Now married, Crichton and Katralla are frozen into living statues so that they may watch over the presiding governments of the next eighty cycles. Immediately, Clavor and the Scarran emissary Cargn attempt another assassination. Jenavian Charto again comes to the rescue, and she and the restored Crichton escape into the barren lands. Unfortunately for D’Argo, Chiana and Rygel, Empress Novia threatens the execution of every off-worlder on the planet if Crichton is not found. When finding John becomes a life and death matter, D’Argo turns to someone equally desperate to locate the astronaut: Crichton’s enemy, Scorpius.

Synopsis

Given that Crichton is a living statue the assassination attempt consists of the bad guys cutting his head off and dropping it in a vat of acid.

The first on the scene to rescue him is actually Scorpius but Charto gets the better of him and makes off with Crichton’s head which she managed to reattach properly before turning him back into normal flesh and blood. No harm done it seems.

Jumping forward, the bad guys are dispatched, the Scarran emissary kills prince Clavor, he’s not a good looser, Scorpius is sent packing and then it’s time for Crichton to be re-frozen. Only he can’t because the system was built for Sebaceans and a second run would kill him. It’s rather sweet when Crichton gets to ‘meet’ his daughter who won’t be born for another 80 years

and then says goodbye to Katralla.

Right at the very end and after staunchly denying her feelings for the whole story Aeryn finally makes a move, offering Crichton a compatibility test. From their expressions afterwards I think we can safely assume that the result was positive.