A Universe of Change: Realized Probability

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this. Sorry about the very large delay, but writing this chapter has been very tedious, anyway as always Read, Enjoy and Review please!

Summary: The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarran Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

Chapter 11

Countdown to whatever...

They rushed through the halls of Katratzi, D'argo leading the way while Sisko and Dax covered the rear.

As the rushed, Sisko wondered where they were going, they moved without being challenged, no Scarrans or Charrids stopped them and after a short time they reached their destination which turned out to be the elevator.

"Come on," Crichton urged them into the elevator, his pistol held at the ready and scanning for threats around them.

They all crowded into the elevator and Sisko saw a frustrated Sikozu fiddling with a panel. Drawing his phaser, Sisko turned around and stood next to Crichton.

Suddenly a male Kalish, run up to them.

Crichton and Sisko reacted instantly and turned their weapons towards the Kalish interloper.

The Kalish stopped mid stride and held his arms up in surrender, surprise and trepidation all over his face, "Wait...Wait".

"Wait, wait, wait!" screamed Sikozu from behind them. He pushed past them and reached out to the Kalish man.

"Here it is," he hands Sikozu a gold metallic key and smiles at her.

Sikozu smiles back, "Thank you-"

Pulse blasts suddenly sound in the air and the Kalish man jerks as he is hit the back multiple times.

Sikozu screamed and dived back into the elevator as Sisko and Crichton fired back before retreating back into the now very crowded elevator. The elevator door closed cutting them off from the approaching Scarran troops.

"Can you get it working now?" Crichton demanded.

Sikozu stepped to the console and inserted the key that had been given to her, she pressed a couple of buttons before saying,

"It'll take me a minute-"

"Then take us to the bottom of the shaft, the Crystherium chamber, they will not be able to reach us in another car, it'll buy us time," Scorpius explained quickly.

"Do it," Crichton said quickly.

Sisko remained silent but eyed Scorpius suspiciously for a moment. He was going to keep a close eye on him, especially after his last betrayal. He cast a quick glance around the elevator, Dax was behind him while he saw Chiana huddled up next to D'argo, Aeryn and Crichton on one side of the console with Sikozu at the controls and Scorpius behind her with one hand on her shoulder.

There was no sign of Rygel and Noranti.

"Where are Rygel and Noranti?" he asked in concern.

"Catch up already, they're free but cut off likeus," D'argo answered quickly. "If they can get to the real Stark, they'll probably have better chance at surviving this than us."

Sisko remained concerned but stayed silent.

They reached the Crystherium chamber without any other comments.

The doors opened and Scorpius quickly strode out the cramped elevator. Crichton and Aeryn quickly followed.

Sisko turned to Dax and jerked his head towards Sikozu, "Help her. I want to keep an eye on Scorpius."

Dax nodded and pulled out his tricorder and stepped up to Sikozu as Sisko left the left the elevator following in Scorpius'wake.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

On board the Command Carrier, Grayza was staring out a portal, gazing out at Katratzi though it was barely visible as a lightless brown rock hanging in the eternal darkness of space.

Braca came up behind her and reported gravely, "Ma'am, sensors detect weapons fire within the base. And communication intercepts indicate Scarran forces are in pursuit of Crichton and the others with orders to kill."

Grayza didn't move or react, "They must have deactivated the bomb."

"Then he's lost."

Grayza shook her head, "That is still in question," she pivoted suddenly on her foot to stare into Braca's eyes, "Go to battle stations."

"Ma'am?" Braca questioned in surprise.

"Crichton's warships will be nearby, they will call for help. And when the Earth ships get here we will need to protect ourselves from whatever comes," Grayza finished with a flourish.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Scorpius stood in among the tall green Crystherium plants surveying the room and seeing the objective he sought to destroy finally at his mercy. The Matriarch plant stood separate from the rest of the plants raised above them all on a dais.

He sneered and raised the Charrid pulse pistol he held in his arms and aimed it triumphantly at the matriarch plant on the dais.

He fired.

An invisible barrier sprang into existence around the plant protecting it.

No, Scorpius thought, he fired again and again. The barrier absorbed the blasts and the matriarch plant remained unharmed.

Finally he lowered the rifle, and murmured to himself, "Stark didn't know about it." His voice thundered into a harsh roar as he panted furiously and stomped toward the matriarch plant's raised altar.

"Stark didn't KNOW ABOUT IT! This must be a new addition by the Scarrans!" he raged angrily.

Scorpius turned around and saw D'argo, Aeryn and John standing at the top of the steps watching him intently. While the enigma named Sisko looked at him in contempt.

Crichton smirked, "He doesn't like to lose does he?" he remarked to the others.

"You need to destroy this plant?" Sisko asked in confusion, "It's that important?"

Crichton gestured to the large chamber made only to grow to the plant, "What do you think?"

"It will set the Scarrans back by three centuries in this sector!" exclaimed Scorpius angrily. "It must be destroyed!"

In response, Sisko pulled out his tricorder and scanned the barrier protecting the matriarch plant. After a few seconds he had the frequency of the shield. With his other hand he pulled out his phaser and quickly adjusted the setting and power.

Scorpius's enraged, cruel, calculating eyes watched Sisko intently.

Sisko pointed his phaser at the matriarch plant and fired.

The barrier glowed as the yellow beam pierced it and reached the plant. The Matriarch plant glowed for a moment before slowly disintegrating before their eyes.

"And we're done. What now?" Sisko asked as the other stared at him in shock.

Sisko stared around at the surprised and impressed faces. Inwardly he smiled but nothing was expressed on his face. Perhaps now they would think of him as something other than simple muscle in this mission of theirs.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Dax finished working on his tricorder, "That should do it. I've locked out their override, no matter what they do, they won't be able take control away of this elevator from us."

Sikozu stared at he Trill, impressed, "That is...impressive."

"Thanks, but why do we need control of an elevator?" Dax asked in confusion, "How's this going to help us?"

Sikozu answered the normal arrogant tone she used with almost everybody "This is not a normal elevator this is a Rabrokator, a drilling elevator."

Dax frowned, "A drilling elevator? So we're going to somehow use this to escape?"

She nodded, "We were going to drill to the surface then have D'argo's ship come pick us up."

Dax's yes narrowed, "I'm sensing a but here."

"I do not know if Crichton's plan will work, his plans are usually...different and unexpected."

Dax eyed Sikozu and opened his mouth to ask how different and unexpected were Crichton's plans but the return of others forestalled his line of questions.

"Sputnik, how's it coming along?" Crichton asked tersely.

"We have control of the Rabrokator and we can reach the surface in a matter of moments," she quickly answered positively.

Crichton blinked, "I think that its maybe getting a little chilly in hell now," he turned to face Aeryn and continued, "that's two things that have totally gone our way."

Aeryn just shrugged, "Statistical probability, it had to happen sometime."

"D, is Lo'la ready?" Crichton asked quickly.

"She should have finished her diagnostics by now, so...we'll find out." D'argo answered.

"That's good enough for me, all aboard for the express wankavator out of Scarren ville!" Crichton called out.

Author's notes: Hope you enjoyed this! Do not forget to Review!