Chapter 6: Revelations
"The first thing we have to do is to get Crichton and Aeryn onto the planet. We're going to need some extra muscle to get Talyn out of there. It looks like they're almost done building the collar, we can't risk a delay."
"Agreed," Crais replied, taking the communicator from her.
"We're ready," came Crichton's immediate response to Crais' signal.
"We need you here immediately," Crais said. "We will return and meet you at Carma's house."
"Understood."
"I hope that's going to be enough force to get Talyn out," Carma said.
"It will have to be," Crais replied grimly.
"I suggest we take a different route out. I know a short-cut through the secondary labs where we shouldn't be seen."
Carma and Crais set off down the corridor.
"I suggest we try the night shift. There's less people, we've more chance of getting out alive," Carma said.
"Unless the continued presence of Crichton and Aeryn attracts suspicion."
"True, we might have to try earlier. But with only the four of us I'd like to get as good odds as I can."
"Perhaps for now we should merely concentrate on escaping from this building," Crais said.
"With a bit of luck we'll get out with no problems."
"Sorry," Commandant Veldone's voice came from behind them. They spun round. She raised her weapon. "Your luck has just run out."
***
Crais slowly came to and gazed blearily into the dim light.
"Oh good, now you're both awake."
Commandant Veldone stood, watching them from across the room.
"I did hope," she said, "that you would see reason. All I asked was that you not interfere. But of course you couldn't do that, you're far too much like your mother."
Crais realised that she was addressing Carma.
"It really was very naive of you to think that you could spoil my plans Carma," she continued. "And it's very unfortunate that I will have to dispose of you."
"Very unfortunate," Carma replied bitterly, "two down, one to go."
"Oh really!" the Commandant laughed lightly. "You don't honestly believe that I caused the death of your mother, do you?"
"I know you did."
The Commandant shook her head. "No. I'm afraid...for the blame for that...you must look a little closer to home."
"You can't seriously be suggesting that my father had anything to do with her death."
"There is much that you don't know about your father."
"Less than you think," Carma replied, eyeing her with ill-disguised hatred.
The Commandant just smiled indulgently.
"And you," she said, now addressing Crais, "you just couldn't leave quietly, could you? I must say you two make quite a pair - both dipping your hands into other people's business. It could have been so easy, but you had to make it difficult."
"What do you intend to do with us?" Crais asked.
"For now, leave you in capable hands while I decide how best to remove you. I wouldn't want anyone to suspect foul play," the Commandant replied, smiling.
A door opened to the right of them. Carma and Crais turned their heads and shifted their eyes towards it. Crais knew instinctively who he would see, even before he did.
Selon crossed the room in a few strides and came to stand in front of them.
"Make sure that they are kept comfortable," the Commandant said to him.
Carma and Crais followed her eyes to the impressive array of torture instruments decorating the wall.
"Yes sir," Selon replied formally.
The Commandant nodded to him, gave Carma a nasty grin and walked swiftly out. When she was gone, Selon turned silently to the wall display, apparently selecting his weapon of choice. Crais and Carma exchanged a look. Crais' eyes asked if Selon would really go through with this. Carma's eyes replied that he would.
"Just answer one question," Carma said. "What does the Commandant want with Talyn?"
"The ships we have allow us to rescue damaged ships. With fire power at our disposal, we could make this...conditional."
"Charging for care is against everything we were built on," Carma said angrily.
"The Commandant thinks otherwise."
"Yeah," Carma said bitterly, "I just bet she does. And I'll bet that's only the beginning of her plans."
She fell silent for a microt.
"How could you do this?" she burst out suddenly. "How can you work for her? She'd kill you in a minute, kill me, she already killed my mother! What the frell is she giving you that's more important than that?!"
Selon was still standing with his back to them. He stood silently for a moment, pausing in his selection. Then...
"She didn't kill your mother."
Carma's eyes bored into the back of his head.
"Then who did?" she demanded.
Selon turned slowly round and made eye contact, calm and unwavering.
"I did," he replied simply.
***
"I'm telling you Aeryn, something's wrong. We can't have got here before them if nothing is wrong."
"I doubt that we can enter the centre alone without being detected," Aeryn replied.
"We can't just sit here! They are obviously in trouble, which means that Talyn is in trouble, which means that we are in trouble. Even if we can't save them, we have to get Talyn out!"
Aeryn nodded, "Agreed."
***
"What do you mean 'you did'?" Carma demanded. "You can't honestly mean that she was actually telling the truth?"
"Yes," Selon replied, turning back to the wall and his selection.
"But why?" Carma said, her voice now sounding shaky. "How could you do it?"
Selon paused again, then turned, this time with his chosen instrument in his hands.
"Because I'm a bad man," he said, getting a firm grip on the weapon he was holding.
They were raised from the floor, both chained to the wall at the feet and hands, stretched out. Crais' back muscles were screaming at him. They had no weapons, the wall was solid stone. Short of a miracle, they had no way out.
Selon raised the weapon he held. Crais fought the temptation to close his eyes and wait for the inevitable, something he didn't remember ever feeling before.
Suddenly Selon spun quickly and hit something on the wall. The device shattered and sparked. Before Crais could query what it was, Selon approached him. The blade came swinging towards him, Crais' eyes closed reflexively and he didn't see it land.
It took him a microt to realise that he wasn't dead. He felt the blade swing past him again and suddenly his hands were free from the wall. He fell to his knees, but microts later his feet were free as well. Selon then moved onto Carma, breaking the bonds that held her.
"Why are you doing this?" Carma asked.
"Because I want this project brought down," Selon replied.
"I thought you were on her side?"
Selon grunted. "As you said, how can I serve someone who would kill my whole family?"
He walked quickly to the door and left.
"Do you trust him?" Crais asked.
"Yes," Carma said, honestly. "But that doesn't mean that I should."
"For the moment I suggest we do. We must keep trying to rescue Talyn."
"What will Crichton and Aeryn have done when we didn't arrive?" Carma asked.
"I do not know if we can count on their assistance. We must assume that we are alone."
***
"We can't go in there guns blazing because we don't have any frelling guns!" Carma said. "We've just got to bluff our way in and hope that Veldone hasn't told anyone about us."
"Do you think she will have done?"
Carma shook her head. "I doubt there's many people here that she trusts. If we're fast we can get in before she realises that we're gone."
Moving as casually as they could, they swiftly made their way to the hanger where Talyn was being held.
"You get on board and start re-activating his systems," Carma said out of the corner of her mouth as they entered the bay. "I have to send out the signal to the others here to get ready."
"I thought you didn't know who any of them are?" Crais asked, once again suspicious.
"I don't," Carma said impatiently, "but every agent has one of these," she said, indicating her communicator. "I can send out a pre-set signal that will tell everyone here to be prepared to back us up."
"Your government are better organised that I imagined," Crais remarked.
"Yeah, that they are," Carma muttered, as Crais climbed aboard Talyn.
Once he was gone, she carefully activated the signal, taking care that nobody noticed what she was doing. There was no discernible reaction from anyone around her. The question was, were they simply not reacting, or were there no supporters to count on? She took a quick glance around the room, unconsciously lingering on the door. She jumped when it opened...and Crichton and Aeryn strode in.
"Hey," Crichton called, "we came to visit your patients."
Carma produced a credible smile.
"Where's Crais?" Crichton asked when they had reached her.
"On board Talyn, trying to activate his systems," Carma replied quietly. "I don't know how much time we have. Veldone knows what we're trying to do, but she still thinks we're tied up."
"How'd you get away?" Crichton asked.
Just at that moment Selon entered the room, closely followed by Commandant Veldone. Carma's expression changed at once.
"We got help," she said, spitting out the last word. "Now we're on our own."
"Get on board Talyn," Crichton said. "Me and Aeryn can take them."
"This isn't your fight," Carma said. "And I have a few scores to settle."
She turned to Selon. "You betrayed us...again!"
"She found out," he muttered, "I can't go against her."
"Why not?" Carma demanded.
He looked up, and a moment of understanding passed between father and daughter.
"They got you too," she said. "How long?"
"Six cycles," he replied.
"What's your level?"
"Two and falling."
"About six monens?"
"Something like that."
"You want out?" Carma asked calmly.
"If you're offering."
In once swift moment, Carma grabbed his pulse weapon and shot him through the heart. Her aim was perfect and he slumped to the floor, dead.
"What the frell?" Crichton yelled.
"It'll have to wait until later," Carma replied, turning to Veldone.
"You don't imagine that merely depriving me of my second will save your life?" Veldone said.
"I'm not here to save my life," Carma replied calmly, "I *merely* imagine that it will prevent you saving your own."
"We're surrounded by my people," Veldone laughed.
Carma gave a dry smile. "Are you quite sure of that?" she asked. "Let's do a little test."
She walked up to Veldone, her pulse pistol raised and pressed it to the side of her skull.
Several of the people around them made moves to help. The rest of the room suddenly came to life. Those few still loyal to Veldone were quickly subdued. Carma smiled. "I guess you've a little less support than you imagined."
The first signs of fear flickered across Veldone's face. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked.
"I'd like to kill you," Carma replied. "But that's not in my job description. So I'm going to hand you over to the rest of these people," she said, gesturing to the room. "They're going to do what they want until the executioners arrive."
With that she threw the Commandant to the ground, where she was instantly tackled by two of the techs.
"Let's go," Carma said.
"Don't you want to stay a while?" Crichton asked, still a little stunned.
Carma gave a last look at her father, lying on the ground.
"I'm finished now," she replied.
***
"Do you not wish to return to your house before we leave?" Crais asked.
"Can't go back," Carma said. "We have to leave now."
"Why?"
"Just trust me on this, we have to. You wanted me to come, I'm coming."
"I might remind you that if what we attempt is not successful, we may not be able to escape," Crais said.
"Then we'd better hope it is," Carma replied grimly.
***
"You really think that Moya can pull Talyn through starburst with her?" Crichton asked Aeryn.
"He is still much smaller than she is," Aeryn said. "And he can't starburst on his own, so it is our only option."
"So we just have to pray this works," Crichton finished.
***
Crais and Carma stood on Talyn's bridge and braced themselves.
"All in all, there are worse ways to die," Carma said.
"I believe that this could be successful," Crais replied.
"Even so."
"You guys ready?" Crichton's voice came over the comms.
"We are prepared," Crais replied.
"Good luck," Crichton said. Then, as an afterthought, "...again."
The light from Moya's starburst filled the viewscreen, the command was flooded with light and its two occupants prepared to face whatever lay beyond.
"The first thing we have to do is to get Crichton and Aeryn onto the planet. We're going to need some extra muscle to get Talyn out of there. It looks like they're almost done building the collar, we can't risk a delay."
"Agreed," Crais replied, taking the communicator from her.
"We're ready," came Crichton's immediate response to Crais' signal.
"We need you here immediately," Crais said. "We will return and meet you at Carma's house."
"Understood."
"I hope that's going to be enough force to get Talyn out," Carma said.
"It will have to be," Crais replied grimly.
"I suggest we take a different route out. I know a short-cut through the secondary labs where we shouldn't be seen."
Carma and Crais set off down the corridor.
"I suggest we try the night shift. There's less people, we've more chance of getting out alive," Carma said.
"Unless the continued presence of Crichton and Aeryn attracts suspicion."
"True, we might have to try earlier. But with only the four of us I'd like to get as good odds as I can."
"Perhaps for now we should merely concentrate on escaping from this building," Crais said.
"With a bit of luck we'll get out with no problems."
"Sorry," Commandant Veldone's voice came from behind them. They spun round. She raised her weapon. "Your luck has just run out."
***
Crais slowly came to and gazed blearily into the dim light.
"Oh good, now you're both awake."
Commandant Veldone stood, watching them from across the room.
"I did hope," she said, "that you would see reason. All I asked was that you not interfere. But of course you couldn't do that, you're far too much like your mother."
Crais realised that she was addressing Carma.
"It really was very naive of you to think that you could spoil my plans Carma," she continued. "And it's very unfortunate that I will have to dispose of you."
"Very unfortunate," Carma replied bitterly, "two down, one to go."
"Oh really!" the Commandant laughed lightly. "You don't honestly believe that I caused the death of your mother, do you?"
"I know you did."
The Commandant shook her head. "No. I'm afraid...for the blame for that...you must look a little closer to home."
"You can't seriously be suggesting that my father had anything to do with her death."
"There is much that you don't know about your father."
"Less than you think," Carma replied, eyeing her with ill-disguised hatred.
The Commandant just smiled indulgently.
"And you," she said, now addressing Crais, "you just couldn't leave quietly, could you? I must say you two make quite a pair - both dipping your hands into other people's business. It could have been so easy, but you had to make it difficult."
"What do you intend to do with us?" Crais asked.
"For now, leave you in capable hands while I decide how best to remove you. I wouldn't want anyone to suspect foul play," the Commandant replied, smiling.
A door opened to the right of them. Carma and Crais turned their heads and shifted their eyes towards it. Crais knew instinctively who he would see, even before he did.
Selon crossed the room in a few strides and came to stand in front of them.
"Make sure that they are kept comfortable," the Commandant said to him.
Carma and Crais followed her eyes to the impressive array of torture instruments decorating the wall.
"Yes sir," Selon replied formally.
The Commandant nodded to him, gave Carma a nasty grin and walked swiftly out. When she was gone, Selon turned silently to the wall display, apparently selecting his weapon of choice. Crais and Carma exchanged a look. Crais' eyes asked if Selon would really go through with this. Carma's eyes replied that he would.
"Just answer one question," Carma said. "What does the Commandant want with Talyn?"
"The ships we have allow us to rescue damaged ships. With fire power at our disposal, we could make this...conditional."
"Charging for care is against everything we were built on," Carma said angrily.
"The Commandant thinks otherwise."
"Yeah," Carma said bitterly, "I just bet she does. And I'll bet that's only the beginning of her plans."
She fell silent for a microt.
"How could you do this?" she burst out suddenly. "How can you work for her? She'd kill you in a minute, kill me, she already killed my mother! What the frell is she giving you that's more important than that?!"
Selon was still standing with his back to them. He stood silently for a moment, pausing in his selection. Then...
"She didn't kill your mother."
Carma's eyes bored into the back of his head.
"Then who did?" she demanded.
Selon turned slowly round and made eye contact, calm and unwavering.
"I did," he replied simply.
***
"I'm telling you Aeryn, something's wrong. We can't have got here before them if nothing is wrong."
"I doubt that we can enter the centre alone without being detected," Aeryn replied.
"We can't just sit here! They are obviously in trouble, which means that Talyn is in trouble, which means that we are in trouble. Even if we can't save them, we have to get Talyn out!"
Aeryn nodded, "Agreed."
***
"What do you mean 'you did'?" Carma demanded. "You can't honestly mean that she was actually telling the truth?"
"Yes," Selon replied, turning back to the wall and his selection.
"But why?" Carma said, her voice now sounding shaky. "How could you do it?"
Selon paused again, then turned, this time with his chosen instrument in his hands.
"Because I'm a bad man," he said, getting a firm grip on the weapon he was holding.
They were raised from the floor, both chained to the wall at the feet and hands, stretched out. Crais' back muscles were screaming at him. They had no weapons, the wall was solid stone. Short of a miracle, they had no way out.
Selon raised the weapon he held. Crais fought the temptation to close his eyes and wait for the inevitable, something he didn't remember ever feeling before.
Suddenly Selon spun quickly and hit something on the wall. The device shattered and sparked. Before Crais could query what it was, Selon approached him. The blade came swinging towards him, Crais' eyes closed reflexively and he didn't see it land.
It took him a microt to realise that he wasn't dead. He felt the blade swing past him again and suddenly his hands were free from the wall. He fell to his knees, but microts later his feet were free as well. Selon then moved onto Carma, breaking the bonds that held her.
"Why are you doing this?" Carma asked.
"Because I want this project brought down," Selon replied.
"I thought you were on her side?"
Selon grunted. "As you said, how can I serve someone who would kill my whole family?"
He walked quickly to the door and left.
"Do you trust him?" Crais asked.
"Yes," Carma said, honestly. "But that doesn't mean that I should."
"For the moment I suggest we do. We must keep trying to rescue Talyn."
"What will Crichton and Aeryn have done when we didn't arrive?" Carma asked.
"I do not know if we can count on their assistance. We must assume that we are alone."
***
"We can't go in there guns blazing because we don't have any frelling guns!" Carma said. "We've just got to bluff our way in and hope that Veldone hasn't told anyone about us."
"Do you think she will have done?"
Carma shook her head. "I doubt there's many people here that she trusts. If we're fast we can get in before she realises that we're gone."
Moving as casually as they could, they swiftly made their way to the hanger where Talyn was being held.
"You get on board and start re-activating his systems," Carma said out of the corner of her mouth as they entered the bay. "I have to send out the signal to the others here to get ready."
"I thought you didn't know who any of them are?" Crais asked, once again suspicious.
"I don't," Carma said impatiently, "but every agent has one of these," she said, indicating her communicator. "I can send out a pre-set signal that will tell everyone here to be prepared to back us up."
"Your government are better organised that I imagined," Crais remarked.
"Yeah, that they are," Carma muttered, as Crais climbed aboard Talyn.
Once he was gone, she carefully activated the signal, taking care that nobody noticed what she was doing. There was no discernible reaction from anyone around her. The question was, were they simply not reacting, or were there no supporters to count on? She took a quick glance around the room, unconsciously lingering on the door. She jumped when it opened...and Crichton and Aeryn strode in.
"Hey," Crichton called, "we came to visit your patients."
Carma produced a credible smile.
"Where's Crais?" Crichton asked when they had reached her.
"On board Talyn, trying to activate his systems," Carma replied quietly. "I don't know how much time we have. Veldone knows what we're trying to do, but she still thinks we're tied up."
"How'd you get away?" Crichton asked.
Just at that moment Selon entered the room, closely followed by Commandant Veldone. Carma's expression changed at once.
"We got help," she said, spitting out the last word. "Now we're on our own."
"Get on board Talyn," Crichton said. "Me and Aeryn can take them."
"This isn't your fight," Carma said. "And I have a few scores to settle."
She turned to Selon. "You betrayed us...again!"
"She found out," he muttered, "I can't go against her."
"Why not?" Carma demanded.
He looked up, and a moment of understanding passed between father and daughter.
"They got you too," she said. "How long?"
"Six cycles," he replied.
"What's your level?"
"Two and falling."
"About six monens?"
"Something like that."
"You want out?" Carma asked calmly.
"If you're offering."
In once swift moment, Carma grabbed his pulse weapon and shot him through the heart. Her aim was perfect and he slumped to the floor, dead.
"What the frell?" Crichton yelled.
"It'll have to wait until later," Carma replied, turning to Veldone.
"You don't imagine that merely depriving me of my second will save your life?" Veldone said.
"I'm not here to save my life," Carma replied calmly, "I *merely* imagine that it will prevent you saving your own."
"We're surrounded by my people," Veldone laughed.
Carma gave a dry smile. "Are you quite sure of that?" she asked. "Let's do a little test."
She walked up to Veldone, her pulse pistol raised and pressed it to the side of her skull.
Several of the people around them made moves to help. The rest of the room suddenly came to life. Those few still loyal to Veldone were quickly subdued. Carma smiled. "I guess you've a little less support than you imagined."
The first signs of fear flickered across Veldone's face. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked.
"I'd like to kill you," Carma replied. "But that's not in my job description. So I'm going to hand you over to the rest of these people," she said, gesturing to the room. "They're going to do what they want until the executioners arrive."
With that she threw the Commandant to the ground, where she was instantly tackled by two of the techs.
"Let's go," Carma said.
"Don't you want to stay a while?" Crichton asked, still a little stunned.
Carma gave a last look at her father, lying on the ground.
"I'm finished now," she replied.
***
"Do you not wish to return to your house before we leave?" Crais asked.
"Can't go back," Carma said. "We have to leave now."
"Why?"
"Just trust me on this, we have to. You wanted me to come, I'm coming."
"I might remind you that if what we attempt is not successful, we may not be able to escape," Crais said.
"Then we'd better hope it is," Carma replied grimly.
***
"You really think that Moya can pull Talyn through starburst with her?" Crichton asked Aeryn.
"He is still much smaller than she is," Aeryn said. "And he can't starburst on his own, so it is our only option."
"So we just have to pray this works," Crichton finished.
***
Crais and Carma stood on Talyn's bridge and braced themselves.
"All in all, there are worse ways to die," Carma said.
"I believe that this could be successful," Crais replied.
"Even so."
"You guys ready?" Crichton's voice came over the comms.
"We are prepared," Crais replied.
"Good luck," Crichton said. Then, as an afterthought, "...again."
The light from Moya's starburst filled the viewscreen, the command was flooded with light and its two occupants prepared to face whatever lay beyond.