Berret had not been paying attention to which way he had wandered. When he had started out, any direction where the old man wasn't was good enough at the time. Now as he looked around he realized he'd lost track of where he was. He wasn't worried as he had a homing device in a pocket that would lead him back to the Pod when he was ready. Right then he didn't much feel like having to face Chiana and try explaining his unreasonable outburst, especially when he didn't fully understand it himself. He was just about to reach for the device to check his location when a smooth voice from behind him said,
"Your run in with Val'Cirrus was very unfortunate. I have noticed that she lacks a certain... 'finesse' in relating with others."
Berret spun in a blur, the air ringing with the metallic tone of his blades snapping open.
"My! You are fast," said the black clad figure behind him.
Despite the words, Berret had the feeling the creature wasn't all that impressed with his speed.
"Who are you?" the Shrike demanded.
"Oh, my apologizes. We have not been formally introduced. I am Scorpius," said the cadaverous figure with a slight mock bow. "And you are the former Shrike 457. I believe they call you... 'Berret' now. I have heard so much about you."
"Scorpius!" Berret hissed at the name. Bringing up the twin sets of blades he made as if to charge the half-Scarren. Scorpius held up a casual hand to halt the man. His unconcerned behavior gave Berret pause and he held his place.
"Please, there's no need for violence," he said with a smile. "You've already guessed I'm not here alone and that you are covered by my men."
"I could kill you before they have the chance to stop me. If you claim to know so much about me then you'll know it wouldn't matter much to me if they killed me or if Val'Cirrus did," responded the Shrike.
"No, I don't believe it would matter much to you. I wager what would matter to you is the fate of your little Nebari tralk that you so conveniently left behind at that charming Inn. I also have men in place watching her and the old Delvian beggar that interrupted your meeting with Val'Cirrus," put in Scorpius. "I must say, I am less then impressed with her after that little incident."
"So we have a stand-off. What is it you want, Scorpius?" asked Berret.
"Not you... or your two friends at the Inn, I assure you," Scorpius said to him. "I have a proposition for you instead."
"And that is?" inquired Berret.
"I'll make Val'Cirrus disappear and give you and the Nebari girl free passage out of this system with a substantial reward, if you in turn... bring me John Crichton."
Berret was about to tell Scorpius to go to hezmana in reply to his offer when the Peacekeeper commander held up a hand to forestall him from speaking.
"I'll also help you take your revenge on Arckatius," he added.
Berret paused at the added offer; his interest peaked. "How?" he asked a few microts later.
Scorpius smiled knowing he'd hit upon something the man valued more then currency, the life of the being who enslaved him.
"I have certain knowledge about several of his weaknesses that you could use to your advantage."
As the Shrike considered his offer the wrist blades slid back into the gauntlets.
"The girl and I go free and you take care of the Master Shrike if I turn Crichton over to you?" repeated the Shrike.
"With a reward and the information, that is the deal," replied the half Scarren.
"Why would I trust you?" asked the Shrike.
"You don't have too if it upsets you that much. I have taken measures to assure Crichton will end up in my possession in the end anyway should you refuse my offer," replied Scorpius.
"Then why do you need me for? What measures are you referring too?" asked Berret, suddenly knowing Scorpius had just risen the stakes in their meeting.
"Let us just say, it would be much more expedient and safer for Crichton if you brought him to me instead of letting my precautions go into effect or attempting to take him by force."
Berret knew the Scarren half-breed was hinting at something ominous about John and he would not be getting any details soon out of the leather-clad Peacekeeper scientist. Originally Berret had hoped to toy with Scorpius long enough to get a chance at killing him. Now with the news about John, he had to change his plans. "What about the others aboard the Leviathan?" he asked.
"Do you really care about what happens to them?" Scorpius asked with a sly grin.
"No," said Berret dispassionately.
The Shrike's next words brought a smile to Scorpius's face. He had guess right that the assassin would be loyal only to himself and his wants.
"How do I contact you when I have Crichton ready for delivery?" Berret asked.
Malika was working late inside her small lab on Moya's lowest tier. She hadn't been able to sleep so she came down to the lab to set a few more pieces of equipment up. She'd just finished assembling a bio-scanner when she turned around and literally ran into the Shrike. Startled, the young Delvian woman sharply inhaled and probably would have screamed if Berret hadn't quickly covered her mouth with one hand to silence her. The Delvian had gone out of her way to avoid the man as much as possible and she would have been hard pressed to recall ever hearing him speak three times. Until now it had been easy to avoid the assassin as he spent most of his time with the Nebari girl, but here he was in her lab, what she'd began to consider her private place and she was sure that he meant to attack her. Malika found she was becoming angry and was just about to retaliate when the Shrike released his hold over her mouth after it became obvious she wasn't going to yell out in alarm though he still held her by one arm. The man leaned in close and said in a low voice, "I need your help."
Andar was having a fitful dream about home when a musical voice called his name. Groggily he tried to roust himself from sleep but decide it was too much trouble and let his head drift back down onto his pillow. The voice came again, this time more persistent. A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly.
"Andar!" the voice called loudly in his ear. The Sebacean pried open one eye and a head of sapphire hair started to come into focus, followed by a sweet blue face with a delightfully pointed chin that Andar had always found attractive on females.
"Ma-lika?" he asked the hovering form sleepily. A black clad figure leaned over the Delvian girl and Andar shot fully awake as he recognized Berret.
The Delvian was a welcomed surprise, but the Shrike was not. He wondered what had happened that brought the unlikely pair to his quarters at such a late arn.
"What's going on?" he asked confused.
"We need your help," replied Malika
"We cannot talk here. Get dressed... we have much to discuss," added Berret.
Andar looked down and remembered he was wearing nothing but an undergarment, a fact that Malika seemed to be closely inspecting. He blushed at the young woman's attention and pulled a blanket up to cover himself.
"Ummm, all right. Give me a micron to get dressed then," he said.
"Why don't we just take this to the others?" asked Andar after Berret had explained to him the meeting with Scorpius.
"Because they will insist on interfering with the mission. We three are the newest members aboard Moya; it is we three who stand the best chance of succeeding. As they don't know us well enough, the others will not trust us to do what has to be done and will want to take matters into their own hands. The same condition that fuels their lack of trust is our greatest edge. They are known to the Peacekeepers in this sector while we are not."
Berret stole a glance at Malika. By her reaction he was now reasonably sure the girl was wanted by Peacekeepers somewhere else. The fact that Scorpius had not mentioned her or Andar by name in their discussion told the Shrike that the half-breed was not yet aware of their presence aboard the Leviathan.
"If the others try what I proposed, they would be captured almost instantly," he finished.
"If we don't do anything then Crichton's going to be in deep trouble," put in Malika.
"Very deep trouble," agreed Andar. The Sebacean man thought for a few microts then asked Berret,
"There is one thing that puzzles me, why didn't you take this Scorpius' offer?"
Berret turned to him, his eyes cold and dispassionate making it hard for Andar to tell if he had offended the Shrike or not. He replied, "I have done many things that I'm not proud of in my time here in the Territories... I do not plan on adding betrayal to that list. Scorpius assumes that I will be looking out for my own best interests. That is a weapon we will use against him."
Andar nodded. "So I guess this is up to us?" he asked no one in particular.
"I see no other way," confirmed Berret.
"Zhaan and the others won't be very happy with us about this in the slightest," said Malika.
"It's for their own good, I have to agree," answered Andar. "So we're going to go with this plan?"
Berret nodded and Malika stood up. "I'll go and start to gather what we need from ship's stores," she told them. The Delvian woman left her lab, leaving the two men alone. Andar looked up at the calm Shrike.
"Berret?" he asked. When he had the ex-assassin's attention he continued, "I didn't want to say anything in front of Malika, but I've never been a soldier. I'm a teacher; this spy and covert warfare stuff is new to me. What if I can't pull it off and get us caught."
"I believe I at one time heard you say you studied all the great playwrights of your culture, is that not correct?" asked Berret.
"Well, yes... but what does that have..." started Andar.
"Spying or infiltrating an enemy stronghold is often nothing more than acting a part to fit in. People rarely question those that seem to belong. You'll have to play from your strengths and draw upon what you know," Berret told him. "Sprout your quotes and act arrogant as you always do... and you will pass for a well-educated High Command Peacekeeper."
It took Andar a few microts to realize that the ex-assassin actually delivered the last comment with a slight smile. The man was trying to make a joke to set him at ease.
Andar thought over what Berret had said, "I never looked at it that way before. I think I know several plays and books I can take parts from to make up a believable persona."
"That is all we can ask for," said Berret. "You also seem to have a gift for electronic and informational systems. Even in the short time you have been here, your grasp of the subject far out reaches mine. We will need both you and the Delvian girl's skills to retrieve the codes we need."
Andar nodded, excited as more ideas came to him in a rush. "I'll go down to stores and help Malika," the Sebacean man said. "There are several items I will also need to gather that I think will be useful."
Andar departed from the room scribbling on a sheet of paper a list of things he wanted. When Berret was alone the holo-comm switched on behind him. Cursing softly when he heard the slight hum of the device, he asked without turning around, "You heard everything?"
"Yes," said Pilot. "I did."
"You understand we have to be the ones to do this?" he said as he turned to face the image. "There is no other option."
"I see your reasoning, though I don't fully agree with it. It would be better if the others knew, but I also believe that you are correct in your assumption that they will want to take part in the operation."
"That will surely lead to disaster," said Berret.
"I regrettably have to agree once more. Though the thought of taking those 'children' into danger unsettles both Moya and I."
"I know, there is no other choice. If I could do this alone I would do so. I will do as much as I can to limit their exposure to the danger," said the ex-assassin.
"I am sure you will, Shrike Berret," replied Pilot. "Will it really be that bad for Crichton if we just depart this sector instead of sending the three of you into Scorpius' hands?"
Berret stopped to think about what Pilot was saying. It would indeed be easier to leave, after all what was Crichton to him. The Shrike shook the thought from his mind and turned back to look at Pilot's image.
"If what Scorpius says is true and he fully actives that device he implanted in Crichton's head back on the Gammack base... no matter where Crichton is, it will take him over eventually. If Malika, Andar, and I fail to get the abort codes... Crichton is doomed."
Pilot's imaged nodded at Berret as he concurred with the Shrike's assessment.
"One more thing, I understand Malika and Andar's willingness to help... but why are you doing this, Berret? I had thought that you cared little about the other members of the crew except for Chiana," asked Pilot with calculated interest. "Is it not a risk for you with the Master Shrike, Val'Cirrus, so close by?"
Pilot statement brought Berret up short. He had not realized that even Pilot though so little of him, that he was so self-centered. Granted, he had not cared enough to give the others reason to think otherwise of him.
Berret broke into a cold sweat thinking of the possibility of having to face the Master Shrike again as he replied, "Yes, Pilot. It is a risk... even though Scorpius has agreed to remove her. But it is what I believe Chiana would choose to do in the end despite her streak for self-preservation. I'm trying to learn to be a part of this crew. Its very difficult for me, Pilot... but I am trying."
"Your run in with Val'Cirrus was very unfortunate. I have noticed that she lacks a certain... 'finesse' in relating with others."
Berret spun in a blur, the air ringing with the metallic tone of his blades snapping open.
"My! You are fast," said the black clad figure behind him.
Despite the words, Berret had the feeling the creature wasn't all that impressed with his speed.
"Who are you?" the Shrike demanded.
"Oh, my apologizes. We have not been formally introduced. I am Scorpius," said the cadaverous figure with a slight mock bow. "And you are the former Shrike 457. I believe they call you... 'Berret' now. I have heard so much about you."
"Scorpius!" Berret hissed at the name. Bringing up the twin sets of blades he made as if to charge the half-Scarren. Scorpius held up a casual hand to halt the man. His unconcerned behavior gave Berret pause and he held his place.
"Please, there's no need for violence," he said with a smile. "You've already guessed I'm not here alone and that you are covered by my men."
"I could kill you before they have the chance to stop me. If you claim to know so much about me then you'll know it wouldn't matter much to me if they killed me or if Val'Cirrus did," responded the Shrike.
"No, I don't believe it would matter much to you. I wager what would matter to you is the fate of your little Nebari tralk that you so conveniently left behind at that charming Inn. I also have men in place watching her and the old Delvian beggar that interrupted your meeting with Val'Cirrus," put in Scorpius. "I must say, I am less then impressed with her after that little incident."
"So we have a stand-off. What is it you want, Scorpius?" asked Berret.
"Not you... or your two friends at the Inn, I assure you," Scorpius said to him. "I have a proposition for you instead."
"And that is?" inquired Berret.
"I'll make Val'Cirrus disappear and give you and the Nebari girl free passage out of this system with a substantial reward, if you in turn... bring me John Crichton."
Berret was about to tell Scorpius to go to hezmana in reply to his offer when the Peacekeeper commander held up a hand to forestall him from speaking.
"I'll also help you take your revenge on Arckatius," he added.
Berret paused at the added offer; his interest peaked. "How?" he asked a few microts later.
Scorpius smiled knowing he'd hit upon something the man valued more then currency, the life of the being who enslaved him.
"I have certain knowledge about several of his weaknesses that you could use to your advantage."
As the Shrike considered his offer the wrist blades slid back into the gauntlets.
"The girl and I go free and you take care of the Master Shrike if I turn Crichton over to you?" repeated the Shrike.
"With a reward and the information, that is the deal," replied the half Scarren.
"Why would I trust you?" asked the Shrike.
"You don't have too if it upsets you that much. I have taken measures to assure Crichton will end up in my possession in the end anyway should you refuse my offer," replied Scorpius.
"Then why do you need me for? What measures are you referring too?" asked Berret, suddenly knowing Scorpius had just risen the stakes in their meeting.
"Let us just say, it would be much more expedient and safer for Crichton if you brought him to me instead of letting my precautions go into effect or attempting to take him by force."
Berret knew the Scarren half-breed was hinting at something ominous about John and he would not be getting any details soon out of the leather-clad Peacekeeper scientist. Originally Berret had hoped to toy with Scorpius long enough to get a chance at killing him. Now with the news about John, he had to change his plans. "What about the others aboard the Leviathan?" he asked.
"Do you really care about what happens to them?" Scorpius asked with a sly grin.
"No," said Berret dispassionately.
The Shrike's next words brought a smile to Scorpius's face. He had guess right that the assassin would be loyal only to himself and his wants.
"How do I contact you when I have Crichton ready for delivery?" Berret asked.
Malika was working late inside her small lab on Moya's lowest tier. She hadn't been able to sleep so she came down to the lab to set a few more pieces of equipment up. She'd just finished assembling a bio-scanner when she turned around and literally ran into the Shrike. Startled, the young Delvian woman sharply inhaled and probably would have screamed if Berret hadn't quickly covered her mouth with one hand to silence her. The Delvian had gone out of her way to avoid the man as much as possible and she would have been hard pressed to recall ever hearing him speak three times. Until now it had been easy to avoid the assassin as he spent most of his time with the Nebari girl, but here he was in her lab, what she'd began to consider her private place and she was sure that he meant to attack her. Malika found she was becoming angry and was just about to retaliate when the Shrike released his hold over her mouth after it became obvious she wasn't going to yell out in alarm though he still held her by one arm. The man leaned in close and said in a low voice, "I need your help."
Andar was having a fitful dream about home when a musical voice called his name. Groggily he tried to roust himself from sleep but decide it was too much trouble and let his head drift back down onto his pillow. The voice came again, this time more persistent. A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly.
"Andar!" the voice called loudly in his ear. The Sebacean pried open one eye and a head of sapphire hair started to come into focus, followed by a sweet blue face with a delightfully pointed chin that Andar had always found attractive on females.
"Ma-lika?" he asked the hovering form sleepily. A black clad figure leaned over the Delvian girl and Andar shot fully awake as he recognized Berret.
The Delvian was a welcomed surprise, but the Shrike was not. He wondered what had happened that brought the unlikely pair to his quarters at such a late arn.
"What's going on?" he asked confused.
"We need your help," replied Malika
"We cannot talk here. Get dressed... we have much to discuss," added Berret.
Andar looked down and remembered he was wearing nothing but an undergarment, a fact that Malika seemed to be closely inspecting. He blushed at the young woman's attention and pulled a blanket up to cover himself.
"Ummm, all right. Give me a micron to get dressed then," he said.
"Why don't we just take this to the others?" asked Andar after Berret had explained to him the meeting with Scorpius.
"Because they will insist on interfering with the mission. We three are the newest members aboard Moya; it is we three who stand the best chance of succeeding. As they don't know us well enough, the others will not trust us to do what has to be done and will want to take matters into their own hands. The same condition that fuels their lack of trust is our greatest edge. They are known to the Peacekeepers in this sector while we are not."
Berret stole a glance at Malika. By her reaction he was now reasonably sure the girl was wanted by Peacekeepers somewhere else. The fact that Scorpius had not mentioned her or Andar by name in their discussion told the Shrike that the half-breed was not yet aware of their presence aboard the Leviathan.
"If the others try what I proposed, they would be captured almost instantly," he finished.
"If we don't do anything then Crichton's going to be in deep trouble," put in Malika.
"Very deep trouble," agreed Andar. The Sebacean man thought for a few microts then asked Berret,
"There is one thing that puzzles me, why didn't you take this Scorpius' offer?"
Berret turned to him, his eyes cold and dispassionate making it hard for Andar to tell if he had offended the Shrike or not. He replied, "I have done many things that I'm not proud of in my time here in the Territories... I do not plan on adding betrayal to that list. Scorpius assumes that I will be looking out for my own best interests. That is a weapon we will use against him."
Andar nodded. "So I guess this is up to us?" he asked no one in particular.
"I see no other way," confirmed Berret.
"Zhaan and the others won't be very happy with us about this in the slightest," said Malika.
"It's for their own good, I have to agree," answered Andar. "So we're going to go with this plan?"
Berret nodded and Malika stood up. "I'll go and start to gather what we need from ship's stores," she told them. The Delvian woman left her lab, leaving the two men alone. Andar looked up at the calm Shrike.
"Berret?" he asked. When he had the ex-assassin's attention he continued, "I didn't want to say anything in front of Malika, but I've never been a soldier. I'm a teacher; this spy and covert warfare stuff is new to me. What if I can't pull it off and get us caught."
"I believe I at one time heard you say you studied all the great playwrights of your culture, is that not correct?" asked Berret.
"Well, yes... but what does that have..." started Andar.
"Spying or infiltrating an enemy stronghold is often nothing more than acting a part to fit in. People rarely question those that seem to belong. You'll have to play from your strengths and draw upon what you know," Berret told him. "Sprout your quotes and act arrogant as you always do... and you will pass for a well-educated High Command Peacekeeper."
It took Andar a few microts to realize that the ex-assassin actually delivered the last comment with a slight smile. The man was trying to make a joke to set him at ease.
Andar thought over what Berret had said, "I never looked at it that way before. I think I know several plays and books I can take parts from to make up a believable persona."
"That is all we can ask for," said Berret. "You also seem to have a gift for electronic and informational systems. Even in the short time you have been here, your grasp of the subject far out reaches mine. We will need both you and the Delvian girl's skills to retrieve the codes we need."
Andar nodded, excited as more ideas came to him in a rush. "I'll go down to stores and help Malika," the Sebacean man said. "There are several items I will also need to gather that I think will be useful."
Andar departed from the room scribbling on a sheet of paper a list of things he wanted. When Berret was alone the holo-comm switched on behind him. Cursing softly when he heard the slight hum of the device, he asked without turning around, "You heard everything?"
"Yes," said Pilot. "I did."
"You understand we have to be the ones to do this?" he said as he turned to face the image. "There is no other option."
"I see your reasoning, though I don't fully agree with it. It would be better if the others knew, but I also believe that you are correct in your assumption that they will want to take part in the operation."
"That will surely lead to disaster," said Berret.
"I regrettably have to agree once more. Though the thought of taking those 'children' into danger unsettles both Moya and I."
"I know, there is no other choice. If I could do this alone I would do so. I will do as much as I can to limit their exposure to the danger," said the ex-assassin.
"I am sure you will, Shrike Berret," replied Pilot. "Will it really be that bad for Crichton if we just depart this sector instead of sending the three of you into Scorpius' hands?"
Berret stopped to think about what Pilot was saying. It would indeed be easier to leave, after all what was Crichton to him. The Shrike shook the thought from his mind and turned back to look at Pilot's image.
"If what Scorpius says is true and he fully actives that device he implanted in Crichton's head back on the Gammack base... no matter where Crichton is, it will take him over eventually. If Malika, Andar, and I fail to get the abort codes... Crichton is doomed."
Pilot's imaged nodded at Berret as he concurred with the Shrike's assessment.
"One more thing, I understand Malika and Andar's willingness to help... but why are you doing this, Berret? I had thought that you cared little about the other members of the crew except for Chiana," asked Pilot with calculated interest. "Is it not a risk for you with the Master Shrike, Val'Cirrus, so close by?"
Pilot statement brought Berret up short. He had not realized that even Pilot though so little of him, that he was so self-centered. Granted, he had not cared enough to give the others reason to think otherwise of him.
Berret broke into a cold sweat thinking of the possibility of having to face the Master Shrike again as he replied, "Yes, Pilot. It is a risk... even though Scorpius has agreed to remove her. But it is what I believe Chiana would choose to do in the end despite her streak for self-preservation. I'm trying to learn to be a part of this crew. Its very difficult for me, Pilot... but I am trying."