"Apparitions"
Time: Twenty-five cycles after Dog With Two Bones
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
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Part Twenty: The See-Thru Defense
"I have the sensors reconfigured for motion scan," Pilot said as he arms danced over the console. "They're on tier seven, moving forward. There are four of them, I believe."
Vanessa watched Pilot for a microt then looked down to where Mattis sat. She could tell by the half-awake look on his face that he was still getting over the sedative. "Mom, did you get that?"
"Yes, Vanessa. We're on our way."
"Dad, how're you doing?"
"Oh, I'll be fine," he said. 'Give me a few gallons of coffee and everything will be ducky."
"Tashina?" She didn't answer immediately. "Tashina?"
"I've never been better, Vanessa." Her voice was a little slurred.
"How are you going to tell them from us," Mattis asked as he got to his feet. "Or from the DRDs, for that matter."
"I know the location of every DRD, and as long as your comms are activated, I'll know where you are."
"Can you tell what you're doing? Are they making any moves toward the neurocluster?"
Pilot studied his console again. "They seem to be making their way forward. They have tried several doorways, but they haven't done anything threatening yet."
Vanessa chewed her lower lip. "You'd think if they were trying to take us alive, they'd done something by now."
Mattis checked his pulse pistol. "Find them first, then worry about motives." He looked around at the DRDs that had gathered around the console. "Are these DRDs going to be enough to protect you, Pilot?"
"They will be sufficient, Mattis. Unless the intruders can transmute into a gaseous state and pass through the air vents, there's no way they can get in here."
"Really?" Mattis looked around again. "I know Moya's walls and doors will stand up to pulse blasts, but I always thought there was something that could get through."
"Not even a prism laser saw can get through these walls. However, a large enough explosion might. Let's go." Vanessa looked grim as she started from the den.
---------------------------------------
John looked around the intersection and massaged his eyes. He was still shaking off the effects of the sedative. "They must've been waiting for us in the transport pod. One microt we're prepping the pod, the next we're in la-la land."
"Always knew we should improve the security system on the pods." Tashina shook her head and looked angry. "How do we proceed?"
"Carefully." Aeryn considered the three branches then picked one. "John and I will go this way."
Chiana looked at the other two branches then nodded toward Tashina. "Let's go. Keep your head on straight."
"You too, Chi." Vanessa looked down the third branch and frowned. "This is all storage chambers. What could they want here?"
"Weapons," John asked over the comm.
"No. The chambers we set up as an armory are a couple of tiers down. This is all food storage, spare parts and a few of the old cells."
"They're separating," Pilot said. "One is heading to the hammond side, one to the trebin. The do seem to be looking for something."
"Understood, Pilot. Let's get to it."
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Lhatan's voice caught them by surprise. "I have something."
Vanessa stopped her searching, leaned against one wall and massaged her eyes. "What've you got, Lhatan?"
"Well, we managed to get the helmet off the suit. Our attackers are Sebacean, probably Peacekeepers."
"So the have developed stealth technology. Great; something else to worry about. Anything else?"
"There are three tanks on the back, one of which contains oxygen. The other two contain a concentrated form of clorium."
Vanessa exchanged a worried look with Mattis. "Are you sure about that, Lhatan?"
"Positive, Vanessa. Considering the effect clorium has on Leviathans."
"We can take a good guess as to their plan. Incapacitate Moya and Pilot first, then they can take their time with us."
"Then we'd better pick up the pace," Aeryn said.
"Agreed. Any ideas how to circumvent the stealth system, Lhatan?"
"I haven't even figured out how it works, let alone how to counter it."
"Do what you can. What's the matter, Mattis?"
Mattis looked around quickly, his eyes darting from side to side. "I thought I heard something. Pilot?"
"There's nothing near you, Mattis."
"Nothing at all?"
"There's no movement. In fact."
The sound of gunfire and angry voices cut pilot off.
"That was Chiana," Mattis said as he started running.
Vanessa felt panic hit her as she started after Mattis. "Chiana? Tashina?"
"I'm after the intruder," Tashina called out over the comms. "Chiana had one of her visions as the frelnik opened fire. She's injured."
"Stay with him." Vanessa rounded a corner as John and Aeryn came from their branch. She exchanged worried looks with them.
They found Chiana on the floor, her eyes wide and clouded over. She was taking short, quick breaths and trying to stop the flow of dark blood that came from her shoulder.
"What did you see, Chi?" Vanessa looked over the wound and tried not to panic.
"There's a shimmer effect when they move," Chiana said. "Deactivation on the left wrist."
"Did you see how to do it," Aeryn asked as she scanned the corridor.
"Override control. Saw the sequence. Aw frell."
"Don't worry about it. You'll be playing the shilquen again in no time."
Chiana ground her teeth. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much."
Vanessa smiled at her. "Lhatan, get to tier seven. Chiana's been shot."
"I'm on my way, Vanessa."
"Rea, keep working on the armor while Lhatan takes care of Chiana." Mattis looked around. "I'll get after Tashina," he said as he started down the corridor.
"We'll continue on the hammond side," John said. He considered Chiana then started away, Aeryn close behind.
Vanessa watched then turned back to Chiana. "Isn't this the other way around? Shouldn't I be the one laying there while you lecture me about being careful?"
"Well, I guess it's true that, eventually, the kids become the parents." Chiana tried to sit up, but Vanessa held her down.
"Just stay down, Chiana. Listen to your surrogate daughter." Vanessa turned and brought up her pulse pistol at the sound of footsteps. She relaxed a little when she saw Lhatan and Stark running toward them.
"That was quick, Lhatan. I don't think it." Vanessa saw a shimmer, like an upright puddle appear behind them. "Down!" As they dropped to the deck, Vanessa began to fire. She shifted position to better cover Chiana as the intruder returned fire.
From his position on the floor, Stark rolled over and raised his own pistol. They saw the shimmer stagger back under the barrage of fire. Static replaced the shimmer, then the static gave way to armor. The intruder fell to the deck, silent and unmoving.
"You know, for an armored suit, it really doesn't give that much protection." Vanessa stood and walked over to the intruder.
"They probably depend on stealth for protection," Lhatan said as he went to Chiana. "Why worry about protection if you can't see them in the first place?"
Stark and Vanessa rolled the body over. "That was the left wrist, Chi?"
"Yeah, left." Chiana tried to sit up again. "Ow!"
"It won't hurt so bad if you'd lay still and let me work."
Chiana closed her eyes. "The sequence is 1-red-7-red-9-green-1-red-6-blue. That'll deactivate the stealth system."
Vanessa looked over the wrist unit and tapped in the sequence. She watched the armor for a reaction and frowned. "Okay? Anything?"
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Aeryn rounded a corner, her eyes scanning the corridor ahead of them. There was no sign of the shimmer effect that would betray the presence of the intruders. "Pilot, are you sure they came this way?"
"That was the last corridor they turned down, Officer Sun. I'm afraid I've lost them for the moment."
"Keep trying, Pilot." John turned and checked the corridor behind them. "Come out, come out wherever you are." He waited for some kind of response then sighed. "Admit it, Aeryn, you've missed this."
"Missed what? Peacekeepers shooting at me? People attacking Moya to get to us? Oh yes, I've been dreaming about this for monen." She glanced back at John and smiled. "Still, it is good to be home again."
"Doesn't feel the same without D'Argo and Jool. Hey, Aeryn, remember back when we were in Tormented Space? That planet with the bad clams."
They heard Mattis clear his throat over their comms. "With all due respect, John, but is this the really the time to reminisce?"
"Sorry, Mattis, but whenever I think about the past it brings back so many memories. Vanessa, anything on that sequence yet?"
"I punched it in again. Is anything happening?"
"Yes!" John turned and saw Aeryn pointing down the corridor. There were two clouds of static running away from them, still heading forward. "There's two of them here!"
There was another exchange of gunfire and angry voices. "The second one's down," Tashina announced.
"The other two are still heading forward," John called out. "We'll have them in a microt."
The static cleared as the intruders ran into a compartment. John and Aeryn exchanged wicked grins as he slapped the door controls. As the hatch slammed shut, they saw the two begin to examine the compartment, as if still trying to find something.
"What the frell," one of them said. "What the frell is this?"
"The air circulator fans should be here." They heard the other walk across the compartment. "The schematics said."
John laughed. "Schematics? What schematics?"
"The schematics for a Leviathan. Why?"
"Dude, on page one of 'Leviathans For Dummies,' it says very clearly that there are no schematics for Leviathans. No two are identical. They're living creatures, after all; they grow according to the whim of their pilots. Just because one Leviathan has air circulator fans on tier seven doesn't mean they all do."
"So what the frell is this compartment? Storage?"
"In a manner of speaking," Aeryn said. "Take a look at the wall behind you. See that hatch? Care to guess what's behind it?"
They heard the two walk across the compartment. "Is this.oh frell."
"Don't feel so bad. A lot of people make the same error you did. I mean, it's easy to mistake an airlock with a storage compartment. However, thinking it's the air circulators is something new."
The two were silent for a microt. "What're you going to do?"
"You invaded our ship with clorium that would incapacitate her and you're wondering what we're going to do? It'll be appropriate. Pilot, open the hatch."
"Of course, Officer Sun."
There was the sound of the hatch opening, then the sound of high wind. It died out a microt later.
"Well, that's that," John said. "Time for cappuccino."
Aeryn stared at the hatch for a microt longer then followed John down the corridor.
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"It'll take a little time to regenerate Chiana's shoulder, but I expect her to make a full recovery." Lhatan checked his medical scanners again and nodded. "It was a bad wound, but nothing crippling."
"Good." Vanessa looked around the medical bay and sighed. "Aside from Chiana's injury, are we ready to do this?"
"I just have a few components to replace in the displacement engine," Xhalax said, "then I'll be able to install the partanium."
"Once she does that, I'll reinstall the engine on the module." John chewed his lower lip. "Y'know, once we start, there won't be any turning back."
"I don't plan on turning back," Vanessa said. "Once we get to Bia'thera, I'm not stopping until we've stopped the Peacekeeper's wormhole project." She looked at John and Aeryn. "You stopped Scorpius the first time. I guess I'm going to stop them now. But we'll do it."
"This is the beginning of the end."
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TO BE CONTINUED
Disclaimer: I didn't create Farscape, didn't create the characters and don't make a plug nickel off of it.
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Part Twenty: The See-Thru Defense
"I have the sensors reconfigured for motion scan," Pilot said as he arms danced over the console. "They're on tier seven, moving forward. There are four of them, I believe."
Vanessa watched Pilot for a microt then looked down to where Mattis sat. She could tell by the half-awake look on his face that he was still getting over the sedative. "Mom, did you get that?"
"Yes, Vanessa. We're on our way."
"Dad, how're you doing?"
"Oh, I'll be fine," he said. 'Give me a few gallons of coffee and everything will be ducky."
"Tashina?" She didn't answer immediately. "Tashina?"
"I've never been better, Vanessa." Her voice was a little slurred.
"How are you going to tell them from us," Mattis asked as he got to his feet. "Or from the DRDs, for that matter."
"I know the location of every DRD, and as long as your comms are activated, I'll know where you are."
"Can you tell what you're doing? Are they making any moves toward the neurocluster?"
Pilot studied his console again. "They seem to be making their way forward. They have tried several doorways, but they haven't done anything threatening yet."
Vanessa chewed her lower lip. "You'd think if they were trying to take us alive, they'd done something by now."
Mattis checked his pulse pistol. "Find them first, then worry about motives." He looked around at the DRDs that had gathered around the console. "Are these DRDs going to be enough to protect you, Pilot?"
"They will be sufficient, Mattis. Unless the intruders can transmute into a gaseous state and pass through the air vents, there's no way they can get in here."
"Really?" Mattis looked around again. "I know Moya's walls and doors will stand up to pulse blasts, but I always thought there was something that could get through."
"Not even a prism laser saw can get through these walls. However, a large enough explosion might. Let's go." Vanessa looked grim as she started from the den.
---------------------------------------
John looked around the intersection and massaged his eyes. He was still shaking off the effects of the sedative. "They must've been waiting for us in the transport pod. One microt we're prepping the pod, the next we're in la-la land."
"Always knew we should improve the security system on the pods." Tashina shook her head and looked angry. "How do we proceed?"
"Carefully." Aeryn considered the three branches then picked one. "John and I will go this way."
Chiana looked at the other two branches then nodded toward Tashina. "Let's go. Keep your head on straight."
"You too, Chi." Vanessa looked down the third branch and frowned. "This is all storage chambers. What could they want here?"
"Weapons," John asked over the comm.
"No. The chambers we set up as an armory are a couple of tiers down. This is all food storage, spare parts and a few of the old cells."
"They're separating," Pilot said. "One is heading to the hammond side, one to the trebin. The do seem to be looking for something."
"Understood, Pilot. Let's get to it."
---------------------------------------
Lhatan's voice caught them by surprise. "I have something."
Vanessa stopped her searching, leaned against one wall and massaged her eyes. "What've you got, Lhatan?"
"Well, we managed to get the helmet off the suit. Our attackers are Sebacean, probably Peacekeepers."
"So the have developed stealth technology. Great; something else to worry about. Anything else?"
"There are three tanks on the back, one of which contains oxygen. The other two contain a concentrated form of clorium."
Vanessa exchanged a worried look with Mattis. "Are you sure about that, Lhatan?"
"Positive, Vanessa. Considering the effect clorium has on Leviathans."
"We can take a good guess as to their plan. Incapacitate Moya and Pilot first, then they can take their time with us."
"Then we'd better pick up the pace," Aeryn said.
"Agreed. Any ideas how to circumvent the stealth system, Lhatan?"
"I haven't even figured out how it works, let alone how to counter it."
"Do what you can. What's the matter, Mattis?"
Mattis looked around quickly, his eyes darting from side to side. "I thought I heard something. Pilot?"
"There's nothing near you, Mattis."
"Nothing at all?"
"There's no movement. In fact."
The sound of gunfire and angry voices cut pilot off.
"That was Chiana," Mattis said as he started running.
Vanessa felt panic hit her as she started after Mattis. "Chiana? Tashina?"
"I'm after the intruder," Tashina called out over the comms. "Chiana had one of her visions as the frelnik opened fire. She's injured."
"Stay with him." Vanessa rounded a corner as John and Aeryn came from their branch. She exchanged worried looks with them.
They found Chiana on the floor, her eyes wide and clouded over. She was taking short, quick breaths and trying to stop the flow of dark blood that came from her shoulder.
"What did you see, Chi?" Vanessa looked over the wound and tried not to panic.
"There's a shimmer effect when they move," Chiana said. "Deactivation on the left wrist."
"Did you see how to do it," Aeryn asked as she scanned the corridor.
"Override control. Saw the sequence. Aw frell."
"Don't worry about it. You'll be playing the shilquen again in no time."
Chiana ground her teeth. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much."
Vanessa smiled at her. "Lhatan, get to tier seven. Chiana's been shot."
"I'm on my way, Vanessa."
"Rea, keep working on the armor while Lhatan takes care of Chiana." Mattis looked around. "I'll get after Tashina," he said as he started down the corridor.
"We'll continue on the hammond side," John said. He considered Chiana then started away, Aeryn close behind.
Vanessa watched then turned back to Chiana. "Isn't this the other way around? Shouldn't I be the one laying there while you lecture me about being careful?"
"Well, I guess it's true that, eventually, the kids become the parents." Chiana tried to sit up, but Vanessa held her down.
"Just stay down, Chiana. Listen to your surrogate daughter." Vanessa turned and brought up her pulse pistol at the sound of footsteps. She relaxed a little when she saw Lhatan and Stark running toward them.
"That was quick, Lhatan. I don't think it." Vanessa saw a shimmer, like an upright puddle appear behind them. "Down!" As they dropped to the deck, Vanessa began to fire. She shifted position to better cover Chiana as the intruder returned fire.
From his position on the floor, Stark rolled over and raised his own pistol. They saw the shimmer stagger back under the barrage of fire. Static replaced the shimmer, then the static gave way to armor. The intruder fell to the deck, silent and unmoving.
"You know, for an armored suit, it really doesn't give that much protection." Vanessa stood and walked over to the intruder.
"They probably depend on stealth for protection," Lhatan said as he went to Chiana. "Why worry about protection if you can't see them in the first place?"
Stark and Vanessa rolled the body over. "That was the left wrist, Chi?"
"Yeah, left." Chiana tried to sit up again. "Ow!"
"It won't hurt so bad if you'd lay still and let me work."
Chiana closed her eyes. "The sequence is 1-red-7-red-9-green-1-red-6-blue. That'll deactivate the stealth system."
Vanessa looked over the wrist unit and tapped in the sequence. She watched the armor for a reaction and frowned. "Okay? Anything?"
---------------------------------------
Aeryn rounded a corner, her eyes scanning the corridor ahead of them. There was no sign of the shimmer effect that would betray the presence of the intruders. "Pilot, are you sure they came this way?"
"That was the last corridor they turned down, Officer Sun. I'm afraid I've lost them for the moment."
"Keep trying, Pilot." John turned and checked the corridor behind them. "Come out, come out wherever you are." He waited for some kind of response then sighed. "Admit it, Aeryn, you've missed this."
"Missed what? Peacekeepers shooting at me? People attacking Moya to get to us? Oh yes, I've been dreaming about this for monen." She glanced back at John and smiled. "Still, it is good to be home again."
"Doesn't feel the same without D'Argo and Jool. Hey, Aeryn, remember back when we were in Tormented Space? That planet with the bad clams."
They heard Mattis clear his throat over their comms. "With all due respect, John, but is this the really the time to reminisce?"
"Sorry, Mattis, but whenever I think about the past it brings back so many memories. Vanessa, anything on that sequence yet?"
"I punched it in again. Is anything happening?"
"Yes!" John turned and saw Aeryn pointing down the corridor. There were two clouds of static running away from them, still heading forward. "There's two of them here!"
There was another exchange of gunfire and angry voices. "The second one's down," Tashina announced.
"The other two are still heading forward," John called out. "We'll have them in a microt."
The static cleared as the intruders ran into a compartment. John and Aeryn exchanged wicked grins as he slapped the door controls. As the hatch slammed shut, they saw the two begin to examine the compartment, as if still trying to find something.
"What the frell," one of them said. "What the frell is this?"
"The air circulator fans should be here." They heard the other walk across the compartment. "The schematics said."
John laughed. "Schematics? What schematics?"
"The schematics for a Leviathan. Why?"
"Dude, on page one of 'Leviathans For Dummies,' it says very clearly that there are no schematics for Leviathans. No two are identical. They're living creatures, after all; they grow according to the whim of their pilots. Just because one Leviathan has air circulator fans on tier seven doesn't mean they all do."
"So what the frell is this compartment? Storage?"
"In a manner of speaking," Aeryn said. "Take a look at the wall behind you. See that hatch? Care to guess what's behind it?"
They heard the two walk across the compartment. "Is this.oh frell."
"Don't feel so bad. A lot of people make the same error you did. I mean, it's easy to mistake an airlock with a storage compartment. However, thinking it's the air circulators is something new."
The two were silent for a microt. "What're you going to do?"
"You invaded our ship with clorium that would incapacitate her and you're wondering what we're going to do? It'll be appropriate. Pilot, open the hatch."
"Of course, Officer Sun."
There was the sound of the hatch opening, then the sound of high wind. It died out a microt later.
"Well, that's that," John said. "Time for cappuccino."
Aeryn stared at the hatch for a microt longer then followed John down the corridor.
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"It'll take a little time to regenerate Chiana's shoulder, but I expect her to make a full recovery." Lhatan checked his medical scanners again and nodded. "It was a bad wound, but nothing crippling."
"Good." Vanessa looked around the medical bay and sighed. "Aside from Chiana's injury, are we ready to do this?"
"I just have a few components to replace in the displacement engine," Xhalax said, "then I'll be able to install the partanium."
"Once she does that, I'll reinstall the engine on the module." John chewed his lower lip. "Y'know, once we start, there won't be any turning back."
"I don't plan on turning back," Vanessa said. "Once we get to Bia'thera, I'm not stopping until we've stopped the Peacekeeper's wormhole project." She looked at John and Aeryn. "You stopped Scorpius the first time. I guess I'm going to stop them now. But we'll do it."
"This is the beginning of the end."
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TO BE CONTINUED
