"We are frelled!"
"What's the matter, D'Argo?" Chiana looked anxiously at the Luxan as he strode into command.
"I've just been to check the escape pods, but they have been deactivated somehow."
"Deactivated? But…" Chiana looked frantically at Zhaan and then back to D'Argo. "How can they be deactivated?"
"Does it matter how?" Rygel impatiently. "They are. And we are frelled!"
Chiana's eyes were large as she began to shake her head "No. There has to be something we can do. D'Argo?" She turned towards him almost desperately.
D'Argo moved to put his hands on the young Nebari's shoulders to calm her. " Do not worry. We have been in far worse situations than this and lived. We will work this out." He said gently.
She put one of her hands over his and squeezed. "Sure we will." They shared a smile before they broke apart. "Have you heard from Crichton?"
"Somebody call my name?" Crichton entered the command just ahead of Aeryn. They were both carrying toolboxes, which they banged down on the strategy table. "OK, so how are we doing?" He looked at D'Argo. "Found a way off the boat?"
"No. The escape pods are useless and we have still not found a way to open the hanger doors."
"Environmentals?"
"They appear to be working normally." Zhaan said.
"Well, that's something." Crichton looked briefly at Aeryn. She was still flushed from the heat in the access tunnel, but otherwise she seemed fine. "Anything else?"
"We've been trying to communicate with Pilot, but we've had no luck." Chiana shook her head slightly. "There's no malfunction. He's just not responding."
" We also can't find any DRDs." Rygel added, sounding a little depressed.
Crichton thought about that for a moment "OK." He sighed. "So we're no further to finding out what is going on here than we were an arn ago. We're going to have to keep trying to access Pilot's pad, but D'Argo, you'll have to come and help me because it's too hot down there for Aeryn." He noticed Aeryn stiffen but she said nothing. He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, until we know for sure what has happened to him, I think that we should assume that Pilot is hostile. That means we don't use the coms to discuss what we are doing and, if they come out of hiding, no loose talk in front of the DRDs."
" I never said that Pilot was hostile." Aeryn glared at him but she sounded more upset than angry. "There must be another explanation."
"It's just a precaution, Aeryn." He said gently, holding her gaze until she looked away. "Doesn't mean I think that Pilot's definitely gone over to the dark side." She brought her gaze back to him but wouldn't quite meet his eyes. Crichton fought the urge to try and comfort her and turned instead to his shipmates. "OK. D'Argo, pick up a toolbox and let's go. The rest of you…"
"Crichton!" Chiana interrupted him, grabbing his arm. "Look!" She was pointing to the clamshell, staring. Pilot's face was staring back at her.
"Pilot!" Aeryn's voice registered the relief she felt. "We are glad to see you. We've been worried. Is everything all right?" When she got no reply she frowned and turned to Crichton, but before she could voice her concern, her attention was pulled back to the clamshell. There was a different face there now.
The being there appeared to be male. He wore a hood, but from the little they could see of it, his skin appeared to be red in colour. He spoke at two different pitches simultaneously.
" I have control of your Leviathan and her pilot."
"Who are you and how did you get on board?" D'Argo's voice came loud and angry.
My name is Tarone. You brought me on board yourself, amongst the supplies you bought on my home planet."
"In a crate of chaakan oil, by any chance?" Crichton muttered, looking meaningfully at D'Argo who grunted. Crichton addressed the clamshell. "So, where are you taking us?"
"We will be returning to Tean."
"Why sneak on board only to turn the ship around and go back?"
"That is none of your concern."
"Is Pilot all right?" Aeryn asked.
"Yes."
"Then let us speak to him."
Pilot's face filled the clamshell.
"Pilot. Are you and Moya unharmed?"
"Yes. Tarone says that he will not harm us if we do what he says. If we do not then he will kill me and open Moya's corridors up to space." Pilot looked downcast. "I'm sorry, but I didn't detect his presence until it was too late."
"It's OK, Pilot. Not your fault. Just do whatever he wants. We don't want you or Moya to be harmed." Aeryn's voice was gentle and reassuring. Crichton had often marvelled at her compassion and understanding towards those she felt to be defenceless. He just wished that she would direct that same compassion and understanding at him a little more often.
Tarone's face returned, " Please don't try to rescue your pilot or interfere with our course, or I will kill him and then all of you."
" If you harm him…"
Crichton stepped between Aeryn and the clamshell, stopping her from completing her threat. "We understand." He told Tarone, firmly.
"I will be watching you. I have assigned a DRD to each of you. Do not attempt to lose them. The moment I cannot locate you or suspect any trickery, I will kill your pilot."
"But, if you kill Pilot how will you get back to your planet?" Zhaan asked.
"Leviathans spend most of the time scared and uncertain. She will be upset and confused at the sudden loss of her pilot and she will accept reassurance and guidance from any source. I will pilot her until I reach my home world."
"Well, you seem to have everything worked out." Crichton turned as he heard a familiar sound. Six DRDs rolled into command.
"If you do as I say, no one will be hurt." The clamshell went blank.
"Well, now we know." Crichton cocked his head to one side and pulled a face.
"So, what do we do now?" Chiana sounded scared as she moved towards D'Argo. The Luxan gave a low growl of defeat in response.
Crichton rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb. They needed to decide on a course of action but a full and frank discussion of their current situation seemed out of the question. He looked at the DRDs lined up by the door. This was going to be tricky. They should really have a code worked out for situations like these. A code… He plastered a false smile on his face. "I guess there's nothing to do but kick back and wait." He told his friends. Then he held his finger up, as if he had just thought of something. "Y'know, while we're all together like this, I was wondering whether you guys felt I could do with a change of weapon?" Even as he said it he just knew this was a bad idea.
They all looked at him.
"What?" Aeryn snapped. "Crichton…"
He groaned inwardly 'Come on, Baby. Just listen.' He ploughed on. "Sometimes it's good just to stick with what you have and see what happens, but other times it is better to try something new. Different." He turned his back to the DRDs and gave them all a meaningful look. "Shake things up a bit. Of course, when you make a change you can never really be sure what will happen." He broke off, unsure how to make things clearer. "At least with my pistol I know how to use it. I have some idea of what to expect. It brings the promise of safety, but it was forced on me. I didn't choose it and I'm not so sure that it's the best…erm… model… for me. I'm not so sure it's reliable. The next planet I'm on it might fail me, and the Peacekeepers or maybe some bounty hunter might capture me. It might be better to change the pistol for something else, but then my new weapon might not work the way I expect it to, my…ah…aim might be off and others might end up hurt." He paused. He still had their attention, although they were looking at him with varying degrees of confusion and he couldn't blame them. "So I thought I'd ask what you all thought." He looked around hopefully.
There was silence for a few microts, and then Rygel spoke. "I think it would be extremely foolhardy to change your weapon at this stage, Crichton. You might make things worse instead of better. And I might end up dead!"
Crichton grinned at the little Dominar. OK, that was a message received loud and clear. Things were looking up. "Well, we wouldn't want that, Guido. What do you think, Zhaan?"
"Well, if I understand the situation correctly, John, you don't actually know that there is anything wrong with the… pistol. You just feel that you should change. In such a situation I would question the wisdom of change for the sake of change."
"OK. Thanks. Aeryn?"
Aeryn held his gaze for a long moment before speaking. "I don't think that your pistol can be trusted. If you continue to rely on it, it will let you down and put others in danger. Better to risk the change and get rid of the pistol."
" D'Argo?"
"I agree with Aeryn. My warrior's instinct is telling me that the pistol cannot be trusted."
"Chi?"
"Change is always good." She said shrugging her shoulders. Crichton looked at her unsure whether she had picked up what they were talking about, but she continued. "That pistol has been nothing but trouble so far. I agree with D'Argo and Aeryn, it can't be trusted." She smiled at Crichton
Crichton returned her smile, relieved he didn't have to try and code talk his way through a tied vote. "I agree. A change it is."
Rygel snorted "I wonder if Pilot could have a vote whether he would vote for this 'change of weapon'."
"Well the situation demands that we take this decision without him." Snapped Aeryn. She turned away and leant on the table, her gaze focussed on the space between her hands. To her surprise, Crichton came up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders drawing her close. "Don't worry. Pilot will be fine." She began to shrug him off but he gripped her shoulder and pulled her closer still, whispering in her ear. "Just go with me on this."
D'Argo looked up at them curiously. He knew that Aeryn and Crichton had a complicated relationship, but they rarely acknowledged it in front of others. He was even more surprised when Crichton turned back to them and said, "I think that Aeryn and I are going to turn in and try to get some sleep. Call us if anything happens."
Aeryn, still facing away, blinked, but said nothing.
D'Argo was about to say that now was hardly the time for 'sleep' when he caught Crichton's expression and changed his mind. "Are you going to choose a different weapon now?" He said, drawing his qualta blade.
"No, D'Argo." Crichton pursed his lips, throwing a meaningful glance at the DRDs that were still in the doorway and then glaring at the Luxan. "That'll require a bit of thought."
"Right. But you should let me know what weapon you are going to choose. I could be of some help."
"Yeah." Chiana's face appeared at D'Argo's elbow. "You should let us know what you decide."
"I will." Crichton said with barely concealed impatience. " But I'll need some peace and quiet to figure out the best way forward and I do my best thinking in my sleep."
The Luxan pulled a face and growled in confusion. "If you are tired perhaps I should choose for you."
Crichton let out a frustrated moan of his own. He was just wondering whether Tarone would think it any more suspicious if they just had a team huddle or if he went around whispering in everybody's ear, when Rygel hovered into view.
"Choosing one's weapon is an important matter. Especially on a ship such as ours. If Crichton requires a little time to think, away from interruptions, then we should respect that." He looked around and sighed. " We find ourselves in difficult circumstances, but there is nothing that we can do until this Tarone relinquishes control of Moya. We should all just take our little spies" he indicated the DRDs, "and keep to our normal routines." He paused then added. " By the way, I've noticed that my com is not working as it should, can you let me know where you all will be, incase I need to contact you?"
Crichton could have kissed him.
"Ah, yes. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me. I need to dry my new herbs."
Crichton gave Zhaan a small smile. He looked at D'Argo who was sheathing his qualta blade.
"I…ah…will be in the maintenance bay." The Luxan said still looking a little confused.
"I think I'll go to the cargo hold and storage areas," Rygel said "I haven't had a chance to make an inventory of the new items yet. I could use some help, Chiana?"
"Sure. Why not?"
Crichton took Aeryn's hand, relieved when she didn't put up a fight. "OK, Sparky. Don't forget the stuff on the hamman side. I'll see you all in a few arns. Don't worry about leaving what you are doing before then. Aeryn and I will prepare dinner and call you on the coms."
One by one they left the command with their DRDs following them.
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Walking along the corridor, Crichton wrapped his arm around Aeryn again so that their heads were close together. Their DRDs were a short distance behind, seemingly more intent on keeping them in sight than monitoring their conversation. He judged that, provided they kept close and coupley, they should be able to talk quietly without Tarone overhearing, or being suspicious. Plus there was the added bonus of holding Aeryn close as they walked, something that he had never done before. It felt great. Right up until the moment she opened her mouth.
"What are you up to Crichton? That was a truly awful code." The softness of her voice didn't stop the scorn coming through. She looked at him sideways "That was a code wasn't it? I didn't just convince you to change a pistol for a rifle, did I?"
He pulled a face. "Yes, Aeryn. It was a code. Gimme a break! It was all I could think of and I didn't see you coming up with anything better. Didn't you have any off- the-shelf Peacekeeper codes to use?"
"No."
"Ah, that's right. Not much use for codes and subtlety in the Peacekeeper infantry, I'll bet."
"What is your point?"
"My point, Aeryn, is that it was a bit rough, but it did the trick."
"Barely. I hope that Tarone was too busy to pay attention because there wasn't much subtlety in evidence in there. D'Argo was terrible!"
"Yeah, I have a feeling that the Oscar will go to someone else this year." He grinned.
Aeryn pulled back a little to look at him.
"But it's done now." Crichton continued, ignoring her. " It seems to have worked. So shut up about it!"
"Fine. So how are we going to "get rid of the pistol and make a change'?"
"Did you not just hear me say stop mocking my code?" He did his best to sound hurt, then sighed " But since you ask, we need to ditch our little yellow friends first."
"And how are we going to do that?"
"We're going to make them think we're somewhere we're not."
"You have a plan I suppose." Aeryn sounded apprehensive.
"Actually, I made this plan when I was about eight cycles old."
She looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about, Crichton?"
"Well, when I was young, my mother used to call me in at 8 to have supper and go to bed. But DK and I wanted to stay out all night so we would go to bed like good boys and sneak out of the house later. The only thing was that my mother used to check on me before she went to bed so I had to make her think that I was still there."
"How did you do that?" She asked, genuinely curious now.
"I used a pillow and extra blankets to form a boy shaped lump under my blanket and she saw what she expected to see." He stopped for a microt, forcing her to do the same. He looked at her amused, "You never did that?"
"No. A Peacekeeper upbringing doesn't leave much time for such frivolities, Crichton." She took a quick look at the DRDs, still some way behind and started walking again, bringing him with her. "So you want us to put your childhood trickery to use in this situation?"
"Well, a little different, but essentially, yes. But we are going to have to stick together and pretend to be a couple to carry this off." He tightened his arm around her. "Tarone won't know that we aren't like this all the time."
Aeryn didn't look convinced. "John, this is Pilot's life we are frelling with. Maybe we should just do what he wants."
"You trust Tarone with Pilot's life?
"No."
"Neither do I. So we go ahead. Agreed?"
She nodded and then frowned as they walked passed her quarters. "Where are we going?"
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TBC