"Holy mackrel mother of pearl!" Crichton swore out as he lept from the dining table slinging out his bowl. The bowl went splashing into Chiana and she stood immediately with her arms thrown out, sucking in her breath as warm stock seeped through her shirt. A hand sized spider like creature clung to her hip and she shrieked, nocking it off of her. She hopped nearly onto the table, snatching a glass as it came crawling on top of her plate. She shouted, smashing the glass at it and it sprang into the center of the table.

"Yotz!" Rygel shouted as he backed his levitating throne away. Chiana shouted in exasperation and threw the glass at it. It sprang as the glass hit it, whisking into Zhaan. She twisted her face, letting out a disgusted cry as she swatted it away with a pan lid before it landed on her. The thing hit the wall and planted there.

"What the frell is that!" Chiana blurted out as she backed away and tocked her head with a hitch of her shoulder, goose bumps crawling down her neck.

Aeryn unholstered her pulse pistol, firing after it as it scurried across the wall and escaped into the corridor.

"Is everything alright?" Pilot asked as he blipped onto the clamshell. "I have a report a Drd has been demolished."

"Oh," Aeryn peered over the table at a Drd mangled and smoking from a ricochette. "Sorry."

"Does anybody know what the hell that was?" Crichton eyed them as he stood in stance flicking stock from his fingers. "That was in my stew! Who cooked the damn thing?"

Rygel broke into a guffaw as he glided around Zhaan who was still gaping in shocked disgust as she stood.

"I was told they were a delecatsy," D'argo glanced around at them. "Kabrins, he said we'd enjoy them."

"Kabrins?" Zhaan planted her hand on her hip, resting the other on the table as she leaned to him. "And how were you supposed to cook these things?"

"Five hundred degrees," he grimanced. "Saline water with a touch of statrinite. I added a few lithran garlics."

"D'argo," Zhaan gazed up at the cieling with a light sigh. "Statrinite is a solvent to soften cocoons on hard shell metamorphis. Where are the rest of these Kabrins?"

"I-" he stood slowly. "The ones we haven't eaten are still in the heating compartment."

"Gack!" Crichton wrenched his face a he raised his pulse pistol and followed Aeryn towards the kitchenry. "I think I'm going to be sick!"

"You?" Chiana tilted her head at him as she followed. "I ate some of those things too you know."

"Oh," he raised his brows as he looked to her. "Are you comming? Because, I'm about to make Kabrin mush out of one heating oven."

"I think I need a shower," She rolled her eyes as she turned and marched into the corridor the creature had gone.

"I didn't think they were so bad," Rygel burst into laughter again. "But I think you should have killed them first!"

Aeryn raised her pistol, aiming it at the ovens slated, oval shaped hatch where she could hear multiple tappings.

"Sounds like pop-corn," Crichton snorted as he raised his own. "So what, open the door and start blasting?"

"There were only two dozen," D'argo protested as he brought his qualta to his hands. "Maybe we should raise the heat."

"D'argo," Crichton rolled his eyes. "If they came to life because you boiled them I don't think making it hotter in there is going to make any difference."

"Try it anyway."

"I'm raising the temperature as you speak," Pilot spoak as he raised his head from a clamshell. "So far the life readings are diminishing."

Crichton sighed as he lowered his pistol.

"Are the Drds onto the one that got away yet?"

"No, still searching."

The ovens hatch suddenly burst open. Aeryn threw her hand out, whirling around as she was knocked down by the billowed rush of hot steam. D'argo fired, hitting several of the spider like creatures as they dashed across the walls, scampering for escape as steam swirrled from thier brown bodies.

"Aeryn!" Crichton knelt to her.

"I'm alright," she wiped her eyes as she struggled to her knees. D'argo snarled, cursing in Luxan as he snatched one of the Kabrins off of his chest and slung it against the wall where it broke into pieces.

"The frelling thing bit me!"

"Let me see," Zhaan moved to him, narrowing her eyes over the three V-shaped puncture wounds in the center of his chest. "I'll have to get you to my medical chambers."

"I - don't feel so well," he lolled his head as he dropped to the ground.

"Let's get him there," Crichton charged as he rushed to D'argo and hefted him up by his shoulders.

Aeryn grabbed his legs, wincing as she blinked.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes I'm fine," she stated without looking to Crichton. "Let's just hurry he's frelling heavy."

D'argo grunted, his eyes popping open. He twirled himself out of their grasp and crouched to the ground. Zhaan gaped at him as he began to make a clicking, cooing like sound with a sway of his head.

"Woe," Crichton snorted a laugh. "You alright there, D'argo?"

D'argo cut his eyes to him, seeming to smile as he slowly stood. His toung suddenly lashed out, striking Crichton in the neck. He moved to gasp, his knees dropping out from under him as he went unconsious.

"Are you frelling farbot?" Aeryn shouted as she knelt to Crichton.

D'argo swayed his head at them, chirrping and clicking like some kind of bird before he dashed down the coorridor.
 
***************************************
 
Chiana lay on the floor, her body of creamy, grayish white shadowed by the dim lights. Dark eyes opend slowly. She raised to her slender hands, looking around herself beneath her ash white bangs before trying to stand. A handfull of the Kabrins scrambled past her and she watched them, seeming to smile as she gained her feet in crouch. She made a ticking, purring like sound as she tilted her head from one side to the other and followed into the hallways.

She paused as Pilots chamber door slid open, gazing around herself as the Kabrins raced across the floor in front of her in a crowd formation.

"Chiana," Pilot blinked as he saw the creatures racing towards him. He gasped, raising a pincher to his face as they scrambled over the helm and came crawling onto him. "Unh! Get off of me!"

He grasped one, sending it flying across the room as several Drd's whirred to him and tried to shoot them off. The creatures parted, racing back down and into a Drd access as Chiana crawled up onto the helm, clicking and chirring as she patted her hands over his shoulders and tilted her head down to peer into his eyes with a bright curiosity.

"Are you alright?" He blinked at her, giving her a quizzical look as he tapped a board. "Crichton, you had better come see."

"What is it, Pilot?" He commed back.

"It's, Chiana." He blinked again as Chiana put her hand to his mouth and all but crawled on top of him. "I think she is acting rather peculiar."

"So what's new?"

Pilot seemed to grimance as he brushed her hands from playing with his eyelid.

"I think you should see for yourself. It may have something to do with these Kabrins. I just saw them."

"Yeah D'argo just zapped me with his tounge and ran off making wierd noises. I think these critters have some kind of mind altering bite or something. I'll bring her to Zhaan."

Chiana jerked her head up, sniffing the air as the door slid open again and D'argo stepped in. He breathed in deeply, flaring his nostrils as he crouched again with one hand planted on the ground and the other on his knee. Chiana tilted her head, swaying it as he seemed to laugh deep in his throaght like a growl. She lept down, making the strange clicking sounds as she prowled around him, smiling slightly at him with a teasing look beneath her brows. He snorted, grasping out for her in a pounce. His tendrils flew around him as she dodged his lunge with a bat of her hand at him and barked a laugh.

Crichton stepped inside, his eyes widening as D'argo whirrled around to him. Crichton dodged as he lunged for him, half turning as D'argo missed him and clutched the wall instead.

"Hey, take it easy!" Crichton side stepped, backing up and raising his hands as D'argo growled at him in a rappid series of clicks that sounded almost like a rattle snake.

Chiana came up behind Crichton, grasping his hips. She cooed and chirred as she swayed around him and began to play with his hair as she wraped a leg around him to hold him captive. D'argo snareld, his lip curling as he unsheathed his qualta and came for them.

"Ohhhh no." Crichton shook his head riqorously as he pulled Chiana off of him and eased around D'argo. "Just... relax. Okay? Look I don't wanna have to - umph!"

D'argo punched him in the face with the hilt of his blade and sent him to the ground. He snareld again as he came over him, swaying his head as he seemed to chatter like a rattle snake. Crichton grabbed him by his chin, yanking him down to him as he rutted his head and butted him between the eyes. The Luxan fell over him and he oofed with the impact, rollin his eyes as Chiana began to play with his hair again and wraped her knees between his sides. She curled her head into his neck and flicked her tounge out at the lobe of his ear.

"Cut it out," he muttered with a boyish smirk, his face drawing beat red as he brought his hands protectivley to his ear. "That tickles."

Pilot blinked, tilting his head as he watched them with placid interest.

"Are you sure you didn't have perhaps something mood altering like Hallucium in your meals?"
 
***********************************
 
"Un-believable," Crichton gawked as he came into Zhaans medical chamber and let D'argo drop to the ground. Chiana knelt to D'argo almost in purr as she ran her hand across his cheek. Crichton shook his head as Zhaan stood, glaring cooly from her lavishing eyes as she tocked her head to one side in a gaysha fashion. She began to aproach him in a cat-like walk making a deep sound that was more like a vibration emmitting from her.

"Aeryn," Crichton commed. "I could use your help in here. We just lost Zhaan to the bugs."

"I know," Aeryn commed back. "I'm in central command. They've gotten to Rygel too but I'm not sure where he is. I think he's after me."

"After you? What, in command? Deck him out and bring him. I'm going to try to get these guys into some containment cells or something."

"I would if I could see him, Crichton." Aeryn responded quietly. "Everything is blurry, I can't see."

Crichton sighed heavily as he grabbed D'argoes shoulders again and began to drag him back out before Zhaan could get any closer to him.

"Crichton," Pilot commed. "A ship is aproaching and about to dock in bay three."

"Well gee, Pilot, y'know - uh!" Crichton dropped D'argo as he fell back from Chiana tripping him and rolled his eyes. Zhaan smiled with a delicate blink of her eyes and let out an amused sigh. "I think we're kind of indesposed right now. Can't you tell them to call back later?"

"They have already docked. I can confine the others to the medical chamber."

"Right, fine. Just let me get out of here first." Crichton rolled away, eyeing them with a slight nod of his head as he held his hands out towards Zhaan and Chiana and began to back out. "Just uh, hold that thought...ladies."

He sighed heavily, laxing his shoulders and gaping up at the cieling as the chamber door closed, locking the others behind it.

"I need a vacation," he muttered to himself as he raised his pulse pistol and made for the docking bays. "That's it, maybe the next planet has some kinda Bahamas or something. A niece zoo we can all hang in if D'argo doesn't try to cook the frelling elephants."

"Crichton."

"Just stay put, Aeryn." Crichton commed back. "I'm going to see what Avon wants."

"Then you know who's docked?"

"No," he shook his head. "Never mind, I'll get rid of them as quick as I can."
 
**********************************
 
Aeryn winced her eyes that had become red and sore. She aimed her pulse pistol at what she thought may be movement.

"Rygel," she sung out warningly as she turned, unaware of being surrounded by the handfull of Kabrins crawling along the table and control helms.

She heard his snickering laughter as he coasted his levitating throne several yards from her and stopped. His brows raised as a large dome shaped swelling on his hand seemed to open and dozens of tiny Kabrins crawled out. They were soft shelled and nearing to red, looking something like thumb sized rock crabs. He clicked and chirred, ducking out of the way when Aeryn fired a shot towards him and began to back up to leave the command.

The Kabrins followed her in unsion out into the hall. She blinked, trying to see as she eased backwards and fired a shot at movement. The blurring began to clear some as she blinked again. It was enough to see a Kabrin leaping for her and she jerked to one side, smaking it with her pulse pistol and sending it sailing down the corridor. A second crawled up her leg and she gasped, kicking out and sending it sailing. She pursed her lips, smashing one on the wall with her fist as she blinked to see.

Rygel was clicking and chuckeling as he levitated into the hall and came for her at a full charge. She ducked, wincing her eyes as she watched him sail past, flailing his arms at his miss. She dodged into a turning hall and tried to run, her eyes narrowed as she raised her pistol to her face when she stoped to listen. She could hear the crackeling of the Kabrins many legs as they scrambled in pursuit. She fired over her shoulder at the noises as she cut into a room and forced the door to slide shut.

Her vision blurred in and out, becomming a little clearer as she tried to see the clattering sounds. Everything became very quiet, too quiet.

She turned her aim to a Drd access, waiting.
 
************************************
 
"You ever heard of bad timing?" Crichton asked as several Sebacean men piled out of their transport.

The one who seemed to be the lead looked the docking bay over as he held his pulse pistol on Crichton. He narrowed his eyes when he finaly brought his attention to him.

"We've been following you."

"Realy." Crichton creased his brows with a snort as he aimed his pulse pistol barely an inch from the mans fore-head. "Were we speeding or something? Dren! And I left my proof of insurance in my other pants."

"We're taking over this ship," a second stated as he eased around behind Crichton keeping his pulse rifel on him steadily. "You've got a very high priced bounty on you, John Crichton."

"Yeah but you didn't read the fine print." Crichton bit his lip as he pressed the muzzel against their leads forehead. "I'm wanted alive. You however, are not, and guess who goes down first."

Crichton looked down as the Kabrins and dozens of the tiny redish ones came racing into the docking bay to his feet. He grabbed the shoulder of the lead and hopped up onto a small crate.

"I told you this is not a good time." Crichton eyed him as he pushed him towards the bugs and made a run for it. He hit his back behind a large cargo capsule and fired several shots off as he heard the mens shouts and shuffles as they began to fire.

He cursed to himself, nudging his head sharply as he heard D'argo beggining to curse in Luxan. He leaped out and began to run in a low duck, his pistol ready until he saw the men laying on the docking floor with D'argo towering over them.

"Yo!" Crichton raised as he licked his lips. "You ah, you still making those funny noises?"

"I'm fine," D'argo let out a sharp breath through his nostrils as he laid his qualta against his shoulder and turned to him.

Cricthon backed up slightly, blinking as he stared at the welt on D'argoes chest. D'argo looked down at it and then raised his eyes to him.

"I do not wish to discuss it."

"But you are okay."

"I'm fine." D'argo tocked his head with a defensive testiness in his voice. "I uh, that is..."

He looked around himself as he came closer to Crichton and leaned his head towards him.

"These Kabrins came out of me and then I was fine. Zhaan and Chiana, well, I can imagine they will be as soon as they stop playing host to Kabrin eggs."

"Kabrin eggs." Crichton nodded as he kicked at the lifeless form of a larger Kabrin. "Looks like they're dying off on thier own too. What's say we get these guys back into thier ship and give them a send off."

"A send off?"

"Yeah," Crichton snorted as he came to one of the smaller Kabrins on the wall and turned his head to one side as he watched it seem to attatch itself there by its spittle and harden. He chipped the small creature off and tapped it against the wall. It was as hard as stone. "Mayyybee, something to eat?"

D'argo snorted, shaking his head at him.
 
************************************
 
The rooms door opend. The group peered in as Crichton stepped inside and looked around himself.

"Aeryn?"

Aeryn leaped up onto the table in a crouch and tocked her head at him as she snatched him by his shoulder. She planted him on the table, peering into his eyes as she clattered a clicking sound.

"Should we keep her confined until the prossess is over?" Zhaan asked as she stepped in.

"Yeah," Crichton eyed her and then glanced warily to Aeryn as she looked up with a sniff at the others. "As much as I'd like to stay, this is plain damn kooky."

"You could stay," Chiana suggested with a wry smile as Aeryn jerked her head into Crichtons face, nose to nose with him as she swayed her head and grasped him by a wad of his shirt at his chest. "I don't think she'd mind."

Crichton creased his brows as he raised his finger to Chiana and nodded.

"Hold that thought."

"Crichton," Zhaan pursed her lips as she came to them. "Do you mind? Realy, I think you should remove yourself immediatley before she possibly kills you."

"Uh," Crichton rolled his eyes up to his brows, tilting his head up slightly to look at her as Aeryn began to slide him off the table. "You wanna give me a hand?"

"Is that a distress?" D'argo asked.

Chiana tilted her head in a perplexed observation as she slightly smiled.

"It's kinda hard to tell isn't it?"
 
end