TITLE: "BENEATH THE MASK"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: JOHN/CHIANA series

RATING: NC-17

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

SERIES/SEQUEL: SEQUEL to "FACING DEMONS"

The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.

"BENEATH THE MASK"
A "Farscape" story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL

Lt Braca was feeling less than pleased with his assignment. In the name of Cholok he would love to just blast John Crichton to squag and be done with it! It was not as if there could be anything left in that mush he called a brain for Scorpius to pick over let alone find anything of value. He
believed the human had nothing more to teach them about wormholes. That this whole obsession with Crichton was making his Commander completely fahrbot. But he was not about to say as much to Scorpius. He looked around him at the dismal planet Rydex and wished fervently that they could just pack up and leave but that was not an option. Braca split his men up and sent them off to quarter the ground in systematic grids. If they had to turn over every filthy rock, look in every barkan hole and in every wizket thicket they would do so but he was not going to hold his frelling breath. Then they came to the marshes and he swore for a hundred microts non stop before calming down and picking his way with care across the trat and filth that was seeping in
over his boots and making him want to throw up.

None of his men dared look at him. His face was like thunder and his hand was just itching to send the first man who made a comment about it straight to hezmana. Scorpius might want John Crichton alive but Braca wanted him dead.

* * * * *

Stark was crying. He could not help it. The pain and sense of loss were overwhelming. He felt Zhaan's presence so close, so close, but he could not touch her. Not reach out. Not join her. She was getting further and further away from him and he could not follow. His distress was rising. He knelt as if in meditation but instead of being suffused by an air of peace and calm he was writhing in inner torment. A hand on his shoulder shook him several times before it registered that he was no longer alone. To his surprise Dominar Rygel XVI was shaking him. Hard. A look that could have been concern on his grumpy face.

"What the yotz is the matter with you Stark? Are you in pain?"

"Pain? Yes, yes, pain."

"What the frell is it?"

"Zhaan."

"Look Stark, we all miss Zhaan..."

Stark stood up, shaking his head, his eye wide and staring, hands waving about. He was getting more and more agitated, his speech beginning to slur. Rygel eased his thronesled back towards the door but did not leave. He had heard Stark wailing from his quarters. A truly disturbing sound. "Do you want me to fetch someone? D'Argo? Aeryn? Something perhaps to make you sleep?"

"No, no, no, no! No one, no one can help Stark. Find Zhaan. Must find Zhaan."

"Look Stark, I don't pretend to understand but I thought Zhaan was with you? In spirit?"

"Yes, yes, Zhaan with Stark. Yes, but Zhaan is gone. Very bad."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"To find John."

Rygel groaned and closed his eyes. <We are all frelled>

* * * * *

Shoni was not what Aeryn expected. She had expected Patri's sister to look like her or share her colouring, have some kind of family resemblance but there was none. The lithe blond girl had hard staring eyes, a very light hazel colour that seemed to change and darken in the light. Even her disposition was different. Harder, sharper. Less trusting and somewhat unsettling. Aeryn frowned slightly. Suddenly uncertain. "Shoni?"

Shoni nodded but said nothing. Watching Aeryn like a razkat.

"You are Patri's sister?" Aeryn persisted. The woman nodded but offered nothing in return. Aeryn hated one sided conversations like this. It put her on edge. In a flash she realised that was what Shoni wanted. To have her at a disadvantage even if it was only a psychological one. The thought
calmed her and raised a slight smile to Shoni's lips. Aeryn's frown deepened. They were in the main hold, the women from the colony had formed themselves into little groups. Privacy was not an option but Shoni managed to find a space in one corner which was unoccupied and a little apart from the rest. Not perfect but it would do. "What do you want?"

"I heard you were asking for me."

Shoni shook her head slowly. "Asking about you not for you."

Aeryn was confused at the distinction. "Then you don't want to see me?"

"No, but you want to see me."

For a moment time stopped. Aeryn felt the air in her lungs disappear. "How do you know that? I only just heard that Patri had a sister."

"Yet you were her friend."

Something about the way Shoni said the word put Aeryn on the alert. What was going on here? Shoni was not exactly hostile but came across as no friend.

"I am not your enemy." Said Shoni. "Yet."

Aeryn shook her head. "Look, I don't know what your game is but I am not interested. Patri was a friend and I'm sorry she didn't make it. I'm sorry she died."

She started to turn away intending to go back to her room when Shoni's words stopped her. "We have to talk, Aeryn. And not just about my sister."

Aeryn looked for a long time into those pale hazel eyes. So many secrets hidden in their depths that it made her shiver. "What could we possibly have to talk about?"

Shoni's expression was unreadable, a hand drifting up to brush her cheek so softly that afterwards Aeryn wondered whether she had imagined it. A tiny smile crept over Shoni's full lips as she answered. "You."

* * * * *

The Nebari Capital Ship was beautiful in a way Crichton had not expected. All the lines were exotic curves, the surfaces almost biomechanoid to his human sense of touch. He delighted in running a hand over the intuitive interfaces and watching schematics form out of nowhere in holographic pictures of light. It amazed him. What startled him even more was that he could access an interface, call up a schematic and turn his head and it would hover in his line of vision no matter which way he turned. "Hey Esak, talk about keen gear, this is real cutting edge technology!"

Esak frowned. Not understanding a word of what he had just said but picking up the excitement in the human's tone and the pleasure in his voice. "You approve?"

"Approve? What's not to approve? Captain Kirk would have kissed a Klingon for a ship like this!"

"Who is Captain Kirk?"

"Um, he's an imaginary character from one of our television shows."

"Imaginary?"

"Yeah, you know, not real."

"You have imaginary Captains?"

Crichton laughed. "Yeah, they have imaginary ships too."

Esak raised his eyebrows. "No wonder you are the only one of your species to leave your home planet."

He chuckled good naturedly. "The imaginary stuff Esak, it's called entertainment. We make up stories for each other, to entertain, pass the time, teach each other things or just to make us feel good about life. It's part of our culture."

"Why do you invent these things when you can do them for real?"

Crichton tilted his head and scratched the back of his head down by the hairline. "Um, good question. Guess it would be too much to explain *Rowan and Martin's Laugh In* or the *Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy* to you guys?" Seeing Esak's blank look he laughed and waved it off. "Doesn't matter, it wasn't that funny anyway. Well. *I* laughed. Guess you had to be there."

Just then one of Esak's crew called out to him. "Captain, our long range sensors have detected the Peace Keeper Command Carrier."

Esak smiled. "Good, ensure the other ships slip out of StarBurst in a holding pattern. We do not want the Carrier to slip away from us."

"Okay Esak, that's good. I want a transport pod so I can go over to the Carrier when we're in range."

Esak's smile vanished. "Impossible! We will get into position then we will blast the Carrier to hezmana! The abomination will not threaten another Nebari nor will he put you in danger again."

Crichton raised his hands trying to calm Esak down. "Woah, woah, not so fast! I gotta see him, face the man."

"Why? The risk is unacceptable."

"Look Esak, I can't explain this but it's something I have to do. And don't worry, I won't take anyone with me. If it goes wrong no one else will be at risk."

Esak was really alarmed now. "No, this is my ship and I will not allow it."

"How do you know Nerri isn't on that ship, huh? You could blow it to hezmana and find you've killed Nerri as well, how would you feel about that?"

"We have already scanned the vessel. Nerri is not on it."

He was surprised. "You have?"

Esak lowered his voice. Not understanding why the human was getting distressed. "This is not an imaginary ship, John, and Scorpius is not an imaginary enemy. Do you understand? This is real."

Crichton closed his eyes a microt. <Oh God, he thinks I've lost it. He thinks I don't know the difference> He opened his eyes. "Esak, I need you to trust me on this. Back on my home world we have these monsters of the mind, we call them the boogie men. They are our fears made manifest in dreams and nightmares. The classic way humans overcome these irrational fears is by facing them. Taking the mask off the monster."

"This monster is real, John."

"I know, Esak. But unless I face him I'll never be free of him, do you understand? If I don't do this he'll haunt me forever. Dead or alive won't make a damn difference. I'll be stuck in this asylum forever!"

It was clear that Esak did not understand. That he was worried about Crichton being killed or imprisoned by Scorpius. For some reason the Nebari was very protective of him. Crichton assumed it was for Nerri's sake or for Chiana. Esak took him to one side. "You will explain this to me."

Crichton shook his head. "No time, amigo. I have to go. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

"No, John. You are not going anywhere until I know what this is all about. Quarrel with me again and I will have you sedated and put in a cell, is that understood?"

The colour left his face. He was almost in tears now. "Please Esak, trust me."

It hurt Esak to see the human upset. "All I want is to understand. I will not send you to your death."

Crichton did not know how he was going to tell him. Did not dare tell him the whole truth. He could not kill Scorpius even now. Neither could he be part of any conscious action to destroy him. The neural clone might be gone but there was still Harvey. Silent he might be, no longer able to influence his decisions or haunt him like he used to but he had left him one gift he could not return and it was scorched deep into his brain where no one could reach it or remove it without preciptating permanent and irreversible brain death. He knew. Oh yeah. It had been one of the technicolour highlights before Harvey had lost his voice and left the stage. So he could not kill Scorpius but that did not mean he could not take his pound of flesh.

* * * * *

"What do you mean Zhaan is trying to find John?"

Stark was wringing his hands now, getting more and more anxious. More fahrbot. "Said she needed to speak to him."

"John is not on Moya, Stark."

Stark stopped muttering and wringing his hands. All his attention on Rygel. Suddenly he was as sober and serious as anyone else. The sudden change unsettled Rygel more than his madness. "What do you mean John is not on Moya?"

"It seems he has this plan. Scorpius's Command Carrier has been spotted in orbit around that frelling planet Rydex. Nerri disappeared there and John has gone with three Nebari ships to bring him back. I don't see what the problem is."

Stark looked at him as if it was Rygel who had gone mad. "You don't see it? Don't see it?" He screamed. "No, no, no, no! Mustn't go! Danger. Must stop him."

"Normally I would agree with you but there are three Nebari Capital Ships, Stark. He is not on his own, Scorpius won't know what's coming until they blast him to hezmana! And about frelling time too."

"No, no, no!" Stark was crying now. "Must stop him, must bring him back."

"It's too late, Stark, and you're wrong. This won't be like the other times. There is no way the Nebari will let him do anything bartantic this time. I've been on a Nebari Capital Ship - once - and believe me, one of those could take out a Command Carrier. Three will vaporise it into dust!"

With a smug look on his face Rygel left Stark's quarters thinking he had said sufficient to close the subject for once and for all. Stark was shaking his head, all his fears and worries combining to drop him to his knees. Tears of sorrow and frustration wringing his heart. "Zhaan, Zhaan, where are you? How do we stop this? What can we do?"

* * * * *

Aeryn reluctantly allowed Shoni to come back to her quarters with her. Whatever it was that Patri's sister wanted to tell her it was too private to say in the main hold. Aeryn could not really blame her but she did not quite trust Shoni. When they got to her converted cell Aeryn turned to face her. Determined to find out exactly what she wanted as soon as possible. "Now start talking, Shoni."

Shoni smiled. "Always the impatient one."

Aeryn glared at her. Shoni's smile widened. She stepped closer to Aeryn. "Do you know what I am, Aeryn Sun?"

A cold shiver ran down Aeryn's back. She ignored it but was ready on the balls of her feet, battle stance. "You are really beginning to use up any good will I had towards you because of Patri."

"Ah, my dear departed sister." Shoni took another step towards Aeryn. Only a half metra separated the two women now. "I am an empath, Aeryn. Do you know what that means?"

"It means you can feel other people's pain."

"Oh," Said Shoni in a silky soft voice. "It means more than that."

Her voice seemed to be having an odd effect on Aeryn. Her thoughts and movements became sluggish. Thinking was hard, fractured. Only Shoni's voice meant anything at all. Shoni ran a finger down the side of Aeryn's face, all the while watching her with those pale hazel eyes. The pupils elongated into vertical ovals like a cat's eyes. Aeryn was completely mesmerised. Wondered why she had ever feared this woman.

"It means I feel *everything*. The pain. The pleasure."

Aeryn was struggling to form coherent thoughts but her will was strong. "W...what do you want with me?"

"I saw you in the ring with Patri."

Aeryn frowned. The movement seemed to take forever. "Everybody saw us. That was the whole point. Sarnek wanted to show off his conquests."

Shoni smiled, licked a finger then ran it lightly across Aeryn's lips. "I saw you kissing Patri."

Shock ran through Aeryn. She stepped back. A drunken staggered step that nevertheless surprised Shoni. "You are strong." She cooed. "Normally, they can't move when I start to speak to them. But it won't do you any good. I always get what I want."

"What do you want?"

Shoni leaned closer and licked her tongue slowly along Aeryn's lips, her hand undoing Aeryn's ponytail so the long black tresses floated free. "I want *you*."

Aeryn knew she was in danger. Could not move. Could hardly form thoughts but she was not going to give in. Not going to be touched and mawled by this, this *tralk*. "You're not Patri's sister, are you?"

The woman laughed, grabbed a handful of Aeryn's hair and pulled her head back. "What do you think?" Then her lips were ravaging Aeryn's, her thick tongue delving inside her mouth as she pushed her back towards the bed. Alarm bells were ringing like crazy in Aeryn's head, looking for a way out. A way to escape. Her mind was screaming, her body trying to lash out but it was as if the signals could not get through from her brain. Rage roared through her as she felt her clothing being undone and a hand that was not invited doing things to her that even the invited would not have dared...

* * * * *

Chiana had just got the children to bed and was about to go to sleep when a hammering on the side of the door roused her. Annoyed that whoever it was would wake the children she sprang out of bed and dashed over to the door. To her surprise it was Stark. "Stark! What the yotz are you doing here? It's the middle of the sleep cycle." He was so obviously distressed that Chiana felt her heart lurch.

"Zhaan, have to find Zhaan."

"Stark, Zhaan is dead." Said Chiana gently.

Stark shook his head. "No, no, not that. Must find Zhaan, reach Zhaan. Danger."

Alarmed she shook his arm. "Danger? What danger?"

"John in danger."

Her heart lurched. <Oh no, not John> "Stark, how do you know John's in danger?"

"Must find Zhaan."

She shook him harder. "Stark! Don't go all fahrbot on me, why is John in danger?"

He mumbled a lot of things that were nonsensical even for Stark then suddenly he became lucid, his eye staring right at Chiana and freezing all the blood in her veins. "Scorpius!" He whispered.

* * * * *
END