Back to part one


Moya, Two days later. Enroute to Zladren 3 (Sou'Kha), Uncharted Territories

"Crichton!"

John Crichton stepped back into the entrance of the mess hall he had just passed. "Yeah what's up, Aeryn?"

"Are you not going to eat?" Aeryn asked, gesturing to the others already gathered around the table, consuming the various delicacies they'd obtained.

John shifted, an uncomfortable look coming to his face as the others stopped eating to turn their attention to him. "Um. Actually the Sou'Kha invited me to dine with them tonight."

His words instantly brought a snort of derision from Rygel while the other's reaction's ranged from D'argo's concerned look to Aeryn's puzzlement to Chiana's indifference. Only Zhaan seemed even remotely pleased at his announcement.

"We really don't know much about the Sou'Kha. It might be better to avoid contact with them." Aeryn noted, exchanging a look with D'argo that oddly angered John.

"Look, I know you all have problems with these people in the past. But that was a long time ago. What? Some thousand years -- cycles -- ago, right?" John snapped.

"Yes." D'argo reluctantly answered, his voice taking on an edge.

"So, let it drop. It's not like they did anything to your people anyway." John retorted.

Seeing the scowl that came to D'argo's face, Zhaan quickly rose. "You are right, John, but I'm sure you can see that we are uncomfortable around them."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know." John replied, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly as he looked down. After a moment he shrugged, looking back up at them with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for snapping at you all like that."

Zhaan bowed her head in acceptance for all of them.

"You're sure you want to dine with them?" Aeryn asked.

"I wouldn't." Rygel muttered, earning a shove from Chiana for his trouble.

"I think it nice. They seem very interesting." Chiana piped up, earning a surprised look from the others. "What?" She asked defensively.

John could tell the others were thinking the young Nebari was merely wondering what she could steal from their guests. They didn't see the genuine spark of curiosity in her eyes that he did.

"Care to join me, pip?" He asked with a grin that faded somewhat at a glowering look from Aeryn. 'Good job, John. Just what you need right now, a jealous Peace Keeper!'

The Nebari also caught the look and shook her head. "Maybe another time."

Shrugging, John turned waving his arm as he left the chamber. "Catch ya on the flip side."

"Flip side?" Aeryn repeated, earning equally puzzled expressions from the others as they turned back to their meal.

*****

2 Arns Later.

"That was delicious. My compliments to the chef." John said with a grin, earning a soft chuckle from the Sou'Kha around him.

"I'm pleased that this is so, John Crichton." Kev'ran replied. "It was the least we could do for the one who has provided us with our way home."

John blushed in embarrassment as the other nodded and purred their assent, reminding him very much of cats. He shrugged. "Well the others has to agree to this so..."

"You are too modest, John Crichton." An old Sou'Kha named Ter'sa Arg'ah spoke, her voice carrying despite her soft manner. "The Sou'Kha shall remember you and your ship well, human."

"Thank you." John replied humbly.

John barely stifled a yawn, the days loading of the Sou'Kha's possessions and the fine meal making him very much aware how tired he was. He slowly rose from the soft pillow he had been kneeling on bowing his head to Kev'ran and the other elder Sou'Kha. "I do not wish to sound rude, but I think I should get some rest."

The Sou'Kha as a whole rose, John marveling at the lithe grace of even the most elderly of their kind. "Of course, John Crichton. We should have been more attentive to your needs. Forgive us?" Kev'ran said apologetically.

John waved his hands. "No problem. The food was excellent, as was the company. That's all I could ask for."

Kev'ran smiled, obviously pleased by the human's words. "Then may your dreams be peaceful."

"And yours." John replied, turning to leave when he felt a gentle touch on his arm. Turning back he saw K'ris smiling shyly up at him.

"Yes, K'ris?" He asked, noting her pleased look at using her given name.

"Will you continue the stories tomorrow? The ones about Earth?" She asked, practically jumping up and down in enthusiasm.

John grinned, recalling the exchange of stories and information between himself and the Sou'Kha over their meal. "Of course I will. But you have to tell me stories in return, remember?"

"OK." She replied, using a phrase she had learned from the human, before running off to join a nearby cluster of children. John couldn't help but grin as he watched them for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.

"May I join you?"

John blinked, turning to find Ter'sa Arg'ah standing beside him. She watched him with an amused glint to her bright blue eyes. John noticed that her skin was dark gray, not like the deep black of most of the Sou'Kha, making the blue vein-like patterns on her face barely noticeable. Realizing he was staring, he quickly looked elsewhere, hoping he hadn't offended the old Sou'Kha. "Of course, though my quarters are a few tiers up."

"Your generous lodgings provided are on the way." Arg'ah replied, falling into step beside the human as he exited the chamber.

For several minutes neither spoke as they walked the winding halls of Moya. He knew he should be wary but John felt unusually calm around Arg'ah since the moment he had met her.

He still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that she was over three thousand years old but some how that didn't bother him. If anything it intrigued him. She had seen the dying days of the Sou'Kha's power. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like. So many deaths. So much destruction. And all of it because of an evil race whose name had been forgotten to time itself.

"John Crichton, I believe I can trust you." Arg'ah spoke, bringing her companion to a halt.

"Trust me?" John asked in confusion.

Arg'ah peered at him closely, as if looking for something. After a moment she nodded as if satisfied. "Someone must know what happened. The truth must be passed on before I depart this plane."

"Wait. Are you ill? I can have Zha--"

Arg'ah gripped his arms tightly. "Listen to me, John Crichton. Listen to what I have to tell you with an open mind. Then you shall understand. Will you do this?"

John frowned in puzzlement, but nodded in spite of the reservations he felt. "Um Yeah. OK."

"It began with Advarpeyn."

*****

"We should take this ship. It would be a simple thing." One hissed.

"No!" Kev'ran growled. "John Crichton has shown us a kindness we have not experienced for centuries. I will not return such generosity with bloodshed. We would be nothing more than what the others claims us to be if we followed that path."

"They think we are animals anyway!" The first protested.

"And yet this human convinced them to transport us, even with the protests the Hynerian and Luxan surely put up to sway Crichton against us." Kev'ran replied.

"Tuzal Kev'ran is correct. Besides, we are nearly home. Why create problems where non exist?" Another noted, earning murmurs of agreement.

"Then let us speak no further on this matter." Kev'ran announced.

The first one frowned but silently acknowledged the directive without further argument.

*****

"Zhaan! Zhaan come quick! Something's wrong with one of the Sou'Kha. Tier 20, near the central chamber."

Zhaan was jolted out of her mediation by the panicked voice of John Crichton. In moments she was clothed and on her way. Half way to the location she was joined by Aeryn and D'argo, both armed.

Turning the final corner to Tier 20 revealed a pale and obviously shaken John Crichton cradling a frail looking elderly Sou'Kha. Frowning, Aeryn suddenly went the opposite direction towards the living quarters of the other Sou'Kha.

John quickly moved aside as Zhaan began her examination, shooting D'argo a look that actually brought some sympathy to the large Luxan's face for both the human and the old Sou'Kha female.

After a moment, Zhaan's shoulders slumped in defeat. She silently brought her hands together and gestured before looking up to John's pleading eyes.

'Such an innocent.' She couldn't help think as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, John."

The look of loss on the John's face brought a wave of to Zhaan.

"B-but she...we..we we're just talking...and..." John shook his head in disbelief. "S-she just... stopped."

Zhaan was about to reassure the human when Aeryn returned followed by Kev'ran and several other Sou'Kha, including a young Sou'Kha Zhaan recognized as Kev'ran's granddaughter. She rose, bowing her head regretfully to the new arrivals. "I'm afraid it is too late."

"She is dead?" Kev'ran asked, observing the body closely, before turning his attention back to the Delvian, who merely nodded in reply. Noticing John Crichton leaned up against the wall. "How did it happen?"

John just blinked before swallowing and shaking his head as if to wake himself from a bad dream. He met Kev'ran's eyes with a saddened expression. "We were walking. She was telling me some more stories of your people. She just suddenly...stopped. One minute she was fine, the next....." John held his arms away from him, shrugging helplessly. "I'm sorry."

Kev'ran nodded once. "It is not your fault, John Crichton. We should have expected this. Arg'ah was very old. I should not have allowed her to remain unattended despite her protestations."

The Sou'Kha looked at the others with a somewhat shame faced look. "You will understand that we must ask you to leave us now. Our...burial rituals...are not for outsiders."

"Of course." Zhaan replied. "Our condolences on your loss."

Realizing John had made no move to follow her and the others Zhaan quickly grasped his arm and guided him down the passageway, stopping once as the young Sou'Kha she noticed earlier brushed her hand against Crichton's arm as he passed with a sympathetic look.

In that brief pause Zhaan stared at the child and felt something brush her mind for the barest of moments. Something compassionate, understanding. Shrugging Zhaan continued on with Crichton in tow reasoning that she was simply picking up on John's empathy. She had not been the only one to notice the growing friendship between the young Sou'Kha and human.

When they had reached the next tier, Zhaan glanced at Crichton out of the corner of her eye. She noted he seemed pale and withdrawn, perhaps even a little ill looking. Not surprising she supposed given the sudden shock of the night's events.

"Will you be all right, John?" Zhaan asked as she released her hold on his arm.

John's head snapped up, as coming out of a daze. "What?"

Zhaan noted the exchange of concerned looks between D'argo and Aeryn, but drew no attention to them as she repeated her question. "Will you be all right?"

John nodded slowly, wincing in obvious as he rubbed his temple. "Yeah. I'm just tired."

"You are in pain." Zhaan stated.

"It's nothing. Just a headache." John waved her off. "A little sleep should take care of it."

"Well, then, Ill take you back to you quarters." Aeryn interrupted before Zhaan could offer to help.

"I can take care of myself, Aeryn!" John snapped, surprising even himself the bitterness there. He saw the brief flare of hurt and anger in Aeryn's eyes. Gesturing apologetically, John sighed. "I-I'm sorry. I must be more tired than I thought."

Aeryn merely nodded once, her face an emotionless mask. 'Great job John. You encourage to be more compassionate and then snap at her like a rabid dog when she does. Now she's pissed off.' He thought as he started down the hallway to his quarters, Aeryn silently treading along beside him.

"Get some rest, Crichton." Aeryn said a few minutes later as they arrived at John's quarters. With that she turned to leave, stopping to fix a pointed look at John when he called her name.

He shifted from foot to the other nervously. "I'm sorry about what I said. I know you meant well."

Aeryn's brow furrowed in confusion. "You already apologized for that."

"Yeah, but you still seem pissed off." John replied.

"Pissed...?"

"Angry at me." John explained. "You seemed distracted on the way back. I just want to make sure everything's OK between us."

The edges of her lips curled up into a hint of a smile as understanding dawned. "I'm not angry with you. I'm just concerned about the Sou'Kha's death."

"Me too." John replied softly.

Aeryn noted his fatigued expression and gently pushed him into his quarters. "Good night, John. Try to get some rest." She said as she tapped the release to shut the door.

"I will." John murmured as he watched her walk down the passageway.

Onto part three