"I'm going."
"Lara, you can't, because it's too—"
"I DON'T CARE. D, this is my PARENTS. I don't care how dangerous it is, I AM GOING!!!!!!! THAT'S FINAL!"
Solaris's words didn't seem to register in Chiana's head, for the blind Nebari still looked dumbfounded, her arm hooked with D'Argo's while all three of them strode down the East Corridor, "Lari, you can't just go out there, face Scorpius! You could get killed! The frell with your parents!!!!!!! Isn't it better to stay alive?"
Decked out in a black flight suit, fitted to her stature, the mousy brunette turned to her friend and shook her head, lips tightly pursed, "No, not for me it isn't. Pilot? How far away are we from the Command Carrier?"
"The Command Carrier is pursuing us at a rapid speed, but the wormhole ahead of us is blocking their scans," replied Pilot from his chamber.
"Ok, here's what you need to do.... Pilot, steer Moya to an enroute with the last place my parents were at the time of their deaths."
"That would be on the planet Qujaga. Officer Crichton, if I may..."
Solaris sighed, "Frell, not you too...."
"Solaris, you've become a valuable member of this ship, and Moya and I feel that it is necessary to remind you of the consequences of your actions as they may happen."
Stuffing her hands into the flight suit's black gloves and latching them in place, she sighed, annoyed, "Spare me the theatrics, Pilot. I'm doing this, alright? And nothing that you, Chiana, D'Argo, Grandma, Stark, hell, even Sparky, has got to say will ever change my mind!!!!!!!! Now will you all QUIT FUSSING OVER ME like I am a CHILD and GET MOVING!!!!!!!!!!" Frustrated, she faced D'Argo, "D, I need you to stay in the Lo'Laan, in case I run into something I can't handle and I need your help in weaseling my ass out. Pip," she turned next to the pale Nebari, who blinked with her unseeing eyes, "if you could give me some of the good ol' white magic and see my future, it would be reassuring to see me pull out of this one alive."
Chiana blinked, "I can't see anything right now...." She concentrated, squinting her eyes hard with any surge of power she could muster. Then, one by one, they followed.... "You're going to make it out alive but.... something's wrong...... that time, that place...... it's different....." a piercing wail erupted from her lips, "OH FRELL!!!!!!!! UGH!" The pain had hit her right behind the eyes, shattering her world into a blinding flash of agony, "D'Argo, I can't......" The pain too much, the Nebari collapsed in her lover's arms and gasped.
Solaris instantly took up Chiana's left side and crouched down to her friend, holding her slightly and brushing the wisps of hair out of her eyes, "C'mon Pip, don't crap out on us yet, ok? Last a bit.... a bit longer, ok? Thank you for what you said... D'Argo, take care of her...." She stood suddenly, and pressed forward. Maybe it was for the best that she left them there, without them coming along; then again, maybe it was a bad idea, who really knew?
All she knew was that she had a job to do, and nothing was getting in the way of that, and her parents.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Prowler's controls were now second nature to her hands, as she booted up the computer and positioned herself into the cockpit. After all, her mother's Prowler was hers now, along with her father's module, and now that she had the know-how to operate them both, it made things all that much easier.
She flipped a few switches in seemingly random order, never knowing exactly what they were for, and then seconds later, knowing their exact purpose. "Pilot, open the hangar doors."
"Solaris, I must ask you again—"
"Not going to happen. Listen, Pilot, if it were Moya, wouldn't you go back in time to save her? If you knew she was going to die, would you save her?"
"I do not see how this is relevant to the matter—"
"But it is. Tell me Pilot, if you were in my place and it was Moya, wouldn't you save her? Doesn't she mean THAT MUCH to you?"
The Human-Sebaceanoid could hear the pause in Pilot's voice before he answered truthfully, "Of course I would."
"Then open the hangar doors."
"Are you telling us that you want to go out there and get yourself killed while you take Aeryn's Prowler?" inquired the uppity voice of Rygel, apparently hearing every minute of this over the comm. system.
"Spanky, how many times do I have to tell you to STOP INTERRUPTING ME?"
"Are you a frelling she-witch, Solaris? You're going to use OUR BEST SHIP to go run a beggar boy's job?"
Now her patience was wearing thin, "Buckwheat, man, buddy, SHUT UP. I'm tired, cranky, I have a half billion sums and equations running through my head, along with two entire DATA SYSTEMS that are simultaneously downloading stuff into my head, and you're telling me that I'M USING THE WRONG SHIP!?!??!?!?!!"
"You might as well be killing us for taking the Prowler. Why not John's metallic pile of dren here on Moya?"
"Because that module's the only thing that can lead me to my parents, and YOU, RYGEL, should count your lucky stars, Buckwheat. Count them DAY AND NIGHT until I get back because when I do, there's gonna be hell to pay if YOU DON'T STOP TALKING."
Apparently, that did the trick, and Rygel never peeped again.
"PILOT. THE. DOORS."
"Yes, Officer Crichton," with a few flicks of his tentacles in his Den, Pilot manually and mentally opened the doors of the hangar bay, the creaking, rusting doors jarring slightly against the rest of the hull.
Without another word, Solaris engaged the thrust and began to shoot out of the bay, mouthing only a few words before she left, "I'm sorry..... and thank you, everyone...."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Solaris's goal was the Command Carrier, the flagship of Scorpius's navy, the crown jewel of his fleet. As the Prowler sped backwards away from Moya, it was no surprise that the gigantic metallic vessel was going at breakneck speed, an improvement from its usual, slower gait. Manuvering her craft, Solaris was able to bring it into a slow glide in front of the ship, and, quickly, flipped a manual switch she had installed long ago, a simple identification device to shield the real signature of the ship, and engage another.
"This is Officer Rythor Yatan of the Matthias Regiment to the unknown Prowler. State your rank and regiment," came a voice over the comm. system, deep and stiff, soldier-like, "State your designation and intention, or your situation will be compromised."
She was ready for him, "This is Lieutenant Talia Macros of the Armandi Regiment. I have business with the Peacekeeper known as Scorpius."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sir, the unidentified Prowler is unlike any I've ever seen before. It has been modified in various places, including weapons," replied Officer Rythor, adjusting his headset microphone; his stoic and rigid manner apparent as he simultaneously kept his fear in check.
Scorpius looked out at the vessel in front of him on the clamshell, studying the sleeker, more aerodynamic design of this new Prowler, "Do you know where it came from?"
"No Sir, it was moving too fast for us to track its path. It could have come from in front of us or behind us."
The half Scarran contemplated this and smirked arrogantly, his face a twisted mass of cloth and putty white skin, "Did the craft identify itself?"
"Yes, the craft is piloted by a Lieutenant Talia Macros of the Armandi Regiment."
Smacking his lips, the maniac grinned in delight, "Officer, do you know what the Armandi Regiment is?"
"I........ uh....... no, Sir."
"It was the first regiment to stand against the Scarrans in the Scarran- Sabacean War a millennia ago. Armed to the teeth and yet they still fell. It was a miraculous fight, and an even more wonderful victory for them, because at that point in time, the Sebaceans were not Peacekeepers. They were primitive, emotional........ weak."
"Sir, I don't understand. Then who is this Lieutenant? Surely not a survivor of the war...."
Scropius grinned even wider until it looked more like a grimace, and placed a hand on his Communications officer, "No, surely not. Interesting..... Do you think that this might be the half human hybrid, the 'Light of Hope'? Yes, hope indeed...." his grip became firm and taut, "What do you think, Officer?"
By now the circulation from the vessel in his neck was slowing with the pressure, "I...... ah, yes, yes I think so, Sir. Of course Sir, you're completely right!"
"Good." With a harder grip and a twist of his wrist, Scorpius wrenched the vessel out of the young man's neck, and hissed, "Never forget that as it follows you to your grave."
Rythor squirmed and writhed as if he was set aflame, screaming and howling at the top of his lungs as crimson red blood splashed and sprayed everywhere; blood seeping onto the floor and forming a pool. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as his red and black jumpsuit was covered from the hemorrhaging. Then, suddenly, his screams quieted, and his body ceased to move, lifeless.
His commanding officer looked smug, "Sadly, good help is hard to find these days." Passing by the navigator at his post, who cowered at his approach, Scorpius addressed him, "Get that mess cleaned up, and I want a new Communications officer as soon as possible."
"Y-y-y-yes sir, but....."
"BUT WHAT!??!?!" In the blink of an eye, the half-Scarran looked upon him with bloodlust.
"S-s-s-sir... what about the vessel?"
"Ah yes, the modified Prowler..... let it pass through, and we shall see what the future holds with young Solaris. She may be of use to me yet...."
~*A/N:*~ I'm a woman of my word. Here's my part of the bargain for DSP! LOL! Next chapter will probably follow this one, because I want to get the ball rolling on this story.... finish it soon.... and hopefully I will be able to soon.
"Lara, you can't, because it's too—"
"I DON'T CARE. D, this is my PARENTS. I don't care how dangerous it is, I AM GOING!!!!!!! THAT'S FINAL!"
Solaris's words didn't seem to register in Chiana's head, for the blind Nebari still looked dumbfounded, her arm hooked with D'Argo's while all three of them strode down the East Corridor, "Lari, you can't just go out there, face Scorpius! You could get killed! The frell with your parents!!!!!!! Isn't it better to stay alive?"
Decked out in a black flight suit, fitted to her stature, the mousy brunette turned to her friend and shook her head, lips tightly pursed, "No, not for me it isn't. Pilot? How far away are we from the Command Carrier?"
"The Command Carrier is pursuing us at a rapid speed, but the wormhole ahead of us is blocking their scans," replied Pilot from his chamber.
"Ok, here's what you need to do.... Pilot, steer Moya to an enroute with the last place my parents were at the time of their deaths."
"That would be on the planet Qujaga. Officer Crichton, if I may..."
Solaris sighed, "Frell, not you too...."
"Solaris, you've become a valuable member of this ship, and Moya and I feel that it is necessary to remind you of the consequences of your actions as they may happen."
Stuffing her hands into the flight suit's black gloves and latching them in place, she sighed, annoyed, "Spare me the theatrics, Pilot. I'm doing this, alright? And nothing that you, Chiana, D'Argo, Grandma, Stark, hell, even Sparky, has got to say will ever change my mind!!!!!!!! Now will you all QUIT FUSSING OVER ME like I am a CHILD and GET MOVING!!!!!!!!!!" Frustrated, she faced D'Argo, "D, I need you to stay in the Lo'Laan, in case I run into something I can't handle and I need your help in weaseling my ass out. Pip," she turned next to the pale Nebari, who blinked with her unseeing eyes, "if you could give me some of the good ol' white magic and see my future, it would be reassuring to see me pull out of this one alive."
Chiana blinked, "I can't see anything right now...." She concentrated, squinting her eyes hard with any surge of power she could muster. Then, one by one, they followed.... "You're going to make it out alive but.... something's wrong...... that time, that place...... it's different....." a piercing wail erupted from her lips, "OH FRELL!!!!!!!! UGH!" The pain had hit her right behind the eyes, shattering her world into a blinding flash of agony, "D'Argo, I can't......" The pain too much, the Nebari collapsed in her lover's arms and gasped.
Solaris instantly took up Chiana's left side and crouched down to her friend, holding her slightly and brushing the wisps of hair out of her eyes, "C'mon Pip, don't crap out on us yet, ok? Last a bit.... a bit longer, ok? Thank you for what you said... D'Argo, take care of her...." She stood suddenly, and pressed forward. Maybe it was for the best that she left them there, without them coming along; then again, maybe it was a bad idea, who really knew?
All she knew was that she had a job to do, and nothing was getting in the way of that, and her parents.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Prowler's controls were now second nature to her hands, as she booted up the computer and positioned herself into the cockpit. After all, her mother's Prowler was hers now, along with her father's module, and now that she had the know-how to operate them both, it made things all that much easier.
She flipped a few switches in seemingly random order, never knowing exactly what they were for, and then seconds later, knowing their exact purpose. "Pilot, open the hangar doors."
"Solaris, I must ask you again—"
"Not going to happen. Listen, Pilot, if it were Moya, wouldn't you go back in time to save her? If you knew she was going to die, would you save her?"
"I do not see how this is relevant to the matter—"
"But it is. Tell me Pilot, if you were in my place and it was Moya, wouldn't you save her? Doesn't she mean THAT MUCH to you?"
The Human-Sebaceanoid could hear the pause in Pilot's voice before he answered truthfully, "Of course I would."
"Then open the hangar doors."
"Are you telling us that you want to go out there and get yourself killed while you take Aeryn's Prowler?" inquired the uppity voice of Rygel, apparently hearing every minute of this over the comm. system.
"Spanky, how many times do I have to tell you to STOP INTERRUPTING ME?"
"Are you a frelling she-witch, Solaris? You're going to use OUR BEST SHIP to go run a beggar boy's job?"
Now her patience was wearing thin, "Buckwheat, man, buddy, SHUT UP. I'm tired, cranky, I have a half billion sums and equations running through my head, along with two entire DATA SYSTEMS that are simultaneously downloading stuff into my head, and you're telling me that I'M USING THE WRONG SHIP!?!??!?!?!!"
"You might as well be killing us for taking the Prowler. Why not John's metallic pile of dren here on Moya?"
"Because that module's the only thing that can lead me to my parents, and YOU, RYGEL, should count your lucky stars, Buckwheat. Count them DAY AND NIGHT until I get back because when I do, there's gonna be hell to pay if YOU DON'T STOP TALKING."
Apparently, that did the trick, and Rygel never peeped again.
"PILOT. THE. DOORS."
"Yes, Officer Crichton," with a few flicks of his tentacles in his Den, Pilot manually and mentally opened the doors of the hangar bay, the creaking, rusting doors jarring slightly against the rest of the hull.
Without another word, Solaris engaged the thrust and began to shoot out of the bay, mouthing only a few words before she left, "I'm sorry..... and thank you, everyone...."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Solaris's goal was the Command Carrier, the flagship of Scorpius's navy, the crown jewel of his fleet. As the Prowler sped backwards away from Moya, it was no surprise that the gigantic metallic vessel was going at breakneck speed, an improvement from its usual, slower gait. Manuvering her craft, Solaris was able to bring it into a slow glide in front of the ship, and, quickly, flipped a manual switch she had installed long ago, a simple identification device to shield the real signature of the ship, and engage another.
"This is Officer Rythor Yatan of the Matthias Regiment to the unknown Prowler. State your rank and regiment," came a voice over the comm. system, deep and stiff, soldier-like, "State your designation and intention, or your situation will be compromised."
She was ready for him, "This is Lieutenant Talia Macros of the Armandi Regiment. I have business with the Peacekeeper known as Scorpius."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sir, the unidentified Prowler is unlike any I've ever seen before. It has been modified in various places, including weapons," replied Officer Rythor, adjusting his headset microphone; his stoic and rigid manner apparent as he simultaneously kept his fear in check.
Scorpius looked out at the vessel in front of him on the clamshell, studying the sleeker, more aerodynamic design of this new Prowler, "Do you know where it came from?"
"No Sir, it was moving too fast for us to track its path. It could have come from in front of us or behind us."
The half Scarran contemplated this and smirked arrogantly, his face a twisted mass of cloth and putty white skin, "Did the craft identify itself?"
"Yes, the craft is piloted by a Lieutenant Talia Macros of the Armandi Regiment."
Smacking his lips, the maniac grinned in delight, "Officer, do you know what the Armandi Regiment is?"
"I........ uh....... no, Sir."
"It was the first regiment to stand against the Scarrans in the Scarran- Sabacean War a millennia ago. Armed to the teeth and yet they still fell. It was a miraculous fight, and an even more wonderful victory for them, because at that point in time, the Sebaceans were not Peacekeepers. They were primitive, emotional........ weak."
"Sir, I don't understand. Then who is this Lieutenant? Surely not a survivor of the war...."
Scropius grinned even wider until it looked more like a grimace, and placed a hand on his Communications officer, "No, surely not. Interesting..... Do you think that this might be the half human hybrid, the 'Light of Hope'? Yes, hope indeed...." his grip became firm and taut, "What do you think, Officer?"
By now the circulation from the vessel in his neck was slowing with the pressure, "I...... ah, yes, yes I think so, Sir. Of course Sir, you're completely right!"
"Good." With a harder grip and a twist of his wrist, Scorpius wrenched the vessel out of the young man's neck, and hissed, "Never forget that as it follows you to your grave."
Rythor squirmed and writhed as if he was set aflame, screaming and howling at the top of his lungs as crimson red blood splashed and sprayed everywhere; blood seeping onto the floor and forming a pool. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as his red and black jumpsuit was covered from the hemorrhaging. Then, suddenly, his screams quieted, and his body ceased to move, lifeless.
His commanding officer looked smug, "Sadly, good help is hard to find these days." Passing by the navigator at his post, who cowered at his approach, Scorpius addressed him, "Get that mess cleaned up, and I want a new Communications officer as soon as possible."
"Y-y-y-yes sir, but....."
"BUT WHAT!??!?!" In the blink of an eye, the half-Scarran looked upon him with bloodlust.
"S-s-s-sir... what about the vessel?"
"Ah yes, the modified Prowler..... let it pass through, and we shall see what the future holds with young Solaris. She may be of use to me yet...."
~*A/N:*~ I'm a woman of my word. Here's my part of the bargain for DSP! LOL! Next chapter will probably follow this one, because I want to get the ball rolling on this story.... finish it soon.... and hopefully I will be able to soon.