Note of the author.
Originally "Moonlight" was to be a completely separate story, takes at the end of season sixth and beginning seventh the "Stargate Atlantis". It had to be the my little consideration about what would happen if... and in this case, this IF is a genetic mutation, and an additive in the Wraith female, consisting on lack of feeding organ.
The idea came to me under the influence episode "Infection", where Todd mentions that in ancient times Wraiths tried to treat such cases, allowing the Iratus female feed on Wraith without the feeding organ - what it seems to "activate" process / genes responsible for transformation in the adult form Wraith.
Of course, the same case of genetic mutation in the case of the Wraiths is also puzzling, given their regenerative abilities. Theoretically such mutations should not occur.
Those, who read a series of books Stargate Legacy, probably recognize some similarities in my story. Personally, I have not read these books - to not too much suggest to them - but I know the outlines of several stories and I like them, so I decided to refer to them in my story.
I also tried to keep a manner the names, in the case of Wraith, which are present in the series of Stargate Legacy books.
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Forgive me for my English, but this is not my native language.
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NOTE:
1. The conversations begin with a dash.
2. Telepathic conversations are written on a new line in quotes.
3. Italics have been used to abbreviations or words of Latin origin; based on Latin or being "blend" of such words.
Other names as: persons (Wraith) names, names of the ships, planets, or titles, etc.., was written only with a capital letter.
4. In order to distinction "flashback" or dreams/memories, applied line a break and quotes.
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Prologue.
Escape.
Lonely dart left the hangar hiveship and moved towards sandy planet orbit. Sitting at the controls pilot, hid his face under a large hood of black coat. He glanced in the direction of the world, on the surface of which flickered silver reflections of the great lakes, or even the sea. Only around him could see patches of green.
Standing on the bridge hive officer, moments before wrinkled his forehead at the sight of the readings of the hangar.
He was of medium height, with a small tattoo adorning his left eye and arm reaching hair casually tied in a bun.
- Sir, one of the fighters is leaving... - began another Wraith.
- I see - said the officer. - He responds to call?
- No, sir. I tried several times.
- Call me with Commander - he ordered and winced mouth. - He will be furious.
Yong Wraith made his order and after a moment nodded confirmation. The officer took a deep breath.
- Commander, one of the fighters left the hive. Does not respond to the summons.
From the communicator came a growl.
- You had to watch her - hissed caller.
- Prior to her quarters stand drones...
- It does not matter - irritated voice interrupted him. - She slipped by, even if you watched her in person. She knows this hive better than anyone... Send out behind her a few fighters. Although I doubt that they found her. As soon as she will pass through the gate, will erase the last addresses.
- Sir, can I fly? - suggested a junior officer. - More than once we flew together. I know her tactics better than anyone.
- If you want to waste your time.
- I'll try, sir - he replied with enthusiasm and hastily left the bridge.
- What does wench came up with this time - barked again throaty voice from the loudspeaker. - Inform me on basis - he ordered.
- Yes, sir.
The caller hung up, and the officer looked at the readings again. The fighter was already close to the gate. His pilot looked just on floating over planet stargate, and chosen address to the desktop his machine. On the silver circle began shine blue symbols, and when seven of them activates, the gate spit out energy flux, resembling churning water, to after moment change in the tranquil surface of the water. Only then dart flew into the event horizon.
After a moment, the gate closed up.
Another fighters, which just left the hangar, directed toward the gate.
- I have address that she chose - said from the speaker officer's voice, standing on the hive bridge. - Then you're on your own.
- I understand - said the young Wraith.
He smiled to himself.
He was proud that he was allowed on this mission. Commander rarely entrusted to him independent tasks. He is usually accompanied by someone older and more experienced. He was the youngest Wraith on the hive, so they would not let him risk it... especially since them Queen died at the hands of the humans.
He chose the gates email address and the whole squadron flew in the glossy surface of.
The Wraith Commander stopped at the door of one of the quarters and head gesture sent the soldiers standing there. There was no longer makes sense to watch an empty room.
He was tall, with a relatively well-built body. The left side of his face was adorned with a tattoo running up the neck, and his head was decorated with long hair down to the waist, but rather unusually shaped like a Wraith: cut short on the sides and in the middle of a few staples pinned in the thick bun that fell freely until the back of his head.
The door opened in front of him, letting him to mired in the dark room.
The room no different special from the rest of the officers' rooms... maybe with a few additions in the typical human design. Sometimes he wondered if she really liked these things, or just placed them here to annoy him.
He stopped in the middle of the quarters, looking around. He already could not remember when he was here last time. Despite everything, he tried not to violate her personal sphere - as protocol dictated.
Already she quickly fell, literally, to his quarters, angry for something... usually a command issued by him, contrary to her opinion on this topic.
After more than two hundred years, they still argued about this same... But with her he could at least argue, that sometimes even amused him. Normally, such behavior would cost him his own head.
He looked at the wooden desk, another human accent in her quarters. In fact, he did not know why he came here. She was too smart to leave behind any traces. And yet he hoped she missed something.
His gaze rested on the bed, facing the window. She still kept on it mascot, which in childhood gave her a wet nurse. Lighted point lights allowed him to see the card lying there. He walked over and took her to hand, to read:
"Finally, you get what you've always wanted:
all this mess only for yourselves.
Good luck... you'll be need it.
(No)kisses.
M."
He growled angry and crushed sheet in his hand.
He not to pay attention to this human way of writing her message.
He was furious that she left the hive.
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Chapter 1
Unusual patient.
It was already late at night, when the fighter flew over the country town, pulling the himself fiery veil. Its engines were on fire, and the machine barely maintained in the air.
Residents rushed out of their houses on the still wet from the rain, cobbled streets, lighted up oil lamps, looked like a machine cuts the crown of two trees.
Doctor Carson Beckett also ran from his provisional cabinet, watching like the dart disappears behind the roofs of the last houses.
Moments later, around the area was heard the sound of broken branches, when the pilot crashed in a nearby forest.
The man jumped from his place and ran in that direction. Some people with mixed feelings followed to him.
Beckett slowed until at a large clearing in front of the forest, looking at the left by the dart on the ground a long scar. The machine stopped just at the foot of mighty trees. Coming out of the engine fire hovered now up, illuminating the area.
Someone grabbed his arm when he wanted to run up there.
- It's just a Wraith, Doctor - said one of the men.
- And if not? Maybe it's a runaway? I also have flown these machines - he said, and ran away.
Cockpit cover was opened and a hooded figure threw into the air some package… which fell near a doctor - it was a leather backpack. He looked in the direction of a fighter and walked cautiously closer. Someone just tried to get up from the chair, but only staggered and nearly fell out of the cockpit.
The doctor jumped up and maintained the pilot.
- I'm a doctor - he said. - I can help you.
But no one answer to him. A person in a long black coat only lay hidden in a leather gloved hand on his shoulder.
- Run - said the tired woman's voice. - It's going to explode.
- Help me pull her out! - he shouted to the people.
The two men came up and grabbed the woman by the shoulders, pulling her out from the machine. She could hardly maintained on her feet, dragging them more than walking.
They curled up, when a small explosion took pilot cockpit, and then they fell to the ground, when another, more powerful, took most the machine. Last explosion swallowed whole in a big cloud of fire.
The doctor finally lifted his head and looked at the woman concealing under a coat. She tried to get up, but she was weak, barely keeping on her feet.
He jumped quickly out of the ground to keep her in the same time, when legs buckled beneath her.
- Do not move. You are hurt.
- You do not understand, Doctor Beckett - said nice, although a bit strange womanly voice. - I can not stay here. They will kill me.
She looked at him. Half of her face was hidden by a mask, similar to those worn by the Wraith soldiers, but her eyes were still visible... the cat eyes.
The man's eyes widened, but he immediately mastered his fear.
- Come, I'll take you to me. There I watch your wounds - he said. - Can you walk?
- Yes - she said, still looking at him intently.
He did not know why, but she did not raise in him such fear as others Wraith, although she was a Wraith female - and they were more dangerous than the males of her species... he knew this from personal experience. But this female was now his patient... and he was a doctor.
Still holding her, he moved in the direction of the settlement. Someone wanted to help him, but he said, that he can handle. Asked only to give him backpack, which threw a fighter pilot.
For a moment they both watched as others took to the extinguishing burning wreckage. The fire does not threaten their village or forests - the trees about which crashed the fighter, accounted for only a small grove - but people did not want to risk it.
The man brought the backpack. Beckett thanked him and throwing backpack over his shoulder, moving on.
- Thank you... that you helping me - almost whispered the woman, when they moved away from the group.
- I'm a doctor. I took the oath, that I will be help anyone who needs it - he said. - But it's nice of you. So far none of the Wraith do not thank me yet... But by the way, from where do you know me?
- I know a lot about Atlantis and its residents... as most of the Wraith - she said.
The doctor noticed that talking makes her problem.
- You can say that it's a must-read amongst us for several years - she joked.
Beckett smiled slightly.
- I guess why.
A female coughed and stopped in to take off a mask. When she coughed again, spat blood from his mouth.
- Oh my gosh... Let's hurry - said the doctor.
- It's nothing. Light damage... they will regenerate.
He looked at her with fear, when she spoke the last words. He had expected at this point to see her hand, which she will try to suck out his life force from him... but to his surprise than that has not happened.
She took only a step forward, trying to move on, but she could not - the man was still standing place.
She looked at him, surprised in a first moment, and suddenly she smiled.
- Easy, Doctor Beckett. I will not feed on you to be healed - she assured him calmly.
- I just wonder why?
She slowly pulled the glove from her right hand.
- Because I am not able - she said, raising her hand.
The man stared for a moment in disbelief, her hands - free from feed slot, so characteristic of the Wraith. He loosened up a bit.
- You are a hybrid or you used a retrovirus? - he asked finally, and moved on.
He did not want to arouse suspicion as to why they stand so long in place.
- None of these things. I am a... how to say?... Mutated version of the Wraith. After reaching a certain age, I went not through Conversion.
- How is this possible?
She smiled again under the hood.
- Among the humans there are not a variety of mutations? - she asked.
- They are… and that's a lot - he said. - I just do not expect that it is possible among you. Your regeneration system should prevent this happening.
- Nothing is perfect, Doctor Beckett... In all you can find a loophole - she said, and coughed again, spitting out a bit blood. - You should know that, as a scientist. Nature always finds a way out - she laughed.
- You do not say anything more. It weakens you - he said.
They approached the buildings. Some woman ran up to them. She was wearing a wool sweater, tanned leather pants and high boots tied straps. Her long, curly blond hair fell on his back, tied with only a piece of cloth.
Lineth Sunnes was thirty years old and from the month she helping the doctor in his study, training that in the future, be able to take part of the responsibility for the treatment of her countrymen.
She grabbed pilot arm and threw them on the her neck. The patient moaned with pain, but it was the only reaction.
They walked quickly cobbled streets, finally stopping in front of one of the houses. Lineth opened the door to the doctor may put inside his patient.
He leaned against the Wraith dart pilot of a heavy wooden table on which lay his laptop and various samples.
- Take it off, I have to see the wound - he said.
- I told you, Doctor Beckett, that I'm fine - she assured and coughed again, spitting blood.
- Yes, I can see that - he said.
She sighed and shifted her gaze to the human female. Doctor looked at her.
- All right, she helps me - he explained.
- The question is: how she will behave - she said, and slipped the hood from her head.
Lineth Sunnes took a deep breath and already wanted to scream, but Beckett looked at her sternly. She clapped her mouth with her hands, staring in disbelief at a new patient.
Stood in front of them a young woman, with a slightly tawny skin, long dark hair pinned back of the head and greenish eyes. The right side of her face was adorned with a delicate tattoo running up her neck.
- She is a Wraith - Lineth finally whispered.
- I know - said the doctor and help to his patient take off coat and leather jacket.
Then he saw sticking out of her side of a small piece of metal. He began to watch it closely.
- Light damage, right? - he said finally.
- Believe me doctor, at times worse - provided with a little amusement.
The man stood up and looked at her seriously.
- I have to remove this, before you bleed to death... Lineth, disinfect table - ordered, starting with pull their belongings. - Unfortunately, I have no means of soporific, so I will give you only a local anesthetic... Take this shirt... if you can - he said hesitantly, looking at her uncertainly.
She smiled only slightly and slowly took off her clothes, remaining in the bra looks like a sport and made of material. In fact, not much different from those he had seen in the shops on the Earth, he noted and returned to preparation the place for surgery.
The Wraith female swayed on her feet. She with difficulty be maintained on the table. The world spun around her and had gone slowly fog. She growled - she lost more blood than she thought.
Beckett ran to her, holding her before she falls to the ground, digging deeper into the metal. She looked him straight in the eye... and then she fainted.
- Lineth, help me.
- And what if she wakes up and...?
- Do not worry. She will not do it - he assured her, slightly annoyed. - Help me to put her on the table.
A woman came up to him and hesitantly grabbed female Wraith feet. They lifted her up and laid on the table.
- Why she did not...? - she said, pulling back a bit on the safe side.
- Feeding on us? - he finished for her.
Lineth nodded her head. Beckett raised Wraith right hand. Her slender fingers adorned brighter than most of the Wraith, but still darker than in humans, cut short nails.
- Because she can't.
Lineth looked at her hand with the same disbelief as the doctor earlier. She walked closer to get a better look - on lack of this one, but like important thing as her hand.
- Treatment retrovirus? - she asked.
- That's what I thought, but she said that she just was born such - he said, returning to unpack their belongings. - As I explained to you, Wraith children feed on in the same way as humans. They pass conversion in the familiar to us form around the age of puberty... In her reportedly it never happened.
- She said why?
- She mentioned only about a mutation - he said, and looked at her. - I got the feeling that she is not the only such case.
- It could be very useful in studies of your retrovirus - she said.
- I know... but for now we take care of her - he said. - She will do us no good dead - he added with a slight smile.
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"…The little girl looked up at the cloudless sky and closed her eyes, let the sun wrap her face his warm rays. She spread out her arms and collapsed on her back, right in the tall grass, full of wild flowers and buzzing insects.
She lay there so long, as long from a distance not call her male, slightly throaty voice.
- Moonlight?!
She stood up and smiled broadly.
- Here I am, dad! - she said, waving a hand.
The Wraith smiled slightly and walked toward her.
He was tall and average posture. His long, silky hair pinned partly on the back blowing in the gentle breeze, and black leather coat rustling in the grass. Right side of his face adorned the elaborate tattoo.
The little girl had long decided that when she grows up, will be have the same tattoo.
The Wraith officer sat down next to her.
- What are you doing here? You know that you do not should move away from the base - he reminded her gently.
- I know - she admitted and immediately cheered. - But here is interesting.
- Interesting? And what's so interesting is here? - Wraith asked curiously.
- All - she with enthusiasm called, spreading his arms. - See how many flowers and animals... and Mia taught me to weave wreaths - she pulled out one unfinished with grass, to be proud of.
The Wraith grinned and patted her gently on the head.
- If your mother it seen this, she shortened us all by a head - he joked.
- My mother can't have fun - she jumped up, would pat her father on the shoulder. - You chase! - she called and jumped up... to fall straight into someone's legs.
She looked high up at the serious face of another Wraith officer.
- Just like he - she said, looking at her father. - Mr. GRIM to you - she said, and bidirectional exchange him, slowly moved further down the grassy slope.
Her father smiled slightly amused when his subordinate looked for leaving girl.
- What did she mean? - he said.
- You know her. She always has some strange ideas - he said, getting up.
- Because her keeper has for her too much influence - First Officer hissed. - She has to be a Wraith Queen, and she acts like a... human - he said almost with contempt.
- Do not overdo it, Skyfall. She's still a child, so let her enjoy that, while she can... Besides, you also have two sons, who was mischief as a child... I have to remind you after who they have it? - he added with a sarcastic smile, patting him on the shoulder, then walked toward the base... to stop suddenly.
His officer only growled under his breath and turned on his heel... to do the same.
A few feet in front of them was eight years old girl in pants and shirt. It showed on her face wide, from ear to ear, smile as she revolved with satisfaction on the sides.
- Skyfall also mischief? - she asked with amusement.
Older officer smiled broadly, glancing at his subordinate, and walked toward her to grab her up and flip over his shoulder.
- In likened with you he was perfect - he joked. - Such of mischief as you do this galaxy has not yet seen.
- And I wonder after who she's has it - Skyfall muttered, walking behind them.
- I also think about it - chuckled the Wraith. - When she grows up, it will pass.
- I do not want to grow up - she cried. - I don't want to be as grim as he - she pointed a finger at the Wraith.
- You do not want to be Queen? - asked her father.
- No. It's boring... I well be a pilot, like you... and we will be fly across the galaxy together... But without him - she added a more sinister face. - He is eternally gloomy - she said and showed him her tongue.
Elder Wraith laughed, amused and his officer only growled softly under his breath.
If this little was not a female, but boy...
The girl smiled at him, showing his sharp teeth. Sometimes he had the feeling that she's at that age could read his mind, as any adult Wraith female..."
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…Moonlight suddenly opened her eyes and jumped up... to moan with pain, that shot through her right side.
She looked there. White bandage enlace her body at waist level. It could be seen for only a small blood stain.
She looked around. She sat on the bed in a small room in the attic. Sunlight fell through the window. There was yet only a table with a chair and a small trunk, which lay her stuff.
She looked at them, and then under a blanket covering the her to note, that she is only in her underwear.
She got up slowly.
Pain shot through her body again. So she clenched her teeth and went to the trunk to get dressed again. The only thing missing her shirt. In return, she got another.
Then she came to a small corridor and walked down the wooden stairs. She stopped in the middle, when to her ears came to an someone else's voices.
She hesitated.
Someone came out to meet her. Doctor Beckett smiled at from below.
- Finally you got up, our sleeping beauty - he joked. Woman a bit wrinkled brow. - This a saying of the Earth - he explained and pulled her hand. - Come on down. We just eat lunch with Lineth. Perhaps you are too hungry.
- It is noon? - she asked, moving down. - I slept for so long?
- My dear, you slept two days - he told her, slightly amused.
She looked at him in disbelief.
He pointed to her empty chair.
Lineth right imposed on a plate a bowl of soup and put on the table.
- Eat. You must to build up your strength... Your regenerative abilities are in truth only a little less effective than the other Wraith, but if you well be hungry, also will not have any effect.
She sat down at the table and leaned closer to the plate, slowly starting to eat.
Lineth pulled up her basket with pieces of bread, watching with great interest this strange creature.
Until now, she thought that she could become main dish for the Wraith, but she never even imagined, that she would eat with the Wraith at the same table... human food.
- What is your name? - asked finally a woman.
The Wraith female looked at her from her plate and swallowed.
- You can call me: Mo - she said.