by Owlman

Based loosely on Chrono Cross

Heat...The heat...The painful sting of a flame touch, and the burning of smoke attacked the girl. She was Nebari, only six years old. She clasped a young Nebari woman's hand as the building was burning all around them. A young Nebari man flanked them. Several drawings made by children burned on the wooden wall. Fire danced on the ceiling. They quickly came to an L-junction. "The fire and those monsters have every exit blocked", screamed the man over the fire. "We have to get to the play room, we can use the window", said the woman. "Who's doing this, it can't be those creatures, their only animals?” he added. "It doesn’t matter now, what about the rest of the children?" asked the woman. "Worry about Chiana first, then we'll go back for the others", he replied.

They heard a person running on the second story and a trail of massive footsteps behind them. The loud steps suddenly stopped. Suddenly, a loud thud came overhead and the ceiling cracked. "No!" screamed a man's voice. A ripping sound cut him short. Blue blood began to flow through the cracks in the ceiling. "My God!" exclaimed the woman. "Quiet, there’s one right on top of us", he whispered.

Something large ran across the wood floor and made a screeching leap off the inside balcony. It leaped a small inferno and bashed through a wooden door. It came to a steel door. A large green hand with 4, 1-foot long claws grabbed the doorknob and began to turn it.

The 3 turned as the door to the left opened and closed. Heavy footsteps came slowly. A huge green creature came into the hallway. It looked like a cross between a gorilla and a frog. It was at least 400 pounds of pure muscle. It hunched slightly, and was about 5'5. It's head looked like a cross between a snake and a frog. (Gladiator fans will recognize this monster!) Its legs were stubby, but it had 2 massive arms with razor sharp claws. It screeched. "Layla, get in there and lock the door", said the man. Chiana and Layla ran into the room closing a sturdy door. The man drew a pistol and fired once before the creature pounced on him.

A ripping sound and a scream came from behind the door. Tears ran down Layla's face, This toy filled room was burning. She looked at the window and saw a tall, long black-haired man in all black faced the window. He held a rifle based flame-thrower and was spraying burning liquid onto the walls. He threw the empty gun down as it sputtered.

He had pointed ears. He was Tyreen. He slowly turned around as the fire blazed around him. His body was between them and the only route of escape. His eyes were solid black, with no over color. An evil, small smile crossed his face.

"Tailex?" asked Layla. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. He held up an old book and punched a PC with his other hand, crushing it. "You know too much about me", he said cold and emotionless in a deep voice. He turned his hand over and pointed it at Layla.

A small, 2 bladed knife attached to a cable launched from his sleeve and flew strait through Layla's heart and out her back. The bloody blue knife returned to his sleeve. A creature broke down the door and ran into the room. Tailex touched his forehead, and a small spiral of black energy emitted from the touch. "Kill her, then finish off anyone left in the house, none will leave here alive", he ordered. He jumped through the window and disappeared into the night. The creature looked at the young Chiana, and leaped.

Chiana quickly sat up in bed, sweating. She was breathing so hard that D'argo woke up next to her. "The dream again?" he asked. Chiana got dressed in her robe. "The one where your childhood home was destroyed?" he added. "Yeah", she said leaving. "I am going for a walk", she added.

Crichton looked at the 3 black guns on the console in command. "Wynona, meet the MAC Twins" said Crichton to the pistol. He grabbed the 2 black, plastic MAC 11's from the console. The mini-sub machine guns were exact clones of their human counter parts, except they were black plastic, and fired pulse blasts instead of .380 bullets. They could empty a 30 round clip in 1 second at full auto. The PeaceKeepers had gotten the design from Crichton's mind when he was in the Aurora chair. His cousin collected guns and gave Crichton 1 for his 20th birthday. It was possibly the best SMG ever made, so the PeaceKeepers cloned it. He found the pair in a crashed Marauder full of weapons.

Aeryn walked in and gave him a strange look. "Talking to Scorpious again?" asked Aeryn. She was in her black, mid-drift revealing outfit with her hair flowing free. This look drove Crichton crazy. "No, just my guns", said Crichton. "I think Wynona is jealous of the newcomers", he added. She shook her head and joined him at the console.

A sent tickled his nose. It was very familiar. She was to far for it to be her hair. "What's that sent?" he asked. "Something from the Royal Planet that Chiana got me", said Aeryn with an alarmed look. "I don't believe I have ever smelled perfume on you before", said Crichton. "Same sent as Katralla,” said Crichton. Actually, it was Jenovian's sent, but he didn't want to bring her up. Aeryn didn't know and he wanted it to stay that way. The perfume made her seem more human, even if it didn't matter. They were compatible and she was beautiful, that’s all he cared about.

He often wondered what his father would think of a Humascean grand child; he already had a grand daughter somewhere. He even went as far one boring night to come up with a name for a son. He decided on the Sebacean name of Kai. He liked the sound of it, and it was the name of a famous criminal 200 years ago. He considered Gileena for a girl. Of course it was just a bunch of foolish nonsense since they had never slept together and she would only allow a short burst of kissing about twice a month.

"The perfume wouldn't have anything to do with us having the night shift together for 2 weeks would it?" he asked. "Perhaps" she said meekly. She jumped as this hand grabbed hers on the console. Their lips lightly touched as he put his hands around her waist. They kissed each other with great passion the next time, and began to kiss even longer. Aeryn broke from his grasp when she heard footsteps in the hall. Chiana walked in. "Right, I will go check the D.S.", she said making a fake excuse.

Crichton pounded the console. "Dammit!" he exclaimed. "Did I interrupt anything?" asked Chiana. "Nothing that wouldn't have ended in 5 microts", he said. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked. "Same nightmare I have had since Volla was here" said Chiana. "Good to see I am not the only one", said Crichton. "I have had trouble sleeping ever since the Royal Planet,” he added.

He could not get good nights sleep. He kept thinking about Katralla and his daughter. He also though of Jenovian. If her commander found out about them, she would be tortured, then killed. He thought about what his fake mom had said. He lost sleep not over killing people, but enjoying it. He remembered the kick he got out of watching the PeaceKeeper he shot through the heart on the Gammick Base writhe on the floor dying. His "terrorist" bombing of the Gammick base that took 60 lives was his proudest achievement. How had he become so twisted? Going from a scientist to a career criminal, a profession he was beging to prefer. His anti-government, gun-toting cousin would be proud of him.

He thought about the dream he had the night before. He and all of Moya's crew except Rygel and Pilot were on a bridge over a massive ravine. There were 2 large red doors guarding a ruin. Aeryn looked pale and sickly. He held his twin MAC 11's ready. He motioned for D'argo to flank him as he kicked open the doors. He ran in.

Suddenly, violent images flashed in his mind. Chiana lay on a black marble floor. Streams of blue energy ran through the floor. She was in a pool of blue blood. He was looking up at himself from the floor. He was holding a strange ivory knife like one he had never seen before. It was dripping with blue blood. A droplet fell to the floor with a thud that seemed to echo. The sound made a smile over his face. The another flash of a blood red, glowing sword and a transparent figure above it. Then, it faded to a pale face and 2 solid black eyes. A deep, evil laugh came from the lips out of view.

D'argo and Aeryn walked in. He looked at Chiana. "You all right?" he asked. Suddenly, Pilot appeared on the clamshell. "Incoming transmission", he reported. Nerri appeared on screen. "Hello sister", he said.

"Nerri?" she asked. "Yeah, you look good Chiana, but I don't have much time", said Nerri. "D'argo, I found your son's location, he's being sold again at Seria in 2 days”, said Nerri. "How did you know I was looking for my son?" asked D'argo. "Never mind, Chiana, I have also found Tailex!" he said. "The Tyreen bastard is in the system" he added. "Tailex!" she exclaimed. "One of my spies was shadowing him for a while, but we lost contact", said Nerri. "We can hunt him down together,” said Nerri.

"No need" came a deep voice from behind him. "I took the liberty of finding you, your spy was very helpful", said the voice. Before Nerri could turn a 2 bladed weapon sliced through his back and through his heart. The weapon was attached to a cable and was quickly drawn back. Nerri fell gasping to the floor.

Tailex walked into view of the camera as the blade went back into his sleeve. He looked exactly the same. "Hello Chiana", he said in his low, monotone voice. "That’s about the 10th death you need to avenge on me,” said Tailex. "You bastard, I'll kill you!" she screamed. "Maybe we'll meet up on Seria, there's a Luxan/Sebacean boy I have had my eye one", said Tailex. "Oh, and Commander Crichton, I look forward to meeting you,” he added. He pointed his arm at the camera and fired his blade destroying the camera.

Chiana fell to the floor crying. D'argo held her. "I swear Tailex will die!" she exclaimed. She drew a dagger as she yelled. Crichton looked at the ivory dagger, the same from his dream.

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Guest Star
Michael McManus as Tailex