Part 6

A brief flash was all that marked the return of Moya's return from Starburst a trail of metal, fluid and debris trailing in her wake. The Leviathan lurched; starting a slow tumble the added stresses further damaged the battered hull. The light from the nearby sun made the fragments glitter and shine as the seeping fluid froze in the cold of space.

John Crichton pushed himself back off the holographic table, rubbing his sore ribs as he looked through the darkened and smoke filled haze of Command to see how everyone else had fared in their rather abrupt starburst. The unpleasant smell of burnt electrical conduit and tissue assaulted his nose, but he ignored it.

Not surprisingly to him Aeryn was leaned up against the navigation console but looked none the worse for wear. D'Argo was picking himself up off the floor with the help of Zhaan. Rygel was quietly sitting in his throne sled not moving but appearing unharmed. Noticing Crichton watching him, Rygel simply nodded once.

A low, soft moan came from the other side of the holographic table where Chiana had been standing. Quickly rushing around the table, Crichton found her crumpled form on the floor. She cried out in pain as he started to turn her over and stopped instantly. Beside Chiana's right leg he could see a small pool of her bluish blood that was flowing freely from a nasty gash in her leg. Even worse, he realized he could see bone protruding through the skin.

"Zhaan! Chiana's hurt." John called out as he carefully tried to settle Chiana on her back. The Nebari's dark eyes opened and flew up to his face. He could easily see the pain and confusion in her eyes. When she struggled to rise he gently pushed her back down.

"Hey little girl, you just take it easy." John said soothingly.

"Cri.."

"Sh. Don't talk." John shushed her gently, smiling encouragingly at her. "Zhaan will be here in a second."

As if on cue, the Delvian was right at his side quickly looking over their injured shipmate as she spoke. "What are her injuries?"

"Looks like a broken leg, but she was barely conscious when I got to her." John replied, backing away to allow Zhaan more room to work.

Noting D'Argo and Aeryn watching the scene with concern, he nodded his head towards them. "You guys OK?"

"Fine, John." D'Argo replied, moving closer to kneel beside Chiana.

"Were fine." Aeryn replied, as her eyes quickly looked over the new sensor readings Moya delivered to the station. "Pilot, how's Moya? I'm getting some strange readings."

Silence was the only response, as the clamshell remained inactive.

"Are the comms down?" John asked as he hurried over to the tactical station and tried t bring up the internal scanners.

"No. Comms are unaffected." Aeryn replied.

"Aeryn, you check on Pilot. I'll handle damage assessment." John waved her towards the door and turned back to getting the damaged console to work.

"John, D'Argo and I are taking Chiana to maintenance bay to set her leg and to make sure there are not further injuries." Zhaan informed him as she assisted the Luxan in lifting Chiana from the floor. Chiana was apparently unconscious again and John didn't like the way she lay limply in D'Argo's arms.

"Go on. I can handle things up here. Just make sure Chi's OK." John replied, scooting under the table to yank away an access panel. After a few moments of splicing wires he heard the table hum to life above him.

Dusting off his hand he stood and brought up the information he was looking for. His eyes widened in shock at what the system checks were showing.

"Aeryn? Aeryn, you there?" John called out, trying to keep himself calm as he watched the holographic image before him slowly rotate.

"Yes, Crichton? I just reached Pilot's chamber. He appears to be fine, but half of his console has blown out. What is it?" Aeryn sounded slightly winded and annoyed through the crackling and static of the comms. Not surprising as Crichton figured she had run as fast as she could to the Den.

"We've got a serious problem. If I'm reading these readings right, Moya's propulsion is off line and we're slowly tumbling. Can Pilot straighten us out?"

"On it, Commander." He could barely hear Pilot's voice over the growing static, but sighed in relief. Without the symbionts help there was no possible way they could maintain the ship for more than a few arns.

As he watched the holographic table before him, he smiled as he noted the readings even out and the representation of Moya leveled off into a normal controlled flight.

"Crichton, Pilot says that we should be back on a normal course heading now." Aeryn announced.

"Yeah, that did it." Crichton confirmed. "I'm starting damage assessment now."

After several hundred microts of work, his comm crackled to life again.

"John? We've got a problem." Aeryn said quietly. "Meet me in Pilot's den."