Love of a Child….
It had been half a cycle since Aeryn left her son on Twilight with Zoron. Moya's crew was melancholy. The ship was so quiet without Tyren and everyone missed him.
John had gone by Aeryn's chambers when she didn't come to the late meal. He could hear her slashing around. He went in. She was having a nightmare. He went and sat on her bed.
John: "Aeryn. Aeryn, wake up babe."
She was startled awake. It took her a moment to realize where she was and who John was. He stroked her cheek.
Aeryn: "Where is Tyren?"
She looked around.
John: "On Twilight, don't you remember? We left him there with Zoron."
She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She cupped her face in her hands. John was rubbing her back.
Aeryn: "Something is wrong."
John: "You just had a nightmare, Aeryn."
Aeryn looked up at him. She stared in his cool blue eyes.
Aeryn: "No John, it wasn't a nightmare. Something is wrong on Twilight. Something has happened to Tyren."
John: "Aeryn…"
Aeryn grabbed his hand in hers. She stared into his eyes.
Aeryn: "If you ever trusted my instincts before, trust them now. We have to go back to Twilight."
John: "Your instincts as a warrior?"
Aeryn: "My instincts as a mother."
John looked in her eyes. He could see her desperation.
John: "Okay. I will go talk to Pilot."
******
It took four solar days for Moya and Talyn to reach Twilight's orbit. Aeryn was in command with D'Argo, John, and Chiana.
John: "Pilot, are you picking up any anomalies on the surface?"
Pilot: "Scanning now."
Chiana: "What are we looking for?"
Aeryn: "I don't know."
Pilot chimes in.
Pilot: "Commander, Moya has scanned the planet. She has found changes in the planet since we were last here."
Aeryn: "What kind of changes?"
John could hear the fear in her voice.
John: "What happened Pilot?"
Pilot: "The colonies population seems to have disappeared."
John went over to Aeryn. She looked in his eyes. He took her hand.
John: "Pilot, how is the atmosphere?"
Pilot: "That has not changed."
John: "Prepare the transport."
Pilot: "All ready working on it Commander."
John, D'Argo, Chiana, and Aeryn boarded the transport with their weapons.
*****
The transport landed just outside the colony. The four of them cautiously made their way to the city. As Aeryn looked through the ruin that was left of the small homes was the look on Tyren's face the last time she saw him. That amazing smile of his. John stayed nearby her. He didn't know what they were going to find.
Chiana: "Have you guys noticed anything strange about this place?"
D'Argo: "Besides the fact that it has been totally destroyed."
Chiana: "There are no bodies. Look around. Every building has been torn apart practically but where are the bodies."
John looked around.
John: "Chiana is right. Pilot, have Moya scanned the planet for caves or deep caverns?"
Pilot: "Scanning now."
Aeryn came to a pile of rumble where Zoron's house once stood. She walked toward it slowly. A single tear ran down her cheek. John came up behind her. He laid his head on her back.
Aeryn: "I don't understand what has happened here."
John: "Pilot has located an underground cavern. We are going to check it."
She didn't move. She was just staring at the destruction.
John: "Aeryn, come on babe."
He gently pulled her arm. She looked at him. She went with him.
D'Argo and John entered the cavern ahead of Chiana and Aeryn. The darkness enveloped them from behind. Suddenly they saw a dim light above.
John: "What do you think 'D'?"
D'Argo: "It is either the colonists or whatever destroyed the colony."
John: "Lets go."
They all held up their weapons. As they entered the hidden cavern they came upon the colonists. They were injured and frightened. They were huddled away from the approaching shadows.
John: "I am John Crichton. I am looking for Zoron."
A voice came out of the darkness. "Zoron was taken." Aeryn spoke up.
Aeryn: "Taken by who and where is Tyren."
A figure stepped into the light. She looked at Aeryn.
Colonist: "You are the one who brought the child?"
Aeryn: "Yes. Who did this? Where are Zoron and Tyren?"
Colonist: "Peacekeeper commandos came. They wanted the boy and Zoron refused to tell them where he was hiding. They leveled the city. Tyren came out of hiding to defend Zoron. They took them. They said something about a Scorpius."
Aeryn spun on her heels and looked at John. He wrapped his arms around her.
John: "It is okay. We will get him back. I promise you babe. No matter what it takes."
Colonist: "You are Crichton?"
John: "Yes."
Aeryn stepped aside and looked at her. She pulled out a vid chip.
Colonist: "The Captain left this. He said to give it to a Crichton when he arrived. He said you would understand."
******
When the crew arrived back on Moya, they gathered in command and played the vid chip. It was Scorpius.
Scorpius: "Hello John, surprised?"
John looked over at Aeryn. Her head was down. He filled with anger and looked at the image.
Scorpius: "We have done this before. You have something I want and I have something you want. Deliver yourself to me and I will release young Tyren. You know how to find me."
The image disappeared. John pulled the chip out and threw it.
John: "No!"
Aeryn turned and walked out of command. John turned and watched her go. He was about to follow her. D'Argo spoke up.
D'Argo: "John, leave her for now."
John looked up at D'Argo.
John: "We have to get him back 'D'. Giving him up so he would be safe, is one thing, but losing him to Scorpius is another."
D'Argo: "Aeryn is a warrior."
John: "She is a mother."
John walked out of command. He went to his quarters.
*******
It had been half a cycle since Aeryn left her son on Twilight with Zoron. Moya's crew was melancholy. The ship was so quiet without Tyren and everyone missed him.
John had gone by Aeryn's chambers when she didn't come to the late meal. He could hear her slashing around. He went in. She was having a nightmare. He went and sat on her bed.
John: "Aeryn. Aeryn, wake up babe."
She was startled awake. It took her a moment to realize where she was and who John was. He stroked her cheek.
Aeryn: "Where is Tyren?"
She looked around.
John: "On Twilight, don't you remember? We left him there with Zoron."
She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She cupped her face in her hands. John was rubbing her back.
Aeryn: "Something is wrong."
John: "You just had a nightmare, Aeryn."
Aeryn looked up at him. She stared in his cool blue eyes.
Aeryn: "No John, it wasn't a nightmare. Something is wrong on Twilight. Something has happened to Tyren."
John: "Aeryn…"
Aeryn grabbed his hand in hers. She stared into his eyes.
Aeryn: "If you ever trusted my instincts before, trust them now. We have to go back to Twilight."
John: "Your instincts as a warrior?"
Aeryn: "My instincts as a mother."
John looked in her eyes. He could see her desperation.
John: "Okay. I will go talk to Pilot."
******
It took four solar days for Moya and Talyn to reach Twilight's orbit. Aeryn was in command with D'Argo, John, and Chiana.
John: "Pilot, are you picking up any anomalies on the surface?"
Pilot: "Scanning now."
Chiana: "What are we looking for?"
Aeryn: "I don't know."
Pilot chimes in.
Pilot: "Commander, Moya has scanned the planet. She has found changes in the planet since we were last here."
Aeryn: "What kind of changes?"
John could hear the fear in her voice.
John: "What happened Pilot?"
Pilot: "The colonies population seems to have disappeared."
John went over to Aeryn. She looked in his eyes. He took her hand.
John: "Pilot, how is the atmosphere?"
Pilot: "That has not changed."
John: "Prepare the transport."
Pilot: "All ready working on it Commander."
John, D'Argo, Chiana, and Aeryn boarded the transport with their weapons.
*****
The transport landed just outside the colony. The four of them cautiously made their way to the city. As Aeryn looked through the ruin that was left of the small homes was the look on Tyren's face the last time she saw him. That amazing smile of his. John stayed nearby her. He didn't know what they were going to find.
Chiana: "Have you guys noticed anything strange about this place?"
D'Argo: "Besides the fact that it has been totally destroyed."
Chiana: "There are no bodies. Look around. Every building has been torn apart practically but where are the bodies."
John looked around.
John: "Chiana is right. Pilot, have Moya scanned the planet for caves or deep caverns?"
Pilot: "Scanning now."
Aeryn came to a pile of rumble where Zoron's house once stood. She walked toward it slowly. A single tear ran down her cheek. John came up behind her. He laid his head on her back.
Aeryn: "I don't understand what has happened here."
John: "Pilot has located an underground cavern. We are going to check it."
She didn't move. She was just staring at the destruction.
John: "Aeryn, come on babe."
He gently pulled her arm. She looked at him. She went with him.
D'Argo and John entered the cavern ahead of Chiana and Aeryn. The darkness enveloped them from behind. Suddenly they saw a dim light above.
John: "What do you think 'D'?"
D'Argo: "It is either the colonists or whatever destroyed the colony."
John: "Lets go."
They all held up their weapons. As they entered the hidden cavern they came upon the colonists. They were injured and frightened. They were huddled away from the approaching shadows.
John: "I am John Crichton. I am looking for Zoron."
A voice came out of the darkness. "Zoron was taken." Aeryn spoke up.
Aeryn: "Taken by who and where is Tyren."
A figure stepped into the light. She looked at Aeryn.
Colonist: "You are the one who brought the child?"
Aeryn: "Yes. Who did this? Where are Zoron and Tyren?"
Colonist: "Peacekeeper commandos came. They wanted the boy and Zoron refused to tell them where he was hiding. They leveled the city. Tyren came out of hiding to defend Zoron. They took them. They said something about a Scorpius."
Aeryn spun on her heels and looked at John. He wrapped his arms around her.
John: "It is okay. We will get him back. I promise you babe. No matter what it takes."
Colonist: "You are Crichton?"
John: "Yes."
Aeryn stepped aside and looked at her. She pulled out a vid chip.
Colonist: "The Captain left this. He said to give it to a Crichton when he arrived. He said you would understand."
******
When the crew arrived back on Moya, they gathered in command and played the vid chip. It was Scorpius.
Scorpius: "Hello John, surprised?"
John looked over at Aeryn. Her head was down. He filled with anger and looked at the image.
Scorpius: "We have done this before. You have something I want and I have something you want. Deliver yourself to me and I will release young Tyren. You know how to find me."
The image disappeared. John pulled the chip out and threw it.
John: "No!"
Aeryn turned and walked out of command. John turned and watched her go. He was about to follow her. D'Argo spoke up.
D'Argo: "John, leave her for now."
John looked up at D'Argo.
John: "We have to get him back 'D'. Giving him up so he would be safe, is one thing, but losing him to Scorpius is another."
D'Argo: "Aeryn is a warrior."
John: "She is a mother."
John walked out of command. He went to his quarters.
*******
