This piece was written by LoneGirl189, who owes the Malika character in our RPG.
I did not write this story and in no way take credit for the work that went into it. I merely asked and received permission from LoneGirl to edit the story and post it here under the "Farscape Epic RPG" series so that others who've enjoyed my fiction here, could enjoy this story that centers on another of our characters. There are several more Malika stories written by LoneGirl that I hope to be adding to the series.
I personally feel that the Epic series is more then just John and Aeryn, or Chiana and Berret - but should revolve around all the characters as equally as possible. This could only make for good adventure.
This is the first of many stories I hope to bring you from others in my group.
LoneGirl's other works can also be found here on Fanfiction.net under the pen name: LoneGirl189.
Please stop by and review her other works. We hope you enjoy this piece as well.
Thanks, Chant99
FARSCAPE EPIC RPG: ADDICTED
By LoneGirl189
Edited by Chant99
"Malika dear?"
Malika could vaguely pick out a voice talking to her. Her mind started to float back to consciousness and she was aware that someone had a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Zhaan. She then closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked as she pushed herself up from the table.
"Not long, but you were supposed to be working on that text I gave you," Zhaan told her as she took her hand off Malika's shoulder. "If you keep falling asleep you're not going to get anywhere."
"It's only happened a few times..." Malika protested.
"You need to learn to concentrate," Zhaan reminded her as she started to clean up the mess in front of the girl. "What were you working on?" Zhaan asked interested.
"Nothing really... I've been having trouble getting anything done for the last few solar days," Malika told her as she stood up and stretched.
"You know your meditation will help your concentration. If you remembered to do it," Zhaan told her as she finished putting the last instrument that had been on the table away. The young Delvian was always skipping her meditation, and Zhaan knew that she was going to have to eventually realize that to be a priestess, you had to do the boring things as well.
"I know... I'll start on it tomorrow," Malika promised as she turned and left the lab before she could be stopped. Zhaan sighed as she watched Malika leave, it was times like this that she wondered if it was even possible for her ever finish her training, or if it was even wise for her to have agreed to the whole arrangement. The girl did want to finish the training, but it still wasn't for herself, it was for her mother.
Malika walked through the corridors of Moya; she wasn't really sure where she was heading as she ambled carelessly running her had along one wall. She didn't know why she had been having so much trouble concentrating. Contrary to what Zhaan thought, she was doing her meditation... but still she constantly felt like there was something she was forgetting. And it was always drawing her attention away.
It was almost like she was stuck in a state of half sleep.
She eventually found herself walking onto the Command tier. She glanced about and saw Andar watching the view of outside on the holo-tank. They were passing by a planet with some very beautiful rings. He seemed to be busy looking back and forth from some science readouts and the actual view.
She walked up and leaned against the consol next to him.
"It's very beautiful," she commented with a small smile. He looked up, apparently aware she was there the whole time.
"It is, but I can think of a few things that are more so," he smiled in return before looking back at the readings. "I thought you were working in your lab with Zhaan?"
"I fell asleep and she let me leave," Malika replied as she stood up straight and moved closer to him so she could read what he was looking at.
"Are you all right?" he asked, a look of concern crossing his brow.
"It's nothing," she said without looking up at him.
He reached over and redirected her face so that she was looking at him.
"It's something. You've been falling asleep during the day cycle after sleeping in all morning, and you never seem able to concentrate," he observed.
"I'll be fine. I haven't really been eating very well is all," she told him as she took his hand away from her chin, but didn't let go of it.
It was a lie, but she didn't want him worrying about her, it wouldn't do any good.
"Then maybe you should go get something to eat," he replied with a half-hearted smile. He didn't think that was the real problem, but he knew that arguing about it right now was only going to make her angry. The Sebacean man decided to ask Zhaan about it later, seeing as sometimes the older Delvian was more able to get through to the girl on matters like this.
Malika sighed as she let go of Andar's hand and walked out of Command. In place of the trip to the Center Chamber for a meal, she went to her quarters instead. The young Delvian walked in and sat in front of the mirror to brush out her hair, and stopped herself when she was about to yawn. She finally went and laid down on the bed, intending to look at a reading Zhaan had given her, but before she had even got through the first line she had fallen fast asleep again.
"MALIKA!"
Malika jerked awake at the sound of D'argo roaring voice over the comm at her.
"D'argo, getting angry won't help," Zhaan's voice followed. Malika scrambled to get her dropped comm and answer before things got any worse.
"What's going on?" she asked when she finally found it in the folded blankets of her bed.
"Malika? Are you all right?" Zhaan asked with genuine concern in her voice.
"Yes, I was just absorbed in the reading you gave to me, and I didn't have my comm near me," she lied, hoping to get enough time later to finish the reading.
She didn't want Zhaan asking her about it only to not have an answer.
"We've been trying to tell you, a ship contacted us, and we've all come to the Comma..." Zhaan started but D'argo cut in.
"Get up to the Command tier now," he growled with impatience at the young Delvian.
Malika turned off the comm and put it back on her sleeve as she got up and started the walk to the Command tier. As she traveled along the corridors, she tried to get the wrinkles out of her dress that sleeping in it had caused. She was now starting to worry. She hadn't ever felt like this before. She had been tired before, but never like this. The girl decided to investigate further on her own in the lab after she found out what was going on with this other ship.
Malika finally reached the Command tier to find that everyone was already there, waiting on her. She walked in sheepishly and went to stand with Andar, who was looking at her with concern. She walked behind Aeryn and around John who was leaning against the wall. Sean was at John's side where he always seemed to be. Berret was on the other side of the room next to Chiana as always, while Rygel floated around, not really staying in one place for very long. Zhaan and D'argo were standing in the area between everyone. She assumed they were leading the conversation.
"Glad you decided to join us," Rygel commented with his 'better-than-you' attitude. Malika considered 'putting him in his place' as John called it, but wisely decided to just send a glare his way, which he ignored.
"Well, now that were all here, we can make a decision," Crichton said as he and the others began to discuss the issue. Malika was still lost and looked to Andar with an obvious look of confusion on her face.
"A ship contacted us earlier about trade, but the owner seems less than honest. His ship also appears to be made completely out of pirated materials," Andar explained quickly to Malika, "And he even made the suggestion of trading our females for merchandise. No one really trusts him, but we could use some of the items he has. The problem is we don't know what he might try to steal or do if we let him onto Moya. Or what might happen if any of us go over to their ship."
"I see... so we're discussing it then," Malika replied as she heard Zhaan mention some herbs she desperately needed.
"I could use a few things also if they are available," Malika chimed in. "If we are going to trade."
"It seems everyone needs something," Aeryn said. "And I think we can handle any 'problems' that they want to throw at us."
"So we're all agreed? We trade, and if there are any problems, we'll take care of them," D'argo said, finishing the conversation.
"Agreed," John confirmed as he stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall.
"Everyone get together a list of what you need and what you can part with. We'll meet back here in an arn," Aeryn said as she and John left Command just ahead of D'argo.
Chiana left with Berret talking about something she wanted. The Shrike followed her seeming interested, though Malika doubted he had any idea of what she was talking about.
"You fell asleep again didn't you," Andar said as she had started to follow Zhaan out the door. Malika turned around, and talked in a hushed voice so that Zhaan, who was now looking at the pair intently, wouldn't hear her.
"Can we talk about this later?" she asked.
"I think there's something wrong and waiting till later isn't going to help. I don't want something bad to happen to you," he said.
"Malika... Andar spoke to me earlier about this situation," Zhaan cut in. Malika looked at Zhaan with a less then happy look, then back to Andar with an almost look of betrayal.
"Why would you go to Zhaan? I told you I was fine," she said, trying to stay calm. She turned back to Zhaan, as the older Delvian woman continued speaking.
"He is worried, and I am too. I think something's very wrong," Zhaan told her. She tried to put a comforting hand on Malika's shoulder only to have it slapped away.
"I didn't ask you and I am fine," Malika said stubbornly, "Just a little worn out."
"Malika, what if it's something else?" Andar asked.
"It's not!" she almost shouted. The girl looked at the two with extreme anger in her eyes. She wasn't so angry that they were concerned about her, but that they had talked behind her back. And that they thought she couldn't handle her private problems on her own. The Delvian teenager still wasn't used to getting help from others, and she couldn't really deal with placing her welfare in the hands of others yet
She turned and stormed out of the room and down to her lab; she had a list to prepare.
"I can take of everything that Zhaan or I need. And I think I'm more suited to this kind of... atmosphere than Zhaan is," Malika said an arn later. Her hand gripped the handle of the fighting knife sheathed at her side, her hold so tight on the leather-wrapped handle of the blade that her fingers appeared bloodless.
"She's got a point, Blue," John said as Zhaan sighed exasperated.
The older Delvian knew she wasn't going to win this argument. She didn't want Malika going over to the other ship, but she couldn't tell the others her concern without revealing what she thought about Malika's condition. Which she had no sound proof of, and she doubted Malika would take very well to her telling the others of her suspicion in any regard.
"So it's done then. I'll go with D'argo, Aeryn, and Rygel for the supplies," Malika said with a triumphant grin as she realized the Priestess wasn't going to attempt to dissuade her further.
"Be careful," Zhaan instead replied.
"Of course," Malika said. She was slightly shocked by how much Zhaan seemed to be worried for her. When she thought about it, it didn't seem something to be that worried about, so she shrugged it off as she left with the others to go to the Transport Pod.
She felt a hand on her arm and she turned around to see Andar.
"Be careful... please," he asked her.
She looked at him, and then planted a light kiss on his lips, taking him by surprise.
"I will, don't worry," she told him in her most honest voice before leaving.
Andar turned back around to see Sean look away and John and Zhaan both staring at him. He shrugged and left, leaving the three to think whatever they wanted.
Malika was walked beside Aeryn while Rygel led the way off the Pod first. D'argo, ever on guard, brought up the rear of the group. There wasn't anyone there to meet them, so they started to look around the area. Malika couldn't help the look of disgust on her face. She had been on some bad ships, but this was worse than anything she had ever seen before. It was dirty, stank, and was in obvious need of many repairs.
"Where is this... Danke, wasn't it?" Aeryn asked.
"Danke is the captain. We're supposed to be dealing with one of his men named Crelik," D'argo replied, The Luxan was obviously having a problem with the odors of the ship.
"Humph... hardly an appealing place," Rygel said as he floated about, grimacing at whatever he was inspecting at the moment.
"I would have thought you like it? It smells just like your last meal," D'argo smirked at the small being. Malika had all ready abandoned listening to the chatter as she looked around the cargo bay they were in. There were crates scattered here and there, but as she glanced across the bay one caught her eye in particular.
One with a sculpture made out of a purple crystal like substance sitting on the top.
"It can't be," she said quietly to herself as she moved closer. She stood in front of the object for a few moments, inspecting it and not finding a single flaw. She reached out to touch the item as she got closer, not sure if she was actually seeing what she thought she saw.
"The blue-one like?" a raspy voice suddenly asked from behind her.
Malika let out a gasp of surprise just before she spun around on the balls of her feet, her knife suddenly in her hand and the point pricking at the throat of the creature standing behind.
"I just wanted to know if you like! Maybe trade?" the scared being said.
He was a bald humanoid life form, slightly shorter than Malika with an orange tinted skin. His eyes were completely black. The rest of the party had come as soon as they heard Malika's cry of alarm.
"Who are you?" Aeryn demanded as she held her pulse rifle on him.
"Cr-Cr-Crelik! Please... I mean no harm, no kill," he pleaded as he did his best to cower away.
"I am sorry for my cousin. I knew I should have taken care of this myself to begin with," another voice said from another part of the cargo bay.
Aeryn spun around to point her weapon at a more civilized looking being. It was obviously the same race as the other. Only this one had hair, and was taller and slimmer than the first. His eyes were completely one color as the other being, but his were blue. His hair was tied back, and his clothing looked extremely expensive.
"I am Danke, the captain of this ship. I was monitoring my cousin, because as you can see... he is incompetent at times."
Malika had slowly lowered the knife, and as she did the man rushed forward to hide behind his cousin. Staring back angrily at the crew as he held onto the back of Danke's coat. The man swatted at his cousin, who then ran to hide behind a cargo container.
"Were you looking at this?" The man inquired of Malika as he held up the Purple sculpture. "I was told it was a perfect replica of a piece of artwork from a planet called Delvia. You wouldn't by chance be a Delvian would you? I've never met one before."
"Well, now you have," she said still looking at the sculpture. The man stepped forward, Malika tensed up and kept her hand on her blade, but all he did was hold out the sculpture toward her.
"Think of it as a sign of good faith... and an apology for my cousin. I hope we can still make this trade?" he said as Malika looked from him to the sculpture. She took it warily from him to inspect it. The girl ran her hand over the smooth graceful surface and smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen something from Delvia, and it felt nice just to hold the sculpture even if it was a replica.
"I hope we can conclude our business, Captain," Rygel said as he pushed by Aeryn and D'argo in his thronesled, neither of which looked too pleased as he passed.
"You must be Rygel the XVI of Hyneria, it's a pleasure to meet you," Danke said with a small bow.
"At least someone out here knows how to properly address a Dominar," he said as they started to talk about supplies. Malika continued to study the sculpture. She had seen the real one once when her mother brought her to see it before they left their home. It had been her favorite out of the display and her mother had promised to buy her a copy, but had never gotten around to it. Malika had been young at the time, so she had quickly forgotten the promise until now.
"Blue-one does like... I said so," Crelik said from his place behind the crate.
"Yes, the Delvian, does like," she said as she put it in the bag she had brought with her to carry items.
"Shall we discuss what else you need?" Inquired the captain. "I'm afraid Crelik knows more about our weapons or some of the other parts and things of that nature than I do. So he will have to show you what we have. He appears less intelligent than he truly is, I'm not sure what happened to him to make him that... way" Danke told them. The captain momentary frowned at the obvious happiness on Crelik's face that he needed to be consulted. "But anything else, and I can help you," he added.
"I have a list of some herbs that you said you have that we need," Malika said, fishing in her bag for the piece of paper that the list was written on. She found it and handed it to the man. He inspected it for a moment before looking up with a smile.
"We have many of these items. If you will follow me, we can get them," he said as he turned to leave. Malika hesitated and looked to her shipmates. Danke paused and looked back when he realized the Delvian girl hadn't moved to follow him.
"It will take but a few moments. I promise nothing will happen to you," he said in a slightly exasperated tone. Malika sighed and followed him, checking to make sure the knife was secure back at her side. She was sure that if anything happened she could defend herself against this man.
It didn't take long to reach a door that Danke stepped through. Malika followed, and surprised by what she saw. It appeared to be the only proper room onboard. The walls were actually made out of the same materials and not cobbled together in a mix - match way.
Danke walked over to a wall and pressed a panel. Two doors appeared and opened to reveal a hidden storage cabinet. Malika had never seen such a complete set of herbs while in the Uncharted Territories; it didn't take her long to get absorbed in going through the bottles... and asking what he could spare.
Danke seemed pleased that she had found what she wanted, and was content to stand to the side and wait for her to ask if she could have something.
"This has been very helpful," she said as she finished getting what she needed.
"It's worth it for what were getting from your ship. What one needs is not as important to another with a surplus," he told her. "That's where trade comes from."
"And this has been a good trade," she said as she glanced back in the cupboard. "What's this?" she asked looking at a bottle in the back of the cupboard, she didn't recognize the name on the label. "Kali root?" she asked looking from the bottle in her hand to the man standing by the wall.
"It's from my home planet... it's a kind of... opposite of sleeping medications. It's to help give someone more energy. I have extra if you would like some," he told her with a smile. "I find most people are very pleased with the results of it."
"Are there any side effects?" she asked looking intently at the bottle.
"Nothing reported yet. I use it myself," he explained to her. "Take as much as you need, I have plenty."
"Thank you... I'm sure I'll find a use for it," she told him.
"I find the few people we've come across always take some. A few even come back for more, seeing living out here can tire a being out," he said as she finished securing her new found prizes in her bag.
They then left to meet back with the others.
"Wow! That's a lot of bottles," John said as he walked in to Zhaan's lab where Malika was unloading the contents of her bag onto the table. Zhaan was excitedly going through them; she hadn't ever had such a complete set of herbs while on Moya. Malika finished taking everything out, and then removed one last item.
"Is that...?" Zhaan started but Malika cut her off.
"Yes, a perfect replica of the Oruoze sculpture," she told her as she set it down for Zhaan to examine.
"This is truly... exquisite work," she said as she inspected it with Malika.
"I always wanted one. Figures, I finally get it 100 cycles after I asked for it," Malika joked as she studied it with Zhaan.
"Hey, I was supposed to be here to see if you guys got everything all right? Aeryn got the parts that she needed, and a few of the ones me and Sean asked for," John said.
"It was a profitable trade all around. I think everyone got what they needed," Malika said looking at the statue again. "How about we keep it in here?" Malika asked. "I don't want to keep it to myself in my room"
"If that's what you want. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to keep such a thing for yourself," Zhaan said looking at it again.
"It's not the most important thing," Malika said, finally looking away from it. "Speaking of my room, I need to go clean up. I'll speak with you later," Malika said as she turned and left. Leaving Zhaan to go over her new herbs and store them.
Malika quickly went to her room, and luckily she didn't run into anyone. She had taken the long way around to be sure she didn't meet any of the others. The young girl wanted to be alone and needed her privacy. Inside her quarters, she sat on her bed and opened the bag to get out the Kali root, the only thing she hadn't given to Zhaan. She knew that the Priestess would take the root away, and she would probably never see it again... let along get a chance to use it. Although she still wasn't sure she wanted to.
She sat staring at it for a moment, wondering if what Danke had said about it was true. If it was, it was exactly what she needed. Malika looked at it one more time, and then went to the pitcher of water she kept on the stand next to the other side of the bed. She poured a glass of water and mixed in part of the powdered Kali root, then set the herb container on the floor next to the bed.
She looked at the glass for a moment, contemplating it, then drank all the liquid as fast as she could.
"Malika?"
She jerked around to see Andar standing in the doorway to her quarters; she pushed the Kali root jar under the bed with her foot as she put on a smile.
"Hello Andar, I was wondering where you were," she lied, she had forgotten he would probably be looking for her as soon as she got back onto the ship.
"I was wondering if you were hungry? I was going down to get some food cubes," he told her.
"I need to wash up after going to that ship. I'll meet you there when I'm done?" she inquired.
"That's a plan," he said with a smile, "See you then."
She smiled and nodded her head as he left. She reached under the bed for the Kali root, and then hesitated. She decided to just leave it there for the time being before she went to quickly wash up and changed into a clean dress.
Andar had almost finished his meal by the time he heard Malika coming down the hall.
He sighed at the girl's lateness thinking she had probably fallen asleep again. She came in, it almost seemed like she had run the whole way.
"Where were you?" he asked, noticing a few grease stains on her dress.
"I had to run down to my lab. I finally figured out what to do with the left over parts from the broken equipment," she said as she started to go through cupboard's looking for some food, and piling it on a plate she had grabbed. The Delvian girl finally came to sit back down with a mountain of food on her plate.
"And you had to start it?" he asked in bewilderment.
"Actually... I finished it. You can come look at it later, there's still a couple bugs to work out in a few of the components," she told him.
He looked at her with a concerned look on his face. She looked back at him with a look of question.
"Are you all right?" Andar asked looking from the mound of food on her plate back to her.
"I'm fine, just really hungry. I didn't eat this morning," she said as she started to shovel food into her mouth.
"You never eat that much..." he commented. She would have been able to compete with Chiana and Rygel the way she was going.
"Maybe that's been my problem," she said between bites. She quickly finished and got up again.
"Where are you going now?" Andar asked stopping her at the door.
"I have a lot of work to do... and I want to get it done as soon as I can," she told him before leaving. Zhaan came in after her, having to move back to get out of Malika's way.
"That's quite a change," she said as she walked all the way in to the Center Chamber. Zhaan paused and surveyed the remnants that Malika had left behind her. "Did she do this?"
"Yes... it's like she changed overnight. She went from falling asleep every five minutes, to finally getting together those parts in her lab and doing something with them in less than an arn. She started on that about a quarter of a cycle ago," Andar told her.
"It does seem strange," Zhaan replied as she picked up the plate Malika had left and moved it to where it was supposed to go.
"Zhaan, there's something else. I don't think Malika knows I saw, but she had some kind of powder in her room that she was taking. And it didn't look like anything I've seen in any of the labs before," he told her.
"What did it look like?" she asked him with increasing interest.
"It was two colors, green and odd shade of purple," he explained. "When I said hello, she tired to push it under the bed. I think she believed I hadn't seen it."
"This isn't good news... do you think you could get some of it for me to analyze while I go talk to her?" Zhaan asked.
"As long as she doesn't walk in while I'm there," answered the ex-teacher.
"Is she still up?" Zhaan asked as Andar walked into her lab some time later.
"Pilot says she's been working on her Prowler for the last three arns, almost non-stop," the man said as he took a seat. "And she doesn't show any signs of stopping. I went to visit her and she told me she was too busy... and as soon as she was done she could talk to me. I've never seen her behave the way she is. She's almost snapping at Pilot when he interrupts her. She hasn't stopped working on things since she took that powder."
"We'll have an answer soon. I've almost finished the analysis," Zhaan said as she looked at a display.
"Good, this can't be healthy for her," Andar said as he crossed his arm.
"Oh Goddess..." Zhaan whispered a few microts later as she read the results.
"What is it?" Andar asked in growing concern.
The priestess looked up at him with increasing alarm in her blue eyes.
"We have to get to her now... and we need to get that powder," she said.
"Is it that bad?" Andar asked, concern now bordering on fright.
"It could mean her life," Zhaan replied. "I'll go get her and you go retrieve the powder from her quarters. Hide it somewhere she won't be able to find it," Zhaan instructed while taking him by the shoulders.
"If I'm right, she'll kill to get at it. And we cannot let her have anymore, the damage will already be bad enough," she told him. Andar nodded grimly and then left to complete his urgent task.
Zhaan was about to follow him out but then she stopped to think. She rushed over and got an injector, filling it with a powerful sedative, she then hid the instrument in her robes.
She wasn't sure what to expect.
Malika couldn't believe how helpful the Kali root had been. She had managed to scrape together enough left over parts from old equipment to upgrade one of her medical scanners. She had finished cleaning out her quarters and getting everything in order, as well as finished getting her lab organized. She had now moved onto working on her Prowler. It was something she had been meaning to do for a while. She didn't like the others feeling they had to do it all the time, and she wanted to do some of it. She had almost finished when she heard footsteps echoing through the maintenance bay. She was on the other side of her Prowler, so she walked around to see who it was.
"Oh. Hello, Zhaan. Why are here, it's kind of late isn't it?" she asked as she wiped some grease off of her hands. She didn't worry about her clothes, since as usual she had changed into an old surplus PK uniform. She attempted to get the small streak of grease off her face with the cloth in her hand, but only managed to make it worse.
"I need to speak with you.... about the powder," Zhaan said solemnly.
"Which one? Was something wrong with one of them?" Malika asked.
"Not my one of my powders... the one you're keeping in your room," the older woman replied.
Malika went silent and looked down at her hands and the tool she was holding. She was still polishing and rubbing the tool with the cloth.
"How did you find out?" she asked quietly a few microts later, though the question sounded more like a demand.
"It's not important," Zhaan said to the young girl, who was obviously upset.
"Yes, it IS!" Malika yelled. Emphasizing her point by throwing the tool across the room into a stack of spare parts that fell over with the force of the flung implement.
She glared back at Zhaan and continued.
"Was it Andar? Did he see me?" Malika growled out, it almost didn't sound like her voice.
"Malika, you need to stop using it," Zhaan tried to reason with her, but the girl seemed incline to ignore her.
"If you're here, you probably already sent someone to get the Kali root... if you know where it is," Malika looked up at Zhaan and stared at her for a moment. "You do!" the young Delvian spat with undisguised hostility.
Malika turned and ran out the door before the older woman could stop her. Zhaan followed after, and prayed to the Goddess that Andar had gotten the powder and out of the room in time. She didn't know what Malika would do if she found him still there. She had lost track of the girl long before they were near her quarters. When the priestess finally did catch up, she heard the distinct sound of a room being torn apart. She walked in to see Malika throwing things everywhere, even almost knocking a dresser over in her frantic search.
"Where did you put it?" the younger woman cried in an almost frantic voice as she continued her search.
"What is going on?" D'argo said as he appeared at the doorway, obviously just woken up by the ruckus.
His arrival was followed soon by John and then Aeryn.
"Pilot said something was going on," Aeryn said as she arrived with a pulse rifle. Soon coming down the opposite corridor direction came Berret, followed by Chiana who was wrapped in a blanket, still trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"What the frell is all the racket?" she asked as stop with the others.
"Where - Is - It?" Malika demanded, now standing in the door of her almost completely demolished quarters. Andar came running up almost out of breath from behind Chiana and Berret.
"You took it!" Malika screamed. "I'm going to felling kill you...!" she warned as she advanced on the Sebacean man. Before she could reach Andar, Berret had moved to block her way as he realized something was obviously wrong and she meant to seriously hurt their crewmate.
"Move, Shrike!" the Delvian girl said in cold fury. "This doesn't concern you."
The ex-Enforcer stood his ground. Malika savagely grinned as she noticed Berret shift his weight, preparing for a possible conflict. Her eyes narrowed at the ex-assassin and her fist clenched in anticipation.
"Careful, 'Ret," Chiana murmured, knowing that the unarmored Shrike was at a severe disadvantage against the natural strength of a normal Delvian... let alone, against one that appeared to have lost her mind.
"This concerns everyone, Malika," Zhaan said, taking the other woman's attention away from Berret. The girl turned slowly and looked at Zhaan. The older Delvian tried not to let her outward appearance change, but the girl's eyes were completely colored green now. It was a very disturbing look.
"This is your fault!" she shrieked before she attacked.
Zhaan easily moved out of Malika's way and the others instantly acted to restrain the girl.
"Get off!" Malika screamed, but even with her strength she was no match for D'argo, Berret, John, and Aeryn all at the same time. As they held her down, Zhaan injected her with the sedative.
She struggled for a few microns more and then she slowly went limp. The others finally released their hold on her as she slipped into total unconsciousness.
"Could you please bring her into here?" Zhaan asked D'argo, who had ended up holding the girl's limp form. He followed the priestess into the room and set the girl down on her bed, the only piece of furniture in the room that seemed still intact. Zhaan took a blood sample while the girl was out, then she and D'argo exited the room. It was times like this that Zhaan was glad that the quarters were converted cells; she closed the door and locked it.
"She should sleep for another arn," Zhaan reported to the rest of the crew.
"Something tells me she won't be pleased when she wakes up," John said. "What's going on, Blue?"
"Malika picked up a drug from the ship we traded with. It's highly addictive... and has a few side effects I doubt she knew about."
"What kinds of side effects?" Aeryn asked.
"Violent tendencies, hyperactivity, and in her case eventually hallucinations. And if she had continued using it, death," Zhaan said.
"Why would she use something like that?" Andar asked, looking in through the door at Malika's sleeping form.
"She was probably told it would help her with her recent fatigue. I believe the original purpose of the drug was to convert the cells of her body into something else... but whoever created the drug didn't account for a plant derived life form," Zhaan explained as she looked in the room also. "What would have changed any of the rest you... would have killed her in the process."
"So she's going to be okay now?" Andar asked as he turned to look at Zhaan. She paused and he looked at her more intently. "What?"
"I don't know how much damage was done so far, just a small amount could do a great deal of harm," she told him. "We'll just have to wait and see."
"What is this game called?" Berret asked again.
"It's poker. Took me a while to make a good deck of cards, but it's worth it," John said as he shuffled them. There were taking turns in pairs waiting for Malika to wake up while Zhaan worked in her lab on a way to help reverse the effects the drug had already caused.
"It is an Earth game?" Berret asked as John started to deal the cards on the small table that had been set up for whoever happened to be on watch at the time.
"Yes, and all Earth men learn how to play, so that they can win money. Some are better at it than others," he said as he looked at the cards. "It's basically being able to tell when someone's lying," he finally said. "And being able to fool others into thinking you're not lying."
"Sounds like an interesting game," a voice behind John said. He turned to see Malika standing with her head against the door with her eyes shut, as if she had a massive headache.
"How long has she been standing there?" he asked Berret.
"A micron, perhaps a little longer," the ex-Enforcer told him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Crichton asked as he stood up from the table.
"I was waiting for you to finish your explanation. I don't believe she was going anywhere," Berret said matter of factly as he also stood up with the astronaut.
"What's going on?" Malika asked while rubbing her temples.
"You don't remember?" John asked.
"I remember coming back from Danke's ship... then I woke up in my room. It's torn apart," Malika observed as she looked around her quarters. "Why am I locked in here?" she asked.
"We need to call Zhaan. She doesn't seem to remember anything," John said as he was about to leave, but Berret grabbed his arm.
"I believe she is lying," the Shrike said.
"Why...?" he asked trailing off as he realized Malika wasn't looking at them any longer, but down at her feet. Acting as though she had a headache. "Malika look at me," John told her.
She sighed and slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. Her eyes were still completely green, and the look on her face was less than happy.
"This has nothing to do with you. Why don't you just let me go? This is between Zhaan, Andar, and myself," she told them as she stood up straight.
"You're all apart of this crew, so it does concern us," the human replied.
Malika slammed a fist against the door jam before retreating back into her room, knocking over something as she walked by - the crash echoing in the silence.
"Berret, I do believe poker could be your game," John said as he went back to the table, glancing in at Malika who was sitting at the end of her bed with her eyes closed while mumbling to herself.
Andar appeared on the other end of the hall soon after John had gotten involved in explaining the different hands in poker to Berret. He needed to visit Malika, even though Zhaan had told him she would be less than pleased with him right now. She thought she needed the drug, and she would do anything to get it. Right now she thought he had taken it away from her.
John saw him coming, and quickly stood up. He walked over to intercept him before he reached the door to the Delvian girl's room.
"What are you going to do?" he asked as Andar looked over his shoulder at the door to Malika's quarters.
"I'm going to talk to her," he said trying to get around him.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? She'll probably want to rip your throat out right now...she's not herself," John told him. "I've seen people like that before, they don't think of anything but the drug they want."
"I 'need' to talk to her," Andar replied.
John sighed and let him pass, but walked close behind in case something happened.
"Malika?" Andar said as he reached the door, but he couldn't see her. "Where is she?"
"She was right there..." was all John got out before a hand shot out around the edge of the door through one of the openings and grabbed the front of Andar's shirt, pulling him forward and slamming him hard into the metal door.
"Come back to visit?" Malika asked with a wild-eyed grin as she gripped the front of his shirt. "Where is it?" she demanded next in a snarl. Andar tried to pull back, but she easily held him there.
"I don't know..." he said but she slammed him into the door once again.
"Tell me!" she yelled at him, but before she could slam him into the door a third time, he was ripped away from her and she was left with two pieces of cloth from his shirt in her hands.
Berret had managed to yank him away from her, and out of her reach.
She stared; complete enraged at the three men, before retreating into her quarters once again, a dresser receiving the brunt of her fury.
"Yes, Pilot? What is it?" Zhaan asked as she walked onto the Command tier. Aeryn was all ready there waiting for her.
"We have a transmission," Aeryn said with a mock smile as it appeared on the forward holo-tank. It was Danke.
"What do you want?" Zhaan said more harshly than was normal for the Delvian.
"I'm here for... Malika, wasn't it? By now she must be begging to find me," he said with an evil smirk.
"She hasn't asked for you once," Aeryn answered before Zhaan could.
"There's no use lying. By now most of her physiology will have been altered and if she doesn't get anymore Kali root, it will start to degrade her body from the cellular level," he explained, with a very smug attitude. "She'll be a very useful addition to my crew."
"She would... if she were anything but Delvian," Zhaan said with a smug smile of her own, knowing she knew something he didn't.
"You said you had never meet a Delvian before, correct?" Aeryn asked, with her own satisfied smirk.
"Why?" he asked, finally realizing something was wrong.
"Your little virus that you hid in the Kali root. In any being that evolved from any sort of animal ingested it, they would slowly have their very cells altered until the needed the Kali root to survive. But Malika is not descended from an animal," Zhaan explained.
"You're plants! That's what it was they were talking about when they said Delvians were special?" Danke yelled, obviously upset by this turn of events.
"Its been lovely talking to you," Aeryn said just before the transmission was cut off.
Danke started at the now blank screen, and then turned to Crelik who was laughing at his captures misfortune.
"You said you knew everything about Delvians! How could you not know this?" he yelled as he threw a random lose object off the table in front of him at Crelik.
"I know... I just not tell you. You no ask," Crelik said before running out of the room as something else crashed in the place he had previously been occupying. He popped his head in one last time. "Why I help man who keep me here? You not so smart are you?" he said before he yelped when Danke actually hit him with the object he had thrown this time.
"He wants to take that away from me. He has no idea who he is dealing with! I'll snap his neck, and Zhaan... I'll get her! Always thinking she knows what's best. That she's so all knowing! She is smart but she doesn't know everything..." Malika rambled on while she sat against the end of her bed.
"WHY IS IT SO FRELLING HOT IN HERE?" she screamed as she threw a broken vase at the door to have the rest of it shatter.
"Whoa," Chiana said as she stepped back to get away from the flying bits of vase that came out of the openings in the door. "Has she been like this since she woke up?" she asked as she sat down.
"She's been quiet, but she seems to be getting more aggressive as time goes on," Berret told her. "It just keeps getting worse as time passes," he said as the other half of the vase hit the door and shattered.
"Please! Let me the frell out of here..." Malika said in an almost crying voice as she stared up at the ceiling of her cell. She was burning up and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. She had stripped down the clothing she was wearing as much as she could within reason, and she was still to hot.
"She's losing her frelling mind," Aeryn said a few microts later as she glanced in at the girl who had gotten up again and was leaning on the already mostly destroyed dresser.
"I think that's obvious," Chiana said as she sat back down in one of the two chairs that were still there.
"I am... so... sick... of..." Malika was gasping out before she grabbed a hold of the dresser and fell over, dragging it over with her.
Chiana jumped out her chair at the sound of the crash and ran to the door.
"Wait, it might be a trick," Aeryn warned as Berret came to look in the room.
"It might be, but well have to figure it out quickly. She doesn't seem to be breathing," he told her.
"Oh frell!" Aeryn said as she keyed the door opened and rushed in, followed soon by the other two.
She put her head on the girl's chest to check her heartbeat.
"Her heart is still going," she confirmed.
"She is still breathing, but barely," Berret told Aeryn when she looked at him.
"I'll go get someone!" Chiana said as she stood up and darted out of the converted cell.
"You're sure this will work?" Andar asked as he walked with Zhaan through Moya to Malika's room.
"It should reverse the damage that was already done to her cells... if it's not to late," Zhaan told him.
"Too late?" he asked concerned.
"I'm not sure how much help it would be in the next stage of her condition, but hopefully we've gotten there before that," she said as the rounded the last corner. They looked down the hall, to find the chairs empty. Aeryn and Chiana had volunteered to watch Malika this shift, and Berret had stayed as well, probably because of the Nebari.
"Where are they?" Andar asked as he ran the rest of the way down the corridor, and barely missed a collision with Chiana as she came running out of the room.
"Zhaan!" she cried upon seeing the Delvian. "Something's happened... she just collapsed!"
Andar hadn't even waited for Chiana to finish talking before he ran into the cell. Malika was lying on the floor while Aeryn and Berret leaned over her. Aeryn was still taking her pulse when he dropped to his knees by Malika. She seemed to be sweating overly much, and her breathing was barely noticeable.
Her eyelids were half shut, but her eyes were moving rapidly beneath the lids.
"She's alive, barely," Aeryn said as Zhaan entered the room.
"What happened?" the Pa'u asked as she knelt near the girls head.
"She was talking continuously - about the drug... and you and Andar. She had started complaining about the heat, she was getting more violent. Then she suddenly collapsed," Berret explained as Zhaan inspected the young woman.
"At first we thought it was another trick... but she didn't look like she was breathing," Aeryn told her. Andar took a hold of one of Malika's limp hands while Zhaan got the injector she brought with her out and used it on the girl.
"I don't know how much good this will do now. We just need to pray to the Goddess she comes out of this. We'll need to bring her to the lab for monitoring," Zhaan told them as she looked at the girl, who barely looked like herself any longer.
"How long till we know?" Andar asked as Zhaan went over her latest readings on Malika.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything quite like this before," she said as she walked back to her table to go over another blood sample. Andar hadn't let go of the Delvian girl's hand and kept his eyes on her sleeping form. She hadn't stirred since they brought her into the lab.
"It does seem that the injection I gave her is helping, but I'm not sure if it was to late," Zhaan said. "I did, however, discover what was causing her fatigue before this."
"What?" Andar asked looking up at Zhaan who had walked back over to stand by the chair he was sitting in. She looked at him with a frown.
"From one of the commerce planets we've visited in the last half a cycle. She ingested something, that can be common in some parts of the Territories, probably from a bad food cube," she said as she looked down at the young woman. "It would have gone away in a few more days."
Andar did not look happy at this news as he glanced back at the girl. "I'm so sorry this happened," he murmured as he kissed the back of her hand.
Suddenly Malika screamed and started struggling against the restraints they had on her to keep her lying down.
"What's happening?" Andar yelled as he tried to calm her down.
"I'm afraid the process to reverse the damage is rather painful as I feared," she said, as she got more sedative. "I thought the last dose I gave her would keep her asleep through this."
Zhaan came back and gave Malika the sedative. Tears were streaming down the young girl's face as she bit her lip and pulled futilely on the restraints.
"Shhh... It's going to be okay," Andar said as she calmed down.
Malika looked up at him with her hazy vision and tried to smile. He saw that her eyes had at least returned to normal. She lay on the bed, breathing heavily as she let the sedative take effect, though her tears hadn't stopped. Andar bent over and kissed her forehead.
"It's going to be alright," he promised her.
Andar stood back up to see that she had lapsed back into unconsciousness. He went to sit in a chair beside Zhaan's table. Zhaan checked on Malika again, and then turned a few microns later to find Andar asleep in his chair.
"Mother?" Malika mumbled, "Rahlin?"
Andar jolted awake at the sound of Malika's voice. He quickly got his bearings and went to her bedside to take her hand again.
"Who's Rahlin?" Andar whispered to Zhaan as Malika gripped his hand back.
"Rhalin, where are we?" Malika asked groggily as she tried to get up.
"Shhh! Calm down, Malika," Zhaan said as she walked around to the opposite side of her med-bed to push her back down.
"Mother, what's going on?" she asked grabbing Zhaan's hand.
"You were sick, and now you're recovering," the priestess told the girl as she looked at Andar.
Malika opened her eyes a little, but quickly shut them again; obvious that it had caused pain.
"Rahlin?" Malika asked, as she held onto Andar's hand a little tighter than he liked.
He looked at Zhaan who nodded to him.
"Yes?" Andar responded as he bent down so his head was at her level.
"Good... you're here... I was afraid..."
"I'm not leaving," he told her.
"Good, I don't know what I would do if you had," she said with a weak smile.
Zhaan squeezed the hand she had and smoothed some of the younger woman's hair down.
"You need to get some rest now. I'm going to give you something to help you," Zhaan said, reaching for the second injector full of a sedative she had kept close-by in case something happened.
"Thank you," Malika said as Zhaan gave her the injection and she let go of the priestess' hand. Her free hand now moved over to join the one already holding Andar's, and covered them both.
"I'm glad everything is alright now. I thought they killed you," she told him.
"No, I'm very healthy," Andar reassured her and then glanced back at Zhaan again.
"Good... because I love you..." she said as she fell asleep and her grip on his hands loosened.
He picked up her arms and set them back next to her, before standing up and walking over to Zhaan who had moved far enough away so that they could talk without disturbing the girl.
"This is a very good sign. She was hallucinating, but she was conscious without pain. I think she's going to be all right," Zhaan told him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked back at the sleeping girl.
Malika seemed to be breathing normally once again.
"Do you know who Rahlin is?" he asked Zhaan, trying to figure out who it was that Malika would be telling she loved.
"Someone she knew a long time ago. She hasn't seen him for a very long time... he's dead, killed by Peacekeepers," Zhaan said placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "You don't have to worry, I think you know who her heart belongs too now," she told the young man as he continued to watch the sleeping girl.
"Food has never tasted so good," Malika said as she ate another food cube. Zhaan had finally released her from the med-bay, and let her start eating whatever she wanted again. She had been monitoring what the young woman ate for six solar days, and she was longing for some food that actually had an appeal besides it nutritional content.
"You don't remember anything then?" Andar asked as he watched her eat.
She had woken up with almost no recollection of anything that had transpired since Danke ship.
"I remember bits and pieces... but it's like it was a dream," she told him as she finished her last food cube.
"Well, I'm just glad you're back," he told her with a smile.
"I'm glad to be back," she said returning his smile. "After all, looked what I have to come back too," she said as she laid her hand on his. He smiled and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
"I need to see Zhaan," Malika said as she abruptly stood up, "She had a few more tests she wanted to run. I'll be back in a little while."
"I'll probably be here, I haven't gotten to eat yet," he told her as he grabbed some food cubes for himself. She smiled at him as she left and went to Zhaan's lab. She knew Zhaan wasn't there, but she wanted to be alone. She had remembered everything that happened... in much too vivid detail.
It was painful to think about, not just what she had done, but what she had said when she was hallucinating. She hadn't told Andar about Rahlin yet, she didn't like to talk about her past.
She knew he would eventually ask her about it, but she knew it would be a while. He thought she didn't know what she had said during her illness.
She reached Zhaan's lab, and walked in. She saw the sculpture still sitting on a table; she went back over to run her hand over it again. She didn't know what to think right now, she was worried. She had let this happen to herself, and it could have cost someone their life.
She picked up the statue and looked at it again. Suddenly felling angrier than she ever had... she threw it across the room and it shattered against the wall.
She looked at the pieces then fell into a chair. She lay her head down on the table and started to cry.
"If you feel like breaking something, you could have gone through the rubble in your room," a voice said. Malika looked up to see Zhaan watching her from the lab doorway.
"I'm sorry... that wasn't mine to break," she said as she wiped the tears off of her face with her sleeve. Zhaan walked over and gazed at the younger woman with the understanding look she seemed to always wear.
"Not everything that will come of this is necessarily bad," Zhaan told her.
"What could possible come of this that is good?" Malika asked angrily as she stood.
Zhaan had that pleasant look that said she was expecting the younger Delvian's question.
"We need to make mistakes to learn from them. There are a few lessons you can learn from this. The question is... will you learn them?" she asked looking at Malika.
The teenager had opened her mouth to comment, but couldn't think of anything to say and shut it again. She looked at Zhaan, then back at the shattered sculpture.
"I hope I do," she said before walking out.
Zhaan watched her leave, then looked back to the statue. It was more or less in rather big pieces and she walked over to the spot it was laying on the floor. She bent down and picked up a piece to stare at, and sighed.
"It might be repairable," she said to herself as she started to gather the pieces and put them on a table.
I did not write this story and in no way take credit for the work that went into it. I merely asked and received permission from LoneGirl to edit the story and post it here under the "Farscape Epic RPG" series so that others who've enjoyed my fiction here, could enjoy this story that centers on another of our characters. There are several more Malika stories written by LoneGirl that I hope to be adding to the series.
I personally feel that the Epic series is more then just John and Aeryn, or Chiana and Berret - but should revolve around all the characters as equally as possible. This could only make for good adventure.
This is the first of many stories I hope to bring you from others in my group.
LoneGirl's other works can also be found here on Fanfiction.net under the pen name: LoneGirl189.
Please stop by and review her other works. We hope you enjoy this piece as well.
Thanks, Chant99
FARSCAPE EPIC RPG: ADDICTED
By LoneGirl189
Edited by Chant99
"Malika dear?"
Malika could vaguely pick out a voice talking to her. Her mind started to float back to consciousness and she was aware that someone had a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Zhaan. She then closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked as she pushed herself up from the table.
"Not long, but you were supposed to be working on that text I gave you," Zhaan told her as she took her hand off Malika's shoulder. "If you keep falling asleep you're not going to get anywhere."
"It's only happened a few times..." Malika protested.
"You need to learn to concentrate," Zhaan reminded her as she started to clean up the mess in front of the girl. "What were you working on?" Zhaan asked interested.
"Nothing really... I've been having trouble getting anything done for the last few solar days," Malika told her as she stood up and stretched.
"You know your meditation will help your concentration. If you remembered to do it," Zhaan told her as she finished putting the last instrument that had been on the table away. The young Delvian was always skipping her meditation, and Zhaan knew that she was going to have to eventually realize that to be a priestess, you had to do the boring things as well.
"I know... I'll start on it tomorrow," Malika promised as she turned and left the lab before she could be stopped. Zhaan sighed as she watched Malika leave, it was times like this that she wondered if it was even possible for her ever finish her training, or if it was even wise for her to have agreed to the whole arrangement. The girl did want to finish the training, but it still wasn't for herself, it was for her mother.
Malika walked through the corridors of Moya; she wasn't really sure where she was heading as she ambled carelessly running her had along one wall. She didn't know why she had been having so much trouble concentrating. Contrary to what Zhaan thought, she was doing her meditation... but still she constantly felt like there was something she was forgetting. And it was always drawing her attention away.
It was almost like she was stuck in a state of half sleep.
She eventually found herself walking onto the Command tier. She glanced about and saw Andar watching the view of outside on the holo-tank. They were passing by a planet with some very beautiful rings. He seemed to be busy looking back and forth from some science readouts and the actual view.
She walked up and leaned against the consol next to him.
"It's very beautiful," she commented with a small smile. He looked up, apparently aware she was there the whole time.
"It is, but I can think of a few things that are more so," he smiled in return before looking back at the readings. "I thought you were working in your lab with Zhaan?"
"I fell asleep and she let me leave," Malika replied as she stood up straight and moved closer to him so she could read what he was looking at.
"Are you all right?" he asked, a look of concern crossing his brow.
"It's nothing," she said without looking up at him.
He reached over and redirected her face so that she was looking at him.
"It's something. You've been falling asleep during the day cycle after sleeping in all morning, and you never seem able to concentrate," he observed.
"I'll be fine. I haven't really been eating very well is all," she told him as she took his hand away from her chin, but didn't let go of it.
It was a lie, but she didn't want him worrying about her, it wouldn't do any good.
"Then maybe you should go get something to eat," he replied with a half-hearted smile. He didn't think that was the real problem, but he knew that arguing about it right now was only going to make her angry. The Sebacean man decided to ask Zhaan about it later, seeing as sometimes the older Delvian was more able to get through to the girl on matters like this.
Malika sighed as she let go of Andar's hand and walked out of Command. In place of the trip to the Center Chamber for a meal, she went to her quarters instead. The young Delvian walked in and sat in front of the mirror to brush out her hair, and stopped herself when she was about to yawn. She finally went and laid down on the bed, intending to look at a reading Zhaan had given her, but before she had even got through the first line she had fallen fast asleep again.
"MALIKA!"
Malika jerked awake at the sound of D'argo roaring voice over the comm at her.
"D'argo, getting angry won't help," Zhaan's voice followed. Malika scrambled to get her dropped comm and answer before things got any worse.
"What's going on?" she asked when she finally found it in the folded blankets of her bed.
"Malika? Are you all right?" Zhaan asked with genuine concern in her voice.
"Yes, I was just absorbed in the reading you gave to me, and I didn't have my comm near me," she lied, hoping to get enough time later to finish the reading.
She didn't want Zhaan asking her about it only to not have an answer.
"We've been trying to tell you, a ship contacted us, and we've all come to the Comma..." Zhaan started but D'argo cut in.
"Get up to the Command tier now," he growled with impatience at the young Delvian.
Malika turned off the comm and put it back on her sleeve as she got up and started the walk to the Command tier. As she traveled along the corridors, she tried to get the wrinkles out of her dress that sleeping in it had caused. She was now starting to worry. She hadn't ever felt like this before. She had been tired before, but never like this. The girl decided to investigate further on her own in the lab after she found out what was going on with this other ship.
Malika finally reached the Command tier to find that everyone was already there, waiting on her. She walked in sheepishly and went to stand with Andar, who was looking at her with concern. She walked behind Aeryn and around John who was leaning against the wall. Sean was at John's side where he always seemed to be. Berret was on the other side of the room next to Chiana as always, while Rygel floated around, not really staying in one place for very long. Zhaan and D'argo were standing in the area between everyone. She assumed they were leading the conversation.
"Glad you decided to join us," Rygel commented with his 'better-than-you' attitude. Malika considered 'putting him in his place' as John called it, but wisely decided to just send a glare his way, which he ignored.
"Well, now that were all here, we can make a decision," Crichton said as he and the others began to discuss the issue. Malika was still lost and looked to Andar with an obvious look of confusion on her face.
"A ship contacted us earlier about trade, but the owner seems less than honest. His ship also appears to be made completely out of pirated materials," Andar explained quickly to Malika, "And he even made the suggestion of trading our females for merchandise. No one really trusts him, but we could use some of the items he has. The problem is we don't know what he might try to steal or do if we let him onto Moya. Or what might happen if any of us go over to their ship."
"I see... so we're discussing it then," Malika replied as she heard Zhaan mention some herbs she desperately needed.
"I could use a few things also if they are available," Malika chimed in. "If we are going to trade."
"It seems everyone needs something," Aeryn said. "And I think we can handle any 'problems' that they want to throw at us."
"So we're all agreed? We trade, and if there are any problems, we'll take care of them," D'argo said, finishing the conversation.
"Agreed," John confirmed as he stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall.
"Everyone get together a list of what you need and what you can part with. We'll meet back here in an arn," Aeryn said as she and John left Command just ahead of D'argo.
Chiana left with Berret talking about something she wanted. The Shrike followed her seeming interested, though Malika doubted he had any idea of what she was talking about.
"You fell asleep again didn't you," Andar said as she had started to follow Zhaan out the door. Malika turned around, and talked in a hushed voice so that Zhaan, who was now looking at the pair intently, wouldn't hear her.
"Can we talk about this later?" she asked.
"I think there's something wrong and waiting till later isn't going to help. I don't want something bad to happen to you," he said.
"Malika... Andar spoke to me earlier about this situation," Zhaan cut in. Malika looked at Zhaan with a less then happy look, then back to Andar with an almost look of betrayal.
"Why would you go to Zhaan? I told you I was fine," she said, trying to stay calm. She turned back to Zhaan, as the older Delvian woman continued speaking.
"He is worried, and I am too. I think something's very wrong," Zhaan told her. She tried to put a comforting hand on Malika's shoulder only to have it slapped away.
"I didn't ask you and I am fine," Malika said stubbornly, "Just a little worn out."
"Malika, what if it's something else?" Andar asked.
"It's not!" she almost shouted. The girl looked at the two with extreme anger in her eyes. She wasn't so angry that they were concerned about her, but that they had talked behind her back. And that they thought she couldn't handle her private problems on her own. The Delvian teenager still wasn't used to getting help from others, and she couldn't really deal with placing her welfare in the hands of others yet
She turned and stormed out of the room and down to her lab; she had a list to prepare.
"I can take of everything that Zhaan or I need. And I think I'm more suited to this kind of... atmosphere than Zhaan is," Malika said an arn later. Her hand gripped the handle of the fighting knife sheathed at her side, her hold so tight on the leather-wrapped handle of the blade that her fingers appeared bloodless.
"She's got a point, Blue," John said as Zhaan sighed exasperated.
The older Delvian knew she wasn't going to win this argument. She didn't want Malika going over to the other ship, but she couldn't tell the others her concern without revealing what she thought about Malika's condition. Which she had no sound proof of, and she doubted Malika would take very well to her telling the others of her suspicion in any regard.
"So it's done then. I'll go with D'argo, Aeryn, and Rygel for the supplies," Malika said with a triumphant grin as she realized the Priestess wasn't going to attempt to dissuade her further.
"Be careful," Zhaan instead replied.
"Of course," Malika said. She was slightly shocked by how much Zhaan seemed to be worried for her. When she thought about it, it didn't seem something to be that worried about, so she shrugged it off as she left with the others to go to the Transport Pod.
She felt a hand on her arm and she turned around to see Andar.
"Be careful... please," he asked her.
She looked at him, and then planted a light kiss on his lips, taking him by surprise.
"I will, don't worry," she told him in her most honest voice before leaving.
Andar turned back around to see Sean look away and John and Zhaan both staring at him. He shrugged and left, leaving the three to think whatever they wanted.
Malika was walked beside Aeryn while Rygel led the way off the Pod first. D'argo, ever on guard, brought up the rear of the group. There wasn't anyone there to meet them, so they started to look around the area. Malika couldn't help the look of disgust on her face. She had been on some bad ships, but this was worse than anything she had ever seen before. It was dirty, stank, and was in obvious need of many repairs.
"Where is this... Danke, wasn't it?" Aeryn asked.
"Danke is the captain. We're supposed to be dealing with one of his men named Crelik," D'argo replied, The Luxan was obviously having a problem with the odors of the ship.
"Humph... hardly an appealing place," Rygel said as he floated about, grimacing at whatever he was inspecting at the moment.
"I would have thought you like it? It smells just like your last meal," D'argo smirked at the small being. Malika had all ready abandoned listening to the chatter as she looked around the cargo bay they were in. There were crates scattered here and there, but as she glanced across the bay one caught her eye in particular.
One with a sculpture made out of a purple crystal like substance sitting on the top.
"It can't be," she said quietly to herself as she moved closer. She stood in front of the object for a few moments, inspecting it and not finding a single flaw. She reached out to touch the item as she got closer, not sure if she was actually seeing what she thought she saw.
"The blue-one like?" a raspy voice suddenly asked from behind her.
Malika let out a gasp of surprise just before she spun around on the balls of her feet, her knife suddenly in her hand and the point pricking at the throat of the creature standing behind.
"I just wanted to know if you like! Maybe trade?" the scared being said.
He was a bald humanoid life form, slightly shorter than Malika with an orange tinted skin. His eyes were completely black. The rest of the party had come as soon as they heard Malika's cry of alarm.
"Who are you?" Aeryn demanded as she held her pulse rifle on him.
"Cr-Cr-Crelik! Please... I mean no harm, no kill," he pleaded as he did his best to cower away.
"I am sorry for my cousin. I knew I should have taken care of this myself to begin with," another voice said from another part of the cargo bay.
Aeryn spun around to point her weapon at a more civilized looking being. It was obviously the same race as the other. Only this one had hair, and was taller and slimmer than the first. His eyes were completely one color as the other being, but his were blue. His hair was tied back, and his clothing looked extremely expensive.
"I am Danke, the captain of this ship. I was monitoring my cousin, because as you can see... he is incompetent at times."
Malika had slowly lowered the knife, and as she did the man rushed forward to hide behind his cousin. Staring back angrily at the crew as he held onto the back of Danke's coat. The man swatted at his cousin, who then ran to hide behind a cargo container.
"Were you looking at this?" The man inquired of Malika as he held up the Purple sculpture. "I was told it was a perfect replica of a piece of artwork from a planet called Delvia. You wouldn't by chance be a Delvian would you? I've never met one before."
"Well, now you have," she said still looking at the sculpture. The man stepped forward, Malika tensed up and kept her hand on her blade, but all he did was hold out the sculpture toward her.
"Think of it as a sign of good faith... and an apology for my cousin. I hope we can still make this trade?" he said as Malika looked from him to the sculpture. She took it warily from him to inspect it. The girl ran her hand over the smooth graceful surface and smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen something from Delvia, and it felt nice just to hold the sculpture even if it was a replica.
"I hope we can conclude our business, Captain," Rygel said as he pushed by Aeryn and D'argo in his thronesled, neither of which looked too pleased as he passed.
"You must be Rygel the XVI of Hyneria, it's a pleasure to meet you," Danke said with a small bow.
"At least someone out here knows how to properly address a Dominar," he said as they started to talk about supplies. Malika continued to study the sculpture. She had seen the real one once when her mother brought her to see it before they left their home. It had been her favorite out of the display and her mother had promised to buy her a copy, but had never gotten around to it. Malika had been young at the time, so she had quickly forgotten the promise until now.
"Blue-one does like... I said so," Crelik said from his place behind the crate.
"Yes, the Delvian, does like," she said as she put it in the bag she had brought with her to carry items.
"Shall we discuss what else you need?" Inquired the captain. "I'm afraid Crelik knows more about our weapons or some of the other parts and things of that nature than I do. So he will have to show you what we have. He appears less intelligent than he truly is, I'm not sure what happened to him to make him that... way" Danke told them. The captain momentary frowned at the obvious happiness on Crelik's face that he needed to be consulted. "But anything else, and I can help you," he added.
"I have a list of some herbs that you said you have that we need," Malika said, fishing in her bag for the piece of paper that the list was written on. She found it and handed it to the man. He inspected it for a moment before looking up with a smile.
"We have many of these items. If you will follow me, we can get them," he said as he turned to leave. Malika hesitated and looked to her shipmates. Danke paused and looked back when he realized the Delvian girl hadn't moved to follow him.
"It will take but a few moments. I promise nothing will happen to you," he said in a slightly exasperated tone. Malika sighed and followed him, checking to make sure the knife was secure back at her side. She was sure that if anything happened she could defend herself against this man.
It didn't take long to reach a door that Danke stepped through. Malika followed, and surprised by what she saw. It appeared to be the only proper room onboard. The walls were actually made out of the same materials and not cobbled together in a mix - match way.
Danke walked over to a wall and pressed a panel. Two doors appeared and opened to reveal a hidden storage cabinet. Malika had never seen such a complete set of herbs while in the Uncharted Territories; it didn't take her long to get absorbed in going through the bottles... and asking what he could spare.
Danke seemed pleased that she had found what she wanted, and was content to stand to the side and wait for her to ask if she could have something.
"This has been very helpful," she said as she finished getting what she needed.
"It's worth it for what were getting from your ship. What one needs is not as important to another with a surplus," he told her. "That's where trade comes from."
"And this has been a good trade," she said as she glanced back in the cupboard. "What's this?" she asked looking at a bottle in the back of the cupboard, she didn't recognize the name on the label. "Kali root?" she asked looking from the bottle in her hand to the man standing by the wall.
"It's from my home planet... it's a kind of... opposite of sleeping medications. It's to help give someone more energy. I have extra if you would like some," he told her with a smile. "I find most people are very pleased with the results of it."
"Are there any side effects?" she asked looking intently at the bottle.
"Nothing reported yet. I use it myself," he explained to her. "Take as much as you need, I have plenty."
"Thank you... I'm sure I'll find a use for it," she told him.
"I find the few people we've come across always take some. A few even come back for more, seeing living out here can tire a being out," he said as she finished securing her new found prizes in her bag.
They then left to meet back with the others.
"Wow! That's a lot of bottles," John said as he walked in to Zhaan's lab where Malika was unloading the contents of her bag onto the table. Zhaan was excitedly going through them; she hadn't ever had such a complete set of herbs while on Moya. Malika finished taking everything out, and then removed one last item.
"Is that...?" Zhaan started but Malika cut her off.
"Yes, a perfect replica of the Oruoze sculpture," she told her as she set it down for Zhaan to examine.
"This is truly... exquisite work," she said as she inspected it with Malika.
"I always wanted one. Figures, I finally get it 100 cycles after I asked for it," Malika joked as she studied it with Zhaan.
"Hey, I was supposed to be here to see if you guys got everything all right? Aeryn got the parts that she needed, and a few of the ones me and Sean asked for," John said.
"It was a profitable trade all around. I think everyone got what they needed," Malika said looking at the statue again. "How about we keep it in here?" Malika asked. "I don't want to keep it to myself in my room"
"If that's what you want. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to keep such a thing for yourself," Zhaan said looking at it again.
"It's not the most important thing," Malika said, finally looking away from it. "Speaking of my room, I need to go clean up. I'll speak with you later," Malika said as she turned and left. Leaving Zhaan to go over her new herbs and store them.
Malika quickly went to her room, and luckily she didn't run into anyone. She had taken the long way around to be sure she didn't meet any of the others. The young girl wanted to be alone and needed her privacy. Inside her quarters, she sat on her bed and opened the bag to get out the Kali root, the only thing she hadn't given to Zhaan. She knew that the Priestess would take the root away, and she would probably never see it again... let along get a chance to use it. Although she still wasn't sure she wanted to.
She sat staring at it for a moment, wondering if what Danke had said about it was true. If it was, it was exactly what she needed. Malika looked at it one more time, and then went to the pitcher of water she kept on the stand next to the other side of the bed. She poured a glass of water and mixed in part of the powdered Kali root, then set the herb container on the floor next to the bed.
She looked at the glass for a moment, contemplating it, then drank all the liquid as fast as she could.
"Malika?"
She jerked around to see Andar standing in the doorway to her quarters; she pushed the Kali root jar under the bed with her foot as she put on a smile.
"Hello Andar, I was wondering where you were," she lied, she had forgotten he would probably be looking for her as soon as she got back onto the ship.
"I was wondering if you were hungry? I was going down to get some food cubes," he told her.
"I need to wash up after going to that ship. I'll meet you there when I'm done?" she inquired.
"That's a plan," he said with a smile, "See you then."
She smiled and nodded her head as he left. She reached under the bed for the Kali root, and then hesitated. She decided to just leave it there for the time being before she went to quickly wash up and changed into a clean dress.
Andar had almost finished his meal by the time he heard Malika coming down the hall.
He sighed at the girl's lateness thinking she had probably fallen asleep again. She came in, it almost seemed like she had run the whole way.
"Where were you?" he asked, noticing a few grease stains on her dress.
"I had to run down to my lab. I finally figured out what to do with the left over parts from the broken equipment," she said as she started to go through cupboard's looking for some food, and piling it on a plate she had grabbed. The Delvian girl finally came to sit back down with a mountain of food on her plate.
"And you had to start it?" he asked in bewilderment.
"Actually... I finished it. You can come look at it later, there's still a couple bugs to work out in a few of the components," she told him.
He looked at her with a concerned look on his face. She looked back at him with a look of question.
"Are you all right?" Andar asked looking from the mound of food on her plate back to her.
"I'm fine, just really hungry. I didn't eat this morning," she said as she started to shovel food into her mouth.
"You never eat that much..." he commented. She would have been able to compete with Chiana and Rygel the way she was going.
"Maybe that's been my problem," she said between bites. She quickly finished and got up again.
"Where are you going now?" Andar asked stopping her at the door.
"I have a lot of work to do... and I want to get it done as soon as I can," she told him before leaving. Zhaan came in after her, having to move back to get out of Malika's way.
"That's quite a change," she said as she walked all the way in to the Center Chamber. Zhaan paused and surveyed the remnants that Malika had left behind her. "Did she do this?"
"Yes... it's like she changed overnight. She went from falling asleep every five minutes, to finally getting together those parts in her lab and doing something with them in less than an arn. She started on that about a quarter of a cycle ago," Andar told her.
"It does seem strange," Zhaan replied as she picked up the plate Malika had left and moved it to where it was supposed to go.
"Zhaan, there's something else. I don't think Malika knows I saw, but she had some kind of powder in her room that she was taking. And it didn't look like anything I've seen in any of the labs before," he told her.
"What did it look like?" she asked him with increasing interest.
"It was two colors, green and odd shade of purple," he explained. "When I said hello, she tired to push it under the bed. I think she believed I hadn't seen it."
"This isn't good news... do you think you could get some of it for me to analyze while I go talk to her?" Zhaan asked.
"As long as she doesn't walk in while I'm there," answered the ex-teacher.
"Is she still up?" Zhaan asked as Andar walked into her lab some time later.
"Pilot says she's been working on her Prowler for the last three arns, almost non-stop," the man said as he took a seat. "And she doesn't show any signs of stopping. I went to visit her and she told me she was too busy... and as soon as she was done she could talk to me. I've never seen her behave the way she is. She's almost snapping at Pilot when he interrupts her. She hasn't stopped working on things since she took that powder."
"We'll have an answer soon. I've almost finished the analysis," Zhaan said as she looked at a display.
"Good, this can't be healthy for her," Andar said as he crossed his arm.
"Oh Goddess..." Zhaan whispered a few microts later as she read the results.
"What is it?" Andar asked in growing concern.
The priestess looked up at him with increasing alarm in her blue eyes.
"We have to get to her now... and we need to get that powder," she said.
"Is it that bad?" Andar asked, concern now bordering on fright.
"It could mean her life," Zhaan replied. "I'll go get her and you go retrieve the powder from her quarters. Hide it somewhere she won't be able to find it," Zhaan instructed while taking him by the shoulders.
"If I'm right, she'll kill to get at it. And we cannot let her have anymore, the damage will already be bad enough," she told him. Andar nodded grimly and then left to complete his urgent task.
Zhaan was about to follow him out but then she stopped to think. She rushed over and got an injector, filling it with a powerful sedative, she then hid the instrument in her robes.
She wasn't sure what to expect.
Malika couldn't believe how helpful the Kali root had been. She had managed to scrape together enough left over parts from old equipment to upgrade one of her medical scanners. She had finished cleaning out her quarters and getting everything in order, as well as finished getting her lab organized. She had now moved onto working on her Prowler. It was something she had been meaning to do for a while. She didn't like the others feeling they had to do it all the time, and she wanted to do some of it. She had almost finished when she heard footsteps echoing through the maintenance bay. She was on the other side of her Prowler, so she walked around to see who it was.
"Oh. Hello, Zhaan. Why are here, it's kind of late isn't it?" she asked as she wiped some grease off of her hands. She didn't worry about her clothes, since as usual she had changed into an old surplus PK uniform. She attempted to get the small streak of grease off her face with the cloth in her hand, but only managed to make it worse.
"I need to speak with you.... about the powder," Zhaan said solemnly.
"Which one? Was something wrong with one of them?" Malika asked.
"Not my one of my powders... the one you're keeping in your room," the older woman replied.
Malika went silent and looked down at her hands and the tool she was holding. She was still polishing and rubbing the tool with the cloth.
"How did you find out?" she asked quietly a few microts later, though the question sounded more like a demand.
"It's not important," Zhaan said to the young girl, who was obviously upset.
"Yes, it IS!" Malika yelled. Emphasizing her point by throwing the tool across the room into a stack of spare parts that fell over with the force of the flung implement.
She glared back at Zhaan and continued.
"Was it Andar? Did he see me?" Malika growled out, it almost didn't sound like her voice.
"Malika, you need to stop using it," Zhaan tried to reason with her, but the girl seemed incline to ignore her.
"If you're here, you probably already sent someone to get the Kali root... if you know where it is," Malika looked up at Zhaan and stared at her for a moment. "You do!" the young Delvian spat with undisguised hostility.
Malika turned and ran out the door before the older woman could stop her. Zhaan followed after, and prayed to the Goddess that Andar had gotten the powder and out of the room in time. She didn't know what Malika would do if she found him still there. She had lost track of the girl long before they were near her quarters. When the priestess finally did catch up, she heard the distinct sound of a room being torn apart. She walked in to see Malika throwing things everywhere, even almost knocking a dresser over in her frantic search.
"Where did you put it?" the younger woman cried in an almost frantic voice as she continued her search.
"What is going on?" D'argo said as he appeared at the doorway, obviously just woken up by the ruckus.
His arrival was followed soon by John and then Aeryn.
"Pilot said something was going on," Aeryn said as she arrived with a pulse rifle. Soon coming down the opposite corridor direction came Berret, followed by Chiana who was wrapped in a blanket, still trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"What the frell is all the racket?" she asked as stop with the others.
"Where - Is - It?" Malika demanded, now standing in the door of her almost completely demolished quarters. Andar came running up almost out of breath from behind Chiana and Berret.
"You took it!" Malika screamed. "I'm going to felling kill you...!" she warned as she advanced on the Sebacean man. Before she could reach Andar, Berret had moved to block her way as he realized something was obviously wrong and she meant to seriously hurt their crewmate.
"Move, Shrike!" the Delvian girl said in cold fury. "This doesn't concern you."
The ex-Enforcer stood his ground. Malika savagely grinned as she noticed Berret shift his weight, preparing for a possible conflict. Her eyes narrowed at the ex-assassin and her fist clenched in anticipation.
"Careful, 'Ret," Chiana murmured, knowing that the unarmored Shrike was at a severe disadvantage against the natural strength of a normal Delvian... let alone, against one that appeared to have lost her mind.
"This concerns everyone, Malika," Zhaan said, taking the other woman's attention away from Berret. The girl turned slowly and looked at Zhaan. The older Delvian tried not to let her outward appearance change, but the girl's eyes were completely colored green now. It was a very disturbing look.
"This is your fault!" she shrieked before she attacked.
Zhaan easily moved out of Malika's way and the others instantly acted to restrain the girl.
"Get off!" Malika screamed, but even with her strength she was no match for D'argo, Berret, John, and Aeryn all at the same time. As they held her down, Zhaan injected her with the sedative.
She struggled for a few microns more and then she slowly went limp. The others finally released their hold on her as she slipped into total unconsciousness.
"Could you please bring her into here?" Zhaan asked D'argo, who had ended up holding the girl's limp form. He followed the priestess into the room and set the girl down on her bed, the only piece of furniture in the room that seemed still intact. Zhaan took a blood sample while the girl was out, then she and D'argo exited the room. It was times like this that Zhaan was glad that the quarters were converted cells; she closed the door and locked it.
"She should sleep for another arn," Zhaan reported to the rest of the crew.
"Something tells me she won't be pleased when she wakes up," John said. "What's going on, Blue?"
"Malika picked up a drug from the ship we traded with. It's highly addictive... and has a few side effects I doubt she knew about."
"What kinds of side effects?" Aeryn asked.
"Violent tendencies, hyperactivity, and in her case eventually hallucinations. And if she had continued using it, death," Zhaan said.
"Why would she use something like that?" Andar asked, looking in through the door at Malika's sleeping form.
"She was probably told it would help her with her recent fatigue. I believe the original purpose of the drug was to convert the cells of her body into something else... but whoever created the drug didn't account for a plant derived life form," Zhaan explained as she looked in the room also. "What would have changed any of the rest you... would have killed her in the process."
"So she's going to be okay now?" Andar asked as he turned to look at Zhaan. She paused and he looked at her more intently. "What?"
"I don't know how much damage was done so far, just a small amount could do a great deal of harm," she told him. "We'll just have to wait and see."
"What is this game called?" Berret asked again.
"It's poker. Took me a while to make a good deck of cards, but it's worth it," John said as he shuffled them. There were taking turns in pairs waiting for Malika to wake up while Zhaan worked in her lab on a way to help reverse the effects the drug had already caused.
"It is an Earth game?" Berret asked as John started to deal the cards on the small table that had been set up for whoever happened to be on watch at the time.
"Yes, and all Earth men learn how to play, so that they can win money. Some are better at it than others," he said as he looked at the cards. "It's basically being able to tell when someone's lying," he finally said. "And being able to fool others into thinking you're not lying."
"Sounds like an interesting game," a voice behind John said. He turned to see Malika standing with her head against the door with her eyes shut, as if she had a massive headache.
"How long has she been standing there?" he asked Berret.
"A micron, perhaps a little longer," the ex-Enforcer told him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Crichton asked as he stood up from the table.
"I was waiting for you to finish your explanation. I don't believe she was going anywhere," Berret said matter of factly as he also stood up with the astronaut.
"What's going on?" Malika asked while rubbing her temples.
"You don't remember?" John asked.
"I remember coming back from Danke's ship... then I woke up in my room. It's torn apart," Malika observed as she looked around her quarters. "Why am I locked in here?" she asked.
"We need to call Zhaan. She doesn't seem to remember anything," John said as he was about to leave, but Berret grabbed his arm.
"I believe she is lying," the Shrike said.
"Why...?" he asked trailing off as he realized Malika wasn't looking at them any longer, but down at her feet. Acting as though she had a headache. "Malika look at me," John told her.
She sighed and slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. Her eyes were still completely green, and the look on her face was less than happy.
"This has nothing to do with you. Why don't you just let me go? This is between Zhaan, Andar, and myself," she told them as she stood up straight.
"You're all apart of this crew, so it does concern us," the human replied.
Malika slammed a fist against the door jam before retreating back into her room, knocking over something as she walked by - the crash echoing in the silence.
"Berret, I do believe poker could be your game," John said as he went back to the table, glancing in at Malika who was sitting at the end of her bed with her eyes closed while mumbling to herself.
Andar appeared on the other end of the hall soon after John had gotten involved in explaining the different hands in poker to Berret. He needed to visit Malika, even though Zhaan had told him she would be less than pleased with him right now. She thought she needed the drug, and she would do anything to get it. Right now she thought he had taken it away from her.
John saw him coming, and quickly stood up. He walked over to intercept him before he reached the door to the Delvian girl's room.
"What are you going to do?" he asked as Andar looked over his shoulder at the door to Malika's quarters.
"I'm going to talk to her," he said trying to get around him.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? She'll probably want to rip your throat out right now...she's not herself," John told him. "I've seen people like that before, they don't think of anything but the drug they want."
"I 'need' to talk to her," Andar replied.
John sighed and let him pass, but walked close behind in case something happened.
"Malika?" Andar said as he reached the door, but he couldn't see her. "Where is she?"
"She was right there..." was all John got out before a hand shot out around the edge of the door through one of the openings and grabbed the front of Andar's shirt, pulling him forward and slamming him hard into the metal door.
"Come back to visit?" Malika asked with a wild-eyed grin as she gripped the front of his shirt. "Where is it?" she demanded next in a snarl. Andar tried to pull back, but she easily held him there.
"I don't know..." he said but she slammed him into the door once again.
"Tell me!" she yelled at him, but before she could slam him into the door a third time, he was ripped away from her and she was left with two pieces of cloth from his shirt in her hands.
Berret had managed to yank him away from her, and out of her reach.
She stared; complete enraged at the three men, before retreating into her quarters once again, a dresser receiving the brunt of her fury.
"Yes, Pilot? What is it?" Zhaan asked as she walked onto the Command tier. Aeryn was all ready there waiting for her.
"We have a transmission," Aeryn said with a mock smile as it appeared on the forward holo-tank. It was Danke.
"What do you want?" Zhaan said more harshly than was normal for the Delvian.
"I'm here for... Malika, wasn't it? By now she must be begging to find me," he said with an evil smirk.
"She hasn't asked for you once," Aeryn answered before Zhaan could.
"There's no use lying. By now most of her physiology will have been altered and if she doesn't get anymore Kali root, it will start to degrade her body from the cellular level," he explained, with a very smug attitude. "She'll be a very useful addition to my crew."
"She would... if she were anything but Delvian," Zhaan said with a smug smile of her own, knowing she knew something he didn't.
"You said you had never meet a Delvian before, correct?" Aeryn asked, with her own satisfied smirk.
"Why?" he asked, finally realizing something was wrong.
"Your little virus that you hid in the Kali root. In any being that evolved from any sort of animal ingested it, they would slowly have their very cells altered until the needed the Kali root to survive. But Malika is not descended from an animal," Zhaan explained.
"You're plants! That's what it was they were talking about when they said Delvians were special?" Danke yelled, obviously upset by this turn of events.
"Its been lovely talking to you," Aeryn said just before the transmission was cut off.
Danke started at the now blank screen, and then turned to Crelik who was laughing at his captures misfortune.
"You said you knew everything about Delvians! How could you not know this?" he yelled as he threw a random lose object off the table in front of him at Crelik.
"I know... I just not tell you. You no ask," Crelik said before running out of the room as something else crashed in the place he had previously been occupying. He popped his head in one last time. "Why I help man who keep me here? You not so smart are you?" he said before he yelped when Danke actually hit him with the object he had thrown this time.
"He wants to take that away from me. He has no idea who he is dealing with! I'll snap his neck, and Zhaan... I'll get her! Always thinking she knows what's best. That she's so all knowing! She is smart but she doesn't know everything..." Malika rambled on while she sat against the end of her bed.
"WHY IS IT SO FRELLING HOT IN HERE?" she screamed as she threw a broken vase at the door to have the rest of it shatter.
"Whoa," Chiana said as she stepped back to get away from the flying bits of vase that came out of the openings in the door. "Has she been like this since she woke up?" she asked as she sat down.
"She's been quiet, but she seems to be getting more aggressive as time goes on," Berret told her. "It just keeps getting worse as time passes," he said as the other half of the vase hit the door and shattered.
"Please! Let me the frell out of here..." Malika said in an almost crying voice as she stared up at the ceiling of her cell. She was burning up and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. She had stripped down the clothing she was wearing as much as she could within reason, and she was still to hot.
"She's losing her frelling mind," Aeryn said a few microts later as she glanced in at the girl who had gotten up again and was leaning on the already mostly destroyed dresser.
"I think that's obvious," Chiana said as she sat back down in one of the two chairs that were still there.
"I am... so... sick... of..." Malika was gasping out before she grabbed a hold of the dresser and fell over, dragging it over with her.
Chiana jumped out her chair at the sound of the crash and ran to the door.
"Wait, it might be a trick," Aeryn warned as Berret came to look in the room.
"It might be, but well have to figure it out quickly. She doesn't seem to be breathing," he told her.
"Oh frell!" Aeryn said as she keyed the door opened and rushed in, followed soon by the other two.
She put her head on the girl's chest to check her heartbeat.
"Her heart is still going," she confirmed.
"She is still breathing, but barely," Berret told Aeryn when she looked at him.
"I'll go get someone!" Chiana said as she stood up and darted out of the converted cell.
"You're sure this will work?" Andar asked as he walked with Zhaan through Moya to Malika's room.
"It should reverse the damage that was already done to her cells... if it's not to late," Zhaan told him.
"Too late?" he asked concerned.
"I'm not sure how much help it would be in the next stage of her condition, but hopefully we've gotten there before that," she said as the rounded the last corner. They looked down the hall, to find the chairs empty. Aeryn and Chiana had volunteered to watch Malika this shift, and Berret had stayed as well, probably because of the Nebari.
"Where are they?" Andar asked as he ran the rest of the way down the corridor, and barely missed a collision with Chiana as she came running out of the room.
"Zhaan!" she cried upon seeing the Delvian. "Something's happened... she just collapsed!"
Andar hadn't even waited for Chiana to finish talking before he ran into the cell. Malika was lying on the floor while Aeryn and Berret leaned over her. Aeryn was still taking her pulse when he dropped to his knees by Malika. She seemed to be sweating overly much, and her breathing was barely noticeable.
Her eyelids were half shut, but her eyes were moving rapidly beneath the lids.
"She's alive, barely," Aeryn said as Zhaan entered the room.
"What happened?" the Pa'u asked as she knelt near the girls head.
"She was talking continuously - about the drug... and you and Andar. She had started complaining about the heat, she was getting more violent. Then she suddenly collapsed," Berret explained as Zhaan inspected the young woman.
"At first we thought it was another trick... but she didn't look like she was breathing," Aeryn told her. Andar took a hold of one of Malika's limp hands while Zhaan got the injector she brought with her out and used it on the girl.
"I don't know how much good this will do now. We just need to pray to the Goddess she comes out of this. We'll need to bring her to the lab for monitoring," Zhaan told them as she looked at the girl, who barely looked like herself any longer.
"How long till we know?" Andar asked as Zhaan went over her latest readings on Malika.
"I don't know. I've never seen anything quite like this before," she said as she walked back to her table to go over another blood sample. Andar hadn't let go of the Delvian girl's hand and kept his eyes on her sleeping form. She hadn't stirred since they brought her into the lab.
"It does seem that the injection I gave her is helping, but I'm not sure if it was to late," Zhaan said. "I did, however, discover what was causing her fatigue before this."
"What?" Andar asked looking up at Zhaan who had walked back over to stand by the chair he was sitting in. She looked at him with a frown.
"From one of the commerce planets we've visited in the last half a cycle. She ingested something, that can be common in some parts of the Territories, probably from a bad food cube," she said as she looked down at the young woman. "It would have gone away in a few more days."
Andar did not look happy at this news as he glanced back at the girl. "I'm so sorry this happened," he murmured as he kissed the back of her hand.
Suddenly Malika screamed and started struggling against the restraints they had on her to keep her lying down.
"What's happening?" Andar yelled as he tried to calm her down.
"I'm afraid the process to reverse the damage is rather painful as I feared," she said, as she got more sedative. "I thought the last dose I gave her would keep her asleep through this."
Zhaan came back and gave Malika the sedative. Tears were streaming down the young girl's face as she bit her lip and pulled futilely on the restraints.
"Shhh... It's going to be okay," Andar said as she calmed down.
Malika looked up at him with her hazy vision and tried to smile. He saw that her eyes had at least returned to normal. She lay on the bed, breathing heavily as she let the sedative take effect, though her tears hadn't stopped. Andar bent over and kissed her forehead.
"It's going to be alright," he promised her.
Andar stood back up to see that she had lapsed back into unconsciousness. He went to sit in a chair beside Zhaan's table. Zhaan checked on Malika again, and then turned a few microns later to find Andar asleep in his chair.
"Mother?" Malika mumbled, "Rahlin?"
Andar jolted awake at the sound of Malika's voice. He quickly got his bearings and went to her bedside to take her hand again.
"Who's Rahlin?" Andar whispered to Zhaan as Malika gripped his hand back.
"Rhalin, where are we?" Malika asked groggily as she tried to get up.
"Shhh! Calm down, Malika," Zhaan said as she walked around to the opposite side of her med-bed to push her back down.
"Mother, what's going on?" she asked grabbing Zhaan's hand.
"You were sick, and now you're recovering," the priestess told the girl as she looked at Andar.
Malika opened her eyes a little, but quickly shut them again; obvious that it had caused pain.
"Rahlin?" Malika asked, as she held onto Andar's hand a little tighter than he liked.
He looked at Zhaan who nodded to him.
"Yes?" Andar responded as he bent down so his head was at her level.
"Good... you're here... I was afraid..."
"I'm not leaving," he told her.
"Good, I don't know what I would do if you had," she said with a weak smile.
Zhaan squeezed the hand she had and smoothed some of the younger woman's hair down.
"You need to get some rest now. I'm going to give you something to help you," Zhaan said, reaching for the second injector full of a sedative she had kept close-by in case something happened.
"Thank you," Malika said as Zhaan gave her the injection and she let go of the priestess' hand. Her free hand now moved over to join the one already holding Andar's, and covered them both.
"I'm glad everything is alright now. I thought they killed you," she told him.
"No, I'm very healthy," Andar reassured her and then glanced back at Zhaan again.
"Good... because I love you..." she said as she fell asleep and her grip on his hands loosened.
He picked up her arms and set them back next to her, before standing up and walking over to Zhaan who had moved far enough away so that they could talk without disturbing the girl.
"This is a very good sign. She was hallucinating, but she was conscious without pain. I think she's going to be all right," Zhaan told him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he looked back at the sleeping girl.
Malika seemed to be breathing normally once again.
"Do you know who Rahlin is?" he asked Zhaan, trying to figure out who it was that Malika would be telling she loved.
"Someone she knew a long time ago. She hasn't seen him for a very long time... he's dead, killed by Peacekeepers," Zhaan said placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "You don't have to worry, I think you know who her heart belongs too now," she told the young man as he continued to watch the sleeping girl.
"Food has never tasted so good," Malika said as she ate another food cube. Zhaan had finally released her from the med-bay, and let her start eating whatever she wanted again. She had been monitoring what the young woman ate for six solar days, and she was longing for some food that actually had an appeal besides it nutritional content.
"You don't remember anything then?" Andar asked as he watched her eat.
She had woken up with almost no recollection of anything that had transpired since Danke ship.
"I remember bits and pieces... but it's like it was a dream," she told him as she finished her last food cube.
"Well, I'm just glad you're back," he told her with a smile.
"I'm glad to be back," she said returning his smile. "After all, looked what I have to come back too," she said as she laid her hand on his. He smiled and leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
"I need to see Zhaan," Malika said as she abruptly stood up, "She had a few more tests she wanted to run. I'll be back in a little while."
"I'll probably be here, I haven't gotten to eat yet," he told her as he grabbed some food cubes for himself. She smiled at him as she left and went to Zhaan's lab. She knew Zhaan wasn't there, but she wanted to be alone. She had remembered everything that happened... in much too vivid detail.
It was painful to think about, not just what she had done, but what she had said when she was hallucinating. She hadn't told Andar about Rahlin yet, she didn't like to talk about her past.
She knew he would eventually ask her about it, but she knew it would be a while. He thought she didn't know what she had said during her illness.
She reached Zhaan's lab, and walked in. She saw the sculpture still sitting on a table; she went back over to run her hand over it again. She didn't know what to think right now, she was worried. She had let this happen to herself, and it could have cost someone their life.
She picked up the statue and looked at it again. Suddenly felling angrier than she ever had... she threw it across the room and it shattered against the wall.
She looked at the pieces then fell into a chair. She lay her head down on the table and started to cry.
"If you feel like breaking something, you could have gone through the rubble in your room," a voice said. Malika looked up to see Zhaan watching her from the lab doorway.
"I'm sorry... that wasn't mine to break," she said as she wiped the tears off of her face with her sleeve. Zhaan walked over and gazed at the younger woman with the understanding look she seemed to always wear.
"Not everything that will come of this is necessarily bad," Zhaan told her.
"What could possible come of this that is good?" Malika asked angrily as she stood.
Zhaan had that pleasant look that said she was expecting the younger Delvian's question.
"We need to make mistakes to learn from them. There are a few lessons you can learn from this. The question is... will you learn them?" she asked looking at Malika.
The teenager had opened her mouth to comment, but couldn't think of anything to say and shut it again. She looked at Zhaan, then back at the shattered sculpture.
"I hope I do," she said before walking out.
Zhaan watched her leave, then looked back to the statue. It was more or less in rather big pieces and she walked over to the spot it was laying on the floor. She bent down and picked up a piece to stare at, and sighed.
"It might be repairable," she said to herself as she started to gather the pieces and put them on a table.