Title: ASHES TO FLASHES

AND NOW ON Farscape

"Nooooooooooo!" screamed Dargo, tears streaming down his face, "No"

"Dargo what¹s going on?" Chiana demanded, "What happened?"

"They¹re gone Chiana," Rygel stammered, "Crichton and Aeryn are gone."

"W-w-what do you mean they are gone? They were just there," She stammered.

"The shipŠshotŠsome sort of weapon and they disintegratedŠThey are dead Chiana," Dargo answered her fighting back trying to fight back the tears.

Chiana began to cry, Dargo wrapped his arms around her and tried to comfort the young Nebari, he had just come to realize that his feelings for her had intensified over the last cycle. He would do all he could to ensure that she would see again. But first they must morn the loss of their friends.

"We have to realize that they are gone, there is nothing we can do except to gather their remains and have Stark and Noranti try to guide them to the after life" Dargo whispered.

Rygel spoke, "nothing but find those responsible for our friends¹ deaths and make then pay in kind." He took one last look out the front portal at the empty boat, and glided out of command, he was going to retrieve boat and bring it back. Rygel silently swore an oath of revenge for those who took John Crichton and Aeryn Sun from his life, his friends, no his family, and family always avenged family.

My name is John Crichton, an astronaut. 4 years ago I got shot through a wormhole, Now I¹m in a different part of the Universe aboard this ship, A living ship filled with these escape prisoners, my friends. I am being hunted for the knowledge I possess, the knowledge to destroy the Universe. All that I have done, I have done to protect my home. Now all I want, is to protect my family and live in peace Look upwards and see the wonders yet to be.

ASHES TO FLASHES

The boat was placed in the maintenance bay; Noranti decided that it would make a fitting funeral setting. It was hard to determine which remains were Crichton¹s and which were Aeryns, in the end Chiana said it was fitting that they would be placed in an erne together, that way they could spend all of eternity together. Rygel placed the wedding ring on top of the crystals; the fact that he did not keep the ring shocked everyone.

"It was Aeryn¹s ring, she should have in the after life" was his only explanation.

Rygel spent most of the time in command trying to scan for those responsible; he rarely spoke and had the DRDs bring him food cubes.

"Rygel, any luck?" Chiana asked over the coms.

"Nothing, all I can get for life signs are the felling fish in this basted ocean," he snapped.

"Why don¹t you take a break?"

"For once I¹m going to do the right thing before I get caught now leave me alone Chiana, go and pester Dargo!" Rygel pause to check a reading. "Frelling fish"

A voice echoed in Rygel¹s head, "Hey Sparky, after I take care of some personal business, how about I go and catch some fish in this ocean and we have Noranti cook us up some fish cakes and biscuits!"

"What the frell are you blithering about Crichton," Rygel muttered, "Can¹t you see I¹m busy." Rygel looked up to see that command was empty, he was alone. His ear brows drooped to match his sad heart, "Frell."

Dargo sat in the Maintenance Bay standing a personal watch over John and Aeryn. He could not believe that they were gone. The human had grown to be his best friend over the last 4 cycles and the thought of not having John around to talk to, to drink with. He had planned to talk to John about his reconciliation with Chiana. He figured that now was as good time as ever.

"John, I just wanted you to know, that, well if you have not figured it out yet, that Chiana and I have, well we have made up. I know we may not get back to the same way we were before, but we have talked and I guess I have forgiven her. In many ways my friendŠI owe you a lot, I wish there was something I could have done to prevent this, and we will have justice, for you and AerynŠOn this, I¹ll give you my vow...!." He clenched his fists around his Qualta blade, pointing it upward, and envisioning bringing it down on his friends¹ murderers.

"Talking to the dead now?" Rygel mused as he entered the bay, muttering "Oh, yotz: another one who¹s talking to himself..."

"Leave me Rygel!" Dargo snarled.

"You know, every time I think you have some brains hidden between those tentacles, you do something like this to disprove it," Rygel sighed. "You listen to me Dargo, there was nothing you could have done, and there was nothing any of us could have done. This planet seemed uninhabited, and it still seems uninhabited, except for the frelling fish."

"I¹m still the Captain and ultimately it was my decision to have Moya rest here." Dargo answered.

"We all voted. Moya and Pilot will be better because of that decision. We must think of the future, once they have healed we should head to the Diagnosan, so we can get Chiana looked after. It¹s what I think John and Aeryn would have wanted." Rygel moved his sled over to their remains, gave it a once over, then suddenly turned and began to leave.

"When did you get so insightful?" Dargo asked.

"I had two very good teachers, it took losing the first one to realize I was being taught, but it took losing the second one to realize I had learned anything."

Dargo looked at John and Aeryn¹s remains on last time then left to check on Chiana, he had hoped that Noranti had been able to get her to sleep. She had not been able to sleep since John¹s and Aeryn¹s death. He was reluctant to let Noranti help, but in the end it was best for her.

It took another four solar days for Moya to regain enough strength to attempt to regain orbit. She then had to spend another 12 solar days sleeping. Both her and Pilot¹s grief were immeasurable, first they lost Zhaan, then Talyn, then to lose Crichton and Aeryn at once was too much to bare, their hearts were broken. It was Moya who suggested that they hold a memorial service on the way to the Diagnosan, the whole crew gathered on the terrace to honour their fallen comrades.

Dargo listened to Noranti chanting someting, when he suddenly realized that he was standing in the same Hanger Bay where he and Crichton received Zhaans blessing before blowing up the Gammak Base, so many cycles ago. It was that moment that he realized that this human really was a friend. That no matter the odds; Crichton would stand by him. Crichton held on to him when they floated in cold space, waithing hoing for Aeryn to retrieve them. And she did. Dargo knew then that he could trst the both of them. That he had becaome part of this family that would stick together. Chrichton ould dnever give up never slow down, never yield if is friends where in need. The second time Crichton proved his friendship was when he exchanged his life for Jothee. Crichton never failed them. Not like he has.

"It¹s alright, Dargo," Chiana whispered gently against his arm, feeling his body tense up him tensing up.

He touched the small hand that clutched his arm. He saw tears on her cheeks, her blind eyes staring vacantly at the black void that was now her world.

Noranti had stopped chanting and blew some white power in the air. "Farewell, John and Aeryn, may the Divine Eternal guide you on your travels-..."

"Captain Dargo!" Pilot interrupted before they could start the service.

"A ship is approaching, it is a Peacekeeper Marauder! And it is signalling its intention to... dock."

"Pilot! Hold them in the docking bay. Chiana, stay here with Noranti. Stark! Meet us in the docking bay! Come on Rygel." Dargo said running off the terrace.

Dargo drew his Qualta Blade and aimed at the doors, growling. Stark was nowhere to be seen. Dargo and Rygel each had pulse rifles in their hand, ready to shoot any hostiles which would come through the opening bays¹ clamshell doors, they were temped to shoot the moment the Scarran half-breed walked through the doors.

"No need for apprehension, I mean you no...Harm." A slow skeletal grin forming.

"What do you want, Scorpius?" demanded Dargo, His Qualta Blade waving/taking aim at Scorpius and his two companions.

"Ah, Ka Dargo, with a typical warm Luxan welcome," Scorpius smiled,

A lithe redhaired figure quickly moved in front of him, shielding the blackleather clad figure from Dargos glowering stare.

"Surely we have proven ourselves as no threat, we have... good news." Sikozu moved back, leaning against Scorpius.

"I have come to congratulate him on his solution to his problem. Where is Crichton?" Scorpius began to look around.

"Crichton and Aeryn are dead. They died twenty solar days ago," Rygel snapped, clumsily waving his oversized rifle at the Peacekeepers.

Braca stepped forward, "Nice try, Crais tried that one before. Surely you can think of something more original to say."

Scorpius spoke before anyone else could, "They are not lying. It seems that they are-"he paused, his eyes narrowing, visibly disturbed. "The Scarrans?!"

"No. What do you want, Scorpius?" Dargo leaned forward, looking for a way to get a shot off, aiming not to hit the redhaired Kaleesh girl who was still shielding Scorpius, positioning herself between her lover and the Luxan.

Scorpius waved Braca forward, who placed a case on the nearby work bench; "Crichton fulfilled the conditions for these." He opened the case and pulled out several tablets.

"What are those?" Chiana suddenly asked, appearing at the door supported by Noranti.

"You were told to stay on the terrace!" Dargo reprimanded her.

"What are those?" she asked again, letting go of Noranti and trying to feel her way forward into the Hangar Bay.

"Your official pardons. Signed and authorized by the Peacekeeper Supreme High Council. Crichton was offered these if he did not give wormhole technology to the Scarrans."

Braca stepped back and took position beside Scorpius, standing to attention delivering his next formal statement. "You are officially no longer fugitives, from the Peacekeepers."

Scorpius interjected having recovered his senses, "Although you will no longer be hunted by Peacekeepers, rest assured that the Scarrans will not be honouring these, which is why I offer you our protection."

"We know all about Peacekeeper protection..." Noranti snapped, stepping forward ready to blow some white powder from her hand. But Chiana lunged forward blindly, bumped into Noranti and caused Noranti to inhale her powder ­ both unconscious before they hid the deck.

"We will consider your offer Scorpius now leave!" Dargo snarled.

"As you wish, but we will be in contact." Scorpius said while retreating back through the bay doors.

With a sigh Dargo sheathed his sword and gently picked up Chiana, carrying her off to her quarters. Rygel moved away from behind his covering position, and took one of the PK Tablets, glowered at it and sped off, hearing Noranti snoring on the Hanger floor.

They postponed the memorial service, for some reason the Diagnosan reached their ship before they entered the system. He was accompanied by a Jakesh server who acted as his translator and haggler. The Diagnosan wanted to see Chiana¹s eyes for himself. He had never heard of such an affliction. He was, in short, curious.

"The doctor says he can repair the eyes, but it will have to take a transplant. We have Nebari donors on the planet. It will be costly though," translated the Jakesh who called himself Tenko.

"We will pay what you ask, just do it," replied Noranti.

The Diagnosan began to speak in the sing-song gibberish that was his language.

"Doctor says that he will start as soon as we reach the planet. She will have her eye sight returned within the solar day," Tenko translated.

It took Moya another two arns to reach the Diagnosan¹s medical centre; Dargo and Chiana were the only ones to go down to the planet. Tenko guided them to the surgical facility, it looked like an exact replica of the one where Crichton was operated on two cycles before, with one noticeable exception, this planet was tropical not a frozen waste land. Dargo watched as Chiana was prepped for the "procedure" as Tenko called it.

"You know I could get red eyes instead of my old black ones, that would be kind of creepy don¹t you think?" Chiana chuckled nervously.

"Just get your sight back, and then you can use that transformation kit if you want, I just want you to see," Dargo sighed gently stroking her hair.

Chiana smiled gently as the anaesthesia took hold.

He turned to Tenko, glowering. "If something happens and if she gets hurt, so will you..."

Before he could get any answer Dargo stomped off.

All Dargo could do now was watch and wait to see if she would be able to regain her sight. He settled into the chair that Tenko had provided, and dosed off.

"She¹ll be OK, D. She has a lot of heart and a strong will... She¹ll see again. This Diagnosan is the best, or at least that¹s what Rygel said."

"I hope Rygel is right, John, I hope he is." Dargo murmured. He sat up and looked around; there was no one in the room just him. "Oh my friend, I miss you."

The comms cut into his thoughts, "Dargo! Stark is up and he is going crazy, you have to get up here."

Dargo could hear the panic in Noranti¹s voice, "I will be back in an arn, what is wrong with Stark?"

"You have to come back now, he¹s going crazy! Dargo, he¹s ordering Pilot to leave and return to the planet where John and Aeryn died!"

"Sedate him and I will be back with Chiana in an arn!" ordered Dargo.

Just then, Tenko came out with Chiana on his side, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"The operation was a success; she has regained much of her sight in the last few microts, she will need to use these drops and cannot use this power that has blinded her or she will need another transplant." Tenko explained.

"Well Dargo how do I look?" she asked. "With my new eyes." Chiana examined her hands, then her surroundings and jumped into Dargos arms, laughing out loud.

Dargo laughed, "Can she leave with me now?"

"Yes, and we hope you are happy with your new vision," the Diagnosan chirped barely understandable. He passed by, holding a tray with a clear liquid. In it, two Nebari eyes staring back. He spoke again, in his sing-song language.

"Doctor says, that part of the payment includes the Nebari-eyes. Not negotiable."

They thanked the Diagnosan and paid the fee. Then Dargo and Chiana rushed back to Moya where they were greated by a frantic Noranti and a very agitated Stark.

"I¹m sorry Dargo; I could not get close enough to him to put him to sleep." Noranti said frantically.

"Where is he?" Dargo stomped of towards command.

Stark was pacing back and forth muttering to him self, at least until he noticed Dargo.

"Dargo not dead, not dead, not dead; have to go back!" Stark appeared to be in one of his rants.

Dargo grabbed Stark, "Of course I¹m not dead, what are you talking about?"

"Crichton, Aeryn they are not dead!" Stark screamed.

"What the frell are you talking about Stark; we have their remains on the terrace." Chiana snapped.

"Not them, it is just Crystal no DNAŠjust CrystalŠnot themŠ aliveŠ they are still alive! Ask Pilot, he is running scans now." Stark started to grin.

"Captain Dargo, Stark is right, it seems that the crystals or ashes are flash conductors: they conduct energy, possibly enough to act as a transport unit, and they may have been displaced." Pilot appeared on a clam shell.

"Set course for Qujagaas as fast as Moya can go"

"Leaving orbit now," Pilot responded.

Stark seemed pleased with him self and the others stood their in shock, could their friends still be alive, if there was the slimmest chance they had to check it out.

Could this be true? Dargo thought. Again I nearly failed them.

The room was dark, there was barely enough light to illuminate the door. A small slot in the bottom opened and tray of food cubes were slid in. There was no movement in what now appeared to be a cell. The two occupants lay unconscious on the floor, a single blanket covering their forms. Suddenly one of them opened his eyes and exhaled in shock; he sat up and muttered "If this is heaven, man do they need to do some redecorating!"

He looked down and saw that he was naked underneath the blanket, "Not again! Why does everyone have to strip me when I get to a new place, should I change my name to John Crichton Male stripper?"

Something moved next to him, "John?"

"Aeryn?"

"Are we dead?"

"Naked yes, deadŠI don¹t know." John answered her stroking her hair.

TO BE CONTINUED

<< Return to the fiction page

Title: ASHES TO FLASHES

Written By: Buckwheat

Email: i_treuer@hotmail.com

Rating: PG

Spoilers: A long time ago in a galaxyŠ. Well you get the picture, 4x22, etc

Summary: What happens on Qujagaas and beyond, or basically my season 5 premier.

A great heap of thanks goes to Marcase for his input and help in streamlining the story and setting it on the right flow. Thanks to Phi Phi Le Trek for her input and advice as well.

As usual, if you have suggestions, comments or questions please feel free to email with suggestions.

Copyright Notice: The Jim Henson Company, Hallmark Entertainment, Nine Network Australia and the Sci-Fi Channel own Farscape. They own all rights to characters mentioned within this story. I made some or most up, but if they want to have them too, who am I to complain.