The Elephant Ep2.22: Cowboys And Indians

The debate had been going on in High Command for hundreds of cycles. What came after death? Was it wise to allow soldiers to believe in something more? Helen didn't know the answer to that question. Along with the other high counselors, she had been witness to many scenes that seemed to both prove and discredit the notion. Peacekeepers killed in battle and later revived told stories of things. Most of them had been ordered to keep quiet or face dire consequences. She had personally supervised tests to study the notion using kill shots and other technology. But the time for speculation was over. Helen Raynor was dead. She would find out for herself.

Sil's face hanging over her had been the last thing she had seen. The pain in her chest had mysteriously vanished. Something that had never happened in her long list of injuries. Then came the darkness. Just as peacekeeper doctrine held, you saw nothing because there was nothing. But there was something. "What is this? Who brought me here?" She shouted the questions several more times but got no answer. Her first guess was that she had been transported to a medical facility. This didn't look like one though. The blackness was murky and she could make out shapes behind it. "Who's there?"

They watched her carefully from behind the cloud of darkness. One amused and the other shocked. "Is that who I think it is?" The taller one stepped forward and gazed intently at her. "Fascinating." Bob looked up at his companion and shook his head. "It was going to happen sooner or later. You're surprised?" Scorpius shrugged. "I always thought her a survivor." The Nyid smiled and walked closer towards the new arrival. "High Counselor Raynor had a weakness." Leaving Scorpius there, he moved in to greet her.

"You're dead." Helen's wide-eyed expression did not change as the Nyid stepped through the black wall. Bob grinned mischievously and pointed to her chest. "So are you." She looked down and saw the bloody wound. "Don't worry about that now." The peacekeeper did not understand. She had never really believed the stories. This couldn't be what it looked like. "That's impossible. Why would I be here with you?" Bob shook his head. "You're not." Moving his hand forward, he touched the center of her forehead with his finger. Helen's eyes turned black and she fell to the floor.

"What the frell did you do to her?" Scorpius ran up and smiled. The curiosity in him had exploded with the workings of this new world. The chance to study something he could not in life. "Helen Raynor is a peacekeeper. A good one. She doesn't believe in life after death." The two of them leaned down over her. She sat perfectly still as Bob had left her. "What happens to her now? Why not me?" Bob's attention was turned elsewhere. He raised a hand to stop the hybrid's questions. "Quiet! Someone else may be coming through."

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The Regulators were there now. Tom could see them weaving in and out of the battle between peacekeeper and scarren. They had made no move to attack the others. Moya was probably their target. He really didn't pay too much attention though. Something else was on his mind. The woman he was holding, just barely, in his arms would not last much longer. Meryl's lips moved slowly as if she were trying to sound out some bizarre word. "Hold on. Please."

The row of prowlers in front of him sat ready to transport them out of there. Tom's mind was too far gone to consider what might happen once they got outside. "Freeze! Drop the girl and turn around." A detail of peacekeeper guards had burst into the hangar. Their weapons were charged and pointed directly at him. "She's a woman." The lead soldier's face twisted in confusion. "What?" Tom sighed. "You called her a girl. She's a woman. Her name is Meryl Raynor. Now go away." He turned back toward the ships.

The warning shot flew just over his head. "I won't say it again human." The soldier raised his gun again. This shot wouldn't miss. "Stop firing! Let them go." The entire squad turned in unison as a young girl came screaming into the room. Sil reached them and blocked the view to Tom and Meryl. "High Counselor's orders." The leader considered this. He had not yet heard the news. "Who the frell are you?" She brushed several strands of hair out of her face. The man gasped. He recognized her now. "Fine. Stand down." His men obeyed.

Two prowlers left the Velorion together while a confused set of soldiers watched. One set off into the darkness of space and quickly disappeared from sight. The other plunged into the battle. A leviathan named Moya sat still amid the chaos. Both sides seemed to be ignoring her at this point. The blanket of destruction serving to keep out the brown giants beyond.

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Aeryn guided the leviathan manually down towards the planet with Zhaan at her side. The Delvian slid her hands across the ship's metal skin and whispered soothing words to her. Looking down, both women noticed the change. "Something is happening." They glanced at one another, each showing equal amounts of fear. The murky white clouds had begun to separate. A path opened for them to enter into the planet's atmosphere. "Are you sure about this Zhaan?" Aeryn watched her companion struggle with the question. "No, but we're past the point of waiting for certainty." The ex-peacekeeper nodded and pushed Moya forward. They sped down into the light.

Tom and Rachel stood beside the ailing mother-to-be and watched her closely. Meryl's face was slick with sweat and the wounds continued to bleed. Her eyes were open now but she couldn't move them very far. Tom met her gaze and gave her a reassuring look. "You're going to be alright. Just hang in there a little longer." She shook her head slightly. Meryl closed her eyes and felt the comfort of darkness. Rachel looked at her son, a man in her eyes now, and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Rest now. She needs your strength now."

D'Argo and Chiana sat beside the window in command. The awe inspiring scene before them had caused the usually talkative Nebari to fall silent. She gazed at it in wonder before turning her attention back to the man who held her in his arms. "I can't believe we're here." He smiled and pulled her closer. "Thanks to you." Chiana shook her head and smiled. "It wasn't me." D'Argo refused to let her give away the credit. "Your bravery brought us here. You should feel proud. I am." They kissed softly in the cool room and continued to watch the planet unveil before them.

The last two members of the crew sat together on the terrace looking back the way they had come. John and Rygel both held expressions of worry on their faces. The severity of this situation was not lost on them. Just outside the cloud cover's perimeter, brown objects flew menacingly. Waiting for their chance to strike. "Do you think they'll try to get in?" The Hynerion's voice was high and almost squeaked as he spoke. John placed his arm on the little man's shoulders and shook his head. "I'm not worried about them coming in. It's us getting out that's the problem."

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Zelaya stood silently on the terrace with her eyes never straying from the battle. The brown ships had arrived just as she expected them to. These leviathans posed a threat to them. A chance to eradicate the most troublesome had come and they would not miss it. "Stupid creatures." She thought back to the old days. Prowling the streets of a small desert community looking for meals. Bad luck had settled upon her back then. But things had been simpler. Zelaya missed that more than anything else.

The prowler's approach had been immediately noticed by the Regulators. It was the only one making a vector for Moya. The Ferrian's pleas had saved it from certain destruction. A human presence aboard the black peacekeeper vessel had been detected. Zelaya had known Tom Wells for only a short while. Nevertheless, she didn't wish to see him die. In the space above, a scarren warship began attacking the brown ships. She shook her head and sighed. They would all die now. The stage was set for a massacre.

She noticed Moya's change in course and looked down towards the planet below. A blanket of white clouds surrounded it and completely blocked her view. "Frell." That was all she could manage at this point. Bright flashes from above caught her attention. One of the scarren vessels, the largest one, had been destroyed. The fiery blast that followed sent shards of metal debris rocketing across her view. Some were coming this way. "Pilot? Shouldn't you be avoiding these-?" There was no answer from the creature. He had bigger things to worry about.

Zelaya dove to the ground as a huge chunk of grey metal slammed into the terrace's protective surface. The small room shook violently and she wondered momentarily if this was it. Not quite. The shields had held well enough. Opening her eyes slowly, the Ferrian looked up at the object she had collided with. It was stuck against the wall. Jaw trembling, she read the words painted in white. "Kezia." That single memory hurt more than anything she could imagine. Moya passed into the mist.

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Moya landed securely on a large stretch of open ground on the planet's surface. A giant stone building sat beside it with features that seemed to indicate a religious purpose. Out of the hazy darkness, figures began to emerge and take positions around the leviathan. Zhaan stood in front of the others waiting for the doors to open. As they did, she stepped out into the cool morning air and breathed it in. "Stay inside until I tell you." Aeryn nodded from the doorway and watched her walk down the steps. The priestess strained to see through the clouds as she ventured into unknown territory. "Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan? It is good to see you again."

The deity appeared suddenly in front of her and smiled warmly. Despite the oddness of their last encounter, he seemed to be genuinely affectionate. Zhaan smiled and took his hand of welcome. "You have brought others, outsiders." She looked back at the ship and nodded. "My friends. Moya's crew. We need your help now." He sighed and glanced over at the stone building. "The woman. Take her there." The Delvian thanked him and relayed the news to Aeryn. Returning to him, her expression turned solemn. "There is another matter we need to discuss." The deity understood. "Yes."

Tom and D'Argo carried the stretcher down the steps and into the stone temple. Its size was more than enough to take their breath away. It reminded the human of church. The old catholic ones he had attended as a boy. "Where did they say to take her?" D'Argo's question snapped him out of the daze and back to the present situation. He looked down at Meryl and shook his head. "He said just to bring her in here." Rachel ran up beside them and quickly grabbed onto a side. As they crossed the vast expanse of the room, several cloaked figures emerged from a hole in the far wall. "Bring her here."

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John and Aeryn entered the temple behind the first group and walked silently around its large statues and pillars. She took his hand in hers as they went and held tightly to it. "This reminds me of church back home." John sat down at one of the front chairs. He gazed up at the giant alter and smiled. "Dad used to drag me out of bed every Sunday. We'd get all dressed up and come down to hear mass, go to confession." Aeryn listened quietly. But one thing made her think. "Confession?" The human nodded. "You tell the priest your sins and he forgives you. Chooses a penance." John saw the strange look in her eyes and said nothing.

"As if it were that easy." She sat down beside him and followed his gaze. John felt the warmth of her hand and smiled. "You're right. It's not that easy. But it helps." Despite all the chaos going on around them, she could still make everything go away. "Well, I never had anything like that. All my sins are still with me." Aeryn did not meet his gaze when he turned towards her. She knew what he would say. At some level the human was right. Just not hers. "You've made up for them." The response got a laugh out of her. "Really? How do you figure that?"

John reached forward and ran his fingers along her waist until he reached the gun holster. They both looked down at it. It was empty. "You've changed. Maybe that's enough." Aeryn shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. "Not for me." The human could see the hurt in her eyes. He didn't like it. "Look, you even forgot your gun." The ex-peacekeeper smiled once again. John watched silently as she reached under her vest and pulled out a long blade with black and red handle. "Baby steps, John."

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The monks took the stretcher from the two men and carried it towards the cave. Tom stepped forward to follow but was blocked by one of the cloaked. "You must wait here. We'll do all we can." The man lifted his arm and pointed at Rachel. "You will help us care for her." She stood silently but did not move. The group moved off into the darkness leaving them standing there. "I can stay here if you want." Tom looked into his mother's eyes and shook his head. "No, she needs you now." He motioned for her to enter the cave and then sat down on the floor. "You too D'Argo. Go be with Chiana." The Luxan respected his wishes and left.

Sitting there, letting his eyes fall over the magnificence of the room, Tom smiled slightly and leaned in closer to the wooden seats behind him. A cold draft was slipping in through the windows and he had no coat to wear. "What now?" He turned the question over and over in his mind as millions of different thoughts and visions danced through his head. Here he was, about to lose that which mattered most to him. He didn't know if he could keep going without her. Tom tried not to cry but the tears had been waiting for their chance. "You don't look very optimistic." Rygel floated up to him and placed a green hand on his shoulder.

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D'Argo found her kneeling outside the temple in a patch of grey sand. Chiana sat there with a thin stick in her hand. She was tracing circles in the ground in front of her. "They're looking after her now." She looked up at him and half-smiled. It was impossible for her to show the usual exuberance and spirit. Too many heavy things weighed on her mind now. "It's funny you know. How things never work out the way you'd expect." D'Argo kneeled down beside her and glanced at the circles. "All my life I've looked up to Nerri. Out there fighting for a cause bigger than himself. Being a hero." He put his arm around her. "And now you have a chance to be the hero." The Nebari looked up at him wearily. "That's what I'm afraid of."

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Zhaan sat in front of the angry deity with matching will and determination. "You wish to use our children as weapons?" She shook her head and tried to explain. "There are millions dying out there right now. Because of a species that knows no better." His face showed no signs of a changing position. But at least he was listening. "Moya, and all the others, they have a chance to do something great. To be the saviors of an entire universe." The deity stood and glanced out over the plains of his world. He could see baby leviathans rising from the mysterious white fog.

"They were not created for that. Helpful creatures, not to fight wars." Zhaan couldn't take his stubbornness much longer. "I was not born to create death. A priestess is what I was meant to be. But when it was necessary, I did unspeakable things to protect those I cared for. Perhaps that makes me a damned soul but it makes no difference." She stood and walked over beside him. "We need you now. You are our last hope." He turned to her and sighed softly to himself. Such a momentous decision could not be taken lightly. The deity looked out once more at his children and closed his eyes. "I will speak to my brethren. We will consider your request." Zhaan thanked him but he did not reply. She watched him disappear into the clouds.

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The day had turned to night over the stone walls of the temple. Its inhabitants sat solemnly inside with difficult crosses to bear. John Crichton stepped out into the cold darkness and glanced out at the few stars that could poke through. "Cowboys and Indians." He whispered the words to himself and shook his head. D'Argo came out behind him and heard the expression. "What are they?" The human turned to him and smiled. "A game I played as a boy." He pulled his pulse pistol out. "The cowboys have guns, so they always win." The Luxan seemed to understand. "The Indians always lose because they only have sharp sticks and knives."

D'Argo looked at his friend with concern. "What does this have to do with us?" John turned to him with eyes that spoke of tremendous pain and anguish. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like arns. Finally, the human turned back to the night and whispered an answer. He pointed out at the brown shapes that passed by overhead. "They're the cowboys." John lowered his head. "We're the Indians." From inside the temple, a sickening sound boomed out of the cave's dark mouth. A woman's scream echoed through the quiet room, shattering whatever calm was left.

Tom stood from his place at the foot of the cave and waited. The others watched his sweaty hands tremble slightly. They were all holding their breaths. Soon, a figure appeared out of the darkness and moved towards the young human. Rachel never moved her gaze from her son's. She was using every bit of strength in her body not to break down. He wouldn't be able to deal with that. "What happened? Is she alright?" The woman opened her mouth slowly and took one last look around the room. "I'm supposed to ask you." Tom's eyes widened. "Should they try to save the baby?"