Eidelon Temple on Arnessk, and Moya
Having landed on Arnessk, Stark and the travelers from Moya headed in what they hoped was the direction of the Eidelon temple.
On the way to there, Crichton had run into Jool. Or more accurately, Jool had leapt onto Crichton. Once that embarrassing incident had been dealt with, the Interion woman led the group from Moya to the temple.
With an admonishment to please not embarrass her, Jool led the way inside. Crichton, being Crichton, whistled at the sight of the temple's interior, leading the Eidelon Hierarch to comment dryly on the acoustics. Stark, rather in awe of these Eidelons, managed to keep quiet for now.
Having now been embarrassed in spite of her efforts, Jool turned to the Hierarch. "Apologies, Hierarch Yondalao, I was just explaining to them..."
But Yondalao cut her off. "So you are the pilgrims who purport to be our heirs?"
"Not us," Crichton clarified, gesturing to the remaining Eidelon who had been on Moya, Pikal. "Just him."
"We understood all of our descendants to be gone," Yondalao said.
Pikal finally spoke up. "Though we trace ourselves to your lineage, my people have lost the ability, but not the desire to influence peace.
"Troubling. And exhilarating. I shall confer with the other conciliators and notify you when the matter can be assessed," Yondalao said as he turned to go back the way he had entered.
Scorpius, who Stark was ignoring to the best of his ability, leaned to whisper to Crichton.
Jool was more vocal. "Hierarch, please. You know me. I know these travelers. They are honorable," she protested. "Why do you send them away?"
"I do not. I simply require time to examine the issue," Yondalao explained.
Stark, finally overcoming his awe spoke up next. "But, but with great respect. What is there to examine? Pikal is an Eidelon like you." And as far as Stark was concerned, the more Eidelons with the ability to influence peace the better. Wars, like that between the Scarrans and Peacekeepers, caused far too much untimely death for his liking. They were painful to be near.
"We have awakened from 12,000 cycles of sleep. What pertinence can we have to your galaxy now?" the Hierarch asked.
Stark, upset and frustrated that they were seemingly being dismissed, that he was being dismissed, and that this Eidelon didn't understand what was at stake dropped to his knees. "But the war. The deaths, the slaughters!" He was a Stykera. He took slaughters somewhat personally.
The Hierarch turned to Aeryn. "Peacekeepers! Do your duty!" And Aeryn, still accustomed to following direct orders, forcibly dragged Stark back before he could cause any further incident. Then she stepped forward to speak herself.
"We apologize for invading your sanctuary. And we understand you have reason for caution. But what could be more pertinent in this time, or any, than the ability to inspire peace?" she asked. And Stark, were he a bit calmer, would have had to admit that this was a far more convincing way to put the argument.
"Even if he's Eidelon, how can this one supplicant help that cause?" Yondalao reasoned.
"You are few here, and Pikal's people are many. With your instruction, they could become a great force for peace," Aeryn replied. Stark, in the background, nodded vigorously.
"Though the Peacekeeper provides sound counsel, I still sustain reservations that must be meditated upon," Yondalao said, then turned to Aeryn again. "Peacekeepers, clear the temple."
Crichton, checking the cartridge of his pulse pistol, shook his head. "Can you believe this? Somebody wants us to be Peacekeepers." He licked the cartridge and replaced it and accidentally fired a shot.
The Hierarch turned on him accusingly. "Are you an assassin?"
Crichton, looking disgusted with himself, shook his head. "No! I'm just the guy without a brain." He walked over and pointed to Stark. "The Lion here would like some courage." He moved on to Scorpius "Tin Man, he needs a heart." Then Rygel. "Toto here just wants an easy birth." And finally he came to Pikal."And Dorothy here, she is just looking for a way home," he continued, dragging Pikal forward. "Now we're not gonna be here tomorrow so I suggest you take a long hard look at our broomstick. He is your heir! An Eidelon."
Yondalao, beginning to accept, reached out a hand to touch Pikal's face.
Later there would be a ceremony to initiate the young Eidelon, but the others were uninvolved with that. Stark, Aeryn, Sikozu and Rygel returned to Moya while Crichton and Scorpius remained on the planet for the time being.
And the universe being the cruel place that it is, a Scarran warship was sighted bearing down very quickly on the planet.
Safe on Moya, Stark watched the planet worriedly.
"This is not good," he said, severely understating the obvious.
"No dren" Rygel snapped. He wanted to stop being pregnant as soon as possible and this was only going to slow the process.
"Not you," Stark snapped right back. "Them!" He waved a hand in the direction of the planet, moving towards the window as he did so to watch the docking transport pod.
"Who them? What? You wanna worry about someone? Worry about me," Rygel said.
Another time Stark would have had something to say about Rygel's self-centered attitude. Right now he was too distressed over the approaching Scarran Decimator and the deaths it was sure to bring with it. "The Eidelons," was all he said.
"What about them?" Rygel asked.
In answer, Stark started banging his head against the wall behind him. Immediate physical pain was preferable to the deaths he was anticipating. "They're good, give in peace. They're good, sleep in peace. They're good, die in peace!"
Crichton had managed to bring Yondalao onboard Moya and was trying to convince the Eidelons and Jool who had remained behind to leave the temple. It made far too tempting a target for the Scarran warship. It wasn't safe. They didn't listen. And then the ship fired. There was a brilliant explosion around the temple and then nothing.
Stark, feeling every one of those deaths, howled in pain. The others simply looked stunned. Even more so when the Scarran transmission came through ordering them to evacuate and surrender. Moya's attempt to Starburst to safety was cut short by a shot from the Decimator. Left with no choice, they boarded a transport pod and gave themselves up. D'Argo and Chiana, safe on D'Argo's Luxan ship, hung back in hopes a rescue mission could me mounted.
[Life sucks in the UTs, yes it does. Particularly for anyone who's ever spent time on Moya. Dialogue pulled from a PK Wars transcript. More unpleasantness to come, because Kemper and Rockne are crueler than I could ever be.]
On the way to there, Crichton had run into Jool. Or more accurately, Jool had leapt onto Crichton. Once that embarrassing incident had been dealt with, the Interion woman led the group from Moya to the temple.
With an admonishment to please not embarrass her, Jool led the way inside. Crichton, being Crichton, whistled at the sight of the temple's interior, leading the Eidelon Hierarch to comment dryly on the acoustics. Stark, rather in awe of these Eidelons, managed to keep quiet for now.
Having now been embarrassed in spite of her efforts, Jool turned to the Hierarch. "Apologies, Hierarch Yondalao, I was just explaining to them..."
But Yondalao cut her off. "So you are the pilgrims who purport to be our heirs?"
"Not us," Crichton clarified, gesturing to the remaining Eidelon who had been on Moya, Pikal. "Just him."
"We understood all of our descendants to be gone," Yondalao said.
Pikal finally spoke up. "Though we trace ourselves to your lineage, my people have lost the ability, but not the desire to influence peace.
"Troubling. And exhilarating. I shall confer with the other conciliators and notify you when the matter can be assessed," Yondalao said as he turned to go back the way he had entered.
Scorpius, who Stark was ignoring to the best of his ability, leaned to whisper to Crichton.
Jool was more vocal. "Hierarch, please. You know me. I know these travelers. They are honorable," she protested. "Why do you send them away?"
"I do not. I simply require time to examine the issue," Yondalao explained.
Stark, finally overcoming his awe spoke up next. "But, but with great respect. What is there to examine? Pikal is an Eidelon like you." And as far as Stark was concerned, the more Eidelons with the ability to influence peace the better. Wars, like that between the Scarrans and Peacekeepers, caused far too much untimely death for his liking. They were painful to be near.
"We have awakened from 12,000 cycles of sleep. What pertinence can we have to your galaxy now?" the Hierarch asked.
Stark, upset and frustrated that they were seemingly being dismissed, that he was being dismissed, and that this Eidelon didn't understand what was at stake dropped to his knees. "But the war. The deaths, the slaughters!" He was a Stykera. He took slaughters somewhat personally.
The Hierarch turned to Aeryn. "Peacekeepers! Do your duty!" And Aeryn, still accustomed to following direct orders, forcibly dragged Stark back before he could cause any further incident. Then she stepped forward to speak herself.
"We apologize for invading your sanctuary. And we understand you have reason for caution. But what could be more pertinent in this time, or any, than the ability to inspire peace?" she asked. And Stark, were he a bit calmer, would have had to admit that this was a far more convincing way to put the argument.
"Even if he's Eidelon, how can this one supplicant help that cause?" Yondalao reasoned.
"You are few here, and Pikal's people are many. With your instruction, they could become a great force for peace," Aeryn replied. Stark, in the background, nodded vigorously.
"Though the Peacekeeper provides sound counsel, I still sustain reservations that must be meditated upon," Yondalao said, then turned to Aeryn again. "Peacekeepers, clear the temple."
Crichton, checking the cartridge of his pulse pistol, shook his head. "Can you believe this? Somebody wants us to be Peacekeepers." He licked the cartridge and replaced it and accidentally fired a shot.
The Hierarch turned on him accusingly. "Are you an assassin?"
Crichton, looking disgusted with himself, shook his head. "No! I'm just the guy without a brain." He walked over and pointed to Stark. "The Lion here would like some courage." He moved on to Scorpius "Tin Man, he needs a heart." Then Rygel. "Toto here just wants an easy birth." And finally he came to Pikal."And Dorothy here, she is just looking for a way home," he continued, dragging Pikal forward. "Now we're not gonna be here tomorrow so I suggest you take a long hard look at our broomstick. He is your heir! An Eidelon."
Yondalao, beginning to accept, reached out a hand to touch Pikal's face.
Later there would be a ceremony to initiate the young Eidelon, but the others were uninvolved with that. Stark, Aeryn, Sikozu and Rygel returned to Moya while Crichton and Scorpius remained on the planet for the time being.
And the universe being the cruel place that it is, a Scarran warship was sighted bearing down very quickly on the planet.
Safe on Moya, Stark watched the planet worriedly.
"This is not good," he said, severely understating the obvious.
"No dren" Rygel snapped. He wanted to stop being pregnant as soon as possible and this was only going to slow the process.
"Not you," Stark snapped right back. "Them!" He waved a hand in the direction of the planet, moving towards the window as he did so to watch the docking transport pod.
"Who them? What? You wanna worry about someone? Worry about me," Rygel said.
Another time Stark would have had something to say about Rygel's self-centered attitude. Right now he was too distressed over the approaching Scarran Decimator and the deaths it was sure to bring with it. "The Eidelons," was all he said.
"What about them?" Rygel asked.
In answer, Stark started banging his head against the wall behind him. Immediate physical pain was preferable to the deaths he was anticipating. "They're good, give in peace. They're good, sleep in peace. They're good, die in peace!"
Crichton had managed to bring Yondalao onboard Moya and was trying to convince the Eidelons and Jool who had remained behind to leave the temple. It made far too tempting a target for the Scarran warship. It wasn't safe. They didn't listen. And then the ship fired. There was a brilliant explosion around the temple and then nothing.
Stark, feeling every one of those deaths, howled in pain. The others simply looked stunned. Even more so when the Scarran transmission came through ordering them to evacuate and surrender. Moya's attempt to Starburst to safety was cut short by a shot from the Decimator. Left with no choice, they boarded a transport pod and gave themselves up. D'Argo and Chiana, safe on D'Argo's Luxan ship, hung back in hopes a rescue mission could me mounted.
[Life sucks in the UTs, yes it does. Particularly for anyone who's ever spent time on Moya. Dialogue pulled from a PK Wars transcript. More unpleasantness to come, because Kemper and Rockne are crueler than I could ever be.]