Nothing's Quite The Same

Story by: Neuroscpr and Can

P15: by Neuroscpr

Setting: After DWTB, spoilers up until that ep

Rating: R

Summary: John and the other displaced members of the crew embark on their own missions as Moya heads into unknown territory.



You don't have to do this. Just put the gun down."

"You put your gun down, then I'll do it," he growled back.

"No, it doesn't work that way. Put the gun down or I'll shoot you."

The soldier shook his head and lowered his weapon slowly. He glanced around the room in one last vain attempt at escape and then lunged.

Aeryn saw his move before he even began it. Stepping aside, she let him pass by and then kicked his feet out from under him. The ex-peacekeeper tucked her pistol softly against his chest.

"You still have a choice," she said.

He sneered at her and tried to raise himself up only to be slammed back down. His gun went loose and slid harmlessly across the floor.

"I would rather die than tell you anything," he spat.

Aeryn shook her head in an almost melancholic way and stood up. She lifted a heavy black boot and set it down firmly against his neck.

"Aeryn! We've captured another one. This one's cooperating."

Jaron stopped and took in the scene in front of him. A smile formed on his lips.

"You need any help with that?"

She took her leg back a bit and then kicked forward savagely. Aeryn kept her eyes on Jaron as she stepped over the limp body and headed for the door.

"Put him with the rest," she said.

Jaron nodded slightly and headed into the room. He felt for the soldier's pulse and got a faint reading. 'Frell, she didn't kill him.'

Judging from experience, the rebel decided it hadn't been an accident. He cupped the enemy's head in his hands and twisted it until he heard the snap. Then without another word, Jaron headed after his commanding officer.

"What is he saying," Aeryn asked as she sensed him coming up from behind.

"Who?" He asked.

Aeryn stopped abruptly but did not bother to turn around. "You said there was a prisoner."

"Oh, yes," Jaron said, embarrassed. "He wanted to speak to the person in charge. That's you now."

She gave her somewhat awkward subordinate a harsh look and continued on her way. Aeryn didn't like the way he looked at her. It made her feel cold inside.

"Take him to my cabin," she whispered. "I'll meet with him there."

Aeryn walked up onto the ramp of their ship and left Jaron standing alone in the darkness of the destroyed peacekeeper ship.

He watched her go in silence. The satisfaction of a job well somewhat lacking.

'She doesn't feel anything,' he thought and headed off on his assignment.



"Just leave me alone!"

Chiana repeated the angry words again and ran back into the station. Her head was swimming with dark thoughts and the last thing she needed now was to feel better.

"Chiana wait!" D'Argo shouted as she went. He made no move to stop her, however. It would be best to give her time.

'No, frell that!' He hurried to catch up.

The Nebari headed back in a rush and into the makeshift hangar. Passing John by without a word, she disappeared into the bowels of the satellite.

D'Argo followed but stopped when he spotted John sitting quietly on the floor.

"She didn't mean it you know."

John looked up at him and gave a weak smile. "It doesn't matter," he said.

The Luxan nodded with more than a little concern and continued on after Chiana.

Crichton lowered his head.

D'Argo slid his hand around the jammed door and pushed it aside. The available space would have been enough for Chiana, but not him. Moving slowly, so to avoid injury, he made his way through the gloom in search of her.

"Chiana?" he said rather loudly.

The words echoed off the drab gray walls and produced no answer. D'Argo looked around with his heightened sight and took in the place he had led them all to. It was bigger than it looked from the outside and the space they were in now would definitely protect from scanners. But they were still vulnerable, in more ways than one.

He found her sitting still on an abandoned desk. Chiana's eyes were wide and staring forward at nothing in particular. She did not acknowledge him.

The Luxan watched her and felt his insides ache a little. She looked almost exactly like when they had first met. When she'd been nothing but a suspicious stranger and him her unwilling crew mate. Now things were different. He didn't like the pain in those eyes.

"I didn't mean. I didn't mean it, I'm sorry," she whispered.

Chiana seemed to slump forward after saying the words. Her wildly combed hair hung down over her face making the Nebari look almost feral. The deadness in her gaze contrasted sharply.

"You don't have to be sorry," he said. "I was angry too."

She looked up at him and smiled warmly' her eyes appearing to light up at the sight of him. That quickly disappeared.

"No, you don't understand. She's gone D'Argo, I saw it."

D'Argo stiffened at the words. He wasn't sure exactly how to react.

"What?" he managed.

Chiana answered without looking back at him. She couldn't decide whether it was the thought of moving or meeting his gaze that frightened her more.

"I saw Moya die. That's why I came," she said almost inaudibly.

He took a step forward and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. The softness of her skin reminded him of so much....pain, but other things too, good things.

"I don't believe that," D'Argo said. "You, Crichton, and I, we'll find her and bring her back. I promise you."

Their eyes met at that moment and D'Argo saw something deeply troubling in hers. He waited for her to say something. She didn't.

Chiana continued to sit quietly, deep in thought. Questions arose that she did not want to answer. Then something happened. Movement beneath her. She stood up and slid off the table.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

D'Argo nodded. "What is it?"

"A ship."



Grayza watched with a thin smile on her face as the four soldiers entered from a side door. The marauder stood ready for them with its hatch open. As they passed her, she extended a hand lightly and touched the pilot's shoulder.

"Is there a problem commandant?" he asked.

The face she saw made her smile. So young, so eager to please. Grayza wondered for a moment how many men like him she'd sent into certain death. Probably thousands.

'Oh well, what's four more?'

"This query is very important to me, soldier. Make sure you do it right."

The man saluted her and sped up to catch his mates. All four of them boarded and the ship began its quick ascent into the air.

Grayza waited until the ship was out of the hangar to turn her comm on. It didn't take very long for the device to go off. She tapped it.

"What is it corporal," she asked.

"Commandant!" The commanding officer on the carrier's bridge had already seen what was happening. Peacekeeper ships didn't normally fly that way.

"Yes....."

"Sir, the ship....it's faltering," the voice said.

No clear emotion crossed Grayza's face. Then without warning she exploded.

"Corporal! Whatever the frell is happening out there, you fix it now! I want John Crichton here within the arn or your lifeless body will be floating in space! Do you understand me?"

There was a short silence.

"Sir, there's nothing we can do from here. It appears to be a mechanical problem," the corporal said weakly.

"Then be advised that you and your staff are all dead men. This is unacceptable!"

She took a step forward and peered out into the darkness of space. Barely visible, the marauder was hurtling wildly toward the satellite below it. Grayza considered if she'd put enough extra cesium fuel into the tank.

"Corporal! What are you doing to resolve this?" she shouted.

The comm went off immediately with the sound of a slightly more assured soldier on the other end.

"We've deployed our docking webs, sir," he said shakily.

Grayza almost laughed.

"Corporal, you do realize that those docking webs are prototypes. They don't have enough range! Do something else!"

There were shuffling sounds on the other end but no answer.

"Shoot it down you idiot!"

The corporal spoke immediately this time, which only meant he could say no without thinking about it.

"Sir, it's too close to the satellite...."

A loud explosion rocked the space outside and bright orange flashes were visible from Grayza's location. She moved forward to get a better look and saw the satellite crumbling into itself. With one final boom, the debris scattered across the horizon.

"Thank you corporal."



"Peacekeepers don't talk."

The door slammed shut and once again the room was in complete darkness. Sitting quietly in his chair, the man in black did not seem to notice. His eyes were closed and there was the slightest hint of a frown on his face.

"No, they don't," he said.

Aeryn flipped the light switch on and was annoyed to find she was the only one blinded. Taking in the man's features, she continued.

"Then why are you here?" She asked.

The man nodded with little enthusiasm.

"I was on my ship. The one that was attacked, by you I assume."

Aeryn did not make any attempt to answer.

"Rebel soldiers boarded us, and a gun was placed against my head. They said talk or die. I prefer to talk."

She sat down in the chair across from him with a grim expression on her face. Interrogation was an art that Aeryn had never been properly introduced to. Well, at least not without torture involved.

"So you're a coward," she stated.

The man smiled. "Yes, a living one."

He locked eyes with her and waited. There was no rush for him to give her what she wanted. At this point, all he could do was hope they'd let him go when it was all over.

"Alright. Why shouldn't I kill you?" Aeryn asked.

The man broke their stare and looked up at the ceiling. He appeared to be deciding something though Aeryn could not fathom what.

"A ship is scheduled to pass through this sector sometime in the next two solar days. You won't find any information on it in our databases, but I assure you it is coming.

"Why should I care?"

He nodded. "There is cargo aboard that ship that some may consider valuable."

Aeryn leaned forward in her chair until the two of them were mere inches apart. "What is the cargo?" she asked.

The man pushed himself away from her with a sudden look of discomfort. His eyes betrayed what he was feeling. "I don't know exactly," he said. "Only that it is important."

Aeryn reached for her gun and removed it from the holster. She lifted it up and aimed it in between the man's legs. "That's it?"

His eyes danced wildly in panic. "Wait, there are other things I can tell you!" He tried to stand up but Aeryn shoved him back down.

"Did you know the Dominar of Hyneria is dead?"

Aeryn's eyes went wide. "What?"

She felt something.



"I'm right here! Let's just get this the frell over with," he shouted.

The exit hatch slid open and a familiar figure stepped out. Commandant Mele-On Grayza lifted herself up to full height and removed her pistol from its holster. It was quickly aimed at John Crichton's head.

"Ok, listen. I'm not gonna fight you," John said.

Grayza kept her gun aimed and continued toward him.

John lifted his hands above his head in a gesture of surrender. He caught a slight smile on the commandant's face but nothing more.

She stopped within inches of him and pressed her pistol into his chest. Grayza's face twisted into a grin.

"You've been misinformed," she whispered.

The pulse pistol fired once.

Chiana screamed.



"Pip, I could kiss you," John said.

Sandwiched in between the human and the Luxan, Chiana suddenly returned back to the cockpit of D'Argo's ship. She shook the shivers off and looked around, realizing no one had heard her.

"What?" she asked.

John turned towards her with a look of frightened understanding.

"You saw something else? Tell me it's a way to get us out of here," he said excitedly.

Chiana stared at Crichton and was horrified as the vision's images came back to her. Suddenly all the anger she'd felt only a little while earlier melted away. She just wanted to show him how good it was to see him again. Then the final image hit her.

"We're in trouble."