"Drop it, Sputnik!"

Sikozu pivots to face the source of the unexpected words. "Crichton? I didn't think even you could be this stupid! You can't have gotten in here without being detected by the sensors. Unless you want to be turned over to the Scarrans for interrogation, I suggest you leave now."

"He said, 'Drop it.'" Aeryn steps into the doorway of the transport to stand beside Crichton. Both have pulse pistols raised and pointed at Sikozu.

Bialar lunges forward to grab Sikozu and cries out as a pulse blast sears through the flesh of his upper arm. He blinks in disbelief, wondering if perhaps he misjudged the human. Could Crichton be hoping to take the data spools for himself and not wanting to destroy them as he had claimed?

"No sudden moves. From anyone." Crichton glances from Bialar to Talyn to Sikozu before glaring briefly at Veena. "And don't even think about playing toaster oven."

"Are those the data spools?" Aeryn points at Sikozu's bag with the pulse pistol.

Without answering, Sikozu drops her pulse pistol and brings the bag in front of her chest, clutching it like a mother protecting a child.

D'Argo comes to stand between Aeryn and Crichton and then lashes out with his tongue, striking Sikozu in the forehead.

Instead of crumpling as the Luxan no doubt expected, Sikozu only shakes her head in frustration. "I don't know how you ever called yourself a scientist, Crichton! The secrets I am holding are what the best minds of all sentient species have been striving toward since--"

"Right. And you're going to be on the cover of Nature, Science, and Popular Mechanics! I'm not buying that, Sputnik." Crichton laughs bitterly.

"I would prefer not to shoot you," Aeryn says. "So put down the bag."

Bialar edges slowly away from the target of their weapons, pulling Talyn with him. From this angle, he cannot see the bag itself, but from the look of stunned fascination on Crichton's face he knows something is happening with it. The air around Sikozu begins to shimmer and within a few microts, she cries out, drops the singed bag on the ground, and takes a step back from it. The air continues to ripple and the bag erupts in flame. It's contents begin to warp and shrink, emitting a foul, eye-watering odor and producing a stream of black smoke.

"You!" Sikozu lunges toward Veena, but Bialar and Talyn each catch one of her arms.

"Thanks," Crichton mutters, looking from Veena to the smoldering remains of the data spools. He coughs as he inhales some of the smoke and wipes his newly red eyes on the back of his sleeve.

She shrugs as she lowers her hand, letting the heat waves dissipate. "I'm Scarran. I had the most to lose if that data fell into enemy hands."

"Beautiful!" Ceredin claps her hands in appreciation. "Now it's just a matter of getting out of here before the power source explodes and then destroying the backup."

"Backup?" Crichton repeats just as Bialar says, "Power source?" and Aeryn says, "Explodes?"

"She's right. Scorpius plans to sabotage the station power core and blow up the whole facility as a way to hide the theft. He's giving himself a half-arn to get away once the timer is set." Talyn taps his own head with his free hand, still holding a struggling Sikozu with the other. "Believe me, I know more than I want to about his plans."

"A power source explosion should obliterate the entire station, including any backup," Bialar argues. "Why do you say we have to destroy it?"

"Because the backup is hoping to walk out of here." Ceredin smiles sweetly as Sikozu. "A bioloid's storage capacity is more than ample for holding the contents of a few data spools, right Talyn?"

"Frell! I hadn't thought of that." Talyn clamps down harder on Sikozu's arm and seizes a handful of hair in his other hand.

Confirming Ceredin's accusation, Sikozu twists and kicks in a renewed attempt to free herself.

Aeryn and D'Argo both train their weapons on Sikozu, but Crichton shakes his head and raises a hand. "No. There's gotta be a better way. Can't we just remove the files? What do you say, Jeannie?" He glances at Ceredin.

"Jeannie?" She repeats, tilting her head and tugging on a lock of hair.

"You know, blond girl, lives in the bottle? We had this conversation when you were piloting Lola."

Ceredin shrugs. "That would have been a different instance."

Gemmi comes to stand between Talyn and Bialar and places a hand on the back of Sikozu's neck. "Cer, Talyn, and I can handle the bioloid's memory wipe. We might even be able to keep her living consciousness in tact."

Ceredin raises an eyebrow and smirks at Talyn, who responds with a grin and a shrug. "Might," they agree in unison.

Sikozu twists her head to shoot a pleading look at Bialar. Apparently not liking what she finds in his eyes, she turns back to Aeryn, Crichton, and D'Argo. "I was only attempting to ensure that the Scarran empire is unable to create wormhole weapons! You can't leave me here with this... mad scientist and her minions!"

Bialar chuckles and brings his face close to hers. "I was under the impression you valued the advancement of science."

"I'm no one's frelling minion," Talyn mutters. He disentagles his hand from Sikozu's hair and latches onto the arm Bialar is holding. "I can handle her myself. Go take care of Scorpius."

"Good idea." Aeryn half-turns and puts a hand on Crichton's arm.

Bialar shakes his head. "You find Scorpius. I'm going after Kidan."

Bring him back here alive. I need him. Gemmi's cold, flat tone is as surprising as the words themselves.

I will attempt to do so, Bialar promises. The only purpose he can imagine for her request is the need for retribution. He wonders whether committing acts of cruelty will heal her or only worsen the wounds of experience by infecting them with festering guilt. Even so, he cannot justify denying her a chance at revenge.

"I'll help," Veena offers. "I can jam the sensors and make sure you get away."

"No. We can't trust her!" D'Argo barks. "She'll alert station security."

"He's right." Aeryn meets Crichton's eyes and then glances at Bialar. "Can we even trust you? Instead of going in like we had planned, you took my prowler on your own! Why?"

He places one hand on Talyn's shoulder and one on Gemmi's. "The matter became urgent, and I had to leave quickly in order to protect my own interests."

"Makes sense to me!" Crichton glances from Veena to D'Argo. "Look, her intel got us in here, and she fried the data spools despite the fact that none of us here has a weapon that can really hurt her. I'd say we need all the help we get and we don't have time for a round of interviews."

D'Argo growls, but nods reluctant agreement and the three of them depart, Veena close behind.

"If I'm not back in a half arn, leave without me," Bialar instructs Ceredin.

She shakes her head. "You don't have that long. My instance on the station mainframe says Scorpius has already set the power core to explode."

"How long?" Bialar demands.

"Twenty macrots unless you can neutralize his device. And I have Kidan contained on level twelve, section four, room 322."

He nods his thanks to Ceredin and exits the transport. As the door closes behind him, he hears Sikozu's shouts of protest.