My
interpretation of what happened to Crais after the Aurora Chair. Some
conversations have been taken verbatim from the show for the flow of the story.
No infringement is intended. When Crichton was subjected to the Aurora Chair we
heard the ripple “poor Crichton”, yet Crichton had the support of the whole
Moya crew to help him. When Crais was given the treatment, leaving him in a
near comatose state did we even hear even a whisper?
Aftermath
By
GitonCrais
By the time Scorpius returned to the room, Crais’
screams had diminished to almost inaudible moans and he hung limp in the Aurora
Chair. His head lolled weakly on his shoulders after they had taken the headset
off and had shut down the machine. His eyes didn’t register Scorpius when he
moved Crais’ head.
The Tech who had shut down the Chair expressed
her worries to Scorpius that all the settings had been set to maximum. Scorpius
looked at Crais and noticed there was still a sparkle of life in his eyes. He
was surprised that Crais had survived the Aurora Chair at those levels. What it
had done to his mind remained to be seen.
Scorpius looked at the vidcam. The sustained
maximum settings had caused the machine to overload, never before had a subject
been tested or interrogated at those levels and certainly not for that
duration.
Scorpius sighed. He had to see what he could
salvage from this disaster. He motioned the guards to take Crais to his own
quarters. Two men lifted Crais out of the Chair. His body hung limply between
them. He had soiled himself.
“Take him to his quarters and clean him up
before you leave,” said Scorpius distractedly. He went over the information
salvaged from Crais’ stay in the Chair. There wasn’t much left to view, the
killing of Lieutenant Teeg, Tauvo’s death, some images of Crais’ younger years.
If Crais came out of this unscathed there wasn’t much Scorpius could hold
against him in evidence. Scorpius smiled. He knew that but Crais didn’t.
Crais regained consciousness in his bed. For a
moment he couldn’t remember what had happened and the pounding headache didn’t
help either. He looked about him. Someone had brought him to his own quarters,
had bathed him and left him to sleep off the effects of the Aurora Chair. The
clothes he had worn in the Aurora Chair had been taken away for cleaning. His
Captain’s greatcoat hung in its normal spot and his boots stood under it.
He tried to sit up but fell back with a groan.
His head was pounding and his muscles felt painfully tense. He closed his eyes
and opened them almost instantly. The images that assaulted him were too
painful to watch.
Tauvo’s charred body as had been shown by
Maldis. LieutenantTeeg’s death. Both images tumbling over and over,
superimposing one and other.
His father’s stern face admonishing him for not
taking care of Tauvo, accusing him of being the cause of his accident.
Leering faces, yelling “conscript”, “failure”.
He could see Tauvo pleading with him to avenge
his death, heard his death-cries.
Heard the cries of Moya’s former Pilot when they
cut through his ganglia to install the new Pilot.
He clasped his hands over his ears but the
sounds didn’t go away.
He could see Teeg’s eyes, looking into his eyes
with love, right before he snapped her neck. He now regretted his action. She
would never have betrayed him but in his maddened mind he had not been sure.
He felt nauseous and rolled over on his stomach
to ease it. He tried again to get to his feet and this time made it. He was
just in time to reach the Refresher before he spilled what little he had eaten.
The sprays of water worked soothingly on his tired and tense body.
Once refreshed he returned to his room. He
glanced at the bed, it looked inviting and his body was screaming for rest but
he also dreaded closing his eyes.
He opened the status report someone had left for
him to read in his office and learned of Crichton’s escape and the destruction
of the base. Somehow he couldn’t feel angry or excited about it. He tossed it
on the bed.
He looked in the mirror and was shocked by what
he saw. Dark, red rimmed eyes in a pale face. He shaved carefully, controlling
his shaking hands, dressed slowly and meticulously.
Two guards stood outside his room, Crais had an
idea why they were there. When he walked to Command he imagined that his crew
or at least his officers had learned of his humiliation by being interrogated
in the Chair. He had been the first high-ranking officer, as far as he knew,
who had been subjected to this. He would be surprised if he would be the last.
Crais could almost hear and see their covert
glances and their sniggers. He resisted the urge to return to his room.
“Status report,” he asked in a hoarse voice when
he got to Command. Scorpius was already there. Crais raised an annoyed eyebrow.
“Captain Crais,” Scorpius’ voice came smoothly
and drawn out, “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
It grated on Crais’ nerves.
“Lieutenant! I gave you an order,” Crais ignored
Scorpius. It didn’t escape his notice when he saw the Lieutenant look at
Scorpius for confirmation.
The man turned back to Crais and brought him up
to date on the destruction of the base and the escape of John Crichton.
Crais saw the smirk on Scorpius’ face and knew
where the hybrid had put the blame.
It was then that the realisation hit him that he
was loosing control; worse, he was loosing it to an abomination.
Crais ordered the man to keep scanning for any
signs of Moya.
Defiantly Crais stayed on Command but knew that,
apart from a few crewmembers, all his orders were questioned by most. It wasn’t
Crais the man they obeyed it was just his rank.
Only once did he have to exert his control. He
ran a tight ship and insubordination was punished on the spot.
He had given an order to Lieutenant Harpic. The
man had looked at Scorpius. Crais repeated the order and again Harpic looked
over at Scorpius.
The others looked at the trio. Crais never had
to repeat his orders and to openly question his authority and ignore the order
twice…
Had Crais’ backhand been any harder it would
have snapped Harpic’s neck. Harpic dropped to the deck.
Crais’ brow contorted into an angry scowl, “Get
him off Command into the brig! Now!”
Two guards came to take Harpic away. Crais
looked at the others to see if there were any more takers. They looked away. He
was a fair Commander but was also renowned for his quick temper.
Crais stayed on Command until he was satisfied
that his orders would be followed without question then left for his quarters.
He walked into his Inner Sanctum, took his tunic
off and dropped on the bed. He was asleep almost instantly.
…And awoke with a scream nearly an arn later,
drenched in sweat.
His body was shivering from the tension of
seeing the unwanted memories during sleep.
He undressed and staggered into the refresher. After
dressing he entered his office and stopped dead in his tracks.
“Who gave you permission to enter,” he growled
at the seated Scorpius.
“I don’t need permission,” Scorpius replied
smoothly, “High Command…”
Crais raised an eyebrow, “I am still Captain on
this ship and unless it is a direct order from High Command, you answer to me
first.”
“Of course, Crais,” said Scorpius, deliberately
dropping Crais’ rank and title.
“What do you want Scorpius,” Crais asked
tersely, letting the matter drop for the moment.
“Just wanted to see how you are doing and to
advice you of a change of course,” his smooth tones were grating on Crais’
nerves.
“I’m fine,” growled Crais.
“Of course you are,” Scorpius said soothingly.
“We’re keeping the same heading,” snarled Crais.
“But that will take us to the Asteroid Fields!”
“That’s where they will be hiding,” replied
Crais.
Scorpius shrugged his shoulders, “As you wish…
Captain.” He looked over at Crais and noticed with satisfaction that he looked
more under pressure, more tired, less meticulous, more mad.
Crais lifted his head and in that instant knew
what Scorpius had seen.
Scorpius left and Crais sat down heavily in his
chair.
When Braca came up with the statfilms of their
first scans of the Asteroid Field, Crais quickly looked at it. It showed
nothing. Crais threw it back at him; it was unacceptable. Let them use deeper
scans. Change the angle of trajectory.
Scorpius was now coming in unannounced most of
the time. He had just walked in and was witness to Crais’ outburst of annoyance.
Scorpius made soothing gestures to Braca, which only infuriated Crais more,
much to Scorpius’ amusement.
Scorpius had been opposed to Crais’ idea to
enter the Asteroid Field, they would loose the advantage of manoeuvrability,
which they had in open space but Crais had defied him and told Braca to stick
with his orders and to concentrate on the offspring of Moya to draw her out.
Scorpius whittled away at Crais’ sanity and
composure. The Chair had not broken the man yet. Defiantly he clung to the tedious
strands of sanity and rationale that Command offered him.
Scorpius smiled. To break the man Crais, he had
to take away his Command.
Looking at Crais had confirmed to Scorpius that his
sleep had been troubled, had probably been non-existent. It would only be a
matter of time.
Crais had ordered Scorpius to his quarters.
Scorpius had arrived well before Crais and had lounged lazily in Crais’ chair
when he entered, knowing full well how it would infuriate the Captain.
He smiled sweetly at Crais’ suppressed anger to
have his order to the bridge officer to maintain the given course overruled.
Crais had demanded that while on the Carrier,
Scorpius had to comply with Crais’ authority. He was still in Command unless he
would receive a direct order from High Command to relinquish Command.
Scorpius rose languidly from the chair. He
smiled menacingly, “Maybe it is time for a change of Command. You have a very
selective way of following orders of High Command. Or have you forgotten that I
have seen your memories?”
Crais flinched.
Scorpius delivered a last barb before leaving
the room, “I will tell the Bridge Officer we won’t be changing course.”
Crais sat heavily in the chair Scorpius had
vacated; everything seemed to be slipping away from him.
Scorpius had entered Crais’ quarters when Crais
was having a hurried meal. When Scorpius started to say that he had contacted
High Command, Crais waved the guards from the room.
Scorpius gloated as he passed on the news to
Crais that he had informed High Command of Crais’ unfit state of mind, his
disobedience to follow-up a direct order of High Command, the killing of one of
his own officers to conceal this and being the direct cause of the death of eighteen
elite soldiers.
Crais’ eyes smouldered with hatred for the
Scarran half-breed. “So you can take over my Carrier,” he asked sarcastically.
“I already have,” replied Scorpius with a smirk.
Finally Crais’ mind snapped and he flew at
Scorpius, grabbing him by the shoulders. He slammed Scorpius in a crazy dance
of violence against the pillars of his quarters; shouting in anger, “Get off my
ship!”
Crais, although stronger than the average
Sebacean, had to admit defeat at Scorpius’ hybrid Scarran strength and found
himself humiliated under the boot of Scorpius, unable to breathe or to push the
Scarran from him.
They had been en route for two solar days. Crais
had remained in his room during most of that time. He hardly had any sleep and
it was beginning to show. His eyes were hollow and dark with lack of sleep. He
hadn’t changed his clothes and took whatever sleep he could get while sitting
in his chair. Stray strands of hair had come undone from the queue and a two
days growth marred his cheeks.
Only Braca came to inform him about the state of
affairs now.
He had entered Crais’ quarters, had looked at
his Commander and had seen an apparently broken man. Crais hardly acknowledged
Braca’s presence.
Braca said crisply, “Scorpius has ordered a
change of course. Do we have to follow his orders?”
Crais stayed silent, staring ahead of him.
Braca became concerned, “Captain? I await your
orders!”
Crais locked his hands together on the table; slowly
he sank his weary head on them. “Do as he asks,” he replied in a broken voice.
He lifted his head and continued his tired stare.
Braca left the room quickly, disgust and worry
warring within him for Crais. He had never seen him like this.
Crais knew that if he stayed on board the
Carrier he would be no more than a puppet to the hybrid and once Scorpius had
established himself firmly, a very dead puppet indeed. When Rygel came on board
with his snivelling little plan to save himself by selling out the others on
Moya, Crais saw a way out and a plan formed in his mind.
Crais entered his quarters and walked slowly and
deliberately to the refresher where Dominar Rygel was taking a bath. The
thought was distasteful to Crais. He looked at the small Hynerian. His way out.
Grabbing the material of his greatcoat he sat on
the edge of the bath.
“Do you mind,” the Hynerian had asked him
haughtily.
A muscle twitched on Crais’ jaw. Yes, he did
mind! He had smiled at the Hynerian.
Rygel had sneered at him, told him that he had
noticed that Crais has lost control and that Scorpius was the man he would
negotiate with.
For a brief moment a glint of controlled fury
had shown in Crais eyes and with a quick movement his hand shot out and held
the Dominar’s head under water. It felt good to have some control. It would not
drown the Hynerian just give him a good scare.
They both needed to get off the Command Carrier
or they would be dead. It didn’t take much to convince the Dominar of his plan.
Crais felt disgusted with himself to have to place his life in the hands of the
cowardly Hynerian but he knew he had no other choice.
The vidship he placed in the Hynerian’s hand,
which had recorded Scorpius’ voice and the death-sentence proclaimed on Rygel
after they had secured Crichton in custody, assured Rygel that by helping Crais
off the Command Carrier and to Moya would also result in the extension of his
own life.
Crais had a failsafe plan.
He realised that he couldn’t just leave the
Carrier nor was it a feasible option to have the Command Carrier follow him to
Moya. If they just left the Carrier they would be shot to pieces. If the
Command Carrier followed them to Moya, Moya and her crew would escape without
him and Rygel and he would still be left in the same predicament.
Unknown to the Hynerian Crais had made Scorpius
believe that he would stand a chance of drawing Moya out of the Asteroid Field
by gaining their trust. To do so he would have to leave the Command Carrier
unhindered with Rygel.
Unknown to Scorpius, Crais didn’t intend to
return the Command Carrier.
Crais had waited for the middle of the sleep
cycle to carry out their escape. Even though he had the codes to safely get off
the Command Carrier there would be less people on watch.
Before leaving he had secured some of his
belongings in a carry-all.
He opened a hidden compartment in his quarters.
The small box, which kept mementoes of his brother, Crais’ campaign medals and
the information on the Leviathan project he placed on the bottom of the bag.
His knives and sword he placed on top of this. Last he covered it with a few
changes of clothing, his grooming kit and the credits he had secured over the
cycles in his quarters. It should tide him over for a while.
He took one last long look at his quarters. It
had been “home” to him for nearly ten cycles. It would be home to Scorpius
soon. He turned on his heel and left.
Crais picked up Rygel from the guest quarters.
He didn’t say a word.
Rygel looked up at Crais while his hover-throne
kept pace with the long strides of the Captain. The man’s jaw had hardened in
grim determination; his jaw muscles working and his eyes hollow with sleep.
Rygel wondered why.
The codes with the fake imprints Crais had made
had worked it would be a little while before they worked out that it was all
forged. They flew into the Asteroid Field by Rygel’s directions.
The plan had worked. Rygel Dominar 16th
of Hyneria had taken Crais to Moya where he had asked for asylum. They had
granted him that reluctantly.
Crais could still feel how opposed to the idea
the Luxan had been. Crais massaged his ribs where the Luxan had kicked him,
nothing seemed to be broken but he hurt like Hezmana.
They had locked him in one of Moya’s cells
pending their decision.
He tried to get some much-needed sleep but the
moment he closed his eyes the memories returned. The scream that woke him up
was his own. He sat up and was relieved that he was alone. No one had heard
him.
He sat on the floor, keeping himself awake and
distracted by reciting mathematical equations to himself.
A little later Crichton came to see him, talked
to him, obviously tried to establish something like a male bonding ritual.
Crais was surprised that the Jhumon cried so easily.
Crais tried to convince himself that his
brother’s accident had been just that, an accident. That was one thing his
extended time in the Chair had done, it had unlocked his madness. He was able
to rationalise again what he remembered. It was difficult not to when he saw:
Crichton’s and Tauvo’s crafts collide time and
time again.
His brother die, charred and bloodied, in the
image Maldis had presented, over and over again.
His father’s accusing eyes for not looking after
Tauvo better.
His own rise of ambition, which had blinded him
to his brother’s needs and recklessness.
For a moment he pinched his brows, trying to
shake the images, his voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
Crichton had continued talking, something about
kah’s and football, whatever that was.
Crais had wondered aloud how two species in
different galaxies could be so much alike in appearance. Crichton had no answer
for that and Crais admitted that he would miss solving that mystery.
Crais could accept Tauvo’s death as an accident,
calling Crichton a friend might take longer, perhaps never,
Crais had offered his advice after Crichton had
asked him if he wanted to help with a plan to distract the Peacekeepers in
order for Moya to escape. His information how to blow up the Command Carrier
could be invaluable.
On Crais’ suggestion they had dropped the idea
of flying into the Hangar Bay of the Command Carrier and instead would fly the
pod down to the Gammak Base, the research planet below. The Base held Scorpius’
personal interest and they would ignite the oil-covered planet with the pod,
which was filled with explosives. Crichton’s presence on board the pod might
stop Scorpius from blowing the pod on sight.
They had decided Crais could stay on Moya for
the moment but he knew he would never be trusted or accepted.
He could see the covert glances from Rygel and
Zhaan, the forced friendliness from Crichton and the open hostility from Chiana
and D’Argo
Aeryn was the only one who treated him close to
normal, after she got over the initial guilt of leaving him to die in the
Aurora Chair. It was obvious to Crais that she had need of talking to another
Peacekeeper, even if the others tried to convince her she didn’t need to.
Crais received another surprise, pleasant this
time.
His Leviathan project had met with success. Moya
had produced an offspring with gunship capabilities. When Aeryn showed him the
gunship proudly, he was nearly overcome with joy.
While pacing in Command on the offspring, Crais
explained to Aeryn that this gunship had no need of a Pilot. It was designed to
accept direct voice command, no more interpretations of a Pilot. Command
responsibilities were now where it belonged, with the Commanding Officer!
Aeryn curbed his enthusiasm. The gunship was not
mature enough to help them escape. Crais agreed readily and Aeryn eyed his
retreating back with suspicion.
Another plan took form in Crais’ mind.
He knew that by staying on board Moya with the
others it would ultimately lead to conflict. The question wouldn’t be if but
when.
Crichton and D’Argo had gone down to destroy the
Gammak Base and Aeryn had followed them in her Prowler, keeping her distance.
She would mingle with the other Prowlers of the Command Carrier and would pick
them up once they sent the pod on its merry way and had stepped out in space.
Crichton wore an environmental suit and D’Argo would be able to last in space
for fifteen microns without the aid of a space-suit.
The plan had only worked to the point that the
oil field was ignited.
The Leviathan offspring had not wanted to listen
to Moya to tuck in and StarBurst with her. He wanted a Pilot. Even Aeryn giving
him the name “Talyn” had not swayed the baby. The crisis was enhanced when Moya
didn’t want to go to StarBurst with Crichton, D’Argo and Aeryn still out there
and Talyn not wanting to tuck in.
Crais had listened to this with growing concern
and impatience. Couldn’t they understand that by their actions and talks they
were condemning everyone to death?
He slipped out when the others were concentrated
of solving a problem, which should not have been a problem in the first place.
He boarded Talyn. They only noticed his absence and that something was amiss
when Talyn broke away from Moya.
They commed Crais, beseeched him not to take Talyn.
Taking him through StarBurst now could result in the baby Leviathan’s death and
his own. Crais smiled, he was well aware of that. Aeryn tried to work on his
compassion and said that Talyn could not be taken from his mother.
“You forget, Officer Sun,” Crais’ calm voice
said, “It was done to me and it was done to you. Goodbye, Officer Sun.” Talyn
and Crais left quickly.
He made Talyn hide in the Asteroid Field, his
orders coming quick and in a commanding voice. Talyn complied easily; it was
what he had been designed for.
Crais stood impatiently in Command, monitoring
the vectors for any signs of the Command Carrier or Prowlers. He leaned heavily
on the main console. He would need rest soon.
He almost missed the little blip on the
scanners.
His hands flew over the controls. There were
three life signs on board the Prowler: one Luxan, one Sebacean and one unknown,
two bio readings were low. For a moment
Crais considered ignoring them but either for altruistic motives or the
long-term benefits of aiding the three, he scanned the asteroid field quickly
while guiding Talyn closer to Aeryn’s Prowler.
The scanners identified an abandoned mining
colony with a breathable atmosphere nearby.
“Officer Sun…”
“Crais! What are you doing here? I thought you
had fled with Talyn!”
Crais ignored her question, “There is an
abandoned mining colony with a breathable atmosphere nearby.” He sent her the
coordinates, “I will meet you there shortly.” He closed the comms.
Talyn and the Prowler almost arrived at the same
time at the asteroid.
When Aeryn boarded Talyn, Crais met her in the
Hangar Bay. She alighted the Prowler and stormed at him, pushing him with force
against the bulkhead, “What is the meaning of this? Why have you stolen Talyn?”
“Not stolen, Officer Sun, acquired for the
moment, to survive,” Crais replied calmly, “and it was good that I did or you
and the others would have been lost.”
She let go of Crais when he mentioned the
others, she sprinted back to the Prowler, “Help me with them.”
“I thought I had already started that,” muttered
Crais but went over to help her. They laid them on the Hangar Deck. It was no
use to bring them to Medical, since that was still quite bare. Talyn had only
developed the room but the equipment wasn’t there. Between the two of them they
breathed the life back into the other two. Crais left D’Argo to Aeryn. Even
though the Jhuman was totally different to the species they knew, he was more
like a Sebacean for Crais not to feel too disgusted by him.
Crais and Aeryn struck a deal. Talyn was still
quite upset being abandoned by Moya and now wouldn’t obey Crais’ orders. Aeryn
would come on board to help Crais calm Talyn down and take water down to the
asteroid. He would watch over them and help them escape if the Command Carrier
found them.
Crais had suggested they would all stay on board
Talyn but Aeryn convinced him that the others would not accept his help.
“We will bring them to the mining colony,” said
Aeryn, “maybe they have some equipment which was left there, which might help
them. Besides, I don’t think that either of them would be pleased with the
concept that you helped them.”
Crais stood up wearily.
She was worried, “You all right, Crais?”
He nodded.
She continued, “Can Talyn land on the asteroid?”
“I think he can, he is still quite young.”
He had left them on the asteroid and kept watch
over them. Part of his plan to leave the Command Carrier was by making Scorpius
believe he was going over to Moya to gain their trust under a flag of truce and
then hand them over. Part of him had believed that he was able to do so but
that was before he learned of the young Leviathan gunship. He was not so sure
anymore. The Leviathan could be his way out, his means of survival. He started
to doubt whether he could return to the Peacekeepers and retain his position or
better still, his life.
His reports to Scorpius had been sent over a
scrambled frequency and were designed to stall for time until he could control
the youngster. Scorpius had fallen for it but Crais knew he couldn’t keep the
deceit up indefinitely.
He ran a tired hand over his face. He couldn’t
think straight at the moment. He needed to rest. He sat on the floor of Command
with his back against the bulkhead, trying to fall asleep but other than brief
moments of memory filled sleep, which woke him up screaming, true sleep eluded
him.
For the next two days Aeryn would come to Talyn
at intervals, taking her Prowler and leaving the others on the pretence of
finding food and water on the other Asteroids and returning with water or ice.
While on board Talyn, Aeryn helped Crais and, as
was their deal, showed him that the Leviathan could be persuaded to help but
not to be ordered. Crais learned fast, he had to. When Aeryn suggested that she
would stay on board and take control over Talyn, Crais had replied, “No, I will
share command but not relinquish it.”
Two days after he had dropped them off on the
asteroid Crichton came on board. He had learned from Aeryn how they had been
rescued and the deal she had struck with Crais. As she had guessed Crichton and
D’Argo had not been pleased and D’Argo had even suggested killing Crais without
preamble.
When Aeryn had not shown up but Crichton had,
Crais had been worried for her. Had the Jhumon or the Luxan harmed her for
teaming up with him? He had her warned to tell them the truth; it would have
been easier.
Crichton’s attack on Crais had been verbal at
first, demanding that Crais hand over command of Talyn but Crais had smiled. He
would not. Talyn needed a guiding hand, his. Talyn saw Crais as a friend.
He turned his back on Crichton when Crichton
threatened to kill him. He was not worthy of his thoughts. Crais’ command
“Talyn, intruder” made Talyn lower his internal guns and train them on
Crichton.
Crichton jumped at Crais, pulled him back hard
by his queue and he pressed his pistol against Crais’ neck. He wouldn’t mind
killing Crais and if that meant getting killed by Talyn, at least Talyn would
not be in Crais’ hands. Crais made Talyn stand down with a wave of his hand,
while he flinched in pain when the Jhumon pulled at his queue again. Crichton
continued pulling him out of Command by his queue.
Crais felt humiliated. Had he been able to get
some more rest, the Jhumon would never have been able to overtake him. He would
not have to be humiliated to be brought back on board Moya, handcuffed like a
common criminal. To make his humiliation final, Crichton kissed his forehead,
knowing full well how the Sebacean Captain would have been disgusted by this
gesture.
Crais found himself once more behind bars.
D’Argo sat outside Crais’ cell, his Qualta blade
resting on his knees but Crais showed no fear, merely contempt.
D’Argo derived some small pleasure in seeing the
disgust on Crais’ face when he mentioned that his wife had been Sebacean.
D’Argo gloated that the Peacekeeper Captain was
once again behind bars. He was surprised that Crais found this amusing. He had
not expected that.
Crais smiled and said that Talyn would need him
soon.
They hadn’t reckoned with Talyn. They had left
the youngster out of the equation. Big mistake.
In the brief period that Crais had been on board
Talyn they had established a bond of sorts, Crais had been able to guide the
youngster, stop his fear and his panic and Talyn had reacted to that, had felt
comforted by Crais. With Crais gone the youngster felt lonely, lost and afraid.
Talyn needed a Captain. He needed guidance. He
had demanded that Crais was returned to him. When Moya and the others didn’t
comply immediately he fired on Moya, shattering the protective screen they had
erected with one shot of his main cannons. His next shot would damage Moya
severely and they had to let Crais go.
Aeryn went with Crais, to Crichton’s dismay.
They would share command of Talyn.
Guide Talyn together.
This time it was Crais who gloated over the
discomfort of Crichton. His mouth twitched in disgust when he saw Aeryn kiss
the Jhumon before they left.
They would have shared Command but Talyn decided
otherwise. He wanted Crais as his Captain and as his Pilot and offered him, not
Aeryn, the Hand of Friendship, the Neural transponder which would link Crais to
all his systems. Crais swallowed deeply before accepting it. He knew there
would be no turning back now. Full symbiosis with the Leviathan was to be his
fate.
Aeryn had been surprised that Talyn had accepted
Crais or rather, had accepted him over her.
Talyn had needed a strong guiding hand, Talyn
needed Crais; Crais needed Talyn. It was a simple choice.
There was a sharp pain at the base of his neck
when the neural link was established and Crais crumbled to the deck when the
pain of the link engulfed him. His nerves were on fire and his brain was
immediately assaulted by images of Talyn’s systems and impressions. The feeling
was exhilarating and painful all at once. On unsteady feet he clambered from
the Deck, his mind racing to sort out all the input at once. He looked at his
own hands, as if he saw himself for the first time. He could see himself through
the eyes of Talyn and through his own eyes. The feeling was dizzying and
remarkable. Pity Aeryn couldn’t experience this but Talyn had chosen him.
Aeryn had wanted to stop Crais running off with
Talyn and had demanded that he take the Transponder out and Crais had refused.
When she had aimed his rifle at him he had
slapped it away with lightning speed and Talyn had fired on her with his
internal weapons. After a brief struggle Crais proved he was stronger and in
Command and ordered her off the ship. She felt hurt by Talyn’s decision but
Talyn only wanted Crais to Command him. Both wanted her off the ship.
Once she was off the ship, Crais opened
communications for the last time to Scorpius, resigning his commission. They
surprised everyone on Moya and the Carrier by going through StarBurst. Talyn
was not supposed to be able to do so at his age.
After their first StarBurst they were truly
alone for the first time.
Talyn needed to rest; the StarBurst had made him
sleepy. Crais simply needed sleep.
The new experience of StarBurst while linked to
a Leviathan had shaken him.
Crais knew Talyn had only grown basic quarters,
if he had developed along the lines of the schematics. If so then, as he had
done to Command and the Hangar Bay, he had build a galley, simple Captain’s
quarters and two crew quarters. By the time Crais went in search of his
quarters he was tired beyond belief.
He found the Captain’s quarters where he had
expected it. A simple bed was waiting for him. It had no covers and the rest of
the room was bare. The way Crais felt at that moment, even the floor would have
suited him.
He took his coat and boots off and fell on top
of the bed. He was instantly asleep.
With sleep came the unwanted memories. He woke
up with a scream, this time he was in no fear of being heard or so he thought.
Talyn had glimpsed his memories too and was
confused by the images. He waited to see if his Pilot would give him an
explanation. When none was forthcoming he decided to wait.
Crais sat on the edge of the bed. He held his
head in shaking hands. He had a thumping headache and was reluctant to go back
to sleep.
He knew he needed it. He trembled with fatigue,
which he had been able to keep under control on the Command Carrier and on
Moya. Now that there was no one to see it, it took full reign.
He fell back on the bed, nearly sobbing with
exhaustion. Sleep overtook him once more. The first two arns he slept deeply.
His body tossed and turned but he did not wake up.
Talyn found Crais’ behaviour peculiar and could feel
his exhaustion through the link but since he was exhausted from his first
StarBurst he couldn’t be sure that he had felt this right.
Slowly Crais movements became more erratic.
Again he woke with a scream. He sat up and cradled his head in his hands. He
could not go on like this.
Talyn chose that moment to “speak” to Crais. His
speech was too fast and Crais couldn’t understand him. To him they sounded like
a string of bleeps, chirps, clicks and high-pitched sounds mixed with quick
flashing images, endlessly repeated at maximum speed and it only added to his
headache.
“Talyn if you want to speak with me, you have to
slow down. Otherwise I can’t understand you.”
Talyn slowed down until Crais could “hear” words
form in his mind ~Why are you afraid of your dreams… Crais?~
Crais sat up straighter in the bed and held his
head in his hands, he had not reckoned that the Leviathan could see and hear
his thoughts too, “They are not dreams Talyn They are memories.” Crais’ voice
was harsh with sleep.
~Why do you want to see so many memories Crais?~
Crais closed his eyes, “I don’t, Talyn but I
can’t stop them at the moment.”
~Why not?~
Crais bit his lower lip. How could he explain to
the youngster the after-effects of the Aurora Chair? “I just can’t Talyn.”
~Can I help you make them forget?~
Crais pondered the thought for a moment, “I
don’t want to forget them Talyn. I just don’t want to be reminded of them all
the time.”
He lay back down again. His whole body ached
with the lack of sleep. The room spun and again he tried to close his eyes.
Microts later he was awake again, it was no use but every fibre in his body
screamed for rest.
Talyn was worried for his new Pilot and he was
curious. The man’s energy readings were very low and he could sense that Crais was
desperately trying to rest but couldn’t.
When Crais lay down once again, Talyn
instinctively started to hum a low even pitch. The hum was soothing, beautiful,
enticing.
Crais’ eyes started to droop, his body was
relaxing and he slept.
Every time Talyn saw him twitch uncomfortably he
hummed again, until Crais sank back in deeper sleep.
Crais slept almost dreamlessly for two days and
if he had dreamed he couldn’t remember it when he woke up.
For the first time in a weeken and maybe even in
a cycle Crais felt rested. “Thank you Talyn,” he said gratefully.
~You’re welcome Crais~
“Have you rested too?”
~Yes, I have~
Crais looked at the ceiling. He felt better. He
felt rested.
He smiled for the first time in ages.
He felt at home.
The End
FanFiction on
Captain Bialar Crais