A Matter Of Trust, a farscape fanfic

A Matter Of TruSt

(Authors disclaimer: The characters of Farscape belong to Henson Productions. I just borrowed them for a short time.)

(This is in response to GitonCrais' scenario challenge on the ultimatefarscape bulletin board and dedicated to all the Crais' Cohorts. Enjoy! Love, Lady Crais)

GITONCRAIS' CHALLENGE:

How about this one for a challenge: Crais is lured into a trap, allegedly set up by Crichton who is also set up by the same person/people but on another (side of the) planet/city. Played against each other, they will of course blame each other when they meet up. Morgan and Talyn get them out of the sticks. They have to work together, without fully trusting each other yet, to save themselves.

THE RESOLUTION:

(Timeline: This story takes place somewhere between "A Brief Pause In Paradise and "Home Is Where The Heart Is".)

Crais stared down at the commerce planet they were orbiting, watching the thin clouds swirl over sandy continents and small lakes. The planet was hot, within tolerable limits for a Sebacean, but uncomfortable nonetheless, and he hoped they could secure the needed supplies quickly. As well as something to cure the cold his lover was fighting. Morgan sneezed behind him and he turned to gaze at her. Her nose was red and running, her eyes puffy and the human woman was absolutely miserable. "You should be in bed," he commented softly.

"I shoub be in bed, I shoub be in bed. Between you and Jahn, I…I…" Her nose twitched and she sneezed again, the DRD's that were on the bridge skittering away from her. "I feel like dren," she moaned, laying her head down on the console.

Crais saw her shiver and walked over, removing his uniform jacket and placing it over her shoulders. He wouldn't miss it on the planet. She stood up and looked at him pathetically. "Please, Morgan. Go and get some rest. Officer Sun has already volunteered to remain on Talyn with you. Crichton and I can go down to the planet and gather the supplies."

Morgan looked up at him, that slight movement hurting her already aching head even more. "You sure? I mean, I can go too," she replied hopefully.

"No," Crais answered firmly, pointing to the bridge doors as he laid a soft kiss on her forehead.

Morgan shuffled out, clasping the Captain's jacket tightly around her. "Meany," she mumbled half-heartedly. Truth of it was, Morgan really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

A smile played at the corners of Crais' lips at her comment as he followed her from the bridge, heading towards the landing bay, where Crichton was waiting.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crichton took half of the list from Crais, gazing around the huge city. It was built of sandstone and lime, and the inhabitants dressed in loose robes and… "Togas?" he asked in disbelief as a man passed him. His forehead crinkled in confusion and he looked at Crais. "Togas?"

"Crichton what are you blathering about? It is obvious they dress for the atmospheric conditions of the planet." Crais pulled the leather cord from his pocket and quickly bound his hair back out of his face. "We shall meet here in no more than three arns, understood?"

Crichton nodded, his mouth still hanging open. "Uh…" He looked at Crais. "You picking up the stuff for Morgan?"

Crais tilted his head as he contemplated the human. "Yes, Crichton. Your knowledge of plants in the Uncharted Territories is severely limited."

"As if yours is any better," Crichton retorted.

Crais swallowed, trying very hard to keep his temper. "Zhaan provided Morgan with a list of plants and herbs that can be found in the Uncharted Territories for various afflictions. Based on that list, I know what to get." He pointed to Crichton's half of the list. "Take care of your half." Without waiting for a reply, he turned on one heel and walked away.

"Yes sir," Crichton grumbled, throwing a mock salute at Crais' back. He looked down at the list and then back up. A group of women smiled at him, looking like they had stepped out of a Greco-Roman painting with their loose white dresses, golden hair and armbands. Crichton couldn't help but to smile back. "Excuse me. Maybe you ladies could help me?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The man placed his hands to his temples and canted his head as he watched the strangers argue just outside the docking bay. He could hear their thoughts and wondered who this 'Morgan' was.

"Find out. Maybe that's the commonality between them," the woman beside him said.

The man reached out, closing his eyes as he slipped easily into the shorthaired man's mind. It was a jumble of confusion, strange images and sounds, unusual texture and colors. Two women appeared, one with long black hair and one with eyes the same as the strangers. The man knew that was the one named Morgan, but who was the raven-haired beauty? The name came to him immediately: Aeryn.

He reached out to the other man, finding both women in his mind too, as well as something else. Something bigger and more terrifying and he withdrew immediately. "Yes, she is the commonality." He looked at the woman at his side. "Now we must set a trap and bring them in."

The woman simply smiled. "That will be easy brother, especially if you threaten the fairer sex."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crais paced the docking bay in irritation. It had been four arns since he had left Crichton and the human still had not arrived. The Captain had covered half of the city, gathering the needed supplies. He was half tempted to leave Crichton on the planet, but then, as Talyn so delicately pointed out, he would have to explain to Morgan and Aeryn how he had lost him. "You cannot follow a simple order, can you Crichton?" he growled to himself. The transport pod was already loaded, with all of the supplies, which made Crais wonder just what type of trouble Crichton had gotten into.

The door to the docking bay opened and Crais turned to look, his face growing dark when the intruder turned out to be someone other than the missing human. "What do you want?" he snapped.

"Excuse me sir," a young woman started as she approached Crais. "I was asked to deliver this message to you." She handed the Captain a piece of parchment type paper and bowed slightly, backing her way out of the bay. Crais unfolded it, staring at the scribble on the page. "Talyn, you know Morgan's language. What does it say?" Crais hissed. "Talyn?" He reached back to his transponder. Everything seemed to be working fine, but why was the Leviathan not answering him? He glanced down at the page, the writing have shifted into words he could understand. With a furious growl, he crumpled the paper, tossing it aside as he stormed from the docking bay back into the searing heat of the city.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crichton came to with a start, feeling the back of his head. He looked around, finding himself in some sort of dank cell. He gazed down at his hand and shook his head, thankful that he had found no blood on his fingers. Crichton tapped his comm badge. "Crais?" He tapped it again. "Hey! Captain Crunch, you read me?" There was no answer. "What the frell is going on?" He tapped the badge again. "Aeryn? Can you read me? Aeryn?"

He sat up, gazing around the gloomy room, trying to remember how got there. He remembered delivering the supplies, remembered feeling proud of himself that he was done early, remembered going into a refreshment house across the way, remembered the message the woman handed him, remembered the lancing pain that coursed through his head when he stepped from the refreshment house. Crichton stood up abruptly. "You son of a bitch!" he hissed, hitting his head on the low ceiling. "You set me up." Crichton moved to the door, grasping a hold of the bars. "Hey! Let me out of here! Let me out of here!" he screamed shaking the door.

A man walked down the corridor towards him, motioning with his hands for Crichton to calm down. "Please, Commander Crichton. You must remain calm. It will do no good to yell, for I am the only one who hears you."

Crichton stared at him. "Who the hell are you? How do you know my name? How did I get here? And where the hell is CRAIS?" His voice kept getting louder and louder as he reached through the bars to grasp the man's toga.

The man simply smiled. "My name is Apollo. And I found you rampaging through the city like a madman. So, I brought you here for safe keeping." Apollo managed to loosen his robe from Crichton's grip. "As for Captain Crais, we have been unable to find him."

"He set this up. He's probably aboard Talyn right at this moment poisoning my cousin and taking off with my woman!" Crichton stalked the cage like a tiger.

Apollo shook his head. "My men will find him." A plate of fruit appeared in the man's hand and he slid it under to cell door to Crichton. "Please eat. You must keep up your strength."

Crichton glared at him suspiciously. "What for?"

Apollo nodded towards him slowly. "You will find out soon enough."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crais came to in much the same condition as Crichton, except for the angry bruise on the right side of his cheek. He stood up, watching the clearance of the ceiling as he took in his surroundings. It was not like the Sebacean Captain to let his guard down and be struck from behind, but his outrage at Crichton's message left him blind. How dare he contact the Peacekeepers! Didn't Crichton realize that he was endangering Morgan as well as the rest of them?

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he slowly turned towards the door. A pair of green eyes stared at him through the bars and he lifted his chin. "Where am I?" he asked.

The woman smiled at him. "You are safe, Captain Crais." She held up her hand. "We cannot let people go running around our city wildly, shooting up refreshment houses, now can we?"

Crais' eyes narrowed. Something was not right. He didn't go around the city firing his pulse pistol. He walked out of the docking bay and was attacked.

Or was he?

Crais laid his hands to his head, closing his eyes. "Who are you?" he growled.

The woman smiled, sliding a plate of grain bars and cheese through the opening in the door. "My name is Athena. That is all you need to know."

Crais glanced back up at her. "And exactly how long do you plan on keeping me here?"

"Only for a short time. We have found your friend and he, too is safe, for now," she answered, turning away to return up the corridor.

"If you are referring to Crichton, he is my enemy, not my friend," Crais spat.

Athena stopped, turning her head back towards him. "Then you should have no qualms about killing him."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Morgan stumbled onto Talyn's bridge, one finger in her ear as she swallowed, trying to get the eardrum to pop. She looked at Aeryn. "What do you mean they haven't come back yet?" she asked loudly.

Aeryn felt bad for her. Morgan had been a trooper through everything she had experienced in the Uncharted Territories and the former Peacekeeper hated seeing her so downtrodden. "It's been seven arns, Morgan. Talyn and I didn't want to wake you, but even he is having problems contacting John and Crais."

Morgan blinked, wiping her tearing eyes with the back of her sleeve as she walked over to the comm panels. "This doesn't make sense."

Aeryn turned on one heel. "I'm going down there. Keep trying to contact them."

Morgan leaned on the console. "You heard the lady," she whined to Talyn, sliding down the console to curl up on the deck. "Wake me if you hear anything."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crichton awoke to the sound of rain. He opened his eyes and looked up towards the small barred window. The sun was shining and he squinted. "What the hell is that sound?" he grumped.

His answer didn't take long in coming. Apollo stood at the cell door, a guard opening it for him and stepping inside. Crichton looked at the guard, one eyebrow rising. "A Roman légionnaire?" He looked at Apollo. "What kind of sick, twisted, Halloween game are you playing here?"

Apollo withdrew a sword from behind his back, offering it hilt first to Crichton. "The only game we are playing is one of life and death." He pushed it into Crichton's hand. "We have heard much about your race."

Crichton stared at Apollo. "And your point is?"

"Do you wish to kill Crais before he can harm your beloved cousin?" the man simply asked.

Crichton felt a wealth of bitterness and hatred well up into the back of his throat. "I'd like to kill him for everything he has done to me."

Apollo smiled menacingly. "Then follow me."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crais walked out into the arena, his eyes narrowed against the bright sunlight. He looked around at the cheering throng of people, all blonde and dressed in togas…or less. Athena had forced him to remove all of his clothing, giving him the strange, hinged leather skirt and sandals to wear in their place, his chest bare and glistening with sweat. He weighed the weapon in his hand, tossing it from side to side as he moved towards the center of the arena.

It was then that he saw Crichton on the other side, dressed the same way, and he bellowed. "Crichton!" Crais took off at a run, the sword upraised.

Crichton looked around in complete and utter shock. "The Roman Coliseum? Oh come on," he cried, opening his hands wide as he began to laugh. He dropped to his knees, the absurdity of the whole situation taking him over as he doubled up in hysterical laughter.

Then he heard Crais' roar. Crichton stood up, swinging the sword up to block the Captain's blow in enough time to sober to the situation. "You frelling piece of dren!" Crichton yelled, lunging with the sword, forcing Crais backwards. "You said you loved her! You said you would do anything for Morgan and now you planning on killing her?!" Crichton swung the sword over his head. "No way, man, cause I'll kill you first!"

Crais blocked Crichton's blow, knocking the human back with a blow to the face, sending Crichton sprawling in the sand of the arena, blood seeping from his nose. The crowd came to their feet, roaring in excitement as Crais swung the sword up to thrust it into the human's chest. "You called the Peacekeepers! What did you think you were doing, getting rid of me so that you and Morgan could return to Earth with my ship and Officer Sun?"

The crowd began to chant as Crais brought the sword down, Crichton rolling free and lashing out, taking Crais in the legs with the flat of the blade. Swords went flying as Crichton lunged at Crais, knocking his legs out from under him. Now that he had Crais pinned, Crichton began to pummel him.

And nothing was going to stop him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Talyn chirped again, sending the signal through the transponder to Morgan. She woke with a start, scrambling up to the comm. "I'm bup. I'm bup," she sniffed. She slapped the comm. "Langdree."

"Morgan, you and Talyn had better get down here," Aeryn yelled.

Between her clogged ears and the screaming behind Aeryn, Morgan could barely hear her. "Did you find them?"

"Yes. They are some sort of arena, fighting. You better hurry."

Morgan took the gunship down into the commerce planet's atmosphere as she blew her nose in the last tissue she had. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crichton's knuckles were bloody when he suddenly stopped beating Crais, listening to the crowd. "Cri-ton, Cri-ton, Cri-ton!" He looked down at Crais and stood up, backing away from the Sebacean.

As if waking from a dream, Crais suddenly became aware of Talyn's presence. What was he doing on the ground? His eyes narrowed at Crichton and he slowly stood, his face bloody and sore. "What have you done?" he hissed.

"Me? I haven't done a thing." Crichton pointed at him. "You were the one who started this. You're the one who sent that message."

Crais' head tilted menacingly. "What message?" he asked. "You sent me the message."

Crichton propped his hands on his hips. "Crais I never sent you anything. And even if I did, you wouldn't be able to read it. You don't understand English."

The two men stared at each, chests heaving as the crowd began to grow quiet. In unison, they turned and looked towards the center of the stands, where Apollo and Athena sat watching.

"Hey, Captain. I think now might be a good time to get out of here and finish this discussion on Talyn," Crichton said, watching as Apollo waved a hand. "I don't like this.

"I concur."

They turned together, walking towards the exit, both of them peering back every once in a while. Crichton laid a hand on Crais' arm, stopping him. "Holy…" The doors blasted open in front of them, and Crichton shook his head. "Now I've seen it all."

"Crichton, what is that?" Crais asked softly.

The strange beast eased its way from the underground tunnels of the coliseum, walking with a lumbering gait. It was green, with three heads and Crichton wiped his hand over his mouth. "That is what my species would call a hydra."

Crais glanced at him. "A hydra." He turned and walked towards where the swords lay in the sand, a scream piercing the air behind him. He spun around in enough time to see Crichton being lifted off the ground by the strange creature, his feet dangling from the coils it had wrapped around the human.

He looked to the exit, then back at Crichton. What if the human hadn't signaled the Peacekeepers? What if this was all a set up? At this point it didn't matter. If Crichton was going to die, Crais would be the one to kill him. He ran forward, swooping Crichton's forgotten sword up in his other hand, his feet churning up sand as the crowd roared around him, sinking the blades deep into what he assumed was the hydra's chest. The beast screamed in outrage, dropping Crichton, the human landing a few feet away with a sickening thud.

Laser bolts from above streaked across his field of vision as Talyn flew over the coliseum, the blasts from the main cannon hitting their mark with perfect accuracy. "Morgan," Crais panted, smiling. He whirled around at the sound of a Prowler behind him, the hydra still advancing, only this time, it was intent on attacking Talyn.

"Come on, Crais!" Aeryn yelled as the canopy slide open.

Crais ran to Crichton's body, throwing him over his shoulder as he carried him to Aeryn's Prowler. Talyn streaked overhead again, firing on the hydra. They struggled to get Crichton into the seat and Crais watched as the hydra slowly went down. "GO!"

"Get in!"

He looked at Aeryn. "There's not enough room. Just go!"

The Prowler lifted off the ground and Crais waited, hands on his knees. He caught his breath and took off towards the exit, planning on making his escape in the transport pod. The doors burst open, a squadron of Peacekeeper officers rushing in, weapons drawn. "Crichton," he hissed, stopping, his hands held up in surrender.

A comforting humming noise sounded behind him. "Hey, you need a lift?" a nasal and tired voice yelled.

Crais turned to see Morgan hanging out of the access hatch, her hand outstretched towards him. The Peacekeepers fired, their bolts bouncing harmlessly off of Talyn's shields. Crais ran to her, diving into the gunship, knocking her over as Talyn burst away from the planet, the hatch sealing closed. He looked down at her. "Thank you."

Morgan smiled at him. "Your welcome. Nice skirt by the way."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crichton stared at Crais as Aeryn stitched up a cut on his forehead. The tension in the air was enough to cut with a knife and the two women had decided that they would simply have to wait it out, letting the human and Sebacean engage in physical tests of wills, beating the daylights out of each other over every little disagreement. Talyn had automated the transport pod, bringing up the supplies before starbursting from the area. Aeryn looked up at Morgan as she strode in. "Well, you look much better."

"Feel much better too," Morgan answered, stopping in the small medical bay. She shook her head at Crais. "I'm not even going to ask about the hydra but, now that we are three days away from the planet, do you think you could tell us what happened down there?"

Crais and Crichton exchanged glances. "No," they said in unison.

Morgan threw her hands up in the air and walked out, Aeryn behind her. Crichton moved to where the Captain stood, taking up position next to him. "You so much as harm a hair on her head, I will kill you," he stated softly.

Crais folded his hands behind his back. "If you so much as scan for a Peacekeeper signal, I will kill you." They glared at each for a moment before the Captain turned and headed back towards the bridge, leaving Crichton to watch him warily as he strode away.