John was sitting out on the terrace staring up at the stars. He has been
spending a lot of time out there since Aeryn left Moya for the second time.
He was deep in thought when Pilot's voice came over his com.
Pilot: "Commander Crichton, we are receiving a transmission from Talyn."
John: "Is it Aeryn?"
John said with hope in his voice.
Pilot: "No Commander, it is Captain Crais."
John: "Tell D'Argo, Jool, and Rygel, I will meet them in command."
Pilot: "They are all ready on their way."
John popped up. He looked at the stars one last time and took a deep breath. He ran out the door and headed for command.
******
John ran into command. D'Argo was standing near the door. Jool and Rygel were sitting down.
John: "Okay Pilot."
The view screen came up. Crais' recorded image came up.
Crais: "Talyn is sending Moya an intercept course. We have discovered the Gammak base and have set a plan in motion. We will give you the details when you arrive in one solar day."
The message went off. John looked over at D'Argo with a confused look on his face.
John: "A plan?"
John got a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like it.
******
When Moya reached Talyn, Crais, Jothee and Chiana took the pod over to her. When they docked D'Argo and Crichton were there to meet them. Chiana came off first. D'Argo half smiled at her. She hugged Crichton.
John: "It is good to see you again, Chi."
Chiana: "You too."
She walked over to D'Argo.
Chiana: "Hi D'Argo."
D'Argo: "Chiana, it is good to have you back on Moya."
Chiana: "D'Argo, I have something to tell you."
Before she could say another word, Jothee came down the stairs. D'Argo stared at him. John looked back at D'Argo. Jothee approached him slowly.
Jothee: "D'Argo, I ran into Chiana, Aeryn, and Crais on a planet. They told me of the Gammak base. I want to help, if you will allow me."
D'Argo looked at John then Chiana then back at Jothee.
D'Argo: "We need all the help we can get."
Jothee: "Thank you, can we speak?"
D'Argo: "Not now."
Jothee stepped aside. John looked at Chiana then Jothee.
John: "Where is Aeryn?"
Crais stepped off the pod.
Crais: "Lets all go to command. I will explain."
John looked back at the pod then at Crais. He closed his eyes and whispered under his breath.
John: "What have you done, Aeryn?"
Everyone assembled in command. Crais laid out the plan.
Crais: "Aeryn and I were able to intercept a marauder that was gathering supplies for Scorpius' base. We killed a commando and captured two techs, a female and a male. Aeryn was able to access their flight plan and pinpoint the Gammak base. She adorned the female tech's uniform and ident chip. She took the marauder to Scorpius' base."
John grabbed Crais' collar and pushed him against the table.
John: "Have you lost your mind? How could you let her do this? It is a suicide mission."
D'Argo rushed over and pulled him off Crais, who was by now gasping for air. John's angry red eyes stared holes into Crais. Crais rubbed his neck.
Crais: "Aeryn thought this was the only way to get access to the base without Scorpius taking notice. There are 100s of Sebecean techs on that base. She will be one among many. She will blend in without notice. Her plan is to rely information to Talyn regarding the base so that Talyn can construct a schematic of the base. He can not scan or he will be detected."
Jool: "How is Aeryn going to send back information? Transmission will be picked up."
Crais: "Talyn designed a small transponder that was implanted under the skin behind Aeryn's ear. They can share information without being detected and Talyn can transmit information to her also."
John pulled away from D'Argo.
John: "She took an implant?"
Crais: "It was the only way."
Rygel: "Aeryn is not a tech. How is she going to do the work of a tech?"
Crais: "Talyn is feeding her all the information she needs to pass herself off as a tech. She can pull it off."
John: "How long has she been gone?"
Crais: "A solar day. She contacted Talyn when she landed on the base safely. She has already started feeding him schematics about the base layout. Talyn should be feeding them to Moya."
Pilot: "Yes, Moya is receiving them."
John turned away from everyone. He put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. Chiana walked over to him. She stood beside him.
Chiana: "I know you don't like this plan but you remember the last base we infiltrated. If we didn't have Gilina on the inside, we would have all died on that command carrier. This was the only way to get to Scorpius."
John looked up at her. His eyes soft and filled with pain and fear.
John: "I didn't get a chance to see her before she left. What if…?"
Chiana lead her hand on his arm.
Chiana: "Don't do that to yourself."
Chiana took a vid chip out of her waistband. She pressed it into John's hand.
Chiana: "She asked me to give this to you after you found out what she had done. She wants you to watch it alone."
John: "What's on it?"
Chiana touched his cheek.
Chiana: "The woman you love."
She kissed John's cheek and walked away. John looked down at the vid chip. He clutched it so tight in his hand his knuckles turned white. He turned back toward everyone.
John: "Pilot, let me know when Moya has assimilated the data from Aeryn for viewing. I will be in my quarters."
Pilot: "Yes Commander."
John walked out of command. D'Argo started after him.
D'Argo: "John…"
Chiana touched his arm.
Chiana: "Leave him, D'Argo. He needs some time."
D'Argo looked down at Chiana.
*****
John sat on his bed holding the chip. Suddenly the scene changed and he was sitting on the hood of his convertible staring out at the ocean with Harvey sitting beside him.
John: "Is there another way to penetrate the Gammak base without a person inside, Harv?"
Harvey: "No. Scorpius has impressive security. He is worried that the Scarreans or the Peacekeepers will try to take the technology from him. He is prepared for every contingency."
John: "Even this one?"
Harvey: "Crichton, he is aware of your weakness. You emotions for these people you call your friends, especially Officer Sun. He will not expect you to send her to her death."
John looked at Harvey.
Harvey: "She is your only chance of penetrating the base without being detected although it will probably cost her life."
John looked back out at the ocean.
John walked over and put the vid chip in and pushed the button. Aeryn's image appeared.
Aeryn: "I know you must be furious with me right now. I know how you feel about my plans."
She smiled. A sight Crichton hadn't seen for a long time. John smiled slightly.
Aeryn: "I don't want you to think that I did my usual PK dren and rushed in guns blazing without thinking because I didn't. I thought this through. This really is the only way to penetrate his base. With the information I feed back to Talyn you will be able to pick strategic entry points and take Scorpius' base out and hopefully Scorpius."
She lowered her eyes then looked back up.
Aeryn: "In all those Butch and Sundance movies, you can't tell me that Sundance never took the lead every once in a while."
John smiled in reaction to her smile.
Aeryn: "This is not a suicide mission. I fully intend on coming back but if I don't I want you to know that I met my death with my eyes wide open and I died the way I lived as a soldier. Soldier to soldier, I know you can understand that."
John reached his hand out.
John: "Aeryn."
The image disappeared. John lowered his eyes to the floor. Pilot's voice came over the com.
Pilot: "Commander Crichton, Moya is ready."
John cleared his throat.
John: "I will be right there Pilot."
John got up slowly. He strapped his pulse pistol on and headed up to command.
Pilot: "Commander Crichton, we are receiving a transmission from Talyn."
John: "Is it Aeryn?"
John said with hope in his voice.
Pilot: "No Commander, it is Captain Crais."
John: "Tell D'Argo, Jool, and Rygel, I will meet them in command."
Pilot: "They are all ready on their way."
John popped up. He looked at the stars one last time and took a deep breath. He ran out the door and headed for command.
******
John ran into command. D'Argo was standing near the door. Jool and Rygel were sitting down.
John: "Okay Pilot."
The view screen came up. Crais' recorded image came up.
Crais: "Talyn is sending Moya an intercept course. We have discovered the Gammak base and have set a plan in motion. We will give you the details when you arrive in one solar day."
The message went off. John looked over at D'Argo with a confused look on his face.
John: "A plan?"
John got a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like it.
******
When Moya reached Talyn, Crais, Jothee and Chiana took the pod over to her. When they docked D'Argo and Crichton were there to meet them. Chiana came off first. D'Argo half smiled at her. She hugged Crichton.
John: "It is good to see you again, Chi."
Chiana: "You too."
She walked over to D'Argo.
Chiana: "Hi D'Argo."
D'Argo: "Chiana, it is good to have you back on Moya."
Chiana: "D'Argo, I have something to tell you."
Before she could say another word, Jothee came down the stairs. D'Argo stared at him. John looked back at D'Argo. Jothee approached him slowly.
Jothee: "D'Argo, I ran into Chiana, Aeryn, and Crais on a planet. They told me of the Gammak base. I want to help, if you will allow me."
D'Argo looked at John then Chiana then back at Jothee.
D'Argo: "We need all the help we can get."
Jothee: "Thank you, can we speak?"
D'Argo: "Not now."
Jothee stepped aside. John looked at Chiana then Jothee.
John: "Where is Aeryn?"
Crais stepped off the pod.
Crais: "Lets all go to command. I will explain."
John looked back at the pod then at Crais. He closed his eyes and whispered under his breath.
John: "What have you done, Aeryn?"
Everyone assembled in command. Crais laid out the plan.
Crais: "Aeryn and I were able to intercept a marauder that was gathering supplies for Scorpius' base. We killed a commando and captured two techs, a female and a male. Aeryn was able to access their flight plan and pinpoint the Gammak base. She adorned the female tech's uniform and ident chip. She took the marauder to Scorpius' base."
John grabbed Crais' collar and pushed him against the table.
John: "Have you lost your mind? How could you let her do this? It is a suicide mission."
D'Argo rushed over and pulled him off Crais, who was by now gasping for air. John's angry red eyes stared holes into Crais. Crais rubbed his neck.
Crais: "Aeryn thought this was the only way to get access to the base without Scorpius taking notice. There are 100s of Sebecean techs on that base. She will be one among many. She will blend in without notice. Her plan is to rely information to Talyn regarding the base so that Talyn can construct a schematic of the base. He can not scan or he will be detected."
Jool: "How is Aeryn going to send back information? Transmission will be picked up."
Crais: "Talyn designed a small transponder that was implanted under the skin behind Aeryn's ear. They can share information without being detected and Talyn can transmit information to her also."
John pulled away from D'Argo.
John: "She took an implant?"
Crais: "It was the only way."
Rygel: "Aeryn is not a tech. How is she going to do the work of a tech?"
Crais: "Talyn is feeding her all the information she needs to pass herself off as a tech. She can pull it off."
John: "How long has she been gone?"
Crais: "A solar day. She contacted Talyn when she landed on the base safely. She has already started feeding him schematics about the base layout. Talyn should be feeding them to Moya."
Pilot: "Yes, Moya is receiving them."
John turned away from everyone. He put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. Chiana walked over to him. She stood beside him.
Chiana: "I know you don't like this plan but you remember the last base we infiltrated. If we didn't have Gilina on the inside, we would have all died on that command carrier. This was the only way to get to Scorpius."
John looked up at her. His eyes soft and filled with pain and fear.
John: "I didn't get a chance to see her before she left. What if…?"
Chiana lead her hand on his arm.
Chiana: "Don't do that to yourself."
Chiana took a vid chip out of her waistband. She pressed it into John's hand.
Chiana: "She asked me to give this to you after you found out what she had done. She wants you to watch it alone."
John: "What's on it?"
Chiana touched his cheek.
Chiana: "The woman you love."
She kissed John's cheek and walked away. John looked down at the vid chip. He clutched it so tight in his hand his knuckles turned white. He turned back toward everyone.
John: "Pilot, let me know when Moya has assimilated the data from Aeryn for viewing. I will be in my quarters."
Pilot: "Yes Commander."
John walked out of command. D'Argo started after him.
D'Argo: "John…"
Chiana touched his arm.
Chiana: "Leave him, D'Argo. He needs some time."
D'Argo looked down at Chiana.
*****
John sat on his bed holding the chip. Suddenly the scene changed and he was sitting on the hood of his convertible staring out at the ocean with Harvey sitting beside him.
John: "Is there another way to penetrate the Gammak base without a person inside, Harv?"
Harvey: "No. Scorpius has impressive security. He is worried that the Scarreans or the Peacekeepers will try to take the technology from him. He is prepared for every contingency."
John: "Even this one?"
Harvey: "Crichton, he is aware of your weakness. You emotions for these people you call your friends, especially Officer Sun. He will not expect you to send her to her death."
John looked at Harvey.
Harvey: "She is your only chance of penetrating the base without being detected although it will probably cost her life."
John looked back out at the ocean.
John walked over and put the vid chip in and pushed the button. Aeryn's image appeared.
Aeryn: "I know you must be furious with me right now. I know how you feel about my plans."
She smiled. A sight Crichton hadn't seen for a long time. John smiled slightly.
Aeryn: "I don't want you to think that I did my usual PK dren and rushed in guns blazing without thinking because I didn't. I thought this through. This really is the only way to penetrate his base. With the information I feed back to Talyn you will be able to pick strategic entry points and take Scorpius' base out and hopefully Scorpius."
She lowered her eyes then looked back up.
Aeryn: "In all those Butch and Sundance movies, you can't tell me that Sundance never took the lead every once in a while."
John smiled in reaction to her smile.
Aeryn: "This is not a suicide mission. I fully intend on coming back but if I don't I want you to know that I met my death with my eyes wide open and I died the way I lived as a soldier. Soldier to soldier, I know you can understand that."
John reached his hand out.
John: "Aeryn."
The image disappeared. John lowered his eyes to the floor. Pilot's voice came over the com.
Pilot: "Commander Crichton, Moya is ready."
John cleared his throat.
John: "I will be right there Pilot."
John got up slowly. He strapped his pulse pistol on and headed up to command.
