The prowler spun aimlessly through space as it departed the wormhole. Meryl looked down at the planet below and a familiar feeling of dread formed. She had not seen this place since turning fifteen. All the terrible memories came floating back to the surface. "Captain, are you alright?" She turned in her seat to find Sargas watching her with concern. A small gash on his forehead dispensed a trickle of blood. "I'm fine. How's your head?" He touched the spot and flinched. "Its not too bad." Looking out through the ship's porthole, they watched the leviathan hover ominously over them. The blue light had disappeared.

Aeryn stared down at the planet with both awe and fear. She wanted to believe that it wasn't really there and turn away but her legs didn't seem to agree. Not moving from her spot, she tried to speak into her comm. No words came out. After what seemed like arns, a hand fell across her shoulder and she shuddered. "Aeryn, are you ok? You look pale." John was standing there. His presence comforted her but the apprehension was still there. Some form of order began to reestablish itself in her mind. "Are the others alright?" He nodded and looked at the planet. "Do you recognize it?" She turned away from him. "Yes, I do."

The pounding in his head had lessened considerably. Something about the blue glow that had filled the room minutes ago triggered his memory. There was a familiar picture in his mind that he just couldn't get at. He stood up from his place on the floor and looked around. The ship seemed to be ok. There was debris scattered everywhere and the lights were out. He walked carefully down the corridor. He had learned to take every step with caution on this ship. Just as he was about to round a corner, a crackling sound caught his attention. Entering command, he noticed that a projection had come up over the table. It took him a moment to recognize the face through all the distortion bu there was no mistaking it. "Meryl, what are you doing here?"

John tapped his comm. Aeryn didn't seem too keen on talking about what was bothering her. "Hey Pilot, anything new?" There was silence for a moment. The transmission seemed to crackle and break up but the voice came through. "There is a ship approaching. It seems to have been pulled through the wormhole with us." John moved up to the window to get a better view. Aeryn was already looking. She pointed to the left of them. "It's a prowler. Looks damaged." The black attack ship appeared tiny in proportion to Moya. It hurtled through space without any apparent course. "Should we go after it?" His question went unanswered. "Its Meryl!" 0377's shout came over the comm. John looked at Aeryn with concern. "Pilot, where is he?"

Pilot scanned the ship with urgency. He was not sure exactly what was going on but there was no room for mistakes. "He's in the hanger." He watched as Aeryn ran out of the maintenance bay to intercept the boy. "Wow, Aeryn where are you going?" Crichton's voice rang out all over the ship. Aeryn slapped at her comm in one rhythmic motion as she headed towards the hanger. "He knows how to fly prowlers remember!" Crichton picked up the pace. "Oh frell."

She made it the hanger just as 0377 jumped into her prowler. "Where do you think you're going?" He turned to look at her and his expression was deadly serious. "Meryl says that her ship is being pulled down to the planet. I have to get her out of there." Aeryn hesitated for only a second. A docking web could mean only one thing. "Fine, but get in the backseat. I'm driving." As he pulled himself over the division and into the back, she climbed in and engaged the engines. The last thing she saw before closing the hatch was John rushing into the room. Watching the ship lift off the ground, Crichton could only shake his head.

Meryl saw the prowler exit through the leviathan's hanger doors and make its way to her. "Help is on the way." Sargas stared with alarm as the ship pulled alongside them. "Are you sure that we can trust them?" She met his questioning glance for only a second. "Oh, I see. He's with them." She didn't respond and he returned his attention to the prowler. "This is Aeryn Sun. I'm going to try to knock you out of the web's grasp." Meryl began pressing buttons on the console. "Understood. I am engaging side thrusters now."

0377 watched in amazement as Aeryn maneuvered the ship with ease. Far better than he ever could. The prowler tilted sideways and away from Meryl. Then in one sweeping motion it swung back and rammed the other craft. At the same moment, Meryl switched on the thrusters and the small ship was thrown out of the web's hold. "Thank you Aeryn Sun." Meryl terminated the transmission and started checking for damage. "You do realize who that is don't you?" Once again she ignored Sargas' question. "So now we're double-crossing superiors and consorting with escaped prisoners and criminals." She grinned but he didn't see any humor in the situation.

"Pilot, how are they doing out there?" John ran back from the hanger as fast as he could. He didn't want to miss anything that was going on outside. "Officer Sun has successfully removed the other prowler." Pilot's voice did not sound happy. "There is a new problem. The docking web is now targeting us." John pounded the wall with his fist. "Son of a-. Can you break free Pilot?" The answer came back immediately this time. "Moya is much bigger than a prowler Crichton. She is too large to maneuver out of its grasp." Looking out the window, John could see that the planet was now taking up the entire screen. They were getting closer and fast.

"Identification code please." The robotic voice came through the radio on both prowlers. The moment that they had entered within range of the planet's scanners, targeting systems had locked on. "Aeryn! Use codename: Sargas, Del." The reply came quickly. "Acknowledged." She turned her attention back to the warning transmission. "Identification code please." Nervously, she complied. "Raynor, Meryl." The voice on the other end stopped momentarily. "Raynor, Meryl, Captain, Disavowed." She held her breath. "You are cleared for re-entry." She looked at Sargas who only returned her confused expression. "What?"

John had assembled everyone in command. It was D'Argo, Zhaan, Pilot, Rygel, Chiana and him on board now. "What do you mean we're being pulled in?" D'Argo growled the words more than said them. His vow had obviously not been forgotten. "There's nowhere for us to go." John pointed out the window. "Aeryn and 0377 are out in the prowler and we lost the transport back at the crash." Zhaan stood up from her seat. "What about your module John?" He shook his head. "It would only seat two of us. Plus, we can't leave Pilot alone." They both nodded uncertainly. Pilot's face appeared on the vidscreen. "Moya wishes for me to communicate that she would understand if you leave." John shook his head. "We're not going anywhere." D'Argo grabbed his shoulder. "So what's your plan once we reach the surface?" "Um, plan?"

Aeryn felt a tap on her shoulder. "What is it?" 0377 pushed his head forward and next to hers. "Do you know where we are?" She sighed heavily. "It's the Sebacean home world." He was obviously rattled by the statement. "And we're going down there." Aeryn shrugged. "Its been abandoned for many cycles. There's only a small contingent of military left and a medical facility. The rest is just farmers and pacifists." 0377 looked down at the planet with concern. He was still nervous about being so close to peacekeepers. Glancing at the one right in front of him, he could not help but smile. If only for just a moment.

Meryl followed close behind the other prowler. She kept one eye on the space in front of her and the other on the enormous building that could already be seen. "What do you think they will do to us?" Sargas' question struck her as incredibly shortsighted. "We're not going to turn ourselves in." He slumped down in his seat. His mouth was twisted into a frown and he said nothing. "I'm sorry for getting you into this." He laughed. "Are you? That makes me feel much better capt-, Meryl." He didn't see her as a commanding officer anymore. Somehow that hurt more than she had expected. "Very well."

<<<<>>>>

As Moya descended towards the planet's surface, the weight of gravity began to take its toll. Zhaan attended to Pilot as John and D'Argo tried to get a closer look at what was approaching beneath them. An immense grey building appeared from out of the clouds. Longer than the leviathan, it dwarfed any other structure on the horizon. John noticed something much more troubling about it. It was undoubtedly peacekeeper. The giant glass dome that made up the roof began to separate. Inside, a chamber large enough to house Moya awaited their arrival.

"We go out fighting." D'Argo pulled his qualta blade from its sheath and headed for the entrance. John ran to catch up. "No, no. If we start shooting first, they'll kill us. Its just three of us. We have to surrender for right now." The Luxan shook his head furiously. The anger in his eyes was not subsiding. "Just trust me this time. We'll get through this." They stared each other down. Neither willing to give in. Finally, D'Argo lowered his blade. The doors opened and a squadron of soldiers swept in around them.

There was something peculiar about the situation right from the beginning. The soldiers had corralled them out of the ship with calm. Not one of them had raised his hand to strike. John and D'Argo were told to stand against the wall and wait. "What the frell?" John whispered the words. He did not dare arouse any suspicion. "They haven't even pulled their guns out." D'Argo shook his head. "That's impossible." But it was true. The soldiers turned their backs on the two of them. A man of medium height and stocky build in a long white lab coat entered the room. Without acknowledging their presence, he walked up to the nearest guard. "Go get the Delvian and the Hynerion." The uniformed soldier nodded and ran into the ship. "My name is Dr. Kodetova. You are in my custody until Scorpius' emissary arrives."

John pressed his face against the cool glass door. "I told you." D'Argo growled at him. "You were guessing." They smiled at each other. "What are you two so happy about? We're still in a cell." Zhaan and Rygel did not share their relaxed attitude. Even more mysterious than their detainment was the fact that they had all been placed in the same cell. The cell looked more like a hospital room than a prison. Escape would have been easy. But there was still Moya to think about. As John moved towards the chair next to Zhaan's, a knocking at the door caught his attention. Dr. Kodetova stood on the other side of the glass with a smile on his face. A small square of the clear door slid to the side. "Where is Meryl Raynor?" The question surprised them. "She was with you when our scanners detected your ships. Where is she now?" John could do nothing but shrug.

<<<<>>>>

The two prowlers were hidden carefully inside some thick shrubs and their passengers were safely on the ground. The group of four moved covertly through the wooded area. "Have you been here before?" 0377 watched with curiosity as Meryl pondered the question. "Yes." She said nothing more and sped up to join Aeryn up ahead. It amazed him how similarly they walked. The same militaristic stride and posture. They seemed ready for battle. The other one, Sargas, followed close behind with his gun drawn. 0377 had the distinct impression that he was being escorted.

"Did you hear that?" Neither woman waited for a reply. They flanked out in different directions. Sargas grabbed 0377 and dragged him down behind a tree. Putting a finger to his lips, he shook his head. Up ahead of them, a lone man strolled through the forest. He seemed not to realize that four pairs of eyes were watching him at that moment. 0377 wrestled free from the older man's grasp and stood up to get a better view. The laser blast came very close to decapitating him. Meryl dove from the bushes and knocked him to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing! The words came out harsher than she had intended. She had to remember that he wasn't one of her subordinates. "Damn. I'm sorry. I'm just the lowly human remember." The words stung her. She slammed him hard against the ground. "No! You're more than that. I'm not here for just a lowly human!" She let his shirt go and he hit the ground with a thump. Ignoring his questioning gaze, she returned her attention back to the stranger.

"Friend or foe?" The man had now been joined by six others. While he held a peacekeeper pistol, the others carried sticks and small daggers. "I would advise you to surrender peacefully. You are after all outnumbered." Several more men and women stepped out behind them. They were cornered from all sides. Based on their appearance, 0377 could tell immediately that they were Sebaceans. Yet they were not dressed like peacekeepers. "They're a farming community." Meryl spoke the words without turning to face him. "Stand up." The four of them stood and dropped their weapons.

The village was not far from where the confrontation had taken place. It was small and made up of modest looking homes. On all sides, vast fields of crops could be seen. Aeryn, Sargas, and 0377 began to look around the area. Meryl went directly for the leader. "Do you get any peacekeeper patrols out here?" He met her stern gaze with a casual smile. "Nice to meet you too. My name is Alec and no, patrols do not usually come out this far." He beckoned for her to follow and walked to a small building in the middle of town.

<<<<>>>>

Kodetova opened the door and immediately the three prisoners stood. "Don't be fooled. If you attempt to break free now, this chamber will fill with poison gas and kill you." He pointed to John. "You, come here." John stood and walked over to the door. "Why me?" Kodetova smiled. "I have dealt with their kinds before. You appear to be of reasonable temper." Without another word, he turned and left. Crichton was unsure of what to do. He decided it would be best to cooperate for now.

"Scorpius is very interested in your band of escapees. One does not ask questions, but I can still be curious." The man spoke in a soothing yet increasingly annoying tone. "You mean you don't know." John found it hard to believe that this man had not heard. It seemed everyone else had. "Those of us out here on the abandoned planet are not very well informed." The conversation was becoming increasingly confusing. "Abandoned?" Without stopping, Kodetova answered. "It was High Command's opinion that a centralized peacekeeper population on the home world was dangerous. We have many enemies that would benefit far too much from destroying this planet. The decision was made to disperse."

"You said that Scorpius was sending an emissary. Does that mean he isn't coming himself" John stopped walking and waited for a response. The doctor simply nodded. This was some sort of game for him. It was making John more and more angry. "Fine, I'll bite. Why isn't Scorpius coming?" Kodetova finally stopped and turned around. He was enjoying this. "He was born here."

<<<<>>>>

The room was covered completely in darkness. Meryl could barely make out the shape of a table in the middle of the room. "Hold on one microt." She watched him stumble across the room and switch on the light. It appeared to be a miniature command center. Maps of the region covered the walls and peacekeeper machinery took up all available space. "Salvage from downed ships. We've got to protect ourselves." She nodded and ran her fingers over the cool metal consoles. The confident feeling of being at the helm of a battleship resurfaced for a moment. That was all gone now.

"Our companions are being held in the medical facility." Alec nodded. "Most peacekeepers that pay us a visit don't arrive on foot. You are rebels?" She smiled and shook her head. "No, we just had a small difference of opinion." He walked over to an open spot on the floor. Pulling on a chain that lay nearby, he uncovered a small hatch. "In any case, you are not with them. And if you are not with them, then you are welcome here." He dropped down into the level below. "Thank you." She followed behind him.

This room was far more familiar to her. Racks of pulse rifles and pistols lined the walls. Portable radar units made up piles on the floor. Meryl gazed with warmth at a pair of high-density energy blasters. A fond memory from her days at basic training. "I don't understand." Alec walked up beside her and looked around. "We are pacifists, not fools." He lifted one of the guns and handed it to her. "What you are suggesting is very difficult. The facility will have to be destroyed." He winked at her. "We welcome the chance to rid ourselves of it."

Dusk had fallen over the village. 0377 sat beside Aeryn and Sargas in one of the small houses. He noticed that Meryl had not returned after leaving with Alec. He stood from his spot against the wall and walked out into the cool night air. She was standing guard just outside the village perimeter. It reminded him of the sentries he had seen in old war movies. Coming up behind her, he could see that her gaze was fixed on a large building in the distance. A strange smile was frozen on her face. "They told me about your plan." She did not reply. "What-." She raised her hand to stop him.

"I grew up there." Her words surprised him. Meryl did not turn around. "Soldier's manual, chapter four, edict seventy three: Procreation among peacekeeper ranks is allowed and encouraged. Impregnation while on active duty is strictly forbidden." She continued to stare at the facility, despite the fact that it was quickly disappearing from view. "They inserted a nine inch needle into my mother's body. They injected her with abortive poisons. My mother is dead and I am here with you."

The gaze finally broke and she looked down at her feet. 0377 stepped up and put his arms around her. He was amazed to find that she readily embraced him and placed her head on his shoulder. Meryl was shaking slightly now. He realized that she was crying. She muttered something to herself and then looked up at him. "Frell, I hate crying."