AN: Ok, the chapters are comin slowly, but they're comin!

Chapter 8

Major Lorne blinked his eyes to confirm what he was seeing. The path was long and the light was still not great, so he brought up his P-90. With the brightening day, though, the beam did little to illuminate the source of his confusion.

In spite of that, he was still now certain that, distantly illuminated by the glow of the sun through the trees, Dr. Zelenka and a strange woman were making their way towards the clearing by the gate. Teyla drew up next to Lorne, hardly able to believe her eyes as well. Though the figures were still some fifty feet away, it was tough to mistake the Czech scientist, even in his now more battered state.

"Dr. Zelenka?" Teyla called, well aware that the Major had his P-90 up and ready. She angled herself as best she could do obscure the weapon from the line of sight of the approaching figures, without actually being in Lorne's way. The small man looked up in surprise at her voice, and even from a distance, she could clearly make out the relief on his face. The scientist picked up his pace, hobbling along with some kind of crutch he'd gotten only the Ancestors knew where, and the woman lengthened her stride as well.

"Teyla!" Radek yelled as he drew up to them, thankful to see friendly faces. "Major Lorne! Is everyone all right? The device has not be brought to Atlantis?" he blurted before catching sight of the temporary workstation set up. Thompsen and Klein were still single-mindedly plodding through their tests, and he noted their dedication with a smile. Teyla raised an eyebrow.

"We have been concerned about you, doctor," she said. "You vanished from the cave and we were unable to raise you on the radio. Ronon and a team have been out searching for you." Radek didn't quite know what to make of it. Of course, he should have realized that they would have had no way of knowing he was relatively safe. He had just been so concerned about getting the information from Breeda, about the device, to Atlantis; making sure that everyone else was safe, that he'd almost forgotten that his own condition had been a mystery.

"Oh," he finally managed to mutter as the situation processed. Teyla tapped her earpiece, hoping that Ronon and the soldiers would hear her.

"Ronon, Lieutenant Healy, do you read me?" she asked. Through the static of the reply, she got an affirmative. "Dr. Zelenka is safe, he is back here with us by the gate. Please return." Some more static, but finally Sergeant Spinnicchia reported that they copied and were returning to the gate.

"Who's your friend here?" Major Lorne asked pleasantly enough, though Teyla and Radek did not miss the note of suspicion in his voice.

"I am Breeda," the woman told him, looking him squarely in the face. She had drawn herself up to her full height, and truly made an impressive figure.

"Yes, and she has agreed to help Colonel Sheppard," Zelenka added quickly.

"With the understanding that my defense screen will be returned to me," Breeda said.

"Yes, yes," Radek said hastily. "But please, first, tell us how we can help Colonel Sheppard. You do not even have to come with us, since you find it so distasteful." Breeda shook her head.

"What are you talking about, Doctor?" Teyla asked, confusion wrinkling her brow.

"To make a very long story short," he explained, moving towards the Stargate even as he spoke, "The device that we took from the wall of the cave is a defensive mechanism designed to keep... certain people from intruding."

"But the effects can be reversed?" Lorne asked, eyeing the woman skeptically.

"Of course," Breeda said. The group was almost at the gate now. Teyla dialed Atlantis.

"Dr. Weir, this is Teyla."

"How's it going there? Any good news?" came Weir's reply.

"Indeed, very good news. Dr. Zelenka has made his way back to us." Weir's sigh of relief was audible. "He has brought along a woman named Breeda who claims to be able to help Colonel Sheppard."

"And where exactly did he find this woman?" McKay interjected. It seemed that both he and Dr. Weir had been living in the control room; and from the extra edge in his voice, Teyla and Radek both knew the man had not slept.

"It is a long story Rodney, one I would much rather share while under the care of Dr. Beckett," Radek said. His leg was positively throbbing after his trek through the woods.

"Are you all right, Radek?" Weir asked, concern heavy in her voice.

"I will be fine, as long as Dr. Beckett does not kill me for accumulating more injuries, not to mention ruining his handiwork on the ones he's already treated."

"And this woman...?" Weir left the question open, trusting that Radek would understand what she needed to know and come up with a response that would not offend their potential guest before she could help Colonel Sheppard.

"She tended to my wounds and helped me get back to the Stargate," he replied. "She has agreed to help Colonel Sheppard as long as we return her defense screen to her." Weir processed the information. This woman may have ulterior motives, but she had given a sign of good faith. It was a calculated risk.

"I assume you have recalled the search teams?" Weir asked.

"We have. They should be back within the hour," Teyla responded.

"Very well. Once they make it back, you are cleared to come through." Radek and Teyla breathed a silent sigh of relief. Lorne only gripped his P-90 a little tighter as the gate deactivated.

While they waited for Ronon and the others to return, Radek filled them in on what had happened to him yesterday; at least, as much as he remembered.

"That reminds me," Radek said, facing Breeda, "How did I get from where I crashed down that ramp to the room where we spoke?" The woman shrugged.

"I was aware of you and your companions presence in the entry cave," she told him. "I worried that it was only a matter of time before one of you tried to get in. I know now that it was unintentional, but I was waiting nearby. When you fell, I reached you quickly. Since you were unconscious, you were of no immediate threat, so I simply brought you to a more habitable section."

"What, you carried him?" Lorne asked skeptically. The woman may not seem frail, but she did look to be in her sixties, at least.

"It was only a twenty minute walk. The corridors in the section where he entered are cluttered with debris, the beds would have had a difficult time getting through," she explained, as though it was perfectly acceptable for her to carry a 160 pound man for twenty minutes with no problem. By this time, Thompsen and Klein had both left their station and had joined the group by the gate. Both scientists grinned broadly at Zelenka.

"Good to have you back, Radek," Thompsen said. The Czech smiled.

"Indeed," Radek said, "Though I will not be fully satisfied until we are back on Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard is back to his old self, and Rodney is picking up my workload while I rest comfortably." The other men chuckled at his statement.

"Which brings us back to the question of how exactly your friend here is going to help the Colonel," Lorne said.

"Yes," Radek said, looking at Breeda. "I asked you before, but you never did tell me. Perhaps if you could just explain it to us, you would not need to come with us." The woman sighed and shook her head.

"Even if you could understand, it would do you no good," she said. "You are human, and only my people can undo the damage that has been done."

"You are not human?" he asked. She tipped her head and smirked at him.

"You are a bright man, Dr. Radek Zelenka," she said. He flushed slightly. "If we must wait for the others to return before we can get this over with, I might as well use the time to explain," she sighed.

"That would be good. As much information as you can give us would be helpful," Teyla said kindly. Breeda bowed her head.

"Then I shall start at the beginning." She drew a deep breath. "My people are old, as old as the Ancients, if not older. In spite of the impression I may have given you, Dr. Zelenka, we do not hate the Ancients, nor any other group of people. However, we are a protective people, prone to settling down and keeping only ourselves and those we care for safe. Because of that, we are not really cohesive, and there are many different clans spread amongst the stars, some of us differing wildly from each other. Some of us actually lived on Earth, for a while," she said, smiling at the humans from that planet. Several jaws dropped, as they wondered how she could know not only their planet of origin, but who among them were from Earth. She chucked slightly before continuing.

"After a while, those of us who ended up here in this galaxy became aware of the growing war between the Ancients and the Wraith. Though we would defend our own homes and charges from the cullings, most of us refused to take part in the large-scale conflict. This did not go over too well with the Ancients.

"They asked us for help, many times. Our technology is as great as theirs, and they were convinced that if we joined forces, we could eliminate the Wraith all together. You may think of us what you will, but we have our own reasons for our actions, and our inaction. Most of us steadfastly refused to join the conflict, and I stand by that decision.

"My sisters and I came to this planet long ago, because of the fact that there were no humans left here. No reason for the Wraith to come, no reason for the Ancients to bother us. One of my sisters built the defense screen. My other sister made sure that the effects of the screen could be reversed by any one of us. And it was I," she said, her eyes darting only briefly towards the ground, "Who specified the effects it should have." The reaction was a mix of awe and anger and confusion, and many questions were fired at her all at once.

"No, I cannot tell you how the machines in the clearing work," she told the scientists. "My sister did not build them, though she understood them. They were left here by another clan long ago, from a time when this world was populated. They defend against Wraith darts, but I do not know how.

"Yes, I will explain why the screen does what it does, the reasoning behind it," she said, facing the accusatory glares of Teyla and Lorne. "But not until I can face the one who was actually affected by it." There were unsatisfied grumbles all around, but for the moment, the response was accepted.

"But, the Ancients have been gone from this galaxy for over ten-thousand years," Radek said, his brow furrowed as he looked at Breeda. "Surely your sisters and you would have known that before you came here..." he trailed off, wondering if the outlandish thought that had strayed into his mind was even possible. If Breeda and her sisters had come here to avoid both the Wraith and the Ancients, then the Ancients were still actively around... The silver-haired woman smiled. "How old are you?" he asked in astonishment.

"Now Radek, I'm surprised at you," she said, laughter threatening to break through her mock-stern facade. "You seem like too much of a gentleman to ask a lady her age." Silence settled over the group for a moment before it was broken by the crackle of Major Lorne's radio.

"Sir, we're five minutes out," came Lt. Healy's voice.

"Copy," said Lorne, who moved to begin dialing Atlantis.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End Notes: I do hope this isn't getting too confusing or boring for anyone. :holds up a sheet of gauzy material: Are you all still enjoying this? Let me know!