Thanks for the reviews…sorry I haven't updated faster but I sort of ran into a roadblock and took a detour but I am back…

I am the proud owner of nothing…oh well it is still fun to write it…

Okay…it is time to get to know Kalen…

Raising his head, he took Teyla's hand, "Come?"

Teyla shook her head in acceptance and then spoke to the Col but did not turn her head to look at him.

"We came to this world seeking other allies…Kalen has much to tell us I believe" and then Teyla followed her friend into the cave…

John looked as Teyla walked away and then followed, "Let's go."

Part 3

The man who had first taken Sheppard's gun returned it to him now. John reached out and took it, "Thanks."

The man merely turned and walked towards the cave.

"Friendly bunch aren't they?" Sheppard said before he too followed Kalen and Teyla.

John shifted his P-90 in his hand, holding it casually but ever ready to put it into good use should the need arise and now as he entered the cave, the darkness assaulted his senses making his guard go up. Teyla had entered before him and his inability to see her caused an unsettling feeling to make itself known in the pit of his stomach.

His grip tightened on his gun but just as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, a flash flared to life in front of him casting the cave with a warm soft glow.

'This way…' Kalen stood slightly further into the cave with a torch in his hand. The fire flickered and crackled and caused light to dance across Teyla's features standing next to him.

An image seemed to overlay itself with the Teyla he saw now…an image from the past…from the first day he had met her…

The cave had been smaller and it had only been the two of them…but as Teyla had lit her torch back then …John remembered with clarity the way it had highlighted her features just as the flames did now

That day…in that cave…just the two of them…

The initial awareness of each other they both had felt when they first met had flashed into an attraction in the instance he had placed her necklace around her neck. A thrill had passed through him like nothing he had felt before… and a connection that neither could place a name to formed between them…one that he couldn't have expected to impact his life so greatly in the time he had known her.

And she had felt it too, he was sure of that… but neither had known how to approach it so each had let it pass…

But sometimes he could still remember the softness of her skin beneath his fingers as they brushed against her neck as he had fastened her necklace…and the electrical jolt of awareness he had felt would rush through his anew.

John involuntarily clenched his fist as the memory. No that moment was not forgotten…no never forgotten…but it had been passed over for friendship, something he held close but now as he watched Teyla with Kalen….

John mentally shook himself to bring to focus the realities of their situation. They had just been held by gunpoint by a small army of men and while Teyla claimed a friendship with Kalen they still knew nothing about him. It all came down to trust and he trusted Teyla, more than anyone else so all Sheppard could do was trust Teyla. Kalen, well Kalen was another matter...

"So you got caught huh? Someone brought down the giant with the big gun…" Rodney blabbered on, needing something to displace his own uneasiness at having three men walking behind him, their hands still resting lightly on their side arms…

"Rodney…' John gave the scientist a warning look before turning to place his attention on Ronon, ready to make peace between him and the somewhat callous Rodney McKay but the expression on the Satedean's face was not anger or even annoyance but a look that Sheppard could only be described as brooding.

'Ronon?"

"They were expecting me…I followed the tracks, saw two-three sets of footprints but when I approached this cave they were waiting…five of the warriors that greeted you…their weapons were set on stun…they didn't want me dead." Ronon looked at Teyla walking slightly ahead of them. "Now I know why."

Ronon turned his steady gaze to Sheppard, "They are warriors, trackers…well trained…good enough to conceal their true number from me but…" Ronon paused as his gaze traveled over the men that walked around them, "They are all different…their styles…clothing…weapons but they gave way to his leadership," Ronon gave a nod of his head towards Kalen.

John looked at Kalen and this time saw him not as someone from Teyla's past whom she cared for but as a potential ally to Atlantis in their fight against the wraith.

"Maybe this is the way to meet new friends" John picked up his walk to catch up with Teyla and Kalen.

They walked farther into the cave, Kalen leading them through tunnels that twisted left and right until John lost his sense of direction but by the steady concentration on Ronon's face Sheppard was confident that his teammate knew exactly where they were. Teyla, too, seemed to be able to keep her bearings.

When he had caught up with her and Kalen, she had had a smile on her face, laughing at something Kalen had said to her…John rarely heard her laugh…if ever.

John couldn't help but frown at the unexpected thought.

He looked at Teyla out of the corner of his eye, trying to take in her expression and not be caught doing so. But while usually Teyla was adept at picking up on his actions…now she seemed distracted and her thoughts were no doubt on the man walking ahead of them leading the way.

An unsettling thought descended upon John…was Teyla happy to be with hi…to be with the Atlantis team John corrected?

John turned his gaze down and images of the time he spent with Teyla filtered through his thoughts…them sparring together in the afternoons…him flying her over to the mainland to visit her people…telling stories to the Athosian children…teaching Teyla about Earth…football…

John had to smile at the memories and admit to himself how much he truly enjoyed spending time with Teyla but…

He knew Teyla enjoyed his company also but he had never heard her laugh the way she did with Kalen….

"We are here" Kalen finally came to a stop in front of a solid wall jarring John out of reverie.

"Really? Looks like you got lost," Rodney quipped from behind Ronon and Sheppard. 'Unless…you…know…you can walk through walls…and things like that…" Rodney's voice trailed off as he caught on to the glares he was getting from Teyla and John. "I think I'll be quiet now…you know you two have these identical expressions on your faces… reminds me of this married couple I used to kno…okay shutting up now." Rodney ducked his head as Kalen joined in with the glares that were coming his way.

Kalen frowned at the smiles he saw exchanged between John and Teyla. "No…we do not walk through walls…we remove them." Kalen said sharply and with that he reached out and touched the wall…it shimmered and then disappeared beneath his touch. The harsh brilliance of artificial light that flooded the dim lit tunnel caused everyone to blink their eyes as they tried to regain their focus after being so long in the soft light of the single torch.

When every ones vision cleared they found themselves in a large cavernous room that was filled with electronic equipment. A dozen or so people walked back and forth between different computers and equipment.

"What?" Rodney was the first to speak and immediately walked over to one of the men working on some sort of device on a table located off to the left.

Teyla took in all the sights, walking around in a circle before turning to face Kalen, "What is all this Kalen?"

Kalen spread his arms wide to encompass the room, "This…this is my stand against the wraith."

"Come."

(Kalen, Teyla, Shep and the team sit around a table located in a room off of the main room.)

Kalen sat at the front of the table, Teyla to his left with Sheppard next to her. Rodney and Ronon sat across from them.

Kalen had his hands clasped in front of him as he began his story, "As Teyla told you, my home world was a planet called Dados…the wraith culled my planet many years ago," Kalen looked at Teyla, "But I survived."

Teyla leaned forward, "But how Kalen? When my people came to your planet after the culling…your people were scattered…your family was taken…you were no where to be found…no one ever saw you again after that day."

A dark look crossed over Kalen's face, "Yes…my father…mother…they were taken by the wraith as I would have been…had I not been in the far field off of our village…," A soft look lighted Kalen's eyes, "Do you remember it…the one we used to walk through as children...the one with the flowers?"

Kalen's eyes then grew vague, "You hear the screams first…the panic of people you know…then you hear the sounds of their ships…and the lights that split the darkness…" Kalen paused, "I heard it all and my first thought was of my family…I started to run towards my village but someone stopped me…a man I had never met before. He came out of the forest as I ran towards my village, caught me and prevented my returning to my village even as I yelled and fought for him to let me go…"

Kalen's voice drifted off and a different voice took over, "But I told him it was no use…his death would not save his parents nor help anyone in the fight against the wraith."

As the new voice took over the commentary, Teyla and the rest turned towards the direction of the voice to face the new person who had entered quietly into the room.

Kalen stood up and walked over to the elderly man, 'Danis…I did not realize you had returned. I did not expect you back so soon" Kalen clasped his hands on the shorter man's shoulders and brought him forward. "Teyla…this is Danis…the man who saved my life and gave it a purpose that helped me survive the loss of my village and made me into the man you see before you today.

Danis stepped up to Teyla and reached down to take her hand, "You are the young woman Kalen has always spoken so much of. I am honored to meet you at last." Danis bowed his head in greeting.

Teyla stood up, "As I Danis…you have my gratitude…" Teyla inclined her head in the direction on Kalen, "…for keeping a dear friend safe."

Danis smiled at Teyla, "It was a small service I could do in such a troubled time…there was so little I could do…"

Sheppard watched the interaction between Kalen and the new visitor before he spoke up, "Just how exactly did you survive the wraith attack that day?"

"And what about the technology that was being worked on when we came in…that is not something a farmer uses to harvest crops" Rodney chipped in.

"Your men are warriors as well, not farmers" Ronon stated as he leaned over the table to stare at Danis, "Who are you?"

Danis looked at everyone before, "I am Danis of Azre. No…the name of my world would not mean anything to you Teyla…it was long ago culled by the wraith, before you were ever born, but it was on the day that my life was seemingly destroyed that it was rebuilt."

A gleam filled Danis' eyes, a gleam mirrored in Kalen's eyes as he listened to his mentor's voice rise with feeling at his narrative, "It was on the day the wraith took all that I loved, that I was saved by a stranger to my native land, one who would open my eyes to an existence that I had never thought possible…where humans were not mere herds to be used by the wraith as they pleased but instead as a people who could unite to take stand against the wraith."

"I do not understand," Teyla looked at Danis. She lifted her hands and slightly gestured to her surroundings, "Is this place…the technology we saw in the other room part of this fight?"

"Yes…this cave is only one encampment such as this…there are many more spread across dozens of worlds," Danis said, "Each is filled with people who have been displaced by the culling of their worlds or who have lost all they have loved."

Danis chuckled lightly at the still perplexed faces of Sheppard, Teyla, McKay and Ronon, "I see I am confusing you even more for I have gotten ahead of myself…perhaps you would care for a drink…I have a story to tell."

"Drink… how about food? What kind of food do you have? I have to watch my sugar levels…and nothing citrus…I am deathly allergic to anything citrus…anything" Rodney perked up, sitting slightly taller at the prospect of nourishment.

Kalen smiled at the antics of the doctor and went over to give a knock at the closed door. A few moments later the door opened and Kalen gave a request for food to the woman who appeared.

After Kalen had taken an empty seat at the other end of the table, Danis sat down in the vacated seat next to Teyla and began his story…

Next time…"Who is Danis?"