Chapter 10 – Getting things back where they belong

Chapter 10 – Getting things back where they belong

Present Time:

"D'Argo!  I want you to bring Hailen and Damor down to the planet surface."

"Yes, John.  But…"

"Chiana'll explain."

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7 Arns Earlier:

Aeryn opened her eyes slowly.  She was on her back looking at a rock ceiling above her.  And she appeared to be lying in water.  She eased herself onto a sitting position and tried to remember how she had got here.

She remembered being cut loose from Crichton and somehow ending up in an air pocket.  She remembered leaving the air pocket.  Then the dark and the cold of the tunnel.  The fear that nearly paralysed her.   And she dimly recalled being thrown out into this place and landing…she looked at the rock next to her and at the red stain on it and then raised a hand to the side of her head.  It felt sticky. 

And she was really cold, she realised.  Looking down, she saw that her feet were bare.  She remembered giving her coat and boots to Crichton to take through the tunnel.  She couldn't honestly say whether the shiver that followed was due to the cold or the memory of her swim.

She switched her attention to her surroundings.  She was in a large chamber; the water came in from an opening approximately 3 metras up the stone wall on one side, but didn't rise above her ankles on the floor.  The water flowed quickly off through a low gap in the chamber wall. 

She looked around, trying to decide what to do next.  She quickly decided that she would rather starve where she sat rather than go back into that frelling tunnel.  She looked at towards the gap that the water was flowing into.  It looked dark beyond and she had had enough of dark.  Dark…it was darker in there than in this chamber.  Frell!  She began to wonder whether she had hit her head hard enough to affect her brain.  It should have been one of the first things she'd noticed.  She didn't have a flashlight so where was the light coming from?  She inspected the ceiling and found that there was light coming through a large crack in the rock.  But there didn't appear to be any way to reach it.  She sat down again to think.  She couldn't shake the feeling that she had forgotten something else…something important.

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Aeryn crouched before the gap; it was low, around hip height, but wide.  She couldn't see anything beyond, but the echo of running water suggested that it was a large chamber like the one she was now standing in.  She dropped to her hands and knees, intending to go through, when she heard something…

At first she thought it came from her own movements but when she stopped, the noise continued.  Her hand automatically went to her hip but her holster was empty.  Crichton had her pistol as well.

Frell!

 The noise got closer.

Aeryn quietly retreated until she stood beside the opening.  She picked up large stone and waited, ready to pounce on whatever was coming through.  Aeryn's muscles tightened as she prepared to do battle.  She could dimly see it now.  It looked quite small.  It looked like…

"RYGEL!"

"Well, who else would it be?"  He said grumpily.  "Have you gone completely fahrbot since I left you?"

"You were here before?"

"Maybe it's me that's gone fahrbot, maybe I'm back on Moya, asleep, surrounded by all my beautiful possessions instead of stuck in a wet, cold cave with a mad Peacekeeper."  He looked at her pointedly.  "Yes.  I was here before.  I saw you in the tunnel and tried to help you.  You grabbed onto me and nearly strangled me.  We were thrown out here.  I landed with the grace of an Adencian Faloopa as befits a Dominar of style and poise and you landed on your head.  Sound familiar?"

Aeryn frowned. "But what are you doing here?"

"You got separated from Crichton in the tunnel…" Rygel said slowly, as if he were talking to a child…or an idiot.

Aeryn closed her eyes and summoned what little patience she had. "Yes, thank you, Rygel, I know what I'm doing here.  What are you doing here?"

"Well, I would have thought it was obvious."  The little Hynerian hobbled past her.  "I came to get you."

"Yes, but why?"  She was seriously considering giving the little slug a kick.

"So we can leave this frelling planet!  Which we won't be able to do if you don't stop asking stupid question and help me find a way out of here!"

Aeryn gave up.  "Fine!  What's through there?"

"Rock…water…a huge drop…and no way out."

"Frell!"  She looked around the chamber once more.  "Could you swim back though the tunnel?"

Rygel shook his head.  "No.  Turns out Damor knew what he was talking about.  The current's too strong.  And my com is either waterlogged, or the rock is interfering with the signal because I can't contact Moya or the others."  He looked at her.  "They think you're dead, y'know.  And by this time they're bound to be wondering about me."

She frowned  "How long have we been down here?"

"Arns.  Maybe 4 or 5."  He shrugged. " I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"They've probably gone."  The thought made her chest hurt.  More to distract her from that thought than anything else, Aeryn looked at the crack in the ceiling again.  She tried to work out a route of footholds and handholds.  "I think I can climb the wall, but the crack is too far over."  She put her hands on her hips, her fingers hitting something that she had forgotten about " Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless I take you up with me and tie you to the end of this rope and swing you up through the gap."

"Swing?!"

"Yes.  It will be simple.  All you'll have to do is…"

"No." The Hynerian said firmly.

"Rygel.  It's either that or we stay down here in each other's company until we both slowly starve to death."  She raised her eyebrows at him.

He frowned, his ear brows coming down low over his eyes.  "I don't even like you that much on a full stomach…"

"Well then work with me not against me."  She began untying the rope around her waist.

"Frell."  He said miserably.

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Present Time:

"Is D'Argo bringing them?"

"Yes.  He's going to tell them that we need them to point out which plants would be useful for Zhaan's lab."

"Good."

"Crichton?"

"What?"

"I know that you are upset about Aeryn.  We all are. But…"

"What's your point, Chiana?"

"Well, you intend to kill whoever cut Aeryn's rope, yeah?"

"Yep."

"Have you thought about this?  I mean really.  Whether this is really something you want to do?"

"Yep."

"And…and is it?"

"Yep."

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6 ½ Arns earlier:

"Keep still, Rygel!" Aeryn said through gritted teeth. "You're going to make me lose my grip."

"I'm slipping."  The Hynerian sounded scared.

"If you slip then the rope will stop your fall.  If I slip then we both fall all the way to the floor.  So, be, still!"

Rygel opened his mouth.

"And be quiet!"

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Present Time:

"Chiana?"

"D'Argo.  Where are you?"

"I'm about to leave Moya.  Grisott insisted on coming too."

"Crichton won't care.  I don't think that Crichton cares much about anything right now."

"How is he?"

"Full of rage and grief.  I think that he might really kill one of them, D'Argo."

"If they killed Aeryn then do they not deserve the same fate?"

"Maybe.  But when all that rage and grief goes away, Crichton's going to be left with his conscience."

"He loved her, Chiana.  He has the right to avenge her death.  If we interfere, he may never forgive us.  He may never forgive himself for his failure to do what was needed."

 

"He may never forgive himself whatever he does."

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6 ¼ Arns Earlier:

"Ready?"

"If I die here, I shall haunt you!"

"If you die here, Rygel, you can go happy in the knowledge that I will follow you in a few solar days."  Aeryn shifted her hands slightly for maximum grip.  "Now, are you ready?"

"Yes."  The Hynerian began to slip himself slowly down the rope.  Because they were trying to maximise its length, the rope was tied to Rygel's foot and Aeryn's wrist.  When he had reached the bottom he let himself go until he hung upside down.  "Yotz!  This is making me want to vomit!"

Aeryn smiled, in spite of herself, and began to swing him slowly towards the crack, hanging on with one hand, trying not to let the little Dominar smack into the wall on the counter swing with too much force, although he inevitably had to cushion his own impact.  Something that he moaned about a great deal.

She soon realised that their main problem was not that the rope was too short, but that it was difficult for Rygel to grasp the side of the crack.  Time and time again Rygel was swung up to the lip of the crack but failed to grab it. 

And Aeryn's fingers were going numb.

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Present Time:

Crichton sat at the pool edge twirling a piece of Aeryn's hair around his finger.  The piece he had taken from her as she lay in her coffin on the frozen planet.  He had tied it with a thread and kept it with him every single microt since then.  She had looked at him like he was mad when he told her about it.  It was all he had left of her now. 

It wasn't enough. 

"Aeryn, baby, I…ah…I always seem to be saying sorry to you.  I can't shift the feeling that whilst you've made my life bearable these past cycles, all you got outta the deal was pain, uncertainty and death.  I'm sorry for that.  And I'm sorry that I couldn't find you and take you away from this place."  He stopped to wipe at his eyes.  " I think they're going to do something back on Moya, but I wanted to say goodbye now.  Just you and me.  I love you Aeryn Sun and my life will be empty without you."  He reached down and placed the lock of hair on the water's surface, watching as it floated away from him slowly.  "Rest in peace." 

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5 ¾ Arns Earlier:

Rygel vomited messily.  According to Aeryn's count that was the third time.  Once for each stomach.  She was sincerely glad that she was above him and not below.  She was beginning to despair that this was ever going to work when, suddenly, Rygel caught the lip of the crack.  She held her breath, watching his legs waving in the air as he scrambled up over the edge.  She sighed with relief.

"What now?"  Rygel said weakly, sticking his head through the crack to look at her.

"Can you see a branch or something thick enough to hold my weight for you to tie the rope to?  It needs to be long enough that when it lies across the crack I won't be able to pull it through when I put my weight on it."

Rygel's face disappeared.  The rope went a little slacker and Aeryn assumed that he had untied himself and gone off to look for something suitable.  She hoped he had secured the end to something.  She did not want to have to try and swing it back up to him. 

Her fingers were beginning to cramp.

It seemed like a long time before she heard Rygel straining to drag something across the crack.  It looked like a thick branch from what she could see.  That was good.

"The rope needs to be tight."

"Do I look like a frelling idiot?"  He said irritably, pulling the knot tight.  He shoved his head back into the cavern.  "That's it."

Aeryn didn't wait for any doubts to creep in.  She put her full weight on the rope and swung under the crack.  She was pleasantly surprised.  The branch didn't snap and the rope didn't come undone.  Rygel had done something right.  She began to climb the rope.

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Present Time:

Crichton approached the transport and found Chiana on the steps.

"Did you say goodbye?"  She said softly.

He nodded.  "Yes.  I needed to tell her some stuff."  He had tears in his eyes.  Chiana came forward to give him a hug, but he held her off.  "Where's D'Argo?"

"He should be here any microt."

"Good."

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5 ¼ Arns Earlier:

"Where the frell are we?" 

"I don't know, Rygel."  Aeryn scanned the landscape for anything familiar, but the trees made it difficult to see too far in any direction.  "Do you think that we travelled far enough underground to be on a new island?"

He considered a moment.  "No."

"So, we are either on Grisott's island or the island we landed the transports on."  She looked around.  "Have you tried your com again?"

He nodded. "The water must have frelled it."

She looked around once more. "I think we're closer to the water than the top of this hill.  Let's go downhill and see if we recognise the shoreline."

"What about the Mevi?"

She rolled her eyes. "We'll just have to be careful and not slap any water."  She hefted Rygel into her arms, clamping him to the front of her, facing outwards.

"I wish I had my throne sled."  He grumbled

"Yes?  Well, I wish I had my boots and that I didn't have to carry you, Rygel." She snapped back.

They started going down hill.

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Present Time:

"Stark!  I was wondering where you had hidden yourself.  I never dreamt of looking for you in here."

Stark stood in Zhaan's laboratory, staring at the microscope before him.  He looked angry.

"Is something the matter?"  Zhaan came up to his side, holding his arm, trying to get him to look at her.

"I thought it was right, but it was all wrong…all wrong."  He pushed the microscope away from him, knocking it over.

Zhaan's frowned a little and was about to ask him what was 'all wrong' when she spotted the soil samples all over the table and she suddenly understood.  "Stark, I am feeling rather hungry.  Could you walk me to the dining area, please?  Jothee has prepared me something and D'Argo tells me he is an excellent cook."  She smiled at him as he raised his head slowly to look at her and then offered her his arm.  

 

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4 ½ Arns Earlier:

"Why have we stopped?"  Rygel said irritably. 

"Shut up and look over there."

Rygel looked. She was pointing at two rafts lying under some trees.  Some effort had been made to conceal them with branches, but even at a distance it was obvious what they were.   He sighed. "In case you've forgotten, we can't use rafts because of the huge water creatures."  He explained to her with his best patronising air.

Aeryn ignored him and took a closer look.  "I think that these are the rafts we used earlier."

"Well, what the yotz are they doing all the way up here?"

"I don't know." She frowned.  "Someone must have dragged them up here."

"What's that smell?"  Rygel's face lit up a little.

"I can't smell anything."

"It's from over there."  He pointed.

Aeryn considered refusing, but as he was pointing downhill and that was the direction they needed to go anyway, she decided to let him have his way.  After about 20 metras she smelt it too "Urgh!  What is that?"  She screwed her face up and shut off her nose with her fingers.

"Food."  Rygel said happily.  "Meat."

"You cannot be serious!"

They came out of the trees and immediately saw what had been assaulting their nostrils.

On the water, about 50 metras away from them, moored to a rock, was a large raft.  The raft was covered with carcasses and blood.  As they got closer they saw that the carcasses were nailed to the craft.  Part of the raft was missing, like it had been broken away.

Aeryn looked away from the raft, along the shore.  "We're on Grisott's island."  She said flatly.

"Well, all the more reason we should keep our strength up."

"We are not going any closer to that."  She looked back at the raft with some distaste.

Rygel puffed himself up as best he could with her arm clamped around him. "Have you forgotten who came to save you?"

"Have you forgotten about the Mevi?"  She turned and started making her way uphill.

"Hmm.  Well, maybe there is still some food at Grisott's cave."  Rygel said.  "Can't you go any faster?"

Aeryn slapped him on the head.  "I am actually barefoot, Rygel.  And this is rough terrain.  So, no, I can't go any faster.  But I can put you down if you'd prefer."  She snapped.

"No, no.  If this is the best you can do then it will have to suffice." 

She dropped the little Hynerian to the ground and picked him up again by his leg so that he was hanging upside down.  "Unless you want to complete the journey like this, you will not say another word unless spoken to.  Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Aeryn hauled him upright again and continued uphill. 

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Present Time:

"Hello Pilot.  I was wondering whether there had been any word from my father or Chiana."  Jothee sat himself on Pilot's consol.

"No."  Pilot said quietly.

Jothee looked at him more carefully.  "Are you alright?"

"I have just lost two members of my crew, one of them a very dear friend."

"Aeryn."  Jothee nodded.  "I didn't really get to know her that well.  I knew Rygel better.  He was a cheat and thief, but he was never dull."

"Aeryn was the only member of the crew who would come here and talk to me.  Really talk to me.  The others come only when there is a crisis or they want something, but she used to come and tell me about her hopes and fears.  And she would listen to mine.  I counted her as a true friend and I will miss her greatly."

"My father says that Crichton intends to avenge her death by killing who he thinks is responsible."

"I wish him luck.  If I could, I would avenge her myself."

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1 ½ Arns Earlier:

Rygel's head popped up from the water. "It's dark down there now.  The lights that Grisott's people left have burnt out.  We'll have to use a rope so we don't get separated.  I'll take the flashlight."

Aeryn nodded and tied a piece of rope around her middle and then around Rygel's foot.

"Understand Aeryn, I won't be able to restrain you if you panic.  You will have to keep calm and keep up with me."

"Yes, Rygel.  I understand."

"I'll stop at every air pocket, just as I did the last time.  When we get to the final section, keep calm.  I don't want to have to go looking for you again."

"Calm?  I was calm the last time…" She looked at him annoyed but he had turned his attention to the rope around his foot.

Once he was satisfied he turned back to her.  "Ready?"

She nodded and they both slipped into the black waters.

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"Y'know, it's the weirdest thing." 

Chiana watched Crichton strut in front of Hailen, Damor and Grisott.  She had seen this many times before.  He was loud, brash and what Crichton himself referred to as 'Southern'.  It didn't scare her, she knew him too well for that, but it did make her uneasy, and she could tell it was having the same effect on the three standing before them. 

Crichton continued.   "I tie Aeryn to the end of this rope."  He held it up in front of them. "We go through the tunnel.  She gets in trouble, it's dark, it's wet, she panics and she unties the rope.  Everyone with me so far?"  He looked at three bemused faces.  "Good.  Makes sense, right?  But what if I told you that at some point in that tunnel the rope got shorter!"  His smile was slightly manic.  "Now, whaddya think of that?  Huh?" 

"I do not understand."  Grisott frowned.

"OK, once more for the slow kid at the back.  The rope was long and now it's short.  Meaning that Aeryn didn't untie it."  He gave a short laugh. "Because if she had it would be the same length."

"Perhaps it broke.  Some of the rocks in the tunnel are sharp."  Hailen suggested.

"Ooooh!  Good answer.  But" he made a buzzer sound that only he knew was from a TV quiz show " wrong!  No damage to the rope.  No fraying. No wear.  No tear.   No nothing."  He looked at each of them.  "Anyone else?  Thoughts?  Suggestions?  Theories?"

Grisott looked confused.  "Then she…she must have cut it." 

Crichton came over to put his arm around Grisott's shoulders.  The middle aged man looked decidedly uncomfortable.  "Now we're gettin' somewhere!  But here's the thing, Grisott. Aeryn didn't have a knife!"

"She must have, otherwise…"

He backed away from him, hands raised a little.  "I know, I know, otherwise how did it get cut, right?"  Crichton nodded in what was obviously mock deep thought.  " Well, that kinda threw me too, until I thought of another option."

"What?"

"What if she didn't cut it?  What if someone cut it for her?"

"Are you accusing my children of something Commander Crichton?"  Grisott's voice was steely.

"Yes, Grisott.  I'm saying one of your babies cut Aeryn's rope and drowned her."  His face went deadly serious.  "And they will pay the price for it."

"But why would they do that?"

"Well, that's what we're gathered here today to find out.  Now who are we gonna start with?  Hmm?"  He started pointing slowly from one to the other. "  Eeeny, meeny, miney, " he pointed at Hailen "Mo!  Big sister it is."

Hailen looked up at him with scared eyes.  "I do not know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me who cut the rope, darlin'."

"I do not know."

"Okaaay.  Big sis' doesn't know.  What about baby brother?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You've got no idea what I'm talking about."  He said slowly.  " Well, seeing as how you were the only two people in the tunnel behind Aeryn, I hope you'll forgive me when I say that I think you're feeding me A BUNCH OF DREN!  One of you must have done it and I gotta tell you, I don't mind shootin' both of you just so I can be sure I got the guilty party.  So, somebody, talk."

Silence.

"OK.  I'll tell you what we're gonna do.  D'Argo, here, is gonna count to five and if someone doesn't own up then I'm just gonna start shooting."

Grisott looked desperately at Chiana and D'Argo for support, but found none.  "I must object!"

Crichton rolled his eyed. "Objection noted and ignored.  D'Argo?"

"One."  Mippippippi he added silently. "Two."

"Wait!"  Hailen took a step towards Crichton but stopped short when he brought his pistol up between them.  "There has to be some other explanation.  My brother and I have nothing to do with Aeryn Sun's disappearance.  Please, you have to believe me."

"No. I. Don't." 

"I did not harm her."

"Then it must have been Damor…" He pointed his pistol at the brother.

"No!  Please.  It wasn't either of us.  You can't hurt him!  He's my brother!"

"Yeah, well, Aeryn was the centre of my universe and one of you took her away from me.  I want to know who.  D'Argo?"

"Three."

"They both did it." A voice came from behind them.

Crichton spun around to see Aeryn coming towards him carrying Rygel in one arm.  He dropped his pistol arm to his side and looked at her, afraid to move any further in case she would disappear.

"Aeryn!"  D'Argo cried out, advancing towards her.

"You…you can see her?"  Crichton said, shell-shocked.

Chiana giggled. "Yeah, old man, I can see her."  She ran to greet her friends.

In amongst all the greetings and questions, Aeryn looked up at Crichton, who stood rooted to the spot.  She gently disentangled herself from D'Argo, Chiana and Rygel and walked towards him.

"Hello, John."

He reached out a shaking hand to touch her face.  "You're alive.  But…how…?"  He didn't wait for an answer to his question before pulling her into a tight hug.  After a few microts he drew back, tears in his eyes.  "You gotta stop doing this to me, baby.  You're gonna give me a heart attack one of these days."  He smiled and looked around.  "Hey, Chi!  Can we have one of those?"  Chiana threw him one of the blankets she had just brought from the transport and he wrapped it around Aeryn's shoulders "I'm so happy to see you, Aeryn.  God!  You'll never know how happy."  He started rubbing her arms to try and generate some warmth.  " Are you OK?"  Then he noticed that she had blood in her hair.  "Your head…"

She batted his hand away from it.  "It's fine.  I'm fine." Her face broke out into a huge smile.  "I swam through the tunnel.  There were no lights and only Rygel was there and I swam through."

He laughed at her obvious delight at having overcome her fear. "Congratulations, sunshine."  He kissed the top of her head and grinned. "Hey, Aeryn?  Did you get shorter?" 

"I've not got my boots on, idiot!"

His grin widened and he wrapped his arms around her again, not wanting to let her go.  They stayed like that for several microts when suddenly Crichton's focus changed and he was pointing his pistol straight out to one side at Hailen and Damor who were trying to slowly move away.  "Where do you think you pair are going?"

"Aeryn Sun is alive and so…"

"And so you thought that we could pretend like none of this happened?  Uh-uh.  No way. Sorry to disappoint."  He looked at Aeryn, still standing close in front of him.  "What happened in the tunnel, Aeryn?" 

Aeryn regarded them stonily. "I was going through one of the slightly wider sections.  You had just disappeared from my view around a corner and I felt someone grab my feet and then catch my arms when I tried to free myself.  Then Hailen squeezed alongside me and cut the rope.  I continued to struggle, but between them they pushed me behind a rock and a current dragged me into another tunnel.  I suppose they assumed that I would either drown or that I would never find a way out and starve." 

"And she would have if I hadn't found her."  Rygel put in from Chiana's arms.

"But why would you want to kill Aeryn?"  Chiana said, confused.

"You forced us to take this step."  Damor said unrepentant.  " For my sister to act so freely around a man and not make him her mate would bring great shame, not only on her but on my father and I.  With Aeryn Sun gone, Crichton would be free to pursue my sister as she wanted him to."

"Be quiet, boy!"  Grisott snapped.

"Oh, God!"  Crichton groaned.  "You tried killed Aeryn because of me?"  He looked at Aeryn but her expression was unreadable.  He turned back to Damor.  "But…even with Aeryn gone, why would you think that I would consent to be Hailen's mate?"

"You told me that you thought I was beautiful and that you wanted me, but that you were not free to love me as you wanted to because of her."  Hailen's voice was half way between a whine and an accusation.

Crichton stared at her open mouthed.  To his surprise, Aeryn stepped in "I think you misunderstood his meaning."  She said simply.

"Yeah, and then some."  He added, recovering slightly.

"I think they started misleading us long before we were even in the tunnel."  Aeryn told him.  " Rygel and I found the rafts we used to get to their island tied together and hidden amongst the trees and we found another in the water covered in animal flesh.  I think they lured the Mevi to that strip of water and stranded us on purpose so that we would need their help to get back to Moya and have to take them with us."

D'Argo growled.  "Whose idea was that?"  He said looking square at Grisott.

Grisott looked from face to face nervously.  "You don't understand.  My people were dying.  So few travellers come this way.  We had to do something to make sure you would take us with you."

"All you had to do was ask us."  Crichton told them grimly.  "We would have helped you."

"The location devices."  Chiana said suddenly.  "You said on Moya that you used them to keep track of the Mevi."

Grisott nodded warily.  "Yes.  We lure them to a narrow stretch of water and shoot them with the location devices while they are still quite young.  We miss very few."

"So you know where they are and whether it is safe to go near the water?  Or, say, go on the water?"  Chiana didn't wait for him to answer before turning to look at Crichton.  "I…I think that we could have taken Aeryn back on the raft.  They could have lured the Mevi away and kept track of them using the location devices."

"You knew what had happened to her before!  How nervous she was… and you still made her do it!"  Crichton said angrily.  "What is the matter with you people?  We had already agreed to help you, for Chrissakes!"

"They had probably already decided to kill her to save the family honour."  Rygel said.  "They were hardly going to offer her alternatives."

D'Argo drew his qualta blade.   

Damor grasped his sister's hand. "What are you going to do to?" 

Crichton looked at Aeryn and then at D'Argo.  "We're going to take your people to another planet, just like we said we would."

"And us?"  Hailen said hopefully.

"We're gonna leave you here." 

Crichton and Aeryn started towards the transport, but stopped momentarily in front of Rygel, still in Chiana's arms.  Crichton kissed the Hynerian noisily on the top of his head.  "I owe you big time, Ryg."

"You should never say that to a Hynerian unless you intend to pay!"  Rygel called after the human.  

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Back on Moya – 6 arns later:

"How are you feeling?"  Stark knelt down by his beloved's bedside.

Zhaan smiled a little at the concern in his voice. "Tired, but otherwise quite well."

"Good.  Good…I have asked Pilot to search this area for other fertile planets.  We were so close with this one.  It was missing only a few of the minerals that you need to recover.  Maybe another planet in this system will be better."  He looked at her eagerly, his eyes full of hope.

"Perhaps, Stark."  She raised her hand to cup the Bannik's cheek.  "But you must not get your hopes up.  The chances that we will find such a planet in time are remote.  You must prepare yourself for the possibility that I will die."

Stark dropped his gaze from hers.  "I don't want to."

"I know, but you must try.  I have made my peace with this life.  I am ready to die if the Goddess wills it so." 

"But I am not ready to let you go."  He said softly.

Zhaan brought his head down to her chest and tried in vain to give him some comfort.

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"OK, Spanky, consider yourself relieved.  You can go have yourself some of those X-rated dreams of yours, with wives and concubines and more possessions than you can shake a stick at…" He stopped short. "Aeryn!  Ah…what are you doing here?  I thought Rygel was meant to be on this shift."

"He was.  He persuaded me that, in view of the fact he had saved me from drowning and starving in one day, I should take his shifts for the next two weekens.  No doubt so that he can dream, uninterrupted, about his wives and…"

"…and his concubines.  Yeah."  He looked at her, disbelieving. "And you went for that?"

"Well.  He's right.  I would never have made it without him.  So…"

"So, you're pulling double shifts."  He raised his eyebrows a little.  " I think you're going soft, Aeryn Sun."

She smiled.  "Maybe."  They both stood looking out the command window for a few microts until she sighed.  "I'm going to get something to eat.  Do you want anything?"

He shook his head.  "Nah.  Makes me sleepy.  Plus it's out of your way to come back here."

She shrugged.  "I thought I might keep you company, unless you'd rather I didn't."

He grinned. "Are you kiddin'?  I hate sittin' up here by myself."

She reached into her pocket and held something out to him.  He recognised it immediately as the lock of her hair he had left floating in the pool.  "Something to remember me by while I'm gone."  She smiled, biting her bottom lip a little, before turning and heading out the door.

He raised it to his lips before putting it back in his pocket, where it belonged.   

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THE END

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