The waitress set the next round of drinks on the crewmate's table, collected her credits and then wandered off to serve other customers. Berret watched as D'argo down half his Raslek in one smooth gulp. Aeryn and John sat with their backs against the wall, watching the dance floor where Chiana was apparently having the time of her life dancing with any being... male, female, or whatever, who would dance with her. The active Nebari girl was finding it hard to locate a partner that could keep up with her for very long. Rygel was off in the back of the tavern at the gaming tables, the Hynerian hearing the clink of gaming chips; had disappeared in that direction as soon as the crew had arrived. Across from the games was an activities pit where patrons challenged each other to physical games of skill, most of them of the combative type. One game in particular had caught the Shrike's attention. It involved two players facing off on a balance beam and sparring with flexible pad-covered staffs. The object of the game was to be the only player left standing on the beam which was little wider then the total length of his foot from heel to toe. Using the padded staffs the players tried to knock the other off and onto the thick mats below the balance beam. The ongoing game had just finished when the large, shaggy-looking man who had won the last several rounds knocked his current opponent onto the floor. The jubilant spectators were congratulating the reigning champion and collecting their wager winnings when a sweaty Chiana rejoined the table of friends.
The Nebari downed her fresh Raslek faster then even the Luxan had done as she plopped into the empty seat beside Berret.
"These nurfers don't know how to party, they all get tired too fast," she complained.
She worked her arm through Berret's and began to try to pull him to his feet.
"Com'on, Retty. Dance with me," Chiana pleaded.
The ex-assassin did his best to hold onto his chair against his insistent friend.
"Pixie, you know I do not know how to dance like that," he replied, trying to beg off.
"Well, I'll teach you... come on, it'll be fun."
"I don't think I will like it."
"You haven't even tried," she retorted.
"I don't have too, to know I won't," he said.
Chiana rolled her eyes at her reluctant companion and sat back into her chair,
"You are such a party-snooper!"
"Pooper, Chiana. You mean he's a party-POOPER," corrected Crichton.
"That too!" she said, frowning in disappointment and crossing her thin arms.
" I know what it is. You need to loosen up," said the Nebari girl a few microts later as she dug through a pocket. She produced a little packet of bluish-green powder and poured some of the contents out into her open palm. "Here... try this. It will help you relax and open up."
"What is it?" asked Berret, curiosity over-riding his better judgment.
"Just trust me," Chiana answered as she held her hand up in front of Berret's face. Without warning she gently blew on the powder causing it to fly into the Shrike's face.
"Whoa Pip! Whadda ya doing?" cried John. "You don't know what that stuff will do to him."
Chiana gave the human an annoyed look, "Bliz out, Crichton. It's perfectly harmless."
She turned back to Berret. "Relax and just breathe some of it in," she instructed.
Berret didn't have much of a choice as he'd already gotten a nose and mouthful of the drug before he could even attempt to avoid breathing it. He blinked his eyes and his nose wrinkled as he screwed his face up. A few microts later he started to sneeze - a lot.
"Chiana, perhaps that wasn't the best of ideas. You remember what happened last time with the wine, don't you?" put in Aeryn.
Berret momentarily interrupted the discussion as he sneezed so violently that his head snapped around and his long braid of hair whipped out over the table, the metal braid stop on its end knocking over an empty Raslek bottle.
"Yes," chimed in D'argo, "Now he'll probably be sneezing on us all frelling night."
Chiana looked dumbfound for a microt as she padded the Shrike on the back.
"He shouldn't react that way. Don't you feel anything?" she asked him.
"Y-Yes," answered Berret around his sneezing, "Like my brains are about to run out through my nose."
"That shouldn't take very long then," said the Luxan in amusement.
"Don't you at least feel happier?" asked Chiana before Berret could respond to D'argo's dig.
"NO!" answered the Shrike miserably, but to his relief he was finding that his nose was beginning to itch less as time progressed.
"I don't understand it? Maybe it doesn't work on humans," said Chiana in thought.
"Obviously," answered Aeryn with an "I told you so" look on her face.
The Nebari girl left her friends a few microns later feeling it best to withdrawn when Berret was feeling better enough to glare at her. The rest of the crew went back to drinking and chatting as the girl returned to the safety of the dance floor for the time being. Berret followed the conversation for a few microns and then his attention was drawn back to the game pit. The same champion had just toppled another challenger and the watching crowd wildly cheered the wild-looking man. Without noticing, somewhere along the line Berret began to feel light headed, not light headed as in dizzy but light headed in a pleasant sort of way... almost as if he was detached from all his cares. The pit master had just announced the reigning player as victor and asked if there were any more competitors in the audience.
"I can do that," Berret announced with happy confidence to the table as he stood up.
"Do what, J.B.?" asked John puzzled.
"That," he replied absently as he walked over to the pit.
Before anyone could stop him, the Shrike disappeared into the crowd and reappeared a few microts later at the foot of the balance beam. The spectators cheered as he leaped up to the length of girder to face the champion. The pit master handed Berret his staff and explained the rules as a matter of formality. At the start signal the titleholder eased his way forward along the plank toward Berret, who simply stood there with a silly grin pasted on his face.
"Oh, he's gonna be creamed," said Crichton as he watched the game from the throng of patrons where they had moved to after the ex-Enforcer left the table.
"Yup," agreed the Luxan just before he took another swig of Raslek.
"Definitely doesn't look good," agreed Aeryn with a shake of her head. "Maybe we should get him off of there?"
"Too late now," rumbled D'argo.
The Shrike's opponent apparently thought along those same lines as he swung his staff low at Berret's legs, trying to sweep them out from under him and score an easy victory. To his surprise the Shrike leaped straight up in the air over the staff and landed back on the beam as easily as if he were standing flat on the floor. Berret's adversary glanced up to see the Shrike standing there with the same silly grin still on his face. Reversing the route of his padded weapon, he attempted to take Berret in the ribs on the back swing. This time the ex-assassin dropped low and to the crowd's amazement rolled backwards on the narrow beam to let the staff pass over his head. He immediately spring up back to his feet and brought his own staff down in an overhand spin to strike the man a stunning blow to the top of his head. The champion went slack-jawed with shock, the grin on Berret's face turned to one of wild glee as he used his staff to vault over the man. Landing on the timber behind the wobbling player, Berret paused a microt to assess the situation. He seemed to come to a decision and reached out with one forefinger. He gently pushed the man on one shoulder and his opponent toppled from the beam onto the mats below. The mob began to cheer wildly as Berret tossed his staff to the pit master and half cartwheeled off the beam.
As he passed through the horde, patrons congratulated him on his victory and the show he'd just put on.
"Well, at least he's smiling now," said John. "Show off!" he muttered in jest to Berret as he walked by.
"Yes," drawled Aeryn. "But why does he look like he's on a mission now?"
Berret felt oddly revved up, like he could accomplish anything and nothing was beyond his grasp or want. He was aware of feeling strangely charged with pent up energy... and the energy needed to be released. Holding it back made him feel as if he would explode at any microt. The beam game had been too tame and something nearby called to that feral pent-up feeling, something he should be reaching out for. He made it to the dance floor and immediately spied Chiana watching him. The Nebari girl had seen the contest from her place at the edge of the crowd. Noticing she had Berret's attention, she began to gyrate her hips in time to the pulsing music and gave him her best come-hither look. Berret found something untamed stirring deep inside him while he watched the way Chiana moved as she slowly made her way toward him. There was something exciting and animalistic about it. She neither fully smiled nor frowned; her lips pursed tight as a new flower's petals. Her eyes where hooded almost as if she where studying him as a predator did it's prey. That something inside him reared at the Nebari girl's unspoken challenge, he found himself being drawn closer to her without realizing it. When they met on the dance floor, she moved near and began to sway her body close enough to him that he imagined he could feel her lithe form radiate heat. Chiana's movements were teasing, as they didn't quite touch his body. He found himself mirroring her trying to bring her closer only to have her slip further away from him as she drew him deeper into the mass of dancers. She eventually stopped and laid one palm on his chest, still moving in her hypnotic way.
"Move with me, like this..." she purred to him in a low sultry voice.
Berret followed her, not wanting to break contact with those dark eyes at any cost... he'd found that wild-thing he had been seeking.
A few microts later she pressed her self tight against him, their bodies still moving in rhythm with each other. She draped her arms around his neck as she rewarded him with a smile.
"That's good. See... you can do it," she encouraged. She normally thought of his eyes as being the color of pure blue ice; now as he gazed at her, Chiana found herself thinking they were more like electric cobalt fire. For a change, Berret took the initiative and leaned down to passionately kiss the Nebari woman.
"Only because I'm with you," he told her when they finally broke the embrace.
Danner watched the Nebari female and the Sebacean man dance. "Johvanna! Why don't they just start frelling right there on the floor like animals," he said to his partner.
Nanno glanced over at his friend, the statement bringing him out of his thoughts as he watched the couple.
"Its more interesting then just a little interspecies frickfracking. You saw the way he easily won the staff and beam contest, didn't you?" he asked.
When he received an affirmative nod from Danner he went on to explain further.
"Do you notice his boots?"
Danner looked back over and inspected the footwear the man was wearing,
"Yeah, they got some kind of metal on them... so the frell what?"
"I've seen some like them before. There's only one type of being I know who wears boots that would have pulse armor like that on them. Those are part of a Syndicate Enforcer's garb."
"An underworld assassin? Are you sure?" asked Danner in mild interest.
"Relatively, judging by his skill on the balance beam. I doubt he's still with the Syndicate any longer; he's probably gone rogue."
Nanno considered the man as he nuzzled the Nebari girl to her obvious delight.
"You think the Scarrens will pay a reward for him?" Danner asked him after a few microts thought.
"Maybe," replied Nanno. "If not, maybe we can use him to help in some of our business ventures."
"Do you think he'll be interested in cutting a deal to work for us?"
Nanno smiled evilly, "Who said anything about cutting a deal? We still have some of the slaver collars, don't we?"
Chiana cried out in pleasure and then collapsed on top of Berret in exhaustion. The girl panted heavily against his bare chest and then looked up while brushing a lock of wayward hair from her eyes to smile into his face.
"Did you enjoy that?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yes," he answered wide-eyed. "Can we do that again?" he murmured a microt later.
Chiana grinned and laugh quietly, "In a few microns, we need a chance to rest."
She made as if to roll off of him, but Berret stopped her by hugging her more tightly to him. The Nebari girl murmured pleasurably as she kept her place and snuggled closer against him. Berret stroked her mussed hair as he savored the feel of her warm gray skin against his, and her sweet passion tinted scent.
"This is turning out to be a very pleasant night," whispered Chiana as she traced a finger along some of the scars on his chest. Idly she wondered to herself where they had all had come from.
Berret shivered at her light touch and grunted his agreement as he kissed the top of her head.
"Ya know what would be good about now... a nice bottle of wine. Whadda you think?" she asked.
Berret cocked an eyebrow at her remembering what happened the last time they drank wine... and still not trusting her after the earlier powder incident. Still the evening had turned out better then he could have hoped for and he was disinclined to deny the woman anything she desired at that point.
"Whatever you want," he told her with a content smile.
Chiana's own smile grew wider, "Good. I'll order it if you go get some ice to keep it cold."
Berret gave her a mock frown, "I knew I'd have to do some work somewhere in there."
Chiana playfully slapped the man on the chest, "Com'on, just go get some."
Berret reluctantly untangled himself from the beautiful Nebari girl and then rose from the bed to begin to dress as she ordered the bottle over the room's comm unit. He sat back down on the bed beside her to put his boots on. Chiana stretched out sumptuously on the bed next to him.
"At least there's a ice making machine on every floor. John says that seems to be a universal constant with every rooming house," Berret said in idle chatter. He glanced back down at the Nebari woman. Chiana was now lying flat on her stomach, half covered by the bed's sheets. She gazed up at him with dark sparkling eyes, just listening to him talk. She looked so exquisite that Berret couldn't help but run his hand down her smooth back, delighting in the feel of every toned muscle. Chiana closed her eyes and purred at his gentle touch.
"Chiana... I..." he started to say as the girl opened her eyes and placed a forefinger against his lips to forestall what he was about to tell her.
"Tell me when you get back," she rose up and pressed her silky lips against his in a tender kiss.
"We have all night," she said when she pulled away.
Berret smiled and nodded. "I'll be right back," he told her.
Picking up the ice bucket he hurried out the door to the ice machine, leaving his holstered pulse pistol hanging from the bedpost with Chiana's.
Berret walked down the hallway to the square box-like machine that made and stored ice chips for the guest's use. He considered that the powder Chiana had used on him and probably on herself also had altered their normal behaviors. He knew that younger Nebari used sex as a form of recreation so he tried his best not to read anything serious into their encounter tonight. As badly as he wanted to live the fantasy, he knew better then to believe that the girl would ever consider him for a serious relationship. He was sure that after all the dark and evil acts he'd committed as an Enforcer that Chiana couldn't bare to think about them as a serious couple. Still, he planned to push all those negative thoughts from his head at least for the rest of the night. He at least could have the fantasy for a short time, and surely he could dare to hope for just that much. Berret just wished that the courage to act on the desire for her company in this way hadn't come from the bluish-green powder, without it, he was sure he never would have had the nerve to approach her as he had tonight. He felt good enough to try and explain to her how he felt about her even though deep inside himself he knew that they could never be together that way. Chiana deserved someone better then him after her hard life, but he wanted her to know anyway. It was important that she knew what she had come to mean to him. He began the rehearse in his head what exactly he would say so the girl would know he understood where their relationship stands, and she wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable trying the let him down easy.
He passed two male guests in the corridor that nodded at him in greeting as they walked by. Berret returned the nod and opened the ice machine, not giving the pair of men anymore thought. He shoveled out the first scoop of ice into his bucket when something crackling with electricity hit him in the back and slammed him forward into the ice machine. The Shrike realized then that he couldn't feel his legs or move his arms as he slid to the carpeted floor. Two pairs of feet pounded closer and Berret found he couldn't rise or turn his head either.
"Got him," said an excited voice.
"Stop gawking and get it on him!" snapped a second voice.
Someone grabbed him by the hair and painfully lifted his head up. In the next instant something cold and metallic slid around his neck and snapped shut.
Berret's mind began to fill with horror as he realized what the thing around his neck was.
"No!" he cried in denial
"Oh yes," said the second voice as a hand appeared in front of his eyes holding a control device.
"Pleasant dreams," the voice said as a finger pushed a button.
Blinding pain ran through Berret's body just before the world went dark.
An arn later the crewmates sat around Chiana's room attempting to calm the girl.
"We have to do something!" she exclaimed close to panic. "We have to find him."
"We are going to, Chiana. Losing your frelling mind is not going to help matters," said Aeryn.
"We got to call somebody," the Nebari said almost as if she hadn't heard the ex-Peacekeeper.
"Who Pip? Local law enforcement?" asked Crichton calmly. "Did you forget we're fugitives ourselves?"
Chiana looked more frustrated and frantic as she realized they weren't coming up with much in the way of a course of action.
"We will find Berret ourselves, without any help from the local authorities," rumbled the Luxan.
"Okay," said John, "We know that he made it to the ice machine because we found the bucket from Chi and J.B.'s room on the floor there. Someone must have surprised him from behind while he was filling it."
"I think it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up behind Berret and ambush him," Aeryn said in thought. "He might be human but he's an augmented Shrike assassin also."
"Maybe he was distracted and didn't see them coming?" offered Crichton, also thinking out loud.
John's comment seemed to upset Chiana further, her eyes wandering to the left behind weapon the man should have taken with him. Seeing the girl's reaction and putting it together with the disheveled bed, the unopened bottle of wine, and their earlier behavior, Aeryn's eyes lit up in understanding. The two had finally become actual lovers.
"Hey, Pip? What's wrong now?" asked John slightly confused. "He could have just been thinking of..."
Crichton cut off as he caught Aeryn's eye and then followed her darting glance about the room. Things fell together for him in the next instant as he read all the unmistakable signs of a romantic evening.
"Oh, I see," he said as he caught on, "Well, I guess then he can't be blamed for being... distracted."
John draped an arm over the girl's shoulder and gave her a hug.
"Don't worry, Pip. We'll find out who's got him and get him back," he promised.
John turned to the huge Luxan. "Darg, lets see if we can find Sparky and get the rest of the gang down here. When everyone's here, then we start tearing this joint up."
"I agree totally," rumbled the warrior, happy to end the talking and finally take action.
Berret awoke to find himself held upright against a metal wall. He could still feel the collar locked around his throat in addition to metal bands around his wrists and the ankle's of his armored boots. It seemed to be the collar and the four metal bands that were holding him to the wall. He was momentarily relieved to find that he hadn't lost his sense of self, so the collar couldn't have been a control collar as he'd first feared. The Shrike tried pulling against his restraints to the point where he felt muscle tear from the strain. Still he was nowhere close to budging the metal bonds from their attachment to the wall.
Almost an arn later the door to the metal room opened and the two men from the hotel strolled in.
"I see our new friend is finally awake," said the taller one.
The other smiled a cockeyed smile at the remark while the first one went on,
"I hope you had a pleasant nap?"
"Why don't you let me down and I'll tell you all about it," suggested Berret.
"No, no, no," replied the taller one as if disregarding a proposal at a business meeting. "I'm afraid letting a Shrike assassin run free would not be in our best interest at the moment."
Berret tried to cover his surprise that the pair knew what he was. "What do you want?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"Well, we have need of someone with your skills in our little enterprise. We're sure you'll be a fine asset to our business."
Berret laughed out loud, "You think I'll kill people for you? Not likely. Tell you what, you cut me down and I promise to let you live."
The tall one smirked at the Shrike's offer. "Oh, you will do whatever we tell you too. You've no doubt by now realized you can't break free from the wall. Those are magnetic graviton manacles, not even three Luxans working together would be strong enough to break even one of them away from their hold on the cell wall. You're also wearing a typical slaver's collar with graviton enchantments now. We have an acquaintance that is in the process of securing the proper equipment as we speak. You are familiar with the control collar the Syndicate uses on its slaves, aren't you?" he asked.
Berret glared with hate at the two beings in the room with him, not daring to let them see the fear growing in his eyes.
"I see you are," said his captor. "Well, you should just relax and enjoy the rest of the day. It's the last one you're going to remember." The men turned together and headed for the doorway.
"I changed my mind," called the Shrike.
The two men turned back at their prisoner's statement.
"I'm going to kill you both," Berret finished.
The Nebari downed her fresh Raslek faster then even the Luxan had done as she plopped into the empty seat beside Berret.
"These nurfers don't know how to party, they all get tired too fast," she complained.
She worked her arm through Berret's and began to try to pull him to his feet.
"Com'on, Retty. Dance with me," Chiana pleaded.
The ex-assassin did his best to hold onto his chair against his insistent friend.
"Pixie, you know I do not know how to dance like that," he replied, trying to beg off.
"Well, I'll teach you... come on, it'll be fun."
"I don't think I will like it."
"You haven't even tried," she retorted.
"I don't have too, to know I won't," he said.
Chiana rolled her eyes at her reluctant companion and sat back into her chair,
"You are such a party-snooper!"
"Pooper, Chiana. You mean he's a party-POOPER," corrected Crichton.
"That too!" she said, frowning in disappointment and crossing her thin arms.
" I know what it is. You need to loosen up," said the Nebari girl a few microts later as she dug through a pocket. She produced a little packet of bluish-green powder and poured some of the contents out into her open palm. "Here... try this. It will help you relax and open up."
"What is it?" asked Berret, curiosity over-riding his better judgment.
"Just trust me," Chiana answered as she held her hand up in front of Berret's face. Without warning she gently blew on the powder causing it to fly into the Shrike's face.
"Whoa Pip! Whadda ya doing?" cried John. "You don't know what that stuff will do to him."
Chiana gave the human an annoyed look, "Bliz out, Crichton. It's perfectly harmless."
She turned back to Berret. "Relax and just breathe some of it in," she instructed.
Berret didn't have much of a choice as he'd already gotten a nose and mouthful of the drug before he could even attempt to avoid breathing it. He blinked his eyes and his nose wrinkled as he screwed his face up. A few microts later he started to sneeze - a lot.
"Chiana, perhaps that wasn't the best of ideas. You remember what happened last time with the wine, don't you?" put in Aeryn.
Berret momentarily interrupted the discussion as he sneezed so violently that his head snapped around and his long braid of hair whipped out over the table, the metal braid stop on its end knocking over an empty Raslek bottle.
"Yes," chimed in D'argo, "Now he'll probably be sneezing on us all frelling night."
Chiana looked dumbfound for a microt as she padded the Shrike on the back.
"He shouldn't react that way. Don't you feel anything?" she asked him.
"Y-Yes," answered Berret around his sneezing, "Like my brains are about to run out through my nose."
"That shouldn't take very long then," said the Luxan in amusement.
"Don't you at least feel happier?" asked Chiana before Berret could respond to D'argo's dig.
"NO!" answered the Shrike miserably, but to his relief he was finding that his nose was beginning to itch less as time progressed.
"I don't understand it? Maybe it doesn't work on humans," said Chiana in thought.
"Obviously," answered Aeryn with an "I told you so" look on her face.
The Nebari girl left her friends a few microns later feeling it best to withdrawn when Berret was feeling better enough to glare at her. The rest of the crew went back to drinking and chatting as the girl returned to the safety of the dance floor for the time being. Berret followed the conversation for a few microns and then his attention was drawn back to the game pit. The same champion had just toppled another challenger and the watching crowd wildly cheered the wild-looking man. Without noticing, somewhere along the line Berret began to feel light headed, not light headed as in dizzy but light headed in a pleasant sort of way... almost as if he was detached from all his cares. The pit master had just announced the reigning player as victor and asked if there were any more competitors in the audience.
"I can do that," Berret announced with happy confidence to the table as he stood up.
"Do what, J.B.?" asked John puzzled.
"That," he replied absently as he walked over to the pit.
Before anyone could stop him, the Shrike disappeared into the crowd and reappeared a few microts later at the foot of the balance beam. The spectators cheered as he leaped up to the length of girder to face the champion. The pit master handed Berret his staff and explained the rules as a matter of formality. At the start signal the titleholder eased his way forward along the plank toward Berret, who simply stood there with a silly grin pasted on his face.
"Oh, he's gonna be creamed," said Crichton as he watched the game from the throng of patrons where they had moved to after the ex-Enforcer left the table.
"Yup," agreed the Luxan just before he took another swig of Raslek.
"Definitely doesn't look good," agreed Aeryn with a shake of her head. "Maybe we should get him off of there?"
"Too late now," rumbled D'argo.
The Shrike's opponent apparently thought along those same lines as he swung his staff low at Berret's legs, trying to sweep them out from under him and score an easy victory. To his surprise the Shrike leaped straight up in the air over the staff and landed back on the beam as easily as if he were standing flat on the floor. Berret's adversary glanced up to see the Shrike standing there with the same silly grin still on his face. Reversing the route of his padded weapon, he attempted to take Berret in the ribs on the back swing. This time the ex-assassin dropped low and to the crowd's amazement rolled backwards on the narrow beam to let the staff pass over his head. He immediately spring up back to his feet and brought his own staff down in an overhand spin to strike the man a stunning blow to the top of his head. The champion went slack-jawed with shock, the grin on Berret's face turned to one of wild glee as he used his staff to vault over the man. Landing on the timber behind the wobbling player, Berret paused a microt to assess the situation. He seemed to come to a decision and reached out with one forefinger. He gently pushed the man on one shoulder and his opponent toppled from the beam onto the mats below. The mob began to cheer wildly as Berret tossed his staff to the pit master and half cartwheeled off the beam.
As he passed through the horde, patrons congratulated him on his victory and the show he'd just put on.
"Well, at least he's smiling now," said John. "Show off!" he muttered in jest to Berret as he walked by.
"Yes," drawled Aeryn. "But why does he look like he's on a mission now?"
Berret felt oddly revved up, like he could accomplish anything and nothing was beyond his grasp or want. He was aware of feeling strangely charged with pent up energy... and the energy needed to be released. Holding it back made him feel as if he would explode at any microt. The beam game had been too tame and something nearby called to that feral pent-up feeling, something he should be reaching out for. He made it to the dance floor and immediately spied Chiana watching him. The Nebari girl had seen the contest from her place at the edge of the crowd. Noticing she had Berret's attention, she began to gyrate her hips in time to the pulsing music and gave him her best come-hither look. Berret found something untamed stirring deep inside him while he watched the way Chiana moved as she slowly made her way toward him. There was something exciting and animalistic about it. She neither fully smiled nor frowned; her lips pursed tight as a new flower's petals. Her eyes where hooded almost as if she where studying him as a predator did it's prey. That something inside him reared at the Nebari girl's unspoken challenge, he found himself being drawn closer to her without realizing it. When they met on the dance floor, she moved near and began to sway her body close enough to him that he imagined he could feel her lithe form radiate heat. Chiana's movements were teasing, as they didn't quite touch his body. He found himself mirroring her trying to bring her closer only to have her slip further away from him as she drew him deeper into the mass of dancers. She eventually stopped and laid one palm on his chest, still moving in her hypnotic way.
"Move with me, like this..." she purred to him in a low sultry voice.
Berret followed her, not wanting to break contact with those dark eyes at any cost... he'd found that wild-thing he had been seeking.
A few microts later she pressed her self tight against him, their bodies still moving in rhythm with each other. She draped her arms around his neck as she rewarded him with a smile.
"That's good. See... you can do it," she encouraged. She normally thought of his eyes as being the color of pure blue ice; now as he gazed at her, Chiana found herself thinking they were more like electric cobalt fire. For a change, Berret took the initiative and leaned down to passionately kiss the Nebari woman.
"Only because I'm with you," he told her when they finally broke the embrace.
Danner watched the Nebari female and the Sebacean man dance. "Johvanna! Why don't they just start frelling right there on the floor like animals," he said to his partner.
Nanno glanced over at his friend, the statement bringing him out of his thoughts as he watched the couple.
"Its more interesting then just a little interspecies frickfracking. You saw the way he easily won the staff and beam contest, didn't you?" he asked.
When he received an affirmative nod from Danner he went on to explain further.
"Do you notice his boots?"
Danner looked back over and inspected the footwear the man was wearing,
"Yeah, they got some kind of metal on them... so the frell what?"
"I've seen some like them before. There's only one type of being I know who wears boots that would have pulse armor like that on them. Those are part of a Syndicate Enforcer's garb."
"An underworld assassin? Are you sure?" asked Danner in mild interest.
"Relatively, judging by his skill on the balance beam. I doubt he's still with the Syndicate any longer; he's probably gone rogue."
Nanno considered the man as he nuzzled the Nebari girl to her obvious delight.
"You think the Scarrens will pay a reward for him?" Danner asked him after a few microts thought.
"Maybe," replied Nanno. "If not, maybe we can use him to help in some of our business ventures."
"Do you think he'll be interested in cutting a deal to work for us?"
Nanno smiled evilly, "Who said anything about cutting a deal? We still have some of the slaver collars, don't we?"
Chiana cried out in pleasure and then collapsed on top of Berret in exhaustion. The girl panted heavily against his bare chest and then looked up while brushing a lock of wayward hair from her eyes to smile into his face.
"Did you enjoy that?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yes," he answered wide-eyed. "Can we do that again?" he murmured a microt later.
Chiana grinned and laugh quietly, "In a few microns, we need a chance to rest."
She made as if to roll off of him, but Berret stopped her by hugging her more tightly to him. The Nebari girl murmured pleasurably as she kept her place and snuggled closer against him. Berret stroked her mussed hair as he savored the feel of her warm gray skin against his, and her sweet passion tinted scent.
"This is turning out to be a very pleasant night," whispered Chiana as she traced a finger along some of the scars on his chest. Idly she wondered to herself where they had all had come from.
Berret shivered at her light touch and grunted his agreement as he kissed the top of her head.
"Ya know what would be good about now... a nice bottle of wine. Whadda you think?" she asked.
Berret cocked an eyebrow at her remembering what happened the last time they drank wine... and still not trusting her after the earlier powder incident. Still the evening had turned out better then he could have hoped for and he was disinclined to deny the woman anything she desired at that point.
"Whatever you want," he told her with a content smile.
Chiana's own smile grew wider, "Good. I'll order it if you go get some ice to keep it cold."
Berret gave her a mock frown, "I knew I'd have to do some work somewhere in there."
Chiana playfully slapped the man on the chest, "Com'on, just go get some."
Berret reluctantly untangled himself from the beautiful Nebari girl and then rose from the bed to begin to dress as she ordered the bottle over the room's comm unit. He sat back down on the bed beside her to put his boots on. Chiana stretched out sumptuously on the bed next to him.
"At least there's a ice making machine on every floor. John says that seems to be a universal constant with every rooming house," Berret said in idle chatter. He glanced back down at the Nebari woman. Chiana was now lying flat on her stomach, half covered by the bed's sheets. She gazed up at him with dark sparkling eyes, just listening to him talk. She looked so exquisite that Berret couldn't help but run his hand down her smooth back, delighting in the feel of every toned muscle. Chiana closed her eyes and purred at his gentle touch.
"Chiana... I..." he started to say as the girl opened her eyes and placed a forefinger against his lips to forestall what he was about to tell her.
"Tell me when you get back," she rose up and pressed her silky lips against his in a tender kiss.
"We have all night," she said when she pulled away.
Berret smiled and nodded. "I'll be right back," he told her.
Picking up the ice bucket he hurried out the door to the ice machine, leaving his holstered pulse pistol hanging from the bedpost with Chiana's.
Berret walked down the hallway to the square box-like machine that made and stored ice chips for the guest's use. He considered that the powder Chiana had used on him and probably on herself also had altered their normal behaviors. He knew that younger Nebari used sex as a form of recreation so he tried his best not to read anything serious into their encounter tonight. As badly as he wanted to live the fantasy, he knew better then to believe that the girl would ever consider him for a serious relationship. He was sure that after all the dark and evil acts he'd committed as an Enforcer that Chiana couldn't bare to think about them as a serious couple. Still, he planned to push all those negative thoughts from his head at least for the rest of the night. He at least could have the fantasy for a short time, and surely he could dare to hope for just that much. Berret just wished that the courage to act on the desire for her company in this way hadn't come from the bluish-green powder, without it, he was sure he never would have had the nerve to approach her as he had tonight. He felt good enough to try and explain to her how he felt about her even though deep inside himself he knew that they could never be together that way. Chiana deserved someone better then him after her hard life, but he wanted her to know anyway. It was important that she knew what she had come to mean to him. He began the rehearse in his head what exactly he would say so the girl would know he understood where their relationship stands, and she wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable trying the let him down easy.
He passed two male guests in the corridor that nodded at him in greeting as they walked by. Berret returned the nod and opened the ice machine, not giving the pair of men anymore thought. He shoveled out the first scoop of ice into his bucket when something crackling with electricity hit him in the back and slammed him forward into the ice machine. The Shrike realized then that he couldn't feel his legs or move his arms as he slid to the carpeted floor. Two pairs of feet pounded closer and Berret found he couldn't rise or turn his head either.
"Got him," said an excited voice.
"Stop gawking and get it on him!" snapped a second voice.
Someone grabbed him by the hair and painfully lifted his head up. In the next instant something cold and metallic slid around his neck and snapped shut.
Berret's mind began to fill with horror as he realized what the thing around his neck was.
"No!" he cried in denial
"Oh yes," said the second voice as a hand appeared in front of his eyes holding a control device.
"Pleasant dreams," the voice said as a finger pushed a button.
Blinding pain ran through Berret's body just before the world went dark.
An arn later the crewmates sat around Chiana's room attempting to calm the girl.
"We have to do something!" she exclaimed close to panic. "We have to find him."
"We are going to, Chiana. Losing your frelling mind is not going to help matters," said Aeryn.
"We got to call somebody," the Nebari said almost as if she hadn't heard the ex-Peacekeeper.
"Who Pip? Local law enforcement?" asked Crichton calmly. "Did you forget we're fugitives ourselves?"
Chiana looked more frustrated and frantic as she realized they weren't coming up with much in the way of a course of action.
"We will find Berret ourselves, without any help from the local authorities," rumbled the Luxan.
"Okay," said John, "We know that he made it to the ice machine because we found the bucket from Chi and J.B.'s room on the floor there. Someone must have surprised him from behind while he was filling it."
"I think it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up behind Berret and ambush him," Aeryn said in thought. "He might be human but he's an augmented Shrike assassin also."
"Maybe he was distracted and didn't see them coming?" offered Crichton, also thinking out loud.
John's comment seemed to upset Chiana further, her eyes wandering to the left behind weapon the man should have taken with him. Seeing the girl's reaction and putting it together with the disheveled bed, the unopened bottle of wine, and their earlier behavior, Aeryn's eyes lit up in understanding. The two had finally become actual lovers.
"Hey, Pip? What's wrong now?" asked John slightly confused. "He could have just been thinking of..."
Crichton cut off as he caught Aeryn's eye and then followed her darting glance about the room. Things fell together for him in the next instant as he read all the unmistakable signs of a romantic evening.
"Oh, I see," he said as he caught on, "Well, I guess then he can't be blamed for being... distracted."
John draped an arm over the girl's shoulder and gave her a hug.
"Don't worry, Pip. We'll find out who's got him and get him back," he promised.
John turned to the huge Luxan. "Darg, lets see if we can find Sparky and get the rest of the gang down here. When everyone's here, then we start tearing this joint up."
"I agree totally," rumbled the warrior, happy to end the talking and finally take action.
Berret awoke to find himself held upright against a metal wall. He could still feel the collar locked around his throat in addition to metal bands around his wrists and the ankle's of his armored boots. It seemed to be the collar and the four metal bands that were holding him to the wall. He was momentarily relieved to find that he hadn't lost his sense of self, so the collar couldn't have been a control collar as he'd first feared. The Shrike tried pulling against his restraints to the point where he felt muscle tear from the strain. Still he was nowhere close to budging the metal bonds from their attachment to the wall.
Almost an arn later the door to the metal room opened and the two men from the hotel strolled in.
"I see our new friend is finally awake," said the taller one.
The other smiled a cockeyed smile at the remark while the first one went on,
"I hope you had a pleasant nap?"
"Why don't you let me down and I'll tell you all about it," suggested Berret.
"No, no, no," replied the taller one as if disregarding a proposal at a business meeting. "I'm afraid letting a Shrike assassin run free would not be in our best interest at the moment."
Berret tried to cover his surprise that the pair knew what he was. "What do you want?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"Well, we have need of someone with your skills in our little enterprise. We're sure you'll be a fine asset to our business."
Berret laughed out loud, "You think I'll kill people for you? Not likely. Tell you what, you cut me down and I promise to let you live."
The tall one smirked at the Shrike's offer. "Oh, you will do whatever we tell you too. You've no doubt by now realized you can't break free from the wall. Those are magnetic graviton manacles, not even three Luxans working together would be strong enough to break even one of them away from their hold on the cell wall. You're also wearing a typical slaver's collar with graviton enchantments now. We have an acquaintance that is in the process of securing the proper equipment as we speak. You are familiar with the control collar the Syndicate uses on its slaves, aren't you?" he asked.
Berret glared with hate at the two beings in the room with him, not daring to let them see the fear growing in his eyes.
"I see you are," said his captor. "Well, you should just relax and enjoy the rest of the day. It's the last one you're going to remember." The men turned together and headed for the doorway.
"I changed my mind," called the Shrike.
The two men turned back at their prisoner's statement.
"I'm going to kill you both," Berret finished.