I do not own Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, nor do I own any of its characters. I make no profit off this story excepting in my own personal pleasure of writing it. This is set AU after the end of Season Five of Stargate Atlantis. It completely disregards the Legacy book series, so please no flames that it's ignoring those. Also a few characters may go a bit OOC because I feel like it. If you don't like it, don't read it.
AN: Thanks for the lovely review on how horrifying the Naari are. I was going for way worse than even the worst of the Goa'uld, Wraith, and Ori could be made out to be.
ANN: Terribly sorry for the delay in my finishing this chapter. I got a bit of writers block on this story, but I swear I'm going to finish it. I know how the rest of the story will play out, I just need to get past the block on writing it out.
Chapter 31: The Tribe of the Fallen
With the concerns of the Naari possibly reaching Lantea, John and Jack retreated to a conference room, leaving the scientists to continue making what they could of the Naari ships. John eyed O'Neill as his fellow general called in all the Colonels and as John ordered Teyla and Ronon to join them as well. John paced as they gathered in the conference room. In truth, Todd and Carter should have been present as well, however, with them focused on the Naari ships, they would have to be filled in on what was missed later.
A thought popped into his head, as he paced, "Have we heard back from the ships involved in the rescue efforts with the Madronans? Weren't we evacuating them? The ships that attacked the Apollo originated from bigger ships over Madrona so wouldn't we know if they've already departed? If they haven't then we can cut them off at the knees. I'll take…"
John was cut off by O'Neill shaking his head, "I got a report back first thing this morning from the Cthulhu. The space around Madrona was empty. Hell, they didn't even stick around to take out the Madronans, which is good for the Madronans and our relocation efforts for them, but not great for Atlantis. Our people are taking the time to help everyone pack up and bring them back here. My best guess is that they prioritized the people who could possibly kick their asses, or even moderately present a threat over a tribal world with minimal tech."
"Damn. So, we definitely need a game plan for dealing with the Naari, even if we did turn off the homing beacon," John grumbled.
It took roughly ten minutes for the highest -ranking military members to all arrive, excepting Carter and Todd. John assumed his seat next to Jack and listened as Jack filled everyone in on the situation. He then opened the meeting up to suggestions or ideas. Teyla was the first to speak, "If the Naari are truly so susceptible to telepathy, would it not be in our best interest to persuade the remainder of the Wraith to take the retrovirus and ally with us? Surely, they could see the threat the Naari pose to their survival as well, if they also prey on humans, and would also attempt to prey on the Wraith, though I doubt they will be successful there."
"It's not a bad idea. I'll talk to Bitterwind about working out if we can find a way to get a mass communication out to the Hive Queens. They're likely getting pretty desperate by now. It's been a year since any of them have been able to feed if they haven't been feeding on each other. They might be open to a parley," John agreed.
Caldwell looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking up, "What about that mist planet? The one that has a living mist that we pulled the stargate from for the gate bridge so it would stop killing their people whenever it was used. Didn't they enter your minds telepathically that first year and that's how you found out about them? It might be a bit weird trying to get them onto a ship, but if they can be safely beamed aboard, or sent over to one of the Naari ships, hell, even transported on a puddle jumper, they'd be able to decimate the entire population of the ship without being in the slightest amount of danger to themselves."
John nodded reluctantly, "It's worth a talk with them. The Mist people might not agree to it though. We did remove the stargate to protect them, but that was in part an apology for almost unknowingly wiping out their species to try reestablishing contact with Earth our first year here, and because we needed the stargate. It was supposed to be a win-win thing. They're a relatively peaceful people, or species, I guess. They're also reasonable, but the Naari aren't a threat to them since they lack a tangible form. Like you said, the Naari wouldn't be able to hurt them and coming into contact with them would likely be lethal for the Naari, so their stakes are pretty low unless the Naari decide to randomly take out their sun. I'll happily go and speak with them, but I don't know what good it'll do."
There was a pregnant pause before Romanov spoke, "On our most recent trading trip to the Tribes of Yarea, there was a rather strange man among the tribe we were trading with. They said he was from a more reserved tribe, called the Tribe of the Fallen. They said that many members of the Tribe of the Fallen possessed strange and powerful gifts. It might be a long shot, but they could have telepathy. I suspect that they might be descendants of de-ascended Ancients. The first of them also haven't been around very long, according the local Elder, only a few hundred years and appeared out of nowhere, so it's likely. It was in my report, Gen. O'Neill."
"I recall that report. I didn't think it was much worth pursuing at the time… but honestly… If we could possibly get a few more telepaths out of it…Your report also said that they primarily lived in a remote area and didn't welcome outsiders? From what I understand the Yarea are pretty closed off to travelers to begin with and we're one of the few exceptions," Jack pointed out.
"Yes, however, the tribes of Yarea have strong faith in the Ancients and they know that Gen. Sheppard is the son of one of the Ancients, as are you. It's the reason they were willing to join the coalition, the reason that we're one of the few exceptions, and it's possible that they might be more forthcoming to Gen. Sheppard," Romanov argued.
John winced, "I'm not particularly fond of exploiting my… heritage. It feels really wrong to encourage any kind of worship. I have absolutely zero intention of ascension and not a damned one of the Ancients who are ascended are going to be answering their prayers."
"And yet, in a way, you, and the Ancients, have answered them, as far as the Yarea are concerned. For the first time in their entire recorded history, they haven't lost a single person to the wraith in more than a year, despite the numbers that are still around. Furthermore, you brought about a reduction of those who prey on them and other worlds. Both through the transformation of the Wraithkin and destroying the hives that refused. Because of you, they're able to start developing agriculture, to set down roots, where once they had no choice but to be nomadic to evade the Wraith cullings. For them, that is far beyond the answer to their prayers they were looking for," Romanov responded confidently. He had been the primary contact with the Yarea, so John figured he probably would know.
John sighed, "Fine, but I'm not going to play it up. As far as I'm concerned, I am only going there to get intel, not be worshipped. There isn't going to be any big hoopla or whatever about me. I'm not going to be traded like a commodity."
There were a round of grimaces at the comment and John suspected there was a possibility that he would be dragged into a feast of some sort in his honor, despite his wishes. Ellis was the next to speak up, "I think we should garner more intelligence on the Naari as well. We aren't going to get very far with understanding their technology unless we can read their written language. There's also a particular opportunity that I believe can be exploited, to test the theory that all Naari are susceptible to telepathy, and we could snag possibly one of their bigger ships and tow it back to Atlantis for examination as a bonus. And there is a lingering threat that can be eliminated as well. On our reconnaissance trips, we noticed that there were two of the bigger ships over Dakara, which we all know once held the Ancient Superweapon that we used to wipe out the replicators, among other things. While the Ori destroyed it, there could be traces of its remnants and I would really like to avoid them getting their hands on that to supe up their tech."
"So, you're suggesting what? We go to Dakara, take out the Naari on the ships while gathering intel from them, and then bring the ships back to Pegasus to examine and study their technology further?" Jack asked seriously.
"It is a matter of killing three birds with one stone, sir. We stand to learn a lot. Especially if it's Gen. Sheppard's SpecOps doing the job. From what I understand, most have telepathy. At least all the Wraithkin and those bonded to them do. If they concentrate on learning the language and basic technology systems, it should also go a long way to understanding them and give our scientists a leg up," Ellis urged.
"And if they decided to blow the ships and take us with them, if they figured out that they're susceptible to us? What if they learn we have telepathy and communicate that to the rest of the fleet? I might be able to take out a few at a time, possibly even a ship if I really, really tried, but I doubt even all the Wraith combined could handle thousands of the Naari ships," John reasoned.
Caldwell snorted, "These guys, according to you, have no concept of telepathy. They have no mental defenses or evolved safety measures. If you were to enter any human mind, unless you were really trying, you wouldn't hurt us because we've got those defenses built in, to an extent. Just you guys being in their proximity is lethal to them. Besides, your description of them is a disbelief that anyone is better than they are. Would they really think it's possible that something like that exists when they've never encountered it before? Also, from your own observation, they don't have shields, so if that threat does present itself, our ships will just beam the tactical teams out."
"Possibly, but also possibly not. I suppose, we're going to be finding out either way in the near future, what with the ships already headed our way. It might be better to do it on our terms," John conceded reluctantly.
"Right, so, our game plan is this, John, get Bitterwind to put out the word that we are willing to give a blanket amnesty to any and all Wraith who accept the retrovirus. Given that we're basically starving them at present, there's a chance they'll listen. Then, take a team, visit the mist planet, see if they're willing to help. Next, visit the Yarea and see what you can get from them. After that, we'll revisit the idea of going after the Naari ships over Dakara. I do agree with Ellis that I dislike the idea of the Naari getting their hands on anything remotely resembling a tool for easy mass genocide and this is our best shot at learning more about them," O'Neill visibly shuddered at the idea.
"Honestly, Jack, I don't think there's much concern on the genocide front. They lean more towards the Goa'uld and Ori end of the evil spectrum. They like their victims to suffer and to drag it out for as long as possible. I don't think they care if they're worshiped or not, but they want victims and they take pleasure in their suffering. It's like the species is made up of the worst of the worst of serial killers who savor the suffering of others. The thing is, the whole mass genocide thing is only for when they are going up against potential threats," John countered.
"We count as a pretty big threat in their eyes, as displayed by the fact they already wiped out our home planet," Jack point out icily.
John winced and conceded the point. With that, the meeting ended, and John headed off to contact his mother-in-law. The Wraithkin queen listened to John's explanation of the situation and based on her sneer at the very basic explanation of the principles of the Naari, he knew that her opinion was in accordance with his own on the matter. She assured him that her hive had finished their work on creating mass broadcasts to all the hives, initially the purpose of which was to get the information to the wraith that weren't as informed about the retrovirus, through their queens keeping it quiet. It would work just as well as a way to inform all the queens that there was a different kind of threat abound and a truce of sorts being offered. Bitterwind was also convinced that the strain on a lack of resources for the non-converted hives would be severe by this point, which would make them more amendable to considering a half-way palatable course of action.
When the communication ended, John went to inform Todd and Carter about the calls being made. By the point he reached the pier, there was another argument unfolding, this time between Rodney and Jackson, while Todd stared at the screen of the ship and appeared to be attempting to figure out what words he could even vaguely recognize. When John got within hearing distance, he realized they were arguing about what amount of information it would take for them to figure out how to fully translate the Naari written language, never mind their spoken one. John decided to break it up by pointing out that regardless of either of them being correct on the matter, he doubted he, Todd, Swordborne, or Teyla had gotten enough of even the basics of the language to build any kind of translation database.
He then informed them that they were considering a mission to gather more intel the telepathic way which had Rodney saying that he needed to come with. John was honestly surprised that his friend had taken so long to complain about being under-utilized for missions over the past year. Considering what they were planning on doing, John agreed that they would likely need Rodney and a half dozen other scientists for the mission. John saw Carter pout at the realization that she wouldn't be able to participate in such a risky mission, given her position on the council. John then informed them of the plan to visit the Mist world and the Yarea tribes.
Rodney grumbled about pointless wastes of time, but Daniel asked if either of them would be considered high risk. When John gave him the assurance that the mist was anticipated to be perfectly safe, Daniel invited himself along for that mission, mentioning that he got a little cooped up when he didn't travel as much. John admitted he understood the feeling. Rikki was giving John a pouting look, but John immediately vetoed the idea of his daughter going. It might be perfectly safe for adults, but she had gone on a 'perfectly safe' trading mission and gotten kidnapped, so he wasn't chancing it in the slightest.
There was some minor further discussion on how many people would be needed for the mission to the Mist planet and John admitted that other than himself and Daniel, and Daniel wasn't really necessary, the crew of the Phoenix was all that was necessary for the purpose of transportation, given that the entire process would just be John talking to the Mist and trying to persuade the collective species to help them out. John honestly didn't see much coming of the whole thing but figured that Daniel would get a kick out of meeting the species.
Given the anticipated arrival of the Naari, John and Daniel left the others immediately to arrange for the trip to the Mist planet, as it was the one that could be done without any real preparations. Romanov had to prepare for the trip to the Yarea people the next day. It was a simple matter of comming Wu to let him know that they would be going to the Mist planet and requesting that he and Daniel be beamed up.
Once they were on the Phoenix, John directed Daniel down to the jumper bay as they wouldn't be beaming down. When asked why, John explained that given that using the stargate on the planet was lethal large numbers of the Mist species they used precautions to prevent harming the species, which was one of the reasons for them removing the stargate from the planet in the first place. Daniel approved the measure, though, it wasn't as if that would be changing what had occurred at this point. The trip was, as was typical now that they had a wormhole drive, short, and by the time that they got to the jumper bay, the Phoenix was in orbit above the planet.
It was a simple trip down to the planet's surface. John noticed that the mist immediately parted to allow them space to land on a flat surface, "Well that's a little uncanny." Daniel observed.
"Not if you consider they don't want to be killed by the Jumper's thrusters," John pointed out as he hit the button for the hatch.
He and Daniel walked out and were immediately surrounded. John sighed when Daniel jumped at the sound of Hammond's voice in their heads, "We're surprised you've come back. We thought that with your removal of the stargate from this world, you would have no further purpose here."
"Yeah, about that, we have a little problem and we thought you guys might be able to help," John responded casually, knowing they were already in his head.
"We can see that. Unfortunately, none of our people would consent to assisting you in this matter. Not only are we not a species that would engage in 'violence', as you would term it, willingly, we're also disinclined to leave our planet at all. The last time those of us did so, at the request of your own ancestors I might add, those who left, millions of them, did not return. Then your ancestors came, requesting more, and when we declined, they used a device to draw in and trap more of us. It was an attack that was entirely unprovoked, and we will not allow another. If that was your only purpose, we require you leave now," The Hammond-Mist responded in a stiff tone.
John flinched, "I see. Well, then, you have our assurances that we had no such knowledge of such an attack and no intentions of engaging in one ourselves. Thank you for your time, we'll leave you be now." John knew that the Mist knew he was telling the truth too.
"Wait… that's it?" Daniel asked, clearly confused. John dragged him back into the jumper as the Mist parted around it and them.
"Yes, that's it, because I really don't intend on dying on the surface of a planet in a catatonic state, because you would rather argue with them about whether or not they should help us. I knew it was a very long shot in the first place," John responded firmly as the hatch closed and then he immediately took off to return to the Phoenix.
"But they didn't even listen to our request!" Daniel argued.
"Daniel, they can immediately enter into our minds and read intent to a certain extent. They knew what the request was, and that we had no other requests before they even spoke. Clearly, they weren't too happy about the idea of us taking any of them with us either, and given their statement, I would think that it's pretty clear that some point in the past, Ancients kidnapped a bunch of their people for some experiment. I'd say that they have a good reason for a lack of trust all things considered. Also, I'm pretty sure I know what happened to the ones who were forcibly taken and if it's accurate, they have every right to be completely pissed with the Ancients for more than just setting up a stargate on their world without consideration for their welbeing," John explained.
Daniel got quiet for a few minutes, just long enough for John to land the jumper in the jumper bay and com Wu to let him know they were ready to go. Daniel finally asked, "What do you think happened to those who were taken?"
John sighed as they left the jumper, "Not long after we first arrived on Atlantis, a couple of Athosian kids were playing the Pegasus version of hide and go seek or tag, or whatever. Anyway, we didn't know what the transporters were, and some personnel thought they were closets, so they shoved a bunch of gear into some and left it like that. Well, one of the kids, Jinto, you know him actually since he's in training for SpecOps, accidently activated the transporter that he was using for a hiding space and ended up in a random lab area. Well, as kids do, he went and explored and touched things and one of those things was a device that contained an energy being. Now, for whatever reason, it didn't attack Jinto or some of the other kids, but it did start going after the generators and when that didn't work, because we played a round of musical generators with it, the being went after people. We eventually got it to go after a generator through the stargate, but I'm thinking that the mist people have got to feed on some sort of energy, probably a naturally occurring one on their world, and more than ten thousand years of being locked in a capsule away from it would make you pretty damned hungry."
Daniel considered this as they reached the transporter room, "Where did you send the energy being?"
John sighed, "A planet that Teyla assured us had no humans on it. It was, as far as we know, completely covered in desert, though we were relying on Teyla's assurance on that. I have no idea if it, or the group of them, I guess, if the thing was really the kidnapped mist people, had anything to feed on there. Either way, I wouldn't unleash whatever it was on the mist world, even if it is their missing people because that thing couldn't have been sane, if it were the kidnapped mist people, if not, then, well, it's impossible to know the world it came from in the first place."
Daniel nodded in understanding, "Thousands of years imprisoned, and starving would certainly drive anything insane if it survived the experience."
They returned back to the city and Daniel returned to working on what little he could determine of the Naari language. John went to work with Romanov on planning out the trip to the Yarea Tribes. He got waylaid along the way by Rikki though, who had a half-desperate, half-hopeful expression on his face.
Vala smiled brightly at Kannan as she dropped her son off with him. Nickolas was, if she were being entirely honest, her every hope for a child. True, she secretly wondered what Adria would have been like if she hadn't been turned evil by the Ori, but she forced herself to not dwell on it. Her daughter was gone and there wasn't anything that could be done about it. It had been two years since she'd seen her daughter and four since she had given birth. She shook herself out of her temporary thoughts. Adria was gone, as far as she knew. While she hadn't actually wanted her daughter when she had her, having Nickolas had kindled a maternal instinct that often made her wish that her Adria had simply been a normal little girl, rather than the Orici.
Cam smiled at her as she joined him in the armory, "Nick all settled in?"
"Yes, and can I just say that I absolutely adore Kannan for essentially setting himself up as the babysitter for all the high ranked personnel. Nickolas loves him, though I think he loves Fianna more. The little smoothy was crawling as straight bee-line for her the second I set him down in the play area," Vala smiled. "Let there never be any doubt that the little rascal is my child. I'll admit TJ didn't look to happy about it, but they can work that out when their older."
"Oh, I don't doubt that. Though, I suspect there's a betting pool going around on whether he's biologically mine or Daniel's," Cam remarked with amusement.
Vala let out a half laugh, "Please, the people in this city wager about everything. I'm fairly certain that there are current wagers set for what the gender of John and Todd's next baby is going to be, and they're still four-ish years from even conceiving the little bugger."
Cam nodded in agreement, "So, what do you think we'll find on Yarea?" They made their way to the gate room after finishing gearing up. It felt almost like old times, except without Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel. Teal'c was too busy these days managing the Jaffa settlements on the mainland and Sam and Daniel weren't permitted to go on even a remote possibility of a risky missions due to their council positions. First contact with an unknown tribe definitely counted, even if it was on a decidedly friendly world. Daniel had almost conned John into letting him go, but Jack had overridden him on the matter, so Vala and Cam had promised to gather what data they could for their lover.
"You mean besides a bunch of people who'll want to immediately start worshiping John as their personal variation of Jesus? I'm going to go with, if we are extremely lucky, one or two of this 'Tribe of the Fallen' visiting the trading post that has been established, according to Col. Romanov, and they are actual descendants of fallen Ancients. Worst case scenario, they're secretly a cabal of cannibals, that kidnap the travelers that the Yarea lure in for them and they intend on turning us all into a feast when we show up," Vala answered with the most ludicrous idea she could come up with. She knew that the others didn't take her extremist, conspiracy theory level ideas seriously. She even knew that they knew that she knew. She just did it to make them smile.
It worked too, as Cam rolled his eyes and gave an amused half-smirk, "Or they could just not be there, and no one is willing to introduce us to them."
"Yes, or that, though the worst-case scenario I presented is a great deal more interesting," Vala pointed out.
"What worst-case scenario?" John asked as they reached the gate room with a good number of people for this trip. They were taking no chances, as there was an itty-bitty concern that the Yarea might not want to let John leave when he arrived.
Still, Vala provided him with her personal amusement of providing wildly improbably scenarios, "That the Yarea's 'Tribe of the Fallen' are secretly cannibals who will try feasting on us when we go to this world. Oh, hello, Col. Romanov. Do tell, did any of the Yarea appear particularly inclined to the consumption of human flesh?"
"No. They're vegetarians," Romanov shot down the idea without amusement. His confusion did result in his accent becoming slightly more overt though. "Vhat made you think vey might be cannibals?"
"Oh, nothing in particular. It's called a worst-case scenario, not a mildly-inconvenient scenario," Vala pointed out sagely.
"Daniel and I think Vala amuses herself in her spare time by thinking up increasingly improbably scenarios of ways things can go wrong. I don't think she's gotten to the worst idea yet though," Cam supplied with a shrugged. His easy acceptance of Vala's quirks were one of the many reasons she loved him.
"Oh, no, I definitely have, it's the scenario where the Naari go to the world where the Goa'uld originated from and get implanted with one. That is the ultimate nightmare full, but the upside is that I doubt that Naari are a suitable host of the Goa'uld at all, so my real ultimate worst-case scenario is having another goa'uld implanted in my own head or the head of a loved one because I know exactly how terrible it really is," Vala responded chipperly. "Everyone ready?"
John shook his head, "We're waiting for one more."
Vala narrowed her eyes and looked through the group. It contained all of Romanov's team, plus, her, Cam, Todd, Teyla, and Ronon, "Who's missing?"
"Sorry! Sorry, I'm late! I couldn't figure out the buckles on the uniform that Rikki gave me," A young man, who was as awkward as could be came forward. He was definitely of the sturdier and nerdier inclination than anyone military could be considered, herself included.
"Vala, Cam, this is Eli Wallace, he's requested permission to come along, as he is hoping his father might be among the Tribe of the Fallen," John kept his voice down so that anyone outside their group wouldn't hear and Vala realized that the others likely already knew he was coming given their lack of surprise.
"His father?" Cam asked, understandably confused, though keeping quiet as well.
"His father is Janus," John kept his voice low still and intentionally faced toward the gate so no one could lip read what he was saying. "He disappeared when Eli was fourteen and there's reason to believe that the Ascended Ancients might have removed him since Eli's mother got sick around that same time."
"Oh! Right, well, by all means then, he can escort me," Vala offered valiantly. Mostly to keep the awkward thing from embarrassing himself on the trip.
Eli flushed brightly as Vala linked arms with him. John called out for Chuck to dial the gate and they all focused as it started up. Vala did take a moment to check and make sure that Eli was in his gear properly before marching him through the wormhole. On the other side, she helped the boy, as he stumbled a little, "Let me guess, your first time through the stargate?"
Eli nodded, turning an amusing shade of red, "Mom and I were transported to Atlantis on the Apollo during the evacuation, and I haven't had the opportunity to go anywhere before this. The furthest I've been from Atlantis since arriving is to the Tok'ra and Jaffa settlements on the mainland for my Goa'uld Technologies class."
"Ah, you're Rikki intern! Todd's mentioned you before, though only in passing. I didn't know that you were half Alteran," Vala smiled at the kid as they began strolling through the densely wooded area. According to the reports, the Yarea had intentionally planted a thick, dense forest around the gate as a preliminary warning system and deterrent tactic against Wraith Darts. It also allowed for greater protection from line of sight for the creatures. In Vala's opinion, it was a clever tactic and one that had likely helped them grow their population to one of the largest in Pegasus outside of Atlantis.
Eli shrugged, "More than half actually. Mom's part Alteran too, about a quarter."
Vala nodded, "And I'm willing to wager that you've been thoroughly warned about the cult in the city, so you aren't advertising that. Very smart. Though, given that you're less human than Alteran, that isn't too surprising, I suppose."
Eli nodded in agreement, though clearly without any arrogance, and focused on his footing, as the trail they followed was thin, "You know, you're probably better off if you aren't linking arms with me. If I stumble, which looks likely since I'm not exactly athletically inclined, odds are that I'll take you down with me."
"Why do you think I'm holding onto you, Studly? I don't exactly complain when I have an excuse to press close to a man" At Eli's moderately terrified look in the direction of Cam, Vala laughed.
Cam took pity on Eli, "Vala, stop playing with the kid's head. Eli, she's just joking with you. Also, Daniel and I wouldn't hold it against anyone that Vala actually managed to seduce, not that I think she would succeed or even really try these days. Vala's kind of lost her game a bit since she hooked up with Daniel and me."
"Oh! Just for that, I'm going to tell Daniel I overheard you telling Col. Romanov that you've felt I'm fat since I have given birth to Nick!" Vala responded in mock outrage.
"Go right ahead, we both know he'd never believe you," Cam responded casually without hesitation in response.
"He might if I back up her commentary. I'm sure that John would be amendable to it as well, won't you John," Todd inserting himself into the conversation with a low, rumbling laugh.
"Yeah, sure, if you say so," John responded with an amused tone of his own. "It was truly insulting what Cam said about you, Vala. I was appalled that someone could say such horrific things about someone they claimed to love."
Vala beamed, "You know, Todd is really the best friend a girl could ask for. See, Eli, these are the kinds of…" Vala trailed off as John gave the silent hand signal for them to stop.
John glanced at Romanov and it was clear there was some sort of telepathic communication going on. Vala envied John that, in some ways, because he could know whatever anyone he was interacting with was thinking, then again, that was a con as well as a pro, depending on the circumstances. Vala knew that not everyone looked on her relationship with Cam and Daniel in even remotely approving terms and hearing their mental vitriol constantly wouldn't be pleasant. No more pleasant than whatever remaining religious parties existing on Lantea likely thought of interspecies relationships like John and Todd's or homosexual ones, like John and Todd's. Vala knew they were still around, though they likely were keeping their opinions mostly to themselves after the incident with Cole's group or more likely had moved to the settlements on the mainland that were still under construction and growing but wasn't under John's immediate mental reach.
A few moments later, a pair of agile scouts, both women, silently lowered themselves to the ground from the trees via a vine rope that had unfurled, and bowed prostrate to John who immediately grimaced, "Really, this isn't necessary. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't potential hostiles."
"We apologize, oh Blessed Child," One of the sentries responded, reverence heavily lacing her voice. "We weren't expecting a visit from the Sacred Citadel so soon, nor the arrival of one so honorable as your noble self. I assure you that we had no intentions of causing concern for your honorable companions' safety."
John looked absolutely constipated, "Right, well, like I said, this isn't really necessary. As long as you're not a threat, I'm not worried about it. You can feel free to return to your posts."
"Oh, but we wouldn't dream of not warning our people of your arrival. We have greatly wished for the Blessed Child's visit to our humble world. It would not do for you to arrive to anything less than the warmest of welcomes," The scout responded eagerly.
John winced but put on a fake smile, "And yet, I wouldn't dream of potentially bringing about risk to your people by drawing you away from your duties. I know that while the Wraith pose little threat to you now, there are still roving bands of slavers and those of less savory worlds who would pose a threat if you weren't there to ensure your people had sufficient warning of such threats. You needn't fear that your people might come across as anything other than very welcoming to us. I know they always are, and I'm sure that they're well able to present their best, even without any unnecessary warning. Really, please return to your posts."
The two scouts hesitated before giving reluctant nods and then ascended back into the trees with the same deftness they had come down. Once they were back in them, the ropes were pulled back up. A glance up and into the canopy showed they were nearly impossible to see, even when Vala knew they were there, "Well, that was all sorts of impressive acrobatics. They're as good as any member of the circus back on Earth was." Vala observed.
John let out a snort and they continued on their way. He did glance up into the canopy several more times, and Vala realized that the Yarea likely didn't take any chances of threats to their people. A closer look also revealed that some of the thicker branches that overlapped were actually bound together with a rope of a similar color to the tree bark. Vala suspected that there was an entire network all the way back to the trading post.
It was a walk of a full hour before they reached the trading post and when they did, Vala looked up curiously at the canopy. While the trees were slightly less dense here, the canopy looked almost artfully designed to conceal the more permanent buildings that were set partially into the bases of the massively thick trees as well up in the branches, for all that the location was a relatively recent development. In stark contrast, a short distance away, there was a harsh cut away of tree to reveal newly cleared land where crops were being grown. Vala was startled to realize that this was the new agricultural development that the Yarea had been able to invest in within the past year with the assistance of the Wraithkin, since Atlantis had provided them with the shield generator that made Wraith attacks things of the past.
There was a great deal of hullaballoo when the locals realized that they had visitors from Atlantis. John and Todd kept back, letting Romanov do the talking. That didn't last long though, when the tribal elder, who recognized Todd and John, began making a fuss over them. Vala had relinquished Eli's arm and was looking around curiously, not really listening to the conversation between John, Romanov, and the tribal elder.
She turned to look behind them, reluctant to leave the group's back's unguarded, even when seemingly among allies. Vala narrowed her eyes as she saw a couple with a little girl, roughly age four, staring at the group. The little girl tore away from the pair and into the gathering group with a screech of, "Mommy!" Vala was instantly suspicious, her maternal instincts kicking in.
Had the couple kidnapped the girl and been attempting to drag her off when they had arrived, creating a distraction that allowed the child to escape? The couple hurried forward towards the crowd and Vala began scanning the crowd for the girl, though in the press, it was impossible to spot her. She was startled, however when she felt an impact on her legs and as she looked down, she saw the little girl, vibrating with excitement, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! I found you, Mommy!" The girl chanted.
Vala looked at the beautiful little girl with dark curls and eyes that matched her own. She looked back up and immediately recognized one of the faces as they made their way through the crowd towards her and the little girl. Vala felt a moment of horrified fascination run through her as she looked back down at the child, "Adria?" She asked almost afraid of the response.
She crowed with delight, "Mommy! I knew you would know me! Meany Morgana and Mr. Janus said it wasn't likely, but I knew that wasn't possible because you would always know me, right Mommy?" Adria was articulate, for all that she was apparently now a four-year-old.
Vala's maternal instinct kicked in and she picked Adria up. She was fairly certain that she had to be dreaming. That was the only possible answer to her daughter being just the right age for when she was born and not the atrocity that the Ori had made her into. So, considering it was a dream, Vala immediately reassured her, "Of course, I would never forget what my own children looked like, Adria. Don't be silly." She ran her hand almost reverently over Adria's hair as she failed to stop the tears from flowing. She knew she would have to talk to a therapist about this, probably a Nox one because they were more understanding. Clearly her desire to have the real opportunity to have mothered Adria properly was stronger than she realized if she was dreaming this, but she was going to savor the almost real feeling of her daughter being a precious little girl and not some unholy abomination.
"Mommy? Why are you crying?" Adria asked, tilting her head. "Are you sad?"
Vala shook her head as Cam joined her, his eyes wide in shock, "No, Adria, I'm not sad. These are happy tears. I didn't think I'd ever get to see you like this again."
"Oh!" Adria responded and immediately hugged close to Vala once more.
Morgana and the man, Janus, Vala suspected, approached and considering Eli's shout of, "Dad!" That both confirmed the curly blond haired man's identity and the fact that this was very much a dream.
Janus looked as stunned as Vala felt with his son's arms wrapped around him, but he was quick to return the embrace and was crying happy tears as well within seconds. Cam wrapped an arm around Vala, "Sweetheart, is that Adria?" His voice was cautious as he kept glancing between Adria and Morgana.
Vala startled a little when Morgana answered, "It is, yes. The others returned her to her proper age, after I managed to contain her, and they removed all memory of her excepting her knowledge of Vala. I believe they intended for us to be reunited with all of you, so they wanted her to know her own mother. I am surprised that Vala recognized Adria though."
"Well, this is clearly a dream, so of course I recognized my own daughter. I probably got tripped up by Eli or something and hit my head on a rock and I'm unconscious while Cam worries dramatically over me, but damned if I don't want to wake up right now," Vala admitted clutching Adria close. "Cam, you have no idea how much I've wanted this… I realized when I was pregnant with Nickolas that the biggest reason I was so furious with the Ori was because they robbed me of this with Adria. It wasn't fair, she was mine and they took her from me."
Cam's expression was a mixture of confusion and understanding, "Vala, you aren't dreaming, and I really wish you had told Danny and I about those feelings. But it's not important right not, because you currently have a four-year-old in your arms and are apparently getting your secret wish granted."
"Wait, is that Adria, as if the Orici Adria?" John asked behind them.
"Not exactly. The others removed all knowledge that the Ori placed in Adria, as well as returning her to her proper age, so she's no longer what would be considered Orici. She is, for all intents and purposes, a little girl," Morgana corrected gently. "One that has spent the past two years hoping to be reunited with her mother."
"Well, that was always Adria's weak spot," Cam admitted with a sigh and if Vala were honest with herself reluctant acceptance.
"So, this isn't a dream?" Vala asked suddenly, brushing the tears from her cheeks. "Because if it isn't than we need to get a bigger suite of rooms sooner than we thought. It's one thing with just a baby, but two kids merits separate bedrooms."
"Baby?" Adria asked, her head popping up from Vala's shoulder.
Vala smiled at Adria, "Yes, you have a little brother. His name is Nickolas and I'm sure that he will absolutely adore his big sister because you are going to be the best big sister ever, aren't you?
Adria paused for a moment to consider her response before snorting incredulously, "As if anyone could be a better big sister than me!" She answered with all the pompous seriousness a little girl could muster. Vala felt a little amusement that Adria still was as arrogant as ever, but then that was more understandable in a four-year-old.
"Well, we'll be holding you to that young lady," Cam responded firmly but kindly.
Adria looked at him with narrowed eyed, "I know you. Why do I know you?"
"Well, that, young lady, would be because I'm your daddy. Well, one of them anyway. You've got a Papa too, but he had to stay back home. You see, we weren't exactly expecting to find you today," Cam admitted.
Adria considered it for a moment before huffing, "Don't you know that you're supposed to hug your children when you see them, Daddy? What's wrong with you?" Her irritation was clear, as if he had clearly committed a grave offense.
"Oh, well, beg your pardon, ma'am. You seemed more interested in clinging to your Mommy than saying hi to me," Cam challenged her with a smirk.
To Vala's surprise, it worked. Adria held out her arms towards Cam and he deftly pulled her from Vala's arms and settled her on his hip, "It's not my fault I didn't remember you were my daddy. I can barely 'member Mommy." She responded petulantly then leaned into Cam's shoulder for a hug before reaching back for Vala.
Cam let Vala take her back, "I suppose that's fair. You've been gone for two years. That's a long time. It's like half your life. Just know that you have first claim to piggy-back-rides for the near future."
"What's a piggy-back-ride?" Adria asked, her nose wrinkled in confusion.
"Oh, we'll get to that later, young lady," Cam responded with knowing amusement before kissing her on the nose.
Vala couldn't help giving Cam a look of adoration for the act. She knew that with all the pain that Adria had caused as Orici, it would be a hard thing for Cam to simply accept her and act as if he was her father all along. She then looked around and realized that the crowd of locals had cleared a bit, leaving them with just their group, sans Eli, who was still hugging an equally clingy Janus.
John joined them and after a moment of intently looking at Adria, sighed, "Well, there's nothing in her head that indicates she recalls anything beyond her knowledge that you're her mother and her time here."
Vala narrowed her eyes, "So…"
"So, that means we can take her back a with us today. I doubt you want to really be separated from your daughter," John responded easily.
"Oh, yes, good then," Vala relaxed at that and snuggled her daughter a little closer.
Janus finally sighed and relaxed his hold on Eli, "Is there any chance that I could go back to Atlantis as well? Morgana can return to the tribe and inform them of what's occurred and arrange for them to join us at the ring in a few days."
"A few days?" John asked curiously.
"The tribe is half a day's journey away normally. We had care of Adria, as we were physically the youngest of our lot that recall everything, so she came with us for the trading we were engaging in, but you need to take into account the additional time it will take to reach the ring from the tribe's current settlement and the fact that we will have to pack everything up," Morgana explained. "We were prohibited by the others from returning to Atlantis without the permission of those of you who are our descendants. None of us have been able to use the ring, but we can now, with your permission."
John nodded, "Well, that makes things simpler. Are all of the Tribe de-ascended Ancients?"
"There are a number of children of those who made the choice to have them, but for the most part, yes," Morgana agreed. "In truth, I wasn't part of the group who worked with Ata, but I don't object to being placed with them now. Apparently, I was too prone to interference for the others tastes."
John seemed to consider it for a moment, "Well, I guess, as long as everyone is willing to get along with all of Atlantis's occupants, the Wraithkin like my husband included, that it's time for you all to come home."
Morgana smiled at him indulgently before giving a nod of agreement, "Then I should depart, to inform the others. They will be glad to hear of it." With that, she went to collect a bag that had been left nearby before departing.
Janus hadn't let go of Eli yet to Vala's understanding amusement. There was a father who had missed his child. The village elders did return though and requested that they at least stay for a meal and the group all reluctantly agreed to it. Mostly it was to maintain good relations, though it was clear that they made a great deal of fuss over John and Todd. Vala was actually grateful for once that she wasn't the center of attention and was able to focus her and Cam's attentions on Adria. Vala knew that there was the risk of her spoiling Adria a little at first, but she was too happy to just have her little girl back, as a little girl, to mind it. She also knew that Cam and Daniel would probably work to moderate her spoiling.
When the group finally departed, Cam let Vala position Adria on his back for a piggy-back-ride. Adria was absolutely delighted with the process and clung tight as they made the trek back to the stargate. She chattered with Janus a bit about how she had a little brother, who she hadn't met, and was going to be the best big sister ever. By the time they had reached the stargate, Cam had transferred the girl from his back to his shoulders though, so she could 'get a better look' and Adria had moved onto her basic lessons that Janus had been teaching her. Vala walked close and simply enjoyed the idea of her family being united at last.
John was the one to dial the gate and Vala had to attribute his eagerness due to the glances and smirks he directed at Eli and Janus. He reminded Eli that his father and Adria would need to be checked out in the infirmary when they got back and stated he would escort them there to ensure that they didn't get sidetracked by Vala's excitement over getting her daughter settled. With that, they went through the gate and got more than a few curious looks. Their group merely ignored them and proceeded towards the transporter.
Vala caught sight of Daniel on the second level and shouted, "Daniel, get your cute little bottom down here! You will never believe who we found on Yarea!"
Her other love turned to look at where she and Cam were standing, Adria still situated firmly on Cam's shoulders. Daniel froze for a moment and then practically tripped over himself to get down the stairs. He was wide eyed as he got close, "Adria?" His voice was a mixture of uncertainty and hopefulness. Vala wondered if he had picked up on her silent longing.
"Are you my Papa?" Adria demanded immediately.
"Y-yeah, Adria, I- I'm your Papa," He held his arms up to take her from Cam's shoulders and Adria practically flung herself into them, knocking Cam on the head a little with her feet.
Adria gave him a tight, firm hug and nodded with satisfaction, "See, Daddy, Papa knows you're supposed to give hugs to your children when you see them!" She pointedly remarked making Vala giggle.
"Right… of course he does. You're Papa's always been better about his manners than Daddy has. Well, let's get you to the infirmary to be checked out so you can go meet your little brother, huh?" Cam responded in stride.
Adria, to Vala's surprise, seemed perfectly content to remain in Daniel's arms, and she questioned him for a few minutes about how he was better at manners than 'Daddy' and Daniel explained that it was his job to understand manners better, making Vala smile at the grossly simplified and reduced concept of his job. Still, they got to the infirmary just in time to witness Eli's mother, and by route Janus's wife, give her husband a very enthusiastic welcome home. Eli had turned red and looked away, clearly uncomfortable by his parents rather exuberant display, even by Vala's standards. Oh, she might tease Daniel and Cam with kisses or brushes in public, but she wasn't prone to damned near making out with them, with her legs wrapped firmly around their waists. Daniel, bless his wisdom, had thought to cover Adria's eyes, though the girl tried pushing his hands away.
Judging by John's shit eating grin, he had anticipated this excitement. He did, however, have the decency to break it up by reminding the couple that they would have plenty of time for that later, and that Janus and Adria needed to be given a once over. Dr. Keller, the father of Jennifer, took charge of Adria, though Vala and her boys kept close as they watched her being checked over and then given a few vaccines that Dr. Keller insisted were necessary to keep her healthy. As soon as her daughter had a clean bill of health, the lot of them were off to collect Nick and have a bit of family bonding time.
That, apparently, wasn't in the cards though, because as soon as they reach Teyla and Kannan's rooms and Adria had seen the babies, to everyone's surprise, she made a beeline, not for Nick, which everyone expected, but for Fianna. She plopped down next to the baby girl, who was playing with a rattle and looked at her with absolute delight and awe in her face, "Mommy… who's this? She's so pretty!"
"That would be Fianna. She's my friend Todd's daughter, and I agree, she is very pretty. And her little friend there is your brother Nick," Vala explained, sitting down near the children. Nick was happily banging away on a set of blocks, though he eagerly crawled for Vala upon seeing her.
Adria barely glanced his way before returning her attention to Fianna, "Her hair is so pretty! Can I have hair like that?" She ran her hand over Fianna's hair with care as she asked the question.
"Well, not naturally, like Fianna's hair is, and it's best to wait until you're a little older before we dye your hair, because your hair can be a little sensitive at your age, but maybe when you're a little bigger, we can discuss changing the color," Vala explained carefully. "Plus, I'm not sure we could get the exact color of Fianna's hair naturally is, with how dark yours is, like mine."
Adria pouted, "Oh… Well, can I play with Fianna then?" She redirected her thought process surprisingly easily.
Vala nodded, "Just be gentle and remember that Fianna is still a baby. She's even younger than your brother Nickolas, who you have been ignoring I might add."
Adria pouted again at that but took the hint and went over to where Vala was sitting with Nick in her lap and gave her brother a hug, not too tight but not fleeting either, and a kiss on the nose, copying Cam's earlier action, before returning to Fianna. Vala heard Todd chuckle from the doorway and looked to see her friend standing behind her.
He looked indulgent as he spoke, "I was going to ask Kannan to watch Fianna for a while longer, as John has to work on the battle plan for our information gathering trip and I am needed on studying what we can of the Naari ships, but perhaps you wouldn't mind watching her for me for the remainder of the day?" Todd suggested.
"Oh, can we, Mommy? I'll play with Fianna!" Adria seemed all too eager for that idea, but Vala wasn't about to argue with letting her daughter indulge her interest a little, so she agreed. Cam and Daniel looked more amused than anything.
When they attempted to remove Fianna with them, however, TJ put up a vocal protest, and so Adria gleefully suggested bringing him with them as well. After getting Kannan's agreement, on the grounds that he could relax a little in the time off, as the older boys were at their lessons. Vala explained, upon questioning, that yes, Adria would be beginning lessons with them in the near future, as she was around the same age as Teyla and Kannan's older boys. Adria tried arguing that she should be able to bring Fianna and TJ with her. What caused the sudden attachment to TJ was baffling, but as soon as they were settled in her own suite with the children, Adria was happy to play with Nick's toys and the three babies, though TJ was more toddler than baby at this point, being almost two. Still, Vala's girl was happy to entertain her young companions and Vala was happy to let her.
Once their new arrivals were settled, John having escorted Janus and his family back to his wife's rooms, John requested a full council meeting. He had taken the time during their walk back to the Stargate to get more information from Janus and Janus had been more than willing to supply the requested information. Jack was quick to agree to calling the meeting, having undoubtedly already heard about the excitement from Romanov. This was far from the first full meeting that had occurred since the election, but it was probably the most important one.
When the full council had arrived in the conference room, John didn't beat around the bush, "The Tribe of the Fallen aren't descendants of de-ascended Ancients, not most of them anyway, they are de-ascended Ancients. Specifically, most of them are the ones that worked with my mother to put things into place to help us survive, and a few of their children. There were also two others of particular note we encountered, Adria, de-aged, as well as de-ascended, and completely stripped of her memories as Orici, was found, as well as Morgana, though her memories are, as far as I could tell, mostly intact. Janus was among those who were there, and he and Adria were both brought back to Atlantis, while Morgana went to get the rest of the 'Tribe' so that they can return themselves."
"If they were already in Pegasus and wanted to come back to Atlantis, why didn't they do so sooner?" Carter asked.
"Because the Ascended Ancients prohibited them from using the stargate until we came for them and gave them permission to return to Atlantis. My best guess is that they wanted us to have a say, and also prevent those of my mother's faction from being too influential on us before we had gotten our footing technologically speaking. They probably also didn't want them sharing the prophecy and their knowledge of the Naari in advance," John answered. "Jack, you should be aware that I did ask Janus, and Romulus is among those who are with the tribe, so you and Nancy should likely prepare for that reunion, however you two want things to go. Abby, your mother was, according to Janus, not among those who were de-ascended, so she's not with them. According to Janus, she only did it the one time to have you at Ata's request and has refrained from stepping out of line since. Additionally, those who had older generational Ancients in their family can either expect to meet their children who are half-siblings of those children or that they also weren't de-ascended. Janus said that he wasn't certain how many were a part of Ata's 'Project' as he called it, as she intentionally kept things compartmentalized. He admitted to surprise at learning the identity of more than a few of those who were among the 'Fallen' as they're called."
Jack and Abby both nodded in understanding. Abby, while having hoped that her mother was out there, hadn't clung too tightly to it, given that she had been abandoned in a hippy commune as an infant. In contrast, Jack had known thanks to the holographic message from his father that Romulus had willingly gone to his fate of permanent de-ascension and wanted to find him and Nancy in the future.
There was a bit more discussion about arranging accommodations for the incoming Alterans and what they should and shouldn't arrange for them. John dismissed himself as the conversation turned to housing issues and then went to join his SpecOps people to arrange for their tactical strike on the ships over Dakara. They formulated the rough outline and then John went to locate his younger daughter only to learn that she was with Vala for some reason. He figured out the reason rather quickly when Adria, TJ, and Fianna protested her removal. The two older children were able to vocalize their displeasure more easily, but Fianna threw a crying fit as well as made her displeasure known telepathically. It was the first time that Fianna had intentionally projected emotions at John that were more than a desire to be held, a desire to eat, a desire for entertainment, or that she needed a diaper change.
It startled John, but he still insisted on leaving, though he did let Adria and TJ say their goodbyes with kisses on Fianna's forehead, to his bemusement. A little suspicious, John probed Adria's mind again to ensure she wasn't more knowledgeable or aware than she should be and manipulating the younger children. All he found was absolute adoration for Fianna and TJ and affection for her mother and Nick. With this assurance, he explained to the little girl that she and TJ could visit with Fianna every day if she wanted. He noted that TJ clung to Adria as they departed but they seemed to settle down with that promise. Even better, it wasn't an empty one given that Vala would work to ensure that Adria formed strong friendships on Atlantis, so she would encourage the affection between the children.