See Part One for Disclaimers
~ 10 ~
"I think the Luxan spotted Kamar and his men when they circled to the front, Overlord."
"Frax!" Teurac spit out vehemently, sending a short burst of flame at the hapless soldier, who grimaced but bore it stoically. "And did you find out where the Delvian is?" he demanded.
"Yes, Sir. They were all given rooms together by the courtyard entrance."
Teurac hissed in satisfaction and turned to the officer at his side. "The Luxan will not leave her unprotected. Send two soldiers to kill whoever guards her and bring her to the rendezvous point. When we are all assembled, I will have the transport shuttle pick us up."
As he turned to lead his men toward the inn, he caught a flash of clothing behind a group of nearby bushes. Silently motioning his men to proceed forward, he circled back and pounced on the small figure that was huddled there.
"What are you doing here?" he growled, grabbing the youngster by his ragged shirt and holding him up to his eye level.
The boy whimpered and threw a thin, grubby arm across his face as if to ward off a blow.
"Spying for someone?" Teurac continued, giving him a rough shake. "Speak up or you'll get more than a slap."
The boy abruptly went limp and before Teurac could react, he suddenly found himself holding a filthy but empty shirt. He hissed and belched a spurt of fire in frustration, as his eyes darted around in search of its owner. But the sounds of fighting caught his attention and he turned on his heel, throwing down the rags in disgust as he moved off quickly toward the inn.
Darting forward, the young boy snatched up the shirt and pulled it on. He paused for a moment, staring at the inn, his dark eyes deep and older than time. Then, soundlessly, he was gone.
~ 11 ~
"Are you managing to find your way, Rygel?"
"As well as can be expected under less than acceptable circumstances," he grumbled querously.
Pilot continued to scan his monitors and viewscreens, paying particular attention to the one that tracked the progress of Rygel's hoverplatform through Dahlbred's interior corridors. "Dahlbred and Moya are grateful for your assistance."
"Well, it's not as if I had a choice," he retorted.
Piloted lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "You were not coerced. Neither Moya nor Dahlbred would be capable of forcing your help."
Rygel grimaced and snorted softly. "Then what the hex am I doing here?" he muttered to himself. He glanced down at the DRDs that were scurrying ahead, lighting the dark hallway. The floor was damp and he could smell an odd sharp odor and sense the tension in the air. As Dahlbred shuddered again, he suddenly had an image of this majestic Leviathan writhing helplessly in pain, alone in space as both she and her baby lost their fight for life.
"Not if I can do anything about it," he said resolutely, straightening his shoulders and lifting his head. He pushed the speed control higher, moving his hoverplatform forward to catch up with the DRDs. "I may be self-centered but I'm not heartless."
~ 12 ~
Aeryn fired rapidly, covering D'Argo as he broke off to circle around to the back. The Sheyang's returned the fire, and by the movement of their rifle bursts, she could tell they were splitting up to try and pin her against the inn's wall. Throwing herself to the ground, she rolled until she was behind the low wall of the courtyard fountain. She froze for a moment and heard the scuttling sounds of the soldiers advancing forward. Jerking up, she fired as they passed her, hitting three of them, and then dove quickly into the fountain as the other two spun around and spit a firey blast at her.
The two soldiers paused, and in the silence that followed, they lowered their weapons and turned to stare stupidly at each other. The officer leading them had been shot and without direct orders, they were unsure of what to do. They glanced back at the fountain, puzzled to see no sign of the Sebacean female.
"Not all species tolerate water," one of them ventured hopefully.
But before the other could answer, Aeryn erupted out of the fountain and threw herself between them. Startled, they turned toward each other, automatically belching out fire as she flew by. Aeryn twisted in mid-air and landed on her back, watching in amazement as the two Sheyangs fell to the ground, scorched to death.
She laughed in disbelief as she pushed herself up. "And I thought there wasn't anything with less brains than a Sebacean Rock Slug."
The sudden quiet that descended over the courtyard made her scramble quickly to her feet. Snatching her rifle out of the water, she ran into the inn, her heart pounding in her chest as she sprinted down the hallway. She flew into John's room and came to an abrupt stop at the obvious signs of struggle in the empty room.
"No," she breathed, her voice suddenly tight. She walked quickly over to where D'Argo knelt by a dark stain on the floor.
"Sheyang blood," he said shortly, his voice a mixture of relief and surpressed rage.
She knelt beside him for a closer look, needing to reassure herself that he was right.
D'Argo glanced over at her and frowned slightly. "Why are you wet?"
Aeryn looked down at the puddle of water forming beneath her. "It's how I managed to kill two Sheyangs without even firing a shot." As D'Argo creased his brow in question, she looked him in the eye, her gaze steady. "It's a good story. I know John and Zhaan will enjoy hearing it when we find them."
D'Argo paused, a flash of understanding crossing his face for a brief moment before it was replaced with grim determination. "Then let's not keep them waiting," he growled, as he surged to his feet. Aeryn nodded, and together they strode out of the room.
~ 13 ~
"Pilot?"
"Is something wrong?" Pilot asked quickly, swiveling his head to look closely at Rygel's comm link indicator on the monitor. At the same time he mentally touched on his contact with Moya, noting she was anxious but not alarmed. "Are you lost?"
"No, the DRD's are lighting the way. It's just that...." Rygel grunted and looked warily at the darkness around him. "It's strange to be in an empty ship." For a moment he flashed on the broken ruins of the Zelbinion's interior and his heart began beating faster as a surge of panic washed over him.
Pilot's brow furrowed in concern as he noted the sharp spike of activity on the comm link charts that monitored Rygel's bio-functions. The Hynerian's levels were often high due to his propensity to be easily upset, but these were almost as high as when ....
"Moya, ask Dahlbred to engage illumination in Lower Tier Zed-Four through Zed-Nine," Pilot asked urgently.
Rygel breathed in relief as the hallways began to glow and shed light.
"Is that better?" Pilot asked, watching as Rygel's bio-functions slowly began to level out.
"That really wasn't necessary," he said snappishly. "I've survived worse than dark hallways."
"And it is to your credit, that you have," Pilot said calmly.
Rygle grunted in surprise at the comment. He continued following the DRDs who were now leading him through a narrow access corridor that led to the birth chamber. He swallowed nervously at the close space and closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to breath more calmly.
"Pilot?"
"I am here, Rygel."
He was silent for a moment, looking down at the Medallion of Office he wore. "While I was imprisoned, I was able to get others to do things for me. But they only did it out of respect for my title or the expectation of getting something in return."
"That is not uncommon behavior," Pilot commented. "I would imagine the same was true even when you were Dominar."
Rygel chuckled. "Very true, Pilot." He fingered the small comm unit pinned to his robe. "And what about you, Pilot?" he asked softly. "Do you respect my title or expect some reward?"
"Your title means nothing to me and neither do I personally require anything of you," came the clipped reply.
Rygel found himself smiling. No one had ever ventured to say anything so disrespectful to him. Or so comforting.
"That figures, you ungrateful Trelkez," he said gruffly. Suddenly he noticed the DRDs were gone. And just as he was about to contact Pilot, the corridor opened into a large room.
"Pilot, I think I'm here," he whispered, moving into the chamber.
"What do you see? How is the baby?"
"Not good," Rygel answered grimly, moving in closer.
The small Leviathan was tilted precariously in the tangled nutrient web, it's outer hull mottled and dull. The cords that were twisted around it, were dark and flaccid and those that were clear were straining with the effort to sustain the nutrient level. As Dahlbred groaned, the web tightened and the baby shuddered and shifted weakly.
"Can you tell what's wrong?" Pilot asked anxiously.
"Yes," he said heavily. "But we may be too late."
~ 14 ~
D'Argo repeatedly kicked the stone fountain as he spat out a string of Luxan curses, stopping only when he ran out of breath.
"So, did that make you feel better?" Aeryn asked, looking up from where she sat cleaning her pulse rifle.
He turned and growled, then limped over to sit next to her. "Sheyangs are nothing but looters. Why take hostages? It makes no sense."
Aeryn shrugged, shoving the parts of her rifle back into place with practiced ease. "It was obvious that they were here with a specific purpose in mind, not just their usual thievery."
D'Argo nodded. "The ones I killed were guarding the hallway. I didn't realize until I got into the room that they had been stalling me in order to give the others a chance to take Zhaan and Crichton."
"But as you say, why take Zhaan and Crichton hostage? They aren't important to anyone but us." Aeryn colored suddenly as D'Argo turned to stare at her. "I meant important as crewmembers...allies....shipmates...." Her voice trailed off as she ducked her head to make an unnecessary adjustment to her rifle.
"There is more to life than just fighting," he said softly.
Aeryn looked up to find D'Argo staring intently at her. "It's all I know," she said, her voice defensive and wistful at the same time.
"Is it all you want?"
She turned her head away, unwilling to let him see her pain, even for a moment. "I used to think so," she whispered.
D'Argo nodded in understanding. "I once dreamt of being a great warrior."
"It is an admirable dream," Aeryn commented, looking back at him.
"To be known only by your battles? To have your worth judged by the amount of death and destruction you create?"
"There is honor in victory....."
"There is also honor in being a warrior. But when there is no longer anyone to hate -- to wage war against -- what will be your purpose in life then?"
D'Argo watched as a flash of pain and confusion flickered in Aeryn's eyes. "Death is easy," he continued. "As soldiers we were both trained to accept it. The hard part, is choosing to live."
"When I didn't stay and accept my punishment from Crais .... when I escaped with you and Crichton....I felt like a ...coward," Aeryn said painfully.
D'Argo shook his head. "Choosing your own way, requires more bravery than facing an enemy in battle."
"You thought what I did was brave?" Aeryn asked incredulously.
"You stood up for Crichton, despite what you'd been taught and regardless of the consequences."
She blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably. "I still don't know why I did it," she muttered
Looking up, she saw an amused gleam in D'Argo's eyes. "What?" she demanded irritably.
But before he could respond, there was a sudden rustling sound. They both jumped to their feet, their weapons drawn, then relaxed as they saw a small raggedly dressed child facing them.
"You seek your fellow travelers," he stated in a voice that startled them with it's age and weariness. Looking closely, they realized they had been fooled by his youthful appearance.
"Who are you?" D'Argo asked, mesmerized by the ancient eyes that stared so knowingly at him.
"I am known as The Seeker," he answered. Tilting his head, he considered them both thoughtfully. "Your species are not yet ready, but I now understand what the Arbiter sees in you.
"When I gave her to your companion, I wasn't sure" he added, turning his gaze on Aeryn. "but she was adamant."
Aeryn blinked in stunned amazement. "You mean Daisy?"
"Daisy?" he repeated in a puzzled voice. He paused as he lightly touched on her mind. "Ah, yes," he said softly, giving her a smile. "The one you call Daisy."
"You called her an Arbiter," D'Argo said. "What does she sit in judgement on?"
"The potential of species," he answered.
~ 15 ~
"Are you in position, Rygel?"
"Almost," he grunted. He moved his hoverplatform closer to the baby, anchoring it to the nutrient web. "I'm ready now. Tell Dahlbred to slow down the nutrient flow as much as possible."
"I will pass that onto Moya." Pilot hands moved swiftly across the controls panel, his eyes darting back and forth between the two main viewscreens. He tilted his head as Moya hummed, then nodded in agreement. "Excellent idea Moya. Have Dahlbred reroute the nutrient flow to their Pilot instead so that he can regain consciousness. His assistance will be invaluable in this crisis."
"I'm going to start moving these dark cords," Rygel announced. He reached out and grabbed one but immediatly snatched his hand back with a gasp of pain. "Frax!"
"Rygel! What is it?"
"My hand," he moaned, looking at the blisters rapidly forming on his palm and fingers. "The frelling nutrient cords burned me!"
Pilot quickly pulled up two more monitors, his eyes widening in alarm as he scanned the information. "It is worse than I had initially thought. The cords that are tangled around the baby have degraded to the point of toxicity."
"You mean it's being poisoned?" Rygel exclaimed, his ears laid back in shock.
Dahlbred shuddered but this time the baby remained motionless.
*panic*panic*panic*panic*panic*panic*panic*
"Pilot! The baby! It's not moving anymore!"
*NO!*NO!*NO!*NO!*NO!*NO!*NO!*
~ 16 ~
"How is your shoulder, John?"
"Not bad," he gasped, hissing softly as he tried to move it. "But next time, stop me before I use a flying tackle on a Sheyang soldier."
"He did appear to have a center of gravity not unlike that of a boulder."
"And the brains of one," John added with a short laugh. "I still can't believe he took a swing at me with his sword while I was holding onto his legs."
"Yes, it was fortunate he ended up injuring only himself." She paused then began hesitantly, "I truly regret not using my Tenth Level ability to protect you, but when I put aside the ways of the Seek...."
"It's okay Zhaan. By tackling that soldier unarmed, I evidently rose a notch in their estimation and qualified for the Kill Later category versus the Kill Now." He moved slightly, then groaned sharply in pain as he jostled his shoulder against her back.
Zhaan shifted, grimacing as the cords that bound them together cut into her arms. Leaning back to rest her head against his, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the waves of pain coming from him. As she absorbed them, she felt John's body slump in relief.
"I still have the ability to heal. If you would allow me to join with you?" She felt him nod his head and as he relaxed, she slipped gently into unity with him.
John sighed as she moved into him, taking on his pain as she manipulated the muscles around his dislocated shoulder and eased it back into place. Her touch was light and cool and as she drifted back to herself, he felt a twinge of regret at her departure.
"Did you wish to stay in unity with me?" she asked, an edge of amusement in her voice.
"Not unless you wish to pull a Luxan Qualta blade from my lifeless body," he countered. "That is, assuming I survived the Sebacean head lock I know Aeryn would put on me."
Zhaan chuckled and leaned back against him. "They do have a tendency to be rather territorial in regard to us, don't they?"
"Territorial? That's one way of putting it," John said, grunting softly. "I've had women say they'd kick my ass if I stepped out of line, but this is the first one I've met who can literally do it."
"Aeryn is Sebacean, John. Do not judge her by human standards."
Something in the way she said it, made it sound like more of a warning than a comment. But before John could pursue it, his attention was caught by a soft, high pitched keening sound.
"Daisy?" he whispered in disbelief. He heard her chirp, then saw her dart into the cave and sprint toward him as fast as her short legs could carry her. "Hey, quiet down now," he said, trying to shush her as she clamored onto his leg, chattering worriedly.
"John, is that the creature you and Aeryn brought back from the bazaar?" Zhaan asked, trying to twist around to look over her shoulder.
"Yes, and I can't believe she came to us," he exclaimed. "When I had to leave her at the inn, I just assumed she'd run back to that little boy."
He smiled as he watched her sniff and touch their bindings. "It's too bad she can't read minds instead of just sense feelings. I could do the Lassie Thing and send her off for help...." John stopped and blinked. "Zhaan....you won't believe...."
"What? What is she doing?"
John grinned as he threw off the cords Daisy had bitten through. "Who needs Lassie?" he laughed, as he scooped her up and startled her with an enthusiastic kiss to the top of her head.
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