Summary: Steve's daughter happens across the flag team of Atlantis, stuff ensues. A/N: Please, review. Also, if you are reading this, and haven't read my other fics, check out 'Show No Fear' you might like it!
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Shift again.
A girl child in a cage watches her captors in an unforgiving silence.
Disregard that.
Reality.
The singularity hurls herself against the barred walls of the brig, into the force-shield over and over, systematically testing for weaknesses in the barrier until she collapses, the silence allowing soft voices to filter through the room.
"If she keeps that up, the shocks could kill her"
"Maybe that's what she's trying to do"
Two males, human.
"No" a face emerged from the gloom, the poor lighting adding a spectral tinge to his features. "She never hit the same place twice...she's trying to get out"
Doctor McKay shook his head slightly, glancing over at the Colonel, "None of the other Wraith did that"
Her eyes cracked open as she listened, watching the two men move closer to the bars.
Once they were close enough, she dragged herself to her feet and flung herself at the barrier once more, startling her keepers with a flare of light, and a low groan.
A ragged cry, "Release me!" as her knees buckled and once more she sank to the ground, eyes pinned accusingly on the pair.
"But they did that" those words were spoken softly, meant only for the other's ears.
Then the voice rose, accompanied by a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and in a pleasant tone that still came across as almost mocking...certainly cold, "Sorry...but no"
To that, a silent response, lips moving slowly, head bowed as though in prayer.
But the eyes that burned into the pair, made those silent pleas seem more like a curse on their heads, than any prayer.
So she called upon the names of those long gone, a few of the Lantean's words drifting into the throbbing haze that was her mind.
"She's not much like him...is she"
Without looking up she could tell that the human was studying her the way one might study a particularly interesting insect, head cocked and eyes narrowed, as though confused.
"Nah...but she probably would be one day."
Those were the words that made her head snap up.
Yes, there had been Wraith in this cell before, standing before the humans to be judged.
And now they judged her against one of her own kin.
So she watched them with a new interest, struggling to focus on the softly spoken words.
But soon she had to speak, finally voicing a question she did not expect to be answered.
After all, she refused theirs.
"Of whom do you speak...who am I not like, but may be like?"
She frowned inwardly as the awkward phrasing, but left her face as blank as possible as she waited for a reply that may never come.
But to her surprise it came, after a long pause in which the pair of humans looked at one another, silently debating if they should tell her the truth.
In the end, they chose too.
"One of the first Wraith we captured, about two years ago..."
The dark haired male was speaking...she was sure that she had heard the name while he and his companion spoke...Sheppard...
The Lanteans had such strange names.
Zhara shoved these thoughts from her mind as she listened to the man speak, absorbing all of the information and piecing it together slowly.
That was all the information she would get from Sheppard.
However, it was all she needed to make a swift calculation in her head, eyes narrowing as she contemplated the meaning of this new-found revelation.
And she would have a great deal of time to contemplate this, as the two humans were called away, leaving her in something close to peace.
--
A few more days of darkness, punctuated by bursts of light and needle pricks, before she had a chance to speak to a seemingly intelligent being.
Just like those among the Wraith, the Lantean guards did not speak…either they, like the Drones, were unable to speak, or they were under orders not to.
They paid her no attention, and it infuriated her.
So when one of the Lanteans finally replied to her questions, she was somewhat startled.
Then again, he was not dressed like the soldiers, nor did he look as though he would be any good at that sort of job.
She had seen his face before, just before the washes of red and paralyzing pain hit her.
That stunner was so different from the ones her people used, instead of simply numbing the muscles, this one shot a wave of agony through her, burning through her nerve endings before she collapsed.
No wonder she had regarded him with a bit of suspicion, edging away from the font of her prison when the man in the white coat entered.
But when that wash of red never came, she began to ask the question, "Where is he"
The human looked a bit on edge, eyes wide and bright even in the gloom, "Where is who"
Zhara liked his voice, it was different and the words were nicely accented as well as soothing in a rather odd way…it was the sort of voice she would have liked to hear if she was scared or upset.
If she was not in this cage, of course.
"The one who occupied this cage before me," she replied quickly, fearing that her time for questions might be short.
"A number of people have been inside that cage…" the male replied, shrugging slightly as he waited for her to elaborate, "Two years ago…the one with the messy hair said…I am not like him, but will be like him…that one…where is he"
The male's face seemed to take on a sorrowful expression as he replied gently, "He died…"
Zhara paled slightly, and her throat felt thick, suddenly feeling sick…that was not possible…perhaps she had made a mistake…maybe it was someone else…
"I…" Zhara paused, and swallowed before continuing, "I should like to see his face…have you an image of him?" she glanced at the corners of the room, "You have surveillance technology in this room"
He blinked at that, "Aye…there should be footage in the records"
"Show me," there must have been a quiver in her voice, for the man looked hesitant, before her reached up to touch the communication device in his ear, speaking in a low voice to someone.
---
A few more conversations over the communication device, and ten minutes later, the doors slid open again and another human entered, a file in hand.
Zhara watched in silence as the door to her prison opened, and she stepped towards the opening, only to have the weapon that produced the red stunning blast leveled at her.
That, and the sight of the file sliding across the floor and into her cell caused her to pause.
Still in silence, she knelt and picked up the file, running her hand over the strange material before opening it, a familiar face greeting her as she did so.
For a few minutes the ill feeling returned, and she closed her eyes, breathing slowly as she removed the image and shoved the folder away, through the open door.
"You are sure this is the correct one? He is dead?" she finally asked, looking through the bars.
The man nodded, and she looked down at the picture, "Get out", she murmured.
He made his exit, and she didn't notice the sorrowful look that remained on his expression, to absorbed in looking at the face of a person she had not seen in so long, and would never see again.
---
There would be no sounds from her cage save for one, in the early hours of the morning.
A low, keening wail would echo through the corridors surrounding the brig, sending chills down the spines of the people that walked them.
-tbc-