Chapter 10

Sam Carter put her head on the soft cool pillow, closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take over. It arrived quickly and she had just entered the twilight zone of semi-sleep when the intercom burst to life.

"We've got an unscheduled off-world activation Colonel!"

Not again. She had just returned to her quarters after an unscheduled event that had proved difficult to say the least. Keeping her eyes closed, she stretched and yawned before finally turning to look at the small clock sitting on her bedside table. 0130 hours. How did these people know that Dr Keller had finally ordered her to get an early night after so many nights of fitful, broken sleep?

"This'd better be important."

"It's from an address we've never seen before." The intercom went quiet for several seconds. "But it's Dr McKay's IDC."

A flood of relief immediately flowed through her body. They had only been gone a few days and even though she knew they were with Todd, she had been unable to feel completely at ease while her top team were being held on a hive at some unknown spot in the galaxy.

-o-o-o-o-

The event horizon was just closing as Carter ran up the short flight of stairs to the gate room. A quick scan of the tired, drawn faces told her they had had a difficult time but also showed one was missing.

"Where's Sheppard?" The sharp tone of her voice reflected the strain of the past few days.

"Oh great, thank you, we're all fine. It's good to see you again too." McKay turned to Teyla and Ronon. "You know there's nothing like a warm welcome to really make you feel that hard day at the office has been worth all the effort!"

"I'm sorry Rodney." Under the circumstances Carter was prepared to cut McKay some slack and overlook his sarcasm criticism. "You know I'm very relieved to see you three back here safely. But it's my job to be concerned about everyone under my command." She looked questioningly at Teyla, confident that her report would not be skewed by emotion.

"Colonel Sheppard has stayed behind with Todd to continue their search for Kolya. He did nothing to stop us from leaving, in fact he made it fairly clear he wanted us to return to Atlantis."

"So he voluntarily stayed with Todd? Where did you leave them? Do they know where Kolya is?" Carter had a thousand questions but knew she would have to wait for most of the answers. "I'm sorry. Having you turn up like this is just a little hard to absorb straightaway. I'm just pleased to see you safe."

Again Teyla led with a response. "Colonel, he is quite safe. I do not believe Todd will harm him in any way. They have a shared purpose and will work together until they have achieved success." She looked at the tired faces of her two companions, it was almost as if coming through the gate had relieved them of the need to hide their exhaustion. "I ... we will be happy to answer your questions but there is nothing we can do now other than return to the world where we left Colonel Sheppard and I'm really not sure what that will achieve. Or even if they will still be there."

"Of course, you're quite right Teyla. You all need to go to the infirmary. I alerted Dr Keller that she'd be needed so she'll be waiting for you down there."

Carter watched them walk out of the gate room, her sense of relief moderated by the thought that this could have been avoided if she had sent more marines with them in the first place. Stifling a yawn, she decided the debrief needed to be done as soon as possible so she headed up to her office to wait.

x-X-00-X-x

Go back to the Genii prison? Back to the scene of his torture? Todd's suggestion took Sheppard completely by surprise and he felt his heart jump up into his throat. He bit his bottom lip contemplatively, leaned back against the window sill, folded his arms and looked at everything in the room except Todd. It was just not a step he had really even considered as part of this process of tracking down and dealing with Kolya.

The disturbance in Sheppard's mind carried over to invade Todd's thoughts. He also sensed the doubt and knew he must press the issue if he was going to get agreement to this proposed course of action. "Does this idea disturb you Colonel?" he asked, his voice carrying the soothing tones of a trusted confidante.

"No ... well ... yes, perhaps. To be honest, it's just not something I'd thought of doing." Sheppard shrugged his shoulders and smiled weakly. "Maybe I should have. Just give me a couple of minutes to get used to the idea."

Todd nodded his head knowingly while searching his own thoughts for something to say that would convince Sheppard it was not such a threatening course of action. But this, in turn, initiated a dilemma of his own. Sheppard's frank admissions about being fed on had thrown up much for him to consider about his own experiences, but how much could he share with Sheppard without appearing weak. For a wraith the mere idea of sharing their feelings with any other creature, particularly a human, was completely alien. Yet this Atlantean was the only other being in the galaxy he could even contemplate telling about his own experiences in this place he wanted them to revisit.

When he did speak, he ensured his voice did not carry any of this uncertainty. "Before I began this hunt Sheppard, I spent some time travelling around the galaxy looking for the source of something that was disturbing my piece of mind. I was eventually drawn back to the underground facility where we were imprisoned. I walked through the corridors, I sat in the chair you sat in as I fed on you and decided the time had come to deal with this problem." Feeling the need to escape Sheppard's intense stare, Todd got up and walked behind the bar although he had no interest in what he might find there. "It was clear the Genii had never returned there, I saw the bones of the guards we killed still laying where they fell."

Todd's revelations about some of his own experiences also took Sheppard by surprise. There was so much more he would like to know but realised this was not the time or the place. He had seen how easily their conversations could stray in directions neither of them intend so instead of trying to satisfy his curiosity he kept the conversation focussed on Todd's proposed course of action.

"So you think Kolya might go back there now?"

Todd just shrugged his shoulders and looked slightly wary. "I do not know. You are the human here Sheppard, you would know his mind better than me."

"Gee, thanks, you've got a lot to learn about paying compliments haven't you?" Sheppard moved over to pick up the glass from the bench where he had been sitting then walked over to place it on the bar. "Want to fill that up for me?"

Todd turned to the shelves behind him and took down the bottle Sheppard had opened earlier. Using his finger guard he levered out the stopper and filled the glass. He sniffed at the top of the bottle and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "You once told me there are many things I do not know about humans, Sheppard. Your liking of this sort of liquid is one of those things."

"Oh trust me, there's much better stuff than this to be had."

Watching the grimace cut across Sheppard's face as he took a swig of the drink, Todd slowly shook his head and pushed the bottle further along the bar. "Will it help you decide if you are able return to the prison with me?"

Sheppard's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So you'll still go even if I don't?" Todd nodded. "Even if we agree that Kolya might not go back there."

"Our options for doing anything that will lead us to Kolya are limited Sheppard. I have sent scouting parties to the other addresses we obtained but I do not expect them to produce any results. Despite my feelings about this Genii, I have to admit he is a competent strategist and it may not be easy to find him again."

Sheppard knew Todd is quite right. Their options were limited, unless they wanted to spend the next few years of their lives searching the galaxy. The old adage 'looking for a needle in a haystack' crossed his mind as he watched Todd walk over to the window and lean down to look out.

"They have finished searching the village and the rain has stopped. We will return to the hive." Todd straightened up and looked back at Sheppard. "I think it would be useful to our plans if you gave some thought to what you would do if you were in Kolya's position."

x-X-00-X-x

The atmosphere in Carter's office was subdued to say the least but no-one really expected it to be any different. Dr Keller had cleared them all physically, being suitably impressed along the way with Ronon's self treatment of the broken bones in his hand. She was also interested to hear about the herbal medications they had been given on the hive and made a note to try to find out more if she ever got the opportunity.

Carter had allowed them time to shower and change clothes but knew that, with one team member still off-world in what could only be described as unusual circumstances, it was important to complete the debrief before letting them get the sleep they so desperately needed. Looking at their faces she could see they understand that, even though the lines of exhaustion were deeply etched across their wan smiles.

"I'll keep this as brief as possible. From what you've already told me, I gather that John has decided voluntarily to stay with Todd to continue their search for Kolya, but at this stage they have very few leads?"

McKay looked at the other two before nodding his head. "Yeah, I think they'll pretty much be working in the dark now. Todd saw Kolya escape through the stargate so they're working on the assumption that he knows we're working together. Most of Kolya's men who'd set the trap for us were culled and one of them was persuaded to give up the address of the world where their base was located. That's where we gated back from. They've also got the addresses of a couple of back-up bolt holes but aren't expecting to find much there. So they're pretty much back to square one."

"And you don't think he'd appreciate us trying to find him?"

Teyla shook her head. "As I said when we arrived back, Colonel Sheppard made little or no attempt to stop Todd sending us back here. In fact, I almost sensed he was relieved to see us go."

"Okay. Well, we've had an incident here," Carter hesitated and glanced over towards the command centre. "Shortly before you gated back. To cut a long story short, Ladon Radim contacted us and he wasn't happy. Word of your capture by the wraith and Kolya's escape have filtered through to him and to quote his words he's 'very disappointed' we didn't hold up our side of the bargain to share the intelligence we'd got about his rival before we decided to follow it up ourselves."

"Hey, that was one of Sheppard's bargains and we all know how flexible they can be. I suppose Ladon thinks things would've turned out differently if he'd been there too?" McKay thought back to the visit Sheppard and he made to the Genii leader. "He seemed pretty relaxed about the whole thing when we went to see him. And you know he's had plenty of opportunities to look for Kolya so getting upset just because we got there first is pretty petty."

Carter shook her head. "Look, whatever his main reason for being upset, we can't change what happened. I told him as much. But he wasn't going to back down and I, we, Major Lorne was there too, got the feeling that he's up to something." Sam looked around at the faces focused on her. "Neither of us could pin him down to anything of substance but we came away with the feeling he's decided to be more proactive in his own approach to finding Kolya. Anyway, it's the sort of information that might be useful for John to know if we can get it to him."

"Colonel Carter, I used my time on the hive searching telepathically for any information that might be useful to us." Teyla looked slightly piqued. "I was not able to find too much, Todd exerts a very strong subliminal presence over his crew. But one thing I do know, is that he has a very effective network of agents operating right across the galaxy. So do not worry, if Ladon has something planned I am confident they will find out one way or another, in fact I would not be surprised if they knew already."

McKay nodded his head again. "And don't forget they're not exactly on their own. Todd's got a whole hive full of drones ready to sacrifice themselves in his cause. Now if we're finished here I for one want to get some sleep."

Carter watched them go before deciding if it was worthwhile trying to get more sleep herself. She sighed, aware that the chances of that happening were pretty remote. Maybe she would try again for an early night tonight. She moved to the edge of her chair ready to stand up when she realised Teyla had come back into the office.

"You should not blame yourself for the fact that we were caught or that Colonel Sheppard is still ... off-world." Just in time Teyla managed to stop herself saying 'in danger'. "It was a chance we took and it was no different from the chances we take every time we go through the gate."

"I appreciate that Teyla but I should have insisted that more marines accompanied you."

Teyla shook her head and smiled. "No. We both know how," she paused, searching for the right word. "How persuasive Colonel Sheppard can be when he wants to get his own way. When I first spoke to him about going after Kolya he described it as a personal vendetta. He only took us with him because he knew we would not let him go alone and now he ha effectively sent us back at the first opportunity. All we can do now is wait."

x-X-00-X-x

Kolya stood on the porch of one of the small trappers' cottages and surveyed his temporary new base in the fading light of dusk. When the village councillor described these huts as 'basic' he had perhaps been overstating their condition. Located in the mountains above the village, the single room buildings were furnished with only bunk beds, a table, chairs and a basic stove for heating and were obviously not built for extended stays. Still they were no better and no worse than their previous accommodation and at least the range of food provided by the village was infinitely better than anything they had eaten recently.

The faint sound of music and festivities was drifting up the hill from the direction of the village. His men were all down there, taking part in an evening festival to mark the beginning of a new growing season. He smiled. Many Genii followed the farming traditions of their society but he had been part of the military arm for so long he had lost touch with the quaint celebrations that were part of the agrarian lifestyle. A invitation had been extended to them all to attend, but the manner in which it was delivered to him personally indicated that the villagers would prefer he decline their generosity. He understood why. There would be visitors from other Genii outposts and, while his men could blend in with the rest of the villagers, his face was far too well known. Still they had brought him a large jug of ale and some of the food prepared for the celebrations which was better than nothing at all.

Taking one last look down to the village, he stepped back into his cottage and lighted a couple of candles. The food and ale sat on the table so he poured a mug of the foaming golden liquid, took a pre-cut slice of pie from the plate of food and sat down to contemplate where to go from here.

He began by taking a long draught of the ale. Just a few days ago, he had felt that some of his aspirations might finally be in reach, but since then his life had become infinitely more complicated than he could ever have imagined possible. He had always known John Sheppard to be a resourceful man who held a grudge well but he had been genuinely surprised by the realisation the Atlantean was most likely working side-by-side with a wraith to track him down.

A partnership with a wraith? It was not something he would ever consider doing and perhaps it represented one of the fundamental differences between the Atlanteans as a race of humans and the indigenous humans of this galaxy. The idea of forming such an alliance did not come naturally to people whose societies had developed in the shadow of this predator who culled without favour or compassion. Certainly he had known men, some of whom he had collaborated with at various times, who tried to negotiate deals with wraith. Without exception, those men had ended up dead, usually at the hands of their erstwhile partners. Still this particular partnership he was facing now had a history of success and he could not deny they had a pretty powerful motive for wanting him dead.

He was stirred from his musings by a sharp knock at the door. The men had been eager to get down to the village so he could not imagine any of them would be back so soon. Sensing a need for caution, he got up and opened the door rather than just bid the visitor to enter.

Standing on the doorstep was the village councillor who had helped spread the false intelligence to the Atlanteans.

"Come in Dorrien. I had not expected any visitors tonight. I thought you would all be too busy enjoying yourselves."

"Most of them are but I have taken advantage of the gathering to come up to speak with you." He cast a furtive look into the darkness before closing the door.

"Am I that unpopular with the rest of your community that you need to visit here in secret?"

"Just a precaution to protect both our interests." Again the councillor looked around as if someone would appear from nowhere and accuse him of a major conspiracy.

"Very well. Come sit down. Try to relax." Kolya smiled easily, trying to put his visitor at ease. He pulled out the other chair across from where he was sitting before resuming his own seat.

"I have not come here to relax. We have many visitors from other worlds and you need to know what is being said. News travels fast. You, or rather your latest misadventure, are the one of the main topics of conversation. There is some concern about how this will affect your future."

"That is usually what happens after a set-back, no matter how small."

Dorrien started to smile but it froze on his face as he realised Kolya was quite serious. Either he did not see this as a serious set-back to his cause or he was trying to put forward a positive perspective on the events of the past few days. Either way the councillor felt it his duty to be more forthright with his information.

"This is not being seen as some small set back, Commander. It's well known that you have lost most of your best men and there seems to be agreement that your cause is all but lost." Dorrien's tense voice barely concealed a sense of concern that he might have misjudged where to place his own loyalties. "To say that your support is in decline would be an understatement. I believe you will be asked to leave here far sooner than we anticipated and I am not sure I can do anything else to help you."

Kolya poured himself another mug of ale. He refused to believe that Dorrien was right. He still had considerable support out in the galaxy, they could not have turned from his cause so easily. He just needed to get out there personally and prove that he was still a viable alternative to Ladon.

Watching Kolya's face, Dorrien realised the truth behind his words was still not getting through. Time to play his final card. "Ladon Radim has set a significant bounty on your head and smaller ones on your known supporters. Bounties that I fear few will be strong enough to resist."

x-X-00-X-x

Todd and Sheppard parted company as soon as the shuttle landed in the dart bay. Todd had not spoken on the journey back from the surface and now simply disappeared without saying a word, leaving Sheppard feeling a little perplexed. One minute this enigmatic creature wanted them to be buddies, the next he had fallen back into the arrogant, condescending pattern of behaviour Sheppard associated with wraith. In many ways, this just confirmed his conviction that it would be impossible to ever develop real trust between them.

Looking around the bay, Sheppard wondered if he might be able to simply slip out of the way without being zapped by a stunner. He had just about decided he could, when the young officer who had been their guardian when they first arrived stepped forward out of the shadows but this time the drones stayed in the background with their stunners by their sides.

"You will follow me."

Sheppard wondered if he should tell them he knew the way down to the cells by himself but just followed the wraith anyway. As usual they walked in silence, passing numerous drone warriors and other officers, all intent on their own business and paying scant attention to a human. After walking for what he estimated to be about five minutes, Sheppard realised they were passing though areas he was pretty sure he had never seen before.

"Hey this isn't the way to the cells."

"That is correct."

"Don't suppose you want to tell me where we're goin' then?"

The question was met with silence that continued along more corridors and down more levels until they stopped and the wraith passed his hand over a panel on the wall. A door slid open and his escort signalled Sheppard to enter.

"You will stay here until the Commander wants to see you."

"Any idea when that might be?"

"No."

With this final word, the Wraith and his drones turned to walk back the way they had come leaving Sheppard to have a look around this new room.

Sticking his head cautiously around the door, he saw a room like others he had been in on a hive just quite a lot smaller. Looked like his status as the only remaining 'guest' from Atlantis had produced an upgrade of his accommodation. The organic walls of the room glowed with swirling hues of red, purple and blue while a small window framed a picture of the opposite side of the hive. Under the window stood a single bed, that looked functional rather than comfortable, and off to one side was a small round table complete with a couple of chairs. Looking at the wall beside the door he spotted a similar panel to the one outside and so closed the door on his way in.

A pile of clothing sat on the table and a closer look showed it was the cold weather gear they had all been wearing when captured by Kolya's men. Sitting next to the pile was his watch. He picked it up, 0530 Atlantis time. As he strapped it back on his wrist, he thought of McKay and the others. They would have arrived back in the city two or three hours ago and would now probably be looking to get some well deserved sleep. He realised that he had lost track of time completely on the hive where there was no day, no night, just a constant sense of movement.

He walked over to the small window and looked down on the world they were still orbiting. It was a pretty sure bet they would be staying here until he and Todd had talked more about where to go next. Transferring his gaze to the stars glittering beyond the world, he realised that he was feeling strangely calm about being on this hive on his own. Could it be that he was starting to feel less threatened around Todd now that he had spoken about how much the feeding had affected him? Threatened probably was not the right word. He had never really felt threatened around Todd although that might have been because most of their meetings took place on Atlantis where he held the upper hand. He shook his head. Why was he even bothering to think about this. He had never been very good at this business of examining his own feelings, especially when they concerned something as bizarre as this relationship.

Something that sounded like a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He walked over and opened the door to find Todd's servant carrying some food and drink on a tray. The level of service he was being shown really had improved.

"May I come in?"

"Yeah, why not." Despite his lack of concern about being here alone, it was strangely comforting to see another human face. He stood back to let his visitor in. "Perhaps you can answer a couple of questions for me."

"I can try." The servant placed the tray down on the table then turned back to face Sheppard.

"What's your name again?"

"Strassen."

Sheppard waved towards the pile of clothes on the table. "Oh, yeah. D'you bring our gear back?"

"Yes. As I told you before, my master has asked me to look after your needs and I thought you might like them back. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Sheppard grimaced. What he really wanted to do was stand under a long, hot shower for a long as possible but there was no way he was even going to ask if the hive came equipped with showers.

"I can arrange for you to wash if you wish. And perhaps a change of clothes? I can arrange for your own to be washed if you like."

He stared at the servant. This was as bad as being around Teyla. Was he really such an open book that a complete stranger could anticipate what was on his mind? Okay, stop being paranoid, it was a perfectly natural question. A wash would be good but he was not sure about the clothes. Accommodation upgrade, room service, laundry, this was all getting just a little weird.

"Thanks, but just a shirt will be fine. Any idea why I've been brought here rather than taken back to the cells."

"I believe my master no longer thinks of you as a prisoner."

"Okay, can you arrange for my weapons to be returned then?"

Strassen smiled and shook his head. "His generosity will only stretch so far."

Well, it was worth a try. The servant turned to leave and Sheppard saw no reason to stop him. He walked over to the table, sat down and contemplated the food and drink. Sniffing the jug of liquid, he was slightly disappointed to discover that it was not the medicinal herbal concoction that had been so useful for his headache.

He pulled the other chair round and put his feet up. He would like nothing more than to lay down on the bed but knew he needed to give some thought to Todd's comment about what he would do in Kolya's place. Todd might not think of him as a prisoner anymore but that did not mean he wanted to stay on this hive any longer than was absolutely necessary. What he needed to do was get this whole business wrapped up as quickly as possible so he could go home. Of course. the assumption that he wold know what Kolya was likely to do was based on an assumption that all humans thought alike. Somehow though, he doubted much would be achieved by challenging this assumption.

So what did he know about Kolya's position? He had been underground now for well over three years, he had refused at least one offer of amnesty from Ladon perhaps more and now he had lost the best part of the band of followers who had faithfully supported his cause during those years. Ladon said he thought Kolya had about twenty or thirty hard core supporters who formed his body guard and inner circle and chances were most of them were now on this hive. So what' would that leave him with? The wraith down in the village estimated thirty or forty men had lived there. So he had perhaps ten or twelve men at most? Based on what he remembered of his time in Kolya's prison, that would be more than enough men to adequately defend that facility.

But what about the Genii's frame of mind. His confidence must have been undermined by losing so many of his key supporters. How would he respond? Ladon had once offered him the opportunity to surrender. Would he consider doing that now? Sheppard laughed. Probably not. Kolya was a proud man, one who would see greater glory fighting to the end.

Leaning over to pour himself a drink, Sheppard decided his thought processes would function far more smoothly with a cold beer.

If he were in Kolya's position he would be looking to keep a low profile among people he could trust. Could they assume he had only got contacts among Genii though? The galaxy was full of human communities, plenty that Atlantis had yet to make contact with, plenty that had technological aspirations that rivalled those of Ladon's Genii, plenty that would provide an ideal bolt hole for Kolya at the moment.

So had this little exercise actually achieved anything, provided any answers, any certainty about where Kolya might be? Perhaps, but there was still no getting round the fact that he could be anywhere.

Now that was settled in his mind he moved across to sit on the edge of the bed. It was surprisingly comfortable and moulded to his body as he lay down. He closed his eyes and was just about to drift off to sleep when the sound of the door opening brought him back to full consciousness with a start.

His male escort stood in the doorway but did not enter the room. "The Commander wants to see you."

"Right now?"

The wraith looked mildly surprised that anyone could even think of questioning his leader's orders. "I would not be here if he did not mean right now."

Sheppard yawned as he sat up and swung his legs down to the floor. The wraith was projecting a sense of impatience which had the effect of making Sheppard want to be as slow as possible. So standing up slowly, he stretched before walking over to the table and took time to choose a piece of fruit.

"Okay, lead the way".

-o-o-o-o-

Todd and his second were working in the small room off the main command centre intently studying a monitor full of flickering wraith characters. They both lifted their heads as the Atlantean visitor walks in.

"Ah, Sheppard. Come in. We have been analysing the latest intelligence reports from my agents. No-one has sighted Kolya or found any information about his whereabouts."

"I'm not really surprised. From what I worked out we ..."

But Todd did not want to be distracted by Sheppard's speculation, he wanted the Atlantean's input on something far more specific. "This Genii leader, Ladon Radim, what do you know of him?"

Watching Sheppard as he obviously looked for the right words, Todd wondered if he would be told the full story about the relationship between these two humans because he was sure there would be a story. He would prefer to hear things directly from Sheppard but would have no hesitation searching the human's mind if the need arose.

Sheppard folded his arms and leaned back against one of the terminals. "We've had quite a few dealings with him, and one thing I can say is that he can't always be trusted. He can be quite persuasive if the need arises but he's also devious and ruthless." Sheppard paused briefly realising how this description could just as aptly fit Todd. He half expected a comment but the wraith's attention was back on the screen he had been watching before.

"Go on. I'm listening."

"He took over the Genii by luring the previous leader into a trap and detonating a nuclear bomb under his chair. We have a loose alliance with him that doesn't really carry much weight. He's been pretty relaxed about Kolya being out there and hasn't really gone after him with any enthusiasm. He offered Kolya an amnesty that was refused. As far as I know he'd still hold out the olive branch if he thought Kolya'd accept it but, and this is a big but, realistically I don't know how comfortable Ladon'd feel with his rival back in the tent."

Todd looked as his second who merely shrugged his shoulders. The description confirmed all they had learned about the Genii leader from the hive's database of agent information.

"Well, Sheppard, it seems his enthusiasm has increased sharply. Perhaps as a result of our little joint venture?"

Now it was Sheppard's turn to shrug. "When McKay and I spoke to him before we started looking for Kolya and he was going to get his agents to be more active looking for information but that was all. Your agents know anything different?"

Todd smiled grimly. "Oh, yes, it appears he has had a significant change of heart. He has placed a bounty on the renegade's head. Payable dead or alive."

Genuine surprise spread across Sheppard's face. "Crap!"

"Indeed." Todd again glanced over at the second in command who this time dipped his head slightly and left the room. "He has obviously decided to take advantage of Kolya's weakened situation but, as yet, is unaware of his location. This news makes it even more important that we get to the renegade first, before any bounty hunters are able to track him down and claim their prize."

"Why? Surely as long as he's found, it really doesn't matter who does the finding."

Todd puts his head back and looks down at Sheppard through veiled eyes. "I wonder, Sheppard, if you are here because you want to find this human who abused us both or if you just want to make sure I do not find him on my own and exact my own retribution."

Sheppard's head dropped and he focused his attention on his feet. "I've made it quite clear that I don't want you to feed on him and that shouldn't come as any surprise to you. You need to understand that perhaps revenge would be best served by his own race, his own people."

"Enough." The word was more of a growl and Sheppard looked up sharply. "I am not going to allow you to turn this into another useless argument about feeding. We have other priorities. Have you done as I told you and thought about what you would do in Kolya's place?"

"You know I'm not one of your damned drones to be ordered around to do your bidding."

The shadow of irritation that appeared on Sheppard's face had the effect of reducing Todd's own annoyance. "Fair enough. What do you think?"

Sheppard was clearly thrown off guard by this back-down. "Well, okay, I thought I had some ideas but this bounty news makes them irrelevant really."

"Why?"

"It's an odds on bet that he either knows about Ladon's little surprise or will do pretty soon. It means he can't go back to any Genii settlements because there's too big a chance of someone being tempted by the bounty."

"So this abandoned facility that he already knows would be quite an attractive proposition for him?" Todd asked, his attention back on the monitor.

"I'd say so. I figure he's now got as many men as he had back when we were there. More than enough to defend the place. But nothing we couldn't overcome with some of your warriors."

Todd grunted and turned his amber eyes back on the Atlantean. "The world this facility is located on is not only outside the territory of our alliance, it is well inside the territory of an alliance with whom we have had some significant engagements recently. Much as I want this matter resolved I will not put the safety of my hive at risk to achieve it. If we go there Sheppard we will have to go alone."