The return to Moya gave everyone much needed rest. The prowler that broke
formation would not be missed for several solar days. Everyone worked on
Moya's systems, shoring the shielding and building booby traps on the
access tunnels to foil any Peacekeeper attempt at infiltration. K'Tahli
missed Rainne and Crais. She found she even missed Talyn. Though she
could not hear him, she always felt another sentient presence there, one
that welcomed her. Moya was not as close to K'Tahli's consciousness, but
she spoke kindly through Pilot.
"Moya assures me Talyn misses you and Ashan." Pilot told K'Tahli. "He
says he is staying nearby until the Peacekeepers intentions are clear."
K'Tahli smiled. Talyn had heard her remark to Crais about abandonment. Interesting.
Unaccustomed to repair work and squirming around access corridors, K'Tahli and Ashan retired early.
Lying in the curve of his shoulder, K'Tahli traced random patterns on his chest with her fingertips.
"K'Tahli?"
"Hmmm?" Her eyes were closed.
"I want to have children with you."
She opened her eyes and stared at him. He had never wanted children of his own. He had always said that there were enough abandoned children in the world that needed care. She loved him enough to put her own desires on hold. She was not even sure she could have children. Often children of radically mixed heritage like K'Tahli's could not even have children.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want the best of each of us to go forward. I want them to know the bonds of family. I want to know that what we feel for one another creates life."
Her happiness was total. She could not answer. She slid her leg over his and straddled him.
"Can we start now?"
The sound of his laughter was stifled by her kiss.
On Talyn
Crais could tell by the deep and even breathing that Rainne slept soundly. Tonight, nightmares would not plague her.
His exhaustion was no match for the thoughts circling his mind. He considered the story they told him.a brother, a baby after he and Tauvo were taken. Ashan's eyes glittered like Tauvo's had, when he was up to mischief. Where had that memory come from?
Crais bunched his fists at his side. Rainne sighed in her sleep, nestled in closer to his chest.
What if it were true?
Bialar Crais, wrapping his arms around the most cherished thing in his life, silently cried in the darkness.
The Peacekeepers arrived a solar day later. D'Argo and John were finding having a few former Peacekeepers on hand was very handy for counter strategy planning.
Crais had come over to Moya to help plan the counterattack. If he trusted anyone to protect Rainne, it was Talyn.
"I have been constructing a modification of the biomolecular harmonics within Talyn's inner hulls." Crais began, "It disrupts his energy signature. The Peacekeepers will be unable to identify Talyn as a threat until it is too late."
"Can you modify the outer hull too? The polarity shift may even polarize the electromagnetic field differential." Crichton offered. Crais looked at him with a new respect.
"If we get the shift at a perpendicular phase between hulls." Crichton was furiously scribbling on the surface of the table, "Kawabunga!! Even the Romulans can't see us."
D'Argo looked perplexed.
"Romulans?"
"Human thing, kind of." Crichton said
"A Cloaking mechanism." Crais studied John's notes. Some of the mathematical symbols were different, but his idea was sound. In theory. The biological component was puzzling.
"The ship is biomechaniod. Is this going to cause injury or pain to Talyn?" Crichton asked.
John's words echoed Crais' thinking, and it was disconcerting.
"What about Moya?" D'Argo asked. He was almost as perplexed at the physics being discusses as he was by the dynamics between Crichton and Crais.
"Not possible." Crais snapped. "Her hull is not a dual dynamic like Talyn's. Talyn has an internal hull to house the weapons turrets and things that would normally be toxic to a leviathan."
Crais' tone was condescending. D'Argo had no response, but stepped back a bit. Crichton appreciated Crais' skill as a physicist and a strategist, but not when he was picking on D'Argo.
"Lighten up, Vader. It was just a question." Crichton stared at Crais. Crais acknowledged the meaning and backed down.
"We need to figure out how to maintain the biological integrity." John mused. "Think Ashan would know? He's got to know Biology to be a healer, right?"
Crais was certainly not happy at the suggestion, but it had merit. They had Pilot call him to the strategy room.
John filled him in on the physics of what they were attempting.
"But you need to know how to make these modifications without causing pain to the leviathans, or cellular damage to their living components?" Ashan summed up their misgivings.
"Correct." Crais answered, without looking at him.
"The leviathan cells resonate at a certain pitch, a sub-auditory pitch, even for Luxans. As long as the frequencies are in the shielding range, you can't hurt them, or damage the harmonics in their biological systems. Leviathans are able to adapt the frequencies to withstand a lot more than altered shielding harmonics. K'Tahli and I can keep close tabs on Moya, Rainne and Crais can keep tabs on Talyn. Would you like help with the modifications?" He offered.
Crais wanted a logical reason to refuse Ashan's offer, but found none.
"Thank you. All the hands we can get are appreciated."
K'Tahli smiled. Talyn had heard her remark to Crais about abandonment. Interesting.
Unaccustomed to repair work and squirming around access corridors, K'Tahli and Ashan retired early.
Lying in the curve of his shoulder, K'Tahli traced random patterns on his chest with her fingertips.
"K'Tahli?"
"Hmmm?" Her eyes were closed.
"I want to have children with you."
She opened her eyes and stared at him. He had never wanted children of his own. He had always said that there were enough abandoned children in the world that needed care. She loved him enough to put her own desires on hold. She was not even sure she could have children. Often children of radically mixed heritage like K'Tahli's could not even have children.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want the best of each of us to go forward. I want them to know the bonds of family. I want to know that what we feel for one another creates life."
Her happiness was total. She could not answer. She slid her leg over his and straddled him.
"Can we start now?"
The sound of his laughter was stifled by her kiss.
On Talyn
Crais could tell by the deep and even breathing that Rainne slept soundly. Tonight, nightmares would not plague her.
His exhaustion was no match for the thoughts circling his mind. He considered the story they told him.a brother, a baby after he and Tauvo were taken. Ashan's eyes glittered like Tauvo's had, when he was up to mischief. Where had that memory come from?
Crais bunched his fists at his side. Rainne sighed in her sleep, nestled in closer to his chest.
What if it were true?
Bialar Crais, wrapping his arms around the most cherished thing in his life, silently cried in the darkness.
The Peacekeepers arrived a solar day later. D'Argo and John were finding having a few former Peacekeepers on hand was very handy for counter strategy planning.
Crais had come over to Moya to help plan the counterattack. If he trusted anyone to protect Rainne, it was Talyn.
"I have been constructing a modification of the biomolecular harmonics within Talyn's inner hulls." Crais began, "It disrupts his energy signature. The Peacekeepers will be unable to identify Talyn as a threat until it is too late."
"Can you modify the outer hull too? The polarity shift may even polarize the electromagnetic field differential." Crichton offered. Crais looked at him with a new respect.
"If we get the shift at a perpendicular phase between hulls." Crichton was furiously scribbling on the surface of the table, "Kawabunga!! Even the Romulans can't see us."
D'Argo looked perplexed.
"Romulans?"
"Human thing, kind of." Crichton said
"A Cloaking mechanism." Crais studied John's notes. Some of the mathematical symbols were different, but his idea was sound. In theory. The biological component was puzzling.
"The ship is biomechaniod. Is this going to cause injury or pain to Talyn?" Crichton asked.
John's words echoed Crais' thinking, and it was disconcerting.
"What about Moya?" D'Argo asked. He was almost as perplexed at the physics being discusses as he was by the dynamics between Crichton and Crais.
"Not possible." Crais snapped. "Her hull is not a dual dynamic like Talyn's. Talyn has an internal hull to house the weapons turrets and things that would normally be toxic to a leviathan."
Crais' tone was condescending. D'Argo had no response, but stepped back a bit. Crichton appreciated Crais' skill as a physicist and a strategist, but not when he was picking on D'Argo.
"Lighten up, Vader. It was just a question." Crichton stared at Crais. Crais acknowledged the meaning and backed down.
"We need to figure out how to maintain the biological integrity." John mused. "Think Ashan would know? He's got to know Biology to be a healer, right?"
Crais was certainly not happy at the suggestion, but it had merit. They had Pilot call him to the strategy room.
John filled him in on the physics of what they were attempting.
"But you need to know how to make these modifications without causing pain to the leviathans, or cellular damage to their living components?" Ashan summed up their misgivings.
"Correct." Crais answered, without looking at him.
"The leviathan cells resonate at a certain pitch, a sub-auditory pitch, even for Luxans. As long as the frequencies are in the shielding range, you can't hurt them, or damage the harmonics in their biological systems. Leviathans are able to adapt the frequencies to withstand a lot more than altered shielding harmonics. K'Tahli and I can keep close tabs on Moya, Rainne and Crais can keep tabs on Talyn. Would you like help with the modifications?" He offered.
Crais wanted a logical reason to refuse Ashan's offer, but found none.
"Thank you. All the hands we can get are appreciated."