Reparation -- Chapter 6: Sins of the Father

           Senna sat very still, scarcely breathing as she watched Crais pilot the transport pod. It was three days since their escape from Yrunndas III without a word spoken between them. He hadn't slept or eaten and only left the controls to use the hygiene chamber.

          She spent her time praying, for Talyn's safety, for Crais' forgiveness, for some end to the inconceivable nightmare her life had become. She slept fitfully, sitting in the seat opposite him. She feared if she used one of the benches along the side of the pod she would sleep too soundly and miss something. She didn't want to be that far from him physically either. There was a feeling of finality since he shot Lt. Chalmer and she was now afraid of everything, even her own thoughts.
          "You cannot stay aboard Talyn."
          When he finally spoke, his voice shocked her so badly she jumped.
          She shook her head slowly, "I know that."
          It was what she'd dreaded, but suspected he would say.
          "Do you wish to return to Moya?" he asked, still not looking at her.
          "No."
          "Where do you want to go?"
          "The sweet hereafter," she breathed raggedly, pushing herself out of the navigator's chair. "The sweet by and by."
          She knew he didn't understand her words, but she no longer cared. She lie on the seating bench, turning her back to him and curled into a fetal position.
          "Our current course will have us back to Talyn's position in less than fifteen arns," he told her after a long silence. "You need to consider your options."
          "I'm going to let fate decide, okay," she sighed, draping an arm over her ear to block out anything else he might say.




          Scorpius studied the message again carefully for the hundredth time.
          Officer Garro was terse and to the point:
          Materiel acquired, returning Mhultaan three solar days.
          He wondered why Braca hadn't sent the message himself. He looked more closely at the image. The commando had her helmet off, her hair was in disarray and her face flushed. She sat in the pilot's chair of the marauder, body coiled as tightly as a spring.
          This gave Scorpius a bad feeling he couldn't dismiss. Obviously the team had trouble on Yrunndas III, but more than that was only a guess.
          He snapped the viewer off, disquieted, and left his quarters for the main landing bay. Filled with dread at all the possible problems this message foretold, he ignored members of his crew as he passed them in the corridors. Normally, their feelings of repulsion, disgust and fear were like a splash of ice water on his sensitive skin. Today he was impervious and ignorant of it all.
          Entering the main landing bay, he signaled a squad of commandos to his side. The Techs from Ordnance Division were already lined up at attention, awaiting the marauder's arrival.
          Within a few microts, the ungainly shape of the red and black ship eased its way into the bay, hovering momentarily before its landing claws met the deck. As the rear door opened, Scorpius ordered the Ordnance Techs to help with the unloading. Before any of them could board, six commandos stepped down the access ramp, arms around shoulders in a traditional funereal stance with a shrouded body as their burden.
          Scorpius drew in a sharp breath, fearing the worst, until he saw Braca walking slowly behind them. The young lieutenant ordered the commandos to take the body to the Quartermaster Division before coming to stand beside him.
          "Sir," he said with a respectful bow.
          Scorpius noted the look on his face, but reserved comment. "Make your report, Lieutenant."
          "We successfully acquired all necessary materiel for repairs," he said, his tone clipped and taut. "However, we did experience a slight problem with the native population."
          "Slight problem?" Scorpius asked turning to walk with him back toward his quarters.
          "One of the Freydahl's light cruisers crashed into a local religious structure," Braca explained, following closely at his side. "It was during their annual religious festival and the Yrunndasians were out for Peacekeeper blood after that. We were forced to kill a number of the locals to secure the materiel and our safe passage off the planet. Any further acquisitions will only come through our control of the Yrunndas system"
          "The Scarrans," Scorpius said as he entered his quarters, mounted the steps to the upper level and sat down. "Reports came in from the Freydahl group shortly after your team departed. Unfortunately, Commander Nagen's cruiser was too far out to receive the warning in time and failed to escape."
          Scorpius' nurse strode from the next room, opening a case with a fresh cooling rod inside. She busied herself with the process of changing out the used rod in Scorpius' head as he studied Braca.
          He knew there was far more Braca was hiding than he was telling. He rose, leaning menacingly into the young man's face with a dreadful smile.
          "And the rest of the story, Braca," he hissed.
          Braca closed his eyes, swallowed hard before saying, "Crais was on Yrunndas III."
          "What!"
          "And the human female," Braca admitted cautiously. "We tracked them, had them pinned down."
          He waved the nurse away. When the doors of his quarters closed behind her he turned a furious glare on Braca.
          "And you lost them?" he questioned, teeth bared dangerously.
          "Crais killed Lt. Chalmer," Braca said bitterly. "That was her body we brought aboard."
          "This is going to make repairs to the frag cannon very difficult," Scorpius said evenly then held up a silencing hand. He tapped the comm beside his chair, saying, "Ordnance Division, give me Officer Voldin."
          He noticed Braca shift uncomfortably but ignored him.
          "Officer Voldin, sir," came a crisp male voice.
          "Lt. Chalmer is dead." Scorpius informed him lightly. "You are now officer in charge of Ordnance Division."
          He snapped off the comm and turned his attention fully on Braca again.
          "And this is the reason you let him escape, Lieutenant?" He asked harshly.
          "He incapacitated me," Braca explained awkwardly. "A panthak jab as I was rushing to engage him."
          Scorpius considered this with a grim frown.
          "And the woman. The human female," he asked after several long microts of silence. "You saw her? She does exist? Not some figment invented by the Nebari girl?"
          "Yes, I saw her." Braca replied, voice tight. "Lt. Chalmer was about to capture the human when Crais shot Chalmer, point blank range, killing her."
          "And this is when Crais incapacitated you?" Scorpius asked. "In a moment of weakness over Chalmer's death?"
          Braca understood the meaning and the threat behind the words. His eyes were wide and glassy as he stared at a point a metra over Scorpius' head.
          "While I was unconscious following the panthak jab," Braca explained contritely. "Crais and the woman made their way off the planet. Officer Garro attempted to track their course, but after an arn with no success, I ordered our return to the Mhultaan."
          "Letting the renegade and his human escape," Scorpius concluded.
          "I feared another attack on this ship by the Scarrans." Braca replied, meeting his gaze for the first time. "My priority mission was to retrieve the ordnance materiel and return to the Mhultaan as quickly as possible. That is what I did and I stand by my decision."
          Scorpius considered Braca for a long while. His obsequious toady had matured into a full-fledged second officer. His emotions for his friend Chalmer may have aided the escape of the renegade, but his loyalty to the ship and its primary mission was unquestionable. Scorpius nodded thoughtfully before once again tapping the comm beside his chair.
          "Lt. Trost," he said to his third officer. "Contact Captain Rhoane, Freydahl carrier group. Relay the communication to me here."
          "Permission to retire, sir," Braca said, eyes avoiding Scorpius' face once more. "I wish to attend to the final arrangements for Lt. Chalmer."
          Scorpius shook his head impatiently. "Make it quick, Lieutenant."
          "Sir," Braca acknowledged with a stiff bow and click of his heels.




          Braca watched, face kept carefully blank, as the Quartermaster Division Techs lifted Chalmer's coffin onto the catafalque. A handful of Ordnance personnel and a few officers from the prowler divisions formed lines around it. They all stood stiffly at attention.
          "Honored soldier, decorated officer, loyal Peacekeeper," Braca said rigidly, unblinking, as he stood at the head of the coffin. "To the stars you were born and to them you are now returned."
          Upon his signal, the coffin floated off the catafalque, across an exit ramp and slid into the holding alcove. The inner airlock door closed with a hiss. Within a microt, the launching jets whooshed, and the assembled personnel relaxed their stances, turned away and left the Quartermaster Division.
          Braca thought of the moment when Crais killed Chalmer and he was filled with rage. Shooting his former OIC of Ordnance Division and sometime lover in the face was a clear message. It was also the act of a coward and a first-genner. Little better could be expected of him, but the memory still rankled Braca. He longed for the day when Scorpius would catch Crais and despite EL-Vashti and the IAD, he hoped to be the one to personally mount his head on a jinka pole.




          "I don't have time for this, Scorpius," Captain Rhoane said gruffly. "I've lost two of my light cruisers within the last quarter of a cycle. The Scarrans have stepped up their guerrilla attacks and I may be forced to move my group out of this sector entirely until that menace is stopped."
          Scorpius eyed the sturdy, graying woman with patience, nodding his head in understanding.
          "I appreciate this, Captain, however," he replied with saccharin sweetness. "The matter of recapturing the renegade and the alien fugitive with him is of Zelka One importance."
          "Show me the order from High Command," Rhoane snapped looking at him harshly.
          "I have something a little more. . .convincing," he smiled holding up the triskele shaped emblem of the Internal Affairs Directorate.
          He noted the look of disquiet cross the woman's face, her stance stiffened. She swallowed hard, seemed about to reply but held her tongue.
          "As you can see, this mission has been handed down by order of Magistrate EL-Vashti herself," Scorpius explained as if to a child. "Her orders in this matter are beyond any exploratory mission the Freydahl group might now be pursuing."
          "What would you have us do?" Rhoane asked diffidently.
          "Here are the last known coordinates of the renegade's transport pod," Scorpius said, sliding the data chip into the slot beside his viewer. "Included is a list of possible trajectories recommended by my navigation teams. Coordinate your group in the sector indicated in the data, look for the Leviathan Gunship hybrid. Find it and you will find the renegade."
          "We will proceed immediately," Rhoane said with a reluctant bow.
          Scorpius smiled to himself as he closed the communication. He tapped another control and his third officer's face appeared on the screen before him.
          "Contact Magistrate EL-Vashti," he said softly.



          The transport pod from the IAD cruiser touched down lightly in the main landing bay of the Mhultaan. Scorpius and Braca stood with a squad of commandos watching as the IAD elite guard filed out of the ship. EL-Vashti followed with her usual conceited flourish. Scorpius' eyes locked instead on two of the figures following her. He grimaced as he saw Lt. Atsutane's hand grip the small child's shoulder to keep him from running to Scorpius.
          "You have him?" EL-Vashti asked as she came to a stop before him.
          "The Freydahl group is closing in on the Gunship's position." Scorpius smiled.
          The boy squirmed from Atsutane's grip and dashed to throw his arms around Scorpius' legs.
          "Tauvo!" she snapped. She glared murderously at the small frightened face, signaling to her aide to retrieve him.
          Scorpius was filled with such hatred for her then that his stomach clenched. He patted the black ringlets and smiled down at the boy before the young woman jerked him away. Suppressing his rage, he took EL-Vashti by the arm, leading her away from ear shot of the others.
          "Why did you bring the child, Liliina?" he whispered with forced pleasantness.
          "I want to see Crais' face when he sees his son," she replied with a bitter smile.
          "And after Crais sees his son," Scorpius asked softly. "What will become of the boy?"
          She seemed to smile to herself, savoring some secret she alone knew.
          "To the barracks to fill the ranks." She explained, still smiling. "Or he may meet with an unfortunate accident. I haven't firmly decided yet."
          Scorpius shuddered inwardly. She was monstrous, unspeakable. The result of the genetic pairing of Crais and EL-Vashti, like himself, was a tool in the hands of those who'd masterminded it. He vowed he would do whatever it took to protect that innocent boy, even if it meant betraying his patron's beloved daughter.
          Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Braca walking hurriedly toward them.
          "Sir," he said smartly, "Captain Rhoane just signaled. They have the Gunship on their scanners and have traced the transport pod."
          The expression on EL-Vashti's face was one of exultation. Scorpius looked beyond her to the boy, held fast by EL-Vashti's aide with Atsutane beside them.
          "I will come with you," he told EL-Vashti with a forced smile.
          "Whatever for, Scorpius?" she asked, looking at him dismissively. "The game is nearly over."
          "Let us just say I want to see the end game myself." He told her, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving them an affectionate squeeze.
          EL-Vashti relented, walking away from him to enter the IAD pod.
          "Lieutenant," Scorpius said quickly to Braca, "Hold position here. Get those ordnance repairs completed."
          He signaled to his nurse waiting behind them before following EL-Vashti into her ship.




          "Yes, Talyn," Crais said, voice filled with relief. "We are within scanner range and will be aboard in less than 40 microts."
          Senna sat beside him silently, bruised face a blank. He couldn't even think of what would happen between them once they were aboard Talyn again. Talyn's reaction to his decision to leave her on the next commerce planet would be the most difficult thing of all. Somehow, Crais knew he would make the Gunship understand.
          They could have no more tragedies like the one on Yrunndas III. Even if he wanted to return to the Peacekeepers, with Chalmer's death on his hands, there was no way back. He could offer John Crichton and Scorpius would still see him impaled through the eema in High Command Square. Braca would see to that.
          Talyn was chattering madly for his attention. He looked down to the sensor panel between the seats and saw the images approaching. He hit a series of buttons and the IAD cruiser flashed on the screen ahead of them.
          "Bialar?" Senna asked, voice hoarse and filled with fear.
          "Peacekeepers," he said without elaborating.
          "Oh, god." she whispered, her voice quivering. "God, not again."
          "Hold on," he snapped as he turned the pod at a sharp angle, pushing it for all it was worth toward Talyn's landing bay.
          The docking net loomed outward from the IAD ship, shimmering blue-green with finality. Crais grabbed the transponder, closing his eyes and sent a desperate message to Talyn.
          Shoot the beam!

          He could feel the Gunship's cannon roar to life, level itself then shoot several bursts. No sooner had the web enveloped them it shattered, falling away as he forced the pod into the relative safety of Talyn's landing bay.