The scent of trees and foliage greeted him, carried on the humid and warm night air. This world was different from his own in terms of climate, him being used to cooler temperatures. The stargate illuminated the area, dense with young trees and foliage. The gate shut off with a snap, leaving the area in almost complete darkness. The only light in the area reflected from the sky through the clouds, orange.
He turned around the area, noticing the sky behind him was black, and the sky ahead was orange. It was then he noticed the thin trees immediately ahead of the stargate were cut out, forming a kind of slope leading away from the stargate toward the sky. He approached the area to investigate, only to see that the tops of the spindly trees had been broken. Looking between the ring and where he was, he began to suspect a small gate-ship had torn through. Whatever had done this, had done so recently. The tops of the broken trees were still green with healthy leaves.
He looked again to the orange sky, knowing one possible cause was fire in the city. Already, he suspected there were other wraith nearby. He calmed his mind, attempting to sense others. In return, he sensed a dull murmuring, meaning there were others here, but they were at a distance. He searched around the area and found the road leading away from the gate. The people must have used the gate since there was a well worn path leading away, wide enough to haul wagons with goods. This world was known as Talitha to it's local inhabitants. This planet had six major cities on that continent, the most populous being near the stargate, with nearly ten-thousand in that city alone.
His plan was not to go into the city, but to search for a suitable human in the forested area between the city and the stargate. His mode was stealth and surprise. Behind him, the gate rang out. He turned just in time to see a few of the chevrons lighting up before the gate activated. He dove into the bushes quickly, tripping and falling partially into a ditch just as a few drones materialized on the other side. A few more followed them, and finally their handler who arrived last before the gate shut off.
"Guard the gate while I'm gone," he ordered as he moved quickly toward the spot where he was hiding. he stayed very still, being sure to close his eyes slightly to prevent any light reflecting and revealing his position. The handler passed by, oblivious to his presence. When he had passed by a good distance, he carefully untangled himself from the thin branches and followed the same path.
The path was a well kept road, diverging to either side through the denser trees in numerous locations. He called all his training into play as he trailed the wraith, keeping just far enough away to avoid detection, but close enough so he wouldn't lose sight. That would be particularly important since the trail diverged into many well traveled side trails which would make tracking difficult. He suspected the side trails led to dwellings, since the level of wear on each suggested a light amount of regular foot traffic.
He could sense something off about the wraith that came through the gate. He would have sensed him as belonging to his own hive group immediately if that were the case. This lieutenant was from a different hive group, one that wasn't supposed to be here. The wraith turned to the left, following one of the side trails which led a little way's down a hill. He ran ahead a little ways, pausing to listen just before he turned down the trail.
The way was short, leading almost directly to a house. The lights inside were on and figures moved around just before the lieutenant ascended the steps and entered the house. He moved forward, taking care to ensure his footsteps were silent. The house was on stilts to compensate for the sloped ground, making the windows which were illuminated much closer to the ground level than the others. He approached the window and listened, taking care to avoid being illuminated by the oil lanterns burning inside.
"Where have the others gone?" he heard the lieutenant demand.
"They escaped." This voice was different, a human.
"I know who you are. I know that your friends would not leave you behind."
"Then you don't know us as well as you think you do."
There was a pause along with the sound of footsteps against a wood floor as the lieutenant paced around
"How did you know of our ship's approach?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You Lie!"
He took the risk of a quick glance in through the window. He saw the lieutenant kneeling in front of someone who's hands were bound with rope behind their back. In addition to his hands, his legs were tied tightly with rope. The wraith was grasping the man's throat, or at least it appeared. It was difficult to see from that angle on account of the man's long thick hair. There were others in the room, at least six drones. In the opposite end of the room, a group of six humans, perhaps a family, was huddled together kneeling on the floor, looking at the proceedings. One of them, the eldest man looked directly at him through the window. He hesitated, wondering what the man would do, but he seemed to remain still.
"Almost the entire population has been evacuated from the city! Tell me where they are."
"Some place you'll never find them," the man said defiantly.
The wraith gave a shout of anger as he lunged his feeding hand into the man's chest.
He'd heard enough. These wraith were obviously from a different hive group than their own, otherwise they would have known of the system of mining tunnels that were used as refuge during cullings.
He grabbed a rock from the ground, took a few steps back from the window and tossed the rock through, shattering the glass. He ran quickly to a different spot in view of the door and partially hidden in the trees.
The result was better than expected, three drones exiting the door at the same time. He drew his stunner, firing on all three in quick succession and disabling them. He waited awhile, waiting for another response. His intuition told him he needed to move, but something pressured him to stay put. His sense was correct as an explosive was thrown out of the window, although in the wrong direction. The explosive was thrown out the broken window into the treeline he had occupied a moment before. The explosion hurt his ears and head, as well as giving him the sensation that he'd just been kicked in the chest. He continued to wait still.
The remaining three drones walked out, cautiously. They turned away from where he was hiding and went for the location where the explosive detonated. He waited, hoping that the lieutanant would emerge. The drones had almost neared the spot of the explosion, and they would surely report that nobody had been injured. He ceased waiting and fired on the remaining three drones, stunning them.
It was time to move. He abandoned his spot and went for the door, opting for a head on attack. A small object was thrown out the open door from just to the side of the opening.
He tried to flee. He measured three good paces, but it wasn't enough. The device exploded before it hit the ground. He felt the jagged shrapnel tear through his armor into his back as the blast knocked him off his feet.
He hit the ground, unable to breathe, and his insides feeling like they'd been turned to liquid. He rolled onto his side just in time to see the lieutenant walk out the door. His face showed rage, probably from the embarassment of being nearly subdued by just one attacker. The lieutenant raised the stunner, but he was no mood to be captured and tortured to reveal secrets about his own hive.
He mustered just enough focus to fire his stunner at the other. The first shot didn't quite disable him and he stumbled. The second shot did it. The lieutenant fell to the ground, joining his associates.
The weapon fell out of his own hand as his strength waned. He still couldn't breathe, and the pain his injuries were causing added only the desire to cry out, which could not be fulfilled. Instead he left his mouth agape, hoping he would be able to breathe soon.
He heard someone descending the wood steps, and he glanced at the source of them. A man descended the steps, carrying some type of weapon. His ability to breathe resumed suddenly, and he started gasping. Each breath caused intense pain, and he knew his lungs must have been damaged from the shrapnel.
"Hello!" the man called out. He stared out into the darkness, moving his head from right to left until he spotted where he was lying, writhing slightly on the ground. The man raised the weapon and pointed it at him.
"Jarin," a woman called from inside. "What are you doing?"
"Who is responsible for rescuing us?" The man called out.
He wouldn't have answered; the last thing he wanted was sympathy, from a human even less.
The man approached him and knelt to the ground greater than an arm's length away.
"Did you do this?"
He hesitated, but nodded, still feeling unable to speak properly.
The woman appeared in the doorway, partially illuminated.
"Jarin!" she called. "What are you doing out there! Ronon still needs help."
She approached from behind, clasping her hands over her mouth as she came near.
"He's injured," the man, Jarin said.
"Where's the person that attacked the wraith?"
"This is him."
He coughed, spitting out blood as he did so. He looked to the man, hoping that he would just lean in a little farther.
"How is that possible?"
"I saw him in the window just a moment before the rock went through."
The woman looked on silently for a time, the seconds becoming agonizing as he wheezed struggled for breath.
"I think we should help him," Jarin said.
"Help him? Can you not see what he is?"
"I can, but I can also see that he just saved a friend from being tortured, and us as well."
"You know of the attacks that have occurred in the city. What if this is the one?"
"Let's bind him up for now to be sure. Perhaps the Lanteans will want to take him with them."
The man looked directly at him. He averted his gaze forward and directly upward, hoping he would get the desired reaction. The man reacted as he'd hoped, leaning forward to see his eyes.
He lunged forward with his left hand, quickly digging onto his flesh and latching his claws into the thin skin around his ribs. He heard the woman scream, the noise barely notable. The sensation was unlike anything he'd imagined before. He felt the bone and tissue of his body repairing as he fed, new flesh and sinew forming where the former had been torn. For the briefest of moments, he saw the face of his victim. He almost didn't notice it, but he could see the look of agony, the fear on his visage. It was a contradiction, for him to feel pleasure, while the other felt agony.
To the side, he saw the other man, the one who had been bound appear in the door. The sheer pleasure of it tempted him to continue feeding, the experience making him feel indomitable, though he knew this was not the case, no matter how it felt. He released the man, jumping quickly to his feet and tearing off into the woods. A bright flash of red light followed him.
He stopped running, and sat by the trunk of a large tree to listen. He strained his ears, searching for the sounds of anyone nearby. He held his breath for a moment, but resumed breathing heavily when he heard nothing. He looked at his left palm, noticing the thin coating of drying blood still there. He stared at it with a sense of unease, not knowing what to think. It was the messages from the cave which were bothering him. He tried to shut it out, trying to go back to the simplicity of mind he'd known before, not doubting this was a good thing.
He could smell the smoke from the city, suspecting that much of it was burning. This knowledge filled him with anger, knowing that wraith not of his own kind were responsible for this destruction. This incursion was against every treaty and agreement that he knew to be established between hive groups. What's more, he would not likely be able to complete the rite, although it was not unheard of for circumstances to prevent it from being done according to tradition.
He quieted his mind, reaching out to sense the presence of others. Like before, there was the continuous drone of faint voices and noise. He focused and realized that it was a multitude of voices, an entire hive ship. He looked up to the sky, almost expecting to see the tremendous ship, except the sky was clouded. The ship's weapons may explain the damage to the city. How destructive they were with territory that was not their own!
He heard a noise, the crunch of an old dry leaf. He knelt lower, looking slowly in the direction the noise came from. He stared into the dark, expecting attack at any moment. He clutched onto his stunner tightly, ready at a moment to disable his attacker. Nothing moved for quite awhile, and he began to doubt whether he'd heard anything at all.
The feeling of cold steel at his throat startled him, sending waves of fear through him. He felt the warmth of the hands of his attacker on his neck and the right side of his face. He remained still except for his weapon which he slowly lowered to the ground, a gesture which was probably pointless but what may be enough to spare him for a little while.
"It is fortunate I recognized your identity, otherwise you'd be dead now," a voice said, one which he had heard before.
He turned his head slowly, only to see the face of his oldest brother. His clothing was rough and filthy, and his hair unkempt.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"This is where I live," his brother explained removing the knife from his throat. "My reward for years of training toward the service of our queen."
"You were never assigned to a ship?"
"No," he replied flatly.
"So then it was true what my mentor said, that I was fortunate to be assigned to a ship." He stood up, picking his weapon off the ground.
"Am I to assume that you've come here to complete the rite?"
"I have."
His brother smiled wryly. "How fortunate that you should arrive in the midst of an incursion into our feeding grounds."
"Fortunate," he said, sharing the sarcasm. "The stargate is guarded by several drones and I cannot return to inform our superiors what is transpiring here."
"We can manage them at a later time. It is fortunate that I found you, I need your assistance with more pressing matters."
"What do you propose?"
He turned his back, as if to lead somewhere.
"The enemies have sent patrols out to discover where the humans are hiding."
"In the mining tunnels I assume?" he asked to confirm.
He nodded, stepping forward and beginning to walk away. "They were careful to cover their tracks as best they could, but so many people cannot move through without leaving traces."
"How many escaped?" he asked, stepping forward to keep pace.
"Nearly all of them."
"All of them? That's not possible." He knew at the onset of a culling, some of the fastest would make it to the tunnels in order to hide, but for nearly the entire population it seemed impossible.
"They had warning of the ship's approach. I cannot be sure how, but the humans from Atlantis warned them."
"The Lanteans are here?"
"They are. One of them was captured for questioning, and the others are with the people in the caves. There are only four of them."
"What are you proposing we do?"
"We are going to distract the patrols."
"In order to prevent them from finding the caves," he completed, knowing now what the plan was.
"These wraith are desperate, and will likely decimate the population if they find where they are hiding."
"I saw that the city was on fire," he said, adding to that line of thought.
"They sent ships down to terrorize the city and set it ablaze in an effort to force people out into the open."
He felt a cold drop of water hit his head. He looked up to the sky and was rewarded with another drop in his right eye.
"How are the Lanteans involved in this?" he asked.
"I think they came here two days ago, although I can't be sure. Somehow, they warned the people of the impending attack. Immediately, there was an effort to evacuate the people through the stargate. This went on continuously day and night until this evening just before the first wave arrived. Somehow they knew exactly when the hive ship would arrive, since they started diverting the remaining people into the caves just before it happened. One of them who was guiding the last group, a Satedan was captured trying to defend them."
"A Satedan?"
"And a former runner. He has become quite legendary from what I've heard."
"How is any human a former runner?"
"That is the part that is legendary. Add to that having the skill to survive the destruction of Sateda. It's a shame that he is probably dead now."
He felt chilled, fearing what he may have inadvertently done.
"I do not believe he is dead."
"Not possible, I saw him being dragged away unconscious."
"It is him whom I was fleeing from when you found me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, now that you have described him, it could be no other."
The rain had become relentless, pouring as if he were standing under a waterfall. The water had long ago gone through his armor and layers of clothing. Even in this hot climate, the cold water chilled him.
He had taken position near one of the mouths of the mining tunnels, waiting to see if anyone would move by. It had been several hours, long enough for the sky to become a dim gray, still he had seen nobody. The mouth of the cave led to a path like a steep ditch which was flat on the bottom like a river bed. Considering the way the path meandered as it led away from the cave, it seemed likely that a stream once flowed out of the cave.
He had taken position on one side of the embankment, hiding amidst shrubs with broad green leaves and tall stalks that provided ample cover while still allowing him visibility. His brother had hidden himself on the other side in similar cover.
He could see the ground of the path below more clearly now that it was light. The stones that composed the path were smooth and large, easily hiding any footprints and traces of foot traffic. If the dry river bed split at all as it traveled downstream toward the city, it would take time to search all the forks for the cave they were looking for.
He heard the sound of footsteps on the rocks below and just out of sight. He kept still, watching. Several humans approached around the bend. He recognized them as the same family he'd seen earlier. He counted the same six, the man and the woman, his mate. There were four children with them, all of them still small, not even halfway grown. They were moving at a moderate pace, the man lagging behind at times and clutching his chest. He understood why.
His brother abandoned his position, although he could not be sure why; this wasn't their target. He tore out of his hiding spot and ran down the embankment. The family stopped moving and huddled together.
"What are you doing?" he called to his brother just as they met. He aimed his weapon at the huddled group. All of them looked ragged and dirty, in particular the woman, who's bright clothing had faded because of the rain and the mud.
"I hunger," was his reply.
Just as he heard that, he heard another multitude of footsteps about to round the bend.
"Throw down your weapon," his brother said, commanding him.
"What?"
"Surrender." he said, aiming his own weapon at him.
He looked to the group of drones and their handler just as they came into view from around the bend. They had a group of humans with them, three whose hands were bound.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked as he lowered his weapon. The group approached, and when they came closer he could see the three humans were dressed unlike the natives of this place. They wore dark black clothing.
"This hive has agreed to let us join their ship in return for revealing all that we know of our alliance, as well as the location of the caves here."
He could only stare at his brother, shocked that he would have said such a thing. It couldn't be true that he'd betrayed his own hive, his own brother.
"Are you, my brother, betraying your own hive?"
"They betrayed me first!" his brother said. "Two years I've spent on my own here, barely surviving! Who's to say they won't do the same to you?"
"I won't agree to this," he said defiantly.
"You should reconsider," the drone's handler said, a different lieutenant than the other from earlier. "Our alliance is currently the strongest. There is no shortage of resources among us."
"That is because you pillage what is not yours."
The lieutenant's eyes narrowed, anger evident.
"Hey," one of the humans said. All turned their attention toward him. "I don't want to intrude into this little family crisis, but what are you planning to do with us?" The Lieutenant looked at him, almost in awe that he would dare to speak. "I mean I don't want to sound ungrateful, but so far all you've done is drag our asses through the woods. When do we get the privilege of going to see your ship?"
"You would like that wouldn't you?" the Lieutenant said. "We are aware that your people can track your location far enough to determine the location of our ship if you were on board. Rest assured that it will remain hidden and fully cloaked."
"Oh," the man said as though disappointed.
"I suppose I should be thanking you. If we had not been able to access Atlantis' systems, we would not have been able to develop the cloak in the first place."
The man smiled, albeit sarcastically. "You welcome," he said bitterly.
His brother stepped forward toward the huddled family and pulled the man from the group. The rest of the family whimpered in protest, their faces contorted as if in agony, streaked with tears.
His brother pushed the man down. "He has been fed on already." He looked to the woman, grabbing her from the group instead.
He heard a multitude of voices protest, the small children crying in horror. The woman shrieked and fought. "I'm the one you want!" the spokesperson from Atlantis shouted above the noise.
His brother ignored him and raised his hand to feed.
"Stop," he said, loudly and above the rest. His brother paused and looked to him, the entire group becoming quiet for a moment.
"Why?" his brother asked, lowering his hand for a moment.
All eyes were on him, and suddenly, he was at a loss to explain himself. Why? Why? He searched his mind, looking frantically for something that would make sense, but nothing he could say would pass muster, at least with them. He began to doubt if he could explain the reason to himself, not being sure why he asked them to stop. Then again, he knew the reason, he just didn't want to admit it to himself.
His brother looked away, seeming as if he were going to ignore him. A bright flash of red light streamed out of the woods from on top of the hill and struck his brother. He fell to the ground, still, his face burned beyond recognition.
The drones aimed their weapons away from him and toward the source of the weapon's fire. He fled into the tree-line on the opposite side, not stopping until he had found a large tree trunk shaded by shrubbery to hide behind. He watched the proceedings from a distance, and saw one by one as the drones fell along with their handler. Once all had fallen, the same man with long thick hair revealed himself, the Satedan. He walked down the embankment and untied the humans from Atlantis. The family surrounded him, and although he could not hear the words said, they were surely thanking him. The Satedan brushed them aside after a moment and looked in his direction.
For the briefest moment, he was sure that the light of his eyes had been spotted. The man tore off from the group.
"Ronon!" one of the men called after him, but the former runner didn't heed him.
He didn't wait to be discovered. He ran, the Satedan pursuing him. This man showed the skill of a warrior the likes of which he had never seen before. He knew he would not stop pursuing him. He had revenge in his eyes, a hatred for his race borne out of the loss of his people at the hands of the wraith. He understood truly now, what it meant to bear the title, wraith.