Chapter 7

Zhaan left them to give the coordinates to Pilot. She paused before she exited the room.

"Should we make quarters available for you?" she asked.

"No," Gaya replied. "We have room aboard our ship."

"Very well," Zhaan bowed as she left.

"You don't trust us?" John asked.

"What are those things scurrying along the corridors?" Gaya asked.

"They're part of the ship's systems," John explained.

"Your ship spies on you?" Gaya pressed.

John frowned at her. "No the ship doesn't spy on us," John refuted. "They serve a vital function on the ship."

"Oh," Gaya nodded. "We have some work to do aboard our vessel. We will speak with you later."

She stood and left with Xohar. John followed them back to the Docking Bay and saw when they both entered their vessel.

The communications system chirped and John stared at the button on his shirt.

"Yes Pilot?" John asked.

"If our guests are settled, Commander," Pilot said. "Perhaps you can join us in my alcove."

"Sure thing Pilot," John said. He saw the D.R.D.s move into position to keep watch on the vessel.

He walked quickly to Pilot's alcove and found Zhaan frowning at Pilot.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

"Pilot says that the disc has no coordinates on it," Zhaan explained.

"I figured as much," John said.

"You doubt them as well Commander," Pilot nodded.

"It's a bit too convenient," John shrugged. "If they try to leave let them."

"They already are," Pilot said.

"Good," John nodded.

Zhaan stared at him quizzically. "Why are you letting them go?"

"Because they're not the ones that we need to find," John said.

"You doubt the food they left us as well," Zhaan questioned.

"Well," John grinned. "I'm not going to eat it unless it's safe and I sincerely doubt that it is."
"Why did they leave?" Zhaan pressed. "They didn't get what they wanted?"

"Oh but they did," John told her. "They wanted to see if we were a threat to their plans, and we don't seem to be."

"I don't see any of the others cooperating with them," Zhaan mused.

"Exactly," John told her. "Which is why we're going to follow the same path we're on. These Talamanians are smart, but there's got to be someone smarter than them out there."

John left the alcove and headed back to Command. He stood staring at the stars as he tried to figure out which direction that ship could have possibly taken them. He pressed the communications systems button.

"Pilot!" John called.

"Yes Commander?" Pilot answered.

"Can you send a transmission to that vessel that just left us?" he demanded.

"Of course," Pilot told him.

The screen flickered and Xohar appeared.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Why did you leave so fast pal?" John asked.

The doors behind him opened and Zhaan entered. She watched the screen intently.

"We weren't comfortable with your ship spying on us," Xohar explained. "Gaya thought that we should leave quickly."

"So you don't trust us is that it?" John pressed.

"No," Xohar smiled. "It's not that. We're just not comfortable. Remember that we had a ship that took our people."

"The same ship took ours," John said. "In fact, the ship used your image to trick us."

"That is not our fault," Xohar was defensive.

"I didn't say that it was," John smiled. "So, I take it that you will be traveling with us?"

"We will meet up with you," Xohar evaded. "We need to return to our planet."

"Fine," John nodded. "We'll just meet you at the coordinates that you gave us."

Xohar started but quickly masked the response. John nodded. The screen went blank.

"John," Zhaan's voice reflected her concern.

"We're going to get them back," he told her. "It's like a game of marbles is all."

"John?" Zhaan sounded puzzled.

"It's all right," John told her.

"Fine," she nodded.

John stared at the screen and made a decision. "Pilot!"

"Yes, Commander?" Pilot reappeared on the screen.

"Are there any maps that Moya has stored in her data banks on this area?" he asked.

"I have been attempting to chart some of the stars, and I believe that we can reasonably deduce where we are," Pilot explained.

"What I want is a map of any inhabited systems that would be along the path of this one," John told him.

"What are you thinking John?" Zhaan questioned.

"They wanted all of us," John said. "They don't have all of us. They can't get around the ship but they figure that we won't go anywhere until we have our people back."

"What are you planning to do?" Zhaan asked.

"I'm going to find a system that is along this route that will give you, Moya and Pilot somewhere to hide and take Aeryn's prowler to scout," he laid out his plan.

"Why the prowler?" Pilot asked. "Wouldn't a shuttle pod have more room to get them back?"

"The prowler has weapons," John pointed out.

"You expect a fight," Zhaan said.

"When is anything ever easy?" John asked her.

"I'm accessing the charts now Commander," Pilot said.

Zhaan sighed while John left her in Command.

He walked back to the Maintenance Bay. He stared at the module sitting next to the prowler and exhaled sharply. Aeryn was going to rip him to pieces for flying her prowler but he needed her weapons. Neither his module nor any of the shuttle pods had armaments. He chuckled to himself. He certainly didn't know how he was going to manage this without either Aeryn or D'Argo with him. They were the warriors and he was the scientist.

He sat back on his heels and stared at the prowler. He blinked furiously and then stood. He walked to the prowler and began checking its systems. As long as the distance wasn't too great he would have enough fuel for the trip. Besides, once he found them, he knew that Zhaan would come with Moya that way once they had them they could starburst and be gone.

He checked on his gun and went to where Aeryn had additional weapons stored. He needed to make sure that he could fight his way out. He lowered his head.

"Commander," Pilot's voice sounded.

"Yes Pilot?" he answered.

"We have found a place," Pilot told him.