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Written by: LeatherGirl
Archive: 9 July 2001
Summary: This is way too big to summarize. Read it and be entertained! And if you're familiar with my writing style, the title is more than enough to summarize this fanfic!
Rating: R for mainly strong language, a little sexual content, and some violence
Category: Drama/Action/Adventure
Spoilers: Everything up to Eat Me, S3.
Disclaimer: I wrote this fanfic purely for entertainment with no intentions of making a profit off of Farscape, Jim Henson Productions, Channel 9, and the amazing creators of this show or anybody else involved. When you have fun creating, money is no object. Ka'ru is a fictional character of my own creation. As for the many scientific impossibilities found in this fanfic, frell them because this is science FICTION after all!
Author's Note: This fanfic has to be the largest writing project I have ever challenged myself into producing. I actually felt further away from Farscape than I have been in the past when writing fan fiction, thus making it even more difficult to breathe life into the well-known characters. Real life issues also strayed me away from this fanfic, many of the issues dealing with inner struggle. I bring the final piece to you as my heart and soul. Please read it as a whole and respond with feedback. Even though completion and joy of writing is satisfying by itself, feedback is the ultimate satisfaction in order for me to truly see if my efforts paid off.
Thanks to the following beta-readers for helping me out: pkbarb, jilacosa, and johryn.
Special thanks to the creators of Farscape for a unique look into the world of a universe we may never know.
This story was somewhat inspired by Stephen King's latest novel, Dreamcatcher. If you loved The Stand, this one is even better!
John headed for the docking bay with Aeryn close behind. Her face was set in anger. John stopped as they reached the entrance of the docking bay and turned back to Aeryn. He grabbed onto her arms and pulled her to face him. Aeryn suddenly felt uncomfortable, not trusting her emotions. The last time she had gotten close with the human, they accomplished nothing but satisfying their...needs. Aeryn wriggled out of his grip and remained at a distance.
"You're not going out there. I'll render you unconscious if I have to." Aeryn charged. She stared into John's determined expression and shook her head. The human could be just as stubborn as she was.
"Aeryn, I have to do this. If I don't go out there, they'll find my home and destroy it. I can't let that happen...even if it means I never can return home." John reasoned, looking deep into Aeryn's anxious eyes. Aeryn shook her head.
"What ever happened to you?" Aeryn asked, that same look of disappointment shadowing her eyes once again. John felt a funny feeling begin to creep into his stomach.
"What do you mean?" John asked, stepping forward. Aeryn looked longingly into his face and let out a deep breath.
"From the moment I have met you, your ultimate goal in life was to return to your Earth. But if the sacrifices meant harming those you came to care for on Moya, you stepped down. Now...now you'll do anything for that chance to go home...anything. You'll even leave us without a second thought. Why?" Aeryn questioned.
"Aeryn...oh baby...I...I know I've been obsessed. It's just that the wormhole knowledge has been at the tip of my tongue since the surgery. I know it's in there and if I can just grasp it...maybe then I can create a wormhole. And no, Aeryn, I wouldn't even think of abandoning you or the others. Once I figure out how to control the final destination of a wormhole, I plan on finding everyone else's homes first." John slid an arm around Aeryn's waist. She allowed him to embrace her in a hug. She rested her face on his warm chest, listening momentarily to his comforting heartbeat. Aeryn then glanced up to look into John's sincere face. She had underestimated him. All along, John had been placing her and the crew before himself. Somehow, she just hadn't seen it.
"And what about me? Would I remain on Moya alone after everyone's gone?" Aeryn said, trying not to allow the sadness overpowering her soul to pour out.
"Aeryn, no. I could never leave you. I think I would have to stop at home with you for a while and then we could go find our own little corner of the universe to be together in. No PeaceKeepers, no Scorpius, no Scarrans...no food cubes...." John stated in a soft voice, petting Aeryn's long hair. Aeryn released a snort at the food cubes notion.
"I love you, John. I cannot live a future without you." Aeryn said. Her chin began to tremble and tears began to stream down her face. John swayed back and forth, rocking Aeryn until she quieted. Deep down, he felt exactly the same way. Unfortunately, somewhere in his mind, something told him that fate was about to step in the way. John realized his expression was reflecting this notion and as Aeryn turned to look up at him, he quickly masked it with a smile.
"Hey, I'll be back in a flash. I trick the bad guys into thinking I'm going to charge them while Moya and Talyn make a run for the Milky Way. I'll perform the old Indian Jones routine of sticking an object into the frag canons. They'll try to shoot at ya and won't even know what hit 'em when the canon backfires. The fighter ships will go after you guys so I won't have to worry about them, all right? It'll work." John assured Aeryn.
"And what exactly do you plan to do when the fighter ships don't give up?" Aeryn questioned his plan.
"Talyn turns around and spoils their parade." John answered simply. Aeryn looked to him with a weary expression. Her face was reddened from crying. John had never quite seen Aeryn this emotional before. He was beginning to wonder if there wasn't anything else wrong with her. Aeryn finally stepped away from John and took a deep breath.
"Go on. Don't let me stop you." Aeryn toughened up, urging John to leave instead of dragging this emotional dren of a conversation on any longer. John smiled, relieved to see Aeryn back to her normal self. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her head forward. John planted a sweet, gentle kiss upon her forehead. He then let go and turned towards the docking bay.
"Don't worry, Aeryn. I'm going to save the day." John joked and then proceeded towards his module awaiting him in the bay.
Aeryn smiled at John's statement but her eyes still carried worry. It was if those were to be John's last words to her. Aeryn watched the human prepare to leave. Their conversation had eased her mind to a point. She had revealed she was uncertain of her future and what she wanted. Yet she somehow felt that there was still doubt in her mind as to where she really wanted her future to head. She had been born in space, she had been raised in space, and further more, she still preferred to die in space. If John meant to live on a planet, Aeryn just couldn't determine if she would stay. No matter how strong her love for the human, there was only so much unhappiness she could endure.
Aeryn thought of the chip Crais had mentioned earlier. She watched John perform the final checks on his module before boarding. The door to the bay began to close before her. She stared on until she saw nothing but the barren wall of the door.
"Pilot." Aeryn spoke into her comms.
"Yes, Aeryn?" Pilot responded. He was instantly proud of himself for not addressing her as an officer.
"Prepare a transport pod. I'm going to Talyn."
*****
Aboard Talyn, Crais was watching the Scarran fighter ships advancing towards them. Talyn had nearly fired upon the ships several times. Crais had done everything in his power to calm this little ship, hoping he would not try anything too drastic. John's module suddenly appeared out the view screen, easing its way through the mass of fighter ships. The module appeared to be heading for the Scarran battle ship. Crais shook his head. The human really was insane. Talyn disrupted Crais' thoughts and announced a transport pod entering into the docking bay. Puzzled, Crais turned to greet whoever was coming aboard. Moments later the door to Command where he was standing opened to reveal Aeryn Sun. She was angry. Crais hid his surprise and joy to see her and remained still.
"Aeryn Sun." Crais greeted her.
Aeryn marched up to Crais and aggressively forced him up against a wall. Talyn immediately lowered his internal weapons from the ceiling, prepared to fire.
"Talyn, no!" Crais ordered.
The ship was reluctant, but obeyed. The weapons drew back into the ceiling and Aeryn continued her force. Aeryn pressed her body up against Crais and shoved her forearm up under his chin, forcing him to look directly at her. Crais smiled. Aeryn stared into his taunting eyes.
"Aeryn, I...." Crais began in a gruff voice.
"Enough!" Aeryn ordered, pressing harder onto Crais' throat. Crais gasped for air. Aeryn was not about to tolerate any of his dren.
"Give me the chip." Aeryn ordered. She drew her face close, within a dench of Crais' own.
Crais wriggled his neck under Aeryn's intense pressure. Though he was excited by her powerful interrogation, he was becoming quite uncomfortable. Aeryn's force was stronger than any female peacekeeper he could recall in his entire time in office.
"I would, but I do not have the chip in my immediate possession. The chip is here on Talyn, however, stowed safely away." Crais informed her.
Aeryn studied Crais' face a moment and backed her head away slightly. She maintained her force on him just the same.
"Frell Crais. Where is the chip? You know how valuable it is to me. How could you keep something like this from me when you yourself have been subjected to such a strict PeaceKeeper upbringing? You were taken from your parents as a child, were you not?" Aeryn argued.
Crais opened his mouth to respond but was instantly cut off by Aeryn. She was on a roll.
"Had it not occurred to you that I would find out about this chip? Did you simply store the chip until you felt it was convenient to bring it to my attention?"
As Aeryn's temper flared, she pressed her body harder against Crais. This time, however, Crais did not enjoy her advance. He struggled to breathe, his lungs constricting under her force.
"If it weren't for your bond with Talyn, you'd already be dead." Aeryn steamed.
Crais studied Aeryn's burning eyes for a micron. She was extremely serious. He had no doubt the former PeaceKeeper would have carried out such a threat.
"I will give you the chip." Crais uttered after a brief moment of consideration. "On one condition."
That struck another nerve within Aeryn. She smacked Crais with a Pen-Tak jab, stunning him. A trickle of deep red blood began to spill down from the left corner of Crais' mouth.
"I will not tolerate this, Crais." Aeryn warned.
"You must promise me you will not act upon what you discover on this chip." Crais ignored her warning.
Aeryn tilted her head slightly. With her eyes narrowed in suspicion, Aeryn allowed Crais to breathe a little easier but kept him braced against the wall.
"Oh, so you've already viewed the chip, have you? How considerate." Aeryn barked. Crais was growing impatient and slightly angry by now.
"How else could I have discovered the chip and its importance if I had not viewed it first?" Crais bit back. "Promise me you will not act upon the contents of the chip and you may have it."
Aeryn raised her face up to his and glared for a moment before responding.
"Fine. I promise. The chip." Aeryn stated, patiently holding out a hand.
Without a microt's notice, Crais pressed his warm, soft lips onto Aeryn's. He kissed hard and deep, feeling satisfaction for relieving the urge to do so for quite some time. Caught off guard, Aeryn was bewildered. But instead of prying away, she kissed back. Deep inside, she felt some passion for Crais. It wasn't as strong as when she was with John, but it was definitely more desirable for one reason and one reason alone. A Sebacean must always keep the bloodlines pure. Aeryn still couldn't shake some of the rules bestowed upon her since birth. An image of John surfaced in her mind, bringing her back to her senses. Aeryn immediately pulled away, forcing a glare onto her face.
Crais smiled and dug into his coat. He produced the chip Aeryn had so desperately wanted. Aeryn avoided direct eye contact and grabbed the chip from Crais. She then stalked off to leave Talyn.
Crais beamed. He watched Aeryn leave, feeling more and more attracted to her by the micron. He had finally kissed Aeryn Sun. One barrier of many he still desired to tear down.
*****
Aeryn traveled through Talyn towards the docking bay. Her mind was distracted as she clasped the chip in her hand; squeezing it with such intensity her skin was indented and red. A turn in the hall revealed the opened doorway to the docking bay. Aeryn could see the transport pod she had arrived in. She quickened her pace. Her mind resurfaced the kiss with Crais. Aeryn shook her head, trying to rid of the memory. Aeryn forced herself to think of John and began to worry. Would he be all right? He was already flying through the fighter ships towards the Scarran battle ship, as best to Aeryn's knowledge. She raised her right foot to enter onto the steps leading up to the transport pod.
Without warning, Aeryn was sent flying forward into the steps as Talyn jolted violently. The metal of the step Aeryn's head had struck in the jolt caused her forehead to bleed. With frustration, Aeryn hoisted herself up from the steps and wiped her brow. She glanced around her and spoke into her comms.
"Crais, what the frell was that?" Aeryn demanded to know. There was no answer.
"Crais." Aeryn called again, securing the chip into her pocket. This time, she didn't wait. She rushed back to Command, hoping Crais hadn't suffered a worse fate than a simple cut.
*
The crippling pulse wave began to flow out from underneath the Scarran battle ship, racing towards John and all those behind him. John threw his weight into the turn to get his module to fly beneath the pulse wave. The back tail of his ship was struck, sending John's module into a small spin. John was tossed around in his module as it spun out of control. He reached for the controls as inertia threw him around. He grunted in frustration. The spinning began to slow, allowing John to handle the controls and steer himself straight. He shook his head and looked to see where the module had taken him. John gasped and looked high above him. He was at the underbelly of the Scarran battle ship.
*
A small pod similar in design to that of the looming battle ship traveled steadily towards Moya and Talyn. Ka'ru turned to face Scorpius, as the two settled in for a hopefully uneventful ride in the pod.
"Shut off all operations! The pulse wave will not affect you unless your communications or weaponry are activated." Ka'ru ordered over the comms to his fighter ships facing the two renegade ships. Scorpius could hardly contain his excitement. Ka'ru sneered at Scorpius. He then turned off all communication as the wave rippled past them, shaking the pod slightly.
"When we find the human...I will interrogate him." Ka'ru stated.
"Really? And how do you think the human will respond to you? I have a much better resource, my friend." Scorpius smiled.
"The chip is out of his head. How can you control him now? Another new brain experiment of yours?" Ka'ru angrily charged up to Scorpius and wrapped a single long scaly hand around his neck. Scorpius was forced back in his chair but he kept his expression steady. Ka'ru growled, his fowl breath almost too much for even Scorpius.
"Patience." Scorpius muttered.
*
Aeryn entered into Command to immediately see an unconscious Crais lying nearby the communications console. She hurried to his side and hoisted him up. Talyn remained silent, causing Aeryn even further worry. She glanced behind her out the view screen to see Moya just as silent. The fighter ships had already positioned themselves tightly around the Leviathan and gunship, acting as a net to trap them in.
Crais began to stir in Aeryn's arms. He opened his eyes and drew close to kiss her. Aeryn motioned her head aside with no time to waste and lifted Crais up to a standing position. Crais wavered momentarily and rested a supportive arm on the communications console.
"What happened?" Aeryn asked.
"The Scarran ship...they attacked us with a pulse wave. It was strong enough..." Crais paused as his vision clouded in darkness momentarily. "The pulse wave was strong enough to cripple both Moya and Talyn. They're unconscious...."
Crais fell back to the floor, losing consciousness once again. Aeryn rolled her eyes impatiently and positioned Crais to sit up against the console. She then turned around in Command. Aeryn for once did not know what to do.
*
John glanced behind him to see the swirling innocent Milky Way beckoning to be saved. He then looked above at the mysterious mass stretching ten football fields across the underbelly of the Scarran battle ship. It was like nothing he had ever witnessed before. A swirling mass of darkened red material sustained itself within the boundaries of an outer ring. The ring was of unimaginable strength against the gravitational effect being created by the mass. Occasional flashes of golden yellow glistened from within, like that of a reflection in a pond. This was where the wave of pulse energy exited to strike upon Moya and Talyn, thus anesthetizing them. And this had to be the most vulnerable weapon this ship boasted on its exterior shell. John lowered his head and began to smile.
A crackling noise on his comms began to disrupt his thoughts. Someone on Moya was trying to communicate with him. John turned off the distracting comms and prepared the weapons mechanism he and Aeryn had installed a monen earlier. With no time for his thoughts to wander, John focused on the tasks at hand and positioned his module for attack.
*
Moya hovered before the pod, her majestic size as awesome as her beautiful skin. The smaller gunship near her side was sleek and handsome with dominance even over his mother. Ka'ru and Scorpius stood to gaze at these ships as their pod slowed for an approach to Moya.
"Scorpius. I suggest you become useful and open the docking bay doors." Ka'ru ordered, without as much as a glance towards Scorpius. Scorpius tilted his head at Ka'ru, realizing this Scarran knew more than he lead on. Scorpius looked to Moya, his eyes turning instantly black for a few microns.
The pod jolted briefly but then turned for a direct course into the now fast approaching docking bay. The doors opened smoothly around them as they passed through into Moya. The pod was guided along to a stop in the main docking bay and the doors behind came to a close. Atmospheric conditions returned. The pod doors opened with a rush of air flowing out into the stunned environment of Moya. Scorpius was the first to appear, with a weary expression. He instantly noticed the motionless DRDs littered around the pod as if they were frozen in place. Ka'ru appeared behind Scorpius and growled deep in his throat. Scarrans could be very impatient.
Scorpius glanced at Ka'ru momentarily before traveling down the steps to the floor. He waited for Ka'ru and glanced around, noting there were no unforeseen complications unveiling themselves so far. Not even the crew of Moya was there to defend her. This fact made both creatures smile. They stood side by side, surveying the unfamiliar room before heading forward to find their prize.
*
Aeryn observed the chaos of ships out the view screen, her arms crossed and her face set with concern. Had John made it to the battle ship yet? Would he succeed? Aeryn pondered the capabilities of the human less and less now days but she still pondered. She became lost in her thoughts, with nothing else left to do but think. Would he stay? Aeryn was almost surprised by that sudden thought. If they somehow survived this mess, would John stay here to return home or would he stay on Moya to be with her? Had she shown him efficiently enough that she wanted, no needed him to stay with her? Or was Crais her ultimate future? Perhaps she should stay on Talyn with Crais, using her resources as a former PeaceKeeper. Keep the bloodlines pure. Aeryn shook her head as the rule once again popped into her head. There were many other opportunities arising for Aeryn. But there was nothing more she wanted than to be with the one man she loved.
*
With his thumb dancing above the trigger, John had the module positioned to fire upon the battle ship's superior technology. The massive ring containing the swirl of energy was almost inspiring to John. The equations and theories surrounding wormholes bombarded his mind. John felt energy circulating his tingling body. His face brightened and he sat forward. The technology was no longer at the tip of his tongue but out into the air. He had grasped this advanced theory of wormholes and locked onto it permanently.
"That's it. I've got it!" John exclaimed excitedly and then glanced around as if someone could have possibly heard his embarrassing outcry. John sat back and beamed at the mass above him. He knew how to create a wormhole.
John checked the fighter ships to make sure they hadn't noticed his position yet. They were far from him at this point. But unfortunately, they had completely encircled both Talyn and Moya. John turned back to the battle ship, his thumb still dancing above the trigger. How could he destroy the one element of technology that could take him home in a micron?
*****