A/N: I have been working on this fic for a while and I think I'm finally ready to start posting. I realize this fandom isn't as review devoted as others, but if you feel inclined to tell me how you feel...it wouldn't bother me to read it in the least. In fact, I'd rather enjoy it...
A/N2: Takes place at the beginning of Season 5, I guess between Search and Rescue and everything else.
Disclaimer: I'm saying this one time and one time only. Not mine. If they were, Ronon wouldn't be wearing that fake-ass wig this season. Ugh! He also wouldn't wear shirts. Or pants.
Chapter One– First Impressions
"I could always just hack into the personnel files and find out."
"Do that, McKay, and everyone on Atlantis and the Deadalus knows your first name within the hour."
McKay blanched. "You wouldn't."
John turned slowly to face his Chief Scientist in the co-pilot chair. The unmistakable smirk on his face gave McKay all the answer he needed and he turned away huffily.
Teyla leaned forward from her seat behind McKay. "I do not understand. Is there something," she paused, searching for the appropriate word, "undesirable in your culture about letting others know one's age?"
She waited, but the two Earthlings in the front seat remained conspicuously silent, seemingly engaged in their respective control panels.
She turned to look at Ronon, but he only shrugged.
"I am thirty-three years old by Earth standards," she stated, hoping this would alleviate the Colonel and Dr. McKay's discomfort. She glanced between them but neither moved.
"Twenty-eight." Ronon's voice vibrated low in the cabin. Both McKay and Sheppard turned to look at him.
"What?" He asked, defensively.
"Twenty-eight? That's it?" McKay sounded stunned.
"Yeah. Why?" Ronon sat forward, challengingly leveling the scientist with his stare.
"Oh, um, nothing. Nothing," he turned quickly back around. "You're young, that's all."
"And you, Dr. McKay?" Teyla asked quickly, hoping to save McKay from Ronon seeking clarification on that statement.
"Hm? Oh, me? I, uh," McKay stammered, Sheppard was looking at him out of the corner of his eye so he straightened in his chair, "I have nothing to hide. Thirty-two."
Sheppard scoffed. Loudly.
"What?"
"No way, are you thirty-two."
McKay started to protest but then seemed to decide it was pointless, "fine. Thirty-seven," he pouted.
Sheppard seemed satisfied with this answer but didn't seem to feel compelled to give his own age, even as everyone else in the small ship turned to stare at him.
"Colonel?" Teyla coaxed with a small smile.
Sheppard didn't move, "what?"
Teyla sighed, "Colonel, I assure you that we will not…"
"What the hell?" Sheppard's body suddenly tensed, and Ronon sat forward, instantly on alert.
"What is it?" He rumbled, his eyes searching the view screen for a sign of danger.
"I'm getting a weird reading up ahead."
McKay hit a few controls and then brought up the HUD, "It's like a hyperspace window but…not."
"Well that's why I said 'weird' Rodney," Sheppard glared at the HUD. They were practically orbiting Atlantis after returning from the mainland and the Deadalus was already halfway to earth, so a hyperspace-type-thing was definitely a cause for concern, "What the hell is it? And why didn't Atlantis' long range sensors pick it up?"
"I don't know. We're monitoring all wraith ships in the area, none were on their way here."
"Do we need to shoot it?" Ronon added.
"Ah, yes, Conan, because the 'shoot first, ask questions later' tactic is always so successful."
"It's worked pretty well for me," Ronon retorted evenly.
"Yes, well, those of us with more brain than brawn have found…"
"McKay."
"What?"
"They're here." The whole cabin held their breath at Sheppard's words, and waited.
"Are we cloaked?" McKay was wide-eyed staring through the view screen at a ship that looked to be about the same size as theirs, but more streamlined and powerful looking than the bulky jumpers.
"No."
"Then why haven't they fired on us?"
"Perhaps they mean us no harm," Teyla proposed.
"Sure, because that happens all the time," Rodney replied with patented sarcasm.
"They're hailing us."
Everyone turned to Sheppard.
"Hailing us? We can do that?"
Sheppard punched up a control near his right hand that was blinking slowly and the HUD was replaced with a picture of a young man and woman, little more than twenty each, seemingly staring directly at them.
"Apparently, we can."
"Unidentified 'Lantean craft. This is Jorain of the Ship Tepe. We come in peace, please respond." The young man spoke even and clear with no sign of malevolence. The girl beside him remained silent, green eyes seemingly burning a hole in the view screen.
"Can they see us?" Ronon asked, glaring at the view screen.
"Not until we open a channel. I don't see any power fluctuations to indicate weapons," he said, then added in a slightly disbelieving tone, "It doesn't look like they're going to try and kill us."
After a moment, a click and static sounded in the cabin, signifying that Sheppard had opened a channel.
"This is Col. John Sheppard of Puddle Jumper One. How can I help you Jorain?"
At the sound of his voice the girl's eyes sharpened and something briefly crossed Jorain's face, but it disappeared almost instantly before Sheppard could make out what it was. Behind the pair three more heads crowded around into the space left between the chairs, these looking even younger than the first two.
"Col. Sheppard, I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Jorain dipped his chin slightly in greeting, "I must insist that I speak with you and the other leaders of Atlantis regarding a matter of utmost importance."
"Really? Well, why don't you tell me what you need them to know and I'll relay the message for you. They're kind of hard to get a hold of, what with Atlantis being destroyed and all." The faux casualness in his tone went unnoticed by none of his team. The air grew tense.
The girl to Jorain's right sat forward, a few of her wild black curls falling into her eyes, "We know it's not destroyed Col, and if we wanted to do it harm we would have disabled your ship as soon as we left hyperspace. We just want to talk."
Sheppard raised an eyebrow and Jorain placed a hand on her arm to silence her.
"And you are?"
The young pair exchanged glance, and Sheppard almost laughed to see that they seemed to be silently arguing.
"Cam." She said finally.
"Cam," Sheppard repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Behind him and to his right, Teyla raised an eyebrow.
"What my companion means to say," Jorain said smoothly, "is that we are in need of your help and we have information that you may find useful."
"Oh, really? Like what?" McKay challenged.
They all felt the air in the Jumper freeze over at the mention of the name that fell off Jorain's lips.
"Micheal."
TBC