Chapter Six
Councilman Borin Tadace stared at the view screen, his fury barely controlled. He was not informed of Captain Raseen's sudden promotion to commander of the Gammack base until it was too late to warn Tauvo and the others. And now she was on her way to High Command with three prisoners. He glowered at her face, frozen on the screen, secretly pleased by the fact that someone had beaten the hezmona out of her. Tadace turned the screen off, returning to his work as his aide walked in, a concerned look across her face. He canted his head as he gazed up at her. "What is the matter?"
She leaned towards him across the desk, sliding a vid-chip along the slick wood to him. "They are here," she simply said.
Tadace laid his hand over the chip, straightening in his seat. "Raseen?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
His aide shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Shall I arrange the meeting?"
Tadace stood up, pocketing the chip. "No. I will take care of it." He pulled his jacket on, quickly fastening it as he headed for the door. "Make sure everything is prepared for Captain Raseen's arrival. I want a phalanx of guards in place for the prisoners protection." He looked at his aide. "They may be traitors, but we are still a civilized society and I am afraid things may get a bit out of hand.
She nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir." She turned on one heel, proceeding Tadace from his office.
Tadace headed up the corridor, his face a mask of perfect calm, although his insides roiled with the disaster of Raseen's appearance and Tauvo's capture. The younger of the Crais brother's was like a son to him and he had taken the time to train Tauvo to lead the resistance. The fact that Bialar had also joined was a definite plus. He stepped into the office at the end of the corridor and looked at the woman sitting there. "Councilman Sulan."
Sulan turned at Tadace's voice, gracing him with one of her smiles. "Borin." He motioned around the room with his hand and she chuckled. "You are only the second person to be here since I arrived this morning and swept the room. What is on your mind?" Sulan was one of the resistance's backers, as crafty and sly as Tadace himself and devoutly loyal to the leader of the Peacekeeper Council.
He approached her desk, sliding the vid-chip into the viewer at her right. They watched as the picture cleared.
"That's Bialar Crais," she said softly, looking up at Tadace. Tadace nodded and she returned her attention to the vid-chip.
"Borin. I hope this finds you still in good health," Crais started. "I know Gregon Shantar has already contacted you and that you are aware of the problems we had on the Gammack base. Your nephew and Lorac Mane are safe on Zorosa 3. Captain Raseen took prisoner my brother and Sr. Officer Sun during the break. There was also another woman taken prisoner." Crais straightened in the video. "The other woman was injured and is the cousin of John Crichton. Crichton and I are on our way to Peacekeeper High Command to…liberate Sr. Officer Sun and Commander Crais. Your help would be most appreciated. I will wait for your signal and direction." The video ended.
Tadace leaned on the console behind him, shaking his head. "Headstrong. He hasn't changed a bit."
Sulan turned in her seat to look up at Tadace. "What do you suggest?"
Tadace rubbed his chin, thinking. "Send him a coded message telling him to meet me at the refreshment house on the far end of the square. He'll know where."
Sulan nodded. "And this other prisoner? Has Raseen given you any indication who the woman is?"
Tadace gazed down at Sulan, tucking a piece of her slightly graying hair back behind her ear. "Her name is Morgan Langtree. Raseen claims the woman is Bialar's wife."
Crichton slumped over the drink in front of him, the hood of his rain cloak pulled low over his head. The refreshment house Crais had led him to was seedy and it surprised the human that there were places like this even of the home world of Peacekeeper High Command. "Are you sure he's going to show up?"
Crais glanced at him, his own hood shadowing his face. They could hear the rain pelting down outside, offering the best solution to hide their identities in the heavy rain cloaks Crais had stashed aboard Talyn. "Tadace will be here." The Captain sipped the drink in front of him, setting the bottle down softly on the table as he licked his lips, watching the door, both men sitting with their backs to the wall.
Crichton watched as Crais twisted the gold band around his finger. It was the only outward sign he gave to show his apprehension. Both of them had been on edge since they had entered Peacekeeper space five arns earlier. "Anything from Morgan?" he asked hopefully.
Crais shook his head. "Nothing more than the faint signal Talyn found yesterday. But it is still steady. The only thing I can determine is that Morgan is just within sensor range or she is barely alive." He straightened as the door opened, a gust of wind blowing rain in behind a tall man as he entered the establishment.
Tadace walked to the bar, taking the bottle of raslak the barkeep slid to him. He leaned back against the railing, looking around, water dripping from his slicker. There were only a handful of patrons in the refreshment house, none of them Peacekeepers, which was why he picked that place. Slowly, he walked over to the table Crais and Crichton were at. "Terrible weather for this time of year," he commented nonchalantly, sitting down.
"It could be worse," Crais answered. "Were you followed?"
"No." Tadace took a sip of the raslak, letting the liquor warm his insides as it slid down. "You must be Crichton," he said, gazing at the human. Crichton nodded. "The carrier is about seven arns out. I expected you sooner."
Crais smiled ruefully. "We ran into a few problems." He didn't elaborate, knowing that Tadace would be aware of the patrols they had eluded. His dark eyes met the councilman's. "Any word on the prisoners?"
Tadace looked back and forth between Crichton and Crais, leaning forward. "Tauvo and Aeryn are fine. Raseen feels that justice can only be served by using them to set an example to the others." Tadace scowled. "It is officers like her that make me want to see this resistance and the reform that needs to follow it all the way through."
Crichton chuckled softly. "You used to be like that, Crais."
Crais glared at Crichton. "Once. Before you stormed into my part of the universe and realigned my orderly world." He turned his attention back to Tadace. "Borin, have you confirmed the identity of the other prisoner?" he asked quietly, trying to settle the gnawing feeling in his gut.
Tadace studied the ex-Peacekeeper, noticing the changes that had taken place. He could see it in Crais' eyes, the easier set of his jaw. He reached out, grasping Crais' wrist and pushing back the sleeve of his jacket beneath the cloak, revealing the bonding tattoo. "So, it is true. You did marry. I though the rumors were exactly that, rumors." He released Crais, sighing, his expression softening. "The other prisoner is Morgan Langtree, Bialar, your wife." He paused, taking a drink of his raslak. "She is alive, but without immediate medical attention, I am not sure for how long. Raseen gave us no indication of the severity of her wound."
Crais sighed, dropping his gaze momentarily to the table.
Crichton looked at his former nemesis, laying a hand on his shoulder in support as he addressed Tadace. "Where will they take them?"
"They will bring them to the main barracks, and then to the holding cells below. I already have a phalanx of guards standing by with instructions to escort Morgan to the infirmary." He slid a chip to Crais. "Everything you need to infiltrate the detention center is on there. You will not have much time. They are scheduled to face the inquisitors and the Council in the morning." He stood up. "I must go before I am missed." He nodded to the two men, slipping out the door without a backward glance.
Crais looked at Crichton. "Shall we?"
Morgan followed Aeryn off the transport pod, Tauvo behind her. She glanced out of the corner of her eyes at the Peacekeepers lined up along the path, catching their first look at the resistance members that had been captured. If any of them knew her true identity, they would never get through the crowd.
A phalanx of Peacekeepers surrounded them at the bottom of the stone staircase that led up into the main council building. Raseen and her men followed behind, accepting congratulations from the council members as they were led into the main foyer, stopping at a security checkpoint. Morgan felt a tickle in the back of her mind and she clenched her hand to keep from reaching back to the transponder.
"Do as they say," a voice whispered in her mind, Crais' voice. "Trust me."
"Where are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
There was a moment of silence. "I'm close by. Crichton and I are here to rescue you. Just do as they say. You must trust me."
Morgan's eyes swept the huge room, but it was hard for her to see through the guards. She glanced back at Tauvo as she stepped up to the security console. The guard on duty, a husky man with a scowl, ripped the iden-chip from her neck, sliding it into the scanner. Her eyes met Aeryn's.
"Are you deaf? I said, place your hand in the system for the DNA scan!" he barked. "Now traitor!" When Morgan didn't move fast enough for him, he grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand in the slot. The machine began to wail as it read her DNA, not recognizing the human patterns. The guard released her, Tauvo pulling her behind him.
"Move traitor!" he growled, pushing Tauvo aside, grabbing Morgan by the collar and jerking her forward. Two other guards restrained Aeryn and Tauvo as they moved towards Morgan. "Name, rank and regiment!"
"That will not be necessary, Lieutenant." Councilman Sulan's voice rang through the huge room, resounding off the columns and the curved ceiling. "She has no rank and regiment that would matter to us." She walked calmly over the guard and Morgan, her brown eyes kind in her stern face as she looked at Morgan. "She is not Sebacean." She snapped her fingers, her eyes meeting Tauvo's as another guard came over to process him, the two Peacekeeper officers that had accompanied her flanking Morgan. "Please take Captain Langtree to the infirmary."
Raseen pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes blazing in fury although her face betrayed no emotion whatsoever. "She is a traitor and a member of the resistance. She can rot with the other prisoners, Councilman," she yelled, pointing to Morgan.
Sulan stepped up to Raseen. She hated her, hated her with a passion, although the Captain had no idea why. And Sulan would bend over backwards to supply any aid to Bialar Crais and his family, including killing Captain Jira Raseen herself. She stopped within denches of Raseen, her eyes narrowing threateningly. "Captain Raseen, you have little authority here. She is not Sebacean and requires further study. She has a wound that you neglected to have treated and it must be taken care of." Sulan crossed her arms, her voice dropping. "We are still civilized, even to our enemies. And I would have thought that her health would be a concern to you since Scorpius has offered you a considerable commendation for her capture." She paused, tilting her chin slightly. "Any other objections you would like to voice, Captain?" Sulan spat.
Raseen's nostrils flared as she glanced at Morgan. "No, Councilman."
Sulan nodded. "Then my advice to you would be to return to your ship until you are summoned by the council. Do I make myself clear?" Sulan waited until Raseen nodded. She looked at the security chief. "Captain Langtree has been remanded to my custody for medical treatment. Finish processing the others."
Morgan's eyes met Tauvo's and he nodded, winking at her, a small smile on his face. She wondered what her brother-in-law knew and she watched as Aeryn and Tauvo were led away in the other direction. Morgan turned her head to find Raseen glowering at her. When she made sure no one was looking, the Captain mouthed the words 'I will kill you' at Morgan. Morgan simply smiled, her eyes narrowed as she nodded. "You'll try," she whispered as Raseen stormed away.
Sulan took Morgan's arm gently. "Come. We must attend to that wound." They walked down the corridor to a lift, going up a few levels and exiting into the infirmary, the smell of antiseptic wafting strongly from the room. "Dr. Lias," Sulan called out.
Dr. Lias turned at Sulan's voice, handing the medic standing next to her the clipboard she had been studying. "Councilman Sulan. I take it this is the prisoner we discussed earlier." She led them to an examining room, the door closing behind them as the two officers took up flanking positions outside.
Sulan reached out, a small device in her hand as she swept the room for bugs. Satisfied the room was clean, she crossed her arms and nodded, leaning against the wall. "Well, Captain Crais, you seem to have made a formidable enemy in Jira Raseen."
Morgan looked at Sulan. "How do you know who I am?" She placed her hands on her hips as she studied the Councilman. "And who are you?" Dr. Lias motioned for Morgan to sit on the examining table and she slowly jumped up, her eyes never leaving Sulan. She winced slightly as the doctor pulled the fabric of her tank top away from the wound, cutting the material to inspect the lesion.
Sulan laughed, a warm and relaxing sound. "I'm a friend. And I know a great deal about you," she answered softly. "My name is Sulan. I am old friend of your husbands."
Morgan snorted. "There seem to be a lot of those 'old friends' popping up lately," she commented, glancing down to momentarily watch the doctor.
Sulan nodded, stepping up to stand next to the examining table. "When Tauvo contacted us and informed us that he had found Bialar, he told us what he knew about you. Dr. Lias and I work with the resistance movement. And you, Morgan, are still an enigma to us, as is your cousin."
Dr. Lias numbed Morgan's shoulder, preparing to lance the pulse blast wound. "Ah, but not for much longer." She peered up at the human woman. "You are the lucky one. We can't get to Aeryn and Tauvo. Hopefully Bialar and Crichton can." She wiped at the ooze, laying an antiseptic soaked pad over the wound. Dr. Lias took Morgan's hand and laid it over the bandage. "Hold that."
"Yeah, real lucky," Morgan whispered. She felt a wave of nausea come over her and carefully laid back, fighting the bile that was rising in her throat. She closed her eyes. She knew Crais and Crichton would try to rescue them, but the growing edginess she felt was only getting worse.
Sulan patted her free hand. "Rest." She gazed at the bonding tattoo around the younger woman's wrist, a wistful feeling quickly passing through her as she walked over to where Dr. Lias stood studying the DNA scan from the security station. "Well?" she asked quietly.
Dr. Lias shook her head. She peered over at Morgan, then back to the screen. "The…similarities between their physiology and our own are…" she shrugged, "…staggering. Same skeletal structure, same neurological base, with minor variations, such as the…body heat regulating system they have that we don't. But, they are missing some of the regenerative cells we carry." She looked at Sulan. "Even the blood mixtures are very close."
Sulan's eyes narrowed slightly as Dr. Lias moved to another analysis screen. She gazed back at Morgan quizzically, before returning her attention to the monitor. "Close enough to be compatible?"
Dr. Lias consulted another monitor, nodding. "Yes." She saw the look on Sulan's face as she gazed at Morgan. She too looked at the human woman dozing quietly behind them. "What's the matter?"
Sulan pointed to the monitor, her eyes meeting the doctors. "Is that what I think that is?" she whispered.
Dr. Lias gazed at the screen, tapping a few buttons to enhance the image. She wiped her mouth, squeezing her lower lip between her fingers as she waited for the computer to return the answer to Sulan's question. "Holy frell," she hissed. She looked up Sulan.
Sulan nodded. "We need to get her out of here."
Crais led Crichton away from the council building, hugging the shadowy walls as they slipped up the alley. The rain had finally lightened and Crais knew she had heard him. He only hoped she listened. They found the maintenance hatch quickly, the alley dark and fairly dry, protected from the rain by the surrounding buildings. Crais checked his timepiece. "We have two arns to get in and out." He knelt down, tapping in the number sequence Tadace had provided them.
Crichton watched the alley, standing guard, the pulse rifle in his hands slick. "Hey Crais. How are we going to get to Morgan in the infirmary?" he asked conversationally.
The hatch popped open with a hiss of expelled air, dank and oddly sweet. He waited until Crichton had climbed down, dropping to the ground behind him and pulling the hatch shut. "According to the information Tadace provided, the doctor and another councilman are with the resistance. They will…get Morgan to safety." He triggered the portable light in his hand, shining it up the corridor.
Crichton looked at him. "You are not happy with this plan, are you?"
Crais' eyes met his. "Are you?" he simply asked, pushing past the human, his pulse pistol grasped tightly and at the ready.
"Not exactly," Crichton answered, following the Captain.
The maintenance corridor was dimly lit, with a warren of cross-corridors and dead ends. A few rooms opened up off the main hall, filled with unused equipment and furniture. The two men moved swiftly through the first level, exiting the lift two levels up into a darker corridor than the one they had come from. An underlying humming permeated the air, causing the hair on the back of Crichton's neck to stand on end.
Crais slowed his pace as they neared an intersection in the corridor. He pocketed the light, gripping his pulse pistol in both hands as he looked both ways, crossing the hall and waiting for Crichton. They moved on, taking care to hug the wall at each floor grating above them. "Crichton?" Crais asked suddenly. Something had been nagging at him ever since they had left his home world.
"What?"
Crais stopped, turning to look at him, his expression one of curiosity mingled with amusement. "Where did you get your…information about Morgan's problem?"
Crichton stared at him, his mouth opening in shock. "Hell of a time to ask me that," he stammered as they began walking again.
"Just answer me," Crais snapped.
"My dad. My aunt told him." He stared at Crais' back in confusion. "Why?"
The ex-Peacekeeper backed up against the wall, peering around the corridor. He crossed the intersection, Crichton behind him, standing across from each other in the faint light. "Because she told me you were…frelled in the head."
"You asked her?" he hissed in disbelief as they turned up a corridor, the sounds above them getting louder as the shift changed for the night.
Crais smiled to himself. "Ever since she modified the transponders, it is…very difficult to keep things from her," he answered, canting his head slightly. He glanced over his shoulder. "She says it's a condition you call endometriosis. I'm surprised Morgan doesn't have your nimvoks in a sling for telling me the wrong thing."
Crichton shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time." He gazed around Crais, moving past him as they planned when they neared the final turn. The corridor ended in a ladder that led up into the detention area. Crichton jogged down the hall, looking up through the grate, watching. The thrumming noise was all around him now, the equipment that kept the council building and it's complex operational right below him. "It's clear." He waited, watching. No Crais. Crichton shook his head and looked towards the corridor turn. "Crais!" he hissed. When the Captain didn't answer, Crichton moved back to the intersection. Leaning against the wall, pulse rifle held up beside him, he slowly peered around the corner.
And found Crais being dragged by two heavily armed Peacekeepers. "Shit!" he whispered. He crossed the corridor, watching as Crais managed to fire off one shot, taking out one of the Peacekeepers. But two more took his place, swarming up the hall. One of them slammed the butt of his pulse pistol into the back of Crais' head, knocking him out, another shining a light in Crichton's direction. He jerked back quickly, taking off up the hallway, staying in the shadows, breaking into a run as some of the guards pursued him. He slipped into a doorway, flattening himself against it in the dark as they ran past. "This is just what I frelling need."
Dr. Lias hurried down the corridor, Morgan and Sulan's officers behind her. She didn't tell the human woman about her current condition, wanting to make sure she was safe and out of harm's way first. Sulan and Tadace knew. Lias had opted not to tell Langtree right away, knowing that she would need her mind on escaping. She slid her iden-chip in the slot, the door before her unlatching.
"Where is this going to take us?" Morgan asked as one of the officers removed the restraints from her wrists. She took the pulse pistol he handed her, quickly securing the gun belt around her waist and checking the charge. Lias had managed to buy Morgan a few arns of peaceful sleep, once Talyn quieted himself after picking up Morgan's signal and communicating with her. She had the leviathan gunship to thank for the energy she now possessed, Talyn sending what he could to strengthen her, anxious to have her and Crais back on board and away from Peacekeeper High Command. She shared his sentiments.
"Down below the complex. This is the same way Crichton and Crais came in. It is an unused maintenance corridor," Lias answered as she unholstered her pulse pistol. "It is usually not guarded, and when it is, not heavily." The two officers left Morgan and Lias, returning to Sulan. Lias motioned for Morgan to follow, taking her pace up to a brisk jog. She turned a corridor, slowing, listening, her hand raised to Morgan behind her.
Both women flattened themselves against the hall, unsure where in the warren of tunnels the voices were coming from. Morgan looked past the doctor. "There's someone else down here," she whispered.
Lias nodded as the voices echoed through the halls. "We'll have to go around the long way." She doubled back, slower this time and taking a right turn, coming up short and getting off one shot.
Morgan ducked back, peering around the corner and firing as well, watching as a Peacekeeper fell in a heap on the floor. She covered Lias as the doctor made her way back, taking cover behind the wall. "Looks like Captain Raseen," Morgan yelled above the gunfire. She cringed as one bolt hit close to her, her eyes burning from the smoke. "Any other ideas?"
Lias shook her head. "I'm not trained for this Morgan.
"Great," Morgan mumbled, leaning around the corner and firing again.
"Morgan Langtree!" Raseen's voice called. The firing from the other Peacekeepers halted. Raseen propped her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Morgan, I know you are there."
Morgan and Lias exchanged glances, their hearts racing in the darkness as they leaned against the walls. Lias motioned for her to go, pointing down the corridor they had been traversing. The human shook her head, refusing to leave the doctor. She leaned her head against the wall. "What do you want, Raseen?"
Raseen smiled viciously. "To see you dead."
Morgan laughed. "The feeling is mutual." She quickly leaned around the corner of the wall, firing off one shot and ducking back.
Raseen scratched her cheek, shifting position so that all her weight was on one foot. "Captain Langtree, I don't think you want to do that again. You may hit your beloved husband next time," she called.
Morgan's lips pursed. "That bitch," she hissed. She reached out, trying to find Crais through the link, but everything was blurry. "Bialar?" she yelled. "Answer me!"
Crais glared at Raseen from where the guards held him, just out of the line of fire. "She's not bluffing Morgan."
"Damn," she whispered when she heard a grunt behind her as one of the Peacekeepers jabbed the butt of his pulse rifle into Crais' side. Morgan looked at Lias, motioning for her to go back the way they had come. "Get…help," she mouthed. Lias nodded, taking off.
"You only have two choices, Langtree. Give yourself up and face the inquisitors with the others or live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you killed your husband because you were too stubborn to cooperate. I'm going to give you twenty microts to make up your mind."
Morgan closed her eyes as Raseen counted. She wondered where Crichton was and used the neural link to scan the group with Raseen, looking for his bio- signature. It wasn't there, which meant they still had a chance. She tossed the pulse pistol up the corridor, slowly raising her hands in surrender as she stepped to the middle of the hall, knowing that Raseen's men had ample opportunity to shoot her. "You wouldn't kill him, Raseen. You want Crais all to yourself," Morgan taunted, her eyes meeting Crais'.
Raseen smiled as the Peacekeepers bound Morgan's hands, stepping up to her, her eyes hard and calculating. "On the contrary, you're welcome to him. I will enjoy watching you die in Scorpius' Aurora chair." She turned on one heel, marching up the corridor.
Hidden in the shadows, his hand firmly wrapped over Dr. Lias' mouth, Crichton watched as Raseen and her men herded Crais and Morgan back to the detention area. He looked at the doctor, holding her tight against him. "You're with the resistance?" he whispered. Lias nodded her head. "Good. Then you can help me free them."
Councilman Borin Tadace stared at the view screen, his fury barely controlled. He was not informed of Captain Raseen's sudden promotion to commander of the Gammack base until it was too late to warn Tauvo and the others. And now she was on her way to High Command with three prisoners. He glowered at her face, frozen on the screen, secretly pleased by the fact that someone had beaten the hezmona out of her. Tadace turned the screen off, returning to his work as his aide walked in, a concerned look across her face. He canted his head as he gazed up at her. "What is the matter?"
She leaned towards him across the desk, sliding a vid-chip along the slick wood to him. "They are here," she simply said.
Tadace laid his hand over the chip, straightening in his seat. "Raseen?" he asked, although he already knew the answer.
His aide shook her head almost imperceptibly. "Shall I arrange the meeting?"
Tadace stood up, pocketing the chip. "No. I will take care of it." He pulled his jacket on, quickly fastening it as he headed for the door. "Make sure everything is prepared for Captain Raseen's arrival. I want a phalanx of guards in place for the prisoners protection." He looked at his aide. "They may be traitors, but we are still a civilized society and I am afraid things may get a bit out of hand.
She nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir." She turned on one heel, proceeding Tadace from his office.
Tadace headed up the corridor, his face a mask of perfect calm, although his insides roiled with the disaster of Raseen's appearance and Tauvo's capture. The younger of the Crais brother's was like a son to him and he had taken the time to train Tauvo to lead the resistance. The fact that Bialar had also joined was a definite plus. He stepped into the office at the end of the corridor and looked at the woman sitting there. "Councilman Sulan."
Sulan turned at Tadace's voice, gracing him with one of her smiles. "Borin." He motioned around the room with his hand and she chuckled. "You are only the second person to be here since I arrived this morning and swept the room. What is on your mind?" Sulan was one of the resistance's backers, as crafty and sly as Tadace himself and devoutly loyal to the leader of the Peacekeeper Council.
He approached her desk, sliding the vid-chip into the viewer at her right. They watched as the picture cleared.
"That's Bialar Crais," she said softly, looking up at Tadace. Tadace nodded and she returned her attention to the vid-chip.
"Borin. I hope this finds you still in good health," Crais started. "I know Gregon Shantar has already contacted you and that you are aware of the problems we had on the Gammack base. Your nephew and Lorac Mane are safe on Zorosa 3. Captain Raseen took prisoner my brother and Sr. Officer Sun during the break. There was also another woman taken prisoner." Crais straightened in the video. "The other woman was injured and is the cousin of John Crichton. Crichton and I are on our way to Peacekeeper High Command to…liberate Sr. Officer Sun and Commander Crais. Your help would be most appreciated. I will wait for your signal and direction." The video ended.
Tadace leaned on the console behind him, shaking his head. "Headstrong. He hasn't changed a bit."
Sulan turned in her seat to look up at Tadace. "What do you suggest?"
Tadace rubbed his chin, thinking. "Send him a coded message telling him to meet me at the refreshment house on the far end of the square. He'll know where."
Sulan nodded. "And this other prisoner? Has Raseen given you any indication who the woman is?"
Tadace gazed down at Sulan, tucking a piece of her slightly graying hair back behind her ear. "Her name is Morgan Langtree. Raseen claims the woman is Bialar's wife."
Crichton slumped over the drink in front of him, the hood of his rain cloak pulled low over his head. The refreshment house Crais had led him to was seedy and it surprised the human that there were places like this even of the home world of Peacekeeper High Command. "Are you sure he's going to show up?"
Crais glanced at him, his own hood shadowing his face. They could hear the rain pelting down outside, offering the best solution to hide their identities in the heavy rain cloaks Crais had stashed aboard Talyn. "Tadace will be here." The Captain sipped the drink in front of him, setting the bottle down softly on the table as he licked his lips, watching the door, both men sitting with their backs to the wall.
Crichton watched as Crais twisted the gold band around his finger. It was the only outward sign he gave to show his apprehension. Both of them had been on edge since they had entered Peacekeeper space five arns earlier. "Anything from Morgan?" he asked hopefully.
Crais shook his head. "Nothing more than the faint signal Talyn found yesterday. But it is still steady. The only thing I can determine is that Morgan is just within sensor range or she is barely alive." He straightened as the door opened, a gust of wind blowing rain in behind a tall man as he entered the establishment.
Tadace walked to the bar, taking the bottle of raslak the barkeep slid to him. He leaned back against the railing, looking around, water dripping from his slicker. There were only a handful of patrons in the refreshment house, none of them Peacekeepers, which was why he picked that place. Slowly, he walked over to the table Crais and Crichton were at. "Terrible weather for this time of year," he commented nonchalantly, sitting down.
"It could be worse," Crais answered. "Were you followed?"
"No." Tadace took a sip of the raslak, letting the liquor warm his insides as it slid down. "You must be Crichton," he said, gazing at the human. Crichton nodded. "The carrier is about seven arns out. I expected you sooner."
Crais smiled ruefully. "We ran into a few problems." He didn't elaborate, knowing that Tadace would be aware of the patrols they had eluded. His dark eyes met the councilman's. "Any word on the prisoners?"
Tadace looked back and forth between Crichton and Crais, leaning forward. "Tauvo and Aeryn are fine. Raseen feels that justice can only be served by using them to set an example to the others." Tadace scowled. "It is officers like her that make me want to see this resistance and the reform that needs to follow it all the way through."
Crichton chuckled softly. "You used to be like that, Crais."
Crais glared at Crichton. "Once. Before you stormed into my part of the universe and realigned my orderly world." He turned his attention back to Tadace. "Borin, have you confirmed the identity of the other prisoner?" he asked quietly, trying to settle the gnawing feeling in his gut.
Tadace studied the ex-Peacekeeper, noticing the changes that had taken place. He could see it in Crais' eyes, the easier set of his jaw. He reached out, grasping Crais' wrist and pushing back the sleeve of his jacket beneath the cloak, revealing the bonding tattoo. "So, it is true. You did marry. I though the rumors were exactly that, rumors." He released Crais, sighing, his expression softening. "The other prisoner is Morgan Langtree, Bialar, your wife." He paused, taking a drink of his raslak. "She is alive, but without immediate medical attention, I am not sure for how long. Raseen gave us no indication of the severity of her wound."
Crais sighed, dropping his gaze momentarily to the table.
Crichton looked at his former nemesis, laying a hand on his shoulder in support as he addressed Tadace. "Where will they take them?"
"They will bring them to the main barracks, and then to the holding cells below. I already have a phalanx of guards standing by with instructions to escort Morgan to the infirmary." He slid a chip to Crais. "Everything you need to infiltrate the detention center is on there. You will not have much time. They are scheduled to face the inquisitors and the Council in the morning." He stood up. "I must go before I am missed." He nodded to the two men, slipping out the door without a backward glance.
Crais looked at Crichton. "Shall we?"
Morgan followed Aeryn off the transport pod, Tauvo behind her. She glanced out of the corner of her eyes at the Peacekeepers lined up along the path, catching their first look at the resistance members that had been captured. If any of them knew her true identity, they would never get through the crowd.
A phalanx of Peacekeepers surrounded them at the bottom of the stone staircase that led up into the main council building. Raseen and her men followed behind, accepting congratulations from the council members as they were led into the main foyer, stopping at a security checkpoint. Morgan felt a tickle in the back of her mind and she clenched her hand to keep from reaching back to the transponder.
"Do as they say," a voice whispered in her mind, Crais' voice. "Trust me."
"Where are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"
There was a moment of silence. "I'm close by. Crichton and I are here to rescue you. Just do as they say. You must trust me."
Morgan's eyes swept the huge room, but it was hard for her to see through the guards. She glanced back at Tauvo as she stepped up to the security console. The guard on duty, a husky man with a scowl, ripped the iden-chip from her neck, sliding it into the scanner. Her eyes met Aeryn's.
"Are you deaf? I said, place your hand in the system for the DNA scan!" he barked. "Now traitor!" When Morgan didn't move fast enough for him, he grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand in the slot. The machine began to wail as it read her DNA, not recognizing the human patterns. The guard released her, Tauvo pulling her behind him.
"Move traitor!" he growled, pushing Tauvo aside, grabbing Morgan by the collar and jerking her forward. Two other guards restrained Aeryn and Tauvo as they moved towards Morgan. "Name, rank and regiment!"
"That will not be necessary, Lieutenant." Councilman Sulan's voice rang through the huge room, resounding off the columns and the curved ceiling. "She has no rank and regiment that would matter to us." She walked calmly over the guard and Morgan, her brown eyes kind in her stern face as she looked at Morgan. "She is not Sebacean." She snapped her fingers, her eyes meeting Tauvo's as another guard came over to process him, the two Peacekeeper officers that had accompanied her flanking Morgan. "Please take Captain Langtree to the infirmary."
Raseen pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes blazing in fury although her face betrayed no emotion whatsoever. "She is a traitor and a member of the resistance. She can rot with the other prisoners, Councilman," she yelled, pointing to Morgan.
Sulan stepped up to Raseen. She hated her, hated her with a passion, although the Captain had no idea why. And Sulan would bend over backwards to supply any aid to Bialar Crais and his family, including killing Captain Jira Raseen herself. She stopped within denches of Raseen, her eyes narrowing threateningly. "Captain Raseen, you have little authority here. She is not Sebacean and requires further study. She has a wound that you neglected to have treated and it must be taken care of." Sulan crossed her arms, her voice dropping. "We are still civilized, even to our enemies. And I would have thought that her health would be a concern to you since Scorpius has offered you a considerable commendation for her capture." She paused, tilting her chin slightly. "Any other objections you would like to voice, Captain?" Sulan spat.
Raseen's nostrils flared as she glanced at Morgan. "No, Councilman."
Sulan nodded. "Then my advice to you would be to return to your ship until you are summoned by the council. Do I make myself clear?" Sulan waited until Raseen nodded. She looked at the security chief. "Captain Langtree has been remanded to my custody for medical treatment. Finish processing the others."
Morgan's eyes met Tauvo's and he nodded, winking at her, a small smile on his face. She wondered what her brother-in-law knew and she watched as Aeryn and Tauvo were led away in the other direction. Morgan turned her head to find Raseen glowering at her. When she made sure no one was looking, the Captain mouthed the words 'I will kill you' at Morgan. Morgan simply smiled, her eyes narrowed as she nodded. "You'll try," she whispered as Raseen stormed away.
Sulan took Morgan's arm gently. "Come. We must attend to that wound." They walked down the corridor to a lift, going up a few levels and exiting into the infirmary, the smell of antiseptic wafting strongly from the room. "Dr. Lias," Sulan called out.
Dr. Lias turned at Sulan's voice, handing the medic standing next to her the clipboard she had been studying. "Councilman Sulan. I take it this is the prisoner we discussed earlier." She led them to an examining room, the door closing behind them as the two officers took up flanking positions outside.
Sulan reached out, a small device in her hand as she swept the room for bugs. Satisfied the room was clean, she crossed her arms and nodded, leaning against the wall. "Well, Captain Crais, you seem to have made a formidable enemy in Jira Raseen."
Morgan looked at Sulan. "How do you know who I am?" She placed her hands on her hips as she studied the Councilman. "And who are you?" Dr. Lias motioned for Morgan to sit on the examining table and she slowly jumped up, her eyes never leaving Sulan. She winced slightly as the doctor pulled the fabric of her tank top away from the wound, cutting the material to inspect the lesion.
Sulan laughed, a warm and relaxing sound. "I'm a friend. And I know a great deal about you," she answered softly. "My name is Sulan. I am old friend of your husbands."
Morgan snorted. "There seem to be a lot of those 'old friends' popping up lately," she commented, glancing down to momentarily watch the doctor.
Sulan nodded, stepping up to stand next to the examining table. "When Tauvo contacted us and informed us that he had found Bialar, he told us what he knew about you. Dr. Lias and I work with the resistance movement. And you, Morgan, are still an enigma to us, as is your cousin."
Dr. Lias numbed Morgan's shoulder, preparing to lance the pulse blast wound. "Ah, but not for much longer." She peered up at the human woman. "You are the lucky one. We can't get to Aeryn and Tauvo. Hopefully Bialar and Crichton can." She wiped at the ooze, laying an antiseptic soaked pad over the wound. Dr. Lias took Morgan's hand and laid it over the bandage. "Hold that."
"Yeah, real lucky," Morgan whispered. She felt a wave of nausea come over her and carefully laid back, fighting the bile that was rising in her throat. She closed her eyes. She knew Crais and Crichton would try to rescue them, but the growing edginess she felt was only getting worse.
Sulan patted her free hand. "Rest." She gazed at the bonding tattoo around the younger woman's wrist, a wistful feeling quickly passing through her as she walked over to where Dr. Lias stood studying the DNA scan from the security station. "Well?" she asked quietly.
Dr. Lias shook her head. She peered over at Morgan, then back to the screen. "The…similarities between their physiology and our own are…" she shrugged, "…staggering. Same skeletal structure, same neurological base, with minor variations, such as the…body heat regulating system they have that we don't. But, they are missing some of the regenerative cells we carry." She looked at Sulan. "Even the blood mixtures are very close."
Sulan's eyes narrowed slightly as Dr. Lias moved to another analysis screen. She gazed back at Morgan quizzically, before returning her attention to the monitor. "Close enough to be compatible?"
Dr. Lias consulted another monitor, nodding. "Yes." She saw the look on Sulan's face as she gazed at Morgan. She too looked at the human woman dozing quietly behind them. "What's the matter?"
Sulan pointed to the monitor, her eyes meeting the doctors. "Is that what I think that is?" she whispered.
Dr. Lias gazed at the screen, tapping a few buttons to enhance the image. She wiped her mouth, squeezing her lower lip between her fingers as she waited for the computer to return the answer to Sulan's question. "Holy frell," she hissed. She looked up Sulan.
Sulan nodded. "We need to get her out of here."
Crais led Crichton away from the council building, hugging the shadowy walls as they slipped up the alley. The rain had finally lightened and Crais knew she had heard him. He only hoped she listened. They found the maintenance hatch quickly, the alley dark and fairly dry, protected from the rain by the surrounding buildings. Crais checked his timepiece. "We have two arns to get in and out." He knelt down, tapping in the number sequence Tadace had provided them.
Crichton watched the alley, standing guard, the pulse rifle in his hands slick. "Hey Crais. How are we going to get to Morgan in the infirmary?" he asked conversationally.
The hatch popped open with a hiss of expelled air, dank and oddly sweet. He waited until Crichton had climbed down, dropping to the ground behind him and pulling the hatch shut. "According to the information Tadace provided, the doctor and another councilman are with the resistance. They will…get Morgan to safety." He triggered the portable light in his hand, shining it up the corridor.
Crichton looked at him. "You are not happy with this plan, are you?"
Crais' eyes met his. "Are you?" he simply asked, pushing past the human, his pulse pistol grasped tightly and at the ready.
"Not exactly," Crichton answered, following the Captain.
The maintenance corridor was dimly lit, with a warren of cross-corridors and dead ends. A few rooms opened up off the main hall, filled with unused equipment and furniture. The two men moved swiftly through the first level, exiting the lift two levels up into a darker corridor than the one they had come from. An underlying humming permeated the air, causing the hair on the back of Crichton's neck to stand on end.
Crais slowed his pace as they neared an intersection in the corridor. He pocketed the light, gripping his pulse pistol in both hands as he looked both ways, crossing the hall and waiting for Crichton. They moved on, taking care to hug the wall at each floor grating above them. "Crichton?" Crais asked suddenly. Something had been nagging at him ever since they had left his home world.
"What?"
Crais stopped, turning to look at him, his expression one of curiosity mingled with amusement. "Where did you get your…information about Morgan's problem?"
Crichton stared at him, his mouth opening in shock. "Hell of a time to ask me that," he stammered as they began walking again.
"Just answer me," Crais snapped.
"My dad. My aunt told him." He stared at Crais' back in confusion. "Why?"
The ex-Peacekeeper backed up against the wall, peering around the corridor. He crossed the intersection, Crichton behind him, standing across from each other in the faint light. "Because she told me you were…frelled in the head."
"You asked her?" he hissed in disbelief as they turned up a corridor, the sounds above them getting louder as the shift changed for the night.
Crais smiled to himself. "Ever since she modified the transponders, it is…very difficult to keep things from her," he answered, canting his head slightly. He glanced over his shoulder. "She says it's a condition you call endometriosis. I'm surprised Morgan doesn't have your nimvoks in a sling for telling me the wrong thing."
Crichton shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time." He gazed around Crais, moving past him as they planned when they neared the final turn. The corridor ended in a ladder that led up into the detention area. Crichton jogged down the hall, looking up through the grate, watching. The thrumming noise was all around him now, the equipment that kept the council building and it's complex operational right below him. "It's clear." He waited, watching. No Crais. Crichton shook his head and looked towards the corridor turn. "Crais!" he hissed. When the Captain didn't answer, Crichton moved back to the intersection. Leaning against the wall, pulse rifle held up beside him, he slowly peered around the corner.
And found Crais being dragged by two heavily armed Peacekeepers. "Shit!" he whispered. He crossed the corridor, watching as Crais managed to fire off one shot, taking out one of the Peacekeepers. But two more took his place, swarming up the hall. One of them slammed the butt of his pulse pistol into the back of Crais' head, knocking him out, another shining a light in Crichton's direction. He jerked back quickly, taking off up the hallway, staying in the shadows, breaking into a run as some of the guards pursued him. He slipped into a doorway, flattening himself against it in the dark as they ran past. "This is just what I frelling need."
Dr. Lias hurried down the corridor, Morgan and Sulan's officers behind her. She didn't tell the human woman about her current condition, wanting to make sure she was safe and out of harm's way first. Sulan and Tadace knew. Lias had opted not to tell Langtree right away, knowing that she would need her mind on escaping. She slid her iden-chip in the slot, the door before her unlatching.
"Where is this going to take us?" Morgan asked as one of the officers removed the restraints from her wrists. She took the pulse pistol he handed her, quickly securing the gun belt around her waist and checking the charge. Lias had managed to buy Morgan a few arns of peaceful sleep, once Talyn quieted himself after picking up Morgan's signal and communicating with her. She had the leviathan gunship to thank for the energy she now possessed, Talyn sending what he could to strengthen her, anxious to have her and Crais back on board and away from Peacekeeper High Command. She shared his sentiments.
"Down below the complex. This is the same way Crichton and Crais came in. It is an unused maintenance corridor," Lias answered as she unholstered her pulse pistol. "It is usually not guarded, and when it is, not heavily." The two officers left Morgan and Lias, returning to Sulan. Lias motioned for Morgan to follow, taking her pace up to a brisk jog. She turned a corridor, slowing, listening, her hand raised to Morgan behind her.
Both women flattened themselves against the hall, unsure where in the warren of tunnels the voices were coming from. Morgan looked past the doctor. "There's someone else down here," she whispered.
Lias nodded as the voices echoed through the halls. "We'll have to go around the long way." She doubled back, slower this time and taking a right turn, coming up short and getting off one shot.
Morgan ducked back, peering around the corner and firing as well, watching as a Peacekeeper fell in a heap on the floor. She covered Lias as the doctor made her way back, taking cover behind the wall. "Looks like Captain Raseen," Morgan yelled above the gunfire. She cringed as one bolt hit close to her, her eyes burning from the smoke. "Any other ideas?"
Lias shook her head. "I'm not trained for this Morgan.
"Great," Morgan mumbled, leaning around the corner and firing again.
"Morgan Langtree!" Raseen's voice called. The firing from the other Peacekeepers halted. Raseen propped her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Morgan, I know you are there."
Morgan and Lias exchanged glances, their hearts racing in the darkness as they leaned against the walls. Lias motioned for her to go, pointing down the corridor they had been traversing. The human shook her head, refusing to leave the doctor. She leaned her head against the wall. "What do you want, Raseen?"
Raseen smiled viciously. "To see you dead."
Morgan laughed. "The feeling is mutual." She quickly leaned around the corner of the wall, firing off one shot and ducking back.
Raseen scratched her cheek, shifting position so that all her weight was on one foot. "Captain Langtree, I don't think you want to do that again. You may hit your beloved husband next time," she called.
Morgan's lips pursed. "That bitch," she hissed. She reached out, trying to find Crais through the link, but everything was blurry. "Bialar?" she yelled. "Answer me!"
Crais glared at Raseen from where the guards held him, just out of the line of fire. "She's not bluffing Morgan."
"Damn," she whispered when she heard a grunt behind her as one of the Peacekeepers jabbed the butt of his pulse rifle into Crais' side. Morgan looked at Lias, motioning for her to go back the way they had come. "Get…help," she mouthed. Lias nodded, taking off.
"You only have two choices, Langtree. Give yourself up and face the inquisitors with the others or live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you killed your husband because you were too stubborn to cooperate. I'm going to give you twenty microts to make up your mind."
Morgan closed her eyes as Raseen counted. She wondered where Crichton was and used the neural link to scan the group with Raseen, looking for his bio- signature. It wasn't there, which meant they still had a chance. She tossed the pulse pistol up the corridor, slowly raising her hands in surrender as she stepped to the middle of the hall, knowing that Raseen's men had ample opportunity to shoot her. "You wouldn't kill him, Raseen. You want Crais all to yourself," Morgan taunted, her eyes meeting Crais'.
Raseen smiled as the Peacekeepers bound Morgan's hands, stepping up to her, her eyes hard and calculating. "On the contrary, you're welcome to him. I will enjoy watching you die in Scorpius' Aurora chair." She turned on one heel, marching up the corridor.
Hidden in the shadows, his hand firmly wrapped over Dr. Lias' mouth, Crichton watched as Raseen and her men herded Crais and Morgan back to the detention area. He looked at the doctor, holding her tight against him. "You're with the resistance?" he whispered. Lias nodded her head. "Good. Then you can help me free them."