With an exasperated shake of his head, Supreme Commander Danteeras listened to the message being broadcast on their frequency yet again. This had been going on for too long now. He'd lost count of the number of times the relentless colleagues of his prisoners had tried to hail them. Hopefully they would tire of it eventually and decide there was no reason to waste any further time on Atrasca.

He had a team of the best scientists based on Atrasca studying the craft his prisoners had arrived in, and they had confirmed it was of Lantean design, something of particular interest to him. For a while, that had caused considerable excitement, leading them to believe the Lanteans had returned to the system, but an examination of the occupants had proved less promising. Only two of them had shown any sign of the capacity to activate Lantean technology, the rest of them were clearly not in any way related to the ancient race who had abandoned the humans of Pegasus over ten thousand years ago. Two of them even appeared to be Pegasus Galaxy natives from their attire; a huge male and an attractive female, both warriors from their physiques.

Though they had the craft, one much like the description of smaller vessels found onboard the crashed warship on Karafus, it was no longer functioning thanks to the paralysing effect of the sonic weapon they'd deployed against it. Still, it was certainly worth holding onto ready for a time when Parhaadon and his science team could find a way to override the need for the Lantean gene. The man had assured him that was possible given enough time and funding – something to do with retro-engineering if his memory served him – and he truly hoped that would be the case

The message broke through again, rousing him from his thoughts. 'Planet Atrasca, we have reason to believe one of our craft has recently crashed on your planet carrying seven of our personnel. We would like permission to carry out a search and rescue mission. Please respond.'

There was no way he would agree to that. If these people were knowledgeable in the ways and technologies of the Lanteans, they might decide whatever projects they discovered in their search were a threat to them and destroy their work. They couldn't afford a setback of that size, not now they were so close to a breakthrough.

The communications officer looked at the bloated man, waiting to see if he would change his earlier instructions. Danteeras sighed and rubbed his face. 'This is ridiculous. Don't these people ever give up?' he asked no one in particular.

'Apparently not, Sir.'

'We need to get the two prisoners with the Lantean gene off world as soon as possible. They may prove useful to our cause. But we can't do that while their people keep us under such close scrutiny. Has their second vessel left our atmosphere?'

'Yes, Sir. They departed some time ago.'

'Good...good. Then perhaps their persistence is waning,' the Supreme Commander said, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was already much later than the usual time he chose to retire, and fatigue was taking its toll. 'The moment you believe they have ceased monitoring our radio channels, I want you to have Commander Thelbaar take those two men off-world to Hartunen where we can keep them hidden until they're needed.'

'Very good, Sir.'

'As I'm sure you already realise, it's vital you maintain radio silence. Now, I plan to retire to my bed for the evening and I don't want to be disturbed. Is that understood?'

'Understood, Sir,' the communications officer said, continuing to monitor the incoming calls, but not respond to them.

Danteeras trudged, heavy-limbed, to his personal quarters. He was keen to radio through to Karafus for a progress report, but with the colleagues of his prisoners constantly monitoring the airwaves, he was afraid doing so would give away their existence.

He reached his room and sat down on his bed, slipping off his boots and flexing his feet with relief. He was getting old; his bones ached relentlessly these days. Not that he would ever tell anyone. If only there was someone there to take his mind off his discomfort…

His thoughts wandered to the exotic beauty currently leading the team on Karafus, and a smile touched on his lips. Now there was a woman who knew how to make him feel better. Not that he was delusional about their relationship; Sarayah satisfied his needs in return for the position in his forces he'd granted her. He didn't mind that, as long as his son never found out. She was intelligent, strong and showed a natural talent for leadership. And because she knew the exact location of the Lantean weapon on Medulsa they hoped to acquire soon, she was an asset whether she slept with him or not. Of course, he wasn't about to let her know how valuable she was in case she withdrew her favours. He planned to make the most of her various skills for as long as possible. Which meant lying to his son, Heernat – not something he was proud of, but the boy had worshipped his mother and would not tolerate Sarayah taking her place in his father's bed. His mother, a weakling who had taken her life because she couldn't bear the constant underground confinement. The memory of her failings disgusted him.

He lay back, letting the tension of the day drain from his body. Sometimes he wished he wasn't the Supreme Commander with all the stresses such a title inevitably brought with it, but what else would he do? He was addicted to the power now; he could never let go of it...he would die before giving up his position.

He closed his eyes and imagined a certain tanned and toned beauty lying beside him, nipping at his skin in the half-playful, half-aggressive way he loved so much. Sometimes she almost drew blood, and he had to pull back, but it was pleasurable all the same. A few bruises and a drop of blood spilled were a small price to pay for such passionate encounters. As was the begging for her attentions she also insisted on. So she had dreams of control. So what? She would never really take that from him. An outsider could never rise to the rank of Supreme Commander. That was a title reserved only for those born on Atrasca.

Realising such thoughts were hardly likely to bring him the sleep he needed, he pushed them to the back of his mind, slipping out of his uncomfortably tight uniform and standing in front of his full length mirror. Running a hand back over his receding hairline, he smoothed down a few errant strands that had broken loose of the binding he used to keep them in place. No matter. It wasn't worth worrying about when he was on his way to bed. He turned sideways, examining his sizable stomach from all angles. Life at the top had certainly treated him well, but he was under no delusion that, under any other circumstances, Sarayah would not look at him twice. Not like Parhaadon. He was a fine and intelligent man, still in good shape, though not much younger than him. He could still turn a young woman's head even now with his dark good looks and sharp intellect. But if he ever found out he had so much as even thought about trying...

Danteeras cursed himself for the preposterous waves of jealousy that wracked him whenever the woman was out of his sights. Sarayah would not look at another man; she knew where the power in Atrasca lay, and if she betrayed him, she was more than aware she would swiftly end up at the bottom of the heap where she had begun. And he knew for a fact she didn't want to lose what power she had any more than he did.

He climbed into his sizeable bed and closed his eyes, the silence enveloping him and lulling him to sleep despite his current problems.

oooOOOooo

Chuck was already facing her way as Elizabeth strode into the control room a few hours later. His large eyes and lined forehead always gave him a slightly worried look, but today he appeared even more perturbed than usual.

Elizabeth had decided to sleep on the problem before making any drastic moves. Concerned her exhaustion would lead her to make a foolish decision, she had also hoped the Atrascans would see sense and respond to their hails, which she had ordered the team in the control room to continue at regular intervals during her absence. Being overtly forceful was still something that left a sour taste in her mouth, as was the thought that said action could put their own people in more danger, but if the Atrascans were unwilling to communicate with them, she had no choice but to see it through. The fact they'd spent the past several hours trying to communicate to no avail meant that the time to act had now arrived. On top of that, Zelenka and his team had identified the source of the power surge, which meant if it began to build again on their approach, they would be able to fire on the target and neutralise the threat. So, if they wanted a fight, she would give them one, one she now felt better equipped to win.

'Dial them up,' she instructed, standing at Chuck's shoulder as he punched in the co-ordinates for Atrasca yet again. The wormhole established itself, the bright flash of contact receding into the peaceful shimmer of the water-like effect the event horizon emitted. As she gazed into the undulating surface, she asked the technician to open up a channel to the planet, the one Dr Zelenka had assured her was the frequency of choice for Atrasca by examining data they had collected via deep space telemetry over the past few months but had previously had no need to examine.

'Planet Atrasca, this is Dr Weir, commander of the eight personnel we believe you have recently abducted. Please respond.'

Her request met with nothing but mild static, yet she couldn't shake the feeling someone out there had heard her.

'Planet Atrasca, this is Dr Elizabeth Weir. We know you are broadcasting on this frequency, so please respond.'

Still no response. The atmosphere in the control room was thick with apprehension. Silence meant the Atrascans were deliberately ignoring them, and Elizabeth could not allow them that luxury any longer, not after the information Ladon had armed her with. She had no doubt they could hear her calls.

'Planet Atrasca, I will give you one last chance to respond before we are forced to take direct action against you. Now I ask you once again, please respond.'

Silence. For a moment, she thought her attempt to open up a dialogue had failed, and she dropped her head, preparing to give the order for the four teams of marines she'd already briefed to prepare themselves and head down to the planet to force a response. Then, out of the blue, a voice broke through in the control room.

'This is Commander Thelbaar of the Atrascan Defence Alliance. Why are you contacting us on this channel?'

Elizabeth pulled herself upright, flashing a wary smile at her colleagues before continuing. 'I think I've already made that clear to you, Commander, as have my team in their numerous attempts to hail you. Can you explain why you've been ignoring us all this time?'

'If you are familiar with life in the Pegasus Galaxy, you will know why technology such as this has to be hidden,' he replied, but Elizabeth didn't buy his excuse for a moment.

'Do Wraith hives make contact by radio before culling your world often?' she asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from seeping into her tone.

Commander Thelbaar paused before responding. 'What makes you believe we are holding any of your people prisoner here?' he demanded.

Realising she had to keep her attitude more neutral if she wanted to move things forward, Elizabeth bit back the urge to tell him it was obvious to anyone but an idiot that they had taken the jumper and its occupants hostage and took a more professional approach. 'Your planet was their last known destination, and we're able to track our ships. The signal died whilst still within your atmosphere. They're on Atrasca somewhere, and since we noticed a power surge coming from the surface of your planet just before their vessel failed, I think it's safe to assume you know where they are now.'

Apparently dispensing with the attempts to cover over the disappearance, Thelbaar suddenly changed his tack. 'They were trespassing on Atrascan soil. We had to be sure they weren't in alliance with the Wraith.'

'They were there in search of a missing colleague,' she pointed out, 'A fact I'm not entirely convinced you were unaware of. So that leads me to believe there were ulterior motives for you abducting them.'

This time, Commander Thelbaar's silence was lengthier and somehow more pointed. Elizabeth had to wonder if that last allegation had pushed things too far too soon and wished she could take it back.

'We do not appreciate your accusations, Dr Weir. This communication is terminated,' he replied.

Knowing she had to retrieve the situation, she jumped in with a threat that felt completely out of character for her. 'You do that, and I will take definitive action to free my people...and I'm sure you wouldn't wish to be solely responsible for an outbreak of war on your planet.'

Everyone in the control room seemed to hold their breath around her as they awaited his response. Inside, Elizabeth was a mess of nerves. Though she'd deemed it necessary to get heavy with people a few times since their arrival in the Pegasus Galaxy, she never felt entirely comfortable with it, rather like she was trying to walk in shoes five sizes too big for her.

'All right. How do you suggest we move forward from here?' he asked after another length pause.

'I want to speak to someone with the authority to release my people. Are you able to do that?'

'No...no I am not.'

'Then perhaps you would be so kind as to put me in touch with someone who is,' she suggested, feeling the power now shifting definitively in her favour.

'Supreme Commander Danteeras does not like to be woken at this hour,' the commander explained, but Elizabeth wasn't prepared to listen to his excuses. She wasn't about to lose her psychological advantage over something as trivial as a few hours of sleep. Fatigue was still tugging at her, too. So if she was prepared to talk, he'd better damn well drag his ass out of bed for her.

'I think he'll be willing to make an exception in this case,' she insisted, waiting for his response.

With a sigh, the commander said, 'Very well, I will contact him. Please wait for our response.'

'Oh, don't you worry. I'm not going anywhere,' she assured him, folding her arms over her chest and staring into the shimmering blue depths of the live 'gate.

Several minutes dragged by, leaving her wondering if Thelbaar was actually going to come back to them, or had just left her hanging like a fool as some kind of retribution for her threats. She chewed the inside of her mouth, a frown scoring its way onto her forehead, but as she opened her mouth to instruct Chuck to hail the planet again, the commander's voice cut her off.

'Proceed to the co-ordinates I am about to send you. Supreme Commander Danteeras will meet with you there.'

That said the co-ordinates appeared on the screen in front of Chuck, and the communication abruptly ended. 'Well, that went as well as could be expected,' she said, fairly pleased with her work, though still not sure she would achieve her goal.

With her whole body instantly slackening, and only then did Elizabeth realise just how tense she'd been. She hoped the others in the control room hadn't noticed; she'd been going for calm and in control not frightened rigid. She turned to Chuck, who was gazing up at her, awaiting her instructions.

'Ask the four teams I briefed to be ready and assembled in the jumper bay as soon as possible,' she told him. 'Call me pessimistic, but I think I'm going to need back-up on this one...oh, and ask Dr Beckett to join us.'

'Yes, Ma'am,' she heard Chuck call after her as she headed out to get ready herself. She got the feeling this was not going to be her most amicable meeting with a new race, but considering it was indirectly her fault first John then the other seven personnel looking for him had gone missing, she figured she owed them that much at least.

A/N Thanks once again to everyone who is reading, favouriting, and putting this on story alert, and especially to those kind enough to leave comments. I'm very grateful. Time for a break for the weekend, then back with more trouble for Sheppard on Monday. :D