Chapter Five
Morgan stared at the gleaming Aurora chair, her heart in her throat. Scorpius refused to take any chances. This human woman knew his cooling unit was his most vulnerable spot, so he made sure her hands were restrained before her as she was led through the base to this room. Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly, she thought. The scientist wrapped his arm around her shoulders, making her skin crawl as she tried to pull away from him, his arm simply tightening, holding her close.
"There is nothing to be afraid of, Morgan," he purred. "We discussed how this works and it is only painful if you fear it and fight me."
It doesn't hurt! Honest, Harvey here can make the chair wonderful! Crichton's words from her nightmare came to mind and she cringed. "I…want to see my daughter first," she hissed, trying to strengthen her resolve.
He had treated her like an honored guest over the last few days, trying very hard to gain her trust until she was ready to give him the formula. The Peacekeeper scientist had admitted to Morgan that he respected the human woman, wondering it they could have been colleagues if circumstances had been different. Scorpius glanced down at her, dropping his arm. "Alright. If it will make you cooperate," he agreed reluctantly. He led her over to a darkened window, motioning to one of the technicians. The window lightened and Morgan stepped up to it.
On the other side of the glass was Suleah, being held by none other than Jira Raseen. Morgan splayed her hands on the glass, her eyes wide with fear as she watched Raseen pace across the room holding Suleah out at arm's length. The Peacekeeper Captain was talking to her, although Morgan couldn't hear what she was saying. Raseen walked over to the window and Morgan made her way down to stand across form her, her lower lip quivering. She held the baby out, the child's blue eyes wide as she studied the glass. Tears slipped down Morgan's cheeks, her heart breaking at not being able to hold her little girl.
"She can't see you, Morgan," Scorpius whispered, leaning against her and splaying his own leather-gloved hands beside hers. "She is quite the little one, you know. And she has displayed an unusual intelligence." Morgan gazed at him briefly. "Oh yes, I had her tested based on our standards. She could be special ops or even…" he paused, a calculating smile creasing his face. "…a councilman."
"I want to hold her," Morgan claimed, her voice cracking with emotion, tracing Suleah's face with her finger on the glass. The child started to cry and Raseen turned the baby around, her face dark with anger as she shook Suleah, before replacing the crying child in the crib. "No!" Morgan screamed, pounding on the glass. "No!"
Braca watched, turning his head away as Morgan looked through the glass, her anguish clearly displayed on her face. She would've clawed her way through the glass if she could. How could Scorpius do this, he wondered. Things were spiraling out of control very quickly as he watched the human woman sink to her knees sobbing. Raseen would kill Suleah given the first chance she got, especially if she could do it while Morgan was watching. Braca felt nausea at the thought of that beautiful child in Raseen's hands. He peered at Morgan and realized that he truly did not have anything against this human woman and she didn't deserve this.
Scorpius gently lifted Morgan back to her feet, turning her to face him as he cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair. "There, there," he soothed. "You can hold her soon enough. All you have to do is give me the formula." He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face so that she could look at him, applying enough pressure to keep Morgan from turning away. "Now, shall we get started?" he asked, his voice growing colder. He led Morgan, shaking uncontrollably with dread and rage, to the chair, motioning for Braca.
Braca leaned over her, removing the restraints and securing her in the chair. His eyes met Morgan's and he lifted his chin in defiance as she glared at him with hatred. He stepped back, finishing the job of securing her in Scorpius' torture machine, lowering the main device over her head as the scientist motioned to the technician to begin.
Scorpius stood opposite Braca, one hand balancing himself as he gazed at Morgan. "Relax and it will be over with shortly." With the slightest nod of his head, he signaled the tech.
Morgan screamed as Scorpius began to delve for the formula. Images displayed before her, scenes from her life. Scorpius gave her no quarter, starting from the earliest memories he could find, stopping at an image of her parents. They were outside and he recognized Jack Crichton speaking with her parents, a little boy chasing Morgan around the yard with a water pistol.
"Mommy and Daddy?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes," she managed to choke.
He looked at the little boy. "John, I take it. Mmm, a little imp no doubt."
Morgan half-chuckled, half-sobbed in response.
Scorpius tilted his head as the images began to flow again, watching her life as if it was a movie, learning very quickly how vulnerable the human race truly was. He stopped at another scene, one that contained Crichton. It was the night before he launched, the night he broke quarantine. "The two of you don't take orders well, do you?" he chuckled, listening to the conversation between her and her cousin on the pier.
"You don't know the…half of it," she replied. She was dizzy, the spinning of the chair disturbing her equilibrium.
The scenes shifted again and Scorpius found the one memory Morgan hoped he would never find, the one recollection she tried so hard to forget. Tears flowed freely down her face as she watched the night she tried to take her own life after her parents died. She held a pistol to her head, staring at herself in the mirror of a dark room, the only light from a candle on the stand. He watched as she moved it to her open mouth, her eyes glazed and red from crying. The image ended as she laid the pistol aside, hiding her face as she broke down. Scorpius gazed at her questioningly. "What stopped you?" he asked quietly.
Morgan's lower lip quivered. "The chance that John was still alive."
He looked up at Braca, a calculating expression on his face. He never said another word as he continued, Morgan fighting to urge to scream. He continued without mercy, delving deeper into her psyche, discovering the things that she held most dear. Crichton. Her best friends, Kira and DK. Her uncle Jack. Crais. The children. Tauvo. Everything was displayed before him in stark and harsh color.
And Scorpius discovered things about Morgan Langtree Crais that no one else knew. He found the scared woman behind the veneer of toughness she maintained, her timidity when she was alone, the way she cried in wonder at night when she stared at Crais' sleeping form. All of it information he could use against her to get what he wanted. An evil smile crossed his twisted face as he realized he could use what he was showing her to break her down. None of them would want the empty and twisted shell he would return. He nodded to the technician.
Morgan watched as her life sped faster before them, displaying scenes from the first few monens she had been there. Scorpius slowed the probing when he came to the time they had returned to Earth. He watched as she blew away another human and cruelly explained her actions to Kira. "My, my," he whispered. "We have a dark side."
She shook her head slightly in denial. "No. No…he…would've killed them," Morgan exclaimed softly.
Scorpius gazed at her, reaching out to wipe the spit that dribbled down her chin, her face pale, sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip. "Are you sure of that?" he asked patiently.
Morgan found herself staring at him. Would that MP have killed them that night? She looked at the man on the screen, realizing that he couldn't have been much older than her. "Would he have let them go? Questions invaded her mind and she couldn't silence them. "Stop it! Stop this!" She struggled against her restraints, wanting the torture to end as she realized her mistake. By trying to save her daughter, she was giving Scorpius the means to attack Earth.
"Sir, she has thrown up a mental block," the tech announced, looking at the Peacekeeper.
Scorpius moved to stand in front of Morgan, leaning close to her. "Your daughter's life is at stake," he hissed cruelly. "Do not force me to hurt you, Morgan."
Morgan swallowed, the room spinning faster. She felt herself getting ready to pass out and mustered up a defiant smile. "You won't hurt her," she spat. "Because if you do…you'll never get the formula, you sorry…half- breed…psycho bastard."
"We shall see," he answered, watching as her eyes rolled back in her head, sightless with unconsciousness.
Talyn banked around the asteroid, chirping wildly at Crais. "Yes, I know Talyn. The asteroid field is dangerous, but somewhere on the other side of it is Morgan."
Tauvo stepped up to his brother, laying a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You need to get some rest, Bialar," he said softly.
Crais turned dark angry eyes on his younger brother. "Not until my wife and daughter are safe."
Tauvo turned away with a frustrated sigh, walking off the gunship's bridge. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the bulkhead. They had been searching for over a weeken for Scorpius' base with no luck. They had left Moya on the other side of the asteroid field, her crew and the Leviathan insisting on going with them to find Morgan.
Shantar stepped up to his commanding officer. "Still no luck?"
Tauvo shook his head. "He's going to pass out from exhaustion before long. Bialar can only take so much."
Shantar nodded in agreement. "Traversing through this asteroid field is definitely not one of his better ideas.
The two men moved through the corridors towards the galley. "My brother does not think straight where Morgan is concerned." He chuckled ruefully. "I never expected to see him like this, not in my entire life."
Shantar sat at the table, laying his pulse pistol down on it. He stood his forefinger on the table and spun the weapon around it. "What? Out of control or smitten with a woman?"
Tauvo grabbed the pistol away from Shantar. "Both."
Morgan let out a silent scream as Scorpius strengthened the probe on the chair. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't give him the formula. Mental blocks popped up at every turn, frustrating the scientist as she struggled against the restraints, kicking her feet as much as she could, trying to loosen the bindings around them. Scorpius growled in anger as he paced the room, stopping as he stared at her.
"Braca, in my quarters there is a set of data chips marked with Morgan's name. Get them," he sneered, his fist clenching as he gazed at her. She was not going to deprive him of the formula. Little did any of them know that he had already sent Suleah to a different base, refusing Morgan's pleas to see her daughter. The child's intelligence tests scored so high that Scorpius knew the girl would be a protégé. He never intended on giving her back to her parents, planning on training the child himself. But Morgan didn't need to know that.
Braca walked back into the chamber, handing Scorpius the chips as requested. "What are you going to do?" he asked softly, his skin crawling at Morgan's inane mumblings.
"I'm going to break her and get that formula. I want to try a little experiment. Something new," he hissed, his voice deepening as his anger swelled at Morgan's stubbornness. He handed the data chips to the technician. "This one first when I tell you."
Braca followed him. "Aren't you afraid…"
The scientist's menacing glare silenced the Peacekeeper and Scorpius marched back over to the platform, grinning down at the obstinate human woman. He turned back to the images on the display, his head cocked, something unusual catching his attention. "Go back," he demanded.
Braca looked in curiosity, stepping up to get a closer view, listening. "Aw c'mon Crais. You can't tell me you're not even the slightest bit curious!" It was Morgan saying the words, but Crais' mouth moving. His eyes grew wide and they met Scorpius', both men turning to gaze curiously at Morgan. "You had a run in with a Halosian ship?" Braca asked incredulously. He had heard about the effects the Halosian's weapons had on some ships. Morgan never answered. She stared wide-eyed at the screen, tears streaming down her sweat soaked face, a stupid grin on her face.
"Enough of this," Scorpius snarled. He reached out, taking Morgan's hand and removing the golden wedding band from her finger, handing it to Braca. "This will be a reminder to her of everything that has happened since she came to the Uncharted Territories. Lose it. I want absolutely nothing to fix what I am about to do."
"Which is sir?" Braca asked, taking the ring from the scientist.
Scorpius' eyes narrowed. "Show her what really happened," he answered evilly.
Braca looked at the band, licking his lips. Scorpius had picked and pried through every memory and thought in Morgan's brain to no avail, forcing Braca to stand by and watch. His stomach churned in disgust at what he was doing to her, desperately trying to break the human woman's spirit, realizing just how far Scorpius would go to get the wormhole formula. He slid the band in his pocket, forgetting it as Terrick walked into the room.
"You wanted to see me sir?" Terrick asked haughtily. A smug grin creased his face at the sight of Morgan in the Aurora chair, slack jawed and drooling.
Scorpius looked at the young Peacekeeper, his eyes narrowing. "In the time you spent with Morgan and your father, what did you observe?"
Terrick approached the platform, stepping up onto it, coming within denches of Scorpius. "He's protective of her. And he loves her," Terrick answered. He looked at Morgan, the glazed expression on her face sending a shiver up his spine as he studied her, the smug expression on his face disappearing.
"Something the matter, Officer?" Scorpius asked, cocking his head towards Terrick. He had seen something pass across the young man's face, unsure what it was he had observed.
Terrick turned back to his superior officer. "No. No sir," Terrick answered quickly. A little too quickly.
"Good." He looked at the technician. "Begin."
Terrick and Braca watched the monitor as Scorpius knelt next to Morgan, whispering to her. "He's a murderer, Morgan. You do realize that don't you?" She stared soundlessly at the images Scorpius displayed, showing her how he killed Lt. Teeg. "He has lied to you. He has lied to John." He watched the emotions play across her face and smiled sinisterly as he showed her Tauvo entering Crais' quarters as Teeg slid to the floor.
Braca watched the images passing across the display, his eyes narrowing slightly. What he was showing her were lies, things in Crais' career that never happened. The lieutenant realized what the scientist was doing and he clenched his hands behind his back.
"You never married him. And he still wants to kill your cousin. He wants to hurt him, Morgan, just like he hurt you," Scorpius continued.
A guard walked in the room, snapping to attention. "Sir, we have just received a priority message from Admiral Logia. He is demanding you make contact with him immediately." Scorpius stood up, motioning for Braca and Terrick to follow him, leaving Morgan under the techs watchful eye.
The only problem was, Raseen entered the room as soon as the others left, firing her pulse pistol one time and killing the tech. She walked over to the console, swiping away the data chips and sending the Aurora chair into high gear. Morgan's scream echoed through the room as Raseen stepped up to her, jumping up onto the platform, her face denches from Morgan as she awkwardly leaned towards the human woman. "Well, look what I have here," she whispered evilly. Morgan's eyes darted back and forth in uncontrollable fear. Raseen had been observing Scorpius' reprogramming tactics the entire time, unbeknownst to the scientist, and decided to add a few things of her own. "Crais never loved you. He never loved Sulan. We planned this," she continued, standing up and heading back to the control console. "Oh, yes. On the gammak base. You didn't hear the whole conversation." She pushed one button and then another. "And now I get to watch you die."
"I think not."
Raseen turned at Braca's voice, her hand poised over the panel at the sight of the pulse pistol in his hand. "What do you want Lieutenant?" she snapped irritably.
"I want you to back away from the console." He took one step towards her, glancing quickly at Morgan. The human woman had passed out and Braca was thankful for that. The chair couldn't do any damage if she was unconscious. Braca wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He had followed Scorpius to his chambers, standing outside waiting, listening as Morgan's tortured screams echoed through the corridors, sensing something wasn't right as he ordered Terrick to remain and wait for Scorpius. "I wonder how Terrick would feel if he knew you murdered his mother?" Braca commented casually. He heard the teen's footsteps behind him as he tried very hard not to be heard. Well, if he really wants to be a part of what I am about to do, then he should know the truth, Braca thought.
"I did no such thing even though she helped these traitors and was one herself!" Raseen screamed in anger. "She died when the ceiling collapsed on us."
Braca raised his eyebrows, tilting his head slightly. "Really? Then how do you explain the knife we found buried hilt deep into her chest when Scorpius removed your shattered body from the rubble?" he asked.
Her eyes grew wide when she realized that Braca had been there the day she was found. Raseen had been so exhausted with fever and pain that she only remembered seeing Scorpius. She lunged towards the control panel, stopping up short when she came face to face with Terrick.
"You killed her?" he said softly in disbelief, the rest of his world shattering around him. All this time he had blamed Morgan and his father for Sulan's death when it had really been his commanding officer that did it. Terrick realized that what Morgan told him had been the truth. "You were the one who killed my mother?" He walked towards her. "You lied to me."
"I was trying to protect you, Terrick. You had potential," Raseen protested. "You're mother was the leader of the resistance movement against us."
Terrick shook his head, his dark eyes narrowing. "No. Now I understand. It's not a resistance movement against the Peacekeepers. It's a resistance movement against everything we have come to represent."
Braca saw the Captain flick her wrist. He had spent more than enough time with her over the last monens to know she carried as concealed weapon. He looked at Morgan's still body, felt her wedding band in his pocket, saw the look of shocked disappointment on Terrick's face. The teen's words hit home and Braca knew what had to be done. The resistance needed strong people like Morgan and Crais to lead it. Strong people like Terrick and himself. He gently depressed the pulse pistol's trigger and fired.
Captain Jira Raseen's eyes widened in shock as she fell backwards onto the floor, dead.
Crais stood next to Crichton in the landing bay as the other gunship floated calmly next to Talyn and Moya. They had received word of the ship breaking orbit after a riot broke out on Scorpius' base approximately two weekens before, leaving the two men to wonder what had happened.
And who was on the ship.
The ex-Peacekeeper had been smart, taking Morgan's suggestion of rigging the ship so that if it ever recognized a preset bio-signature, it would immediately starburst to a designated rendezvous'' point. Crais never planned on allowing the second gunship to remain in Scorpius' custody. He had intended on freeing it when they attacked the base and removing the coding he had implanted in to self-destruct if Scorpius tried to use the second gunship in battle. Someone saved him the trouble of freeing it.
"Still no communication from the other ship, but a transport pod has launched," Tauvo commented as he stepped up next to his brother, Shantar flanking Crichton. "Although, since the two of you are already down here, you knew that."
Crais looked at Tauvo. "The advantages of a neural transponder," he calmly remarked, his hand going to his pulse pistol. He waited, noticing that Crichton, Tauvo and Shantar were already armed, Talyn's cannon aimed at the door as it slowly opened.
The four men stared in shock as Braca slowly walked through, his chin held high in defiance as he stopped. "Captain Crais. Commander Crichton," Braca said nervously, his eyes locked with Crais. "I believe…" he swallowed, clasping his hands behind his back. "I believe I have something that you want." He turned, motioning behind him.
"And that would be?" Crais' asked coldly, his Peacekeeper attitude firmly in place, even though his heart raced in his chest with hope.
Terrick stepped through the door, Morgan's unconscious body in his arms.
Shantar and Tauvo moved forward taking Braca into custody. "Talyn, please inform Pilot that we need two cells on Moya for some prisoners," Crais said, frozen in place at the sight of Morgan. "And let Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan know that her assistance would be appreciated." Crichton carefully took his cousin from Terrick as the others cuffed him as well.
Braca turned and looked at Crais, his eyes narrowed. "So, Captain. Who is the consummate Peacekeeper now?"
Morgan stared at the gleaming Aurora chair, her heart in her throat. Scorpius refused to take any chances. This human woman knew his cooling unit was his most vulnerable spot, so he made sure her hands were restrained before her as she was led through the base to this room. Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly, she thought. The scientist wrapped his arm around her shoulders, making her skin crawl as she tried to pull away from him, his arm simply tightening, holding her close.
"There is nothing to be afraid of, Morgan," he purred. "We discussed how this works and it is only painful if you fear it and fight me."
It doesn't hurt! Honest, Harvey here can make the chair wonderful! Crichton's words from her nightmare came to mind and she cringed. "I…want to see my daughter first," she hissed, trying to strengthen her resolve.
He had treated her like an honored guest over the last few days, trying very hard to gain her trust until she was ready to give him the formula. The Peacekeeper scientist had admitted to Morgan that he respected the human woman, wondering it they could have been colleagues if circumstances had been different. Scorpius glanced down at her, dropping his arm. "Alright. If it will make you cooperate," he agreed reluctantly. He led her over to a darkened window, motioning to one of the technicians. The window lightened and Morgan stepped up to it.
On the other side of the glass was Suleah, being held by none other than Jira Raseen. Morgan splayed her hands on the glass, her eyes wide with fear as she watched Raseen pace across the room holding Suleah out at arm's length. The Peacekeeper Captain was talking to her, although Morgan couldn't hear what she was saying. Raseen walked over to the window and Morgan made her way down to stand across form her, her lower lip quivering. She held the baby out, the child's blue eyes wide as she studied the glass. Tears slipped down Morgan's cheeks, her heart breaking at not being able to hold her little girl.
"She can't see you, Morgan," Scorpius whispered, leaning against her and splaying his own leather-gloved hands beside hers. "She is quite the little one, you know. And she has displayed an unusual intelligence." Morgan gazed at him briefly. "Oh yes, I had her tested based on our standards. She could be special ops or even…" he paused, a calculating smile creasing his face. "…a councilman."
"I want to hold her," Morgan claimed, her voice cracking with emotion, tracing Suleah's face with her finger on the glass. The child started to cry and Raseen turned the baby around, her face dark with anger as she shook Suleah, before replacing the crying child in the crib. "No!" Morgan screamed, pounding on the glass. "No!"
Braca watched, turning his head away as Morgan looked through the glass, her anguish clearly displayed on her face. She would've clawed her way through the glass if she could. How could Scorpius do this, he wondered. Things were spiraling out of control very quickly as he watched the human woman sink to her knees sobbing. Raseen would kill Suleah given the first chance she got, especially if she could do it while Morgan was watching. Braca felt nausea at the thought of that beautiful child in Raseen's hands. He peered at Morgan and realized that he truly did not have anything against this human woman and she didn't deserve this.
Scorpius gently lifted Morgan back to her feet, turning her to face him as he cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair. "There, there," he soothed. "You can hold her soon enough. All you have to do is give me the formula." He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face so that she could look at him, applying enough pressure to keep Morgan from turning away. "Now, shall we get started?" he asked, his voice growing colder. He led Morgan, shaking uncontrollably with dread and rage, to the chair, motioning for Braca.
Braca leaned over her, removing the restraints and securing her in the chair. His eyes met Morgan's and he lifted his chin in defiance as she glared at him with hatred. He stepped back, finishing the job of securing her in Scorpius' torture machine, lowering the main device over her head as the scientist motioned to the technician to begin.
Scorpius stood opposite Braca, one hand balancing himself as he gazed at Morgan. "Relax and it will be over with shortly." With the slightest nod of his head, he signaled the tech.
Morgan screamed as Scorpius began to delve for the formula. Images displayed before her, scenes from her life. Scorpius gave her no quarter, starting from the earliest memories he could find, stopping at an image of her parents. They were outside and he recognized Jack Crichton speaking with her parents, a little boy chasing Morgan around the yard with a water pistol.
"Mommy and Daddy?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes," she managed to choke.
He looked at the little boy. "John, I take it. Mmm, a little imp no doubt."
Morgan half-chuckled, half-sobbed in response.
Scorpius tilted his head as the images began to flow again, watching her life as if it was a movie, learning very quickly how vulnerable the human race truly was. He stopped at another scene, one that contained Crichton. It was the night before he launched, the night he broke quarantine. "The two of you don't take orders well, do you?" he chuckled, listening to the conversation between her and her cousin on the pier.
"You don't know the…half of it," she replied. She was dizzy, the spinning of the chair disturbing her equilibrium.
The scenes shifted again and Scorpius found the one memory Morgan hoped he would never find, the one recollection she tried so hard to forget. Tears flowed freely down her face as she watched the night she tried to take her own life after her parents died. She held a pistol to her head, staring at herself in the mirror of a dark room, the only light from a candle on the stand. He watched as she moved it to her open mouth, her eyes glazed and red from crying. The image ended as she laid the pistol aside, hiding her face as she broke down. Scorpius gazed at her questioningly. "What stopped you?" he asked quietly.
Morgan's lower lip quivered. "The chance that John was still alive."
He looked up at Braca, a calculating expression on his face. He never said another word as he continued, Morgan fighting to urge to scream. He continued without mercy, delving deeper into her psyche, discovering the things that she held most dear. Crichton. Her best friends, Kira and DK. Her uncle Jack. Crais. The children. Tauvo. Everything was displayed before him in stark and harsh color.
And Scorpius discovered things about Morgan Langtree Crais that no one else knew. He found the scared woman behind the veneer of toughness she maintained, her timidity when she was alone, the way she cried in wonder at night when she stared at Crais' sleeping form. All of it information he could use against her to get what he wanted. An evil smile crossed his twisted face as he realized he could use what he was showing her to break her down. None of them would want the empty and twisted shell he would return. He nodded to the technician.
Morgan watched as her life sped faster before them, displaying scenes from the first few monens she had been there. Scorpius slowed the probing when he came to the time they had returned to Earth. He watched as she blew away another human and cruelly explained her actions to Kira. "My, my," he whispered. "We have a dark side."
She shook her head slightly in denial. "No. No…he…would've killed them," Morgan exclaimed softly.
Scorpius gazed at her, reaching out to wipe the spit that dribbled down her chin, her face pale, sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip. "Are you sure of that?" he asked patiently.
Morgan found herself staring at him. Would that MP have killed them that night? She looked at the man on the screen, realizing that he couldn't have been much older than her. "Would he have let them go? Questions invaded her mind and she couldn't silence them. "Stop it! Stop this!" She struggled against her restraints, wanting the torture to end as she realized her mistake. By trying to save her daughter, she was giving Scorpius the means to attack Earth.
"Sir, she has thrown up a mental block," the tech announced, looking at the Peacekeeper.
Scorpius moved to stand in front of Morgan, leaning close to her. "Your daughter's life is at stake," he hissed cruelly. "Do not force me to hurt you, Morgan."
Morgan swallowed, the room spinning faster. She felt herself getting ready to pass out and mustered up a defiant smile. "You won't hurt her," she spat. "Because if you do…you'll never get the formula, you sorry…half- breed…psycho bastard."
"We shall see," he answered, watching as her eyes rolled back in her head, sightless with unconsciousness.
Talyn banked around the asteroid, chirping wildly at Crais. "Yes, I know Talyn. The asteroid field is dangerous, but somewhere on the other side of it is Morgan."
Tauvo stepped up to his brother, laying a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You need to get some rest, Bialar," he said softly.
Crais turned dark angry eyes on his younger brother. "Not until my wife and daughter are safe."
Tauvo turned away with a frustrated sigh, walking off the gunship's bridge. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the bulkhead. They had been searching for over a weeken for Scorpius' base with no luck. They had left Moya on the other side of the asteroid field, her crew and the Leviathan insisting on going with them to find Morgan.
Shantar stepped up to his commanding officer. "Still no luck?"
Tauvo shook his head. "He's going to pass out from exhaustion before long. Bialar can only take so much."
Shantar nodded in agreement. "Traversing through this asteroid field is definitely not one of his better ideas.
The two men moved through the corridors towards the galley. "My brother does not think straight where Morgan is concerned." He chuckled ruefully. "I never expected to see him like this, not in my entire life."
Shantar sat at the table, laying his pulse pistol down on it. He stood his forefinger on the table and spun the weapon around it. "What? Out of control or smitten with a woman?"
Tauvo grabbed the pistol away from Shantar. "Both."
Morgan let out a silent scream as Scorpius strengthened the probe on the chair. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't give him the formula. Mental blocks popped up at every turn, frustrating the scientist as she struggled against the restraints, kicking her feet as much as she could, trying to loosen the bindings around them. Scorpius growled in anger as he paced the room, stopping as he stared at her.
"Braca, in my quarters there is a set of data chips marked with Morgan's name. Get them," he sneered, his fist clenching as he gazed at her. She was not going to deprive him of the formula. Little did any of them know that he had already sent Suleah to a different base, refusing Morgan's pleas to see her daughter. The child's intelligence tests scored so high that Scorpius knew the girl would be a protégé. He never intended on giving her back to her parents, planning on training the child himself. But Morgan didn't need to know that.
Braca walked back into the chamber, handing Scorpius the chips as requested. "What are you going to do?" he asked softly, his skin crawling at Morgan's inane mumblings.
"I'm going to break her and get that formula. I want to try a little experiment. Something new," he hissed, his voice deepening as his anger swelled at Morgan's stubbornness. He handed the data chips to the technician. "This one first when I tell you."
Braca followed him. "Aren't you afraid…"
The scientist's menacing glare silenced the Peacekeeper and Scorpius marched back over to the platform, grinning down at the obstinate human woman. He turned back to the images on the display, his head cocked, something unusual catching his attention. "Go back," he demanded.
Braca looked in curiosity, stepping up to get a closer view, listening. "Aw c'mon Crais. You can't tell me you're not even the slightest bit curious!" It was Morgan saying the words, but Crais' mouth moving. His eyes grew wide and they met Scorpius', both men turning to gaze curiously at Morgan. "You had a run in with a Halosian ship?" Braca asked incredulously. He had heard about the effects the Halosian's weapons had on some ships. Morgan never answered. She stared wide-eyed at the screen, tears streaming down her sweat soaked face, a stupid grin on her face.
"Enough of this," Scorpius snarled. He reached out, taking Morgan's hand and removing the golden wedding band from her finger, handing it to Braca. "This will be a reminder to her of everything that has happened since she came to the Uncharted Territories. Lose it. I want absolutely nothing to fix what I am about to do."
"Which is sir?" Braca asked, taking the ring from the scientist.
Scorpius' eyes narrowed. "Show her what really happened," he answered evilly.
Braca looked at the band, licking his lips. Scorpius had picked and pried through every memory and thought in Morgan's brain to no avail, forcing Braca to stand by and watch. His stomach churned in disgust at what he was doing to her, desperately trying to break the human woman's spirit, realizing just how far Scorpius would go to get the wormhole formula. He slid the band in his pocket, forgetting it as Terrick walked into the room.
"You wanted to see me sir?" Terrick asked haughtily. A smug grin creased his face at the sight of Morgan in the Aurora chair, slack jawed and drooling.
Scorpius looked at the young Peacekeeper, his eyes narrowing. "In the time you spent with Morgan and your father, what did you observe?"
Terrick approached the platform, stepping up onto it, coming within denches of Scorpius. "He's protective of her. And he loves her," Terrick answered. He looked at Morgan, the glazed expression on her face sending a shiver up his spine as he studied her, the smug expression on his face disappearing.
"Something the matter, Officer?" Scorpius asked, cocking his head towards Terrick. He had seen something pass across the young man's face, unsure what it was he had observed.
Terrick turned back to his superior officer. "No. No sir," Terrick answered quickly. A little too quickly.
"Good." He looked at the technician. "Begin."
Terrick and Braca watched the monitor as Scorpius knelt next to Morgan, whispering to her. "He's a murderer, Morgan. You do realize that don't you?" She stared soundlessly at the images Scorpius displayed, showing her how he killed Lt. Teeg. "He has lied to you. He has lied to John." He watched the emotions play across her face and smiled sinisterly as he showed her Tauvo entering Crais' quarters as Teeg slid to the floor.
Braca watched the images passing across the display, his eyes narrowing slightly. What he was showing her were lies, things in Crais' career that never happened. The lieutenant realized what the scientist was doing and he clenched his hands behind his back.
"You never married him. And he still wants to kill your cousin. He wants to hurt him, Morgan, just like he hurt you," Scorpius continued.
A guard walked in the room, snapping to attention. "Sir, we have just received a priority message from Admiral Logia. He is demanding you make contact with him immediately." Scorpius stood up, motioning for Braca and Terrick to follow him, leaving Morgan under the techs watchful eye.
The only problem was, Raseen entered the room as soon as the others left, firing her pulse pistol one time and killing the tech. She walked over to the console, swiping away the data chips and sending the Aurora chair into high gear. Morgan's scream echoed through the room as Raseen stepped up to her, jumping up onto the platform, her face denches from Morgan as she awkwardly leaned towards the human woman. "Well, look what I have here," she whispered evilly. Morgan's eyes darted back and forth in uncontrollable fear. Raseen had been observing Scorpius' reprogramming tactics the entire time, unbeknownst to the scientist, and decided to add a few things of her own. "Crais never loved you. He never loved Sulan. We planned this," she continued, standing up and heading back to the control console. "Oh, yes. On the gammak base. You didn't hear the whole conversation." She pushed one button and then another. "And now I get to watch you die."
"I think not."
Raseen turned at Braca's voice, her hand poised over the panel at the sight of the pulse pistol in his hand. "What do you want Lieutenant?" she snapped irritably.
"I want you to back away from the console." He took one step towards her, glancing quickly at Morgan. The human woman had passed out and Braca was thankful for that. The chair couldn't do any damage if she was unconscious. Braca wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He had followed Scorpius to his chambers, standing outside waiting, listening as Morgan's tortured screams echoed through the corridors, sensing something wasn't right as he ordered Terrick to remain and wait for Scorpius. "I wonder how Terrick would feel if he knew you murdered his mother?" Braca commented casually. He heard the teen's footsteps behind him as he tried very hard not to be heard. Well, if he really wants to be a part of what I am about to do, then he should know the truth, Braca thought.
"I did no such thing even though she helped these traitors and was one herself!" Raseen screamed in anger. "She died when the ceiling collapsed on us."
Braca raised his eyebrows, tilting his head slightly. "Really? Then how do you explain the knife we found buried hilt deep into her chest when Scorpius removed your shattered body from the rubble?" he asked.
Her eyes grew wide when she realized that Braca had been there the day she was found. Raseen had been so exhausted with fever and pain that she only remembered seeing Scorpius. She lunged towards the control panel, stopping up short when she came face to face with Terrick.
"You killed her?" he said softly in disbelief, the rest of his world shattering around him. All this time he had blamed Morgan and his father for Sulan's death when it had really been his commanding officer that did it. Terrick realized that what Morgan told him had been the truth. "You were the one who killed my mother?" He walked towards her. "You lied to me."
"I was trying to protect you, Terrick. You had potential," Raseen protested. "You're mother was the leader of the resistance movement against us."
Terrick shook his head, his dark eyes narrowing. "No. Now I understand. It's not a resistance movement against the Peacekeepers. It's a resistance movement against everything we have come to represent."
Braca saw the Captain flick her wrist. He had spent more than enough time with her over the last monens to know she carried as concealed weapon. He looked at Morgan's still body, felt her wedding band in his pocket, saw the look of shocked disappointment on Terrick's face. The teen's words hit home and Braca knew what had to be done. The resistance needed strong people like Morgan and Crais to lead it. Strong people like Terrick and himself. He gently depressed the pulse pistol's trigger and fired.
Captain Jira Raseen's eyes widened in shock as she fell backwards onto the floor, dead.
Crais stood next to Crichton in the landing bay as the other gunship floated calmly next to Talyn and Moya. They had received word of the ship breaking orbit after a riot broke out on Scorpius' base approximately two weekens before, leaving the two men to wonder what had happened.
And who was on the ship.
The ex-Peacekeeper had been smart, taking Morgan's suggestion of rigging the ship so that if it ever recognized a preset bio-signature, it would immediately starburst to a designated rendezvous'' point. Crais never planned on allowing the second gunship to remain in Scorpius' custody. He had intended on freeing it when they attacked the base and removing the coding he had implanted in to self-destruct if Scorpius tried to use the second gunship in battle. Someone saved him the trouble of freeing it.
"Still no communication from the other ship, but a transport pod has launched," Tauvo commented as he stepped up next to his brother, Shantar flanking Crichton. "Although, since the two of you are already down here, you knew that."
Crais looked at Tauvo. "The advantages of a neural transponder," he calmly remarked, his hand going to his pulse pistol. He waited, noticing that Crichton, Tauvo and Shantar were already armed, Talyn's cannon aimed at the door as it slowly opened.
The four men stared in shock as Braca slowly walked through, his chin held high in defiance as he stopped. "Captain Crais. Commander Crichton," Braca said nervously, his eyes locked with Crais. "I believe…" he swallowed, clasping his hands behind his back. "I believe I have something that you want." He turned, motioning behind him.
"And that would be?" Crais' asked coldly, his Peacekeeper attitude firmly in place, even though his heart raced in his chest with hope.
Terrick stepped through the door, Morgan's unconscious body in his arms.
Shantar and Tauvo moved forward taking Braca into custody. "Talyn, please inform Pilot that we need two cells on Moya for some prisoners," Crais said, frozen in place at the sight of Morgan. "And let Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan know that her assistance would be appreciated." Crichton carefully took his cousin from Terrick as the others cuffed him as well.
Braca turned and looked at Crais, his eyes narrowed. "So, Captain. Who is the consummate Peacekeeper now?"