Chapter 16: Dinner and a Show

Lorne angrily watched Rolik drag Lexa back into the camp blaming himself for anything that might happen to her. He knew he shouldn't have held back, but he just couldn't bring himself to beat-up an innocent man. Nice job Marc! Like the Wraith were ever going to fall for that! You had to go and get Lexa stuck in the middle and now have probably completely screwed up her plan. Aarhus came over to encourage Lorne to forget it, but how could he? "Where is he taking her?"

"She dared to defy them; she'll be made one of their trophies. She'll most likely end up as Malaas' entertainment for the evening. You should be grateful that they did not demote you," Aarhus explained.

Lorne's eyes were still on Lexa as she was pulled off into the distance, "So she'll be taken to his tent?"

"This evening, after dinner, yes. But she should be of no concern to you." Aarhus tried to get Lorne to focus.

"Of course she's my concern, she's…" Marc caught himself before he slipped completely. "Look, I can't explain, but I'm going to need your help. I saw guards in Malaas' tent last night; I need to get in there." Aarhus knew there was something more than meets the eye, but he agreed, and over lunch they devised a plan of their own.

The next few hours slowly ticked by as Alexa awaited her fate. When she returned to the tent and told Kaali what had happened, the girl lost all hope. Lexa assured her that while things would not go as she had originally planned, that they're were other ways for them to escape. She had Kaali give her every excruciating detail of what her night would consist of in order to find the holes. When Kaali mentioned the guards Lexa lit up, knowing that Marc would find a way to get himself in there. Lexa thought up a new plan, though it would pain her to go through with it, it was the only option. Before Rolik came to take Lexa away for the night, she explained the new plan to Kaali and gave the girl her precious necklace, "I promised to get you out of here, and I will. I'll be back for this, and you."

Aarhus was able to get one of the guards assigned to Malaas' tent to pretend he was ill, and convince Rolik to let Lorne take his place. Marc was called to the tent before Lexa was brought in, and before the Wraith had their meal. Even though he head been in Pegasus for a year, he had never seen a Wraith feed. The villagers who had been beaten the most earlier that day in the Sparring Ring were brought in for dinner. Malaas, Rolik, and a few other Wraith who were in charge of the camp took their turns draining life from the men. Lorne tried to control his gag reflex as he attempted to focus on something else, but his mind kept coming back to what had happened to Lieutenant Ritter at the mining camp on P3X-403. He wanted to help them, but he knew not even Lexa with her powers could do anything about it.

When the Wraith were finished they had the guards remove the lifeless bodies and brought in their entertainment, which included Lexa. The girls had been forced to change into an outfit that resembled Teyla's sparring attire, but bared more skin, at least they would once a few veils were removed. The girls danced around as if performing at a Gentleman's Club, and as long as Lexa kept her distance from the Wraith, which she was trying to, Lorne too took in the entertainment, leering at his fiancée. I knew she could move, but damn. I so need to get her to do that back home. Mission! Focus, focus!

Lexa played to the Wraith, moving from one to the next. She carefully maneuvered around the room and over to Marc. She made a small motion to him as she passed, indicating for him to be ready to pull his dagger. Lexa moved back over to Malaas and as she walked around him he pulled of the veil hiding her birthmark. "You're a Protector!" Malaas leaped to his feet and raised his hand, preparing to feed. "And you're mine!" Malaas thrust his hand forward toward Lexa as Lorne threw the dagger over to her. Lexa caught the Wraiths arm and twisted it around and down to the table. She caught the dagger and stabbed it through Malaas' hand, pinning him to the table.

"We gotta go!" Lexa called to Marc as he took out the guards and she handled the other Wraith with a flick of her wrist.

The two of them bolted out the back of the tent and into the woods. "What kind of a plan was that," Lorne asked as they ran through the moonlight.

"Well," Lexa began, "that wasn't exactly my plan. My plan involved a diversion, and us sneaking away unnoticed. That was just taking advantage of an opportunity. Can't say I didn't enjoy it though."

Marc tailed close behind her, "What do you think they'll do now, knowing you're a Protector?"

"Don't know," Lexa stopped. "All I do know is that we need to get back to the Gate." She looked around, "Now which way is it?"

Lorne laughed, since she was actually lost, and she could almost always find where she was going, "I'm pretty sure it's this way." He took the lead and they jogged off. As they approached the tree line they caught sight of the Gate and six dark figures loitering by the DHD. They slowly and quietly made their way closer, and soon Lorne could make out one of the men. "Aarhus. I knew this was gonna happen."

"What are you talking about," Lexa asked taking notice that the other five figures were Wraith Guards armed with stunners.

"He's the guard that got me into Malaas' tent. I had a feeling he might tell the Wraith I was up to something, but I had to chance it. How we gonna get to the Gate, or better question, how are we not going to go splat on the other end." Marc was trying to add some humor to the fact that Atlantis wasn't expecting them back for quite sometime, and that they were lacking a GDO.

"Lets just worry about getting to the Gate first, since we know we can handle that one." Lexa stepped out of the woods and at the same time called for the Wraith's stunners. The weapons slipped out of the guard's hands and came flying toward her. Her initial intention was to use them, but six large stunners hurtling toward her was a bit overwhelming and she guided them off into the trees.

"Now what?"

"Now we put that training to use. You take Aarhus, Curly, and Joe, I'll take Larry, Mo, and Shemp." Lorne rolled his eyes at Lexa. "What, you prefer Shemp?" They both smiled and ran towards the posse guarding the Gate.