John headed for the docking bay with Aeryn close behind. Her face was set in anger. John stopped as they reached the entrance of the docking bay and turned back to Aeryn. He grabbed onto her arms and pulled her to face him. Aeryn suddenly felt uncomfortable, not trusting her emotions. The last time she had gotten close with the human, they accomplished nothing but satisfying their70;needs. Aeryn wriggled out of his grip and remained at a distance.

"You're not going out there. I'll render you unconscious if I have to." Aeryn charged. She stared into John's determined expression and shook her head. The human could be just as stubborn as she was.

"Aeryn, I have to do this. If I don't go out there, they'll find my home and destroy it. I can't let that happen70;even if it means I never can return home." John reasoned, looking deep into Aeryn's anxious eyes. Aeryn shook her head.

"What ever happened to you?" Aeryn asked, that same look of disappointment shadowing her eyes once again. John felt a funny feeling begin to creep into his stomach.

"What do you mean?" John asked, stepping forward. Aeryn looked longingly into his face and let out a deep breath.

"From the moment I have met you, your ultimate goal in life was to return to your Earth. But if the sacrifices meant harming those you came to care for on Moya, you stepped down. Now70;now you'll do anything for that chance to go home70;anything. You'll even leave us without a second thought. Why?" Aeryn questioned.

"Aeryn70;oh baby70;I70;I know I've been obsessed. It's just that the wormhole knowledge has been at the tip of my tongue since the surgery. I know it's in there and if I can just grasp it70;maybe then I can create a wormhole. And no, Aeryn, I wouldn't even think of abandoning you or the others. Once I figure out how to control the final destination of a wormhole, I plan on finding everyone else's homes first." John slid an arm around Aeryn's waist. She allowed him to embrace her in a hug. She rested her face on his warm chest, listening momentarily to his comforting heartbeat. Aeryn then glanced up to look into John's sincere face. She had underestimated him. All along, John had been placing her and the crew before himself. Somehow, she just hadn't seen it.

"And what about me? Would I remain on Moya alone after everyone's gone?" Aeryn said, trying not to allow the sadness overpowering her soul to pour out.

"Aeryn, no. I could never leave you. I think I would have to stop at home with you for a while and then we could go find our own little corner of the universe to be together in. No PeaceKeepers, no Scorpius, no Scarrans70;no food cubes70;." John stated in a soft voice, petting Aeryn's long hair. Aeryn released a snort at the food cubes notion.

"I love you, John. I cannot live a future without you." Aeryn said. Her chin began to tremble and tears began to stream down her face. John swayed back and forth, rocking Aeryn until she quieted. Deep down, he felt exactly the same way. Unfortunately, somewhere in his mind, something told him that fate was about to step in the way. John realized his expression was reflecting this notion and as Aeryn turned to look up at him, he quickly masked it with a smile.

"Hey, I'll be back in a flash. I trick the bad guys into thinking I'm going to charge them while Moya and Talyn make a run for the Milky Way. I'll perform the old Indian Jones routine of sticking an object into the frag canons. They'll try to shoot at ya and won't even know what hit 'em when the canon backfires. The fighter ships will go after you guys so I won't have to worry about them, all right? It'll work." John assured Aeryn.

"And what exactly do you plan to do when the fighter ships don't give up?" Aeryn questioned his plan.

"Talyn turns around and spoils their parade." John answered simply. Aeryn looked to him with a weary expression. Her face was reddened from crying. John had never quite seen Aeryn this emotional before. He was beginning to wonder if there wasn't anything else wrong with her. Aeryn finally stepped away from John and took a deep breath.

"Go on. Don't let me stop you." Aeryn toughened up, urging John to leave instead of dragging this emotional dren of a conversation on any longer. John smiled, relieved to see Aeryn back to her normal self. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her head forward. John planted a sweet, gentle kiss upon her forehead. He then let go and turned towards the docking bay.

"Don't worry, Aeryn. I'm going to save the day." John joked and then proceeded towards his module awaiting him in the bay.

Aeryn smiled at John's statement but her eyes still carried worry. It was if those were to be John's last words to her. Aeryn watched the human prepare to leave. Their conversation had eased her mind to a point. She had revealed she was uncertain of her future and what she wanted. Yet she somehow felt that there was still doubt in her mind as to where she really wanted her future to head. She had been born in space, she had been raised in space, and further more, she still preferred to die in space. If John meant to live on a planet, Aeryn just couldn't determine if she would stay. No matter how strong her love for the human, there was only so much unhappiness she could endure.

Aeryn thought of the chip Crais had mentioned earlier. She watched John perform the final checks on his module before boarding. The door to the bay began to close before her. She stared on until she saw nothing but the barren wall of the door.

"Pilot." Aeryn spoke into her comms.

"Yes, Aeryn?" Pilot responded. He was instantly proud of himself for not addressing her as an officer.

"Prepare a transport pod. I'm going to Talyn."

*****

Aboard Talyn, Crais was watching the Scarran fighter ships advancing towards them. Talyn had nearly fired upon the ships several times. Crais had done everything in his power to calm this little ship, hoping he would not try anything too drastic. John's module suddenly appeared out the view screen, easing its way through the mass of fighter ships. The module appeared to be heading for the Scarran battle ship. Crais shook his head. The human really was insane. Talyn disrupted Crais' thoughts and announced a transport pod entering into the docking bay. Puzzled, Crais turned to greet whoever was coming aboard. Moments later the door to Command where he was standing opened to reveal Aeryn Sun. She was angry. Crais hid his surprise and joy to see her and remained still.

"Aeryn Sun." Crais greeted her.

Aeryn marched up to Crais and aggressively forced him up against a wall. Talyn immediately lowered his internal weapons from the ceiling, prepared to fire.

"Talyn, no!" Crais ordered.

The ship was reluctant, but obeyed. The weapons drew back into the ceiling and Aeryn continued her force. Aeryn pressed her body up against Crais and shoved her forearm up under his chin, forcing him to look directly at her. Crais smiled. Aeryn stared into his taunting eyes.

"Aeryn, I70;." Crais began in a gruff voice.

"Enough!" Aeryn ordered, pressing harder onto Crais' throat. Crais gasped for air. Aeryn was not about to tolerate any of his dren.

"Give me the chip." Aeryn ordered. She drew her face close, within a dench of Crais' own.

Crais wriggled his neck under Aeryn's intense pressure. Though he was excited by her powerful interrogation, he was becoming quite uncomfortable. Aeryn's force was stronger than any female peacekeeper he could recall in his entire time in office.

"I would, but I do not have the chip in my immediate possession. The chip is here on Talyn, however, stowed safely away." Crais informed her.

Aeryn studied Crais' face a moment and backed her head away slightly. She maintained her force on him just the same.

"Frell Crais. Where is the chip? You know how valuable it is to me. How could you keep something like this from me when you yourself have been subjected to such a strict PeaceKeeper upbringing? You were taken from your parents as a child, were you not?" Aeryn argued.

Crais opened his mouth to respond but was instantly cut off by Aeryn. She was on a roll.

"Had it not occurred to you that I would find out about this chip? Did you simply store the chip until you felt it was convenient to bring it to my attention?"

As Aeryn's temper flared, she pressed her body harder against Crais. This time, however, Crais did not enjoy her advance. He struggled to breathe, his lungs constricting under her force.

"If it weren't for your bond with Talyn, you'd already be dead." Aeryn steamed.

Crais studied Aeryn's burning eyes for a micron. She was extremely serious. He had no doubt the former PeaceKeeper would have carried out such a threat.

"I will give you the chip." Crais uttered after a brief moment of consideration. "On one condition."

That struck another nerve within Aeryn. She smacked Crais with a Pen-Tak jab, stunning him. A trickle of deep red blood began to spill down from the left corner of Crais' mouth.

"I will not tolerate this, Crais." Aeryn warned.

"You must promise me you will not act upon what you discover on this chip." Crais ignored her warning.

Aeryn tilted her head slightly. With her eyes narrowed in suspicion, Aeryn allowed Crais to breathe a little easier but kept him braced against the wall.

"Oh, so you've already viewed the chip, have you? How considerate." Aeryn barked. Crais was growing impatient and slightly angry by now.

"How else could I have discovered the chip and its importance if I had not viewed it first?" Crais bit back. "Promise me you will not act upon the contents of the chip and you may have it."

Aeryn raised her face up to his and glared for a moment before responding.

"Fine. I promise. The chip." Aeryn stated, patiently holding out a hand.

Without a microt's notice, Crais pressed his warm, soft lips onto Aeryn's. He kissed hard and deep, feeling satisfaction for relieving the urge to do so for quite some time. Caught off guard, Aeryn was bewildered. But instead of prying away, she kissed back. Deep inside, she felt some passion for Crais. It wasn't as strong as when she was with John, but it was definitely more desirable for one reason and one reason alone. A Sebacean must always keep the bloodlines pure. Aeryn still couldn't shake some of the rules bestowed upon her since birth. An image of John surfaced in her mind, bringing her back to her senses. Aeryn immediately pulled away, forcing a glare onto her face.

Crais smiled and dug into his coat. He produced the chip Aeryn had so desperately wanted. Aeryn avoided direct eye contact and grabbed the chip from Crais. She then stalked off to leave Talyn.

Crais beamed. He watched Aeryn leave, feeling more and more attracted to her by the micron. He had finally kissed Aeryn Sun. One barrier of many he still desired to tear down.

*****

Aeryn traveled through Talyn towards the docking bay. Her mind was distracted as she clasped the chip in her hand; squeezing it with such intensity her skin was indented and red. A turn in the hall revealed the opened doorway to the docking bay. Aeryn could see the transport pod she had arrived in. She quickened her pace. Her mind resurfaced the kiss with Crais. Aeryn shook her head, trying to rid of the memory. Aeryn forced herself to think of John and began to worry. Would he be all right? He was already flying through the fighter ships towards the Scarran battle ship, as best to Aeryn's knowledge. She raised her right foot to enter onto the steps leading up to the transport pod.

Without warning, Aeryn was sent flying forward into the steps as Talyn jolted violently. The metal of the step Aeryn's head had struck in the jolt caused her forehead to bleed. With frustration, Aeryn hoisted herself up from the steps and wiped her brow. She glanced around her and spoke into her comms.

"Crais, what the frell was that?" Aeryn demanded to know. There was no answer.

"Crais." Aeryn called again, securing the chip into her pocket. This time, she didn't wait. She rushed back to Command, hoping Crais hadn't suffered a worse fate than a simple cut.

*

The crippling pulse wave began to flow out from underneath the Scarran battle ship, racing towards John and all those behind him. John threw his weight into the turn to get his module to fly beneath the pulse wave. The back tail of his ship was struck, sending John's module into a small spin. John was tossed around in his module as it spun out of control. He reached for the controls as inertia threw him around. He grunted in frustration. The spinning began to slow, allowing John to handle the controls and steer himself straight. He shook his head and looked to see where the module had taken him. John gasped and looked high above him. He was at the underbelly of the Scarran battle ship.

*

A small pod similar in design to that of the looming battle ship traveled steadily towards Moya and Talyn. Ka'ru turned to face Scorpius, as the two settled in for a hopefully uneventful ride in the pod.

"Shut off all operations! The pulse wave will not affect you unless your communications or weaponry are activated." Ka'ru ordered over the comms to his fighter ships facing the two renegade ships. Scorpius could hardly contain his excitement. Ka'ru sneered at Scorpius. He then turned off all communication as the wave rippled past them, shaking the pod slightly.

"When we find the human70;I will interrogate him." Ka'ru stated.

"Really? And how do you think the human will respond to you? I have a much better resource, my friend." Scorpius smiled.

"The chip is out of his head. How can you control him now? Another new brain experiment of yours?" Ka'ru angrily charged up to Scorpius and wrapped a single long scaly hand around his neck. Scorpius was forced back in his chair but he kept his expression steady. Ka'ru growled, his fowl breath almost too much for even Scorpius.

"Patience." Scorpius muttered.

*

Aeryn entered into Command to immediately see an unconscious Crais lying nearby the communications console. She hurried to his side and hoisted him up. Talyn remained silent, causing Aeryn even further worry. She glanced behind her out the view screen to see Moya just as silent. The fighter ships had already positioned themselves tightly around the Leviathan and gunship, acting as a net to trap them in.

Crais began to stir in Aeryn's arms. He opened his eyes and drew close to kiss her. Aeryn motioned her head aside with no time to waste and lifted Crais up to a standing position. Crais wavered momentarily and rested a supportive arm on the communications console.

"What happened?" Aeryn asked.

"The Scarran ship70;they attacked us with a pulse wave. It was strong enough70;" Crais paused as his vision clouded in darkness momentarily. "The pulse wave was strong enough to cripple both Moya and Talyn. They're unconscious70;."

Crais fell back to the floor, losing consciousness once again. Aeryn rolled her eyes impatiently and positioned Crais to sit up against the console. She then turned around in Command. Aeryn for once did not know what to do.

*

John glanced behind him to see the swirling innocent Milky Way beckoning to be saved. He then looked above at the mysterious mass stretching ten football fields across the underbelly of the Scarran battle ship. It was like nothing he had ever witnessed before. A swirling mass of darkened red material sustained itself within the boundaries of an outer ring. The ring was of unimaginable strength against the gravitational effect being created by the mass. Occasional flashes of golden yellow glistened from within, like that of a reflection in a pond. This was where the wave of pulse energy exited to strike upon Moya and Talyn, thus anesthetizing them. And this had to be the most vulnerable weapon this ship boasted on its exterior shell. John lowered his head and began to smile.

A crackling noise on his comms began to disrupt his thoughts. Someone on Moya was trying to communicate with him. John turned off the distracting comms and prepared the weapons mechanism he and Aeryn had installed a monen earlier. With no time for his thoughts to wander, John focused on the tasks at hand and positioned his module for attack.

*

Moya hovered before the pod, her majestic size as awesome as her beautiful skin. The smaller gunship near her side was sleek and handsome with dominance even over his mother. Ka'ru and Scorpius stood to gaze at these ships as their pod slowed for an approach to Moya.

"Scorpius. I suggest you become useful and open the docking bay doors." Ka'ru ordered, without as much as a glance towards Scorpius. Scorpius tilted his head at Ka'ru, realizing this Scarran knew more than he lead on. Scorpius looked to Moya, his eyes turning instantly black for a few microns.

The pod jolted briefly but then turned for a direct course into the now fast approaching docking bay. The doors opened smoothly around them as they passed through into Moya. The pod was guided along to a stop in the main docking bay and the doors behind came to a close. Atmospheric conditions returned. The pod doors opened with a rush of air flowing out into the stunned environment of Moya. Scorpius was the first to appear, with a weary expression. He instantly noticed the motionless DRDs littered around the pod as if they were frozen in place. Ka'ru appeared behind Scorpius and growled deep in his throat. Scarrans could be very impatient.

Scorpius glanced at Ka'ru momentarily before traveling down the steps to the floor. He waited for Ka'ru and glanced around, noting there were no unforeseen complications unveiling themselves so far. Not even the crew of Moya was there to defend her. This fact made both creatures smile. They stood side by side, surveying the unfamiliar room before heading forward to find their prize.

*

Aeryn observed the chaos of ships out the view screen, her arms crossed and her face set with concern. Had John made it to the battle ship yet? Would he succeed? Aeryn pondered the capabilities of the human less and less now days but she still pondered. She became lost in her thoughts, with nothing else left to do but think. Would he stay? Aeryn was almost surprised by that sudden thought. If they somehow survived this mess, would John stay here to return home or would he stay on Moya to be with her? Had she shown him efficiently enough that she wanted, no needed him to stay with her? Or was Crais her ultimate future? Perhaps she should stay on Talyn with Crais, using her resources as a former PeaceKeeper. Keep the bloodlines pure. Aeryn shook her head as the rule once again popped into her head. There were many other opportunities arising for Aeryn. But there was nothing more she wanted than to be with the one man she loved.

*

With his thumb dancing above the trigger, John had the module positioned to fire upon the battle ship's superior technology. The massive ring containing the swirl of energy was almost inspiring to John. The equations and theories surrounding wormholes bombarded his mind. John felt energy circulating his tingling body. His face brightened and he sat forward. The technology was no longer at the tip of his tongue but out into the air. He had grasped this advanced theory of wormholes and locked onto it permanently.

"That's it. I've got it!" John exclaimed excitedly and then glanced around as if someone could have possibly heard his embarrassing outcry. John sat back and beamed at the mass above him. He knew how to create a wormhole.

John checked the fighter ships to make sure they hadn't noticed his position yet. They were far from him at this point. But unfortunately, they had completely encircled both Talyn and Moya. John turned back to the battle ship, his thumb still dancing above the trigger. How could he destroy the one element of technology that could take him home in a micron?

*****

D'Argo lay on the floor, his back aching and his mind reeling. What had just happened? He shook his head and lifted himself up, glancing around Command to see if his other crewmates had survived the turbulence of the pulse wave. Chiana was lying near him, her arms draped over Rygel, who in turn was just wakening. The Hynerian grunted and tried to wriggle free. D'Argo helped him out just as Chiana awoke. Chiana lifted herself up, realizing her position with Rygel in disgust as Jool bounced up from the floor behind them. Rygel reclaimed his throne sled and hovered to the center of Command, peering out the view screen wearily at the fighter ships. Stark moaned from across the room and stood to observe the others.

"Is everybody all right?" Stark inquired as he approached each of the crew. He looked them over physically to see to his relief that no one had been injured in the violent turbulence they had just experienced.

The pulse wave had been a complete surprise attack. Neither Moya nor Talyn had sensed it in time to warn the crew.

"John, can you hear me?" D'Argo called over his comms. The comms crackled and he heard nothing more.

"What about Aeryn? Is she still aboard Talyn?" Chiana pondered, growing anxious.

"Pilot." Rygel stated into his comms. He called Pilot several more times before realizing nothing was working. Even the hum of Moya had silenced. The lights had begun to dim as well.

"What's going on?" Jool asked with a quivering lower lip. She glanced around with her green eyes, fearing the worst.

"Calm down, everyone." Stark demanded, holding out a hand. "Zhaan instructed us to follow our intuition. All of us. We should listen to her and realize that we are not in complete danger as of yet."

"Oh really?" D'Argo stepped forward and stood tall above Stark. The Banik did not falter and continued his peaceful stance.

"John is our key. And Aeryn is on Talyn. She can help us." Stark stated.

"He's either completely fahrbot or just as frelling peaceful as Zhaan was." Chiana observed.

"Listen, this ship is paralyzed. There is nothing we can do about our position amongst those Scarrans." Stark responded.

"Yes, there is." D'Argo confided.

"What?" Jool demanded to know, stepping forward with interest. She almost felt safer the closer she was to the others.

"We go out there in that mysterious ship of ours. It has a more powerful defense shield than I have ever seen and I am willing to wager that those Scarrans are defenseless against it." D'Argo explained, trying to gain support from his crewmates.

"What, and leave Moya and Pilot alone? I don't think so." Chiana argued. She stepped back to accent her point. Rygel hovered over to her side and nodded his head.

"I agree with Chiana." Rygel stated with bravery. "We stay with Moya and Pilot. We trust Stark."

D'Argo wrinkled his brow as he searched their serious faces. He looked to Jool to see the fright in her eyes. She was the only one willing to go with him. D'Argo then realized the absurdity of his plan and stepped down.

"It'll never work, you're right. We can't exit Moya anyway, she wouldn't even be able to open the docking bay door." D'Argo pointed out.

"Do I have to ask?" Jool stated as the question "what do we do" seemed appropriate at this point.

"We go to Pilot's den and try to wake him." Stark suggested firmly. The crew glanced to him and nodded their approval. Stark turned and led the way as the crew followed in a single line. Each and every one of them had a look of fear spread across their faces. They always had a good plan by now. Unfortunately, this time, the main person who usually came up with all the good ideas was not there. John was in just as deep dren as they were.

*****

Her foot nudged Crais' shoulder, shaking him momentarily. Aeryn lowered her foot and exhaled loudly. No matter what she tried, Crais would not wake up. Talyn was even further into a deep sleep than Crais probably was so she had no hope wakening the ship before Crais. Aeryn turned back to the view screen and hoped that Moya and the crew were all right. Few times had there been a breach in communications. The silence both frightened and angered Aeryn. She stole a glimpse towards the section of the Scarran battle ship she could see out the view screen. Squinting her eyes, she spied John's tiny module hovering just beneath the ship, paused for what seemed like infinity.

"He made it." Aeryn confirmed out loud, a swirl of happiness filling her body. She glanced back to see that no one heard her anyway.

Aeryn watched John's module for a while, wondering what was going through the human's mind. Stark had mentioned earlier something about images plaguing John's mind; it unsettled Aeryn. She remembered John mentioned bad dreams as well. This and all of John's strange pauses and far away looks told Aeryn something was wrong. It had started even before they encountered his galaxy. Was he homesick? No, he had been the first few monens but by now, he was settled with their way of life. Or so Aeryn tried to make herself believe. How desperate could a person be to return to their only home? Especially if this person had never before experienced life outside of his very planet? Didn't the wonders here capture his imagination, starve the human for more, or even captivate him beyond words? Aeryn hoped so.

A moan from behind brought Aeryn back to the troubles at hand. She walked back to Crais and knelt down, waiting impatiently for Crais to waken. He stirred, his head rolling to one side. Aeryn slapped him on the cheek, hoping to wake him that way. Crais only moaned once more and rolled his head back to where it had been resting.

Aeryn huffed and stood. She finally noticed the dull interior of Talyn. The ship had truly begun to shut down. Hopefully, the pulse wave would not have long-lasting effects. Talyn was literally their only hope to survive this latest encounter. He was an essential part of John's plan. Aeryn began to plead with the unconscious ship, hoping he would hear her.

"Talyn. Talyn it's me, Aeryn. Please, you have to wake up. Moya's been immobilized just like you. She can't defend herself. The Scarran fighter ships have entrapped us. John is at the battle ship and he needs your help. He cannot overpower the ship all on his own. Talyn, you must save us. Allow John the chance to return to his Earth without the threat of the Scarrans. It's a simple request."

Talyn remained silent. Aeryn thought of her last words about John. She truly did wish the best for him and if that meant returning to his beloved Earth, so be it. When the moment finally came, she would deal with her inner turmoil. That was how she handled everything. It was how she was bred.

"You've grown to be such a handsome young ship, Talyn. I am proud of you. I will always be here if you need me. One way or another, Talyn, I will be your mother when Moya is not." Aeryn stepped forward and softly caressed a column on a nearby wall. The interior lighting appeared to grow brighter. Aeryn smiled, hoping her eyes were not just adjusting to the dim chamber.

"I will protect you and guide you, just as Crais has. Please wake up, Talyn. We need you." Aeryn pleaded on and then spoke in a softer voice. "I need you."

Aeryn was startled by her sudden admission. She smiled and realized Talyn was her dream for the future70;with John. How she could combine these two was beyond her. Then there was Crais.

"Aeryn70;." Crais muttered, disrupting her thoughts. Aeryn jumped as she was caught off guard and knelt down beside Crais. Talyn began to lighten even further, thus telling Aeryn she was not hallucinating.

"Crais, you need to wake up. You need to help me get Talyn back. John is at the battle ship. We have to attack now." Aeryn rushed her words, holding Crais' face in her arms. Crais slowly opened his eyes.

"Talyn's weak70;but he's growing stronger. I'm growing stronger." Crais informed Aeryn. He struggled to stand with Aeryn's help. He leaned against the console behind him and faced Aeryn.

"Before the pulse wave70;." Crais began but paused as lightheadedness paraded his vision.

"Before the wave? What? What are you trying to say Crais?" Aeryn asked anxiously, feeling her stomach begin to flutter.

"Talyn sensed a pod70;headed for Moya."

"A pod?" Aeryn asked but already felt she knew where Crais was headed.

"Two beings aboard70;they came from the battle ship." Crais finished.

Aeryn's eyes widened and she stepped forward to look at distant, silent Moya before them. The numerous fighter ships between them hardly obscured her view.

"Who occupied that pod, Crais?" Aeryn commanded an answer. Crais remained quiet. Aeryn rushed to him and clenched her hand onto his chin, lifting his face up. She glared at Crais who struggled to stay conscious.

"Who?" Aeryn repeated.

"A Scarran70;and Scorpius." Crais growled. Aeryn released her grip on Crais, allowing him to crumble to the floor, struggling with consciousness. Aeryn turned back to look at Moya with alarm. There was no way to warn them and even then, it was already too late. Aeryn could only take solace in the fact that John was not aboard the Leviathan. As for the rest of the crew, she feared the worst.

*****

The blazing orange sliver began to melt into the deep blue ocean at the horizon line. Orange pools of reflected light glittered on the shimmering water, begging for more life than the oncoming nightfall would allow. A slight salty breeze whooshed across the surface of the endless waters from the darkening clear blue sky above.

John glanced down to view his sandaled feet swirling around in the sand. He whisked his head back up to see the final sliver of the day's sun beginning to slip under the horizon. What the frell? He was back in the memory with DK on the beach the day before quarantine so long ago. What am I doing back here?

DK cleared his throat from nearby. John looked to see his friend at his side. Before DK could say a single word, John held up his hand. He knew what was coming. He didn't want to hear it. Not again. And just as if someone had been listening at that moment, everything stopped. The wind, DK's very heartbeat, even the sliver of sun hanging by a thread above the ocean became still. John shook his head, backed away from DK and his thunderbird convertible parked behind them. He headed towards the water, as if there was any escape into it.

"70;be your own hero70;.second thoughts70;.blood, sweat, tears70;.everything will change70;prove to the world70;" DK's voice boomed around John. He swirled, seeing nothing but the eerie stillness of DK and Mother Nature. He then heard his own voice echoing in the mix.

"70;worry about the small stuff when time calls for me to70;" All these words struck John as symbolic. They were the things both he and DK had said originally in this memory. So why were they all jumbled together like this? Was his mind trying to tell him something? Or was Harvey involved somehow?

John held his hands up to his ears and prepared to scream. He squeezed his eyes shut. The jumble of emotions he had been suppressing for so long began to release. John heard the motor of a vehicle and then the spinning of tires against sand. John opened his eyes a slit to see the red taillights of his vehicle glowing like a pair of eyes, growing smaller as they headed further down the path. John searched the dimming area with his eyes. DK was gone. The breeze and tide of the ocean had lessened. The sun had finally set.

Without warning, John was whisked into a dream plane, as he would have described it. He was physically experiencing every single flashback or memory that had haunted him since the beginning of this entire mess. And it all began with DK and him in the bar.

"Come on, John. What's with the Jack Crichton act? You're way too serious. Enjoy the buzz and worry about the other stuff the morning after." DK laughed, swaggering. John saw himself across from DK, snorting and laughing in response.

John began to back away, unsure of everything at this point. He stumbled on someone's feet behind him. John felt fear shroud his body. Scorpius. He turned with a scowl expression but was caught by surprise. There was Bobby and his henchmen standing like puppets, waiting for their master to animate their individual parts. His head began to spin, and John thought for sure that this time, he would truly enter into insanity forever.

"Oh crap." John echoed the earlier version of himself.

Blackness blanketed his vision briefly. John found himself seated snuggly in the cockpit of the space shuttle, which was ready to boost him to outer space. Farscape One was about to encounter alien worlds and contacts. Could he possibly warn himself? John knew this wasn't possible. This was all the past. There was nothing that could be rewritten.

The shuttle shook with such ferocity that John feared it would shatter into a billion pieces even before exiting the launch pad. He took a side-glance towards the window to see the orange globe of the sun, slowly rising above the horizon. That was peculiar. The sunrise was hours ago. John thought to himself.

The shuttle lifted off. John screamed at the top of his lungs, both from the adrenalin rush, and the fear that something might go horribly wrong. He braced either side of his seat with his hands. His knuckles instantly faded to white. The shuttle shook and growled as it reached for the darkness of space through the blue-tinted atmosphere of Earth. John had always loved the rush of going up into space. But he would not be able to re-experience it any longer.

Without as much as a blink of an eye, John was back on Moya, looking around in his newly established quarters. Fast forward please. This was getting old. Somebody must have been listening because John was then transported to the next unforgettable event of his life.

The gracious meteor streaked across the sky above him. John smiled, feeling at peace as he lay on the sand, drinking beer with his good old buddy DK. The Graduation Beach Party. Ah, such good times. An exciting tingle enveloped his body as the fateful idea struck him. Traveling into space using Earth's atmospheric friction to send a craft into unprecedented speeds, thus the beginning step towards interstellar travel. The idea was powerful, loved by literally everyone John and DK presented it to. Along with the positive feedback, came the skepticism. The media was the worst. They tore apart the duo's work as it progressed through five years of hard work, dedication, and numerous setbacks.

John remained silent, allowing the memory to progress. Unfortunately, this time he found he was a witness to Scorpius and himself, arguing. His former self was standing above his mother's coffin at the gravesite. Scorpius refused to leave him alone. The anger boiled within the witnessing John just as strong as it had originally. John charged forward to strike Scorpius, only to find himself falling, fast.

The shining frightened eyes of a deer shone in front of him. His heart jumped. John swerved his bike but to no avail. He hit the dumbstruck animal head on. He didn't hear the screeching noise of his tires nor Bobby's at this point. He only heard that sickening sound of the deer's body being shredded apart as his bike smashed into it. He heard a small whimper, and then his ribs cracking as he fell onto the hard pavement. His head smashed into the ground, unprotected, and his vision buzzed, a streak of red flashing before him. John felt the pain just as strong as he had originally, and then remembered something he had thought as he came to a rest in the ditch. Farscape One was not a complete disaster if he just tried a little harder.

John could already predict the pattern now. He was re-experiencing all the memories and all the emotions that came along with them. These memories were telling him about his own personality. They built his character and they could tear down his character. With this in mind, John feared the next memory about to hit him.

Smack! Like being slapped in the face, John was back leaning against the hospital wall, staring into the corridor at the ticking clock. That fucking son of a bitch clock. John slammed a fist against the wall and dared himself not to look into the hospital room nearby. He didn't need visual confirmation to know what he'd see. The image of his dying mother had always haunted him. It plagued his mind so intensely that he could hardly recall what his mother had always looked like before the cancer. He knew she had been radiant but his mind would not allow him past the guilt of abandoning his mother in a time of crisis.

And just to tease his mind, the images around him merged into that of the white townhouse on 32nd street. The two playful boys dancing in the mud puddle with their trusty Tonka trucks. John could barely recall Harvey and the reflection of the Milky Way in the puddle when he was transported to the most haunting image sequence to parade his mind as of yet. His mind had skipped the locker room memory completely, leading into the Scarrans rapidly attacking his Earth. The child who had been standing near the lone swing set had run, dropping his Tonka truck. John saw a flash of leaning down and sighting his very own initials on the Tonka truck. He then heard the screaming victims and the shredding buildings, and worst of all, he smelled the fear and death of the destruction around him.

John struggled to take control of his mind. He was lost in a plane of no origin or time. He couldn't get back to his module hovering beneath the Scarran battle ship nor could he get to that inspiring locker room speech he had given. He had always drawn a lot of strength from that memory. He had shown leadership in the time where all odds were against him. He had shown strength and bravery, standing up to a coach feared by nearly the whole community, and best of all he had shown determination to never give up, no matter what the challenge.

John saw a flash of Harvey's scaly face. He was saying something. What was it? Oh yes70;nah nah na nah nah na. That son of a bitch was tormenting John. He was the sole reason behind everything John had been experiencing. John felt anger and fear but harnessed both dangerous emotions. He could play at this game. After all, some of those memories were the best of his life!

Harvey appeared on a glaring white sandy beach, the ocean lapping against the shore beside them and the sky bleached out by the sun high above. John swirled around where he stood, taking in his new surroundings. Every sensory was on overload. Beads of sweat began to form on his tanned skin. He squinted his eyes against the brilliant sand. His nose sensed the heavenly salty air. The sand beneath his feet burned him almost beyond toleration. And the stinging taste of sweet revenge tickled his tongue. John marched up to his nemesis whom was dressed in his usual leather thermal suit.

Harvey was also observing the environment in surprise. Harvey had not realized the human would wise up to his old tricks so early in the game. He stood in place as he viewed the determined human charge towards him. He was going to have fun with this.

"Excellent wardrobe my friend!" Harvey exclaimed with a huge smile, spreading his arms out. John stopped and glanced down to see a rather loudly colored Hawaiian shirt upon his chest and dull khaki shorts upon his waist. He glanced back up just as Harvey struck him under the chin with his left fist. John fell to the sand on his back, shocked but not down for the count.

John flipped back to a stand, smiling back at Harvey. Harvey nodded his head briefly in admiration, tucking his lips out to accent this.

"Let's do this, Harvey70;Scorpy70;whoever the frell you are." John stated, lowering his head to glare at the creature before him.

"Fine." Harvey stated, throwing a towel beside him. John didn't stop to ponder where the towel had suddenly materialized. He knew everything was growing in symbolism by the microt. John shrugged70;he might as well have fun with it.

Harvey and John marched towards each other. The two struck with force, slamming their fists into each other's faces. No damage was done however. They struck again. Nothing but a little ache here and there. Another strike, and then another. John was on a roll. Harvey smiled70;a worthy opponent at last.

John threw his weight into the next punch. Harvey was sent flying70;at least ten feet through the air70;before he landed on the sand with a thud. John raised his arms and a sudden crowd appeared around him, cheering him on. They each waved American flags with pride. John studied the crowd briefly, noting his sisters and their families near the center and D'Argo, Aeryn, Chiana, and the rest of the bunch gathered together near the back.

"Hey, might as well invite the whole cavalry!" John exclaimed, as he wrapped his hand around the front of Harvey's neck. Harvey was too quick, unfortunately for John. The Scorpy clone slid a leg into John's sending him to the ground as well. John rolled onto his side and raced to stand up, hoping to strike first before Harvey had a chance.

John saw a fist in his direct field of vision. His knees buckled. But somehow, he remained standing. Harvey took another swing but this time, John slammed an opened palm into Harvey's fist, stopping him completely. The two became locked together, glaring and snarling at one another.

"Come on son! You can do it!" Jack Crichton called from somewhere in the crowd.

"Don't let the shitface beat you to a pulp, man!" DK laughed to John's left.

"Kill him!" Aeryn cried.

John felt a surge of energy within. He stared deep into those hollow black eyes. They stared back, almost into his soul. John had feared them once. Now, he only saw an empty soul, begging to be obliterated. John thrust his weight into Harvey and knocked him to the ground. He raised his right arm high above his head, poised to strike. Harvey wiggled and squirmed, already foreseeing the end. John brought down his hand with a powerful force, striking Harvey square in the chest. He then picked up the stunned Harvey, hoisted his weight up and threw him into the cool blue ocean. Harvey struck the water and sank, completely disappearing from view. John thrust his fist into the air.

"YES!"

The crowd was gone, unable to celebrate in the victory. John didn't care. He had finally beaten the Scorpy clone in his head. He wiped his hands together, smoothed his hair, and turned his back to the end of his torment. He faced the beautiful landscape of his home before him, blanketing green forests, glistening blue lakes, and best of all, his Dad with a fishing rod in his hands. John did not glance back; he took a step forward. He was going to go fishing.

The coolness of his module returned him to the present. John looked slowly back to the massive ring of swirling matter above him and then down to his thumb, now resting gently on the trigger. He didn't have any more decisions to make. He didn't have any more doubts to consider. All he had was the back seat of his flight suit, the best seat in the house, and frelling good aim. John depressed the trigger.

*****

Scorpius and Ka'ru marched through the dimmed hall of Moya. They were determined to find their prey, no matter what the cost. Scorpius had tried again and again to mentally tune in to the human, but failed miserably. Yet, he showed Ka'ru none of this. One little fault in his stature and the Scarran would have ended his life.

The main difference between the two villains was simple. Ka'ru would kill instantly without a second thought. Scorpius would at least have a premeditated plan, and always a reason to keep a life to torment it, break it down, and destroy it over a long term. It was the second difference that proved to be the most dangerous. Scorpius was at least predictable70;Ka'ru was not.

Scorpius could barely contain his excitement. Soon, John Crichton would be in his hands. And Ka'ru would be subject to mutiny by his ever so loyal officers. The brute Scarran would die before he even thought of Scorpius as the culprit.

The two continued on through the hall, observing an occasional frozen DRD but not a single sign of the inhabitants on board. So far, they realized their surprise visit was unannounced.

*

Stark led the way towards Pilots den in a rushed walk. Every microt counted. He knew better than any of them that danger was near and all the crew could really do was depend on the balance of time and space to guide them through. Somehow, upon merging with Zhaan's soul, Stark had been given the gift to hear all the voices in the universe, not just those of the dying. This was how he had known of John's mental torment. And this was how he knew that danger was close70;by even a single doorway.

Chiana and D'Argo rushed behind Stark, checking each opened doorway as they passed, pointing their weapons. The sternness on their faces wasn't reflected onto Jool or Rygel's however. These two stayed as closely as possible to the Nebari and Luxan, fearing that being the trail of the group would cost them their lives.

"Are you sure you sensed someone enter onto Moya after the wave hit?" Chiana asked, her voice nearly quivering. She had harnessed her fear to a point, drawing strength from D'Argo's bravery.

"Positive." Stark muttered, still tuned in on the voices.

"What the frell are we doing in the hall then? We should be hiding!" Rygel slammed a fist onto his throne sled. He dared not show he was just as frightened as Jool at this point.

"Hiding? Is that all you can think of? That's pathetic!" Jool cried back, yet she grabbed harder onto the back of Rygel's throne sled just the same.

"Do you mind? You're slowing me down!" Rygel argued back.

"SHHH!" Stark stated, stopping suddenly. He held out a finger and pointed towards the right of the upcoming split in the hall. D'Argo raised his Qualta Blade up and stepped forward with Stark. Chiana paused momentarily.

"Why that way?" She demanded to know. D'Argo spun around, gave her a look, and then headed on. Chiana nodded her head. "Right."

The crew then continued down to the right hall, headed for Pilot's den.

*

Ka'ru marched ahead of Scorpius, smelling the sweet scent of the human. He knew he was nearby. He just had to be. Ka'ru turned into a hall where several personal quarters were situated. He came to an abrupt stop before on of the quarters and physically pried open the doorway. The door squealed, protesting his force. Scorpius stood aside, impatiently.

The quarters were dark. Ka'ru could smell the human everywhere. Frustrated, he thrashed his arms about the few materials in the room. Scorpius shook his head and came to the entrance of the quarters. Ka'ru immediately charged up to him and grabbed Scorpius, lifting him up off the ground. Scorpius gagged and grabbed Ka'ru's bulky arm, holding onto it as he kicked his legs in the air.

"He's not here." Ka'ru stated simply. Scorpius wanted to laugh. Of course the human wasn't there. The human was much more intelligent than that.

"They're probably hiding." Scorpius hissed.

"Where are they?"

"Either in Command, or the Pilot's den. Most likely Command." Scorpius lied and was instantly slammed to the floor by his captor. Ka'ru began to walk away. Scorpius picked himself up off the ground and walked slowly towards the path Ka'ru was taking. He tilted his head and allowed a large smile to form onto his face. He then turned and headed in the opposite direction, towards Pilot's den.

*

"Pilot!" D'Argo stated as the crew entered into the den. Pilot was unconscious, his DRDs frozen in place about his console. Stark rushed to Pilot and placed a hand onto his cheek, soothing him and trying to wake him. Chiana held her weapon steady and followed D'Argo around to secure the area. Jool and Rygel rushed to take refuge behind the console. They gathered close to Pilot, scanning the room and locking their sight on the doorway for any sign of trouble.

"Can you wake him?" D'Argo demanded to know, glancing back from his position near the beginning of the walkway to Pilot. Chiana hovered near the side of the doorway, pushed at the opened door.

"I'll try." Stark called back busily.

"D'Argo, would you mind helping me here?" Chiana asked with frustration. D'Argo let out a frustrated sigh and walked over to Chiana. He began to push on the colossal door. It began to slide, little in response to Chiana's pressure and nearly all in response to D'Argo's. Jool began to scream, her hair turning a shade of red. Rygel ducked his head under one of Pilot's arms. Stark whipped his head around and gasped. Chiana stumbled backwards. D'Argo prepared to fire his Qualta Blade.

Ka'ru and Scorpius stood before them, glaring at each other and the crew in the semi-opened doorway.

*****

The explosion rocketed John's module. The fiery orange blaze illuminated the human's satisfied expression. The blaze swept across only a portion of the massive ring containing the mysterious mass. John's victory became short lived. The outer ring began to fissure. The mass within the ring grew unstable, swirling out towards John and then backwards in on itself. John frowned. He dropped his jaw and stared for only a microt before realizing he needed to get the frell out of his current situation. He put metal to the pedal but nothing happened.

"Ah crap. Don't stall on me now girl!" John shouted, revving his engine.

Farscape One moaned under the sudden changes in the space surrounding it. Something was pulling on his module. Another explosion suddenly erupted above, near the large fissure. John's eyes widened and he cranked the accelerator down to the panels in front of him. The little module huffed momentarily and finally, after some extreme effort, pulled out of danger's way by denches. The huge orange flames swallowed the area where John had just been, rolling back into themselves towards the ring. John sped up and headed dead on for Moya, praying the battle ship wouldn't explode too quickly before he could get to safety.

Behind him, the fiery blaze suddenly dissipated. John shifted in his module to try to get a sneak peak at what was happening behind him with the Scarran battle ship. Nothing. The fissure had damaged the ring somewhat and the fire had reached interior chambers, but the ship was still looming there. The ship seemed to be taunting him. John glanced down to see his module was low on fuel. Dren. He was closer to Moya than the battle ship by now. There was no turning back this time.

His module entered into the field of fighter ships surrounding Moya and Talyn. He passed by one of the ships and spotted the Scarran piloting within. John gave him a great big smile, a thumbs-up, and suddenly reared his module into the side of the fighter ship, shaking the inhabitant inside senseless. John laughed gleefully and headed forward. Judging from the expression of the Scarran pilot, John knew his gesture hadn't been appreciated on the receiving end. Unfortunately, a few other surrounding ships did not have the same sense of humor either. They hovered in closely, almost blocking John's advance entirely. The area between them was narrow. But John didn't have to worry70;he was an excellent pilot. John accelerated his module and shot through the enclosed ships, scratching the bottom of one above him and denting the side of another to the right. John laughed as he passed them by and felt relief as Moya came into full view. Talyn hovered close by but both ships were still. John felt an eerie and unsettling feeling begin to rise in the depth of his stomach. Were the rattlers returning?

John advanced forward, slowing slightly. Something wasn't right. He just couldn't put a finger on it70;suddenly, several Scarran fighter ships closed in around him, trapping him to a halt. The Scarran pilots didn't bother to even look at John. They were just carrying out orders. The question was, whose orders? John attempted to push through the ships, but they only drew closer.

"What the frell? Come on!" John exclaimed as if he were stuck in LA rush hour traffic. He threw up an arm in disgust. So close to home yet so far away.

John took note at that thought. Where was his home, really? There, through the underbellies of the intruding ships in front of him, John could catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. The shimmering galaxy was more glorious than ever. And just to John's immediate right, hovered elegant Moya. She was a faithful, loyal ship. She would never abandon him. So why should he abandon her? He just moved to the penthouse from the studio apartment. John gazed back to his galaxy. He was beginning to realize that home was rapidly slipping out of his grip.

With that in mind, John depressed a button on the control panel in front of him. Depressurization commenced from within an outer chamber on his module. John leaned over to the right, trying to see between the fighter ships. The object he was releasing was too small for any of the Scarrans to worry about. When he saw the small pod he had just emitted from the module shoot forward, he leaned back and let out a deep breath. A breath he had been holding from the day he had arrived in the Uncharted Territories. His eyes trailed the pod as it slowly darted away, headed between Talyn and Moya to its general destination, the Milky Way. Someday70;John thought70;someday.

His mind slipped into a level of consciousness he had been experiencing for some time now. He searched his newfound surroundings. He was back on Earth. Back to the old swing set and the heavily wooded scenery. John wrinkled his brow. Shards of debris littered the lawn around him, and he could see billows of black smoke rising up from downed crafts, littering the area. The Scarran ships had been demolished. By who or what, John could not fathom. He turned, alarmed for the people of this place. The heavy gray clouds above began to part, spilling sunshine onto the townhouses stretching out before him. John wanted to smile, but he knew this had to be a trick. In real life, John, Moya, and the crew hadn't done much damage yet, and their futures were still bleak. So why was he here, experiencing the happy ending that could never be?

John stepped forward, to look for the people he had witnessed running and screaming away earlier. His foot landed in a small muddy puddle. John glanced down and reared his foot back quickly. Harvey's angry face sneered up at him from the puddle's stilled surface. John backed away and shook his head.

"No, I beat you!" John yelled. Harvey materialized before him. John began to feel fear this time. He had always been able to harness it until now.

Harvey took a few steps closer to John, still snarling and not uttering a single word. This alone made John nervous. He backed closer to the swing set, unsure of what to do next.

John.

John looked at Harvey. No, he hadn't said anything. Then whose voice had he just heard calling his name? Stark? No70;but it could be70;it was70;Zhaan!

Listen to me.

Harvey drew closer, his fists clenched and his lips tightened into a thin line. John was beginning to get tired of all this dren. He stood tall. I'm listening. Whatchya got?

You have the power to send back terrible emotion or experiences. You can reflect the pain.

John paused. Did he really have it in him to give Harvey a little taste of his own medicine? John tilted his head, studied Harvey's face a micron, and smiled mischievously. He knew exactly what to do.

John lowered his eyes, glaring at Harvey with a sly smile. Harvey stopped his advancement both curious and cautious. What was the human up to now?

"If you can't beat 'em join 'em." Harvey stated, pulling the phrase from John's mind. Before he could utter another word, however, he was struck with a powerful wave of images. A cold black void of swirling little galaxies taunted Harvey to try and catch them. Harvey snatched at them, sneering and growling in frustration. A sudden tear of blue light flashed in the center of this vision, forming into a perfect wormhole. Harvey grew quiet, like a little child staring at some new wonder. He brought his extended finger up and tapped the mouth of the wormhole, causing the phenomenon to wobble slightly. Harvey smiled, even chuckled.

John wasn't finished yet. He stole a step towards his nemesis. His smile grew even larger.

An angry surge of pain swelled within Harvey, consuming his soul. The numerous little galaxies merged together to become the one galaxy Harvey knew had significance. The m70; The name was just at the tip of his tongue. Not that it would matter. He knew the human and this galaxy were connected. The fact that he may never know how burned his soul. Another sudden emotion began to fill Harvey's existence. Obsession. He had to know the secrets of both wormholes and this galaxy.

John raised his chin, satisfied. Harvey stood still before him, with a look of stupidity on his face. John could easily imagine what kind of torture was racing through his mind at that very micron. Harvey was of no threat any more. He was too consumed with the gold dangling before his eyes. John turned to look back at the lonely swing set, waiting for his mind to return to the present.

"John?"

Someone had called his name. The voice was far away and small, but he had heard it. He searched his surroundings; positive the voice had come from this imaginary world. Zhaan?

"John!"

The voice was definitely familiar. John turned back around. Harvey had disappeared and so had the litter of debris and mangled Scarran fighter ships. The row of white townhouses before him looked dauntingly familiar. John took a few steps forward, his heart beginning to beat faster.

"John, time for lunch!"

John's heart leaped for joy. It was his mother's sweet angelic voice. He had not heard her in so long, he had nearly forgotten how she sounded. John remembered the flashback he had experienced earlier of his younger self and DK, playing in the mud in his backyard. He and Harvey had been talking when she was calling to John. And before he could see her face70;

"Mom!"

John was now up to the very backyard of his childhood home. His mother was so close he could swear he smelled her sweet perfume in the air. Happiness filled his soul, refreshing him from all the hurt and anger he had been living with. Leslie turned the corner around the house, her blonde long hair whipping about her face in the wind. He didn't see her face at first, only her soothing blue eyes. John smiled brighter than he had ever smiled before. Her hair swept away from her face and John could see every feature. God, she's more beautiful than I had ever imagined70;

Like the snap of two fingers, John was instantly transported back to the present. The fighter ships surrounding him had drifted slightly away and were reacting to blasts being directed towards them. John and his module shook in the shockwaves. John tried to see what was going on but failed. Had the battle ship finally exploded? John wondered.

A fighter ship in front of him was instantly obliterated, sending fragments of sharp metal in every direction. John forced all pressure on his accelerator, trying to escape the debris. A large shard jammed into the side of his module, threatening to depressurize the interior. John came clear of the wavering fighter ships to see Talyn fully operational and clearly defending both himself and his mother. John let out a whoop and drove a fist into the air.

*****

Everyone was frozen in place. Chiana, D'Argo, Stark, Rygel, and Pilot all took immediate notice of Scorpius. He was indeed alive and well. Jool, on the other hand could care less who these enemies were. She struggled with her pulse rifle, attempting to fire.

Hissing and growling, Ka'ru began to walk forward, his sights set on D'Argo, who was blocking his advancement. Scorpius stayed back. He took no time to ponder on how the Scarran had realized his lie as to the location of the crew. He had to take control of the situation immediately. The Nebari girl was close, her weapon trained on him but her eyes nervously twitching between D'Argo, the advancing Scarran, and him. Scorpius tuned in to the officers on board the Scarran battle ship.

You must attack now! Do not follow Ka'ru's command. He acts on his mivonks not his brain. If you want a superior being to lead you, listen to me! I will lead you into70;

Chiana broke Scorpius' concentration. She had come to stand before him, smiling slyly and lowering her weapon. What did she think she could do, charm her way out of the situation? Scorpius let out a laugh.

Ka'ru approached D'Argo and came to a full stop. The two were nearly the same height, though D'Argo felt quite intimidated just the same. The glaring black eyes of this hideous being seemed to reach into the depths of his soul.

Stark fearfully grasped Pilot's arm, praying to Zhaan that their journey into the afterlife would be quick and painless. Jool was shaking with such intensity that the pulse rifle in her hands began to wobble. Rygel ducked further behind Pilot's arm and glared at her.

"Yotz! You frelling tralk! Be careful or you'll kill us all!" Rygel stated in a muffled voice. They heard a shout and turned their attention back to the fight.

Ka'ru raised his arm, ready to interrogate D'Argo. D'Argo stood his ground, his Qualta Blade resting firmly in his grip. A searing heat wave began to flow from Ka'ru's hand, straight into D'Argo's face. D'Argo began to cry out in pain, his knees lowering towards the ground. Chiana leapt forward, poised to strike the back of Ka'ru when Scorpius snatched her arm and held it behind her back. He drew her close and restrained her, allowing the Scarran to continue his interrogation.

"Where is John Crichton?" Ka'ru demanded to know in a deep slithering voice. D'Argo opened his mouth and attempted to speak.

"Fr70;frell you70;." He managed to say. Ka'ru increased the heat, causing D'Argo to fall to his knees.

"NO!" Stark and Chiana yelled in unison. Stark tore of his mask, instantly illuminating the den with golden rays of light. Ka'ru brought his arms up to shield his face from the blinding light. D'Argo fell to the floor. Scorpius released Chiana, sending her to the floor as he stumbled back, trying to shield his eyes as well. Stark hopped over the console and calmly walked towards the two enemies.

Ka'ru stumbled backwards with Scorpius. He began to growl loudly in frustration. His patience had run out. John Crichton was obviously not aboard. Scorpius was to pay for this.

Stark continued his advance towards Scorpius and Ka'ru, unaware of his crewmates on the floor beside him. D'Argo and Chiana supported each other as they stood, staring on in satisfaction. The blinding light did not affect Scorpius and Ka'ru for very long, unfortunately. Chiana's smile began to fade. Ka'ru charged forward, with Scorpius two steps behind. D'Argo stepped in front of Stark, who rushed to replace his mask. D'Argo then swung his Qualta Blade at Ka'ru. Ka'ru caught the blade in midair, thrusting it back towards D'Argo. Stark rushed out of harm's way. With a mighty cry, Chiana leapt onto Scorpius' back, clawing at his face and beating on his chest.

Seeing their fellow shipmates attack motivated both Jool and Rygel. Rygel zoomed his throne sled over the walkway of the den. He spotted Chiana wrapped onto Scorpius' back as the half-breed swirled around, attempting to rid of her. D'Argo was busy fighting with Ka'ru. Rygel picked the easier option and rammed his throne sled straight into Scorpius' chest. Scorpius shouted in anger and pain, bashing a hand into Rygel, sending him flying off his throne sled.

D'Argo slashed at Ka'ru, missing his right shoulder by a mere dench. Ka'ru sneered and batted his hand out at D'Argo. Ducking, D'Argo avoided Ka'ru's attack and rammed his own fist into the Scarran's thick-skinned torso. Ka'ru hollered and grabbed onto D'Argo. D'Argo wrapped his arms around Ka'ru at the same time. They reared back and forth, trying to break free from the other's strong grip.

Jool stood back by Pilot, who was struggling to wake up. Jool held up the pulse rifle in her arms, glancing from Ka'ru to Scorpius, unable to get a clear shot. Pilot sluggishly moved his head to see Jool standing beside him. He heard the shuffling going on down the walkway and diverted his attention. His droopy eyes widened as he saw his friends fighting with Scorpius and a Scarran.

"What's going on?" Pilot asked, his voice rising in concern. Jool hushed him to be quiet and lowered herself down slightly. She kept her eyes trained on the fight.

"Everything's gone to Hezmana, that's what." Jool hissed. "Now be quiet! I'm trying to get a clear shot!"

"What does my talking have to do with70;." Pilot began but was shushed by Jool. She glared at him momentarily and then trained her eyes back on the crisis before them.

Stark's energies were being exhausted. He had tried to take his mask off once more to blind their enemies but the light was dim. He shifted his weight, looking from D'Argo and Ka'ru to Scorpius, Chiana, and Rygel. Rygel had locked on to Scorpius' left leg, gnawing on his suit. Chiana had begun to choke Scorpius, her arm wrapped tightly around his neck. D'Argo's Qualta Blade suddenly flew past Stark, missing him by several denches. It clanged to the floor in the distance. Stark glanced over to see D'Argo get struck in the head by the Scarran. The large Luxan fell to the floor, unconscious. Stark madly charged towards Ka'ru, his arms stretched out to choke him. Ka'ru simply swept an arm out and struck Stark, sending him to the ground as well.

Scorpius began to have similar luck. He whipped Rygel off of his leg. Chiana began to lose her grip, sliding off of Scorpius and landing on her butt. Scorpius stretched his neck sorely, gave Chiana a sideways glance, and proceeded to approach Ka'ru. He was going to end this once and for all.

Ka'ru had other plans. The Scarran turned towards Pilot and Jool, laughing. Scorpius stopped in his tracks. He knew the Scarran would not stop until John Crichton was physically standing before him. And that was simply not an option Scorpius could afford to play out.

Jool saw her shipmates be thrown to the side in defeat. She saw the Scarran turn towards her and Pilot, grinning in victory. Scorpius had also turned, but his attention was focused on the Scarran, and not her. Jool pointed the pulse rifle at them and depressed the trigger. The blast struck the Scarran but to no avail. Dren. How could she have forgotten? Scarrans were immune to the effects of a pulse rifle. Jool then pointed the weapon to Scorpius. Scorpius shook his head and raised a finger.

"Ka'ru does not appreciate the intelligence we both are gifted with, my dear. He may be strong and brute, but you can kill him another way." Scorpius urged, ignoring the glare he received from Ka'ru. Jool didn't bother listening to Scorpius, however. She dropped the pulse rifle and opened her mouth. Pilot already knew what was about to happen and winced. A loud, metal melting screech began to flow from Jool's throat. Ka'ru instantly brought his hands up to his ears, bending over in pain. Scorpius followed suit, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut.

Jool was about to quiet down when she realized what her screaming was doing. Her eyes twinkled and she stepped forward, screaming even louder. D'Argo awoke to cover his ears as Stark, Chiana, and Rygel came to his side, pulling the injured Luxan out of the den to safety. Ka'ru and Scorpius began to retreat as well. Just before they exited, however, Pilot nudged Jool to stop her screaming. Ka'ru and Scorpius relaxed, standing straight to glare at her.

"John's module is underneath the Scarran battle ship. He's prepared to fire." Pilot toyed with the truth. Ka'ru let out a deep, angry breath and turned to Scorpius. Scorpius looked to him, knowing it was useless to deceive the Scarran now. Soon, Ka'ru would discover his undermining plan to overtake his command of the battle ship and it's unique technology.

"Wasn't he supposed to be back by now?" Jool asked out the side of her mouth. Pilot looked to her and nodded. He was both worried and satisfied. The two menaces before them believed that what had already happened was indeed happening now. Unfortunately for Pilot and the others, John hadn't come back from this venture as of yet.

"What is the human doing? Do you have anything to do with this, Scorpius?" Ka'ru roared, turning to the half-breed in question. Scorpius smiled. No, he didn't. But he couldn't be more proud of the human's actions, even if it meant the destruction of unique technology. Now he only had to hope the officers on the ship would be prepared to take Ka'ru down once they arrived back on the battle ship.

"No. Though I do wish I had thought of it." Scorpius smiled. Ka'ru turned back to Pilot and Jool.

"I hate to inform you that Moya has decided to flush out her atmosphere of unwanted bacterium. If you wish to remain living, I deeply encourage you to retreat to your pod and exit the ship at once. Depressurization will commence in one hundred microts." Pilot informed them. Jool stared at Pilot, her mouth gaping open in shock.

"What about the aliens inhabiting your ship?" Ka'ru challenged.

"They will have to find refuge as well. I cannot stop the Leviathan. She has already begun the stages to depressurization." Pilot informed them. Ka'ru gave him a lasting glare before turning and charging out of the den. Scorpius searched Pilot and Jool's faces, trying to read between the lines. Unsatisfied, he turned and raced to catch up with the Scarran. John was out there in space. There was a chance they could still capture him. Only then would he know the secrets of this mysterious galaxy they had encountered.

Chiana cradled D'Argo in her arms with Rygel struggling to climb back onto his throne sled behind her. Stark stood near D'Argo, checking the oozing wound on his forehead. They watched as Ka'ru and Scorpius charged by, ignoring their presence. The group glanced at one another with worry. They hoped John would not be sighted once the Ka'ru and Scorpius left Moya.

"Pilot, how much longer to depressurization? I don't know if we can move D'Argo." Stark asked into his comms with doom creeping into his voice. A loud hissing noise commenced throughout the ship, as air began to be sucked out of the interiors.

Jool stepped out of Pilot's den and found Stark and the others down a hallway to the right. She knelt down to observe D'Argo's injury and ushered Stark out of the way.

"I can help." She stated simply. Stark stood and awaited Pilot's answer.

"There will be no depressurization. The first stages will go into effect, fooling the Scarran and Scorpius. They're already in the docking bay." Pilot chuckled over the comms.

Moya began to shake at that moment. The crew swayed back and forth, glancing around curiously.

"Now what?" Chiana asked in bewilderment.

"It's Talyn! He's firing upon the fighter ships!" Pilot responded excitedly. Stark looked to the others. They were all thinking the same thing. John was trapped in the midst of the chaos. Hopefully, with Aeryn to aid Crais on Talyn, the gunship could help save them all.

*****

Aeryn stood tall in the center of Command. She smiled with satisfaction as Talyn fired upon a small group of fighter ships surrounding John's module. A ship was instantly obliterated. Just as she predicted, John's module began to race out of the entrapment it had been place within. Crais moaned, still seated upright against the communications console. He flickered his eyes and opened them fully. He focused on Aeryn.

Aeryn looked down at him and smiled. She held out an arm, offering to lift him up. Crais grasped it and stood up, wavering slightly in her grip. He studied her dark eyes for a moment. Talyn shook in a shockwave from the ship he had fired upon. Crais turned to look out the view screen and instantly noticed a pod moving rapidly away from Moya. He stepped forward with Aeryn, who noticed it as well.

"They're leaving. You don' think they70;" Aeryn began to say, fearing the worst for her shipmates. Crais shook his head and stood away from Aeryn to look fully out the view screen. Talyn bleeped happily, welcoming Crais back to full consciousness.

"John was not aboard. We should be lucky they have not spotted him." Crais reassured her.

"So far." Aeryn added. Crais gave her a lasting look and turned to address his ship.

"Talyn you have a responsibility and you must use all your energy and power to help your mother. I know you can do this." Crais stated, stepping forward, relishing in the moment of power. He glared at the battle ship looming off to the far right.

"The fighter ships are retreating." Aeryn stated. True to her words, the fighter ships began to speed away, back towards the battle ship. Either they had had enough of Talyn, or somebody had ordered them back.

"Crais!" John's voice called over the comms. Aeryn's heart beat faster. John was all right. Aeryn longed to be with him once more. Crais was a tempting offer, as well as the fact she could stay on Talyn. But in her mind, in her heart, she knew what was best.

"Fire on that mother frelling dren of a Scarran battle ship NOW!" John ordered, as he flew his module straight for the docking area of Moya.

John's transmission was intercepted. The comms on Talyn, Moya, and his module all echoed with the snaring voice of Ka'ru.

"Human. Surrender to me. I will not allow Scorpius near you if you do so." Ka'ru bargained. John tilted his head, pondering the origin of this new creature's voice. He knew it was a Scarran.

Aeryn glanced at Crais with fear in her eyes. She observed a similar twinge of fear in his. Aeryn thought of Pilot, Moya, and the rest of her shipmates. She could only imagine the doom they felt. The feeling was mutual. John had been more than willing to surrender himself to save the crew on more than one occasion. Would he do so now?

The crew on Moya was shocked and still, listening to Ka'ru as they settled in the Apothecary where Jool tended to D'Argo's injury. Pilot glanced up, awaiting the response he feared would be next. The silence on the open comms remained so for a microt longer. Was the human actually considering this? The thought ran through everyone's minds.

Ka'ru stood in the pod, facing the small view screen before him. His pod hovered beside his battle ship, awaiting the final convoy of fighter ships to pass him by and enter back to safety. Scorpius stood behind him, watching in disgust for the being before him. Rare impatience began to flow within. The mutiny he had so delicately planned and staged for Ka'ru's officers still had not taken into effect.

John sat in his module, staring at the teasing Milky Way before him and the two faithful ships to his left and right. He took little surprise in the notion that Scorpius was still alive70;if indeed the Scarran was telling the truth. It had all come down to this. The field of mysterious black holes in the beginning of this whole mess, all the flashbacks, the spontaneous wormhole, the unstoppable radio waves from Earth, the dauntingly plausible ring beneath the Scarran battle ship. He connected them all to establish what he needed to do.

"Aeryn, are you ready?" John asked over the open comms.

"Yes, John, we are." Aeryn responded, smiling gracefully as she intuitively understood what John was about to do. Crais only glanced at her, pondering their plan.

"Do not listen to Ka'ru, John. Listen to me. Do not fire on the battle ship!" Scorpius hissed over the comms. The officers on board had indeed started a mutiny against Ka'ru; Scorpius could feel it. They were already marching to the bay where Ka'ru would land his pod. They were fully armed and prepared to accept Scorpius as their new leader.

"I've had a lot of time to think about all this. I know what I need to do." John stated and boosted his module into the docking bay of Moya. "I will not surrender to you Ka'ru, or to you Scorpius. I speak for the people of Earth when I say get the frell away from my galaxy!"

At that moment, Talyn released a fiery mass of energy from his frag canon. Ka'ru and Scorpius yelled in anger and defeat. The energy blasted into the already faltering battle ship, instantly setting it ablaze in a massive explosion. John landed his module in the docking bay and held on as both Talyn and Moya shook fiercely from the shockwaves.

Joyful shouting could be heard over the comms from both Aeryn and Crais and on the rest of the crew on Moya. The battle ship continued to explode. John hopped out of his module and raced to Command so he could witness the event. Aeryn and Crais stood side by side on Talyn, relishing in their moment of victory.

As John entered into Command, he slid across the floor, ending up in the center.

"Gotta love fireworks." John muttered. He clenched his muscles in satisfaction momentarily as another explosion set off before him. A blinding flash ripped throughout the destruction, causing John to shield his eyes. A rippling effect began to shake Moya and Talyn, frightening both ships. John lowered his hand and stepped forward in both awe and a sickening doom. Another wormhole had formed before them, more massive than one he had ever witnessed. It had already swallowed the burning ship, Scorpius, Ka'ru, fighter ships and all. Talyn and Moya both began to struggle in the increasing pull of the wormhole.

"We're being pulled in! There's nothing we can do!" Pilot exclaimed in fear over the comms. John shook his head.

"No70;no70;no70;NO! Pilot, stop her. Do something. Talyn, Crais, you've gotta help pull us back, please!" John begged. John looked to the Milky Way, fast fading from view. He feared this would be the last time he would ever see it. And the last chance he would ever know to be this close to home.

Moya and Talyn drew closer to the wormhole with little success of pulling away. The wormhole was strong and brilliant. There was little hope for them now.

"John, you have to let it go." Aeryn stated over the comms. John shook his head.

"No. I can try. I can try to get away. My module is small. I can beat it." John stated with determination. He headed out of Command towards his module, in a mad dash for his dream to come true. He only wished Aeryn could be with him.

"John, listen to yourself. It's not possible. It wasn't meant to be." Crais urged John.

"Quiet, Crais! You don't know what you're talking about. If you were this close to the one thing that you've been searching for70;." John shouted, reaching the docking bay. He came to a full stop, nearly bumping into Chiana, Rygel, and Stark. They stood before him, blocking his way to his module. John stared at them sternly shaking his head.

"Don't do this, guys. I have to70;I need to go." John warned them. Sadness was already choking him but he wouldn't allow himself to admit defeat. Stark stepped forward solemnly.

"No. There is no home left for you to return to. You are one of us now." Stark stated. John glared into his face, their noses dench to dench. Chiana stepped forward and grabbed John's arm. He almost wanted to brush her off. He respected Chiana and knew he was breaking her heart. He could see the tears already streaming down her face. Moya shook even more violently now, pulling faster towards the stable wormhole before them. Talyn was inching further away from her, closer to the mouth of the wormhole.

"Don't go." Chiana said. She stared at him longingly and John felt his heart crush. Rygel moved forward and inched his fingers into John's right hand, giving him comfort. Stark stepped back from John and out of his way. John stared at his module and time seemed to cease. His heart was heavier with sorrow than he had ever known. Chiana wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him and Stark lowered his head in prayer, hoping to reach Zhaan. John only stared on and waited for the inevitable.

Talyn entered into the wormhole, disappearing from view. A massive tug shook Moya as she came to the mouth of the wormhole. John let out a breath in the eerie silence. His eyes sparkled in tears of pain.

"Goodbye Dad." John whispered.

Moya then entered into the wormhole, unable to control her destiny any longer.

*****

The tumbling blue rings of energy surrounding the ships traveling within began to tear apart rapidly. Black space littered with twinkling stars and nebulas appeared through the tear. The wormhole struggled to its last breath. It instantly collapsed, sending all travelers within to entirely new destinations70;unknown.

The few smoldering remnants of what once was the Scarran battle ship rested as a silhouette to a large greenish tinted Nebula. The few fighter ships that had survived the wormhole experience rested nearby, stunned. A small pod hovered among the litter of space debris, its inhabitants within stunned as well.

"Your ship. It created that wormhole70;I demand to know how." Scorpius growled, standing before the steaming Ka'ru. Ka'ru glared at Scorpius, his temper mounting. Not only had his ship and its unique technology been destroyed70;but also John Crichton had slipped through his fingers.

"You took over the minds of my crew. I demand you give me the answers!" Ka'ru snared back. Scorpius hissed. He had met a worthy component just as clever as John Crichton.

"Get me back to my new Gammak Base and you'll see how I take over the minds of others!" Scorpius stated, clenching his fists at his sides. Ka'ru charged up to Scorpius and stared down at him, his hot breath nearly smothering the half-breed.

"Ah, your precious research at this Gammak Base70;I'm sure I'll have plenty of uses for it once I kill you and all those loyal to you." Ka'ru bit back. Scorpius clenched his teeth.

"And how do you propose that we get back there from here? You don't even know where here is." Scorpius said.

"I know exactly where we are." Ka'ru responded, without so much as a glance out the view screen before them. Scorpius tilted his head in wonder at his newfound enemy and tightened his lips. It was going to take a lot more than mind control and torture tactics to kill this bastardly soul.

*****

Moya and Talyn traveled slowly through their new surroundings relieved that the wormhole that had thrust them out had not ended their existences. The space around them was bare. A few systems were within traveling distance but all were dead and silent. Nothing but a cold blanket of stars and blackness decorated the canvas around them.

The interior of Talyn was just as cold. Aeryn stared at Crais, her eyes black and narrow. Crais stared back, his eyes curious but cautious. Aeryn had just viewed the chip, almost immediately after they had encountered their new surroundings. Talyn bleeped several times.

"Yes, we are all right, Talyn. However, we do not know our exact location. We could be anywhere." Crais stated in a dull voice. He continued to stare at Aeryn, who was standing only an arm's length away from him, facing him.

"The contents of the chip70;" Crais began but Aeryn cut him off bitterly.

"Will remain between you and I. There will be no further discussion." Aeryn replied.

"Aeryn, I am deeply sorry if I offended you earlier." Crais apologized. Aeryn flickered her eyes.

"You should be. I will not tolerate any more of that dren. I have made a decision and that involves staying with Moya and her inhabitants. I care for Talyn like a child. I may not be able to be there for him at all times nor even see him often70;but remember this, Crais." Aeryn stated, and stepped up to him. She glared deep into his soul, yet her advance did not intimidate him. "I do not want a future with you and I will remain with John, Moya, and everybody else until we meet our deaths. I only respect you as a fellow Sebacean and ex-PeaceKeeper. I respect what you do for Talyn. But if you do anything, anything at all to harm him70;I will hunt you down and kill you."

Crais smiled and nodded. Aeryn stepped away.

"Point well received, Aeryn. It has been a pleasure to fight along side you and your fellow shipmates. I will take heart to what you have said and respect it fully. Please, commemorate John for me in his honorable actions towards the Scarrans and his home. I do not know any legendary being of any race who has been more sacrificing and brave than he." Crais stated. He looked around at Talyn and then to Aeryn. He studied her face, her stern expression now softened. Talyn bleeped, lighting up to accent his communication to Crais and Aeryn. Aeryn smiled, a tear traveling down her cheek and looked about Talyn.

"Yes, I love you to, Talyn. Thank you." Aeryn looked to Crais and forced her smile to remain a moment longer. "And thank you."

With that, Aeryn turned and left Talyn and Crais to be with Moya and her fellow shipmates.

*****

Moya was once again bright and fully operational. Pilot was busily communicating with her to try and establish where Moya and Talyn presently resided. D'Argo, with his wound cared for by Jool earlier, traveled into Pilot's Den, with Chiana hooked onto his right arm. They strolled up to Pilot and took a seat by his console.

"Moya and I would like to know if you're all right, D'Argo." Pilot asked sweetly.

"Yes, Pilot, I'm fine." D'Argo smiled, appreciating their concern.

"What exactly happened back there, Pilot?" Chiana asked in a small voice. She leaned onto D'Argo, resting her head on his supportive shoulder.

"Moya thinks that when the wormhole tore apart, the first ships that traveled through were sent in one direction, and we, being last to enter the wormhole, were sent in another." Pilot explained.

"We should be lucky that Aeryn, Talyn, and Crais did not get separated from us." D'Argo pointed out softly. Both Chiana and Pilot nodded their heads in agreement.

"We're no longer in any kind of territory we know, right Pilot?" Chiana pondered after a brief moment of silence. She looked up to gain eye contact with Pilot.

"Unfortunately, yes." Pilot replied sadly. Chiana looked from Pilot to D'Argo and back.

"There's no way we can trace our way back to John's home, is there?" Chiana asked, knowing the answer already. D'Argo and Pilot remained silent, not needing to give her the answer.

"Did you speak with him since we arrived here?" D'Argo asked Chiana. Chiana shook her head.

"He's devastated. I tried to remind him of something he once told me. He had said, 'It's a Hezmana of a lot more than you had yesterday.'" Chiana tried to giggle at that but couldn't bring herself to. She continued on. "He saw his home, you know? Maybe that pod he released will reach his planet someday."

D'Argo smiled at the sweet sincerity of Chiana. He had always loved that about her. He drew her close for a hug, receiving the same pressure back.

"I somehow don't think that will be enough." Pilot responded. The three looked on in silence, feeling sorrow for John and his misfortunes. Hopefully, their human companion would find solace in knowing that his home was still out there, waiting for him.

*****

Stark spoke softly, standing in the center of Zhaan's quarters, where he had established his own belongings. He was chanting to her, reaching his soul out to her. An arn had passed and Zhaan had still not appeared to him. He was beginning to wonder if he had lost touch with her forever.

A buzzing tingle swept through his body. Stark opened his eye and turned slowly. The sight before him caused his heart to leap for joy and he smiled warmly. Zhaan's glorious aura appeared before him, smiling graciously. Stark stepped up to her.

"Zhaan, my sweet. I do not think we could have survived any of our recent troubles without you." Stark thanked her. Zhaan smiled, holding her palms up to Stark's face. She placed her palms on either side of his face and pulled him close for a long, gentle kiss. She then let him go and tilted her head.

"You are so much stronger, my love. How did you become so sweet and serene?" Zhaan pondered.

"I drew my strength from you, Zhaan." Stark smiled sweetly. A sorrowful look shrouded his face momentarily. Zhaan noticed and tilted her head curiously.

"John will heal. He needs time. He has a wonderful, supportive family around him. I do not believe he will struggle long." Zhaan comforted Stark's worries.

"I hope so. Zhaan, I must thank you for your gracious gift to all of us. Had we not seen you in the first wormhole we traveled through, I do not think we would have survived everything we did. The others drew from your message of strength and trust."

Zhaan let out a happy laugh and gazed lovingly at Stark.

"I do wish we could be together once again Stark. I am at peace knowing I can leave you as a guide to the others in times of need. I will never forget you my love. Goodbye." Zhaan smiled and dissipated. Stark smiled back, holding out a hand as if to touch her. He then recommenced chanting, in hopes of drawing Zhaan's love to ease the crews' sorrows.

*****

Rygel sat at the table in the Galley with Jool seated across from him, drinking from a flask and staring into nothingness. Rygel picked up a food cube from the plate before him and dropped it into his mouth. It had been sometime since the Hynerian had gotten anything to satisfy his three rumbling stomachs. In disgust, Rygel coughed and reached up to his mouth to pull an extremely long, orange curly hair from his mouth.

"Frell, tralk! I demand that you stay away from our food preparation area! At least Chiana doesn't shed like you!" Rygel exclaimed in disgust. He allowed the hair to fall to the floor beside him and scooped up another food cube to eat. Jool directed her gaze onto Rygel and glared at him. She remained silent and took a drink from her flask.

"Are you going to drink Raslac all night?" Rygel asked. "You better be rationing the supply. Who the frell knows when we'll find another commerce planet."

"Shut up!" Jool exclaimed, slamming her flask down on the table and staring at Rygel with her big green eyes. Rygel reared back and instantly complied. Jool relaxed and leaned back, resting her hand on the table before her flask. She stared on for a few moments longer, listening to the disgusting sounds Rygel made as he chewed and digested. She began to tap her fingers in a repetitive fashion. Rygel threw down a food cube.

"Yotz! Would you please stop that?!" Rygel demanded. To spite him, Jool tapped all five fingers once more before stopping. She then flicked her hair back.

"Have you seen other galaxies like John's before?" Jool asked. Rygel stopped eating to think about this for a moment.

"No." He replied uninterested and continued to eat.

"Hmm." Jool muttered. She remained silent for another microt. "Do you suppose there are similar galaxies like his?" Rygel dropped a food cube onto his plate with irritation.

"Stop bothering me!" Rygel demanded. Jool leaned forward.

"I'm only asking because I found John's galaxy unsettlingly familiar and since his species and my species are somehow related, I was curious to know why that was." Jool stated impatiently. Rygel raised his head and gazed at Jool. The two then remained silent, pondering the possible answers to her question.

*****

Aeryn found John in his quarters, staring at the earlier recordings of his home on the data banks. His back was facing her, and he sat slumped before the stilled image of the Milky Way before him. Aeryn swallowed hard and approached John, unsure if he would be receptive to her presence or not.

She took a seat to his right and faced him. He rested his chin on his arms, one of his thumbs reaching up to gently wisp his luscious red lips. His eyes were glimmering with fresh tears. Aeryn felt her heart tear at the devastation written in his eyes. She felt her own eyes stinging with tears and leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. When John did not resist her touch, she leaned in close and pulled him into a hug. John held onto her tightly, not allowing his pain to completely engulf him just yet. He remained silent, rocking back and forth with her for several microts. Aeryn pulled away, kissing John hard on the lips. She stared deep into his eyes, seeing the love she felt was mutual.

"Aeryn70;I70;." John began but stopped. He looked to the frozen image of his home and kept his gaze trained on it. His heart and hopes were shattered. Time was the only solace he could take in knowing that someday he would return.

"It's okay." Aeryn reassured him. She stood up, running her hand around his shoulder. He looked up to her and she leaned in, for another more intimate kiss. They remained locked together for a long time and Aeryn finally pulled away, knowing that John should be alone. He watched her leave, his eyes never leaving hers. Aeryn reached the doorway and D'Argo appeared in front of her. She smiled at him, receiving the same look back and left. John watched D'Argo approach him and then turned to look back at his galaxy. D'Argo sat down and placed a hand on the table beside them.

"You'll make it through this." D'Argo asked softly.

"Thanks, D'Argo. I've been telling myself those exact words." John nodded and paused. He then let out a small laugh. "It's been a fahrbot day hasn't it? Black holes, wormholes, Scarrans, Scorpius, Harvey70;"

D'Argo tilted his head in question as John stopped himself. John glanced at him nervously and continued on.

"I've learned a lot about myself today, D'Argo. And there's one thing that's been consistent." John said.

"What's that?" D'Argo asked curiously.

"I never give up." John answered. He smiled at D'Argo, his eyes shining bright. D'Argo knew he could take relief in John's words and left the human with them in mind. John was alone once more, staring into the glorious image recording of his home. He barely noticed the DRD that had taken guard by his feet, almost snuggling up against him like a cat. John became lost to his traveling thoughts once again.

The crowded street of downtown Orlando was booming with celebrative laughs and screams. Flickering red, white, and blue specks of confetti sprinkled through the air. The mass of excited bystanders on the sidewalks waved tiny American Flags proudly into the air. The sweet notes of trumpets, flutes, saxophones, and drums floated through the humid air, pompously playing the "Star Spangled Banner".

John waved high into the air, beaming and patting his father on the back. They sat on the back of his old favorite red 1962 Ford Thunderbird, waving at the mass of people around them. DK sat on the other side of Jack, smiling and giggling uncontrollably. After all, their dream had come true. Farscape One had been a success. WAIT A MINUTE!

John looked over at his proud father and giddy friend. He then glanced at the screaming crowds, the numerous cameras of the news media, and the sunny skies above. He could see far off in the distance ahead that his module had been placed upon a flatbed trailer for display in the parade. It was pretty banged up and streaked with burn marks, from what John could see. He turned back to his father and friend, his face set in awe and question.

"A parade for me." John said, as if stating it would make it any more real. Jack patted John on the back, waving to the crowd. DK clapped his hands and titled his head at John, smiling at him. He held an arm out towards John.

"Hey! Who's the biggest, baddest of them all now, ha?" DK exclaimed excitedly. John began to laugh, enjoying this latest mind melding experience. It was a great release from the distress he was currently enduring.

John took in the sights and smells around him, relishing in the moment. But something deep down inside told him there was something70;or someone missing. He could sense that void that filled one's existence like a slump after a huge life-fulfilling event. Without too much thought, John realized what it was. His life on Moya with his fellow shipmates.

John felt himself shrink and suddenly found himself holding his mother's hand and sucking his thumb with the other hand. His sisters were huddled behind them, hollering in excitement. The screaming crowds around John were the same, though a few decades older than him dressed in the current style of the times. A dark figure within the crowd remained unnoticed, and to be forever forgotten in the past, present, and future. The flickering confetti was the same. The waving American Flags were the same. Even the sweet, unforgettable tune of the "Star Spangled Banner" played on. John glanced up at his mother, who smiled down at him lovingly. She was so beautiful. John smiled and looked to the cars rolling past them in the street. His father was on one, with two other of his fellow astronauts. They had just come back from a trip to the moon. John had been in awe. His father was superman.

The car rolled past him and his mother and came to a halt. John saw his father hop out of the car and run up to him, his face illuminated with a smile. Jack hugged his beaming wife, then his two daughters. Finally, he knelt down and faced John, the pride and love in his eyes stronger than John could ever remember. Without a moments notice, Jack swung John up into the air. John giggled in delight and was then placed onto his father's shoulders. Jack carried John back to the car and the car moved forward. John had realized then as he did now that he had seen his father as an idol. He had known even then that he could be just as great as his father. He could realize his dreams. He could be70;. and had now become70;a hero.

THE END

A small knock rapped on the front door. Grunting in frustration, Jack Crichton pushed aside his bowl of popcorn but clasped on to his can of beer. He raised the remote towards the blaring television before him and pressed mute. Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Hang on a minute!" Jack called out with a mouth full of popcorn. He shook his head. Always during a football game.

Jack kept his eyes on the television situated in his lonely little cottage near the coast of the Atlantic. He wasn't about to sacrifice even a second of looking away. It was the playoffs after all. He walked backwards to the door, opening it without bothering to see who had interrupted his Sunday ritual.

"Jack." A familiar voice called to him. Jack turned to see DK. His face immediately brightened and he grasped the solemn man in a quick bear hug. DK widened his eyes momentarily as he was released and brought up a large manila envelope in his hands. Jack glanced at it briefly and slapped DK on the back, closing the door behind him.

"Come in, come in. We're in the fourth quarter and it looks as though our boys may be going to the Super Bowl!" Jack exclaimed. He led DK over to the couch. He placed the bowl of popcorn onto the coffee table and leaned over the side of the couch to stretch for the small refrigerator. He took a beer out of it and handed it to DK, who accepted politely. Jack settled in his usual spot and smiled at DK, glad to see him once again.

"It's been a long time." DK said quietly, placing his unopened beer on the coffee table.

"You should come by more often." Jack replied fatherly. DK gave him a smile, running his fingers along the manila envelope. Jack eyed the envelope once more and became serious.

"What's going on?" Jack asked. DK looked down at the envelope, almost as if he had forgotten it was in his hands. He looked back to Jack with a very serious expression. Jack thought he saw a hint of excitement in his eyes, however.

"I was getting ready to go home from work70;" DK began, lifting the envelope a little. "When my superior handed this to me."

Without any further explanation, DK handed the envelope to Jack and awaited his reaction. Jack eyed DK curiously, completely forgetting about his football game. He set his beer down. He carefully opened the envelope and proceeded to pull out the contents of the package. He remained silent, studying what he found within the envelope.

DK watched Jack flip through the numerous photographs he had received at IASA. They were direct from the Hubble Telescope. When he had first viewed them, and the many times after till his arrival at Jack's residence, DK had felt an excited wave pass through him. His mind was reeling with possibilities and scenarios.

Jack's mouth had slowly dropped open. He flipped through the photographs a second time and a third. He then paused at one in particular, bringing it closer to his face to study it. He grasped his reading glasses from the top of the fridge and refocused on the single photograph.

The image was somewhat blurry but unmistakable. Through the cloudy wisp of the Milky Way arm was a small section of space and one little craft. The small white craft had an American Flag and the words "Farscape One" printed on the side. It had a few alienable modifications to it as well, almost rendering it foreign. But Jack knew this craft as well as DK. It was indeed Farscape One.

His heart began to beat faster, as he was sure DK's was already speeding. He looked at DK in awe. DK had a full smile plastered on his face by now.

Jack shook his head and flipped through the other photographs once more. He studied the others, noting within Hubble's sight the unfamiliar ships in the very same space as his son's module. He didn't know what to make of them or the entire package for that matter. He looked back to DK in wonder.

"He's alive." DK said almost giddy.

Jack swallowed hard and looked back to the photograph of the module once more. He cared not for when these pictures had been taken or how they had fallen into his hands. He felt the sorrows deep within finally melt away. All those sleepless nights satisfied. His son was alive. That was a hell of a lot more than he had yesterday.

THE END FOR REAL!