She was on her feet in an instant, recovering almost immediately from the surprise of being snuck up on, but the Wraith didn't draw any closer. The creature was staring at her in a manner that was similar to the way the Athosians tended to.

"What are you?" It asked in a barely discernable voice.

"What?"

The creature was obviously intrigued enough with Melony that it wanted to know more before it killed her.

Comforting

Yeah.

"What are you?" It repeated, more slowly this time, as if it assumed Mitchell was stupid or couldn't understand it. "I have never seen one of-"

"I'm a Jedi..." She said, mysteriously.

Talon snorted.

"Are there more of you?"

"Oh, sure. Lots."

"Where?" It seemed excited. "What planet are you from?"

Where are the Jedi from?

Beats me, I only saw the movie once.

"Krypton."

"Yes! Krypton... where is this place? How did you come to be here?"

Is he drooling?

He might have a cold.

The Wraith obviously didn't like what it perceived as hesitation on her part, because it took a menacing step forward.

"Where is Krypton?!"

"I can't tell you," Melony said, shrugging. "It's a secret place. Very hush hush."

The Wraith took another step forward, obviously angry with her response – or maybe the mocking tone she was using. Melony raised her right hand slightly, palm out.

"Step back, Bubba..." She told it.

Incredulous – it was used to creatures running from it – the Wraith actually hesitated just a moment, and then took another step forward, a sneer on its ugly face.

Talon activated the device on Melony's hand, and a powerful force of energy shot out from the Goa'uld hand device, slamming into the Wraith and tossing it back like a leaf in a strong wind. The creature landed hard on its back, obviously stunned, and Melony stepped forward.

Well that worked well

Yeah.

"Had enough?" She asked, goading it intentionally.

With a scream of hatred it sprang to its feet, no longer curious about this creature or its origins. Now it was just going to feed. It took three steps forward and was once again struck by the hand device. Once again it was knocked backwards. It took a moment longer for it to get to its feet this time.

Mitchell pulled the zat from her holster just as another Wraith broke cover from the trees, obviously drawn by the scream, or maybe by Melony's life force.

Well... shit...

The newcomer rushed Mitchell, and she fired the zat. It fell with an agonized screech, and the first Wraith hesitated, obviously waiting to see what had happened to its companion before facing the weapon as well. Only a moment later, though, the one Melony had shot with the zat was already getting to its feet. So much for a long-term stun.

She fired again, and the creature feel once more, but this time Melony didn't hesitate; there was every possibility that there were more Wraith on the way, and she didn't have time to play around. Not if she wanted to actually have a chance to get out of there alive. She fired once more, and then again. She didn't know if the second shot killed the creature, but the third one did what it was supposed to, and the Wraith was gone in an instant, leaving the first one staring at the empty space in shock.

"What-"

It didn't have a chance to say anything else. Mitchell fired the zat at the Wraith and it fell.

Finish it

We need to see if the shield device works against it.

I don't want it that close

If others come they're probably going to have those rifle-looking weapons with them. This one doesn't have that, so we need to take advantage of that and learn what we can while we have it.

In the short time it took them to have this conversation, the creature had brought itself to its feet, shrugging off the blast from the zat far more quickly than even Melony would have been able to with Talon's help.

Fine

Melony holstered the zat even as the Wraith charged, and it took every ounce of will she had to just stand there as the creature drew close, its hand raised to strike. The blow never landed. The creature crashed against Mitchell, but fell backwards as the combined force of the Ancient's shield device and the Goa'uld shield device that Melony had on as well forced it back from her before it could feed.

It howled in frustration and anger and struck again. With similar results. The creature went reeling.

Drop the shield

Are you out of your mind?

I want to see how it feeds

It'll kill-

I'll force it back, Melony. Trust me

She did, of course.

A moment's though later, the glowing gem that indicated the Ancient's shielding device went dead, and dropped off Melony's shoulder to land in her hand. She braced herself, even as she felt Talon drop the Goa'uld shield device and brace himself as well.

The creature charged again, and this time its hand landed solidly against Mitchell's chest, right below her left breast. A howl of success from the Wraith drowned out her own agonized cry as she felt a lancing pain coursing through her chest, and her heartbeat faltered under the attack.

Talon was all over it, though. He regulated her heartbeat even as he studied the process the Wraith used to feed.

Talon...

Her silent cry was torture, and she knew then how Marshal Sumner had felt before he'd died. Just then she wished Sheppard was there to shoot her and finish the job before the Wraith could.

He didn't respond, but he was already acting. The symbiote had seen what he needed to see, and the Wraith suddenly felt a searing pain racing through its hand and then its arm, up through its shoulder and into its chest. It was so shocked by the pain that it released its hold on Mitchell, and in that instant Talon threw the Goa'uld shielding device back up, protecting his host from another attack.

The Wraith fell backwards, and Mitchell went to her knees no more than three feet away from where it landed. Gasping and unable to focus her thoughts on anything, she didn't see the Wraith getting to its feet once more.

The creature took a step forward, closing the short gap, its hand coming down once more – and a sudden bolt of energy struck it square in the chest and knocked it back once more. Unsure of where the assistance had come from, Talon wasn't about to let it go to waste. He took over Melony's body, and pulled the zat once more from the holster. He fired three times in rapid succession, and the creature vanished.

The zat fell from suddenly numb fingers, and Mitchell clutched her chest where the Wraith had touched her.

Easy...

Still in control of her body – mainly because she just couldn't be at that moment – Talon turned her head upwards, where the blast of energy had come from, and saw another Puddle Jumper suddenly uncloaking. It landed close to Mitchell, and Sheppard and Ford came trotting up to her, weapons out. They were being covered by Teyla and McKay, who were holding weapons as well, looking around nervously.

"What are-"

"I love a good Wraith hunt," Sheppard said, nonchalantly.