Chapter 3: the Confrontation and the Calm

Despite his best efforts, Nexus gets into a confrontation with a group of humans. One that will change things for him in Atlantis...

Nexus was on a mission. And, for the first time since coming to this city, he was excited.

Once he had charged himself to embark upon his little operation, he'd had to wait for the right moment to proceed. Hence he was impatiently lingering on the balcony as the humans woke from their sleep cycle and then had to endure further trials on his patience as they broke their fasts and finally, finally spread out to begin their day.

To be honest, human bodies seemed altogether to be terribly inefficient.

No matter. Nexus eagerly awaited the female human, his stella-nix, to complete her morning rituals, biding his time outside on his favourite balcony.

He took a deep breath of salty air and smiled to himself. This was the balcony where his Commander had held him safe in his arms. Where the older wraith had revealed to him the elegance of his own violet solis, just like his father's. And where he had called the younger wraith his Nexus.

It was also where the Commander had left him, taking the broken half of his clasp. But he was too excited to dwell on that now.

His mind snapped back to the present as the woman rose from her table and left the mess hall to go to her workspace. Going against security protocols, Nexus waited a further interminable half hour for the changing of his guards. Taking full advantage of their momentary inattention, he slipped away from the company and down a side corridor.

Striding through the now familiar hall branching off the central tower, he was eager to find that woman. Nexus ignored the startled looks of the people he passed, determined for a moment alone before his guards caught up with him. He recalled the memory of the way her solis had behaved during her song, challenging what he thought he knew about the minds of the humans.

After the discovery of the piano machine, he hadn't immediately told the woman about the changes to her solis and he wasn't sure why. He suspected it may have been due to the presence of Sheppard and McKay. Later that evening he had bid the Colonel goodnight, but found he could not rest. Many day and night cycles had gone by as he mulled over what to do, before pondering that perhaps he would be better to explain things to her in private.

Yes. He had decided to seek out his stella-nix and tell her all about the enchanting way her solis had multiplied and danced while she sang with the Dr McKay.

Wait. His stella-nix. His? Since when had he started thinking of her as his?

When they'd first met, he had delighted in informing her of the deficient nature of her mind signature. His delight had faded when he saw how hurt she had looked when he explained the meaning of the designation he'd given her. Stella-nix. He also recalled the way she'd rallied herself and stunned him with a designation of his own; stella-nex.

Thanks to Colonel Sheppard, he was now confident in his knowledge of Star Wars trivia. Although he did not know whether to be proud or insulted that she thought of him akin to the 'Death Star'. While he could appreciate the size and power of the spherical space station, he did not care for being cast as something inherently evil.

In fact, he had to admit to a fascination with the Colonel's description of the heroes' companions. He hoped to converse with the female regarding the hefty hirsute beast character and the diminutive bleeping droid. And the thought of a golden artificial man programmed with more than seven million forms of communication would surely appeal to his stella-nix, what with her proclivity for both Wraith and Ancient.

Nexus pondered whether he should rethink her designation now. The way her solis had produced dozens of tiny stars whirling around her, enchanting his mind into spontaneously reaching out to form a connection...

As he travelled down the halls, Nexus vaguely registered members of the Lantean team spread throughout his stella-tenux. McKay down in his laboratory, ever the orange tornado of mind-noise. The warm red of the Colonel deep in conversation with an ashen Mr Woolsey.

And further off in the living quarters, throbbed the pale green of his queen along with another, smaller dependent solis. His queen? His?! He really must examine his use of possessive pronouns.

And where was-? Ah, there. Ensconced in her alcove sat the evasive spark; the target of his morning's mission. He had just enough time to talk with her before joining the team in Woolsey's office for yet another meeting.

The only member missing from his mental sweep was- the Satedan.

Only he was no longer unaccounted for. The big man was barreling down the hall towards him, flanked by a group of marines, fresh from training in the gymnasium. Nexus didn't need to scan their soli to sense their restless energy and heightened desire for more action.

The potentially hostile men spread out around him, making him wish that he had not slipped away from his guards. Trapped there in the narrow hallway, Nexus turned slowly and acknowledged the five unfamiliar men before stopping in front of the warrior.

"Ssssatedan," he hissed. "May I help you?"

"Where's your guards, wraith?" the man muttered, chin raised in challenge, hands tense and ready to reach for weapons. Nexus noticed with relief that he was without his blaster.

"I musssst have misssplaced them." He bared teeth but kept his arms firmly by his sides.

"Right." The Satedan advanced, the sheer bulk of the man looming over the wraith.

The marines crowded in further, creating a tight circle around the Nexus. Clad in identical uniforms, the unfamiliar faces seemed to blur together. Nexus knew he was an acceptable fighter, but taking on half a dozen humans was outside the range of his skills. He also feared reprisal from the Colonel. Where are the guards? Surely they should catch up at any moment?

"Hey, watch the wraith," grunted the warrior as he shoved past Nexus and strode off down the hall. Nexus inhaled his scent; heat and musk almost masking the bigger man's hate. The marines closed ranks after letting the Satedan pass by, concentrating the rank stench of discomfort mixing with the heady notes of their anxiety.

A voice piped up behind him. Nexus spun to meet a pair of cold, searching eyes. "Now, I just don't get why we have to put up with the likes of a damn wraith in our city."

"Seems the Colonel has a bit of a soft spot for your Todd, eh?" Coming from an older marine on his right, the mention of his Commander made the wraith bristle.

"So what are we going to do with you then?" Nexus pivoted back to his left. He didn't know how to answer, momentarily distracted by the human's red hair.

"I used to have one of those insect traps when I was a kid." The statement of the bulky soldier behind him was met with nods of understanding.

"Oh yeah, my brother had one of 'em too. Used to like to squeeze the little critters. Watch their insides decorate their outsides". The towering, lanky officer chuckled to himself when Nexus seemed to take his comment personally. The crude image made the wraith back up a step only to bump into the solid chest of the burly soldier.

"Watch it, bug." He was shoved forward into the waiting hands of the one with the cold eyes.

Breathing deeply, Nexus struggled to control his rising fear. He would not show weakness in front of these men. "Kindly remove your paws, human."

"What? Can't get away?" The cold eyes were joined by an equally chilling smile.

Shrugging off the man's grip, thewraith's eyes darted around, expecting the Satedan's return. Would he allow the other humans to harm him?

He closed his eyes, searching for the big man's signature white-hot solis. He could only sense the pallid, angry minds of the marines, pressing in closer and closer.

"Are you sleeping there, wraith?" came a voice from his left. The red-haired one had moved closer still.

"Wakey, wakey," taunted the hulking one from behind, advancing ever closer.

Nexus tried to cast his mind wider, to find a familiar mind to tether himself to. But he had no active connections with the humans here. No one would want to accept his mind linking with theirs.

He pushed out further, past the walls of the city, beyond the planet itself, desperately searching for alva-donum, for hive. He wanted his hive-mates, his Commander.

Where? Brothers. Alva-sancti! Where?! WHERE?! But there was only the vast nothing. No hives were close enough to hear his desperate call.

Hands gripped his shoulders, giving him a rough shake. The enormity of his isolation caused his breath to catch in his throat. He let out a strangled growl, offhand flying up to the inner pocket that cradled his clasp.

But it was not there. No. No no no no.

His eyes snapped open and the look of panic must have taken his captor by surprise as he let go instantly. The wraith's hands shook with rising panic as he patted his jacket, head jerking, eyes darting around the floor.

where is it where is it where is it where is it where is it where is it where is it where is it where is it

Nexus whirled around, all thoughts of stoicism and strength long gone.

where is it where is it where is it where is it - there! Kneeling down, the wraith scrambled to pick up the tiny iratus clasp, lying dejectedly on the dirty floor.

"What's wrong with him?"

A low grunt from behind him was the only reply. His peripheral vision caught some movement from behind the wall of soldiers. The Satedan had returned. The human had his hands raised and seemed to be provoking the others to do the same. Offhands and feeding hands hovered over his crouched position, raised in warning.

Without thinking, Nexus rose from the floor in an offensive stance, raised his own feeding hand ready to strike, and let loose a savage growl.

The humans reacted all at once, barking instructions at him that seemed to contradict each other. Their faces contorted with rage and fear, and still with hands raised in threat.

NOISE HEAT FEAR HATE WHITE HOT.

It was everywhere at once; resounding in his ears, attacking his eyes, his mind. Compounding the clamor was the sound of footsteps pounding down the hall towards them. Nexus couldn't catch his breath. He couldn't shut out the assault of soli bearing down on him, more and more coming his way. They were all flashing, sparking, blurring into one another. He moved his hands to cover his ears, the pressure building, the pain intensifying.

Someone must have called for more help because he recognised the next wave of minds swarming towards his position.

A warm red solis flared outside of his prison of foreign minds. Colonel Sheppard?

Turbulent orange buzzing burst from behind the Colonel. McKay?

A pale green filum came snaking down the corridor towards him. My queen? No! Leave me! He feared another crack of her whip. But all he felt emanating from her was worry-concern-demand--

Nexus? What is it that plagues you?

But her inquiry was drowned out as Sheppard, Ronon and McKay added their voices to the soldier's cacophony that echoed around him. He struggled to keep up, to make sense of everything all at once.

red-enforce: "Sit rep, Ronon." so many minds. Strange. not wraith.

white-anger: "The wraith-" why? angry. stop.

orange-disturb: "Uh, Earth to Ronon, it's obvious what's wrong-" too loud. stop. stop.

red-focus: "Not now, Rodney." please! stop.

white-hot-shoot: "The wraith dodged his guard. He's a threat-" not to hurt! no.

orange-suffer: "Are you kidding me? Look at him! He's terrified!" stop. please. stop.

white-confusion: "I'm looking, McKay. The damn wraith-" too many. minds. pressing.

orange-hurt: "He's surrounded by hopped up neanderthals-" pain. yes. too much.

white-hot-accuse: "He raised his feeding hand!" but you too. danger!

orange-irritation: "You raised yours! To threaten him!" yes. threat. danger! kill!

white-doubt: "No. To calm him down-" not understand.

orange-grief: "Idiots! All of you!" no. danger? no.

warning-red : "Rodney." protect. please.

white-confusion: "But he's wraith!" stop. stop.

flame-indignant-battle-protect "Bullies! The lot of you." mckay. protect.

WARNING-RED-STOP: "Rodney, no one is bullying the wraith." help me sheppard.

Nexus pressed his hands harder, nails digging into the sides of his head. If they would only be quiet. Just for a moment. Please, he silently begged. He bared his teeth at the prison of minds, took a long gulp of air and forced it back up;

he roared long and low and loud.

Click-click-click-click. Guns cocking. Then silence. At last.

Nexus held his mind in his own shaking hands, eyes still squeezed shut against the world.

But then came a hissing, a disturbing susurration filtering in through his stella-tenux.

pale: pause-shoot-fire. shoot the wraith

pale: get back-get back-get back

pale: doesn't belong. go. leave our city.

pale: danger. he's a threat to us all.

pale: what is it doing?

white: why does the damn wraith have to be here?

green: hushhhhh Nexus. hushhhhh.

orange : typical typical bullies. obvious he's afraid. leave him alone! they never stop. never never.

red: so young. terrified. too young. todd was wrong. he's too young for this. not ready.

Nexus squeezed tighter. Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP! Too much nothing. No tether. No brothers.

His stella-tenux was failing. Each of the soli were winking out in front of him. Darkness was encroaching. The void spreading. Even the pale green filum was slowly fading.

Petrified, he opened his eyes. But there was nothing to see there either. Nothing. Where? Why? What is happening? Blind? Nothing. Only panic. Fear. Terror.

Nothing.

Nothing.

pulse.

Nothing?

Nothing?!

pulse. pulse. There. What?

Pulse-pulse-pulse. A small spark. The smallest of stars. A whisper. nnnnn-xxxxx-sssss

He focused his mind on the spark.

He tried to make out the sounds. NNNNN-XXXXX-SSSS

The spark brightened ever so slightly.

He summoned the last of his energy and sent a fearful filum out into the dark. His desperation pushed it out into the nothing, towards the star. He yearned for that star. He begged the elders to allow him to make it that far. To reach a little further. Please.

stella-nixxxxx?

nnn-xxxx-sssss.

He made contact. He felt the star resist for one terrifying moment, then lay itself open to him.

stella-nixxxx?

here. nexus. here.

The wraith allowed his mind to grip tightly to her solis. Still blind to those around him, he knew she stood just beyond the frighteningly pallid figures of the marines. She had come to investigate the commotion outside her work space. He had been so close to finding her...

Nexus could feel her worry, her fear. But she was not afraid of him. She was afraid for him.

Her tiny star multiplied, sending sparks down their link. Each one touched his mind.

here. help. come. safe. you. me. two. safe. sure.

A pull from behind vaguely registered as the Athosian's filum which had managed to reconnect with the back of his mind. Hush-calm-green-shield-alvadonum-hive-mine-protect

Intense blushing heat pressed through the wall of soldiers, flooding in from his left. Colonel Sheppard. red-warm-defend-young-guard-flame-protect

Orange flares flew about in the dark, only this time they arced around Nexus before returning to the Scientist. Pure energy exploded to his right, sending out the flares, keeping the others back.

The core of McKay. brilliance-life-love-guard-help-save-same-protect

And finally, finally the sallow, pallid soli were retreating. The marines were backing away.

"Hey, buddy." A warm hand gripped his left elbow. Sheppard.

"We've got you." A strong grip cradled his right. McKay.

The two men guided him slowly down the hallway through the black void of the city. The pale green strand followed him, never wavering. Queen.

The white-heat of the big man thrummed with concern, conflicted as he stayed behind. Satedan.

And his anchor. Just up ahead, leading the way forward. His guiding star.

stella-nix?

here.

Straining against his exhaustion, Nexus projected an image along their filum; his violet solis tethered to her tiny star. Her resulting sense of wonder pleased him.

me?

yes. stella-nix.

Rather than the discomfort he expected, Nexus only sensed her interest as she marvelled at the two of them. Focusing on her mind helped him put one foot in front of the other as they moved slowly down the hall. Her dazzling shroud kept the blank void from pressing in on him so he bowed his head ever so slightly and gave himself over to her lead.

As his delirium abated and was gently replaced by a sense of calm, the presence of the other soli faded back into existence around him. This time without the soldiers or the Satedan. Even his guards were missing, unnecessary with the Colonel present on his left.

stella-nix?

Her designation no longer felt adequate. He had reduced this delicate human down to nothing and, yet again, she had defied his estimation. She had rallied against him from the beginning. She had only accepted his naming on the condition that he tolerate the label of stella-nex. Lifting her voice in song, she had produced a solis explosion which had called out to him.

And now, here she was. Protecting him. Leading him to safety. Calming his mind with her own. She is so much more than a stella-nix.

nexus?

your name?

share…

… with me?

His request was met with a flicker of uncertainty. He waited. He hoped.

juno. i'm juno.

juno. It was a strange title. A word that reminded him of something...

"Illa qui ju-nix stellarum," he murmured.

"Junix?" she asked, as curiosity surged down their filum engulfing the Wraith. The wraith sent her the words conceal and hide. He tried to show her she who hides her stars.

"Not... 'nothing' after all," his voice was barely audible. Nexus sensed her solis burst into a jubilant veil of sparks. He pushed along this image and basked in her growing amazement.

"Stella-nex…," she mused quietly. "Nexus. Link… tie… centre. Perhaps, not 'death' after all..."

As she contemplated this growing revelation of her own, Nexus used the reserves of his energy to show her one last image; his company of humans.

His violet solis in the middle of a compass of four radiant soli. Ever-vigilant pulses were still flying around him and back to their source - the flaming orange core on his right. A warm red glow guarded his left side and a pale green gossamer thread trailed behind him.

And her. Juno. A bright cluster of stars out in front, towing him along as sparks sailed down their filum.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered

"Stella-nix mea*," he purred in reply.

Notes:

*"Stella-nix mea" - My hidden-star

"Illa qui junix stellarum" - she who hides her stars

"Illa qui ju-nix stellarum" - she who hides her stars