A/N: Hey guys, sorry this took so long – I've been fighting with it for months now trying to get everything to flow right. I'm not entirely convinced I've succeeded but at this point I'm more or less just moving words around so, happy with it or not, I'm putting it up. Please let me know what you think; positive or negative (and by negative, I mean professional criticism not flames) I love reviews. Until next time,
Cheers!
P. S. Please Note! As of 2/24/2017 this chapter has been revised and edited to the best of either my abilities. Grammar Nazis please be advised, I still don't have a beta reader so if I've missed a few things take a chill pill and just read on, I'm tired of getting messages saying I missed a freaking comma. Honestly, don't ya'll have anything better to do? And finally, for those of you who're going through this a second time be aware, there are revisions. Why? See above author's note and then send me a PM; I'll be happy to discuss changes with anyone who wants to. Now start reading.
P.S.S In case any of you are wondering, I've been fighting with the ending of this thing for like five months. I'm finally happy with it so as of today, August 15, 2017, this chapter finally, completely, 100% done. As such, re-readers might need to go check out the ending again…I apologize but regret nothing.
Episode X: Conflict of Interest
Colonel John Sheppard was having a bad day. Why you might ask? Well, in addition to sleeping though his alarm and missing breakfast this particular Tuesday happened to be training day and training day – no matter where you were stationed – sucked balls. Once a year Stargate Command specified an entire day to be dedicated to making sure everyone on base knew how to use all their equipment and by 'all' they truly did mean all. In groups of twenty Atlantis' military personal were subjected to eight hours of death by power-point covering a variety of topics (everything from how to clean your gun to the correct way to hold a flashlight) and Tech Sergeant Rivers (who happened to be in charge of training day), not only took his job way too seriously he had a stick shoved so far up his ass you could see it when he yawned.
The whole production was tedious and boring made worse by the fact that as CO the colonel couldn't just zone out like everyone else. Instead, he had to stay awake and staying awake while listening to Rivers drone on and on was an absolute chore.
He needed a distraction, something to entertain himself with so his brain wouldn't dribble out his ears. He looked around, glancing first left then right until his eyes landed on Captain Vega sitting in front and just slightly to the left of him. Well that was fortunate; it'd been dark by the time he arrived, the first power-point already queued up and ready to go, Rivers glaring at them all to find a seat and hunker down. Trying not to step on anybody, John'd snagged the first desk he could get to without really checking to see who he was sitting by. Fortunately for him, the captain – along with the other two thirds of the unholy trinity – were in the row ahead of him, apparently passing a notebook back and forth. He craned his neck, leaning forwards at an angle in order to get a better look.
The page contained three distinct handwriting styles in two different colored inks and was easy to read even from two feet away. At the top was the question 'What should I do?' in his sister's easy to follow cursive followed by more of the same, 'Attraction's easy to deflect. Interest on the other hand, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?'
His heart sank. Todd, of course they were talking about Todd because when were they not? Since Christmas it seemed all anyone ever wanted to talk about was Todd the fucking wraith and personally, John was a tired of it. He couldn't complain however, since the conversation included Kate and Kate, ever since their stint on Todd's hive, had been nothing but cagy whenever somebody tried to talk about their relationship. Her being secretive made John nervous, more so than usual, so any insight he thought he could get he'd take. In that interest, he scooched forwards, taking his chair with him as he gave every indication of trying to get a better look at the projector. Then, once he was sure he hadn't aroused any suspicion, he went back to the page.
Vega, at least he thought it was Vega, had replied in red: 'Play it up. He's already more or less wrapped around your finger, think of what you could make him do if he actually thought he had a shot.'
John frowned; apparently he and Vega needed to have a conversation.
'I do not have him wrapped around my finger,' Kate protested, 'We argue all the time and he still only listens to like half of what I say!'
'Well that's still more then he listens to us,' Cadman pointed out, complete with atrocious handwriting and numerous spelling errors. 'You talked him into playing strip poker and guzzlin' half a bottle of vodka in one go. If that's not wrapped around your finger I don't what is.'
'Yeah and remember the kid?' Vega reminded them. 'Sheppard sent him like twenty something messages and he didn't respond. You sent him one and he was here literally an hour later. Explain that.'
Kate huffed and snatched the notebook back. 'I never said I don't have power over him it's just not as much as you seem to think it is. I don't control him and I can't really make him do anything that isn't already on his agenda. It's only sometimes he does what I say.'
'More than sometimes from what I hear,' Cadman argued, reaching over to write with her left hand while the notebook was still on Kate's desk (apparently, she was ambidextrous). 'Granted, I haven't been here as long but from what I've heard, he does what you say more often then he refuses. Not to mention the things he lets you get away with.'
'Name one thing – ' Kate scribbled.
Vega knocked her hand away, 'You shoved a cookie in his mouth!'
John blinked, not sure he'd read that right. Kate'd done what!? When the hell has this happened?
'And he didn't even get mad,' Cadman continued, 'You also kissed him not a day later which I still think was hilarious by the way. Wraith really aren't meant to look bewildered. Maybe the next time ya'll can't agree on something you should try kissing him to shut him up."
'Yes! Oh God,' Vega wrote, shoulders shaking in silent laughter, 'Do it, I dare you.'
'No!' Kate responded, putting an emphasis on the word by underlining it several times. Her brother sighed in relief. 'I'm not gonna kiss him just because you think it'd be funny. I did it once in order to get back at John not because I secretly wanted to experience kissing Todd. I'm not saying it was bad or anything but it was weird and I wasn't kidding about those teeth. How 'bout you go run your tongue along a razor blade and then get back to me. I'm not doing it again.'
'Never? You sure? Never ever?'
With a soft growl, Kate put pen to paper once more, a little more harshly than necessary, stabbing the pen at the page. 'Are you saying you want me to encourage him? Why? He doesn't need any help, trust me. He's overconfident as is.'
'Which is why you just need to go with it,' Vega explained. 'Todd strikes me as the type of guy who's never had to seduce anyone in his life. He's arrogant, probably thinks he can have anyone he wants, so you flirting with him's not going to raise any red flags. Have some fun, I'm not asking you to sleep with him.'
'Oh yeah?' Kate scrawled, 'And what happens when he gets tired of flirting and wants to take things to the next level? I already know he wants to fuck me, he's flat out told me. You're basically asking me to lead him on which isn't gonna make him real happy when he figures out I've no intention of following through.'
'So just tell him you're not ready yet.'
'And when I'm never ready? You both forget I've been inside his head, I know how he feels about betrayal and leading him on, using his feelings for me against him, he'll take that as a personal betrayal which means we're back to square one. Todd trusts me, respects me and considers me an equal – toying with his emotions just so we can lead him around by the nose instead of the other way around puts all that in jeopardy. I'm not risking my assignment just because you want me to 'have a little fun'. The best thing I can do is make it clear I'm not interested and hope he takes the hint.'
'Yeah but do you think he will?' asked Cadman, 'I get the feeling he's not exactly the giving up type.'
'He will once he gets tired of waiting. Guys will only wait so long before realizing they're not gonna get any, then they move on.'
'I don't think that's gonna work with Todd,' Vega countered, 'Especially not when he knows you're at least curious.'
'I'm not curious!' Kate replied indignantly (and untruthfully), he could by the way her shoulders had tensed. Somebody was in denial.
'Yeah you are,' the captain continued 'You've said so. Remember? You told us you told him that if you're not careful Colonel Sheppard might actually have something he needs to worry about.'
In the background, John struggled to keep his mouth shut while his sister started to fidget. 'Yeah okay, I said that but what I meant was – '
'What you meant was you like him more than you should and are in danger of becoming as interested in him and he is in you,' Vega argued. 'Face it Katie Beth, you may not be clamoring to sleep with him any time soon but you are attracted to him.'
'I am not!' she scribbled furiously, 'He's green! And veiny and his eyes are the wrong color. He doesn't have eyebrows; his nose looks weird and those sensory pit thingies aren't exactly what I'd call the epitome of cute. And let's not forget his hair. I've asked – he doesn't own a brush!'
'Complain all you want,' Vega replied, 'Me thinks the lady doth protest too much. You might not be attracted to him physically but you've said it yourself, looks aren't everything. Personality wise he's got you; hook, line and sinker. Give it enough time you won't care what he looks like and by then it'll be too late.'
There was a pause before Kate wrote, 'Who's side are you on?'
That's a good question,thought John darkly – frowning from his seat behind the three women as, to his left, a door opened and then somebody cleared their throat. Rivers' sermon on proper radio maintenance dropped off as, together, twenty-one officers including the colonel turned their heads to find Mr. Woolsey standing just inside the entrance.
"Can we help you Sir?" asked Rivers, managing somehow to sound both annoyed and respectful in the same sentence.
The director nodded, "Yes actually. I'm afraid I'm going to have to borrow Major Lorne and his team."
Upon hearing his name, Evan Lorne suddenly became much more alert. "Is everything alright Sir?"
"I don't know yet which is why I need you and your team ready to go as soon as possible," Woolsey replied. "Is twenty minutes enough time?"
Lorne nodded, barely able to conceal his eagerness to be anywhere other than here. "If we hustle we could be ready in fifteen."
Cadman snorted. "Not a chance. Have you seen how long it takes wonder woman to put on all her armor?"
The woman in question glared at her. "Oh yeah sure, throw me under the bus. It's my fault it takes so long for us to get ready."
Vega snickered.
Woolsey rolled his eyes, smirking indulgently at their antics before returned to Lorne. "Twenty minutes will be fine, Major," he said, "I'll meet you in the gateroom."
With a nod, Lorne and his team wasted little time gathering their things while Rivers went back to his lecture on how to properly tune their radios. As they left, filing out of the room one by one, chortling laughter echoing back from down the hall, John slumped in his chair before hazarding a glance down at his watch. It was exactly eleven hundred, only six more hours to go.
Joy.
Training day sucked.
~xXx~
"So, where're we going?"
Woolsey sighed. "Twelve hours ago our long range scanners picked up a hive dropping out of hyperspace. It's not headed for us but we think it might be headed towards M82 – 543."
Everyone except Kate groaned; M82 was the Traveler's new homeworld and, supposedly, uninhabited – at least according to the galaxy at large. "Well isn't that just great," said Vega dramatically, "They're gonna think we narked on 'em."
Kate frowned. "Why would they?"
"Because they're paranoid as all get out," Vega replied. "Just watch, we show up and tell 'em the wraith are coming and somehow we'll get blamed for it."
"I doubt it'll come for that," Woolsey said although personally he felt there was probably some truth to that prediction. The Travelers were notoriously cautious and tended to think everyone was out to get them unless proven otherwise, a point of view which reset during every encounter.
"Have we tried contacting them?" asked Lorne.
He nodded. "Several times, it appears the subspace com relay is out."
"Well that's a hell of a coincidence," Kate muttered.
Cadman shrugged. "Maybe they're just passing through?" she said optimistically. "M82's supposedly uninhabited, right? Maybe the hive's there for some other reason."
"It's possible," Woolsey agreed, "But Kate's right, it's a hell of a coincidence. Personally I'd rather be sure."
"So we're warning them, is that what we're doing?" Lorne guessed already picturing in his head how many ways this could end up backfiring. "You know Vega's right, right? We show up, seemingly outta the blue, telling them the wraith are coming: if they believe us at all there's like a ninety-five percent chance you'll be sending somebody to come bail us out sometime in the next twelve hours."
Woolsey grimaced. "That may be but they're still our allies – we have to try. Doing nothing is not an option."
"Guess not," Lorne agreed sighing heavily, almost wishing he were back in the briefing room. The Travelers were worse than Todd on a good day; if by the time they got back none of them had been shot at, locked up or accused of anything he'd be very surprised. "Wish us luck," he waved, leading the way down from the control room to the gate. "If we're not back in two days send back-up. Preferably lots of it."
"Hopefully you won't need it," Woolsey called back to them, his voice following them as they went through the gate. They came out on a dry, arid looking world that reminded Lorne strongly of his Uncle Mike's ranch out in west Texas; complete with tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.
"So," he asks, shielding his eyes from the suns' rays (this planet happened to have two of them), "Which way you think?"
"That way," Kate pointed, nodding at the footprints leading away from the gate.
Cadman grit her teeth. "Let's get this over with."
They set off following the tracks to a dried up river bed which seemed to be pulling overtime as a road. They followed it for half an hour, picking their way over boulders and fallen logs until Lorne was beginning to wonder if they were going in the right direction at all. He was about to say something when Kate, who was ahead of him, came to an abrupt halt and held up her fist.
"What is it?" he asked, coming to her side, "Do you see something?"
She shook her head, glancing at him briefly before flicking her eyes off to the right, towards the river bank. Bobbing his head in understanding, Lorne unclipped his P-90 and held it ready; signaling Cadman and Vega to do the same. Cautiously they crept forwards, moving slowly, deliberately; Kate in the lead, Cadman and Lorne on point with Vega covering their six. They'd gone maybe thirty yards when they heard it, a charging sound like Ronon's gun made just before it fired.
Instinctively Kate threw herself in front of Lorne. "Everybody down!" she shouted.
The team obeyed, throwing themselves to the dirt and then to cover as the first of several red shots flew over their heads.
"Why are they shooting at us!?" Cadman screamed, her finger itching to pull the trigger and pop one off towards their attackers.
"Because I told you, they're fucking paranoid!" cried Vega, ducking a shot as it sailed over her head; pressing herself into the dirt wall of the gully. "Shoot first ask questions later is kinda their thing."
"Well then they need a new thing!" Cadman shouted back while Lorne, still crouched behind Kate, eyed the terrain trying to figure out their position.
"They're to the west of us," his human shield informed him, red shot bouncing off her armor harmlessly as she spoke. "Want me to take 'em out?"
He nodded vigorously. "Yeah, but don't kill anybody. Just get them to stop shooting at us."
Tilting her head, she gave a single nod of acceptance then vanished; scaling the bank before disappearing into the undergrowth. Thirty seconds later Lorne heard the first shout and then another and another indicating she'd made contact. Eventually the shooting stopped, the shouting got louder and then, suddenly, it all got very quiet. Popping his head out from behind his rock Lorne looked around, squinting towards the trees before determining it safe enough to leave cover. With guns raised the three of them moved forwards, hauling themselves out of the ravine and into line as they headed into the trees. They found their first shooter a minute in lying face up on the ground, out cold; a bruise in the shape of an elbow blossoming over his right temple.
Vega's eyes sparkled with a kind of sadistic glee. "Looks like Kate got him good," she cackled not even the least bit sorry.
"Yeah really," Cadman agreed, picking her way over him as they continued forwards. They found another three bodies before reaching a clearing where, to the collective surprise of all, their super solider was on the ground, the woman standing in front of her holding her at gun point.
"What the –"
The woman whipped around, taking her eyes off Kate just long enough for her to surge to her feet, grab the other woman's gun hand, twist the weapon out of her grasp and then swipe her feet out from under her. She hit the ground with a thud, brown eyes glaring hatefully up at Kate who now stood over her.
Lorne snickered. "Hello Larrin."
She glared at him; Kate raised an eyebrow. "Somebody you're familiar with?"
He smiled, "Oh yeah. Larrin's the ship captain who keeps tying the colonel to chairs."
His teammate smirked. "Well John always did like a little BDSM." She looked down at Larrin, "If I let you up, you promise to be good?"
Still glaring, the woman nodded; holding out a hand to be helped to her feet. As soon as she was up however, she lashed out, intentionally striking at Kate's face. Her target dodged, grabbing her arm before using it to twist her around not unlike she'd done Teldy on the M74 mission. Larrin was pinned, unable to move and she wasn't happy about it; twisting and pulling until finally she seemed to realize she wasn't going anywhere.
"You finished?" asked Lorne.
The Traveler glared at him. "She started it. She attacked my men."
Vega scoffed. "Your men were shooting at us, what was she supposed to do?"
Larrin seemed to stop and consider that, resigning herself to the fact maybe Kate's hostility was deserved with a visible sigh. "Fine," she growled, teeth clenched as though the concession took a tremendous amount of effort, "I'll be good. Promise."
Her captor wasn't convinced. "You sure?" she asks slowly, expression blank despite the incredulousness of her tone.
Larrin glared at her over her shoulder, scowling like there was no tomorrow until, with a sigh, Lorne told Kate to let her go.
She complied, stepping back and to the side as the alien woman shook her arms out, snatched her gun off the ground, scowled some more and then turned to face the major. "So what brings you here?" she asked still sounding resentful.
Having wasted enough time being shot at and then with Kate and Larrin's little skirmish, Lorne decided it was probably better to just dive in. "Came to warn you," he said without preamble, "We think there's a hive on its way."
Larrin's eyes narrowed, her expression becoming unreadable. "You think?"
Cadman shrugged. "Well we tried contacting you but never got a response back and this system's supposed to be uninhabited. They could just be passing through but, better safe than sorry right?"
"Makes sense." The Traveler scowled, "You know I'm gonna have to take this to the council, don't you?"
Lorne's team gave a collective nod. She sighed, "Well then, we better get going. Help me wake my men and keep her away from them," she said, nodding at Kate. "It's a long walk back to the city so try and keep up."
It was a long walk; the majority of which was all uphill as the group of nine trudged on, Kate trailing along at the back because none of the Travelers wanted to go near her after she'd collectively handed them their asses. Vega stayed with her while Lorne took the high road and struggled to keep up with Larrin as she lead them through the trees, winding a path that doubled back and looped around at least four times before spitting them out a top a cliff overlooking a city nestled at the base of a mountain. Even from a distance it was obvious it'd been built by the Ancients, the architecture strongly reminiscent of Atlantis with its tall towers, angled buildings and geometric windows glistening in the sunlight.
"Nice," Lorne said appreciatively, more to himself then Larrin although the woman nodded in agreement.
"Before the war with the wraith it was a colony, a sister city to Atlantis and Avica," she explained, leading the way down a steep incline towards the city gates. "The city was deserted when we came although several of our people have found artifacts and even some of their technology lying around. Apparently when the Ancients left, they left in a hurry."
"Well that's good for you," Cadman commented, "Finders keepers and all that."
"Indeed," Larrin agreed, falling silent until the group reached the gate at which point her men were told to go inform the council of their coming while Lorne and his team were subjected to an extensive body search. Things escalated when it was discovered just how many guns Kate actually cared in that hard suit of hers.
"How do you walk?" Vega wanted to know, watching her teammate as she was aggressively relieved of all her weapons.
Kate glared at her.
"Screw that," Cadman spoke up, "How have you never stabbed or shot yourself by accident?"
"Practice," the super soldier ground out grabbing the hand of one of her examiners before it could dip below her belt. "Touch me there and you lose an eye."
Larrin grinned, amused even though the woman was still very much a mystery. She wasn't dressed like the other Atlantians and she was stronger than a woman her size should be. The fact she was there at all was highly suspicious – why would Atlantis send a warrior like her if all they were supposed to be doing was delivering a message? The woman, Kate she'd heard Major Lorne call her, looked as though she was ready for war.
As the searches concluded, their visitors grumbling, Larrin's thoughts were put on hold as she pushed herself away from the wall and then gestured for them to continue following her. Briskly she set a pace leading them down a side street before heading up the city's main thoroughfare, a long road which stretched the length of the entire settlement. The streets were deserted for the most part although occasionally someone would wander out of a building in order to look at them, their expressions over all suspicious and even accusatory the closer they got to the city's center. Upon their arrival however, it took some ten minutes to climb the numerous flights of stairs leading up to the top of the ziggurat where the council hall and chambers were located.
By the time Larrin had waved open the doors and brought them into a long, high ceilinged hall similar to the event plaza they'd used to hold the McKay's wedding reception, Lorne's legs ached and he was pretty sure Cadman and Vega were in the same boat. Kate, he was willing to bet, was the only one not feeling the burn which, wisely, he made no comment on. At the end of the hall was a low wall draped in some kind of shimmery, velvety material which made it look like an altar and on which several works of Ancient craftsmanship had been displayed. Larrin caught him looking and explained how the items were their holiest relics before abruptly turning left down an adjacent side hall, eventually coming to stop before a set of ornately carved doors.
She knocked twice before nodding at the guards stationed on either side to open them, revealing another spectacular room Lorne and his team instantly recognized as the council chambers based on Colonel Sheppard's many vivid descriptions.
The council was waiting for them, judgmentally watching from a row of high backed chairs on a raised dais opposite the doors. There were only four councilors out of seven which, to anyone who'd never dealt with them before, might've been considered a good thing – less people to have to deal with. Lorne on the other hand, saw the empty chairs and new immediately things were about to get absurdly complicated. The Travelers operated a lot like a wounded pack of wolves and wounded wolves who were missing half their pack tended to get more aggressive in order to compensate. If his team managed to get out of this without either being imprisoned or shot Major Lorne would be very surprised.
Larrin came to a halt at the foot of the dais. "Councilors," she said, nodding in greeting before turning back to indicate Lorne and his team, "We have visitors."
"So we can see," said the man in the middle of the row of chairs wearing a chain of office and an expression of someone not easily impressed. "And who might you be?"
"Major Lorne, Sir. We're from Atlantis."
Four pairs of eyes narrowed suspiciously although the man didn't seem surprised. "That much is obvious," he sneered, flinty eyes darting over each of them in turn before settling squarely on Kate. "You, woman. You're attired differently than the others, why? You look as though you're preparing for war. Do you consider us your enemies?"
Kate scowled, this guy had some nerve. She could already tell this whole visit had been a horrible mistake. Allies or not it was very tempting to just let the wraith have them. "I'm a special kind of solider; stronger, faster. Just think of me as insurance."
"Insurance of what?"
"That if you try anything it'll be the last mistake you ever make."
His eyes widened, nostrils flaring as the woman sitting to his left sat up and asked, "Is that a threat?"
Kate shook her head. "I don't threaten. You asked me a question, I answered it. Not my fault you don't like it."
To the side, Larrin snickered. She might still be suspicious as hell of this woman but she was beginning to like her. She reminded her of Sheppard.
The guy who'd originally asked the question glared at her before returning his gaze to Lorne. "You should tell your woman to be more respectful. These other two seem to know their place."
Lorne laughed at that. "You obviously don't know them very well. If I were you I'd be the one showing a little bit of respect, not the other way around." He looked at Larrin, "I'm kinda surprised you haven't said anything."
She shrugged. "What can I say, he's my father's brother."
"Sucks to be you," says Vega dryly. "Anyway, back to why we're here."
"Yes," Larrin's uncle states, "Tell us why you're here. Is it to warn us perhaps?"
Lorne blinked. "So…you know then?"
He nodded. "We do. We're very much aware there is a hive on its way although how they know we're here has been a mystery. Until now."
Cadman and Lorne's eyes widened, surprised by the thinly veiled accusation. The other half their team looked like they'd expected it.
"Told you," Vega muttered under her breath before saying louder, "Whatever it is you think we did, we didn't do it."
A councilwoman wearing an elaborate purple dress snorted. "You expect us to believe that?" she asked sounding as though even the thought was ludicrous. "You who have allied with the wraith, betrayed us in order to ensure your own precious city is spared? Do you really think we're that stupid?"
Lorne bit back a groan. Damned wraith was more trouble than he was worth. "You're talking about Todd aren't you?"
"Todd who?" a councilman, younger than Larrin's uncle and with dark hair, asked. "We speak of the wraith who – "
"– Yeah, I know, we call him Todd – Colonel Sheppard's idea," he explained, finding the look on their faces to be somewhat comical. If only he had a camera, "You know, so we have something to call him other than 'wraith' and 'hey you'. Doesn't matter; Todd's one wraith not all wraith. We work with him occasionally, most of the time out of dire necessity and we don't even like him."
"Then why continue to ally with him at all, allowing him use of your city's resources and technology?"
"Because… it's complicated and did you miss the part about 'dire necessity'?" Lorne asked, "Look, he sometimes helps us and we help sometimes him – he even agreed to help us come up with a gene therapy that'll make it so the wraith don't have't feed. That's gotta be a first right?"
The other councilwoman, sterner looking and more matronly with silver hair, frowned. "You're trying to fix the wraith when you should be trying to kill them?"
The major groaned. "You sound like Ronon. Look, Todd's different than most wraith. He's older, reasonably trustworthy and willing to work with us. He helped us with the replicators and he's gotten a lot nicer since Kate here racked him and told him she'd shoot him if he didn't start playing fair. All in all, he's not a horrible ally to have."
"And the fact you think that is highly disturbing," Larrin's uncle sneered. "The only good wraith's a dead one, your inability to see that while in custodianship of the Ancestor's city is troubling. And, the fact you're even trying to defend him is, to me, further evidence your city is no longer a friend to the Travelers."
Cadman snarled at him. "What exactly do you think our plan is?" she asked dangerously, "You claim we sold you out to the wraith; why would we? The fuck are we supposed to be getting outta this?"
"The same thing you've always wanted from us," the woman in purple said, "Our ships."
Kate's eyes narrowed, Lorne was about ready to scream. "God, not this again! For the last time we don't want your damned ships!"
"Don't you?" the younger councilman asked, "You tried to sabotage one of our fastest ships not even a year ago. I can only assume you thought by doing so we'd abandon it so you could return later, fix what you broke and claim it as your own."
Three of the four of them blinked back at him looking especially exasperated. "The fuck is wrong with you!?" Vega exploded after a long pause. "Where the hell do you come up with this shit!?"
"So you deny trying to trick us into giving you one of our ships?"
"Yes!" Alicia exclaims, "I was there. Our teams were trying to help you fix your environmental systems when, all of a sudden, the ship's engines started to go haywire. We weren't even on that part of the ship and why the hell would we target a system that could've potentially gotten us all killed if we hadn't've caught it in time? Huh? Explain that!"
Admittedly that was a good point and while Larrin, who was still standing, arms crossed, off to the side, listening, had to agree; it didn't look like her Uncle Jarath or any the rest of the council was going to consider it.
"Our ships are some of the fastest in the stars," Ava protested, her expression combative, crinkling her plum colored dress as she sat forwards. "How dare you imply – "
"Oh, I'm not implying anything," the tech expert spat. "Half your fleet's falling apart and the other half can barely fly. It's a miracle those rust buckets of yours haven't started falling outta the damned sky. No wonder you had to start setting up colonies – your ships are a fucking joke!"
The council glared at her. Cadman, meanwhile, laid a hand comfortingly on her the woman's shoulder. "Easy there 'Licia," she whispered gently though she was smirking, "Now tell us how you really feel."
Now scowling, Vega jerking away from Laura while Larrin, who personally thought this whole conversation was hilarious by the way, started to snicker.
Vega glared at her too. "Oh, yeah, very funny. Laugh it up bitch, let's see how far you get with the colonel after we get back and tell him this."
Her uncle cleared his throat. "Which is why you won't be going back."
Lorne frowned at him. "Come again?"
Glaring down his nose at them, the Lord Councilor of the Travelers drew himself up to his fullest height declaring, "Until your story can be verified or until we're able to confirm the wraith are not here on your instruction you leave us no choice but to arrest you for treason and conspiring with the wraith. If you're found innocent after your trial you will be released. If not, you will be sentenced to death at the hands of –"
"Hell! Fuck that!" Vega exclaimed, spinning wildly to face her more indomitable teammate. "You can still get us outta here right? Like, I know they took all your guns away but – "
Councilwoman Ava scoffed, "I doubt one girl is capable of doing much damage, even one so heavily armored."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," quipped Cadman contentiously, taking a page out of Vega's book on how to be hostile as she glared at the Traveler High council. "She's a super solider who could kill you with a spoon. I heard she can kick Todd's ass."
And while both Ava and the younger man mouthed the word 'spoon' under their breaths, Larrin's uncle and the remaining councilwoman looked a bit more alarmed by the second part of that statement along with the description in the first. "Super solider?" they echoed.
"Cadman, shhhh!" Lorne ordered, dismayed by the inadvertent reveal of their teammate's abilities. There was now a very good chance they might come in handy later and he would've preferred they come as a surprise.
"You're making a mistake," he growled at Jarath, his teeth clenching when it appeared the Traveler remained unmoved. "We came to warn you as a courtesy. We're your friends, your allies and before this is over I hope you realize that."
"Then you've nothing to fear as we verify it," Jarath remanded them, lifting himself from his chair as he gestured for the guards standing just outside the doors to come and lead them away. Disarmed, there was little the Atlantians could do to prevent themselves being taken into Traveler custody and as the council adjourned and Larrin levied a resentful look towards her uncle, Jarath turned to her and said, "I know you have great faith in these Atlantians but surely you must realize now they can no longer be trusted?"
His niece scowled. "No, I don't know that. Vega's right, it doesn't make any sense. Sheppard and his team aren't stupid."
"Perhaps not, but this is not Sheppard's team."
Her conviction faltered, her expression closing off as she dropped her eyes and looked way. She felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.
"There is something I need you to do for me."
She looked up. "And what's that?"
Jarath's lips pursed. "Most of our people have already been evacuated to the hanger bay inside the mountain. There are however, several families I know who've settled outside the city gates. I need you to take the fastest shuttle and go retrieve them. Among them are Daamon's parents."
The mention of her childhood friend, the captain of the scouting ship that'd died making sure they knew the hive was coming, made Larrin's throat close. "Yes sir," she replied, taking her leave as she exited towards the shuttle bay, hoping there was enough time before the wraith arrived to complete this final task. Failure was not an option.
~xXx~
Meanwhile, on the hive approaching the Traveler's planet…
Ash-ka was young for a queen, almost laughably so; equivalent in age and development to a human not yet sixteenth. It was unusual to say the least and hardly ideal but, as the saying goes, desperate times called for desperate measures and with the death of her motem, Ash-ka had had little choice but to ascend the throne or watch her entire hive wither and then eventually die – another casualty of the seemingly endless war.
That did not make her happy about it.
While it was true that most queens' daughters plotted and schemed for their motem's deaths, Ash-ka had loved her motem unequivocally and, with her loss, had felt as though a part of her had died as well. She felt it still every time she walked past her motem's now empty chambers or sat on her throne (for it still was her throne, no matter what her sire said). Ash-ka knew in her heart she was not yet ready to be a queen and yet there was simply no other option. She'd done it to save her hive and to save her sire's life after the primary had wanted to have him executed for a crime he did not commit. Ash-ka had assumed the throne in order to preserve her motem's legacy and, having done so, was left angry and resentful of everyone and everything – acting out in ways she really ought not given the precariousness of her situation. As long as her sovereignty remained untested the young queen knew she could ill afford to make any gratuitous mistakes by acting irrationally. But still, despite knowing this, Ash-ka had inadvertently done just that by allowing her curiosity to get the better of her.
It began when the commander of a rival hive belonging to a much larger faction had requested an audience and she, without so much as a thought to either the consequences or ramifications in allowing such a request, agreed; blindly, and stupidly, admitting him onto her hive without question simply to satisfy her own interests. An impossibly foolish mistake for in doing so, the most powerful male in all the stars now stood silently before her throne, an amused smile twisting at the corners of his mouth as he awaited her permission to speak.
The absurdity of such a notion was not lost on her. "Greetings, Eldest," she began tentatively, attempting to mimic the way her motem used to greet visitors. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Still amused, the eldest of wraith unabashedly looked her over, once up and then down before replying at length, "I've come to offer a proposal."
Surprised, Ash-ka stared at him with an expression of shock. "What kind of proposal?" she asked levelly unable to imagine that of all the queens it was her the Eldest chose with which to make a deal.
Her visitor chuckled, amused both by her interpretation of his reasoning and by her youthful inability to successfully mask her emotions, the latter making it much more easy to craft his words in order to obtain a specific outcome. There was a reason he'd come to her rather than an elder, less impressionable female.
Older queens were harder to manipulate.
"Nothing too untoward, I can assure you," he entreated softly, tilting his head as he flattered her with a smile. "You see, we each have something the other wants."
Given whom she was talking to, Ash-ka found that rather difficult to believe. "I somehow doubt that," she replied harshly.
The Eldest chuckled. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Even I am not without limitation most specifically, the fact I am male. My hive is in need of a queen."
For the second time in as many minutes, Ash-ka felt surprise flash across her face before she could hide it. Her throat seized and for a moment she felt a rush of pride well up inside her before common sense returned, reminding her to think with her mind rather than her emotions. She sneered at him, feeling confident enough to do so only because his suggestion was so absurd. Did he think her stupid or perhaps vain enough to believe he might want her as queen when Ash-ka herself knew such a notion was unreservedly ludicrous? Only an idiot would accept such a suggestion at anything more than face value and she, most certainly, was not an idiot.
"Speak plainly, Eldest" she cautioned him, "I may be young but I am not a fool. Tell me what it is you really want."
Favoring her another smile, her visitor bowed his head and hissed most proudly, "Your motem was not a fool either. I expected no less from her daughter."
Releasing a reflexive gasp, Ash-ka felt her eyes widen. "You knew her?"
He inclined his head. "I did. Long ago before the hives, in a time when we wraith were still planet bound; I knew her well. I was…saddened to hear of her passing."
Anger, red hot and pulsating, flashed through her before she could stop it, "She did not pass; she was taken from me. She was – " she cut off, breathing heavily to restore her calm. She should not have done that, should not have acted so impulsively again; exposing herself to such an exploitable weakness.
'Words are like arrows, karra tula1,' her sire had often told her, making her regret now more than ever her choice to dismiss him and treat with the Eldest herself, 'Once they are loosened, they cannot easily be called back.'
"Forgive me," she recovered, once more doing her best to appear calm when in reality she was anything but. "My Hive Master often lectures me on the importance of tempering my emotions. I do not always listen. I assure you, it will not happen again."
"There is little need for you to apologize," replied the Eldest smoothly, his eyes shining with a calculating glint that made her extremely nervous. "You have every right to be angry at the one who took her from you." His eyes narrowed and suddenly, the young queen knew what was coming before the accusation was even flung, "And yet…here you sit, having pledged your loyalty to none other than the one who took her life. Perhaps not the best way to remember her sacrifice."
Ash-ka refused to rise to his bait. "I had no choice," she explained carefully, calmly repeating the words she'd used on herself time and time again since the day she'd been presented her throne. "My motem gave her life to spare those who serve her our Primary's wrath; to not submit afterwards would have corrupted her sacrifice. My need for vengeance is nothing compared to the lives of those I serve."
"Pretty words," the Eldest replied, fixing her with a glare as if to determine whether or not the sentiment was hers or simply one she was used to repeating. "Is that truly what you believe?"
She bowed her head. "I do. It is the duty of a queen to protect those she governs, to rule in their best interests rather than her own. In that way my motem was different than the other queens and, in her memory, it is how I desire to be as well. My needs must come last save when they affect the hive."
"Ahhhh…" the Eldest smiled, pleased. Aavera had been a friend, a confidant of his for many years before the war and then again for many centuries after it. He'd not been lying when he'd said he'd been saddened to hear of her demise.
Her daughter cleared her throat. "Enough," she proclaimed sternly, a glint of steel appearing in the shadows of her eyes. She'd had her fill of this game, "What do you want from me?"
He cocked his head, smile lingering as he clasped his hands behind his back and moved forwards. "Is it as I said, my alliance is in need of a queen and though you are young, you have proven yourself wiser than many your peers. A true queen rules not for herself but for others, sacrificing her own desires for the good of those who have pledged her their loyalty. It is what I would have done were I in your position."
Her eyes narrowed and, in that instant, knew why he was here, "So I see."
He frowned, his expression inviting her to explain.
His host was only too happy to oblige him. "You are asking me to be your queen not because it is your own desire but because it is the desire of those you command. It must be for though your place in our hierarchy affords you much the same power and influence as a queen, there are some things which even you cannot do. You are here to maintain order, to provide for them what they want before they break from you in order to seek it themselves. In other words, you need me much more than I need you."
He cursed, swearing under his breath at her level of perceptiveness and how true her statement was. He had chosen her for her intelligence and so he shouldn't be surprised when she chose to use it. Still, he had hoped she would not catch on to that particular caveat until much later. Regardless, he was not about to let himself be outplayed. Defeat was something he'd admit to only as a last resort.
"I disagree. I need you yes in order to quell any thoughts of rebellion or treachery currently circulating though my ranks but what is more, I have the ability to give you something I know you desperately want."
Her brow furrowed. "And that is?"
He hissed, "Vengeance."
Her eyes widened. "What do you – "
"Do not pretend ignorance queenling, we have both established you are anything but unintelligent. While your youth is a deterrent in many ways it has no bearing on your ability to understand my offer. You cannot seek the vengeance you desire without fear of reprisal, I can. Agree to my terms and I will bring you the head of the one who took your motem from you."
"Think you I can be so easily bought!?" she exclaimed, growling as she dug her fingers into the arms of her throne. "What of my own pledge of loyalty or that of those who serve me on this hive? You would have me break my vow and by so doing theirs as well solely in order to appease my own thirst for retribution. If I agree what does that say of me?"
"It says you are no different than any other queen."
"I have no desire to be like every other queen!" She sounded offended, "Offer me something else, something that is of benefit to my hive, to those who serve me, and not just myself."
Dismayed, the Eldest snarled; displeased by the thought of offering more when he'd been so certain she'd agree to his proposal. Now he had to come up with something else.
"Very well," he said after a moment's pause, his tone as begrudging as the look on his face. A warning that from this point forwards his patience was not to be tested. Ash-ka swallowed heavily.
"Then consider this, your majesty: your youth is seen by most others as a liability, something to be taken advantage of and used in order to manipulate and control. I know there are those who have tried, your primary chief among them and I know you have only survived due to the unwavering council of your sire who also serves as your current Hive Master. His influence on you is dangerous, much more so for him than you. Already there has been at least one attempt on his life and none the three of us are foolish enough to think there will not be more. If you want him to live, which I assume you do given the lengths you went to in order to save him, you will have to set him aside and find a new Hive Master whose reputation, hopefully, will be above reproach. Only then will you and your hive be sufficiently protected."
"I see," she replied softly, knowing his statement to be true even if she did not want to admit it. Her eyes narrowed, "What are your terms?"
The Eldest smirked. "What makes you think there are any?"
Ash-ka scoffed, "Because I am not a fool. I know your reputation; I know your loyalty is extended only so far as it is useful. You will bow to me in public, swear fealty in front of whoever demands it of you but you won't hold it. I am not stupid enough to think you will ever truly be mine so tell me, plainly this time: if I agree, what terms would you set for me? What concessions must I be willing to make for you?"
"Freedom," the male replied, more impressed than aggravated as he knew he should be. Aavera's daughter was indeed surpassing his expectations. "It is my alliance that needs a queen, not me and if you accept you will be given full control over all those under my command save my second and, most obviously, myself. For appearance though I can assure you, no one but the three of us will be any the wiser. For all intents and purposes you will be seen as the queen who…conquered the Eldest."
Ash-ka blinked. "You think that would be easily believed?"
He shrugged. "Enough females have tried believing they will be the ones to succeed that convincing them another has should not be overly difficult. Even if we say nothing that is still likely to be the conclusion everyone draws. Try not to let it concern you; I assure you it does not concern me."
She frowned but made no further comment choosing instead to sink back into her throne in a rather un-queen like manner in order to consider his proposal. It was not disingenuous and all things considered his continued freedom to do as he pleased was a small price to pay for what she was being given. Logically she knew she would be a fool to refuse not only because it was the Eldest's request but because agreeing would guarantee the safety of those her motem had died in order to protect. Nothing was assured of course, the wraith were still at war, but an attack on her hive, or any hive while under his protection was far less likely than an attack while under the protection of anyone else.
She decided, "Very well, I agree to your terms. Protect my hive and bring me the primary's head and I will allow you to keep your liberty, expecting nothing from you save the pretense of your submission when it is needed."
The Eldest smiled. "Done. I look forwards to introducing you to my alliance. Now, if you have no further need of me, I trust I may return to my transport?"
Regretfully she shook her head. "Alas, I cannot. Not at this time. You see, when I agreed to meet with you I had already accepted a mission on behalf of the primary. My navigator took us to hyperspace moments after you arrived and if it were not for the fact this mission is for the good of all wraith I might've been able to postpone it long enough for you to leave. As it is not and time is of the essence, I beg your patience until it is completed. You have my word it will not take long."
Her guest gave a hiss of annoyance, displeased by the thought of lingering any longer than was strictly necessary. It had not been part of his plan. "There are a number of things I must tend to, all matters of importance which cannot wait. If I could please have the appropriate accommodation…"
Nodding, the queen waved her hand in a casual dismissal that saw him gone from her sight with scarcely a second look. He'd made it only a dozen or so steps before feeling the prickling awareness of another's presence teasing the back of his mind. The Eldest turned, eyes narrowed, just as the queen's sire stepped from the shadows; amber eyes flashing with a deep dislike the Hive Master made no attempt to hide.
The Elder wraith cocked his head, more amused then offended by the other's skulking. "Does your daughter know you often make it habit to listen to her private conversations?"
The hive master snarled, unafraid of the one who stood before him in a way very few were. The Eldest was not the only wraith born of a time long past and while they may not be equal in number of years there was far less a distance between them then between them and the majority. "It is well I did," he growled scornfully. "Dishonorable. You present yourself as one to be trusted, one who desires to offer assistance when in reality you are like all the others taking advantage of her youth and naivete. If her motem were still alive she would not have accepted such terms from you. She would not have settled for anything other than an absolute surrender."
The Eldest laughed. "You may think so but no – Aavera would not have been foolish enough to demand such a thing from me."
The Hive Master glared, his eyes narrowing to virtual slits at the insouciant drop of his kaara's2 name. "Because you are Eldest?" he spat derisively.
His rival smirked, "Because I am Valloran3."
The effect was immediate. With palpable surprise, the Hive Master stared at him in a mixture of shock and paramount dismay; fear curling at the base of his spine in response to a name he was sure had not been spoken aloud in nearly a hundred centuries. "You…"
The Eldest's smirk widened. "Ahhhh…I see you've heard of me."
Ash-ka's sire could do little more than gape; all previously held convictions and assurances vanishing with the knowledge that the Eldest of wraith was in fact the former Lord Commander. "Forgive me, I – "
His hive's guest snarled, "Spare me your regrets Hive Master; they are of no use to me. Instead, I ask simply that you refrain from making any further attempts to circumvent my authority. A generous offer, all things considered. Would you not agree?"
To this the other wraith had no reply, choosing instead to simply nod his affirmation before disappearing presumably to confer with his daughter. Satisfied, the Eldest continued his way down the hall towards the guest quarters and the accommodations promised him.
~xXx~
It took an hour to prep the shuttle and reach the farm Daamon's parents had settled well past the city gates. Larrin cursed as she touched down, jumping out in order to meet his mother and sister who had seen her flying over and come out to meet her. With haste she explained the situation and impressed upon them the need to hurry. It took another half hour before they were ready to go having sent their youngest son, Raamon, into the fields to call back his father, uncles and older brothers. By the time they were ready to take off Larrin could hear the familiar whine of the darts as they approached the city.
"Fuck," she snarled, jumping into the pilot's seat to begin power-up, beating the console when it didn't immediately light up. "Everybody hold on!"
Her passengers braced themselves while the back hatch began to rise. Before it could close however, Daamon's wife cried out, "Wait!"
Larrin froze; hand already on the throttle as she twisted around to look behind her. "What?"
The mother didn't answer, too busy questioning her children, "Where's your sister? Where's Sara?"
The boys all shook their heads while Taren, who was oldest, pulled at her sleeve. "She went back for the picture of grandmotem."
A hand flew to the widow's mouth as she stood and slapped her hand over the release for the back door, halting it from closing. Larrin had no doubt she would've darted back out in order to go retrieve her daughter had the captain not stopped her. "No wait, let me."
Daamon's wife looked at her with wide eyes. "Larrin, you can't – "
Her husband's friend wasn't having it. "You're six months pregnant Jase, I'm faster. Tommen, take the controls. Take off as soon as Sara's on board."
With a nod Daamon's brother moved to the pilot's chair while Larrin raced off the craft in search of the little girl. Overhead, the whining was getting louder, the darts closer, her feet pounding the ground as she ran. Entering the house, she found the child digging through the cupboards in the kitchen, looking for the treasured photograph. Larrin grabbed her; hauling her into her arms despite her cries and her flailing arms, turning on her heel in order to hurry back as fast as her legs could carry her.
"Faster! They're coming, faster!" the others called as Larrin, breathing heavily, chanced a glance over her shoulder, fear creeping up her spine as a single dart broke formation and headed towards them.
She wasn't going to make it, not with Sara in her arms. "Go!" she cried, pushing the little girl towards the shuttle. "Go now, run!"
"B-but Larrin! What about – "
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I always am. Run!"
Sara's lip trembled. "B-but – "
"GO!" she screamed, turning around in order to face the dart. Behind her she heard Sara's mother scream her child's name and then she was running. Larrin stayed where she was knowing the dart wouldn't case them if she was caught so she let herself be taken, smiling inwardly as the shuttle took off, climbing higher as the pale beam passed over her and all went black.
~xXx~
In accordance with their agreement, Ash-ka found her guest on the bridge when her hive reached its coordinates; standing at the bow, his hands folded behind his back while her sire cast furtive glances in his direction. Odd, but she assumed it was because of their talk, the knowledge he would soon be supplanted by a wraith of the Eldest's choosing while he himself was sent to another hive. When she'd told him, he'd been summarily less than pleased not about losing his position but in being removed from her side.
"You would send me away, daughter?" he'd asked her, clearly pained by her new directive. "Have you no further use for me now you are queen?"
Ash-ka had shaken her head. "No, I have every use for you. You are my sire. I will always have need of your guidance and your protection but it not wrong of me I should want you to live to be able to give it. I have already lost one of my parents to the safety of this hive, I couldn't stand to lose another. You must leave if you are to be safe and I need you to be safe Sire, both as your daughter and your queen. I will order you if I must but I prefer you go willingly."
"Very well," he'd eventually agreed, although it had been obvious he did not wish to. He'd left her then to see to preparations for their arrival, coordinating with the Dart Master, his Second and the Master at Arms before retreating to the bridge where she found him now; discreetly glaring at the Eldest with alternating looks of dislike and dismay, his expression closed.
She greeted him wordlessly, nodding once in his direction before going to join her guest at the bow. "Beautiful is it not?" she asked, coming to rest beside him.
He spared her a glance, tipping his head in acknowledgement of her presence. "Most planets are. One must wonder why this one has been deemed so dangerous?"
The queen smirked in anticipation of her answer. "It belongs to a race of humans rumored to be allies of Atlantis."
"Oh?" His pulse quickened, returning to normal within the next hair's breadth of a second; the discrepancy too quick for anyone to have noticed.
She nodded; completely unaware her statement had had any impact. "They call themselves the Travelers and for generations they have made their homes in numerous Lantean ships salvaged from the war. For centuries they've evaded us but, most recently, we've received intelligence that their fleet is failing, falling apart at the seams and, in some cases, falling from the sky. To compensate they've begun colonizing worlds and this one is home to their new capitol."
He studied her, glancing sideways in what appeared to be only a mild case of interest when in fact he was scrutinizing her heavily. "And you know this how?"
"We seized one of their ships," she said proudly, "And while it's captain at first did not wish to surrender the information my Hive Master was eventually able to liberate the knowledge we required. Our primary then ordered us to exterminate them in the hope that doing so would in turn weaken Atlantis."
"Impressive," the Eldest remarked, giving credit where it was due even if he had a feeling things were about to become decidedly more complicated. They always were whenever Atlantis or any of her allies were involved, nothing ever seemed to go the way it was supposed to no matter how carefully he or any other planned.
Perhaps it was time to play the devil's advocate, a curious expression he'd learned from Sheppard which was no less applicable given the circumstance. "It is possible however; these Travelers are aware they are about to suffer an attack. If, as you say, they are allies of Atlantis then it is possible they have been warned."
Glibly, the young queen shook her head, a small smile twisting at the corners of her mouth. "Before you arrived, I instructed my hive to disable their subspace communications relay. Even if Atlantis or another of their allies wished to warn them the message would not be received until it was too late to mount a defense."
"Let us hope not," he replied, as of yet still skeptical things would go as smoothly as the young queen anticipated. "But if I have learned anything since the Atlantians arrival it is never to underestimate them nor those who call themselves their allies. They've a particular proclivity for proving more resourceful then we give them credit for."
Frowning, Ash-ka herself fell silent, unsure how to follow such an avowal before deciding she couldn't without sounding impetuous. Meanwhile, on the planet below, the humans she and her hive had been sent to cull were facing a different calamity. The last shuttle had returned and with it news of Larrin's capture which her uncle, as sanctimonious as he sometimes was, had not been prepared for.
He crashed, hard, and Lorne and his team were there to see it; their hands and feet bound, completely weaponless, wearing identical expressions of 'we told you so' along with some epic frowns.
Jareth had glared but refused concession instead wailing about how he was supposed to tell his brother he'd almost certainly ordered his daughter to her death. Both his wife and the other councilors tried to console him but to no avail.
Vega on the other hand, who had just a little bit of a vindictive streak (or a lot of one if you were asking Cadman or Kate), decided to get her revenge by rubbing salt in the wound. "Well ya know," she drawled scathingly, "If you hadn't spent so much time accusing us of something we didn't do she might've been back in time."
The entire council plus Jareth's wife glared at her.
Lorne elbowed her in the ribs. "Captain," he hissed reproachfully.
Alicia Vega didn't look the least bit apologetic. "What?" she demanded, splaying her hands as much as she could given their restraints. "It's true. If he hadn't waisted so much time arguing with us – "
"That's not the point," he reprimanded her. "The point is Larrin's been culled and you don't need to rub it in."
Vega pouted. "Well then what can I do?"
"Help me think of a way to get her back," her commander replied.
His teammate stared at him, so did everybody else. "Such as?" councilwoman Jayda – the stern one with silver hair – asked leadingly.
Lorne shrugged. "Don't know yet, that's why I asked for ideas. I don't know if you know this but daring rescues with very little chance of success are kinda our thing."
Jareth sighed, wanting to believe there was still a chance to save her but knowing there wasn't. The wraith didn't negotiate, not with humans. Whatever hope the Atlanteans offered was a false one. "There won't be a rescue, as much as I appreciate your offer there is no getting her back without risking more lives than hers is worth. It is regretful but there's nothing we can do."
"But Chancellor," Councilman Weaver argued, "Surely with the Atlantian's help –"
"Are you suggesting we attempt to bargain with the wraith? Perhaps offer them a trade?" Jareth shook his head, "We are chattel to them, unimportant save for the nourishment our lives offer. They would never agree."
"Yes, but maybe – "
"Let me send a message to the hive."
Jareth stopped, turning to look inquisitively at the woman in armor. "Why?"
Lorne looked at her too. "Yeah Kate, where're you going with this?"
"I can get them to trade."
"How?" demanded the woman in Purple.
"By making them an offer they can't refuse," she replied.
Major Lorne had a disturbing idea he knew where this was going. "You mean you?"
She nodded.
He made a face. "How does that help Larrin?"
"Well it'll get me up to the hive."
"At which point you'll do what, take on ten thousand wraith all by yourself?" Lorne wasn't convinced, "Even you aren't that good."
His teammate rolled her eyes, "I don't need to be that good. I just need to be able to get on, find her and then get off again without getting caught."
"And how do you plan on doing that!?" he wanted to know, "You don't even know where she's going to be."
"I've got a reasonable guess and if not I'll just hack a terminal and find out."
"Hack a terminal, that's your plan?"
She shrugged, "Most hives have pretty much the same floor plan and having been literally all over Todd's I've a pretty good idea where everything is. Plus, he did teach me to fly a dart so that's the escape part covered. It's a good plan and, honestly, it's the only one we've got."
"She's got a point," Vega agreed, twisting to face her, "When'd he teach you to fly a dart?"
"Yeah, was it before or after you braided each other's hair and played dress up?" asked Cadman.
The pair of them received a glare from their friend while Lorne – and everyone else in the immediate vicinity – took turns staring incredulously between the three of them as though trying to figure out whether or not that was a joke or if they were being serious. Personally, Lorne really hoped it wasn't the latter.
"Ok look, it doesn't matter when he taught her, what matters is she knows." He turned to the Travelers, "So, we gonna do this or not?"
The council hesitated, turning to Jareth for direction only to find him critically eyeing the woman in armor with a calculating glare. As much as he wanted to take what she was offering there was an immediate flaw in her reasoning, something pivotal that had been overlooked and needed to be addressed, "You say you can navigate once onboard the hive and I believe you, but what makes you certain the queen will even agree to trade with you in the first place?"
Kate smiled. "Because I'm Colonel Sheppard's sister. She'd be stupid not to."
Her announcement was met with wide-eyed silence.
~xXx~
Meanwhile…
Ash-ka's dart master found himself in a difficult position. Relatively young in comparison to the Hive Master and their queen's guest, he was still by no means inexperienced when it came to hive matters which was why the condition of the returning darts unequivocally baffled him.
They were empty and, more to the point; none of their scans had detected so much as a single human life despite scouring the majority of the planet's surface. Only one had returned with cargo that, upon extraction, revealed a single human female as the only captive. Knowing their Primary's disposition and how desperately she'd wanted these humans annihilated, the dart master feared informing his queen of this failure but knew it had to be done. So he went himself, declining the offer from one of his subordinates to deliver the message for him, appearing without a summons on the bridge where his queen, the hive commander, her council and the Eldest stood waiting.
He bowed low, awaiting permission to speak.
"Well?" his queen questioned.
The dart master tensed visibly, making no effort to hide his anxiety. She might miss it but the Hive Master wouldn't so there was little point in attempting subterfuge. Besides, honesty was a trait his previous queen had insisted upon. He would not dishonor her daughter by lying, "The darts have returned my Queen. All but one empty."
Ash-ka's eyes widened, shock transforming her features into an expression of wide eyed astonishment. "What!?" she demanded, her mouth agape, "How is that possible!?"
The dart master shook his head, deeply apologetic it was he who had to deliver this information. "I do not know my Queen. Our scans showed no visible life signs. It is possible the intelligence the human captain gave us was false."
"Possible but unlikely," the Hive Master objected, speaking when it seemed his daughter was unable to do so. He probed her mind gently and, upon finding it in turmoil, attempted to calm her as best he could. Now was not the time for her to lose her temper. "More likely than not they are simply hiding."
"Yes, but how would they know to do so?" the queen inquired, recovering from her initial shock. "We disabled their relay, there is no possible way for them to have known we were coming."
"You disabled their relay but there are other entities capable of having detected your ship as it traveled," the Eldest reminded her. "It is possible that upon realizing an attempt at communication was unsuccessful one of them decided to go and warn them of your expected arrival and if I had to guess, I believe the humans of Atlantis the most likely suspects."
Ash-ka fumed, both angry and disappointed she had not thought of this. Her attention returned to the dart master, "Bring me the human captured. We shall see what they have to say of this."
With a nod the subordinate retreated, grateful she did not appear too upset as he quickly returned to the repository. The human female had been subdued, tranquilized according to the lieutenant that met him, because she'd refused to cooperate and had already injured three of their drones. Amused slightly but also annoyed he ordered her transferred to his custody before returning with her to the bridge where she was dropped, unceremoniously, at the queen's feet.
Ash-ka sneered, swooping down to grab the human by the throat. "Where are the rest of you?" she hissed dangerously, flexing her fingers until the woman choked, gasping for air, "And how did you know we were coming?"
"Fuck…you," Larrin spat, defiant despite the fact she could barely breathe, "Go t' hell!"
The queen snarled, releasing her into a heap on the floor; satisfied only by her rasping breathes and painful panting. As much as she wanted to make her suffer, to punish her for daring to defy the wraith, Ash-ka knew she needed her alive if only to extract information.
She turned to the Eldest, "Your reputation suggests you have an affinity for extracting information even from the most unwilling informants."
"I do," he acknowledged.
She growled, glaring scornfully at the human even as she said, "Then I think perhaps you should be the one to question her, if it pleases you."
"By all means," he complied smoothly, bowing slightly in acceptance of the task before striding forwards to collect the fallen female from the floor. She struggled weakly, making a great show of dragging her feet while repeatedly trying to bat his hand away, neither of which was enough to have any real effect as he steered her along – traversing the vacant passageways until they reached one of the hive's many interrogation rooms. She was released immediately upon arrival, thrust forwards into an awaiting cell at which point he found himself able to study her much more clearly.
He recognized her almost instantly. "Your name is Larrin is it not?"
The female jerked, surprise flooding her features as she hauled herself up in order to face him, "The fuck do you know my name!?" she demanded.
The creature chuckled, her countenance reminding him all too greatly of another human with whom he had a begrudging acquaintance. "I know to you humans all wraith may look alike but, this is not the first time you and I have met."
Forehead creasing, Larrin felt herself frown. Admittedly he did look familiar. Maybe not so much in body, he was tall and broad like most wraith but his face, there was defiantly something about his face – most specifically his tattoo – that struck a chord.
"I don't suppose you'd give me a hint?" she inquired coolly, trying her level best to sound less disturbed with the encounter than she really was. Wraith recognizing humans was almost never a good sign, "I've seen a lot of wraith in my life, most of them dead."
Her captor snorted. "Your attempts at humor are almost as pitiful as Sheppard's," he commented dryly.
Eyes wide, Larrin instantly realized who she was talking to. "Todd. You're Todd."
"I am," he acknowledged, pleased. "Now, perhaps you would be kind enough to answer my questions?"
"Which are what, exactly?" asked Larrin who, despite now knowing his identity felt no better about her situation. According to Sheppard, Todd was a manipulative asshole who he wanted to shoot ninety-nine percent of the time. It was difficult to imagine her impression would be any different. "And why should I tell you?"
"Because if all goes well, I may be able to get you out of here."
Bribery. If she were anyone else she might be tempted to take it. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," the wraith replied, considering her thoughtfully before adding, "I'll pay you the compliment of not insulting your intelligence with false platitudes. Whether you live or die it makes no difference to me however; as you are important to Sheppard, saving you may yet be of use. It is, at the very least, a course worth pursuing. Assuming you can be reasoned with."
That last part sounded like a question. "Well, that depends," she said bravely, much more bravely than she felt. For a supposedly tame wraith – and she used that word very loosely – he certainly was intimidating. How did Sheppard deal with him? "What is it you want to know?"
He hissed, "For starters, how exactly did you learn about the attack? I assume you had advanced warning."
"Not very advanced," she confided deciding to give him the least helpful bit of information she could in hopes it would be enough; the less he knew the better. "The ship you captured, it sent a message before it was destroyed. Told us you were on your way."
The truth, he realized, or at least a part of it. Todd could sense there was yet more she was unwilling to tell him. "Is that all?" he asked leadingly.
"'S all you're getting," she replied stubbornly, not wanting to bring up Atlantis if she didn't have to. Her uncle might not trust them but she did and it really didn't matter anyway – Lorne and his team were probably long gone. Telling him would accomplish nothing.
"Oh, I doubt it," Todd countered, plucking the stray thought from her mind as easily as he would a flower from its stalk. The human seemed bothered, alarmed even if the expression on her face was anything to go by, and for a moment he felt guilty to have invaded her privacy. It passed quickly though, much more quickly than it had the last time he'd been caught, by Katherine no less, which, considering his regard for her wasn't really all that surprising. He really didn't care if Larrin felt violated.
"Which team?"
The Traveler glared at him. "Fuck you!" she snarled viciously, furious at the reminder of how easily the wraith could read her mind.
Todd sighed. "I don't suppose you'd believe me were I to explain it is sometimes more difficult to keep human thoughts out then to it is to deliberately take them?"
She didn't answer, her eyes narrowing. Todd sighed again, "It was not my intention to invade your privacy but, if you refuse to tell me what I want to know then I'll have no choice but to do as you fear and take it by force. I need to know which team Atlantis sent."
Larrin's glare intensified. "What difference does it make?" she scowled, "It's not like you actually care about them so why should I – "
What little patience Sheppard's ally had been perilously clinging to promptly vanished along with all traces of human civility. "Very well," he said tiredly letting her think she'd won for perhaps half a second before ruthlessly plunging his mind into hers only to be met with a resistance worthy of the only human he'd ever esteemed. That didn't stop him from continuing however, pushing forwards despite her mental anguish for while she may have had Katherine's defiance she had little strength and even less fury. He withdrew only when he had the information he needed.
Larrin, meanwhile, collapsed to the floor. "You bastard!" she screeched, clenching her teeth to try and counter the effects of having her mind literally raped by Todd the fucking wraith. "When I get out of here, you're dead!"
"If," replied Todd absently, his own mind carefully tracking the knowledge it had so recently gained. Major Lorne's team, Katherine, his thoughts supplied, never so unhappy to hear of her involvement until now. This complicated things. If nothing else his services would be required in order to mitigate the damage. At worst, as long as the Atlantians didn't try anything stupid like attempting a rescue things should be…
He trailed off suddenly realizing that in all actuality that was exactly what they would likely try and do. Fuck! he cursed silently, borrowing the appropriate human explicative as he abruptly and without warning spun on his heel – quitting the room without so much as another word, ignoring Larrin as she called out; demanding in a shrieking voice to know where he was going and what would happen to her.
When he reached the bridge, he dutifully informed the queen what he had learned: disclosing the truth about his allies only to the point they were involved, failing to correct her when she and her council assumed Colonel Sheppard to be the responsible party. He also lied through his teeth by telling her he'd purged the Traveler's mind himself and come up with no other useful information.
The queen had praised him, "Well done, Eldest. Your reputation does you credit," before turning to her Hive Master and her other commanding officers, insisting they come up with a plan to capture the humans and punish them for their defiance.
That plan, however, came to a screeching halt with the arrival of one of the officers in charge of monitoring incoming communications sporting a grin almost too wide to contain. Todd felt annoyance creep up the back of his spine; his allies were so predictable.
"Yes?" the queen demanded, irritated by the interruption. "What is it?"
The wraith bowed to her. "My Queen, we've received a message from the planet below. The humans wish to offer us a trade, one of theirs for the female we have already captured."
The young monarch drew her brows together, surprised but also confused. "All humans have the same value, why would they think we would accept?"
His grin widened taking on a predatory, malicious quality that set Todd's teeth on edge. And because he knew them, it was with sudden clarity he realized what was coming next. "Because the one they wish to give us is Colonel Sheppard's sister, Katherine of Atlantis."
The bridge was quiet, each wraith silently thinking of what this could mean. The queen was happy, her officers intrigued whilst Todd felt true fear race down his spine; turning his blood to ice at the mere mention of Katherine's name. No, he thought desperately, not this, not her. Didn't the humans have someone else they would barter with? Someone equally as valuable?
There is no one 'equally' as valuable, his thoughts betrayed him; distracting him from hearing the queen's order to send a dart. He'd known his allies likely to attempt a rescue but he had not been expecting this. He'd imagined they might all come or that maybe they would attempt to entice Ash-ka into making the exchange on the ground where they could then spring an ambush. It had never occurred to him Katherine might try to infiltrate the hive by herself and it was only through a supreme amount of self-control he forced himself not to react, to not start breathing quickly, to remain impassive; clenching his fists as he waited the appropriate amount of time before requesting permission leave.
His request was granted with a dismissive wave of the queen's hand, her mind already occupied by the prize she was about to acquire and how best to utilize it. Todd meanwhile, returned to his quarters, sealing himself behind the double doors as he began to pace, wildly – trying in vain to understand how he'd not seen this coming.
"Damn!" he snarled furiously, molten hot anger making his blood boil as he tried to follow the logic that might have led her to making such a proposition.
It was difficult to fathom given how well he knew her, or how well he thought he knew her as the case may be. Katherine was no novice when it came to strategy so trying to figure out why she felt the need to put herself in such needless danger in order to rescue someone whose life was worth significantly less than hers was baffling. However, although certainly more tactically attuned, she was still Atlantian and the Atlantians (in particular Sheppard) did have a particularly infuriating proclivity for risking the many in order to save the few. There was even an aphorism – what was it again? Leave no man behind or some other such absurdity.
The entre notion was ridiculous and, suppressing a growl, Todd felt his fists clench; infuriated by his allies' startling inability to grasp the fact that some lives just had more value in them than others. His for example, or Katherine's, Sheppard's, Woolsey's even (dare he think it) the infuriating Dr. McKay's. Given the way she was treated he gathered she was rather important, her skills and ability alone a near priceless commodity and her rank – all evidence proving her presence in the lives of Atlantis' inhabitants was intrinsically valued. Why, then, would those above her allow her to so carelessly throw it all away?
Perhaps they are blind? he thought ferally, or perhaps, much more likely, they simply do not value her as ardently as I do. Either way Todd could feel his anger mounting, dissatisfaction coiling inside him like a spring until he had no choice but to let it out. He spun, grabbing the nearest object, a data-pad, only to then hurl it across the room – momentarily satisfied as it shattered against the wall into at least half a dozen pieces. He then resumed pacing, his thoughts frantic as he tried once more to understand Katherine's logic. She must know the queen would never agree to her terms, that the only thing likely to result from the offer was her capture…
He froze; the inkling of an idea immerging from the back of his mind as he processed that last thought. What if getting captured was her intention? If the goal was to rescue Larrin then Katherine would first need to gain access to the hive either by dart or one of the Atlantian's gate-ships. He was willing to bet the latter wasn't an option which was why she'd sent the message, enticing the queen with the revelation of her identity purely as a means to ensure she would be sent for. A clever plan all things considered, save for the undeniable fact it put her life in such grave danger.
"Damn!" Todd cursed again, louder this time, wondering how he was to both protect Katherine and still maintain the secrecy of his alliance with Atlantis. The answer was he couldn't, not entirely. There was a concession to be made and Todd, although consistently adaptable as far as his stratagems were concerned, wasn't particularly looking forwards to making it. If only it had been Sheppard's life on the line or Lorne's; even Teyla's. As long as Katherine lived he had a hope of getting what he wanted. Without her, he would lose far more than just a personal investment; he would lose Atlantis. Her ability to influence others – Woolsey, Sheppard, even the runner – was an advantage he could ill afford to lose.
Katherine must be saved and so it was with great reluctance Todd reached the conclusion that the only way to ensure both her safety and maintain the confidentiality of their alliance would be to claim her himself which, unfortunately, also meant somehow remanding her to his custody before any of the queen's bannermen. He sighed, mentally condemning the plan even as he thought it. It was a horrible idea: completely contingent upon his ability to convince the strong and able bodied Katherine she was the one in need of rescue – and by him no less – which would likely not be very well received.
Regrettably, he had no other options as he silently and covertly left his quarters; striding down the hall while sending his mind scrying for Katherine's location as soon as he detected her presence on board. Hopefully he could get to her before she reached the prison hold and, also hopefully, she would be willing to listen. If not then he'd have to take her by force and, if necessary, that is what he would do. She may not be especially pleased about it nor with him but she would be alive and, for the moment, that was much more important.
Her happiness mattered less than her life.
~xXx~
As planned, Kate was waiting in the center of the city when the dart came: fully armed and ready to go as the ship's beam passed over her. She awoke in the hive's reservoir, dispatching the handlers and the squad of drones sent to subdue her through a combination of skill and the ever faithful element of surprise. Then, once she was sure no one else was coming, she took off; darting quickly though the empty passageways on her way to the interrogation rooms. She was almost there when, suddenly, a figure appeared just ahead of her; emerging from the shadows like a ghost near the end of the hallway.
Her heart pounding, Kate froze while the wraith turned slowly towards her, his eyes glowing blue in the semi darkness; head titled just enough as to suggest he wasn't there to hurt her.
"Hello Katherine," whispered the by now familiar voice of her brother's least favorite ally, catching her completely off guard not only by the fact he was here but that he'd managed to find her when she'd specifically gone so far out of her way to avoid getting caught.
"What are you doing here!?" she demanded, quickly joining him at the end of the hallway, her expression betraying how ridiculously un-thrilled she was to see him.
The wraith seemed rather surprised. "You're not happy to see me?" he queried feeling his heart sink.
Kate glared at him, "Are you insane? No, I'm not happy to see you! Do you have any idea how this looks!? Why would – oh, never mind. Just answer the question."
Disappointed, Todd released an audible huff before answering, "I had business with the hive's queen."
Kate frowned. "What kind of business?" she asked warily.
"Nothing to do with the Travelers, I assure you," he explained tolerantly, much more willing to suffer her suspicion then Larrin's. "In fact, I had planned on taking my leave as my audience was over but, alas; unforeseen circumstances prevented me from departing. I swear I did not know of the attack or that the Travelers were the intended target until after we'd arrived."
Katherine snorted. "Well that's convenient," she said waspishly scowling deeply as she glanced upwards, trying to decide whether or not he deserved her giving him a hard time. His reason for being here was sketchy at best and downright incriminating at worst which led her to believe the truth was probably somewhere in the middle. "Why're you really here?" she probed.
Todd's mouth twitched, "On the hive or here in front of you because I believe I've already explained –"
"Well then, explain again because you've got to see how bad this looks!"
The wraith sighed, rolling his eyes at her mistrust even if he understood her reasons for having it. Admittedly the situation did not look good, "I swear to you Katherine, I'm not here as some part of a nefarious plot. My presence is completely coincidental and, whether you choose to believe it or not, does not change the fact you are now in much more danger then I."
She raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? And why's that?"
"I think you know," he intoned harshly, sub-vocals rumbling. "Your inane plan to rescue the Traveler is perhaps stupidity at its finest and not something I would have expected from you. Regardless, I've no intention of allowing you to go through with it."
Kate stared at him incredulously. "Ah, excuse me? You won't allow me? The hell makes you think any of this is your call!?"
"The fact you are unlikely to succeed but very likely to end up either killed or captured. Neither of which is an outcome I'm willing to permit."
"So don't!" she exclaimed fiercely, annoyed he thought he had a right to get involved at all. She'd been doing just fine without him but, if he insisted on getting in her way, "If you don't want me dead or locked up someplace tell me which way to go."
His head shook, "I can't."
"Why not!?" she demanded.
By this point, Todd looked decidedly more uncomfortable and decidedly less apologetic. As it stood, he sighed before continuing, "Thus far I've largely been able to keep my dealings with Atlantis a secret from my fellow wraith who, although they know an alliance exists, have no idea to who it pertains. I cannot risk exposing myself when I am not yet sure I can trust – "
"Then why the hell did you stop me!?" Kate growled, throwing her hands up in frustrated fury. "Why not just stay out of – "
"Because in doing so I will be able to take credit for your capture."
The woman blinked; her mouth literally falling open as she was stunned into stupefied silence. She recovered quickly, fully processing what he'd said in no more than a handful of moments. As predicted, she did not take the revelation well, "My capture!? My – you bastard! You played me, this whole time. I should shoot – "
"Katherine please, I did not 'play' you," insisted Todd calmly, doing everything in his power not to buckle under the sudden onset of her rather formidable anger. She was much more upset then he'd thought she'd be and, as always, her fury was a magnificent sight to behold. "I simply had no intention of allowing you to complete your task from the beginning."
Kate screamed, "Garrhhh! I don't have time for this!" Todd had a lot of nerve, not only because he thought he had a right to even stop her but, much more specifically, because he was literally sticking his nose into something that had absolutely nothing to do with him.
"Get out of my way," she commanded.
He shook his head, flexing his fingers as he stepped to the left; purposefully blocking her from being able to continue down the hall. "You know I can't. I am doing this doing this for your own – "
" – If you say 'good' I will fucking stun your ass, hold you down and then pull out every single one of your teeth!" Kate swore viciously daring him to continue arguing with her as she tried, once more in vain, to get around him. "Fuck!" she cried ineloquently when he successfully, and deliberately, put himself in her way a second time. "Todd! I swear to God, this isn't a game. Either you move or I'll go right fucking through you! I will, I'll shoot you until your regenerative ability craps out and you can't get back up!"
Her threats, while certainly imaginative, did nothing to dissuade him. "You think you could take me?" he asked condescendingly, "I admit, your talents are impressive but in a real fight – "
" – In a real fight I'd kick you in the balls before shooting you in the head! Last time I checked, you guys still can't regenerate brain matter now, get the fuck out of my way!"
"Katherine please, listen to me," he begged, lifting his hands towards her shoulders only to be violently shrugged off the moment he touched her. He looked torn, defeated, as he slowly lowered his arms back to his sides. "If you're captured I won't be able to assist you, not without revealing myself and our alliance. I cannot do this, there are too many lives which depend on me to – "
"So don't," Kate bit out through clenching teeth, reluctant to just shoot him despite however much she might threaten to do so. God, he was stubborn. It'd been a while since the two of them had been on opposite sides and, admittedly, she'd gotten kinda used to always being on the same page with him. That was her first mistake, she couldn't afford another one.
"Look I get it, you feel obligated to help me just because we're both in the same place but the truth is, that's not how things work. Your first priority's the wraith just like mine's Atlantis and when those two priorities don't line up the two of us end up on opposite sides. It sucks but that's the way it is and I'm not mad at you for it, I don't blame you. It's a shitty situation all around but right now, both of our hands are tied and we've each got our orders. If you keep me here you'll be undoing everything we've built because after this, I'll never be able to trust you again. You've got to let me go."
Stunned, Todd felt his conviction waver. "So…if you're captured…you truly expect me to do nothing?"
"Yes," said Kate soberly, her voice barely audible above the frantic beating of her own heart. She had to tell him, had to make him understand – she wasn't John. "The entire time I've known you I've never asked you to compromise the safety of your people in order to help me maintain the safety of mine. It's only fair you do the same for me. Let me go, please. I don't…I don't wanna lose you over this…"
"Nor I you," he muttered softly realizing that she was right, it was wrong of him to ask for this; to want to keep her at the expense of everything else, including her own integrity. It was therefore with great reluctance Todd forced himself to retreat, stepping aside so that she could move past him.
But she didn't, not right away; confusing him for a moment by stepping closer and then laying her palm to the flat of his cheek. His breath hitched, "Katherine?" but she didn't answer, instead pulling him down until he felt her lips pressed gently against his opposite cheek; just below the sensory pit.
His pulse quickened, "Thank you," he heard her whisper, her breath hot against the inherent coolness of his skin, before pulling away and then disappearing down the hall leaving the wraith both bereft and extremely bothered – the skin underneath his right eye tingling gently. Todd growled, agitated, and began slowly making his way back towards the bridge; clenching his fists until they bled.
~xXx~
Having exhausted her resources trying to escape, Larrin sat lounging in her cell when she heard footsteps and, expecting the return of Todd or maybe one of the other wraith, scrambled to her feet. When they arrived, she was surprised to see not a wraith but the armored woman from Lorne's team.
"Where the hell did you come from?" she demanded.
"Dart," Kate replied, immediately crossing the room to let Larrin out of her cell. "I sent the queen a message, offered a trade: you for me. Got me on the hive. Now let's go."
The Traveler didn't move. "And she agreed?"
Kate nodded, "Yeah, obviously. Now let's – "
"Why?"
Oh for the love of…this was ridiculous. "Seriously?" she asked, scowling epically. "I show up to save your ass and instead of running with it you're second guessing how I got up here!? Have none of you people ever heard the phrase 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth'!?"
Larrin glared at her. "The wraith don't negotiate so if you offered a trade and they agreed there must be something else going – "
"Hi, I'm Kate Sheppard, John's sister, and I swear to God, if you don't start moving here in the next seven seconds I'm cutting my losses and leaving your ungrateful little ass here!"
Larrin blinked. "You're Sheppard's sister?"
Her rescuer let out an exasperated groan, "Oh, for the love of – yes! I'm John's sister, nice to meet you. Now let's go!"
The Traveler went, not because she was entirely convinced mind you – Sheppard had certainly never mentioned a sister, not even in passing – but because sister or not anything was better than staying here.
"So, how come Sheppard's never mentioned you bef –"
Not really in the mood to play twenty questions, Kate hissed at her to be quiet. "Shhh, this way," she instructed, turning left once they'd reached the end of the corridor. They were now in a maintenance tunnel which, if all went well, would take them all the way to the dart bay. "Let's go."
Mistrustfully, her companion followed wondering as she did how the woman had known this passageway was even here. "Where – "
Kate rounded on her. "Look, I know you don't know me and have no reason to trust me but believe it or not I'm here to rescue you. So, I'd appreciate just a little more cooperation unless you want the entire hive to know where we are because you're so busy making noise by asking me stupid questions!"
Begrudgingly Larrin realized the woman was right, giving her a nod even if she was still glaring while she did it. The Atlantian didn't seem to care as she turned on her heel and began jogging down the narrow passage leaving Larrin no choice but to keep pace behind her. They'd gone maybe a hundred or so yards when Kate suddenly veered right through a doorway which spat them out in a hallway she recognized as being somewhere near the bridge.
Now she was impressed. "How do you know where you're going?" she asked curiously.
"Todd," the other woman explained. "A couple weeks ago we got trapped on his hive for an extended period of time. He gave me a tour, I could probably draw you a map."
Larrin scowled. "He's here you know, the bast– fuck!" Ahead of them was a squad of drones.
"Go back," Kate ordered turning around only to find a second squad of drones already blocking their exit. They were caught, damn. "Don't fight," she whispered urgently, glancing at Larrin, "Whatever you do. We can't escape if we're dead."
Resigning herself to their situation Larrin agreed, nodding bitterly as Kate was once again relieved of all her weapons – and her armor – before the pair of them were taken to see the queen.
She was waiting for them when they arrived, perched on the edge of her throne like a kid at Christmas wearing an expression of eager excitement. "Leave us," she dismissed the drones as well as the officers who had been escorting them, leaving her alone with her prisoners, her sire and the hive's master at arms.
"Kneel," she commanded gleefully.
Immediately Larrin compiled; her mind still too weak from its earlier assault to put up any resistance. John's sister, on the other hand, shook her head and muttered a defiant, "No."
Rising to her feet, Ash-ka kept her anger concealed as she tried again; this time adding more emphasis. "Kneel," she directed, "Kneel and I will spare you your life."
Kate smiled. "You're going to spare me my life anyway, I'm Sheppard's sister remember? I'm worth a hell of a lot more to you alive than dead and you know it."
Ash-ka growled, annoyed because she knew the human was right. But still, she could not allow herself to be defeated by a single human female. Even one as valuable as Katherine of Atlantis.
"You will bow to me. I will have your compliance."
"You can try," Kate spat willfully, gritting her teeth as she struggled to resist the mind numbing pressure of the queen's mind inside her own. It hurt. Fuck, it hurt but she wasn't about to just let her win. The project had made her stronger for a reason, upgrading her mental defenses in order to make her and the others extra-resistant to any form of mind control or behavioral conditioning. It's how she knew every time Todd got into her head.
'I'm stronger than you think, bitch!' she thought clearly.
Surprised, the queen felt her eyes widen as the human's thought projected loudly and clearly across the threshold of her own mental barriers. She snarled, recovering quickly, impressed despite herself by the woman's power. She began to pace, circling her victim and with each pass expending more and more pressure against her now crumbling walls though which the thinnest cracks had begun to appear, spreading outwards.
"You are strong…Kath-erine Shep-paard," Ash-ka purred cruelly, her countenance reminding Kate of a lion or some kind of other big cat stalking its prey. "Your mind…it is far stronger than any human I've ever encountered. Stronger even than some of my bannermen."
"I'll take that…as a…compliment," Kate replied with some difficulty, clenching her fists so hard she can feel her nails biting into her skin.
"You should," the queen continued, now on her third pass, "Your will is almost as strong as my own; a queen amongst humans."
Her victim shuddered, shaking from the effort of holding her off; of remaining upright. She could feel her knees weakening, threatening to give out. But she wouldn't let them, couldn't let them. It'd be a cold day in hell before she gave anyone that much control over her. "Still…not sure…I like the sound of that…" she struggled breathlessly.
The young queen went still. "Still?" she asks, cocking her head in an expression of curiosity. "Is this not the first time you have been called a queen?"
Shaking her head, Kate thought a very clear 'No.'
Amused, Ash-ka turns to her sire and arms master to see what they think of this. The human woman might be able to project her thoughts but she lacks the control to direct where they go. All three wraith have been privy to everything she's said and even some of her other officers, dutifully waiting for her summons as they go about their business. Sheppard's sister lacks finesse.
"Is that so?"
Nodding shakily, Kate bites her lip, struggling to remain standing. She takes a deep breath, heaving with the effort of not bowing as the queen closes in on her until she's right in front of her, touching her face in the mockery of a caress. Atlantis' super solider can hear her in her mind, telling her that to be called a queen is the greatest of compliments before she again repeats her order, commanding her for the fifth time to kneel and obey.
With a strangled cry, Kate's knees finally give out and she falls – catching herself just in time so that only one hits the ground. Above her the queen looms over her, frowning and growing more frustrated. Larrin, on the other hand, although she keeps her head bowed, is staring at her in unmitigated awe, finally accepting her connection to John if for no other reason than only a Sheppard could possibly be this stubborn.
Meanwhile, Ash-ka's sire and master at arms pace restlessly back and forth; wanting to intervene but knowing they cannot. Kate grunts, doubling over as wave after wave of pain racks her body until she's finally able to push past it, looking up into the queen's eyes as she rebelliously pushes herself back onto her feet – refusing to back down despite the fact her head feels like it's about ready to explode.
"Fuck you," she whispers, the words costing her more then they're worth as she feels the strain just speaking them has on her body. She really should just give in, save her strength in order to escape. She can't though, not yet; not ever. Seven years of being a puppet, of letting the project order her around, pulling on her invisible strings – not again, she swore vehemently, not ever again.
Kate was done being controlled. "I win."
Lunging forwards, Ash-ha growled; striking the human across the face before grabbing her by the arm, raising her feeding hand above her victim's head; ready to strike at the least bit of provocation. "You cannot win Kath-er-ine Sheppaaarrd. Strong you may be but you are still no match for a true – "
"ENOUGH!" cried an angry voice, startling her as it echoed throughout the chamber. The queen froze; her eyes wide as they studied the intensely angry Eldest striding towards her, his expression murderous.
"Release her," he commanded, nodding once in the direction of her human prisoner. Ash-ka hesitated confusedly, baffled by his behavior.
"I-I do not understand. Why have you –"
A vociferated growl cut her off making her shrink back in terror. "That was not a request!" Todd roared, his eyes narrowing in further evidence of his fury before he was obeyed: the young queen retreating into the arms of her sire whilst Katherine – now free – fell to the floor and began to gasp, her body shaking. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to go to her, gathering her into his arms, knowing that to do so would only invite more questions. It was bad enough he'd failed to remain objective, responding to her torment as though she were a real queen or perhaps more accurately, already his lover; the latter making it much more difficult to do nothing then he'd previously thought.
"Explain," the hive master ordered soothing his frightened child as best he could, momentarily forgetting that she was queen.
The Eldest sighed. "I'm sure by now you've heard the rumors; you know there is an alliance between the humans of Atlantis and a specific faction of wraith."
Ash-ka felt her eyes widen. "It's you," she exclaimed, "You are the one who has-has committed treason. How dare – "
She was shushed suddenly, her sire terrified as he put her behind him and then turned to face Valloran. "Forgive her, my Lord Commander, please. She does not know – "
Todd cut him off. "Your daughter is not the first to accuse me of treason nor is it likely she'll be the last. Particularly as I've no desire to give up an advantage simply because it might seem…unorthodox to some of my more conservative peers. Admittedly, the humans of Atlantis are not the best allies. They are annoying, tiresome and extremely infuriating but they are also useful.
"This one more than most," he voiced waving a hand in Katherine's direction, hoping she would be able to tell his indifference was purely for the benefit of his fellow wraith. And Larrin – the last thing he needed were rumors of his attachment to Sheppard's sister to proliferate among the humans clans. No good could possibly come of it.
"I cannot allow her to come to harm."
"Very well," the queen replied stepping towards him tentatively, her confidence severely depleted as a result of his anger and sequential action. Her motem had warned her not to cross him and somehow, inadvertently, she'd managed to do just that. The Eldest was not an enemy she wished to make, especially now. Perhaps letting the humans go would be enough to appease him, enough to make him leave and hopefully not come back until she was once again ready to face him.
"You may go, both of you, and you may take that one with you," she said, nodding towards the still kneeling Traveler. "I will withdraw my hive and meet you at the agreed upon location three weeks from today. Until then, fare thee well Eldest, it has been an…interesting visit."
"So it has," her guest agreed, bowing his head as was custom before gathering both humans, one in each hand and dragging them to the transport bay. "Sit," he instructed Larrin as soon as the three of them were safely aboard his shuttle, thrusting her rather roughly into the nearest chair. He was gentler with Katherine, courteously helping her to find a seat before taking up the controls and separating them from the hive.
Almost immediately he established orbit, explaining peevishly when asked by an equally irritated Larrin that expecting him to land on a hostile planet full of humans more likely to kill him then capture him was stupid and ridiculously asinine. With reluctance the Traveler admitted he had a point.
"Well fine," she grumbled, glaring at him hatefully from her seat before suddenly, the doors in front of her began to close. "Hey!" she exclaimed loudly, attempting to stop them before she was completely cut off from the forward section. "You can't just – "
With a satisfying hiss the bulkhead doors sealed shut, drowning out whatever else she'd been about to say.
"Well, that wasn't very nice," said Kate snidely glancing sideways glance at her perturbed companion.
He snorted. "You know perfectly well I am not a 'nice' person," he replied slowly, growling as he continued to punch commands into the ship's navigation system. "My courtesy extends only to those who have earned it."
"Like me?" Kate guessed rhetorically, not really expecting an answer.
He gave her one anyway. "Yes, like you," Todd replied before turning his chair in order to face her. She looked tired, her eyes strained and her shoulders tense; her body still suffering the aftershocks of the queen's assault. It was obvious she was still in pain and that pain, no matter how unintentional, was still at least partially his fault. He shouldn't have hesitated; he should have put a stop to it at the first sign of her duress. But no, instead he'd waited, trying his best to remain objective when in reality he knew deep down his feelings for her made such a thing nearly impossible. He cared too much while she, in turn, seemed to be less affected.
"Katherine?" he questioned timidly, suddenly uncomfortable. "Do you know why I stopped her? Why I intervened even after explicitly stating I would not be able to?"
Surprised, Kate immediately opened her mouth to say yes but then thought better of it. The truth was she didn't know, not really, and in reality it was a pain in the ass not knowing where they stood. "I…I know you care," she said tentatively, looking anywhere but at the wraith staring imploringly at her as if she had all the answers. "But I also know you wanna sleep with me; like a conquest or something, because lately that's all you ever seem to talk about. I mean, I thought we were friends but the way you keep bugging me about it, finding a way to mention it in almost every conversation – like you think if you bring it up enough times I'll eventually say yes just to shut you up – I just don't know any more. So no, I don't know why you stopped her because I literally have no idea where we stand but I am curious so, how 'bout you explain it to me."
Appalled, Todd could do little more than blink at her in humiliated shock. "Is that what you think?" he asked looking visibly stricken – unable to fathom how she could have drawn such an erroneous conclusion. Did she really think his only desire for her was carnal pleasure, that his feelings for her amounted to little more than baseless lust? How could she when she was the one who had imposed such limited restrictions.
"Do you not recall our conversation? The discussion we had? I distinctly remember you expressing your current desire lies not in cultivating a more meaningful relationship but rather simply a companion capable of 'getting the job done'. Why then are you surprised? Surely it is not human custom to offer more than is being solicited? I have told you, male wraith do not go where we aren't wanted."
"But I do want you!" Kate exclaimed, exasperated and only realizing what she'd just said half a second later when Todd's face went suddenly slack, yellow eyes almost impossibly wide. She groaned. Yeah, okay, he was right; she'd said that. But then she'd also said not an hour later that she liked him more then she should and that if she wasn't careful John might actually have a legitimate reason to shoot him. If Todd were human he'd have picked up on that but he wasn't. Inadvertently she'd apparently done to him what he was more often guilty of doing to her. Fuck it – and now he was looking at her like Christmas had come early.
"Okay," she began again, noticing the suddenly wary look on his face like he was expecting her to take back everything she just said. In a way she kinda was, but then she was also planning on explaining what she'd actually meant. "You're right, I did say that but I additionally said I liked you more then I should which when paired up with that other thing means something completely different to human guys then it obviously meant to you. In a nutshell it's direct but complicated translation is: I like you and I like what I've seen so far but your case isn't made yet, so I'm gonna need you to step things up a notch and keep trying. That's what I…that's what I meant to say."
Bewildered but also annoyed, not to mention greatly relieved, Todd let out an audible huff of exacerbation. "Then why not just say that? Why are you humans never clear?"
Kate shrugged. "We just aren't, it's a gift."
"More like a curse," Todd grumbled, studying her as he relaxed into his seat. "So, does this mean you're ready to accept my proposal?"
She shook her head, "Not entirely. I mean, I'm still not entirely sure either of us knows what the other wants – other than the obvious. I guess now is as good a time as any to ask where you think all this is gonna go?"
What a confusing question. "I am uncertain. Amongst wraith, the parameters for any given relationship are determined by the female and you have not yet given me any. I do not know how to react, going forwards. I think you are asking me to court you but I'm not sure – "
"I am."
He froze. Was she…had she just? "Katherine?"
The woman was nodding. "Yes Todd, I'm asking you to court me. I want you to make me like you. the Eldest or the Lord Commander or whatever other titles I'm sure you're known by, just you. And, while you're doing that, I in turn will court you because you deserve it – and because I know flirting with you'll really tick my brother off. Bonus points will be awarded if the two of us actually manage to give him a heart attack. I like orchids, the color red, diamonds and long walks on the beach – preferably at night. Think you can do that?"
"I…" Could he? Todd was not so sure. He'd never courted a human before and while, admittedly, he'd already made a decision to pursue her that had been when he believed copulation to be the only possible outcome. Affection was a different story and required a different manner of approach. From her description and based off context clues, Katherine was asking him to be her companion.
"To be clear, we are discussing the possible evolution of our existing relationship into one including mutual attraction, pleasurable camaraderie and a mutual desire for physical affection. I assume you are aware things will go no further than that?"
Kate snorted. Well, that was one way to put it. "Do you mean I think we'll fall in love with each other? No. One, if I remember correctly wraith don't do that. And two, you especially aren't real fond of the idea. Not to mention I've been in love, it sucked, and I've kinda made it my personal goal never to fall in love again; thus the reason I'm even considering doing this with you. There's not a chance in hell so don't worry, I know exactly where this is going. Friends with benefits. Exclusive friends with benefits because quite frankly, I don't share and I've kinda been given the impression you don't either. Something about wraith being inherently territorial and possessive. Makes sense really but just so you know, Captain Phoenix is scared to death of you. Like literally; him and every other guys on base."
Good, thought Todd perversely, grinning evilly at the mere suggestion he'd someone ruined Katherine's chances of ever copulating with any the males inhabiting Atlantis. It thrilled him to no end knowing she must now look elsewhere for the company she sought and that by her own affirmation he was her only choice. She had chosen him and while intellectually he knew that that choice didn't carry nearly the same weight as it would were she wraith, it still excited him. She wanted him, was considering him and if truth be told, appeared to have already made up her mind. It was now a matter of 'when' rather than an 'if' and Todd was extensively pleased with that.
"Then yes, to answer your question, I believe I might be capable of that." His grin widened becoming almost innately predatory the longer he looked at her; like a hungry shark about to devour his prey. Literally, Kate could see all but maybe two of his very pointy teeth.
Suddenly she wondered what those teeth might feel like on the back of her neck or, maybe, nipping along her jaw line. Her thoughts vanished however with the sound of a loud bang coming from the bulkhead door behind them.
Apparently Larrin wasn't too fond of being left out. "Just let her out," she told Todd, glancing back over her shoulder to where the Traveler was currently trying to escape. "She'll probably try and strangle you as soon as she's free but don't worry, I'll protect you. And if she gets too violent we can always tie her to a chair. I'm sure you've got something in this thing we could use for rope."
Todd chuckled. "Indeed," and released the doors, rotating his chair in order to watch Katherine intercept her before the enraged human could take more than a step in his direction.
"You're out now, sit down and shut up," Kate instructed pointing to another seat diagonally across from her own chair next to Todd's.
Larrin glared at her, silently seething as she struggled to form a coherent response. When eventually words failed her, she did as she was told; moodily dropping into the seat indicated. Within minutes the shuttle had descended into tense and awkward silence until Kate broke it by turning to Todd.
"So, what's your favorite color?" she asked causally.
He shrugged. "It varies. At the moment I would have to say it is a particular shade of grey, the same color as your eyes to be exact. I find it immensely…mesmerizing.
Kate smiled. "Good answer."
Larrin was floored.
A/N: Hi there! So, a couple things. First, a few translations:
1 karra tula – beloved daughter
2 karra – precious one; one who is beloved. A common wraith endearment similar to the human variations of sweetheart or honey.
3 Valloran – Todd's real name meaning to protect or, more specifically, the protector.
As we get further into the story you can expect more wraith words to start popping up all of which will be translated down here so, when in doubt, look down.
Now, on to the variances.
1) I decided not to make the queen and her hive bad guys by default. This always seems to be the case and frankly, the whole purpose of this particular story is to explore the wraith and the possibility some of them (besides Todd) might be good people. I hope I did a decent job and while Ash-ka may or may not make another appearance, I hope my readers found her to be at least a likable character they could relate to instead of just the bad-guy of the week.
2) I tried to keep the Travelers as true to character as I could and, let's face it, they're all pretty paranoid. Larrin's also a hard character to pin down so I sincerely hope I did her justice. Last time I got some complaints about her coming across as too weak while Kate came across too strong so, with any luck, this time both of them are a little more in character.
3) Todd and Kate get into a little disagreement in this one because I wanted to explore the reality that, racialistically, even though they're allies that doesn't mean they're always automatically on the same side. Both on the show and in a lot of other fanfictions I sometimes feel like our guys don't quite understand that Todd's first priority is the wraith in the same way as ours is always Atlantis. I wanted that point stressed so I made Kate a little more understanding. I mean, ultimately we're all in it for ourselves which means sometimes putting our friends last. Pretending otherwise doesn't make it any less true so Kate gets it and, once again, I'm trying my very best to make the story sound real.
4) And finally: Todd and Kate – green light, go! Guys, it's about to get fun.
Until next time, hopefully it won't take as long,
Cheers!
