This fanfic has sexual content, violence and disturbing material.

Non Compose Mentis part II
After the prelude Toy Tied and Twisted

Summary:
It's about a cycle or so since Non Compose Mentis when the Karrvok clones of John and Chiana (EatMe) escaped their "rescue" by the Nebari by running off with their host vessel. This John and Chiana are both loosing their minds if they haven't already and are just kinda taking a trip down the wild side.

by
ChianaGray
1/27/03
 
*********************************
 
Chaelsmond wandered through the junkin ship with a bowl in her hands. She stirred the food with a spoon as she weaved through the wires that hung down from the ceiling, some of them spritzing and throwing sparks to the floor. It had been something like a cycle since John and Chiana had escaped from the Nebari that picked them up from the destroyed Leviathan, Rhovu. Maybe it was longer, she couldn't really tell anymore.

She stepped into a small room with all the walls halfway exposed to show the wiring and pipes behind it. She saw movement, and turned her head to the corner to her right from the door way.

Chiana flinched back from where she was tied by her wrists to a pipe in the wall just above her head where she sat. Her feet were bound to another pipe on the floor by wiring. She looked up at her wildly as she made a muffled sound from the rag wrapped around her mouth. Sweat had drenched her tank top and tattered gray pants.

Chey knelt at her side, stirring the bowl again as Chiana made muffled grunts, shaking as she tried to struggle in her bonds. Chey pulled the gag down to Chiana's neck, sitting up on her knees as she collected a spoonful of the richly textured substance. Chiana pulled her head closer to her, trembling as she opened her mouth, trying to draw it closer to the bowl.

Chey reached out with the spoonful, almost touching Chiana's lips with it as she strained and tilted her head. She tried to reach the spoon with her tongue, whimpering as it glided over her upper lip.

"It's all we got left," Chey winced her eyes as she dipped the spoon into Chiana's mouth. Chiana took it greedily, staring into her eyes as she waited for another spoonful.

"Untie me," she whispered without changing her expression, her head slowly curving to one side as she brushed her cheek against her arm. "Untie me ... please."

"Chiana!" John shouted as he came through the halls.

"Oh Chiana!" He called out in a sing song voice, dodging sparks from some of the hanging wires. "I'm looking for youuuu! Come out, come out where ever you are!"

He stepped into the small room and looked over at Chey still sitting by the bound Chiana.

"Oh, there you are!" John chuckled as he stepped over to them and snatched the bowl from Chey. "What's this, pudding?"

Chey shot up swiftly and turned away from them, racing back into the corridor.

"Here we go," John smiled as he reached a spoonful towards Chiana. "Down the hatch!"

Chiana reached out for it, craning her neck as John held the spoon just out of her lips reach. She followed his movements as he slowly swayed the spoon from one corner of her mouth to the other. She began to tremble again, whimpering as tears threaghtend her eyes. John brought his face closer, turning his face with hers towards the spoon and then dipped it into his own mouth.

Chiana screamed, bucking in her restraints as John laughed. "Oh temper, temper!" He chided, stirring the bowl just over her face until she calmed down.

He straddled her as he pulled up her tank top, dipping another spoonful into his mouth. Chiana let out a sharp shout as she kicked out again, pressing her face and lips against the wall.

John dug up another spoonful as he sat on her. He poured the contents of the spoon out on her stomach, spreading it up to her chest and around her breasts. Chiana's eyes darted to their corners with wild intensity, the flat of her tongue pressing on the wall as she watched him suck on her stomach, licking the substance from her.

"Tsk. Tsk." Harvey shook his head as he stood at Chiana's feet.

"What?" John twisted his brows as he looked up. "Mmmm, tasty!" He laughed as he took another spoonful and began to wave it in front of Chiana's lips.

Chiana slid her cheek down the wall, staring off at nothing as she didn't respond.

"You really should untie her."

"No," John stated as he waved the spoonful at Harvey and then dipped it into his mouth. "I shouldn't. Beat it Harvey you're egging on my nerves!"

"She's been there for an entire weeken John," Harvey commented as he squatted down. "If she doesn't have any real food soon, she'll die. So will you."

"We'll be near a planet in a couple arns," he sniffed as he waved the last spoonful under Chiana's nose, still getting no response from her. "I'm not starving her, we're out of food. C'mon Chi, I'll let you have this bite, honest."

Harvey sighed to himself, shaking his head slightly. "You must find Moya John. Or Scorpius. You should listen to me, there is no telling how much longer this contemptible brain damage of yours I can maintain."

"YOU!" John pointed the spoon at him. "Aren't maintaining squat, so take a chill pill before I tie you up with Chiana."

John rocked back as the ship veered. "What the!"

He whirled around, starting for the command center.

He planted his hands on his hips as he sharpened his brow at the helm where Chey was working over the controls, trying to repair some of them. The view screen in front of her was fuzing and spritzing in and out but John could make out a reddish brown planet.

"What are you doing?"

"Landing," Chey stated as she glared back at him.

"Get away from it," John ordered darkly as he pushed her aside. "I can land this dump."

"Allow me to drive," Harvey offered. "You'll only experience a momentary lapse ... I'll free Chiana and have her and Chey assist ..."

John snapped his fingers at his forehead. He pointed at Harvey without looking to him. Biting his lip. The wall behind Harvey suddenly opened a gaping mouth that let out a hollow scream, strands of wiring gleamed as fangs. A tongue of weaving, dark tubes coiled out of it, wrapping around Harvey's waist and sucked him into its mouth. It began to chew, growling and snarling worse than John's stomach as it drooled a dark liquid.

An explosion rocked through the helm like a shotgun blast, smoke filling the command. "Scotty report!"

"She's breaking up captain!" He answered himself in a bad Scottish accent. "I canna' hold her much longer! Dar be whale dren in the bleedin power drive!"

"Great Scott!" John laughed to himself as he dove the ship through orbit, heading helter skelter towards a citadel. "Anty Em! Anty Em! Ohhh no mr. Bill!"

"And what if you crash?" Harvey asked as he came to his side again. "And you do not survive? Least of all Chiana tied up against the primary conduits of the drive main frame."

"What kind of idiot puts drive main frame conduits through a frelling walk in closet?"

"Perhaps," Harvey tilted his head. "Because it is the main engineering! You would have noticed that in your right mind John."

"So I'm using the left," John bit his lip as he gazed out at the fuzing approach of land.

"The hull is breached," Harvey noted as John felt a strong, cold wind rush through a hole below the screen into the helm. He threw his forearm up to block his eyes from the debris that began to whirlwind around him.

*********************************

In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight

Hush my darling, no fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling, no fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight

*****************************

The ship hit the sands just beyond the citadel and skidded, rolling on its side like a car crashing down hill for what seemed like forever. When it finally stopped it filled the ground with its oils like a bleeding, wounded, trashed beast as steam and smoke rose from it. Several places began to set flame.

The hatch blew. John staggered out, dragging Chiana behind him. He fell over into the sands with her, groaning as he gently pressed his fingers to his bleeding nose.

Chiana opened her eyes slowly as she drew her hand up through the sand to the side of her face. She rested her head on top of her hand as she stared at him. "Did you get the supplies?"

****************************************
 
John felt himself rising back to consciousness, feeling every bruise and his broken nose. He looked up to see someone dragging him by his feet. It looked like Harvey ...

"Harvey," he barely spoke. "Harvey you can't do that you frelling pooka!"

He looked over, seeing Chiana was being dragged through the sands as well by her feet. Her captor/rescuer looked like Aeryn in her traveling cloak. "Aeryn ... thank God ... Aeryn ..."

He rested his head back into the soft sand, allowing himself to be dragged as he gazed up at the purple sky. Slowly a ship came into his view, it looked like a Leviathan's pod. He closed his eyes as relief washed over his broken body.

John found himself dreaming he was on Moya with the crew. He was searching for wormholes just as he had been doing on the piece of junk he just crashed. He was gazing out the portal screen, looking through a wormhole when Aeryn stepped to his side. She was smiling as he took her by her hips and pulled her closer to him. He buried his face into her chest, smelling her sweet scent as his broken nose throbbed.

"Hello John," Aeryn smiled as she pinched his nose. "This is going to hurt immensely."

"Hit me with your best shot," he smiled. He heard a crack as small stars exploded through darkness in his vision.

"Ghhhaaaaa!" John bolted up, his hands rushing to his nose as tears poured from his eyes. Chiana pushed him back down to the floor, tilting her head as she gazed deeply into his eyes.

"Shushhh!" She whispered harshly.

"My nose!"

"It was broken," she stated as she glanced behind her. "Had to reset it. We're - we're on a Leviathan."

"I know," he pushed her away as he sat up. "Gha - stay the hell away from my nose! Where's D'Argo, Aeryn ..."

"We're not on Moya," Chiana sighed as she got up. "I heard them - call it Raishen ..."

"Who them," John sighed heavily as he stood, staring at the bars of the containment cell.

"Them, them," Chiana pointed out to a man in a long black cloak with a pulse rifle strapped to his back. He seemed to look human enough except for the two long tanka's tied together at his back and leaf-like nose.

"Ilanics ..." John snorted. "Ilanics?"

"Pirates."

He chuckled as he turned to rest his back against the wall. "What is it with you and pirates?"

"What are you talking about?" She whispered harshly as she glanced around him. "Look, all they want is for us to work for them. I say we play along for a little while. It's free food, free quarters and a ride to Almeda."

"And what - pray tell, is Almeda," John grumbled.

"How am I supposed to know?" Chiana asked defensively as she tilted her head. "It's gotta be somewhere better than where we have been - chasing your frelling wormholes. I'm ready to do something different for a change. I want to go to Almeda and check it out."

"I'm hungry now. I say ditch these bozo's. Keep our freedom and find some munchies."

"Look," Chiana cut her eyes at him as she balled her fist up against the cells bars. "You said Moya has me and you on board already, which means nobody is looking for us except the Nebari. Peacekeeper's, Scorpius, whatever, they're all after the other you and we aren't doing dren out here because we can't go anywhere. Unless you want to find Moya which we can do if we can get this ship ..."

"Okay, okay fine," John sighed, waving her off as he slid down to sitting as he closed his eyes. "I'll look for Aeryn after a nap."

Chiana slid her fist down the cell bars, gazing out to the cell across from her as she came to sitting squat on her haunches. Her expression was solemn, quiet as she watched Chaelsmond scoot up to her cells doorway from where she was sitting and gaze out. Chiana tilted her head, studying her expression for long moments before she eased back into her cell.

*****************************************
 
Siouxie and the Banshee's
Spellbound

From the cradle bars
Comes a beckoning voice
It sends you spinning
You have no choice...
You hear laughter
Cracking through the walls
It sends you spinning
You have no choice
Following the footsteps
Of a rag doll dance
We are entranced
Spellbound
And don't forget
When your elders forget
To say their prayers
Take them by the legs
And throw them down the stairs
When you think
Your toys have gone beserk
It's an illusion
You cannot shirk
You hear laughter
Cracking through the walls
It sends you spinning
You have no choice
Following the footsteps
Of a rag doll dance
We are entranced

***************************************
 
John kissed her softly, the sweetness of her kiss lingering on his lips as he moaned. He ran his hands up her thighs as she came over him, laying on top of him as her warm fingers slid down his chest.

He shuddered as Aeryn's hands snapped open his pants, her hand coming to his hardness gently, massaging it as she kissed him more deeply. A soft moan escaped her over his lips as he ran his fingers through her hair, up her scalp. She slid his pants down in a quiet earnest. It reminded him so much of when they were caught in the flax, it was so hot in the room, so suddenly. He raised his hips, allowing her to pull them down. Her warm stomach glided across his hardness. He began to tremble from the deep longing that rose up within him. His hands searched her sides, kissing her neck, her chin, her tender lips as he felt her wetness, hot and desiring along his hard shaft.

He moaned, his body shuddering again with the deep pleasure, the sudden rush of entering her. He could feel her warmth, spasming around him already in the exhilaration of having him. Her breaths came in sharp, quiet gasps, desperate for more of him as her hands grabbed the sides of his head.

He grabbed her hips, his head arching back as he let out a deep, loud moan, not wanting this dream to end as he thrust into her, holding her hips tightly, pushing her down on top of him. He thrust repeatedly, harder each time until he felt himself exploding within her, his hardness throbbing deep within her warmth as he sat up. He wrapped his arms around her, grasping into her hair as he choked into his hoarse out cry.

John laid back, breathless as he stared into Chiana's eyes as she followed him down. He swallowed hard as she traced her fingertip down his chest, rocking at her hips to thrust his continuing throbs into her. He closed his eyes as he rested his hand on her arm. "This is why I tied you up in the first place ..."

"Shhhh," Chiana pressed her finger on his lips as her breath came warm to his ear. "They brought us something to eat, they'll be back shortly for us to work or something ... I want to look around the ship."

"Mmmm," John let his hand fall as she slipped off of him. He rolled over, staring at the bowl of steaming food at his face as Chiana sat cross-legged beside him and began to eat.

********************************************
 
Chiana gazed over the Pilot den as she, Chey and John were escorted inside by one of the Ilanic pirates. Raishen's pilot looked up with a glare in his eyes.

"What is this intrusion for?"

"Good question Pilot," John stated as he hopped up onto his console and peered over at his control board. "We're lost right? This doesn't look like the rail road tracks boss!"

"Fix the starburst," the Ilanic stated. "The girl said you could fix the starburst."

"She did," John eyed Chiana as she quickly averted her eyes from him. "If we're here to do a job for you then why are we prisoners?"

"If you can fix," the Ilanic glared at him. "Then you can join the rest of the crew to the dining bay in six arns."

"You don't mind brushing off then do you," John commented as he picked up a Drd and turned it over. "So we can work without feeling like we're prisoners. Y'know, prisoners tend to do bad things - when they want their freedom bad enough."

He lifted his eyes up to the Ilanic beneath his brows as Chiana turned her gaze on Chey with a solemn expression. Chey seemed to be ignoring everyone as she climbed over Pilot's console to get a look at his panels and crystals.

"Tick," Harvey said as he sat down next to John, smiling as he brought his lips fairly close to his ear. "Tick ... tick."

"Not now Harvey I'm talking to somebody," John stated, still glowering at the Ilanic as he brushed at is ear as if swatting for a mosquito.

"My name is Almeda," the Ilanic stated as he turned as if to leave, his sharp glare resting on Chiana. "Someone will come check up on your progress in an arn."

"Alrighty!" John spun around when Almeda left, aiming the Drd at Pilot. "What seems to be the problem, turn your head and cough ..."

"You'll have to go down to the neuro cluster to find out," Pilot snipped as he batted at John's legs to make him move them out of the way of his control board. "Raishen was damaged when we were attacked in a convoy and none of the crew know how to help nor can they afford any real expertise Raishen needs for repair and healing."

"I thought you guys were pirates?"

"No," Pilot gave him an odd look. "Raishen has a tendency for rebellion and ... but our crew ..."

"You're pirates," Chiana glowered at the pilot as she came up to the console and slapped several tubes on top of it. "I heard them talking about how much you guys got away with trying to snurch dren from the other ships in your convoy. Your Leviathan's wounds are from the retaliation!"

"Ahhh," Pilot glanced between them and then turned his attention to his console. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"Can I have a pulse pistol?"

"No," Pilot blinked as he looked up at John again. "I need your assistance with the damages, or you can get off and stop wasting my time."

"Oooooo," John smiled as he jumped down. "So snarky, I like that. Let's go Pip!"

Chey hopped down and followed after them, catching up with Chiana. "Did you notice - Almeda is the Ilanic?"

Chiana gaped at her, blinking several times when she turned the expression to the den doors. "Uhh, he was? He was ... I knew that."

"Pilot," Chey paused, watching Chiana and John continue out before she turned back around. "What is Raishen's next destination?"

"A Zenetan station in the Fi sector," he stated as he looked up to her. "Which will be a very long time from now if we cannot starburst. If you wish to leave - I can arrange you a transport back to the planet without being noticed." He returned his attention to his console. "You do not seem to fit in with the other two."

*******************************************
 
John ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the gaping hole in Raishens neuro cluster.

"Not much damage ..."

"It'd take an army of Drd's to fix this," Chiana muttered as she stepped into the explosion. "Are they serious? We can't fix this."

"You're the one who said we could," John pointed at her. "What I want to know is where the rest of this so called pirate crew is."

"Tick," Harvey spoke up as he came along John's side. "Tick ... Tick ..."

"Tock," John stated flatly.

"Tick ..."

"Tac Toe ... would you!" John whirled around, swinging his arm out at Harvey. "Knock it off!"

Chiana eyed him as she set the tubing she had gathered earlier down where she knelt. "Maybe the pirates aren't even on board ... left us down here to - to ..."

"I'm sure it's gotta be more simple than this," John sighed as a Drd came up to them bearing comms. John snatched his from it. "Pilot! What gives man? There's a big - gaping hole down here. Did anybody bother to mention we're not Leviathan technical engineers? What are we supposed to do, pull spare parts out of our ass?"

"You could not possibly repair all that damage," Pilot returned. "But, you can start in the restoration of starburst by re-linking the ..."

"La lalalala," John shook his head as he rolled his hand in front of his chest. "I get it, recombooberate the discombobulator. So where's the rest of the crew while we're doing this?"

"Almeda is assisting in the restoration of the helm link," Pilot returned. "Nisdra and Derain are doing a duct sweep for missing Drd's that were taken out of line, Jhrauk and Farren are making things worse in maintenance bays four and six ... Serk has returned planet side in search of parts and Raus - is preparing the tow ship to take us to the Zenetan port station in the Fi sector. Anything else?"

Chiana turned to rewiring some of the ripped and halfway melted lines, trying to drown out John's mixed up ranting between himself and his Scorpius mental clone. She heard the comm the Drd had left beside her giving off static, glancing to it. It was a distracting noise. It seemed like the only noise out of all the ones around her that she couldn't just faze out. It sounded like someone was trying to whisper through the static.

Chiana gasped, sucking in her breath as Johns hands came around her waist and stood with her. His lips came to her neck as he ran his hands down her arms, grabbing her wrists firmly. He placed them against the wiring and pipelines.

"How did you get us here Chiana?" He asked as he looped wires around her wrists and then turned to drawing the end of his nose along her cheek as his hands slid down her torso. "What are you planning?"

"Scor ..." Chiana tried to breath as she glanced to his face. "Harvey ... nnnnn - I can explain."

"On the contrary," he spoke in a gentlemanly voice, his hands wrapping around her buttox as he slid her pants down. "Your actions are to be commended. Your plans - they are including the goal I requested you to reach with Crichton?"

Chiana nodded uneasily, closing her eyes as his fingers trailed over her hips and into her warmth. "Get - get to Moya." She tried to smile as his hardness pressed against her through his tight leathers. "W-w-w-we gotta find her first. You - you said you couldn't control John."

"I can't," he muttered, sighing near to a growl. Chiana straightened against him as much as her bound hands would allow as his hand glided over her woumb, his finger reaching into her. "But there are moments - like the last time, and like this one ..."

Chiana eased in her breath, trembling as pleasure sweeped through her. She rocked slightly at her hips as she turned her face to his, her breath drawing out deeply. "Last time ... you forgot to untie me."

"This time isn't for sheer pleasure my dear," he licked his lips as he pressed her against the pipes and conduits. He moaned through his breath at her ear as he filled her with his fingers, drawing his thumb richly across her clitoris. "I want you to get to know the crew, find out their defenses and weaknesses, if the Pilot holds any alliance to them."

Chiana groaned, clenching her fists as his slow thrusts sent waves of pleasure sweeping through her. He pressed against her harder, his teeth grating along the back of her shoulders, nipping at the back of her neck. His fingers continued to glide against her warmth, increasing the pleasure to his slow, powerful thrusts. Chiana cried out through the charred network of wires and anamoxis tubes as the increasing pleasure spasmed through her. She twisted her hands in their bonds, gasping into each twist of his fingers as they searched to reach deeper inside her.

"We're going to take over this ship," he muttered darkly as he pinned her comm to her. He smiled as he trailed the tip of his tongue down her chin line, drawing his hands away. "Listen Chiana, listen closely ... they're trying to contact you. You can hear them can't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yesss," he whispered into her ear as he began to ease away from her. "You do."

Chiana glanced around herself wild eyed, her lips trembling as she waited for whatever was going to happen next. There was only silence, the usual hums of a Leviathan amid the speratic noises of its damage. Somewhere not far off John started singing to himself, unaware Harvey ever slipped out from him. Chiana swallowed as she prepared herself to call out to him to untie her. She could hear the static of the comm again, distracting from the other noises. It sounded again like someone was whispering through the static ... but, how could Harvey know?

"anwethisfrellcansomebodyshesresistshhhhshehas somebodylisteningthisisressshhhh ..."

Chiana gaped at the wires wrapped around her wrist as she rested her head on the pipe it was bound to and tried to discern what was being whispered through the comm.

"thisisressshhhhistancefrellikansomebodyhearmeshe saysoresistismayrecievingkishhhisishhhh ..."

****************************************
 
"Chey!" John shouted as he pulled out a twining of anamoxis tubes. "Pilot, where's Chaelsmond?"

"The other Nebari female expressed a desire to leave," Pilot reported through his comm. "So I have authorized her a few supplies and ..."

"No you haven't!" John shouted as he began to run.

"If any of this crew wishes to leave ..."

"Frell that!" John shouted again as he made his way for the docking bays. "This isn't how this goes down! Stop her right now! Stop her or you people can find someone else to frell with the starburst!"

He came into the corridors, meeting an Ilanic male in his path. John grabbed the pulse pistol holstered at his side and shoved him to the floor. He dashed past him, gaining the docking bay in enough time to see Chey drop a capsule from loading it into the cargo hatch of a ship and lunge herself into it. He ran for the ship as the hatch began to close. He yanked it back down and ran inside.

He came out pulling Chey, holding her by her throat against his chest. He raised the pulse pistol as Almeda, another Ilanic and a man who looked to be Sebacean came into the bay with their weapons raised.

"Help me!" Chey pleaded as she grabbed John's forearm, trying to pull it from her neck. "They're keeping me prisoner! They're insane!"

John adjusted his hand over her mouth, keeping the pistol steady on Almeda's face. "Are we getting you guys starburst," he asked calmly. "Or did you bring us on board to pry into our business?"

Almeda snarled at him, growling as he raised his pulse rifle to rest it on his shoulder. "Do what you want, but don't expect us to keep an eye on her. If she gets away from you, she gets away."

"Ohhhhh," John smiled coolly. "Is that so. I seem to remember having to sabotage our transport pods to keep her on the ship ... it's a long way to sector Fi, isn't it? Allot faster to get there if you starburst? Let's see, how long is that? I'm thinking maybe over half a monen at full hetch drive if you get lucky ... it's not too late to just dump all three of us back where you found us Almeda."

"Then we'll just keep all three of you locked up in the containment cells when you aren't working," Almeda narrowed his eyes on him. "You are my prisoners if that's what I want you to be. I could get a nice price from you in sector Fi, especially you." Almeda nudged his head at him. "Unless, you prove you're better at being a crew member. You just may enjoy what we can get more than that tralk of yours."

John pressed his lips against the side of Chey's head as he eyed him. "I'm keeping the pulse pistol."

"Keep it," the second Ilanic, Jhrauk, sneered at him.

John laughed as he aimed the pistol at him and began to back away to the cargo bays until they were out of sight.

He pulled Chey down between the crates, laying on top of her as he pressed the pistol against the side of her head. She sucked in her breath, tensing as he used his other hand to pry her pants loose and pull them down. He kissed along her neck, breathing deeply as he pushed her legs apart. Chey turned her head to one side, gasping as he forced himself into her. He grunted, the pulse pistol falling away as he reached for her breasts. Chey strained to grab the pulse pistol, wrenching her face as it moved just at her fingertips. She strained harder until her hand slid over it. John's hand ran harshly through her hair as he began to thrust harder, groaning as his other hand pulled her leg up. She grabbed the pulse pistol up, gasping for her breaths as she clumsily tried to rest the barrel on his head. She closed her eyes, wrenching her face again as she turned it away and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. She opened her eyes, groaning wild eyed as she tried to pull the trigger again and again.

"God frelling damnit!" She growled in a harsh shout as she slammed the pistol against the side of his head, getting no effect from him as he continued his thrusts, moaning into the side of her own face.

********************************************
 
John sat down to the table, rubbing his hands together as he licked his lips at the grub the crew had set out and began to make plates of. Chiana sat gawking at the rugged crew of bandits as they talked to each other as if she, Chaelsmond and John weren't even there.

Almeda, Jhrauk and Farren were Ilanics. Serk and Derain looked to be Sebacean while the only female, Nisdra was a Vorcarian Bloodtracker.

"Welcome aboard," Jhrauk sneered at them as Chiana began to help herself before they emptied everything onto their own plates. John and Chey finally seemed to snap to the idea and did so as well.

"He's strong," Nisdra smiled at John and then looked to Chiana. "And well built. Are you willing to share him?"

Chiana smiled as she gazed up at her beneath her brows. Serk laughed as he shoved John's shoulder. "Go on, have her you Peacekeeper tralk!"

"I'm not a Peacekeeper," John snapped as he raised his pulse pistol to Serk's head. "I'm not Sebacean - don't push me."

Chiana shot up and snatched the pulse pistol from him. She sniffed at it, batting his hands away when he tried to grab it back from her.

"What are you then?"

She aimed the pistol at Nisdra. She stood swiftly, sniffing at both of them, her dog-like nostrils flaring. "He's a Banik."

"I'm NOT - a Banik!"

Jhrauk raised his pulse rifle, leaning over his plate of food as he pointed it at him. "Nisdra says you are a Banik. Are you questioning her word?"

"Fine," John blinked slowly as he bit his lip. "I'm a Banik."

The crew laughed again, Jhrauk the loudest as he planted his rifle down next to his plate and looked to Chiana. "So what's a pretty Nebari like you doing with a Banik slave?"

"Ohhhh, you know," she smiled with a tilt of her head, squeezing an eye shut as she pulled the trigger several times on Nisdra. "He's ..."

"Not her slave," John cut in as he side kicked Chiana's foot with his own. "Give that back!" He protested as he yanked it out of her hands.

Chiana hissed, jerking her head around as she slapped his shoulder. She chuckled her laugh as she sat on her feet on top of her chair and started to eat again.

John smiled as he kissed the barrel. "Sweet Wynona!"

"You can't call that thing Wynona," Chiana cut her eyes to him. "The other - there's already a Wynona. Besides, it's not even loaded!"

"Watch me," he grunted as he pulled the cartridge out. "Hey, there's no charkan oil in this gun!"

The crew chuckled at him as Serk shoved him in the shoulder again. "Fekkik! You can have a loaded weapon if we think you'll make a good crew member. You have to earn our trust."

John half turned, swinging out with a sharp jab that caught Serk across his jaw and sent him sprawling to the floor. "Oh, are you through eating? Let me finish this off for you."

He grabbed Serks plate and planted it on top of his own. "Yeah buddy the grub is ON!"

Serk shot up, standing over John for long microts.

"That's my food!"

"So what," Almeda glared at him. "You'll have more than a Hynerian could eat in a weeken when we get to the Fi sector with the bounty we made."

"But that's MINE!"

"Is it?" John asked as he punched Serk in the crotch. Serk groaned as he doubled over. "Oops I'm sorry!" John boasted as he grabbed him by a wad of his hair and shoved his face into his knee. "Damn how clumsy of me! Well, there you go Shemp, have a nap. It's on me."

The crew spouted into laughter again, jeering at the unconscious Serk sprawled out by his chair.

"Not bad for a Banik," Farren smiled as he stuffed bread into his mouth.