Title: Towards Destiny (Unwanted Sun Part 5)

Written By: Buckwheat

Email: i_treuer@hotmail.com

Rating: I'm thinking pushing R

Spoilers: A long time ago in a galaxy....Well you get the picture

Summary: Captain Pleisar Sun is heading to hunt down those that have attacked the Peacekeepers, and towards glory and his destiny.

A special thanks goes to Janet for putting up with my obsession.

A great heap of thanks goes to Marcase and Jessica Rabbit for the Beta and for putting up with my ramblings.

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.

There is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that.

Oscar Wilde

REBUILDING MY LIFE

I have mentioned before that I hate Leviathans, they have that smell and it is ironic that I have had to travel on so many in my career. It was after this trip that I started to dislike them less. Don't get me wrong I still hate traveling on them. My quarters looked like a converted cell with a privacy screen attached to the door. There was a spacious bed and a sitting area, which was separated by another standing screen. It was very spacious. I assumed at the time that I should get use to such opulence, if I was now a Captain.

During the first two solar days, I took to wandering around the ship alone. I tried to stay clear of the other passengers, I made the obligatory visit to the ship's Captain; but otherwise I stayed to myself. I had not seen Arnan since we boarded, I figured that she was probably relieving the other officers of their currency. I actually missed having her around. I did have time to read the preliminary reports from the Argus.  It seems that they were responding to a distress call when they were attacked. They had just about finished retrieving a cargo freighter that had a hull breach, when an unknown force opened fire on them. They did not have time to get the defense screen up. They were not expecting any combat; it was a frelling rescue mission. The bastards must have been hiding in a near by [nearby] nebula, waiting for them. It also stated that the Argus was to be decommissioned, the prelim tech report stated that she was beyond repair. She was barely holding together. I had spent most of my career on the Argus; it was a shame that I would not finish it on her. High Command sent word that I would get command of one of the new carriers being built at Cholar IV.

I wished I could have shared the news with Arnan, I thought she would be excited at the news [by it (the news)]. I could not seem to find her, I figured she was avoiding me, or that she had found some one to recreate with. I returned to my quarters to find something amiss, the door was unlocked. I was positive that I had locked the door. I drew my pulse pistol, there was no need to alert the ship, and I could handle this. I opened the door, pushed back the screen, and slowly entered my quarters. The lights were low, and I could smell something. It was not the usual Leviathan stench; it smelled good.

"Are you going to shoot dinner, Pleisar?" I heard a voice coming from my left side.

I spun to my left, my finger on the trigger, I quickly took my finger off the trigger, but the pistol was still pointed at my intruder.

"What do you want Arnan?" I asked, my voice showed my surprise. "I haven't seen you in two solar days, what are you doing here?"

"I have brought dinner since you have not been eating in the Centre chamber with the rest of the Officers." She smiled as she said it. She slowly walked towards me. "Are you planning to shoot me? If not please put the pistol away."

I holstered my weapon; I walked over to the table and sat. I was in awe that she would do this for me. I did not want to show my delight in the fact that she was in my quarters.

"You know I could have you arrested for this." I chucked, looking over the meal she had set up. "Given how you cook I could call this attempted murder."

"Don't be a drennit Pleisar, I arranged this with the Captain's cook, I would not try to put you through my cooking, I care about you too much." She blushed with that last statement.

We talked while we ate, she told me about her winning half the crew's pay for the next quarter cycle. I told her what I had read in the reports from the Argus. I assured her that Darvo was well, and that he was be my first choice to be my first officer. I told her I would love for her to command one of my prowler squadrons, or if she wanted she could stay in Covert Ops.

"I don't think I could get what I want." She mused.

"What was that?" I asked

"Oh nothing, I should go. You probably have plans or something."

"No I figured that you would have planned some sort of recreating activity" I answered.

"No there are only a few I would do that with." She answered sheepishly.

"Oh, I see." I tensed

"When was the last time you recreated?" She asked

"You know when," I snapped. "I mean I haven't since her"

"Oh" she said.

She stood up to leave, I grabbed her arm and drew her close, and we kissed.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time Arnan." I said looking into her eyes.

"I have too Pleisar, longer than you have imagined" She looked like she was going to cry.

I have to admit it was the best trip I have ever had on a Leviathan.

We started something on that trip, something that has lasted all these cycles. We spent the rest of the trip some what secluded. It was as I said a good trip. I had a renewed sense of duty and energy after that. I was now prepared for what lay ahead. The only thing that would be a challenge, would be how to tell Darvo.

REBUILDING A CREW

The Officer's lounge at the Fleet Yard was packed. They all wanted to see the Argus as she came into port. Most were there to see what damage she took; all were there to pay their respect to those who had died. I stood at the front of the room, right in the middle of the window. I was not going to be denied the best view; kept on glancing over towards the Invictus, my new ship. She was twice the size of the Argus, and she had five times the firepower. I wished I had been aboard the Argus at the time of the attack, I still do to this day, but I guess my destiny was not to die on that solar day. I had been in communication with Darvo since I had arrived. Their long-range communications array was destroyed; they only had short-range. It was lucky the Argus was in range of our comms.

There were gasps followed by silence as the Argus slipped past the window. Her hammond side was breached in a dozen places, and the Frag Canons were sheared off. The Bridge was open to space, you could still see some of the bodies that were trapped under their stations. I knew from the reports that most of the crew stayed at their posts; those that did not would be dealt with in turn. My first priority was to board the carrier and inspect the damage.

I was surprised at the extent of the damage, I had to wear a pressure suit to get into most areas of the ship. Darvo told me that he was conducting assault drills on the Battle Bridge when the attack occurred. If it had not been for his quick thinking and presence of mind, I believe that Argus surely would have been destroyed. It was because of his actions that I nominated him for the Order of Selar. I also appointed him First Officer of the Invictus, at that time as well.

My next task was not as pleasant, I had to deal with those who had deserted their posts in battle. It was actually done quite easily, and it was fast. High Command held summary trial, and being found guilty of treason they were sentenced to death. It would not be a pleasant death or as fast as a pulse blast to the head. They would die the same way that most of their crewmates died. They would be spaced; it would be a slow painful death compared to a firing squad. Their families would soon join them in death, as is the fate of any traitor's family.

I had the crew of the Argus transferred to the Invictus to augment the crew that had been assigned to her. Her crew would number almost fifty thousand men, women, and children. I was to have the first cadet detachment aboard a carrier. High Command set up a program, in which serving members could have their offspring receive Peacekeeper training, which would allow then to enlist when they reached enlistment age. I fear that one-day it will no longer be optional, it will be mandatory. A child deserves to know their parents.

I addressed each group of arriving soldiers personally. I found myself echoing Captain Stallton's speech that I had heard so many cycles before. I made some subtle changes to the speech; I added some personal touches. I spoke of our duty to hunt down those who dared to attack us, and how we would have our retribution. And of course I said that I expected the Invictus to be the finest ship in the fleet.

Afterwards I had a small reception for my department heads. I wanted them to know the sheer scale of the mission. We would have Vigilantes, Destroyers, several Leviathans and one other carrier, the Zelbinion in the armada. They all had a look of great pride on their faces, I told them of how proud I was of their actions in the return of the Argus. With that done I dismissed my officers, I asked Darvo to stay. I figured that it was now or never to tell him of Arnan and I.

"Darvo...Have you talked to Arnan since she had returned?" I asked uneasily.

"Not much, she said her mission was classified. She received promotion to Lieutenant, she did share that part." He answered. "Why?"

"We worked together on a project to secure the Peacekeepers roll as defenders of the Sebacean way of life..." I hesitated.

"What is it Pleisar?"

"Well I figured you should know...that Arnan and I are...together now" I looked at him, I saw him studying me.

"Well then...hmmm...It is about frelling time Pleisar!" He exclaimed. "When did it happen, how did it happen...wait don't answer that part. Brilliant"

We sat and I explained what happened, leaving out the more intimate details. I also told him that we applied to High Command for permission to exchange espouses; and that they had approved given that our DNA was compatible. We were to be mated within the cycle and were expected to start producing offspring as soon as it was convenient. I admitted that I was grateful that we were posted to Combat duty, and therefore it was not convenient, for us at least. We discussed our plans until Arnan arrived. Darvo gave his congratulations, and he excused himself.

THE HUNTERS BECOME THE HUNTED

It took almost a half a cycle to piece together information about the attack. From what we could gather, the Scarans planned the attack, but it was carried out by another race; but who were our attackers? It was a question on the mind of everyone, especially those in High Command and the Council. They demanded frequent updates, and I had nothing to give. Maybe if I spent more time searching instead of answering frelling reports, I could have found the information faster. To say that it was a shock that it turned out to be one of our most trusted allies was an understatement.

We found out the information from a Hynerian weapons dealer, of all people. I had Darvo secure his armory and had him "talk" to the dealer. He entered aggressive negotiations with the little slug, it took some time but he squealed like a Tarek. When he had finished gathering the information Darvo headed back to the Invictus. He headed directly to my anteroom, where I kept my office. As he burst through the door, I could see the disgust and shock in his face.

"You are not going to frelling believe this!" He exclaimed

"Not going to believe what?" I asked dryly, knowing how some leads were dead ends.

"It was the frelling Thorn!"

"How could that be, they are our allies, we helped them set up their military" I was in shock. "Proof...I want Proof Darvo."

Davro placed a Data Chip and a Vid chip on my desk.

"Look at it," he said, "it contain all the proof you need."

He was correct, they contained records of weapons and ship sales. Paid for with Crandars, Scaran currency. Darvo had also secured the surveillance video, it seem that our little slug was paranoid. It showed Thorn loading equipment and weapons on a transport. I saw something that had made my stomach turn. I saw Ke'Ratan, my Thorn counterpart when I was station on Dredar II, one of their colonies. Her Strikers, their holy warriors, and their elite surrounded her. They fought almost as fiercely as Peacekeepers, I can still remember the sound of their shrills and screams in battle.

"Frell!" I muttered.

"I take it you saw who the buyer was?" Darvo asked knowing the answer. "What do you want to do with the armory?"

"Destroy it" I said calmly.

"The Thorn left two at the armory, they were arranging another shipment."

"Have them brought here, I think they have some explaining to do." I glared.

Our guests remained silent for the first part, but Darvo was a master conversationalist, he managed to get them to open up and talk. We found out that the Religious right had wrested control of the government and wanted to expel all Sebaceans from their territory. They felt that we had desecrated their gods for too long. They turned to the Scarans for help, who in turn said they would supply advisors and currency, but would not openly engage us.

I transmitted the data to High Command; their response was swift. We were now at war with the Thorn. We were to eliminate them as a threat, even if that meant the extermination of the Thorn. It was a war that all Sebaceans would rally behind, a war that would strengthen our position as a true power in the galaxy and a force to be reckoned with. A war that would see one-time friends hunted down like the animals they were. A race hunted to extinction, a war that would last ten cycles.

TO THE VERY LAST

Every Peacekeeper, every Sebacean child is taught about the Second Thorn Campaign. It is impossible not to know of our ten-cycle war of vengeance. Only our current state of unpleasantness with the Scarans has lasted longer. I figure that you did not need another history lesson, so I will skip to the end of the war, or at least the dying days. The final battle would take place on what was left of their home world of Thonix IV. Ke'Ratan and a small group of strikers were held up in a mountain stronghold, vowing to fight to the very last.

High Command wanted Ke'Ratan alive so she could stand trial for her actions. Because of this we could not bombard the site from orbit. It would mean a ground battle, and a siege. From my experience this take almost as long as the war itself. Ke'Ratan was a master at repelling attacks and had survived the siege [siege]  on Dredar II with me. I would soon be proved wrong on my assumptions.

Not being one to ask my soldiers to anything I would not do, I landed with the first wave of soldiers. They, as it turned out, would be all we needed to secure our goal. The Thorn did not put up much of a fight they died hard though. We learned latter that they believed that if they were martyred they would meet their gods in glory and honor. They let us slaughter them. Ke'Ratan would have to wait to meet her gods, we captured her alive.

At her trial, it was more of a sentencing; she was condemned to death after a period of public display. The council wanted all Secaceans to see what they believed to be the last Thorn. It must have been humiliating for this once proud warrior to be relegated to a minor attraction at the council building. The Invictus was given the honor of conducting the execution. I had the firing squad made up of those who served aboard the Argus; retribution was at hand.

She was brought into the hanger and placed in the restraints, she was a shell of her former self, but she still had a look of defiance in her eyes.

"Make ready" I commanded

Weapons were raised including my pistol.

"FIRE!"

Her body shuddered against the pulse blasts, yet by a miracle she still lived. I walked forward to her. Leaned forward and spoke softly

"You once asked me what we would call the Thorn. Do you remember that? When we were saving your emaas from the Skinnies"

She flinched.

"You hated it that we never called the lesser races by their real names"

"Frell you" She rasped

"Now, now, your not going to meet your gods with a mouth like that are you?" I chucked

"Frell you Peacekeeper!" She shouted.

"In answer to your question Ke'Ratan, I think we will call you..." I paused, "...Extinct"

I pulled the trigger and this time she was dead.

"Flush this mess out an air lock," I said as I waived my hand nonchalantly over the corpse.

The firing squad went to work cleaning up the mess.

"Captain this is Medical Officer Kerta," boomed a voice over the comms.

"What is it!" I snapped

"Sir you should come to med bay, it is about Lieutenant Strana"

I looked at Darvo, he was a puzzled as I was. Then it dawned on me Arnan must have been in Labor. Darvo and I ran to the med bay just in time to see my daughter being placed in her mother's arms. I have never seen a more beautiful sight in my life. My joy was to be short lived, for we were to return to High Command I was being replaced as Captain of the Invictus.

End of Part 5

Part 6: One of the Good Days >>

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