Chapter 13

Mehra's vehemence turned on Geeja the moment she stepped through the door. The tiny female sang to herself and had a distinct skip in her step as she entered, as if everything was right with the world. Evidently, Geeja enjoyed working in Phylacos far more than was appropriate, and travelling the corridors full of sobbing, screaming humans had inflicted absolutely no effect on her good humour as she'd journeyed to the cell. It wasn't normal to be so unmoved by their plight. Mehra knew right then she'd been on the money about the grimy little runt; no matter how convinced Sheppard had been by her sweet little girl act, this one was in cahoots with the enemy, no doubt about it.

'What the hell are you doing here? Come to gloat some more?' she growled, slowly rising to her feet.

'I not know what you mean,' the girl purred, giving her a venomous smile. 'How you get on with new company?'

'I would have preferred Sheppard to still be around…' she glanced Liam's way, '…no offence.'

He shrugged his indifference. 'None taken.' She doubted he was happy to be here either.

Geeja grinned at him, then at Mehra too. 'You be in the labs later. They take samples…very painful.'

'And this makes you happy…why?' Mehra demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

Geeja's face clouded, and she got right up in front of Mehra, her tiny frame exuding pure hatred that had no place in someone so young. 'You let them take John. You should have taken better care of him.'

Confused, Mehra just blinked back at her, trying to unravel the machinations of this child's mind. 'I let them take Sheppard? You were the one that wanted those…those things to come here. You said they could save him, not kidnap him.'

'Er…what's going on here?' Liam interrupted. 'I thought this Sheppard bloke died or something…what really happened?'

Mehra honestly didn't blame the kid for asking so many questions, but she wasn't in the mood for answering them right now. 'Stay out of this,' she ordered, leaning over Geeja to force her to back off. 'So, this wasn't part of the plan, huh? What did you have in mind?'

'I don't answer to you,' Geeja growled.

The floor beneath them began to tremble, breaking the exchange as Mehra was forced to steady herself to ensure she didn't fall.

Geeja started backing toward the door, now grinning that cruel smile again. 'Akalus is angry that you let him down. You will pay for failing him.'

'Over my dead body!' Mehra spat, following her, seriously considering making a lunge for the girl and smacking that smile off of her face.

'Don't tempt him,' Geeja warned as the door allowed her exit and then slid rapidly shut behind her. 'He can make life here very difficult for you.'

'Yeah, 'cos it's been a beach so far!' Mehra yelled after her as she withdrew and disappeared along the murky corridor.

'Your life holds little worth. You would not be much of a loss,' Geeja's voice echoed from the darkness.

Now that sounded like a threat. Mehra did not like being threatened. Storming away from the door, she mumbled, 'Nasty little bitch…' as she threw herself down on her mattress and went over the exchange in her mind. That crazy witch blamed her for Sheppard going missing? Why did it matter to her that he wasn't here anymore? Sheppard had obvious charm, but she didn't get the feeling this was a crush thing. She had to be angry because Akalus was angry, which fit into her theory that Geeja was working with, rather than for, the enemy.

'What was all that about?' Liam asked, somewhat sheepishly from the shadows.

'Not sure,' Mehra murmured. 'But one thing I am sure of…the next time those bug guys come in here to take me to the lab…they're gonna get more than they bargained for.'

'You mean…you're going to fight them?' Liam asked. There was no mistaking the quake in his voice.

'Damn right I am!' she grunted, pissed as all hell that Geeja was making her take the blame for her mistake. Well, no way were they dicing and slicing her as a punishment. Sheppard might not have been able to fight his way out of there, but she was still going to give it her best shot. And then she remembered that Sheppard had told her not to do anything stupid. Did this qualify as stupid? Maybe, but it was driven by self-preservation. If she was ever going to get out of here, she had to stay in one piece.

'I saw someone fight back down in the mines once,' Liam told her tentatively, as if he expected her to blow up at the mention of it. When she didn't say anything, he continued. 'He was a big guy, built like a brick…' he hesitated and seemed to reconsider his choice of words, '…let's just say he was well built. Apparently, he wasn't used to taking orders, so a couple of days after he arrived he decided he didn't what to start mining when those bug people told him to…'

There was a long, drawn-out pause, one punctuated only by his single, shuddering breath.

'They beat him until he stopped yelling at them…stopped moving at all. Then they took him away. We…' Another pause, another shaky breath. 'We never saw him again.'

She knew he was trying to help, and for a few seconds she found herself considering whether she should just put up and shut up. But then she thought about Sheppard, and the state he had been reduced to by the crazy shit these bastards had done to him over the past six months. No way was she going to let them take her apart one piece at a time until there was nothing left to save. She would rather die while she was still healthy enough to put up a fight than slowly ebb away here in the bowels of this prison.

'Thanks for the warning,' she replied, thumping at her mattress before laying back on it, hands clasped behind her head as she stared up at the dark, damp ceiling. 'You're free to roll over and let 'em kick you as hard as you want, but the next time they come in here, I'm gonna show 'em just what we humans are made of. Just don't get in the way.'

Which was quite possible one hundred percent stupidity, judging by the look her cellmate gave her. But as far as she was concerned this place was poison, and she wasn't prepared to spend one more toxic day growing weaker and more subservient until all hope of escape was lost. She wanted out, and she was going to get it…dead or alive.

oooOOOooo

After hiding out on the higher levels of Phylacos for the night, Ronon now made his way tentatively down through the dim and damp passageways, back toward the mines.

Of course, the final leg of the trip down into the pit in which he had spent the last six months labouring was carried out via an elevator, and the elevator would draw unwanted attention since it only ever moved to carry prisoners to and from the mines themselves and was always guarded at the lower level. So, what was he supposed to do?

Ronon found himself wishing Sheppard was there. He was always the sharp thinker when it came to quickly devised strategies. Not that Ronon was dumb; he doubted he would have survived all his years as a runner if he wasn't pretty smart. He could fight, set traps – revenge was his speciality. But this required something different. He needed a definite plan.

A noise had him ducking for cover before he could give it another thought, a low rumbling like a vehicular movement – perhaps the food truck, though it didn't come into sight despite the increasing noise level. A concealed door sunk a few inches back with a heavy clunking, then slid aside to reveal a doorway through which two of the bug guards emerged. He watched from his hiding place as they screeched their weird form of conversation and stalked away down the passage.

As soon as he thought they were far away not to hear him behind them he darted out and crossed to the door, trying to figure out it's mechanisms before it fully closed again. But seconds later it was gone, invisible now even though he knew exactly where it sat.

Sliding his hands all over the wall, Ronon was unable to locate any kind of button or lever that might activate the doorway again. He needed to know what lay beyond that door. There had definitely been a noise to herald its arrival. A noise he now realised was reminiscent of the elevator he'd travelled up in the day before. If it was an elevator just for the Kheprians, that might prove useful. But no matter how useful it might be, he couldn't use it if he couldn't find a way in.

He was going to have to be patient…not his strongest quality.

So, he returned to his hiding place, gripping on tight to his weapon, and poised ready to pounce on the very first opportunity that came his way.

oooOOOooo

Prince Valkalar lounged in his luxurious abode, feet up on an upholstered footstool as he looked at the picture of the beautiful human woman he had downloaded from Akalus' database. Inside, he still raged at the injustice of Akalus threatening someone of his stature. No one had ever dared to speak to him that way.

No one.

He was a prince. He deserved respect. How dare that low-life skin trader talk to him that way? Didn't Akalus know who he was?

He needed that human. He wanted that human. Just looking at her image aroused feelings in him he could barely control, and that excited him. He didn't want to control them. He wanted them to run riot and course through his body, giving him pleasurable thrills he'd never experienced before. This was all new to him, and although he didn't fully understand it, he liked what he felt. Life in his palace could be dull and routine. The thought of having such a beautiful and rare creature in his possession excited him even more than his position of power in the Rammarant tribe. At first, his only interest in her had been the Wraith genes hidden within her human DNA, but the more he looked at her picture, the more a deeper, more gnawing interest awoke in him. He'd seen many humans while hacking Akalus' database, but she was utterly…enchanting. Yes, that was it. He felt as though he had fallen under a spell.

It would no doubt be a struggle for her to accept him at first, but if he showed her kindness, she would begin to appreciate what he had to offer her. If that failed, he could always resort to threats.

There had to be a way of getting that woman out of Phylacos and into his home. He turned from his computer link to the ancient tomes lying on the floor around him. The answers lay within the pages of those books, he felt certain of it. He would find a way to get beyond the walls of Phylacos and take what Akalus had denied him. That would teach him to make a fool of him. That man might have convinced himself and the Birajan race that he was something special, but Valkalar wasn't buying into it for a moment. Those scriptures were just the ramblings of an insane mind. They held no true worth in this day and age.

He picked up a huge journal, a catalogue of the various ancient artefacts and technologies that had been collected by his tribe over the decades, blowing dust from its cover before opening it up to leaf through the contents. There were dozens of books of a similar weight and volume strewn about him, and if he had to, he would study every one of them to find what he was looking for. He needed that girl, he wanted her, and nothing would stop him possessing her, certainly not some female with delusions of grandeur. He poured himself a glass of his finest Rammarant vestaga as he settled back in his chair to scan the pages of his vast book. This would take a while, it might be best to make some arrangements before becoming too engrossed in his task. He pushed a button on the wrist pilot he wore, the control to everything in his home.

Only a few moments later, his attendant opened the door and waited for his orders.

'Tamrak, I am going to be busy for the foreseeable future, so be sure I am not disturbed. Oh, and I will need food. Lots of it. See to it that I am brought meals on a regular basis.'

'Is this work anything I can help you with, my Prince?' Tamrak offered.

'This is far too complex a task for such as you,' Valkalar snorted, eyeing his little assistant up and down. 'It requires intelligence and concentration…the attentions of a mind of far greater capacity than yours. But you can be helpful by carrying out my instructions. I expect nothing more nor less from you.' Tamrak dipped his head respectfully, and headed for the door again. 'Oh, and get me another flagon of this,' Valkalar said, waving the half-empty vessel of vestaga at him. 'I am sure to work up quite a thirst.'

'Of course, Prince,' Tamrak said, dipping his head once again as he backed out of the room.

Superiority re-established, Valkalar settled down to begin his work in earnest…with the assistance of another generous sip of his favourite beverage.

oooOOOooo

As Mishta led Sheppard into the rebel camp, he instantly attracted the attention of the females gathered around the fire preparing breakfast. The meal abandoned, they left the fireside to take a closer look at the strange creature being brought into their midst. Although humans were common within the walls of Phylacos, it occurred to him that they were obviously not seen walking the plains so freely. It seemed like the cooking would have to wait until their curiosity was sated. A glance at the hybrid holding onto him told him she didn't care much for the interest he was garnering, the tightening grip on his arm and her deepening scowl warning him not to do anything he didn't have her explicit permission to do or there would be hell to pay.

Juroah tried to steer him through the womenfolk without too much fuss, telling them all to move aside and let them get to this Goronak he'd heard them mention on the flight. But despite his polite yet firm requests, they were all keen to have their moment with the new arrival, who had sent them into a flurry of activity and excited jabbering.

Sheppard let them prod and poke at him without complaint. Some stroked the soft hairs covering his forearms, others rubbed his clothing between their fingers, sampling the textures of the fabrics. A few even strained up to ruffle his hair and touch the smooth skin of his face and neck. Despite his usual reservations about physical contact, this didn't seem invasive; their interest was almost childlike, like youngsters petting an animal. These Birajans were rough skinned and scaled, and had no apparent body hair at all. He had to look pretty weird to them, even if they did have the hybrid currently shoving the barrel of a gun into his ribs living amongst them. Though she had many human qualities, she was far from a full human being. Perhaps these females had never seen a real human being before. Seeing a new species for the first time would be enough to pique anyone's interest.

Mishta allowed the females to examine him for a while longer, then grew impatient with them, pushing them all back and ordering them to let them through. Yet some brave souls persisted, their curiosity apparently stronger than their fear of Mishta's wrath.

Juroah stepped in before it became more violent. 'Come now, ladies. The food will spoil and we're hungry after our adventures. Leave the human be.'

At his polite intervention, they reluctantly backed off and returned to their work, leaving Juroah and Mishta free to lead Sheppard on to the largest shelter in the clearing, one that looked to be more designed for gatherings than the other smaller, ramshackle constructions littered about the site.

'Wait here with him, Mishta,' Juroah instructed, as he pulled back the heavy fabric covering the entrance. 'I'll make sure they're ready to receive us.'

'Ready to receive us? Why would they not be? We've brought them the human,' she scoffed, trying to push past him and enter.

'Just do as I say,' he replied, placing a calming hand on the front of her shoulder, halting her progress. 'You'll have their praise soon enough.'

She stepped back, looking disappointed that he would think that of her. 'I'm not interested in praise. I only want to bring Akalus' hold over our people to an end.'

'Be patient,' he said, giving her shoulder a pat now that the resistance had left her. 'That time will come.' He disappeared into the tent, leaving them to wait outside for his return.

Mishta immediately spun on Sheppard, her eyes ablaze with barely repressed anger. Whether it was anger at him or something else that caused it, he wasn't sure, but he had the feeling she would make him bear the brunt of it. Unlike the Birajan females at the campfire, this hybrid handled him with unconditional malice, and since he had no idea why, he had yet to figure out how to change that.

Roughly grappling him, she turned him around so she could check his restraints. They still held fast…he knew because he'd already tested them several times himself.

'Mishta. I see your trip was successful,' someone behind them called to her. Sheppard peered over his shoulder to see another hybrid striding across the camp to greet her, a male this time. Her brother, perhaps. There was certainly a resemblance other than their shared genetic mix.

Sheppard sensed Mishta's choler rising again at this male's approach. Happy to have someone to share her bad mood, Sheppard turned around and offered him a smile, one this male returned with a warm grin of his own. That was promising.

'I suppose you're surprised, considering you thought me unfit for the mission,' she sneered, her pose changing to a somehow challenging slouch.

'I never doubted you,' he beamed, pulling her into a hug while she went stiff, arms rigid at her sides. Clearly hugs were not her thing. Well, at least that was something they had in common, Sheppard mused.

This male turned now to Sheppard. Unlike Mishta, this one's eyes were kind and welcoming, their violet depths sparkling with warmth. He held out his hand in a surprisingly human gesture of greeting, patting his chest and announcing, 'Lansha,' by way of an introduction. It was more than Mishta or Juroah had managed so far.

Sheppard looked down at Lansha's extended hand, but was unable to take it. He turned just enough for him to see the cuffs.

'Why is he restrained like that?' Lansha asked, immediately deactivating the shackles and freeing his arms. Sheppard rubbed his wrists, grateful to be rid of them, all the time ignoring the mounting fury building in his warden.

'Juroah wanted him cuffed to be sure he didn't escape on the way back from the landing strip,' Mishta growled, snatching the cuffs back and moving as if to put them on him again.

Lansha positioned himself between the two of them, shielding Sheppard from her attempts to restrain him. 'He's not an animal to be controlled. He's an intelligent being; I'm sure he knows running away in a strange world would be futile.'

Sheppard arched an eyebrow at Mishta as he looked around the male at her. She merely scowled in return. 'You give him too much credit,' she spat.

'Hey! I'm right here, you know. I can hear you,' Sheppard snapped.

'And I should care?' was all she said in response.

'He understands everything we say?' Lansha gasped as he turned around to look at him, his expression suggesting he thought this to be some kind of mystical ability.

Mishta rolled her eyes and grabbed a handful of Sheppard's hair, steering his head into a position where Lansha could see the translation unit in his ear. 'Don't be so amazed, Brother. There is a simple explanation.'

The flap at the tent entrance lifted, and Juroah's head poked out. 'Good morning, Lansha. I thought I heard your voice.'

'I see it is, Juroah. You did well to retrieve this one so easily,' he chirped back.

'I can't say it was easy, perhaps just easier than we'd anticipated,' Juroah replied, stepping out to join their little group. 'Mind you, it wasn't without its fraught mome—'

Once again, Mishta gave a petulant roll of her eyes. 'Are we allowed in yet?' she interrupted.

'Of course,' Juroah replied, then he noticed Sheppard's hands were free. 'Why have you taken off his cuffs?'

'Ask him,' she grunted, nodding her head in Lansha's direction as she grabbed Sheppard's arm and pulled him toward the opening. She jabbed the barrel of her gun hard against his ribs again. 'Don't try anything or I'll shoot you where you stand, Human.'

He didn't doubt she would.

'Do you want to join us, Lansha?' Juroah asked brightly, holding back the door covering. 'We bring news that will be of great interest to you.'

'Then, I will - if only to annoy my sister,' he grinned, ducking down to enter.

Inside, the lighting was subdued, the thick, waxed-canvas type material of the tent itself blocking out any daylight as soon as Juroah dropped the entrance flap back into place. Two oil-glowing lamps hanging from the framework provided the only illumination, and that was sent swinging wildly when Sheppard bumped his head on one of them as he entered. Mishta reached up to steady it, giving him an undeservedly filthy look. It wasn't as if he'd done it on purpose. This place was too small for him to stand at his full height. Even she had to crouch a little to avoid scraping her head on the roof canvas.

The low ceiling and poor light made Sheppard feel instantly claustrophobic. It was all too reminiscent of his Phylacos cell, and he found himself battling with the urge to run for the door. The fact Mishta still held her gun on him was a strong deterrent, though. He didn't want to give her the excuse to shoot him he suspected she was desperately waiting for.

Once he became accustomed to the oppressive gloom, he noticed that four Birajans, three male and one female, lurked in the shadows therein. As Juroah nudged him further forward, they came into clearer focus. He judged from the lines on their faces that they were older than most he'd seen, so perhaps they were the equivalent of village elders. They all stood up from their cushion seats as Mishta encouraged him onward at gunpoint.

One stepped toward him, regarding him closely. 'We welcome you, Human. You must be weary after your difficult experiences. Please, sit.'

Difficult experiences? he thought as they all seated themselves before him. That's a polite way of putting it! 'Yeah…yeah, I am. Thanks.'

Mishta gestured to the floor with her ever-present weapon. Once he had seated himself, she and her two companions arranged themselves bedside him. Through all of that, Mishta never lowered her weapon and never took her eyes off him. Sheppard began to wonder if all the hostility was an attempt to control him, or because she was afraid of him. There really was no need to keep the gun trained on him the whole time unless she felt he posed a significant threat. That thought gave his ego a boost since he felt like he could snap in a stiff breeze right now.

And, apparently, he wasn't the only one questioning her behaviour. 'The gun is no longer necessary,' Goronak told her, with a dismissive gesture. 'You may put it away now, Mishta.'

'I would prefer to keep it to hand,' she replied, her only concession being to lower it a little.

No one challenged her on that point. It seemed as if they knew it would be futile.

Sheppard surveyed the gun, his eyes eventually wandering up to meet those of its owner, who still glowered right back at him. But there was something in those eyes, something behind the look she gave him, that troubled him more than the fact she was armed. He didn't know why, but he felt certain now that her aggression toward him masked something else – something no one was saying out loud.

As if to prove him right, her expression changed briefly. She looked curious, then troubled before it shifted right back to angry in less than a second. But the change had been there to see. He was sure that her ferocity was only a facade to hide her fear. But fear of what?

'So…your mission was obviously a great success,' Goronak said, addressing Juroah and his female charge.

'Not entirely,' Juroah conceded. 'Although we were able to remove the human from the fortress with relative ease, our escape did not go unnoticed. We believe we threw the Reliquiae off the scent – thanks to some quick thinking from Mishta.'

'Well, done, Mishta,' Goronak smiled, bowing his head to her. 'At least now we have half of Akalus' true power in our hands. Of course, we now have to ensure it doesn't return to him before the next few months are out, or before we can make good on our plan.'

It took a moment or two for Sheppard to realise they were talking about him. He looked around at their worried faces, wondering what the hell they knew that he didn't. 'Uh, anyone wanna clue me in on what's happening here?'

Ignoring him, the conversation went on. 'We've brought something back that might help with those plans,' Juroah said, opening up his backpack and tipping it up, scattering the Wraith weapons all over the floor. After a nudge of encouragement, Mishta finally holstered her weapon and did the same.

The Founders watched in amazement as guns spilled out, at least a dozen of them. Sheppard mused that he wouldn't mind getting his hands on one of them himself.

After a few moments of stunned silence, the female Founder managed to ask, 'You stole all these?'

'From the Reliquiae, yes,' Juroah replied, nodding.

'How?'

'We were attacked by two who carried a box filled with weapons. We silenced them, but thought these might come in useful to raise funds for the materials we need for Lansha's plan.'

'This will more than pay for them. This will fund that operation and many of our other needs until the time comes for Akalus to act,' Goronak breathed, reaching out to pick up a gun with a trembling hand, as if he feared they might not be real. 'But the fact they are moving so many weapons at once has me worried.' The male's pale, watery, lilac eyes lifted to meet Sheppard's. 'What did you tell them, Human?'

'Nothing,' Sheppard assured him. 'They said something about needing to find Atlantis, but I didn't tell them anything…in fact, they said a lot of things that didn't make much sense,' he added. 'They told me they were once the Wraith…that my people changed them. But we haven't done anything like that to them…yet.'

'Your people?'

He could feel the utter fury tensing every muscle in Mishta's body as she said that. 'Yeah…but like I said…we haven't done anything to change the Wraith. I'm not saying we don't have something like that in the pipeline, but –'

Lansha's arm shot out and grasped his sister's wrist just as she attempted to reach for her gun again. 'Mishta…let it be.'

He could see she was actually trembling with anger as she tried to snatch her arm free. 'You heard him…you heard what he said. His people made the Reliquiae!'

'Actually, I said we hadn't done it,' Sheppard was quick to point out, noticing the skin of Lansha's knuckles blanching from the firmness of the grip he retained on his sister's weapon arm. Despite her brother's grasp on her, her violet eyes remained fixed on him, speaking volumes of the harm she would like to rain down on him.

'Let us not become distracted,' Goronak announced loudly, calling the meeting to order again. 'The fact is, we have managed to seriously damage Akalus' plans, and these weapons will bring us a great deal of money with which to deal his supposed destiny its deathblow.' He looked at Sheppard again now, a glint of excitement lighting his pallid eyes. 'You have brought us luck, Human. We will be sure to keep you close at hand in the hope you continue to do so.'

That was apparently one nicety too far for Mishta. 'He's a curse. We'd have been better off if he'd never been born,' she growled, still held under her brother's firm restraint.

'Mishta, hold your tongue. It's not the human's fault this is happening. He is an innocent in all this,' Lansha scolded, a comment that earned a rumble of agreement from the others gathered there.

Her eyes grew wide. 'How can you say that after what he has just admitted?'

Patience tested to its limit, Sheppard finally snapped. 'I didn't admit anything! Now will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here?'

Suddenly silenced by his outburst, the Birajans and hybrids all looked to each other for a decision. Mishta was, unsurprisingly, the first to offer her opinion. 'We shouldn't tell him. There's no way to know yet if he is as innocent as he would have us believe.'

'So, you're saying you don't trust me? That's a shocker,' Sheppard laughed. But he couldn't help but flinch when she launched at him, only Lansha's continuing hold on her wrist preventing her from reaching him.

'You would be wise to show me more respect,' she growled. 'We hold your life in our hands, Human.'

'Respect isn't something you demand, it has to be earned,' Sheppard fired back at her.

To his surprise, that seemed to knock the wind out of her sails. He noticed Lansha was grinning again.

'That's exactly what our father used to tell us,' he explained, finally extracting the gun from his sister's hand as she stared at Sheppard, dumbfounded. 'You have to earn respect, Mishta. From what I have seen of the way you treat this human, you are far from deserving of it.'

'Hey, much as I appreciate the support, I do have a name, you know,' Sheppard replied. He'd been called little else but 'Human' for thirteen months, and he wanted to feel like an individual again.

'We're sorry, Human,' Goronak said on behalf of them all. 'Please…share it with us.'

He stood up, wiped his slightly clammy palms on his trousers, then extended his right hand toward Goronak. 'John Sheppard.'

The group fell instantly and ominously silent. Even Mishta appeared to be at a loss for words. What little bravado he'd mustered up rapidly evaporated. 'What did I say?' Sheppard asked, a little more quietly.

'Set the perimeters,' Goronak ordered. 'No one enters or leaves this camp again without the express permission of the Founders. We need to discuss this further…without the human present.'

Had the mere mention of his name caused this reaction? What, until then, had been a reservedly friendly atmosphere had suddenly transformed into what felt like little more than controlled panic.

'What would you like us to do with the human?' Mishta asked as she stood and caught hold of his arm once again, hauling him to his feet.

'Lansha, will you take him to your shelter? He'll feel more comfortable with you than any of the rest of us, I'm certain,' Goronak asked.

'Of course; it will be my pleasure.' He threw Mishta a look that suggested she should let go of Sheppard. She seemed hesitant to do so, but backed down under the strength of her brother's glare.

Lansha helped Sheppard from the tent to allow the discussions between his sister, Juroah, and the Founders to continue. The females of the camp immediately saw them emerge. They'd obviously been watching the tent, waiting for him to show himself again. They hurried over and took hold of Sheppard's hands, leading him over to the fire beside which breakfast sweet breads were cooling.

Unlike his sister, Lansha happily allowed them to take over the care of the human for a short time. The Birajan women made Sheppard comfortable on an animal skin rug and gave him the biggest plateful of food he'd seen for many months, maybe even long before that. Of course, Sheppard was much bigger than most people they served breakfast to, so they could be forgiven for over estimating his appetite. They no doubt thought it would make up for his time in Phylacos, where good food was non-existent, and even the bad food was in short supply.

He felt somewhat overwhelmed by the abundance of fare and attention, but in a good way. Glancing around for Lansha, he saw him hanging back, allowing him to be the centre of their focus for the time being. The hybrid smiled openly, an expression so different to his sister's that it was hard to believe the two could have grown up together and shared a familial bond. He wondered briefly what made Mishta so angry, before deciding he was too tired to care right now. That was a mystery to be unravelled some other time.

Although Sheppard certainly enjoyed the food and friendship, the conversation with Goronak and their reaction to his name had him worried now.

He suspected his life might be about to get very complicated, as if it weren't complicated enough already...

A/N: Thanks for sticking with the story. Hope you enjoy the update! :)