Disclaimers: I in no way own any part of the Stargate world, if only!! Think of the fun!
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Her mind tumbled through chaos. A mass of memories not her own mixed with nightmares that were very much hers. A world of tearing, searing, slicing, killing, all haunted through her consciousness. Among it all she could make out one image; that of herself standing outside the cage, ripping out the knowledge from the Queen. She saw herself through the Queen's eyes, eyes that had also seen torture and such evil actions.
Teyla felt sick even within her own mind, such horrid evil that she had willingly pulled into her own mind. She felt polluted by a ghost within her. She had always feared a Wraith entering her mind again, but this time she had willingly brought in the invasion herself. She struggled against the spectre, pulling away from its memories of life stealing, evil plotting and brutal thoughts. They slipped though her, contaminating her soul and she screamed, screamed at the horror. But, down at its depths within the knowledge within her mind she felt something even worse. Something that moved at her mental touch and turned within, her terrifying her even further. What had she allowed inside of her? What had she become?
She bolted awake to find she was safe in her quarters. The horrid thoughts and memories faded as she blinked her eyes open against the harsh sunlight from the window. Sitting up on her bed, she wiped the sweat soaked hair from her forehead and rested her head in her hands. The thin medical scrubs she still wore were a cold substitute for the armour against her skin. She missed it with renewed intensity. A stray thought went through her mind to go and retrieve it from Rodney's lab. He was away visiting the Hunter's colony, she could slip in and take it without anyone noticing. Only then did she remember that her quarters had become her brig. A sharp memory of the anger and betrayal in John's eyes jumped to mind. He was worried about her that was all. She had promised him she would not wear the armour again, and she had lied to him. That she had lied was so unlike her, that for a moment her sense of self was lost in a haze of doubt and confusion. What was she becoming?
A shrill sound announced a visitor at her door. She threw one of her long jackets over the scrubs as she headed to the door. As it opened out of the corner of her eye she saw the shoulder of the guard stationed at her door. Anger rippled up within her that she was reduced to the same treatment as the Wraith Queen. Pushing aside the strange response she focused on the figure before her.
The female Hunter looked from the guard to Teyla, a neutral expression on her face. Teyla waved her into her quarters and returned to sit back down on her bed. The Hunter came to a military rest posture just inside the closed doors.
"Your colleagues were quick to punish you." Came the comment Teyla was expecting, but even though she had expected it, it still hit home.
"I understand their need to protect themselves and me." Teyla offered testily. This was a conversation she did not want to have.
"As I understand it, you have saved them many times with your gifts. It is strange that Colonel Sheppard was so quick to doubt your sincerity."
"Colonel Sheppard does not trust your people and now he doesn't trust me." Teyla admitted, pushing aside the deep feelings within that almost broke through in her voice.
The Hunter sighed as she stepped up to Teyla.
"At this moment there are more important concerns, yes?"
The female's eyes pieced into Teyla, challenging her strength and focus. Annoyance brought Teyla to her feet.
"I took what you wanted from the Queen." She stated slightly bitterly.
The Hunter stared at her for quite a while and Teyla looked right back into her cold eyes. Finally the female found whatever she had been looking for in Teyla and looked away. She moved to sit beside Teyla, her whole manor changing to that of a confidant.
"Tell me what you found."
Thrown by the sudden change of atmosphere, Teyla sat back down beside the woman. She guessed she had passed whatever test the female had felt important.
"It is a jumble of information: images, thoughts mixed in with feelings." She stated.
"Tell me what you can." The Hunter prompted in a strangely comforting tone.
Teyla looked away from the confusing woman and thought briefly how everything seemed so confusing to her lately. She just wanted to find something she could hold onto which she could feel solid and sure of. Before that had been her home here, her friends. Yet, now they had her locked away. She knew pretty soon John and Elizabeth would come to see her. They would question her with concern for her and distrust in their eyes. She had seen that look before in their eyes, and others in the past who did not understand her gift. But, this Hunter understood. And so Teyla focused her mind and turned it inwards to look at the array of memories she had stolen from the Queen.
"You were right, there are at least two Nurseries. They are on ships, so their location changes constantly." Flashes of the Queen's childhood memories of her own nursery distracted Teyla. The Queen's disgust at the knowledge she had once had to eat human food. Faces of the females who cared for her. "The ships are full of lesser Queens, Wraith females, who bring up the young Queens. But, there is something…" Teyla pressed into the memories, following the trail of breadcrumbs deeper. "The young arrive on the ships from somewhere else. A world in which they were birthed." Distant infant memories of a world with dark skies and damp rain against her tiny face as she was carried to-. The memories slammed shut. She remembered the Queen refusing the last pieces of information before they had both passed out. Sighing in disgust at the lack of thoroughness on her part, Teyla opened her eyes. "There is something else. Something she was able to hide from me. Something about that world."
"Do you know the location?" The female asked in a hushed voice.
Teyla shook her head, her impatience at herself increasing.
"No, I couldn't get it from her before I passed out. I know there is no Stargate. It was a world the first Wraith colonised when the war with the Ancients began."
"The Ancients never found the world?" The female asked with slight disbelief.
"No, the Wraith overwhelmed them so quickly and pushed them back, they never learnt of the world's existence." Images of killing Ancients piled up in Teyla's mind. She pushed them all aside. "If only I could have pulled that last piece of information out. If I could try again, I could focus on that single piece of information."
The Hunter stood and began to pace across Teyla's room.
"They will never let you near that Queen again." She stopped at looked down at Teyla. "Others with your abilities have said the same thing. There is a vital piece of information the Queens are able to hide from them. The strongest of your kind, he believed that if he scans enough Queens he could be able to put the pieces together."
Something sparkled within Teyla. She nodded her agreement.
"Yes, that may work. And one of the Queens may even let it slip eventually." She focused inside again. That dark centre to the Wraith memories stirred again. "It's almost as if I could know, if I could look into her mind once more. It's almost within my grasp."
"You need more practice, Teyla. I have never heard of one of your kind being able to pull such information out so quickly. You have a strong mind, but even you need time. You need to develop the skills. Then we can discover what the Wraith are hiding from us."
"We should tell the others." Teyla said.
The Hunter began pacing again.
"And what will they do with the information? Do you believe they will allow you to enter the Queen's mind again?" Teyla shook her head, knowing they never would whilst they doubted her allegiance. "No, they will not. Yet, we need that information now." The Hunter stated as she continued pacing, a behaviour Teyla thought strange from such a confident Hunter.
"The other one who is like me you mentioned, couldn't he piece it together instead of me?" A strange mixture of emotions stirred in Teyla then. Some part of her hoped she would not need to go further. However, another part of her felt frustration at the possibility of missing such a chance herself.
"He was killed in battle." The Hunter returned. "No, you are the best hope we all have. You are the key to discovering this information."
"That may be true, but as you said they will not let me near the Queen again."
The Hunter stopped her pacing and stood before Teyla. "We could find another."
"Even if you did, they still would not let me near another Queen."
The Hunter frowned down at her. "I know that."
Realisation hit Teyla suddenly. "You want me to leave with you? Leave Atlantis? They will not let me go." Teyla's heart leapt into a fast pace.
"So instead you will sit in here in your prison, allowing them to hold you, to decide your destiny?" The Hunter spat out. "I will let no one decide my future but me."
"They are my friends." Teyla stated. If she only had the armour, she would feel more secure. Everything was getting even more confusing. Atlantis was home, she couldn't leave it. Leave her family. Leave John. Be out alone without their support.
"Friends who have trapped you in here to rot."
"No!" Teyla leapt up. "They are worried about me, that is all. To them I have been behaving differently, unpredictably."
"Yes, you have. You are stronger now. They fear because they can no longer control you. They saw you defeat a Queen twice.
"No." Teyla turned her back to the Hunter. "No. We should tell them what we know. Then they will help us to find out this possible weakness the Wraith have."
"As I said before, I doubt these people will look kindly on us destroying infant Wraith. They are a weak people, who hide behind technology left by our ancestors who ran and hid from the Wraith. They left us all to suffer at the hands of the Wraith."
Teyla was shocked to hear the hatred in the Hunter's voice. Yet, deep inside, had she not also had those dark thoughts? Why had they been deserted by the Ancestors? Surely the number of deaths at the hands of the Wraith was not acceptable to the Ancestors.
The Hunter moved right up to Teyla.
"No, we will take our own destiny in our hands and kill the Wraith. We will do what the Ancestors were too weak to accomplish. We have the opportunity to save billions of lives. You, Teyla, have the power to do this. You can become more powerful than any Wraith. If you can defeat a Wraith Queen and with other Hunters with you… you could be unstoppable."
Teyla shivered at he words, at the promise they held. She shut her eyes tight and tried to remember clearly who she was.
"Defeating the Wraith at any means, in the fastest way possible is ALL that matters. Your own feelings do not matter here. You have been given a gift and it is your duty to fulfil that potential. Think of the Billions of lives that you will save. That is more important than any personal feelings of guilt, or worry. You can save all your people, their future children and grandchildren. All our descendants can be free of the fear of the Wraith. These people from another galaxy have never lived under the tyranny of the Wraith. They have never seen whole families lost to the sweeps of the Wraith beams. Family members gone, leaving us left behind to imagine what hellish way they met their end."
Teyla couldn't listen to it any more. Memories of her own mother, father and brother disappearing in the white transporter of the Darts before her eyes. But, she knew what had happened to them. Had her family screamed for help when their lives had been sucked out of them? She had lost so many. Been so helpless to stop it all. She had seen so many killed. Lived in silent terror for too long that it would be her turn next.
"We can change all this. Together we can stop the Wraith! For all our people. Teyla, is there anything more important?!"
Teyla opened her eyes. The choice was clear. She had to do what she could. She would stop being a victim, stop being a liability and finally step up to the power that was her duty. She turned back to the Hunter.
"Do you know where we can find more Wraith Queens?"
The Hunter betrayed a moment of pleasure at Teyla's response, before her calm mask returned.
"Yes, we have located several Hive ships. And from their computers we will be able to locate the Nursery ships now we know what to look for."
Teyla nodded. "They took my armour."
"It has already been…reacquired for you. They had no right to take away our gift for you."
Moving swiftly around her quarters Teyla changed into her an Athosian outfit, the one she had worn when she first came to Atlantis. Stuffing some choice items into a bag, she slung it over her shoulder and turned to the Hunter.
"Let's go."
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John rounded the last corner, the sound of weapons fire slowing his pace. P90 in his hands, he edged towards the open doorway. He had received reports of the Hunter attacking his people, until the reports had stopped coming in all together. What concerned him more than the satisfaction that knowing he had been right about that woman, was the one report that said Teyla was with her. He had sealed off the 'gate, guessing that was where the Hunter was headed. However, once she realised that he had gone that she had moved off towards the base of the tower, leaving him and his men hurrying to catch up.
He peered carefully and quickly around the door frame. Two men lay unconscious on the floor, and the far door shut. As he scrambled towards his men, he smelt the smoke from the broken control crystals to the door.
"Zelenka! I need this door open now!" He shouted into his radio.
He checked and found strong pulses on both men. Thank god, the Hunter hadn't been in a killing mood, he knew she could fight and kill on a whim.
"Lorne, give your location?" He barked into his radio. Nothing came back. Swearing loudly, he wished once more that Ronon was here.
"Zelenka, where's Lorne's team?"
"They should be just beyond the door I am opening for you now."
Perfectly on time the door slid open. P90 in hand again he peered out of the door. The door lead to the flat broad space of a pier. Cool, damp air met his face as he scoured the area as quickly as he could. Two marines lay unconscious just outside the door. He stepped over their limp forms, praying they were simply unconscious as well, and he moved across the open space. The sound of weapons fire met his ears again and he ran towards it. Finally he found Major Lorne and one other soldier bunkered down behind some weird piece of Ancient art.
"Why didn't you answer my calls?" He demanded as he hunkered down along side them.
"Sorry, Sir, didn't hear you with all the shooting going on." Lorne offered.
"Report." John demanded.
"The Hunter and Teyla are about 100 yards at 2 o'clock."
"Teyla? She's a hostage?" John asked hopefully.
Lorne looked sheepishly away and checked his weapon. "No, Sir. She took down two of my guys."
"Damn it!" John muttered. He peered around the artwork and spotted the edge of the Hunter's coat disappearing behind some pipes. "They're on the move. Where the hell are they going?"
"No, sure Sir. Perhaps they are expecting a lift?"
"Zelenka, put up the shield." John barked into his radio. "Now!" He shouted over the confused questions he got from Zelenka. Above them came a slight shift of red as the shield flared to life surrounding the city.
"That should stop any unwanted guests." He muttered.
"Does the shield extend below the water line, Sir?" Lorne asked.
"You think they're gonna go swimming?"
"Maybe, Sir."
"Zelenka, does the shield extend under the waterline?" John barely got the question out before the Hunter appeared from nowhere. She dropped down on them grabbing the soldier and Lorne's weapons in one powerful strike. She kicked the breath out of the soldier and head butted John before he knew what hit him. As he crumpled to the ground he was aware of Teyla shouting his name, above the crackle of a stunner beside him.
"He'll be fine" the Hunter muttered as she kicked John once in the stomach. John scrunched up in pain, and listened impotently to the sound of their retreating boots.
Finally able to find his breath and see straight again, John sat up carefully. Lorne and the soldier were out cold next to him. Picking up his fallen P90 he set off after them. Angry at having been caught out so easily, he mentally noted that he needed to go through some new training sessions with his troops once all this was over.
He edged quietly from one hiding place to another. Finally he saw them and hunkered down. He would be quite happy to use the P90 on the Hunter, but not on Teyla. Her call of concern earlier told him a lot, but it also meant that she was not being forced by the Hunter. Pushing that worry aside for now, he wondered once again where they were headed. He had never gotten the answer form Zelenka as to whether there was a way out below the waterline and he had lost his radio earlier. Where were they going?
His answer came immediately. Just behind the Hunter, in a large open space of pier the air shimmered and a small ship appeared. Damn them, they had had a cloaked ship sitting on Atlantis' pier all this time! He would have some very choice words with security after this. A doorway opened on the side of the ship and they headed towards it. Moving quickly John stood out from his cover and focused his shot on the Hunter. Somehow sensing him she turned and threw herself with unimaginable speed towards the door. She made it and John's one shot bounced off the ship's hull.
The Hunter gone from sight and him in line of fire of the ship he quickly turned his attention to Teyla. She stood by the ship and looked back at him. He looked into her eyes and found he had no words to stop her. She couldn't be leaving. Yet, she was. Her head was held high, daring him to shoot her. He thought about it, for a moment he truly thought about shooting her. Maybe just graze her somehow, get her from moving.
Surely the tower would have become aware of the ship by now and the shield was up anyhow. Where was she gonna go?
She moved slowly towards the open door of the ship.
"Teyla!" He shouted, a warning or a plea he wasn't sure.
"Let me go, John." She shouted back, the slight breeze carrying her voice across the space between them. Breeze? He looked up and noticed the slight shimmer of the shield was no longer present. Sabotage he guessed.
Returning he gaze to Teyla, sighting along his P90, he watched as she edged towards the ship some more. She shook her head, "Let me go. I have to do this, for all of us. Trust me, John."
He dropped his P90 and stared into her clear, bright eyes. And with that she turned and disappeared into the ship. The door shut as the engines kicked in and the ship lifted delicately up, banked round over him and then shot up and away from Atlantis. John watched as the ship became a small speck in the clouds and then disappeared completely. Behind him he heard troops moving towards him along the pier. Too late, or too early for John.
She was gone. Alone with those Hunters. Or, he wondered, was she a Hunter now? His heart ached deeply in his chest and he sent up a silent prayer, something he rarely did, to any powerful being out there to watch over her. Turning to the questions from men around him and from the radio held out to him. Over the radio he could hear the high-pitched whining of Rodney, relief spread through him, at least he and Ronon were safely back. It was time to find some answers.
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TBC