Title: Uncommon Alliance
Author: Espiritu
Rating: T
Category: General, Drama
Spoilers: Common Ground
Summary: He never thought his worst enemy would become his greatest ally. Tag to Common Ground.
Author Notes: Real life has been doing it's best to keep me from writing. But with a mighty stroke of my trusty pen…er…keyboard, I briefly fought back its advance. This has been sitting on my hard drive since CG aired, waiting for me to put the finishing touches to it. I noticed a lot of other tags to CG already posted, but I decided to post it anyways. Since I held off reading most of them, any similarities to other stories are completely coincidental. Italicized dialogue is from Common Ground and belongs to Ken Cuperus.
Disclaimer: All characters and everything Stargate Atlantis is owned by Acme Shark, Sony, MGM, Gekko, and the SciFi Channel. Just borrowing them to take out for a fun spin.
Uncommon Alliance
I had lost track of time. Sitting alone in this dark and damp cell, I had only my thoughts to keep me company. Once I belonged to a band of brothers under the leadership of a strong female who ruled over her small domain with intelligence and wisdom. Now I was alone. Cruelly kidnapped and separated from my teammates while on a scouting mission, I was brought here to languish in hunger and darkness. To what end, I knew not. My captors were denizens of a planet my kind had visited in the not so distant past. I myself once walked upon their world with my fellow warriors, taking what was rightfully ours, and leaving their society in disarray. Though currently, it appeared the tables had turned back to their favor, and I was the one who had been overwhelmed and vanquished.
I sat in the corner of my cell, hidden in the shadows, wondering what plans my jailers had for me. My reverie on the fate that awaited me, however, was rudely interrupted by the sound of approaching guards. I heard the metallic clang of keys turning in the lock of the cell adjacent to mine, and then the creak of hinges, rusty from years of disuse, protesting the sudden movement as the door was abruptly flung open. Muffled voices reverberated down the hallway while the guards forcefully shoved another prisoner into the other cell before turning away to leave us both in captive solitude. Not having seen who else had suffered the misfortune of being the latest Genii acquisition, I could only guess as to what manner of creature now inhabited the neighboring cell.
No sooner had the cell door slammed shut, than when the new inmate yelled out to the retreating backs of the guards.
"Kolya! I didn't kill you last time, remember?"
Ah, a human voice! I was glad the voice was not one of my own kind. I did not want any of my family sharing my current predicament. Not getting a reply, he obviously took his frustration out on the door for I heard the sound of his boots kicking the metal bars before he called out again.
"You promised me points for that. Kolya! "
The one called Koyla wasn't present so I did not understand why my fellow prisoner wasted his breath, shouting out in vain to a man who could not possibly hear him in the depths of hell. Maybe he finally realized it too, for his next words were spoken softly as if he were berating himself for a previous error in judgment.
"Ah, damn it. I should have killed him".
Amused by his anger, I finally spoke, telling him quietly that he was wasting his breath. I had been trapped here long enough to know this one simple truth. The Genii who enslaved us would make their presence known in their own good time. It was pointless to deplete your energy reserves when you had no food to sustain you for whatever was to come.
The sound of my voice took him by surprise. His reply told me he had assumed that he was alone.
"Didn't know I had company down here."
He moved to the small opening that passed for a window in the wall dividing each of our respective cellblocks, hoping to catch a glimpse of me. I remained out of view, not wanting to reveal who I was. Instead, I tiredly told him there was no escape. This I knew. I had already tested my strength repeatedly against the bars that held me in, until I had finally given up and resigned myself to my fate. I would slowly starve to death until I was as much a dried-out husk as the many humans who had fallen victim to my unrelenting hunger.
"Yeah, well, prisons are like that. Never stopped me before."
He seemed to speak from experience, leaving me curious to know more about him. He continued before I could ask where he came from and why he was here.
"How long you've been down here?" He inquired, seemingly as interested about my recent past as I was about his.
I tried to recollect how long it had been since my capture before I responded to his question.
"Many years." I said simply, stating a fact I could barely believe myself. Had it really been that long since I walked free? The endless days of hunger had merged into one unrelenting agony until it seemed I had always been here.
My answer did not completely satisfy his need for more details of my imprisonment.
"How many is many? Five? Ten? " He prompted.
I grew weak from unappeased hunger and weary of his questions. I replied without emotion. "It no longer matters."
Whoever he was, he seemed unafraid of what awaited him as he coolly replied with a surprising irreverence. "That many, huh? What did you do to get here?"
I chuckled to myself in memory at the turn of events that brought me here, far removed from my home and all that I knew. There were many reasons that could be attributed to my being held against my will by the Genii, but I chose to give him the simplest explanation in that I merely allowed myself to be captured alive. In truth, a brief unguarded moment led to my downfall. A costly mistake that left me in the hands of the enemy and with a seeming eternity alone to contemplate my existence.
"Same here."
The succinct reply filtered over from the next cell though I still could not see its occupant in the dim light that shone through the small window. A shadow fell over the barred opening as he paced about the room. His voice echoed through the bars as he spoke again.
"Look, I've got people looking for me. When they find me, maybe we can both...uh..."
Whatever he wished to say was cut off by the return of three Genii soldiers. They strode by my cell and continued on to the next, holding their weapons at the ready. Since not one of them spared me a look as they walked by where I sat chained and forgotten, I knew that whatever they wanted, for once, it was not me. They stopped outside my companion's cell and within moments, I heard his door being unlocked, followed by one of the guards forcefully telling the other prisoner to move.
"Where are we moving to? " He questioned them as they entered his cell. I heard the sound of a gun cocking to encourage his compliance.
His response told me he was not one easily intimidated. Perhaps in another time and another place, he would make a most interesting adversary and worthy opponent. His nonchalant manner of speaking back to the guards was surprising and at the same time mildly entertaining. I sensed he was one who would not go down easily in a fight.
"I kinda like it here."
A shot rang out and hit the cell wall. I heard the shards of stone, shattered from the bullet's impact, fall to the floor at the same time the prisoner called out in distress.
The Genii ignored his cry of pain and told him bluntly that Commander Koyla was insistent to see him. Koyla! Pah! The very name made me hiss in anger. Oh, if I could only see that particular Genii fall to his knees before me as I feasted with pleasure and watch his face contort in pain as his life fed mine.
"Oh, he insists? Well, why didn't you just say so?"
I did not understand this human's need to antagonize those who held his life in their hands. Such sarcasm in the face of danger is something I had only rarely seen among his species. What did he hope to gain by his insolence?
I heard the sounds of a scuffle from his cell. It appeared he chose to fight his fate by attacking the guards who confined him. His efforts to escape were short-lived for the Genii who came for him used their energy staffs on him to render him unconscious. The sound of his body hitting the floor was followed by a terse order from the head soldier for his fellow Genii to pick the prisoner up. They passed by my cell as they dragged him away. I wondered of his importance to that cursed Koyla and what my role would be as this drama played out.
It was not long before the Genii guards returned. This time, they had come for me. I snarled in contempt as they entered my cell, beat me into submission, and then hauled me away. My hand and arm were steel-sheathed to prevent me from feeding in order to prolong my torture. I was too weak from hunger to put up much of a fight against their abuse. The years they have kept me chained and locked up had robbed me of my strength, leaving me a pitiful shadow of my former self. If I were in prime condition, these weaker humans who now held me down would have been no match against my insatiable need to feed.
They took me down the corridor, pulling me roughly along as I struggled in vain against the bonds that held me fast. We followed a winding route through the labyrinth of passageways and cells that made up this dungeon complex. Suddenly, one of the guards pushed open a door, letting in a bright light that temporarily blinded me after having languished in the darkened prison for so long. As I blinked my eyes, forcing them to focus in the harsh glare, I saw a dark-haired human sitting bound and gagged in a chair in the middle of the room. A host of Genii surrounded him as if waiting to watch something entertaining. In the corner talking into some form of communications device was none other than the bane of my present existence. It was Koyla!
As they dragged me forward, I hissed at the Genii commander whose eyes narrowed in wariness as I entered the room. When the captive in the center of the room noticed my arrival, his eyes widened in terror for a brief moment, then his expression became inscrutable.
I heard frantic voices coming from that communications box near Koyla. In an instant, I understood. The voices were of this human's tribe who could see the tableau masterminded by Koyla via some form of video transmission. The reason for my enforced hunger was now clear. I was to be another pawn in the scenario about to unfold. I was about to be the instrument of this human's torture.
"Oh my God." A female's voice spoke out in worry, perhaps his Queen or even his mate?
"Sheppard could have left you to rot down in that hole when we last met, Koyla. He does not deserve this." A male's voice entreated our jailer this time, pitched high with fear and dread.
The Genii commander answered matter-of-factly, yet I heard the malice underlying his words. "Let's be clear, Dr. McKay. No one does."
The female's voice implored him to not do what for them was a horrible thing, but for me was a natural instinct. For do not all living things need to feed? Should I be denied the basic right of survival simply because they did not approve of my choice of sustenance? Were they as sanctimonious as our age-old enemy, the Ancient Lanteans, who had thought nothing of playing God?
The guards stepped forward, unshackling my right hand before removing the metal sheath that covered my feeding cavity. I stretched my fingers and opened my palm wide in preparation for the chance to finally feast as the disembodied female voice continued to beg Koyla not to do this. The guards held me back as Koyla faced the screen and asked a final question.
"The choice is yours, Dr. Weir. Do we have an arrangement? "
There was no answer forthcoming from the video device. He hesitated for a moment before nodding to the guards to release me after taking the human female's silence for consent to proceed.
"Very well." At his reply, one of the Genii reached over and pulled open the clothing of the one they called Sheppard, baring his upper body to me.
I immediately rushed forward, snarling my joy as I smelled the scent of sweet fear mixed with anger and defiance coming from him. The intoxicating combination of delicious smells tantalized the voracious craving I had been unable to satisfy in so long, and I looked forward to the feast this strong, young human would give me. I slammed my hand against his chest, taking my first taste as his head tilted back and his eyes rolled back in agony.
I had not savored such defiance in so long! The tangy taste of it whetted my growing appetite and fueled my ravenous hunger. I roared in delight as I fed for the first time in many, many years. I had almost forgotten the pleasure I felt as I took another's life force, draining them dry as I ate my fill. I watched my victim's hair begin to gray and wrinkles appear around his eyes as I emptied several years of life from him. I knew the process was excruciating to him, yet he refused to cry out as so many often did.
I had barely begun to feed when I heard the female's voice repeated demands for me to stop. In deference to her wishes, Koyla called out to the guards and said that was enough. One of the soldiers prodded me with the electrified staff until its painful jolt of energy forced me to abruptly cease eating. Two others hauled me away from the banquet before me and dragged me out of the room. The last thing I saw as I was pulled away was Sheppard gasping for breath while he rolled his head weakly back and exposed the bloodied wound on his chest. The mark of my feeding now branded him.
I was unceremoniously dumped back in my cell, my arms re-sheathed and again shackled. The brief snack, as delectable as it was, did little to appease my hunger. If I were to stave off starvation, I needed to fortify myself with a full and lengthy meal. The small amount of nourishment I took from the man Sheppard would only last a short time before leaving me once again depleted of strength. I slumped down on the floor and leaned back against the wall to better conserve my energy and waited as I always did for what would happen next. It was not long before the guards returned, this time with Sheppard in tow. I heard them toss the barely conscious human into the cell adjoining mine. He moaned weakly as the Genii scum tossed him into the small room, locked the door, and headed off laughing among themselves.
Once I heard the human stir, I called out to him as I did earlier. "They called you Sheppard." I spoke quietly as if making conversation, knowing he still was unaware of my true identity. It sounded as if he were slowing pulling himself up off the dank floor, sliding back to sit with his back against the wall.
"Yeah, that's my name." He winced briefly before speaking again. "Pleased to meet you."
I could hear the aftershocks of his recent experience in the tone and the quality of his voice. "You're in pain." I stated, wondering how he would respond.
Through his distress, I could sense a trace of sardonic wit in his answer. "Well, I just got fed on by a Wraith. What do you think?"
Since I had never experienced being fed upon by my own kind, I was able to reply truthfully. "I would not know."
"Hopefully, you'll never have to find out." He groaned as he shifted his position, the fabric of his clothing scrapping against the stone wall as he moved into a more comfortable location. "I didn't think anything could hurt that much."
Still feigning ignorance of the events that occurred in Koyla's presence, I acted as though I was surprised by his survival. "You're still alive."
"Yeah, well..I don' know how many years the darned thing took off my life, but I'll tell you this. If Koyla's men hadn't pulled that damned thing off, I'd be dust in a flak jacket." I could almost hear him shudder in memory of the recent feeding.
"Do you blame the Wraith or the master?"
I was curious how he would answer since his thoughts on the matter would tell me much of the measure of this man. Something about this Sheppard intrigued me beyond the fact I smelled the blood of the Lanteans in him, and I wished to learn more about him. For the first time in my long lifetime, I sensed a strange bond forming with a human, a faint inkling that in some small ways, we were not so unalike. It was a curious and disquieting feeling, one I was not sure how to digest.
After a moment's pause, he answered my question. "I'm gonna go with both."
I attempted to explain my point of view to him, to make him understand how the world looked through my eyes. The eyes of his most hated and feared enemy.
"There is a difference. The Wraith must feed in order to live." I spoke the truth, though it was a truth he probably did not want to hear. Did the prey wish to know that the predator must eat?
I took note of his silence, hearing only his quiet, pain-tinged breathing in response. I continued to express how agonizing a long famine could be. "For Wraith, hunger burns like a fire." I moved over closer to the window connecting our cells, preparing to expose my identity to the man called Sheppard. I leaned over to the opening as I asked him what he would do in my place. "Tell me, Sheppard, if you found yourself burning alive, would you settle for just one drop of water...or would you take more?"
A shadow fell across the window as he moved closer to where I stood. Suspicion colored his voice as he asked me where I had heard his name. Stepping forward into the light, I finally revealed myself to him as I gave him the answer he did not expect. "Just before I started to feed."
Sheppard looked at me in shock, standing still for a moment as the truth sank in and his hazel eyes flashed bright with anger. He clenched his fists and began to pace back and forth in his cell as if to work off his hatred, fury, and fear with physical activity. Watching him and feeling the contempt he felt towards me, I could only wonder what thoughts were driving him to continue the relentless pacing even as his body was reeling from the debilitating affects of the feeding. I stated the obvious if only to make him conserve his energy.
"Your anger will only weaken you."
His temper flared as he shot back. "I don't think so."
Sighing in weariness, I told him that Koyla was in fact torturing both of us. Sheppard he tormented by making him the recipient of a painful feeding process, and me by teasing me with only a tantalizing taste before preventing me from eating my fill.
His sneering comeback told me he did not agree with me, not seeing how the experience adversely affected me. "Oh, yeah? What'd he do to you?"
"He stopped me."
"Really? And how is that torture?" He snipped back in distain of all I represented. Obviously, he never felt unending hunger or thirst that could not be appeased. He probably did not know what it was like to be so close to death and have the instrument of your salvation dangled just beyond your reach. The worst torture was not physical abuse, but psychological. The games of the mind caused the most harm. For some reason, I wanted him to understand this. I didn't wonder why I was compelled to make him see the view from my eyes. I didn't question why I felt the need for his forgiveness. Whatever the reason, I wanted him to understand that concerning some aspects of ourselves, we met on common ground.
"Have you ever known starvation, Sheppard? The few years I took from you are barely enough to keep me alive. The strength I gained from you is already fading."
"I don't really give a damn." He turned away from me as he answered, perhaps believing that not looking upon my face would keep him from seeing me as a thinking, feeling being worthy of his empathy.
I explained further. "You pace in your cell, cursing that I took years from you. I stand here cursing that I was not allowed them all. Each in our own way, we suffer."
My words only seemed to fuel his pent-up rage. He stormed over to the window, grabbed the bars, and glared angrily at me. "This might come as a surprise to you, but I'm not really in the mood for conversation. So why don't you just do me a favor and SHUT THE HELL UP! " He shouted through the bars separating us, his voice husky with pain and thirsty for freedom.
I thrust my arm through the bars in return, partly to release my own frustration and anger, but mostly to make him understand the simple fact of his current reality. "These are your last hours, Sheppard. If you wish to spend them in silence, then so be it."
It appeared this Sheppard was a stubborn man. But having felt his strong will to survive while I drained those few years from him, I was not surprised that he would not yet surrender to his fate. His reply was therefore not entirely unexpected.
"No. I'm getting out of here. I've got a life to go back to, and I'm damned well going back to it."
The anger of his words masked an underlying fear, doubt, mixed at the same time with a strong and quiet defiance that spoke volumes about the force of his will. In my prime, I would have probably bested him in sheer physical strength for the human body was weak compared to the might of the Wraith. Yet surprisingly, I realized that the strength of his spirit was indeed formidable and far more resilient and powerful then I ever had imagined. It made me start to question many of my previously held beliefs about his species. It left me curiously unsettled and unable to pass off my unrest as simply a side effect of my unappeased hunger.
Nonetheless, I stilled my disquieting thoughts and grinned in amusement at his bravado. "You're sure of that?" I inquired.
"Yeah. I've got friends. " A soft groan accompanied his reply as he sat down on the floor. " And they're gonna come for me."
I scoffed slightly at his comeback and wryly retorted. "I hope you continue to believe that the next time I feed."
He fell silent at that. Hearing him move away from the wall separating us, I guessed that he wished to be alone with his thoughts for the time being. The scrape of his boot heels against the floor in the far corner of his cell told me he had settled back down as far away from me as the small size of his prison allowed him. Obviously, my assumption was correct, and my companion evidently decided to end our conversation.
So be it. I was by now used to being left completely alone, neglected and forgotten. The long years spent in captivity had given me ample time to think and reflect on so many things. Things my Wraith brothers and sisters no doubt never contemplated in their daily lives. After all, how often does one truly think about what went on in the minds of one's prey? It was an eat-or-be-eaten mentality we so often lived by. Right or wrong, the basic need to survive tended to supplant all other concerns and considerations.
Yet there were many things about the Wraith that were hidden beneath the surface. Our culture was an old and rich one, one with a complexity most outside it never realized. Perhaps the others were too busy fleeing in fear to notice. Or, perhaps they were just like our most hated enemies, the Lanteans. They had been so arrogant in their assumed superiority, that they distained from bothering to acknowledge the validity of our lifestyle. But how the once high and mighty had fallen. Thinking the Wraith no more than animalistic killers, the Lanteans had sorely underestimated us. It had been the very mistake that had lead to their downfall all those eons ago. Though now I feared, the Wraith were about to make the same mistake. Having reigned supreme in the Pegasus Galaxy since we vanquished of the occupants of the fabled city of Atlantis, our own arrogance and complacency had grown until we were now repeating the Lantean's grievous error. We were now just as quick to dismiss these humans, thinking them beneath our concern or compassion, sparing them no more interest than in how they would taste when culled. However, some I had since observed, such as the man in the next cell, had shown me that there was much more to our prey than we had deluded ourselves into believing. Though our wisest holy men would most certainly take umbrage at this heretical notion, I now was convinced that these humans actually had souls. At least some did I mused, looking toward the wall beyond which the man Sheppard sulked.
I must have dozed off during my ruminations for I was abruptly woken by the clank of a cell door beside me. The muted sounds of a brief scuffle told me that the Genii guards had returned and were attempting to again retrieve the human. Phase two of Koyla's torment was apparently about to begin. Sheppard must have known it too, hence his need to put up a fight. Even though due to his weakened state, the outcome was inevitable. Sighing, I got up and stood in wait for the guards that were surely to come next for me.
They did not keep me waiting long. As soon as the first group of guards had unceremoniously ushered Sheppard from our prison ward, a second group--armed with their dreaded electric prods-- came to my cell. Unlike the human, I chose to calmly allow them to drag me away instead of baiting them with my customary snarls of fury. This time, I decided to swallow my anger, knowing I would again be allowed to feed. However brief, I needed that small amount of energy to stave off my lingering death even if for just a short few moments. Only a miniscule victory at best I know, but defiance took many forms.
As before, I was escorted down the long, empty corridor to presumably face yet another audience with that demon-spawn Koyla. The guards took great pleasure in taunting me along the way, periodically jabbing their weapons painfully into my back to keep me moving. If I ever regained my freedom, I would feed my need for vengeance on them first and enjoy every ounce of retribution I extracted from their deaths.
The sudden flood of light that spilled out from the door as it opened caused me to blink in response. Having been acclimated to the darker basement cell, my eyes took a minute to adjust to brightness of the room we entered. At first I only heard Koyla speaking, along with the more muted voices coming from the radio transmitter as Sheppard's tribe bargained for his life. Then the momentary glare faded, and I saw him sitting again in the same chair, handcuffed to prevent escape and gagged to muffle his screams. He turned to look up at me while I stood beside him, his eyes boring into mine, clouded with dread.
With barely a glance our way, Koyla turned his weather-beaten face back to the camera and addressed whoever spoke for Sheppard. "Doctor Weir. As promised."
A now familiar voice rang out over the radio. "Where's Sheppard? "
Koyla chuckled to himself as he listened to her demanding tone. "I'm pleased to see you're wasting no time. So neither will I. "
Koyla walked across the room, forcing the soldier manning the video recording device to swing it round to follow his commander's retreat to the other side of the room. When the camera was pointed at us, Koyla gave a slight nod to the men holding me back. The guards leaped back as soon as they released the restrictive sheath off my arm as I flexed my fingers and snarled in anticipation of this new opportunity to feed.
Still grinning, he turned back to the camera and again addressed the female he had referred to as Doctor Weir. "Will you turn Ladon Radim over to me in exchange for Colonel Sheppard? "
I saw Sheppard quietly and unobtrusively shake his head at the video monitor in response when no answer from the female was forthcoming. It appeared he wished to make that decision for her. I wondered at the importance of the one they called Ladon Radim, for the captive man before me seemed willing to put the safety of the man Koyla sought before that of his own life. What manner of human was he? Was this Sheppard really that much of a fool or was he in truth the most honorable sort of warrior? Was he the type who would actually protect the one indirectly responsible for his current predicament? Did his own life matter so little to him that he was prepared to throw it away?
Not noticing Sheppard's actions behind him, Koyla grew impatient and prompted the female to answer. " Doctor Weir? "
This time she responded with a quiet and forceful no. Her reply caused Sheppard to nod slightly in approval, and giving Koyla impendence to proceed with his plan.
The Genii leader merely shrugged in reply. "I can only conclude you doubt my sincerity."
Turning to his entourage of guards, he nodded his head towards the two holding me captive. As soon as they released me, I swung around to face Sheppard, shoving my hand forward until my open palm was directly over his chest. As ravenous as I was, something in Sheppard's eyes as he looked up and stared directly into mine caused me to hesitate. Whatever regret I may have momentarily felt was quickly overshadowed by my need to feed. Ignoring Sheppard's silent plea, I slammed my hand down and prepared to take my fill. My victim's face contorted in pain as I began to suck out his life energy. Once again, I had barely begun to draw newfound strength from Sheppard's life force when the guards, at Koyla's bidding, dragged me roughly away from my meal.
As I released my hold on Sheppard, he gasped for breath, the gag over his mouth puffing in and out with each wretched exhalation. His once black hair was now gray, matching the pallor of his drawn and wrinkle-hewn face. His eyes had lost their intense focus, as if they now were looking inward in a vain attempt to escape the pain. The years I took from him left him pale and sunken, yet somehow not yet vanquished. Most humans would have given their spirits over to their impending fate at this point, becoming as much a shell of their former selves inside as well as outside. But not this man Sheppard. Impossible as it seemed, under the pain, under the exhaustion, under the fear, a seed of defiance and a ray of hope still remained.
Koyla glanced his way for a brief moment with a look that managed to combine the indifference often given to the downtrodden with the admiration only reserved for great leaders. It was a look that gave me pause and made me wonder what history Sheppard shared with the Genii. Koyla then looked away, speaking again to those who watched the proceedings through the lens of his video machine.
Staring into the camera, he spoke tersely. "Three hours." Before Sheppard's tribe could speak in response, the light on the camera shut off as he abruptly ended the transmission.
As before, I was taken away back to my cell before Sheppard. Several minutes after my guards turned the key in the padlock, securing me back behind the rusty bars, two more of Koyla's men entered dragging a semiconscious Sheppard between them. Opening the cell adjoining mine, they hauled his unresisting body inside and dumped him on the floor. I heard a faint scrapping sound beyond the wall dividing us as Sheppard wearily pulled himself semi-upright before settling back close to the wall. I looked through the window and in the dim, dust-filtered light, saw that he was sitting slumped with his back to the wall, his legs stretched haphazardly out in front of him.
I couldn't resist cruelly taunting him. "Where are your friends? "
Weak as he was, he still replied with some determination and certainty. "They'll be here."
Not knowing his friends, I very much doubted they would or could find him here. I scoffed at his steadfast belief that they might still save him. "You still believe that."
Perhaps he knew something I did not, for he answered unwaveringly. "Yeah, I do. They just need more time."
I knew more about this place than he did, however. After all, I have languished here far longer and had seen all too well what end awaited the inmates of this prison."No one has ever left this place alive."
On his future plans for escape, he was resolute. "Yeah, well, I'm going to."
I was equally certain he would never make it out of here alive and well. "Kolya will kill you before your friends have a chance to reach these cells." I told him with confidence, knowing Koyla's ego would never let Sheppard best him and survive.
There was a pause before Sheppard spoke next as if he were deep in thought. "How well do you know the layout of this place? "
Was he crazy enough to actually think any escape plan would work? Did he think if his friends even found this place, they would be able to free him? I reminded him of the futility of such an exercise. "Well enough to know what they would be up against."
Painfully pulling himself to his feet, he staggered over to the window separating us and peered at me. "What about us? Do you know enough about this place to get us out? "
I looked at him as if he had gone insane. "You and me? " Was he actually proposing we form an alliance?
Seeing my hesitation, he sarcastically asked. "What, are they gonna let you go after I'm dead? "
"No." At least that much was obvious. No matter what happened, I would never be set free.
Sheppard continued to argue his case. "Then what've you got to lose? "
Since I had already lost my hive mates, my family, my home, and my freedom, there was only one thing left for Koyla to take. "My life." I said simply.
He shot back at me, making me snarl at him in annoyance. "Oh, yeah, you've got a great one down here. "
Ignoring my anger, he pressed on, intent it seemed on convincing me escape was within our reach. "Listen, it makes sense. We have a common goal."
I don't know if it was fear or stubbornness that made me continue to resist. "As I said before, there is no escape."
Had the years of captivity finally robbed me of all fight and made me a weakling who would give up so easily? I turned away from his earnest determination, not wanting to see the fire still apparent in his eyes. His defiance mocked me, reminding me of a time when I would have never let my enemies conquer me without my taking a stand to fight back. Had Kolya finally broken my spirit? I walked to the far side of my cell to be alone with my thoughts as I tried to decide what I would do next. Sheppard, in turn, moved away from the window and left me in peace to contemplate his idea.
It was a few hours later that the Genii returned for us. The slamming of the door that led out of our cellblock roused us both. Following their previously established routine, one set of guards came to release me while the second set continued to the adjoining cell that held Sheppard. As my guards pulled me forward, I heard one of Sheppard's gruffly tell him to get moving. As we both stepped simultaneously from our cells, we looked at each other in silent communication. He glanced away for a moment, before turning his head back in my direction. Whatever he may have had planned was struck down before it began. One of the guards decided to ward off any possible resistance by punching him in the face, forcing him back towards the cell door. Slightly stunned, Sheppard straightened up and chose to comply for the time being as let himself be lead away. I was pressured into following them with a few quick jabs of the stunner against my back. Sheppard walked ahead of me to his possible execution with his head held high. I, on the other hand, looked furtively around me, occasionally voicing my displeasure with random snarls and hisses at my captors. With my hands shackled, I was prevented from doing much else until a better opportunity for escape presented itself. I would bide my time, for my time would come. I had a feeling the human before me would see to that.
We were brought back to the same room as before to again be spectacles in Koyla's video drama. Sheppard was shoved down into the chair reserved for him in the center of the room and bound and gagged once more. The guards pushed me over to stand beside the chair, released my bonds, and then stood back to leave me alone next to Sheppard.
Koyla looked over at me with contempt in his eyes before ordering me to take my fill. Without hesitation, I savored the chance to feed on Sheppard. His strength became mine as I slammed my hand down onto his exposed chest and began to drain his life. His head rolled back from the pain, the sinews and tendons bulging in his neck as his muscles tensed in agony. His eyes were closed tightly to hold back the tears of anguish, and his breath came in short, gasping spurts as he endured another feeding. The gag wrapped across his face muffled whatever screams raged in his throat, muting the sounds so they echoed silently into thin air. The horrified reactions of his clan mates could be heard as their cries of dismay filtered through the audio speaker of Koyla's video device that allowed them to bear witness to Sheppard's torture.
I fed for but a short time before I withdrew my hand and stepped away from the semi-conscious figure slumped in the chair. I tread a fine and desperate line as my hunger battled against my honor. Sheppard was right. We needed each other if we were both to gain our freedom, yet I needed to feed to have the strength to make the attempt. I fed as much as I dared before he was too weakened to be of any use.
Koyla stared at me in annoyance and demanded that I explain my actions. "Who told you to stop? "
I did not want to tip my hand and make him suspicious of my intentions to spare Sheppard. The lie I told, as I looked Koyla in the eye was not so far from the truth. Although I had taken many years from him this time, I had stopped before I had drained him past the point of survival.
"He is near death. Shall I finish him? " I asked the Genii commander as I held my hand poised in readiness inches above the oozing wound close to Sheppard's heart.
Koyla gave me a look of disgust, and then glared down at the human. The warring emotions of vindictive cruelty, pity, and a grudging respect played across his pockmarked face. In the short time I had come to know Sheppard, I realized that he carried the warrior's code of honor in his heart and soul in contrast to the older Genii commander who debased that very code by his mere presence. Men like Koyla held no such valor, no such integrity, nor no such honor. He was soulless, full of malice, and the epitome of the darkest evil. Unlike Sheppard, he was not worthy of the title warrior.
Looking back up at his guards, Koyla ordered them to get me out of there as if I were a mere speck of filth beneath his feet. Abiding by his wishes, the guards dragged me away, leaving him alone with prematurely aged Sheppard who sat slumped weakly in the chair. As we walked out of the room, I managed to hear Koyla telling Sheppard's kind that they had only two hours. What the deadline portended, I was uncertain, but I assumed it was the timeframe allotted until the next and final feeding. We were running out of time. If we were to make our escape, it would have to be soon.
This time, Sheppard was unconscious when they brought him back to his cell. He did not even rouse when the guards roughly tossed him back in the tiny, dank room, letting his limp body fall heavily to the floor. He lay sprawled out on the hard, dirty surface, oblivious to anything around him. I sank down on my own floor to sit quietly and wait for him to finally wake up so we could put a plan into action. I only had to hold vigil for about an hour before Sheppard began to stir in the next cell. Standing, I walked over to the window and peered through it to watch the man still lying on the floor.
Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he groggily looked up and noticed me watching him. With a weak smirk he said. "You know, I could've sworn I was gonna wake up dead today."
I was amazed at his endurance and told him as such. "You are strong. Stronger than any human I have ever fed upon."
He seemed truly surprised to still be alive and breathing. "You stopped yourself. " Behind his simple statement was the unspoken question why I had not finished him off during the last feeding.
I drew out my explanation by not giving him a complete answer to the reason why, only an affirmative that it had been my choice to stop earlier. "Yes."
He stubbornly refused to let the matter go. "Why? "
Sighing, I finally answered him in full, acknowledging the fact that I had decided to enter a temporary alliance with him. We would need each other to outwit Koyla and his men in order to make our escape. "Because the longer I feed, the weaker you become ... and we will need what strength you have left to escape."
The irony of the situation was not lost on him. It was with much sarcasm that he replied. "Oh, now he wants to escape! "
I merely shrugged back at him before we began to argue the pros and cons of various plans for our upcoming escape. After some debate, we finally settled on a means that would work for us both. Now we only had to wait for the guards to return to put our idea to use. Much would depend on our skill and cunning to overpower the guards, and much more would depend on sheer luck. As the holiest of our Wraith holy men would say, only the gods knew what destiny they have in store for beings of mere flesh and bone.
We were ready this time when the guards came to collect us for Koyla's amusement. Sheppard was once again lying on the floor, saving his strength for what was to come. I alone stood in the center of my cell, prepared to strike when the moment was right. Under the pretense of submission, I allowed the guards to lead me from my cell as Sheppard too was escorted from his. His passive stance was short-lived. As soon as he cleared the doorway, he suddenly hurled himself back against the guards, knocking them against the bars of the cell door. While Sheppard threw one of the dazed men to the floor, I grabbed one of my own guards and flung him violently across the room. After incapacitating the first man, I turned my attention to the second. I wrapped my shackle chains around his neck, tightening my chokehold until he slumped limply in submission. I slammed my arm repeatedly against the hard stone wall until the lock on the sheath binding my hand shattered and fell free. With my hand now uncovered, I could feed at will on my former tormentor. Snarling in triumph, I felt a surge of renewed energy as his life drained into mine.
The continued sounds of fighting from the next cell told me Sheppard was still in the midst of dispatching his guards. I heard the solid crunch of bone impacting metal as Sheppard swung one of the Genii around and smacked his head into the cell bars. The heavy thud as his body hit the floor told me that Sheppard had succeeded in overpowering his captors.
I, however, could not say the same for me. The guard that lay on the floor at my feet regained consciousness as I finished feeding on his colleague. Before I could shove the dried-out husk out of my way, the revived guard reached for his gun and fired several times in quick succession. The bullets tore into my chest, ripping through my body with a fiery, burning pain. Bellowing in agony, I sank my nails into his chest and took back the life he had stolen from me. Gasping his last breath, his rapidly aging face went slack as death overtook him. Leaving his withered body on the ground where it had fallen, I stood back up and hastened over to Sheppard.
My fellow escapee looked up at me nervously as if he were expecting me to attack him next. I stood motionless, showing him I planned to advance no further and that for the moment he was safe. Hesitating for a few seconds, he shrugged before tossing a set of keys to me. Grunting in response to the trust he had shown me, I quickly unlocked the shackles still bound around my wrists and ankles. As I freed myself from the remaining vestiges of my long captivity, Sheppard bent down and retrieved a radio and another pistol from one of the guards lying still at his feet. To my surprise, he stepped forward and offered one of the guns to me.
"Which way? " He asked me I as took the weapon from his outstretched hand.
Nodding my thanks, I answered before leading him out of the cellblock. "This way."
As we made our way down a dimly lit corridor, Sheppard suddenly pulled me aside to take cover behind a pillar. Up ahead was the exit out of this demon's pit, but it was blocked by three more of Koyla's men. Sheppard peered out cautiously from our hiding place to ascertain whether our entrance had been noticed. Meanwhile, I examined the weapon Sheppard had given me to familiarize myself with its operation before we mounted a surprise attack on the guards. Obviously I was holding it incorrectly. For when Sheppard turned back, he glared sharply at me and slapped his hand down on the gun barrel, pushing it away from his face.
Rolling his eyes at my perceived incompetence, he held up the radio he had taken from the guards during our jailbreak. He pressed down on the button to activate it, and watched around the pillar at the guards ahead of us. One of them looked down at his own radio as it suddenly came to live, emitting static as it received the transmission from Sheppard. No sooner had the unfortunate fool glanced away from us, when Sheppard sprang out from the sheltering shadows, snuck up behind him, grabbed him around the neck, and reached around to stab him in the chest. Simultaneously, I pounced on another guard, and with a vicious twist, snapped his neck.
As I killed the guard, the third man recovered from his initial shock at our surprise ambush and fired his rifle at me. Once again, I felt the hot, molten pain of bullets ripping into me. I snarled as I grabbed my injured side, but managed to hold my ground. After shooting me, the guard turned his attention to Sheppard who spun around to face him, holding the dying man he'd stabbed in front of his body to act as a shield. The third guard opened fire. The bullets, meant for Sheppard, instead impacted his fellow Genii, tearing bloody holes below the jagged knife wound. Reacting quickly, Sheppard drew his own gun, pointed it underneath the rifleman's upraised arm, and fired twice, killing him instantly. The knife made a wet, sickly sound as Sheppard pulled it from the chest of the man he still held upright. As soon as he retrieved his weapon, he released his hold on the guard's lifeless body, letting him drop heavily to the floor.
As I walked over to where Sheppard stood, I ran my hand over my wounds, inspecting their severity. The pain was sharp, but it served to hone my senses and focus my attention. For the first time in many years, I felt fully alive. Such was the power of freedom after so many years of captivity.
I glanced up at Sheppard who looked at my wounds in concern. Responding his silent question about my well-being, I replied. " It will heal." Heading off, I beckoned him to follow my lead. " This way."
Sheppard reached down and commandeered the dead guard's rifle before hurrying after me. It had been many years since I found myself anywhere outside the confines of my prison cell. Driven by instinct more than memory, I ran up a flight of stairs and strode through a maze of rooms and corridors. Not wanting to the human to know that none of these passageways were familiar to me, I continued to walk with feigned confidence. Sheppard either believed I knew the way out of this complex or else he also was not one to admit when he was lost. Amused by this thought, I continued to lead us on a circuitous path in the hopes of finally escaping this place.
After backtracking a few times down dark, musty passageways, I found a ladder leading upward along a damp cement wall. Figuring the only way out of our underground prison had to be upward, I started climbing the rusty rungs after waving to Sheppard to follow. With a quick glance behind us, he shouldered his weapon and scrambled up after me. The ascent was shorter than I expected. About 30 feet above the floor, the ladder dead-ended at a hatchway. Stopping, I looked back at Sheppard who was a few rungs below me. He peered up at the metal cover and shrugged noncommittally. With nothing left to lose, I turned the latch and pushed up against the heavy barrier.
The corroded metal creaked in protest as I forced the long-unused hatch open. A rush of cool, night air greeted me when I raised my head out through the opening. Breathing in deeply, I took in the welcome scents of the forest around us. After so long in the dank darkness below, I had almost forgotten the how sweet was the smell of freedom. I climbed out and stood upon the planet surface for the first time in many, many years. I drank in the sights, sounds, and scents around me, scanning for any Genii in the immediate area. As far as I could sense, the clearing and surrounding tree line were free of Kolya's soldiers.
Behind me, Sheppard hauled himself wearily out of the hatch. After catching his breath, he scanned our surroundings as he tried to get his bearings in regards to our location. Looking across to the woods ahead, he asked me how far it was to the stargate.
If he thought we would be able to simply walk up to the stargate unchallenged, he was a fool. I reminded him that by now our escape would have been noticed, and Koyla would certainly be anticipating our most logical course of action. " It will be guarded."
He seemed unperturbed by this fact. His nonchalant attitude suggested prison breaks were a common occurrence in his life. " We've got guns."
I scoffed at his confidence. "They will be waiting for us."
"Don't be so negative." He quipped back.
I would have chuckled at his comeback had the gunshot wound in my side not decided to suddenly erupt in sharp spikes of pain. Unable to suppress a groan, I sat down wearily on the edge of the hatch. The strength I had gained for the earlier feeding was ebbing away as my injuries taxed my body's ability to heal itself.
Surprisingly, Sheppard seemed worried about my survival, though his concern might have had more to do with the fact he still needed me to find the stargate.
"You think you're gonna make it? "
If I were to fully recover from my wounds, I would need more sustenance and soon. "If I feed. " I tiredly informed him.
The memory of his all too recent feeding experience caused him to answer with a mixture of trepidation and anger. "Well, don't look at me! "
Summoning what little strength I had left, I tiredly stood and turned to face him. He backed away cautiously, raising his gun, and aiming it at me in defense. Instinctively, I drew my own weapon, pointing it at him. Neither of us backed down for a long moment, not wanting to concede the upper hand to the other. Old habits die hard. Our newly formed alliance seemed destined to fail so soon after it began.
Sheppard was the first to break the stony silence. "We make it to the stargate, we both go our separate ways. Until then, we're gonna need each other. Deal? "
Seeing the wisdom of his words, I conceded to our continued truce. Nodding reluctantly in compliance, I lowered my weapon. As soon as Sheppard followed my lead and pointed his gun away, I turned and walked away, knowing he would trail behind. We left the clearing and entered the nearby forest in the hope that the dense woods would provide some measure of cover should we run into any Genii soldiers searching for us.
I lost track of time as I concentrated on not only remembering the way to the stargate, but also on keeping my growing pain and exhaustion at bay. The effort it took to accomplish both tasks left me more and more drained as we staggered along. Sheppard was either growing impatient or beginning to doubt my ability to lead us.
"I was blindfolded all the way to the bunker. It wasn't this far." His tone voiced his growing suspicion and annoyance at our situation.
Sucking in a wheezing breath, I responded. " If I could just move faster … " My attempt to increase my speed only resulted in my stumbling and falling to my knees, as the encroaching weakness overtook my failing body.
Stopping alongside me, Sheppard announced. "We'll rest here a few minutes. "
I told me to go on without me, knowing I was only slowing our progress and hastening our demise at the hands of the Genii who surely must be following hot on our trail by now.
An emphatic reply from Sheppard stilled my argument. "No. The gate's guarded. Got a better chance to take down the guards in a crossfire. I still need you. "
I was too bone weary to do anything but acquiesce to his wishes. "Very well. "
He looked around in a vain attempt to get his bearings, for his sense of direction appeared no better than mine at the moment. "That is, even if we're going in the right direction."
He waited a beat before turning back to face me once again, his eyes narrowing in silent accusation. "You have no idea where the stargate is, do you? "
Slumping in tired resignation, I admitted that it had been too many years ago for my memory to be trustworthy. As far as I could remember, the stargate could be over the next hill or half a planet away. The details of my capture and subsequent journey to Kolya's underground lair had grown hazy with the slow passage of time.
I did not know if Sheppard's anger was directed more at me or at himself. He paced furiously as he berated himself. "Way to go, John! Listening to a Wraith! "
"It was not my intention to deceive you, Sheppard."
In truth, had I wanted to deceive him, I would not have chosen a method that also put me at jeopardy. Getting us both lost defeated the purpose of me making a solo escape. Sheppard simply glared at me in response. Whatever thoughts he had on the matter did not get voiced, as the sudden activation of the radio on his belt distracted him from further comment. The sound of one of Koyla's men filtered out through the static as he informed his commander that reinforcements had arrived at the stargate.
Koyla's voice came through next loud and clear as he gave his men their standing orders. "Kill the Wraith on sight, but I want Sheppard alive."
The human most wanted by Koyla turned to me and smirked. "Well, we learned two things: one, he likes me better than you ... "
I appreciated his wry wit though I wondered how his sense of humor managed to endure under the circumstances. There he stood weakened from the years I took from him, forced to depend on his sworn enemy for his survival. I doubted I would have found a reason to laugh had our positions been reversed.
"... two, we probably would've never made it to the stargate anyway."
What little optimism I still felt faltered with his second statement. I sank back down to the ground, letting despair cloud my heart. Our efforts were in vain. I was not to see my tribe ever again. I would die on this cursed planet far from all I held dear, "Then it is over. "
Sheppard, however, stubbornly refused to lose hope. " No. Our people don't leave each other behind. That's three things you've learned. "
Was he so naïve as to still believe his kind would find him? Or that they would bother rescuing someone who already walked the pathway to his grave? If Koyla didn't find us first, it would only be a matter of time before hunger would drive me to feed on him again. Some instincts were difficult to ignore. Some needs could not be denied.
"You still believe that? " I asked him.
Walking over to where I sat and squatted down in order to look me in the eye as he spoke. "Kolya doesn't know where we are. He's wasting manpower that could be used searching for us guarding the gate. The odds of my people finding us are going up and up."
Seeing the determination in his eyes, I thought of how our best warriors possessed a similar fortitude. The memory of my brothers strengthened my waning resolve. "You are more like Wraith than you know. "
Sheppard grimaced in distaste. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that. "
Chuckling at his expected reaction, I told him. "There is much about Wraith that you do not know, Sheppard."
He gave me an odd look as if trying to fathom my thoughts. Yet, I spoke nothing but the truth. Humans only saw our predatory side, but had no intimate knowledge of our culture, our beliefs, our technology, or our code of honor. We were far from the soulless, barbaric monsters they judged us to be. After all, did Wraith veins not flow with traces of the human blood in our common, distant ancestry?
Rather than stop to ponder the similarities between our people, Sheppard instead turned his attention back to the reports coming in over the radio. As I lay back on the ground to rest, he listened to the Genii patrols signaling each other on their search progress. After hearing one guard inform the others that there was no sign of us near area around the gate, he looked down at me in amusement.
"Sounds like they're concentrating their search around the gate. They must think we knew where we were going."
Chuckling at his remark, I gazed up at the night sky and marveled at stars that twinkled across the vast darkness. The light from this world's trio of moons cast a silvery glow that illuminated the backdrop of forested hills in the distance. The evening was quiet save for the soft chirping of some nocturnal insects. Perhaps it was the thought of my impending death that made me appreciate the beauty of the night. After so long underground, I would never take the simple sight of the open sky for granted ever again.
Sighing in pleasure, I expressed my gratitude. "Oh, it was worth it, if only to see the sky again. "
Sheppard's left eyebrow rose as he glanced up at the night sky before tilting his head back down to look at me. "I got slightly higher expectations. "
Unfortunately, I was in no position to have such high hopes. My injuries were tasking my depleting energy reserves. If I were not able to replenish them soon, my wounds would prove fatal. Propping myself up on one elbow, I told Sheppard this. "My wound is deep. If I do not feed soon, I will die."
Giving me a sharp look, he told me. " Buck up. We've got a deal, remember? We both go home alive."
Part of me wondered still if he planned on upholding his part of the bargain. Or would he turn on me, the enemy, once we had it to the stargate, and my usefulness was ended. Curious as to how truthfully he would answer, I asked him. "And if we were to meet again in the future, what then? "
"All bets are off." Sheppard said dryly.
In the short time I'd known this human, I had come to appreciate his quick and ready wit. Laughing softly, I responded in kind. "Then let us hope we do not meet again."
Nodding in silent understanding, he let out a slight groan as he stood up. "Try to get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."
I watched him limp off towards the nearby trees to settle in for the first shift of sentry duty. Even though his kind had been my people's enemy for millennia, oddly enough I felt I could trust this human with my life. Considering how I indiscriminately I fed on him, it was sobering to think he was still willing to help me. I told him in many ways our kind were alike. Yet, in many ways we were so very different. It was a rare occurrence for a Wraith to dare show such compassion to the enemy. Our kindness was usually reserved for our own and no others. This man Sheppard, however, made me question the folly of our ways and see the wisdom of his. I drifted off to sleep with my rest disturbed by these disquieting thoughts.
I awoke the next morning to the rustle of footfalls through the fallen leaves that littered the ground around us. My eyes popped open as I heard twigs snapping under the trample of heavy boots. Seeing Sheppard sitting with his back against a tree, still dozing peacefully, I knew the sounds I heard were Koyla's men on the march through the forest a short distance away. It was only a matter of time before they discovered us. I only saw one way to stop them, but I had to act fast. Clutching my injured side, I stumbled over to where Sheppard slept unaware of our predicament. His eyes slowly opened as I squatted down beside him.
I only had time to tell Sheppard that the Genii were coming as a way to explain and apologize for what I had to do, before I slammed my hand onto his chest and began to feed. Caught unawares, he barely managed a groan as the life once again drained from him. Needing my full strength to take on the approaching guards, I took my fill, watching as his eyes closed weakly and his face shriveled with advancing age. His thinning skin took on the color and texture of parchment, and his hair grew brittle and white in contrast to its former youthful, dark thickness. I felt my injuries finish healing as my energy was completely restored, and I snarled with renewed vigor.
As he lost consciousness and his body went limp, I pulled my bloodied hand away and eased him gently to the ground. I dragged him away from the tree and lay him down out of harm's way from the fight that would soon ensue. Then I climbed up into the tree limbs to plot my ambush of the guards who hunted us. I had no sooner crouched down on a thick branch than when several of Koyla's men arrived on the scene. Thinking Sheppard to be dead where he lay, they only spared him a cursory glance before looking around for me.
Dropping down from my hiding place, I smacked one guard in the chest, sending him flying forcefully into the tree trunks. A hard-hitting backhand quickly dispatched a second guard who fell heavily to the leaf-strewn ground. Two more Genii soldiers spun around, rapidly firing their weapons at me. The bullets impacted my chest and side as I rushed forward towards my assailants, using my anger and pain to fuel my attack.
Grabbing each of the men around the throat, I dragged them both to the ground. As I held my two victims down, I shifted my right hand from the first guard's throat to his chest, pressing him down further as I fed in earnest. His fear was a welcome treat, the adrenaline coursing through his body providing an added energy boost. His screams cut short as I sucked out the last vestiges of his life force, leaving only a drained husk in his stead. His colleague stared at the withered remains in abject terror, knowing the same fate awaited him. I roared with delight as the strength I gained from the second feeding fully healed the gunshot wounds that peppered my torso. The lives I took from the two guards had now restored my own. Though dead Genii lay scattered on the ground around me, I was not yet finished. I had one more task to complete.
Leaving the bodies where they had fallen, I rose to my feet and walked over to where I had left Sheppard. His thin form was sprawled in the grass, the slight rise and fall of his sunken chest the only indication that he still lived. His aged face was pallid, the dry, cracked skin pulled tight over the bones of his skull, the wisps of white hair still managing to defy gravity, his eyes cloudy and devoid of the sparkle that previously lit them. He was but a hair's breadth away from death.
As I knelt down over him, he weakly raised his head and glared at me. A final spark of defiance colored his voice as he whispered harshly. "Finish it."
Looking down at him, I could see he still did not understand. "As I told you, John Sheppard, there are many things about Wraith that you do not know."
Reaching out, I pressed my open palm against the open, bleeding wound on his chest. This time, however, I directed some of my life force into his dying body. Releasing a good measure of the energy stored from my last feeding, I gave him back all that I took and more. The shock of the renewal process caused him to cry out, both in muted pain and utter surprise. I saw the lines disappear from his face, his hair thicken and darken, and the withered muscles of his body pulse with restored health and vitality. I watched his youthful appearance return, as I handed him back his life.
As I released my hold on him, I heard a commotion as a new group of humans rushed into the clearing. A large, wild-haired warrior charged forward, grabbed my arms, and hurled me away from Sheppard. I landed hard on the ground with him looming over me in a protective stance, ready to defend the man on the ground beside me. The fierce look in his eyes told me of his murderous intent as he lifted his blaster and pointed it at my heart. His finger was just tightening on the trigger when Sheppard suddenly called out.
"Wait! "
With that simple order, Sheppard's guardian hesitated and reluctantly lowered his weapon. His clenched jaw and narrowed gaze told me it was not his choice to stop. If it were not for Sheppard's timely intervention, I would have been killed. I noticed the tattoo on his neck, marking him as a runner, a human used for sport and to train young Wraith warriors in the art of tracking. This instant insight into his past told me here was one who would never seek to find common ground with my brothers. Revenge on his most hated enemy was his driving force. He would not stop until all Wraith were dead.
I scrambled to my feet, wondering what fate next had in store for me. Sheppard also stood up, telling the others to leave me be.
For the first time, I observed the newcomers wore clothing similar to Sheppard's. It appeared his tribe had indeed come for him, just as he had said they would. I had thought his unwavering conviction that he would ultimately be rescued was nothing more than wishful thinking and foolish optimism. But I was wrong. His trust in his teammates had not been misplaced, for here they were to take him home.
Surrounding us, they all aimed their weapons at me as they looked at Sheppard in dismay and shock, not sure if they should comply with his request. Obviously, they had expected to find an old, dying man, not a young, vital one. They continued to stare in disbelief, not sure whether to rush up to check on Sheppard or shoot me on the spot.
Hoping to ward off the latter, Sheppard sternly commanded them. "That's an order!"
A dark-haired member of his tribe spoke with an unfamiliar accent as he looked at Sheppard in confusion. "I don't understand. We all saw what he did to you. "
He walked over to stand in front of me, sheltering me from possible harm as he told them. "He just undid it. Lower your weapons."
A female dressed as a warrior and not as a Queen asked with a tremor of incredulity and fear in her voice. "How is this possible? "
Shrugging his shoulders, Sheppard answered. "Don't ask me. " He looked to me in question, wondering how it was possible himself.
I turned to him to explain. "The gift of life is reserved only for our most devout worshippers ... and our brothers." I emphasized the last word, hoping he would understand which group I now counted him among.
His eyes told me he understood my meaning and was somewhat unsettled by that fact. "Well, I guess there's a lot about the Wraith we don't know. "
Still watching my newfound blood-brother, I justified my surprising actions to the others. "Sheppard gave me back my life. I merely repaid the debt. "
The one with perceptive blue eyes retorted in a high-pitched tone. "What debt? Are you kidding?! I mean, he looks younger than he did before! "
The tall, feral-eyed warrior interrupted us and inquired about the Genii renegade soldier whose need for retribution led to this whole debacle. "What about Kolya? "
Reminded about our temporarily forgotten nemesis, Sheppard searched the pockets of his outer garment, looking for the radio he once carried. Not finding it, he cursed softly before spotting it on the ground nearby. Running over to its location, he snatched it up and activated it.
"Kolya, this is Sheppard." The harshness of his voice spoke volumes about the extent of his anger.
After a brief pause, Sheppard continued to talk into the handset. "Kolya? I figured you'd run. Next time, I kill you on sight, you hear me? "
Not sure if his message had been relayed, Sheppard waited a few seconds to see if Koyla would respond. Frustrated by the lack of a reply from the Genii commander, he switched off the radio and lowered it before looking at his team.
Shaking his head, he urged them. "Let's get off this rock."
The wary ex-runner nodded towards me and asked his leader. "What about him?"
Before replying, he looked me in the eye and sought confirmation. "We had a deal, right? "
Believing my life to be forfeit now that Sheppard's rescuers had arrived, I told him truthfully that I truly did not expect him to honor his end of our bargain. After all, promises made in the heat of battle were oft times disregarded by the very warriors who made them once the war had been won. I chuckled to myself as I pondered how honorable this warrior would prove to be. Licking his lips in thought, Sheppard made a quick decision. Taking the blaster offered to him by the taller man next to him, he walked up to me and fired point blank into my chest. Stunned by the sudden bolt of energy that discharged into my body, I had no time to react. I felt the world darken around me before falling fast and deep into the encroaching blackness.
I don't know how much time had passed before I regained consciousness. Momentarily disorientated, I snarled defensively as I sat up in case I found myself once again at the mercy of my captors. Instead of the prison cell guarded by an armed contingent of sentries I expected, I awoke in an open outdoor space, alone save for Sheppard who stood quietly watching me from a few paces away. Sitting up from the cold, hard ground, I glanced his way.
"Ah, Sheppard. I thought you ... " Pausing mid-sentence, I tentatively touched my chest looking for a wound and was surprised to find none. The lack of an injury confirmed that the blaster Sheppard had fired at me had been set to stun rather than to kill. Sheppard, it seemed, was a man of his word.
Seeing my surprise, he exclaimed. "There's a lot you don't know about humans."
As I regained my feet, I looked around and sniffed the cool night air. The stars above were configured differently, telling me the planet we were now on was not the same one where we had made our joint escape. I spotted an active stargate in the nearby field, its open wormhole casting an eerie blue light across a small creek that separated it from our location. I knew now that Sheppard had taken us to a neutral world far from Koyla's grasp, yet close enough for each of us to get to our respective homes.
Nodding in approval, I looked at the man standing before me. "Ah, I see. Next time we meet …" I let the question remain unspoken.
Sheppard simply smirked as he finished the statement for me. "All bets are off. "
I looked up at the welcome sound of scout ships as they raced across the sky looking for prey. Yes, it was finally time to rejoin my brethren. I glanced back down to where my unlikely ally had stood, only to find him gone, having disappeared stealthily into the chill of night. As I waited for my brothers to find me, I gazed in the direction he had vanished and realized that this man John Sheppard had given me much to occupy my thoughts. And just maybe I had given this most honorable warrior and unusual human being much to ponder in return.
The End
AN: Whew, it's been so long since I've posted anything. I hope I haven't lost my touch. If RL would ever go into hibernation, I might have the chance to feed all those impatient plot bunnies I've had to ignore.