Stargate Atlantis fanfic. This is done with a couple of original wraith characters, as well as characters from Atlantis, the gang as well as Michael. This is just an idea I had which was inspired mostly from Stargate Atlantis and partially from SG-1, not based on any current SG-A plot. This is a wraith-centric fic, told mostly from their perspective. Keep in mind I'm making my own conclusions about their life, customs etc where there are gaps, lol.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or the wraith, or any of the characters on the Atlantis team. This is my attempt at a tribute to them.
Prelude and Chapter 1
Thousands of years ago, on a planet far from Atlantis, long before the time of our favorite Atlanteans..
Deep in the woods of a planet shunned by the people of Altera, lately known as the Lanteans, two scientists tirelessly worked. One of them held up a test tube in one hand, in the other she flicked back long ebony hair. Her companion watched her both in admiration and in fear. Finally, she hissed, and set down the test tube.
Her companion watched her, unsure of what to say. He was surprised, always had been, for his companion's interest in the nitty gritty of science. Females, who held such high rank, were, well, above having to slave over vials of liquid all night. She hadn't even stopped to eat. It was showing, too. Her face was damp with exhaustion, her eyes tired, her movements jerky and exaggerated, those of someone nearing their limit. Finally, the male had enough.
'You should rest, my queen.' He said, taking a step towards her.
The female hissed at him.
'I'm nearing a breakthrough, I cannot stop!' She retorted, and pushed at his hand irritably. She snapped her fingers. 'Bring the test subject.'
The male sighed.
'I will, my queen, but only if you promise to take nourishment.'
The female's eyes narrowed.
'I will take nourishment when I need it, Reknar, and not before.' She retorted. 'The subject. Now.' She replied in a tone that made it clear that the topic was not open for discussion.
'My queen, if this refusal to take nourishment is because..' The male named Reknar began, but stopped when the female reached him in two strides and punched him, hard.
'Do you have a problem obeying orders, perhaps?' She hissed in a low, dangerous tone.
Reknar shook his head and left the room.
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The laboratory was dark walled, and moderately lit. Because of the exceptional vision of his species, too much light was unnecessary. Reknar left the main laboratory and entered a dark corridor whose walls were lined with cocoons. Approaching one he took note of the young female of the species that called themselves 'Lanteans', or 'humans'. She met his eyes with a pleading gaze.
'Please….let me go..' She whispered.
Reknar ignored her and set about removing her from the cocoon.
'I did nothing to you, wraith..' The human continued to plead. 'Let me go!'
Reknar snorted.
'It is my queen who wants you, not I.' He replied simply, and finally lifted his weapon and stunned her.
He didn't understand his Queen's dedication to this project. When the young Queen and noted scientist had proposed the project, he was eager to work for her, and he couldn't deny his hopes that he might catch Lyirin's eye in other ways besides. The young queen, however, was enamored with her work and nothing else. As he saw her interact with humans, he wondered if there was another reason behind her work. Certainly she was like no queen before her. Others had remarked that she was flawed, imperfect. But Lyirin had proved herself every bit a queen, a huntress, a warrior, and a scientist. But as to what motivated her, no wraith knew. Even using telepathy, Lyirin was a closed book. Over time, she and Reknar had formed such a compatible working relationship that she preferred to work with him over any other scientist, which earned Reknar great esteem in the eyes of his hive, as the Queen's chosen second in command.
Reknar sighed as he entered the main room of the lab once more, where Lyirin waited.
'Are you going to stand there, Reknar, or are you going to bring…me…the…. subject?' Her words ended in a displeased hiss.
Reknar studied her. The effects of hunger were clearly showing. He wondered how long it had been since she had last eaten.
'Here, my queen.' He pushed the human female towards her.
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Lyirin watched her second in command as he watched her, aware of his thoughts, knowing he could never know hers. She studied the human female, stunned and slumped over. She was young, her hair dark and short, and dressed in a pale blue dirty gown. Yes, it had been a long time since she'd eaten. What was the reason for this project? She wasn't sure. The motivation known to her hive was the one she earned high praise for. But was there another reason, a reason for which she might be beheld as weak? Lyirin pushed those thoughts firmly out of her mind. She reached for the human woman and injected the substance which would waken her, and give her an extra boost of that which the humans would call adrenalin.
The human woman awoke, and her eyes beheld Lyirin, and she began to scream.
'Please, please, let me go…' She begged. 'Please don't kill me…'
Lyirin felt annoyance and impatience. She replied in the human's language.
'I do not intend to feed on you. I simply need samples of tissue and fluid which are unique to your kind.' She shot a warning look at Reknar, who had opened his mouth in protest when she had voiced her intent not to feed.
The human woman relaxed.
'Then…. will you let me go..?' She whispered.
'We shall see.' Lyirin replied, and bound the restraints over the woman, who she had placed on an examination table.
She methodically extracted blood and the other samples she needed, and carefully stored them next to the rest of her formula. Then, without warning, she slumped over, exhausted. The human woman looked at her curiously.
'My queen!' Reknar exclaimed, and rushed over to her.
She pushed at him, trying to push him away, but Reknar wasn't about to let her peculiarities stop him doing his duty. He picked her up and moved her towards the human on the table, then gently but firmly he pressed her hand down to the woman's skin, just underneath the throat.
'Feed.' He growled, dropping formality. 'Feed, my queen. Now.'
'You dare….' Lyirin gasped, but could hold off no longer. Her hand clenched over the human's skin, and she drew in the life source, her food source. She sighed in relief as the woman was drained.
When it was done, she stood up and faced away from her second.
'Take that away, and leave me.' She said in a flat voice.
'My queen..' Reknar began.
'Go.' She stated firmly, in a tone not to be argued with.
Still concerned, Reknar went.
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Lyirin sat alone, admitting to herself, finally, to rest. She had worked nonstop and now she was just…so…close. Only a few minor adjustments to the formula and it would be ready for use. And then, it would be the answer not only to one problem, but perhaps two. Lyirin smiled. She had no interest in simply commanding, as a queen. She was a scientist, and she wanted to earn her position in the hive by something other than her birth, her gender. She tried to quiet those thoughts as she moved out of the lab, to follow Reknar.
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'Reknar!'
Reknar turned to see Lyirin striding towards him.
'I will take my ease.' She hissed.
'As you wish it, my queen.' He replied and he took her arm and guided her down the tunnels, which, to a human, would be quite dark.
'I wish to test the formula tomorrow.' Lyirin's eyes gleamed as she stated this to her second in command.
Reknar nodded.
'Of course, my queen.' He replied. He would argue with her after she had rested. It was no use arguing with her in this state.
After a few minutes of walking, they came to a simply-wrought door, which Reknar activated. Inside were the sleeping quarters of the lab. Small and sparse, the walls were a dark blue and the sleeping platform took up most of the room. It was a simple thing lined with animal pelts, uncomfortable, but this didn't matter as not much time was spent sleeping while on the project. The room was softly lit by human standards, reasonably bright by wraith standards. He led Lyirin to the sleeping platform, and only when he was certain she was comfortable, he lay down beside her. As much as he would have liked it to mean that Lyirin had accepted him as a mate, it was simply a custom among their hive that some wraith of high rank slept close to a bodyguard, or second in command, who would see to it that no threat reached the one who they served, or even to serve as a decoy in some cases to foil potential assassins, from rival Hives, or others who aspired to take over a high rank in the Hive.
In the lab, sleeping arrangements were sparse, so he slept beside Lyirin, and he would never, ever have dreamed of insulting her honor in any way. He watched Lyirin for a few moments, certain that she was sleeping, before setting the foreign motion detector alert both on his wrist unit and in the room. It would detect any additional life forms in the vicinity besides the two of them. Finally, he shut his eyes and allowed himself to rest.
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Lyirin awoke, gasping, fresh from the dream in which the face of the human woman she had fed upon had featured. She spluttered, coughing out a mouthful of Reknar's smooth, long white hair. In irritated amusement she carefully untangled her hair from that of her second in command and studied him, then reached into his sleeping mind. Worried about her. Always worried about her. She sighed. His over-cautious worrying about her was causing her impatience and irritation, as the work was not proceeding at the rate she would have liked. In a complex maneuver, she stood up, careful not to wake Reknar, and proceeded to the lab. She was so close. So close, and today she would finish it. She knew it.
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After hours of work, Lyirin shook as she triumphantly held out the test tube. She had tested…and retested, and she was positive that it would work. Only one step remained. A test. She knew that Reknar would never agree to her plan, so she had injected him with sedative as he slept. She smiled to herself. It wouldn't harm anyone. He'd never know. And if she was successful, well…..
She let her thoughts trail off as she readied the applicator, which was now filled with her newly perfected formula. She held out her arm and injected the liquid into herself. She hadn't been sure what to expect, anything but what happened. The world dissolved into darkness and Lyirin crumpled to the ground. As she lost awareness, memories came to claim her from deep inside her subconscious, and Lyirin was drawn to relive memories from long, long ago.
'Lyirin, my child, what ails you?'
The voice was that of her bearer, her nurturer, the queen of the hive. She stood tall with chestnut hair and a long flowing white gown.
'Edira (which was the wraith term given to one's bearer..the equivalent of 'mother'), today they showed us a human.' Child-Lyirin whispered.
The queen nodded in understanding. Her young daughter was currently eating solid food and, as was part of the training of the young, had witnessed her first feeding.
'It troubles you, Lyirin? Why?' The chestnut-haired queen regarded her daughter with curiosity, and a little concern.
'Why is it that we must feed in this manner, Edira?' Lyirin queried. 'It….begged for it's life. It isn't just an unintelligent herd animal, it thinks, it feels, as we do!'
The queen sighed.
'You must not think thus.' She stated, simply, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. 'It is not the way of wraith to think so. And those creatures you defend have murdered many of our number. We must survive, as must they. Evolution dictates that the strong survive, and the weak serve the strong.'
'But does that make it right?' Lyirin insisted. 'Can we not be nourished by another source, like we are now?'
The queen laughed, and motioned her daughter to sit. Lyirin valued the moments spent outside, in the woods, near the lake. It was peaceful, and she enjoyed coming to the lake to be alone and to be away from others who tried to win standing with her, knowing she was to be the future Queen of the Hive, in time. Among their hive, the females who ruled did so for a certain period of time, after which a successor was either chosen, or if none were chosen, fought for. A queen of the past could always resume her position at a later date. They found this system of leadership to work well, and they were unified as few other hives were. And she….
Lyirin sighed. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she think like the others of her kind?
'Lyirin.' Her bearer's words broke through her reverie. 'You cannot eat what you have been for much longer. Look at your hand, my child.' She grabbed Lyirin's hand and held it out. The slit was longer, deeper, maturing. 'The food you eat now will become unpalatable. Do you wish to live, my daughter?'
Lyirin sighed, and nodded.
'Then speak no more of this. If it helps, perhaps I can arrange for you to see the bodies of those of us slaughtered by those you defend?How brutally they were slain?'
Lyirin's eyes went wide, and she shook her head rapidly.
The queen smiled.
'I thought not.'
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The scene changed as Lyirin relived her memories. It went forward to Lyirin's first culling. She had insisted upon being part of the group that went in the shuttles (darts) to collect the herd for the culling. After years, and finally witnessing the body of a wraith brutally slain by a human, Lyirin had begun to accept her place and the place of humans in the lives of her species. She had trained relentlessly, both in fighting skills and in the art of shuttle-piloting, and had become unparalleled in skill, much to her bearer's disapproval, as her station made her above such duties. But her passion was science. She was never happier than in a lab surrounded by samples and experiments, or working on new technology. Her skills as a scientist were quickly earning her even more standing among the hive, and there were those who wanted to push for her to become queen even earlier. Lyirin, of course, did not yet want the position. She only wanted to gain her reputation for deeds done to benefit the hive. She shook her head to clear it of her reminiscence, and focused on the task of piloting the shuttle. Her adrenalin built as she sped past the twin moons of the planet, drawing closer to the atmosphere, closer to the planet, to the hunt, the culling.
Lyirin studied the controls of her ship, and she carefully noted the position of the other shuttle-craft. Her adrenalin built as they entered the atmosphere and were soon at their feeding ground. She felt the mental nudge and she linked her abilities with those of the other wraith, to create the illusions which would confuse their prey. She could see it, in her mind, the people rushing at shadows, rushing to slay that which they could not quite see. She reached for the controls to activate the culling beam. Her eyes gleamed as she picked up the cargo. No more than three, she had been told. Very well, she had three. Mission accomplished, she turned around her craft and headed back to the hive ship.
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As Lyirin entered the shuttle bay, as she was trained, she went to the special unloading strip for cargo, where she re-integrated her catch. Proudly, she went to her docking station and moved to the cargo strip, where she went to inspect her catch, who had been stunned and were being led away by the warriors.
'Hey! Lyirin!'
She felt the presence of and recognized the voice of her friend, Reknar. She turned to face him and grinned.
'Good first culling?' He enquired.
She nodded vigorously.
'I enjoyed piloting the shuttle.' She replied, grinning. She took off her shuttle helmet and shook out her long ebony hair, a rare shade among a grown wraith female. She looked at Reknar, who was doing the same. His hair was as long as hers, though a smooth white, which he neglected to dreadlock. When she'd asked him about that, his answer was simply that he, like her, was a scientist, and he saw no inconvenience in keeping his hair as it was. What's more, he'd been surprised at the question.
'Lyirin! Wake up!' He smacked her on the elbow suddenly, catching her thoughts. 'Time for feeding….our first feeding. Aren't you coming?' His voice had taken on a note of concern, as he was one of the few who had been made aware of reservations Lyirin had about their food source.
Lyirin smiled.
'Last one to the feeding room is a Gor'nak's ass!' She cried out, and ran in the direction the warriors had taken.
Startled, her friend ran after her.
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Lyirin's fingertips trailed along the organic walls of the ship, something for which Lyirin felt a surge of pride in the scientists of their race. The ship was capable of healing like a living being was. She walked through the moderately lit corridors until she reached the doors beyond which the feeding room was. She felt a flutter of nervousness, she'd never been allowed in here previously. As she approached, the guards moved aside and the web-like doors sprung aside. Lyirin moved cautiously inside. She looked around. The corridor beyond was lined with open spaces, in each space was a cocoon, in which a wrapped-up human resided. Some were conscious. Some were not. She moved towards one of the unconscious ones when one of the commanders slapped her hand away.
'Esteemed one, they need to be conscious for the feeding.' The commander hissed, and pushed her towards a terrified looking male who could do nothing but stare at her and whimper.
'Feed, esteemed one.' The commander hissed. 'Take what is rightfully yours!'
Lyirin swallowed and took a step towards the male. As she approached, it began to beg. Yes, she could see what the others had meant. These creatures sniveled, and begged, and yet, probing into the mind of the creature, she knew that if he were set free he would seek to end her life the moment he regained use of his hands. She could see he thought of her as a monster, a genetic aberration, unworthy of life. That she and all like her should be decimated….utterly. With a hiss of rage she placed her hand on his chest and clenched as, for the first time, she fed. She felt the life force flow into her, sustaining her in a way solid food never had. She felt the exhilarating power of life, and didn't want to stop, didn't notice anything until the commander had forcibly pulled her away. She shrieked in anger, lashing out.
'No!' The male cried out, and hit her. 'Not all at once. Leave more for later!'
Thus chided, she turned to watch Reknar, who had arrived and was clearly experiencing what she had felt as she fed for the first time.
Out of curiosity she turned to look at the human upon which she'd just fed. He had aged in appearance, terribly. She felt a twinge of regret, even with what she could feel from the man's thoughts. She was a monster to him. A heartless, emotionless monster. She felt anger, shame, regret. Was there no way to change their way of feeding? Why did she care so much? Was she less than a warrior? Less than a future queen? Less than proud of her race?
'Hey, wraith bitch.' The human finally spoke, and from it's mind, Lyirin grasped the meaning of the word it had called her. It was far from complimentary. 'One day, we'll kill you. We'll kill all of you. You defiled our genes, you're nothing but diseased mutants.' He spat at her. 'And one day our kind will end your miserable existence.'
Lyirin stood there in shock, but it was Reknar who reacted. He strode up to the human and struck it full in the face. Then, without saying a word, he took Lyirin's arm and led her away from there.
From that point, Lyirin took more on board that which her bearer had said. All creatures had to feed. And the strong survived. And the humans…well, they would wipe out every wraith in existence if given the slightest chance. She pushed aside the part of her that still wondered, pushed it aside and put her focus into science, her passion.
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The memories swirled in her mind again and Lyirin watched them flash past in her mind. More hunts. Increase in her skill, in her knowledge, her knowledge of technology. Her bearer stepping down and appointing her Hive Queen, much to the approval of the hive. Reknar, becoming her second in command, her research partner. Then, finally, the project.
They had found that the humans grew more and more wary. More and more they fought back. Hid. Tricked their would-be captors. The idea had come about that a cunning camouflage would enable feeding to be easy as never before. If the genes could be manipulated to trigger an ability to temporary change appearance, to appear human. Like a chameleon effect. To actually shift one's shape into that of their prey, to infiltrate, gain trust, lure.
It seemed like the perfect idea and Lyirin, a scientist possibly capable of pulling it off.
But, there was something else.
Lyirin wondered if, possibly, as long as she was looking at the idea of shifting into the form of a human, if it would be possible to find a way to feed, and be nourished, as they were. Thus offering an alternate food source. She told no one about this. No one, not even Reknar, for if she did, she would be seen as weak. Still, she wondered. Still, the idea stayed in her mind and took root. And she wondered, wondered. Years and years she worked, years of testing on animals, both successful and failures. Finally, finally something that would work. And if she could make this idea work, why not the idea of another food source?
Lyirin's recollections were interrupted by pain. Pain of an extreme sort. Pain, pain, what was causing this? On some level, she was aware of opening her mouth and screaming, not caring who heard, or what they did.
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Reknar, after a night of unpleasant dreams, awoke to the sound of screaming. He sat bolt upright, taking not of two things at once.
One, Lyirin was not there.
Two, the scream sounded like Lyirin.
Without a second thought, he jumped up and raced out of the door and down the corridor towards the lab.
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Upon entry into the lab, Reknar heard screaming and thrashing. He looked around and near the testing table was a hunched over form, on which he could make out a white gown and ebony hair. He stood still, for something didn't seem right. Finally, the writhing figure stilled, and sat hunched, then slowly stood up, then began to turn around.
Reknar, for some reason, dreaded what he would see.
The woman who faced him was human. Her ebony hair framed a pale white face and terrified blue eyes. Her face, her structure, human. Then he caught a glimpse of her hands. On one of them, the feeding slit remained, a giveaway that this was indeed his queen. He stood gaping at her, speechless, unsure of what to do or say. Finally, she spoke.
'Reknar..'
The voice was human, the unusual, high pitched timbre of a human female.
'My Queen…?' He whispered. 'By all the stars, my Queen, what have you done?'
'What does it look like I've done, idiot?' She raged at him. 'This isn't right. I don't have control! I can't turn back…' Her voice had turned to hysterical wail.
'Why did you test it on yourself, Lyirin?' He shot back at her, forgetting protocol in his rage. 'How dare you….no thought for yourself, for your hive, for anyone or anything except your stupid experiment! If you're stuck like this now, it's no less than you deserve!' He was shouting at her now, and her eyes became full of hurt. She didn't reply, only turned around and walked out of the lab. As she did, she suddenly crumpled over and her skin seemed to shift, change, ripple.
As she walked out of the lab, her wraith countenance was completely restored. But she kept walking. And she didn't turn back.
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All day and all night, Reknar waited for Lyirin to return. But she didn't. He contacted others in the hive telepathically, no one had heard from her. It was as though she'd disappeared. Young queen, skilled scientist, renowned warrior, and she had disappeared. Without a trace, vanished.
Over the cycles of the moon, Reknar and the whole hive waited for the return of their queen. Finally, they acknowledged that she was well and truly vanished. They mourned her, like a fallen warrior, and in time a new Queen was chosen for the hive.
Reknar, however, vowed that whatever happened, he would find out what had happened to his queen. He would find her, and bring her back to her hive where she belonged, if it took ten rotations (years) or a thousand. Or twenty thousand. He would find her, and he would bring her back.
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Modern day, on a planet briefly visited by our favorite Atlanteans…..
'You'd think we could at least visit another planet like the one we….uh….guided with that ancient system..' Rodney began, picking in distaste at the mysterious concoction on the plate in front of him. 'This could be anything. And it could have citrus. And the women…!' He began, while spearing a piece of meat on his fork.
'McKay!' Sheppard cut in, shooting the doctor a poisonous look. 'First of all, that was a planet we messed up with a game. Second, there aren't going to be beautiful women on every planet. Third, would you eat the damn food!' He finished, and took a bite of the meat himself. 'There, see? It isn't so..' His face changed from the usual smirk to horror as he struggled both to swallow the mouthful and finish the sentence.
McKay watched, smirking, his point proven.
Teyla was sitting, as usual lost in thoughts, and to the surprise of everyone, Ronon was wolfing down mouthful after mouthful, apparently enjoying every bite. Rodney was staring at him in apparent shock.
'So why are we visiting this little backwater again?' He asked Sheppard. 'No reports of a ZPM, no space gate, no technology, no resources….why are we here again?'
'Because.' Sheppard said, sighing, in the irritated tone he often used with McKay. 'We got reports of an unusual facility in the woods, something a lot more high-tech than should be found around here, and a description of what sounds a lot like an ancient taking people over there occasionally, people who don't come back.'
'That doesn't sound like one of the ancestors.' Teyla remarked.
'No, it doesn't.' Sheppard replied. 'It sounds a lot like a mission report I read from SG-1, a Goa'uld named Nirrti who was taking people to a lab and performing experiments on them, trying to create some kind of advanced human for hosts.'
'Something to do with ascension?' Ronon stopped eating to ask.
McKay gave him a pained look.
'And why would an ancient need to research ascension?'
He sighed and looked around. They were sitting in a medieval-style bar, around a wooden table. Around them, a variety of travelers were sitting with drinks, animatedly talking about trade or worrying about imminent culling by the wraith. In the corner, a cloaked figure sat, gripping a mug of drink. It was this figure that caught Rodney's attention. They looked both uncomfortable and out of place.
'Rodney…?'
Rodney turned to see Teyla had been talking to him.
'What…er…sorry…could you repeat that?' Rodney asked, slightly embarrassed.
Sheppard rolled his eyes.
'He sees one cloaked person and wonders if it's the planet's only Colonel Carter look-alike. Pay attention, McKay!'
McKay grumbled and turned his attention back to the mysterious glop on his plate. Oh, well. At least the drink was palatable.
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The woman sat, gripping her mug of drink. As with most of the food on this planet, it was repulsive, but bearable. It barely nourished, just barely. The worst of her hunger would have to be taken care of later. For the moment, she was more concerned about the travelers who had appeared. Four of them; a caramel-skinned woman, a tall, dark haired, dreadlocked man, and tall thin man with short, unkempt-looking hair and a shorter man who appeared nervous, twitchy and irritable about everything. They were wearing clothing and equipment far above the technology of this planet, on which she had gone unnoticed for many years. She had come here because she had found a lab set up, one left over long ago by others of her kind. And in this lab, she could continue her research. It was going reasonably well, slow but well. The occasional villager who disappeared into her lab, however, had attracted the attention of these humans, the most advanced she had seen since the Lanteans had abandoned the galaxy.
'Will there be anything else, ma'am?' The serving girl behind the bar addressed her.
'No, that's ok, thank you.'
She reached into her pockets and presented two tokens to the woman, then turned to leave, pulling her hood over her face so that the four strangers would not see her.
For so long, she had dwelt alone. She was certain she was unwelcome by her own. She was feared among the humans of every planet she'd lived on since she left her home. The ones who had seen more than what she'd intended, in any case. She just wanted to be left alone, to continue her work until she could return to her people with something worth presenting. Maybe, then, they'd accept her back, even knowing the way she'd lived in all the years of her absence. As she walked out, some who saw her gave her an odd look, as she didn't look like a local. She scowled and tucked her ebony hair under her hood.
Avoiding the gaze of everyone who was in her path, she made her way into the woods, back to her lab, the lab which she had occupied for five hundred rotations. Newcomers or no newcomers, no one would interfere with her, not anymore, not now.
When she was safely out of the village, the woman stopped and sat down, hunched over. Her skin, all over her body, rippled in a most unsettling way.
Her true countenance restored, Lyirin, once the queen of a hive, and talented scientist among the wraith, made her way to her lab.