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Author: Charra Loon - genisis51@juno.com
Rating: PG-13 for violence and conduct
Part: 2/3
Disclaimer: See "Wrath of the Hunter"
Summary: Part 2 of the Hunter Trilogy. The title pretty much speaks for itself, don't you agree?
Time/Setting: Moya, after the events of "Wrath of the Hunter"
Author's Notes: I wish to thank the following fanfic authors who allowed me permission to use some of their works for a reference. Penny, Laura and Annette, you ladies are the greatest!!!
Chiana was getting worried. So far, there hasn't been a response from the others. She knew they would take long, but this? Something had to be wrong. "Well, at least there's some peace and quiet around here," Rygel said. "Finally! It couldn't have come sooner."
"Spare me your triumph, toad!" Chiana replied. "I'm sick enough already."
"Ha, ha." Just then, the monitor began to flicker a bit. "Please don't be them, please don't be them," Rygel prayed.
"Chiana, Rygel can you hear me?" It was John's voice. Chiana smiled with relief while Rygel frowned in disappointment.
"Where were you?" Chiana asked. "Have you got Aeryn yet?"
"We found Aeryn, but we're going to need a little help here. Can you and Rygel meet us at these coordinates?"
"We'll be right there!" Chiana exclaimed. Rygel was about to object when Chiana grabbed him and headed staright to the docking bay.
"But what about Moya and the baby?" Rygel asked. "Someone has to take care of them in case something should happen."
"That's a good idea," Chiana replied as she stuffed Rygel into a transport pod. "I'll help Pilot take care of Moya while you go see what's the hold-up."
"But won't you need any help?"
"After the last time you helped me, I don't think so." The pod went off before Rygel could say another word. At the rebel base, John shut down the transmission in prayer that Aeryn can hold out while they try to get her out. A rebel came in with a stern look. Elysia motioned him to come forth and the two went into a corner. They began whispering. After the conversation, Elysia came towards her visitors with the rebel.
"Is something wrong, Elysia?" Zhaan asked.
"There is something of great importance to discuss." She glanced at the rebel next to her. "Barros had infiltrated the fortress earlier and has some good news and some bad news."
"Okay," John said. "What's the good news?"
"Your friend is alive," Barros began. "Kathra usually spares the PeaceKeeper with the highest rank for her inspection and, fortunately for you, the PeaceKeepers in the Marauder pack were all rookies."
"And the bad news?" D'Argo mentioned.
"Kathra looked into her reputation and tried to persuade her to join the empire. She refused, and was sent to the Labyrinth. It's only a matter of time before--"
"What's the Labyrinth?" Zhaan asked.
"The Labyrinth is where Kathra sends her most dangerous enemies, mostly PeaceKeepers and us rebels, to their doom." Elysia explained. "It is a dangerous maze heated to weaken PeaceKeepers and ensure a Living Death. If the heat doesn't get them, the traps within the maze will, and if the traps don't get them, the Hunter will."
"Elysia, there's an alien pod coming in towards us." Arron said.
"Relax, I called some friends of ours." John said as they went towards the pod. Rygel exited out towards them, completely furious.
"Well, what the hex is going on here?!" he shouted.
"Rygel, you little--" John said as he held up the Hynerian with joy. All went inside as they told Rygel what had happened. "So, we have to find a way to get Aeryn out of there before she ends up a trophy on the Hunter's wall." John finished. "We need you to negociate something with Kathra. Where's Chiana?"
"She's on Moya, keeping an eye on the baby." Rygel replied.
"The Leviathan has a newborn with her?" Elysia asked.
"She's expecting." John said. "Now, do we have a plan on how to get Aeryn out of there?"
"Why can't we just leave her there?" Rygel said. "We're better off."
"So, you're the great Dominar Rygel XVI," Elysia said. "We know of you. Arrogant, concieted and selfish. No wonder you lost your throne."
"Watch it," Rygel warned.
"Easy now," John said. "I got a plan. Suppose we let some of us negociate with Kathra, but we use the negociation as a diversion while others infiltrate that Labyrinth and get Aeryn out."
"It sounds risky, especially for someone who doesn't know what he's getting into." Elysia said. "I got an idea, if the negociations fail, we'll strom the fortress and distract Kathra while we get your friend out."
"Elysia, that's a suicide mission!" Barros explained.
"We have no choice." Elysia replied. "We can't let Kathra take another innocent life. Have you forgotten what she's done to take control of this colony?"
"At least let one of us risk the Labyrinth." Arron suggested.
"I'll go," John said. "You guys try and distract Kathra."
"I'm coming with you." Elysia said.
"Look, we appreciate the offer, but I can't ask you to risk your life," John said. "You've done enough for us already."
"You haven't been in the Labyrinth before, or faced the Hunter in battle." Elysia said. "I have. My decision is final, I'maccompanying you to the Labyrinth."
The next day, D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel appeared at the fortress door. They knocked; a soldier dressed in purple opened a panel on the door. "We wish to speak with your mistress," D'Argo said. "Let us in now."
The soldier went to a wall and activated a communicator. "Mistress, a trio of beings seek an audience with you." he said.
Kathra looked into the monitor of the communicator. "Scan them," she said. The soldier did as she asked.
"Delvian, Luxan and Hynerian," the soldier said.
"All pure."
"They must be the fugitives accompanying the PeaceKeeper." she said.
"Send them in."
"As you wish." The soldier then opened the door and led the trio into the fortress. They were escorted to the throne room where Kathra was.
"Ah, the escaped fugitives." she said. "Let's see if I got this right; Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, Ka D'Argo and Dominar Rygel XVI, is that correct?"
"It is," Rygel replied. "Unfortunately."
"Why are you here?" Kathra asked.
"Your general accidently captured a friend of ours," Zhaan explained. "We wish no trouble, but if you would just release us our friend--"
"Negative." Kathra replied. "A PeaceKeeper is no one's friend. If they were, they would be the only surviving species."
"She is not a PeaceKeeper." D'Argo said. "She was, but she left them for our sake."
"Yes, just as she told me." Kathra said. "You see, I persuaded her to tell me quite a lot, especially about the human. Perhaps if you brought him to me, I would consider your offer."
"What kind of monster would trade one life for another?" Zhaan asked.
"An ambitious one." Kathra answered. "I know the genetic structure of a human is similar to that of a Sebacean, with some variations. Now, where is he?"
"He's not with us." Rygel said. "What do you want with him?"
"I can see that." Kathra exclaimed. "As for my need with him, it is none of your concern."
"It is always our concern for our comrades, warlord." D'Argo said.
"Perhaps I should elaborate!" Kathra exclaimed. Ma'Rone and Ta'Cara approached beside her. "Ma'Rone, Ta'Cara, eliminate them!" she ordered.
"No problem," Ma'Rone said as he began to attack. He and Ta'Cara attacked as Zhaan and D'Argo fought back. Rygel, of course, cowered in the nearest corner. It was then Zathros entered, opening the door and giving Rygel time to flee out of the fortress.
"Mistress Kathra!!" Zathros exclaimed. "There's been a breach in the fortress!"
"What?!" she cried out. "So, this was all a diversion. Clever, real clever. Seal off the fortress! No one gets in or out!" she activated a communicator. "Hunter, find whoever went in and terminate him!" she ordered. "If it is the human, I want him captured, alive."
"It shall be done." he said.
Outside the fortress, Arron watched as the fortress went into lockdown. "Attack!" he screamed as the rebels charged the base. They fought the soldiers that met them, and they fought vigorously. "Please hurry, Elysia." Arron thought to himself as the battle outside went on.
Inside the dungeons, John and Elysia came across a large doorway. "That is the entrance to the Labyrinth." she said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yeah, if I could survive a few hundred PeaceKeepers, I'll survive this." he replied as he ties a piece of string to the doorway.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Making sure we can find our way back."
"Does your world have Labyrinths by any chance?"
"Only in myths." They went in, and what they found was atrocious. Bodies layed everywhere, and this was the first corridor. A chill went up John's spine as they went. Elysia stopped him before he took a step further, then tossed a rock onto the path; a spiked ceiling came down on top.
"We must be careful where we tread." she said. They went on. The maze began to have more and more twists and turns as they advanced. John later noticed a limp body inside the path. He took a closer look at it. Aeryn. She was barely breathing, but breathing none the less. John began to carry her as she began to look at him.
"Crichton?" she whispered. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, Aeryn." he replied.
"The other PeaceKeepers," she began. "One by one, they fell."
"Relax, Sunshine," John replied. "We'll get you out of this hell in no time." They followed the string back towards the entrance. As they came out the way they came in, they saw a familiar figure waiting for them.
"How clever of you to use a string to find your way out," the Hunter said. "A pity it was also predicitable on where you would show up."
"Get Aeryn out of here," John said as he started to hand Aeryn over to Elysia. "I'll deal with this creep."
"Elysia," the Hunter said to her. "I did not expect you to return here, ever."
"Expect the unexpected, Hunter." she said. "Such as the downfall of you and your mistress!"
"Kathra will reign surpreme as long as the stars burn bright!" the Hunter cried. "You rebels are wasting your time."
"Better to die a freeman than live as a slave to that monster!"
"Better to be under her leadership than the PeaceKeepers!"
"What is your problem with them?!" John cried. "I'll admit, the PeaceKeepers are jerks, but even they don't deserve this, no one does."
"They deserve far worse that this." the Hunter said. "You, of all people, should understand that."
"Get Aeryn out of here." John said. "Now!" Elysia took hold of Aeryn and helped her out of the dungeons. John went to strike the Hunter only to have him grab the fist and toss him towards the wall.
"You're pretty brave, for a weakling." he said.
"What the hell was that?" John asked himself. The Hunter began to charge him, but John managed to dodge him, but not before the Hunter swept him to the ground. Crichton got up, rolled to the other side and grabbed the Hunter by the back.
"Not bad," he said. "At least you have guts." He then sent an electric shock from the metallic tenticales on his helmet which went through John who let go. The Hunter then tossed him at a wall which knocked the valiant human out. "You were quite achallenge." he said. Ma'Rone came in to see the comotion. He smiled as the human tried to get up. "Whoa!" he said. "You beat him up good. Let's finish it!"
"Kathra wants the human alive, Ma'Rone." he said. John's face lit up as he developed an idea. He went towards the Hunter, tackled him and immediately had him pinned, for a short while. The Hunter got him off and went towards him, with a large sword in his hand.
"Whoa, whoa." John said. "Didn't you just say that Kathra wanted me alive?"
"You're fortunate that's the case." he replied. "Ma'Rone, contact Mistress Kathra. Tell her I have the human with me."
"But--"
"There are rebels waiting to be slaughtered afterwards."
"Okay!!" Ma'Rone said as he went off.
"It's not often that anyone's survived this long in a fight against me," the Hunter said. "Kathra will be pleased."
"Well, as long as we're waiting here, why don't we get to know each other?" John asked. "Like, tell me about yourself. Come on, you can't keep up the mysterious warrior act forever. Who are your friends, for example, not that you have many, or about your family?"
The Hunter stared at him, uncertain at what to answer. No one has ever asked him about his family, ever. Yet, somehow, he felt a need to answer. "The empire is my family." he finally said. "I, I came to them as a child."
"Okay, then do you want to tell me why you hate PeaceKeepers so much?"
"I've always hated them. It was because of them I came to this place." He looked at the human strangely. "You are a weird species, John Crichton." he said. "You yourself have been pursued by the PeaceKeepers, and yet befriend one of them. Don't you hate them for what they've done to you?"
"Look," he said. "I'll tell you right now, Aeryn is not like the other PeaceKeepers. She didn't make an accident look like cold-blooded murder. She didn't go insane and obsessed at destroying me. No, as much as I want to, I don't hate them, and I think you don't want to either."
"They refuse to accept what is there."
"Maybe most don't, but some do."
"Why do they hate you so much?"
"They think I'm inferior, and I probably am. My species are found on only one planet and I'm the only one who's ever seen the universe."
"Yet genetically, you are superior."
"Why is that?"
"Kathra wanted you alive, didn't she?"
"Yeah, she does. What is she going to do to me?"
"Study your genetic makeup," he said. "Perhaps find a way to use it with Sebacean DNA and get some spies in High Command and destroy the PeaceKeepers from there." He paused a minute and stared. "You have proven yourself worthy of me," he went on. "For that, you shall see what others haven't." A hum began to start in the armor, and it grew louder.
"What is that?"
"The mircoscopic robots that make up this armor."
"Nanotechnology?"
"I suppose you can call it that, but it needs some adjustments. The ones in the helmet are departing, so that you may see the face of the Hunter."
The helmet began to seemingly disintergrate as John stared at the face behind it. He was shocked at what he saw. "You're.....a Luxan!" he gasped. "A Luxan who speaks with a Sebacean dialect."
"I am something else." the Hunter said. "Something the PeaceKeepers refused to accept into their society." John couldn't believe it. The young Luxan seemed almost as tall as D'Argo, and he was bald, mind the tentacles, and he carried with him a Qualta blade and a smaller version of it. He had to be at least nineteen cycles old. Moments later, D'Argo entered.
"Crichton!" he called. "We have to get out of here, now!" The Hunter looked at him and lunged at him, but the older Luxanmanaged to fight him off. The two Luxans fought, practically as equals in combat. The fight lasted for a few minutes, with each of their moves being countered by the other. John watched as a large device fell out of the Hunter's armor. "NO!!" the Hunter screamed as he went for the device. As he did, a holopicture came up, one that D'Argo found hauntingly familiar.
"Where did you get that?" he asked.
"It's always been mine." he said. D'Argo looked at the picture, then at the Hunter. Was it possible, he thought. The Hunter grabs the device and inspected it. "Good thing it's not broken." he mumbled to himself as he shuts down the device. He then charged towards D'Argo and John, who had recently joined him. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, right?" asked John.
"I have to find out." D'Argo replied as the Hunter came closer, blade in hand and pointing their way. "Jothee, don't!"