Chapter 9

As the throbbing pain in her head became more intense, Dahlia knew she was fully conscious but was reluctant to open her eyes. It was pain unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The epicenter seemed to be at the back of her skull and from there it radiated through her head and down her neck and spine. Reaching behind her head she gingerly pushed aside her hair to find the offending lump. It was large but at least the skin did not seem to be broken.

For several minutes she lay still, trying to get her bearings without letting her mind descend into the panic she knew came from being placed in a totally unknown and, she had to assume, hostile situation. She was lying on her side on something relatively soft, a mattress probably but certainly not like soft, perfumed bed she had at home. This one had a coarse, scratchy cover that smelt stale and distinctly masculine. Obviously many other people had laid here before her.

Finally opening her eyes, she stretched one leg, then the other and in doing so realized that for some reason her boots have been removed. She raised her hand and noticed a faint mark on her wrist that indicated her hands had been tied, most probably behind her back which would account for the stiffness in her shoulders. Lifting her head slightly she focused her vision to take in her immediate surroundings. Yes, it was a mattress and under different circumstances she would be wasting no time getting off it and moving to sit on the floor. But she was sure sitting up would be fraught with its own set of problems so decided to stay put for the moment.

Where was she and how long had she been here? The small windowless room was dimly lit by a single light that sat mid way up the wall to her left so she could see the outline of a door in the wall directly opposite. No much information but enough to confirm that this place was not on any Genii world, in fact the only place she had ever seen that looked even remotely similar was Atlantis. This was most certainly not Atlantis though. While the space itself was small but relatively clean, the air was stale though not unpleasant and she suddenly realized the most significant thing about the room was the total and absolute silence that surrounded her. Such silence had never been evident on Atlantis even at night, when many of its inhabitants slept, the city emitted a low hum from its many systems.

So there were no immediate clues as to her whereabouts or who had felt the need to bring her here by force. She closed her eyes again and tried to remember what she was doing before she was attacked. There was nothing. The feeling of panic that she feared before now started to take hold and finally, and painfully, she forced herself to sit up. Not a good move. Almost immediately the bile rose in her throat but at least she managed to lean over and vomit on the floor rather than on the mattress.

Reaching into her jacket pocket she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth and chin. As she leaned back against the wall, her breath came in short, sharp gulps and her eyes filled with tears that she did not even try to stem. Despair suddenly took over her emotions. She had no idea what to do because never in her wildest nightmares had she ever imagined she would be in such a situation. The tears flowed for several minutes and did the job of relieving some of the emotion that had to be overcome before she could decide what, if anything, she could do. Wiping her eyes with a clean corner of the handkerchief, she took a deep breath that helped settle both her stomach and her emotions, and focused her mind to think this dilemma through logically. It must be linked with Acastus Kolya's escape and whoever was behind it obviously wanted her alive otherwise they would have had murder rather than abduction on their minds. She sighed. Part of her wished she had taken Ladon's precautions just a little more seriously. Suddenly she gasped as a thought or rather a name entered her mind.

"Aerimon," she whispered and closed her eyes. A memory flashed into her mind and he was there, just behind her, shouting at someone but try as she may, she just could not hear what he was saying. Was he warning her? Was he shouting at her attackers? A cold, leaden feeling of fear percolated in the pit of her stomach. Was he attacked too? Was he here? Was he still alive?

Unwanted tears welled-up again but were almost immediately stemmed as she heard sounds from the direction of the door. After a few moments they stopped but she was sure she could hear muffled voices. Finally after a couple of minutes the door opened and a tall, unfamiliar figure was silhouetted against the light flooding in from the corridor.

"So, you have come round, we were beginning to think you would never wake up."

Dahlia was forced to shade her eyes against the light but she still managed to get a good impression of the man. While he was wearing a Genii uniform, the voice, like the figure, was unfamiliar and although the accent was definitely Genii, it was one of the least common dialects indicating he was probably born and raised on an out-post world.

"Where are my boots?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realized what a stupid question it was in the context of her bigger problems.

"No need to worry your pretty little head about your boots, you will get them back when you need them again."

Biting her bottom lip, Dahlia decided to push the conversation to confirm some of her suspicions. "Well that had better be soon because I am sure Kolya will not be very happy if I am damaged." Although she could hardly recognize her own voice, she tried to make it sound as strong as possible but knew it still carried an tremor of vulnerability.

Her captor's cruel laugh cut through the silence and reverberated off the hard walls of her prison. "I was warned you had a clever tongue but it will be in your best interests to remember that I prefer captives who are more obedient," a leer entered his voice. "More compliant, more open to accommodating my needs in order to make this process as comfortable as possible."

Dahlia was repulsed by the implication and innuendo behind his words but knew better than to show him he had managed to worry her. "So are you the coward who hit me? It must make you feel like quite a man to hit a woman from behind."

He snarled, raising his hand as he took a step forward but another figure moved in behind him and put a restraining hand on his shoulder. For several moments no one spoke and Dahlia knew from his ragged breathing that her would-be attacker was fighting to control the anger her words had ignited. Finally though he turned and walked out of the cell leaving his companion to deal with their prisoner.

The newcomer moved further into the room. "You really need to be more careful, he has a quick temper and if you want to stay safe you had better behave," the tone of his voice was chilling and he paused to allow the threat in his words sink in. "And if you do, who knows, we might let you have some company."

Company? Dahlia felt some of the tension flow out of her body. It had to be Aerimon, it could only be him but before she could ask this final question the door was closed and she was alone again in her semi-twilight world.

-o-o-o-o-

Despite the myriad of ideas surging through his mind Kolya found himself relaxing and enjoying the climb back up to their mountain hideaway. The morning clouds had burned off and every so often there was a break in the trees where he stopped to look back down over the bone-covered former battlefield to the city shimmering in the distance. But the little group he led did not linger too long. Kolya had always found that maintaining a brisk walking pace helped stimulate his mind and for the first time since he arrived here he was starting to feel that he was exercising some degree of control over his destiny.

Overall he felt satisfied with the morning's work. He had not seen Dahlia Radim but such a meeting had not really been necessary, in fact it was probably best that they did not confront each other at this stage. He knew she was safely locked away with no hope of escape or rescue and that was exactly where he wanted her. Any potential problems that might flow from the miscalculation surrounding her capture had been ameliorated and her bodyguard would soon be back in her confidence. All-in-all, it was probably the way a more experienced soldier like himself would have chosen to undertake such an operation in the first place. In his experience a captive was always more compliant, more open to helping if they were able to develop even the weakest bond of trust with someone around them and Rix would have been told this if he had chosen to surround himself with more intelligent advisors. Kolya sighed. Herein lay a potential problem he was beginning to understand more readily the more he understood how things operated in the rebel outpost.

Rix Cowen. Kolya had been surprised by the depth of anger this self-proclaimed chief had demonstrated in response to the news their hostage had been taken prematurely. Certainly it had been an unexpected turn of events but it had happened and it needed to be dealt with quickly and decisively. By allowing his anger to dominate his reaction, Rix had revealed a potential weakness of character and leadership that could compromise their whole mission if not handled appropriately.

Turning to glance at the small group of men accompanying him back to the caves, Kolya wondered, not for the first time since coming here, what happened to his own men, those who had remained true to his own cause until the end. He had not given them too much thought while in prison but once settled here he had hoped to see some familiar faces. It had not happened though and none had come forward since, not on this world anyway and the discrete inquiries he had made during the course of general conversation had failed to produce any positive information either.

Which meant he had plenty of work ahead of him to regain, or rather gain, the level of respect that Rix held amongst these rebels, respect that was essential if he wanted to take control of the plan to kill Ladon. While confident he will be able to neutralize the influence of Rix's advisors, the presence of some of his loyal, long-term supporters would certainly have helped him in the accompanying quest to win the soldiers' confidence. He huffed softly. Perhaps he needed to start searching a little more rigorously.

x-X-00-X-x

The two Wraith circled each other like tautly-muscled predators, silently searching for their adversary's weaknesses, looking for that edge that would allow them to push home the advantage each believed he held in this battle.

Hair tied back, both were bare-chested and bare-footed, their leather pants replaced by loose-fitting, black sparring pants that allow for much freer movement. Each carried a pair of swords with embossed hilts and engraved blades that were dulled to prevent serious injury during sparring sessions. The two were clearly well practiced in this pastime. As they lunged and parried, attacked and defended, twisted and swirled lithely, their movements were fluid, their bodies responding to each call its owner placed upon it. Well-defined muscles strained and flexed under their smooth iridescent green skins, tattoos rippling as if taking on a life of their own.

The shorter, younger of the pair was clearly outclassed but this was not detracting from his efforts even though his opponent was also his commander. The highly charged atmosphere of mock combat was perhaps the only place on the hive where the hierarchy of power was relegated by the need to spar with maximum efficiency. The commander always made it clear that he entered into these contests to be tested to the fullest and there was nothing to be gained by ignoring that order.

Todd watched his second carefully. He knew he had this one's measure but he was all too aware that when fighting another Wraith, one should never take anything for granted. Especially your own ability to win. Almost immediately his opponent struck a significant blow that could have been lethal in a combat situation but the second paused slightly, giving Todd the opening he needed to recover and return the attack. He did not press home the advantage though deciding instead to raise his swords to indicate the session was over.

The spar had done its job. While a period of meditation had cleared and refreshed his mind, this physical exercise had sharpened his reflexes but now more pressing priorities needed to be addressed. The hive had been orbiting the Genii outpost for several hours but Todd had not been in a hurry to cull this world. Its relatively small population meant it was outside the feeding grounds of any alliance so they would not be challenged. This was not a culling they need to replenish their stock of human resources, rather this was personal, something he had never done before but something that was unavoidable in the present set of circumstances.

Both Wraith bowed their heads as a sign of respect to a worthy opponent. Both also smiled faintly as they moved over to a long, low bench and picked up small, neatly folded towels that they used to wipe the thin sheen of moisture from their faces. The second then took time to hang his swords on the long rack that was fitted to one wall while Todd watched his personal servant, Strassen, place his finely-crafted swords carefully in their carved wooden case.

As the two Wraith moved out of the sparring room Todd decided to take the opportunity to answer a question from the second that he had not addressed before.

=You asked about the Atlanteans, how they will view this culling of a Genii world once they know I am responsible,= he paused and remembered not just the escape he had made with Sheppard but also the human's seemingly unshakeable desire to kill him. =There was always going to be a time when my relationship with these humans would change, this is that time.=

With his confidence buoyed by the enzymes released during sparring, the Second was even more forthcoming with his questions than usual. =But can you not exact your retribution on this renegade Genii without damaging your relationship with Atlantis? They may yet be of use to us.=

Todd smiled and shook his head. A sensible approach in normal circumstances but this particular time, this particular goal he was aiming for was far from normal. =Indeed they may and this is not a decision I am taking lightly. But this goes beyond the culling, beyond mere retribution,= again he paused. =You were with me at the last meeting of our alliance commanders, you heard the way the Primary used my dealings with the Atlanteans to undermine my credibility, to challenge my loyalty to Wraith.=

The second nodded but remained silent. At that meeting he had sensed his leader's anger and disappointment that his integrity was being attacked by one he held in very low esteem, anger that was resurfacing now.

Todd used the slight pause to control his animosity towards the primary commander before continuing. =So we both know that if I want to take control of the alliance not only must I have a queen but I must also be able to show that my connections with Atlantis, regardless of how they might benefit us in the future, are of minimal importance to me. I am risking our future on this, there can be no mistake, no room for misplaced sentiment. We will succeed or we will die, there is no third choice.= He smiled. =Besides I have no doubt I would be able to mend any damage done should we ever need to use the Atlanteans again.=

x-X-00-X-x

"Colonel Sheppard, the mere fact that you've visited the Genii without telling me indicates you know it goes against the way I want to handle our relationship with these people."

While the words were spoken in an even, controlled voice, the look on Woolsey's face and the thin terse line of his mouth left Sheppard in no doubt about how annoyed his commanding officer really was. Plus the former IOA man was pacing while he sat, a strategy Sheppard knew was designed to keep him from feeling too comfortable.

Of course, he had known visiting Ladon would risk Woolsey's wrath but all things considered, it had been a worthwhile risk and as things had turned out, his judgement was spot on. What he had not expected was for Woolsey to be waiting when he and Ronon arrived back on Atlantis. He was tired and not really in the mood for being questioned about his actions but there had been little choice other than to follow Woolsey up to his office.

So wanting to end this meeting quickly Sheppard responded calmly. "Okay, look, it was a spur of the moment thing, I wanted to check what security precautions Ladon had put in place and, as it turned out, I think it was a good thing we were there."

"I prefer not to operate on the basis of 'spur of the moment' decisions, thank you, Colonel and I'd be grateful if you could explain why it was 'a good thing' to disobey my instructions."

Sheppard folded his arms. It was tempting to tell Woolsey that sarcasm did not become him but decided it probably was not worth the effort so just continued his own explanation. "I think it's safe to say Ladon knew about his sister's abduction a lot sooner that he would've if we hadn't seen her going to the gate. And I think it's also safe to say that the kidnapping of prominent people isn't something the Genii are used to dealing with so we told them something about how we handle these things on earth."

Woolsey paused briefly at the large window that looked out onto the gate room taking in the implications of Sheppard's assessment of the situation. "So they don't intend to pay a ransom?"

A frown flashed across Sheppard's face and he shook his head. "This isn't about ransoms, this is about getting to Ladon through people that he cares about."

Finally stopping his pacing, Woolsey sat down on the edge of the large easy chair opposite Sheppard. "You haven't promised our help I hope."

Ladon had not asked for their help beyond the usual watching brief and Sheppard was not really surprised that Woolsey's bureaucratic side would put their own operational requirements above the safety of someone he had never met. His own memories of Dahlia Radim were vague and while he sympathized with Ladon's immediate concerns and anger he knew finding her was not going to be easy.

"No, I told him we'd keep our ears to the ground when we're out and about, nothing more than we've been doing to try find out who and what's behind Kolya's jailbreak. I did tell him we'd pass any information on to him straight away. He took the news pretty well when we first found out but by the time we left it was clear he had no idea where to start looking for Dahlia," Sheppard stood up and walked over to the window to watch another team head out on a mission before turning back to Woolsey. "We agreed there's almost certainly a connection between the two events, that whoever took Dahlia is most likely the person behind the Kolya incident. It's just too much of a coincidence to be anything else. Obviously if they had more of a handle on where Kolya might be then finding Dahlia would be a whole lot easier."

Sheppard deliberately avoided going down the path of how involved they might become if Ladon did find out where his sister was and asked for their help to rescue her. He was quickly learning that with Woolsey some things were best left alone until the need arose to actually make a decision.

"Yes, I think you're right Colonel, as you say we can't do much else." Woolsey got up and walked back behind his desk. "At least your Wraith friend still seems to be keeping quiet, perhaps he doesn't care about Kolya's escape?"

"Todd? Who knows, like I said the other day who even knows if he's still alive? If he is I still have my doubts that Rodney's prediction of a vendetta against the Genii will happen but hey, I've been wrong about these things before…" he smiled, shrugging his shoulders and leaving the office before Woolsey had a chance to answer.