"She won't tell me anything, my Lord."
"That is unfortunate."
"If you allow me to take physical actions against her, I could get her to talk…"
There was a rush of displeasure, and Hu cringed in the face of it.
"I do not want her injured. Not until I know what she is, and if she is an enemy to my people."
"She has already killed many of your people – her and her friends."
"It was a provoked attack." And again there was annoyance. "An attack that you provoked with your actions."
Hu lowered his head, accepting blame since there was no way he could deny it in the face of the Being he was with.
"I was only trying to protect them – as you commanded me from the very beginning."
"But this time you put them in danger." Now the voice was reproving. "There are others searching for her."
"Humans?"
"Some. Others are similar to her – and yet look nothing like her."
"What does that mean?"
"Perhaps she is a hybrid of the two races. Perhaps she is something completely different."
"What of those searching?"
"They are nowhere near here. However, I want you to keep the people in this area – including the scouts – until they give up and leave."
"And if they do not?"
"I will deal with them. Your duty is to do as I command and keep my people safe."
Hu bowed low.
"Yes, my Lord."
And the Being was gone.
OOOOOOOOO
"Any luck, Sergeant?" Weir asked as Sanchez emerged from the Stargate back in Atlantis.
Duck shook his head.
"No, ma'am. We're still looking."
"You came to report?"
He shook his head again.
"No, ma'am. I'm here to get a jumper – or two – so we can broaden the search."
"I see." Weir hesitated, but really, using the jumpers was a good idea. "Take two," she told him, after a moment. "I want Colonel Mitchell found as quickly as possible."
Duck nodded, gesturing for the men that had accompanied him to head for the jumper bay.
"We're looking, Ma'am."
She gave him a tight, but worried smile.
"I know, Sergeant."
She did know, too.
OOOOOOOOO
"How quickly will they grow?" Carson asked, looking down at the infant he was holding.
Aron smiled.
"They develop at approximately the same rate that humans do – from what we've seen of the Farmers. Although we do have longer life spans."
"And have you ever had any that for some reason or the other haven't been able to learn to change shapes?"
She shook her head, but Kale nodded.
"There are a few old stories of such things occurring, Doctor. But never in as long as any of us can remember."
"Why all the questions, doc?" Sheppard asked, looking up from his son, who was trying to shove his hand in his mouth.
"They're amazing people," Carson said, smiling an apology to Kale and Aron both. "And who knows when I'll have this kind of opportunity to find out as much about them and how they develop again?"
"We do not mind the questions, Doctor Beckett," Aron said, amused. "It is refreshing to instruct others about ourselves."
"You are more than welcomed to stay here as long as you wish," Kale offered. "If you are interested, I'm certain one of the females would be more than willing to mate with you so you could watch the development of your own offspring."
Carson blushed at the blatant offer, and was suddenly uncomfortable under the compelling gazes of Aron and the other females who had gathered around the newcomers and the babies.
"Uh… thank you, all the same… I'll stick to just asking questions…"
Sheppard grinned, glad that someone else was uncomfortable for a change, and thinking that Mitchell would find that offer amusing. He couldn't wait to share it with her.
OOOOOOOOO
A pounding in his head brought Ronon Dex back to consciousness. Pain that only grew worse as he forced himself awake, and screamed at him when he finally opened his eyes. He winced; bringing his hands up to hold his head, afraid that it was about to explode.
"Mr. Dex?"
The voice was gentle and a little uncertain, and Ronon forced his eyes open to see who it was. And found himself looking at one of the medics from Atlantis.
"Where am I?" he asked, confused and disorientated, mostly because he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything around his aching head.
"You're in the infirmary…" the doctor told him. "How do you feel?"
"The infirmary?"
"Yes."
He turned his head, again, but couldn't get his eyes to focus any better than his mind was.
"What happened?"
"We're not certain. The rescue teams found you and Teyla at the Stargate, unconscious."
He sat up in his bed, then, remembering.
"Where's Mitchell?"
Startled, the medic froze. Dex looked around, and saw Teyla in the bed next to his, unconscious, but the rest of the row was glaringly empty.
"Where is she?"
"They didn't find her," the medic said. "They're still looking. They called Teal'c."
"I need to get back there."
He started to push back his blankets, ignoring the steady pounding of his head.
"Doctor Weir wants to talk to you and Teyla when you wake up, sir…"
Ronon nodded, and started to get out of bed. Greatly daring, the medic stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"Stay where you are, sir," she said. "I'll bring Doctor Weir here…"
Since he felt like he was going to pass out at any minute, Dex nodded, even though he hated to admit it.
"Tell her to hurry."