Rystal

by DOKChairman

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.

14. Necessary Evil

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 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.  A Special thanks to paz, you're reviews are very much appreciated.  They are some of the nicest compliments anyone has ever given me with regards to my writing.  I'm glad you like my story, and look forward to anymore input you might have.  Thank you!

Second Author's Note: A special shout out goes to Norsk, whose comment brought much contemplation to my mind.  While I think that just about everyone with a Y chromosome would appreciate and agree with your idea of the girls sharing John, I don't think the other half of the population would appreciate it that much.  Although I could be wrong.  Besides, I really don't think that Aeryn is the sharing type; it's just not in her personality, especially when it comes to John.  So unfortunately, John's going to have to become a one-woman man.  I know that it sucks, but what are you going to do?

Third Author's Note: This is the last main chapter of this part.  There will be a rather short epilogue, and then I must decide whether or not to continue this story onto part two.  Feedback would be a major incentive to do so.  Please, I really need to know if anyone is interested.  This story is very time consuming, and while I enjoy writing it, I don't want to waste my time writing a story no one will read.

Fourth Author's Note: The main action sequence for this part, the battle between the Scarrens and the Peacekeepers, came partly from a great sci-fi book series.  The Last Legion, written by Chris Bunch, was a great source of inspiration for me.  While the man is certainly no Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, or Isaac Asimov (that's not to say that he's a bad writer, because he's not) he does write the best military combat scenes in a science fiction setting than anyone I've ever seen.  His books are entertaining and humorous and I recommend them to anyone who's a fan of the genre.

"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 14: Necessary Evil

Takes place minutes after the end of The Three Hundred Spartans-

            John was lost in thought as he walked down the dark hallway.  Where he was going, he had no idea.  All he knew was that he just needed to get away.  Get away from everything and everyone.

            He had a decision to make.  What his decision was, he didn't know, but he knew that whatever he decided would decide the fate of billions of people.  The enormity of the decision was almost too much for him to grasp.

            Walking down the hallway, he had asked himself what his father would do.  He had thought long and hard on that, and he thought he had come up with an answer.  John knew that his father would make the right decision, and John suspected that he already knew what that decision was.  John just didn't want to think about it.

            Looking up from the ground, John noticed that he had reached the end of the hallway.  He had a choice to make.  He could either go right or left.  Without really thinking about which direction would take him where, John went right.  After a few microts of walking, John found himself near the bridge.  The same bridge where he had discovered how the R'yclava worked and that he was this planet's savior.  John hated the bridge.

            Despite his hatred of the memories the bridge brought forth, John found himself walking forward, across the bridge.  When he was halfway across he stopped and looked towards the mountains.  It was at the moment of twilight, and the planet's sun was just setting behind the mountain range.  Light sprayed over the bridge, and John was able to spot the area where he had fired his staff at the mountain.  He could still see the huge hole blown into the mountain. 

It was a poignant reminder to John of the kind of power that he held.  Not only did he have one of the most powerful weapons he had ever seen, but he also had the knowledge of wormholes in his head, and the power to start a war that would cause the deaths of millions, if not billions of people.

Not for the first time, John wished that he had never came to the planet of Rotar.  John did not want the kind of responsibility that he had been given.  He knew that he was starting to sound like a broken record, but he couldn't help how he felt.  He wasn't qualified enough to make this kind of decision.  He needed help; unfortunately he didn't really know anyone who would understand the kind of pressure he was under.

            John was still staring out at the mountain, even after the sun had set.  There was a slight breeze and he could here a weak whirring sound.  The sound sounded vaguely familiar, but John just shrugged it off.  He figured that he was just hearing some of the base's machinery.  Sound carried awfully well in this part of the mountains.

            However, soon the whirring sound began to get louder.  John could no longer ignore the sound, sure that it wasn't some machinery because the sound was getting louder and closer.  Something was coming towards him.  John began to panic.  He was completely unarmed, he had left both Winona and his staff back in his quarters, and he was still too hurt to make a quick getaway. 

            To make matters worse, John was standing on a bridge, with nowhere to go or hide.  His only escape was to either one of the ends, but he was sure he wouldn't make it to the end in time.  He had to try, though.  He wasn't about to give up.  The fate of everyone on Rotar depended on him.  He turned around and began to limp back the way he had come.

            He had made up about half the distance to the end, when he saw the object of his sudden fears.  John let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding and laughed crazily.  It was only Rygel on his thronesled.  Now John knew where he had heard that whirring noise.

            With a shaky voice, John yelled at Rygel only half-heartedly.  "Jesus Christ Rygel!  You scared the dren out of me.  Don't you know you're not supposed to sneak up on people?"

            Rygel let out an indignant snort as he stopped his sled a few feet in front of John.  "I do not sneak up on people.  If you weren't so deficient you would have heard me coming."

            John let out a sigh at Rygel's insult, "Did you just come out here to insult me Sparky, because if you did, I gotta say that right now is not a good time."

            Rygel's face grew softer and he talked to John in a quiet voice.  "I came out here because I was worried about you Crichton."

            John just stared at Rygel in shock.  He began to sputter in disbelief, "You were worried about me?  I didn't think you cared?"

            Rygel once again looked indignant, "I don't plan to make a habit out of it Crichton.  I saw the way you looked when that Peacekeeper captain talked to you during the party, and I was afraid that you might do something stupid or rash when I saw you leave.  I didn't want to take any chances that what you might do might cause me any problems."

            John just smiled and patted Rygel on the head.  John was just giving Rygel a hard time.  He knew that somewhere inside that hard, green hide of his, Rygel had a soft spot for everyone of his shipmates.  "Ah, Buckwheat, I know you love me.  There's no need to pretend anymore."

            Rygel backed his thronesled away from John after he patted his head.  "Do not touch me human!  And I do not love you.  You're completely fahrbot."

            "Well duh, Sparky.  Everyone knows I'm crazy, we established that a long time ago."

            Rygel was about to respond with an especially vicious remark when he remembered why he had come out here in the first place.  He was letting John get to him, and he need to stay focused.  Rygel had heard the exchange between John and the Peacekeeper admiral.  He was an expert at sneaking around after all.

            Rygel had seen the state John was in after the conversation, and Rygel had felt sorry for John.  Not since Aeryn had died, had Rygel seen John look so defeated.  Rygel did not like it when John looked defeated, because that meant that John didn't care anymore.  And Rygel needed John to care, because more often than not, his continued survival usually depended on John being at one hundred percent.  Just like it did now.

            Rygel understood the thoughts that must have been going through John's mind.  When he had been Dominar, before he had been deposed, he too had faced many of the same kind of decisions.  Being a Dominar meant that he sometimes had to make some hard decisions, decisions that could decide whether someone lived or died.

            Despite his rather lackadaisical attitude with regards to anyone's life, other than his own of course, Rygel had truly cared about the people under his rule.  Just like he did now aboard Moya.  Being a Dominar meant that he had to care.  That was why he was out here with John.  He wanted to help him make the right decision.

            In as even a tone as he could manage, Rygel spoke up.  "John I was there.  I heard everything between you and the Peacekeeper."

            John stared at Rygel before letting out a loud sigh.  "I suppose you came out here to tell me to do what he wants.  Well it's not that easy.  If I agree, billions of people could die."

            Rygel thought carefully before responding, "John, why am I here?"

            John look at Rygel confusedly, "What are you talking about Rygel?  You're here because I asked you to come down and you agreed."

            Rygel nodded his small head, "Exactly, John.  You asked me to come down here to help you because you said you didn't know how to make all the hard decisions.  Well guess what, this is a very hard decision and you need my help.  Unless you've already decided?"

            John shook his head in the negative.  When Rygel saw that he continued, "I thought so.  Everyone on Moya seems to forget that I used to be a Dominar of 600 billion subjects.  I had to make some hard decisions during my rule, but I made them because it was my job."

            John began to talk excitedly, "But that's just it, Sparky.  This isn't my job.  I'm not a Dominar.  I'm just John Crichton: human, astronaut, and sometime space cowboy.  Who am I to make this decision?"

            "Who else is going to make the decision, John?  The admiral was right; the people of this planet have put their trust and their lives in your hands.  You cannot just pass that onto someone else when things become too inconvenient for you."

            John got angry, "What right do I have to make this decision for billions of people?"

            Rygel responded in an equally angry tone, "What right do you have not to?"

            John was silent after that and Rygel took the time to gather himself.  The human could be so stubborn and frustrating sometimes.  "Look John, I know that it's hard.  Making decisions of this kind of magnitude are always difficult, but you have to choose.  You have to look at the situation and decide which choice is best." 

            "But I don't know which choice is best.  I don't know which path to take."

Rygel responded sympathetically, "If not attacking the Scarrens is the best and easiest choice then by all means you should take that path.  However, if it's not, then you must choose the other path.  You must do what is best for your people, not what is best for you.  The Peacekeepers will kill everyone on this planet.  If you attack the Scarrens then you will most likely save everyone on Rotar, but you will start a war."

            John's voice was full of frustration, "I know all this, Rygel!  I don't need you to remind me, I need you to tell me what to do."

            "I can't do that John and you know it.  You're looking for the easy way out.  That is not the John Crichton that I know.  He would never do that, if anything he would be looking for ways to make the decision more difficult.  I know that you are wondering whom you are, if you're John Crichton or if you're some hero.  You shouldn't worry about stuff like that.  You just need to remember that you are John Crichton and not the Rystal.  You need to become the man that you were before you came to this planet."  Rygel finished his impassioned speech and leaned back farther into his thronesled.

            Rygel could only hope that John would come to his senses and make the right decision.  Which was attacking the Scarrens, in Rygel's mind there was no alternative.  Anything else meant death.

            John just turned his head and looked out at the mountains.  Slowly he slid to the ground, bringing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them.  Not facing Rygel, he started talking.  "Growing up with my father in the space program sometimes made me forget that he used to serve in the military.  In the military they teach you to make the right decision with very little thought.  You're not allowed to hesitate, because every microt that you spend thinking about something means that's one microt more you could come closer to death.  My father used to tell me to trust my hunches, my first thoughts, about something because usually they're right.  I should have done that when I first talked to the admiral, instead I overcomplicated everything and became bogged down by my own feelings.  I should just do what my father told me and fly by the seat of my pants.  Sometimes I really do think too much"

            John then got up and started walking towards the comm room.  Rygel moved his thronesled so that he was just to the right of John and kept pace with him.  "Does this mean that you've come to a decision?"

            John kept walking but turned his head to face Rygel.  He had a slight smile, "Yeah.  I don't know if it's the right one, but it's the only one that I can come up with that makes any kind of sense."

            Rygel snorted, "Nothing you come up with ever makes any sense Crichton."

            John laughed, "Gee thanks Sparky.  But seriously, thanks for your help Rygel.  I don't think I could have done this on my own.  I should have realized that out of everyone you would understand."

            Rygel smiled a haughty smile, "Yes, and don't you forget it John.  I think that my input should be much more influential from now on.  Perhaps now you will realize that when I make suggestions you should actually listen to them."

            "Don't worry Sparky.  I'll try to take you much more serious from now on."

            They walked along in comfortable silence, which shocked John significantly.  He had a whole new sense of respect for the diminutive Dominar. 

            Just as they reached the entranceway to go back inside the base, John turned to Rygel and half-seriously spoke up.  "You know I'm kind of surprised that Aeryn hasn't come looking after me.  Usually she freaks out if she doesn't know where I am for more than ten microts."

            Rygel smiled an evil smile, "Oh don't worry, she is looking for you.  I told her that you left with the Peacekeeper captain so that you could frell her in private.  Suffice it to say, she was not pleased."  When he was finished he quickly zoomed off in his thronesled to get away from John, laughing the whole way.

            John just stared in shock at the retreating Hynerian before the anger in caused him to start after him.  Unfortunately, he was nowhere near as fast as Rygel was in his little thronesled.  He yelled out, "Rygel!"  But Rygel was already gone.  He would have to wait until he talked with the admiral before he could go and find Rygel.

            John walked into the comm room and saw that Lorana was already waiting for him.  She was dressed in her full captain's uniform and seemed to be waiting rather impatiently.  Lorana leapt up out of her chair when John entered the room and began talking in hurried tones.  "Finally.  I was starting to wonder if you were coming back.  My father is very anxious for your answer.  I already have him on standby, so let me bring him up."

            Lorana then moved to one of the control stations and started pressing a few buttons.  When she was finished, the image of her father appeared on the main viewport.  The admiral looked harried, and if it was possible, he looked like he had aged in the time that he had spent waiting.  It looked like John wasn't the only one worried about his answer.

            John walked to the center of the room and faced the admiral.  "With the help of a friend I've come to my decision.  I don't think that we have any choice but to do it your way.  I can see no other way of getting rid of that fleet."

            The admiral nodded solemnly, "I had a feeling that you would come to that decision and so have taken certain…steps to ensure our success."

            John looked at Bach curiously, "What steps would that be?  I'm extremely curious as to how you plan on pulling this off.  The Peacekeepers aren't going to be stupid enough to just wander into Scarren territory on their own."

            Bach smiled a predatory smile, a feral smile.  "Don't worry John.  This is not the first time that I have had to use subterfuge in making an enemy do something that he would not normally do." John felt a shiver run up his back at the admiral's comment and his smile.  John was just glad that the admiral was on his side.

            The admiral then drew himself up to his full height and stood at attention.  A significant amount of pride was in his voice when he spoke.  "I am Special Directorate Fleet Admiral Ev Bach, and the Peacekeepers will do what I say because I tell them too.  Don't worry about anything John.  By the time I am done, that Peacekeeper fleet will be nothing more than a pile of debris floating in space."

            John still looked unconvinced but he trusted the admiral to get the job done.  He obviously knew what he was talking about.

            John saw the admiral take a deep breath.  "Ok, now that we have that out of the way, I would like to talk to my daughter.  Alone."

            John looked at the admiral.  Even though they were millions of metras apart, John could see the acceptance in the admiral's eyes.  He understood.  "Of course Ev.  Thank you for everything."

            John then turned around and walked out of the room.

            Without preamble, Bach began.  Looking his daughter directly in the face, he spoke in a kind and fatherly tone.  "I'm not coming back."

            For one of the few times in her life, Lorana felt her emotions threaten to overwhelm her.  She could barely get out her response, "I know."

            The admiral smiled, "I want you to know that I am very proud of you Lorana.  Despite the many battles that I have won and the many great things that I have accomplished in my long life, you are by far the best thing that I have ever been a part of.  You are a good person and an excellent officer.  I could not have hoped for you to turn out any better."

            Lorana felt a single tear fall down her cheek.  But other than that she showed no emotion.  Her face was passive and calm.  Her father continued, "Help John Crichton.  He will need you and your extensive knowledge of the Peacekeepers.  Stay by him.  He will help you get through this Lorana.  He is a good man, an honorable man.  You will not find a better man to guide you through life."  Bach stopped talking to gain control over his emotions.  He was about to say something that he had never said to her before.  Despite the fact that he was different from other Peacekeepers, some things were hard to change.  "I want you to know Lorana, that I love you.  Since the first time I saw you.  It was the reason why I couldn't give you up."

            Lorana felt another tear slide down her cheek and she gave her father a small smile.  "I knew.  Even though you never said anything, I always knew."

            The admiral answered her smile with a smile of his own.  He just stared into her eyes, trying to convey everything he wanted to tell her through their connection.  After a few microts, he stopped.  He had things that he still needed to do.

            Bach gathered himself and tried to compose himself as best he could.  He began speaking in a commanding tone, "Captain.  As of this moment, I am officially transferring command of this command carrier to you.  You will leave the planet's surface immediately and assume command of your new ship.  I will transfer my flag to one of the command carriers orbiting the planet, and then I will lead all three of them to meet up at the rendezvous point with the Peacekeeper fleet already there.  Once the three command carriers have left orbit you will bring your ship to orbit and assist Crichton in his mopping up of the few remaining Peacekeepers left on the surface.  Remember, he is your superior now.  You will do as he says.  Do you understand your orders, Captain?"

            Lorana snapped to attention and saluted her father.  "Yes sir!"

            Bach softened his tone before continuing, "Good.  I will leave immediately.  Oh, there is a vid chip that I want you to give to Crichton.  Make sure that he watches it, as it is very important."

            "Of course, sir."

            Bach smiled at his daughter one last time before his image disappeared from the viewport.  Lorana felt her knees weaken and she sat down in a chair.  She began crying as the knowledge that she was about to lose the only person that she had ever cared about hit her full force.  Her sobs echoed across the room.

            As soon as John stepped out of the door and into the hallway leading away from the comm room, he found himself face to face with a very beautiful, but very angry Sebacean.  John cringed.  He was not looking forward to their confrontation.

            "There you are!  Where the frell have you been?  I've looked all over for you."

            John backed away from Aeryn's quickly advancing form.  "Look, Aeryn I can explain about the thing with Lorana.  It's not what you think."

            A look of confusion appeared on Aeryn's face.  "What the frell are you talking about John?"

            John looked confused as well.  "You know…about what Sparky said.  He told me that you were pissed at me."

            Understanding appeared on Aeryn's face, as did a small smile.  "Oh, that.  You don't really think that I believed what that slug told me do you?"

            John still backed away.  He didn't trust this new change in Aeryn's attitude to let her get any closer.  He still had rather nasty memories from the last time she got angry with him.  "Well it's just that after what happened last time, I kind of assumed that well you know…you were going to hurt me."

            Aeryn sighed.  She knew that there was still a lot of damage between both of them that needed to be repaired.  "John, what happened last time was a huge mistake.  I hate making mistakes, and you know that I don't make the same mistake twice.  I learned my lesson the last time not to jump to any conclusions before I talked to you first.  Besides, I figured if you could hold out for three monens with that tralk practically begging you to frell her, I could trust in you not to do anything with that captain who you've only know for a few days."

            John smiled at Aeryn, but then he looked confused again.  "We'll if your not mad about what Rygel said, then why do you look so pissed?"

            Some of Aeryn's anger crept back into her voice.  She growled out, "What the frell do you think?  You should not be walking about on your own.  You are not completely healed."

            John sighed dramatically, "Geez, mom, I can take care of myself you know.  I don't need you to follow me around everywhere I go."

            Aeryn shook her head in disagreement.  "Well too bad John.  You don't get any say in the matter.  Juli and I both agreed that one of us is to be with you at all times.  Your ability to attract trouble means that you can't be left alone."

            John got indignant, "Hey, I do not attract trouble.  Trouble attracts me.  I can't help it that wherever I go, people are trying to kill me."

            Aeryn smiled at John and then said sarcastically, "Of course not John.  Because nothing that you have ever done has ever caused someone to want to kill you.  You're just misunderstood."

            John finally moved closer to Aeryn and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders.  John grinned and pulled her closer to his body.  "Finally, someone who understands the real me.  Now if only everyone else in the galaxy loved me as much as you did."

            Aeryn playfully jabbed John in his stomach with her elbow.  "I did not say that I was in love with you.  All I said was that you were misunderstood.  I barely tolerate you."

            John let go of Aeryn and moved away, feigning hurt.  "Fine, I can see when I'm not wanted.  At least I know that Winona will never treat me like you do.  She's good to me, unlike some women I know."

            "Hey!  I treat you good.  I haven't tried to beat the dren out of you once since I've seen you.  That has to be some kind of record for me.  Usually I can't go through the day without feeling the urge at least once."

            John laughed loudly and Aeryn smiled a big smile.  John really loved it when Aeryn smiled.  "You know Aeryn, sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you, but then I see you smile and I'm reminded why."

            Aeryn blushed a deep red and shyly turned her head away.  Despite the fact that she regularly received comments like that from John, she never got used to them.  Aeryn spoke very quietly, "Thank you John."

            John stopped joking and said seriously, "I'm serious Aeryn.  You should really smile more.  It makes you look even more beautiful than usual."

            If it was possible Aeryn became even more embarrassed.  She needed to change the subject before she let her emotions gain complete control over her.  Right now she was feeling an intense urge to just grab John and kiss him, not to mention do other things to him that she shouldn't dwell on too long or she might really lose control.  She haltingly began speaking, "We should go John.  I'm sure the others are just as worried about you as I am."

            John sighed.  He had felt the intense look that Aeryn had given him.  He had seen the want in her eyes, the same want that was in his eyes as well.  But once again, Aeryn had closed herself off to him. 

            John could feel the tension between them, and decided to inject some humor into the situation before things got too uncomfortable.  "Good idea, Aeryn.  I need to find Rygel and kick his ass.  The little slug needs to die."

            Special Directorate Fleet Admiral Ev Bach felt the Marauder set down inside the cavernous hangar bay of the command carrier Silyk.  Bach slowly eased himself out of his seat and straitened out his uniform.  He moved toward the exit and waited for his honor guard of six Peacekeeper officers to move ahead of him.  Once they were in position, he walked down the descending ramp.

            His honor guard kept pace with him as he walked purposefully to the man waiting for him on the other side of the landing pad.  The man waiting for him was the Silyk's captain.  As he was walking, he scanned his brain for all the relevant information that it contained on the captain.  He knew his name, Captain Hart Breve, knew that he was a dedicated, decorated, and capable captain, and he also knew from the Special Directorate's own files on the man, that he was not considered very intelligent.  Bach knew what that meant.  It meant that he had the abilities to be captain, but didn't posses that extra something that allowed someone to move any higher in the ranks.  Bach was thankful that the captain possessed that flaw.  It would make what he had to do easier.

            As soon as he was in range of the captain, the captain snapped to attention and saluted Bach.  Bach returned the salute and waited for the captain to begin.  There were certain procedures that they had to get out of the way before they could get down to the matter at hand.

            The captain did not disappoint the admiral.  "As captain of the command carrier Silyk, I recognize and acknowledge the authority of Fleet Admiral Bach to assume command of this ship and its crew.  This ship is now yours to command, admiral."

            Bach gave the captain a perfunctory nod.  "Thank you Captain Breve.  I accept your offer of command."

            Breve nodded, turned on his heel, and began walking out of the hangar bay.  Bach was right at his side, with Bach's honor guard trailing behind them.  As they were walking, Breve began talking.  "I am assuming that you want to visit the bridge before I show you to your quarters."

            Bach spoke in a clipped tone, "You are correct in your assumption, captain.  My quarters will have to wait.  I wish to break orbit and make for the rendezvous point immediately."

            The group halted in front of one of the ship's transport tubes, and waited for one to arrive.  While they waited, Bach studied the man standing next to him.  Breve seemed to be waging an internal war.  Bach found it amusing.  He could tell that the captain was not used to such intense introspection. 

            It was one of the reasons why he was doing what he was doing.  Bach considered the Peacekeeper suppression of emotions to be one of their most damaging flaws.  While he knew that emotions could be a great weakness, he also knew that they could provide a soldier with great strength as well.  It was a dangerous trade off, but it was one he felt the Peacekeepers should risk.

            After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, the captain seemed to have solved his internal debate.  Upon finishing, Breve immediately asked a question.  "Permission to speak freely sir?"

            Bach gave the captain a thin smile and nodded his head.  He felt that whatever the captain was about to say would be very entertaining.

            "Sir, what are you doing here?"

            "What do you mean, captain?"

            Breve responded, "Well sir, it's just that I don't understand.  The Kraylor is a flagship, sir.  You should be on your own ship, not on mine.  It is one of the newest, most advanced, and most heavily armed ships in the entire fleet.  Why would you not want to take it into battle?  And another thing, sir.  Why are we meeting up with the other fleet?  Is Rotar not our target?  Shouldn't they be rendezvousing with us?"

            Bach was surprised by the captain's questions.  It showed a surprising amount of thinking on his part.  Which was something that he was not known for.  Bach would have to make sure that he stopped thinking or else his entire plan might be ruined.

            With as much force and command as he could put in his voice, he responded to the captain's questions.  "Why I have chosen to do the things that I am doing is none of your concern, captain.  You need only concern yourself with my orders and the running of your ship.  I would hate to think that you are questioning my orders.  To do so would put your career in significant risk."

            Bach felt intense satisfaction when he saw the blind fear appear on the captain's face at the mere mention that he might question the orders of someone of Bach's status and rank.  Bach knew that if there was one sure fire way to make a Peacekeeper do what you wanted, it was to threaten their career.  A normal Peacekeeper would do just about anything to make sure that he stayed a Peacekeeper.

            Now that Bach was sure that he had the captain in line, he softened his tone a little.  "I realize that you are only interested in maintaining the safety of your ship and it's crew, captain.  However, such insubordination will not be tolerated while I am in command.  Do you understand captain?"

            Breve nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes sir.  I understand completely.  It will not happen again."

            "Good.  See that it doesn't.  I would hate to replace an officer of such skill and potential."

            Breve straitened a bit at the admiral's compliment.  He was about to thank the admiral for his kind words when the transport pod finally arrived.  All eight Peacekeepers moved into the pod, and as soon as it was sealed, the pod moved at a brisk pace toward the ship's bridge.

            Lorana stood on the bridge of the Peacekeeper command carrier Kraylor, and felt a brief flare of exhilaration and satisfaction.  She finally had command of her own ship.  Unfortunately, that satisfaction was tempered by the fact that she only had command of the ship because her father was dead.  Well, he wasn't really dead yet, she knew, but he might as well be.  She knew that he wasn't coming back from his attack on the Scarrens, and so she had already started herself thinking that he was dead.  It was her way of grieving and dealing with the pain.  As long as she thought of him as dead, she could begin the healing process.  She knew that to some it would seem heartless, but it was the only way she knew how to deal with pain.

            Besides, she knew that her father wouldn't want her to be overwhelmed by grief.  He had raised her to be a soldier, and she had every intention of becoming what he wanted her to be.  It was a way of honoring his memory, by becoming what he loved so much.

            She could fully grieve later, when the war on Rotar was complete.  While the Peacekeepers were, for all intents and purposes, defeated, there were still pockets of Peacekeeper resistance peppering the surface.  The Kraylor would go a long way in ensuring that the Peacekeepers were completely defeated.

            Lorana moved to her large command chair and sat down.  After getting comfortable, she studied the extremely efficient bridge crew.  Her father had hand picked each and every one of his bridge officers.  They were people who were loyal to their commanding officer, and not to their uniform.  Which was a very rare quality in the Peacekeepers.

            They were easily the best crew in the fleet, and Lorana trusted them implicitly.  She knew that all of them believed in the admiral's cause, and had no problem fighting their own people.  They wanted reforms as well.

            She knew that they had their reservations about allying themselves with aliens, but as long as Lorana was in charge they would do whatever they were told, no matter how uncomfortable it might make them feel. 

            Lorana was about to ask for a status report, when the comm officer drew her attention.  "Captain, we are receiving a comms transmission from the planet's surface.  It's Commander Crichton."

            Lorana smiled slightly before responding, "Excellent, put him on the main viewport."

            The comm officer answered briskly, "Yes, sir."  She pressed some buttons on her panel, and John's smiling face suddenly appeared on the bridge's main viewport.

            "Howdy, Captain!  It's so good to finally see a familiar face on one of these command carriers that keep popping up in my life.  Anyways, the reason that I'm callin' is because, well now that we got the PK's on the run and all, I figured that Moya and Talyn could finally leave that asteroid belt and enter the planet's orbit.  I sure would like to visit home."

            Lorana smiled, "Of course, John.  I will notify them immediately of your request.  I'm sure Crais will appreciate finally being able to leave that field.  I could tell way back when I visited Moya that he was not happy in being stuck there.  Although he will probably be disappointed that all the fighting is over."

            John looked pleasantly surprised, "Whoa, Captain Crunch is here?  Why didn't someone tell me?"

            Lorana looked confused, "You're happy to see him?  I was under the impression that you two did not get along well."

            John said sarcastically, "Whatever do you mean?  My boy Crais and I are like this."  Lorana could see John hold up one of his hands and she could see that two of his fingers were crossed, one over the other.  She didn't quite know what that meant, but she assumed that it meant that they were close.

            "In that case, I'll be happy to send Crais down to the surface to meet you.  I'm sure you two have much to catch up on."  Lorana said laughingly.

            John laughed as well, "No need to get carried away, captain.  I'm sure Crais is more than perfectly fine where he is."

            Another face suddenly appeared on the viewport next to Crichton.  Lorana recognized the person as the former commando, Aeryn Sun.  Lorana heard Aeryn remark to Crichton in a half serious tone.  "Stop flirting John, and concentrate on the matter at hand."

            Lorana saw John turn to the woman in surprise.  He retorted indignantly, "Hey!  I am not flirting I am merely being friendly.  It's called being a polite conversationalist, a skill you obviously haven't learned yet."

            Aeryn frowned and then shoved John out of the way.  Soon it was just Aeryn filling the viewport.  "Look captain, just send Moya the message that it's safe to come out."

            John again reappeared in the viewport and this time he pushed Aeryn out of the way.  He turned to face Lorana with a big smile on his face, "You'll have to forgive Aeryn.  Sometimes she forgets her manners.  What she meant to say was that as soon as it is convenient for you to do so, would you please send the message to Moya."

            Lorana heard Aeryn's voice come from off the screen, "I did not!  I meant exactly what I said."

            John frowned in the direction of where Aeryn was saying before turning back to face Lorana.  "Also, in a few arns, I wouldn't mind visiting your new ship.  I only saw a small portion of it last time, and would really like to get the full tour."

            Lorana nodded her head.  Unlike John, she interpreted his request as an order.  It didn't matter how nicely he put it, it was all the same to her.  "Of course John, it would be my pleasure."

            John grinned boyishly, "Great!  Well, I gotta go.  I'll be seeing you."  With that said, John's image disappeared from the viewport and the screen went blank.

            Bach surveyed the assembled group in front of him.  Eleven of the best Peacekeeper captains in the entire fleet were sitting in front of him, and all eleven of them were scared drenless of the great Ev Bach.  That thought caused a small smile to grace Bach's lips.  It was an amazing feeling, to have such power and influence over other people.  Especially people who were quite powerful in their own right.

            There were in actuality twelve Peacekeepers sitting at the table, but Bach didn't count the only lieutenant sitting at the table as worthy of his attention.  The lieutenant had been the executive officer of Captain Brevel, before the captain had foolishly got himself killed down on Rotar, and was only at the meeting as a courtesy to his ship.  If there had been enough time, the lieutenant would have been replaced by a suitable enough candidate from High Command.  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time and for the crew of the command carrier Hyfel, they were stuck with an inexperienced new captain.

            Bach had convened the meeting of the twelve commanders for the purpose of discussing their battle strategy for attacking the Scarrens.  Before they did that though, Bach needed to tell them that they were actually going to be attacking the Scarrens.  Bach was definitely looking forward to what the reaction was going to be from the twelve when they found out what their new mission was.

            Well, there was no time like the present.  With a calm voice, Bach began speaking to the assembled group.  "As you all know, the rebels on the planet of Rotar have defeated our forces.  High Command initially sent this fleet under the auspice of sterilizing the planet of Rotar of all alien influences.  Unfortunately, that goal is no longer possible.  Shortly before convening this meeting, I personally received new orders from High Command.  Our mission goal has changed."

            Bach stopped talking to gauge the reactions of the twelve other people in the room.  Bach was not disappointed.  He had hoped to get a reaction out of them, and from the looks on most of their faces he had succeeded.  It was so rare to see shock or surprise on the face of a Peacekeeper.

            Captain Breve, who was one of the captains sitting closest to Bach, spoke up.  "Sir, if I may ask, what new orders?  I was under the impression that High Command considered the sterilization of Rotar to be a priority."

            Bach nodded his head at Breve's comments, "You are correct, captain.  However, High Command's priorities have changed."

            "May I ask a question, admiral?"  This time it was a different captain who spoke up.  Bach studied the captain who had interrupted.  She was the most senior captain of the group, the captain that had been in charge of the battle fleet until Bach had assumed command.  She was highly intelligent, and was considered a prime candidate for promotion.  Bach would have to be very careful when dealing with her.

            "Of course you may, Captain Sorel."

            "Thank you sir.  I would like to know why High Command changed their orders so quickly.  I had been given specific instructions by High Command to rendezvous here with you and then proceed to the planet of Rotar.  High Command would have told me if our orders had been changed."

            Bach could feel anger enter his voice as he responded, "Are you accusing me of lying about our orders?"

            If Sorel was aware of her precarious position, she did not show it as she continued on.  "Of course not.  I am merely wondering why I was not informed of our new status.  It is most unusual."

            Bach calmed himself somewhat before he spoke, "High Command received new intelligence that caused them to change their orders.  They did not have time to go through the proper procedures.  Regardless of why the orders have been changed, I would like to remind you captain, that you are no longer in command.  I do not tolerate insubordination of any kind from the officers under my command, and if you question me again, I will have you removed from command and placed under arrest.  Do you understand me?"

            Normally, Bach would not have disciplined a subordinate in front of any one else, but Bach needed to make a lesson out of her to the other officers in the room.  He had to keep everyone under his control.  It would be the only way for him to successfully complete his mission.

            Thankfully, Sorel seemed to understand Bach's reprimand, and she stiffly sat down.  It was obvious that Sorel was not used to taking orders from someone, and was even less used to being disciplined by a superior officer.  Bach would have to keep an eye on her.  She could be a real problem, especially if she felt resentful.  Bach had learned a long time ago that Peacekeepers were very vindictive.

            Bach said condescendedly, "If there are no more interruptions, then I will inform everyone of our new orders."  Bach then pressed several buttons on the table in front of him, and a holo-image appeared on the wall to the left of the table.  Everyone turned in their chairs so that they could see the image.  The image showed a map that was divided into two parts.  On one part there was an area of space that was obviously under Peacekeeper control, while the other part contained the area of space that was controlled by the Scarrens.  "Because of the recent uprising on Rotar, and the subsequent outbreaks of rebellion on other planets in this sector, High Command had ordered this fleet to sterilize the planet of Rotar and put down the rebellions on the other planets while they were still in their infant stages.  Unfortunately, those orders changed five arns ago when High Command received some very disturbing intelligence.  High Command has learned that the Scarrens plan to use this breakdown of Peacekeeper control to establish a foothold in this sector.  High Command feels that that is unacceptable and must be stopped at all costs.  The Scarrens cannot be allowed to establish a presence in this part of the Uncharted Territories.  To allow them to do so, would give them unfettered access to this quadrant and a open corridor to Peacekeeper space."

            Bach stopped talking as the image zoomed into focus on the area of space where the fleet was currently stationed.  The image showed the fleet and its relative position to the Scarren border.  On the other side of the Scarren border, there was an icon that represented the presence of a Scarren fleet.

            "As you can all see, intelligence believes that a Scarren battle fleet is being organized just half a light year from the border.  Special Directorate believes that once the fleet has been completed, the Scarrens will launch an attack on this sector.  With their first target being the Peacekeeper fleet headquarters for this sector on the planet of Granilet IV.  Granilet IV is heavily defended, but it cannot hope to survive against a full Scarren invasion fleet."

            Bach paused and had to swallow.  It was becoming increasingly harder for him to talk for a long period of time, as he got older.  "Our orders are very simple.  We are to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Scarren fleet, and destroy them before they are able to reach full strength."

            What Bach had just told them, had of course been a lie, but there had been some truth to it.  Special Directorate had known for some time that the Scarrens had been building up a large fleet right along the border.  They had assumed that the fleet was only for defending the border, but certain people suspected, and Bach was one of them, that the Scarren fleet was not for defense but for attack.

            When Bach had heard about the Peacekeeper battle fleet coming to Rotar, he had instantly thought of the Scarren fleet.  It was perfect for his plan.  While the Peacekeeper fleet would be able to hold its own against almost any foe, it would be no match for a Scarren invasion fleet.  Not only would they be outnumbered at least two to one, but they were close enough to three major Scarren outposts that could easily reinforce the Scarren fleet if they had too much trouble.  The Peacekeeper fleet would be wiped out, and the attack would stall the Scarren invasion long enough to give John some time to figure out a way of defending Rotar.

            Bach refocused his attention back on the room, "If no one has any pressing concerns, we will leave immediately for the border."  Bach turned to Breve, "Captain, signal the fleet.  We leave immediately to the coordinates I gave to you earlier.  Move us out at maximum speed.  We must use whatever advantages we have if we hope to defeat the Scarrens."

            Bach then addressed the rest of the captains, "Brief your crews and prepare your ships for battle.  We will have the element of surprise, but the Scarrens will not be easily defeated.  Dismissed."

            As everyone left the conference room, Bach leaned back in his chair.  He rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.  It would take three arns to get to the border, and that was plenty of time to contemplate his mortality.

            John felt the transport pod settle down on the deck of Moya's hangar bay.  He excitedly got out of his seat and made his way to the exit.  It had been more than a quarter of a cycle since he had been on Moya, and John was looking forward to seeing everything and everybody that he had missed.

            As soon as the ramp was down, John rushed down it and made his way straight towards his module.  Seeing it still in one piece, he let out a contented sigh, and ran his hand across its hull reverentially.  As he did so he said out loud, "Oh baby, I missed you.  Pilot's been taking good care of you, hasn't he?"

            Pilot's holoimage appeared on the clamshell.  "Of course I have Commander Crichton.  I have not let anything happen to it during your absence.  I knew that you would be back and would look forward to seeing your module again."

            John smiled at Pilot's image, "Pilot!  It's so good to see you man."

            Pilot warmly replied, "I am happy to see you as well, as is Moya.  She wishes me to express her happiness at seeing you again."

            John grinned, "Yeah, well tell Moya that the feeling is mutual."

            Pilot responded, "Moya says thank you and is happy that you are now home."

            John walked closer to the clamshell, "You and me both Pilot."  John paused and looked around the bay.  He frowned, "Hey Pilot, where's Princess and AstroBoy?"

            A look of consternation crossed Pilot's face, "Well, Jool is in her lab and said that she did not want to be disturbed under any circumstances.  And Stark is well…Stark.  I do not know exactly where he is, but he has been acting even stranger than usual for him, and the last time I saw him he was ranting around Zhaan's former quarters.  Do you wish me to locate him for you?"

            John shook his head, "Nah, Pilot's that's all right.  Leave the guy alone.  It doesn't really matter, I was just curious that's all."

            John then turned back to the transport pod, and stared at it intently.  What is taking them so long, he thought at seeing that no one had followed him out yet.  John moved back to the ramp and shouted up into the pod, "Hey up there!  What the hell are you guys doing up there?  You aren't killing each other are you?"

            John saw Aeryn appear in the doorway with a frown on her face.  "Of course not John.  Unlike some people, we have more self-control than that.  Besides, since someone left the pod so quickly, we had to unload the pod all by ourselves."  Aeryn then started walking down the ramp with a large load of stuff in her arms.

            John got embarrassed and mumbled an apology, "I'm sorry.  I kinda forgot about that."

            "That's alright, John.  I know how important being back here meant to you.  I don't mind."  John heard from above him.  John looked back to the pod and saw Juli coming down with a load of stuff in her arms as well.

            John turned to look at Aeryn smugly, "See, she understands and doesn't care.  That's why I like her more."

            John heard Aeryn mumble her response in Sebacean.  His translator microbes only managed to pick out words like 'kill' and 'John'.  All in all it was a pretty typical Aeryn response to one of his jokes.

            Just then, John heard a rumbling sound and looked over his shoulder.  The rest of his "escort" had just arrived.  When John had told everyone of his plan to leave Rotar and visit Moya, he had met surprisingly stiff resistance.  According to Toben and the rest of the Rystalva's leadership, it was too dangerous for him to leave the security of the planet.  Especially if he planned on visiting Lorana's carrier after visiting Moya.  Krant had been doubly opposed to that.

            John had insisted though, and since Toben and the others knew how stubborn and pig headed John could be, had agreed to him going, but under one condition.  He had to take his security detail with him.  John's initial reaction had been to refuse, but he had recognized early on that arguing with Juli and Toben about his safety was a futile gesture.  So he had compromised and allowed the Magnificent Seven to accompany him.  Of course Aeryn had insisted on going as well, and John didn't even bother arguing with her because he knew it would be pointless to do so.

            John, Aeryn, and Juli had taken a transport pod, while the Seven rode along in four Prowlers and one Marauder.  The Marauder was along for when they went to the command carrier.  A Marauder was significantly faster, more maneuverable, and more armored than a transport pod was.  If they needed a quick getaway, then the Marauder would be his ticket for getting out of Dodge.

            John waited for his guards to disembark from their ships.  Soon all seven of them were walking towards him.  The composition of the Seven had changed quite a bit since its inception.  It had initially started out with two Rotarians and five Sebaceans, and while the numbers had stayed the same, the only person in the Seven from the original group was Juli.  All the other original members had either been killed or wounded so badly that they could no longer do their job.

            The two Rotarians were rather young and were brothers.  Juli had told him that they were actually twins; something she had said was extremely rare in Rotarian society.  Tall, solidly built, and covered in black fur, the twins were supposedly some of the few Rotarians who could actually use Peacekeeper weapons.  That was the biggest reason why they were part of the Seven, they could shoot, and they were extremely loyal to John.  John couldn't pronounce their names, so he just called them Bert and Ernie.

            The other four Sebaceans, Juli was a separate category all to herself, were very similar to the two Rotarians.  Two of the four were young but very experienced fighters.  Teln was an excellent shot with pretty much any weapon, and Resa had extensive medical knowledge.  The other two Sebaceans were old friends of John, Vorel and Graf.  Since coming down to the planet as John's liasions to Admiral Bach, the two Peacekeepers had become trusted and integral parts of the Rystalva.  They had actually volunteered for being part of the Seven.

              "Hey guys!  Hope you had a nice flight?"

            Vorel laughed sarcastically, "As nice a flight as can be expected when flying a Prowler.  I cannot understand how you pilots can stand to fly those things.  They are so ungainly and confining."  Vorel spoke to Aeryn with contempt in his voice.  Vorel truly hated the Prowlers.

            Aeryn bristled with anger.  Few things could get Aeryn truly angry; John and someone insulting her Prowler were about the only things.  "The Prowler is not an ungainly craft, it is perfectly designed for combat in space.  It is the most superior space fighter in the galaxy."

            John laughed at the look of anger on Aeryn's face.  "I'm sorry Vorel, but you know the twins can't fly or even fit into a Prowler.  They had to go on the Marauder, and we needed four Prowlers, so you got the shaft."

            Vorel just grumbled as he and Graf moved off to talk to Juli.  Well, Vorel moved to talk, Graf just followed.  John had always wondered why Graf never said anything, and a few weekens ago Vorel had told him why.  It seemed that Graf had been injured in a battle and had lost the ability to speak.  He had a piece of shrapnel hit him in the throat and he had had his windpipe crushed.  The Peacekeeper Diagnosans had been able to save his life and repair the external damage to his throat, but they had been unable to restore his ability to talk.

            Normally, Vorel had told him, if a Peacekeeper had been injured as severely as Graf had, he would have been "retired".  John knew exactly what that meant.  It seemed that the inability to speak was seen as a serious detriment to being a good soldier.  The only thing that had saved Graf had been having an admiral interfering on his behalf.  Bach had seen Graf's potential to still be a good soldier, and had asked for his transfer to his command.  Graf had immediately become one of Bach's most trusted aids.  Bach could tell Graf anything and never worry about him ever informing anyone of his actions.

            John clapped his hands together, startling everyone.  "Alright everyone, its time for the grand tour.  Follow me.  What you are about to see will shock and amaze you…"

            "Status report, captain!"  Bach barked out.

            Bach received his answer quickly, "Sir!  We are 100 microts outside of our target coordinates.  The fleet has moved into attack position and the flight deck reports that the Prowlers are armed, manned, and fueled up to go."

            Bach smiled a grim smile, "Excellent captain.  As soon as we are within range, launch all fighters, raise the defense screen, and arm the frag cannons."

            Breve walked over to the tactical station and looked over the shoulder of the tactical officer at the tactical display.  Speaking to the tactical officer, he repeated Bach's orders.  "As soon as we slow to attack speed, send the order to launch all Prowlers.  As soon as the bays are empty, raise the defense screen and arm the frag cannons.  Tell the gunners that they have authorization to fire as soon as they can lock onto a target."

            As soon as he was finished, Breve moved back towards his console near the admiral.  His console had its own tactical display, allowing him to receive all the data from the battle so that he could properly inform the admiral of the fleet's progress.

            "Time to intercept, captain?"

            Breve answered immediately, "Fifty microts, sir."

            Bach leaned back in his command chair and surveyed the bridge.  Dozens of bridge personnel were scurrying around, preparing for the rapidly approaching battle.  Bach just relaxed.  In the three arns it had taken the fleet to reach its ultimate, and final, destination, Bach had fully come to grips with the reality that he was going to die.  It was an amazing feeling really.  Once a man accepted, truly accepted, that he was going to die, he could accomplish anything.

            Turning to his fidgeting captain, Bach calmly asked Breve a question.  "Do you know what makes us better than the Scarrens captain?"

            Breve looked at Bach with surprise and confusion on his face, "I don't know sir."

            Bach let out a short laugh.  "An honest answer.  I must say I'm surprised captain, I was expecting you to spout out the party line."

            Breve, still looking confused, stated, "Perhaps this is not the best time for this discussion admiral."

            Bach just smiled, "Nonsense captain.  What better time than now, when we are about to face the Scarrens in battle.  You see captain, despite the fact that the Scarrens have bigger and better ships, despite that they outnumber Peacekeepers, and despite that they are immune to the damaging affects of Heat delirium, they will ultimately fail in their conquest of the universe.  You know why that is captain?"

            Breve shook his head, "No sir, I have no idea."

            "I'll tell you why, captain.  It isn't because Sebaceans are stronger, or smarter, or even more technologically superior.  No, it's because of one simple, fundamental rule of nature.  Those that know how to adapt, survive.  The Scarrens are too stuck in their ways.  They do not react well to unpredictable situations."

            Breve just looked at Bach strangely.  Bach just sighed.  The captain still didn't understand.  Oh, well, that just meant Bach would have to show him what he meant.  "Captain, I believe that we have arrived.  Slow to attack speed and launch the fighters."

            Even though Breve did not comprehend what the admiral was talking about, his incomprehension did not stop him from following orders.  Falling back on his Peacekeeper instincts, Breve immediately shifted his mind onto focusing on only one thing, the battle.  Breve began barking out orders, "Helm, slow to attack speed, and set an intercept course for the nearest enemy vessel.  Flight, launch all Prowler squadrons and establish a defensive screen around the ship.  Tactical, as soon as the Prowlers are away, raise the defense screen and activate the frag cannons."

            All three officers responded with the appropriate affirmative response, and went about carrying out their orders.  Bach couldn't help but admire their efficiency.  While they would never be as good as his own bridge crew, they were certainly better than most.  Breve had trained them well.

            Breve studied the tactical display at his terminal.  He could see the Peacekeeper fleet spread out and move towards the large Scarren fleet in the distance.  Breve knew that it would have been impossible to attack the Scarrens with total surprise, but it was obvious from the seemingly chaotic scene outside that the Scarrens hadn't been expecting them so soon.

            The Peacekeeper fleet had reverted back to normal engines once they got within 100 metras of the enemy fleet.  The plan had been that as soon as they arrived, the twelve command carriers would launch all of their Prowler squadrons; twelve on each ship, and the squadrons would then create a protective screen around the command carriers.  The protective screen would allow the command carriers to focus their attention on the enemy capital ships, instead of having to worry about any Scarren fighter craft.  Plus the Prowlers would be able to shoot down any incoming missiles heading for their ships.

            The admiral had decided that each carrier would also get two cruisers as escort.  It would be their job to draw fire from the main Scarren ships, and assist the Prowlers in their destruction of any Scarren fighters.  It had been a good plan in theory, but Breve knew that very few plans ever lasted past first contact with the enemy.  Breve knew that it would take all the skill, know how, and luck of every Peacekeeper in the fleet to possibly have a chance at winning the battle.

            Breve continued studying the tactical display and saw that the forward elements of the fleet, the carriers Hyfel and Serilt, had just begun engaging the closest Scarren ships.  Breve could see the two carriers firing their massive frag cannons at a Scarren dreadnought, while their escort cruisers and Prowlers opened fire on the dreadnoughts fighters.

            Breve saw the dreadnought's defense screens collapse under the combined assault of the two carriers, and the Serilt launched a barrage of missiles.  The missiles homed in on the dreadnought's bridge area and slammed into the ship.  Huge explosions rocketed out of the massive hole created by the missiles, and the ship veered sharply away from the battle.  The dreadnought was no longer a threat.

            However, three Scarren dreadnoughts and four of their cruisers appeared to take the place of the destroyed dreadnought, and they opened fire on the two carriers.  Now Peacekeeper defense screens are some of the strongest and most durable in the galaxy, but Breve knew that no ship could withstand a bombardment of that magnitude.  The screens on the hammond side of the Serilt collapsed, and the Scarrens exploited the opening.  Missiles from two cruisers and frag fire from a dreadnought impacted against the side of the carrier, and fire flared out into space.  The four Scarren cruisers continued firing into the damaged carrier, as the three dreadnoughts turned their attention to the Hyfel.  The Hyfel tried valiantly to stand its ground, but its defense screens soon fell as well. 

            Breve heard Bach speak up while he was watching the destruction of the two carriers.  "Captain, order the Serilt and Hyfel's cruisers to pull back and assume escort positions around the carriers Byta and Onyx.  The Serilt and Hyfel are no longer combat effective and no longer have need of a screen."

            As if to emphasize the admiral's point, Breve saw the Serilt and Hyfel flare up in huge explosions, and then vanish from the tactical display.  "Yes, sir.  Tactical, order the cruisers into defensive positions around the Byta and Onyx.  And tell the squadron commanders of the orphaned Prowler squadrons to retreat as well."

            The tactical officer went about commencing his orders and Breve turned back to the admiral.  "Captain, do we have a positive confirmation yet of the size of the Scarren fleet?"

            Bach looked down at his display and visibly paled at the numbers listed there.  Regaining control, he turned back to face the admiral and spoke in as unemotional tone as he could manage.  "Yes, sir.  Sensors indicate that there are eighteen capital ships, forty five cruisers and other light attack vessels, and, uh…it looks like if sensors are correct there are fifteen troop transports as well."

            Bach smiled grimly, "So Special Directorate was right after all.  We had assumed for some time that the Scarrens were planning an invasion, but we had no idea they were this far along."

            Bach stopped talking for a few microts and then stood up out of his chair.  "Captain, our priorities have now changed."  He looked down at Breve's display.  "Breve, order the Byta, Onyx, Serrel, and Tavera to form up on our position.  We must destroy those transports.  Those are now our primary targets."

            Not wasting time to respond, Breve turned to the tactical officer and repeated Bach's orders. 

            Bach moved back to his chair and sat down heavily.  He had to destroy those transports.  He knew that each Scarren transport could hold up to twenty thousand troops.  If those troops made it into the Rotarian system, everything that he and John had been working for would be over.  Peacekeepers were one thing, but Scarrens were another thing entirely.

            "Captain, prepare the ship for combat.  We will lead the attack ourselves." Bach ordered.

            Breve turned to look at the admiral with hesitation.  "Sir, is that wise?  We should avoid combat as long as possible.  If you are killed, then there will be no one to command the fleet."

            Bach frowned, "I understand that captain, but we have no choice.  We will need half of what remains of our forces to occupy the bulk of the Scarren fleet, while the rest of the fleet attacks those transports.  Every ship is needed, and that includes us.  It can't be helped."

            Breve nodded his head and began to issue his orders.  Bach felt the ship's engines activate, and the ship began to softly rumble as the engines went to full power.  "Captain, order the Byta and Onyx to attack the two dreadnoughts at these coordinates." Bach pressed a few buttons on the console of his chair, which sent the coordinates to Breve.  "Then have the Serrel and Tavera clear a path through those six cruisers protecting those transports.  When the path is cleared, we will move in and destroy those transports ourselves." Bach felt the ship begin to move. 

            Suddenly Breve spoke up in an excited voice, "Sir!  The Gutay has just been destroyed, along with its two cruisers."

            Bach frowned deeply.  The Gutay was Captain Sorel's carrier.  He was surprised and disturbed.  The Gutay had been ordered to protect the Silyk's flank.  Now the portion of the fleet designated to distract the Scarrens was down to only four carriers.  He would have to shift ships over to reinforce the weakened position.  "Captain, send our cruisers and one each of the Byta's and Tavera's cruisers to reinforce the hole the Gutay created."

            Breve saw the four cruisers move toward the position holding back the bulk of the Scarren fleet only twenty metras away.  Breve felt naked without his escorting cruisers, but he knew it was necessary.  Breve also knew that every ship sent to hold that position would be destroyed.  There was just no way the Peacekeepers could hold back over fifteen dreadnoughts and thirty Scarren cruisers with only four carriers and a handful of cruisers.  They needed to only hold back the Scarrens long enough so that they could destroy the transports.

            Bach felt an explosion rock the ship.  "Status, captain?"

            Breve responded quickly, "Missile hit, sir.  Hammond side.  The screen is holding."

            Bach just nodded his head as Breve studied his display.  He saw the Byta and the Onyx move off to engage the two dreadnoughts protecting the transports.  Under normal circumstances, the four ships would have been evenly matched, but the Peacekeepers had the advantage of having cruisers in support of their attack.  Breve saw the Byta and its three cruisers launch missiles at the dreadnought on the left.  The missiles collapsed the defense screens along the dreadnought's front end.  The Byta then unleashed a deadly barrage from its frag cannons that carved large slashes into the hull of the ship.  The dreadnought was venting atmosphere into space.  The killing blow came from a pair of missiles from the Byta, hitting the dreadnought amidships and splitting the massive vessel in half.

            Meanwhile, the Onyx was having more difficulty with its dreadnought.  The dreadnought, more prepared than its partner, had already launched multiple missiles at the Onyx and opened up with its cannons.  Two missiles hit one of the Onyx's four cruisers, obliterating almost half of the ship, while four more impacted along the Onyx's rear.  Breve saw the Onyx's engines explode and explosions rocketed down along the carrier's hull.  The Onyx was not out of the fight though, and fired a broadside at the dreadnought while the carrier's three cruisers fired everything they had at the dreadnought.  Multiple missile impacts along the dreadnought collapsed their screens and the Onyx's frag cannons finished the dreadnought off.  Unfortunately, the Onyx was completely stuck, and with no engines, the ship was as good as dead.

            Bach saw the whole thing.  "Breve, send the Onyx's remaining cruisers to escort the Byta and send the Byta to reinforce our flank."  Bach waited until Breve relayed his orders before issuing his next orders.  "Status on the Serrel and Tavera?"

            Breve looked down at his display, "Sir, the Serrel and Tavera are engaging their targets as we speak."

            The Scarren cruisers tried their best to protect the fifteen transports, but not even six Scarren cruisers were a match for the two Peacekeeper vessels.  Within the first forty microts of the fight, two cruisers were destroyed and one was permanently disabled.  The remaining three cruisers managed to significantly damage the hangar bay on the Tavera, temporarily preventing it from sending or receiving ships, but that was the only damage they managed to inflict on the two carriers.  By the time Admiral Bach and the Silyk reached maximum firing range on the transports, the Scarren cruisers were nothing more than floating debris.

            Breve announced their arrival, "Admiral, we have reached optimal range on the Scarren transports."

            Bach nodded his head with a grave look on his face.  Despite those transports being filled with thousands of Scarrens, it still made him uncomfortable just slaughtering them.  But it had to be done.  "Understood captain.  Tactical, you may fire at will."

            Bach heard a slight wine and then the ship bucked softly as the carrier's frag cannons opened fire on the lead transport.  Bach saw the frag pulses engulf the lead ship, overwhelm its meager defense screens, and breach the hull.  The ship soon exploded into a massive fireball.

            Soon the Serrel and Tavera engaged the Scarren transports as well, and the Scarren vessels began rapidly disappearing off the tactical display.  In even less time than it had taken to destroy the transport's escorts, all fifteen transports were annihilated. 

Bach let out a huge sigh in relief when he saw that all the enemy transports were gone.  It would take the Scarrens a long time to recover from the blow Bach had just inflicted, and Bach hoped that he had bought John some more time.  Sure the Scarrens could still invade, even though it was highly unlikely, but if they did, they would be seriously undermanned and most likely unable to sustain a long confrontation.

Now all Bach had to worry about was ensuring the destruction of what was left of the Peacekeeper fleet.  "Breve, inform the Serrel and Tavera that they are to immediately reinforce the carriers protecting our flank."

Breve looked at the admiral in shock, "But sir, why?  We have already seriously hampered the Scarrens ability to launch an attack on this sector.  To continue attacking would be foolish and suicidal."

Bach looked at Breve sharply, "I don't remember asking for your opinion when I gave you your orders captain.  I have my orders just like you have yours, and my orders are to destroy that Scarren fleet no matter what.  I intend to follow those orders to the best of my ability, or die trying.  We are Peacekeepers and Peacekeepers do not retreat from combat.  Do you understand me?"

Breve swallowed, and nodded his head numbly.  Turning around slowly, he ordered the Serrel and the Tavera to move towards the Scarren fleet.  And Breve soon felt his carrier move after them.

Despite the many amazing things that John had seen in his lifetime, especially since coming to the Uncharted Territories, seeing the command carrier Kraylor rapidly filling up the viewscreen of the Rystalvan Marauder, was one of the most awe inspiring.  John had seen some big space ships since arriving on the other side of his wormhole, but none of them reached quite the size of the Kraylor.

The ship was at least one and half times bigger than a normal command carrier, at least two metras long and almost three quarters of a metra across, it had more than twice the number of weapons, and its defense screens could easily stand up to an attack from at least two Scarren dreadnoughts.  It was, essentially, one big ass ship.

Not only did the Kraylor have more weapons than the normal command carrier, but as John was seeing up close and personal, it also had a much bigger hangar bay.  When John had been inside the hangar bay the first time he visited Lorana's carrier, the hangar hadn't looked nearly as big.  John figured that the hangar bay was actually big enough to almost fit Moya in it.

John felt the Marauder touch down gently on the hangar floor, and he moved to the exit.  He of course had to wait until his guards moved first.  The twins, Bert and Ernie, disembarked from the Marauder first, Peacekeeper rifles at the ready.  Juli and Aeryn followed them, and when Juli finally sent John the all-clear signal, John finally left the ship.  John didn't know what the big deal was.  He trusted Lorana, and knew that he would be safe while on board her ship.

Speaking of Lorana, John saw her waiting for him just a few feet from the Marauder.  She was dressed in her captain's uniform and it seemed that she had some form of an honor guard with her.  There were six Peacekeepers, all dressed in their full uniforms, lined up on either side of Lorana.  They were all armed and John briefly worried that Aeryn or the others might mistake them for having a hostile intent.  Not that it mattered.  With the arrival of the rest of John's escort, the four Prowlers, John and the Seven outnumbered Lorana and her guards.  Trying to break the tension that might soon arise, John set off at a brisk, deliberate pace for Lorana.

John stopped in front of Lorana and smiled.  Lorana snapped to attention and saluted John.  "Sir, it is my honor to welcome you to the command carrier Kraylor."

John sighed, "Damn't!  Didn't I tell you to knock it off with all that saluting and crap?"

Lorana smiled a sheepish smile, "Sorry, John.  Old habits die hard."

John grinned, "Don't I know it!  I've had this habit of chewing on my thumb since I was a teenager.  It drives me crazy, but no matter how hard I try to stop, I can't seem to do it."

Lorana laughed lightly, "Come on John.  I'll give you that tour you wanted.  I think we'll take you to the bridge first.  I think that you might find it especially 'educational'."

  Breve was thrown to the ground as the carrier was rocked by another massive explosion.  A missile had just hit the carrier, near the hangar bay, and a gaping hole appeared in its defense screens.  Breve picked himself up and braced himself against his console.

Bach meanwhile was sitting safely in his chair.  He was far from calm however.  "Helm!  Turn the ship immediately.  We must not expose our weakened side to enemy fire.  Captain, order the cruisers Crest 2 and Crest 6 to cover our hammond side."

Breve felt the ship turn, just as pulse fire from a dreadnought hit the ship in the rear.  Thankfully, the screens held.  Breve looked down at his tactical display and saw that things were far from going very well.  There were only three functional carriers left, the Byta, Silyk, and Tavera, and only five cruisers to protect them.  The other four carriers had been destroyed long ago.

Bach had ordered the remaining ships into a last ditch formation of concentric circles.  The three command carriers made up the inside of the circle while the cruisers and whatever remaining Prowlers formed the outer circle.  Breve couldn't help but admire the admiral's idea.  Having the ships being so close to each other not only allowed them to fight without having to worry about somebody coming from behind them, but it also allowed the three carriers to extend their defense screens over each other's ship.  In effect, each carrier had multiple layers of shielding.  It was the only reason why they hadn't been destroyed yet.

Breve continued to study his display and smiled in grim satisfaction.  Somehow they had managed to inflict severe casualties on the Scarrens, despite being outnumbered and outgunned.  Breve chalked it up to Admiral Bach's brilliance.  Of the fifteen dreadnoughts that had originally been attacking the Peacekeeper's left flank, only nine remained, and two of them were barely functional.  The number of cruisers left was a little higher, but they had taken heavy losses as well.

Breve looked up towards the massive viewscreen of the carrier and saw pulses of light, explosions, and ships moving about in the blackness of space.  Suddenly the viewscreen was filled up with a bright light, and a huge explosion rocked the ship.

"What the frell was that?"  Bach shouted to no one in particular.

Breve looked down at his display and noticed with dismay that the Tavera was no longer showing.  "That was the Tavera, sir.  It has been destroyed."

Bach spoke in alarm, "What?  How the frell did that happen?"

Breve shook his head as something rocked the ship.  "Unknown sir.  One microt the Tavera was there, and the next it was just gone."  Breve looked down at his display again.  "Sir, the remaining Scarren ships are closing on our position."

Bach was about to respond when the tactical officer shouted out, "Incoming!  Tracking six, I repeat, six missiles on an intercept course for our position.  Contact in ten microts!"

Bach responded immediately, "Full power to the screens!  Helm, begin evasive maneuvers.  Expose our strong side to the missiles."

The tactical officer continued counting, "Contact in 3…2…1.  Contact!" 

All six missiles hit the command carrier Silyk's strong side, but it didn't matter.  The first four missiles only hit the screen, draining all its power and leaving a gigantic hole.  The last two hit the command carrier with such force that the explosion alone physically moved the ship almost two metras to the side.  Explosions in a chain reaction spread up and down the hull, from the engines in the rear, all the way to the bridge on the other end.  Fire raged across the hull, and almost every single deck on that side of the ship was exposed to space.

Amazingly, the bridge was still intact, but barely.  Several consoles had exploded, and many Peacekeepers were lying on the floor dead.  Various fires burned along the room, as beams and other parts of the room collapsed inward. 

Bach was amazed that he was still alive.  He had been thrown from his chair, landing on a console hard.  He knew that several of his ribs were broken, he had a large gash along his forehead, and he was fairly certain that his left shoulder had been dislocated.  But he was still alive, and that meant that he could still fight.

Bach gingerly pulled himself over to the captain.  Breve was lying face down on the floor, and Bach was unsure if he was still alive.  He slowly rolled the captain over, and Breve let out a low groan.  Slowly, Breve opened his eyes and saw the admiral standing over him.

Groggily Breve asked in wonder, "I'm still alive?"

Bach smiled, "I'm as surprised as you are, captain.  Come on, get up, we still have a duty to perform."

Breve slowly got to his feet and moved to his tactical display.  Things were not good.  "Sir, our defense screens are gone.  Weapons are gone, comms are gone, sensors are barely functional as are the engines."

Bach thought carefully before speaking, "Route as much power as possible to the engines.  Just because we no longer have any weapons don't mean we can't fight."

Breve understood what the admiral was saying.  "Routing power to the engines.  Engines are at 67% efficiency.  I'm afraid that's the best we can do sir."

Bach moved to his chair and sat down in it proudly.  "That's more than adequate.  I believe the honor should be yours captain."

Breve nodded his head, "Thank you sir."

The carrier began building up speed as Breve directed the carrier at a group of congregating Scarren dreadnoughts.  All he would have to do was hit one ship, and the resulting explosion would be more than enough to destroy any nearby ships as well.

Bach turned his head to look at the captain.  "Breve, I'm afraid I have a confession to make."  Bach saw that he had Breve's attention before he continued, "When I first met you, I thought that you were competent but far from anything special.  I was sure that you would forever remain a captain, never to reach any higher position.  But I was wrong.  You are far more than just a competent captain.  You are one of the finest officers I have ever served with, and it has been my honor to join you in battle.  I only wish we had met sooner.  I have a feeling that we could have gotten around rather well."

Breve was speechless.  No one had ever said something so nice to him before.  It made him feel unbelievable proud that an admiral, an admiral of Bach's status no less, thought he was a great captain.  "Thank you sir.  It has been my honor to serve with you as well."

Bach just smiled and turned back to face the viewscreen.  He could see a Scarren dreadnought rapidly enlarging in the screen.  Bach just relaxed and enjoyed his last few microts of existence.

Unfortunately, those microts didn't last very long.  In a last microt attempt at stopping the speeding carrier, its intended target fired a missile into the front of the ship.  The missile vaporized the bridge, killing Bach and Breve instantly, but it was too late.  The command carrier Silyk had already built up too much speed, and there was nothing the dreadnought could do.

The Silyk hit the dreadnought exactly in its middle and exploded, taking the dreadnought with it.  The resulting explosion from the two massive ships engulfed one neighboring dreadnought and three cruisers, and created such a massive explosion that it was said it had been seen more than two systems away.

The first battle between the Peacekeepers and the Scarrens was now over.  However, the war was only beginning. 

Side Note: Sorry, for taking so long to update, but after hearing of the cancellation of my favorite show, I lost the motivation to write for a few days.  I finally got over my funk, and tried to finish this chapter as fast as I could.  I hope you like it.  It took me a long time to write the battle scene between the Peacekeepers and Scarrens, and would like to know what you thought about it.

            I initially meant to add more to this chapter, but after finishing the battle scene, I felt the chapter would be better off ending where it did.  This means my final chapter, my epilogue, will be slightly longer than I intended.  It should be out in the next few days though.

P.S.  In case anyone wants to e-mail me, I have a new address.  Send your love/hate mail to treepump999@hotmail.com.  Thank you for your time.