Epilogue
Morgan watched as the transport pod containing her family disappeared into Zorosa's night sky, the last of the fading sun's rays glinting off the hull of the ship. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat on the rock ledge above the city, the same ledge Terrick had attempted to throw her from. She drew her knees up, resting her chin on them as she gazed over the landscape, the transponder at the back of her neck blinking slowly. Crais had fixed Crichton's fusing, allowing her to remove it to gain privacy from Talyn. But Morgan found herself relying on the gunships feed and was afraid that without it, the evil memories would return.
She had spent the previous night curled up in Crais' embrace after making love for the first time since returning to the planet. She leaned her cheek on her knee, a soft, almost sad smile crossing her face. Morgan wondered if everything would be the same again, hoping that with time and help, she would regain her confidence. And, as Crichton succinctly pointed out, finding her former cockiness.
She sat back up, running her fingers through her hair as someone stepped up behind her. Morgan glanced quickly over her shoulder to identify the person, even though Talyn had already informed her of his identity. She licked her lips, sucking on her upper lip as he sat down beside her. "Why did you do it?" she simply asked. "Why didn't you just let Raseen kill me?"
Braca folded his hands in his lap as he followed her gaze to the horizon, watching the array of colors left by the sun fade. He didn't answer her right away. "Because you have a son that still needs you." He stopped, looking at her. "And because I have watched the Peacekeepers enslave more and more planets with their…bullying tactics than I can stomach." He shifted on the warm rocks, turning to face her. "When Crais and Talyn were brought aboard the command carrier all those cycles ago, Crais called me a 'consummate Peacekeeper'. I was very hurt by his words." He looked past her at the darkening sky. "I have always respected Crais, even though I did not understand the pain he felt at Tauvo's 'death'. His words made me start to think about what was going on around me and he planted the seeds of doubt in my mind, making me question…the oaths I had taken." He canted his head as his eyes met hers. "Terrick told Raseen that the resistance wasn't against the Peacekeepers, but against everything they had come to represent." He shook his head. "And he was right."
Morgan blinked, never taking her eyes from him. "Now that you've lost everything, maybe it will be a bit easier to understand your former commander," she softly commented.
Braca shrugged. "Maybe." He took Morgan's hand, rubbing his finger over her wedding band. "I want to help Morgan. The resistance needs as many people as it can get and I want to help." He looked at the two guards standing a short piece away. "I am hindered though by Crais and Tauvo's mistrust."
Morgan nodded in understanding. "So what do want from me?" she asked softly.
Braca smiled kindly. "What do I want from you? I want you to fight what Scorpius did. And you'll need all the physical strength you can muster as well as mental." He swallowed. "I didn't lie about Suleah's location. And if you plan on rejoining the Captain in the hunt for your daughter when they return, you need to be considerably stronger than you are now."
The sincerity of Braca's words hit home with Morgan. She lifted her chin slightly. "What do you propose, Lieutenant?"
"Let me teach you how to fight like a Peacekeeper."
Terrick listened as his grandparents talked quietly in the kitchen of their home on Zorosa 3. He couldn't make out all of their words, but he knew they were discussing him by the tone of their soft voices. He sighed, confusion over the recent events torturing him. He slipped silently into the living area, gazing at Morgan's sleeping form on the settee, Allan curled up beside her. His heart clenched at the sight, guilt over having a hand in Suleah's kidnapping overwhelming him. Terrick spied the deck of cards lying on the table and he remembered the game Morgan had taught him. He picked up the deck, sitting down, quietly shuffling the cards in his hand.
Morgan had been kind to him and he repaid her compassion by hurting her. Terrick found that he missed the feisty woman who had banged his head off the window ledge the first time she had come to speak with him. There was nothing he could say to her now that would change the past.
But there was something he could do.
Terrick replaced the cards to their spot on the table and knelt next to Morgan, reaching out hesitantly to brush a lock of hair from her forehead as he gazed at her. "I'm sorry, Morgan," he whispered. "And you are correct. I am a drensucker." He smiled, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "But I promise you this. I will find my…half-sister and I will bring her home to you and father." Terrick stood up and slipped out the door, evading his escort as he made his way to the landing bay.
By the time anyone realized he was gone, Terrick had already left the system, heading towards Suleah's last known coordinates, never realizing that he was being followed…
Morgan watched as the transport pod containing her family disappeared into Zorosa's night sky, the last of the fading sun's rays glinting off the hull of the ship. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat on the rock ledge above the city, the same ledge Terrick had attempted to throw her from. She drew her knees up, resting her chin on them as she gazed over the landscape, the transponder at the back of her neck blinking slowly. Crais had fixed Crichton's fusing, allowing her to remove it to gain privacy from Talyn. But Morgan found herself relying on the gunships feed and was afraid that without it, the evil memories would return.
She had spent the previous night curled up in Crais' embrace after making love for the first time since returning to the planet. She leaned her cheek on her knee, a soft, almost sad smile crossing her face. Morgan wondered if everything would be the same again, hoping that with time and help, she would regain her confidence. And, as Crichton succinctly pointed out, finding her former cockiness.
She sat back up, running her fingers through her hair as someone stepped up behind her. Morgan glanced quickly over her shoulder to identify the person, even though Talyn had already informed her of his identity. She licked her lips, sucking on her upper lip as he sat down beside her. "Why did you do it?" she simply asked. "Why didn't you just let Raseen kill me?"
Braca folded his hands in his lap as he followed her gaze to the horizon, watching the array of colors left by the sun fade. He didn't answer her right away. "Because you have a son that still needs you." He stopped, looking at her. "And because I have watched the Peacekeepers enslave more and more planets with their…bullying tactics than I can stomach." He shifted on the warm rocks, turning to face her. "When Crais and Talyn were brought aboard the command carrier all those cycles ago, Crais called me a 'consummate Peacekeeper'. I was very hurt by his words." He looked past her at the darkening sky. "I have always respected Crais, even though I did not understand the pain he felt at Tauvo's 'death'. His words made me start to think about what was going on around me and he planted the seeds of doubt in my mind, making me question…the oaths I had taken." He canted his head as his eyes met hers. "Terrick told Raseen that the resistance wasn't against the Peacekeepers, but against everything they had come to represent." He shook his head. "And he was right."
Morgan blinked, never taking her eyes from him. "Now that you've lost everything, maybe it will be a bit easier to understand your former commander," she softly commented.
Braca shrugged. "Maybe." He took Morgan's hand, rubbing his finger over her wedding band. "I want to help Morgan. The resistance needs as many people as it can get and I want to help." He looked at the two guards standing a short piece away. "I am hindered though by Crais and Tauvo's mistrust."
Morgan nodded in understanding. "So what do want from me?" she asked softly.
Braca smiled kindly. "What do I want from you? I want you to fight what Scorpius did. And you'll need all the physical strength you can muster as well as mental." He swallowed. "I didn't lie about Suleah's location. And if you plan on rejoining the Captain in the hunt for your daughter when they return, you need to be considerably stronger than you are now."
The sincerity of Braca's words hit home with Morgan. She lifted her chin slightly. "What do you propose, Lieutenant?"
"Let me teach you how to fight like a Peacekeeper."
Terrick listened as his grandparents talked quietly in the kitchen of their home on Zorosa 3. He couldn't make out all of their words, but he knew they were discussing him by the tone of their soft voices. He sighed, confusion over the recent events torturing him. He slipped silently into the living area, gazing at Morgan's sleeping form on the settee, Allan curled up beside her. His heart clenched at the sight, guilt over having a hand in Suleah's kidnapping overwhelming him. Terrick spied the deck of cards lying on the table and he remembered the game Morgan had taught him. He picked up the deck, sitting down, quietly shuffling the cards in his hand.
Morgan had been kind to him and he repaid her compassion by hurting her. Terrick found that he missed the feisty woman who had banged his head off the window ledge the first time she had come to speak with him. There was nothing he could say to her now that would change the past.
But there was something he could do.
Terrick replaced the cards to their spot on the table and knelt next to Morgan, reaching out hesitantly to brush a lock of hair from her forehead as he gazed at her. "I'm sorry, Morgan," he whispered. "And you are correct. I am a drensucker." He smiled, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "But I promise you this. I will find my…half-sister and I will bring her home to you and father." Terrick stood up and slipped out the door, evading his escort as he made his way to the landing bay.
By the time anyone realized he was gone, Terrick had already left the system, heading towards Suleah's last known coordinates, never realizing that he was being followed…