Chapter Three
Father swung the bale of beozar up and over the stall door, bending down to lift another of the heavy grain. It normally would've required two men to lift the bales, but Father was able to do it alone. He turned for another bale, stopping, standing from his bent position to gaze at Crais. "Bialar."
Crais walked towards him, noticing for the first time the silver strands through his father's hair. "Morgan and I will be leaving in the morning," he announced, leaning a hand against the barns support post. The dying light filtered into the barn as Father returned to the task of setting up the beozar bales. "As much as she likes it here, Morgan is getting restless to find Talyn."
Father heaved the bale over the door. "And begin your mission for the resistance." He turned and looked at his son and the shocked expression that was plastered on Crais' face.
"You know?" Crais stammered. "You know about the resistance?"
Father took a deep breath. "How else do you think your brother found you so easily?" He watched as Crais' face grew dark with outrage, his hands clenching into fists at his side.
"You…threatened me…for no good reason," Crais hissed, trying to control his anger.
Father snorted, clasping Crais' shoulder in his hand tightly. "The cause was just, Bialar. We had to know where your loyalties truly laid and whether or not you knew the truth about Tauvo."
Before Crais could reply, Tauvo walked in from the opposite end of the barn. "If you wish to lay your anger on someone, Bialar, then lay it on me. Father only did as I asked."
Crais marched towards his brother, pointing back at Father. "You brought our parents into this? Endangering them as well?" His voice was getting louder.
"Do not accuse him, Bialar. Mother and I agreed to help." Father stared at his two sons as Crais turned to look at him, viewing them standing side by side for the first time as grown men. He sat down on the beozar bales that still needed stacking, rubbing his eyes. "Our family was torn apart by the Peacekeepers and we want nothing more than to see those responsible for corrupting our two sons pay for what they have done." He wiped his arm across his forehead, dropping it tiredly into his lap. "Bialar, you were a Captain. You are currently the highest ranking officer to be condemned by the Peacekeepers that is still living."
Tauvo moved past his brother to stand behind Father. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear earlier, but you will also be the highest ranking officer within the resistance." He sighed. "We will understand if you do not want to do this."
Crais glowered at both of them. "I have already committed to helping you, Tauvo, but I do not like being lied to or deceived, especially by members of my own family." He paused, his anger dissipating slightly. "Although I concede that your deception was necessary." He walked slowly towards Tauvo until only denches separated the two brothers. "But, so help me, if you ever lie to me again, I will kill you." Crais turned and marched out, leaving Tauvo and Father alone in the barn.
Tauvo and Crichton found Crais leaning against a fence that surrounded the courtyard, watching Morgan as she played with two Sebacean children, the son and daughter of Father's foreman. Her laughter drifted back to them as she fell in the soft grass, the children clambering all over her.
Crais watched, his eyes filled with sadness, his jaw locked, a vein twitching in his cheek the only outward sign of his feelings. His heart was tight in his chest. "I have never heard her laugh like that," he simply commented, hooking one booted foot on the rail as Crichton and Tauvo leaned against the rail on either side of him.
Crichton looked at him, his forehead furrowing slightly as he studied his former nemesis. He gazed back at Morgan where she played, tilting his head. "She's always liked kids," he remarked softly.
Crais nodded, glancing quickly at him. "And it is the one thing I cannot give her," he whispered bitterly.
"She told you, huh?" Crichton asked, turning to face the Captain.
Tauvo leaned forward to look at the human. "Told him what?"
Crais swallowed, gripping the fence. "My wife is unable to bear offspring," he stated flatly.
Tauvo looked at Morgan. He still had not had ample opportunity to speak with his new sister. "Why?" he wondered aloud.
Crichton scratched his cheek. "It's a genetic thing, something that skips generations. I don't know, she's missing half a chromosome or some weird thing like that." Tauvo and Crichton's eyes met, an idea forming in Crichton's mind. "Hey, Bialar," he said softly.
Crais looked at Crichton, not sure if he liked the look on the other man's face. "Yes, John?"
Crichton hated it when he did that. "You're a biogenetic engineer. The doctor's on Earth couldn't help Morgan. Maybe you can. The technology out here is far more advanced." He shrugged. "You've seen that yourself."
Crais was taken by surprise at the sincerity of Crichton's suggestion. He faced him. "Crichton, I know absolutely nothing about the genetics of your species. And I refuse to put Morgan in that form of danger," he replied in a defiant tone.
Crichton looked towards his cousin. "You know more about our biology now than you did before Zhaan used that knowledge in your head to purge Talyn's synaptic fluid from Morgan." He watched as Morgan made her way back towards them, one child holding each of her hands.
Crais stared at Crichton, poking him the chest to gain his attention. "When we are done rescuing the prisoners, then you will help me find an answer," he challenged.
"An answer to what?" Morgan asked, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed. The children ran past them to their father.
Crichton smiled as he turned towards her. "The meaning of life."
Morgan put a hand out to Crais, climbing up on the fence to kiss him soundly on the lips. "Monty Python style?" she teased, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.
Crichton's face grew serious. "It may be before we're done." He turned away, heading for the house where Aeryn now stood, speaking with Mother.
She looked at Tauvo and Crais. "What's he talking about?"
Crais smiled at her. "Nothing of importance, Morgan. You know how he rambles." His mind churned with the possibilities.
She scrambled over the fence without another thought to Crichton's comment, interested in formerly meeting her brother-in-law. She held out her hand to him. "Morgan Lang…" She caught herself, blushing slightly as she bit her lower lip. "Morgan."
Tauvo laughed, kissing the back of her hand. "I'm honored to meet you Morgan. Bialar has told me quite a bit about you already and I apologize for not truly introducing myself sooner." He quickly gazed at Crais. "And, I am glad that my brother has found someone level headed enough to tame him."
Morgan's eyes grew wide as she jerked her thumb towards Crais, laughing. "Tame? Oh man, do I have to enlighten you." She hopped down off the fence, slipping her hand in the crook of Tauvo's arm as they walked towards the house.
"Morgan!" Crais called warningly, hurrying to catch up with them before she could say something they would both regret.
They said their goodbyes the next morning, half of the village seeing them off. It was no wonder the Peacekeepers never found them in the bazaar that day; no one in the community had ever intended on betraying them. They all wanted to see a reform. Morgan gazed at her cousin as the transport pod headed away from the planet.
Crichton's eyes met Morgan's and he moved over to sit next to her, taking her hand in his, tracing the intricate tattoo that now graced her wrist. "I was out of line yesterday, you know, jumping you about getting hitched and all." He looked at her. "Especially in front of Crais and Aeryn."
"I think Tauvo knew something was wrong. You didn't notice the odd look he gave me when he and Shantar walked in." Morgan smiled softly at him. "Eh, you're just jealous cause you weren't there," she softly teased.
Crichton held up his hands, a look of horror on his face. "No way! Aeryn told me what it involves. There is no way I could do that! Uh-huh! Nope!"
Morgan laughed. "Wimp. Once you do the first mark, it's…"
"Stop!" Crichton yelled, standing up and staring at Morgan as if she were the devil. He headed towards the cockpit, passing Aeryn on his way through. "Gross!"
The ex-Peacekeeper looked at her lover curiously and then turned to Morgan, a grin on her face. "What did you say to him?" she laughed, jerking her thumb back towards Crichton.
Morgan leaned her head back against the bulkhead. "I started to tell him that once I made the first mark of the bonding tattoo on Crais, the rest were easy. You just have to get past the blood," she answered, shrugging.
Aeryn chuckled. "Some of our customs and traditions are not the easiest to comprehend. Somehow I cannot see Crichton succeeding in that one."
Morgan closed her eyes. "Isn't that the truth. Crais thought I was going to pass out when…" Her mind was suddenly bombarded with images and questions, and she shook her head, raising her hand to her temple.
"Talyn?" Aeryn asked in concern.
Morgan nodded, letting out a whistling breath. After four months of quiet, the gunship's sudden feed was a bit startling. "Yeah Talyn," she answered. "I missed you too."
Crais held the data chip in his hand, gazing over the command quarters aboard the carrier. They had set off without incident, which made them all nervous. Memories flooded back to him and he shook his head. "No, brother, as much as the offer is tempting, I will remain on Talyn." He smiled at Tauvo, walking over to the vid console and running his fingers lightly across it.
The carrier was gaining more and more ships in its convoy as it headed towards the Gammack base, all members of the resistance. Not every ship was made up of ex-Peacekeepers. Two Luxan battle cruisers had joined as well as a Nebari gunship. Word of the resistance was spreading quickly throughout the Uncharted Territories. Crais faced his brother. "How was this hidden for so long?" he asked, holding up the chip.
Tauvo sank in the chair in front of the desk, gazing at Aeryn who had taken up residence at the sideboard. Crichton and Morgan had returned to Talyn to finish the repairs on the gunship's starburst system after meeting the command staff under Tauvo. "Typical Peacekeeper propaganda," he answered, folding his hands across his stomach. "Much of the information that has circled this galaxy about us…them," he amended, "was doctored by High Command to make the Peacekeepers look good. Tadace's predecessors were not in favor of it, but there was not much they could do. Of course, through hearsay and miscommunication, the history was embellished at every base it passed through." He rubbed his temple, drawing one leg to lie across his knee. "It took us months to weed through all the dren within the files."
Crais raised an eyebrow at his brother's choice of words.
Aeryn's face grew dark. "So then every frelling thing we were taught, everything we were raised to believe all of our lives, have been nothing more than lies," she snapped.
Crais chuckled, and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Of course. The one thing a Peacekeeper is best at. The one thing we are trained to do that seems to come more naturally to some than others," he replied. He contemplated the chip and then looked at his brother. "You have seen these files? The originals?" Tauvo nodded. Crais slipped the chip in his pocket, leaning back against the console, his arms crossed, stroking his goatee in thought. "What, exactly, is the plan to get on the base?" he asked softly after a few moments.
Tauvo stood up and smiled, Crais' stomach dropping at the grin plastered across his face. "You're the strategist. You have two solar days to figure it out!"
It had not taken Morgan and Crichton long to finish the repairs on Talyn, leaving the humans with time to themselves. Morgan sat in the middle of the bed of her and Crais' quarters, sifting through a box Kira had stashed with the supplies. The box with stuffed full of mementos, pictures from High School and College, handfuls of her favorite candy, CD's and enough batteries for her radio to last at least a cycle, blue jeans, t-shirts and the pair of cowboy boots Morgan had admired the day they went to order the electrical supplies for Talyn. There was even a picture of all of them in front of Talyn taken with Jack's 35mm camera set up on a tripod. And for some odd reason, there were a few boxes of colored contacts and wash-out hair coloring that Morgan set aside, wondering what on earth Kira was thinking when she had added those to the box.
It was a small, black box buried in the bottom of the container that drew Morgan's attention. A letter was attached to it, written in Uncle Jack's steady hand. Morgan opened the letter cautiously, her hand going to her mouth as she began to cry.
Dearest Morgan,
Even now it is hard for me to write this, knowing that, more than likely, I will never see you or John again. So, I will make this short. You deserve to have these, since you were my sister Elizabeth's only child. I see how you look at him and how he gazes at you when he thinks no one is looking. I have never seen your eyes sparkle that way. I hope that marriage in the Uncharted Territories is a custom they practice. And if it is, I hope that you remain happy with him.
I love you.
Uncle Jack
Morgan opened the small black box, looking down at her parents wedding bands, nestled in the soft velvet, shining in the light. Talyn chirped softly at her. "No. No, I'm okay." She wiped her eyes, cradling the box in her hand as she looked over the rest of the stuff in the box.
When Crais walked in a few arns later, it was to find Morgan curled up sideways on the bed, her fists tucked under her chin, asleep, papers and clothes and other assorted items scattered across the bed. He could tell she had been crying, the streaks still drying on her cheeks. Crais moved slowly towards her, reaching out to gently brush a lock of hair from her forehead. He smiled at Talyn's comment about letting her sleep. "Don't worry Talyn. This is probably the first time she has peacefully slept since Scorpius let you go." He stacked the items back into the box and sat on the bed. He hadn't realized just how tired he actually was. There was nothing they could do now for two days and Tauvo had everything under control.
Crais pulled his boots off and turned to face Morgan, gently moving her so that she was under the comforter. A piece of paper slipped out from under her, fluttering to the floor. Crais picked it up, activating the neural link so that he could read the strange writing with Talyn's help. He looked at his wife, noticing the black box in her hand. He laid the letter back on the desk, sliding into bed next to Morgan, taking the box from her fingers and opening it. "And what exactly do we do with these?" he wondered softly. Morgan had told him very little about human bonding ceremonies. Talyn answered, having drawn the information from Morgan. Crais removed the smaller of the two rings and took her hand, sliding the gold band on her finger, placing the other on his own. It was a bit tight, but nothing he couldn't get used to. Crais pulled her against him, curling his body around hers as exhausted sleep settled over him.
Morgan opened her eyes, smiling softly as she saw the golden band that was her father's wrapped around Crais' finger.
The conference room on Tauvo's carrier was chock full of ex-Peacekeepers and their allies, Tauvo trying very hard to get everyone to settle down. The plan was very simple: masquerade as the Peacekeeper retrieval squad they had intercepted the day before as it headed for the Gammack base to pick up the prisoners. The marauder was already on board, the officer that had been commanding it in custody with his officers. When the room quieted, Tauvo stepped aside, giving the podium to his brother.
Crais looked over the people in the room. Most of them had been assigned to his own carrier and, surprisingly enough, were still loyal to him. "The infiltration team will consist of myself, Commander Crais, Commander Crichton, Sr. Officer Sun…" His eyes met Aeryn's across the room and he nodded, the promotion long in coming. "…and Captain Langtree." For ease and less confusion, Morgan agreed to use her maiden name until after the mission. He pressed a button, triggering a display of the base behind him. "Once we infiltrate the base, Commander Crais, Sr. Officer Sun and Commander Crichton will be responsible for the prisoner transfer. Captain Langtree and I will be responsible for running interference with the command staff. Once the prisoners are safely in our custody, we will return to the carrier and they will be taken to Zorosa 3 aboard Talyn."
Tauvo stepped up next to Crais. "And that is assuming nothing goes wrong. Which if something does go wrong, then you come in. You all have your orders. In my absence, Sr. Officer Gregon Shantar will be in command…"
Crais listened to his brother as he headed towards the back of the room where Aeryn stood. "Where is Crichton and Morgan?" he hissed.
Aeryn shook her head. "I don't know. She said something about having problems getting the new iden-chips configured. She was finding it difficult to get the DNA coding set, since we are posing as the original crew." Aeryn looked at Crais. "Other than that…" Her voice drifted off as Crichton and Morgan walked in, her eyebrows rising. Even Tauvo's voice drifted into silence and Crais turned to look.
Standing side by side in the doorway, dressed in Commander uniforms, was Crichton and Morgan. Crais stroked his goatee as he contemplated them. Crichton's hair had gone from brown to blonde, his eyes no longer the ice blue that used to plague the Captain's dreams, but now as dark brown as his own. Morgan, on the other hand, had tinted her hair a vibrant red and pulled it back into a tight Peacekeeper queue, her own ice blue eyes now a deep green, the transponder carefully concealed.
Crais nodded in admiration. "That is one way of hiding your true identity," he said aloud.
Crichton shrugged as he walked towards them. "Well, as your darling wife pointed out, our eyes are a dead giveaway."
"They are. And we do not need that." Crais looked at Morgan. She stepped up to him as everyone began to filter out, Tauvo standing behind his brother.
Morgan saluted Crais. "Commander Zalora Mitane, reporting for duty sir," she said in perfect Peacekeeper form.
Crais peered at Tauvo over his shoulder, smiling. "You trained her well."
"Thank you, especially since I had to give her a crash course in Peacekeeper Security procedures in one day," Tauvo answered.
Crichton stepped up next to her, also saluting Crais as Morgan handed him an iden-chip. "Commander Mar Sec reporting for duty sir," he said, his voice tinged with attitude.
Tauvo smiled, looking away at the stony expression on Crichton and Morgan's faces. "I think a little too well," he whispered.
Aeryn was the last to step up, saluting Crais. "Sr. Officer Sela Taren reporting for duty sir."
They waited, Crais looking them over. Everything was in place, yet something nagged at him. The Captain of the base was Lerin Kerick, a man who was for the resistance and close friend with Tadace. Crais wondered what they going to find once they got there. "Let's get on with this," he growled, turning to leave the room.
Aeryn sidled up next to Crichton as the five of them headed for the captured marauder. They were less than five arns from the base. She looked up at Crichton's blonde hair. "I hope that comes out," she commented.
Crichton looked down at her, a grin on his face. "It will, babe." He glanced back at Morgan, marching in step behind Crais. "It better."
Captain Jira Raseen stood at attention as the marauder softly settled, her security chief at her side, a phalanx of guards surrounding them. The retrieval squad from High Command was right on time, just as it should've been. She had no idea of the deception that was about to enfold.
The ramp lowered slowly, and she lifted her chin as the Peacekeepers came down. The first to appear was a red haired woman, followed by a raven- haired woman, both carrying pulse rifles, one with the rank of Commander, the other a Senior Officer. They took up position on either side of the ramp as two Commanders descended, followed by their commanding officer.
Raseen's face remained expressionless as she got her first view of the marauder's Captain. Her report listed him as Captain Travek Jerich, but she knew exactly who he was. She smiled as she approached him, curious as to what was going on. "Captain Jerich, it is an honor, sir."
Crais never flinched. "Where is Captain Kerick?" he asked in an annoyed tone. His mind was wheeling. Raseen was not supposed to be here. The last report Crais had of her had been cycles ago, shortly after he stole Talyn and she had been sent to bring him in.
"An unfortunate accident, sir. I was forced to assume command on short notice." She nodded once, introducing herself. "Captain Jira Raseen." She turned, approaching the security officer. "Please. I must ask to verify your identity." She watched as each of them complied, every one of them passing. She looked at the red-haired woman who stood close to Crais, wearing the uniform of a Security Chief and Raseen looked at him, determined to find out what was going on. "If you would follow me please," she commanded, leading them down the corridor, the Peacekeeper phalanx behind them.
Morgan could feel the tension radiating from Crais. What's the matter? she asked.
She knows me. Captain Raseen knows exactly who I am.
Morgan's eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at Raseen, her face a perfect mask of control. And, just how does she know this?
Crais bristled inwardly at the slightly jealous tone of voice that rang through the neural links into his head. She was once my lover.
Copyright 2002, Beth A. Carpenter
Father swung the bale of beozar up and over the stall door, bending down to lift another of the heavy grain. It normally would've required two men to lift the bales, but Father was able to do it alone. He turned for another bale, stopping, standing from his bent position to gaze at Crais. "Bialar."
Crais walked towards him, noticing for the first time the silver strands through his father's hair. "Morgan and I will be leaving in the morning," he announced, leaning a hand against the barns support post. The dying light filtered into the barn as Father returned to the task of setting up the beozar bales. "As much as she likes it here, Morgan is getting restless to find Talyn."
Father heaved the bale over the door. "And begin your mission for the resistance." He turned and looked at his son and the shocked expression that was plastered on Crais' face.
"You know?" Crais stammered. "You know about the resistance?"
Father took a deep breath. "How else do you think your brother found you so easily?" He watched as Crais' face grew dark with outrage, his hands clenching into fists at his side.
"You…threatened me…for no good reason," Crais hissed, trying to control his anger.
Father snorted, clasping Crais' shoulder in his hand tightly. "The cause was just, Bialar. We had to know where your loyalties truly laid and whether or not you knew the truth about Tauvo."
Before Crais could reply, Tauvo walked in from the opposite end of the barn. "If you wish to lay your anger on someone, Bialar, then lay it on me. Father only did as I asked."
Crais marched towards his brother, pointing back at Father. "You brought our parents into this? Endangering them as well?" His voice was getting louder.
"Do not accuse him, Bialar. Mother and I agreed to help." Father stared at his two sons as Crais turned to look at him, viewing them standing side by side for the first time as grown men. He sat down on the beozar bales that still needed stacking, rubbing his eyes. "Our family was torn apart by the Peacekeepers and we want nothing more than to see those responsible for corrupting our two sons pay for what they have done." He wiped his arm across his forehead, dropping it tiredly into his lap. "Bialar, you were a Captain. You are currently the highest ranking officer to be condemned by the Peacekeepers that is still living."
Tauvo moved past his brother to stand behind Father. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear earlier, but you will also be the highest ranking officer within the resistance." He sighed. "We will understand if you do not want to do this."
Crais glowered at both of them. "I have already committed to helping you, Tauvo, but I do not like being lied to or deceived, especially by members of my own family." He paused, his anger dissipating slightly. "Although I concede that your deception was necessary." He walked slowly towards Tauvo until only denches separated the two brothers. "But, so help me, if you ever lie to me again, I will kill you." Crais turned and marched out, leaving Tauvo and Father alone in the barn.
Tauvo and Crichton found Crais leaning against a fence that surrounded the courtyard, watching Morgan as she played with two Sebacean children, the son and daughter of Father's foreman. Her laughter drifted back to them as she fell in the soft grass, the children clambering all over her.
Crais watched, his eyes filled with sadness, his jaw locked, a vein twitching in his cheek the only outward sign of his feelings. His heart was tight in his chest. "I have never heard her laugh like that," he simply commented, hooking one booted foot on the rail as Crichton and Tauvo leaned against the rail on either side of him.
Crichton looked at him, his forehead furrowing slightly as he studied his former nemesis. He gazed back at Morgan where she played, tilting his head. "She's always liked kids," he remarked softly.
Crais nodded, glancing quickly at him. "And it is the one thing I cannot give her," he whispered bitterly.
"She told you, huh?" Crichton asked, turning to face the Captain.
Tauvo leaned forward to look at the human. "Told him what?"
Crais swallowed, gripping the fence. "My wife is unable to bear offspring," he stated flatly.
Tauvo looked at Morgan. He still had not had ample opportunity to speak with his new sister. "Why?" he wondered aloud.
Crichton scratched his cheek. "It's a genetic thing, something that skips generations. I don't know, she's missing half a chromosome or some weird thing like that." Tauvo and Crichton's eyes met, an idea forming in Crichton's mind. "Hey, Bialar," he said softly.
Crais looked at Crichton, not sure if he liked the look on the other man's face. "Yes, John?"
Crichton hated it when he did that. "You're a biogenetic engineer. The doctor's on Earth couldn't help Morgan. Maybe you can. The technology out here is far more advanced." He shrugged. "You've seen that yourself."
Crais was taken by surprise at the sincerity of Crichton's suggestion. He faced him. "Crichton, I know absolutely nothing about the genetics of your species. And I refuse to put Morgan in that form of danger," he replied in a defiant tone.
Crichton looked towards his cousin. "You know more about our biology now than you did before Zhaan used that knowledge in your head to purge Talyn's synaptic fluid from Morgan." He watched as Morgan made her way back towards them, one child holding each of her hands.
Crais stared at Crichton, poking him the chest to gain his attention. "When we are done rescuing the prisoners, then you will help me find an answer," he challenged.
"An answer to what?" Morgan asked, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed. The children ran past them to their father.
Crichton smiled as he turned towards her. "The meaning of life."
Morgan put a hand out to Crais, climbing up on the fence to kiss him soundly on the lips. "Monty Python style?" she teased, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.
Crichton's face grew serious. "It may be before we're done." He turned away, heading for the house where Aeryn now stood, speaking with Mother.
She looked at Tauvo and Crais. "What's he talking about?"
Crais smiled at her. "Nothing of importance, Morgan. You know how he rambles." His mind churned with the possibilities.
She scrambled over the fence without another thought to Crichton's comment, interested in formerly meeting her brother-in-law. She held out her hand to him. "Morgan Lang…" She caught herself, blushing slightly as she bit her lower lip. "Morgan."
Tauvo laughed, kissing the back of her hand. "I'm honored to meet you Morgan. Bialar has told me quite a bit about you already and I apologize for not truly introducing myself sooner." He quickly gazed at Crais. "And, I am glad that my brother has found someone level headed enough to tame him."
Morgan's eyes grew wide as she jerked her thumb towards Crais, laughing. "Tame? Oh man, do I have to enlighten you." She hopped down off the fence, slipping her hand in the crook of Tauvo's arm as they walked towards the house.
"Morgan!" Crais called warningly, hurrying to catch up with them before she could say something they would both regret.
They said their goodbyes the next morning, half of the village seeing them off. It was no wonder the Peacekeepers never found them in the bazaar that day; no one in the community had ever intended on betraying them. They all wanted to see a reform. Morgan gazed at her cousin as the transport pod headed away from the planet.
Crichton's eyes met Morgan's and he moved over to sit next to her, taking her hand in his, tracing the intricate tattoo that now graced her wrist. "I was out of line yesterday, you know, jumping you about getting hitched and all." He looked at her. "Especially in front of Crais and Aeryn."
"I think Tauvo knew something was wrong. You didn't notice the odd look he gave me when he and Shantar walked in." Morgan smiled softly at him. "Eh, you're just jealous cause you weren't there," she softly teased.
Crichton held up his hands, a look of horror on his face. "No way! Aeryn told me what it involves. There is no way I could do that! Uh-huh! Nope!"
Morgan laughed. "Wimp. Once you do the first mark, it's…"
"Stop!" Crichton yelled, standing up and staring at Morgan as if she were the devil. He headed towards the cockpit, passing Aeryn on his way through. "Gross!"
The ex-Peacekeeper looked at her lover curiously and then turned to Morgan, a grin on her face. "What did you say to him?" she laughed, jerking her thumb back towards Crichton.
Morgan leaned her head back against the bulkhead. "I started to tell him that once I made the first mark of the bonding tattoo on Crais, the rest were easy. You just have to get past the blood," she answered, shrugging.
Aeryn chuckled. "Some of our customs and traditions are not the easiest to comprehend. Somehow I cannot see Crichton succeeding in that one."
Morgan closed her eyes. "Isn't that the truth. Crais thought I was going to pass out when…" Her mind was suddenly bombarded with images and questions, and she shook her head, raising her hand to her temple.
"Talyn?" Aeryn asked in concern.
Morgan nodded, letting out a whistling breath. After four months of quiet, the gunship's sudden feed was a bit startling. "Yeah Talyn," she answered. "I missed you too."
Crais held the data chip in his hand, gazing over the command quarters aboard the carrier. They had set off without incident, which made them all nervous. Memories flooded back to him and he shook his head. "No, brother, as much as the offer is tempting, I will remain on Talyn." He smiled at Tauvo, walking over to the vid console and running his fingers lightly across it.
The carrier was gaining more and more ships in its convoy as it headed towards the Gammack base, all members of the resistance. Not every ship was made up of ex-Peacekeepers. Two Luxan battle cruisers had joined as well as a Nebari gunship. Word of the resistance was spreading quickly throughout the Uncharted Territories. Crais faced his brother. "How was this hidden for so long?" he asked, holding up the chip.
Tauvo sank in the chair in front of the desk, gazing at Aeryn who had taken up residence at the sideboard. Crichton and Morgan had returned to Talyn to finish the repairs on the gunship's starburst system after meeting the command staff under Tauvo. "Typical Peacekeeper propaganda," he answered, folding his hands across his stomach. "Much of the information that has circled this galaxy about us…them," he amended, "was doctored by High Command to make the Peacekeepers look good. Tadace's predecessors were not in favor of it, but there was not much they could do. Of course, through hearsay and miscommunication, the history was embellished at every base it passed through." He rubbed his temple, drawing one leg to lie across his knee. "It took us months to weed through all the dren within the files."
Crais raised an eyebrow at his brother's choice of words.
Aeryn's face grew dark. "So then every frelling thing we were taught, everything we were raised to believe all of our lives, have been nothing more than lies," she snapped.
Crais chuckled, and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Of course. The one thing a Peacekeeper is best at. The one thing we are trained to do that seems to come more naturally to some than others," he replied. He contemplated the chip and then looked at his brother. "You have seen these files? The originals?" Tauvo nodded. Crais slipped the chip in his pocket, leaning back against the console, his arms crossed, stroking his goatee in thought. "What, exactly, is the plan to get on the base?" he asked softly after a few moments.
Tauvo stood up and smiled, Crais' stomach dropping at the grin plastered across his face. "You're the strategist. You have two solar days to figure it out!"
It had not taken Morgan and Crichton long to finish the repairs on Talyn, leaving the humans with time to themselves. Morgan sat in the middle of the bed of her and Crais' quarters, sifting through a box Kira had stashed with the supplies. The box with stuffed full of mementos, pictures from High School and College, handfuls of her favorite candy, CD's and enough batteries for her radio to last at least a cycle, blue jeans, t-shirts and the pair of cowboy boots Morgan had admired the day they went to order the electrical supplies for Talyn. There was even a picture of all of them in front of Talyn taken with Jack's 35mm camera set up on a tripod. And for some odd reason, there were a few boxes of colored contacts and wash-out hair coloring that Morgan set aside, wondering what on earth Kira was thinking when she had added those to the box.
It was a small, black box buried in the bottom of the container that drew Morgan's attention. A letter was attached to it, written in Uncle Jack's steady hand. Morgan opened the letter cautiously, her hand going to her mouth as she began to cry.
Dearest Morgan,
Even now it is hard for me to write this, knowing that, more than likely, I will never see you or John again. So, I will make this short. You deserve to have these, since you were my sister Elizabeth's only child. I see how you look at him and how he gazes at you when he thinks no one is looking. I have never seen your eyes sparkle that way. I hope that marriage in the Uncharted Territories is a custom they practice. And if it is, I hope that you remain happy with him.
I love you.
Uncle Jack
Morgan opened the small black box, looking down at her parents wedding bands, nestled in the soft velvet, shining in the light. Talyn chirped softly at her. "No. No, I'm okay." She wiped her eyes, cradling the box in her hand as she looked over the rest of the stuff in the box.
When Crais walked in a few arns later, it was to find Morgan curled up sideways on the bed, her fists tucked under her chin, asleep, papers and clothes and other assorted items scattered across the bed. He could tell she had been crying, the streaks still drying on her cheeks. Crais moved slowly towards her, reaching out to gently brush a lock of hair from her forehead. He smiled at Talyn's comment about letting her sleep. "Don't worry Talyn. This is probably the first time she has peacefully slept since Scorpius let you go." He stacked the items back into the box and sat on the bed. He hadn't realized just how tired he actually was. There was nothing they could do now for two days and Tauvo had everything under control.
Crais pulled his boots off and turned to face Morgan, gently moving her so that she was under the comforter. A piece of paper slipped out from under her, fluttering to the floor. Crais picked it up, activating the neural link so that he could read the strange writing with Talyn's help. He looked at his wife, noticing the black box in her hand. He laid the letter back on the desk, sliding into bed next to Morgan, taking the box from her fingers and opening it. "And what exactly do we do with these?" he wondered softly. Morgan had told him very little about human bonding ceremonies. Talyn answered, having drawn the information from Morgan. Crais removed the smaller of the two rings and took her hand, sliding the gold band on her finger, placing the other on his own. It was a bit tight, but nothing he couldn't get used to. Crais pulled her against him, curling his body around hers as exhausted sleep settled over him.
Morgan opened her eyes, smiling softly as she saw the golden band that was her father's wrapped around Crais' finger.
The conference room on Tauvo's carrier was chock full of ex-Peacekeepers and their allies, Tauvo trying very hard to get everyone to settle down. The plan was very simple: masquerade as the Peacekeeper retrieval squad they had intercepted the day before as it headed for the Gammack base to pick up the prisoners. The marauder was already on board, the officer that had been commanding it in custody with his officers. When the room quieted, Tauvo stepped aside, giving the podium to his brother.
Crais looked over the people in the room. Most of them had been assigned to his own carrier and, surprisingly enough, were still loyal to him. "The infiltration team will consist of myself, Commander Crais, Commander Crichton, Sr. Officer Sun…" His eyes met Aeryn's across the room and he nodded, the promotion long in coming. "…and Captain Langtree." For ease and less confusion, Morgan agreed to use her maiden name until after the mission. He pressed a button, triggering a display of the base behind him. "Once we infiltrate the base, Commander Crais, Sr. Officer Sun and Commander Crichton will be responsible for the prisoner transfer. Captain Langtree and I will be responsible for running interference with the command staff. Once the prisoners are safely in our custody, we will return to the carrier and they will be taken to Zorosa 3 aboard Talyn."
Tauvo stepped up next to Crais. "And that is assuming nothing goes wrong. Which if something does go wrong, then you come in. You all have your orders. In my absence, Sr. Officer Gregon Shantar will be in command…"
Crais listened to his brother as he headed towards the back of the room where Aeryn stood. "Where is Crichton and Morgan?" he hissed.
Aeryn shook her head. "I don't know. She said something about having problems getting the new iden-chips configured. She was finding it difficult to get the DNA coding set, since we are posing as the original crew." Aeryn looked at Crais. "Other than that…" Her voice drifted off as Crichton and Morgan walked in, her eyebrows rising. Even Tauvo's voice drifted into silence and Crais turned to look.
Standing side by side in the doorway, dressed in Commander uniforms, was Crichton and Morgan. Crais stroked his goatee as he contemplated them. Crichton's hair had gone from brown to blonde, his eyes no longer the ice blue that used to plague the Captain's dreams, but now as dark brown as his own. Morgan, on the other hand, had tinted her hair a vibrant red and pulled it back into a tight Peacekeeper queue, her own ice blue eyes now a deep green, the transponder carefully concealed.
Crais nodded in admiration. "That is one way of hiding your true identity," he said aloud.
Crichton shrugged as he walked towards them. "Well, as your darling wife pointed out, our eyes are a dead giveaway."
"They are. And we do not need that." Crais looked at Morgan. She stepped up to him as everyone began to filter out, Tauvo standing behind his brother.
Morgan saluted Crais. "Commander Zalora Mitane, reporting for duty sir," she said in perfect Peacekeeper form.
Crais peered at Tauvo over his shoulder, smiling. "You trained her well."
"Thank you, especially since I had to give her a crash course in Peacekeeper Security procedures in one day," Tauvo answered.
Crichton stepped up next to her, also saluting Crais as Morgan handed him an iden-chip. "Commander Mar Sec reporting for duty sir," he said, his voice tinged with attitude.
Tauvo smiled, looking away at the stony expression on Crichton and Morgan's faces. "I think a little too well," he whispered.
Aeryn was the last to step up, saluting Crais. "Sr. Officer Sela Taren reporting for duty sir."
They waited, Crais looking them over. Everything was in place, yet something nagged at him. The Captain of the base was Lerin Kerick, a man who was for the resistance and close friend with Tadace. Crais wondered what they going to find once they got there. "Let's get on with this," he growled, turning to leave the room.
Aeryn sidled up next to Crichton as the five of them headed for the captured marauder. They were less than five arns from the base. She looked up at Crichton's blonde hair. "I hope that comes out," she commented.
Crichton looked down at her, a grin on his face. "It will, babe." He glanced back at Morgan, marching in step behind Crais. "It better."
Captain Jira Raseen stood at attention as the marauder softly settled, her security chief at her side, a phalanx of guards surrounding them. The retrieval squad from High Command was right on time, just as it should've been. She had no idea of the deception that was about to enfold.
The ramp lowered slowly, and she lifted her chin as the Peacekeepers came down. The first to appear was a red haired woman, followed by a raven- haired woman, both carrying pulse rifles, one with the rank of Commander, the other a Senior Officer. They took up position on either side of the ramp as two Commanders descended, followed by their commanding officer.
Raseen's face remained expressionless as she got her first view of the marauder's Captain. Her report listed him as Captain Travek Jerich, but she knew exactly who he was. She smiled as she approached him, curious as to what was going on. "Captain Jerich, it is an honor, sir."
Crais never flinched. "Where is Captain Kerick?" he asked in an annoyed tone. His mind was wheeling. Raseen was not supposed to be here. The last report Crais had of her had been cycles ago, shortly after he stole Talyn and she had been sent to bring him in.
"An unfortunate accident, sir. I was forced to assume command on short notice." She nodded once, introducing herself. "Captain Jira Raseen." She turned, approaching the security officer. "Please. I must ask to verify your identity." She watched as each of them complied, every one of them passing. She looked at the red-haired woman who stood close to Crais, wearing the uniform of a Security Chief and Raseen looked at him, determined to find out what was going on. "If you would follow me please," she commanded, leading them down the corridor, the Peacekeeper phalanx behind them.
Morgan could feel the tension radiating from Crais. What's the matter? she asked.
She knows me. Captain Raseen knows exactly who I am.
Morgan's eyes narrowed slightly as she glared at Raseen, her face a perfect mask of control. And, just how does she know this?
Crais bristled inwardly at the slightly jealous tone of voice that rang through the neural links into his head. She was once my lover.
Copyright 2002, Beth A. Carpenter