"A fleeting taste of wealth is worse than a lifetime of poverty." "Slaves from the Caton Mines are sold in lots of 10, 000!" "To free D'Argo's son, we'll have to pay for them all!" "There'll be nothing left for us!" "Oh, there'll be some...enough to indulge ourselves a little." "See..." "I'm gonna get some Bennigan Fire Silk...." "It's for my bed." "Everytime I think that there's more to you than a pair of pushed up loomers in a corset you disappoint me!" "From you?" "I'll take that as a compliment." "Last time I saw my son, was the night my wife was murdered." "I sent him away to be safe, and.." "he ends up a slave." "And if you hadn't, he'd be dead by now, D'Argo." "Peacekeepers despise half- breeds." "All those vital cycles growing up without me there..." "I almost hope he doesn't remember me." "All he'll care about is that you came back for him." "D'Argo, we are now within range of the Caton Mines." "If you wish to contact the slavers -- now is the time." "I would like to bid on Lot Keshu Four." "Apologies." "Lot Keshu Four, unavailable." "What?" "Why not?" "Sold." "No, that's not possible." "That can't be." "We've missed the slave auction." "You're information was wrong!" "I wasn't wrong!" "I wasn't!" "My people are in that lot as well." "Lot Keshu Four, special sale, private buyer, triple price." "But other slaves, available." "I do not want other slaves!" "Who purchased that lot?" "Tell me!" "as recordings are so.." "sadly impersonal.." "I'll have to imagine what your face looks like now." "Etched with failure, I expect." "I have Ka D'Argo's son." "Surrender to me, or the boy dies." "How.." "H" " How did Scorpius find out about Jothee?" "Stark, you said you didn't tell anyone about the auction." "No, I didn't." "The data was stored only on my console." "I mean, Scorpius did try to trace the datalink -- during the break- in, but I stopped.." "him." "I mean, uh, I.." "think I stopped.." "Oh, God." "We led him straight to Jothee." "Stark..." "Jothee wasn't the only slave in that auction lot!" "Thousands of Baniks!" "My" " My own people!" "They belong to Scorpius now too!" "You think I wanted that?" "I didn't.." "This is all your fault!" "We got your money." "We saved your ass!" "Only when you had no other choice!" "If you had helped me from the beginning, we would've been out of here before Scorpius had even arrived!" "I can't lose Jothee, not again.." "not like this." "Not like this." "Frell!" "You're pathetic!" "You keep talking about how much I mean to you." "How you'd do anything to get me back." "But when it comes down to it, you fail me.." "again!" "Like you always do!" "I did everything I could." "Liar!" "You know what you have to do." "I can't." "No." "You won't." "Who means more to you?" "D'Argo?" "Hey." "I heard what happened." "You don't understand." "I, ah..." "I was prepared to give Scorpius what he wanted." "What?" "On the Command.." "for a microt.." "I was ready to take Crichton by force and deliver him to Scorpius." "It was all I could do to stop myself." "Crichton is your friend..." "Jothee is my blood." "He's my child." "all I have left of my wife.." "Now, why.." "is that not enough?" "I do not care for the others." "All I need is the Luxan's son." "The Banik Slavers can keep the rest." "I explained that to them sir, but the Catons have refused to search through 10. 000 slaves to locate one." "The freighter that we hired is being loaded right now." "Natira did spend a great deal to acquire them." "We could accept the surplus and resell them individually to recoup our losses." "...you mean...your losses!" "A poor choice of words." "I hardly consider it a loss." "Just a small price to keep you happy, and.." "settle our account." "You consider things settled now, do you?" "Ah" " Scorpius accept your victory." "I haven't got Crichton yet!" "Tell me...were there any Stykera amongst the other Banik slaves?" "Not...according to the manifest." "Well, that's a pity." "I could have used a replacement for the one that escaped my Gammak base." "Dispatch a Maurauder.." "to the freighter, and have the Luxan's son returned here at maximum speed." "Sir!" "You can keep the other slaves." "Do with them as you will." "Metal fatigue?" "" " How serious is it, Pilot?" "The DRDs found only a few occurrences on this tier." "It seems to have been caused by some kind of corrosive that I can neither identify nor account for." "All right, I see it Pilot." "If the DRDs can take a sample, then Zhaan can analyze it." "I would appreciate it." "How's D'Argo?" "Not good." "He blames me for losing Jothee -- could be right." "So, I've come up with a plan." "Oh, there's a surprise." "The slaver said that Jothee's lot shipped out on a freighter." "Right." "Even if we can find it, we could never intercept it." "Aeryn, no-- the point is, is that Jothee's still in transit." "He won't get to the depository for a couple of solar days." "How can you be sure he's going to the depository?" "I know.." "how Scorpy thinks." "He doesn't have Jothee." "Which means we still have time." "We can beat him." "Forever the optimist." "Yeah, well." "It's a common human trait in humans with a death wish." "All right, here's the deal" "Help from who?" "Since entering the Uncharted Territories, Moya and I have been mapping our movements as best we can." "We've identified several locations where we might obtain assistance." "Item one" "The Vocarions." "They're the ones who tortured me." "Tell us...where are they?" "Yeah, but they'll be able to find Jothee no matter where Scorpius stashes him." "Item two" "On the ground." "Now!" "They're not fighters " " They're scavengers and cowards." "Yeah...who can breathe fire that burns through metal like Kleenex." "Three" ""Tavlek"" "Remain where you are!" "They're nothing but barbarian extortionists." "Their gauntlet weapons are awesome in close combat." "And finally, we need the Zenetan Pirates." "There's something pulling us in!" "That's impossible!" "We're caught in The Flax." "The Flax Net." "'Flax' what?" "An electrostatic scan." "It instantly disables ships." "And what makes you think all these'Zeltecs' are gonna help us?" "Cash." "These guys are mercenaries." "They want money, we got plenty." "We get them, we go in hot." "We kill Scorpius, and we bring your son back." "Stark!" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "...gone...dead." "All dead." "All dead." "I failed them." "What are you talking about?" "The Baniks...they're gone." "He's a Stykari." "He's...he's attuned to the dying." "He knows." "Scorpius killed the slaves?" "Yes." "Jothee is among them." "Jothee's not dead.." "Scorpius did not allow that to happen." "You have to trust me on this." "We can get your son back." "And we can kill that cadaverous son of a bitch, but we have to do it now." "Zhaan, we've got one solar day -- two, tops." "If I'm not back by then, tell Scorpius where I went." "He'll trade that for Jothee." "Understood, John." "May the Goddess be with you all." ""You're almost there, John." "You're almost there..."" "Okay, Leatherface." "Your turn." "You never cease to amaze me, John." "Man, that's'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'!" "That's a classic!" "You weren't supposed to be able to initiate a conversation with this neural clone." "Yeah, kind of sucks having someone inside your head." "Doesn't it?" "No matter." "The task is almost complete." "It wasn't easy." "There are vast areas of your brain that are filled with nothing but.." "gibberish." "That would be High School." "Like it or not, Scorpy.." "I know how you think." "We're sharing now.." "and that's how I'm going to beat you." "Perhaps you only believe that, because that is what we want you to think." "Sir, the Luxan's son is returning on your Maurauder, but due to delays identifying him on the freighter.." "Don't give me excuses!" "Do you think Crichton is simply going to surrender himself to me?" "I will not give him one microt more than is necessary to formulate his plan." "Is that clear?" "Sir." "I'll inform you the moment the boy arrives." "Calm down you'll have an accident." "My coolant system has advanced considerably." "..since the original surgery." "Mmm." "Not enough to prevent this 'Crichton' from almost killing you." "Why do you want him so badly?" "He destroyed my Gammak base." "Revenge?" "He's not a Scarran." "You wouldn't waste your hatred on anything else." "This is why I can't have you around." "You know me too well." "Without me, you'd still be the same angry hotheaded young creature I took in so many cycles ago." "Without me.." "your head.." "among other things, would be a trophy on the wall at Peacekeeper Command." "See." "We were made for each other." "Oh." "Checking on our treasure?" "Or are you helping yourself?" "The way I see it?" "Beating you to it." "How dare you!" "I...hmm. 50- 50?" "All right." "But just enough so no one notices." "Yeah." "It's always nice to have a little something tucked away when all hezmana breaks loose." "Empty." "What the frell!" "It's gone!" "Someone's beaten us to it!" "But who?" "Crichton's too...'honorable'." "Well, Aeryn's too dull." "D'Argo's too...ah..." "Say it." "Simple?" "Well, yeah, but he's not a thief." "Someone is." "We've been robbed." "Did you hear that?" "It sounded like...tearing metal." "Ryge?" "Get down here!" "I trust you're well?" "I asked you...for help!" "What the yotz were those creatures?" "They looked like..." "They looked like our money!" "Our money's alive!" "You realize what the means." "They're eating the ship!" "Yes but we're poor." "Howdy Bekhesh." "Meet Wynona." "Lights go out." "Gauntlet comes off." "Freeze!" "Unless it's already off." "I told you." "I no longer wear the gauntlet." "I'm not a creature of violence any more." "That's good." "I don't believe you." "I don't care." "A lifetime of killing and extortion takes it's toll." "Yeah, especially on those you kill and extort." "Yes." "But also on myself, during a hostage raid we captured a Priest." "A Disciple of the Writ of Turu, he refused to eat or sleep." "All he would do, day and night, was preach, whether anyone was listening or not." "I executed him." "But I kept his writ." "I don't know why." "One day I started reading, and.." "they were words of peace, but they made me feel.." "better." "Then one day, I took off my gauntlet and I threw it away!" "I still don't believe you." "Well then kill me." "Or let me go!" "I need your gauntlet." "No!" "It's a tool of destruction!" "That's why I want it." "Well?" "How bad is it?" "Are we in danger of a hull breach?" "Of course we are." "Those creatures eat metal." "Zhaan, they're devouring Moya's sense filaments." "She's trying to endure the pain, but it's growing." "Brave Moya." "Can't you flush them out..." "or...or suffocate them?" "I trapped several creatures in a bulkhead and opened it to space, but they were too firmly entrenched to expel." "And the vacumn didn't affect them at all." "Well, do something!" "I can't do any more until I have a specimen to study." "Chiana is trying to capture one now." "Now, if you can't make yourself useful, Rygel, I suggest you leave!" "Frell!" "This is your last warning shot!" "This is your fault!" "My fault?" "This is your fault!" "You were on the inside." "You stole the wrong container!" "With the device you gave me." "I did precisely what I was supposed to." "I was heroic!" "Shut up, both of you!" "The fault lies with all of us." "We brought those creatures aboard." "Moya is suffering because of us." "Now little fella!" "Zhaan?" "Zhaan, I think I got one!" "Thank Ka'halaan." "Bring it here immediately." "Ah...soon as I can." "Attention Sheyang vessel." "This is not a hostile approach." "I come with an opportunity for profit." "Please respond." "So." "You've come to finish me." "Who attacked you?" "It was swift." "Unprovoked." "And where's the rest of your crew?" "Abandoned ship in evacuation pods." "As leader I stayed behind to guard their escape." "That's very noble of you." "You said you had an opportunity for profit." "Spare my female." "Please!" "She bears my children." "Down!" "Come with me." "So, you're going to attack a Shadow Depository." "That's the plan." "Very well." "I will help you." "You can barely help yourself." "Look at you." "You're weak." "You're all used up." "And you're no use to me." "No use?" "I've seen bigger." "I can do better." "You'll have to." "You know.." "pretty soon you're gonna start jones'n for that gauntlet really bad." "I'm not leaving here without it." "Bekhesh?" "I got all the time in the world." "A Luxan" " Sebacean hybrid?" "Despite Peacekeeper Command efforts to keep the bloodlines pure, there seems to be a few more of them every cycle." "Have you got something against hybrids?" "Hmm?" "No, of course not." "Not at all." "Ka Jothee, is it?" "What the frell are you?" "Some kind of mutant?" "His mother was a Sebacean." "She was raped by a Scarran." "Did the Luxan rape your mother too?" "No." "Your father abandoned you to a life of slavery." "Is it his lineage you hate the most?" "My mother was murdered by her brother." "Does that answer your question?" "So you...hate Luxans and Sebaceans -- equally." "How very interesting." "You bought 10, 000 slaves, just to get me?" "What do you want?" "From you, nothing." "But your father-- would give me something I want very much." "Pray to your Luxan mystics.." "that he loves you still." "Why are the Peacekeeper's Termination Squad after you?" "We were hired to find some of their deserters." "But, once we discovered my mate was with child.." "we decided to discontinue the hunt." "And you kept the payment." "Well...only half." "We did half the work!" "You are a good torturer." "Are you as good at tracking?" "Show him." "It would be easy to overlook the scent of Hynerian and Delvian beneath the musk of Nebari on you." "Will you help me?" "Yes!" "You saved our lives." "We are obligated." "I will not desert you!" "The Peacekeeper hunters are dead." "There are caves nearby." "I will be safe there to give birth." "Our children will live." "Because of him." "If we can help restore his child, we must!" "we could use the currency." "Oh!" "The heat's not affecting it at all!" "You said they ran from your blowtorch!" "I said,"maybe" they did." "I'll increase the heat." "Oh no." "What's wrong?" "It's dead." "It took too much heat to kill it, Chiana." "Moya could never raise her interal temperature that high." "Evil." "There are over 2, 000 of those creatures on board." "We could never kill them one by one like this." "I must find a way to deal with the total infestation." "Zhaan, it's Scorpius." "He wants to talk to D'Argo." "He's found us!" "We're dead." "I will speak to him, Pilot." "Where's Ka D'Argo?" "Where's Crichton?" "They have no reason to trust you." "You tried to sabotage our ship." "Why would you honor any exchange?" "Sabotage?" "Don't play stupid you butcher." "Your metal eating money..." "I will speak to Crichton and D'Argo now." "Speak to me." "Your favorite food for the Aurora Chair." "You murdered my people, Scorpius." "Thousands of Baniks as if they were nothing." "And all for one boy -- well go ahead and kill Jothee if you want, because he means nothing to me!" "You're not getting Crichton!" "What the frell were you thinking?" "You just condemned D'Argo's son to death!" "Look..." "Scorpius thinks I'm mad... he- he won't blame you... he- he needs Jothee." "He won't kill him." "I" " I know Scorpius." "I do." "We can't let him know that Moya's in trouble." "He'll come after us." "And if he smells advantage, to him it's the scent of victory." "If Jothee dies, I will not wait for D'Argo." "I will kill you myself!" "Pilot?" "What's happening?" "Energy failure!" "Tiers 5 through 9." "The creatures have infiltrated the power conduits." "So?" "Do something about it." "Use the DRDs, that's what they're for!" "I've tried!" "They're eating the DRDs as well." "How long before they break through the hull, Pilot?" "I don't know." "But unless we destroy them soon, the internal damage may be irreparable." "Moya may die." "Well... that brings back memories." "Does it hurt as much as it used to?" "The sensation is, ah... well, more complicated than pain." "You're much more patient than I remember." "Why aren't you hunting down the thieves on the Leviathan?" "Well, that would be a waste of effort." "Crichton...will come to me." "How's your nurse?" "Recovering." "At any event, the currency that was stolen belongs to you-- yet, you seem strangely unaffected for the loss." "Tell me, what did you really put in my storage containers?" "Karack Metalites." "While dormant, they look like Borinium ingots." "But they're actually burrowing creatures." "They consume metal in their natural environment." "And you intended to destroy my Marauder." "Kill my crew, killing... me." "Yes." "You wouldn't have respected me otherwise." "How commendable." "Very fortunate I was robbed." "Now tell me" "Eventually." "For a vessel that size, it should take at least eight solar days." "Rest assured." "The Leviathan is dead." "Hey Bekhesh, buddy." "How ya feelin'?" "You're lookin' kinda crappy, you know - that gauntlet would fix you right up." "Where is it?" "I can't tell you." "The Writ of Turu says allowing another to inflict harm is an act of violence itself." "I'm trying to make up for the things I've done!" "You want to end violence?" "You want to serve peace?" "Then help me!" "Help yourself." "Where's the gauntlet?" "Please!" "Let me go!" "I need to have it!" "Hey!" "That's mine!" "Put that on, it'll kill you." "You forget..." "I've worn a gauntlet before." "Remember?" "That was over a cycle ago." "I've tripled the dose since then." "All right then, put it on, and I'll strip it from your corpse in three arns." "You want the gauntlet - you take me with it." "Why should I trust you?" "You said there was currency in it for me - lots of it." "What about your great reformation?" "It's easier to reform when you're rich." "You're feeling Moya's pain..." "What I feel..." "Moya feels a thousand times worse." "Pilot, I think I've found a solution." "I want to flood Moya's affected areas with adrexan vapor." "After she has absorbed it into her body, you..." "you'll be able to ignite it electrically." "Ignite?" "Waves of heat will course through her body, then flames." "The creatures will be destroyed." "You'd burn Moya?" "To save her." "No!" "There must be another way!" "I haven't given up hope of trying to fine one." "And I won't!" "But if we run out of time, Pilot... you must believe me." "This may be Moya's last hope." "The Builders put our fates in your care, Zhaan." "Whatever you decide, we will abide by it." "Now that we have reached Zenetan territory, I have a task to perform." "And while it pains me to leave you at such a critical juncture, I will not shirk my duty." "The Zenetan Pirates await." "Good luck, and farewell!" "You always know when to run." "That's cold!" "Be careful, child." "Adrexan vapor is highly volatile." "Sorry." "Are we really going to burn Moya?" "Do you think I want it to come to this?" "Zhaan, the canisters in Maintenance Bay Four are ready." "Thanks." "Pilot, have you sealed all the affected areas?" "Yes." "It's almost one- ninth of Moya's total body." "Release the vapor." "It's done." "The vapor will be fully absorbed in less than nine arns." "Good." "That gives me enough time." "I am Dominar Rygel the Sixteenth, requesting an audience." "Most beings do not seek out the Zenetan Pirates." "I have a business proposition regarding your Flax Net." "I will speak with Commander Kcrackic." "Kcrackic no longer commands here." "Nor is he, in fact, alive." "I now control The Flax." "Welcome back, Rygel." "So your, ah..." "Flax Net will simply be used to ensure our escape." "There is little risk and, uh, great reward for your participation." "An interesting proposal." "When the ship you abandoned me in was snared in the Zenetan's net." "They were little more than a gang of petty cutthroats." "Under my direction, I have turned them, and The Flax, into a tool for power and profit." "Is that a "yes" ... or a "no"?" "We had a truce!" "When I am finished with you..." "Dominar..." "death himself will pray for you!" "Hmm." "I thought you might say something like that." "I liked your proposal." "Zhaan, what are you waiting for?" "The vapor was absorbed an arn ago!" "There must be another way, Chiana." "perhaps a crystal resonator." "We can shatter them with sound!" "The creatures are nearing Moya's propulsors, Zhaan." "If the creatures consume those systems, we'll be dead in space, there's no more time!" "On our way, Pilot." "Pilot, I will take as much of your's and Moya's pain as I can..." "No!" "It will overwhelm you!" "I will take that chance." "I will stay by your side." "Zhaan." "You have to do it now." "Ka'halaan help us." "Pilot, ignite the vapor." "Uh!" "Don't touch that." "You know, flossing could help you with that gingivitis." "Pilot?" "What the hell's going on over there?" "Pilot?" "You guys okay?" "Pilot!" "I'm seeing flames on Moya!" "It's all right, Crichton." "Stark, there are flames on Moya!" "That is not all right!" "John, we started the fire on purpose." "What?" "We had to... just come aboard." "I'll explain it to you." "Chiana, just tell me" "Yeah..." "I think so." "Everyone, but Moya." "Moya's in so much pain, she can't even starburst." "Will she heal?" "Pilot's not sure." "Our money did this?" "We did this... and since we have nothing to pay the mercenaries... do you think they are going to want to help us?" "Scorpius is going to kill Jothee..." "No he won't." "Hey!" "Hey, frek face!" "Hey, you!" "Stop that ridiculous mumbling!" "Uh, uh, you're not here to fight each other." "The Tavleks raided our village." "That is why I asked your forgiveness." "Well, so" "Tavleks are treacherous scum!" "Criminals!" "So's everybody on this ship!" "You are being paid to work together!" "That's right and that's what we do to people who don't." "Good work, Ryge." "You're here to do a job." "Start acting like professionals..." "Where would Crichton have gone at a time like this?" "I don't know, but he hasn't exactly been himself lately." "Well, I want him confined to his quarters!" "I'll see to it, but you know, he's been trying to help you." "Always just too late." "Father?" "Jothee." "Jothee!" "It's you, it's really you!" "Father!" "You're choking me." "Everything you've been through, so many cycles..." "I'm sorry" "Not your fault." "I never stopped thinking about you..." "trying to find you..." "I almost lost hope." "I didn't." "I knew you would come for me." "My son." "My son!" "How did you escape Scorpius?" "He let me go." "he what?" "W- why?" "Hello, John." "You want the wormhole technology..." "I want your implant out of my head." "... So, finally, the rift between us is not so great." "You do what you got to do." "You win." "As if there was ever any doubt." "Synchro by Hyksos - editsub. free. fr (Subedit)"