Fic: Walk It Off 11
thanks to lucy for her lep
Scorpius indulged in a strange kind of satisfaction as his command carrier stationed itself in orbit
above the planet below. On the magnified view he could see prison guards scurrying about on the
surface as if preparing for invasion. It pleased him to see that his ship blocked out most of the
sunlight. The entire structure was bathed in darkness. 'The better to intimidate you with, my
dear.' Now, where had he heard that?
"Sir, we are in position."
Braca entered from behind and passed the latest experiment data to his superior. The young
lieutenant amused himself by remembering scientist's face. Another failure meant another day
closer to death. Something he worried about as well from time to time.
"Thank you Braca." The hybrid did not bother to face his underling. There were more important
tasks to focus on. "Has there been any contact?"
"We're attempting to signal them now, sir."
Just as he spoke, one of the communication consoles burst to life. The signal was faint and the
visage of a man came through in short gaps between the interference.
"Yeah? What the frell do you want I've got enough problems without you frelling up my frelling
sensor arrays." The long string of words barely made it through as static once again took over
the line.
Scorpius nodded towards the nearest technician. "Clear that up."
The man's face instantly appeared clearly on the screen. He was Conroy's replacement and none
too happy about it. "What the frell are you?"
"My name is Scorpius. I am the commander of this peacekeeper vessel."
Grey hairs slid onto the man's face as he spoke. The job was obviously not kind to him. "No,
you're the one that's giving me a frelling headache. Get lost."
Braca looked to his superior once before giving his own response. "This vessel can obliterate
your entire building with the push of a button. I'd advise you to be more polite."
The man turned his head towards the new voice. He couldn't actually see anyone but it seemed
appropriate. "What do you want?"
Scorpius allowed himself a small grin. "There are two individuals inside your prison which I
require. If you extricate them for me, I will leave."
"You mean the female!" The man, whose name was Raif, started to laugh. "You can't have her!"
The line went dead.
"Shall I attempt to reestablish contact, sir?" Braca stared questioningly at his superior.
Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "No." He weighed his options carefully for a moment. "Prepare a
warning shot."
Aeryn's pistol was the first to see outside the door. Moving swiftly, she pushed the heavy steel
away and entered into the shadowed hallway. A layer of dust from her recent escapade still
lingered.
"I can't see anything."
Velorek stumbled blindly out of his former cell. His eyes burned as polluted air touched them for
the first time in many years. 'Ah, freedom." He hoped it would last.
She turned towards him slowly and frowned. "Try to keep up. I'd prefer to not to lose you."
With those inspirational words to guide him, the ex-peacekeeper tech nodded and fell in line.
Looking up, he saw a thin ray of light coming from above. "Aeryn?"
"I'm thinking." Aeryn traced her hand across the black walls. It found what it was looking for.
"Don't do this to me Pip. Just hang on a little bit more."
John winced as he caught sight of the trail of blood they left behind. He felt the weight of
Chiana's body over his shoulder and realized that his shirt was soaked through. "Oh God no."
Her eyes were glassy and distant. The Nebari's mouth was frozen in a weak smile that stood out
in its grim surroundings. Tiny breaths made it through her lips every few seconds. She was still
alive for the moment.
"Crichton! Stop!"
The human ignored Crais' shouts as he made his way down the corridor. Pistol or no pistol, he
wasn't going to let his friend down.
"He'll kill you. I know he will." Bialar shook violently as he spoke. He wanted so desperately to
help but the pain was enormous. "Then there won't be anyone left to help her!"
John turned slightly. "I'll manage."
Even as he spoke, the sound of speeding DRDs reached his ears. A pack of them was making its
way down the hallway at high velocity. All had their weapons armed and ready to fire.
The first blast hit John in the leg and sent him to the ground. With horror, he watched Chiana's
body fly through the air and hit hard. She moaned softly in reply.
"Crais! Help her you son a bitch!"
Searching blindly with his hands, John found one of the DRDs and lifted it off the ground. He
threw it with all his might and it slammed loudly against the wall. Pieces slid across the floor.
Crais watched the scene quietly. There was no way Crichton would make it. That he knew for
sure. 'But if you helped him?' He shook his head.
John turned just in time to see the next DRD roll up to him. It faced him directly from mere
inches away. The little gun was aimed right at his forehead. "No."
A blast rang out and the little devil exploded.
The ex-captain lowered his pistol and felt pain sear through his already damaged body. "Go
Crichton!" Each word brought more pain. "My quarters. The medical supplies!"
John forced himself up and ran to Chiana's side. He knelt down and felt for a pulse on the side of
her neck. 'Is that where you check Nebaris?'
"I'm not in the mood." Her voice was soft but the force behind it unmistakable. Chiana blinked
her eyes.
Despite himself, he started to laugh. "Don't you ever change on me Pip." He lifted her off the
ground and ran off down the hall.
"Shall I fire a ceiling shot sir?"
Scorpius turned to his lieutenant and shook his head. He strolled slowly towards the nearest tech
and motioned for him to do something that Braca could not see.
"No. We will send concentrated fire to the signal source." The hybrid grinned maliciously. "I
want no further arguments."
Braca nodded his approval and reentered the parameters. "Firing now."
The command carrier's frag cannons burst to life and positioned themselves in a direct path
towards the prison below. A volley of shots rang out and fell towards the surface.
Raif looked out his window and saw strange lights in the sky. They appeared to be heading
straight towards him.
"Ah f-"
His new office atop the prison exploded in a brilliant flash of orange light. The entire building
shook with the blast. There was nothing left of Conroy's replacement.
"What now sir?" Braca stood up from his controls.
Scorpius pressed his fingers together. "We wait."
The tunnel shook with the force of the blast and sent debris crashing down on top of them. Aeryn
gripped her purchase strongly but barely managed to hold on. She looked down at her prize and
grimaced.
"Aeryn, what's happening?" There was panic in Velorek's voice.
She motioned for him to continue moving upward. Aeryn hadn't thought about her former
lover's mental state. "Keep moving!" It would have to wait.
Just then a large piece of loose metal came tumbling down from above. Its jagged edges sparked
off the narrow walls as it went. The object struck Aeryn across the shoulder and tore her from
her grip.
"Aeryn!"
Velorek watched the scene take place above him and his eyes went wide with shock. The
amazement in seeing her again had clouded his thoughts up until that point. He wasn't himself.
Not even close. That was about to change.
She came barreling down past him without a word. Aeryn was nothing if not stubborn. She did
not call for help.
It came anyway. "I have you!" Velorek reached out and snatched the collar of her coat just as it
passed his field of vision. The weight of the ex-peacekeeper almost took him down with her.
Luckily, he was beginning to regain his strength.
Aeryn felt her free-fall come up an abrupt stop as something took hold of her. She was instantly
swinging to the side. The metal debris came down beside her and traced a gash down her right
arm. Blood seeped out immediately. Crimson was the last thing she saw before hitting the wall
with her head.
John could hear them buzzing behind him as he ran. Up ahead, the door to Crais' cell was wide
open and waiting for him. Obviously a trap. He sped up and made for it anyway.
"Crichton!"
The scream was the stuff that nightmares were made of. Chiana coughed violently from the effort
and then collapsed further against her savior's body. The vision had been fleeting but she knew
what lay beyond the door.
"Don't argue with me Pip. I'm going in."
He turned into the room and saw what she tried to warn him about. The room was riddled with
DRDs. Every corner of the living space was crawling with them. The sound of charging
mechanisms went off in unison.
"Don't shoot!" Those were the only words that he could think of to say. John dropped onto his
knees and placed Chiana down in front of him. He could feel hundreds of little eyes watching his
every move. "Let me say something first."
The ship rumbled at the sound of his request. Talyn was obviously not willing to negotiate on the
matter.
"I'll leave!" The words echoed loudly off the walls and suddenly everything stopped. Every
DRD took a slide back. John breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll both leave."
'Keep talking John.' He looked nervously around and tried to look as serious as possible. "Just
let me fix her up and we'll leave. Won't bother you again."
Talyn seemed to weigh this offer for a moment. He rumbled again.
The DRDs came to life again and began to file out of the room. None paid any attention to the
two souls on the floor.
Velorek felt hot streaks of pain run down his arm from the weight. Through his watery eyes he
could see Aeryn hanging unconscious below. It was his hand that was keeping her from death.
'It would be that easy. Just let go.'
He forced the thought away and began to pull with all this might. Using the hand against the wall,
the ex-tech began to push himself up towards the surface again. Aeryn's lifeless body came up
with him.
His fingers practically melded themselves to the edge of the tunnel's roof. Velorek could feel
sunlight stabbing at his eyes now. 'Just a bit more.'
A sudden flash of light sent him down again slightly. Someone was firing at the prison. Having
no patience for such things at this point, Velorek pressed on.
Her eyes fluttered open and saw the darkness below. She was aware of a dull pain in her arm but
even more of a presence above her. Aeryn looked up and saw the figure of a man pulling her up.
It was him. 'Him.'
Velorek pushed himself over the side and onto the prison's roof. Walking backwards, he
managed to pry Aeryn up as well. Her eyes were open and staring but she said nothing.
"We'll make it now." They seemed like the right words to say. Of course, he had nothing to
back them up with. A quick search of his surroundings told him that Aeryn's ship had probably
been destroyed.
"Help me up."
Aeryn ignored the wreckage around her and focused on the man. In the light of day, he looked so
much different than she remembered. His eyes were ringed with black and withdrawn. The fit
body of a soldier was replaced by a thin shadow of his former self. She felt responsible.
Velorek did as she asked and pulled her up on her legs. "I think perhaps I should say thank you."
She shook her head. "Please don't."
The blinding light came back and caught their attention.
"Frell," they said in unison.
"I believe we have them sir."
Scorpius glanced up at his lieutenant with a look of reserved hope. "Is it Crichton?"
Braca magnified the image he was receiving and frowned. There were indeed two figures
standing on the prison roof. Both were instantly recognizable to him. "I'm sorry sir, no."
The hybrid growled and stalked over to the console. He peered at the screen and a sudden wave
of amusement hit him. It was not the human, but perhaps the next best thing.
"I want all scans redirected."
"Sir?"
Scorpius sighed. He sometimes despised having to explain each and every facet of his plans. "We
have the tech. It seems quite likely that the leviathan will be nearby."
Braca nodded and motioned for the various techs in the room to make the proper adjustments.
He took another look at the screen and shook his head. "Velorek himself."
"Yes, lieutenant." His mind raced with the possibilities. "Quite a gift for our benefactors."
Scorpius tapped the young man's shoulder and turned to leave. "Have a marauder pick them up
immediately.
John hoped his quick prayer had been enough. He removed his hand from the bandage and took a
step back. The bleeding had been contained.
"How does it look?"
Chiana was wide awake now. Thanks to the miracle of timing and peacekeeper anesthetics, she
was doing much better.
"Like you've been stabbed." He winked at her. "But otherwise not bad."
The Nebari wriggled slightly on the bed. Her head was clouded by the drugs but other sights
were still working.
"I knew I wasn't the one. I told you."
John watched her carefully and smiled. He hoped to God she was right about that. 'I can't lose
her.'
Chiana smiled at him. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
She narrowed her eyes at him now. "Like I'm a child."
John couldn't help smiling at that. "That's not a word I'd use to-"
The look that passed over Chiana's face made him stop. She was staring past him at the
doorway. There was a lot going on behind those eyes that he couldn't see.
Crais stood at the entrance to his room with a grim expression on his face. He'd been relieved of
his torture only moments before. There was business to attend to.
"What is it Crais?" John spoke first.
The ex-captain nodded. "The situation has changed. Talyn no longer wishes for you to leave."
The human was immediately angry. "You tell that son of a bitch that-"
Chiana placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Peacekeepers. They're coming aren't they?"
Bialar's expression did not change. If it had, his face would have shown fear. His ship was
playing its own game now.
"Talyn received a coded message from Scorpius a short time ago. I was not allowed to see it."
John stood up and walked towards the man. They were standing barely a foot apart when he
stopped. He almost whispered the words. "What did it say?"
"Scorpius offered Talyn a deal. I am not privy to the specifics."
A DRD rolled up and stopped in between Crais' feet.
"Talyn has accepted."
thanks to lucy for her lep
Scorpius indulged in a strange kind of satisfaction as his command carrier stationed itself in orbit
above the planet below. On the magnified view he could see prison guards scurrying about on the
surface as if preparing for invasion. It pleased him to see that his ship blocked out most of the
sunlight. The entire structure was bathed in darkness. 'The better to intimidate you with, my
dear.' Now, where had he heard that?
"Sir, we are in position."
Braca entered from behind and passed the latest experiment data to his superior. The young
lieutenant amused himself by remembering scientist's face. Another failure meant another day
closer to death. Something he worried about as well from time to time.
"Thank you Braca." The hybrid did not bother to face his underling. There were more important
tasks to focus on. "Has there been any contact?"
"We're attempting to signal them now, sir."
Just as he spoke, one of the communication consoles burst to life. The signal was faint and the
visage of a man came through in short gaps between the interference.
"Yeah? What the frell do you want I've got enough problems without you frelling up my frelling
sensor arrays." The long string of words barely made it through as static once again took over
the line.
Scorpius nodded towards the nearest technician. "Clear that up."
The man's face instantly appeared clearly on the screen. He was Conroy's replacement and none
too happy about it. "What the frell are you?"
"My name is Scorpius. I am the commander of this peacekeeper vessel."
Grey hairs slid onto the man's face as he spoke. The job was obviously not kind to him. "No,
you're the one that's giving me a frelling headache. Get lost."
Braca looked to his superior once before giving his own response. "This vessel can obliterate
your entire building with the push of a button. I'd advise you to be more polite."
The man turned his head towards the new voice. He couldn't actually see anyone but it seemed
appropriate. "What do you want?"
Scorpius allowed himself a small grin. "There are two individuals inside your prison which I
require. If you extricate them for me, I will leave."
"You mean the female!" The man, whose name was Raif, started to laugh. "You can't have her!"
The line went dead.
"Shall I attempt to reestablish contact, sir?" Braca stared questioningly at his superior.
Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "No." He weighed his options carefully for a moment. "Prepare a
warning shot."
Aeryn's pistol was the first to see outside the door. Moving swiftly, she pushed the heavy steel
away and entered into the shadowed hallway. A layer of dust from her recent escapade still
lingered.
"I can't see anything."
Velorek stumbled blindly out of his former cell. His eyes burned as polluted air touched them for
the first time in many years. 'Ah, freedom." He hoped it would last.
She turned towards him slowly and frowned. "Try to keep up. I'd prefer to not to lose you."
With those inspirational words to guide him, the ex-peacekeeper tech nodded and fell in line.
Looking up, he saw a thin ray of light coming from above. "Aeryn?"
"I'm thinking." Aeryn traced her hand across the black walls. It found what it was looking for.
"Don't do this to me Pip. Just hang on a little bit more."
John winced as he caught sight of the trail of blood they left behind. He felt the weight of
Chiana's body over his shoulder and realized that his shirt was soaked through. "Oh God no."
Her eyes were glassy and distant. The Nebari's mouth was frozen in a weak smile that stood out
in its grim surroundings. Tiny breaths made it through her lips every few seconds. She was still
alive for the moment.
"Crichton! Stop!"
The human ignored Crais' shouts as he made his way down the corridor. Pistol or no pistol, he
wasn't going to let his friend down.
"He'll kill you. I know he will." Bialar shook violently as he spoke. He wanted so desperately to
help but the pain was enormous. "Then there won't be anyone left to help her!"
John turned slightly. "I'll manage."
Even as he spoke, the sound of speeding DRDs reached his ears. A pack of them was making its
way down the hallway at high velocity. All had their weapons armed and ready to fire.
The first blast hit John in the leg and sent him to the ground. With horror, he watched Chiana's
body fly through the air and hit hard. She moaned softly in reply.
"Crais! Help her you son a bitch!"
Searching blindly with his hands, John found one of the DRDs and lifted it off the ground. He
threw it with all his might and it slammed loudly against the wall. Pieces slid across the floor.
Crais watched the scene quietly. There was no way Crichton would make it. That he knew for
sure. 'But if you helped him?' He shook his head.
John turned just in time to see the next DRD roll up to him. It faced him directly from mere
inches away. The little gun was aimed right at his forehead. "No."
A blast rang out and the little devil exploded.
The ex-captain lowered his pistol and felt pain sear through his already damaged body. "Go
Crichton!" Each word brought more pain. "My quarters. The medical supplies!"
John forced himself up and ran to Chiana's side. He knelt down and felt for a pulse on the side of
her neck. 'Is that where you check Nebaris?'
"I'm not in the mood." Her voice was soft but the force behind it unmistakable. Chiana blinked
her eyes.
Despite himself, he started to laugh. "Don't you ever change on me Pip." He lifted her off the
ground and ran off down the hall.
"Shall I fire a ceiling shot sir?"
Scorpius turned to his lieutenant and shook his head. He strolled slowly towards the nearest tech
and motioned for him to do something that Braca could not see.
"No. We will send concentrated fire to the signal source." The hybrid grinned maliciously. "I
want no further arguments."
Braca nodded his approval and reentered the parameters. "Firing now."
The command carrier's frag cannons burst to life and positioned themselves in a direct path
towards the prison below. A volley of shots rang out and fell towards the surface.
Raif looked out his window and saw strange lights in the sky. They appeared to be heading
straight towards him.
"Ah f-"
His new office atop the prison exploded in a brilliant flash of orange light. The entire building
shook with the blast. There was nothing left of Conroy's replacement.
"What now sir?" Braca stood up from his controls.
Scorpius pressed his fingers together. "We wait."
The tunnel shook with the force of the blast and sent debris crashing down on top of them. Aeryn
gripped her purchase strongly but barely managed to hold on. She looked down at her prize and
grimaced.
"Aeryn, what's happening?" There was panic in Velorek's voice.
She motioned for him to continue moving upward. Aeryn hadn't thought about her former
lover's mental state. "Keep moving!" It would have to wait.
Just then a large piece of loose metal came tumbling down from above. Its jagged edges sparked
off the narrow walls as it went. The object struck Aeryn across the shoulder and tore her from
her grip.
"Aeryn!"
Velorek watched the scene take place above him and his eyes went wide with shock. The
amazement in seeing her again had clouded his thoughts up until that point. He wasn't himself.
Not even close. That was about to change.
She came barreling down past him without a word. Aeryn was nothing if not stubborn. She did
not call for help.
It came anyway. "I have you!" Velorek reached out and snatched the collar of her coat just as it
passed his field of vision. The weight of the ex-peacekeeper almost took him down with her.
Luckily, he was beginning to regain his strength.
Aeryn felt her free-fall come up an abrupt stop as something took hold of her. She was instantly
swinging to the side. The metal debris came down beside her and traced a gash down her right
arm. Blood seeped out immediately. Crimson was the last thing she saw before hitting the wall
with her head.
John could hear them buzzing behind him as he ran. Up ahead, the door to Crais' cell was wide
open and waiting for him. Obviously a trap. He sped up and made for it anyway.
"Crichton!"
The scream was the stuff that nightmares were made of. Chiana coughed violently from the effort
and then collapsed further against her savior's body. The vision had been fleeting but she knew
what lay beyond the door.
"Don't argue with me Pip. I'm going in."
He turned into the room and saw what she tried to warn him about. The room was riddled with
DRDs. Every corner of the living space was crawling with them. The sound of charging
mechanisms went off in unison.
"Don't shoot!" Those were the only words that he could think of to say. John dropped onto his
knees and placed Chiana down in front of him. He could feel hundreds of little eyes watching his
every move. "Let me say something first."
The ship rumbled at the sound of his request. Talyn was obviously not willing to negotiate on the
matter.
"I'll leave!" The words echoed loudly off the walls and suddenly everything stopped. Every
DRD took a slide back. John breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll both leave."
'Keep talking John.' He looked nervously around and tried to look as serious as possible. "Just
let me fix her up and we'll leave. Won't bother you again."
Talyn seemed to weigh this offer for a moment. He rumbled again.
The DRDs came to life again and began to file out of the room. None paid any attention to the
two souls on the floor.
Velorek felt hot streaks of pain run down his arm from the weight. Through his watery eyes he
could see Aeryn hanging unconscious below. It was his hand that was keeping her from death.
'It would be that easy. Just let go.'
He forced the thought away and began to pull with all this might. Using the hand against the wall,
the ex-tech began to push himself up towards the surface again. Aeryn's lifeless body came up
with him.
His fingers practically melded themselves to the edge of the tunnel's roof. Velorek could feel
sunlight stabbing at his eyes now. 'Just a bit more.'
A sudden flash of light sent him down again slightly. Someone was firing at the prison. Having
no patience for such things at this point, Velorek pressed on.
Her eyes fluttered open and saw the darkness below. She was aware of a dull pain in her arm but
even more of a presence above her. Aeryn looked up and saw the figure of a man pulling her up.
It was him. 'Him.'
Velorek pushed himself over the side and onto the prison's roof. Walking backwards, he
managed to pry Aeryn up as well. Her eyes were open and staring but she said nothing.
"We'll make it now." They seemed like the right words to say. Of course, he had nothing to
back them up with. A quick search of his surroundings told him that Aeryn's ship had probably
been destroyed.
"Help me up."
Aeryn ignored the wreckage around her and focused on the man. In the light of day, he looked so
much different than she remembered. His eyes were ringed with black and withdrawn. The fit
body of a soldier was replaced by a thin shadow of his former self. She felt responsible.
Velorek did as she asked and pulled her up on her legs. "I think perhaps I should say thank you."
She shook her head. "Please don't."
The blinding light came back and caught their attention.
"Frell," they said in unison.
"I believe we have them sir."
Scorpius glanced up at his lieutenant with a look of reserved hope. "Is it Crichton?"
Braca magnified the image he was receiving and frowned. There were indeed two figures
standing on the prison roof. Both were instantly recognizable to him. "I'm sorry sir, no."
The hybrid growled and stalked over to the console. He peered at the screen and a sudden wave
of amusement hit him. It was not the human, but perhaps the next best thing.
"I want all scans redirected."
"Sir?"
Scorpius sighed. He sometimes despised having to explain each and every facet of his plans. "We
have the tech. It seems quite likely that the leviathan will be nearby."
Braca nodded and motioned for the various techs in the room to make the proper adjustments.
He took another look at the screen and shook his head. "Velorek himself."
"Yes, lieutenant." His mind raced with the possibilities. "Quite a gift for our benefactors."
Scorpius tapped the young man's shoulder and turned to leave. "Have a marauder pick them up
immediately.
John hoped his quick prayer had been enough. He removed his hand from the bandage and took a
step back. The bleeding had been contained.
"How does it look?"
Chiana was wide awake now. Thanks to the miracle of timing and peacekeeper anesthetics, she
was doing much better.
"Like you've been stabbed." He winked at her. "But otherwise not bad."
The Nebari wriggled slightly on the bed. Her head was clouded by the drugs but other sights
were still working.
"I knew I wasn't the one. I told you."
John watched her carefully and smiled. He hoped to God she was right about that. 'I can't lose
her.'
Chiana smiled at him. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
She narrowed her eyes at him now. "Like I'm a child."
John couldn't help smiling at that. "That's not a word I'd use to-"
The look that passed over Chiana's face made him stop. She was staring past him at the
doorway. There was a lot going on behind those eyes that he couldn't see.
Crais stood at the entrance to his room with a grim expression on his face. He'd been relieved of
his torture only moments before. There was business to attend to.
"What is it Crais?" John spoke first.
The ex-captain nodded. "The situation has changed. Talyn no longer wishes for you to leave."
The human was immediately angry. "You tell that son of a bitch that-"
Chiana placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Peacekeepers. They're coming aren't they?"
Bialar's expression did not change. If it had, his face would have shown fear. His ship was
playing its own game now.
"Talyn received a coded message from Scorpius a short time ago. I was not allowed to see it."
John stood up and walked towards the man. They were standing barely a foot apart when he
stopped. He almost whispered the words. "What did it say?"
"Scorpius offered Talyn a deal. I am not privy to the specifics."
A DRD rolled up and stopped in between Crais' feet.
"Talyn has accepted."