Chiana Always Did Have a Habit of Doing What Chiana Wanted ....

Inquirer

"Excellent," says D'Argo's voice over the comms. "I'm very relived to hear it. Now, will someone please tell me what the frell is going on?"

Zhaan throws back her head and laughs, but the moment does not last long.

By the look I can see in her blue face I rather can guess that she's wondering what is up as well. She, like many of the others, have a LOT of questions. D'Argo's right to wonder. Has every right to wonder. There are many unanswered questions here, and many problems to deal with. Can almost my fellow midwives asking themselves: "I wonder what these strangers' next move will be?"

Point in fact, I d*mn well *knew* that such a moment would come and I must thank the Creator that the Doctor had, despite the rather chaotic aftermath of our hasty retreat from the moon's surface and emotions still running high over concerns about our collapsed friend and mage teacher, Sigin, he thought to take time out to PREPARE. Would have suggested it myself in a few minutes, but my dear husband (amazing as always) was one step ahead of me.

I always did admire his ability to keep a good head on his shoulders in a tense situation.

It started out with him trying to ease our minds a little bit. Some of us were still running a bit "hot" from recent battle (B'Elanna in particular). She was still swearing up a storm, softly, over not having been able to have finished off Scorpius off then and there on the moon's surface. Cursing and muttering questions on what it would take. Kryptonite? Silver bullets? Buffy?!

Oh, before you ask, she'd gotten hooked on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" after Ragan and Betty showed her that series.

That aside, later I would find out that Scorpy had a bad habit of coming back and back yet again, but that's later.

Anyway, the Doctor eased us into a lighter mood by bringing up an old question that had been asked years ago in jest by one of our friends. He'd just smiled slightly when Betty said she had a pretty good idea on that factoid, but had just smiled and "clammed up" after that.

Frankly, the Doctor had been a bit curious himself (joking aside) about how accurate that guess would be.....being that that particular question usually never came up in the course of things even after his newest Companions came aboard over a decade ago.

So, he asked Betty about that very thing.....knowing that such a question out of left field would do wonders on distracting some of us into a more....suitable state of mind.

We do it mentally, of course, by telepathic conferencing in order to reach each other since we were running all over the TARDIS (either putting Sigin to bed or whatnot). This particular time we knew we had "secure" lines from Stark (who seemed to not be able to but overhear us, alas, ohterwise without some kind of blocking spell). The Doctor's mind, being as formidable as it was, was able to parry Stark's inadvertent eavesdrops, after all.

That and right then and there he was more interested in trying to help Zhaan recouperate. Looks like he's got it bad for the lady, I feel.....

Oh, my, Betty chuckles. Every time anybody asks me that, I have to figure it out all over again, because I can never remember my line of reasoning! Okay, your TV counterpart. Hmm. Let's see, he said he was 739 in "Brain of Morbius." (I think... it may have been 729 or even 749. I could look it up if it's actually important to know the details.) And I *seem* to recall him saying he was 700-and-something in the first "Key to Time" episode. And there couldn't have been *that* much time elapsed between the period from which "our" Doctor was taken out of the show (so to speak) and the "Key to Time" arc, because he pretty much had human companions with him through that entire time period. So... I think there was more reasoning to it than that, but I'm pretty sure my final conclusion was that he was about 700 at that time we came to Terra Prime (of course, a decade or so has gone by, so he's a bit older now, but what's a decade or so to a Time Lord?).

The Doctor, I felt within him, was smiling and nodding.

Absolutely correct! the Doctor nearly shouted, yet again impressed by Betty's ability.

.....

You know, sometimes he admitted to me he sometimes still had to feel a bit unsettled over this business. But at least the ones who know so much about him have a sense of discretion as well as were very good friends, so he could live with it.

Which, Ragan put in from the side, By the way, since we're in the middle of this particular crossover, makes him younger than Zhaan. I find that thought somewhat amusing.

That brought a few chuckles as well (the Doctor's being a little rueful) while it brougth some kind of mutters, almost incoherent response from the still unconsious Sigin.

I learn later it was his age....right down to the second!

I do remember just why he can do that and for what reason he did what he did to know. Now, isn't like non-humans like him were the only ones who paid little heed to keeping track of calenders as far as births go back on Terra Prime. Up until recently the lower class (i.e. the peasants/serfs of that world) hardly cared to bother.

No, the only exception to this rule would have to be my friend, Sigin ("our" one who traveled around in the TARDIS with Dr. Who). I've talked with Sigin and Synizn about it and in order to keep his true faith (a Christian instead of a follower of Tiamat, the State approved religion) hidden from any agents of the Council of Wyrms of his world, he needed to have the tightest and best of mind shields. Mind shields that are of the type that don't advertise their existence in all but the most intensive of magical examinations. For that to work a prime prerequisite for that was to know himself in a very highly detailed manner and THAT included such otherwise trivial matters like not only the exact day, year and month of his birthday. It went so far as to know it down to the very SECOND! It's something that Synizn believe he learned from Sato....but I never really have asked, in order to not bring back bad memories of his old home. As for Synizn, it'd be rude to ask such a thing, dragon etiquette wise, so Synizn hasn't either. He (Sigin) cast that mind shield spell and it still stays in place even to this day, and only the most intrusive (and destructive) of mind reading spells will get through without his permission. AND because of that spell (which cannot be removed by him or anyone else without scrambling his own neurons), he knows down to the second how old he is STILL (and will continue to know forevermore). That....or the very natural (for dragons) event of "Eye meets Eye". Not even the most powerful of mortal spells I have ever even heard rumor of can prevent that if a dragon is still a dragon. Oh, change the dragon into another species will prevent it from happening (but not cure the condition once it takes place), but still....

Ah, but that's later....much as I will regret in part.

Sometimes it's eerie how certain things seem like to be a prophetic vision of sorts....

Okay, have a few more questions, I ask, getting into the act. Knowing that they needed asking, considering they might prove to be a factor. Might be good to know (in private) so not to be caught flat footed when the shoe falls....because I sure see a lot of possible problems with some of the "vibes" I am getting from what I've seen so far!

I ask and so....

Very *tough* questions, in fact! Betty says mentally, shaking her head slightly, But interesting ones. Let's see...

"How will Critchon react exactly, after he's gotten over the sense of unreality of meeting the Doctor and friends, when he finally figures out that perhaps the TARDIS can get him home?" she repeats. Crichton's reactions to the possibility of being able to get home, the times that it's come up, have been very, *very* complicated, so it's kind of difficult to say for sure. This being the first season, though, I think he'd primarily be very pleased about the possibility and would very much want to take advantage of it, although there certainly would be some other emotions involved: worry about the friends he was leaving behind/regret at leaving them (particularly Aeryn), worry over what kind of a reception he was going to get on Earth (the epsiode "A Human Reaction" is particularly relevant here, and is worth looking at if you haven't seen it)... that sort of thing. But he wants very badly to get home, and at this point in the show, he hasn't *quite* gotten as caught up in this new life of his as he later becomes (particularly with regards to Aeryn, although I think that's very much in the process of happening). He's likely to be a bit stunned and more than a little emotional about the prospect, I imagine. But he'll probably jump on it.

"How will he react to the news that it won't happen until this business with the Company goons done and they're defeated?" Betty continues, "Being that they might just cover bases and look for him there, sooner or later?"

He'd likely find it annoying, Betty answers, But figure that, of course, there's always a catch to *everything*, and the universe just doesn't like him enough to just hand him a ticket home with no strings attached. He's also *very* much likely not to want to go home if his doing so is going to endanger Earth by drawing it to the attention of people who are looking for him (and that *is* something that's addressed in the show itself, albeit considerably later than this). That and of course it wasn't the Company who he was worry about....but still.... Bottom line, I think his reaction would basically be to say, "OK, fine, let's defeat these guys, then, so I can get back home and see if my family's given away all my stuff yet. What do I do to help?" He's a pretty practical guy, that way.

Yep. Was hoping for that.

"How will he react to this business about TORG being real?" she repeats the question I asked her.

Probably the same way he reacts to "Doctor Who", etc. being real: "I must be losing my mind!" Betty chuckles softly, With appropriate insane giggling to back it up. But he'll roll with it, because that's what John does. He's an extremely adaptable guy and he's used to dealing with strangeness. (By the way, even as much as a geek as John is, I think it very likely that he's never even *heard* of Torg, so that being real is probably going to be far less of a shock than meeting the Doctor is. He'll probably also be rather interested in the whole "multiple realities" thing. He *is* a scientist, and he does find that kind of stuff interesting.)

I bet, Elrondir puts in from the side.

"How will the others react to TORG being real?" she continues, smiling. Which others? The Champions, or the other Farscape characters?

That one brings a laugh from all of us, appreciating that one!

Again, to the FS characters, Betty explains seriously, They're not having the shock of something they thought was fictional turning out to be real, so it's not going to bother them so much. Some of them might be interested in the workings of the whole alternative-reality thing: Zhaan probably, and likely Stark and Pilot, for various reasons. The more practical members of the crew (i.e. everybody else) are just going to be wondering things like: What do I have to do about this situation? and What am I going to get out of it? and Is it any of my concern at all?

The Champions, of course, really should be used to this sort of thing by now. the Doctor chuckles, throwing *that* one in to the mix.

Yes, we all should, but still!....

I have a quick question, B'Elanna asks from the side, remembering something she'd seemed to see between John and the others (and worrying about some of the possible implications of a love triangle or something), Frankly, will Gilina go with Chritchon to Earth? Think that Sun was still up in the air, if the moment ever came. Will the willingness of one tip the scales in their favor with John?

She was getting some bad "Elvish vibes" over that one.....

Betty and Ragan blink at THAT one, themselves, but....

Oooh, now, *that's* a very interesting question... Betty mentally says, slowly. I suspect at this point that Aeryn *would* be a bit reluctant to come with him, though she might be more than a little tempted. I suspect she'd say "no," though, and at this point I think John would be unlikely to push her too strongly. (Although he *would* offer. Heck, he already *has* offered, as early as episode 9.) If he did push her, she might reconsider, but she's going to be very torn over it; she knows that she wouldn't fit in on his world. Gilina, now... Gilina very well might go. Her career in the PKs is definitely over, she has nowhere to go (even more so than is the case for Aeryn), and she *is* very much smitten with John. On the other hand... I dunno, if she wanted to come, I don't think he would tell her no, but my gut feeling is that a long-term relationship between them might not ultimately work... And if John happens to have the same gut feeling, it certainly puts him in a very awkward position. Hmmm... Honestly, there's a huge, complicated emotional mess to be dealt with there. It's the sort of thing they'd probably manage to get a good five or six episodes out of on the series, at least.

Then again who knows about what any supposed relationship between John and Gilina will do...

Then again, Ragan puts in, It is not something we'd better try to jump into to try to resolve. None of our business, right?

A chorus of very strong agreements meet that one! Even we Champions know where not to probe into! But we'd better be ready just in case to try to do something in case it got so ugly that blaster bolts or whatever start to fly!!

See, if John should be hurt or killed, we would have a serious problem. The wormholes here in this universe as well as back on the "whoniverse" Earth we'd just left are behaving well enough, that cannot not remain so forevermore! When it starts to fall apart, look out! The way those things are acting (what with them not collapsing but instead growing STRONGER) we could start having chunks of planets or people getting sucked up here and there.....

Oh, yes it could!

That is one thing we, at the very end, must addresss.

Which is going to take, I fear, what we must do in order to save the day. Key thigns we will need will be inbedded within the High Lords of Torg and....

Shit.

....

Well, we had finished up with all that and pretty much agreed on honesty (coached or otherwise) would be the best policy.....with data and explanations aplenty to back it all up to convince even the most heavy of doubters.

Given D'Argo's nature it takes a LOT....

So much so that we Champions all overlook two rather...."loose cannons" in it all.

See, while I was explaining it all and the others were doing what they needed to do (details not needing explanation right now because we need not bore you despite the details being needy), we overlooked two people of Critchon's team.

Rygel, being the sneaky SOB he can be, had somehow sneaked aboard the TARDIS and stumble across the room that mimicked perfectly Sigin's old dragon lair back home! He couldn't get close enough to go inside to see Sigin (who was back in dragon form whilst he was in a trance trying to accelerate his recovery), so only saw a few big piles of gold and gems! Couldn't force himself to get closer because old warding spells prevented anything larger than three feet tall from getting inside (demifoxes being keyed in as an exception).

Well, Rygel wasn't a Terra Prime demifox and so the magical wards that Sigin had set up to keep Betty's cats out (still alive after all these years due to good futuristic vets). Being that the dragon's lair had things in their which could be fatal to those two, well.....

Anyway, despite being something of a rival to Chiana in the sneak department, he soon came up with a sure proof plan on Chiana sneaking in and "liberating" some booty and such. Somehow he figured the exception to whatever was keeping him out (if not the true nature of it...thinking it science based), so he needed a partner (human sized or such) to make this worth his while. And it was worth it in his book!!

......

Uh, there are reasons why us females stay damn far away from Sigin's lair when he's using meditation techniques to recover from magic spell fatigue more quickly. He's put himself in such a death like state that accidental "Eye meets Eye" (the dragon's feature of "instant and permanent love" between mates) could....happen with one of US! Oh, the chances are small indeed since the elves are already paired and I am paired (i.e. married). The checking of souls that "Eye meets Eye" should take that into account, despite it going haywire (if it happened) and doing it between species. The normal course of things have that thunderbolt like event happening between dragon and dragon.....

But things happen, you see. Back on Dragon Fred's world with Malachi D'Honaire, the dragoness had been mortally wounded. Fred came across the dazed and wounded dragon and looked into her eyes (re: 1364)..... Okay, the short of it was though Malachi got healed by Fred (long story), so one bad thing didn't happen (i.e. Dragon Fred would have been suicidally depressed with her loss), but he and she were not able to put aside what had happend. So entwined were their hearts that Fred, upon getting a chance with a powerful Atlantian artifact called the Crystallic had it change him into a DRAGON!

A dragon slayer turning himself into a dragon.....

That's how disruptive and penetrating such a thing as "Eye meets Eye" is, you see. Makes you see exactly what kind of person the dragon (or dragoness) spirit is and such. And vice versa.

Needless to say Dragon Fred (like all the other Freds of Terra Prime) don't do their old racket any more because they've learned that not all dragons are monsters. Gilmuriel could tell you all about it, but that is not important right now.

At first when we all see her stumbling about, with her eyes having gone pale as they were, Betty and Ragan had thought she'd gone blind like she had a habit of doing later on into this Farscape series stuff. She started to have powerful visions of the future and such from some kind of brush with a powerful creature, but they kept leaving her temporarily blind (for longer and longer periods of time).

Oh, but the thing is she's not blind! Can see perfectly well, in fact!

When her eyes shift from their pale coloration to pure gold, the others of my group fall silent when we kind of figure it out when we see Sigin (back in human form) stumble in behind her. This fiasco at least had "recharged" him so he's no longer on dredges, but....

Hair mussed up as much as Chiana's...with the same goofy smile on his face....

Still smiling, Chiana blinks and then....reality kicked in....and she.....

Screams as she realizes somewhat what has happened.

See, later I'll find out from Ragan that it's due to Chiana being the free spirit she is, she isn't one to....

Uh, let me put it this way. It pretty got summed up in a later discussion I had with Betty and Ragan.

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," I say softly. "What was *that* exactly about?"

I knew something of what had happened, but you've got to admit I was totally at a loss at why Chiana was freaking out so much!

Betty stops, staring at me instead of staring aghast at the scene before her.

"Right," she says to herself, "You wouldn't know...."

What she says plays pretty much into my rather quick assessment of Chiana, but did show a decidedly twisted situation that she and she ALONE (Chiana) had only herself to blame.

See, later if all had gone by TV script, Chiana would have fallen for D'Argo for a while and a relationship would have been there....for a while. However, D'Argo had visions of a domestic life with Chiana that wasn't what the girl wanted. She couldn't force herself to break off the relationship, but instead forced D'Argo to reject her by cheating on him with D'Argo's son (who'd been lost and enslaved....long story).

Well, good news is that such a relationship between D'Argo and Chiana hadn't happened yet. Dont have to worry about D'Argo trying to duel with Sigin over the grey girl.

Bad news is that....uh.... Well, "Eye meets Eye" is permanent.....and Chiana's never going to be able to love (or even be INTERESTED) in anyone else but Sigin... To the point that she'll feel ill if she tried to force the issue....

"Okay," I say in a small voice, "That's....lovely."

That, of course, lead to me asking a question (quietly to spare Chiana's privacy with the others of her group....to not make her more embarrassed over this business than she's going to be for a while). Now here is (one of two) questions: If a romantic relationship was to still develop in this altered "timeline", could things turn out better if the one she is having a romantic relationship did not have visions of a quiet, domestic life?

"You mean, somebody other than D'Argo?" Betty said with a slight drawl. "Sigin, of course? As for the answer to the question... Well, it's.... The thing about Chiana is, she's very much not the commitment-and-monogamy type. Ofcourse, she's very young yet and, who knows, that may change with time, but for the moment, she wants to run wild, have fun, and do what she wants to do without considering the consequences to anybody else... All of which present something of a barrier to a serious, long-term relationship (as poor D'Argo found out...would have found out). Mind you, I don't think she was consciously thinking anything like "Aha, this will force D'Argo to reject me!" at the time. Now, that said, on the other hand, with somebody who accepts all that about her and isn't too concerned with the long-term, a happy relationship might be entirely possible. But....."

Ah, but that's not to be, now. Then again, that's not what Sigin "is about", either. See, Sigin has been a rogue dragon for a LONG time. Playing a game with his very life following what he believes in (if only secretly). Being who he is, he'd not force anything upon another like that. Not him....

Despite having access to that part of Sigin, Chiana's too wrapped up in her turmoil to be able to think (or feel) clearly at the moment...until...

Now, I and the elves alone know exactly what Sigin whispered to Chiana for her to calm down, and we will keep silent. There are some things that should be secret, after all....special though they are.

1. When done, however, a stunned looking Chiana barely manages to squeek out one word: "Really?"

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