A/N: Fair warning, the next few chapters will be a bit grim. If you've read my stories before, you'll probably know how dark things can get. Please stay with me on this journey and I promise it will all be worth it in the end.

Chapter 35

A deep craving had set into Oolanae's stomach a day ago, and now she could find no respite.

Outside her cell, she watched the human thrash against his restraints in the chair. But this was not just torture; his sweat soaked body, powered by her enzyme, was now being tested for resilience to the power levels required to reanimate the Stargate system that would be needed to carry out Akalus' universal destruction.

Akalus had several energy units connected to the control chair, pumping power into both it and Sheppard himself. Without system activation, this was as close to replicating what Sheppard would endure as he could get. Oolanae suspected the reality, when it came to it, would be much worse for the human. He had already taken several doses of enzyme over the past few hours to keep him protected against the energy's destructive power. But the production of enzyme at the rate Akalus was using it on Sheppard took a heavy toll on her…and now she hungered.

The heat generated by Sheppard's body as he suffered carried his scent to her, only exacerbating her misery. She yearned to eat, but the animal flesh Akalus had offered her did nothing to sate the deepest burning hunger that threatened to destroy her.

Sheppard's cries filled the chamber, echoing back from all surfaces. Her mind swam as the smell of the man taunted her…a promise of sustenance just out of her reach. If Akalus kept taking her enzyme she would starve. She could feel it creeping up on her even now.

Today Akalus asked nothing of his human prisoner, just monitored power levels and his physical reactions via a tablet he had connected both Sheppard and the chair. The experiment was carried out in silence except for Sheppard's screams, and those where reluctantly given. She sensed his spirit weakening, that he wanted to plead for Akalus to stop, but just as he'd said he would, he held out and refused to give in.

Though it was hard for her to admit, she had developed a grudging admiration for the human. He was strong…if not physically, then mentally. He had endured tortures such as these for several days now, and he showed no outward sign of buckling under the onslaught. She'd often wondered how a human had claimed so many Wraith lives, but having met him and witnessed his strength of will, she now understood how he was able to defeat them. He was a formidable man. One whose blood would give her strength.

She folded into the crippling pain in her stomach, slumping onto her side and remaining there as she listened to the human's agonies. Though it had amused her at first, it no longer brought her any pleasure, only serving to remind her of her own pains. Soon, Akalus would want more enzyme, and she would slip closer to death.

Eventually, the chamber fell silent, Akalus having finished his tests. She heard the slap of skin on metal as Sheppard apparently fell from the chair to the floor on his release, unable to walk back to his cell. This was followed by the sound of retching as his body protested at its brutal treatment, though she heard nothing expelled as he hadn't yet been fed.

Next came a dragging sound, and she unfurled enough to see the female form Akalus had taken dragging Sheppard back to his cell by his collar, the human now barely conscious.

Once he was secured in his cell again, Akalus approached her. This time, she put up no resistance as he forced a needle into her arm and withdrew enzyme. She didn't even watch, unwilling to move even an inch more than required since it only served to exacerbate her pain.

'What is this? What's happening?'

The grip on her wrist tightened until it felt like he might crush her bones to dust. She squirmed against the pressure, finally lifting her head until she could see the pale liquid speckled with amber he held in his syringe.

'I'm hungry. I cannot produce enzyme as fast as you are using it without nourishment. It takes time.'

'I've been feeding you.'

'Scraps not worthy of vermin,' she hissed, falling limp again, too weak to keep her head up and in too much pain to care if he punished her for her insolence.

To her surprise he didn't punish her, remaining silent for a moment or so before asking, 'How much do you need?'

She opened her eyes. Had he really asked her that? 'What does it matter to you?'

'I would prefer you to stay alive. It's convenient for me.'

She'd never considered herself a convenience to any other living soul. That was not what she wished her legacy to be, so she refused to answer.

His grip on her wrist tightened. 'How much?'

'Some…I do not know.'

He let go of her and stood up, staring at her a while as if considering what to do, then he walked to the bars and allowed the door to open stepping outside. The door remained that way and as she watched him, he gestured for her to follow.

When she tried her legs for strength, she found she could barely stand, holding the bars to keep herself upright as she progressed toward the opening. The monster in human guise took hold of her arm, helping her walk as the door to Sheppard's cell drew back and granted her entrance.

She staggered forward, looking down on the near unconscious form laid prone before her.

'Feed,' Akalus told her.

'What? He is already near death.'

'No, he is merely exhausted. He is physically unharmed.'

'When the frenzy takes me, I may not be able to stop.'

'Then I will stop you.'

Oolanae looked into the eyes of the hybrid female, pondering the creature that lurked behind them. He was single-minded and cruel in his desperation for revenge. But revenge on who? A long-dead race? This man had done nothing to Akalus, and yet he would offhandedly watch his suffering without a second thought.

Sheppard rolled his head to the side, groaning, his eyes opening first to slits, then wide in a fraction of a second. For just a fleeting moment his mask of stoic bravery left him, and she saw the fear that lay beneath – the fear he always controlled so rigidly. It was gone almost as quickly, and the façade fell back in place. He pushed away from them, toward the back of the cell where he sat glowering.

'Feed,' Akalus said again.

Sheppard's expression remained inscrutable, though she knew he had to be terrified. He'd shown his one moment of weakness. He would not let them see it again.

She stepped forward until she came to a stop before him, the scent of the blood now coursing through his veins at twice the normal speed almost overwhelming. But she would not pounce on him like some wild animal. She crouched before him, took hold of his wrist and, after a moment of resistance, pulled it toward her.

'It seems Oolanae can only produce enzyme in the quantities we need when she has fed well,' Akalus announced from behind her. Sheppard remained focused on her, channelling any fear he still felt into a look that said he would kill her the first moment he got the chance. And she didn't doubt that he would. 'Apparently the two of you will be experiencing a somewhat more symbiotic relationship than I imagined,' he continued. 'We need enzyme, and she needs human blood. It strikes me as a fair trade.'

'Yeah…I imagine it does,' Sheppard growled.

'Feed,' he ordered her again.

There was nothing else to be done other than obey. She moved swiftly, sinking her teeth into his inner forearm, the taste of his blood exploding on her tongue in a wonderful torrent of relief. He bucked and tried to pull back, his flesh tearing and releasing still more gloriously warm into her ravenous mouth. She understood it was a primal instinct to back away from pain, but it would only make it so much worse for him that she found herself trying to hold him still with her free hand. Her mind spiralled, revelling in the release of haemoglobin, iron and testosterone amongst the other human blood components that now surged through her, replenishing her strength. It felt so good she would willingly devour every morsel of him and hang the consequences.

And then she was torn away.

She found herself unceremoniously deposited outside the cell in one single thrust of Akalus' hand. He followed her out, grasping her by the hair and swinging her into her own cell where she collided with the rear bars, only to spring back up and throw herself forward. She missed the opportunity to strike back by a second as the door slid shut once again, trapping her.

The smell of the blood still spilling from Sheppard's wound was a torment to her heightened need. He clutched the injury against himself, head thrown back and teeth gritted as he panted through the pain.

Akalus strode back into his cell and unleashed the pitifully weak enzyme into his system. It lessened the degree of the injury, but left it open and slowly seeping blood. The monster loomed over him, then roughly tore a strip from the bottom of Sheppard's shirt and wrapped it around the wound. 'That should hold until you can have more enzyme.'

The pain from the application of the dressing proved too much for Sheppard's exhausted body and mind, and he listed to the side, now fully blacked out. Unmoved but the human's condition, Akalus gave a slight smile and moved away.

'Has it ever occurred to you that in your crusade to right the wrongs of your kind, you have become far worse than they ever were,' she called after him.

He stopped and she thought she saw his shoulders drop just a little. 'I have become what was needed to see this mission through,' he replied, then continued on his way, out of sight.

Oolanae crossed over to the bars and watched the human's unconscious form, the taint of blood still strong on the air. The bloodlust was leaving her as her body replenished, and now all that was left was a feeling of regret. This human was an impressive creature, and his sense of justice drove him on where others would cower away. The enzyme would be both his strength and his weakness soon as his body became more and more reliant on each supply. He might think he could hold out, but enzyme addiction broke everyone in the end. Just like every other human, he would eventually do anything just to feel the rush.

She sat down as close to him as the bars would allow and listened to his shallow breathing. He would wake soon to the pain of the wound she had inflicted, angry and resentful. He wouldn't understand the torture of her hunger. The pains had gone for now, and she would be well for a while, but it would return and the process would need to be repeated. Perhaps it would be kinder to rip out his throat and end it in an instant than allow Akalus to use them both so, but she wasn't as brave as this one. She wanted to live. So, she would do as Akalus bid her and survive until her sisters came…if they came.

Oolanae closed her eyes and thought of the fortress, thought of the long cold corridors, the high-ceilinged chambers, the circular meeting hall, the laboratories where even now her sisters would hopefully be finishing their transformation ready to seek out the greatest meal they could ever hope for. She called to Tarrantha, but as with each time she had tried to before, her calls went unheeded. Sinking into despair, she drew up her legs, wrapped her long arms around them, and buried her face into her skirts, longing for the courage to act.

oooOOOooo

Power coursed through his body. It felt as though every single cell of his being might ignite and burn to a crisp, leaving him nothing but a charred husk. But just when Sheppard felt certain he could take no more, another release of cooling enzyme flooded his system, giving him the strength to be pushed further still.

This was the fifth day in a row he had endured this treatment, and Sheppard had to wonder why his body was being so stubborn about this. Why did it insist on hanging on? Why couldn't he just die already?

'Almost there,' Akalus murmured, watching some feedback on the screen. 'It will take a little more power to connect with the Dorandan Stargate.'

He dialled up the amperage, or whatever the hell measurement ZPM power used…McKay had probably told him a dozen times, but he'd never needed to remember it. All of his muscles spasmed in response, the restraints at his wrists cutting deep as he involuntarily strained against them. He closed his eyes and concentrated on not screaming. Maybe Akalus genuinely needed to run these tests, that was possible, but he got the distinct feeling they served just as much as a device for breaking his spirit. Sheppard would not give him the satisfaction of vocalising his pains today. It would use too much energy anyway.

Sweat ran in rivulets down his closed lids, seeping through into his eyes, making them sting. Why couldn't the bastard make a mistake? Misjudge the incremental increase and fry his brains. Right now, he figured that couldn't be any worse than this continual torment, being brought to the brink of utter destruction only to be restored and that boundary pushed still further.

Sheppard let his thoughts drift, taking him back to the moment he and Mishta had first kissed without the shadow of Marmotah hanging over them. It had been a brief, stolen moment of intimacy and he had never felt happier. He thought about the feel of her lips on his, the curve of her lower spine beneath his hand as he'd pulled her into him, the soft waves he'd gripped in his fingers, hoping to make the moment last just a few seconds longer. He would never share another moment like that if he let Akalus win. So, he dug deep and concentrated on surviving. Surviving so he could get that bastard out of her and end him once and for all.

The power increased. His nails dug into his palms as his fists clench in reaction to the charge. It felt like his bones would start snapping next.

'You could always diffuse the power by activating the system,' a voice whispered next to his ear. His eyes snapped open to the sight of Mishta's face right up close to his, smiling like this was some fun little game. Gone was the softness with which she'd looked on him in that brief second before she'd kissed him. Now, her eyes reflected Akalus' nature – hard and uncaring, driven by a desire for annihilation. Akalus was taunting him, using his affection for the women he now possessed to wear down his will. He wouldn't give in. He closed his eyes and shut him out, choosing to remember her as she was before, not as the monster Akalus had turned her into.

His body continued to burn as if invisible flames licked his skin, his organs, his mind – fracturing his thoughts. He was first stoking the fire as a child, his mother warning him not to sit too close. Then he was in the burning wreck of his downed helicopter in Afghanistan, fighting to free himself before the flames reached him. Then he was trapped on Taranis, the lava rising, the heat overwhelming.

He blacked out.

He woke just as Oolanae bit down onto his arm again. He would have cried out, but he had no saliva to lubricate his throat and allow the sound to travel. Oolanae held his arm firm against her mouth, not allowing even a slight pull away. That was a blessing. He didn't have the presence of thought to control those basic instincts that drove him to try to extract himself.

Pain gave way to light-headedness. He allowed darkness to creep in and take him again.

When he next surfaced, he was alone in his cell again, a patch of artificial skin covering the wound to his forearm. Akalus had been prepared this time. It throbbed with an intense pain that felt like it drilled deep into the muscles in his arm, and mottled, petechial bruising had gathered under and around the patch from the position he'd fallen in. Around his wrist, deeper, more livid bruising and talon marks showed how hard Oolanae had held him to stop him pulling free, and all of it was his to enjoy for the night…until Akalus saw fit to dose him up and start all over again.

He held his arm tight against him as he pushed up and half-crawled to the bars, collapsing with his back against them for support. When he became more aware of his surroundings, he spotted Oolanae sitting up at the bars that separated them, facing him.

'You are brave, Human. I will grant you that,' she called to him.

He huffed a laugh out, wincing at the pain it awoke all over him. 'Yeah…and a lot of good it's doing me.'

'At least you can die with honour.'

He grimaced. 'I'd prefer not to die at all.'

She tilted her head, watching him silently for a moment. 'So, you do fear death?'

'I don't fear it. I was just hoping I'd be old and grey before it came for me.'

She nodded, cross-legged, her hands folded in her lap. 'Instead, you will die a warrior's death.'

'Not so much,' he grumbled, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as a wave of dizziness and nausea threatened to have him expel what meagre portions Akalus had allowed him during the experiment. His evening meal sat near the door of the cell. He wondered how long it had been there…how long it would be before the whole cycle of torment began again. The way he was trembling told him he'd been unconscious for hours and withdrawal was already taking a grip.

'It will be harder for you to resist his demands now the enzyme had woven its spell on you.'

He lifted his head, and glared. 'Just shut up.'

'I meant no insult.'

He watched her, seeing no malice in her expression. Apparently, she was telling the truth.

'There is no shame in it. He will use your needs to demand your compliance. No human could be expected to resist.'

He brushed the sweat from his forehead away on his sleeve. He was cold…so cold, and everything hurt. It got worse every time.

'I'm sorry, Human. If I could ease your suffering I would.'

'You've had five chances to do that!' he snapped. 'But you're too much of a coward.'

'I, too, want to live.'

He tried not to feel empathy for her, but the dejected slump of her shoulders and hanging of her head told him she was truly sorry.

'You didn't keep your side of the bargain,' he muttered, curling his knees up to his chest and hugging them for warmth. His clothes clung to his skin where sweat had pooled on his body, adding to the chill. 'You were supposed to get your sisters here, then feed on me.'

'I still try. They do not hear me.'

And where were his friends, he wondered. Why hadn't they come to rescue him? Rodney was supposed to be a genius, why couldn't he figure this out? He'd told him to look for the Stargate if he wanted to find Akalus. Was it really so hard to find? Yes, he realised, it probably was. They were in an underground facility on an unfamiliar planet. It was like looking for a needle in an…Earth-sized haystack.

He knew they wouldn't have left without him, but he couldn't rely on them finding him any time soon, either.

He was on his own…except for his new Reliquiae bestie who was no doubt patiently waiting for her opportunity to feast.

oooOOOooo

'Activate the system, John.'

He opened his eyes to Mishta's face in his. That face…that beautiful face…tarnished now by hate and cruelty, tormented him in his waking moments and his nightmares.

He was back in the chair…again? The last memory he had was trying to eat his meal before phasing out. Morning already, huh?

He felt an odd tug on his arm, finding an IV set up feeding something directly into his vein. 'What the…?'

'Sustenance, since you are apparently now incapable of eating.'

Had his hands been free, he would have torn the damned thing out. 'Thoughtful,' he slurred, as the room wound lazily around him in a twisted ballet of lights and noise.

A slap brought him back round. 'Stay with me, John. I need you to focus.'

Fat chance of that. He was stoned out of his gourd.

Another slap. 'Stay awake!'

'Sorry, Chief. Think you may have overdone it with the enzyme play,' he slurred.

'Or perhaps I haven't given you enough.'

And here it came, the cold rush of energy his body craved so badly. His mind cleared, and his body ceased to give him pain. He felt…reborn.

'Now think this system on, and I promise I will keep you like this until it is over. There is no need for you to suffer if you do as I say. You can slip away wrapped in ecstasy.'

His words went almost unheard over the sound of the blood coursing through Sheppard's veins. He slid his gaze up to meet Mishta's violet eyes. 'Sorry to disappoint you. I'm not that hooked yet.'

'Well, let's remedy that then.'

Another full vial was released into Sheppard's already hyped system. Now he was buzzing. God, he felt strong. Had Akalus finally made a mistake?

'How about now? How good does that feel?' Akalus asked, in his face again. 'Now, activ –'

His order was cut short when Sheppard snapped his restraint and grabbed his throat, squeezing the air out of him. Of course, it wasn't Akalus he was choking; it was Mishta who couldn't breathe. But could he force him out of her and set her free?

Akalus' shadow form burst free of Mishta's body and she fell limp in his grip. He immediately let go of her, afraid he might have killed her, but to his relief he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she drew breath. She was alive…and beginning to rouse.

What happened next was a blur. He was ripped from the chair with such force the remaining restraint snapped his wrist, though with enzyme flooding his system, it didn't remain that way for long.

He flailed, but couldn't land a blow as the shadow threw him around. Then he remembered Mishta's trick back during the Reliquiae attack of using her legs to break free once she swung close enough to the wall of the cave to lever off it. He felt the change of air as his head swung alarmingly fast and close to the bars of his cell, twisted round, and pulled the same manoeuvre, loosening the shadow's grip. He fell to the floor beside Mishta, and in that moment their eyes met.

'Run,' he gasped.

He could sense her hesitance, her reluctance to leave him, but this was her only chance to be free, and with any luck bring help.

'Go!'

She nodded once and staggered and stumbled out of there as the shadow charged after her. Sheppard bolted for the control systems. 'Hey…are you really gonna leave me alone with all this important stuff?' He punched the nearest panel, his fist driving straight through the glossy cover and down into the circuitry, showering him with glass and fractured crystals.

The shadow changed course and engulfed him, but he didn't care; he'd bought Mishta more time.

Sheppard felt himself lift bodily off the floor and then flung through the air, coming to a sudden stop when he collided with the Stargate itself. Bones cracked, but immediately began to repair, the enzyme still working its magic on him. But the shadow showed no signs of letting up.

He got to his feet almost instantly, his momentum carrying him forward when he met the incredible force of Akalus' energy head-on. He barged his way back to the console, lashing out at it again, tearing his knuckles to shreds as he repeatedly punched at the panels, shattering them with his enzyme-enhanced strength. The cuts healed as fast as he inflicted them.

Akalus might not have been able to speak, but Sheppard could sense his anger and fear as he desperately battled with his enzyme-fuelled human prisoner. He hadn't expected rebellion of this level. He'd truly thought he was breaking him down. With the console smashed beyond repair, Sheppard threw himself toward a power unit, ripping it up from the floor and hurling it against a wall, where is exploded in a fountain of sparks. Something in his actions triggered the cell doors to open, and then Oolanae was upon them too, to Sheppard's surprise liberally lashing out at the shadow and not trying to attack him. But there was nothing they could do to hold Akalus there, and he slipped through their fingers, skimming away out of the chamber.

'Mishta!' Sheppard gasped, taking off after it.

His legs carried him faster than they ever had, but it wasn't fast enough to catch up to the monster. Ahead, he heard Mishta cry out, and he knew Akalus had reached her. His plan had failed. He faltered to a halt as a shadow appeared in front of him, not Akalus this time, but the shadow of Mishta, cast onto the passageway wall by the lighting behind her.

She stepped out, walking casually toward him. A smile twisted her lips, not warm but taunting. She slowly withdrew the knife she carried from its place on her belt and approached him, allowing it to hang casually in her hand at her side.

'I suppose I shouldn't blame you for trying,' Akalus growled. 'You have your beliefs, and I have mine. You believe I am an evil to be defeated, and I believe the same of you.'

Sheppard stood his ground, conscious of her approach and of Oolanae at his rear. 'You want me to comply? Let Mishta go.'

Akalus laughed, and Sheppard had to wonder what was so funny. 'You're never going to willingly comply. I think we both know that.'

'Yeah…you got me there.' Sheppard admitted, watching the knife. He still had potentially enough enzyme to take Mishta down, even with Akalus' strength inside her, but only if he avoided more injuries. He glanced just briefly over his shoulder, locating Oolanae. She wasn't looking at him, but at Mishta's form. Had she decided it was in her best interests to fight alongside him for now? And if she got the taste of blood would she stop short of killing Mishta?

Sheppard backed up a few steps, keeping more than an arm's length between him and Akalus.

'Not so brave now, Human?' Akalus sneered, raising the knife, driving Sheppard further back into the facility.

If he didn't stop, he was going to end up right back where he started. Time to take a chance.

He looked to Oolanae. 'Get out of here…now!'

She bolted as Sheppard lunged forward and grabbed the wrist of Mishta's knife baring hand, disappearing down the passageway as he strained to hold his opponent. He kept twisting and applying pressure to Mishta's wrist until finally the knife clattered to the floor. Then he punched her hard enough to snap her head round ad floored her. It hurt him somewhere deep inside to see the streak of blood and saliva that dripped from her mouth as she hit the deck, but the regret was soon forgotten when she returned the blow a second later, knocking him off his feet, the mixture of both Akalus' energy and enzyme making her more powerful than he had anticipated.

This wasn't the time to think about it. He bounced back up, and. as she was momentarily distracted by looking for her fallen weapon, tackled her to the floor. A few blows seemed to dull Akalus' responses until, with a tremor that shook the entire cavern, he threw Sheppard off with a burst of energy he was surprised didn't tear Mishta to pieces. It did, however, leave her bleeding from pretty much every facial orifice. Akalus was killing her, and Oolanae had run…he'd told her to. Mishta would die because of his choices and actions, and somehow, the permission she'd given did nothing to assuage the tidal wave of guilt that now engulfed him.

She glared at him, a ferocious, blood-stained grin breaking out as they circled one another, tensed for another strike. 'Will you fight her to the death, John Sheppard? Do you have the courage…the strength…to see it through?'

Did he? He had to. He was so stupefied most of the time that he was losing tracks of the passage of days, but the time for Akalus to act had to be near, and anything he could do to slow him down was the right thing to do. Wasn't it? His brain was so addled with enzyme he couldn't be sure he was thinking straight anymore.

Instincts kicked in and he launched, grabbing Akalus by the jacket and swinging him around, throwing him across the chamber away from the power units so Sheppard could inflict more damage there while he recovered. Akalus slammed back first into the bars of the cells, then face-planted, breathing hard. He sounded winded.

Sheppard kicked at another power unit, feeling it buckle and hearing the angry crackle of energy unleashed under his onslaught. Lights in the facility faded. Whatever temporary power Akalus had routed through this underground compound was damaged. Another blow took out most of the illumination, leaving only a few flickering light units still functioning.

And then Akalus struck.

Without proper light and high on the sense he was delivering fatal blows to Akalus' plans, Sheppard momentarily forgot to track his opponent's movements. When the blade drove into his back, collapsing him as it severed his spinal cord, it was too late to act in his own defence. He was paralysed, staring us at the ceiling and unable to do anything but watch as Akalus came at him again. The enzyme which would have fixed that first injury then found itself busy with the other wounds now savagely inflicted as the knife drove into him again and again, slicing through flesh, muscle, organs and scraping against bones in Akalus' frenzied attack.

Then in stopped.

Gagging on his own blood, Sheppard could do nothing as Akalus disappeared from above him and abandoned him. Was this it? Had Akalus' decided he was too much trouble to keep alive? Would he die here alone in the strobing darkness? It wasn't that painful really; the paralysis had seen to that. Only the dull ache of a concussion from hitting the floor troubled him, and that seemed somehow distant as encroaching death closed in on him. He supposed it wasn't so bad really. It was kind of peaceful after the pain and chaos of the last two weeks or so of his life.

A noise like an injured wildcat – hissing, spitting and angry – carried through the passageway to where he lay. His fading mind could make no sense of it. Was he about to become some creature's meal? He realised not as the noises came closer, punctuated by decidedly Reliquiae roars of protest and threats of violence.

Oolanae hadn't escaped.

It wasn't over yet.

The Reliquiae flew past him, striking the floor hard amid a chorus of more vicious hisses and curses. He couldn't track their movements any further than that, but knew Oolanae was being physically forced back to her cell. Then a shrill cry ripped through the air, followed by, 'You dare not do that!'

It was hard to tell in the darkness, but Sheppard thought his vision was deteriorating, his pulse slowing. He ordered his body to fail…begged it to…before Akalus returned for him.

Then he was moving. It was dizzyingly disconcerting, knowing he was being dragged, but totally unable to feel any of the sensations that should have accompanied it. Once through the cell bars the grip on his collar relinquished and his head thudded against the floor, sending bright sparks of pinhole-sized lights dancing in his vision. Why the hell was he still alive? Why wouldn't his body just give up? But he knew why. Because he was conditioned never to give up.

He was vaguely aware of Oolanae's whimpers, pitiful and heart-wrenching. What had Akalus done to her? He couldn't see her, but the cries were muffled as if she were huddled, hiding her face. That changed when Akalus hoisted her through to his cell. He could see them both there at the periphery of his vision, Oolanae struggling as Akalus dragged her in by the hair, ignoring the slicing of her talon nails as she lashed out against him.

Again, the shrill cry pierced the air, and then Sheppard himself was pulled up by his hair and his face forced against Oolanae's outstretched arm, held there single-handedly by the newly refuelled Mishta. The Reliquia's enzyme pouch had been sliced and the liquid oozed out, dripping to the floor as she wailed and sobbed in a way Sheppard had never seen a Reliquiae or a Wraith behave before.

Without any power to resist the pressure, Sheppard closed his lips tight, trying not to let the enzyme through, but it leaked in gradually as Akalus held them there until he knew it was working.

A few moments later, vital repairs were made in his spine, his body convulsing as nerves connected, and pain receptors came back online. He had never wanted death so much in his life. Oolanae dropped to her knees, her arm still pinned against his mouth as he felt compelled to drink the enzyme down if only to relieve the agonies of his injuries. He hadn't thought he gave a damn about her, but something about this distressed her to the point of collapse. It was almost predatory, sating his requirements at the expense of another. He felt sullied by his need.

Before he was fully healed Akalus pulled him away, throwing him aside as he removed Oolanae's now almost inert form.

Sheppard crawled to the back of his cell, and crumpled against the supporting bars as was his habit, allowing them to take his weight, his arm wrapped around him to shield his abdomen. In the strobing light, he watched Akalus force Oolanae face down into the pool of blood he'd left beside the console, demanding she lap it up from the floor like a dog. He was struck by another pang of pity as she sobbed and struggled, but eventually bowed to his wishes, needing to heal her own injury. Once he decided she'd drunk enough blood, Akalus flung her back into her cage. He slid the door across and used his own energy to force the internal mechanism to lock, doing the same with Sheppard's once the process was complete.

Sheppard tried to remain very still, every slight movement igniting fire-like sparks of pain in his torso. His head spun and nausea swelled, but he concentrated hard on not vomiting, knowing the pain of retching would be unbearable in his current state. He closed his eyes to shut out the dizzying effect of the flickering lights, wishing he'd had chance to finish the job and take them out completely. Darkness would be better than this.

In the near silence, accompanied by the background buzz of failing power circuits, he became aware of Oolanae, her breaths shuddering in and out as if she were still crying. He opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of her cell, seeing her curled right into a corner. She looked traumatised in a way that reminded him of women he'd found brutalised by the Taliban in Afghan provinces. He had a feeling some of that trauma was on him.

'I'm sorry,' he croaked, his voice thin and weak.

She snuffled for a few seconds longer before she raised her head enough to peer over her shoulder at him. 'What do you have to be sorry for, Human?'

'The enzyme thing…you feel violated, right?'

She stared back at him, as if amazed that he would understand, then she simply buried her face into her arms again and said nothing. He accepted that response as agreement and pressed no further.

He was just beginning to drift into uneasy slumbers when she spoke again. 'I couldn't get out. Akalus has the base locked down. I needed a code. There wasn't time.'

'You don't have to explain,' he told her. 'I figured it was something like that.' Silence descended again, then he added, 'You missed an opportunity though.'

From the corner of his eye, he saw her raise her head. 'How so?'

'Well, my innards were basically hanging out and you didn't even try to eat 'em.'

To his surprise, she let out a peel of laughter, asif the joke allowed some release for her. He laughed too, but not for long.

'Oww,' he groaned, doubling over. 'New rule; no jokes.'

She unfurled now and crawled across to the bars where she could see him better. 'You are still injured?'

Sheppard tentatively lifted his shirts, his body spotted with shallow wounds that still seeped blood. 'Li'l bit,' he slurred, looking down at the crazy, sadistic join the dots puzzle that was his battered body. He tried to push himself a little more upright, his legs heavy and weak and unwilling to assist. But at least they were working again…kind of.

'If I could…I would help you,' she said softly.

Surprised, he glanced up at her. 'Now don't go getting all mushy on me.' She frowned, confused by his words. 'I mean, I thought you wanted me to die a slow and painful death.'

'I have revised my assessment,' she told him. 'I like you enough to grant you the honour of a swift death.'

Then she smiled, and he laughed and made himself groan again. 'You broke the rules.'

The smile gradually slipped from Oolanae's face under the intermittent cold light. 'We have angered him. It will be worse tomorrow.'

'Yeah…I figure you're right about that,' he mused, letting his eyes slide shut again. He was tired…far more tired than normal after the tests. Akalus had allowed him to heal enough to live, but he was down on blood and still losing it. He had no strength left in him to even worry about what was to come.

'Tarrantha!'

He cracked his lids and look at the Reliquiae, seeing a weird mix of amazement and joy on her face. 'What does that mean?'

'My sister…I feel her. She calls to me. They are transformed. They heard my call.'

He hesitated before forcing out a 'Well, it's about time.'

In truth, his heart sank like a stone. He knew they were running out of options and Oolanae's 'sisters' were their best hope of stopping Akalus. But he just didn't have it in him to celebrate the fact that the Wraith were coming for Akalus and Mishta would die along with him…as would he.