Chapter 4

---------

The faces around the table were all familiar to her, except for those from Atlantis. Larrin had surprised her, something that until recently did not happen that frequently to Iketani. It did not concern her that much, for what was unpredictable brought with it interesting surprises and new possibilities – like today.

She glanced up from her half eaten Kita fruit, and regarded the three men from Atlantis. The furthest from her, Doctor Beckett, was the mastermind behind this new viral weapon. She studied his face as he spoke, describing the basics of what he planned with his work. It was exceptional thinking and his research was more advanced than she had expected. She had heard rumours about a new weapon against Wraith among those looking to join the Coalition, but she had not known it had originated from Atlantis. Usually fanciful rumours were nothing more than fantasy and childhood wishes, but this was a possible reality. She considered what he had suggested, eager to ask deeper more probing questions about his research, but they could wait.

Already her plans were shifting. Now she knew the source of this work…its single source even, it changed things. New possibilities were emerging in her mind, birthed from this unseen new revelation. This coalition of worlds held the promise of some cover for her outside of Alliance territory, but ultimately it did not truly interest her. What her skills could gain her outside Alliance territory was vast, but what she was truly interested in was a means to return to her former position within the Alliance and to increase her power and influence. Doctor Beckett could help her do so.

She took the sample offered to her, that he had passed around the table. The magnified cells clearly had been altered by his treatment, and she passed the sample onwards, uncaring about the description that he was using to sell his ideas to the faces around the table. She was more interested in assessing the man now.

She listened to his voice, and heard the softness and nervousness of one who cares about his work, who cares about opinions. He was a doctor and therefore compassionate. He seemed approachable, with gentle expressions and a smile that he used often as he spoke. He was a man who valued thought, and cared a great deal about his work.

It made him valuable in what he could achieve, but also made him less likely to bias one way or another. She recalled his flushed smile at her attention, and concluded he wasn't a man given to indulging in his physical needs. She doubted that he would be persuaded that way.

The other doctor, of science, began talking about the possibility of making the virus into a quick actioning weapon. It was a very interesting idea and one she had already conceived in her mind, but there would be difficulties to that, which the doctor was already voicing. These were very intelligent men, not only in their abilities, but in their foresight. Those in the Alliance were very gifted at surviving, but they were not all that skilled at looking beyond their current skills. These men came from another galaxy, a galaxy free of the Wraith and therefore free of the history of their influence.

She watched the two doctors interact and concluded they were friends and that it would be considerably easier to influence the science doctor. His ego was very brittle, needing attention and support, which Doctor Beckett gave to him willingly. Which told her that Doctor Beckett was an honourable and loyal man as well. Those types were tricky ones, for only the most direct influence would 'assist' them into helping her.

Her attention moved to the military leader – Sumner he was called. He was a strong man with a sharp focused and highly experienced eye, and there was a brutality to him that promised a violent fight for anyone opposing him. In a battle he would have to be dealt with first and decisively. It would be all or nothing with him. But, she thought he was also a man clearly focused towards gain for his people. He was a warrior, a protector. If he could be convinced that something was good for his people, she was certain he would agree.

An interesting trio of men who represented Earth and Atlantis, yet Iketani had heard that a woman led Atlantis. She wondered why that woman had not attended, but then she most likely had more important things to do. Iketani wondered if that woman would be open to discussions. Iketani could have bypassed this Coalition and gone straight into negotiations with those living in Atlantis. The prospect of walking inside the City of the Ancestors appealed to Iketani more than she expected it would. Perhaps she would request that they do most of their work on the virus in their city. It would be in her best interests, she decided, to keep herself close to those in Atlantis. They had far more potential value than this Coalition.

Movement from the entranceway heralded several attendants who brought in fresh food and drink, setting it out across the table. Iketani's eye was drawn to the main exit, outside of which the various parties' guards waited with varying degrees of patience. She could not see many of them from this angle, but she could see one arm of a man dressed in the uniform of Atlantis. His dark toned hands were crossed over his chest loosely as he waited and watched over his people.

There had been another one…her attention left the table and the discussion and returned to recalling his face. He was a handsome one, very handsome, and there had been recognition in his eyes as he saw her. She saw many people, fortunately many handsome men over the years, but she was sure she would have recalled clearly one from Atlantis with that face. Yet, she was convinced she had seen him before, and the way he had looked away, like he had not wanted her to place his face…

Something stirred in her instincts, telling her that this was important. She held the man's face in her mind, straining her memory to place him. He had looked away this time, but last time he had looked at her directly she recalled. With that abrupt recollection, another memory flickered to life - of the surprise and amusement she had felt when he had. That he had met her gaze was important because she had not expected him to…why? Who did not look you in the eye? Prisoners and slaves.

It slammed into place then…he had been a slave, yes, she recalled his uniform had been dirty and he had had mud smeared over one of his cheeks. Yet, his handsome defiant eyes had been so appealing as he had looked at her…over Emmagan's shoulder!

The impact of the memory brought forth a burst of nervousness that was very new for her. Since her run in with Oneakka a few days ago, she had been on edge that he, or some of the others, were tracking her.

But, this man was from Atlantis. Yes, she recalled that his price had been especially high because of that fact. Emmagan had bought him, which had been surprising since the Seeker did not believe in keeping slaves, and had never appeared keen to enjoy the male body. Iketani had once tried to find out if her own female body would interest Emmagan, but had been shut down very forcefully, at the point of a blade if she recalled clearly enough.

Yet, Emmagan had bought a man from Atlantis…it worried Iketani, especially as she remembered that she had seen them the day before the fleet's attack on the Wraith Queen base near their border. Iketani's plans had been thwarted that day. Emmagan had taken her new 'slave' with her onto the Sythus when it left the marketing station, which meant that he may have been on the ship during the battle with the Wraith.

She glanced back towards the exit and replayed the memory of when he had met her eyes today. There had been more than recognition – shock and…anger? After which the Atlantis group had disappeared outside for a short time. Could it be that this man knew of her involvement against the other Elite and her current lack of status among them? If he had been with the Elite that day Emmagan must have let him go as she did with the slaves she acquired over the years. It was rumoured that she bought child slaves and sent them to the Athosian worlds to live. No one said anything about it, and no one would dare openly disagree with an Elite, and especially not Emmagan. She must have bought this Atlantis man to free him, but had that been to establish good relations with Atlantis? Were the Elite working with Atlantis? Was that man this moment sending a call to Emmagan to let her know Iketani was here?

It was too much of a risk. She had to leave, but there was too much potential here for her to just walk away empty handed. Opportunity was here and it was in the form of a compassionate doctor.

She set the remaining half of the Kita fruit onto the plate before her and picked up the small piece of cloth beside it, wiping her fingers as she settled her hands down onto her lap as casually as possible. She kept her attention on those from Atlantis as she slid one hand down her left thigh, parting the panels of her overdress. Set within pockets of the trousers beneath she had two small weapons and the square box that she set her fingers around now. She ran one finger down the front, seeking out the two buttons. She pressed the first one and felt the subtle vibration of the device that confirmed the signal had been sent out. She turned her gaze from the doctors to their protector, the exit framed behind him. She waited, seeing if anyone had picked up the tiny burst of a signal she had sent out, but even if they had there was nothing inherently suspicious to it.

The box vibrated against her thigh again – they were in place.

Iketani slid her finger to the other button and pressed it firmly. The box vibrated again as she returned her hands to the cloth set on her lap. She lifted the cloth, folding it idly as she pretended to listen to the conversation across the table.

She set the cloth down by the plate and picked up the Kita fruit again. She bit into it just as the explosion echoed outside.

----------
TBC