John and D'Argo were in command discussing their new traveling companion.
Aeryn came in with Chiana on her heels.
Chiana: Are you sure you should be leaving him alone with those two?
Aeryn: Stark is helping with the pain and Noranti used her powders to help him sleep.
John stood up and turned toward them.
John: Obvious question number one.are you sure he is your father?
Aeryn: After what Xhalax tried to do to me on Valldon, I wasn't going to just take his word for it. I had genetic testing done and just to be sure, Jool is going to run them again here.
John nodded.
D'Argo: Right, Chiana.
Chiana: No, I want to stay.
D'Argo took her by the arm.
Aeryn: It is all right D'Argo. She can stay I think we all need to discuss this.
Aeryn moved across command and sat down. John sat across from her.
Chiana climbed on the corner of the table and sat down. D'Argo stood by the console with his arms crossed.
Aeryn: I don't know where to begin.
D'Argo: How did you find him?
Aeryn: I didn't. He found me. Quite by accident but once he realized who I was he asked me to stay with his group.
John: His group?
Aeryn: Talyn was the leader of the renegade peacekeepers.
Chiana: The ones you left here to find.
Aeryn looked up at her.
Aeryn: I wasn't really looking for them. I just needed an excuse to.
She looked at John.
John: To run away from me.
He smiled slightly when she nodded.
D'Argo: What made him sick?
Aeryn: I don't know. He was ill when I joined him.
John: Aeryn, what happened with the Hokothians? My spidey sense is telling me that Ullom and your bout with the flu had something to do with Talyn.
Aeryn pushed her hair behind her ears.
Aeryn: When Talyn found me the renegades were in route to Hokothia. They were contacted by the leader of the resistance asking for help in their uprising against the Prime Hokothian.
Chiana: There were enough peacekeepers to fight a civil war?
Aeryn: No but there were techs among them.
John: They gave them peacekeeper weapons.
She nodded.
Aeryn: In order to avoid Ullom and his centuries, the resistance had built a city about a 500 metras below the planet surface. It was incredible what they managed to accomplish. The entrance was so well hidden the centuries never even got close. There were 1000 men, women and children living there.
She got a distant look in her eyes.
John: Aeryn, when you were confronting Ullom you said that the Prime had a lot of people killed. Have anything to do with the settlement?
She looked at John.
Aeryn: They attacked from the surface with as much firepower as they could, collapsing the structure that encased them. They didn't stand a chance. Everyone who was there died. The opening was sealed so even if they didn't die in the explosions.
D'Argo: They suffocated trying to get out.
John: I don't understand how did they find the settlement? From what you described that had to have been down there for cycles before you arrived.
Aeryn: I didn't know the answer to that until Ullom found me here.
Chiana: I don't get it.
Aeryn: The few members of the resistance who survived wanted revenge on the Prime Hokothian. They were planning to storm his palace and kill him. So Talyn sent me and two others along but they were expecting us. We managed to kill the Prime Hokothian but not before we were hit with the biochemical weapon. The Hokothians died helping us escape the palace.
John: So there was a spy amongst the Hokothians.
Aeryn: Not the Hokothians.
John sat up straight and looked at her.
John: Aeryn, who did you tell about Moya?
She looked at him then Chiana and D'Argo without saying a word.
D'Argo: Your father betrayed you?!
She looked toward the view screen.
Aeryn: I didn't know who did until Ullom showed up here looking for me. He knew to find me on Moya and knew about my symptoms. There was only one person who could have told him.
Chiana: So what the frell is he doing here? Why do you care if he lives or dies?
Aeryn: I don't.
John: Aeryn.
John touched her hand.
Aeryn: He betrayed the Hokothians for profit. He wanted the currency and played both sides against each other. To make sure he didn't get found out, he sent me to make sure the only Hokothians who could have betrayed his treachery.
John: The Prime and Ullom.
Aeryn: Yes. Were killed but he had to cover himself encase the coup failed.
Chiana: So he told them you were coming?
She nodded.
D'Argo: Why did you bring him here?
Her eyes scanned all their faces.
Aeryn: Don't you see, Talyn thinks he got away with it. He thinks there is no one alive who knows what he did. I am his daughter naturally I would never doubt that his intentions were anything but honorable.
John: What do you plan on doing?
Aeryn: Just before he takes his last breath I am going to make sure that he knows I know what he did to those people and what he tried to do to me. I want him to take that with him when he goes.
Noranti: (voice over com) Aeryn, Talyn wishes to see you.
She stood up slowly and moved toward the door.
John: Aeryn.
The three of them stared at her back. She stopped in her tracks.
Aeryn: He knew.
She turned back toward them.
Aeryn: (voice void of emotion) He knew about the baby when he sent me to the palace.
She turned back toward the door. John stood up and moved toward her.
John: When Ullom showed up here you held a pulse pistol to your head and were ready to die. Was that to protect Talyn?
Aeryn: (turning quickly) No! It was you, D'Argo and the others. I knew what Ullom was capable of. He had to understand that you all had nothing to do with it and that I would kill myself before I would let him use you to get to me.
Chiana: Why didn't you just tell him it was Talyn? He would have went after him.
Aeryn: And the others with him would get caught in the crossfire trying to protect him.
John stepped to her. He looked in her eyes. No one spoke a word.
Pilot: Aeryn, Noranti is requesting your presence in Talyn's chambers.
Aeryn: I am on my way.
She touched John's cheek and walked out.
John: (speaking just above a whisper) Bastard.
********
D'Argo was standing in command staring out at the stars. The ship was quiet except for DRDs buzzing about. John walked in. He was tucking in his t-shirt.
John: Hey Dee.
D'Argo: You couldn't sleep either?
He shook his head. He slid onto the table and put his feet up on the bench.
John: I can't stop thinking about what Aeryn told us.
D'Argo went over and sat beside him.
D'Argo: When Jothee betrayed me with Chiana, I felt a pain like none I have felt since my wife died. I can't even imagine what Aeryn is feeling knowing that her father would see her and her child dead rather than risk being found out.
John: It is taking all I have not to put a pulse blast right between his eyes myself.
D'Argo: Are we really going to let her go through with this?
John: What can we do to stop her and do we have the right? Anyway I have tried to talk to her.
D'Argo: May be it is not her we need to talk to.
John looked at him.
**********
As D'Argo and John approached Talyn's chambers, they could hear Stark chanting. They stood in the doorway watching him with Talyn.
John: Stark.
Stark replaced his mask and moved toward the door.
John: How is he?
Stark: Not much longer.
He started to walk out.
D'Argo: Where are you going?
Stark: Aeryn ask me to bring her when he was close to crossing over.
John took his arm.
John: Hold off on that. We want to talk to him first.
Stark: But.
D'Argo leaned into him.
D'Argo: Do as we ask. We will take the responsibility.
Stark looked at Talyn then at them. He nodded and left the three men alone.
Talyn's voice was weak but demanding.
Talyn: I want to see Aeryn.
John: People in hell want ice water.
Talyn looked at them.
Talyn: Why do you keep her away from me? I am her father.
D'Argo: Didn't stop you from trying to kill her.
Talyn lifted his head off the pillow.
Talyn: What?!
John: Didn't think anyone would figure it out, did you? You tried to send your own daughter and grandchild to their deaths and when that didn't work.
D'Argo: You sent Ullom after her to finish the job.
Talyn tried to get out of bed.
Talyn: You don't know what you are talking about.
He fell to his knees.
Talyn: Aeryn.
John: Don't bother. Coms are muted. My wife needs the rest.
Talyn looked up at them. He sat with his back leaning against the bed.
Talyn: How did you know?
John: We didn't.
His eyes had genuine sadness in them when he realized it was Aeryn who figured out the truth.
Talyn: Aeryn?
D'Argo: Does that bother you? Knowing that your child knows what a coward you are.
Talyn: I tried to warn her.
John: You sent her knowing that they were waiting.
D'Argo got between Talyn and John.
Talyn: I have to explain. You have to let me see her.
D'Argo: We have a better idea.
John went over and picked up Talyn's bag.
John: You know a while ago Aeryn got stabbed nearly died because of damage to her peripheral nerve. Her first instinct was to get in her prowler and fly off alone and wait for death to take her.
John was holding Talyn's jacket.
Talyn: She wants me here. She has forgiven me my weakness.
D'Argo pulled him off the floor and sat him on the bed.
D'Argo: May be but.
John: We haven't. You didn't live your life with any dignity or courage. We thought may be you would like to claim a little in death.
He walked over and dropped the bag onto the floor in front of Talyn.
Talyn: Leave without saying goodbye to her.
John: It is not the first time.
D'Argo: For your sake, it will be the last.
Talyn: You have to listen to my side of things.
John snatched him up by the collar.
John: You don't have a side. You almost killed her and my son. If I didn't know death was standing beside you, there would be a hole in your chest where your cold, black heart is barely beating.
D'Argo: John don't.
He pulled him off. Talyn fell back to the bed.
Talyn: Do you think I wanted her to die? She is my only child. Peacekeepers stole her from me once. Seeing her again was more than I could have ever hoped for but there was the bigger picture to look at. Aeryn would understand. She is a strategist just like I am.
John: She is nothing like you!
Pilot: Commander, the transport pod is ready and has been supplied.
John: Thank you Pilot.
D'Argo: Your transportation is ready.
Talyn: I can't leave without saying goodbye to her.
John: I think you can.
D'Argo: I know you can.
Talyn stood up slowly.
Talyn: What makes you think she will not come after me?
John: You have no idea who Aeryn is.
D'Argo: Don't worry about Aeryn. We will take care of her.
They ushered Talyn and his bag to the bay. Talyn stepped up on to the transport pod. He looked back at John and D'Argo.
Talyn: I never meant for any of that to happen. I had made the deal with the Prime before I ever met Aeryn.
D'Argo: We will tell her that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That should ease her disappointment.
John stared at Talyn for a microt. He stepped toward the pod.
John: I am only glad that she doesn't ever have to see you again and I will make sure that she forgets that you ever crossed her path.
Talyn stared into John's eyes. He said nothing. He boarded the transport pod.
D'Argo: Pilot, track him. Make sure he does not try to return to Arnessk or Moya.
Pilot: Understood.
John and D'Argo backed away as the pod lifted off the pad.
D'Argo: Aeryn is going to be furious.
John: Yeah.
John turned on his heels and walked out. D'Argo waited until the pod was gone and Moya's bay doors were closed.
Chiana: Are you sure you should be leaving him alone with those two?
Aeryn: Stark is helping with the pain and Noranti used her powders to help him sleep.
John stood up and turned toward them.
John: Obvious question number one.are you sure he is your father?
Aeryn: After what Xhalax tried to do to me on Valldon, I wasn't going to just take his word for it. I had genetic testing done and just to be sure, Jool is going to run them again here.
John nodded.
D'Argo: Right, Chiana.
Chiana: No, I want to stay.
D'Argo took her by the arm.
Aeryn: It is all right D'Argo. She can stay I think we all need to discuss this.
Aeryn moved across command and sat down. John sat across from her.
Chiana climbed on the corner of the table and sat down. D'Argo stood by the console with his arms crossed.
Aeryn: I don't know where to begin.
D'Argo: How did you find him?
Aeryn: I didn't. He found me. Quite by accident but once he realized who I was he asked me to stay with his group.
John: His group?
Aeryn: Talyn was the leader of the renegade peacekeepers.
Chiana: The ones you left here to find.
Aeryn looked up at her.
Aeryn: I wasn't really looking for them. I just needed an excuse to.
She looked at John.
John: To run away from me.
He smiled slightly when she nodded.
D'Argo: What made him sick?
Aeryn: I don't know. He was ill when I joined him.
John: Aeryn, what happened with the Hokothians? My spidey sense is telling me that Ullom and your bout with the flu had something to do with Talyn.
Aeryn pushed her hair behind her ears.
Aeryn: When Talyn found me the renegades were in route to Hokothia. They were contacted by the leader of the resistance asking for help in their uprising against the Prime Hokothian.
Chiana: There were enough peacekeepers to fight a civil war?
Aeryn: No but there were techs among them.
John: They gave them peacekeeper weapons.
She nodded.
Aeryn: In order to avoid Ullom and his centuries, the resistance had built a city about a 500 metras below the planet surface. It was incredible what they managed to accomplish. The entrance was so well hidden the centuries never even got close. There were 1000 men, women and children living there.
She got a distant look in her eyes.
John: Aeryn, when you were confronting Ullom you said that the Prime had a lot of people killed. Have anything to do with the settlement?
She looked at John.
Aeryn: They attacked from the surface with as much firepower as they could, collapsing the structure that encased them. They didn't stand a chance. Everyone who was there died. The opening was sealed so even if they didn't die in the explosions.
D'Argo: They suffocated trying to get out.
John: I don't understand how did they find the settlement? From what you described that had to have been down there for cycles before you arrived.
Aeryn: I didn't know the answer to that until Ullom found me here.
Chiana: I don't get it.
Aeryn: The few members of the resistance who survived wanted revenge on the Prime Hokothian. They were planning to storm his palace and kill him. So Talyn sent me and two others along but they were expecting us. We managed to kill the Prime Hokothian but not before we were hit with the biochemical weapon. The Hokothians died helping us escape the palace.
John: So there was a spy amongst the Hokothians.
Aeryn: Not the Hokothians.
John sat up straight and looked at her.
John: Aeryn, who did you tell about Moya?
She looked at him then Chiana and D'Argo without saying a word.
D'Argo: Your father betrayed you?!
She looked toward the view screen.
Aeryn: I didn't know who did until Ullom showed up here looking for me. He knew to find me on Moya and knew about my symptoms. There was only one person who could have told him.
Chiana: So what the frell is he doing here? Why do you care if he lives or dies?
Aeryn: I don't.
John: Aeryn.
John touched her hand.
Aeryn: He betrayed the Hokothians for profit. He wanted the currency and played both sides against each other. To make sure he didn't get found out, he sent me to make sure the only Hokothians who could have betrayed his treachery.
John: The Prime and Ullom.
Aeryn: Yes. Were killed but he had to cover himself encase the coup failed.
Chiana: So he told them you were coming?
She nodded.
D'Argo: Why did you bring him here?
Her eyes scanned all their faces.
Aeryn: Don't you see, Talyn thinks he got away with it. He thinks there is no one alive who knows what he did. I am his daughter naturally I would never doubt that his intentions were anything but honorable.
John: What do you plan on doing?
Aeryn: Just before he takes his last breath I am going to make sure that he knows I know what he did to those people and what he tried to do to me. I want him to take that with him when he goes.
Noranti: (voice over com) Aeryn, Talyn wishes to see you.
She stood up slowly and moved toward the door.
John: Aeryn.
The three of them stared at her back. She stopped in her tracks.
Aeryn: He knew.
She turned back toward them.
Aeryn: (voice void of emotion) He knew about the baby when he sent me to the palace.
She turned back toward the door. John stood up and moved toward her.
John: When Ullom showed up here you held a pulse pistol to your head and were ready to die. Was that to protect Talyn?
Aeryn: (turning quickly) No! It was you, D'Argo and the others. I knew what Ullom was capable of. He had to understand that you all had nothing to do with it and that I would kill myself before I would let him use you to get to me.
Chiana: Why didn't you just tell him it was Talyn? He would have went after him.
Aeryn: And the others with him would get caught in the crossfire trying to protect him.
John stepped to her. He looked in her eyes. No one spoke a word.
Pilot: Aeryn, Noranti is requesting your presence in Talyn's chambers.
Aeryn: I am on my way.
She touched John's cheek and walked out.
John: (speaking just above a whisper) Bastard.
********
D'Argo was standing in command staring out at the stars. The ship was quiet except for DRDs buzzing about. John walked in. He was tucking in his t-shirt.
John: Hey Dee.
D'Argo: You couldn't sleep either?
He shook his head. He slid onto the table and put his feet up on the bench.
John: I can't stop thinking about what Aeryn told us.
D'Argo went over and sat beside him.
D'Argo: When Jothee betrayed me with Chiana, I felt a pain like none I have felt since my wife died. I can't even imagine what Aeryn is feeling knowing that her father would see her and her child dead rather than risk being found out.
John: It is taking all I have not to put a pulse blast right between his eyes myself.
D'Argo: Are we really going to let her go through with this?
John: What can we do to stop her and do we have the right? Anyway I have tried to talk to her.
D'Argo: May be it is not her we need to talk to.
John looked at him.
**********
As D'Argo and John approached Talyn's chambers, they could hear Stark chanting. They stood in the doorway watching him with Talyn.
John: Stark.
Stark replaced his mask and moved toward the door.
John: How is he?
Stark: Not much longer.
He started to walk out.
D'Argo: Where are you going?
Stark: Aeryn ask me to bring her when he was close to crossing over.
John took his arm.
John: Hold off on that. We want to talk to him first.
Stark: But.
D'Argo leaned into him.
D'Argo: Do as we ask. We will take the responsibility.
Stark looked at Talyn then at them. He nodded and left the three men alone.
Talyn's voice was weak but demanding.
Talyn: I want to see Aeryn.
John: People in hell want ice water.
Talyn looked at them.
Talyn: Why do you keep her away from me? I am her father.
D'Argo: Didn't stop you from trying to kill her.
Talyn lifted his head off the pillow.
Talyn: What?!
John: Didn't think anyone would figure it out, did you? You tried to send your own daughter and grandchild to their deaths and when that didn't work.
D'Argo: You sent Ullom after her to finish the job.
Talyn tried to get out of bed.
Talyn: You don't know what you are talking about.
He fell to his knees.
Talyn: Aeryn.
John: Don't bother. Coms are muted. My wife needs the rest.
Talyn looked up at them. He sat with his back leaning against the bed.
Talyn: How did you know?
John: We didn't.
His eyes had genuine sadness in them when he realized it was Aeryn who figured out the truth.
Talyn: Aeryn?
D'Argo: Does that bother you? Knowing that your child knows what a coward you are.
Talyn: I tried to warn her.
John: You sent her knowing that they were waiting.
D'Argo got between Talyn and John.
Talyn: I have to explain. You have to let me see her.
D'Argo: We have a better idea.
John went over and picked up Talyn's bag.
John: You know a while ago Aeryn got stabbed nearly died because of damage to her peripheral nerve. Her first instinct was to get in her prowler and fly off alone and wait for death to take her.
John was holding Talyn's jacket.
Talyn: She wants me here. She has forgiven me my weakness.
D'Argo pulled him off the floor and sat him on the bed.
D'Argo: May be but.
John: We haven't. You didn't live your life with any dignity or courage. We thought may be you would like to claim a little in death.
He walked over and dropped the bag onto the floor in front of Talyn.
Talyn: Leave without saying goodbye to her.
John: It is not the first time.
D'Argo: For your sake, it will be the last.
Talyn: You have to listen to my side of things.
John snatched him up by the collar.
John: You don't have a side. You almost killed her and my son. If I didn't know death was standing beside you, there would be a hole in your chest where your cold, black heart is barely beating.
D'Argo: John don't.
He pulled him off. Talyn fell back to the bed.
Talyn: Do you think I wanted her to die? She is my only child. Peacekeepers stole her from me once. Seeing her again was more than I could have ever hoped for but there was the bigger picture to look at. Aeryn would understand. She is a strategist just like I am.
John: She is nothing like you!
Pilot: Commander, the transport pod is ready and has been supplied.
John: Thank you Pilot.
D'Argo: Your transportation is ready.
Talyn: I can't leave without saying goodbye to her.
John: I think you can.
D'Argo: I know you can.
Talyn stood up slowly.
Talyn: What makes you think she will not come after me?
John: You have no idea who Aeryn is.
D'Argo: Don't worry about Aeryn. We will take care of her.
They ushered Talyn and his bag to the bay. Talyn stepped up on to the transport pod. He looked back at John and D'Argo.
Talyn: I never meant for any of that to happen. I had made the deal with the Prime before I ever met Aeryn.
D'Argo: We will tell her that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That should ease her disappointment.
John stared at Talyn for a microt. He stepped toward the pod.
John: I am only glad that she doesn't ever have to see you again and I will make sure that she forgets that you ever crossed her path.
Talyn stared into John's eyes. He said nothing. He boarded the transport pod.
D'Argo: Pilot, track him. Make sure he does not try to return to Arnessk or Moya.
Pilot: Understood.
John and D'Argo backed away as the pod lifted off the pad.
D'Argo: Aeryn is going to be furious.
John: Yeah.
John turned on his heels and walked out. D'Argo waited until the pod was gone and Moya's bay doors were closed.