Chapter Six
Tauvo was bone tired. His head pounded between Morgan's constant nagging at him to 'do this, try that' with his training and Shantar's constant whining about Bian. It had been a weeken since Grayza killed her and even though he could appreciate his friend's grief, enough was enough. They still had a job to do and the Commandant's presence only compounded matters. Tauvo was sick and tired of being on his guard. Sick and tired of being tired. He walked into his quarters on Zorosa 3 and triggered the lights, gazing around with a disgusted sigh. His quarters where more opulent than most, having been designed for the base commander and decorated with simple abstract paintings that he had collected over the cycles, paintings that usually brought him peace. He sank in a chair, leaning his head back as he sank in the soft cushions. Tauvo's stomach growled and he debated whether or not he would join his parent's for the evening meal. He couldn't handle his parents right now. The Commander stood up and made his way into the small kitchen area, reaching into the refrigeration unit and pulling out a bottle of Fellip nectar, popping the seal on it and taking a deep draught as he eased his way up the corridor to his bedroom, freezing at the sight before him as he triggered the lights.
"I must say that news of your…resurrection was not surprising. I should have known at least one of the Crais brothers was involved in the resistance," Grayza purred. She lounged on Tauvo's huge bed, wearing nothing but the brown silk sheet, the shiny material covering only her most intimate parts, and a beguiling smile that could only mean trouble. She sat up on her knees, the sheet slithering back to the bed as she reached out for Tauvo with one hand, canting her head to gaze at him, her eyes half-lidded with passion. "You look positively drained."
"What are you doing in my quarters?" he asked quietly, removing the transponder, laying it on the chest of drawers to his right, knowing that Gaia would report anything and everything to Talyn. And Talyn to Crais. That was the biggest problem Tauvo was having with the young, female Leviathan, although he didn't know if it was from her enthusiasm to help or Morgan's orders. He knew he should just turn and leave, tell his brother that Grayza was in his quarters, but something stopped him. Tauvo wondered if he could get any information out of her, knowing that even the smallest bit of data could clue the command staff in on her plans. He would have to be careful, knowing full well how potent the secretions from her heppel gland were.
Grayza actually looked wounded that he didn't come to her immediately, and she crawled across the bed, the muscles in her body rippling seductively, reminding Tauvo of a cat-like creature he had seen once as a child. "I just wanted to talk. I know you were Tadace's right hand man, the leader of the resistance until your brother came along." She placed one foot on the floor, the sight of her shapely calf causing Tauvo's mouth to suddenly go dry and his groin to painfully tighten. "Doesn't that bother you?"
"Why should it?" Tauvo asked, moving away from her towards the bath. He wondered how long it had been since he had recreated, the memory of his last encounter fleeting. He pulled his shirt over his head and loosened the clasp and zipper on his trousers, trying very hard to relieve the ache that was growing. "Tadace and I had always agreed that Bialar would lead the resistance if anything happened to him. And, for your information, we run it together," Tauvo snapped irritably as he turned on the water and picked up his razor. Any other time, he'd use the mechanical one issued to him as a Peacekeeper, but right now it felt good to hold the straight razor in his hand. It cut much closer and he at least he had a weapon handy in case things suddenly got out of hand.
Grayza leaned in the doorway, her arms above her head, not even the slightest bit embarrassed by the fact that she was naked. "You do? Doesn't seem that way to me." She let one hand slide down the doorframe, shifting her weight to one foot, her lithe form moving slowly. "As a matter of fact, it seems to me that Crais' little wife runs things with him and you've been relegated to a…lesser position." Grayza didn't hide the venom in her voice as she watched him shave, her eyes taking him in, running hungrily over the tan and muscled chest and back of the younger Crais. She licked her lips.
Tauvo glanced sideways at her. "Well, you're wrong. Morgan is a very intelligent woman and she works well with Bialar and I," he responded sharply. Things between Tauvo and Morgan might be rough, but he was not about to allow Grayza to say anything against his human sister-in-law.
Grayza smiled. "You don't like her, do you?" She canted her head, running one finger down his arm. "I heard how she tried to…kill you when you returned from chasing Scorpius. And how she convinced your brother in keeping his suspicions about the spy a secret while they tried to determine who it was." The Commandant wasn't ignorant. She listened to every conversation she could catch, picking up every detail she could, knowing that she could turn it all to her advantage to get what she wanted. Right now what she wanted was Zorosa 3 and the resources of the resistance. Grayza knew Bian never revealed the location of the planet to Scorpius. She had instructed the Sebacean spy not to. It was all a part of the bigger picture. Grayza couldn't get to Crais because of Morgan. But she could get to him through Tauvo. There was already bad feelings between him and Morgan, just enough to use to drive a wedge even further in. She mentally thanked Scorpius for making her job easier. She sidled up to Tauvo, crowding him in the small bath, one hand drifting to the valley between her breasts. "Did you know she actually thought you were the spy?" she asked softly, the lie rolling off her tongue easily.
Tauvo wiped his face and turned, gazing down at the small woman. Her breasts brushed his stomach. "Morgan would never think that," he responded, his voice cracking as he tossed the towel on the rack behind him before trying to push his way past Grayza.
She blocked the doorway, running her hands up his chest, smiling as a small moan escaped Tauvo's lips. "You don't know what she might think. You don't know what Scorpius might've really done to twist her mind," she continued, dropping her voice so that it was sultry, seductive. She could see that the web she was weaving was already beginning to affect Tauvo. He worked his throat, trying to swallow past the dryness in it, the hand gripping the counter turning white with exertion. Grayza slid her hand up and cupped his cheek in her hand, the ex-Peacekeeper frozen in place by her body rubbing against him. "We could change all that," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him, her lips tormenting him, drawing him deeper into the web and ensnaring him.
Tauvo roughly grabbed Grayza, lifting her, pinning her between him and the wall as he returned the kiss, his hands drifting over her body of their own volition. He leaned back and looked at her, their eyes meeting. His head was swimming, and he knew there was something he should have been doing, but couldn't place a finger on what it was. His eyes grew heavy, his groin tightening even more. "How?" he asked huskily.
Grayza wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling.
Crais walked into his office a few days later, intently studying the report on the data pad in his hands. He looked up and stopped, canting his head as he gazed at his younger brother sitting at his desk, Tauvo's booted feet propped up on it as if he owned the place, his head back on his clasped hands as he gazed at the ceiling. Crais raised one questioning eyebrow. "What are you doing here? I thought you would be aboard Gaia by now?" he asked, laying the data pad aside, studying Tauvo. His eyes looked glazed as if with fever, his cheeks flushed. Crais leaned one hand on his desk, waiting.
Tauvo casually shrugged, maintaining his seat at Crais' desk. "Oh, well, I just didn't feel like training today," he commented, a smile on his face. His eyes widened as he dropped his feet and sat up. "As a matter of fact, how about you and I going for a spin? You know, like old times. Take a couple of Prowlers and shoot some asteroids?" he suggested with excitement.
Crais slowly approached his brother, suspicious of the way the younger man was acting. Tauvo never shirked his responsibility. In all their years of training together, Crais had managed to get that much ingrained in his sibling's head, even though he himself had committed that particular sin on numerous occasions. "Tauvo, I want you on Gaia in less than an arn and working, is that clear or do I have to make it a direct order? We are attacking Scorpius' base in less than two weekens and you must be comfortable enough with Gaia before then." He waited, watching Tauvo's face change, his eyes storming up for a brief moment. The reaction puzzled Crais.
Tauvo sighed, a petulant look on his face as he stood up. "Oh, all right." He pouted as he stood up. "Meany." He started towards the door suddenly whistling a jaunty tune as Morgan walked in, his attitude changing as quickly as the direction of the wind. He wrapped one arm around her waist, swinging her around in time to the tune he was whistling and smiled, letting her go as he walked out.
Morgan stared at the doorway totally confused, her mouth hanging open as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Who the hell was that and what did he do with your brother?" she finally asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder as she approached Crais' desk. She saw that he still stared at the doorway, his dark eyes narrowed in a way that only meant trouble. "Hey, you in there?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his eyes, her guard up. Crais was tense, looking like a panther ready to strike.
"Of course I'm in here. Where else would I be?" he snapped, turning his attention to the pile of files on his desk.
Morgan leaned a hip on his desk, her eyes going around the room. She leaned forward as if looking under the desk, shaking her head as she sat back up.
"What is wrong?" Crais finally asked in exasperation, leaning towards her.
"Well, I know you didn't just use that tone of voice with me and I'm trying to figure out who else was in the room with us. I thought maybe John was hiding under the desk," she answered sarcastically. "Am I the only person not having a bad day?"
Crais sighed, the stress of the last weeken with Grayza present beginning to take its toll on him. He moved around the front of the desk, enfolding Morgan in his arms. "I am sorry." He kissed the top of her head. "I don't know what's the matter with Tauvo." He looked down at his wife. "What have you observed?"
Morgan shrugged. "Other than being deliriously happy, nothing out of the ordinary. He's been trying to please me with everything on Gaia, and he's made a good deal of progress. I think by the time we launch, he'll be good to go."
Crais nodded. "Keep Terrick with you if you can. Something doesn't…seem quite right," he admitted to her.
"What do you mean?" She looked up at Crais, noticing for the first time the dark circles under his eyes. They turned as Crichton walked in, and Crais tightened his arms around Morgan.
"I've got spurs…that jingle, jangle, jingle!" the human Commander sang as he entered, a huge, infuriating smile on his face. He fairly bounced into the room.
Crais' face darkened, partly in embarrassment that Crichton knew and partly because of the wild lovemaking he and Morgan had shared that night a weeken ago. It didn't surprise him that she suddenly found the reports next to her on the desk fascinating. "You…told him?" he hissed through clenched teeth, Crichton still caterwauling behind them.
Morgan shrugged, an impish grin appearing on her face. "I couldn't help myself. He caught up with me a few days ago and asked me about the…" she leaned forward and whispered in Crais' ear.
"Hey, no secrets over there!" Crichton quipped as Aeryn walked in, staring at her lover strangely as he fell over the back of the nearest chair in a fit of giggles.
"He heard that?" Crais croaked softly, his face heating up even more.
Morgan nodded, not in the least embarrassed. "Besides, you looked so damn cute in those chaps!" She slid off of Crais' desk and reached out as she sauntered past, grabbing his behind as she moved away, winking at him.
Crais stood frozen at the desk, his head down as he shook it, knowing full well that Crichton and Aeryn witnessed the whole exchange. He leaned his hands on the edge, gazing upwards, trying very hard not to blow his cool. "I think…I preferred her…when she was still under Scorpius' influence," he mumbled to no one in particular. Crais stood up and walked around the desk, sinking in his chair and pinching the bridge of nose in annoyance as Crichton gazed at him from his upside down position in the chair, a smug look on his face, his feet and arms crossed. "What?" he finally asked, glancing at the human.
Crichton shrugged. "Nothing." He stopped, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. "Oh, come on Crais, she makes your life interesting! Just admit it!" he finally burst, thrusting his arms out, enjoying the uneasy look on the Captain's face.
"Crichton, I am not exactly…in the mood for your inane jokes and observations. We have business to attend to," Crais snapped.
Crichton sat up, turning himself around as Aeryn took the chair next to him. "Fire away, cowboy."
Crais sighed, ignoring the deliberate jibe from Crichton. "There is an asteroid field not far from Scorpius' base that should provide adequate cover for our ships. I would like Officer Sun and Sr. Officer Venna to take a patrol squadron out and inspect it. Your Prowlers should not be detected by Scorpius' equipment. There is a large amount of small debris that hampers the sensors due to its composition."
Crichton looked at Aeryn, pointing to her. "In other words, no one will be able to see us varmints," he drawled.
Crais glowered at Crichton, a feral snarl curling his lip. "Crichton," he warned.
"Am I gathering information on Scorpius' precautionary measures?" Aeryn asked, nudging Crichton.
"Yes. I want to make sure we are not going into a trap."
Crichton chewed the pad of his thumb, his blue eyes darkening. "Are you absolutely sure there is no tracking device on Talyn? Nothing that is going to alert scarface that we're on the way when we get ready to attack?"
Crais gazed at Crichton. "Yes. If anything or anyone alerts Scorpius that we are coming, it will have to be from Grayza's people."
Aeryn tossed a worried glance in Crichton's direction. "I wouldn't trust her not to, Crais and neither do you." She still wasn't sure about where Venna's loyalties lie, even though he kept insisting he was with the resistance.
Crais began to pace. "I don't trust her. Which is why I am leaving Ka D'Argo, Shantar and Braca in charge here when we leave." He tilted his head, turning dark eyes on Crichton and Aeryn. "Shantar is the only one we will have to worry about falling under the Commandant's influence."
Crichton stood up, stretching, pacing the room, placing one foot in each of the squares of the floor as he went. "And Shantar won't go anywhere near here. He's still pissed over the events with Bian."
Crais nodded. "Then we are in agreement."
Aeryn and Crichton nodded, Aeryn slipping past Crichton to find Venna and start her mission.
Crichton looked at Crais, a grin spreading on his face. "So, hombre, what now?"
Crais bit his tongue at Crichton's teasing, suppressing his temper. "We'll go to Talyn and finish our plans. It's the only secure place I know of." He marched from the office, not even caring whether or not Crichton followed and wishing he could throttle his wife.
Crais and Crichton had worked well into the night on finalizing the attack plans. There was no way Scorpius would be able to rebuild his research by the time they were done and Suleah would be back in her parent's arms. Assuming they could sneak onto the base without the scientist's knowledge. That was the problem. At the sound of very loud footsteps, both of them looked up from the map spread out before them on the galley's table, the huge plastic sheet Talyn had produced for them held down with coffee cups at the corners. Morgan stormed into the room, her face dark, her whole body radiating and shaking in fury, her blue eyes dark and fiery. Crais and Crichton glanced at each other, the human shaking his head slightly.
"You know, I used to think that you and Father were the only two pig-headed, stubborn, arrogant e'emaholes in this family, but after toady, I have changed my assessment of every man with the last name of Crais over the age of two!" she spat, holding up the first two fingers on her right hand, her left propped on her hip. Morgan threw her hands in the air and began to pace the small galley like a caged tiger, stopping long enough to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"Bad day at the office?" Crichton quipped casually, setting the data pad he had been holding aside.
Morgan stopped, glaring at them, her eyes narrowing. She slammed the mug on the table, its contents sloshing over the sides onto the map. Her cousin was lucky he wasn't wearing it. Crais sighed, but bit his tongue. "Include those name Crichton too," she snarled, turning on one heel and marching out of the galley.
Crais started to follow, but Crichton's gentle hand on his arm staid the ex-Peacekeeper. "She's headed for the maintenance bay on tier four. That's where we exercise," Crais remarked, opening his eyes.
"Let her go. She's jacked about something," Crichton responded, grabbing a cloth from the counter behind him and soaking up the mess. "Tauvo must have really done something bad to rile her up this much."
Crais leaned one hand on the table, pointing at Crichton. "Your powers of observation are truly staggering, Crichton. Exactly how…do you do that?" he remarked sarcastically, turning back to map with a disgusted sigh. He reached into the pocket of his pants and removed that thong that held his hair back, quickly binding the dark locks away from his face.
Crichton looked out the door, gazing down the empty corridor. "Lay off, Crais. She has not been exactly thrilled over helping Tauvo and being so far out of the loop." Crichton moved to the other side of the table, tapping the keys on his data pad, analyzing another possible entrance point to Scorpius' base.
Crais grasped the table tightly, his knuckles turning white. "That is putting it…mildly," he answered, his dark eyes meeting Crichton's. "You…do not have to…listen to her complain about my brother at night."
Crichton chuckled, enjoying the Captain's frustration. "You married her," he simply pointed out. The truth of the matter was that Crichton had listened to her. He had managed to steal a little time with his cousin, the two of them hiking to the top of the mountain that overlooked the community, the same mountain they had hidden Talyn in cycles before, sitting on a cliff ledge and talking until the sun set, something they had rarely done since she had arrived in the Uncharted Territories. It still amazed him that she could easily bare her heart and soul to him now that she was married and had someone to whine to. But then, he and Morgan had always been close. She was beyond frustrated with the situation concerning Suleah, more than any of the others truly knew. Crichton had held her close while she cried, complaining about Tauvo and his stubbornness, about Crais and his stubbornness, about the fact that she hardly had any time with Allan. And that she hardly seemed to have any time just to sit and enjoy Crichton's own company.
Crais rolled his eyes upward, biting back the retort that sat on this tip of his tongue. Morgan had confided in him what was said between her and Crichton that day and he wanted nothing more than to bring Scorpius to justice. But high tempers and arguments were not going to help. Crais needed to bind his family together, not let it be pushed further apart. Especially since most of the Resistance's command staff was made up of family. If they were going to succeed in their plans to restore a decent military force that cared for those they protected, it had to start here first. Crais counted to ten and sighed, returning his gaze to the map before him. "At least she has returned to her normal self," he commented, glancing at the human.
Crichton looked at Crais incredulously. "Crais, she's worse now!" he whined. He sank down into one of the chairs, propping his feet on the one next to him, the data pad supported by his legs as he leisurely crunched more numbers. "What's she doing anyway?" he asked quietly.
Crais absently reached one hand back to the transponder, closing his eyes as he sped through the gunship's corridors to the maintenance bay. An affectionate smile crossed his dark features and he looked at Crichton. "She is taking her frustrations out on the…exercise board…cursing my brother to Earth and back."
Crichton smiled, the two men sharing the joke. "Ouch." He ran his fingers though his hair, sitting up and finishing his cup of coffee. "It's a good thing Tauvo isn't here."
Crais actually chuckled. "I concur. I fear the damage to his person would be…substantial."
The human looked at him, still not used to hearing the usually quiet ex-Peacekeeper chuckle. He stood up, setting his mug in the refresher unit and heading out of the galley. "I'm gonna go talk to her, see if I can find out what happened."
Crais shrugged, still smiling. "I wouldn't advise it, Crichton," he called.
Crichton turned, walking backwards. "Yeah well, check on me every once in a while. You may need to come rescue me."
Crais inclined his head towards him, tracing a line on the map with his finger. "Maybe once my wife calms down," he whispered to himself, his grin growing even more.
Morgan stood at Gaia's system console working with Minka to tweak the systems. She was almost ready to set Tauvo loose on his own, her brother-in-law learning quickly once he stopped fighting her, leaving only a few systems to master. He had a good report with Minka and Gaia, and Morgan felt confident that the three of them would be as an imposing force to reckon with as Talyn and his own two Captains'. She was still annoyed with Tauvo, though, and when the bridge doors opened, she turned, giving him a forced smile. "Tauvo."
Tauvo returned her smile, the air between them sizzling with tension. Terrick had returned to Zorosa 3 to gather supplies, leaving them alone and hoping they would not try to kill each other. "Good morning, Morgan," Tauvo answered, licking his lips as he approached her, his dark eyes twinkling, his voice unusually husky. "Morgan, we need to speak and since Terrick is not here, I thought…"
Morgan's eyes darkened, narrowing in warning. "If it is not about the work we are doing here, we have nothing to discuss," she flatly replied, her voice icy. They had been over this ground multiple times within the course of the last two weekens, the Captain cutting him off every time. Morgan was trying very hard to forgive Tauvo, even though he knew that Suleah was alive, having heard Grayza's pronouncement.
Tauvo sighed, running his fingers through his curly hair. "Would you please just listen?" he asked softly, his dark eyes begging. He took another step towards Morgan.
"Sixty microts, that's all you're getting," she relinquished, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the console, her ankles crossed. She raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Fifty."
Tauvo nodded. He had rehearsed this with Grayza over and over and now found himself feigning unsurity, exuding just enough sexual attraction and nervousness to keep his sister-in-law wary. The Commandant had explained to him the need for Tauvo to draw Morgan closer to him, to make her switch her loyalties so that she was easier to dispose of. The Commander never blinked an eye over Grayza's insinuation that she would kill Morgan, he was so far under her spell. "Morgan, we…I never expected…Scorpius to put Suleah in danger, especially if he knew where we were. It doesn't make sense." He paused, his eyes drifting over her face. "You must believe me when I say I am sorry about what happened. I would have never given the order to fire…"
Morgan suddenly stood up, walking over to her brother-in-law slowly, closing the distance between them on the small bridge, her whole body trembling with barely controlled anger. "You could have hesitated, Tauvo. You could have waited to give that order," she spat softly, her blue eyes cold, her expression dark. She poked him hard in the chest. "But no. Your brother tells you to jump and you ask 'how high' without even considering the consequences."
"That's not true Morgan and you know it," he hissed in defense. His own dark eyes narrowed. "I respect and look up to my brother and he has always tried to look out for me!" His expression softened. "Besides, you know how much I care about the resistance and you."
Morgan propped her hands on her hips, her head canted to one side, her mouth open in disbelief. She had totally missed Tauvo's intimation. "You respect Bialar?" she asked. She nodded her head, chewing her lower lip and looking out the view port to where Talyn floated nearby. She turned hard blue eyes to Tauvo. "Boy, Tauvo, you have a funny way of showing it."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously.
Morgan's temper flared and she let it loose on Tauvo. "Oh, well let's see." She held up her hand. "You desert your brother's command carrier without even telling him what the frell is going on. You let him think you're dead for cycles and turn your own father against him," she pointed out, folding her fingers down as her voice got louder. "You conveniently forget to tell him that he has a fifteen-cycle old Peacekeeper son who hates his guts and instead of waiting to see what the message from Scorpius said, knowing full well that your one and only niece was in his clutches, you opened fire, thinking that a simple 'I'm sorry' will smooth everything over," she finished, her voice an angry scream.
Tauvo stared at her in shock. "Do you have any idea what I have been going through?" he finally whispered, pointing to himself. "The guilt I have been struggling with?"
Morgan laughed ruefully. "Oh, that's good Tauvo! You really take the cake!" She nodded, her anger growing as she poked him again, this time in the shoulder with all her fingers. "Let me tell you something. You don't know jack shit about guilt!" She shook her head once, canting it as she pursed her lips. "Your brother, on the other hand…he wrote the book on guilt." She pushed past him, heading for the bridge doors, tears in her eyes blurring her vision as the door slid open upon her approach.
Tauvo grabbed her arm, swinging her around. He knew his brother was aboard, heading towards the bridge and that if he was going to drive a wedge between Crais and Morgan and wrest control of the resistance from his brother for Grayza, he would have to act. Before she realized what he was doing, he latched his arm around her waist, pulling Morgan against him, his mouth coming down on hers in a frenzied, anger driven kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth that had opened in surprise when he grabbed her. He felt Morgan push against his chest, but Tauvo held onto her tightly, locking her in his arms as she struggled against him. He suddenly released her, his chest heaving, his chin held up in defiance, an evil glint to his eyes as he slowly licked his lips, savoring the taste of her.
Morgan lashed out, the palm of her hand connecting with his stubbly cheek with a resounding smack, forcing Tauvo to take a staggering step backwards. "How dare you!" she snarled, her breath coming in raspy gasps. "If this is how much you respect your brother, the he doesn't need it!" She reached back and ripped the removable transponder piece from her neck, disconnecting herself from Talyn and Gaia, sending both gunships into a panic. "Figure out how to run your own frelling ship!" Morgan growled, throwing the transponder at Tauvo, who simply caught it, a satisfied smirk on his face. She stormed off the bridge in blind fury, not even realizing the body she shoved aside as she exited the command was none other than Crais.
Tauvo gazed at Crais, licking his lips again. "Hello, brother," he softly greeted, his voice dripping with absolute satisfaction.
Crais stood there staring at his Tauvo, his eyes black and glacial as his nostrils flared in rage. Crais, Crichton and Terrick had witnessed the kiss, Crais barely controlling the urge to wrap his hands around Tauvo's neck for forcing himself upon Morgan. He could not believe Tauvo had the audacity to attack her and he went numb with shock, his mind shutting down, drowning out Talyn's incessant questions and Morgan's rage.
"Oh shit," Crichton whispered, glancing at Crais. The Captain's jaw was clenched, a nerve twitching in his neck.
"Father?" Terrick asked quietly, never taking his eyes from his uncle.
Crais swallowed, finally able to speak. "Remain here, Terrick, with Crichton." He pointed to Tauvo, his face dark with wrath. "I will…deal…with you later," he sneered, turning on one foot and marching up Gaia's corridor after Morgan.
Crichton glared at Tauvo, crossing his arms to keep from slapping the smirk off of the ex-Peacekeeper's face. He shook his head, chewing the inside of his mouth as he kept his cool, his fists clenched. He felt like he was back in high school, defending Morgan from the school bully.
"What?" Tauvo asked innocently, tossing the transponder to the console. "It wasn't as if she didn't ask for it."
That did it. Crichton was on Tauvo before Terrick could even blink, slamming the man up against the bulkhead. "You son of a bitch! You Peacekeeper son of a bitch!" He slammed Tauvo's head against the wall, his fist wrapped tightly in the man's shirt. It took quite a bit to rile Crichton to the point of violence, and the human had had enough. "Do you know what the frell you have just done?"
Terrick slapped the comm panel. "D'Argo, you better get up here!"
"What is going on? Morgan stormed out of here like a Budong in heat, Crais not far behind her," came the reply.
Terrick stared at the two men, circling each other like two tigers. At least his father had enough sense to go after Morgan. That was the only thing that saved his uncle. For now.
"Of course I know. I showed my brother just exactly what kind of woman your cousin is," Tauvo taunted, crouching low, waiting for the opportunity to attack the human. "And I plan to get my command back!"
"Your command?" Terrick asked in confusion. "Uncle, what the frell are you talking about?"
Tauvo smiled wickedly at Terrick, his brown eyes narrowed. "The resistance. It's mine and he took it away, just like he took everything else."
Terrick and Crichton exchanged confused glances. "Tauvo, what the frell are you talking about?" Crichton repeated, staring at the man. "You pushed Crais into this position when Tadace lay dying in your arms," Crichton protested, ducking Tauvo's right hook, scrambling past him and coming up behind him.
"I didn't want him to feel left out," Tauvo snickered, turning to face Crichton. He snapped his wrist out, aiming a Panthak jab to Crichton's neck. But the human was too quick and Tauvo missed, growling in frustration as he turned, his eyes following the human.
D'Argo stopped just inside the bridge doors. "Ugh!" he growled, turning his head and waving his hand in front of his nose, his whole face crinkling.
"D'Argo do something!" Crichton yelled, rolling on the deck to avoid Tauvo's well-aimed punch, stopping at D'Argo's feet as Terrick moved out of the way, ducking the punch that was intended for Crichton.
The Luxan did, his tongue lashing out with such speed that Tauvo turned and glowered at him in shock before dropping to the deck unconscious. He reached down and offered Crichton a hand.
Crichton stared at him, his chest heaving. "It took you long enough."
"He reeks, John," D'Argo growled. "How can you not smell him?"
The human turned his head slightly, almost afraid to ask what the Sebacean lying at his feet reeked of. "Do I want to know?"
D'Argo tossed Tauvo's unconscious body over his shoulder. "Grayza."
Crichton shook his head. "You're right. I didn't want to know." He triggered his comm badge, shaking his hand and watching the blue bruise rise up on his knuckles. "Hey Minka, contact Crais and tell him we'll meet him on the surface."
"Is everything all right Commander?" Gaia's pilot sounded nervous.
Crichton shrugged. "Yeah. Fine. Nothing a good, long bath won't cure." He turned to Terrick. "Stay here in case Morgan comes back." Crichton followed D'Argo back to the landing bay and D'Argo's ship, anticipation filling him in what was to come.
The water in the river was cold and it quickly brought Tauvo out of D'Argo's tongue lashing. The back of his head hurt and he watched as water poured from his hair. A pair of booted feet came into view and Tauvo went under again, sputtering and spitting as he came up for air. "Stop! What…what are you doing?" he yelled, waving his arms, reaching up to find out what was making his head burn. He felt like someone had set him on fire.
"Taking care of business," D'Argo answered unceremoniously, pushing Tauvo under again. He canted his head and looked at Tauvo, waggling one finger at the Sebacean Commander. "You have been playing with someone nasty."
Tauvo swung his arms, realizing the pain in the back of his head was from where the Luxan held him by his hair. He shivered as a breeze blew across his bare chest and he blinked, trying to get the water away from his eyes. They were on Zorosa 3, standing in the middle of the river that ran a few metras from the community. In a very secluded area of the river. Trees surrounded them on all but one side, a grassy hill completing the valley the river ran through with it's steep, and grassy incline. "What are you talking about?" he asked in bewilderment, looking around and seeing Crichton and Rygel standing on the riverbank.
Rygel, who heard about the commotion and decided he needed a little fun, floated over the water on his throne sled, poking Tauvo hard in the shoulder, his beady little eyes widening, his ears sticking straight up. "You have been recreating with that witch Grayza." He looked at D'Argo with sadistic glee. "Douse the frelnik again."
Tauvo's eyes expanded. "By Cholak, what have I done?" he cried. D'Argo released him and he fell backwards in the water with a splash, not even trying to catch himself. He sat in the river, the cold water flowing past him. He looked around, his eyes finding Crichton's. "Please tell me I didn't do something stupid."
Crichton shook his head, his face serious as he stood on the bank, hands propped on his hips. "No can do, amigo. You pissed off the wrong person this time and thankfully, I'm not the one on the receiving end of his temper."
Tauvo's heart sank as he slowly remembered what happened. The night Grayza came to him, filling his mind with lies about Morgan. Their recreation sessions over the course of the last weeken. His growing anger at Crais for taking command of the resistance. The kiss. Tauvo scrubbed his face with his hands. "Bialar," he whispered.
"Yup," Crichton confirmed as Tauvo finally dragged himself from the river, D'Argo and Rygel following him, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him. None of them would stick up for Tauvo other than to tell Crais about the deception they had uncovered.
Before any of them could say another word, Crais came down the hill, his face flushed with immense fury, his eyes hard and cold. Tendrils of hair had come loose from his queue and he looked like a wild animal with his uniform shirt opened at the collar, the sleeves uncharacteristically rolled up to his elbows. He pointed at Tauvo. "You! How dare you!" he called between clenched teeth.
"Bialar, let me explain," Tauvo started, pushing past Crichton. He held his hands up in defense.
"Explain? There is no explanation this time, brother," he spat. Crais drew his right hand back, swinging and taking Tauvo in the chin, knocking his younger sibling backwards into the sand. "What you have done is inexcusable."
Crichton laid a hand on Crais' arm as the Captain moved past him. He had seen that look on the Sebacean's face before. "Crais, maybe you should…"
"Shut up, Crichton. This is none of your concern," Crais growled. He grabbed Tauvo by the hair, hauling him to his feet as his eyes narrowed to thin slits, his nostrils flaring. Crais didn't even bother to reign in his formidable temper. "Did you think that by attacking my wife you'd…solve the disagreement between you?" he hissed, his voice lethally quiet, his fingers tightening in Tauvo's short hair.
"Bialar, please," Tauvo begged, trying to undo his brother's fingers that were curled firmly in his hair, convinced that when Crais finally released him, clumps of black curls would be in his fist. He actually shook in fear, afraid of his brother. "I never meant to do anything that harmed you."
"Then…what exactly…were you doing?" Crais' breath came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving in rage. He saw red and landed a blow in Tauvo's stomach, following it up with a carefully placed kick to the ribs. "Are you trying to destroy everything you have worked for? Everything we have built together over the last few cycles?" he screamed, his entire body shaking.
"Crais," Crichton calmly called, standing far enough away from the fighting brothers, brushing off sand that had landed on his arm with an annoyed sigh.
"Shut up, Crichton!" he hissed, turning dark and dangerous eyes to the human.
Crichton had seen that look one too many times and knew that if someone didn't stop Crais now, Tauvo would be a goner. He sighed in resignation, marching over to the Captain and swinging him around, his own fist connecting with his ex-nemesis' goateed chin.
Crais staggered backwards, glaring at Crichton. "That will cost you, Crichton," he hissed, launching himself towards the human.
"This is getting interesting," Rygel commented, his throne sled floating towards Tauvo. The Hynerian dipped it just enough to bang the younger Crais on the head. "If you were smart, you'd stay there," he snapped. "Get him, Crichton!"
Crichton was ready for Crais and he grabbed the man by the upper arms, holding him firm. The two men wrestled for a moment, Crichton surprising the Captain when he pushed him backwards. "Listen to me, you Sebacean imbecile. Tauvo is not totally to blame. Grayza got to him."
The Commandant's name brought the Captain to a halt, his upraised fist stopping in midair. He canted his head, his eyes narrowing. "What did you say?" he asked quietly, making sure he heard the human right.
Crichton looked Crais straight in the eyes, trying very hard to ignore the pounding in his hand. He could see the bruise already rising on Crais' chin and knew he'd get an earful from Morgan, let alone from Aeryn. At this point, Crichton didn't care. Grayza was the enemy and they had to get rid of her before she could wreak any more havoc. Doing that was worth the pounding Crais wanted to unleash on him. "Grayza got a hold of Tauvo," he repeated, calming his voice.
"How? How do you know this?" Crais asked, breaking from Crichton's grip. He marched over to his brother, pointing back at Crichton. "Is Crichton right?"
Tauvo nodded silently, rubbing his sore chin, his eyes filled with regret.
"I recognized her scent on him after you left Gaia," D'Argo added, standing behind Crichton, his arms crossed over his wall of a chest.
Crais' anger flared once again. "You fool! It is obvious nothing we told you about her sunk into that skull of yours!" he yelled, poking his brother in the forehead with his forefinger.
Tauvo swallowed. "I thought…I thought I could get some information from her," he answered, his voice small and cracking with emotion.
"And did you?" Crais posed, waiting.
Tauvo nodded, running his tongue over his teeth and tasting blood. "She is trying to take over the resistance. She wants to use all of our resources here on Zorosa 3 to stage an attack against Scorpius."
Crais slowed his breathing, his anger still bubbling just above the surface. Somehow, the news of the Commandant's plan did not surprise him. They all knew she had been up to something. Now they knew what it was. "And you thought…you were immune to her…'charms'."
Tauvo nodded, too afraid to say anything. It had been along time since he had seen Crais this furious. He didn't want to see him that way again, at least not while he was on the receiving end.
Crais lifted his chin, his nostrils flaring, the muscles in his cheek twitching. "Well, you weren't." He turned, pushing between Crichton and D'Argo. He stopped, turning his head slightly. "I would…suggest…that you return to Gaia and remain there, Tauvo. At least there I know you will be out of the Commandant's reach." His dark eyes met Crichton's and he lowered his voice. "Find out where Grayza is and let me know as soon as possible."
"Where are you going, Bialar?" Crichton asked, stepping up to him.
"To speak with Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan and see if she can develop some form of…pheromone blocker so this…" Crais glared angrily at his brother, "…does not happen again." His eyes met Crichton's, his expression softening slightly. "Then I am going to find Morgan. And hopefully straighten this out before it gets any further out of control." They watched him walk away, his back ramrod straight, his anger still evident in the way he moved.
Crichton looked at D'Argo and shrugged, taking off after Crais to see if he could find Grayza, leaving Tauvo in his crewmates care.
It took Crais almost three arns to calm down and finally locate Morgan. She wasn't on Talyn and Terrick confirmed that she had not returned to Gaia. Which meant there was only one place she could be. He found her Prowler sitting in the soft grass just outside his parent's farm, away from the hustle and bustle of the community the resistance had built. He sighed, settling his own Prowler next to hers, quickly tugging off his flight gloves and tossing them into his seat, sliding down the side of the small fighter and heading straight for the barn. It always seemed that his wife retreated here whenever something disturbed her or she needed time to think, and he could only assume that the rural setting was comforting to her, reminding her of Earth.
"Bialar!"
Crais stopped at the sound of his mother's voice, altering his course and warily approaching the house. The look on her face did not bode well, which meant she either knew what had taken place or suspected something was wrong. She met him halfway, Allan bouncing on her hip, his little hands reaching anxiously for him. Crais took his son. "Hello mother," he said softly, rubbing his cheek affectionately against the boy's head as he wrapped his arms around Crais' neck.
"What is going on? I've heard two Prowlers land and although I may be blind, I know that something is wrong," she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.
Crais smiled, laying his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "It is just a little…disagreement between Morgan, Tauvo and myself," he reassured her. He kissed Allan's forehead and gently placed him in his grandmother's arms. "Please take Allan in the house."
Mother cast an 'I-know-better-than-that' look at her eldest son, and turned, harrumphing to herself as she made her way back into the house. "Dinner will be ready in an arn if you're planning on staying, which would be very nice," she tossed over her shoulder, hinting very strongly that she wanted her family there. She looked at Allan and even though she couldn't see the little boy, her gaze was full of affection. "Little disagreement my e'ema," she mumbled to him, running her finger down his nose and eliciting a giggle from the boy.
Crais smiled at her comment, continuing on to the barn. He stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, canting his head, listening as he moved past the livestock stalls, hearing his father's voice above him in the loft. He rested one hand on the ladder rung, waiting, the voices above him drifting down.
"It has not been easy on any of us Morgan, and Tauvo's actions were inexcusable. Especially if he was trying to hurt you or his brother. That is not like him," Father soothed. He gently wiped the dried blood from around and on the transponder cradle with tender care, his heart aching over his daughter-in-laws upset. He knew she loved Tauvo like a brother and now she felt as if he had betrayed both Crais and herself, handling her own anger at Suleah's kidnapping by taking it out on Tauvo. Father laid the cloth aside, picking up a jar of salve and smoothing some of it around her sore flesh. He stroked her hair as she sniffed, rubbing her shoulders. "Let Bialar and Tauvo sort this out between them."
Morgan looked up, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Bialar probably hates me," she whispered pathetically, feeling like she was to blame. She wondered if this would've happened if she had treated Tauvo differently. "I should have never have…been so cold…with him. Maybe if I had…"
Father turned Morgan around to face him, gently taking her chin in his big hand as he shook his head, quieting her. His dark eyes were soft, filled with affection. "No Morgan. You should know better than that. And it wasn't your fault, if that is what you are thinking." He smiled softly, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the rough pads of his thumbs. "Bialar would never hate you. Bialar loves you and you him." He pulled her into his arms, patting her back as she cried. Father saw Crais as he climbed the ladder, waiting for him to come forward. The expression on his son's face was sad, and it tugged at the big Sebacean's heart. He gently gripped Morgan's arms, setting her away from him. "Now, stop crying. You don't want Bialar to see you going on like this."
Crais leaned against the loft railing, his hands clasped in front of him. "It's not the first time," he commented softly. He looked at Morgan, his eyes filled with nothing but love, his anger at his brother bubbling back to the surface at the hurt look on her face. He nodded his thanks to Father as he turned around to go down the ladder.
"Do you want me to speak to Tauvo?" Father queried softly, his expression dark. He could not help the feeling of disappointment he felt at his younger son's actions and he was bound and determined to see it never happened again, no matter what it took.
Crais' own expression matched his father's at his brother's name. "No. I have…already spoken with him."
Father smiled knowingly, noticing the dark bruise along the jaw line of his left cheek. "So I see," he commented quietly with a brief nod towards his son's cheek. He disappeared down the ladder, closing the barn door behind him.
Crais watched as the door closed before approaching Morgan, assuring their privacy. He sat down next to her on the beozar bale. "My brother has managed to make an…ass out of himself," he calmly stated, pushing her hair aside to double check the transponder cradle, making sure it hadn't come loose when she jerked the neural link that joined her to both ships from it.
Morgan smiled at his choice of words, not used to hearing him purposefully use an Earth euphemism. She took Talyn's transponder from his hand, Crais having found it where she had left it in his office, and placed it in the cradle, wincing slightly as she reestablished the link and reassuring the panicked gunship. Morgan sighed. "I'm sorry Bialar."
Crais wrapped his arm around her, drawing her trembling body under his shoulder protectively as she leaned her head on his chest. "For what, Morgan? You did nothing wrong." He canted his head to gaze down at her, stroking her cheek with his free hand. "It was not your fault at all."
Morgan sat up, turning to straddle the bale. She knew by his tone of voice that something was disturbing him. "What happened?" she asked softly, biting her lower lip as she waited.
Crais rubbed his temple. "Tauvo was under Grayza's…influence. He has been for a weeken now which explains his odd behavior." His dark eyes met hers. "It seems that Commandant Grayza is trying to…wrest control of the resistance from us." He sighed. "She wants to use Zorosa 3 as her own base for attacking Scorpius."
Morgan's face darkened at the news. "I knew that bitch would be trouble."
Crais nodded. "We all did. I suspected she wanted more than just amnesty." Crais took Morgan's hands in his, tracing the tattoo on her wrist absently. "D'Argo picked up her scent as soon as he got close enough to Tauvo."
Morgan smiled, her eyes on their linked hands. "Huh, the advantage of having a Luxan with a big nose around."
Crais smiled with her, drawing her into the comfort of his strong arms and holding her tightly to him, resting his chin on Morgan's neck as he stroked her hair. "You realize this means that we will have to…postpone our engagement with Scorpius."
Morgan nodded as she wrapped her arms around him, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. "Suleah is safe for now. The resistance isn't," she whispered. It broke her heart to know her daughter was with that monster, but thousands of lives were at stake, defenseless against Grayza and her troops. And somehow she knew Scorpius wouldn't intentionally hurt Suleah. Maybe it was a mother's instinct, maybe it was hope, but Morgan was confident their daughter was fine. "What's the plan?" she finally asked.
Before Crais could answer, the barn doors flew open below them. Crais stood and bent over the railing, his pulse pistol in his hand, his eyes meeting Crichton's and Chiana's.
"Crais she's gone! That little trelk Grayza hit me over the head and took off!" Chiana called, a section of her white hair matted with blood.
"Where?" he called sharply, sliding down the ladder, and grasping Morgan's hips, lowering her quickly to the ground as she followed him from the loft.
"I…I don't know. She hit me from behind and when I came to, she was gone," Chiana explained, her hand going to her head. She could see the fury growing in Crais' eyes.
Morgan immediately went to Chiana, leading the petite Nebari woman into the house, casting a worried look over her shoulder, a look Crais caught. He turned towards Crichton, his stomach clenching in agitation. "Where?" he asked again, deep concern etched on his face.
Crichton ran his fingers through his hair. "She headed back to her ship." Crais moved past him and Crichton grabbed his arm. "Wait, Crais. There's more." Their eyes met, the tension between them thick over Grayza's betrayal. "She just brought the rest of her fleet into the sector. Seven Scarren dreadnaughts and three more command carriers. All of them heading this way with their gun ports wide open."
