A/N: Dear readers, this chapter has sat, neglected, on my laptop for far too long as life has forced me to focus on other things. Even though it is shorter than I would've liked, I am posting it now to reassure you that I haven't forgotten the story and do intend to finish it. My life will gradually shift down several gears over the coming months and more writing is definitely part of the plan. Thank you to all who have left reviews and comments on this story since I last posted a new chapter!

Chapter 21

Richard Woolsey narrowed his eyes and peered through the wide metal louvres at the man in the cell. Although the prisoner was dressed in the relatively simple clothing favoured by most men of the Pegasus Galaxy, he did not present a particularly impressive or reliable figure. Nor did he look very comfortable, certainly not by Woolsey's standards anyway. Laying flat on his back on the narrow, hard metal bench in the middle of the cell, his arms were hanging down so the back of his hands gently rested on the floor. As the pungent odour of stale alcohol mixed with human sweat finally reached Woolsey's nostrils, his nose wrinkled and he frowned distastefully. Never one to indulge in more than a couple of glasses of good wine, he failed to understand the attraction of getting drunk.

Still, he was not there to judge this man's personal habits so he glanced over at Major Lorne while straightening up and folding his arms. "Was it really necessary to knock him out Major?"

A brief smile flitted across Lorne's face as he shrugged his shoulders, grimaced and glanced down at a set of reddened knuckles. "'Fraid so, we tried to get him to come along quietly, without making a fuss, but he was reluctant to cooperate."

Woolsey huffed thoughtfully and nodded a couple of times. His own sadly limited experience in the field left him ill-equipped to make a judgement on whether things could have been handled a little more discreetly. "And you weren't able to find out anything about Kolya before he became uncooperative?"

Lorne shook his head. "It was late, we weren't familiar with that world and and he was pretty drunk. I decided it was better just to bring him back here where we could keep an eye on him. Besides, I knew you'd want to question him rather than me trying to persuade him to talk," he added, just a trifle defensively.

"Yes. Yes, of course Major, you're quite right. Not that I doubt your interviewing skills of course, but I think a more experienced touch is needed here if we're going to get the man to cooperate." Woolsey peered back into the cell. "How long do you think it'll be before he comes round?"

"No way to tell, I didn't really hit him that hard but he went down like a sack of bricks."

Wolsey nodded and sighed. "Well, it's done now so let see if we can hurry the process along and find out exactly what he knows about Kolya and all this other Genii trouble."

-o-o-o-o-

"Where am I? And who are you?"

Woolsey felt the muscles in his shoulders tighten instinctively. The belligerent tone of the questions and the accompanying surly scowl only served to feed his emerging animosity towards this Genii trader. Tellan sat on one side of the interview table, his arms resting casually on the sterile white surface, projecting an aggressive, confident air. While he had been fed and had taken the opportunity to wash, he had refused a change of clothes and a lingering miasma of stale alcohol, among other odours, still clung to him.

Pulling the single chair out from under the other side of the table, Woolsey took his time to sit down and make himself comfortable before answering. Eyes scanning quickly and unobtrusively over the man opposite, he spotted the constant, nervous movement of Tellan's hands which belied the confidence the trader was trying to project. But it was unlikely the man would simply roll-over and talk so Woolsey knew he needed to keep his dislike under a tight rein if anything useful was to come from this discussion.

"My name is Richard Woolsey and I am the Commander of the Atlantis expedition."

"So that's where I am? Atlantis?" Tellan asked, his eyes flashing around the room.

Woolsey nodded but did not reply.

"Why? Why am I here?" Tellan leaned back in his chair. "You had no right to bring me here against my will."

Folding his arms slowly, Woolsey sighed and also leaned away from the table. "You weren't exactly brought here against your will, Tellan, you were unconscious so we felt it was in your best interests to bring you to a place where you could recover in safety."

Tellan also folded his arms but he leaned back into the table, his face transformed by a returning scowl. "I was not just drunk, I was assaulted by one of your men," he stated emphatically. "And how do you know my name?"

Shaking his head slowly, Woolsey leaned forward, placed his arms on the table and gave Tellan the benefit of what he hoped was his most sympathetic smile. "Based on the information I was given and what I'm able to surmise from your appearance and general state now, I would say you were drunk but does it really matter? And does it really matter how I know your name?" The smile faded as he decided to get straight to the point. "You're here now and I'm prepared to keep you here until you share what information you have about Acastus Kolya's escape and the kidnapping of Dahlia Radim."

A deep laugh reverberated around the room. Woolsey was not surprised. The interview, it would be a folly to call it an interrogation at this stage, was going exactly as he had expected. Clearly getting Tellan to talk was going to need every ounce of his extensive IOA training.

Tellan shrugged his shoulders. "Kolya's escaped? That's news to me. Ladon must be pretty annoyed about that as well as losing his sister. What makes you think the two are connected?"

Woolsey nodded. Time to stroke the Genii's ego a little. "Oh we hear things, travelling as we do through the galaxy but you don't honestly expect me to believe you know nothing. You're a Genii trader, a very good one, and from what I've seen and heard, the Genii is the one race that has the networks and the capacity to know what is going on everywhere in this galaxy."

The scowl returned to Tellan's face but the compliments had clearly hit their mark. "Yes, I'm a trader, and a good one, but I'm not a politician and I'm not a military man, so how do you expect me to know anything about Kolya or Ladon's sister."

"Oh, I think you underestimate your own talents. Word has it you're a trader in more than just chattels and cheap baubles. I hear your real talents lie in other directions." Woolsey paused, conscious he needed to preserve, as much as he could, the identity of Lorne's Manarian contact. "I've heard most of your profit comes from information."

"Who told you that?"

Woolsey shook his head and smiled. "As I've already said, we travel extensively through this galaxy, and your name has cropped up on a number of occasions."

"That's impossible,' Tellan growled, hunching his shoulders defensively. "I keep myself to myself so I doubt too many people know me."

"Really?" Woolsey asked, suppressing the sudden thrill of excitement triggered by Tellan's contradiction. "I would have thought that made business difficult for you? All the traders I've ever known couldn't wait to help part me from my money, couldn't wait to tell me their name so I could tell my friends how honest they were."

"Well, I am not just any trader."

"No, you're not which is why I suspect you know far more about this business than any other trader. Especially one who might be tempted to see this as an opportunity to increase his profit."

The first signs of indecision flashed across Tellan's face but Woolsey was far too experienced to imagine he had won the game yet. Despite what he knew about the duplicity of the Genii, he doubted the trader would be persuaded to betray his secrets so easily but at least he had sown those first seeds of doubt. Time now to allow them to germinate.

"You look hungry," he stated persuasively. "Why don't we continue this conversation after you've had some food and time to consider your best options in this situation."

x-X-00-X-x

The crew had already gathered. Most had never witnesses and Ultimatus and fresh waves of anticipation swirled around every corner, along every corridor, bombarding Todd's mind as he navigated his way down to the cavernous ceremonial hall where the Ultimatus would run its course. But although his brothers' voices were uppermost in his mind, his deepest thoughts were faraway, in both time and space, reflecting on the old days and the contests he had witnessed. A multitude of faces floated through his memories. Many were ethereal, the brothers who had perished during the Lantean War. Others were more defined, those who had disappeared during his time in the Genii prison while still more, a much smaller group, still lived but had now taken on the mantle of enemies, loyal to other alliances.

Even stronger than these memories though, a deep rooted instinct to protect his hive was pushing him to reach out to his second, to offer a final word of advice. But he knew such interference was unacceptable. A grim smile flickered across his face. He had appointed one of the hive's oldest wraith, an engineer with a brilliant mind but very little personal ambition, to control the contest. He had also witnessed Ultimatus in the old days so knew the rules and how to uphold them, and would not be afraid to challenge his commander if necessary.

"Hey, what's going on? Where's everyone disappeared to?"

As a familiar human voice cut through the air, Todd stopped abruptly and looked around.

"Sheppard," he snarled, as his face transformed instinctively into an unpleasant and unwelcoming frown. "I am sure you were told to stay in your quarters."

The human shrugged his shoulders. "Possibly, probably, but you know what I'm like at doing what I'm told…" Sheppard smiled as he walked out of the shadows into Todd's path. "Besides I've got something you'll be interested in hearing."

The frown disappeared from Todd's brow. "Yes?"

"Tell me what's going on first." Sheppard repeated, folding his arms firmly across his chest.

"Shepppardd…" Todd snarled again, unconsciously flexing his feeding hand even though he knew the gesture would have no effect whatsoever on this particular human. "I am in no mood for-"

"Okay, neither am I." Sheppard interrupted. "Atlantis are questioning someone who they're pretty sure knows something about Kolya's escape."

"Pretty sure?" Todd tried not to sound sceptical but failed.

"Pretty sure, like I said, they're questioning him now."

"Hmmm," Todd mused thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could be more certain if this someone was brought here to be questioned?"

"Perhaps, but we both know that's not going to happen," Sheppard frowned.

Todd nodded and smiled. "We shall see. Now is that all you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Yep, so are you going to tell me what's going on here that's got everyone scurrying off down there?" Sheppard tilted his head towards the ceremonial hall.

"It is nothing you need to concern yourself with Sheppard," Todd stated, his voice carrying a tone of finality they both knew was likely to be totally ignore.

"Well, you know me, always ready to learn more about the wraith, especially when you think it's none of my business." Sheppard smiled graciously.

Todd tilted his head back and examined Sheppard thoughtfully through hooded eyes. Based on everything he had learned about these humans who had colonised the Lantean's city, he doubted Sheppard would understand this challenge he was about to preside over. But he was not inclined to explain wraith customs, so perhaps, on this occasion, the best approach would be to take the line of least resistance.

Before he had time to reply though, a subliminal link came from the ceremonial hall. =Commander, where are you?= the engineer demanded, bringing Todd's attention back to the assembled mass that lay ahead. =We await your arrival.=

=Very well,= Todd snapped. =They are both ready?=

=Of course they are ready,= the engineer snapped back. =I would not be telling you we are waiting if they were not ready.=

Todd grunted to himself, pleased that Sheppard could not heard the conversation and the engineer's tone towards his commander. =And I shall be there when I am ready.=

With that rather petulant reply, he closed the link and turned back to Sheppard. "It is a ritual from the old days Sheppard, a challenge by one wraith against one he sees as a danger to his position on the hive. I will allow you to attend but you will remain silent and stay out of trouble."

-o-o-o-o-

As he looked around the sea of faces turned in his direction and felt the anticipation in the air, the second was full of contradictory feelings about what he had got himself into with this contest. It had seemed so simple when he issued the challenge, well relatively simple compared to the mutual dislike and distrust that existed with this interloper cruise captain.

Overwhelmingly, the sentiment that filled the air was willing him to succeed, not just for himself but also for the pride of the hive. It would not do to have a wraith who had no links to either this hive or it's home world come out of this contest as the victor. While this support provided strength, it also carried expectations that the second knew he could not guarantee to fulfil.

=The Commander is on his way.=

The advice came from the elderly engineer, the one the commander had put in charge of the context. The second had already received instructions from this one on how he was expected to conduct himself during the contest, about the rules that had to be followed and the consequences of not following them. He knew the same instructions had been given to the captain but he felt sure, not withstanding the need for this referee to remain impartial, that he was the preferred victor.

Looking over at his opponent, the second sensed fear masked by a confident sneer and wondered if he was projecting the same expressions. It mattered not if he was and he should not be even acknowledging this interloper now. He had to focus on ensuring his victory. Yes, he had fear in his heart but he knew that was not uncommon. Indeed when they went into a skirmish with an enemy hive, every wraith on board, even the commander, exuded some level of fear. The commander had once told him that confidence and bravery without some level of fear had led many wraith to their deaths and the second had no intention of becoming one of this lost host.

Suddenly the voices in the hall fell silent and the second knew that the commander had arrived, carrying the weapons they would use in the contest. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and released it slowly. Time now to focus his thoughts, to expel the tension that had gathered in every muscle of his taunt body, and try to imagine the feel of the sword in his hands. Neither of the combatants had been allowed access to the weapons to ensure neither was able to gain an advantage by familiarising himself with the feel and balance of the blades.

Finally opening his eyes, he was surprised to see the commander's human from Atlantis standing on his own, looking around the hall.

This surprise did not go unnoticed. Within seconds the commander's attention had turned in his direction. =Ignore the human, he is of no importance here.=

The second nodded but did not reply. The commander was quite right, the human's presence was of no importance to either himself or the challenge.

As the commander and the engineer moved forward into the assembled wraith, a large open space opened up around them. The second also moved forward, watching out of the corner of his eye as his opponent did the same, until they stood side-by-side facing the two elder wraith. The crowd of other wraith stood back, aware that the open space would soon become the arena where this contest would be played out.

=I have already explained the rules of this contest to you both. You will fight with honour. If you do not, your opponent will be declared the winner and you will be banish from the hive. The contest will end when one of you is unable to fight. The commander will have the final call over the loser's fate.=

With his speech finished, the engineer took the swords from the commander and held them out to the second and his rival. Both hesitated slightly before the second took the hilt in his direction. The sword was unlike any weapon he had ever held before. Much lighter than the weapons they used for sparring sessions, the hilt was etched with swirls that reminded him of wraith facial tattoos. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers down the blade. The speed with which he familiarised and mastered this beautiful weapon would determine his future.

Without looking at either combatant, the commander and the engineer moved back to the perimeter of what was now an informal arena. The second focused his thoughts, ignoring all of the tensions and expectations that swirled around him as he moved to face his opponent. The fear was still there but so too was the certainty that he would be the victor.

-o-o-o-o-

The hall was huge, cavernous in fact, unlike any other space Sheppard had come across on a hive. The faces of the wraith gathered there, while never prone to showing emotion, were even more serious and intense than usual. An air of silent expectation tinged with apprehension filled the air as all eyes were fixed on two wraith who stood alone, hair tied back, wearing only what looked like plain black pajama pants rather than their usual black leathers.

As they had walked to the hall, Sheppard had tried to extract more information from Todd about the challenge they were about to witness, but had been met with stoney silence. Even when they had called into an armoury, full of weapons including some unlike anything he had seen before, his questions had been met with grunts. There was no doubt that the two swords Todd had taken from an old wooden case were finely crafted weapons and Sheppard had wondered if they were of wraith or human origin. One thing was certain though, the blades were razor sharp which meant this contest was serious.

Now the weapons were in the hands of two wraith who stood facing each other, no doubt waiting for some subliminal order to begin battle. One was the hive's second, the other was a stranger Sheppard had never seen before. He knew better than to ask Todd why his lieutenant was taking part in such a contest but it might explain why his behaviour had been even more obtuse than usual. Given this was Todd's righthand man, it seemed logical that he would be the preferred winner and Sheppard was mildly annoyed that he could not find out what the odds were of that happening. One thing he was sure of though, a loss would weaken Todd's command structure and that would not make dealing with him any easier.

Interestingly, Todd did not appear to be in charge of the match. That honour appeared to belong to another who wore the short coat Sheppard had seen before on wraith he would classify as scientists rather than soldiers. The two stood together, slightly away from the rest of the crew and Sheppard suspected their relationship went back in time, far further back than he found possible to imagine.

Swirling mist helped heighten the tension, in Sheppard's mind at least, when the two combatants started circling each other slowly. The second attacked first, swinging his sword in a tight circle that the other parried easily. Sheppard was no expert in sword play but it seemed a logical way to test your opponent's agility. He wished he knew more about these two wraith, about what had led to this challenge, but looking at the faces around him, he knew this was not going to happen.

The contest started to gain momentum with both contestants attacking and parrying in turn. Neither seemed to be exerting himself and Sheppard wondered if the contest would resemble a sparring match between two humans with time spent gauging the other's capabilities before launching an serious attack.

"They will fight until one is no longer able to continue," Todd whispered, taking Sheppard completely by surprise. He had been so focused on the contest he had not noticed the wraith move to stand directly behind him.

"Why is your second fighting?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the contest.

Todd sighed deeply. "Because it was he who issued the challenge to this other he sees as a threat to his position."

Sheppard nodded. "Is he a threat?"

"No, but you are a leader Sheppard, you know well enough that a threat has only to exist in one's mind for it to become a problem that needs to be dealt with for the good of the collective."

"Yeah, we call it rivalry but we don't usually settle things through combat with lethal weapons," Sheppard declared. "So its not a fight to the death then?"

"As I said, they will fight until one is no longer able to continue. Usually it finishes there. But that is not always the case. How this particular challenge ends, what happens once that point is reached, that will be my decision."

Sheppard turned to ask another question but found himself alone again. Well, knowing Todd as he did, he was sure the meaning of that rather cryptic final remark would become obvious soon enough. So he turned back to the contest, noticing that Todd was back in his original position next the scientist or whatever he was.

The pace of the contest was increasing and a thin sheen of perspiration now glistened on the faces of both wraith. Their exertion was accompanied by grunts and sprays of sweat as each thrust and parry combination was executed with increasing ferocity. The clash of metal rang through the hall and Sheppard realised, that despite the fragile appearance of the swords, they were more than capable of delivering a fatal blow.

Those swords clashed as the two combatants fought to gain an advantage but, gradually, the second got the upper hand. His blade began to find its mark. Nothing lethal, just enough to draw blood and his opponent's sleek green torso began to be streaked with bright red fluid that mingled with his black body tattoos. But it was not finished yet. Without warning, the stranger saw a chance and a straight, red slash opened up across the second's belly. While Sheppard winced in sympathy, the second seemed not to notice and pushed forward with another attack of his own.

Within seconds he was in the ascendency, his opponent forced onto the back foot, still trying to find openings to attack but his wounds were getting deeper and blood flowed more profusely. A final, vicious, offensive saw him drop to his knees as his sword flew from a hand made slippery with blood to land at Todd's feet. The engineer bent to pick it up but made no attempt to hand it back to its owner. Todd raised a hand as the second stood motionless, the point of his sword placed against his defeated opponent's throat.

"You can no longer fight without a weapon so do you accept you have been defeated by your better? Do you understand that you can never again aspire to take your vanquisher's position on this hive?" the engineer asked in a booming voice that took Sheppard by surprise.

The loser nodded his head slowly but before the engineer could speak again, another voice, a female voice, echoed through the chamber.

"How dare you treat my captain so, who gave you authority to subject him to this humiliation?"

Sheppard held his breath as Todd's face contorted with rage, an expression of hatred and naked contempt. Without speaking he snatched the sword from the engineer's hand and strode over to the two fighters. Grabbing the captain's hair, he wrenched the stranger's head back and, with a single stroke, slit the unprotected throat.

As the lifeless body crumpled to the ground, he turned to the queen and snarled threateningly. "That is my authority madam and I advise you to return to your quarters immediately to save yourself from a similar fate."