Open on what is, by now, stock CGI of the Luxan vessel cruising into shot overhead, engines driving forward, towing the Farscape Module behind. The smaller ship nods like a large flag in a moderate breeze. Cut to...
Another familiar scene. Six crammed into a space that's crowded with four. John lounges against the bell curve of the inner hull, sleeping- to all appearances; utterly relaxed in the least, Noranti knitting or something beside him on the bench. D'Argo pilots while Rygel, Sikozu and Chiana fill the limited space behind him.
Still unmoving, eyes closed, but obviously awake.
D'Argo smiles, pointing out the forward portal, pleased sigh in his voice.
John leans up, looking out.
In the distance Moya's tadpole silouette is revealed through the misty tendrils of a reddish-gold nebula.
Long silence tinged with lyrical music as everyone takes in the wondrous sight of home.
We get some glimpses of Pilot in the Den, bobbing- floating behind his console, four claws dancing over the controls.
The Hangar Bay door slides open revealing John stepping down the ladder below the Luxan Fighter. He ducks slightly, walking out from under the ship, hand going easily to unholster. Walking slowly and only half-warily, rolling his shoulder slightly, into the wide open Maintenance Bay, weapon held down to the floor.
No sign of anyone, but shortly John reacts to a shadowed form entering the bay. He stops, arms snapping up, holding Winona in a level two-handed grip. In the shadows, a slim figure approaches with aching slowness. Light seeping through the far wall provides bare definition to a familiar figure.
John's arms lower fractionally, his head cocked slightly to the side. He can't believe his eyes.
Aeryn steps closer, long dark hair loose, clad in a shiny black bodysuit and gloves, her face wet with tears. She slows to a stop a few short steps away, arms to her sides but hands flattened, fingers splayed, steadying him- telling him it's safe. And John just... stares, expression deadly, weapon still held at ready.
And she breaks a bit, gentleness crumbling under a new onslaught of tears. She nods silently, smiling through them. John slowly lowers the weapon to his side.
And they just 'look' at each other for a long moment. Aeryn softer, welcoming and reassuring, and John slowly, so slowly unwinds, welcoming her in return with a small smile.
And she breaks again, unable to stifle fresh tears, a small whimper leaking from between hard pressed lips. Eyes closed as she half shakes her head. Almost 'pulled' forward, he crosses the space between them.
She crumbles more, tears threatening to break through to full blown hysteria. He reaches out, almost has her in his arms...
She reaches for him, collapsing, his arms wrapping around her as she does, dragging him with her.
Kneeling back on the floor, she lies in his arms, her side pressed to his chest, shuddering and gasping in obvious pain. He presses lips to her forehead, concern flaring.
Cradled gently in his arms, his fingers stroking her face, she leans back, eyes closed.
Lips pressed to her hair, and concern converts to fearfulness, focus intense- obviously already thinking.
Eyes still intense, formulating and discarding plans, half-distracted.
She looks up, opens her mouth to answer, but before she can, someone else does.
Looking up to a shadow of movement behind them, and Winona is out of its holster in that moment.
Aeryn moves quickly, out of his arms, crouched close to the floor, keeping herself between John and Scorpius, her eyes on John, who keeps his eyes on Scorpius.
Still kneeling on the floor, his unoccupied hand flails, catching her outstretched arm by the wrist, trying to pull her close. She won't be moved, keeping herself between them.
He looks at Aeryn like she is something he doesn't understand, but desperately needs to, then up to Scorpius.
Scorpius lowers slowly to one knee, she turns toward him when he takes her free hand in both of his.
She looks back quickly, frantic eyes on John, but turns toward Scorpius when he addresses her.
Aeryn nods quickly, looking back to John. Simply 'torn' between them, each holding a hand, Aeryn stretched between them, a crouched bridge across the chasm between them.
Behind them, Chiana drops down the stairs of the Luxan Fighter, jogging quickly across the intervening space, her ornate pulse pistol coming to bear on the 'threat'.
Aeryn wrests her hand from John's and stands, Scorpius standing behind her and John standing as well, both hands on the grip of his pulse pistol. Behind Chi, an enraged D'Argo arrives, leveling the massive Qualta Rifle on target.
Aeryn maneuvers slightly, putting herself blatantly between her three armed former companions and Scorpius. D'Argo eyes her with some surprise.
Fade to roll credits on close of John's expression, mostly anger, fear, and a healthy measure of disbelief.
Continuous from end of cold open, frozen tableau; Aeryn stands between Scorpius and John, Chiana and D'Argo. John's the first to react; anger hot, and seething, coiled restraint. His burning regard only for Aeryn.
He takes a step closer and she shoots him a quick look over her shoulder.
A brief, tense silence and John's gaze is on Scorpius now, requesting aid, without looking, of the ghostly girl behind him.
Chi steps around D'Argo, gliding toward Aeryn who turns toward her and reaches out to slip an arm over her shoulders. Chi slips her arm around Aeryn's waist. She turns back to John.
He looks away, teeth gritted, a muted growl trickling out; needing to promise no such thing.
His gaze slides in her direction, a painfully askance regard before turning back to her, nodding, painfully reluctant.
Without looking away, Aeryn lifts her hand, gently stroking Chiana from the crown of her hair to her jaw like something exquisitely precious. Chi backs her away, maneuvering her out of the bay.
The silence continues for a long beat while John and Scorpius eye each other across the empty space. D'Argo keeps his rifle steady while John slowly circles Scorpius, weapon held down to the floor with rigid arms, muscles bulging with the effort to keep the weapon down, watching Aeryn safely from the bay.
A white flash and we see a glimpse of John's worst fears: Aeryn and Scorpius inside the small Prowler cockpit, Scorpius looms over her unconscious figure, stroking her from nose to brow with the tip of his outstretched tongue.
Flash cut back to the Maintenance Bay, close on John, carefully not reacting.
D'Argo steps closer, a growl of warning to abort Scorpius moment toward John. Scorpius stops, duly warned, eyes on D'Argo's leveled weapon. He glances back toward John- a more reasoning tone.
Scorpius acknowledges this with a very nice scornfully ironic snort of laughter.
Close on the muzzle of a .48, Scorpius pulling the slide back as shot pulls back to med long two shot. John and Harvey face each other, braced against opposite walls of a long concrete block corridor, lonely naked florescent bulbs lengthwise along the ceiling. Cigarettes lazily between lips, dressed in black suits. Black ties glaring against white shirts. Perfectly gorgeous right down to the Ray Bans. Sexy!John and Harvey, looking just a bit ridiculous with sunglasses propped over his cowl.
John takes a drag, pulling the cigarette from his lips before comprehending what is going on. Notes the cigarette with distaste, and tosses it.
Disarming Harvey in almost the same motion, reaching back to shove the gun it into the waistband of his trousers beneath the black suit jacket.
He takes Harvey's cigarette, and tosses that away as well.
Cuts himself off to take another tack, tapping John on the forehead with gloved index finger.
Close on a cooling rod, smashing on the floor, the blue fluid leaking out. Cut to Rygel, smirking over an entire tray. He turns toward the door, watching Scorpius enter, escorted by John and D'Argo.
He plucks another rod, chuckles and flings it. It smashes on the ground with a tinkling of glass.
D'Argo growls irritably, urging Scorpius further into the cell.
Shot cuts to long and angle down on a large area, one half cloaked in shadows, the other flanked by a curved wall made up of horizontal bars broken by a few curving vertical ribs, red light beyond the barred wall. At the center of the room is a large rectangular platform [ okay, looks sorta like a stripped down pool table, and not nearly comfortable enough to be a bed ], with the surface at about knee height- obviously intended to be a sleeping platform.
D'Argo stands in the doorway. John and Scorpius walk further into the room, standing on opposite sides of the bed.
John lowers himself to one knee, placing a gentle hand on the DRD, 1812, addressing it quietly.
The DRD warbles in response, and John stands slowly, eying Scorpius warily, but addressing D'Argo.
John exits and the cell doors whine closed, slamming shut with emphasis, leaving Scorpius to survey his new kingdom.
Sikozu, alone on Command, surveying console after console, stalking across the room, her tone curt and vaguely annoyed. Nothin' new.
Chiana enters unobserved.
Sikozu looks up from the console to shoot an annoyed glance at Chiana. Chi looks freshly bathed or something, hair may be 'slightly' shorter, or it's my imagination. Hm, shrinks with the washin'?
Sikozu crosses to another console.
Chi laughs and moves close, pulling the girls red hair back slightly with one hand.
Chi grabs her by the arms, forcing her around to face her.
Sikozu smiles, annoyed, rolling her eyes, refusing to look at Chiana but most definitely frightened.
She grabs her head with both hands, trying to force her to meet her eyes.
And she does meet her eyes, fear mostly gone, but makes no answer.
A DRD cruises down a subpassage between corridors, John and D'Argo following.
John pauses in the subpassage, and another white flash to one of his little self-flagellation imaginings. Aeryn still strapped to the pilot's seat of the Prowler, Scorpius looming over her with the hideously elongated neural chip implant spike. Her voice echoing in his head, "I don't know where Crichton is!" Scorpius growls, drives the spike into the back of her skull, and she shrieks in agony. White flash back to the subpassage, close on John, eyes closed.
Opens his eyes and starts walking again.
A tall door slides up and John steps over the low threshold through the narrow doorway. He looks across the chamber, mostly empty but for one of the large lights from the medical bay, a table, and Aeryn sitting on the table, face away from the door. The slick black body suit complete with a familiar black cowl covering her head.
A continuous mist falls from the ceiling of the chamber while John just silently watches her from his place at the open doorway, hand still wrapped around the edge.
She turns to face him, a small blue tube mounted on the side of the black cowl, above ... white flash ... and John's imagination runs rampant as the necessarily absent cooling chamber begins to rotate out of her skull ... white flash to John's distressed expression ... white flash ... to Aeryn sitting quietly watching- no cooling chamber in sight; John moves away from the doorway and it slides closed.
He steps down into the room and Aeryn turns away while he slowly approaches, resting fingertips on the edge of the bed, eyes down to the floor for a long silent moment. Moving again, he turns toward her, stopping again within arms reach, looking up to see her.
Looking away quickly and still silent, he turns toward the bed, resting both hands on the surface, fingertips spread, leaning forward slightly.
He can't keep his eyes on her, but can't keep them off either, trading brief looks for the view of the black blanket on the bed, finally settling on a wry grin. Looking up again as he strokes her leg with the back of his fingers, looking away again.
He looks away again, too used to her shutting him out, but never used to how that feels.
He moves, slowly, pacing in front of her, assuming a similar position to her left, eyes down. Finally settling on 'small talk'.
Nugget of info pushes him to venture out of small talk into forbidden waters, voice thick, annoyance the least of his problems.
Cut to angle down on Rygel, on watch in Command.
Rygel looks up gasping, Command filling with intense blue light. Cut to the view out the forward portal as a 'massive' ship moves in rapidly, filling the foward portal with intense white light and the forward-most structures of the ship. [ and here's that audible thump of airbrakes I was bitchin' about, Irish Cop has landed! ]
Rygel frantically fiddles with controls.
Pilot whines in discomfort as a piercing whine fills the Den, Rygel winces against the same grating sound on command.
A comms signal, clear as a bell over the continued piercing whine... really rather irritating.
The Hokothian vessel 'looms' before Moya, dwarfing the Leviathan with its massive bulk, looking something like an Amoeba on alien super-steroids.
D'Argo listens to the open comms message.
John and Aeryn listen as well, something like dread on Aeryn's face. John, as always, damn difficult to read, but most definitely not happy.
Scorpius, lounging back on the 'bed', sits up, attentive to the message.
Ullom continues and Aeryn, yep, looks scared; probably not of him.
Irish Cop Speech 1 ends, and John queries Aeryn...
She looks at him, but doesn't answer.
Keeping her eyes on him, and looking less 'afraid', but fade to black without an answer.
Bloated blob of Hokothian ship hovers before the tiny speck that is Moya. And, oh darn, IC isn't done with his speech.
Projected image of Ullom on the forward portal, another freaky weird looking alien who isn't Tommy. Looks a bit like an advanced cousin species to the Hanji. Two forward looking eyes, spaced widely on a large head, immense nose, tiny mouth filled with pointy teeth. Ick.
Brandishes something that looks like a giant slug strapped to a metal bar.
John and Aeryn listen to Ullom's emphatic rant, he's standing in front of her now, hands braced on either side of her legs.
Interestingly, since Ullom appeared Aeryn hasn't really been able to 'look' at him, where before she'd carefully kept her eyes on him, careful to look directly into his eyes wherever he dared to meet her gaze. And now she can't 'look' at him. And he can't look 'away', waiting, but gets no answer.
She closes her eyes.
Eyes still closed; she nods.
Her eyes open, but she doesn't 'look' at him.
A brief silence, John still looking at her while she carefully doesn't look at him and cut immediatly to sometime shortly later on Command.
Long across the familiar space, lovely CGI shot. Faced away and looking forward, John sits on the edge of the strategy table to the left, boots propped up on one of the chairs. D'Argo is at a forward control console to the right and Rygel hovers to his left; all looking out the forward portal at what little can be seen on the massive Hokothian vessel. An intense blue light projected by the ship fills command.
John steps down from the table, crossing to D'Argo and Rygel.
John and D'Argo both scowl, but don't bother to thwap him or tweak his earbrows.
Command Carrier cruises, no sign of escort.
Reworked wormhole lab and lab hangar from ITLD1&2, weapons research area seems likely. Long on the vaulted space as a woman's voice runs down the project. In the far bg, another woman stands looking out a bank of windows that extends from ceiling to near the floor.
Cut to the hangar area, looking 'into' the lab area, the woman at the window is Grayza; standing silently, arms crossed, listening.
Cut to long on the hangar area, Grayza in the far bg beyond the windows. Braca and a woman examine a large cylindrical shape suspended in a harness; looks to be a massive torpedo.
Another uniformed Peacekeeper approaches, this one male, tall, dark haired.
Braca leaves the kids to squabble, but intercepted by a peeved Grayza before he can get out of the hangar bay. She gives him a cursory 'come hither' gesture.
And she leaves Braca, hapless and sweaty.
Love these extended CGI shots of the Transport Pod 'inside' the hangar bay, motors humming as it heads to the exit, moving beyond the exterior hangar bay doors and into space. Cut to...
Transport Pod transit toward the massive Hokothian vessel, its prime component seems to be brilliant light and massive, forward jutting structures.
John and D'Argo pace to camera along a blue tinged corridor, an exotic fish tank. To the right a flat blue wall, to the left open space interspersed with curving yellow ribs prickled by yellow spikes.
At the near end they turn, stepping between two of the curving spiked ribs and down a short flight of stairs to a open space that's givin' me Lost In Space vibes.
They stop, a short distance from Ullom who is holding the large slug critter in both hands.
John and D look at each other like, 'this again?', and look back to Ullom. John just a 'bit' surlier.
He 'strokes' the slug critter and now I'm gettin' a serious Dr. No vibe. D'Argo scowls, stepping forward slightly and unleashing the tongue. He hits true to target but Ullom merely 'wavers' and disappears-- reappearing behind them.
Aeryn, stretched out on her side; presumably asleep. Chiana and Noranti hover behind her. Chi examines the tiny blue tube clipped to the side of her head. Removing it-- reddish rather than blue.
Brief taste of Scorpius pacing irritably in his cell.
She works at replacing the reddish tube. Noranti works her fingers into a pouch.
Chiana leaves and Noranti moves around the bed, standing in front of Aeryn; holds a hand filled with white powder in front of her face.
Aeryn's hand rises, impacting with Noranti's hand, Noranti's hand impacts with her own face; a puff of white powder a halo around her head. A beat and Noranti drops like a rock. [ I get a good 'hee hee' outta that one, every time! ]
Aeryn sits up slowly.
She reaches back, peeling the cowl off her head. It hits the floor beside the 'sleeping' Noranti, and Aeryn exits.
Moments later and Aeryn is striding into command, addressing Sikozu who is examining schematics.
Recognizing someone in no mood to be frelled with, Sikozu exits while Aeryn moves purposefully to the forward console.
John, D and Ullom, still negotiation, getting more backstory.
D'Argo shakes his head, echoed by John's headshake.
Interrupted by a comms message.
Everyone turns to a large holo-projection of Aeryn's face as it wavers into place on the wall behind John and D.
Aeryn continues, completely disregarding anything else.
Familiar sound of a pulse pistol being unholstered, and I can only guess that she's gotten it from beneath the console. She steps away from the console to stand fully in front of the forward portal.
Quick cut of John glancing worriedly at D'Argo. D'Argo worriedly eyeing the screen.
Deep breath and she lifts the pulse pistol, pressing the muzzle to the side of her head.
Fade To Black.
Continuous from end of Act II; Aeryn holds the pulse pistol against her head.
Quick cut to the Hokothian Vessel, John charging the wall, shouting...
Cut back to Command, close on the pulse pistol pressed against her temple, but before her finger can move, Rygel rises rapidly behind her, driving his head into hers; and she goes down to her knees, eyes slowly closing as she topples over onto her side.
John and D face the blank wall, the holo-projection terminated.
John turns and trots up the steps, joining Ullom's 'projection' in the corridor.
He moves to stalk away, paused by John's retort.
John wheels about and stalks off, D'Argo following.
Outside the closed cell door, Sikozu approaches, peering between the zig-zag 'teeth' of the cell door. Pausing at the door, while two of the watch-dog DRDs whine between them, chirruping and waving eyestalks. Scorpius perches on the far end of the bed, faced away from the door.
He turns his head, slightly toward her.
She sighs in annoyance at the observation of the DRDs, issuing an order in an alien language.
The chirruping ceases, eyestalks winking out. Scorpius turns a bit more toward her, slight surprise in his voice.
They continue speaking in the alien language, and there's something vaguely 'ironic' that these two, especially, would speak a language wherein one sentence can carry over a hundred different facts… concepts, and emotions-far too complex for translator microbes. Pilotese transcribed courtesy of closed captioning, translation in parenthesis courtesy of onscreen broadcast subtitling.
Scorpius stands, moving toward the cell door.
At the door now, and abandoning the alien language, they peer at each other though the bars.
Back in the cooling chamber, cowl back in place, she's now strapped down on the table but obviously much more weakened from the trip. John paces the room before the illuminated door. Stopping as she speaks.
He looks away, looking down and ... white flash ... we're in John's head, and we're gonna be 'in' John's head off and on A LOT for the remainder of the act so ... hang on.
Aeryn sits up, the straps holding her to the table falling away. John starts badly, swinging about, presenting his right side, hand dropping to pulse pistol. The person on the bed, no longer Aeryn but some strange amalgam of Aeryn and... [ oh god ] Scorpius -- she speaks in Aeryn's voice but with Scorpius's calmly soothing cadence.
She/he turns to look at John, who looks away quickly.
She/he steps down from the table, taking the few steps to stand close, John carefully doesn't watch him/her until she/he stands in front of him.
Still strapped to the table, Aeryn continues speaking, her words slightly slurred.
Cut back to John, no sign of the Aeryn/Scorpius amalgam, shaking his head.
... White flash and it's back, urging him.
Back on Aeryn, strapped to the table, but this is 'Aeryn in John's Head' too. What a trip.
She/he 'taps' him firmly on the forehead, knocking his head back slightly with the force.
Raises that same finger to his/her temple.
Both John and Aeryn/Scorpius turn toward the Aeryn on the table, and ... white flash...
Stock CGI - ship in transit.
Rinlo scowls; doesn't move.
Still scowling, Rinlo departs. Braca turns, nodding with a slight preen to Grayza before exiting himself.
Grim faced, John stalks down the corridor... Harvey's voice echoing in his head.
As John moves to and passes camera, we cut to the concrete block corridor, John walks purposefully to camera, Harvey rushing behind, practically hopping up and down with anxiety, black tie bobbing.
Harvey maneuvers between the wall and John's left shoulder, pressing him into the wall.
John pushes back, slamming Harvey into the wall.
In Moya's corridor, John slams into the wall...
His arm swinging wildly out to push back, a quick look confirms that no one else is there.
A last look and he continues down the corridor, his own voice echoing in his head
In the concrete block corridor, John has Harvey pressed up against the wall, finger pointing directly at his nose.
Releases him, and walks away, cloaked in shadow.
Sikozu pulls a neural spike from the base of Scorpy's 'carryall'.
She stands, moving to hand it to him, and he reaches to take it.
But John arrives just as he's taking it from her. Winona instantly out of the holster and aimed at Scorpius who sits frozen on the edge of the bed. John moves into the cell, eyes on him.
And she's pretty much the only one who can look petrified and annoyed all at once, eh?
He stands, moving closer, even in the face of John's intense struggle 'not' to frag him. John tenses even more, taking a step forward, arms rising to maintain aim on Scorpius's skull while Scorpy moves close.
John's struggles with himself increase, the muzzle of the weapon trembling visibly, teeth gritted around a low grunt.
Clearly considering it, a small twisted smile flits across his features, Harvey's voice echoes in his head.
In a large open warehouse, Harvey stands in the far bg, John in the fg behind a folding wooden deck chair. John removes the .48 from his waistband, leveling it at Harvey as he approaches. Harvey stops, arms wide.
Slow jazz piano begins to play.
Harvey turns, starts to move away.
Harvey stops and John, without looking down, places his hand on the back of the deck chair.
Close on John, now struggling with what he 'does' want to do, pulse pistol shaking heavily. Scorpius simply watching. Panting out short hard breaths, John tries to lower the weapon, settling for a lateral movement toward Sikozu.
Shaking now, pulling the weapon down and toward Sikozo, she takes it by the muzzle and he pulls his hand away, gloved fingers still curved to fit the butt. Eyes closed with the internal struggle, but remembering who is in the room with him, pries them open to narrow slits. Listening to Harvey's voice echo in his head.
Harvey moves quickly toward John and the chair, John lowers the gun as he approaches enthusiastically.
John reaches into his pocket, pulling something out.
John screws a silencer on the muzzle of the gun, clears his throat to remind Harvey he's supposed to be taking a seat. Harvey looks hurt.
John looks down at the chair.
Reluctantly, Harvey approaches the chair, turning to sit, John steps back a bit, getting clearance.
Close on Harvey, John in half silouette behind him. Harvey looks enormously saddened.
Pan slightly L to John standing silently behind him.
Cut from John's bland expression behind the black Ray Bans to...
John's contorted expression, hands coming up with a howl and he dives toward Sikozu, grabbing for the weapon.
She shrieks, terrified, dodging backward, clutching the pistol. Taking advantage of an already overbalanced John, Scorpius grabs the back of his jacket and pulls him forward onto the bed, pinning him face down, growling a command to Sikozu in an alien language.
And seriously, she wasn't gonna. Scorpius arm reaches up in a high arc and DRIVES the neural spike into the back of John's neck. He convulses, a sharp bleat of pain.
Seated in the chair in the gloomy warehouse, Harvey replaces his sunglasses and spreads his arms wide. John standing, only slightly revealed behind him, arm held away from his body, the weapons muzzle to the floor.
John brings the muzzle against the back of Harvey's head. Cut to long on the sound of a silenced gunshot, and white out as Harvey's arms are flung wide, body arching on the impact.
Face down on the 'bed', no sign of the neural spike, John slowly comes to, groaning once as he struggles to hands and knees. Scorpius's sigh is tinged with relief as John settles back on his heels, eyes closed, head nodding slightly to the side [ and kids, it's a beautiful recreation by Ben Browder of 'that' moment in Icarus Abides... just before realization 'hits', gorgeous. And only slightly 'ironic' that the two people he gets to share it with this time are, well... ].
Long silence while John gets himself together, still panting heavily. This time, there is no real 'joy' in the moment. Sikozu looking over his head to Scorpius, who merely watches John.
He reaches for Winona, Sikozu places it in his hand without hesitation.
Looks up at Scorpius with heavily lidded eyes. Scorpy steps closer, sound of his hand resting briefly on John's shoulder as he sits near him on the side of the bed.
Scorpius offers John the neural spike which, presumably, is Harvey's new home.
John looks up from the butt of the spike, his gaze on Scorpius.
Fade To Black.
Sometime shortly later, Scorpius and John, abandoning the bed, are now lounging at the base of two of the curved ribs along the barred wall. Lovely shot along the wall, Scorpius reclining on his chosen rib, John sitting on the base of his, a bit further along the wall, one curved rib between them. Sikozu paces restlessly.
John raises his head fractionally, giving Sikozu a hard look.
He returns to contemplating the spike.
A idea flits across Scorpius's face and he sits up.
Looking up at Scorpius.
John's long baleful regard of her gives me plenty of time to reflect on the girls ability to say the most agregiously stupid things. Forgiveable, given her limited experience here. He turns that regard of Scorpius, and they both know why that might be.
He stands, towering over Sikozu.
They move to leave, Scorpius turns away but stills briefly before speaking again.
John stops at the open door, not looking back.
John's examing the neural spike again, muttering aside to himself while Sikozu virtually 'oozes' a strong hero-worship vibe at Scorpius.
John exits with Sikozu in tow and the cell door grinds closed with a hydraulic whine.
Sometime later, and close on D'Argo.
Pan L to close on John. Oy, hard to tell in close, but D'Argo is sitting 'behind' him. Odd piloting configuration here. Oh, someone 'else' must be in the other pilot seat.
Short cut to Scorpius, still sitting at the base of the barred wall rib, surrounded by a flock of DRDs. Chi paces along the wall 'outside' the cell.
Back to close on John aboard the pod.
Cut to Pilot in the Den.
Pilot manipulates a few controls.
Cut back to close on John in the pod.
Quick cut to the Hokothian Vessel, close on Ullom.
Cut back to close on John in the pod.
He turns away, working at the controls.
Rinlo skulks about in the semi-reddish gloom of a corridor leading into the weapons lab, all too obviously listening in on the goings on.
Braca at the controls.
A look at the prowler tooling along, the massive missle strapped to its underbelly, matching length, nose to engines.
John, D'Argo and Sikozu enter the blue tinged corridor [ serious Little Mermaid vibes now ] carrying a mildly convulsing Aeryn on a stretcher, blanket wrapped tightly around her. John maneuvers the stretcher into the corridor, walking backward, D'Argo at the other end.
Three Hokothians wait at the end of the corridor, watching as John and D'Argo lower the stretcher gently to the floor. Aeryn continues shaking, her breathing harsh and painful. John looks back over his shoulder.
He moves aside, crouching beside her, looking up at the Hokothians, but they don't move.
She continues convulsing, the stretcher rattling against the floor, the Hokothians don't move, including the minion behind Ullom who clutches the sluglike critter with the antidote.
More silent examination, and Ullom turns to the flunky behind him, nodding slightly. The two flunkies move forward, the one with the slug kneeling beside Aeryn, the other peering at her from over John's shoulder. The slugcritter is pressed against her cheek while she quivers. A burst of energy across her face and he pulls it away. Her cowled head jerks aside and she freezes for a moment, then continues to convulse.
Apparently, this is all John needs as he uncoils from the floor, taking out the flunky behind him with a few well placed fists to the face, finally settling for the reliable head butt to drive the guy back far enough to get Winona from his waistband and blow the guy away. Meanwhile, D takes the other guy with far less effort and no tongue before advancing on an unmoving Ullom. His massive right cross merely passes 'through' another holo-Ullom, disrupting it completely. Shouting a warning to John before taking off down the corridor.
Breathing hard, John checks the bodies on the floor. The blue tinged light in the corridor shifts to red as an unseen Ullom speaks.
D'Argo is stalled at one end of the corridor. Sikozu stands, running to check the other end.
[ oh god, let the guy say 'balls', please? Please? ]
Aeryn's struggling onto her side, attempting to stand. D'Argo turns back from the far end of the corridor, shouting down the corridor to Sikozu, returning from a check of the entrance.
John helps Aeryn to her feet.
Aeryn wobbles forward, footing only slightly uncertain.
Blanket still wrapped tightly around her shoulders, Aeryn moves to the top of the short flight of stairs leading to the lower level.
She takes the few steps, moving toward the center of the room below, angrily addressing the unseen Hokothian.
A hissing sound behind her and she turns to face Ullom. Pure angered annoyance on her face.
In the bg, John paces silently along the corridor, a dangerous critter behind bars, taking a position beside one, pulse pistol ready.
Behind her the wall shimmers, dissolving slowly.
The dissolving wall reveals a small alcove behind it, Ullom, suspended in a harness, lifting a pulse pistol to her back.
The pulse pistol fires, but the energy discharge washes across her back and onto the hologram of Ullom, disrupting it. Aeryn turns as John fires from the Corridor, his shot easily striking target and with much greater effect. Ullom shudders, the harness and alcove sparking violently.
John races down the steps to Aeryn who's staggering just a bit.
D'Argo and Sikozu follow John to the lower level. Aeryn has the blanket lowered from her shoulders, fingering the metallic disc on his chest, eyeing it while she questions John.
Sikozu rather fearlessly approaches Ullom's still twitching body, stripping a large blue orb from his left hand.
Sikozu examines the orb, a hollow blue bowling ball with many, many spikes inside.
She gives him an annoyed glance, very hesistant, but...
She curls her hand into a fist and pushes it inside the orb. Instantly hit with neural images.
[ and, he he he; on super slo mo, they are: Corridor shot of Talyn from 'Green Eyed Monster' - the crowbar down the funnel shot from 'Vitas Mortis' - another corridor shot of Talyn, another look at the crowbar being spaced, the transport pod arriving from 'Throne For A Loss' cold open, the Marauder checking out, from that ep that introduced the idea of 'SHD'... uh, oh, 'Exodus From Genesis', the 'newer' Marauder flees Talyn from 'Season of Death. And I'm 'positive' there is no insidious meaning to her seeing 'these' images-- as Mutual Friend would say, "it's just a show thing." ]
Sikozu takes a few deep breaths, recovering.
D'Argo moves to do just that, John moves aside to allow D'Argo close enough to assist her.
D'Argo and Aeryn move to the exit.
Quick cut to Scorpius in the containment cell, Chi still keeps watch outside the barred wall.
John arches a questioning look at her.
He moves close to Sikozu, everything else depends on her.
Sikozu gives him a now you're 'over estimating' me, look. She's so annoyed, it's beautiful.
Between John and Sikozu, a tangled web of light is being emitted from another large orb.
The shape begins to take on the outline of a Leviathan.
Hanging in the harness behind Sikozu, Ullom groans loudly.
The swirl of lights between John and Sikozu takes on the definite shape of a Leviathan.
Back to Sikozu's intent features as she works on manipulating the small Leviathan hologram.
Quick cut to the view from the forward portal on Command, Rygel watching as the large white/blue blob of the Hokothian vessel seems to 'pop', and in its place, another golden Leviathan.
Braca blinking in confusion.
Grayzer and Ponara at a command console.
Grayza gives her a 'not good' look and Ponara scurries to other readouts, checking them as well.
Close on Pilot and more pilotspeak, untranslated this time, although the intent is clear.
The two claws held steepled before his face maneuver, pressing controls. The hum of engines whining down, lights out all across the ship. Command is plunged into darkness, same in the containment cell, the red light fading last.
Lights across Moya's lower hull wink out and the engines continue winding down. In the far distance, Moya's holographic twin remains festively lit.
Sikozu pulls her hand from the orb with some difficulty and John urges her toward the exit.
Good grief, and Rinlo is 'still' lurking in the corridor-- obviously listening in on the sly. [ Lemme just duck that brick to the head ]
Grayza looks on, only listening but lookin' way grim. Chick never smiles. Well, sometimes, but *brrr*. Don't go there.
Ponara smiles, greatly relieved.
Bolts blow below the Prowler, the missle drops slightly before its engine fires and rockets ahead of the Prowler.
The Transport Pod transits from the holo-Moya to the darkened ship.
John and D'Argo in the twin pilot seats.
Moya hangs, for all intents and purposes, dead in space. Her lively twin a distance off her nose.
A final squeal of controls and lights shift up in the Den.
Whine of power and lights shift up. Rygel looks up, immensely pleased.
Power up, lights on. Nearly there.
Moya maneuvers away from the holo-leviathan.
Ullom hangs, gasping, in the suspension harness.
Looks as though Sikozu's efforts aren't going to hold up, but it really doesn't matter as the Leviathan killer missle sweeps past Moya and strikes at the heart of the Hokothian vessel. Attendant brilliant CGI explosion initiates as Moya moves out of shot.
Poor Ullom howls as his ship is torn apart around him.
Boom! Ship to vapor. The John Crichton Special.
Brilliant light fills the cockpit and Braca grins.
Moya's nose cone extends, prepatory to Starburst. Blue light building at the tips of her fins as they draw together.
Grin dissipates rapidly.
Grayza listening in still, calmly pissed.
Grayza turns her head toward poor hapless Ponara who shakes her head in denial, examining readings like her life depended on it.
Halo of Starburst forms at Moya's tail and races up her hull.
Braca squints into the harsh blue light, throwing a hand up to shield his eyes.
Starburst energy races up Moya's hull to her nose and she disappears inside the burst of energy that forms ahead of her.
The light winks out and Braca rolls his head against the seat in peevish anger.
Poor Ponara, practically sputtering her explanations to Grayza who, of course, isn't interested in excuses.
And, well-trained drone that she is, she meekly goes.
[ show of hands: Steal a Prowler...? Head for the hills? Oh, and Grayza sounded like my dentist with that last line. Good one. ]
Kind of gloomier in the cell, nice mood. Angle down on Scorpius lounging back on the bed, one foot on the floor, a DRD hums beneath the bed.
Close on John peering through the cut out formed by the zig-zag bars of the cell door.
Scorpius sits up, a sigh of resignation. He almost sounds... disappointed.
Wave of relief across John's features-- believing him, obviously, and very relieved. After a moment, he asks his next.
Scorpius stands, crossing to stand beside him-- on the other side of the door.
He raises a gloved finger to his temple.
Chiana sits on the console, legs inside, she 'pets' Pilot from time to time, and in a gesture learned from John, rests her forehead on his carapace. Seems genuinely happy, and relieved to just be doing those things. Huge smile on her face.
Aw, he places his claw reassuringly on her knee.
Transition shot-- Moya motoring -- to a bit later on...
Close up on John, one of those great 'what the hell is he thinking?' looks.
Shapeless form of someone else entering Command over his left shoulder, the shape speaks and we recognize the tentative voice.
He turns his head to look over his shoulder as she steps further into the room, still an annoying out of focus blur. John's voice is bland, unengaged, polite.
He turns back to the forward portal, still close on John.
Cut to long across Command, John just standing there, looking out at a formless and gorgeous blue nebula. Aeryn behind him, hair down to the belt around her waist. No more coolant suit. She keeps moving to the Strategy Table before stopping, and he turns around slowly, taking a couple of steps in her direction, gloves held tight in one fist.
Aeryn sits at the table, looking down. Oh, and, good grief, close on her finally and she looks, well, gorgeous. Geez. Can you 'blame' the guy?
John looks away for a moment, very carefully pleased.
He looks away, and then down, a furrow crinkling the skin between his brows.
He watches her silently, content to be able to. Aeryn looks back, smiling warmly; welcoming.
He just watches in silence, flicking the fingers of the empty glove in his hand. She tilts her head slightly.
And oh god, here it comes...
She looks, cripes, pensively away, shaking her head, then looks at him again, smiling.
He nods fractionally, face losing just a touch of warmth, looks away.
Looks at the frelling floor!
Her smile remains in place, not wavering from that warmth, but those lashes drop and she looks away, not looking up again when he lifts his head to look at her.
Her chin comes up slightly and she chances a look at him but can't 'keep' it; her eyes darting away again, the smile losing some luster.
John watches her silently once more, face schooled carefully neutral, looks down, sound of leather slapped into the palm of his hand, the traditional: 'oh-kay then' gesture. One last glance her way, as he turns and walks off Command.
Aeryn turns her head, watching him walk away, then turns away herself, swallowing, the remnants of that smile gone. She sits watching the blue swirl of the nebula in silence.