Chiana thinks Aeryn is feeling too much pressure. He should live in the moment with her, and not worry about their future together.

"Fast with the body, slow with the soul," recommends Chiana, providing an example -- rubbing her body suggestively against him.

Pilot calls them to the command deck. Peacekeeper defense satellites have surrounded the ship.

Moya chooses surrender.

"Fate has conspired to forge this alliance!" he proclaims.

The royal planet will receive them, but Tyno warns them that security is strict and they will not be allowed to bring weapons.

As they prepare to land, Crichton tries to talk to Aeryn, who says she wants her space.

The men talk later.

"My life has been one crushing disappointment after the next," D’Argo says, "but with this girl I have managed to find moments of pleasure. Don’t blow it for me."

Crichton gives his blessing, but asks himself, "Why am I always the last to know?"

They take a transport pod down to the planet, and find themselves at an odd party. Everybody is dancing and having a good time, but they are also putting small drops of liquid on the tips of their tongues and kissing.

Like Aeryn, the people of this system are Sebaceans. They rejected the Peacekeeper way of life centuries ago and found new homes in the Uncharted Territories.

Crichton offers to buy Aeryn a drink, but she’s still angry with him. The beautiful women who keep kissing Crichton do not improve her mood.

He doesn’t mind the attention, and gleefully shouts, "I am never leaving this world!"

On a balcony, Prince Clavor and his fiancée Jenavia watch the crowd. A monstrous Skarran agent – Cargn – watches with them.

They are concerned about Crichton; he’s an outsider and may complicate Clavor’s plans to become king. Cargn assures them that Princess Katralla’s altered genes will prevent her from being compatible with any Sebacean.

Rygel talks to Councilor Tyno in an attempt to find out why these people are holding a coronation before choosing the next sovereign. Tyno explains that the Princess is the legitimate heir, but she must find a compatible mate to be crowned. If she does not, her younger brother Clavor will become king.

Zhaan has stayed on the ship to get some peace and quiet. Pilot listens eagerly as she sings a haunting song to herself.

Meanwhile, D’Argo and Chiana decide to test their genetic compatibility, which is what all the kissing and liquid tasting is for. The kiss reveals that they can never have children, but as Chiana points out, they’re quite capable of giving each other pleasure.

Rygel and Aeryn notice Cargn. They’re curious what a Skarran is doing on a diplomatic mission.

Men keep approaching Aeryn. To ward them off, she kisses Rygel and loudly "discovers" that she and the Hynerian are compatible.

Pilot interrupts Zhaan’s song. A Peacekeeper command carrier is approaching -- Scorpius has found them.

There’s no chance of retrieving the others, so they decide to lure Scorpius away by attracting the Peacekeepers’ attention and starbursting a short distance out of the system.

Later, D’Argo and Chiana wander off, ostensibly to investigate Moya’s sudden absence.

Councilor Tyno approaches and asks Crichton to kiss another woman, the incognito Princess Katralla.

Crichton is nearly worn out, but reluctantly agrees. They kiss, look surprised, kiss again, and smile.

Clavor looks on and rages. Cargn orders him to control himself.

"What if their DNA is cohesive?" asks Jenavia.

Cargn says, "Then this pawn, whoever he is, must die tragically within a solar day!"

Tyno assures Crichton -- the only male they've found who might provide the princess with healthy children -- that while he’s not under arrest, he can’t leave.

"You would just have to be on this side of my life," Crichton says, "to understand how frelling insane that is."

As they walk along a corridor, Tyno tries to convince Crichton the royal life would be a blessing. Prince Clavor intercepts them in the corridor and suggests that it would be a curse instead.

Tyno wisely refuses to let the prince talk to Crichton alone, saying the empress has demanded that Crichton be guarded at all times.

"There’s always one in every family," Crichton observes later. Tyno says the princess’s birthday is just a few days away, when she must marry or Clavor will become the heir.

Aeryn finds D’Argo and Chiana, who confirm that Moya is no longer in orbit. Upon hearing about Crichton's current difficulties, Chiana blames Aeryn. If Aeryn hadn’t rejected him, he wouldn’t have kissed the princess.

Evil buys D’Argo a drink

Aeryn drags Chiana away to find Crichton. As D’Argo sits down again, a voice addresses him.

It is Scorpius. "I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure," he says.

D’Argo leaps over the table, grabbing a lamp as a makeshift weapon. Scorpius protests that he is unarmed and bears the Luxan no ill will.

Cargn and Clavor watch from a distance as D’Argo sits back down. Cargn is certain Crichton is working for Scorpius. He believes that the Peacekeepers plan to gain influence by marrying their spy to the princess.

After talking to Scorpius, D’Argo goes to see Crichton to explain the deal their adversary has offered: Crichton surrenders and reveals everything he knows about wormholes, and everyone else goes free.

Crichton will not turn himself in – and he’s not marrying the princess, either. D’Argo and Rygel counsel him to pretend he loves the princess, but he refuses.

"I’m going to tell a nice girl that I am not her ticket to the throne," he says.

Zhaan and Pilot have figured out that Scorpius hasn’t followed them. "Turn us around," Zhaan says, "immediately."

Pilot complies, but he warns Zhaan it may be difficult to find the star system again. Every time Moya starbursts, her navigational reference points become almost useless.

Empress Machiavelli

After assuring Clavor he has no interest in the princess or the throne, Crichton meets with Katralla and Empress Novia. He tries to tell the empress that he doesn’t want to marry her daughter.

"Why don’t you let your son be king?" he asks.

"Because he’s a fool," she replies. Clavor would ally with the Skarrans, breaking his people’s neutrality and ensuring their destruction.

Crichton remains firm. "There’s nothing you can say that will make me marry your daughter," he says.

She smiles and invites Scorpius into the room.

"My daughter or that abomination," Novia says. "Choose."

Crichton goes to the princess. "Princess Katralla," he asks, "will you consent to marry me?"

She agrees. Scorpius smiles benignly at the happy couple.

Hell hath no fury

Aeryn is disappointed, but Crichton tries to explain he’s caught between a rock and a hard place.

Their argument is interrupted by Dregon Casanova, a cousin of the princess. He wishes Crichton great happiness and tries to introduce himself to Aeryn.

Crichton encourages Aeryn to find somebody else to marry the princess. "And if I can’t?" Aeryn asks.

"Better wed than dead."

In the garden, Aeryn overhears a conversation between Katralla and Councilor Tyno. She is not looking forward to the marriage either – she doesn’t know Crichton and she is in love with Tyno.

"You must do your duty," Tyno counsels.

Aeryn passes this information on to Chiana and D’Argo, but Chiana still blames Aeryn.

"You should have told him how you felt when you had a chance," she says.

Moreover, Chiana has noticed Dregon’s attraction to Aeryn, and says she knows why Aeryn isn’t interested in him. "You only want what you can’t have," she says.

Back on Moya, Pilot reports that the Leviathan has sensed a strange but familiar signal, and is following it away from the royal planet.

A friendly chat

Cargn asks to give Aeryn a private message to Scorpius warning him that the Skarrans will not tolerate interference. He also wants to know if the Peacekeepers are the vanguard of an invasion force.

Aeryn attempts to excuse herself, but Cargn refuses. What he can’t learn from conversation, he’ll learn by telepathically dominating her.

They fight. Aeryn lands some powerful blows, but the Skarran is much larger than she is.

The empress interrupts. "Go on, kill each other," she says. "Save me the trouble."

Cargn stalks out of the room, and the empress and her retinue soon follow.

Rygel remains behind. "The longer Crichton plays the part he’s assigned," he warns Aeryn, "the longer we will keep our internal parts internal."

Aeryn tells him she will do what she thinks is right.

"For Crichton?" Rygel asks. "Or for you?"

A doctor takes samples of Crichton’s DNA. They have learned he is not Sebacean, but the information will be concealed.

Tyno and Katralla also know the princess's DNA has been poisoned. They suspect Clavor, but have no proof.

The doctors offer to show Katralla and Crichton a simulation of the child. The simulation machine fascinates Rygel, who wants one for himself. "How many nasty surprises could I have avoided?" he chortles.

Katralla asks for a simulation of a male infant, and it appears in her arms. Crichton’s heart is instantly won over.

Aeryn enters, and she and Tyno watch as Crichton coos over the baby. She angrily stalks out.

The simulation is advanced a few years to let Crichton have a brief conversation with his "son".

"He looks just like you," Rygel exclaims. "Yet he may be able to overcome it."

As the simulation ends, Tyno reminds Crichton that he has several more appointments. He must meet with a tailor for a fitting, and he will have to work on a pose for his statue.

Crichton thinks and decides he’d like to appropriate the classic British royal wave.

"Hardly a pose you’d like to hold for 80 cycles," Tyno comments.

Crichton is puzzled. What 80 cycles?

Tyno is surprised. He says, "I just assumed you knew!"

"Knew what?" Crichton asks.

Elsewhere, Prince Clavor is furious. He blames Cargn for Crichton’s compatibility with the Princess.

In his anger, he threatens to reveal his arrangement with the Skarrans to the Empress, and Cargn blasts him with a telepathic domination wave from his finger.

The Skarran asks, "Can you see past childishness and realize any betrayal means your instant death, even if mine follows?"

Clavor tells him yes, and Cargn turns his attention to Jenavia. He wants to know if she is harboring thoughts of betrayal.

"What was going through your delicate little mind?" he asks.

She chokes out, "I was hoping you wouldn’t wear that to our wedding."

Cargn drops her in disgust. "Destiny’s couple you are," he comments.

Moya stops in a glowing nebula. A bright stream of light flies in front of her. She recognizes it. It’s her creator and god, one of the beings that built the Leviathans.

Doesn’t anybody ever knock anymore?

Crichton visits D’Argo and Chiana to complain about the new wrinkle to his marriage. They are having sex again, but he ignores them.

D’Argo resignedly asks John to stay and tell them about it. Chiana leaves, disgusted.

After Crichton and Katralla marry, they will be turned into statues. They will preside over the Senate for 80 cycles, observing it and gaining experience in how to run the government.

D’Argo is sympathetic, but tells Crichton he has to go through with the wedding. "The alternative," he says, "is having your brain dissected by Scorpius."

Crichton points out that humans are a comparatively short-lived species, and he can’t afford to spend 80 years as a statue.

"When I get back," he says, "everyone -- my Dad, DK, my sisters, Cameron Diaz . . . Buffy the Vampire Slayer! . . . will be dead!"

D’Argo reminds him that he may never see those people again anyway.

"Hope," Crichton replies, "it’s what keeps you going. You’re going to see your son, I’m going to get home."

"I have hope or I am nothing."

On the other hand, D’Argo says, he will have peace, power, and a family if he marries Katralla. Perhaps this is his true destiny.

Crichton thinks he’s been spending too much time with Chiana. D’Argo points out that "under the fluff, she can make a lot of sense."

"Our time was good," D’Argo says, "we had each other when we needed each other. But now it’s time to look past your fears, see what’s on the road ahead."

Crichton resigns himself to the marriage, but only if D’Argo will be his best man.

D’Argo looks uncomfortable. "I’m with Chiana now," he tells Crichton.

You look strangely familiar

Crichton introduces himself to the tailor, Ro-Na. However, Aeryn promptly storms in and chases Ro-Na out.

"So you’re going to listen to D’Argo over me," she says, unable to believe he’s going to spend 80 years as a statue.

"It’s better than Scorpius!" he replies. Scorpius frightens him -- the memories of being interrogated are still raw.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," says Aeryn, "but there’s never been anything we couldn’t overcome together."

"Except each other," Crichton replies.

She refuses to come to the wedding.

"Don’t you think that there are things we need to say?" Crichton asks.

Aeryn replies, "What else can we say except goodbye?" She leaves him.

An agent enters and snaps the neck of Crichton’s guard. Four more agents rush in and subdue Crichton. The first agent levels the gun at Crichton’s face.

"Here’s your wedding present from Prince Clavor," he says.

He shoots, and Crichton screams.