Untitled Document

Title: Redemption
Author: Banshae, 2001
Rating: R (violence, implied rape, cussing)
Disclaimer: You know and I know that I don't own these characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own little passion plays. However, I DO own the original characters and places, so no snurching!
Spoilers: All of seasons 1 & 2, pretty much all of season three, up to IP: Icarus Abides
Archiving: You actually want this?! Just let me know: morgayne@hotmail.com, so I can jump up and down and do a happy dance.
Summary: Takes place after IP: Dadelus Demands. Talyn's crew stops off at a commerce planet and Aeryn turns up missing.
Special thanks to Felix, who argued with me and encouraged me and gave me great ideas. This fic wouldn't have been the same without him.

Redemption: Part 4

Chiana knew everything was really frelled up when Rygel didn't have a second plate of r'asa pods. She looked around the table and sighed softly. No one had eaten much of the meal she prepared. Not that she blamed them. She didn't have much appetite herself, after hearing Crais' recital of all that had happened aboard Talyn in the past three monens.

So weirdshe thought in the silence that fell after Crais finished. Just when I'm getting used to the concept of two identical Johns, one of them has to up and die.

Once or twice over the past monens, she'd wondered if "her John" was the really the clone. His behavior was more erratic than usual-even for a Human. Probably due to the fact that her John knew the Other John was off with Aerynand the gods only knew what they were up to. The same thing my John would be doing if he had been with her. No wonder he was acting so crazy!

The whole time Crais was talking, John didn't interrupt once with a question. Instead he just sat there, staring at the ex-Peacekeeper with varying expressions of shock, sadness and disbelief on his face. To Chiana's ears, there was some stuff Crais was leaving out, but it wasn't hard to fill in the blanks. No way Aeryn would have shared quarters with Other John unless something was going on between them.

Chiana glanced over at her John, who was sitting utterly still, cradling his head in his hands. She couldn't see his face, but his shoulders were slumped in way that made her chest hurt. He looked like a man who had just lost the last thing he cared about and Chiana put a hand on his back in wordless comfort.

Crais leaned forward and broke the silence, "John, I am sorry."

"Sorry?" D'Argo growled. "You have the nerve to come aboard Moya after all you have done-"

"I've done nothing wrong here, Luxan," Crais snapped, turning to him.

"D'Argo-" Jool tried to interject, but D'Argo cut her off.

"You've done nothing wrong but lose the other Crichton and Aeryn!"

"I had no control over what happened on that planet. John knew exactly what he was doing when he dealt with Furlow and the Ancients."

"And what about Aeryn? What kind of fool are you to send a soldier out when you know she's not ready?"

"I am not her keeper, nor am I her superior!" Crais snarled. "And that planet was supposed to be safe-"

Chiana could feel John shudder under her touch and tuned out the argument for a moment. "Hey old man, are you going to be all right?"

"We have to find her, Chi," he said hoarsely, lifting his head. There were tears on his cheeks and without thinking, she wiped them away gently.

"I can't give up. If Aeryn could-" John faltered for a moment, took a steadying breath and gave her a wan smile, "Hey, there's still hope for me, right?"

She didn't have an answer for him, only squeezed his hand tight and turned her attention back to the others. "Shut up the both of you!" She shouted a loudly as she could over the raised voices of Crais and D'Argo.

Both males stopped arguing and everyone stared at her.

Jool grinned, "Not bad."

Chiana gave her a quick smile, then turneed to glare at D'Argo and Crais, "This alpha male dren is not helping, guys. We need to figure out what to do to get Aeryn back."

Crais, ever the cool Peacekeeper, nodded and settled back in his chair, "You are correct. I have a plan."

"We have a plan," Rygel reminded him from Chiana's side.

"What kind of plan?" Jool asked, looking suspiciously between Crais, Rygel and Stark. Obviously she didn't think any plan made up by a crazy Bannik slave, a dethroned Dominar and a deserter PK was going to be very good.

"We know where the slavers' ship is going to be stopping next," Crais explained. "I will continue my persona of a wealthy trader looking for a bodymate, and once aboard the ship, find Aeryn."

"And then what?" Chiana asked.

"We either purchase her, or failing that, we take her by force."

D'Argo snorted, "You planned to do this alone?"

"Yes, if it was necessary."

"Well, now you have backup," John said. His gaze met Crais' across the table, challenging and at the same time measuring. Chi tightened her grip on John's hand unconsciously, Easy, easy. No need to act like two huzahs fighting over a bone, guys.

Crais' black eyes didn't lose their intensity, but he inclined his head almost immediately, "Of course."

"We should take Talyn to the meeting point," D'Argo said. "Stark and Rygel can stay with Talyn while Moya and Pilot monitor the situation."

"Sounds good, big D," John was regaining some of his normal zeal. The shocked look was gone, replaced by a focus Chi found alarming and at the same time reassuring.

"What about us?" Jool asked.

"Sorry, but I don't think you or Pip would fit in as buyers on a slave ship," John said.

"You'd surely be mistaken for the merchandise," Rygel smirked.

"Oh, now I remember why I missed you so much, your eema-ness," Chiana stuck an elbow in his side. "It was your lovely personality."

"Enough," Crais said. "We have approximately three arns before we arrive at the coordinates given to us. I suggest we ready ourselves for this mission."

John gave the ex-Peacekeeper another measuring look, then stood, "I'm with Cap'n Crunch here. Let's get this show on the road."

TBC...