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The beat of the music, hard, hot and heavy, struck a chord in the heart of the murderer. His pulse quickened, his heartbeat shifted to match the rhythm. A sense of righteous vengeance surged through him, and he trembled. He looked around and spotted her instantly, the woman he knew was called Aeryn. She was a beautiful creature. Breathtaking really. Her hair was black as night and it hung over her shoulders. Stray strands of hair partially obscured her face and made her look mysterious as she danced with abandon beneath the flashing disco lights. Hatred seeped from his pores, bringing with it a sheen of cold perspiration, and the scent of death. Suddenly she left the crowded dance club by a side door that opened into an alley. Aeryn was a little unsteady on her feet, and he watched her while she staggered through the dark passageway. She made her way down the alley to another dark street, and then another. The man followed quietly behind. This part of the city, which had experienced something of a renaissance during the war, still retained its dark side.

Aeryn turned and walked into the ruins of an old abandoned warehouse. He entered the ruins.

She stood in the middle oblivious to his presence. He paused for a moment, studying her, listening, eyes darting around the ruins. It was as though they were not alone, as is some other presence lingered in the shadows beyond, some expectant force. It unnerved him.

Aeryn seemed to have sensed his presence and turned, she was on edge, desperate, enraged and afraid.

He grinned like a sly cat and brought his weapon up in front of him.

She grinned as well as she mimicked his actions, holding an identical weapon in front of her.

He was stunned. What was this? Maybe a worthy opponent after all. He would make her suffer the most. He raised his sword,which had a double-edged blade and a shell-like guard on the hilt to protect his hand. As though by some tactical agreement they spent the next few seconds studying each other, then, as if the clock had stopped, they surged forward.Aeryn's heart thundered in her chest, her pulse racing, adrenalins pumping through her but somehow, she felt calm.

Her breathing was steady and easy, her movements confident and swift. The fight raged on for what seemed an eternity. Exhaustion frayed the edged of Aeryn's mind as well as her nerves.

"Come on kill me", taunted Aeryn her voice strong.

"Don't mind if I do," he chirped happily.

With a roar and a powerful swing, he leaped, swinging his blade down at an angle clearly meant to hack Aeryn in two.

Aeryn's heart flutted in her chest; she used her own weapon like a staff to block his blows. The clash of metal vibrated around the chamber and the force behind the blow sent a painful ripple up her arms to her shoulders. He attacked again and again and again, both of them still evenly matched for every attack they made, every move was blocked. He began to taunt her. Aeryn kept silent. He kept taunting her, trying to draw her into making a fatal mistake. For a split second Aeryn couldn't control her emotions at the sound of her sisters' name on his lips and it distracted her mind from her focus. It wasn't long, but it lost her precious seconds, breaking her momentum. When she looked at him again he was swinging his weapon down on her.

"No!" Aeryn cried. She ducked to the left as the blade whooshed down and sliced down her arm. Fresh blood flowed, soaking her clothes and dripping down her arm. It took all of Aeryn's strength not to scream out in pain. Then with such a rush of adrenalins he raised his sword high and brought his blade down in a deadly arc, and before she could react it slashed across her back, cutting leather and flesh. She fell to her knees and he gazed into his eyes and was certain she saw the light fade from them, the brilliant spark of life and righteousness diminish from her face.

"Goodbye, Aeryn" where the only words that escaped from his lips. With those final words John Crichton left the warehouse. It was over. Aeryn was dead.

THE END