Disclaimer:  The characters of the TV series "Farscape" are the property of creator Rockne S.  O'Bannon.  I have borrowed them with love and respect but not permission.  The other characters are mine and if you're familiar with the series, you'll know who they are.

My thanks to the talented actors who have brought to life, characters so fully realized that it is a joy and pleasure to write about their continuing adventures.  And a personal thank you to my friend and Beta reader Joy, my wonderful writing buddy Koren and my sister Maria, who inspires me in all things.

A Daisy, A Baby, and A Hynerian Stork

© 1999, Sharon Shoji

~ Prologue ~

The small figure was so bright that for a second he had to close his eyes against its radiance.  Yet even in the darkness of his mind's eye, he still saw it's shimmering wings stretched wide, refracting colors so vivid he could taste them on his tongue.  It swooped down to pause in front of him, gazing warmly into his soul with golden eyes that blazed like firestones.  Then bidding him farewell, it soared off in a burst of joy and goodness so pure it made him weep.

Teurac awoke as he had every daybreak since they had landed on this commerce planet, with tears streaming down his rough face, his throat tight with desolation.

"That cursed dream again," he groaned, rolling off his sleeping platform.  "It's just ancient lore ...  an addled priest's prophecy."  He washed his face then stared at his reflection over the basin.  "But why now."  Why does this place make me dream of the Bucca?" He sighed heavily, allowing himself the luxury of believing for a moment that there could be a force so pure and powerful it could bring peace and prosperity to his ravaged world.

Straightening, he scowled and pulled on his armor.  "Dreams are for the weak," he spat.  "The destiny of the Sheyangs lie in the hands of the warrior clans, not the prophets."

Grabbing his weapon he turned hard on his heel and strode out of his tent.

~ 1 ~

"Ohmigod.  Aeryn."  You gotta see this!"

Aeryn grimaced in irritation, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes as she looked up.  She opened her mouth to point out that he was interrupting her negotiations with a seller, but paused and then smiled, despite herself.

John was standing near one of the stalls in the huge bazaar with four small silver spheres floating over his head.  As he moved his arms and hands, they twirled and hummed, changing colors as they changed tone.  The resulting combination of light and music was oddly pleasing and Aeryn found herself wandering over to join the small crowd that was forming around him.

"This is so great!" he crowed exuberantly, flashing her a smile as he sent the spheres swirling in the other direction.

Aeryn grinned in return, taking in the unaffected wonder and enjoyment shining from his eyes.  "Like a child," she thought to herself.  And for a moment, she flashed on her own stark childhood and it's endless litany of training, discipline, punishment....

"Aeryn, c'mere!"

Aeryn gave herself a mental shake and looked at him quizzically.  "I  am here," she pointed out, frowning slightly.

"No, I mean come  here," he stressed, jerking his head to motion her forward.  "That's it," he coaxed as she walked into the circle of swirling lights and music.  "Come right up against me and turn around so that we're facing the same way."

As she turned and leaned back against him, he lowered his hands to her shoulders and the lights and music faded to a hum.  "Now raise your arms," he instructed, his voice soft in her ear.

"John, I can't do this," she protested, pulling away in confused embarrassment.

"Yes, you can," he said, tightening his grip on her shoulders and keeping her in place.  "Look up at the spheres.  Listen to the music.  Forget the people around us.  It's just you and me here."  He slid his hands down her arms and urged them up.  "Just follow me."

The orbs began to pulse and slowly move, picking up speed as they started to resonate with a richness of timbre that hadn't been there before.  Aeryn continued to follow John's movements, her face glowing with pleasure as the music swelled and flowed around them, the lights taking on a deep intensity of color.

The music faltered as she stopped, suddenly realizing the crowd gathering around them.

"John, it isn't safe to draw attention to ourselves this way," she whispered in alarm, stepping away and blinking her eyes.  She scanned the crowd, now quickly dispersing and murmuring disappointedly as the spheres came to an abrupt halt.  "Especially without D'Argo here, I really need to..."

"I know, " he said heavily, suddenly sobering.  "I keep forgetting we're fugitives."

Aeryn grunted softly.  As exasperating as she found his sense of humor and never-ending curiosity, she much preferred it to the bleak look that was now in his eyes.

Snatching the silver spheres out of the air, she tossed them to the vendor and offered him an ornate dagger with an air of indifference and a deprecating remark about the quality of the spheres.  After trading a few insults, she and the vendor clasped hands and she turned to John.

"Now don't get the wrong idea," she said roughly, shoving the package into his hands.  "I just figure if these keep you busy, you'll stop bothering me and let me finish the trading we need to do today."

John looked down into her face, the corners of his mouth twitching.  "Can I at least say thank you?"

"What for?" she asked, tossing her hair back and fidgeting with the strap of her pulse rifle.  "It's not like that dagger was worth anything."

"Yeah, about that dagger," John began, "Where did you get it."  I've never seen you with it before."

"I won it from Rygel in a wager."

"Really," John said, looking at her speculatively.  "What else have you won from that little scavenger?"

"Lots of different things," she said evasively.

"Like that pair of white boxer shorts you sleep in?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"As I said before, those aren't yours," she insisted stubbornly.

"Yah, and they certainly aren't yours either," he said, snorting in disbelief.  "Unless Calvin Klein has come out with a new line of Peacekeeper clothing that I don't know about!"

"So who is this Calvin Clown...."

"Klein!"

"....  and why are you wearing his underwear?"

"I'm NOT wearing his underwear!" John exclaimed indignantly.  "I mean, I  am wearing it, it's just that it's not  his.  I mean it  is his, but not his as in his personal ....  underwear .....  you see...."  his voice trailed off as Aeryn continued to stare at him in confusion.

"Well," growled a familiar voice.  "It looks like we're just in time to interrupt another argument."

"D'Argo."  Zhaan!" John said, with relief.  "You weren't interrupting anything."

"No," Aeryn agreed.  "John was just explaining to me why he's wearing another man's un..."

"Aeryn," John said warningly, "I'm sure they don't want to hear about that anymore than they want to know why you were in my underwear."

"She was in your underwear?" D'Argo said, looking with interest at Aeryn.

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

D'Argo looked from one to the other, shaking his head.  "You two could argue about nothing."

"We weren't arguing."

"Yes, we were!"

"I was just trying to explain...."

"No, you were disagreeing with me...."

D'Argo gave Zhaan a long-suffering look.  "Now they're arguing about arguing," he rumbled in exasperation.

"Then let's leave them to it and go have something to eat," she suggested with a serene smile, taking his arm and leading him away.

As they walked past a nearby stall, a bulky figure rose from the shadows and began to follow them.  He kept his distance but took notice of the decidedly protective air of the tall Luxan toward his companion.

"Yes," he hissed excitedly to himself.  "This is information Overlord Teurac will find extremely valuable."

~ 2 ~

Pilot's pointed claws clattered over the control panels, his brow creased in worry as he stared at a sudden fluctuation in one of Moya's systems.  Pausing for a moment, he tilted his head, as if to listen.

*nervous*nervous*nervous*nervous*nervous*nervous*nervous*

"What is it Moya?" he murmured, his eyes darting over the multiple screens and schematics as his hands resumed their movements over the control panel.  "What is troubling you?"

The ship groaned and shuddered, sending the nearby DRDs scuttling off in alarm.

"Moya!" Pilot exclaimed, his head jerking up in shock.

"Just what the hex is going on Pilot!" Rygel demanded indignantly as he flew in and hovered at eye level.  His robes were in disarray and water was dripping from his ears.  "My shower is spurting!" he huffed.  "How do you expect me to...."

"Not today, Rygel," Pilot said tersely, keeping his eyes riveted on the view screens.

"Not today?" Rygel repeated incredulously.  "It's bad enough that frelling excuse for a biped speaks to me that way and worse yet that Aeryn has picked up his obtuse colloquialisms, but you....."

*danger*danger*danger*danger*danger*danger*danger*

"Cannot talk," Pilot said abruptly.  "Must concentrate...."

Rygel watched uneasily as Pilot's four hands danced swiftly over the bank of instruments.  His silence and the intensity of his focus was unnerving and Rygel hovered closely, his fingers twitching nervously.

Suddenly, Moya trembled and began to make a high pitched whine.

*flee*flee*flee*flee*flee*flee*flee*flee*

"Pilot!' Rygel cried.  "I demand to know what is happening!" "We are in crisis," Pilot said shortly, his clipped voice tight.  "Moya is attempting to take control from me."

~ 3 ~

"Yes," Teurac breathed, hissing in satisfaction.  "Perhaps this is the Luxan I seek."  He waved his hand at the young soldier who was waiting anxiously at the entrance to the tent.  "Come forward and tell me more."

The soldier scuttled forward, his eyes bright with anticipation of how delivering this information might benefit him.  He glanced in awe at the other warriors surrounding the Overload and swallowed nervously.

"There were four of them in the bazaar," he began eagerly.  "The Luxan warrior I heard them call D'Argo, a pair of Sebaceans -- the female had a Peacekeeper weapon -- and a Delvian female.  They were obviously traveling together."

Teurac nodded, frowning in concentration.

"And from my observation, the Luxan appeared to be quite protective of the Delvian female," he offered, watching Teurac's face closely for a reaction.

Teurac's eyes flashed and his mouth pulled back in a hiss of appreciation.  "Although I do not understand it, I have observed among the warm-blooded species that they place a high value on their mates and family.  Even going so far as to keep and raise the offspring themselves."

Seeing the look of shock on the young soldier's face, Teurac nodded.  "Yes, you will see many strange sights among these aliens."

"Indeed, Overlord," he said with feeling.  "I thank the gods that those Sebaceans wore coverings over their bodies.  The sight of their faces alone..."  he shuddered in remembrance.

"Yes, that smooth pale skin is something that still makes the scales stand up on the back of my arms," Teurac said, shaking his head.  "But then not all races can be as handsome as the Sheyangs," he added, grunting as those around him in the tent hissed and blew spurts of fire as they nodded their heads in agreement.

"You have brought me good news this day," Teurac said as he rose.  "The fleet is moving on but my flagship is staying for a very important acquisition."  Reaching out, he clasped the forearm of the young soldier, startling him with the unexpected honor.  "And I will count you among those who will take it with me."

~ 4 ~

The smells and noise in the last section of the bazaar were particularly intense and John hesitated as Aeryn strode forward.

"What?" she said impatiently, turning to look back at him.

"Umm, I was just thinking that maybe I could look around somewhere else and meet you later," he said, glancing at the cages of animals that lined the various vendor's stalls.

Aeryn followed his gaze.  "This bothers you?" she asked.

John shrugged.  "I'm just not used to being this close to my food."

As Aeryn searched his face, he met her eyes in his usual open way.  And in his clear gaze she saw not weakness but compassion and it softened the retort that was on the tip of her tongue.  Instead, she nodded and agreed to meet him back at the transport shuttle.

As John moved away, a commotion at a nearby stall caught his attention.  A merchant was loudly cursing a raggedly dressed child who struggled to dodge the heavy hand that swung at him.

"You useless offspring of a Slime Eel!" he roared, cuffing the slight youngster with a force that nearly knocked him over.  "If you want to eat, you'll bring back something of worth."

Without thinking, John moved swiftly toward them, stepping in between the two and slamming the stout merchant up against a stack of crates.

"I'd call you a piece of crap, but that would be insulting to crap," he said, his blue-grey eyes flashing angrily.

"Please, sir," the vendor whined, his tone changing suddenly.  "How have I given you offense?"

John tightened his grip on the rich fabric of the merchant's robes, jerking him up unto the tips of his boots.  He looked into the alien's face, and while the scaly greenish skin and odd facial markings were unusual, the calculating look of deceit in his reddish eyes was not.

"Ever hear of picking on someone your own size?" John said, letting go abruptly and giving him a sharp shove backward into the crates causing the animals inside to begin screeching loudly.

"You are either overly confident or grossly stupid," the merchant sneered, reaching into the folds of his robes.  "But then, that's what I've heard about you Peacekeepers," he added insultingly, a wickedly curved blade suddenly appearing in his hand.

"He's not a Peacekeeper, he just looks like one," said a familiar voice.

John didn't have to turn around to know that the look of anger he saw flare in the alien's reddish eyes was caused by the sight of a pulse rife pointed unerringly at him.

The merchant nodded curtly, his weapon disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.  "So, what do you want?" he asked, giving John a calculating look.  "The child?" His arm snaked out, caught the youngster by the scruff of his ragged shirt and threw him contemptuously at John's feet.  "And what do you intend to give me for him?"

"How about this?" John answered, his fist shooting out.

"Well," Aeryn said in surprise as the alien hit the ground with a satisfying thud.  "You've got that Pantac Jab down cold."

"And don't you forget it," he said smugly.

"And don't you forget I never taught you how to deflect one," she reminded him, smiling as the self-satisfied grin faded from his face.

A sudden movement at his feet caused John to look down.

"Hey there, buddy," he said softly, holding his hand out.  The youngster ducked his head involuntarily, then looked warily at the outstretched hand.

"C'mon, get up.  We're not going to hurt you," John said, smiling in encouragement.

He scrambled to his feet, suspiciously eyeing the hand John still held toward him.

"Let's go," Aeryn urged, nudging John.

"But the kid...."

"He'll be all right," she said.  "He's probably been taking care of himself since he was born."

John turned to follow Aeryn, then abruptly swung back toward the boy.  "It's just the rest of my lunch," he said, digging a paper wrapped bundle out of his vest pocket.  "But I think you need it more than I do."

The child hesitated, then snatched the food from his hands, nodding mutely.

John smiled and nodded in return, then jogged off to catch up with Aeryn.

"And don't think I'll share my food with you just because you gave the rest of yours away," she said acerbically as they made their way through the crowded aisles.

"But I thought you didn't mind protecting me," John teased.

"Protect, yes.  Feed, no."

John laughed, stopping suddenly as he felt something tug at his pant leg.

"What the...?"

He caught a flash of ragged clothing as something was shoved into his hands.  Aeryn was at John's side immediately, but the youngster had already slipped into the crowd.

"Are you okay?" Aeryn said, her eyes scanning the crowd around them.

"Yeah, it was just that kid," John said, raising the small makeshift cage up to eye level.  "He gave me this."

Aeryn leaned against him, peering over his shoulder.  "What is it?"

John turned the cage around, trying to find out if the roundish green occupant had a head.

"Well, hey!" he said softly, his eyes wide with amazement as a tiny dragoned-shaped head lifted to gaze directly at him.  The pale eyes stared intently into his and John had the distinct sensation of hunger and worry.

"She's hungry," Aeryn blurted out, then looked at John in surprise.

"You could sense that too?" John whispered excitedly.

Aeryn nodded.  "And she's also scared."

"I wonder what kind of...."

"Crichton."  Aeryn!"

"D'Argo, what's wrong?" John looked up as the tall Luxan shoved his way through the crowd toward them, Zhaan trailing closely behind him.

"I got a hurried communication from Pilot saying they had to leave orbit."

"Leave orbit."  Why."  Where'd Moya go?"

"I don't know," he answered heavily.  "I just know she's gone."

Next Part

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