His back rested against the harsh cold wall of the hospital corridor. John could hear his father arguing desperately with a doctor down the hall. He wondered when DK would be back with the coffee. He wondered who had called his sisters. The clock on the wall was ticking so loud he wanted to tear it down and smash it onto the floor. That minute hand had to be fast. Maybe the clock was wrong. Yeah, that's it. John laughed. A nurse walking past gave him a look. John turned and faced the doorway to his left. The sliver of light passing through the thin window in the door was all he could see of the interior. John inched further towards the door, gaining more and more view into the room through the window.

He saw the hospital bed within, surrounded by a ridiculous number of machines supporting the life of the woman on the bed. John slowed his progress towards the door and stopped. He could see his mother's frail face perfectly. It was framed in the window along with a section of the heart monitor and an IV stand. The fluorescent light above her was almost blinding, as it was the only light source in the room besides the display monitors of the machines.

John heard his father nearly to the point of yelling at the doctor now. He heard the ticking of the clock and imagined it in sync with the beeping of the monitor behind the door he faced. His own heart was in sync with the ticking. His palms were sweaty and his head felt light. The pale face of the dying woman who had raised him was engraved in his mind. John closed his eyes to see that face instead of darkness. He quickly opened them in panic.

She was dying. Her last hour was upon them. The rest of the family had been notified. His father was arguing with the doctor. And DK was getting the coffee. Who was with his mother? No one. John stood almost emotionless in front of that doorway. It was as if someone had poured cement around his ankles. He could not move forward. He couldn't move at all.

His mother's demise had all been so sudden. John and DK had been away in training at IASA for a mission. He had known his mother was sick but never came home. His family urged him to stay away because what he was doing was important and it was what his mother wanted. John regretted it but at the same time, felt fear from returning home to see a woman he viewed as incredibly strong and intelligent slowly waste away to cancer.

Finally, he had received the dreaded call that Leslie may not even make it to the weekend. It was Thursday. Her final hour was upon them. John wasn't ready for this. He didn't want her to die. He felt like he needed to blame her for not being healthier, for not trying harder to prevent cancer, even for being human. But it was himself who he blamed most. He hadn't been there at her side every struggling moment during the four-month battle. That had been his brave father. American hero, respected astronaut, loving father.

John did not realize he had taken a step away from the doorway. He could hear his father finishing his argument with the doctor. He even sensed DK was on his way back. That clock even seemed to slow slightly. His mother's face looked just a little bit less flush. Maybe she would get better. She still had time. John was kidding himself.

He stole another step backward. He nearly stumbled, his footing momentarily lost. John turned to see what had caused his stumbling and stepped away in shock. Hatred filled his veins as always and he spread his arms out, as if to protect the doorway behind him. Scorpius stood tall before John. He turned his head to the clock with a smile and then glanced back to John. The hideous half-breed was actually enjoying this tormenting memory of John's. Tick. Tick. Tick.

John ran. He did not know why he did or what possessed his feet to move so fast. Was it because of Scorpius? No, he had run in the original memory as well. He only knew that if he left now, he would be saved the pain. That wasn't true, however, but he tried to make himself believe. He ran past his mourning father, past the uncaring doctor70;he even stumbled into DK, nearly spilling the two cups of coffee in his friend's hands. John thrust open the doorway to the stairs he had headed for and left the hospital his mother would die in as quickly as his feet could carry him.

*****

Moya, Talyn, and the large Scarran ship hovered silently in the new space they occupied. No evidence of the collapsed wormhole remained. There were no more black holes either. Were they still in the Uncharted Territories? If any of the occupants of these ships had survived, they would soon find out.

Thousands of stars twinkled amongst the ships like any other normal part of space. What made this area so unique was the large galaxy sprawled out in the horizon before them. It was a glorious galaxy boasting a magnificent swirl of gold, red, and blue hues with a mostly white overtone. Numerous stars were embedded within the two spiraling arms of the galaxy. The extremely bright bulge in the center of this galaxy lit up the exteriors of the ships. A few other masses of colorful gas clouds and star clusters hovered near the galaxy, accenting this new place even more.

Aboard Moya, the silence was deafening. The Scarran ship was even more silent. Talyn was slightly disoriented, but sent a cry to his mother, hoping to receive an answer. After several unanswered cries, Moya responded.

Pilot shook his large shell head, awaking from the maddening spiral they had finally recovered from. He checked the controls and communicated with Moya. Despite the numerous pits and tears in her exterior from the asteroid field they had passed through, Moya was relatively unscathed. Relieved, Pilot turned his attention to the crew. His image appeared on the clamshell in Command. The interior lighting began to glow once again after being temporarily lost. Pilot nearly gasped. Every member of the crew lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, unresponsive.

"Aeryn? Crichton? D'Argo? Wake up!" Pilot urged. A few moans and some motion spurred among the unconscious.

Several DRDs whirled into the room, bumping into the crewmembers to waken them. One overconfident DRD even attempted to zap Rygel with its own laser beam. Rygel grunted. His eyelids slid open and he growled at the DRD. The DRD quickly disappeared into the shadows. Rygel sat up, glancing around at his fallen shipmates. Pilot smiled at the sight of at least one of the crew finally awaking. However, his smile did not last. Rygel cared not to wake the others. He instead immediately headed in a search for his throne sled. The Hynerian scurried past D'Argo, who was the second to wake.

"D'Argo, are you all right?" Pilot asked with concern. D'Argo held up a hand to quiet Pilot. D'Argo stood with a small grunt. He proceeded to crack his back with a small popping sound. Satisfied, D'Argo turned fully to Pilot and gave him a smile.

"Fine, Pilot. Are you and Moya all right?" D'Argo asked. As Pilot nodded, Chiana began to awaken as well as Crais, Aeryn, Stark, and Jool. The silence in Command was no longer. Each groaned as they discovered bruises and cuts on their bodies.

"Where the frell are we?" Stark asked, standing up with the aid of a nearby console.

"The wormhole collapsed before we could reach the destination it was supposed to carry us to. Even with our limited data banks, Moya and I are unsure of where the wormhole has left us." Pilot stated.

Aeryn searched the room to find John lying near the doorway; she crawled over to him to wake him. Crais stood and immediately contacted Talyn on his comms to see if the gunship was anywhere nearby. He somehow knew Talyn had ventured into the wormhole after them.

Chiana cranked her neck and watched Rygel happily hop onto his throne sled. The hovering chair had been lodged in between two wall supports near the view screen. Jool brushed her hair out of her face and stared out the view screen in wonder. She joined Stark who was already gawking at the new sights.

"John? John, wake up." Aeryn requested. She slapped John's right cheek and the human began to stir. His eyes flew open and he nearly bumped his head with Aeryn's in a rushed attempt to sit up. Aeryn veered away and stared at John in bewilderment. John mirrored her expression. They shook their heads and helped each other up.

D'Argo and Chiana had joined Jool and Stark in staring out the view screen. Rygel was already making his way to see what they were all gaping at.

Aeryn and John looked each other over quickly to make sure there were no injuries. They then walked up to the rest of their comrades to see what the latest problem was. Even Pilot had begun to stare. Aeryn gasped at the amazing beauty. John stepped closer, tilting his head in wonder. This spiraling galaxy was beyond anything any of the crew had ever encountered. Such beauty and magnificence was often overlooked in their adventures through the deadly Uncharted Territories.

"What is that?" Chiana asked in awe.

"It's an organized system." Stark replied. No one's eyes left the view screen. The sight was too attractive to look anywhere else.

John narrowed his eyes. The system before them was oddly familiar. The spiraling arms, the glowing center, the billions of stars massed within. Had he seen this before?

"Pilot, can you track where we are? Do you have any way of detecting if we're near those black holes anymore?" Aeryn questioned. The crew had been so overwhelmed by the sight of the galaxy that they had completely forgotten about the former mess they had escaped from.

"No, Aeryn, not at all. Moya is just as disoriented as the rest of us." Pilot stated.

"Talyn came with us through the wormhole70;and he has informed me that we are not the only ones." Crais stated in a grave voice. The crew turned to look at him in question.

"Who else is out there?" Jool asked, her voice quivering. Her green eyes glistened with tears of fright.

"Talyn says it's a Scarran ship." Crais said and glanced at John. John however, did not appear to hear him. He was still peering at the galaxy, as if he had a word at the tip of his tongue that he was desperately trying to recall.

"Do they sense us?" D'Argo asked with alarm.

"They're probably just as frelled as we are at this point." Chiana commented. The crew could actually take comfort in believing this. If anyone on that ship was awake, neither Moya nor Talyn would still be in existence.

"I don't know how we survived anything up to this microt but just be glad we did." Rygel pointed out.

"We're not in uncharted territory anymore, Toto." John suddenly stated with his jaw hanging open as he took another step forward. The others turned their attention to the awestruck human, looking at him as if he had just spoken gibberish. They did not see the tear glistening in his left eye.

"Really? Then where the frell are we?" Jool asked. She placed her hands on her hips in frustration.

"Only a starburst away from home." John simply stated. He was so captivated by the swirling galaxy before them that he did not notice their strange looks. Aeryn approached John and tried to gain eye contact.

"What are you talking about?" Aeryn demanded to know. The strong emotions playing onto the human's face struck her. Deep down, she had a feeling she didn't really want to know his answer.

John turned his head and gained eye contact with her. Aeryn could see the excitement dancing in his tearing eyes. John could see the sinking realization in her frightened eyes. Aeryn took a frightful step backward. D'Argo and Chiana instantly noticed the reaction between the two.

"What is it John?" D'Argo softly urged an answer. Chiana traveled over to John's other side and looked up at him, begging with her eyes for an answer. John glanced at both of them briefly. He looked to the galaxy and then to all of the crew, including Pilot.

"That's my home." John stated in a voice of realization. A tingle of excitement began to grow in his stomach. His lips formed into a large smile. "That's the Milky Way70;Earth is in one of those spiraling arms. This can't be real."

"Its real." Pilot confirmed. "We're receiving numerous strange transmissions from within it as well. It appears the source is originating from a planet."

John whipped his head around. He then thought of the Scarran ship Crais had mentioned. He had been listening after all. He connected these points and grew fearful for his home. John began to back away. The others were completely confused by his actions by now.

"Pilot, we have to divert those signals, now!" John ordered. Crais immediately caught on.

"Are these signals on a specific wavelength?" Crais inquired.

"Radio waves, yes." John stated, stepping towards Crais with interest.

"I'll go to Talyn. Perhaps he and I can devise some sort of web to absorb these signals." Crais announced. He immediately headed for the Docking Bay to exit Moya. Aeryn threw a quick glance in his direction, feeling a part of herself wishing to go with him. She instantly remembered the chip Crais had mentioned. Aeryn made a mental note to confront him later.

"You're home is beautiful." Chiana commented.

"If you think that's impressive, wait till you see the planet itself." John stated hurriedly as he headed to the Navigation Console.

"How can you tell it's your galaxy?" Jool challenged grumpily. "It looks exactly like every other frelling mass of planets and space dren I've seen."

John looked to Jool with an offended expression.

"I just know, okay? Besides, see those two clouds of blue mist over there? That's the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. And far off you see that other tiny spiraling galaxy? That's Andromeda. They're all neighbors to the Milky Way. We may have never seen the outside of our very own galaxy but we sure as hell know what our neighbors look like." John pointed out as if he were talking to a child. He impatiently turned to Pilot's image on the clamshell.

"Pilot, does that Scarran ship know we're here yet?" John asked with a twinge of nervousness playing into his stomach. "If they detect where those signals originate, I won't have a home to return to."

"I'm well aware of this, Commander. There have been no scans from the Scarran ship. We are safe70;for the time being." Pilot informed him.

"Hmph. We finally go somewhere nice in this frelling universe and we can't stay. I'm hungry. Anyone care to join me?" Rygel asked, turning his throne sled to leave. Chiana smirked, and looked at the Hynerian.

"Are you afraid to eat alone, Rygel?" Chiana teased. Rygel lifted his chin.

"No. I simply would like some company70;just in case we have another accident and I choke on some food cubes." Rygel replied. He then zoomed out of the room.

The rest of the crew stood in place, looking to the wondrous galaxy before them. The thought of meeting an entire planet of beings like John scared most of them. Aeryn and D'Argo had already gotten a taste of what his home planet had been like in a false simulation provided by a race called the Ancients. John had assured them that that Earth was not what his planet was really like, but they all knew, even John, that his Earth was not so forgiving. His home was probably even more unforgiving than the daily trials of life in the Uncharted Territories.

John stared at the galaxy before them and licked his lips. He had hungered for this moment for two and a half cycles. Now, his ultimate goal was just a minuscule hair out of reach. Yet, he couldn't do a single thing. If they headed for that galaxy or sent any kind of signal, Earth would be gone in an instant. The Scarrans would discover their destination and destroy them, Earth, and the entire galaxy. John shook his head. Stuck between a rock and a hard place once again.

*****

Small rays of dim light barely lit the heated chambers of the Scarran ship. The inner walls of the battle ship boasted a bronze tint, further darkening the interiors. Several large, heavily scaled bipeds marched through the corridor, armed with large weapons similar to pulse rifles. These creatures boasted elongated lizard-like faces with manes of black hair running from the tip of their heads to the small of their backs. The ugly beings thrived on heat and even emitted heat from their bodies. They had a unique sense to detect if a damned soul brought before them was lying. They were the feared Scarrans70;menaces to the Charted and Uncharted Territories. The Scarrans were a rung up the ladder of predators, above even the Nebari.

A rather large Scarran in particular, with a band of red cloth draped across his chest, lead the group. He was the Commandeer of the ship. He was a well-respected Scarran among his race70;with a reputation for being unforgiving. He was the deadliest of all Scarrans, earning his title with ease.

"Commandeer Ka'ru. We have detected two Leviathans70;no, one Leviathan, one PeaceKeeper70;hybrid70;whatever it is. They are unaware of our position." An officer announced to Ka'ru as he arrived at the control deck. The control deck was the central chamber of the ship where all commands were ordered and carried out.

Ka'ru stepped up to the central console of the room. A red flashing beacon on the console accented the scarred face of Ka'ru. The Scarran inhaled deeply and then exhaled a coarse, raspy breath. This creature had fought many battles and survived.

Ka'ru turned his head slowly, looking at his officers awaiting orders. He relished the fear that hid among their young faces. He almost laughed. But Scarrans didn't prefer to laugh.

"Do nothing. We will wait to see what these imbeciles will do. Time is at our advantage. They must not suspect a thing." Ka'ru ordered. The officers nodded in agreement, sneering in the excitement of their planned future kill. The Scarrans thrived on torture and slow death.

A lone officer arrived into the central chamber. Ka'ru needn't turn to address him. His power was so great he could simply get away with doing nothing. The officer traveled around to face him. Ka'ru sensed fear in this one's eyes. He growled.

"Commandeer Ka'ru. The prisoner would like to speak to you." The officer stated. Ka'ru tilted his head and slowly turned to see his prisoner entering into the chamber. He growled once again and charged up to the prisoner.

"Scorpius." Ka'ru hissed.

"Commandeer Ka'ru." Scorpius smiled, accenting the Scarran's title.

Scorpius was indeed a prisoner of the Scarrans. They had seized his asteroid-based Gammak Base only an arn before coming upon the wormhole that had brought them all to their present location. Ka'ru despised Scorpius; the feeling was mutual. Scorpius was a hybrid70;half Scarran and half Sebacean. He constantly wore a thermal suit of his own design to regulate his violent temperature fluctuations. Scarrans thrived on heat while Sebaceans suffered from heat.

Scorpius glanced at the galaxy before them out the small view screen in the chamber. The glow from this galaxy was strong enough to accent most of the interior of the room they stood in. A note of familiarity struck Scorpius. And a part of his mind told him this new place had something to do with the human, John Crichton.

"I am not your prisoner in any way you look at it. I came voluntarily." Scorpius tilted his head with a sly expression. Ka'ru sneered. He did not like Scorpius for many reasons. His devious ways were one of the best reasons to hate this creature.

"Voluntarily? Perhaps you're trying to underhand us, then." Ka'ru stated, stepping forward to stand tall above Scorpius. The few denches that separated their heights did not threaten Scorpius any more than the status of Ka'ru in the Scarran race.

"I only wish to share some valuable information with you." Scorpius stated and took a breath before commencing to circle Ka'ru. He was already delving into his manipulative state. "As you can imagine, when I discovered that you were the ones responsible for the testing of wormholes in Deca five of the asteroid field, my interest was piqued."

"How?" Ka'ru demanded Scorpius get to the point.

"There are only two beings in this entire universe who possess such impressive knowledge." Scorpius stated, his smile diminishing. He came to a stop before Ka'ru. "I am one of them."

Ka'ru grunted. He knew where this conversation was headed.

"If we possessed any of this knowledge, we would have been successful in our attempts, wouldn't we? As you have seen, our attempts have failed." Ka'ru stated with a smirk.

"Interesting." Scorpius stated and turned away. He began to walk out of the chamber and stopped. The leather tailor of his suit wavered as he turned to face Ka'ru once again. That prize-winning smile returned to his face. "I thought maybe you knew who the second one was."

Ka'ru growled and charged towards Scorpius. Scorpius did not flinch nor blink. Ka'ru came to a halt denches from Scorpius' face. Scorpius relished in the torment of his captor.

"Is it the despised human you have endlessly and unsuccessfully hunted? Did this vile creature create the wormhole that brought us here? Is he inhabiting one of those ships before us?" Ka'ru demanded answers. Scorpius only smiled.

"Officer! Take this hideous half-breed out of my sight. Allow him to relish in the thermal bay for an arn." Ka'ru ordered. An officer stalked up to Scorpius and pushed Scorpius with the weapon in his hands. Scorpius knew not to show his enemy fright or alarm. His eyes carried a threat of death to Ka'ru. The threat was mutual. Scorpius was lead away, leaving Ka'ru with even more questions.

Ka'ru turned back to look out the view screen. The Leviathan and the hybrid ship hovered like two minuscule specks against the enormous spiral galaxy before them. Ka'ru growled and hissed, thrusting a nearby officer into a panel. The officer struck electrical wiring and began to shake and cry as sparks flew into the air behind him. The crying quickly diminished as the burned victim crumbled to Ka'ru's feet. Ka'ru grinned. He was in complete control.

*****

"Radio waves, that's what you call these common frequencies?" Pilot asked, tilting his head with interest as he maintained systems on the console before him. Several DRDs were situated around Pilot, communicating with each other. "They're hardly anything to pay attention to."

John stood before Moya's navigator. He had decided to speak with Pilot in person to figure out the best course of action to take next. He nodded his head in response to Pilot's question.

"Pilot, I'm well aware that there are billions of radio waves traveling through out space from various sources. I'm just being cautious because there are certain radio waves from Earth out there that we don't want our enemies to hear."

"Of course, Commander Crichton." Pilot obeyed with a sigh and began the painstaking process of analyzing some of the signals they were receiving. John began to visibly relax.

"Do you think the Scarrans are aware of us by now? I know it was a pretty wild ride back there but hey, come on." John pondered.

"I'm not sure." Pilot answered truthfully.

Aeryn entered into the den. She carried a large pulse rifle upon her right hip. John took a quick glance at the weapon and then to Aeryn's serious expression. Stepping forward to meet her in front of Pilot, John cocked his head.

"What is it now?" Aeryn asked him impatiently.

"What's with the big weapon?" John asked, his eyes sliding to the weapon as he spoke. Aeryn stared into his blue eyes for a moment before answering. She loved this person with such intensity that she was frightened. Perhaps this was why she was having doubts with her future.

"Precaution. It's a necessity around here if you haven't noticed." Aeryn answered and stepped around John to approach Pilot.

"Anything more on the Scarran ship that followed us through the wormhole?" Aeryn asked Pilot.

"Nothing. The ship appears to be dead in space. Perhaps the inhabitants did not survive the wormhole." Pilot suggested. Aeryn shook her head.

"I don't think so, Pilot. The Scarrans are an extremely dangerous race. The blast of a pulse rifle will not penetrate their thick skin. We cannot trust that they are not aware of our position. Regard them as if they are armed and ready to strike, Pilot. How much longer can the defense shield last?" Aeryn said.

Something Aeryn said sparked an immediate flash of memories in John's head. He became unaware of everything else happening around him. He was whisked into a world of the past once again.

The glaring light of a wall-mounted light box illuminated Scorpius' hideous face. John could barely recall this memory from anything he had experienced. His mind had suppressed the experience with the Scarran who had interrogated him and tortured him many monens ago.

Using a familiar long metallic rod, Scorpius pointed to a few illuminated x-ray images on the light box. The specific image he was acknowledging flashed. The negative image was of a dreadful Scarran. The image seemed to sneer directly at John. A small tingle of fear rolled through John's stomach. Scorpius smiled and began to speak. John could not hear the words escaping from his nemesis' mouth. He only saw another image appear on the light box. A pulse rifle. Scorpius pointed to the weapon and a sudden red X appeared over the pulse rifle. Scorpius pointed back to the Scarran. The image of the creature flashed with red highlights. The Scarrans' skin radiated heat. It was an extremely tough type of skin that resisted the blast of a pulse rifle. Ah ha! John connected Aeryn's words with Scorpius' through these images. The blast of a pulse rifle will not penetrate their thick skin. John was then immediately transported to another place and time.

A crested ridge of mud surrounded a murky puddle. John could see his own present day reflection in the wavering surface of the water. His reflection looked worried. John heard a shriek of excitement and glanced up. His worry was justified. Two small boys were running straight towards him, shrieking and carrying Tonka trucks under their arms. John knew these boys. And he knew what they were about to do. John reared away from the puddle as fast as his feet could carry him. But he knew he was too late. The boys smashed into the murky puddle, spraying mud in every direction. John flinched, closing his eyes. He quickly reopened them to see the boys happily charging their trucks through the shallow puddle. They can't see me. The mud didn't even touch me. John stumbled backwards a few steps.

A solid body was standing behind him. John nearly fell to the soft blanket of grass beneath him. He whirled around to see what had stopped him. His worry solidified and a flutter of anger returned within. Scorpius. He should have predicted his appearances by now.

"What are you doing here? Better yet, what am I doing here?" John sneered into Scorpius' expression of curiosity.

"Tell me what I need to know and I'll disappear." Scorpius offered.

"For good?" John joked, knowing this Scorpius was in for the long haul. Scorpius flashed a quick smile.

"You look so70;innocent here. So weak70;so70;defenseless. How do you humans ever survive childhood?" Scorpius questioned, stepping towards the two boys splashing in the mud. He looked sincerely perplexed by the notion.

"Get to the point, Scorpius. What do you want?" John inquired, stepping in front of Scorpius as if to protect the boys.

Scorpius stepped around John and approached the boys once again. John rushed over to revert Scorpius' attention. Unfortunately, when he arrived at the creature's side, John saw something swirling on the surface of the puddle. The playful boys did not even notice the two strangers or the image appearing on the puddle's surface.

John faced the image and began to realize what it was that Scorpius really wanted. A strikingly beautiful image of the Milky Way began to appear. John almost couldn't believe his nemesis hadn't already retrieved this knowledge from his mind at some point in the past. First wormholes, now this70;the routine was getting old.

A sweet, heavenly voice interrupted John's thoughts and he turned his attention towards the small white townhouse nearby. Scorpius began to fade from view. The two boys glanced up from their trucks.

"Boys! Time for lunch!" His mother called out.

John's jaw dropped open slightly as he eagerly took a step forward. His mother. John could barely recall what she had looked like before the cancer. That frail frame of his mother's face painted with death had always plagued his memories. Excited, John began to smile.

"Mom?" John called out, his eyes tearing with joy. He could see wisps of blonde hair flowing from around the corner of the house. She was just about to walk into view.

Almost as instantaneous as this memory had come to play, John was whisked back to the present. He glanced around at the golden glow of Pilot's den and then to Pilot and Aeryn.

"Moya's amnexus fluid levels are at twenty five parts." Pilot was saying.

"How long Pilot?" Aeryn asked impatiently. John glanced at the two, seeing that they hadn't even noticed the human stepping out of reality just moments ago. John was beginning to think he was losing his mind again.

"Two arns. At the most two and a half." Pilot remarked, knowing this wasn't sufficient. "The defense shield70;."

"Two arns?" John exclaimed, realizing the severity of the issue Aeryn and Pilot had been speaking of. The defense shield had to last longer than two arns.

"Two arns will do, John. Pilot, keep me informed of any changes." Aeryn ordered and began to head out of Pilot's den.

"Wait, Aeryn, Pilot." John said and reached for Aeryn's arm. Aeryn turned to face him with an impatient expression.

"Did you guys notice anything70;strange for a micron there? Anything at all?" John asked, looking from Aeryn to Pilot and back.

"Like what?" Aeryn asked, urging John to get to the point.

"Moya and I haven't sensed anything peculiar besides this new system." Pilot responded.

John studied their faces. They had no clue. He shook his head, let out a chuckle and held up his hands.

"Nothing. Everything's fine. I'll be in Command if you need me." John lied. He brushed past a perplexed Aeryn and left Pilot's den.

Aeryn looked to Pilot. Pilot shook his head. Aeryn nodded in agreement. A DRD left from Pilot's side and rushed past Aeryn to catch up to the human. Aeryn then turned and left Pilot's den as well. Both of the aliens expected strangeness from the human. But in this cycle alone, they couldn't dismiss anything out of what they considered normal from the human being.

*****

Crais arrived on Talyn shortly after exiting Moya. He briskly walked into the Command of Talyn, the entrance doors closing behind him. Red and orange lights flashed around the former captain. Talyn bleeped intensively before allowing Crais to speak. A slow grin began to spread upon Crais' face as he listened to his ship. The bond between the two beings was unbreakable. Even if the neural transponder that physically linked the two were ever to be severed, the emotional bond would remain nearly as strong as that of a mother and child. Unfortunately, this natural bond wasn't as strong between Talyn and Moya. But each encounter between the two ships was strengthening their bond.

"Talyn, I know this Scarran ship frightens you. But you have proven that you are a strong, confident young gunship. Do not be intimidated." Crais comforted Talyn. He smiled warmly upon thinking of how well Talyn had matured since Crais had first taken the ship from his mother.

Talyn flashed a few more lights and bleeped. Crais wrinkled his brow.

"What sort of message?" Crais pondered. Instantly, upon the small view screen directly in front of Crais, a transmission appeared. Crais straightened his posture and grew angered.

Ka'ru's angered face appeared in the transmission. Crais tilted his head slightly, trying to recall where he had seen the menacing Scarran before. The Commandeer was speaking but the transmission was weak, thus sound was affected. The image flickered momentarily and began to repeat.

"Is Moya receiving this message as well?" Crais asked. Talyn responded with a single bleep. Crais nodded once.

"This creature is our enemy, Talyn. He purposely sent this transmission to frighten both you and Moya. They are quite alive after all. Talyn. Prepare to fire upon the Scarran battle ship!" Crais roared.

Talyn's unique frag cannon began to spark with orange streaks of pulse activity. The young gun ship turned to face the enormous Scarran ship hovering in space just a metra away. The enemy ship began to move slowly forward. Talyn was provoked. He sped forward, nearly knocking a surprised Crais to the floor within.

"Talyn, do not charge! Stand your ground! Protect your mother!" Crais ordered, grasping the console to station himself as the ship charged on. Crais was shocked by the massive size of the Scarran ship.

A large blast of orange fiery light charged from Talyn's frag cannon. The blast instantly struck the face of the Scarran ship and enveloped across its body. The ship itself did not falter. Instead, it came to a halt and remained still.

Crais stood tall, staring with question out the view screen before him. Talyn began bleeping and flashing lights constantly. Crais took a step forward in wonder. He knew exactly why the blast hadn't affected the enemy ship before them. A sinking feeling began to burn in his stomach.

"This is not good, Talyn. Now we have given them a reason to explore that new system. They want to know what we're trying to protect." Crais stated. Talyn instantly became quiet. Crais wanted to believe it was because Talyn understood him. But he knew better. A small shaft opened far off on the right side of the battle ship. A litter of tiny specks began to protrude, flying in formation. The specks that numbered in a thousand grew larger as they traveled closer to the front of the Scarran ship. Once there, the specks, now visible as small maneuverable fighter ships, hovered in formation beside their mother ship.

"Talyn, link me to Pilot now." Crais stated. He stared on as Talyn carried out his order. This day was getting worse and worse by the micron.

*****

John stared out the massive view screen of Command. He was seated on a console, his legs swaying beneath him. Chiana leaned on one side of the console, in his company. D'Argo was behind the two, cleaning his Qualta Blade to pass the time. Jool sat on a stool by the Strategy table, wrapping a curl of her orange hair around her finger repetitiously. Stark was situated on the opposite side of the room, seemingly enveloped in a conversation with himself. Rygel had returned from the Galley, finding that being alone on this ship wasn't very exciting. He hovered in the center of Command, observing the swirling galaxy before them with a puzzled expression.

"You know, there's probably some little boy in his backyard on Earth right now, gazing up at the stars through a telescope. Yeah, he's probably eating a Snickers bar, maybe even taking a break from catching fireflies in a jar. And low and behold, three alien ships appear in the viewfinder. 'Damn', he's thinking, 'I gotta clean that lens more often or I'm really seeing close encounters of the third kind'." John states, looking dreamily at the glowing beauty he had yearned to reach for two and a half cycles and counting. Chiana giggled.

"Even when you don't make sense, you're amusing." Chiana commented.

She tipped her head up to look at John. John glanced down at her and they shared a friendly smile. John then gazed back to the wondrous galaxy. Even though his stomach was fluttering with excitement, John couldn't help but feel somewhat bitter. Here he was, facing his home after countless nights of wondering whether he'd ever see it again. Home was at his fingertips at this moment and there was not a single thing he could do about it. His focuses had changed as well as his goals, though. In recent times he was more concentrated on the creation of wormholes than where they could lead him. Yet the irony of it all burned deep. John stifled the laughter that wanted to explode from within. Anger easily blanketed this laughter, unfortunately. John allowed himself to ponder a little longer about his Earth.

"Better yet, some scientist and his buddy are zooming in on us and alerting the entire frelling government. SETI is most likely the first to know, though. They'd really have a hay day with this one. Maybe they're sending us a friendly hello right now. Heck for all we know, my dad could be watching us sit here like duck decoys." John shook his head. D'Argo glanced up from his Qualta blade with annoyance.

"Does he ever shut up?" Jool muttered, still captivated by her hair.

"No." Rygel, Chiana, and D'Argo stated simultaneously. Jool looked up in surprise. John glimpsed at his friends and shook his head. He turned his attention back to the galaxy.

"I never thought I'd actually get to see the Milky Way from the side lines. Damn she's beautiful." The human stated with awe.

"I have to agree with you for once." Rygel stated. "It may be a simple galaxy, but it does have beauty."

"Thanks Buckwheat." John nodded at Rygel with appreciation. Rygel only grunted in response.

Aeryn entered Command at that moment. And just as she arrived, a bleak image replaced the galaxy on the view screen. The crew leaned forward. Aeryn stopped in her tracks. A hideous looking Scarran appeared within this dark image. Unfortunately, no sound was playing from the mysterious message. The creature was sneering as he spoke. The image then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Pilot's image materialized on the clamshell.

"Moya has just received this transmission from the Scarran ship. It's weak, but I believe it serves its purpose." Pilot stated. Aeryn whipped her head around.

"And what is that?" She demanded to know.

"To provoke Talyn and Moya into a confrontation. They are frightened of this ship. Talyn is already preparing to attack." Pilot informed the crew. D'Argo stood with alarm. Stark let out a small cry of fear and backed into a dark corner. Jool only huffed with frustration.

"Don't let him fire, Pilot! Stop him!" Chiana urged. She straightened from the console she had been leaning on and looked to see John's worried expression mirroring her own. John slid off the console he had been resting on.

"It's too late!" Pilot yelled. An image of Talyn firing upon the Scarran ship appeared on the view screen. The blast didn't even appear to harm the ship.

"A defense shield." Aeryn uttered with realization.

"Wait, what is that?" Stark questioned, walking out of the shadows to peer at the images playing on the view screen before them. He noticed the small convoy of ships beginning to exit the Scarran battle ship.

"Reinforcements?" Rygel asked in fear, already knowing the answer. He gulped hard. The crew began to gather in the center of Command to observe the new play of events.

"Frell." Jool stated with a shaky voice.

"Pilot, we need to get out of here. Starburst or something!" Chiana said with anxiety seeping into her voice.

"Moya won't leave Talyn. And he's definitely not going to stand down." Pilot recanted.

"What can we do?" D'Argo asked.

"Contact them." John said.

"What? Are you frelling insane? Maybe I shouldn't ask that." Rygel blurted. The crew, including Pilot, looked to John as if he were.

"Zhaan appeared to me while we tumbled through that wormhole and she told me to trust my instincts." John stated. He then realized that statement really dug himself further into a hole. Seeing Zhaan while they were tumbling through that wormhole had been outrageous enough. He shook his head. "Never mind. Just do it, Pilot, trust me."

"Trust you? Is that what we should do?" Aeryn raised her eyebrows.

"Come on, we have to stay focused." Chiana stepped in. Aeryn glared at Chiana.

"Fine. Pilot, contact the Scarran battle ship." Aeryn replied in defeat. D'Argo questioned Aeryn's sudden defeat.

"Aeryn, you know this means death, don't you?" D'Argo asked. Aeryn looked to him and then straight at John.

"Zhaan told me to listen to John." She stated. John tilted his head and allowed a small smile to play onto his face.

Pilot commenced in communicating with the enemy ship. Talyn immediately intercepted the signal and Crais' voice could be heard in Command.

"Contacting the Scarran ship is the last thing you want to do." Crais ordered.

"Why did you allow Talyn to fire upon them?" Aeryn charged.

"The Scarrans provoked him. There was nothing I could do." Crais said.

"What do you propose we do with the frelling army out there? We're dead before we even think of star bursting." Chiana snipped.

"Pilot! Tell Moya she has to go towards the galaxy. It's our only chance." Stark suddenly interrupted them all. He stepped further into the light, his eyes reddened and his face drawn of color. John walked up to Stark, his eyes set in anger.

"Nobody70;" John barked, accenting each word. His advance frightened Stark. "70;Goes near my galaxy, understand?" The human stood tall. Stark quivered slightly but stood his ground. He stepped away from John and stretched his arms out to the rest of the crew. He turned in a circle as he spoke.

"We all saw her. When we were sucked into the wormhole. She was there. She talked to us. She told us what needed to be done. We should obey her wishes." Stark reminded the crew. They were silent with realization and fear.

"Zhaan." D'Argo confirmed softly.

"So what do we do?" Jool begged for a reasonable answer.

The crew glanced from one to the other as they stood in a half circle before the view screen. They were for once, at a loss for words. There wasn't much they could do. The mesmerizing galaxy before them was proving to be more of a headache than even John wanted to admit.

*****

The confinements Scorpius had been placed in on the Scarran ship were quite accommodating, despite being a thermal bay. The heat wasn't bothering Scorpius for the time being, but he knew he would have to leave soon if he wanted to remain clear-headed. Somehow, Scorpius' captors hadn't thought of disarraying the communications console or even bother posting a guard at the opened doorway. Perhaps Ka'ru realized an equal opponent when he met one. Scorpius grinned to himself as he finished sending the false transmission to Moya and Talyn. He had received the very transmission on his Gammak Base earlier that solar day. Just moments before the frelling Scarrans raided his base and captured him.

A warning beacon had sounded several microns ago. Red flashing light in the hall and soldiers rushing by told Scorpius his plan had worked. Talyn had probably fired upon the ship, unfortunately with little success. The Scarran ship was twenty times the size of Talyn and equipped with an entire army of soldiers and advanced weaponry.

Scorpius gazed upon the rushing soldiers, relishing in a much-anticipated future confrontation with Ka'ru. Scorpius could almost smell the foul creature approaching. He rested against the far wall of his prison and waited patiently. If there was one thing Scorpius was noted for, it was his incredible patience.

True to Scorpius' predictions, Ka'ru angrily charged into the chamber, literally steaming with anger. Scorpius stood away from the far wall and approached Ka'ru with a widening grin. Ka'ru's eyes burned with intense rage. He raised a scaly arm and pointed to Scorpius. Upon his outstretched finger was a long crescent black claw, much like the others on his fingers. These claws were notorious for ripping prey to shreds. Their hands were known for emitting a heat wave with the ability to detect lies. This heat wave would not affect Scorpius because of his half-Scarran genetics.

Scorpius stepped up to this outstretched nail, allowing it to poke into his chest as he stood before Ka'ru. The challenging sparkle within his eyes was mirrored in Ka'ru's as well.

"You did this!" Ka'ru growled. He lowered his arm slowly as Scorpius tilted his head at him.

"Of course." Scorpius admitted.

"Why?" Ka'ru demanded an answer. Scorpius took a quick breath and responded.

"Don't be foolish, Ka'ru. These aliens are not stupid. They know you're here and that you are a threat. I sent the ships a transmission of you. They reacted how I expected them to. Honestly, I would have thought you would be one to study your opponent before heading into battle with them." Scorpius stretched the truth.

Scorpius always worked alone no matter what he was after. In this case, he wanted to know more of the significance of this new galaxy. As did Ka'ru. The only clever way to strive towards his goal was to form an alliance with Ka'ru. Ka'ru, though one of the more intelligent of his race, would never see Scorpius' deception until it was too late.

"You have questionable ways of satisfying your questions. But perhaps we can use this to our advantage. What is it that you want?" Ka'ru asked, becoming less offensive. The commandeer began to realize the advantages of having a prisoner who was well acquainted with the two ships he was preparing to attack.

"I want what you want, Ka'ru. I want to know what those two ships are protecting us from. Why that galaxy is so important that we cannot advance towards it without resistance." Scorpius replied. The flashing warnings outside the chamber quieted. Ka'ru began to pace before Scorpius. He came to a stop once again before Scorpius.

"What do you want if I allow you to roam free on my ship and assist in finding what we need?" Ka'ru inquired.

"To return to my Gammak Base and resume my research, naturally. But more importantly, I would like any and all data acquired during your testing of the wormholes. If you do this, I will allow you clearance upon my base at any time." Scorpius bargained, baring his rotting teeth in a huge grin.

"Fine. How do you suggest we uncover the significance of this galaxy70;what those ships are protecting?" Ka'ru asked with a sneer. Scorpius smiled at this question and looked at Ka'ru with an evil expression.

"John Crichton."

*****

The scoreboard lit up with the latest score. John shouted and jumped into the air. Numerous hands patted his muddy uniform. John was joined by his fellow teammates in the end zone. The first touch down for the home team. Geoffrey Scott had made the fifty-seven yard dash to the first score of the first half. A buzzard sounded. Half time had begun. John and the team began to jog back to the school near the football field, heading for the locker room. Coach Haska wouldn't be too happy with the team's performance in the first two quarters. John hoped he could change that. He was quarterback after all. The team looked up to him and listened to him.

Two of the star senior players on the high school football team had been injured in the beginning of the state championship in Orlando. John had thrown both passes that had landed his players in a heap of trouble. The opposing team was not only bigger, but also returning state champions seven years in the running. This was the first year John's team had made it to state. Luckily, he was a junior so if they didn't win this one, there would always be next year.

The sea green tile that constructed most of the large locker room of the school was littered with sweat drenched towels, spare shoulder pads, and smelly socks. The rugged football players filed in, taking a seat on the numerous gray benches situated around the edge of the room. The rows of blue painted metal lockers stood behind the green and white uniformed high school players. The team was generally quiet, muttering a few cusses here and there. Coach Haska slammed the door behind him as the last of the players sat down. He searched each and every exhausted, sweaty face of the team. His gaze settled onto the captain of the team, John. John stared back, daring the coach to push his buttons.

"What is wrong with you ladies? This is the fucking state championship, girls. Play your goddamned hearts out. I want blood. I've seen you play like your lives depended on it. Why haven't you shown me that tonight? That last pass was luck, Crichton. Scott was even luckier to catch it and run with it. Linus, you're benched. I don't want to see another penalty like that again from you." Coach Haska barked at this team. The silence was deafening. A small droplet of water hitting the shower floor echoed into the room. The repetitious dripping carried on a few more moments before anyone dared to speak.

"They've got seven seniors playing, coach. Five were all stars last year and the quarterback got MVP three years in a row at state. How the hell do you propose a little team from Shitsville to outplay them?" Hayer, the kicker for the team asked.

Coach Haska drew close to Hayer, glaring into his face with such intense rage that his own face began to turn red. A small vein in his forehead began to emerge. Hayer leaned backwards and shut up instantly. Coach Haska stepped into the center cluster of his players and turned around to look each and every player straight in the eyes. He came to a stop once again to stare at his star quarterback.

"If you don't pull some magic out of your ass before the end of third quarter, I am going to hunt you down and break your legs and your arm before Sunday mass, Crichton." Coach Haska stated, his eyes burning with hatred.

John stared back with the same hatred. He had a lot to prove out on that field. And even more to prove with his peers70;including his father and coach. Everyone always dismissed John as the astronaut's son70;wild but predictable. John was more than determined to win this game. The coach began to turn slowly around, looking to each player as he spoke.

"You ladies have precisely70;." Coach Haska paused to look at the watch on his left wrist. "Forty-five minutes to prove to the entire fucking world that you are not the losers you have presented yourselves to be in this first half. Go out there and play some goddamned football!"

"Coach!" John exclaimed standing up with such energy he shook the bench he and three other players were seated on.

Sneering, Coach Haska slowly turned to face his quarterback. He charged up to John, standing nose to nose with him. The challenge in the elder's eyes was matched with the quarterback's own. John felt a twinge of familiarity in the man's unsightly looks.

"Permission to speak with the team70;alone." John shouted into his coach's face. Adrenalin pumped ferociously into his veins as he defied his coach and risked his entire future of playing football. John's teammates looked to their quarterback in shock. Some smiled, even risked raising a fist in the air behind their coach's back.

"In my office 0600 tomorrow morning, Crichton." Coach Haska growled and slowly began to back out of the locker room. He glared at the team, angered and vengeful. He would make sure that they all knew what consequences took place when all but declaring mutiny.

Coach Haska disappeared out the doorway. Both John and the team waited for the door to come to a complete close before any of them dared to utter a word. John remained standing, and finally glanced around at his teammates, observing the hidden fear in their faces. They all wanted to win just as badly as he did. But he felt none of them had more to prove than he did. In fact, John had felt this way his entire life. Always having to prove himself, never being able to simply be who he was.

"Listen up, guys. This is our lives down to a mere forty minutes of working our asses off to prove to the entire fucking world that we are the best god damned football team in Florida. We have been a team from Tommy's suspension70;" John pointed out. The team laughed as Tommy looked down shamefully but with a smile. "To Hunter's last second saves70;we70;are70;a70;team. If we pull together and play like a team, we can do anything. That includes beating the seven-year state champions to a pulp. They won't know what hit them."

A few of the players shouted and walloped, throwing their fists into the air. The team was beginning to buzz with adrenalin. They sat on the edge of their seats, hungering for a win.

"Think of your family, your friends. Fight for the honor you deserve in coming out from the worst first half we've ever played to the last half of the best football played in the entire history of high school football." John continued.

"Yeah!" A linebacker shouted excitedly.

"Want some motivation? Here, how's this. Picture that ugly bastard Estes kissing your girlfriend. Or envision the entire opposing team celebrating in victory70;holding up that beautiful shining trophy that's rightfully ours at the end of the game. Think of those huge shit-faced grins that you'll want to pop a few teeth out of. Half of those idiots on the team probably won't even graduate and the half that do will only because they lucked out with a full ride on some football scholarship. Fuck the scholarships and fuck them! Let's go out there and kick some major ass! Who's with me?" John shouted. The entire team around him jumped up, shouting and jumping around. The testosterone was flowing just as hard as the adrenalin. The men strapped on their helmets, tightened their laces, straightened their jerseys, and chugged down bottles of refreshing Gatorade. They then rushed out the door of the locker room, whooping and shouting with energy.

John was about to join them. He headed over to his bench to pick up his towel when he heard a muffled clapping noise from behind. This younger John with a hint of the present day John in his mind already knew who was there. He needn't turn around. His father was always there to encourage him. John simply had forgotten his father had been there in the original memory.

"Hey." John began to say and turned around. His heart jumped. The younger physical John grew frightened but his older mentality instantly reminded himself who this being was.

"What70;who70;oh." John stumbled.

"Excellent speech, John. I'm quite impressed." Scorpius stated, coming in to circle around John. The dark, hideous being glanced up and down at John's muddied green and white uniform. John rummaged his soaking spiked hair and circled with Scorpius, watching him in both astonishment and anger.

"I'm not telling you anything. No matter how young and naïve you get me in my memories, I will not say a fucking word." John stated through clenched teeth.

"Hmm. Interesting. You seem to have taken on a part of your younger, more impressionable self in this memory. You're mind still amazes me, even for its simplicity." Scorpius said, rubbing his chin briefly. He came to a stop before John, towering over the somewhat shorter version of the human. John glanced up at the being, knowing he should hate this vile creature, yet feeling a sense of curiosity.

"Screw you, man. Go find somebody else to fuck with because I'm not taking any of your shit." John challenged, standing on his tiptoes as he spat into Scorpius' face. Scorpius grinned. This peculiar young football player with the number 10 on his jersey was daring and spontaneous. The older John Scorpius was acquainted with was much more reserved and thoughtful before reacting.

"You would have been a much more exciting opponent than you are in the future." Scorpius observed. John's eyes were beginning to glow with hatred. Even his younger self was beginning to realize this was an enemy not to mess with.

"Get out of my locker room now. Or maybe you'd like to be turned into a football that I can use out on the field. That would be fun. Slamming your ugly face into the mud puddles in the end zone." John laughed at the thought. He also realized this creature reminded him of Coach Haska. The similarity was eerie.

Scorpius suddenly grew serious and growled. John leaned back slightly, struggling not to show fear on his face. Instead, he forced a steady look of dominance on his sweat-drenched face. He was in control as long as he didn't give the creature the answer he was looking for.

"What are you protecting? What is so significant about this pathetic little galaxy? Tell me!" Scorpius growled in a devilish bark.

John stood silent in the face of evil, relishing in the torment he was causing this foul being. He studied Scorpius' angered expression for a moment before responding.

"Face me. Not in my memories but in real life. Face me like any decent, well70;respectful70;ah, intelligent70;oh whatever the hell you are just face me. Fight me. If you so desperately want to know what I know, then confront me with all you got. Maybe you might just get what you want." John challenged and stole a step forward to grin at Scorpius. John's voice became deeper as he spoke on. "But I gotta tell ya, Harvey, I don't give up easily. In fact, I rarely give up at all."

Scorpius frowned as the present day John began to shine through his younger self. Scorpius opened his mouth to retaliate when both of them heard someone down the hall, calling.

"John! John, come on!" The voice cried from far away. John turned his head to look towards the doorway. He noticed the room beginning to fade quickly.

"John!" The voice became much louder and everything around John was enveloped in darkness. John opened his eyes as if he had just closed them. He saw the view screen before him, with the silent beauty of the Milky Way spread out before him. His hands were on his hips and his crewmates were standing about Command with him, observing the sight. Someone was still calling his name, calling John back to the present moment. John turned his head to look at his crewmates, each one staring at him as if he had just shouted out a profanity for no apparent reason.

"What?" John asked with bewilderment masking his disorientation.

"We've received some sort of transmission from your galaxy." Aeryn responded in a harsh tone. She was staring at him with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. John made a mental note to have a good long talk with her as soon as time would allow. After their last unproductive discussion, however, he hoped they would get something accomplished next time.

"The signal was weak at first. Moya is translating the transmission now." Pilot informed from the clamshell.

"What kind of transmission?" John asked in alert. He began to sense a strong feeling in his stomach that had been churning since they had first approached the field of failing black holes. Fear. The infamous rattlers had returned.

"It appears to be visual." Pilot answered, his eyebrows raised with surprise.

"Can you play this transmission for us, Pilot?" D'Argo pondered. He glanced at John to see if the human agreed. John only stood still, staring out the view screen. D'Argo felt for the human, realizing the dream that he had hungered for so long now just out of reach.

"I will try." Pilot stated. A few microns passed. The crew grew silent, waiting and wondering. What kind of signal was it? What if the Scarran ship detected it as well?

"Pilot, have you deciphered the transmission yet? Talyn is getting anxious." Crais' voice broke the silence over the comms. Chiana and Rygel glanced nervously at each other. They knew as well as everyone that if Talyn had detected it, then so did the Scarran battle ship and the thousand little ships that now stationed themselves beside the ship.

John slammed his fist down on a nearby console, causing Jool to jump. She backed away from the human slightly.

"This is not going to happen. We are going to fight those bastards and protect that galaxy. Do you even realize the dren we are in right now? If those Scarrans attempt to enter into this galaxy and find my home planet, I will have nothing to return to. Everyone and everything I've ever known will be gone in an instant." John stated in a strong voice. His face was growing red with anger. "I won't let that happen."

"The transmission has been translated. It's70;quite peculiar." Pilot interrupted John's speech.

"Get on with it Pilot." Stark ordered, leaning forward on the console in front of him. The curiosity of the entire crew was peaked.

Pilot played the transmission onto the view screen for the crew. A brief, visual image flashed onto the view screen. A peculiar looking human dressed in an even more peculiar outfit appeared in a square window of a brick building. The famous golden arches flashed underneath this smiling being with a few English words beside it. The entire image had an old, faded look to it, reminding John of the late nineteen eighties. Crackling static began to play from these images into the silence of Command. Then, something clearer came through. A few sounds, then they grew stronger until the crew could make out words.

"...Welcome to McDon70;."

John's jaw dropped. He would have laughed at the absurdity of it all but instead, his stomach flipped and his heart began to race. Not only were the words in English, but clearly American. Of all things, good old McDonald's had come through to become the universal greeting card. John released a chuckle after that thought.

"What is it?" Chiana asked of the origin of the transmission. John looked to her in pure shock. He had almost forgotten that his crewmates had never experienced television.

"What does it mean? What is McDon?" Jool asked.

"This is not good, John." Aeryn replied in an alarmed voice.

John looked back to Aeryn, reading the seriousness in her eyes. He already knew what she was implying. The Scarrans would have a direct link to his planet. If Earth wasn't already in a delicate balance to exist in this unforgiving universe, she was tipping the scales.

"I can't believe this! This is the biggest joke of my entire life. We're going to get killed over a McDonald's commercial." John brought his hands to his face and shook his head.

"I didn't understand a single thing he just said." Jool crinkled her face at the human. Rygel snorted.

"Get used to it." Aeryn responded. She placed a hand on her hip and impatiently shook her head. "Does this transmission come directly from your planet?"

"Aeryn, unless I'm out of the loop, Earth is the only place you'll find McDonald's. You'd love their fries." John sent Aeryn a look. Aeryn nodded her head and turned to Pilot.

"Please tell me the defense shield is up to ninety percent, Pilot." Aeryn droned.

"Fifty-five percent and steady." Pilot reported.

"This is getting worse by the microt." Chiana muttered.

"Pilot, fellow crewmembers of Moya, I am saddened to inform you that the Scarran fighter ships are on the move. They've locked onto this strange signal and are heading for the source. Talyn can only fight off so many of them. There isn't much we can do." Crais informed over the comms.

The crew immediately looked to John. John stared out the view screen, his face drawn of color. Like in the latest flashback from his past, he felt he had to be the confident leader with a plan already in the works. His words had lead to victory then but John was speechless now. He had no idea how to stop the Scarrans from destroying his home. Time was running out for Earth.

*****

Ka'ru hissed into Scorpius' face, standing before him on the control deck of the battle ship. The half-breed had been trying Ka'ru's patience since the Scarran officers had captured him. Scorpius was always working against Ka'ru, even when they had declared a truce. Ka'ru already sensed some of his very own high-ranking officers steering towards a mutiny, which most likely had been suggested by Scorpius. Nevertheless, as an equally hideous, unforgiving soul, Ka'ru was impressed. In the unfortunate event that Scorpius carried out his plan of mutiny, Ka'ru knew how to strike back. He could be just as evil and conspiring as Scorpius, if not more so.

Scorpius retained a grin on his face even with Ka'ru's nearly unbearable breath smothering him. The heat emitting from the Scarran was both satisfying and sickening. The inner struggles of the temperature war within Scorpius were failing him the longer he stayed on this ship. He had to act now or Ka'ru would succeed in dominating the game.

Ka'ru is not your commandeer for much longer, officers. He is a menace; a being that cares only for his own agenda. He will not fight for your lives. He will use each and every one of you to get what he wants, no matter what the penalty. Free from this monstrosity and merge with me. I will care for your future. I will give you everything you need. Create history as the team of brave officers who declared mutiny against the great Ka'ru. Be the officers who conquered a whole galaxy and captured the most hunted man in the universe. Declare mutiny, my friends. Ka'ru deserves to die. Scorpius glanced around at the officers on deck, smiling evilly and observing, as they appeared to hear the message he was mentally sending to them. Several officers had stopped manning their stations. They gathered together, speaking quietly and glancing disrespectfully towards Ka'ru.

Scorpius looked to Ka'ru to see the commandeer staring hungrily out at the two helpless ships before them. The Scarran fighter ships had already begun their false advance towards the galaxy. Their official objective was to eliminate both Talyn and Moya, then the galaxy. Scorpius had only one problem with this plan. He did not want to see Talyn and Moya scathed for it meant the demise of John Crichton.

"What is the importance of this John Crichton?" Ka'ru suddenly confronted Scorpius. Scorpius nearly jumped in surprise and reared back, suspicious of the Scarran. Had he read his thoughts? Impossible. This Scarran wasn't intelligent enough. Scorpius retained his composure and stepped forward with curiosity.

"Perhaps you can tell me. After all, you have been hunting him for his knowledge, have you not?" Scorpius questioned. Ka'ru hissed angrily and took another step towards Scorpius. His radiating skin sent waves of heat in Scorpius' direction. Scorpius began to grow weak from the heat and struggled to keep his composure.

"Knowledge? We have little interest in the primitive human's mind70;only for what he knew of your research. We've been interested only in what you are trying to develop on that so-called 'secret' Gammak Base. Unfortunate for you that we seized it." Ka'ru smiled. Scorpius grinned back. Ka'ru had no clue as to the importance of John and his brain. His source was safe70;for the moment.

"You don't even know what you have in your hands, Ka'ru. My Gammak Base is simply a decoy for idiots of your stature. Any information you retrieve there will be for nothing. My scientists are simply researching advanced pulse technology at that base." Scorpius scoffed. He was growing somewhat angered by this Scarran's idiocy. How could such an unintelligent being rise to be the most respected Commandeer of his race?

"You're studying wormhole technology." Ka'ru stated simply in return, undermining Scorpius' lies. Perhaps Scorpius had been underestimating his opponent. He was shocked and outraged inside, but his physiology allowed for extreme control of emotion on the outside. Scorpius narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Maybe I am." Scorpius admitted dryly. "You still haven't confided to me about the research you have been conducting on your own. How did you create the wormhole we traveled through to get here?"

Scorpius stepped up to Ka'ru, defying the extreme heat emitting off of the Scarran. He glared into Ka'ru's angered face and waited patiently for an answer. Ka'ru slowly coiled his long, scaly fingers into fists. The coarse black hair running up his spine began to stand on end. His eyes began to glimmer with hatred. Ka'ru had met his match.

"What do you mean?" Ka'ru growled, his temper escalating. "You were the one who created the wormhole. We were unwillingly pulled into it. Our research had failed, every attempt had ended in a pathetic black hole."

Scorpius grew puzzled. He looked to Ka'ru with sincerity in knowing the Scarran was speaking the truth. He temporarily forgot about the mutiny he was creating with the officers in Command.

"Then who did?" Scorpius asked, almost ecstatic by the thought of the mysterious wormhole being created by an unknown source. Both Scorpius and Ka'ru turned to look out the view screen towards Moya and Talyn. They came to a conclusion that they knew who did. This would become the reason for the two to form an alliance.

"How do you suggest we capture and retrieve the knowledge we seek?" Ka'ru questioned.

Scorpius tilted his head slyly and smiled at Ka'ru. Ka'ru didn't need mind-reading skills to realize what Scorpius was thinking.

"I suggest we ask for it in person." Scorpius smiled.

*****

Voices. Thousands of voices of lost souls screamed into his mind. They tortured him day in and day out. Stark could only guess when his absorption of pain and death would finally take its toll on his mind. The easing, comforting thoughts he once possessed had disintegrated into only a few, disjointed flashes of calmness.

Stark longed for the calm. Yet the evilness creeping into his soul from the numerous deaths he had "experienced" scarred him deeply. His physiology allowed for sensing the demise of other souls across the universe70;mainly those he was closely related to biologically or mentally. And all was crumbling down now that his center, Zhaan, was gone from his life. Stark was no longer a stable being.

Traveling throughout the silent halls of Moya while the crew struggled with the issues at hand, Stark was battling his own issues. He was finding it harder and harder to keep his mind at bay. The voices were constant. Only days earlier they had been whispers. But now, now they were screaming. The pain and torment riddling their voices was deafening. How much longer would it be before he snapped?

Peace of mind.

A solemn whisper filled his mind. Alerted, Stark flattened himself against the wall of Moya. His heart began to race. He searched the barren hall up and down with his nervously twitching right eye. Only a couple of DRDs on their routine patrol occupied the hall. Stark stepped away from the wall and continued on in caution.

Peace of spirit.

Stark released a cry. He immediately braced himself against the wall once again. Frightened, Stark glanced around the hall, swearing his eye was playing tricks on him. Had that door down the hall opened a dench?

"Who70;who's there?" Stark uttered a shaky whisper.

The screaming voices in his head that had become background music were now silent. Stark stole a brave step away from the wall.

"Zhaan?" He whispered in a barely audible tone.

Peace of soul, Stark.

Stark jumped in surprise. It was Zhaan. He glanced over his shoulder, swearing he had felt her breath grace his neck. Stark was shaking with fear but his heart leapt with joy. Zhaan had not appeared to him since shortly after her death monens ago and then again as they were tumbling through the wormhole recently. But where was she now? Why could he only hear her and not see her?

Stark began to think of what she was saying as well. What had Zhaan meant by all this? He remembered now the last sweet words Zhaan had spoken to him as she died.

Stark cried out in vain but to no avail. Zhaan was gone, along with Stark's sanity. Stark knew he could no longer control the voices, the torment, or the infectious insanity controlling his mind. Not after losing Zhaan, his only refuge from himself.

"Zhaan, my love. Please accept my offer to be with you for eternity. I no longer have purpose here. Please70;please Zhaan! Let me be with you, my sweet." Stark begged, dropping to his knees. He spread his arms out and looked around, hoping to see Zhaan materialize before him.

Goodbye my love.

Stark cried out in vain.

"NO ZHAAN! Don't leave me!" Stark fell to the floor and began to sob. He knew she was gone now.

After a few microts, Stark began to calm considerably. He straightened with a look of realization. Deep within, swirled a new feeling; one he hadn't experienced before. But it was extremely familiar70;almost like the feeling he had experienced in Unity with Zhaan. Perhaps it was really the Delvian herself filling his existence. Energizing him and molding him into the essential asset she had once been to the ever-violent lives of the crew. Whatever the feeling was, whatever Stark made himself to believe it was, he felt ready. Stark felt confident once again that he could and indeed had taken the place of Zhaan as a peaceful, healing member of the crew on board Moya.

*****

A small swing set rested in a lonely little park. The tall green grass around the set rippled in the gusty wind. The two rusted chains holding the aged rubber seat of the last swing croaked as they swayed back and forth on their supportive hooks. The faded red, white, and blue paint job on the bars of the swing set told of the many years of sun it had endured. A small child appeared nearby, holding an old muddy Tonka truck, similar to the one John used to own as a kid. The child had sandy blond hair and deep blue eyes. He wore dirtied blue overalls over a white shirt with unfamiliar cartoons printed on it. The child was frozen where he stood, staring up into the dreary low clouds of the cool summer day. Curiosity and fear paralyzed his face.

The senses were all so real, John imagined himself into the memory. He circled around, his leather clothes sealing to his skin against the wind. He shivered from the cold bite in the air and rubbed his arms to keep warm. John breathed in deeply, smelling the rich Earthly scents he had long ago forgotten. He temporarily forgot all about Moya, the Uncharted Territories, and everything that had been threatening his existence to this point. He relaxed and smiled at the sight of the little boy. He reminded John so much of himself as a child.

The small boy did not seem to notice John's sudden appearance. He only continued to stare up into the sky, his face almost forming into a pout now. John could hear a small drone far away. The sound was similar to that of a plane engine but oddly out of this world. He searched the skies, looking off towards the blanket of woods decorating the landscape before him. He could see nothing but the dreary clouds and intense green of the flora around him. Even in such a depressing environment, John felt happiness and renewal. He was home once again. He cared not how he got here or how long his stay would be, he only cared for the simple things he had so often overlooked.

The child began to moan and point towards the sky, his eyebrows and lips turned down in a full pout. He cried in fear and dropped his toy truck. John whisked around to face the boy only to see him run away towards the complex of houses behind them. John heard the drone grow louder and turned back to the skies. He saw nothing yet. Maybe the child saw something he couldn't. Either way, John didn't want to stick around to find out. He was getting an eerie feeling about this place and he no longer wished to be here.

John searched the skies for a moment longer and looked back to where the boy had been standing. The Tonka truck lay in the grass, its yellow paint standing out in the tall green blades around it. John walked over to it and scooped it up, smiling at the memories of playing with the model when he was young. He twirled the toy around in his hands, observing its every feature. The mysterious drone above the clouds grew stronger. John didn't bother to look this time. He knew there was nothing to see yet.

John paused a moment, hoisting the flatbed of the toy truck up on a whim. He was both shocked and devastated to see something he had not imagined would be there. Engraved deep within the base of the flatbed were the shaky letters J C. John instantly dropped the Tonka truck and stood away. His mind was already incorporating things into these memories yet he refused to believe70;that truck had belonged to the unnamed little boy70;not him.

John stumbled back a few steps and saw something out of the corner of his eyes. He shifted around and faced the first oncoming wave of alien ships racing through the clouds to a lower level, preparing to fire at will. The deep auburn skin of these alien ships reminded John of Moya, and his mind was reminded as if forgotten, of his life in the Uncharted Territories. John followed the ships with his eyes as they passed low overhead, the heat from the ships nearly singing John's face. John stumbled a few more steps and spoke into his comms, which unbeknownst to him, was no longer pinned to his coat.

"Moya, Pilot70;anybody70;do you read me? I need help! The Scarrans70;they're attacking Earth." John shouted. More and more ships began to emerge from the clouds, filling the skies above. John's heart raced and he thought of the little boy. He was probably hovering under his mother's arm in the farthest, darkest corner of their house, shivering in fear and crying for their lives. John had to do something.

A sudden ball of fire shot through the air and struck the nearby swing set. John threw himself to the ground as the swing set disintegrated and the ground beneath sprayed outwards. John grasped the sweet grass around his head and clenched his teeth. He would not allow this to happen to his own planet. After all, he was the sole reason the Scarran ships had come to this galaxy and even recognized this planet as a threat. John thought of his father, DK, his sisters, and all of humanity. He would not allow a civilization that had lasted thousands of years to die like this.

John hoisted himself upwards as a continuous raid of fireballs smashed into the Earth around him. He barely flinched at the flying debris around him as he stood to face the oncoming ships. He paid no attention to the splintering houses and screaming victims behind him. He zeroed in on the ships and raised both his arms. He was going to defeat these Scarrans if it was the last thing he did. John held out his palms and screamed at the top of his lungs. He closed his eyes. Everything stopped instantly.

John opened his eyes. He was standing in Command, his crewmates staring at him in bewilderment like always. Had he just done all that on Moya, believing he was on Earth? John's cheeks grew red with embarrassment. Stark entered into Command and noticed the silence and confusion among the crew. He walked straight up to John and grasped the perplexed human's shoulders.

"John, you must stay focused. Don't allow these images to take over your mind. Listen to me and me only." Stark began, his tone serious and his eye saner than ever. How had he known about the images and disjointed flashbacks he had been experiencing? John wondered briefly. John wrinkled his brow at Stark's sudden change in attitude and attempted to look at the reaction of his crewmates. Stark grabbed John's chin and refocused John's gaze onto him.

"What are you doing, Stark?" Aeryn questioned, stepping forward in alarm. D'Argo followed suit, feeling protective of his friend.

"You have to go out there in your module70;redirect the Scarrans away from your galaxy. They cannot reach Earth. Don't allow them to do this, John. I don't know how many more souls I can guide into the afterlife if they succeed in destroying your planet." Stark ushered. John could not sense if this was Stark speaking, or some other source. For a moment there, he had appeared to be speaking on the same level Zhaan had often used with John.

"I won't let him do that, Stark. This is fahrbot. Release him and let us talk." Aeryn negotiated. Stark turned to stare at her with the same intensity he had shown John. A brief look of confusion crossed Aeryn's face.

"Stark, listen to yourself. There are over a thousand fighter ships out there. John would not have a chance to70;." D'Argo stated but was cut off.

"Don't listen to them, John. I know what needs to be done." Stark urged, shaking John as he spoke.

"Why don't you relax, Stark? We've got things under control." Chiana lied, stepping forward. Stark looked to her as if she were fahrbot.

"Stark's right." John uttered, almost shocked by his own words. Everyone looked to him. Stark released his grip on John.

"Believe me or not if you want to. But I know and John knows that I'm right. Zhaan has somehow70;re-energized my soul. I am thinking clearer than ever and I feel at peace. I am here as guidance to you on behalf of Zhaan's wishes. Please don't deny her last gift to you." Stark stated. He was, true to his words, saner than ever. He appeared relaxed and even his color was back to normal. This change in Stark was convincing enough for the crew. They nodded their approval.

"I'd hate to see a normal day on this ship." Jool muttered. Everything up to this point had been intense and bewildering to her. Rygel hovered near her and nodded with a laugh.

"It can actually be quite boring around here. That's why I started up my hobby of snurching early on." Rygel commented.

"John. You're not seriously considering this, are you?" Aeryn questioned, stepping up to the human. John turned to see fright in Aeryn's eyes. She wasn't ready to lose him yet70;and he wasn't about to leave her.

John thought of the little boy he had seen in the dream-like state he had been in. He could see the exploding houses and the fleeing injured humans. He envisioned the frightened little children, cowering into the smallest spaces they could find. He thought of his father staring up at the Scarran ships, smiling with the thought that John had been lucky after all, not to see Earth end like this. John could not let this happen to Earth.

"Pilot, prepare my module for a long journey."

*****