Part 5: Chance Meeting
She stood in the frigid morning shadows of the walkway at the top of the wall on a ruin building. Josef Tresoc stood down below, nearly fifteen motras away, at the base of the hill. The rebel made an easy target. The fact that he had been so aggressive to her in the past testified as to why she would take great pleasure in just simply shooting him. Aeryn Sun sat back just out of site. If she were going to find John, she would need help from someone she knew. Easing back into the window, she made her way to them.
Josef studied the terrain around him. They had heard the explosions earlier as they approached the rendezvous. He spotted a number of peacekeepers in the area when Chou had commed to inform him that contact had been made with the Lieutenant and her companion.
Josef motioned to halt. How long they would have to wait was another question. Everything was quiet until... The other officer's attention was drawn to a slight noise opposite them.
He whirled around as a voice hissed his name from behind. A pulse rifle and a set of cold gray eyes were pointed at him.Aeryn?!"
As she joined them, he had to ask. "What the frell are you doing here?"
"Hunting. Where is the Lieutenant Orin?" she countered back.
Josef didn't answer right away. Collecting himself. "Where you hear the explosions. Why are you back, Aeryn?"
"I am looking for my friend. He hasn't reported since landing here. Our ship had to starburst to keep the peacekeepers from detecting them." She explained patiently.
Josef's face darkened. "Crichton. He must be the unidentified male with the Lieutenant. Why do you waste your time with him?"
The slight smile left her face, her peacekeeper mask falling back into place. She answered coldly. "That is off topic, Tresoc. All I need you to do is to get me to the Lieutenant."
Reigning in his jealousy he snapped, "Yes, ma'am. There are too many peacekeepers around, and the rebels are on the move." He gave a hollow laugh. "The disrupter has set the Lieutenant up. To make it appear as if Orin is the traitor. The human's presence didn't help any when she was reported to be with him at the hostel. It was reported that they were found recreating, Aeryn."
Aeryn didn't fletch. She knew that John questioned her fidelity while she was gone, but still it did hurt. "Do you believe they are safe?"
"Yes, for the moment. " He surveyed their surrounding again. "We need to move."
Nodding she let him take the lead. A least John would be safe with the Lieutenant. When she gets her hands on John she would.. Aeryn fought to focus on surviving for that moment.
*************** Braca grew more impatient as the arns stretched out. The Commandant had gone back to the command carrier with the disrupter, and the acid rain had started again. The peacekeepers discovered how dangerous the rain was. Hitting the table Braca looked over at the officer. "Report!"
"The area has been completely searched. Orin and her group have eluded us again, Captain."
"What of the rains?" He walked around the room like a caged animal wanting to smash something or better yet -someone. Namely Crichton.
"The Commandant has ordered protective gear."
Stopping in front of the window, he gazed out at the scenery with distaste. He hated being planet bound. How was it possible for the human to evade them so efficiently? The thought that Scorpius had once warned him about underestimating Crichton was called to mind. Was he? Had he? Shaking his head, either way he was going to take great pleasure watching Crichton suffer.
***************************
Josef watched from their shelter as the last of the peacekeepers left the area. Unequipped to handle the acid rain they had to pull out for now. He glanced back at Aeryn sitting quietly, ever watchful. Why did it bother him so much to know she was here for the human? He had known she was going back to this John Crichton. It had hurt then and it hurt now. Disgusted with himself he growled out the order. "Lets go."
Aeryn looked over at him. She could feel his anger, but she had come to the realization that her path was with John. She looked at Josef as a friend, and she was sorry he couldn't accept that. Standing she moved out with the two men.
Josef motioned for the other officer to take point. He hung back and asked Aeryn. "Are you going back to Moya with him?"
"Yes," she said, moving with caution.
"We need you here!"
"No, you just think you do." She glanced over at him. "Accept it, Josef, and move on. I have."
He glared at her before moving up to take over the lead. Shaking her head sadly, she followed in silence wanting to get to John.
Josef came to an abrupt halt. Motioning with his hand, he pointed to the right and then to the left. Aeryn and the other rebel split up. They surrounded a woman kneeling down behind a collapsed wall. Aeryn pointed her pulse rifle, and ordered her on the ground. The figure turned quickly. Fear radiated from the woman. Her uniform coveralls had a bloody tear at one shoulder. Scratch marks marred her face and the side of her neck.
Josef and the other officer stood on a pile of rubble just above her. She turned at the command to submit. Looking around like a craze animal, she started to run. Shouting at her, Josef shot just in front of her. The woman froze.
Aeryn glared at Josef as she moved past him going to the woman. Aeryn could see her shaking, but the woman held her eyes forward as if she was waiting for them to kill her or . worse. Lowering her weapon Aeryn tried to talk to her in a calm voice. "Who are you?"
The woman swayed back and forward, ready to collapse. Josef draw closer. He snapped out. "Name? Rank?"
The woman turned to face him, eyes forward. "Ka'ner Myner.. I'm a tech with the." She collapsed before she could finish.
The other officer had moved to her side. He turned her over. "Sir, she was with the rebels. I know her."
Surveying the area Josef ordered. "Pick her up we need to get the frell out of here."
They made their way over to one of the abandoned buildings. Sitting the tech down, the officer took out medical supplies. Within microts, she opened her eyes, coughing. Looking around wildly she jerked into a sitting position. The officer drew her attention. "Ka'ner, it's all right."
She focused on his voice. "Marz Quin?"
"Yes. What happened? Where are the others?"
"Peacekeepers.and.and others." She said stammer out.
Aeryn squatted next to her. "What others?"
Turning her head she frowned as she tried to focus to see who this officer was. "Traitors.Scarrans.not peacekeepers but Sebaceans.I don't know. They met up with us as we tried to escape the peacekeepers. We ran into Lieutenant Orin. She tried.to warn us.then there were explosions.Peacekeepers came.I don't remember much after that. I just ran.I just ran." She broke down. Marz Quin lowered her back down as he continued to treat her wounds.
Aeryn stood up and faced Josef. He swore under his breath. "Frell."
He never knew what hit him.
She stood in the frigid morning shadows of the walkway at the top of the wall on a ruin building. Josef Tresoc stood down below, nearly fifteen motras away, at the base of the hill. The rebel made an easy target. The fact that he had been so aggressive to her in the past testified as to why she would take great pleasure in just simply shooting him. Aeryn Sun sat back just out of site. If she were going to find John, she would need help from someone she knew. Easing back into the window, she made her way to them.
Josef studied the terrain around him. They had heard the explosions earlier as they approached the rendezvous. He spotted a number of peacekeepers in the area when Chou had commed to inform him that contact had been made with the Lieutenant and her companion.
Josef motioned to halt. How long they would have to wait was another question. Everything was quiet until... The other officer's attention was drawn to a slight noise opposite them.
He whirled around as a voice hissed his name from behind. A pulse rifle and a set of cold gray eyes were pointed at him.Aeryn?!"
As she joined them, he had to ask. "What the frell are you doing here?"
"Hunting. Where is the Lieutenant Orin?" she countered back.
Josef didn't answer right away. Collecting himself. "Where you hear the explosions. Why are you back, Aeryn?"
"I am looking for my friend. He hasn't reported since landing here. Our ship had to starburst to keep the peacekeepers from detecting them." She explained patiently.
Josef's face darkened. "Crichton. He must be the unidentified male with the Lieutenant. Why do you waste your time with him?"
The slight smile left her face, her peacekeeper mask falling back into place. She answered coldly. "That is off topic, Tresoc. All I need you to do is to get me to the Lieutenant."
Reigning in his jealousy he snapped, "Yes, ma'am. There are too many peacekeepers around, and the rebels are on the move." He gave a hollow laugh. "The disrupter has set the Lieutenant up. To make it appear as if Orin is the traitor. The human's presence didn't help any when she was reported to be with him at the hostel. It was reported that they were found recreating, Aeryn."
Aeryn didn't fletch. She knew that John questioned her fidelity while she was gone, but still it did hurt. "Do you believe they are safe?"
"Yes, for the moment. " He surveyed their surrounding again. "We need to move."
Nodding she let him take the lead. A least John would be safe with the Lieutenant. When she gets her hands on John she would.. Aeryn fought to focus on surviving for that moment.
*************** Braca grew more impatient as the arns stretched out. The Commandant had gone back to the command carrier with the disrupter, and the acid rain had started again. The peacekeepers discovered how dangerous the rain was. Hitting the table Braca looked over at the officer. "Report!"
"The area has been completely searched. Orin and her group have eluded us again, Captain."
"What of the rains?" He walked around the room like a caged animal wanting to smash something or better yet -someone. Namely Crichton.
"The Commandant has ordered protective gear."
Stopping in front of the window, he gazed out at the scenery with distaste. He hated being planet bound. How was it possible for the human to evade them so efficiently? The thought that Scorpius had once warned him about underestimating Crichton was called to mind. Was he? Had he? Shaking his head, either way he was going to take great pleasure watching Crichton suffer.
***************************
Josef watched from their shelter as the last of the peacekeepers left the area. Unequipped to handle the acid rain they had to pull out for now. He glanced back at Aeryn sitting quietly, ever watchful. Why did it bother him so much to know she was here for the human? He had known she was going back to this John Crichton. It had hurt then and it hurt now. Disgusted with himself he growled out the order. "Lets go."
Aeryn looked over at him. She could feel his anger, but she had come to the realization that her path was with John. She looked at Josef as a friend, and she was sorry he couldn't accept that. Standing she moved out with the two men.
Josef motioned for the other officer to take point. He hung back and asked Aeryn. "Are you going back to Moya with him?"
"Yes," she said, moving with caution.
"We need you here!"
"No, you just think you do." She glanced over at him. "Accept it, Josef, and move on. I have."
He glared at her before moving up to take over the lead. Shaking her head sadly, she followed in silence wanting to get to John.
Josef came to an abrupt halt. Motioning with his hand, he pointed to the right and then to the left. Aeryn and the other rebel split up. They surrounded a woman kneeling down behind a collapsed wall. Aeryn pointed her pulse rifle, and ordered her on the ground. The figure turned quickly. Fear radiated from the woman. Her uniform coveralls had a bloody tear at one shoulder. Scratch marks marred her face and the side of her neck.
Josef and the other officer stood on a pile of rubble just above her. She turned at the command to submit. Looking around like a craze animal, she started to run. Shouting at her, Josef shot just in front of her. The woman froze.
Aeryn glared at Josef as she moved past him going to the woman. Aeryn could see her shaking, but the woman held her eyes forward as if she was waiting for them to kill her or . worse. Lowering her weapon Aeryn tried to talk to her in a calm voice. "Who are you?"
The woman swayed back and forward, ready to collapse. Josef draw closer. He snapped out. "Name? Rank?"
The woman turned to face him, eyes forward. "Ka'ner Myner.. I'm a tech with the." She collapsed before she could finish.
The other officer had moved to her side. He turned her over. "Sir, she was with the rebels. I know her."
Surveying the area Josef ordered. "Pick her up we need to get the frell out of here."
They made their way over to one of the abandoned buildings. Sitting the tech down, the officer took out medical supplies. Within microts, she opened her eyes, coughing. Looking around wildly she jerked into a sitting position. The officer drew her attention. "Ka'ner, it's all right."
She focused on his voice. "Marz Quin?"
"Yes. What happened? Where are the others?"
"Peacekeepers.and.and others." She said stammer out.
Aeryn squatted next to her. "What others?"
Turning her head she frowned as she tried to focus to see who this officer was. "Traitors.Scarrans.not peacekeepers but Sebaceans.I don't know. They met up with us as we tried to escape the peacekeepers. We ran into Lieutenant Orin. She tried.to warn us.then there were explosions.Peacekeepers came.I don't remember much after that. I just ran.I just ran." She broke down. Marz Quin lowered her back down as he continued to treat her wounds.
Aeryn stood up and faced Josef. He swore under his breath. "Frell."
He never knew what hit him.