Title: Rystal
Author: DOKChairman
Time/Spoilers: I really have no idea when this takes place, but if I had to say, it takes place before John was twinned, but after Zhaan dies. Everything before that is fair game.
Summary: After a disastrous fight with Aeryn, John is abandoned on a strange planet. He soon discovers an ancient and mysterious prophecy that leads to open warfare with the Peacekeepers, and maybe a way home.
Disclaimer: "Farscape", its characters, and its situations don't belong to me - they are the propertyof The Jim Henson Company, Rockne S. O'Bannon, the Sci-Fi Channel, Hallmark Entertainment, and Nine Network Australia. The only thing that belongs to me is the original story and characters.
Author's Note: I'll try to make this brief. This is my first ever story, so please forgive me for it. I am only writing this story because the idea has been plaguing my mind for months, and putting it on paper was the only way to stay sane. This will be a rather long story; it's actually a trilogy. This is just the first part of what I hope will be a decently entertaining epic in the Farscape universe.
Second Author's Note: I would like to thank those who have given me feedback; it is much appreciated. Like before, any and all feedback is encouraged, especially constructive criticism. With regards to my story, I apologize for taking so long to update. I've had some major technical problems with my computer, and it has been mostly out of commission.
Third Author's Note: I would also like to thank Bolo for his review. It was your idea that led to the final action piece in this chapter. Surprisingly, until your message I had not even thought of John fighting against a Rotarian. Any more ideas you have, or anyone else, would be helpful. I might just use them in my story.
"Perhaps you can. You have every incentive. The welfare of Earth hangs on your doing so and, as you have told me, your own career."
"What good is incentive? If you ordered me to fly by flapping my arms and told me further that if I failed, I would be promptly killed by slow torture and that Earth would be blown up and all its population destroyed, I would have enormous incentive to flap my wings and fly-and yet still be unable to do so."
-Isaac Asimov, The Robots of Dawn
Chapter 4: Free as a Bird, Caged as a Lion
One month (monen) after the events in Abandon all Hope-
John Crichton was exhausted. He hadn't had a decent night of sleep in over two weekens. He was too busy running and fighting to sleep. Ever since Kwami and his resistance cell, or the Rystalva as the native Rotarians called it, had rescued John from Peacekeeper imprisonment, he had been constantly on the move.
With no way off planet, John had learned of his abandonment by Moya only arns after being rescued, and with almost 30,000 Peacekeeper soldiers searching the planet for him, John had decided that the best course of action for him to take would be for him to join Kwami's group.
Almost immediately after joining the Rystalva, Kwami had given John command of a squad of men. John had protested of course. He wanted nothing to do with that kind of responsibility. Having twelve men and women depending on him scared the dren out of him. That wasn't the only reason why he had protested, though. Commanding a squad of men had certain permanence to it, like he was making an extended commitment. John was grateful for the Rystalva's rescue and for letting him stay with them, but he had still planned on leaving the planet as soon as possible. There had been a small part of him that was hoping that any day, Moya would come back and pick him up. That feeling had faded in time, though.
John was too busy trying to survive to think too much about Moya, or for that matter, Aeryn. When he did think of them, it was with fondness, but after a monen of living in caves and eating stale food cubes, he had moved on and formed a new psuedo-family. John was an adapter, he had already proven that by first surviving on Moya and now he had proven it again by thriving on Rotar.
The biggest reason, though, why John had accepted command of his unit was because of his second in command. Juli Fallon was, in John's opinion, the best soldier he had ever seen. In less than a monen, she had taught John all there was to know about small unit tactics, infiltration and sabotage, and John's personal favorite, escape and evasion. It was because of Juli's proficiency that John didn't mind commanding his squad.
John was no fool. Unlike some officers in the military back on Earth that he had met, John didn't let his ego control his actions. He knew that when it came to being a soldier, he knew very little. So he let Juli handle the day-to-day operations of the squad. Sure he made the big decisions, but almost always with Juli's advice.
It hadn't been that way at first, though. In the beginning, John had hated Juli. She was the one responsible for what had happened between him and Aeryn. After a couple of days together, she had come to him one night and confessed that she knew that Aeryn had been there when she kissed him and that she did it on purpose. John had been furious, of course, and said some very bad things that he was not proud of saying. But eventually John's anger had faded. It was hard to stay mad at someone who repeatedly saved your life.
John realized that even though Juli had kissed him on purpose, and had started the whole fiasco with Aeryn, it was Aeryn that had blown the whole thing way out of proportion. Aeryn had left him on the planet, and naturally he was still very bitter about that. He had begun to forgive Juli for what she did, and he had learned to respect her and her abilities. It was only a few days ago that he had begun to really open himself to the possibility of becoming friends with Juli. Ever since then, things had been going great between them. And, with John and Juli's increasing closeness, the unit was benefiting as well.
John's squad was one of the best in all of the Rystalva, mostly because of Juli, although, Kwami had sort of stacked the deck in John's favor. He had assigned the best people he had to make up John's squad. His reasoning that since John had the most experience and practical knowledge of the way that Peacekeepers worked, he should also have the most well trained and experienced people the Rystalva had. John was very proud of the people that had become his new family. He would never be as close to them as he was with Aeryn and the others aboard Moya, but they were all he had now.
John' unit was reflective of the society of the planet. His unit was made up of twelve: five Rotarians, all male, and seven Sebaceans, Juli being the only female in the group. Not that that was a disadvantage for Juli, she could easily beat any of the male Sebaceans in a fight (she was a Disruptor after all) and had even manage to fight to a draw two of the Rotarians.
It was still difficult for John to wrap his mind around the fact that Sebaceans were actually taking orders from aliens. John was so used to the racial discrimination of the Sebacean species, that he had been surprised to see them working with the Rotarians. John had quickly learned though, that discrimination was almost non-existent on Rotar. It just wasn't practical. In order to survive, any racial differences had to be put on the back burner.
John was still thinking about the last monen, when he heard loud voices quickly approaching him. It was time for his nightly debriefing of the troops. Soon all twelve members of his squad walked into the large room that was used as both a mess hall, and when needed, hospital. With the exception of his team, the room was empty. John had chased everyone out; he didn't like having any distractions when he did his debriefings.
John studied his unit as they filed in. Of the seven Sebaceans, four of them were ex-Peacekeepers, including Juli, trained in everything one would expect of Peacekeepers, and the three other Sebaceans were all former ship mechanics that had worked in the spaceport before joining up. The five Rotarian males were typical of their species: tall, lithe, extremely strong, and very ruthless when they wanted to be. John remembered a time on a previous mission when the oldest Rotarian, Gray (John couldn't pronounce his name, so he just called him gray because of the color of his fur), had decapitated two Peacekeepers with his claws when they had unfortunately happened upon his unit when they were on an intelligence gathering mission. John still felt a chill run up his spine every time he thought of that incident.
Not that they encountered Peacekeepers very much. Despite the fact that the Peacekeepers had stepped up their patrols on the planet ever since John's rescue, High Command was not happy that one of their most highly trained and highly specialized units had been wiped out, John and his unit had only gone up against the Peacekeepers four times. Each time they had escaped unscathed. Unfortunately for the Peacekeepers, the same could not be said for them. John's unit had wracked up a pretty impressive body count during those four encounters.
John stopped his ruminations as his team finally sat down on long benches that made up the only seating in the room, and Juli walked up to him and took her normal position standing next to him on his right side. John was quiet as he studied the drawn and tired faces of the people in front of him. John began to speak in a loud, and what he hoped was a commanding voice, "Alright, I'll try to make this as quick as possible. I can see you're all pretty tired." John took a deep breath before he continued. "I just wanted to congratulate all of you on a job well done. Our mission this morning was a complete success. The information that we gathered today will go a long way in furthering our fight against the Peacekeepers."
John saw the smiles on the faces of the group and felt a smile come upon his face as well. "I know you all think you don't deserve a reward for just doing your job, but I think you do. I manage to procure a little 'refreshment' from the supply depot for you guys." With that said John stepped away from the crate he was hiding. Inside the crate were bottles of fellip nectar, a very rare commodity in the Rystalva. It was usually only reserved for the higher ups because it was so hard to get. When you are constantly on the move, you don't exactly have the time to run to the local 7-11.
John saw the faces of the men in front of him light up at the sight of the fellip nectar. It made him happy that he could do a little something for them when they did so much for him. He began to pass the crate around the men as he continued talking, "I also think you deserve to have a full days rest. I've made sure that we don't have anything to do tomorrow, so sleep, get drunk, or do anything else that you feel like doing. The important thing is that you relax and have some fun."
"That's about all I have to say for tonight. Unless Juli has something to add, you guys are free to leave." He looked at Juli and saw her nod her head in the negative, and so the men began to leave. Eventually the room was empty except for John and Juli. John himself was about to leave until he saw the look on Juli's face. It was one of disapproval.
John frowned, "What? You don't like what I did?"
Juli returned John's frown, "Of course not. I realize that you think that you are doing them a favor by letting them relax, but you're not. The only hope that we have in eventually defeating the Peacekeepers is to keep a constant vigilance. If we were to suddenly come under attack, those men would be unable to do anything because they would be too drunk to even hold a gun."
John grinned at Juli, "You need to lighten up Juli. You're way to uptight about these things. Just let them have their fun. They've earned a little R&R."
Juli still looked annoyed about John's cavalier attitude. She said almost sulkily "It is not the Peacekeeper way."
John let out a short laugh at Juli's comment. "I don't know if you've noticed Juli, but we aren't exactly the Peacekeepers." John then pointed at the dark, dank, and slightly wet walls of the cave they were staying in to emphasize his point.
John suddenly grew more serious and his exhaustion could be heard in his voice. "Look Juli, I admire your dedication and discipline, and most of the time I would agree with you. But not today. Just leave it alone." John yawned and rubbed his hand across his eyes. "I'm going to take my own advice and get some sleep. Goodnight Juli."
Juli suddenly got a bright smile on her face. She said playfully, "Do you want me to come with you?"
John returned her smile with one of his own. He then said exasperatedly, "You don't quit do you? I don't think that I would get much sleep if you came with me, so no thank you. I would much rather sleep right now than frell." John briefly paused before exclaiming, "God! I can't believe I just said that!"
Juli was still smiling at John, "Alright John, but sooner or later I'll eventually wear you down. But you're right you need your sleep. Goodnight John." With that said, Juli left the room.
The scary thing, John thought, is that she is probably right. John knew how tenacious Juli could be, especially when it came to things she wanted. Since the very beginning of their tenuous relationship, she had made it perfectly clear how she felt about him. At first John had resisted because of his dislike of Juli and because Aeryn's rejection was still too fresh in his mind. But John no longer disliked Juli, so that was no longer a viable excuse for refusing her. However, dealing with the Aeryn issue was still too huge an obstacle to overcome. John knew that no matter how much he may want to have a relationship with Juli, or anyone else, he would never do anything until he resolved his feelings for Aeryn. And that meant finding her and having a very long talk about everything that had happened.
John just shook his head in quiet bitterness and left the mess hall. He was about halfway to his quarters when Kwami intercepted him. Kwami immediately spoke up, "Good, I'm glad I caught you before you went to bed. We need to talk John Crichton."
John sighed. Once again it looks like I'm not going to be getting any sleep tonight. "Sure Kwami. Let's go to my quarters."
They walked the remaining distance to John's room in companionable silence. John and Kwami had become fast friends ever since they had first met over a monen ago. John was closer to Kwami than anyone else. In many ways, Kwami was very similar to D'argo. Both were strong, warriors, had strong morals and honor, and both had short tempers. To be fair, much like the Luxans, Rotarians suffered from their own form of hyper rage, except theirs was not as strong and was much more difficult to trigger. Kwami would probably never replace D'argo, but he was the first person that John had met that he felt completely comfortable with.
They finally reached John's room, went inside, and John sat down on his cot of a bed while Kwami remained standing. "So what's up Kwami?"
Kwami looked confused for a microt, before he shook his head. "I do not know what is up John, but I need to talk to you about something very important."
John waved his hand for Kwami to continue, "Sure Kwami, lay it on me."
Kwami chose to ignore another one of John's strange remarks and continued on with what he came to say. "John, I have decided to add more men to your unit. Two more squads to be exact. I want you to be at platoon strength."
John was shocked. This was not what he was expecting. This was the last thing he wanted, more people to be responsible for. "Why the frell are you giving me more men. I don't want anymore!"
Kwami was expecting John's reaction. He already had his entire argument planned out in advance. "Your unit is the best John. You have the highest success rate of any unit, your men are the most well trained, and you seem to have an uncanny ability of getting out of dangerous situations unharmed. That is the kind of leadership we need more of in the Rystalva."
John was not even close to being convinced. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing Kwami! Juli does everything, not me. If you want to add more men, then fine, but put her in charge. I don't want that kind of responsibility; I don't need that kind of responsibility."
"I understand your reluctance, John. In fact, I think it is admirable that you feel that way. But you are wrong. It is true that Juli is a far better soldier than you are, but she is not half the leader you are. We need leaders, not soldiers.
I know that you don't see it John, but it is there. The people in your unit, Juli especially, don't follow you because you are the best soldier or the strongest warrior. They follow you because they see in you something special. And I see it too. It is why I wanted you to join us in the beginning. You are precisely what we need to defeat the Peacekeepers."
John looked incredulously at Kwami, "What the hell are you talking about? You are the leader of the Rystalva, Kwami. You are what we need to beat the PK's, not me."
Kwami smiled kindly at John, "You are kind to say that John, but it is not true. Yes, while it is true that others follow me, they only do so because they fear and respect me. But you, John, are special. Your men follow you because they see something in you that not only makes them respect you, but also love and believe in you. That is a gift that I don't have. The more men that are exposed to that gift the better off the Rystalva will be. You are the legendary John Crichton. If anyone can do it, its you."
John was still not convinced, "I just don't see it Kwami. I am only a man, not a legend."
"You may only be a man, John Crichton, but you are living the legend."
John was exasperated, "I can't tell the difference. I don't have that kind of power over them."
"Oh, but you do John. I know all about you John. I have heard everything that is said about you, as have your men. You were only an ignorant, primitive being when you first came through your wormhole. Despite everything arrayed against you, you survived. You turned a violent group of fugitives into a family and a team. A team that managed to get out of every dangerous situation placed in front of them, including evading capture from the Peacekeepers for more than two cycles. You made people who had absolutely nothing in common find a common ground and work together.
And I also know about you and Scorpius. Most men would not have survived what that abomination put you through and still be sane. Even fewer men would have resisted giving him the information he seeks. But you did because you know what kind of power he would have if you gave him the knowledge he is so desperate for. You are a man of principle, of honor and honesty; you are a better man than me. It is because of these things that your men follow you. It is why I would follow you, but you are not quite ready for that yet."
John was stunned. He didn't know Kwami believed in him that much. He didn't know what to say to that. "I don't know what to say Kwami. No one has ever believed in me that much before, I don't know what to do."
Kwami put one of his large hands on John's shoulder. "It is not necessary to say anything John Crichton. It is the truth and it is how I feel. You have the most powerful gift in the universe John, the power of the word. I control the body of those that follow me, but with the power of the word, you control not only the body, but the soul as well."
John was still trying to wrap his mind around Kwami's glowing endorsement. He knew that as much as he might not like it, there was no way he could possibly refuse Kwami after he had said those things. John suddenly felt an intense urge not to let Kwami down. He wanted to do all those things Kwami said he could do. "Alright Kwami, you twisted my arm, but I'll do it. On one condition, though, Juli remains my second in command and I get to choose the new people."
Kwami's smile was so huge that his large, sharp teeth were showing. "That is more than acceptable John. I am happy you have decided to willingly accept my demand. I would have hated to make it an order."
John smiled at Kwami. "Uh…now that we got that out of the way, I could really use some sleep."
"Of course John Crichton. We will select your new men tomorrow. It is important that you get started immediately." Kwami then got up and left John's room.
Once Kwami was gone, John immediately collapsed on top of his bed. He was too tired to even remove his clothes. His last thought before sleep overcame him was: What the hell did I just get myself into.
It had been a weeken since the size of John's unit had nearly tripled and he was still getting used to it. John was no longer responsible for only thirteen people, but now responsible for almost 40 people. He had to learn to delegate his orders to the different squads. It was definitely a learning experience. It reminded him why he had not joined the military back on Earth.
It was not very hard choosing the people to be in his unit. He actually didn't really do anything. He let Juli pick who she thought the most qualified, and then he either said yes or no. He promoted three of the people in his old squad to officers and made them the squad leaders. They were people he was most familiar with and knew could handle the job.
It had taken a while for the new units to get used to each other. They had to learn who everybody was and how they operated. They trained non-stop for the entire weeken making sure the three units could work as a team. They had even gone on two relatively easy missions to give the new people a feel for how John and his group operated. Luckily for John, everyone in his unit had at least minimal combat experience.
It was now time for his nightly debriefing, a tradition he had decided to continue to provide continuity. His forty-man unit, comprised of the usual mix of Rotarians and Sebaceans, were all seated on the long benches inside the mess hall.
Juli was currently talking, going over the mundane stuff that John knew needed to be covered but wanted nothing to do with. Eventually after about five more minutes, Juli wrapped up and it was John's turn to speak.
John stood up in the middle of the room so that everyone could see him. He spoke loudly, his voice echoing off the walls of the cave. "This weeken has been hard on all of us. We've had to get used to new people and new ways of doing things. But, I think that is all over with now. We've gotten to know our new people. They have become part of the family, and that couldn't make me happier.
You new people have joined the best unit in the Rystalva, and I fully intend to keep it that way. I expect everyone to do their part and give all that they have. In return I will try my hardest to be the best commander I can be. I ain't promising you that I won't screw up, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum."
John got a laugh from the assembled group with his last comment. "I think that you all deserve a break. We have a clear schedule for the next day, so enjoy your free time. It will probably be the last time you have any for a few weekens." A loud cheer rang out from the group. John smiled at them and was about to dismiss them when the room suddenly started shaking.
John, surprised, shouted out, "What the hell was that!"
There were many shouts of surprise among the assembled group. Everyone was standing and murmuring to each other about what was going on.
Another shock rocked the room, this one much larger and stronger than the last. It was almost like the cave was under attack. Under attack? John was about to send someone to go find out what was going on when the base alarm started blaring. It was almost deafening inside the cave, echoing off the walls. It was perfect for making sure everyone in the complex knew something was going on.
The alarm suddenly stopped, but the shocks still continued. A voice came over the base PA system. John could hear the gravelly voice of the Rystalva's leader, Kwami. "This is an emergency. We are under attack by a Peacekeeper force of unknown strength. Base security has been compromised. Prepare for immediate evacuation and all combat units prepare to repel the enemy. I repeat, this is an emergency." Kwami began to repeat the message over and over again.
John turned to the assembled group and saw many emotions fleet across their faces. Many were shocked and he could see panic in their eyes. For most of them, this would be the first time they ever fought against a strong Peacekeeper force. He needed them to focus, if they were going to get through this.
"Alright people! You heard the boss. We got Peacekeepers to kill and people to save. There are hundreds of people depending on us to do our jobs and buy them enough time to get to safety. This is what we have been training for. We are the best and its time the Peacekeepers learned that first hand."
John could see everyone begin to calm down and they were focusing on him. It was time for him to be what Kwami thought he could be. "I know some of you are scared, that's ok. Only an idiot wouldn't be scared. It's what you do with your fear that matters. Control your fear don't let it control you. If you remember your training and work together, then you will survive. I promise you that I will never stop fighting as long as I'm still alive. All I ask is that you make the same promise to me."
John could see looks of determination cross the face of his troops. "Let's suit up! It's time to kick some Peacekeeper ass."
The men let out a cheer as they ran out of the room, their officers trying to keep the unit in order. John and Juli stayed behind, watching the retreating forms of the soldiers leaving the mess hall. Juli turned towards John and asked him, "Are you ready for this?"
John let out a short laugh, "Hell no I'm not ready for this. I'll never be ready for dren like this. Won't stop me though. How about you, you ready for this?" John knew it was a stupid question as soon as he asked it.
Juli gave a sharp laugh as she checked the pulse charge on her pistol. "You forget who you're talking to John. I was born to do this."
John just shook his head as they left the room, heading towards the action.
Things were not going well for the Rystalva. It had been more than an arn since the attack by the Peacekeepers had begun, and the fighting was still going strong. It was obvious to John that they were losing. The Rystalva only had about three hundred soldiers to begin with, and at least a quarter of them had been killed so far during the fighting. John's unit alone had already lost twelve people, including one of the squad leaders. The only bright spot in the whole debacle was that they had managed to evacuate the majority of their non-combatant personnel to their secondary base. They only had about fifty more people they needed to buy time for, and then they themselves could retreat.
Currently John and Juli, along with his remaining men, were holding an important t-junction in the cavern passage system. The passage they were holding led to the only way out of the cave complex they were using as a base.
John could hear weapons fire farther up the passageway. Damn, the Peacekeepers are getting closer. John knew that his unit held the most important passage in the cave system. If the Peacekeepers got past his unit, they would have free run of the rest of the complex and would be able to kill or capture the rest of the Rystalva.
John turned towards Juli, who was crouching beside him, and began to talk quietly to her, "Look, Juli, if things really go pear shaped, I want you to get out of here. Take what survivors you can and find some place to hole up.'
Juli got an angry look on her face, "What the frell are you talking about John. I'm not leaving you or my position. This is where I belong; do not try to protect me from this. I don't need your protection. If anyone needs protection, it's you."
John got frustrated with Juli, she reminded him so much of Aeryn at times like this. "Alright fine! I won't ask you to leave, but you make me a promise that you won't do something stupid and pull some kamikaze stunt. If we have to retreat, I want you sticking to my ass like white on rice, you hear me?"
Juli had no idea what John was talking about, but she could see how serious John was, and was very touched. He really cares about you, she thought happily. "I promise John that I won't do something stupid and I will try as hard as I can to stay alive."
John was content with her answer. It was probably the best he was going to get. "Good. That's all I ask."
Another explosion went off sending debris and dirt falling on top of John and the others. John looked towards the end of the passageway to see about fifteen people coming towards them. They were the remaining Rystalva soldiers that had been stalling the Peacekeeper advance. Kwami was at the lead of the retreating soldiers, his long metal staff gleaming in the dim light of the cave.
Kwami quickly approached John and Juli and crouched down beside them. The rest of his men spread out along the passageway looking for any cover they could find. It was the first time John had seen Kwami since the fighting started. He was covered with dirt and his fur was singed in multiple places. His claws were extended and John could see fresh blood on them. John could also see blood on Kwami's staff. John knew Kwami liked to fight hand to hand with his enemy, as did most Rotarians, because their hands were not suited very well to carrying a gun.
Without much preamble, Kwami began speaking to John, "There are at least a hundred Peacekeepers heading this way. We tried to stop them, but they overran us in only a few microts. They will probably hit this position in less than 30 microts. I don't know how long we'll be able to hold them off, but it has to be long enough to let the others escape."
John whispered to Kwami, "What the hell happened? How did they find us, I thought this base was a secret?"
Kwami turned his head from looking down the passageway to John and responded, "I have no idea how they found us. Perhaps they spotted and followed one of the patrols, or maybe someone informed them of our location. I don't know. How they found us is not important right now, though, the only thing that we need to worry about right now is stopping them."
John was embarrassed, "Right, sorry I jumped down your throat. Do you have any ideas how we're going to stop them? I mean we're outnumbered at least 2 to 1."
"I am sorry John Crichton, but I am as clueless as you are. I suggest we try to kill them and see where it goes from there. Agreed?"
John smiled, "Sure thing boss. Sounds like my kind of plan. Do something stupid and pray it all works out in the end."
Juli decided to join in the conversation, "Definitely sounds like something you would do John."
John feigned hurt, "Hey! I come up with good plans. It's not my fault someone else always screws them up."
Juli was about to give John a biting remark, when the Peacekeepers decided that it was time for them to join the party.
Pulse blasts began lighting up the passageway, allowing the defenders to see the assaulting Peacekeepers. From what John could tell, there were at least twenty Peacekeepers moving down the passageway. They were moving in perfect formation, leapfrogging from one form of cover to another. Unfortunately, there wasn't much cover to begin with. Which was an advantage and a disadvantage to both sides. John suddenly had a flash of the scene from the first Star Wars movie, when the Rebels aboard the captured ship were waiting in the hallway for the oncoming Stormtroopers. John and the remaining defenders were in much the same position as those Rebel troops had been. I only hope we do a lot better than they did.
As soon as the Peacekeepers were close enough, John and his fellow soldiers began opening fire into the advancing soldiers. Four of them immediately fell to the ground, presumably dead, and two others were wounded. The Peacekeeper advanced stalled, as their officers tried to reorganize them and get them moving again. John heard one of the Peacekeepers calling for reinforcements, and ten more men appeared at the end of the passageway. John knew that no matter how many of them that they killed, it wouldn't be enough to stop them. There was just simply too many of them.
John turned towards Kwami, who was still crouching next to him, and spoke his fears, "There are too many of them Kwami. We are not going to be able to stop them. If we stay here we'll be slaughtered."
As if to emphasize John's point, a deadly wall of fire sprang from the Peacekeepers, hitting at least four of the defenders. One man standing across from John had his head almost blown clear off. Both sides began exchanging fire, and people were dying on both sides.
John heard a resigned sigh come from Kwami as he replied, "You are correct John Crichton. We can't stay here, but if we leave, we will expose ourselves to fire and being slaughtered anyway."
John felt desperation overcoming him. I don't want to die in some dark, dank cave on some alien planet. I have too much stuff still left to do. Think of something John. You have to get out of here. An idea suddenly sprang to John's attention.
John hurriedly spoke to Kwami, "I have an idea! A crazy, desperate idea, but an idea none the less." He paused as he stared at Kwami, contemplating whether or not his idea could work. "What if we collapse the passageway?"
Kwami thought about John's idea, running any other options through his head. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any other. "We have enough explosives to do it, but if we collapse the passageway while we are still here, we will die as well."
John got a look of deep disappointment on his face. He had been so excited about coming up with a plan that could work, that he had overlooked that important detail. "Damn! I hadn't thought of that."
Kwami was very quiet. John could see in his eyes a sense of resignation, of acceptance of something that he didn't want to do but needed to do anyways. Kwami spoke so quietly that John barely heard him over the battle, "We could do it, if…some stayed behind, John Crichton."
Kwami waited for what he said to sink in to John. "I will stay behind with a few others. We will distract the Peacekeepers long enough for you and the others to escape. Then when you are clear, I will destroy the passageway."
John immediately began to argue, as Kwami knew he would. John could be so predictable sometimes. "Absolutely not Kwami! I will not let you sacrifice yourself like that. It was a stupid idea anyway. We'll find another way."
Kwami spoke softly to John. He had to make John understand, "There is no other way John. We cannot survive if we stay here and fight them. The only hope of the Rystalva is that some of us escape. It is better that only a few survive, then to have everyone die. Someone must lead John, and that someone is you."
John shouted angrily, "Damnit! I already told you I don't want you're job. You are the one we need the most. Let someone else do it."
"No John, you are wrong. I have to do it. Only a Rotarian could last long enough to properly provide a diversion. We will get too close that they can't use their pulse weapons, and we will try to buy you as much time as possible." Kwami could see that John was still not very convinced. "Look, John, I am a soldier, not a leader. It is my destiny to die in battle. I was only waiting for someone to come along who could take my place, and I finally found that person that I have been waiting my whole life for."
John vehemently shook his head, "No! No one has a destiny to die. I won't do it."
Kwami smiled, "Yes you will. I can see it in your eyes. You know that I'm telling you the truth. You know that I'm right." Kwami stared into John's eyes and saw his acceptance. "I only ask that you make me a promise, John Crichton. Promise me that you won't stop, that you won't quit, until my people and my planet are free. Promise me that John Crichton and I will be able to die happy knowing that my sacrifice meant something."
John was starting to choke up with emotion. He was going to lose his only friend, and he would once again be alone. He knew that he could not refuse the last wish of his friend no matter what he was asking him to do. John was about to make a promise that would change the galaxy forever. "I promise Kwami. I promise that as long as I am still alive, I will not stop until all the Peacekeepers are gone. Your sacrifice will not be made in vain." By the time John finished, he could feel small tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes.
Kwami smiled at John and placed one of his large hands on John's shoulder. "Thank you, John Crichton. I know that you will succeed."
Kwami then got up and made his way over to a group of Rotarians that were crouching behind one of the few outcroppings in the walls of the passageway. Kwami began speaking to the five Rotarians, and after a few microts they all stood up. Kwami then made his way back towards John, with his five companions in tow.
"We will assault the Peacekeepers and distract them long enough for you to evacuate the survivors. As soon as we attack, leave immediately. You will have 30 microts before I detonate the explosives. Any longer than that and it may be too late. Juli will know where to go." He then reached over to Juli and placed his hand on her shoulder, much like he did with John. "It has been my honor to know you Juli Fallon. You are a true and honorable warrior." He then leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear, "Take care of him Juli. He will need all the help he can get. Protect him and watch out for him. He listens to you, and he needs you now." Kwami leaned back and saw Juli nod her head in acceptance of his advice.
Kwami then stood up to his full height and turned to John, he had his staff in his hand. Kwami pressed a niche in the staff and it shrunk to about the size of his hand. He then offered it to John. "I want you to have this John Crichton. It is the ancient sign of a warrior among my species. It symbolizes power and respect amongst my family and my people. It has been in my family for many generations but I will no longer have need of it and I am sure you will be able to make good use of it." He could see that John was going to refuse, but he was having none of that. "Must you argue with me on everything John. I want you to have this. It would be a great dishonor to both of us if you refuse. Besides, it could save your life some day."
Kwami placed the staff in John's open hand, and then turned to his five companions. One of them handed Kwami a large sack that John assumed had the explosives in it, and then all six pulled out large knives. Kwami and the five began to move towards the end of the passageway, where the Peacekeepers lay waiting.
Without warning, a loud growl escaped from Kwami's mouth and he and his five companions jumped into the Peacekeeper lines. That was John's cue. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Alright let's get the hell out of here everyone!" John and Juli, along with about 25 survivors, began running to the back of the cave complex where the exit was. As he was running, John turned to look over his shoulder to see that the Peacekeepers were so preoccupied with Kwami that they didn't even notice the retreating soldiers.
John could see the end of the complex in sight. He could see the light of Rotar's two moons shining outside the opening of the cave. By his count they only had ten microts left. Still running he shouted out, "Move! We only have a few more microts left."
Finally, after what seemed like arns, John and the others reached the cave's opening and rushed outside into the open air. It was just in the nick of time too, because as soon as they reached open air, there was a huge explosion and the shockwave hit the group, knocking them to the ground. John even saw one person get knocked unconscious by flying debris. John looked back at the cave's opening after getting off the ground and saw that it was blocked off. They had done it, they had survived.
John knew that they didn't have any time to savor their victory. They needed to get away from there as fast as possible. John brushed the dirt off his clothes as he helped Juli to her feet. "Alright, Kwami said you knew where to go. So take us there. We can't afford to stay here any longer than absolutely necessary."
Juli nodded her agreement. "I agree, John. We'll have to go to the Rystalva's main complex. Kwami liked keeping half the group divided so at least some survived if one base was ever discovered. The people we evacuated already have at least an arn head start on us. It's usually a two-day journey from here, but with the Peacekeepers after us it will probably take at least four days. I only hope we can hold out that long."
John was in Hell, or at least he felt like he was. They were on the fourth day of their exodus from their destroyed base, and Juli said they still had at least twenty metras more to cover before they reached the main mountain complex of the Rystalva. They had caught up to the base's evacuated personnel, all four hundred of them, after the first day. John had taken charge of the group and they moved as one large mass of people toward the new base.
John was tired, dirty, hungry, and unbelievably thirsty. Naturally they had had very little time for gathering survival supplies while they were fighting for their lives against the Peacekeepers, so they had had to do without the most basic of necessities. Any food or water they did have went to the wounded. John refused to leave anyone behind and he didn't want any more dead bodies on his hands, so he along with the others, had given up their meager supplies to the ones that needed them the most.
Of course, the wounded slowed them down, but John didn't care. Juli had tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade him to leave the wounded behind. At first he had been angry with her for even suggesting abandoning them, but then he remembered who she used to be and was only thinking with a soldier's mindset. It wasn't that she was a bad person; it was that she just didn't know any better.
Thankfully, Juli had given up trying to convince John after the third day and was doing all she could to make sure the wounded survived. Right now they were currently walking through a mountain pass that supposedly led all the way to their destination. John knew that they couldn't last very much longer out in the open. Either the elements would kill them, or the Peacekeepers would. Neither option was acceptable.
Finally, after a very long four and half day journey, John and his column of refugees at last reached the mountain complex of the Rystalva. They were met by the base's commander, and as John soon learned upon arrival, the Rystalva's Second (Second in command).
Everyone was given food and water, and the wounded were taken to the base's hospital. After a very refreshing shower and meal, John gathered all the soldiers that had survived and had a meeting. By John's count, including his surviving men, there were only about 160 soldiers that had made it. John had been decimated to learn that only 21 of his original forty-man unit had survived. Most of the ones that died had been the new additions.
John wanted to get everyone organized and restructured into functioning units as soon as possible. He had a lot of work ahead of him and he wanted to get started as soon as possible. He had Juli divide the men into four units of forty men each. Much like he had done before when his unit had grown in strength, he promoted his own people into the roles of unit commander.
In order to have his meeting, John had to commandeer the only facility in the base large enough to hold the entire group. The room was huge, large enough to hold ten times the amount of men that were currently occupying the room. The room reminded John of a coliseum, except it was carved into the side of a mountain, and it did not have an open ceiling. In reality, it was actually a large cave, with a sunken floor and bleacher like seating carved into the wall.
John and Juli were standing on the floor of the room, while his men were sitting down. The acoustics of the room were just right that John could talk normally and still be heard throughout the room, which was a good thing because John's throat was still too hoarse from dehydration to yell.
"We have been through hell the last couple of days. We have lost many friends, we have lost our home, and we have lost a great man. Before he died Kwami made me promise that I would not stop until all the Peacekeepers were gone from Rotar. I intend to keep that promise, but I can't without your help." John paused and swallowed, trying to work more saliva into his mouth.
He looked at the assembled group and saw many of them nod their head, agreeing with what he was saying. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Hell, after what we have been through I wouldn't blame you if you were done with the Rystalva. I know that there is nothing I can say that can convince you to stay if your mind is already made up, but I'm going to try anyway. Help me honor the memory of someone who gave his life for something he believed in. He believed in your freedom, as do I, and was willing to die for it. If you are willing to do the same, the Peacekeepers will never be able to stop us." John stopped and had to swallow again. "I will give you time to think my proposal over. Make the right decision based on what's good for you, not anyone else."
John stopped talking and walked over to where Juli was sitting. He looked up at the men and saw that there was a very lively discussion going on. After a few microts the people began leaving the room, thinking about their future. John sat heavily down on the bench. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept more than five hours in one night since before the attack.
Juli was very concerned about John. She saw the dark circles under John's eyes, and noticed that he had lost a lot of weight. He definitely did not look very healthy. John had taken what had happened harder than anyone else. Juli knew that Kwami and John had been very close, and that John was very worried about letting his friend down. She remembered the promise that she had made to Kwami to look after John and she fully intended to keep it. From now on, I am going to do everything I can to make his life as easy as possible.
"You need to sleep John. I can stay here and look after things. You don't need to be here."
John replied tiredly, "Yes I do need to be here. How can I rest when they can't? If they have to be here then so do I."
Juli was frustrated; John was the most stubborn person she had ever met. "You are the commander now John. You need to be able to think clearly and quickly. You can't do that if you're so exhausted you can't even keep your eyes open for more than 10 microts. I can handle this John. You don't have to do everything you know."
John was about to open his mouth to argue some more, when a large growl reverberated around the chamber. What now! Can't I get just one easy day? Is that really too much to ask for? John looked up to the entrance of the chamber and saw a very large Rotarian coming down the stairs to the floor. Correction, make that a very large Rotarian. The Rotarian was bigger than even Kwami was. He was at least eight feet tall, and weighed at least forty pounds more than Kwami ever had. He was the biggest Rotarian John had ever seen.
John recognized him immediately. The Rotarian was Toben, the base's commander and from what Juli had told him, the Rystalva's Second. Toben had fur so blue that it almost looked black under normal light. He was, from what Juli had told him, abnormally intelligent for his species. That wasn't to say that Rotarians were stupid, after all they were considered the preeminent shipbuilders in the Uncharted Territories. It was just that Toben was very smart, was considered smart even by Peacekeeper standards. And, as John was seeing first hand, he had a short temper.
Toben finally reached the bottom floor where John and Juli were sitting. Juli stood up and subtly moved her hand to her pulse pistol, automatically perceiving Toben as a threat to John. Toben stormed up to John and growled out, "What the frell is going on here?"
John stood up and tried to make himself look as imposing as possible, knowing that he was failing miserably. It was hard to be intimidating when you were so exhausted you could barely stand up for any length of time. But, as Juli had constantly drilled into him over the last few days, you should never show fear in front of a Rotarian. They would perceive it as a sign of weakness.
John spoke out in as even and controlled voice as possible, "Nothing is going on here Toben. I was just having a little get together with the troops. You know, trying to show them that their commanding officer is just one of the guys."
Toben let out another growl and seemed to take offense at John's remark. "Your troops? They are not your troops and you are not their commander. I am the Rystalva's Second. Now that Kwami is dead I am Prime. That means they are my troops, not yours. I suggest that if you value your life, you accept that right now."
John had had enough. He hadn't slept in days, he had barely eaten, and he had become personally responsible for hundreds of people against his will. He was fed up with people telling him what to do. If he hadn't made a promise to Kwami, he would gladly give Toben control, but he had made a promise. And a Crichton always keeps his word. Obviously, Kwami didn't want Toben being commander of the Rystalva or he would have given command to him.
John felt his anger flow through him, temporarily rejuvenating him. "Like hell you are! I made a promise to my friend that I would lead the Rystalva and I always keep my word. I'm not going to let some piss ant little asshole like you lead the Rystalva. Do you think that if Kwami had wanted you to be the leader that he would have asked me to do it instead? Obviously he thought you wouldn't know what the frell you were doing!"
Before John could continue on his little tirade, Toben lost what little control over his temper that he had, and struck John across the face, sending him flying five feet.
Almost immediately after hitting John, Juli sprung into action. As quickly as she could she pulled her pulse pistol out of its holster and brought it up towards Toben. Unfortunately, Juli wasn't fast enough, and Toben had sensed her move and was already waiting for her. He moved into her body, grabbing her extended wrist and crushed it. Her wrist broken, Juli's gun dropped out of her hand, and she let out a grunt of pain.
Toben then moved his hand to Juli's throat and started to squeeze. Juli could feel the air draining out of her and knew she needed to do something before the Rotarian killed her. Remembering the knife that she kept in her boot, she grabbed it and jammed it as hard as she could into the arm that Toben was using to choke her with.
Toben let out a loud growl of anger and pain as he let go of Juli. Juli fell to the ground, trying to breathe in as much air as possible. She knew that she needed to get away, but she was so weak she could barely move. Toben removed the knife from his arm and tossed it away from him. He then dropped to one knee next to Juli, extended his claws, and was about to slice into her when John tackled him.
Unfortunately, as John was about to find out, tackling an enraged, half-crazed Rotarian who was easily three times stronger than you are was not exactly the smartest of ideas. After falling to the ground, with John on top of him, Toben brought one of his legs underneath him and pushed out, sending John flying into the air like a rag doll. John flew so far that he hit the back wall of the room.
Toben then got up; his arm bleeding from Juli's knife wound, and began to stalk towards John. Meanwhile, John was trying to clear the cobwebs that were spreading across his mind. He was amazed that he was even still conscious. How the hell do you stop this guy? He's like Arnold Schwarzenager on PCP!
Without warning, John suddenly found himself in the corner of a boxing ring. He looked down to see that he was wearing a pair of shorts and he had boxing gloves on his hands. Ah, Frell! "Not now Harvey, I'm kind of in the middle of something important right now."
John felt a towel placed on his shoulders and a water bottle placed in front of his face. Harvey then appeared in front of John, inspecting him as if judging if he could continue the fight. "I know that John, but if you hadn't noticed you weren't doing to well. I've come to offer my advice. Rotarians are some of the best hand to hand fighters in the Uncharted Territories."
John responded sarcastically, "Tell me something I don't know Harv."
Harvey continued as if he wasn't interrupted, "So stop trying to fight him on his own terms. They are great fighters up close, but their weakness is that they can't fight very well when they lose that advantage. Fight from a distance John."
The bell started ringing, signifying the beginning of the next round. John stood up and Harvey took the towel off his shoulders. John started to move towards the center of the ring, but he looked back to Harvey one more time. Harvey was wearing a red jumper with the words Crichton in yellow written across his chest. He had a cigar in his mouth, as he yelled out, "Remember John, stick and move! Stick and move, John!"
John reached the center of the ring and found himself back in the chamber, on the floor with Toben still coming towards him. John groggily got to his feet. Harvey's advice of "Stick and move" was still echoing around his head. Sure, like it's that easy.
John saw a bunch of rocks lying on the ground next to his feet. He reached down and picked them up. He began throwing them as hard as he could at the advancing Rotarian. One rock hit Toben squarely in the face while another hit him in his shoulder. Yes! David aint got nothing on me.
John's victory was short lived though. John only succeeded in making Toben even angrier. Toben sped up his pace; he was charging John now. John waited to the last second and then dived away as Toben ran into the wall. Toben let out a grunt as he collapsed to the ground. John took advantage of Toben's momentary lapse and kicked Toben as hard as he could in the knee of his right leg. John heard something crack and Toben let out a cry of pain.
John was about to do the same thing to his other leg, when Toben's arm swung out striking John in the chest, hard. John heard, more than felt, a few of his ribs breaking. The pain was so intense that John fell to the ground. Toben stood up, putting all his weight on his left leg, and he walked towards John as fast as he could.
Toben lowered himself to the ground and wrapped his hand around John's neck. The claws on his hand partially extended until they were just slightly cutting into John's skin. Toben spoke in low voice, "You have fought well, John Crichton, but you have lost. I am the stronger warrior. It is I who should be Prime. My uncle must have only asked you to be Prime because you were the only one there. It does not matter. My honor demands that I kill you for insulting me. You should not have challenged my authority."
John was consumed by panic. He had to do something or he was about to become Rotarian shish kabob. He began to move his hands up to try to pry himself free from the vice like grip holding onto his throat, when he felt something in the pocket of his pants. John stuck his hand inside and felt his hand close upon Kwami's staff. Holy shit! I completely forgot about this thing.
John hurriedly pulled it out of his pocket and placed it so that it was under Toben's body. He began feeling along its surface for the niche that he had seen Kwami press in order to extend it. He couldn't feel it anywhere and he began to panic again. Right when Toben was about to fully extend his claws, John found the niche and pressed it.
What happened next was something that John would remember for a very long time. Almost instantly the staff extended to its full length, or it would have if Toben's body hadn't been in the way. The end of the staff hit Toben right in his left shoulder, completely shattering the socket, and sending Toben flying into the air. Toben landed in a heap six feet away, writhing in agony. His right hand was clutching his left arm trying to keep it still.
John looked at the staff in total shock. He had no idea the staff was that powerful. John carefully stood up, his ribs making it hard to breathe, and walked over to Toben. John took the end of the staff and rammed it down hard on Toben's injured shoulder. Toben cried out in pain. "Do you give up Toben? I don't want to kill you, but I will if you keep trying to attack me."
Toben gritted his teeth against his pain as he responded to John's question, "H-how did you get that? That is my uncle's R'yclava. He would never give that up. It is his most cherished possession."
John looked down at the staff and then back at Toben. "Kwami gave me this. He said that it was mine now and that it was a symbol of my power. That was when he asked me to lead the Rystalva. He said that it belonged to me."
Toben seemed to be contemplating John's answer. After a while he responded, "He really gave it to you, and said that you were to be Prime?" He saw John nod, and then he became quiet again.
After what seemed like an eternity, Toben moved to stand up. John warily moved back to give him room, but he still held the staff ready in case he needed to use it. Toben stared at John for a long time, before he began to talk. "All my life I have prepared for my eventual ascencion to the position of Prime. I thought that you were trying to take that away from me, but I was wrong. You can't take something that already belonged to you. I see now that I was wrong to go against my uncle's wishes. He chose you to lead the Rystalva and now I see why. I apologize for attacking you and ask for your forgiveness." Toben then got down on his knees in front of John, lowering his head as if he was expecting something bad to happen to him.
John was shocked at the sudden change in Toben's personality. Man, these guys really take their honor seriously, he thought to himself. John didn't know what to do. He placed his hand on Toben's good shoulder (John learned from Juli that placing your hand on someone's shoulder was a sign of respect and friendship in Rotarian culture). "It's alright Toben, I forgive you. It was just one big misunderstanding. Besides, my day isn't complete without getting the dren kicked out of me at least once."
John saw Toben lift his head up and look at him sadly. "I am sorry if I hurt you, John Crichton. My anger blinded me."
"Hey, its okay. Really, it is. Just don't let it happen again."
Toben nodded at John enthusiastically, "I swear it will never happen again, John Crichton.
John looked at Toben thoughtfully for a while and then he began speaking, "You know what? I'll make you a deal. You obviously seem to know what your doing here, and your definitely one hell of a fighter. So how would you like to be my Second? And I promise that when I die, I won't choose anyone over you. What do you say?"
Toben stood up to his full height, and answered John, "It would be my honor to be your Second, John Crichton. I will serve you until the day I die. I am yours to command."
John smiled and then laughed as he slapped Toben on the shoulder, "That's great, Toben. But there's no need to be so melodramatic. I just want you to do your best, not kill yourself." John looked over to Juli lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. "Come on, let's go check on Juli. You really did a number on her. Then we will discuss our plans for the future of the Rystalva."
On a side note: For anyone who is wondering about Moya and the others, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them. The next chapter will be all about the crew and how they reacted to Aeryn's betrayal. Stay tuned!