"I don't think that they're here." Chiana looked around the market place despondently and talked into her com once more. "Of course this might be quicker if two of us were looking."
"For the hundredth time, I cannot help you because there are too many people in the market place and I am too conspicuous." D'Argo snapped back from the shadowy doorway of one of the buildings that surrounded the market. "Why don't you…"
"Aw, Frell!"
"Chiana? What is it?"
"Finsis. Can you see him?"
D'Argo scanned the marketplace. "Yes. I don't think he has seen you. Make your way over here. Slowly."
"Yeah, maybe I will… no wait, he's passed me by, he's heading straight for…" Chiana stopped and watched in horror as the fat man and some men in uniform made their way towards where D'Argo stood. "Frell! D'Argo get out of there!" But her warning was useless.
"Ka D'Argo. It is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance. I've heard so much about you." Finsis smiled as D'Argo was dragged from the shadows. There was the sound of shouting and cursing behind him and he turned to see Chiana being brought over. "Ah, Chiana, isn't it?" We've never been formally introduced. I am Finsis."
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
"How much frelling longer are we going to have to wait here?" Rygel scowled.
"We wait here until they bring D'Argo and Chiana." Crichton explained, his patience with the dominar beginning to wear thin.
Aeryn looked at him from where she sat at the window. "We don't even know that they've been captured, or that they'll be brought here, John." She said quietly.
Something in her voice made Crichton look at her carefully. He went across and crouched before her, seeking and gaining eye contact.
"Aeryn, if they followed Chi then we have to assume that they captured her, and probably D'Argo too. They'll bring them here just like they brought us here, just like they did Rygel. They want the full set, remember? Ready to hand over to Scorpy. But they don't know that we've escaped and that gives us the advantage."
She nodded and looked out the window again.
"How are you doing, Aeryn?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look so great. Have you still got some painkillers?"
She nodded.
"They working?"
She looked at him as if deciding what she wanted to say. She finally made her decision. "My side hurts a great deal whenever I move and even when I don't. The pain is getting worse and the painkillers aren't helping. And…and I'm finding it difficult to breathe properly." She turned her head back to the window again.
"Difficult to breathe? God, Aeryn! When did this start?"
She continued to look out the window. "I was aware of it in the cell, but it's worse now."
"In the cell!" His anger overtook his concern for a moment " You are the most pig-headed, stubborn idiot of a woman I've ever come across! Why didn't you say something sooner?" He pushed away his frustration and put a hand on her knee both as a gesture of support and a means of getting her attention. "I don't know what to do for you. We need to get you back to Moya." He thought for a moment. "Can you still walk? Could you make it back to the transport?"
She shook her head.
"Maybe we should loosen the bindings around your ribs and see if that makes a difference." Crichton said uncertainly.
"Maybe we should knock her out and come back and get her later." Rygel put in, although Crichton couldn't tell whether his suggestion was motivated by concern for Aeryn's pain or his concern that she would slow him down if trouble hit. Make that more trouble, he reminded himself. He looked at her. "Aeryn?"
"No. At least if I'm conscious I can hold a rifle." She paused. "But Rygel's suggestion is sound. You may have to leave me behind."
"Uh – uh. No way."
"Crichton…"
"Drop it Aeryn. I'm not leaving without you. End of discussion." He stood up and walked across to where Rygel was hovering and spoke quietly. "There's a med kit where you first saw Aeryn. Bring the sedative shots up here. Quietly."
"You're going to knock her out?"
"Only as a last resort."
"What if Finsis or his men come while I'm down there?"
"Hide."
0000000000000000000000000000000000
"We cannot wait any longer. Pilot, prepare Aeryn's prowler. Perhaps we will have more luck contacting them if we are closer to the planet."
"I could come with you." Tarone offered.
"No, there should be someone here to meet the transport if Rygel makes it back."
She moved off quickly, her blue robes swirling behind her. "The Peacekeepers cannot be far away. Goddess protect us."
000000000000000000000000000000000000000
The vehicle stopped suddenly, causing Chiana to slide along the bench and crash into D'Argo. Before she had a chance to right herself, the doors opened and she was hauled outside into the cold.
D'Argo followed, a guard at each side and one following behind with a rifle trained on his back. They were taking no chances with the Luxan.
"W..where are you taking us?" Chiana asked the man who was repeatedly pushing her towards a small grey building. Judging by the way the others deferred to him, Chiana was fairly sure he held the highest rank present.
"We just want you to be safe." He laughed. "You're very valuable to us." He pushed her again causing her to stumble forwards. She regained her footing and looked desperately around. The area seemed deserted. There were no people or vehicles. The buildings nearby seemed empty. Abandoned.
"Move it!" The man grabbed her arm, almost under her armpit, and walked her forward; the height difference between the Nebari and her captor enough to raise her to her tip toes.
Behind her she heard D'Argo growl.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"How long until we are in orbit around Tean, Lieutenant?"
"Under 2 arns."
"And Crichton and the others?"
"The last communication reports that they are all in custody with the exception of the Delvian who is still onboard the Leviathan."
"Excellent. Tell your men to start scanning now for the Leviathan. It must be here somewhere."
"Yes, Sir."
"Oh, and Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"I want to be informed immediately of any developments."
"Yes, Sir."
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
D'Argo was very aware of the pulse rifle sticking into his back as he was taken inside the building. It was clearly a prison: sturdy looking doors ran down both sides of the wide corridor, leading to what D'Argo presumed were equally sturdy cells. Chiana was ahead of him, struggling and cursing all the way. He felt oddly proud of her.
"Kevod! Tasda!" The guard holding Chiana shouted. "Where the frell are you?" He looked around at the others. "Let's lock up these two and find them. Finsis will have them boiled alive if he hears they left his precious prisoners unguarded."
The guard to D'Argo's right nodded and pushed him forwards.
"Can I help you?" D'Argo's head jerked up at the familiar voice and Chiana fell silent. At the end of the corridor, looking completely unconcerned, was Rygel.
"What are you doing out of your cell, Hynerian?" The guard holding Chiana demanded.
"Just looking for something to eat." Rygel replied pleasantly.
"Where are your guards?"
"Guards?" Rygel's face was a picture of innocence. "Oh, they are around here somewhere." He shrugged, his throne sled already moving backwards.
"Stop where you are and lie face down on the ground." The guard said reaching for his weapon, while trying to keep a firm grasp of Chiana who had started wriggling again, but Rygel had already floated out of sight. "Frell!" He shoved Chiana at the man behind him. "Put these two in a cell quickly and then follow me. Remember that Finsis wants them all alive if possible." He took off down the corridor and disappeared around the corner.
Chiana and D'Argo were placed in the first available cell and the guards followed their superior officer quickly, weapons drawn.
When they turned the corner they were surprised to find no sign of their leader, but Rygel floating some way ahead. The man in front aimed his weapon and shouted "On the floor now!"
Rygel smiled at him but made no move to comply.
"Get down onto the floor NOW!" The guard shouted once more, his voice shaky. He seemed unsure what to do in the face of the Hynerian's seeming indifference. He was almost relieved when he heard a sound behind him. He sensed rather than saw the two men beside him begin to turn around. " Jurit?" He half turned his head, keeping his eyes and his weapon trained on the small dominar.
"Nope."
The guard dropped his gun with a small cry of pain, clutching his arm, and looked behind him to see Crichton holding a pulse rifle. The two remaining men aimed their guns nervously at the human. "Now, before you guys go doing anything hasty, you might want to look behind you again." Crichton drawled. They slowly looked around to see Aeryn standing in front of Rygel, her pulse rifle aiming at them. "OK, is anyone in any doubt how this'll go down if you resist?" He enquired. "No? Good. Drop your guns and put your hands up." He collected the rifles and pushed open the cell door next to him and waved them in with his gun. As they filed in the guards saw their superior officer, Jurit, unconscious on the floor.
"I told you it would work, Sparky." Crichton said as he slammed the door shut.
"Yes, yes, Crichton. Very clever. Next time you can dangle your arse in front of the armed men and I'll jump out of the cell behind them with the gun." He groused, floating away to find D'Argo and Chiana's cell.
"Hey, Sparky! You'll need this." Crichton threw the electronic key to the Hynerian, landing it a little too forcefully in his lap. Rygel narrowed his eyes at the grinning human but continued down the corridor without further comment.
Crichton looked at Aeryn who was leaning heavily against the wall, eyes closed. As he walked towards her she looked at him.
"Hey there, beautiful." He said softly.
She managed a small smile. "You have a strange concept of beauty, Crichton."
He opened his mouth to reply but the sound of footsteps and voices made him turn instead, just in time to see Rygel returning with Chiana and D'Argo.
"Hey! The gang's all here!" He smiled, leaning against the wall, folding his arms.
"Now, that's what I call a quick rescue, Crichton." Chiana laughed.
"Yes, John…" The smile faded from D'Argo's face when he saw Aeryn, but Chiana was too busy celebrating her freedom to pay any attention.
"What about me?" Rygel said grumpily. "I was the only one in any real danger."
"Yeah. Thank you, your Royal Frogness. I'll do the same for you one day."
"You'd better."
D'Argo's hand on her shoulder stopped Chiana's laughter. "What happened, Aeryn?" he said solemnly.
"I was beaten."
"Frell!" Chiana exclaimed, noticing her for the first time.
"We need to get her back to Moya." Crichton said, realising that Aeryn wasn't going to add anything further. "She's in pain and having difficulty breathing. She has some broken ribs and I'm beginning to wonder whether one of them has punctured a lung." He looked at D'Argo miserably. "My knowledge of first aid is limited and pretty much confined to the human anatomy. We really need to get her back to Zhaan."
Aeryn was still leaning heavily on the wall. "He's right. I can't move without pain and my eyesight also seems to be affected for some reason."Crichton was surprised at the confusion in her voice, given the fact that one of her eyes was part filled with blood, but then he remembered that she hadn't seen herself and so had no idea. Aeryn continued. "But our priority now must be to reach Zhaan and tell her our suspicions about Tarone quickly. You're going to have to leave me."
"No!" D'Argo said forcefully before Crichton could even open his mouth. "There must be another way."
"There is." Crichton took out the shot from his belt and turned to Aeryn. "You're right, you will slow us down if you come with us as you are now. That's why we're gonna to knock you out." He waved the shot a little before her face and waited for her reaction.
"Then someone will have to carry me." She said finally. "I will still slow you down."
"True, but while you're out we won't have to worry so much about hurting you. And with any luck we'll be able to hotwire a vehicle."
"I would be honoured to carry you." D'Argo put in.
Aeryn considered the options and found they were limited. "Are you sure that it's a sleep shot and not a kill shot?"
He gave her a small smile. "I might be wrong, Aeryn, but I think that Peacekeeper med kits are the only place you find kill shots. Who else has that ironic sense of humour?"
"They also contain a nerve shot." She said a little defensively, although she appeared content with his reasoning. "Do it."
Crichton stood close in front of her and wrapped one arm gently around her waist to support her. "Ready?" He whispered, bringing the shot up to her neck.
She looked him in the eye and nodded once. Within microts she went limp in his arms.
"OK, Chi." Crichton said, lowering Aeryn gently to the floor. "I'll bet you've stolen cars…vehicles…before. You can show me how it's done. D'Argo, bring Aeryn. Fluffy, keep your eyes open for trouble heading our way." He helped D'Argo put Aeryn over his shoulder and as he did so he noticed D'Argo's com. "They left you guys your coms!" He grinned. " Finally, something goes our way." He pulled it from D'Argo's tunic and turned to Chiana. "Let's go Pip."
"We came here in an enforcement vehicle. We can take that."
"In that case," Crichton grabbed his rifle "maybe one of our new friends will let us borrow the keys."
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
TBC