiance," she said. Chiana smiled her thanks to the half-Nebari, noticing that she was also doing her best to help assure the Delvian girl.
"Moya and I can always be counted on," Pilot said from the clamshell holo comm.
"All right!" exclaimed John trying to lighten the mood a bit. "We got ourselves a regular 'United Nations' theme going on here." He smiled brightly at Malika; the Delvian gazed at him in wonder. "Hey, D'argo..." he called, "... who's the daddy?"
The usually serious warrior gave a great belly laugh as he recalled the old joke. It was good and proper for a warrior to laugh with his comrades into the face of danger before going into battle... it set the mood.
"I'm the daddy!" he rumbled back at the human, in good spirits.
John's eyes never left Malika's. "That's right, big guy. You're the daddy," he repeated. "And who's your big brother?" the human asked Malika in a solemn tone.
"You?" Malika supplied a few microts later.
"That's right," John said with a small nod of his head. "I'm the big brother... and I'm going to be right there with you come hell or high water... and so will Aeryn."
Andar's hand slipped into hers a microt later.
"And I will be right here beside you," he promised.
A new hand settled on her shoulder from behind. "Turn around, and I will be right behind you," said Sean Crichton's voice.
Zhaan stepped up beside John "You see?" she asked gently, "You are much stronger then you thought you were."
Malika looked at the others all gathering around her. Somehow, she was feeling stronger. Her real family had just been her parents and her... and then Rahlin when he came along and they married. With them all gone, she had gotten use to relaying only on her self. Now this new feeling flowed through her, almost the same thing as when her parents were alive, but different. Still, it was an unmistakable feeling of strength and support. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it so.
"We can't do this without you, kiddo," John told her quietly; making it clear that without her the group wasn't whole. Malika slowly nodded to him and looked back into his eyes. Suddenly she found herself saying two words she never thought she be saying to another living being.
"I'm scared." The words were barely audible.
John's eyes softened. "We all are," he told her.
Somehow, his admission made the girl feel as if everything might be all right - she wasn't totally alone any longer. It seemed natural when she found herself sinking against his chest in a brotherly supportive hug. She finally realized why Chiana sought comfort there occasionally in John's arms... the human had a way of making you feel safe when things seem their darkest.
"We're all scared, kid," Crichton assured her over and over while stroking her hair to relax her. "There's nothing to be ashamed of there."
Alppa said good evening to the night shift cook and left the Inn by the side employee entrance. He was glad to be finally ending his day of work at the rooming house as a floor manager. The smell of Scarren food was overpowering and upsetting his delicate stomachs. Also, having all those rough looking individuals about the place set his nerves on edge - especially the cloaked ones. He had been warned by the Inn owner to avoid those and to not ask any questions about what he saw. It was also suggested that he forgot anything he might see as soon as he saw it... if he wanted to remain employed, and healthy. The big feline type being at the front door absolutely set his teeth on edge... the cat-like person smiled at him menacingly with it's fanged incisors each time he saw Alppa. It made his whiskers tingle and his ringed tail twitch in discomfort. That was the main reason he chose to leave by the back exit.
He had just cleared the slim alleyway leading to the rear door and was strolling passed the single loading dock for the Inn, his mind on the hunk of imported MussMuss cheese that he had back at his apartment, when he unexpectedly ran into the person.
The being seemed to dissolve out of the shadows before him. Alppa let out a squeak as he was started.
"What do you want," he said in his high-pitched voice. He saw now that it was a humanoid Sebacean type being - not the feline one from inside. The man smiled a smile that didn't touch his blue eyes.
"You are one of the floor mangers for this Inn?" the male asked in an eerie tone of voice.
Alppa then saw that the man's eyes held a strange sort of silver tint in them. He had a sudden feeling that this creature could see better in the dark of the loading dock then he could. Whatever he was... he wasn't a Sebacean.
"Y-Yes," Alppa answered while looking for a way to escape. "Why do you want to know?"
Again the nerve-racking soulless smile.
"Are you working tomorrow?" the silver-eyed man asked.
"No... who are you and what do you want with me? Why all the questions?" Alppa wanted to know.
"You just saved your life," replied the man, "I have some questions I need the answer to about your place of employment."
Now Alppa was really becoming afraid. His species wasn't known for their bravery.
"What do you mean saved my life?"
The man only grinned once again.
"You want to know something about THEM! Don't you!" he suddenly figured out. "Look! I don't know anything.... I-I can't tell you nothing!"
The man took a step toward him. His dark overcoat making him look more sinister by the microt. He bent down a bit until his strange eyes were level with Alppa's own.
"Oh... I believe you can,"
His words froze Alppa's blood as the being's hand casually rested on his small shoulder. There was a tiny audible click and the sting of a needle in that area. Alppa felt his legs suddenly go numb and he started to fall. The last thing he remembered before it went totally dark was the unchanging smile on the man's face.
