Aeryn managed to keep a low profile on the base. Although it went against every fiber of her being, she allowed herself to be treated like a low level tech by the special ops stationed on the base. With Talyn's help she managed to do the tasks that were requested of her while managing to moved around the base freely enough to give Talyn a detailed schematic.

Aeryn had been on the base for one weeknen. Crais was waiting for her signal to Talyn to start the assault on the base. Aeryn wanted to get a closer look at the lab area where the actually wormhole testing was being done but Scorpius was never more than a few steps away. She could risk being spotted by him. Although he could not detect her, he would immediately recognize her on sight.

Aeryn had been assigned to the lower tiers for the last couple of solar days. When it was time for her to take a break, she slipped up to the upper tiers. She had to try to get some information about the lab. They had to know how far Scorpius had gone with the wormholes. She had heard a couple of techs talking about the instability of the wormholes so far but she to get into the lab. She was walking down a corridor when she heard voices coming toward her. She ducted into a chamber and reached for her pulse pistol, which was not there. Techs do not carry weapons. She squeezed herself into the darkest corner of the chamber. Her heart was racing. She heard the voices trailing off away from her. She slipped out into the corridor and rounded the corner toward the lab carefully.

*****

Talyn was picking up on Aeryn's rapid brain patterns and change in her pulse and heart rate and in turn Crais was picking up on them. He didn't say anything to anyone because he didn't want Crichton to go off half- cocked.

Crais: "Talyn, keep tracking her. If there are any more changes, let me know immediately."

*****

Aeryn got to the lab during the changing of the shifts. She managed to slip in without notice. She got a look at some of the readouts and Talyn picked up the information from her. Just as the last of the lab techs were moving out Aeryn moved to leave the lab when she spotted Lt. Braca coming toward the lab. He would know her immediately. She needed a diversion. She looked around. Lt. Braca was inches from where the techs were filing out. There was a commando standing between Braca and the exiting techs. Aeryn lowered her eyes and started fidgeting with her uniform as she moved passed the checkpoint. She slipped out of the lab.

Aeryn had managed to get out of the lab. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into one of the special ops coming on duty.

Aeryn: "I am sorry. Excuse me."

She looked up for a microt and moved down the corridor.

Special Op: "Watch where you are going tech."

It was a momentary exchange but enough to catch the eye of one of the commandos near the lab. He saw Aeryn's face for a split second.

Aeryn hurried back to her shift.

******

Talyn had received her transmission on the lab and was feeding it to Moya.

John, D'Argo, and Crais were going over the schematics and choosing the most strategic points of entry. Crais suddenly got a transmission from Talyn in his transponder. He laid his hand on his transponder and communicated back to Talyn. John looked at him.

John: "What is it?"

Crais: "Talyn has lots his connection with Aeryn."

John's voice rose.

John: "What? How? I thought she had an implant."

Crais: "Aeryn took a small electrode with her. In case of capture she would short circuit the implant so that if discovered it couldn't be traced back to Talyn."

John looked at D'Argo.

D'Argo: "I am sure Aeryn is fine. She probably just did it as a precaution."

John: "She wouldn't cut off her only means of communication. Something is wrong. Is Talyn getting any readings on her at all?"

Crais: "Not without the implant, there are too many Sebeceans for him to distinguish."

John: "Pilot, can Moya scan the base for Aeryn without being detected?"

Pilot: "We have been plotting the fluctuations in energy patterns from the base. When it is at its highest level, Moya can scan without being detected."

John: "Do it! Locate Aeryn, we have our points of entry. Talyn is going to fire on the base at several damaging points and we are going to enter the base after the first strike."

John stood up.

John: Jool, Chiana, Rygel, Jothee, we need you in command."

D'Argo stood up. John moved over toward him.

John: "Jothee's involvement is up to you 'D'. I won't ask you to risk your son's life."

D'Argo: "He is trying to prove himself a Luxan of honor. It is up to him how he goes about that."

John tapped D'Argo's chest with his fist.

Jool, Chiana, Rygel, and Jothee came to command.

John: "You all know that D'Argo, Crais, and I are going to infiltrate the base. Crais has given Talyn four targets to hit in an assault to allow us to get on the base without detection. We have 600 microts after Talyn's first strike to get on the base, set the charges, and get off the base before it blows. Chi, you are with me. Jool, you are with Crais. Jothee, you are with D'Argo, and Rygel, you are going to stay here on Moya. Monitor the base Rygel, if any pods escape other than ours, you let Talyn know and he will blow them out of the sky."

Chiana: "What about Aeryn? Where will she be?"

John got a sullen look on his face.

John: "Talyn has lost communication with Aeryn. Moya is scanning for her. Pilot is going to let us know when he finds her position. Everyone knows what he or she is doing and the time we have to do it in. Lets go, keep your com channels open."

They headed to their ships.

*****

Aeryn lifted her head off the hard floor where she found herself laying after a blow to her head. She tried to get her eyes focused as she brought herself to a sitting position. Once her head started to clear she realized she couldn't reach Talyn.

Commando: "I thought I had killed you Officer Sun."

She looked over her shoulder. A shadow stood near the door. As he approached her she realized it was Special Op Kruter who served under her in the Ikarian regimen.

Aeryn: "Kruter."

Kruter: "I see you remember the crew you frelled out of their commissions because you deserted."

Aeryn: "Crais gave me no choice."

Kruter: "A true Peacekeeper soldier would have chose death, a coward would run."

He approached her and leaned over her.

Aeryn: "I suppose you have already reported me to Scorpius and Braca."

Kruter: "Not until I have finished with you."

He struck her with the butt of his pulse rifle. Aeryn slumped to the floor. She kicked his legs out from under him. He grabbed at her as she fought to get to her feet. He ripped off her ident chip. She kicked him in the face. She ripped his pulse pistol out of its holster and shot him. She knew the blast would bring security. She grabbed the rifle from his dead fingers and ran out of the chamber. She was disoriented and wasn't sure where she was. As she rounded a corridor two commandos were coming toward her. They opened fire. Aeryn was hit in the leg. She pulled herself back around the corner. She saw a duct and pulled the grill away. She slipped into. She was sliding down a long narrow shaft.

The commandos brought the ident chip to Scorpius and Braca. Braca put it in and a visual came up. Scorpius stepped forward with shock on his face.

Scorpius: "Officer Sun!"

He turned to Braca.

Scorpius: "Where she is Crichton can not be far behind?"

Just as the words left his mouth, Talyn's assault on the base began.