Part 4

Braca had watched Grayza torture Ponara with sick fascination. That woman took great pride in her ability to inflict pain. Braca would have preferred waiting until all the facts were in before assigning blame and punishment, but Grayza preferred acting immediately. He also would have chosen something other than the Aurora Chair. He realized it was a valuable tool, but believed the less it was used the better. He also did not see the reason for using it in this situation. After the torture session he followed Grayza to her quarters. "What have you found out, Captain?"

"The full report is forthcoming. Preliminaries show that the ship we thought was Moya was actually produced with a sophisticated holo- projector."

"I'm not interested in preliminaries, Captain. I want concrete information." Lyssa entered during the tirade and thought to herself that it was going to be one of those days.

"Commandant, Captain, I have the full report." She handed it over to Grayza who snatched it out of her hand. She then summarized, "The race that the ship belonged to is unknown to us. Unfortunately there was nothing left to salvage. Their technology may have been useful." She paused before continuing, "I have been thinking about the actions the Moya crew took. They had to have information about the new weapon. I believe there is a spy onboard. That's the only way they could have gotten the information."

Braca asked incredulously, "A spy?"

"Yes, sir. How else would they know how to defeat the weapon? I have begun cross referencing the crews records to see if there are any onboard who served with Aeryn Sun or were on Scorpius' command carrier. I have also initiated scans for unauthorized broadcasts. The techs are scouring the sensor logs for anything unusual."

"How can you be sure one of the techs is not the spy?" Grayza asked.

"I have assigned techs that had no knowledge of the new weapon and that have no background with anyone on Moya. They only know that they are looking for something out of the ordinary. I am using the utmost discretion, Commandant."

Grayza walked over to Lyssa and growled dangerously, "Be sure that you do, Lieutenant. Keep me informed."

"Yes, ma'am." Lyssa quickly took her leave. She was afraid that Grayza would start accusing her of being the spy. That idea still might occur to Grayza. It would be a quick way to dispose of Lyssa.

Grayza turned to Braca, "A spy, Captain. How could that happen?"

"I don't know, ma'am. I assure you we will get to the bottom of this."

"Are you sure we can trust Lt. Kain?"

"Yes, ma'am. She is a loyal Peacekeeper and would never side with the escaped prisoners. I do not doubt her loyalty."

"Still, keep an eye on her. Question the commandos that accompanied her planetside. I want to make sure she did not send any transmissions while away from the command carrier."

"Yes, ma'am." Braca knew he was on the verge of losing his second. He would do his best to defend her. As he walked back to his quarters he began thinking about who the spy might be. There were several scientists and techs that had worked on projects on Scorpius' command carrier. In his mind they were the primary candidates. Most of them had interacted with Crichton while he was onboard. He doubted that anyone who had served with Aeryn would be sending her information. Even her closest friends had seen her as the traitor she was. He would let Lyssa run the investigation for the time being. He needed her to prove her loyalty to Grayza.

After two solar days they approached a planet. Once again Lyssa was to be sent down to search for information about Moya. At least they were all on the Leviathan again. She had come no closer to finding the spy. Review of the sensor logs had shown no unauthorized transmissions. The techs were now dissecting the authorized transmissions for an embedded signal. It was possible the spy had made their transmission a rider in order to reduce the probability of detection. Interrogation had also produced nothing. It was frustrating to know there was a spy and not find a trace. The techs and scientists were now the primary suspects. They would be the only ones with the skills for this level of deception.

Lyssa dreaded going down to the planet. They were now so far from Peacekeeper space she probably could have gone down in her uniform and not be recognized. That was a huge disadvantage. At least on some of the other worlds the inhabitants had been a little intimidated by a group of well- armed Sebaceans. She pulled on her 'bounty hunter' clothes and grabbed the wanted beacon. She hated this kind of mission. She wasn't trained for it. Fortunately the travel time between planets had given her the opportunity to brush up on her hand-to-hand skills. She felt she was now quite proficient with a knife.

After several arns on the planet and three spaceports later she finally found some small ray of hope. A Leviathan transport pod had been there early yesterday. They began scouring the city for clues that would prove it had been Moya's crew. She finally found a merchant who, for a small fee, was persuaded to part with some information. It appeared that Crichton and an old woman had been gathering supplies. Unless the Leviathan had conducted another starburst they should still be nearby. Hopefully they could catch them this time and end this frelling search. She didn't like the fact that they were so far from their space.

Once she returned to the command carrier she reported to Braca immediately. Braca looked up when Lyssa entered his quarters, "Going for the informal look, Lieutenant?"

Lyssa began excitedly, "I thought you would want to hear this information right away. Crichton and another alien were on the planet yesterday morning gathering supplies. Apparently Crichton is rather fond of talking. I think I may have found a clue about our spy."

Braca leaned forward in his chair, "Go on."

"It seems that while Crichton was shopping he mentioned something about someone called 'Scorpy.' I assume that he was referring to Scorpius. The merchant seemed to believe Crichton was referring to someone in custody."

Braca was taken aback, "Scorpius, but he should be dead. I shot him and he was buried."

"Captain, we both know that Scarrens are very difficult to kill. How was his death verified?"

Braca thought back to the events of that day. "An alien, Sikhozu, was thrown into the pit to verify that Scorpius was dead."

"Its possible that she lied," Lyssa suggested.

Braca considered this statement, "Yes. She did know a highly secret codeword. It is possible she had been working with Scorpius. Grayza had intended on taking her into custody."

Lyssa continued in a conspiratorial tone, "Captain, I think it is best if we keep this knowledge between the two of us. If Commandant Grayza were to know that Scorpius is still alive, she may begin to suspect you."

Braca became defensive, "Lieutenant, I believe I have done enough to prove my loyalty."

She replied with a good deal of uncertainty in her voice, "Yes, sir. I will refine my search to focus on those that have served with Scorpius. I understand that he was fond of using neural chips. I will have those that have served with him undergo intensive medical scans. Perhaps it will turn out that our spy is not even aware of the what they are doing."

After Lyssa left, Braca found himself thinking about her last statement. Crichton had not been aware of the neural chip Scorpius had implanted. It had compelled Crichton to establish communications with Scorpius. He wondered if one of his crew could be operating under the same compulsion. He wondered if it might be him. He ordered the senior medical officer to his quarters to scan him for anything out of the ordinary. He didn't want to take any chances.

He was pacing nervously in front of his desk when the senior medical officer entered. "Doctor, I want a full scan preformed."

The doctor noticed the captain was nervous. "May I ask why?"

Braca lost control, "Just perform the frelling scan!" He realized he would be a prime candidate for the spy. He had spent more time around Scorpius than anyone else onboard.

The doctor used his most soothing demeanor, "Captain, I will require your cooperation to perform the scan. I need you to lie still." Braca moved over and lay down on his bed. The doctor began scanning, "Am I looking for anything particular?"

"Anything out of the ordinary. Especially with my brain."

The doctor raised and eyebrow at this and continued his scan. After about a hundred microts he had finished. "I find nothing out of the ordinary, Captain. Your brain scan is for the most part normal."

Braca sat up, "For the most part. What does that mean?"

"Captain, you are extremely agitated. Your scans are normal for someone in your state."

"You're positive nothing is amiss?"

"To the best of my abilities, yes. If you could tell me what I am supposed to be looking for perhaps I could be more definitive in my statement."

Braca's paranoia made him tell the doctor what to look for. "I want you to look for some sort of neural chip."

The doctor arched an eyebrow again. "I am as sure as I can be with the handheld scanner. If you want me to positively declare you don't have one I will have to scan you in med bay."

"Very well, Doctor. I will meet you in one quarter of an arn. No one is to know what you are doing, understood?"

"Yes, Captain." The doctor left to make the needed arrangements. Braca was still incredibly nervous. He knew Scorpius was very good at neural chips. Unlike wormholes, the half-breed had perfected his neural control techniques.

His comms panel chimed and he hit the answer key. ~Captain, I am awaiting a report,~ Grayza sounded slightly annoyed.

Braca forced himself to calm down. He had forgotten about Grayza. "I'll be there shortly, ma'am."

She responded tersely, ~Be sure that you are.~

To Braca the walk to Grayza's quarters seemed to take an eternity. He had to force himself to be calm. He didn't want her to find out about Scorpius' survival. Lyssa was correct, this was something that should remain secret. He entered and waited until he was acknowledged before reporting. "Lt. Kain reports that Crichton and an old woman were gathering supplies on the planet yesterday morning. She was able to extract from the local authorities the heading they took after departing."

She had begun circling him while he was speaking. She thought he was holding something back. "That's everything?"

Braca hoped he could bluff his way out of this, "Everything that's important, ma'am. I can tell you what supplies they picked up."

"That won't be necessary. You can go."

As soon as Braca was out of her quarters he hurried to medical. The doctor was waiting for him when he arrived. He sat in the diagnostic chair, "Doctor, you may begin your scan."

After several tense microts had passed the doctor spoke, "Captain, I am pleased to report that you do not have a neural chip implanted in your brain. And before you ask, yes I am positive."

Braca was relieved, "Thank you, Doctor."

"Should I assume that I will be scanning others for the same thing? If so I will ensure that it is done discreetly."

"That would be appreciated. Lt. Kain will coordinate with you." Braca departed in search of Lyssa. It took him a while to locate her. She was out making rounds of the ship. Braca thought it was one of her more peculiar habits. After he had been searching for half an arn he began to see the benefit of what she did. He was unable to find any discrepancies as he walked around. Apparently she wandered randomly and this kept the crew on their toes. He finally tracked her down in one of the terrain simulations. She was sitting against a tree near the pond, lost in thought, her arms propped on her knees. He sat down next to her, startling her. "Sorry to disturb you, Lieutenant."

"That's all right, Captain. I was just taking few moments to myself."

"You realize that you are a difficult person to locate."

"I apologize. I must have forgotten my comms when I changed. What can I do for you, sir?"

He looked around to see if anyone was close. No one was. "I came to inform you that I am not the spy. The doctor has given me a clean bill of health."

"That's excellent news. I have narrowed my list to eight suspects that are the most likely candidates. None of the others that served with Scorpius possess the knowledge to hide an outgoing transmission."

He put his hand on her arm, "I trust you track this individual down. There is no better person to lead this search. You can coordinate the medical exams with Doctor Essa."

She smiled, "Perhaps you could explain that to Grayza. I think she still wants me out of the way." She paused before continuing, "I thank you for finally realizing that I am an asset. If you'll excuse me, I should be getting back to work."

Braca watched her walk away. He was mesmerized. He shook his head to banish those thoughts. Peacekeepers did not form emotional attachments. He had to focus on capturing the Leviathan. They should be getting close.