Title: Reckoning
Summary: Next in Brennik/Aeric series
Spoilers: Possibly every episode, but you have to figure out which ones
Rating: HEAVY PG-13 for violence; the blood flows in this one, folks
Disclaimer: You know which ones are not mine, but I'm laying claim to the fish. they're ALL MINE...(blame me)
Credits: THANK YOU!!! To scrubschick and ScaperRed, they were awsome and inspirational. The best line in this entire thing is ScaperRed's and I have denoted it with a * so that in any responses, credit can be given to the person deserving. Thank you to Sanchez and Poulos, my creative and technical consultants who will recognize many of these parts.
Authors note: Well... turns out that although Target Practice was great as a stand alone, this one isn't. You NEED to have read that one to get this one, it's a bit of a prequel. Actually, you pretty much need to have read all of them, there are references to them throughout this whole thing. So, here's the links. You might want to re-read Target Practice if it's been a little while.
Finding Herself
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1301757
Death and Resurection
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=4796
Revelations
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=5646
Target Practice
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=6254
This is my most ambitious story EVER. I put a lot into it, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I had fun making it. It's very special to me, and I hope you can tell.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reckoning
Everyone else had said good-bye, and only the four of them remained. He watched as Tean ruffled Aeric's hair and lightly punched him on the arm with a "May the force be with you." Then his brother turned to Brennik and, in his usual dramatic way, tipped her backward over one knee before planting a loud, wet kiss directly on her mouth.
Sethya hoped Tean was being careful; the half shirt she'd taken in deference to her injury showed off the angry red welt circling her waist, a souvenir of her "Girls Day Out". He was surprised when Brennik laughed and pushed his brother away. Pretending to be crestfallen, Tean waved and sauntered up the ramp.
He began to follow his clown of a brother, when his name was called in her lyrical voice. "Hey, Sethya." He turned to see Brennik smiling at him, moisture in her eyes. "Don't come back with any more holes than you're supposed to have."
He tried to remain distant, but something inside of him broke and despite his order to the contrary, a smile escaped. He couldn't hold it in check as unfamiliar warmth spread throughout his chest. "I'll see what I can do."
A look of wonder assailed her features, and she stared openly at him, as if she was trying to memorize each facet of him. "Are you sure you have to leave now? You should recuperate some more."
"I am healed, and I have contracts to honor."
"What about the bounty?"
He would normally tell her to mind her own business, he could handle it. Instead, he found himself reassuring her. "The people I work with make more money from my deliveries than from a simple bounty. As for the bounty hunters, they can be dealt with."
Instinctively, he knew she wanted to remind him of the last time he "handled" the bounty hunters, but to her credit, she merely nodded with understanding. She lifted a hand towards him, but he would never know what her intentions had been.
Abruptly she froze in mid-motion, horror and panic filling her eyes. Her feet disappeared, then her shins, her knees, her thighs. Slowly she faded before him, a warped version of his nightmare come to life, and all Sethya could do was watch as she was taken from him.
"Dad," Aeric called over his comms, breathless and shaking. "Brennik just disappeared."
"She's probably upset about the boys leaving. Go check the Terrace."
"No, Dad. She was standing here talking to Sethya when she got all stiff and slowly vanished a dench at a time-- from the ground up."
Violent, untranslatable cursing flew through the comms, filling the hanger and echoing off the walls. Sethya couldn't understand the words, but he wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment.
"Commander," Sethya interrupted, using Aeric's comms. "I think I can help. I know of this technology."
"You and your brother meet me on Command."
"Yes sir," he replied, instinctively reverting to Soldier Mode. Anger recoiled throughout him and he tried to harness that, shoving the consuming fear aside. Letting his emotions have free rein would only get her killed. He wasn't going to let that happen again.
----------------------------------------
Everyone was present except Pilot, and he watched the proceedings through the clamshell. It felt strange, giving away Peacekeeper information, but he ignored any misgivings for Brennik's sake and began. "Before I… departed… the Peacekeepers, my group had been briefed for an undercover detail to infiltrate a breakaway group known as Groelesh. They are mercenaries and consider themselves freedom fighters. They have a technology known as 'Placement Disrupters' that allow you to move an object short distances at a molecular level."
"Short distances," D'Argo observed. "So she is nearby?"
"Yes, probably on a ship. They couldn't have taken her to a planet; even that distance is too great."
"What's to stop them from taking any of the rest of us?" Chiana asked.
"I can handle that," Tean assured. "I know a way to block the transmission, maybe fool it if we wanted to send something back. If we overload a pulse chamber, it would explode upon reconstitution."
"No!" barked Sethya and John.
"We don't want to hurt Brennik," Crichton said. "Is there any way to trace where they've taken her?"
Tean was already at one of the consoles working. "I'll see what I can do. Pilot, are you detecting any anomalies in this sector?"
"No, but there is a small asteroid field nearby."
"They are hiding in there," Sethya assured. "It's the perfect cover for them. Commander, they have no reason to take Brennik. They hate the Peacekeepers. If they think they want her, the Groelesh would do everything in their power to keep her out of Peacekeeper hands, just to spite them."
"Everybody wants a taste of wormhole technology, Seth. Never underestimate someone's ability or determination to build a new weapon."
"I have located a ship," Pilot interrupted.
"Get 'em on the phone," instructed John.
A few microts later an older, scarred, Sebacean male filled the viewscreen. D'Argo wasted no time with pleasantries. "I am Ka D'Argo, captain of Moya. You have taken one of my crewmembers. I demand her immediate return."
"I'm sorry, Captain; your request cannot be fulfilled. We are on a recovery mission and have seized delinquent merchandise."
"She's not property!" John yelled.
"Officer Aeryn Sun, slave identification 54839256. She signed her rights to us twenty-three cycles ago. We have been very generous, but she has breached her contract and her return is…"
"You moron!" John yelled. "Have you bothered to look at who you've taken? You've got my damn daughter and if you don't give her back I will come over there and get her! And trust me; you don't want me to pay you a visit."
D'Argo and Chiana were earnestly shaking their heads [i]no[/i]. "You [i]really[/i] don't want that to happen," Chiana emphasized.
"Letchner," Aeryn interrupted, hobbling into view for the first time.
"Ahhhh, Officer Sun. So we do have the wrong prisoner. We will be willing to conduct an even trade, you for your daughter."
"You bastard!" John exclaimed.
"It was you this whole time, wasn't it?" Aeryn asked.
"You entered into a lifelong blood oath, Officer Sun, and then you defected."
"I kept my oath of secrecy."
"We made sure you did. It took us a while to find you and arrange for your placement, but as you can see, we are very diligent. You were lucky, Aeryn." John growled at the familiarity, but was ignored. "I spared your life, and I even let you retain your son. As you know, most others are not so fortunate."
"Yes, I was lucky to have you for a friend, wasn't I?" Aeryn asked sarcastically.
"I don't give a damn about your blood oaths or your contracts. You're not getting my wife, and if you don't return my daughter- I'm going to come get her. So get your ass in gear, flip the switch on your etch-a-sketch, and send her back!"
"That is not possible."
"Then get the appetizers ready pal, 'cause you're having dinner guests tonight."
Pilot ended the transmission and everyone looked at each other. "So," Crichton asked D'Argo, "got a plan?"
"Take Lo'Laan, disable their ship, dock, retrieve Brennik, leave."
"Simple, straightforward, and destined to fail. I'm in." John turned to Aeryn. "What is this guy's next move?"
"I don't know. I only remember his face and name. I bluffed the rest."
"Well, for once it's not me the creepy bad guys are after. Tean, how're you comin' on that Disruptor disruptor?"
"Almost finished… there. They will not be able to take anyone else, as long as they're on Moya."
"We'll have to take out that toy," Chiana observed. "I don't want to be trapped on Moya from now on. No offense Pilot."
"None taken."
"Agreed. Rescue Brennik, destroy disruptor," D'Argo clarified.
"Fine," John said. "Seth and I will get Brennik. Chiana and D'Ago, you go for the hardware."
"I'm going too," Aeryn insisted.
"Like hell you are, you're not getting anywhere near that madman." When Aeryn's eyes narrowed to slits, the nervousness emanating from Chiana and D'Argo was palpable. "Besides," clarified John, clearing his throat, "we need someone to stay here and watch Aeric and Tean."
"I'm not helpless," Tean mumbled, but at the look on John's face began backpedaling. "But, I'm going to be busy with adjustments. Also, I might be able to jam a few of their frequencies, but I'll need someone to watch my back."
"Please, Aeryn," John begged. "Just this once. It's you he wants, and I don't want to walk in and hand you to him." He had slowly walked to her, lacing her fingers with his before placing his forehead gently against hers. "Besides, you'll slow us down. We'll be able to get in and out a lot faster without having to worry about your ankle. I'll make it up to you. I promise. Please." The room collectively held their breath, waiting for her answer.
"You'd better hurry," she finally relented, but everyone knew the only thing stopping her from going after her daughter was her injury.
Relieved, he kissed her quickly before following D'Argo, Chiana and Sethya out of command to Lo'La.
--------------------------------------
"Their ship consists of three tiers," Sethya briefed them as D'Argo piloted Lo'La away from Moya. "The top is Command and quarters. The middle is their docking bay and where they house their fleet of prowlers. The bottom is Maintenance, Medical and the Displacement Chamber. They have a crew of roughly thirty, twenty of which are soldiers."
"Twenty Aeryns? We're screwed," John said.
"Yeah, we are. Here come two of them now," Chiana announced.
D'Argo spit on the controls as John climbed into the co-pilot seat. "After twenty cycles, you'd think we'd come up with a better way of doing this," John complained, placing his hands on the slime and taking over piloting duties.
"It works. Now quit complaining and hold still," D'Argo said from behind the targeting visor.
Something was terribly wrong. The two prowlers flew at them firing, but their pilots were either inept, or untrained. D'Argo easily compensated for their evasive maneuvers and in five microts, both ships had been disabled.
"Did anybody else think that was too easy! That was too easy, don't ya think? Where are the other eighteen?" Chiana asked nervously.
The question hung in the air, accentuating the silence as the four of them watched their prey emerge from the asteroids on the viewer before them. To John, it looked liked a giant yellow Twinkie. "Where's the cream filling?" he asked no-one in particular.
Used to being ignored, he was surprised when Chiana smacked her lips. "Hezmana, but those were good."
"Rygel stuffed himself on them," D'Argo reminisced.
"Rygel stuffed himself on everything," John reminded them.
"Yeah, but you weren't there when he brought all fifty of them back up on the Secret Service guy's shoes," Chiana chuckled.
John grimaced at the visual, but his attention was quickly diverted as D'Argo docked Lo'La in the ship's hanger.
"This is too easy," Chiana murmured. "It never goes easy for us. We never should have been able to land like that."
"Something is definitely wrong," Sethya agreed.
"Well, all we can do is go with the plan, like we always do. It's always a trap. Nothing changes," John observed.
Chiana and D'Argo, used to this as the normal mode of operations, nodded. Sethya, wondering what kind of frelled up group he had managed to throw in with, agreed more reluctantly.
----------------------------------
When the ramp to Lo'La lowered, D'Argo and Chiana stood on one side of the door, John and Sethya on the other. "How many are there?" John asked.
D'Argo peeked out, ducking pulse blasts that flew over his head, hitting the wall opposite the door. "Eight," he answered.
"That's it? Where are the other ten?" John shouted above the noise of weapon fire.
"They probably felt two to one was pretty good odds," Sethya answered dryly.
"The odds are never this good," Chiana declared. "Too easy."
"I'm sure they'll be coming out of the woodwork once we get past these guys. Let's get this over with," John hollered.
"Cover me!" Sethya called. Before anyone could stop him, he charged past Crichton and down the ramp with a pulse pistol in each hand, firing with precision as he ran.
D'Argo with his Qualta Blade and John with Winnona fired from the doorway, trying to divert the attention from the charging commando. The battle lasted only a hundred microts before all eight soldiers lay on the ground, and an eerie silence descended on the docking bay.
"Ten down," Sethya said coldly as he holstered his left pistol. The click of the weapon returning home echoed throughout the bay.
"What the HELL were you thinking?!" John fumed.
"I thought you wanted results."
"Keep your kamikaze tactics for when you're alone; we can't afford to lose anybody right now," John ordered. "Now, grab a uniform and start changing."
---------------------------------------------
His mom was grumbling. He'd never heard her do that before and it made him a little nervous. This whole frelling situation made him nervous. Always, she was the patient one, bearing their afflictions in silence, knowing that any other reaction would make the situation worse. But now, as she hobbled around command following Tean's instructions, he heard a definite mumbling. "…frelling useless broken ankle…" drifted over to him and he decided to stay out of her way. Ever since returning to Moya, she'd been radically unpredictable, and in her mood, he had no idea what she would do next.
"Officer Sun," a concerned voice interrupted her ranting.
"Yes, Pilot?"
"I have detected intruders aboard, eleven to be precise. They are en route to Command."
"Frell!" she glared at Tean accusingly. "I thought you fixed it."
"I said they couldn't take anyone." He threw up his hands defensively. "Sending someone over is a frelling new feature, they couldn't do that before."
"Well, we're going to have to find a way to hold them off until the others return."
"Mom," Aeric said pointing up, "through the vents." One eyebrow raised, telling him she wanted to know where he'd gotten the idea, but now was not the time to explain.
Aeric and Tean pushed a table under the access shaft, and Tean helped Aeryn onto the table before climbing on himself. "Let me go first," Aeric said and Tean boosted him high enough for the boy to push the grate aside and lift himself into the vent. Leaning out as far as he dared, he reached for his mother, who was being lifted by Tean.
The man briefly worried about the location of his hand, knowing that if Crichton were to find out he'd had a handful of Aeryn's eema, that hand could possibly be crushed, but he pushed his concerns aside. This was different. Right? Between Tean pushing, Aeryn lifting herself, and Aeric pulling, she was in the vent beside her son quickly.
Footsteps could be heard pounding closer as Tean jumped, barely grabbing hold of the edge. Aeric and Aeryn grabbed his wrists and began to pull, but the door to Command opened before they had lifted Tean completely inside. The man's legs still hung from the ceiling, but all three froze in terror, hoping that if they were silent enough the intruders would not look up.
The cadence of marching footsteps purposely stomping became louder as three rows of three soldiers emerged, with one trailing behind. Letchner followed his small army into the room and Aeryn, suddenly hit with a wave of violent anger, forced herself to stay in place quietly hiding. She swore to herself that before this was over, she was going to make sure that man paid for twenty years of humiliation and suffering. This was the man who had ripped away her past, her personality, her family and friends. This one man had taken everything away from her because she'd rejected him.
She remembered now. She was going to make sure he would never forget.
Slowly, cautiously, silently, they inched Tean higher and higher until he was able to lift his legs into the small space they were cramped into. All three breathed a collective grateful sigh, stopping for a moment to let themselves calm down.
Aeric motioned for the two adults to follow him and he began to lead them through the small tunnel, hoping he could remember his way through the dark maze. When they had traveled far enough to not be heard, he heard his mother behind him ask the question he'd hoped to avoid.
"Do I even want to know how you know your way through here?"
"No," was his simple response. He refused to turn and meet his mother's gaze, but he heard the implied "later" in the pregnant silence. [i]I tried Dad. Sorry[/i].
---------------------------------
Sethya had forgotten how restricting the black helmets could be, and he was beginning to feel a touch claustrophobic. But the disguise had enabled them to get close enough for him to Pantak Jab two techs so far, so he didn't dare remove it. He and John were systematically checking all doors through the lone corridor.
He was concerned. So far, there was no sign of any more soldiers. He found himself agreeing with Chiana. This was too easy.
The two men quickly developed a system. One would throw the door open and jump out of the way, while the other covered with potential firepower. Door after door, they slowly made their way down the corridor. Finally, at the last entrance, John jumped out of the way to reveal a Medical facility. A quick scan showed the room empty, and Sethya was beginning to think they would have to search the upper tier, when a small movement caught his eye.
In a far corner, strapped to a cage-like metal table lay Brennik, apparently unconscious. A visceral growl emanated from John, surprising Sethya with its ferocity. John was at Brennik's side in half a microt, tearing at the restraints. He'd lost all reason, and in his haste he was clumsy with the fasteners.
In all the time he'd spent with Crichton, he'd never seen him lose control like this, and he found it frightening. He only had a moment to wonder what had set him off (Brennik appeared to be unhurt) when the man, in his frustration, aimed his pulse pistol at the fasteners.
"Wait!" Sethya cried, throwing himself over the woman. "We can do this. Hold on a microt." He waited a moment, trying to picture John's face behind the dark helmet. What was going on in the older man's mind? Finally, the weapon lowered slightly.
"Hurry up."
Sethya pushed various buttons and levers on the side of the table, getting frustrated himself. About to resort to his own pulse pistol, he finally found the right combination and the metal straps fell away from her body with a light click. He wanted to reach for her, but John beat him to it.
The older man lifted his daughter into his arms, but before he could take two steps, the seemingly unconscious woman began to fight. As John struggled to restrain but not hurt her, she managed to elbow her father in the gut and was dropped to the floor.
She jumped to her feet and turned on Sethya. "Stop it, Brennik, you're going to hurt yourself." To his shock, she kicked him in the stomach with so much force, not only did he lose all ability to breathe, but he found himself flying to the floor. "I see you've been training," he wheezed from the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. "Good."
She turned back to her father, ready to continue the fight, only to find he'd taken off his helmet. Finally, recognition set in. "Dad!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. "I knew you'd come for me."
Her bear hug was almost as damaging as a hit would have been, but John braced himself and spared a moment to let the feel of her arms remind him of where he was, and who he was with.
"Yeah, good to see you too," Sethya said sarcastically as he picked himself off the floor, removing his helmet. He was hit by a wall that must have been her body and found himself stumbling backwards. This woman hugged too much. They needed to get moving and she was wasting time. His arms around her waist had nothing to do with it. She pulled far enough back to look him in the eye.
"I thought you had contracts to honor."
"I do, and you're making me late," he accused. He never intended to kiss her, but the instant the quick touch was over, he realized he'd made a serious mistake. That fleeting connection was going to haunt him. So was the look on her father's face. Grabbing her hand, he began following John out of the room and nearly ran into the man's back when he stopped abruptly.
A med tech had entered the room and stared at them in shock. John lunged for the woman, but before she was tackled, she managed to hit a large red button on a control panel near the door. As she dropped from the Pantak Jab, a piercing alarm blasted from a central sound system. The lights began flashing an annoying red, yellow, red, yellow and every door slammed shut. The sharp snap of countless synchronized locks clicking into place at the same time momentarily drowned out the loud call to arms.
"Frell." At least all three of them could agree on something.
--------------------------------------------------
Chiana and D'Argo silently searched room after room of their corridor, looking for the device described to them by Sethya. D'Argo had his Qualta Blade drawn and ready, Chiana followed with a pulse rifle that was almost as big as she was slung over her shoulder. Her long grey coat floated out behind her as she darted from entrance to entrance, silent and graceful.
They had immobilized two techs, but had encountered no further resistance. The ship felt deserted, and Chiana had a bad feeling about the ease of their movements. It was almost as if the Groelesh didn't care that a group of invaders were running around free on their ship. What didn't the ragtag group know?
After the tenth door, they found themselves in a large room filled with ammunition and weapons. "The armory," D'Argo declared.
Chiana's eyes grew wide. "Aeryn would love this place!" She began stowing items into her coat, specifically made for procuring. D'Argo gave her a reproving look. "Hey, these will come in handy," she defended herself. "Besides, Aeryn would kill for one of those Tralaxian hand darts. C'mon, D'Argo, these people owe her… and us. Her life wasn't the only one ripped apart when they stole her." She selected as many items as she could carry, several intended as gifts for her friend. As a professional thief, the number of items she was able to store was impressive.
"Chiana, let's go!" D'Argo urged impatiently.
"Just one more," she said, eyeing a small silver ball hanging on a chain from a hook. She jumped to reach it but missed. "D'Argo, give me a boost." Before D'Argo could reach her, she jumped one last time. Her fingers grasped the ball and as she landed, the chain ripped the hook from the wall.
A loud, piercing alarm screeched through a central sound system. The lights began flashing an annoying red, yellow, red, yellow and a loud bang shouted the slamming of every door they'd left open in their search. Countless locks activated simultaneously.
D'Argo glared at her accusingly. She stared at the device in her hand. "Dren!"
----------------------------
Summary: Next in Brennik/Aeric series
Spoilers: Possibly every episode, but you have to figure out which ones
Rating: HEAVY PG-13 for violence; the blood flows in this one, folks
Disclaimer: You know which ones are not mine, but I'm laying claim to the fish. they're ALL MINE...(blame me)
Credits: THANK YOU!!! To scrubschick and ScaperRed, they were awsome and inspirational. The best line in this entire thing is ScaperRed's and I have denoted it with a * so that in any responses, credit can be given to the person deserving. Thank you to Sanchez and Poulos, my creative and technical consultants who will recognize many of these parts.
Authors note: Well... turns out that although Target Practice was great as a stand alone, this one isn't. You NEED to have read that one to get this one, it's a bit of a prequel. Actually, you pretty much need to have read all of them, there are references to them throughout this whole thing. So, here's the links. You might want to re-read Target Practice if it's been a little while.
Finding Herself
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1301757
Death and Resurection
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=4796
Revelations
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=5646
Target Practice
http://users.boardnation.com/~scapeartist/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=6254
This is my most ambitious story EVER. I put a lot into it, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I had fun making it. It's very special to me, and I hope you can tell.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reckoning
Everyone else had said good-bye, and only the four of them remained. He watched as Tean ruffled Aeric's hair and lightly punched him on the arm with a "May the force be with you." Then his brother turned to Brennik and, in his usual dramatic way, tipped her backward over one knee before planting a loud, wet kiss directly on her mouth.
Sethya hoped Tean was being careful; the half shirt she'd taken in deference to her injury showed off the angry red welt circling her waist, a souvenir of her "Girls Day Out". He was surprised when Brennik laughed and pushed his brother away. Pretending to be crestfallen, Tean waved and sauntered up the ramp.
He began to follow his clown of a brother, when his name was called in her lyrical voice. "Hey, Sethya." He turned to see Brennik smiling at him, moisture in her eyes. "Don't come back with any more holes than you're supposed to have."
He tried to remain distant, but something inside of him broke and despite his order to the contrary, a smile escaped. He couldn't hold it in check as unfamiliar warmth spread throughout his chest. "I'll see what I can do."
A look of wonder assailed her features, and she stared openly at him, as if she was trying to memorize each facet of him. "Are you sure you have to leave now? You should recuperate some more."
"I am healed, and I have contracts to honor."
"What about the bounty?"
He would normally tell her to mind her own business, he could handle it. Instead, he found himself reassuring her. "The people I work with make more money from my deliveries than from a simple bounty. As for the bounty hunters, they can be dealt with."
Instinctively, he knew she wanted to remind him of the last time he "handled" the bounty hunters, but to her credit, she merely nodded with understanding. She lifted a hand towards him, but he would never know what her intentions had been.
Abruptly she froze in mid-motion, horror and panic filling her eyes. Her feet disappeared, then her shins, her knees, her thighs. Slowly she faded before him, a warped version of his nightmare come to life, and all Sethya could do was watch as she was taken from him.
"Dad," Aeric called over his comms, breathless and shaking. "Brennik just disappeared."
"She's probably upset about the boys leaving. Go check the Terrace."
"No, Dad. She was standing here talking to Sethya when she got all stiff and slowly vanished a dench at a time-- from the ground up."
Violent, untranslatable cursing flew through the comms, filling the hanger and echoing off the walls. Sethya couldn't understand the words, but he wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment.
"Commander," Sethya interrupted, using Aeric's comms. "I think I can help. I know of this technology."
"You and your brother meet me on Command."
"Yes sir," he replied, instinctively reverting to Soldier Mode. Anger recoiled throughout him and he tried to harness that, shoving the consuming fear aside. Letting his emotions have free rein would only get her killed. He wasn't going to let that happen again.
----------------------------------------
Everyone was present except Pilot, and he watched the proceedings through the clamshell. It felt strange, giving away Peacekeeper information, but he ignored any misgivings for Brennik's sake and began. "Before I… departed… the Peacekeepers, my group had been briefed for an undercover detail to infiltrate a breakaway group known as Groelesh. They are mercenaries and consider themselves freedom fighters. They have a technology known as 'Placement Disrupters' that allow you to move an object short distances at a molecular level."
"Short distances," D'Argo observed. "So she is nearby?"
"Yes, probably on a ship. They couldn't have taken her to a planet; even that distance is too great."
"What's to stop them from taking any of the rest of us?" Chiana asked.
"I can handle that," Tean assured. "I know a way to block the transmission, maybe fool it if we wanted to send something back. If we overload a pulse chamber, it would explode upon reconstitution."
"No!" barked Sethya and John.
"We don't want to hurt Brennik," Crichton said. "Is there any way to trace where they've taken her?"
Tean was already at one of the consoles working. "I'll see what I can do. Pilot, are you detecting any anomalies in this sector?"
"No, but there is a small asteroid field nearby."
"They are hiding in there," Sethya assured. "It's the perfect cover for them. Commander, they have no reason to take Brennik. They hate the Peacekeepers. If they think they want her, the Groelesh would do everything in their power to keep her out of Peacekeeper hands, just to spite them."
"Everybody wants a taste of wormhole technology, Seth. Never underestimate someone's ability or determination to build a new weapon."
"I have located a ship," Pilot interrupted.
"Get 'em on the phone," instructed John.
A few microts later an older, scarred, Sebacean male filled the viewscreen. D'Argo wasted no time with pleasantries. "I am Ka D'Argo, captain of Moya. You have taken one of my crewmembers. I demand her immediate return."
"I'm sorry, Captain; your request cannot be fulfilled. We are on a recovery mission and have seized delinquent merchandise."
"She's not property!" John yelled.
"Officer Aeryn Sun, slave identification 54839256. She signed her rights to us twenty-three cycles ago. We have been very generous, but she has breached her contract and her return is…"
"You moron!" John yelled. "Have you bothered to look at who you've taken? You've got my damn daughter and if you don't give her back I will come over there and get her! And trust me; you don't want me to pay you a visit."
D'Argo and Chiana were earnestly shaking their heads [i]no[/i]. "You [i]really[/i] don't want that to happen," Chiana emphasized.
"Letchner," Aeryn interrupted, hobbling into view for the first time.
"Ahhhh, Officer Sun. So we do have the wrong prisoner. We will be willing to conduct an even trade, you for your daughter."
"You bastard!" John exclaimed.
"It was you this whole time, wasn't it?" Aeryn asked.
"You entered into a lifelong blood oath, Officer Sun, and then you defected."
"I kept my oath of secrecy."
"We made sure you did. It took us a while to find you and arrange for your placement, but as you can see, we are very diligent. You were lucky, Aeryn." John growled at the familiarity, but was ignored. "I spared your life, and I even let you retain your son. As you know, most others are not so fortunate."
"Yes, I was lucky to have you for a friend, wasn't I?" Aeryn asked sarcastically.
"I don't give a damn about your blood oaths or your contracts. You're not getting my wife, and if you don't return my daughter- I'm going to come get her. So get your ass in gear, flip the switch on your etch-a-sketch, and send her back!"
"That is not possible."
"Then get the appetizers ready pal, 'cause you're having dinner guests tonight."
Pilot ended the transmission and everyone looked at each other. "So," Crichton asked D'Argo, "got a plan?"
"Take Lo'Laan, disable their ship, dock, retrieve Brennik, leave."
"Simple, straightforward, and destined to fail. I'm in." John turned to Aeryn. "What is this guy's next move?"
"I don't know. I only remember his face and name. I bluffed the rest."
"Well, for once it's not me the creepy bad guys are after. Tean, how're you comin' on that Disruptor disruptor?"
"Almost finished… there. They will not be able to take anyone else, as long as they're on Moya."
"We'll have to take out that toy," Chiana observed. "I don't want to be trapped on Moya from now on. No offense Pilot."
"None taken."
"Agreed. Rescue Brennik, destroy disruptor," D'Argo clarified.
"Fine," John said. "Seth and I will get Brennik. Chiana and D'Ago, you go for the hardware."
"I'm going too," Aeryn insisted.
"Like hell you are, you're not getting anywhere near that madman." When Aeryn's eyes narrowed to slits, the nervousness emanating from Chiana and D'Argo was palpable. "Besides," clarified John, clearing his throat, "we need someone to stay here and watch Aeric and Tean."
"I'm not helpless," Tean mumbled, but at the look on John's face began backpedaling. "But, I'm going to be busy with adjustments. Also, I might be able to jam a few of their frequencies, but I'll need someone to watch my back."
"Please, Aeryn," John begged. "Just this once. It's you he wants, and I don't want to walk in and hand you to him." He had slowly walked to her, lacing her fingers with his before placing his forehead gently against hers. "Besides, you'll slow us down. We'll be able to get in and out a lot faster without having to worry about your ankle. I'll make it up to you. I promise. Please." The room collectively held their breath, waiting for her answer.
"You'd better hurry," she finally relented, but everyone knew the only thing stopping her from going after her daughter was her injury.
Relieved, he kissed her quickly before following D'Argo, Chiana and Sethya out of command to Lo'La.
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"Their ship consists of three tiers," Sethya briefed them as D'Argo piloted Lo'La away from Moya. "The top is Command and quarters. The middle is their docking bay and where they house their fleet of prowlers. The bottom is Maintenance, Medical and the Displacement Chamber. They have a crew of roughly thirty, twenty of which are soldiers."
"Twenty Aeryns? We're screwed," John said.
"Yeah, we are. Here come two of them now," Chiana announced.
D'Argo spit on the controls as John climbed into the co-pilot seat. "After twenty cycles, you'd think we'd come up with a better way of doing this," John complained, placing his hands on the slime and taking over piloting duties.
"It works. Now quit complaining and hold still," D'Argo said from behind the targeting visor.
Something was terribly wrong. The two prowlers flew at them firing, but their pilots were either inept, or untrained. D'Argo easily compensated for their evasive maneuvers and in five microts, both ships had been disabled.
"Did anybody else think that was too easy! That was too easy, don't ya think? Where are the other eighteen?" Chiana asked nervously.
The question hung in the air, accentuating the silence as the four of them watched their prey emerge from the asteroids on the viewer before them. To John, it looked liked a giant yellow Twinkie. "Where's the cream filling?" he asked no-one in particular.
Used to being ignored, he was surprised when Chiana smacked her lips. "Hezmana, but those were good."
"Rygel stuffed himself on them," D'Argo reminisced.
"Rygel stuffed himself on everything," John reminded them.
"Yeah, but you weren't there when he brought all fifty of them back up on the Secret Service guy's shoes," Chiana chuckled.
John grimaced at the visual, but his attention was quickly diverted as D'Argo docked Lo'La in the ship's hanger.
"This is too easy," Chiana murmured. "It never goes easy for us. We never should have been able to land like that."
"Something is definitely wrong," Sethya agreed.
"Well, all we can do is go with the plan, like we always do. It's always a trap. Nothing changes," John observed.
Chiana and D'Argo, used to this as the normal mode of operations, nodded. Sethya, wondering what kind of frelled up group he had managed to throw in with, agreed more reluctantly.
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When the ramp to Lo'La lowered, D'Argo and Chiana stood on one side of the door, John and Sethya on the other. "How many are there?" John asked.
D'Argo peeked out, ducking pulse blasts that flew over his head, hitting the wall opposite the door. "Eight," he answered.
"That's it? Where are the other ten?" John shouted above the noise of weapon fire.
"They probably felt two to one was pretty good odds," Sethya answered dryly.
"The odds are never this good," Chiana declared. "Too easy."
"I'm sure they'll be coming out of the woodwork once we get past these guys. Let's get this over with," John hollered.
"Cover me!" Sethya called. Before anyone could stop him, he charged past Crichton and down the ramp with a pulse pistol in each hand, firing with precision as he ran.
D'Argo with his Qualta Blade and John with Winnona fired from the doorway, trying to divert the attention from the charging commando. The battle lasted only a hundred microts before all eight soldiers lay on the ground, and an eerie silence descended on the docking bay.
"Ten down," Sethya said coldly as he holstered his left pistol. The click of the weapon returning home echoed throughout the bay.
"What the HELL were you thinking?!" John fumed.
"I thought you wanted results."
"Keep your kamikaze tactics for when you're alone; we can't afford to lose anybody right now," John ordered. "Now, grab a uniform and start changing."
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His mom was grumbling. He'd never heard her do that before and it made him a little nervous. This whole frelling situation made him nervous. Always, she was the patient one, bearing their afflictions in silence, knowing that any other reaction would make the situation worse. But now, as she hobbled around command following Tean's instructions, he heard a definite mumbling. "…frelling useless broken ankle…" drifted over to him and he decided to stay out of her way. Ever since returning to Moya, she'd been radically unpredictable, and in her mood, he had no idea what she would do next.
"Officer Sun," a concerned voice interrupted her ranting.
"Yes, Pilot?"
"I have detected intruders aboard, eleven to be precise. They are en route to Command."
"Frell!" she glared at Tean accusingly. "I thought you fixed it."
"I said they couldn't take anyone." He threw up his hands defensively. "Sending someone over is a frelling new feature, they couldn't do that before."
"Well, we're going to have to find a way to hold them off until the others return."
"Mom," Aeric said pointing up, "through the vents." One eyebrow raised, telling him she wanted to know where he'd gotten the idea, but now was not the time to explain.
Aeric and Tean pushed a table under the access shaft, and Tean helped Aeryn onto the table before climbing on himself. "Let me go first," Aeric said and Tean boosted him high enough for the boy to push the grate aside and lift himself into the vent. Leaning out as far as he dared, he reached for his mother, who was being lifted by Tean.
The man briefly worried about the location of his hand, knowing that if Crichton were to find out he'd had a handful of Aeryn's eema, that hand could possibly be crushed, but he pushed his concerns aside. This was different. Right? Between Tean pushing, Aeryn lifting herself, and Aeric pulling, she was in the vent beside her son quickly.
Footsteps could be heard pounding closer as Tean jumped, barely grabbing hold of the edge. Aeric and Aeryn grabbed his wrists and began to pull, but the door to Command opened before they had lifted Tean completely inside. The man's legs still hung from the ceiling, but all three froze in terror, hoping that if they were silent enough the intruders would not look up.
The cadence of marching footsteps purposely stomping became louder as three rows of three soldiers emerged, with one trailing behind. Letchner followed his small army into the room and Aeryn, suddenly hit with a wave of violent anger, forced herself to stay in place quietly hiding. She swore to herself that before this was over, she was going to make sure that man paid for twenty years of humiliation and suffering. This was the man who had ripped away her past, her personality, her family and friends. This one man had taken everything away from her because she'd rejected him.
She remembered now. She was going to make sure he would never forget.
Slowly, cautiously, silently, they inched Tean higher and higher until he was able to lift his legs into the small space they were cramped into. All three breathed a collective grateful sigh, stopping for a moment to let themselves calm down.
Aeric motioned for the two adults to follow him and he began to lead them through the small tunnel, hoping he could remember his way through the dark maze. When they had traveled far enough to not be heard, he heard his mother behind him ask the question he'd hoped to avoid.
"Do I even want to know how you know your way through here?"
"No," was his simple response. He refused to turn and meet his mother's gaze, but he heard the implied "later" in the pregnant silence. [i]I tried Dad. Sorry[/i].
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Sethya had forgotten how restricting the black helmets could be, and he was beginning to feel a touch claustrophobic. But the disguise had enabled them to get close enough for him to Pantak Jab two techs so far, so he didn't dare remove it. He and John were systematically checking all doors through the lone corridor.
He was concerned. So far, there was no sign of any more soldiers. He found himself agreeing with Chiana. This was too easy.
The two men quickly developed a system. One would throw the door open and jump out of the way, while the other covered with potential firepower. Door after door, they slowly made their way down the corridor. Finally, at the last entrance, John jumped out of the way to reveal a Medical facility. A quick scan showed the room empty, and Sethya was beginning to think they would have to search the upper tier, when a small movement caught his eye.
In a far corner, strapped to a cage-like metal table lay Brennik, apparently unconscious. A visceral growl emanated from John, surprising Sethya with its ferocity. John was at Brennik's side in half a microt, tearing at the restraints. He'd lost all reason, and in his haste he was clumsy with the fasteners.
In all the time he'd spent with Crichton, he'd never seen him lose control like this, and he found it frightening. He only had a moment to wonder what had set him off (Brennik appeared to be unhurt) when the man, in his frustration, aimed his pulse pistol at the fasteners.
"Wait!" Sethya cried, throwing himself over the woman. "We can do this. Hold on a microt." He waited a moment, trying to picture John's face behind the dark helmet. What was going on in the older man's mind? Finally, the weapon lowered slightly.
"Hurry up."
Sethya pushed various buttons and levers on the side of the table, getting frustrated himself. About to resort to his own pulse pistol, he finally found the right combination and the metal straps fell away from her body with a light click. He wanted to reach for her, but John beat him to it.
The older man lifted his daughter into his arms, but before he could take two steps, the seemingly unconscious woman began to fight. As John struggled to restrain but not hurt her, she managed to elbow her father in the gut and was dropped to the floor.
She jumped to her feet and turned on Sethya. "Stop it, Brennik, you're going to hurt yourself." To his shock, she kicked him in the stomach with so much force, not only did he lose all ability to breathe, but he found himself flying to the floor. "I see you've been training," he wheezed from the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. "Good."
She turned back to her father, ready to continue the fight, only to find he'd taken off his helmet. Finally, recognition set in. "Dad!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. "I knew you'd come for me."
Her bear hug was almost as damaging as a hit would have been, but John braced himself and spared a moment to let the feel of her arms remind him of where he was, and who he was with.
"Yeah, good to see you too," Sethya said sarcastically as he picked himself off the floor, removing his helmet. He was hit by a wall that must have been her body and found himself stumbling backwards. This woman hugged too much. They needed to get moving and she was wasting time. His arms around her waist had nothing to do with it. She pulled far enough back to look him in the eye.
"I thought you had contracts to honor."
"I do, and you're making me late," he accused. He never intended to kiss her, but the instant the quick touch was over, he realized he'd made a serious mistake. That fleeting connection was going to haunt him. So was the look on her father's face. Grabbing her hand, he began following John out of the room and nearly ran into the man's back when he stopped abruptly.
A med tech had entered the room and stared at them in shock. John lunged for the woman, but before she was tackled, she managed to hit a large red button on a control panel near the door. As she dropped from the Pantak Jab, a piercing alarm blasted from a central sound system. The lights began flashing an annoying red, yellow, red, yellow and every door slammed shut. The sharp snap of countless synchronized locks clicking into place at the same time momentarily drowned out the loud call to arms.
"Frell." At least all three of them could agree on something.
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Chiana and D'Argo silently searched room after room of their corridor, looking for the device described to them by Sethya. D'Argo had his Qualta Blade drawn and ready, Chiana followed with a pulse rifle that was almost as big as she was slung over her shoulder. Her long grey coat floated out behind her as she darted from entrance to entrance, silent and graceful.
They had immobilized two techs, but had encountered no further resistance. The ship felt deserted, and Chiana had a bad feeling about the ease of their movements. It was almost as if the Groelesh didn't care that a group of invaders were running around free on their ship. What didn't the ragtag group know?
After the tenth door, they found themselves in a large room filled with ammunition and weapons. "The armory," D'Argo declared.
Chiana's eyes grew wide. "Aeryn would love this place!" She began stowing items into her coat, specifically made for procuring. D'Argo gave her a reproving look. "Hey, these will come in handy," she defended herself. "Besides, Aeryn would kill for one of those Tralaxian hand darts. C'mon, D'Argo, these people owe her… and us. Her life wasn't the only one ripped apart when they stole her." She selected as many items as she could carry, several intended as gifts for her friend. As a professional thief, the number of items she was able to store was impressive.
"Chiana, let's go!" D'Argo urged impatiently.
"Just one more," she said, eyeing a small silver ball hanging on a chain from a hook. She jumped to reach it but missed. "D'Argo, give me a boost." Before D'Argo could reach her, she jumped one last time. Her fingers grasped the ball and as she landed, the chain ripped the hook from the wall.
A loud, piercing alarm screeched through a central sound system. The lights began flashing an annoying red, yellow, red, yellow and a loud bang shouted the slamming of every door they'd left open in their search. Countless locks activated simultaneously.
D'Argo glared at her accusingly. She stared at the device in her hand. "Dren!"
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