Zhaan sat up from her bed and looked around nervously. Something was wrong. She sensed it everywhere inside the ship and out. Moving quickly, she threw on a robe and burst out into the hallway. There was no one there to greet her. "Pilot, is everything alright?" Zhaan waited for his response but received none. This only worried her more. She ran down the corridor on her way to command. Chiana was sitting alone when she got there. "Hey Zhaan, what's up?" Zhaan ignored her and rushed to the window. There was something out there.

D'Argo looked at Pilot's worried face and lost some of his own cool. The jamming had started about a quarter of an arn ago. They couldn't get through to anyone on comms. He would have been worried more if not for the DRD's. The little creatures had checked to make sure that everyone was alright. "Do you see anything yet?" Pilot shook his head and continued tapping at the console. "Moya can only sense the areas around her now. Something is blocking her long range scanners." The Luxan frowned and headed for the door. "I'm going to go out on the terrace and see if I can't spot anything." Pilot nodded.

Meryl had already thought of that idea. She and Rygel stood on the terrace and looked out in wonder at the stars. The view was amazing and she found herself here more and more often. But there was a disturbing reason for it today. Meryl spotted the first signs of it just after the Hynerion had appeared. He made no attempt at conversation. Rygel was as captivated as she was. "Do you see it?" She nodded and felt the knot in her stomach tighten.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius's head was a jumble of crazed images. He couldn't think straight and it had almost gotten him killed already. John Crichton was here. He hadn't seen the human yet, but officer Sun was never too far away. His eyes began adjusting to the light again as he peeked around the corner. Bob was no longer there. Scorpius crept out and started making a run for it. The sound of a door slamming stopped him cold. Crichton and some others had just come out of a building. They were looking up into the sky. He followed their gaze. "Frell."

Bob saw the hybrid and took his chances. He stepped out into the street, wincing heavily as the wound spat more blood out onto his coat. Scorpius would die for this. Right after the information was retrieved. Bob watched as his target froze in his tracks and looked up towards the sky. He couldn't help but do the same. All other thoughts were erased from his memory at that moment.

<<<<>>>>

"We're leaving right now." Aeryn ushered them out into the street and pointed up into the heavens. John was the first to say anything. "You've got to be kidding me!" Zelaya and Tom looked from him to Aeryn in desperation. Priorities suddenly needed to be reevaluated. "What? What do you see?" The little boy, Sam, pushed through the blockade of bodies and stared upwards. He didn't say another word. The four of them watched him scurry off down the street. A dark cloud descended over the town and for a moment it seemed as if the sun itself had been eclipsed.

<<<<>>>>

"Pilot! Starburst now." D'Argo hated to leave his friends down there but right now it was his responsibility to save Moya. "I'm sorry but Moya cannot do that now. Any collision would be harmful to her." The frustrated Luxan saw that he was right. There was no way they could get through that without hitting something. The first of three Apocalypse-Class Command Carriers floated past the leviathan in what seemed to be slow motion. Hundreds of prowlers and marauders dotted the sky and formed a terrifying cloud. "Can they see us Pilot?" The response voice was shaky. "They do see us. Apparently, we are being ignored." What the frell did that mean?

Meryl tried to say something but no words came out of her mouth. Rygel looked over at her with a similar expression. "I believe the word you are searching for is frell." He tried to smile but it didn't seem to be working. She ignored him and ran out of the room. D'Argo passed by her in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?" She stopped and turned to face him momentarily. "To my prowler." He shook his head angrily. "You don't have a chance of-." Meryl had already taken off down the hall.

Chiana stood and walked over to where Zhaan was looking out the window. "What's going on out there?" The blue woman pointed towards the planet. Before Chiana could turn her head, the massive hull of a command carrier blocked their view. "We have to get out of here! Pilot, starburst!" No one answered the Nebari's frightened cries. "It's too late for that my child. We're not going anywhere." The look on Zhaan's face was deadly serious. There was no questioning it.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn took off down the street without waiting for the others. John ran up behind her and yelled out. "We can't leave. Anything trying to get off is gonna get shot down." She stopped and looked at him. His face frozen with concern. Not just for her she knew, but for the people of this planet. "I have to get to Moya, John. I have to get to my prowler." John shook his head. "No way. You stay here where its safe." He considered the absurdity of that statement for a moment. Aeryn would not be deterred. "I'm a pilot John. I belong in the air." She climbed aboard the pod and within seconds it was off the ground.

"Where does she think she's going?" Tom ran up beside Crichton and looked up at the departing pod with more than a little dismay. "She's going to get herself killed." There was no hint of humor on John's face today. He looked past the confused Tom and to the house they had just left. "Where's Zelaya?" Tom turned around. "She was there a minute ago." Zelaya had apparently disappeared.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius heard the footsteps coming towards him and immediately ducked out of sight. They didn't belong to Bob. The sounds were too light. The sounds of lips smacking together caught his attention. He looked up at the roof above him and saw a squadron of prowlers fly by. There was someone else up there too. The Ferrian he had seen at the base. She looked down at him with hatred in her eyes. "Those prowlers are going to start shooting soon." His warning had no affect on her. "Don't worry. You won't be here to see them." Scorpius swallowed involuntarily.

Zelaya jumped down just as the hybrid started running. His scent was heavy on her nose and wouldn't be difficult to track. She was just about to take off after him when the first shots started. The building next to hers exploded in a burst of flying rubble. "Frelling peacekeepers." The blast threw her sideways and against the wall. Zelaya tasted blood in her mouth. She swallowed it and slipped away.

<<<<>>>>

The prowler pilot watched with amusement as his comrades opened fire on the city below. He couldn't hear the explosions but the visual was just as good. The leviathan pod had shown up on his scanner just a few moments ago. It moved stealthily away from the battle and up towards space. He wouldn't let it get away that easily. The prowler shot forward and tailed the pod straight up into the sky.

Aeryn saw the prowler lock onto her and took action. She was almost smiling as the pod groaned from the force of her maneuver. Flying never ceased to excite her. "We'll see who the superior pilot it." She pushed down on the controls and let the pod drop straight down with incredible speed. The prowler pilot saw this one second before it nearly tore his craft in two. Whoever was behind the wheel had talent. Now he would see how much.

<<<<>>>>

Meryl jumped into the empty prowler and started the ignition sequence. It almost felt good to be back in combat again. She slipped on the headgear and punched the engines. The sleek ship rose off the ground and shot quickly through the cavernous outer hanger into space. Once out in the familiar darkness, she steered it down towards the growing conflict below.

<<<<>>>>

John and Tom stood motionless on the ground for a moment. "What do we do now?" They both pondered that question before walking calmly back into the main market place. A loud explosion ripped them abruptly from their trance. The prowlers were firing into the screaming crowd with no mercy. Buildings on all sides burst into flames and fell to pieces. Both of them could see and hear the cries of victims but lost their bearings in the confusion. Tom looked to his side and found himself alone. "John!" There was no answer.

Bob pushed the rocks and debris off of his body and tried to stand. The fall had only aggravated the wound further. He limped over to the nearest wall and breathed heavily. The ground rumbled below his feet causing him to sway repeatedly. The building he was looking for stood only a few metras down the street. Inside was something that could save the people still left alive.

<<<<>>>>

Chiana almost ran into D'Argo as they came careening down the hall. She looked him in the eyes and saw the fear that resided where his usual confidence was. "We have to go get them D'Argo. They'll die down there." He shook his head and grabbed her shoulders. "There's no way we can get anywhere near that planet right now. They're on their own." She didn't want to accept that but there wasn't much of a choice. D'Argo pulled her closer to him and sighed heavily. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Pilot, say again." Meryl had almost reached the planet when his radio transmission had come through. Apparently the jamming had been lifted. "Moya senses her pod nearby. Attempts to contact it have been futile." She shook her head and started the search. "I'll look in on it Pilot." The comm quieted again and she tried to focus on the task at hand. "What squadron do you belong to?" The question caught her off guard. Before Meryl could answer, the incoming prowlers opened fire. "Ok, here we go." She put her finger on the firing button and pressed down.

<<<<>>>>

Zelaya pushed open what was left of the door and stepped inside. The room was dark and full of loose dirt. The scent was beginning to fade among the constant firing and she couldn't afford to lose the bastard. A stray pulse blast cut a hole through the roof and illuminated the room in afternoon sunlight. She spotted a leather glove slipping around the back doorway and lunged forward. Scorpius turned just in time to see her jaws spread open. He cried out in pain as her body collided with his. The force sent the two of them crashing through the wall and into the street.

John turned and saw Zelaya wrestling with something on the ground. He ran to her side and pulled it off. The sneering face made him jump back for a moment. "John, call her off. Please!" He started to respond but the woman was not letting up. She kicked Scorpius savagely in the chest and watched with delight as he cried out again. Zelaya leaned over him and opened her mouth. "This is for Kezia and-." She never finished her speech. The building in front of them exploded in a giant fireball that repositioned the three of them in different directions.

<<<<>>>>

Tom knelt over the dying woman and almost shouted in frustration. The entire left side of her face was burned away and he had to fight not to cringe. "Help me please!" He shook his head and felt a tear roll down his own cheek. "I'm not a doctor. I'm sorry." A loud crash from behind sent rubble flying everywhere. Tom threw himself over the suffering woman to shield her from it. As he lifted himself away, she closed her eyes for the last time. "Oh, God." He bent over her and felt the last bit of control float away. In the distance, he could hear more shouts of pain.

<<<<>>>>

Aeryn saw another prowler come between her and the first one. She was preparing herself for another maneuver when one of the black ships exploded. "Aeryn, how are you holding up?" It took her a moment to place the voice. Relief flooded over her as she realized it was Meryl. "I could have taken care of that." There was no contradiction from the other. "Just help me get to Moya. I prefer a prowler over this heap." The two ship soared back up towards the waiting leviathan. No ships followed them.

<<<<>>>>

Bob dragged himself in the door and felt the scanning lights fall over him. "You are cleared for entry." The robotic voice was a welcome reminder of this place's purpose. He stumbled into the next room and saw a wall full of glowing buttons waiting for him. "Let's see how they do against this." He smacked the first button with his fist and felt the ground move under him. Bob smiled to himself. His current position in the universe did have its upsides every once in a while. The electronic whine from outside signaled the beginning.

John felt the ground fall out from under him. He tumbled to the floor and saw a large brown object rise up from below. He used it to pick himself up and then backed away quickly. It reminded him of those gigantic guns on the top of battleships. A burst of white energy shot from the cannon and up towards the attacking planes. In between blasts, John realized something. He couldn't hear a thing. As he looked around, several more cannons sprung up from nowhere and began firing.

<<<<>>>>

Chernov watched the devastation from his captain's chair. It would have been nice to be there under better circumstances but this would have to do. High Command had given him permission to wipe out the troublesome Nyid world. Of course, they had no idea that one of their most valuable assets was down there right now. The tracking device had been installed just recently. He had seen to it personally and was almost one hundred percent sure that Scorpius didn't know. The signal had led them right to him. Now the monster would die.

<<<<>>>>

Scorpius lifted himself from the rubble and looked around. The woman was nowhere in sight. He noticed the brown machine that had materialized beside him. It was astounding. The mere force of its blasts was enough to shoot down a prowler with one shot. Checking again for the woman, he leaned down next to the weapon and studied its design. "Amazing, isn't it?" He turned to find Bob standing there without his gun. "It looks like you have bigger problems to worry about than me now." Scorpius was about to make a run for it. "You're right. But I will be seeing you again." The Nyid disappeared into the confusion without another word.

<<<<>>>>

Tom tore another shred of his sweatshirt away and watched it soak with blood. The man on the street had only minor wounds and seemed to be ok. He left him there and headed off through the smoking ground. Someone familiar was walking up ahead of him. He recognized Bob and ran after him. "Hey wait!" The Nyid turned to run but stopped when he saw who it was. "Tom, what are you doing here?" They stared at each other for a moment, knowing quite well that the polite attitude was nothing but a cover. "Looking for you." Bob nodded solemnly and then pointed over to a building down the street. "Come with me, and perhaps you and your friends will get out of this alive."

<<<<>>>>

John dove out of the way as a broken prowler came careening towards the ground. The formidable black craft had been shot easily out of the sky. He stood and ran over to the hatch. Checking inside, he found the pilot's head smashed against the windshield. "I don't think this one's gonna make it." The sound of Tom's voice in the distance caught his attention. John looked up in time to see him and Bob duck into a building down the street. Now that he realized it, the brown guns seemed to be in a circle around the place. "Hey Tom!" The younger man didn't hear him. A group of prowlers flew by overhead and were cut to pieces by the guns.

With most of the smaller crafts getting shot down, the command carriers started moving in. Chernov felt the walls shake slightly and stood from his chair. "We've broken the atmosphere." He smiled to himself and looked out the window. The firepower of a single carrier was enough to finish the job now. There were three floating over this pathetic planet. He was getting rid of two nuisances with one stone. "Sir?" He turned to see one of his lieutenants at the door. "Yes, what is it?" The soldier brought up a video clip on the computer. Two of the prowlers below were attacking the others. "What are their id numbers?" The man shook his head. "There not registered sir." Chernov shook his head and frowned. "Bring them in."

<<<<>>>>

Tom felt his companion lean forcefully against him as they entered the building. A green laser line came out of the wall and started scanning them. Bob growled as the computer read the results. "Unauthorized personnel." He punched a code into the keypad. "Computer, give Tom here full access." There was a beeping sound. "Understood." The door slid open.

John watched the door slam and lowered his hands. It was useless to call out any longer. "Are you alright John?" He turned to find Zelaya standing behind him with an unhappy expression. "I take it you didn't catch Scorpius." She nodded in frustration. Both of them looked around at the destruction and an overwhelming sense of futility sunk in. The explosion caught them totally off guard. John felt something hard smack against his face and toss him to the ground. Zelaya just stood there staring. "The building Tom just went in to." She knelt down to help him. "It's gone."