SECRETS II

Chapter 8

Earth! Their first contact with Earth! Adama felt like a little child again who had been promised a mushie for eating all his protein. "Forgive me, Colonel, it's just that we've been searching for so long."

"Searching?" Caldwell's voice replied.

"Yes. For the lost thirteenth tribe."

"I don't know anything about a lost tribe, but I do know that you are in hostile territory. If you haven't been picked up by a Wraith Hiveship yet, it's only a matter time."

Adama and Tigh exchanged concerned looks. "Who are these Wraith?" the commander asked.

"Not someone you want to meet. Please, stand by while I contact Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Tigh inquired.

"Perhaps a colony of Earth?" Adama suggested. "We won't really know until we have more information."

The Com crackled to life again. "I've been authorized to escort you to Atlantis, Commander. Do you have hyperspace capabilities?"

"The Galactica has lightspeed. Most of the other ships don't."

Adama could hear words being spoken but he couldn't make them out. "I'm sending you some coordinates and taking up a flanking position. At our present location it should take about forty eight hours," the word was unfamiliar so Adama assumed it was some sort to time measurement, "to arrive at our destination."

"If it is going to take awhile, perhaps you would come aboard the Galactica?"

"I thank you for the invitation, but with not knowing precisely where the Wraith are, I prefer to stay aboard my ship. I'm sure you understand."

He did indeed. "We're in enemy territory. Yes, Colonel. I do understand."

"John," Elizabeth's voice sounded in his ear.

"Yes, Dr. Weir," he stepped out of Inara's quarters onto the patio.

"We have what looks like first contact situation heading for Atlantis."

"Excuse me?"

"Seems the Deadalus encountered a convey of ships. I don't have any specifics but Colonel Caldwell thinks they're refugees."

"How long before they get here?"

"About two days."

"Want me to take a jumper and rendezvous with them?"

"That's an idea but I don't think its necessary."

"Okay."

"What did River want?"

"It's…complicated."

"What hasn't been with them?"

"I'll fill you when later," he promised, turning to go back inside.

Shepherd Book met his eyes. "They're coming aren't they?"

"You know who they are don't you?" John accused.

"I know a great deal more than I'm allowed to tell you, son."

"You always did have secrets, Shepherd," Mal spoke up. "Speakin' of which, I have a few questions that need answerin'."

"Now is not the time, Captain Reynolds." Book's gaze swept over all of them. "But I do promise you that they will be forthcoming."

"What do you mean you're canceling the mission!" Daniel objected.

"We have a first contact situation and I need your linguistic abilities," Elizabeth patiently explained. "The translator seems to be working fine on the Deadalus but I don't have the same advantage here. I need your abilities, Dr. Jackson."

"But I've just made an astounding discovery!"

"I'm sorry. I do promise to allow you to return later."

"Jack," Daniel appealed to General O'Neill.

"She's in charge, Daniel. Orders are orders."

"Since when do you obey them," Daniel muttered. "Isn't there someone else?"

"No." He could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Would it help if I told you they were speaking a dialect of Ancient?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I need you here for face to face translations."

"Do you have the downloads from the Deadalus's translator?"

"I'm getting them now."

"Dr. Weir," Jack put in. "We need some time to break camp."

"You've got that. See you back in Atlantis."

"I wonder." Daniel's face grew thoughtful.

"Whatcha' thinkin', Daniel?" Jack asked as started to pack up.

"The language on these columns are a variation on Ancient."

"And that's important because?" Jack crossed his arms.

"Sam, did you say that you found the remains of a camp but it was attacked?"

"Yeah. It's in the report." Sam gave him a puzzled look.

"Any way of determining HOW long ago?"

"Not with any accuracy. What are you thinking, Daniel?"

"What if the first contact that's coming are the same people who made the camp."

"I think that's highly unlikely." She shoved a spare shirt into her backpack and pulled the zipper closed.

"But possible."

"Maybe. But I doubt it."

Ronan dropped his bedroll and managed to look nonchalant. Teyla gave them a warm smile. "I believe we are ready to go."

"Help me with the tent here, will ya?" Jack's look included Ronan and Daniel.

The three men tore down the tent while the two women finished packing up the rest of the gear. When done, Daniel dialed the DHD and they returned to Atlantis.

"Welcome, back," Elizabeth greeted.

"Have the information from the translator? " Daniel inquired as he ran up the stairs.

"Yes, I do." She pointed to the computer on the console before her.

Daniel settled in and began to work.

John was sitting in Elizabeth's office when she returned there a few minutes later.

"John," she greeted wearily.

"Hi."

"Okay." She sat behind her desk decorated with several items including a pot he'd given her for her birthday. "What did River want?"

"Remember them telling us about Shepherd Book." She nodded. "The one who died?"

"Yes." She sat back in her chair.

"Well, come to find out. He isn't dead. Exactly."

"What do you mean 'exactly'?"

"Seems he's now something they call a Whitelighter." At her puzzled look he added, "Sort of like a guardian angel. And I'm bettin', he knows something about our guests who are coming."

"Did he say that?"

"Not in so many words."

"Interesting."

Wan jumped up on her desk and batted at the pot. Elizabeth reached over and stroked the cat's back and was rewarded by a rumbling purr.

"Did he seem concerned?" The safety of Atlantis was hers and she wanted to make sure they weren't making a new enemy.

"No." He leaned forward. "It's more like a destiny kind of thing."

"That's strange."

"Tell me about it."

Adama gathered his senior officers in the briefing room normally reserved for meetings with the Council of Twelve. Tigh stood behind him, his son Apollo sat to his right and his wingman Starbuck next to him. Athena his only daughter sat to left, as well as Sheba and Boomer.

"Before I announce this to the fleet, I wanted to tell all of you we've had our first official contact with Earth." He waited for their reactions.

"Earth, Father?" Apollo half stood. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as we can be," Tigh commented.

"You know the warriors on patrol have noticed the ship," Starbuck pointed in a general direction.

"Out there."

"The Deadalus," Adama supplied the name.

"A warship?" Sheba leaned slightly forward concerned.

"It appears so. They have some sort of enemy called the Wraith."

"What are these Wraith?" Apollo wanted to know.

"As of yet, Colonel Caldwell has been reluctant to talk about them. He has suggested we wait until we talk to the leader of the Atlantis Expedition, Dr. Weir."

"Atlantis?" Starbuck sounded puzzled. "I thought you said we'd had contact with Earth?"

Adama sighed. "I'm uncertain myself. The commander of the Earth vessel has been unwilling to supply details."

Athena spoke up. "A colony then, father."

Adama steepled his fingers. "There is something not being said."

"We could hardly expect them to tell us everything," Apollo reminded his father.

"I'm aware of that, Apollo. Still, I have this feeling that something important is not being shared."

Starbuck smirked. "A gut feeling."

Adama smiled. "A gut feeling," he agreed.

"There you are," John said as he joined River who stood outside, her hands around the railing, the wind playing with the hem of her brown gauze dress.

"I wasn't hard to find."

He placed an arm around her, pulling her close. She resisted briefly before relaxing against him.

"Dr. Weir says we're going to have some new guests. She'd like it if you'd be at the meetings."

"She wants me to read them."

John knew he didn't have to sugar coat it for her. "Yeah."

"Why didn't she ask me?" She turned her head, her eyes meeting his.

"Guess she'd thought you'd be less likely to say no if I did," he told her truthfully. Though it troubled him to do so. He loved River and hated the thought of her gifts being used at the whim of others, even if it was Elizabeth.

"You love me?" Her voice held a teasing note.

"You ever doubt it?" He grinned at her.

She shook her head her brown hair flying in many different directions before she tried to tuck it behind her ears again. "No."

"I, uh, could talk to your brother." Now where had that come from?

River gave him a sidelong glance. "Simon won't change his mind. He wants to protect me."

"From me?"

"From everything."

"That why he went to so much trouble to rescue you?"

"Yes. We've always been close."

"I see." John removed his arm and took hold of the railing, leaning slightly forward.

"Not THAT close." River's voice held a teasing note.

He knew his eyes must hold a mischievous sparkle. "I'm going to kiss you."

"Wanna bet?" She giggled and dashed across the outside deck.

"Yeah." He pushed away from the railing and raced after her. She circled around the white plastic deck chairs some folks had put out there trying to keep them between her and John. "Not going to work," he said, making a crazy leap over them. River laughed and ducked so he missed and fell on the ground.

"Ha, ha!" She pointed at him and took off again.

"No you don't." He pushed himself up and quickly calculated the distance. He sprinted after her, managing to finally catch her. They both laughed and River threw her arms around his neck.

"Now, about that kiss." John leaned down and covered her mouth with his. She struggled briefly and then returned his passionately.

"Whoa!" He released her slightly. "I think I should definitely talk to your brother."

Smugly she replied, "Thought you'd like that."

The Deadalus landed on the East Dock a few hours earlier than expected. Colonel Caldwell immediately had himself beamed to Dr. Weir's office.

"You're early," Elizabeth observed.

"Commander Adama, some of his staff and I'm not sure who else, are already in a shuttle and on their way down," Caldwell reported. "I couldn't convince him to wait until after I'd talk to you."

"Elizabeth," Rodney stuck his head in. "There's a shuttle landing beside the Deadalus."

"Thank you, Rodney."

"Right." He tapped the door jam with his fingers and left.

"Seems they've waited," Caldwell continued, "a long time to contact Earth."

"They're going to be disappointed when I tell them what happened."

"I wouldn't tell them immediately if I were you."

"Oh?"

His face held a perplexed expression. "There's something here not being said. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Understood." She knew about intuition. It had saved her career many times.

"Doctor Jackson," she activated her head mike, "I need you to come to my office. Our guests are on their way."

"Coming."

"Has he got the language down?" Caldwell asked.

"Hope so." Weir touched the mike again. "John, I need you to bring River to my office."

"Why do you need her?" The Colonel couldn't understand that request.

"She has abilities. I think they could be useful."

"You mean she's a physic?"

"In a manner of speaking. Who's escorting our guests?" She hoped Caldwell had made a good selection.

"I asked General Hammond to do the honors."

"Good choice. He has a lot of experience with this sort of thing."

"I'm sure you do as well."

"Not as much as Hammond." Hammond had run the SGC for a number of years and had to his credit done more first contacts than anyone else except for perhaps the original SG1 team. Elizabeth could appreciate his expertise and hoped to make good use of his talents in the Pegasus galaxy.

Daniel entered looking neat in his outfit of tan pants and long sleeved shirt with a tie and a matching jacket. "I took the liberty of teaching General Hammond a few key phrases so he could talk with our guests."

"That was a good call," Elizabeth agreed. Hoping her simple attire of pants and red blouse would be dressy enough for their guests. She didn't have time to change.

"I need to return to my ship." Caldwell moved to leave.

"Of course. Thank you, Colonel."

He nodded and walked briskly out.

A few moments later John entered with River. The girl wore a short-sleeved brown dress. John was in jeans and T-shirt.

"Hardly appropriate attire," Dr. Weir admonished. She'd expected Sheppard to be at least in his combat greens.

"Sorry. Didn't have time to change and it took a bit," he glared at River. "To find River."

"You found me though." She grinned at him like it had been a great game.

"Yeah. But now I don't have time to change."

Weir glanced down trying not to smile. "Enough you two. We need to be on our best behavior."

"I don't know what that is," River haughtily replied and took a chair as if she were a queen.

John sighed.

"It's okay," Weir reassured him. Movement outside her window caught her attention and she watched a large group come up the stairs.

Leading was an older white haired man in a black uniform trimmed in silver. With him were several what she assumed were officers, in khaki with gold trimming, and brown jackets, weapons openly wore. A graceful older woman in a long blue dress, her silver hair pulled up in a fancy style of an aristocrat, and a young woman in another uniform of white. Hammond, in dress uniform, escorted them past the controls, which their guests gazed at in open interest, into her office.

Elizabeth smiled warmly. "Hello, I'm Doctor Elizabeth Weir, leader of the Atlantis expedition. Welcome." She held out her hand.

The older man approached and took her hand, clasping it around her wrist. He spoke and she glanced at Daniel.

"He says he's Commander Adama and happy to meet you."

"Tell him I'm happy to meet him."

Daniel repeated what she said in the Ancient dialect. The man appeared startled and the Jackson said something else. "I just told him I'd be translating since I was the only one who understood their language."

"I'm aware they didn't know about the translator on the Deadalus."

The archeologist introduced himself, John Sheppard and River Tam.

Adama nodded and introduced his people. Weir didn't need a translator to get the names. There was Apollo, Starbuck, Sheba, Cassiopeia, and Siress Magdelania.

"Representing the Council of Twelve, their governing body," Daniel explained when she'd lost what Adama was saying. "Near as I can tell Cassiopeia is from their medical section."

"I'd like to stay if I may," Hammond requested.

"Please," Elizabeth agreed. She made a sweeping motion with her hand. "Sit down." She glanced at Hammond. "Where do I start?"

"Perhaps with why they're looking for Earth," the general suggested.

"Good idea." She sat down next to River rather than behind her desk. She didn't want to appear intimidating. John sat on the other side of girl and took her hand. Elizabeth noticed a look exchanged between Apollo, Starbuck and Sheba.

"Daniel," she turned her gaze up to where he still stood near the door.

Jackson repeated her question. Adama took a deep breath.

"It's a long story," Daniel translated.

"Let's hear it. We have the time."