Part Three: People like Us

Two Weekens Later...

John carefully tried to pry Chiana's arm from its death grip around his throat without waking her. Who knew she was a snuggler?

Rygel was snoring somewhere above him, suspended in his thronesled-- the same place he had spent his nights for the last two weekens, after he had pronounced with finality that Dominors did not sleep on the floor.

Things since the casino had not exactly improved. They had believed at first that Manes was simply after the bounty offered by Scorpius, that it had been yet to be revoked--but that wasn't the case at all. Grayza had wanted beacons for them at every single planet they had stopped at since.

They could go nowhere without being recognized, without being stalked. It seemed each new stop brought about new varieties of the aspiring bounty hunter--and it was getting tiresome. The only thing that kept most from trying to take them down on sight were the stories. John Crichton was known as dangerous and ruthless, and however valid most of the tales were it was probably the only reason they were all still alive.

They were on Tiran now, a small commerce planet constructed mostly of thieves--they had seen two wanted beacons for them here as well, but amongst the hundreds of wanted beacons scattered around the planet, they were nothing remarkable, and most of the locals were wanted too.

Still, to be on the safe side Rygel stayed within the transport as there was no mistaking him as anything but a Hynerian, and John and Chiana always ventured out with the hooded cloaks that seemed standard uniform for the residents. And never did they go out together. A Sebecean or a Nebari could go unnoticed alone, but together, they immediately brought about thoughts of John Crichton and his rag-tag crew.

At least Rygel, the devious little slime ball, had withheld a few thousand currency pledges of Chiana's winnings from Manes and his men. It was enough money to get them whatever food they needed, but not quite enough to waste on renting a room. Not that Crichton thought one of the rooms on this god forsaken planet would be all that much better than the transport pod anyway, all things considered, and he didn't think they would have stayed anywhere else even had they been able to afford it.

"Go back to sleep," Chiana demanded sleepily. "All your thinking is keeping me awake."

He grinned in the dark of the pod. "Just trying to decide what's next," he whispered.

"Why bother?" she asked as she pulled away and sat up. "When do things ever go like we want them to?"

"We still need a game plan," he said reasonably. "Even if chances are it will be shot all to hell."

"Game plan," Chiana echoed dubiously. "Why do I bother...?" Then she laid back down and fell to sleep.

John got to his feet and headed over to the pilot's console. He put his feet up on the controls and leaned back in thought. They had found no information on Chiana's brother or about the situation on Hyneria. They had been too busy trying to stay one step ahead of everyone looking to cash them in.

John was starting to worry that both goals were becoming lost causes, at least for the foreseeable future. They had thought that with Scorpius out of power the Peacekeepers would lose interest in them. But Grayza was offering more currency pledges than even Scorpius had, and the Scarrens were still out to get him as well.

If he thought it would help, he would disappear for their sakes. Leave his friends to their lives and hide out somewhere away from the limelight that loved him so much, a place the Peacekeepers would never find him. But it was too late for that, he knew--his friends were hunted just like him and whether they knew or not where he really was wouldn't stop Grayza from torturing them to find out.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Chiana shivering in her sleep behind him. He turned to glance at her, and then crept back over to lie back beside her, pulling his jacket over them both.

xxxxx

When next he woke, Chiana was no where in sight--and Rygel was across the room munching on food cubes and muttering to himself. John ran a hand over his eyes and pulled himself to his feet. "Where's Pip?" he asked, as he walked over to snatch a food cube from the Hynerian's hoard.

Rygel snapped at him but John was quicker, and he smiled as he took a bite of the food cube and lowered himself smugly across from him.

"She went out," he said snappishly.

John tensed. "When?"

"A couple arns ago."

"Frell, why didn't you wake me up? Something could have happened to her." John got to his feet and started looking around for the hooded cloak he had been wearing during their stay.

"She said to let you sleep because you haven't been lately," Rygel said dismissively. "And since you're relatively less annoying that way, I let you."

He pulled the cloak on and secured Winona in the holster at his thigh. "I'm going to find her."

Rygel laughed. "How? Everyone on this planet is wearing those cloaks. You'll never find her."

"Never say never," John muttered as he headed to the door. "If nothing else, Wonderland has taught me that."

He pulled the hood down over his eyes as he stepped out under the grey sky, and a group of people not far away immediately ceased all movement in favor of watching him. He tried to ignore their suspicious eyes as he started into the center of the city, heading for the small bar Chiana had mentioned a few days ago.

When he entered the wooden doors, he barely noticed the change from outside to in. The grey walls were the same bleak color as the sky, and the only lighting came from two small windows beside the doors. The bartender was not a species he recognized. Small glowing red eyes glared out from the shadows cast by his hood, and John nervously tore his gaze away.

Chiana had mentioned this was the nicest bar on the world, so he was glad he hadn't done any bar-hopping himself. He'd really hate to see the lesser ones.

He caught a flash of another shade of grey, lighter than the dreadful color shrouding this world, and slowly moved towards the source. He saw white teeth flash him a grin before he reached her and with an amused shake of his head he fell down in the seat beside her.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Having some fun," she said slyly, taking a sip of her Raslak. "We've been held up in that transport for almost a weeken."

"This is better?" he asked dubiously.

"No, but at least it's different."

"We shouldn't be together out here," he whispered back.

"I'm not the one that sat down next to you," she purred with a grin.

"If you want to leave Tiran, Chi, we'll find somewhere else to go."

Her smile disappeared. "What? Like we have options? We have nowhere to go, Crichton." She got to her feet and headed towards the exit, John right on her heels.

He grabbed her arm as they both flew out the doors. "Hey," he said. "Look--"

She pulled away. "Every time I think it's over," she said. "It's not."

He sighed. "Believe me, I know how you feel. But I don't know what to do to fix it.

"I just want to have fun, Crichton," Chiana said. "This--this is not fun."

Noticing the glances being cast their way John grabbed her hand and pulled her behind one of the buildings. "Chiana, I'm sorry."

"I'm never going to find him, Crichton," she told him, holding back tears. "I'm never going to have the chance. Nerri could be dead, and I'll never know. I've got every single frelling Peacekeeper in the universe after me--because of you. And I can't look for him. I can't lead them right to him."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered again, pulling her towards him.

She didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her head against his chest. "We're going to have to go to Arneesk early, aren't we?"

"Yeah," he said. "If we're being hunted they are too, we have to make sure they haven't been captured--and we're probably safer together."

Chiana laughed bitterly. "We're never safe. We never will be."

John couldn't disagree.

xxxxx

John toyed with one of the pieces of his chess set. Rygel and Chiana were on the other side of the transport, watching him occasionally, wondering how he was playing both sides at once.

"Check mate."

John winced, but refused to meet Harvey's eyes. Harvey didn't even have eyes, he thought angrily. He'd just got beat by someone that wasn't real.

Harvey came up beside him, one arm sliding over his shoulders as he sat down. John refused to look at him still, running one finger over his lips as he kept his eyes locked on the chessboard.

"This is not the only game you're losing," Harvey whispered.

John did not respond.

"Grayza does not want you as Scorpius did," he whispered. "She does not understand your worth, that's why she wants you. She wants to know why Crais and Scorpius were both obsessed with you, why the Scarrens hunt you now."

"Make a point," John thought at him irritably.

"You could make a deal with her, John. Save your friends. Save yourself."

John's eyes finally turned slightly in Harvey's direction. "Save...you?"

Harvey sighed. "You cannot run forever, John."

"I escaped Crais, I beat Scorpius. I beat you. I'm not always running."

"Yes you are," Harvey said slyly. "Sometimes you run away, sometimes towards them--but you have not stopped since you left your isolated little planet, and unless you change tactics, you never will."

John set the chessboard up again as Harvey slipped away.

"Crichton?" Chiana asked hesitantly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Pip," he said. "I'm fine."

She shared a concerned look with Rygel and then came and sat beside him. "Rygel agrees we should head to Arneesk. He says he can't risk the Peacekeepers coming after all of Hyneria if he does managed to retake his throne--and he thinks they might do it, if they thought they could get to you through him."

"Yeah," John said distractedly. "Peacekeepers are single-minded like that."

"We, ah--we have enough fuel to get us there, and food. There's no reason we shouldn't leave now."

John nodded. "Yeah, alright." He got up and moved the console. He could feel two pairs of eyes on him all the time.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Chiana asked.

John nodded as he prepared to take off, though he knew it did nothing to convince them. He had found over time it was best not to mention Harvey if he could help it. They didn't understand why he talked with him at all. Sometimes John didn't either.

"Because we're buddies!" Harvey shouted, pulling John into his world. "Abbot and Costello, Kirk and Spock!"

Harvey had little plastic Vulcan Ears taped to the sides of his black leather mask. John placed his head in his hands, wondering how his life had come to this. "That's me and D'Argo, Harv." He looked up and pointed at him, changing Harvey's costume to that of a giant rabbit. "You are Harvey. Now leave me alone."

John walked back into reality, and he noticed his little trip to HarveyLand had done nothing to erase the concern of his friends. He winced and then tried to smile. "Sit back and fasten your seatbelts, Lady and Slug, we're goin' to Arneesk."

xxxxx

"This is Jool's archeological marvel?" John asked in disbelief, walking carefully through the flooded hallway.

Behind him, Chiana held tight to a pulse pistol, watching his back. Rygel floated a safe distance behind them both, waiting for them to clear the way.

"Interons are odd," Chiana said in explanation. "They get excited by stuff like this."

John moved his flashlight ahead of him, illuminating an end to the hall. "Light at the end of the tunnel," he whispered.

Chiana cast him a glance, but said nothing. Together, the three exited into another hallway. This one was dry, and lit from the sunlight outside.

"Anybody home?" John called, tapping on one of the walls.

"John!"

Before he knew what had happened, a wall of Luxan had crashed into him and lifted him off the ground. Somewhere nearby he could hear Jool squealing.

"D'Argo, man," he said, his voice strained. "I can't breathe."

D'Argo placed him back on his feet with a smile, looking him over before turning to check Chiana and Rygel. "You made it," he said. "I had not expected you to come so quickly."

"We had not either," Rygel said wryly.

Chiana smiled sadly as Jool bounced happily beside her, grabbing for John's hand to say hello. "Yeah. Things got kind of bad. You didn't have the Peacekeepers after you?"

D'Argo shook his head. "My ship protected me. I have discovered some new...features."

Jool nodded. "And Pilot, Moya and I came straight to Arneesk after that...horrible wormhole incident."

John froze. "Whoa. What wormhole?" He walked over to her. "What happened?"

Jool frowned. "After D'Argo had gone, we were pulled into a wormhole, and then...we came out again." She shook her head, as if ridding herself of the thought. "But that's not important."

"Jool," John said pleadingly. "Indulge me. What happened? Where's Moya now?"

Jool bit her lip. "I don't know. You should ask the old woman."

"What old woman?" Chiana demanded.

Jool shrugged. "We found her wandering the corridors after you all had left, muttering to herself about how 'he must see.'" Jool giggled. "She's fahrbot, but she should be able to tell you what happened. She talked with Pilot."

"Where did she come from?" John asked with a frown.

"I think she was on that escape pod we rescued from the command carrier," she said. "I don't know. I guess she didn't get off with the rest. But enough about that! John, you have to see, oh, it's amazing!" She grabbed his hand and started leading him away. "Chiana, come on!"

Chiana followed wearily, not listening as Jool rambled on about the wonder of the world. She turned to watch D'Argo as he watched Jool and Crichton, wondering at the change in him. He seemed calmer somehow. Relaxed. It was disconcerting, and made all the worse because she was as tense as she had ever been.

Eventually they ended up outside. John sat down on a bench and started playing with the clasps on his boot as Jool started explaining about the priests that had lived here in the past, and Chiana dropped down beside him.

"Joolushko!" The four of them turned at the harsh voice to see an older Interon exit one of the tunnels. She glanced disdainfully at the new arrivals. "These must be the friends you talk so much of," she said dismissively, before returning her attention to Jool. "You're needed. Your Luxan may come to."

Chiana growled angrily and John had to grab her arm to keep her from going after the woman. "Your Luxan?" she snapped when the woman had gone. "Has she not learned his name?"

"Chiana, it's alright," D'Argo said, sounding remarkably calm. "We both know Interons have a bit of superiority complex."

Jool blushed and turned away, embarrassed by Vella's treatment of their friend. "John, you have to come with us--"

John looked up, and Chiana tugged pleadingly on his sleeve. He glanced at her. "Maybe next time, Jool. We're going to be here awhile, right? You two go."

Jool sighed but nodded. D'Argo smiled and followed after her.

They watched them go, and Chiana rested her head on his shoulder. "Must be something in the water," she said.

He turned towards her. "What?"

"Something's making them happy," she said. "It's creepy. You're miserable, aren't you, Crichton?"

"Yep."

"Good. Because we should be. I knew there was something wrong with them and not us." She glanced around. "Hey, where did Ryge go?"

John looked up. "Maybe he got lost in one of the tunnels." He sighed and got to his feet. "I'd better go look for him. I'll be right back."

Chiana nodded and looked up towards the sky once he had left. This was an odd kind of place, she decided. There was something off about it. She suddenly wished she'd been listening when Jool had been going on about magnetics. Something around her shifted, and she got a strange feeling that things were about to go horribly wrong. Again.

She got to her feet, but the world swirled around her and she stumbled, flashes ripped through her mind and she saw Scorpius panting on the ground, John tied to a stone alter with that tralk Grayza leaning over him, Jool and D'Argo behind an odd pattered set of bars...She screamed and tried to shake her head clear, wishing the images away and when the spinning stopped she grabbed onto the wall and looked for John.

She tried to call him back, but he was already gone. She had the worst feeling that she was too late to change anything again.

End Part Three.

Next Up: Part Four: Dodge City