Chapter 2 – On Sol
The planet of Sol was very pleasant, and appeared to be comprised of equal parts expansive farmlands and dense forest. The air was dry and clear, reflecting perhaps a summer season in this area of the planet closest to its Portal.
The sun shone warm and bright across the tall forest trees, filtering down in between wide leaves to glimmer across a soft spongy ground beneath. It reminded Teyla of her earliest years living in the Athosian forest. The trees here were far larger and taller, and there were no large cities outside the forest like Tjaru had been to her village. Though her memories of those distant youthful days living in the forest were tinged with the ever-present fear of cullings and the grief of losing Mother, Teyla still felt a deep sense of home when once again among trees.
Sat up in the high branches of a large Sol tree, her back comfortably settled against warm bark, she was provided with an excellent view of the surrounding forest floor below.
It was still too early for the Wraith to emerge from its hidden place, hibernating and thereby hiding its mind and location from her. She could sense that there was a Wraith here on Sol, but not where it was. For now, it was simply a faint displeasure in her belly.
Sol was not an Alliance world, but was relatively close to the border, and, most significantly, was only a short ship journey away from the recent site of the Nest System battle. It was very common for Wraith that survived such battles to flee to nearby planets; sometimes inside Alliance territory and sometimes outside.
The local residents on Sol had seen balls of fire fall from the sky several weeks ago, and had since been losing members of their community in the night, only to be found in the early morning fed upon. Frightened, yet determined, the local peoples had tracked the Wraith down in the forest themselves, finding its crashed ship and the monster inside it. By their sheer numbers and with the help of several Alliance guns that had 'found' their way over the border, the locals had killed the Wraith, but the attacks had continued.
So more than one Wraith had crashed on Sol. Given the twin seat fighter remains the locals had found in the forest, there was likely only one other Wraith to hunt down.
Alone and without any connections to another Hive or Queen to save them, these sole survivor Wraith usually bedded down on planets like Sol, feeding off the local peoples from one settlement to the next, feeding well and waiting for an opportunity to join a friendly Hive.
However, the remaining Wraith on Sol was not going to get that chance. The local settlement most affected had contacted the Elite for help, and though clearly wary of the Alliance as a whole, they had welcomed her and Oneakka since they had arrived three days ago.
She glanced down to the forest floor and off to the right where Oneakka was concealed between two massive tree trunks. She could only see the left side of his face and one shoulder, but it was enough that they could keep a line of sight between them as they patiently waited for the day's light to fade and the Wraith to finally emerge. It had been five days on Sol since the last attack, which was the longest period between previous feedings, so tonight the monster should wake to feed.
Tidying up stray Wraith was common enough work for the Elite, but this offered mission had actually arrived at a perfect time for her. She had needed an excuse to leave Athos for a few days.
Father had been very busy developing the new ties between Athos and Atlantis, following her and John's Political Marriage. For the last weeks, he had set Tjaru as the site for the 'First Intergalactic Conference'. He had invited experts from across the Alliance to meet with Atlantis personnel in Tjaru and discuss trade and cultural subjects. However, within the first days of the Conference, news had gotten around and the influx of visitors had substantially increased. Suddenly Father had some of the most well known experts on all manner of professions from across the Alliance arriving at his door. As a result, most of the rooms of the Governing Complex, as well as meeting halls and medical teaching spaces across Tjaru, were filled with daily scheduled seminars, lectures, and discussion groups.
Military strategists, medical technicians, Ancestor tech specialists, biologists, political leaders, and various trading organisations from across the Alliance had started talking, and not just with Atlantis, but with each other in ways never before enjoyed. It appeared that no one had thought to run something so wide ranging before in covering so many subjects, and it had brought a vast amount of business into Athos. All lodgings were booked up, eating establishments working overtime, and the drinks halls were celebrating more business than ever before. Once all of Tjaru had booked up, the nexy local towns had filled up their lodgings, and traders had been quick to cover transport in and out of Tjaru for the visitors.
It was a fantastic display of the extra benefits of her and John's Political Marriage that she had never predicted. Colonel Carter clearly agreed and had been sending her own people everyday into Tjaru, and, according to John, experts had been brought into Atlantis from Earth for weeks. Apparently scientists were 'chomping at the bit' to join the Conference. She was not entirely sure of the source of John's saying, but she understood that his people were excited.
However, as wonderful as it was, it had meant that she and John had had to attend every day of the Conference. As the political tool that had brought the Conference together, they had to be seen by all those attending. All eyes had been on them, and they had had to sit through an extensive variety of discussion groups and lectures, and then attend every meal as guests of honour for all to see. It had been fine for the first few days, but after two weeks of it, she had started to feel trapped and the constant watching wondering eyes had been getting to her.
All of the visitors watched her and John intently, all of them assessing, analysing and whispering. As an Elite warrior, she was used to being the focus of attention – it was part of being an Elite to be visible for people to see that resistance to the Wraith was possible. Yet, the stares and intrigue about her at the Conference had clearly not been about her being a warrior, but being John's Wife.
She did not read the more social sides of the news feeds, but she knew that she and John had been heavily focused upon for the Conference. Their pictures had been seen everywhere. And she had had to maintain the appearance of controlled warrior, but pleased new wife in them all. So, despite the last day of the Conference fast approaching, she had leapt at the chance to join Oneakka on this mission to Sol. It was far more tiring dealing with the social pressures than hunting Wraith.
Though, the one positive of the Conference for her personally, was being able to spend so much time with John. He didn't enjoy being the centre of attention either, but with him at her side, it had been far more bearable. Plus, it had brought them together over a new common ground that did not involve a space battle or hand-to-hand combat with Wraith. They had been able to rediscover their friendship, spending all their days at the Conference together, but also enjoying short breaks alone together in her quarters. Over shared tea they would discuss what they'd heard in the seminars and share jokes over the various things they had seen. John had started up a game of giving the various, and constantly changing, sea of faces at the Conference humorously descriptive names.
As was always his way, he had brought a sense of levity whilst never being disrespectful. Over these weeks he had shown, anew, how he had truly been the correct choice for her Political Husband. She would never have laughed with General Maloo over how 'grumpy chin guy' had clearly been ogling 'never washes her hair lady' in a discussion group about maintaining agricultural stocks across the Alliance.
She smiled at the remembered comment. It was good to spend so much time with John, perhaps the most time they'd actually spent together since she'd first spied him in that slaver's cage; the first time they had properly met. He had looked her straight in the eye and smiled, all while trying to appear nonchalant about his situation. He had even tried to flirt with her through the bars.
So very John.
She was aware, despite how much improved their friendship had become, that things had remained somewhat careful between them. There was a line that they did not step over anymore, its presence nearly always there. He flirting gently with her, just the occasional comment and he nearly always carried on with another comment quickly, not lingering on the sexual tone of his voice and meaning. They often embraced in greeting, his people's tradition for married couples, and he placed a kiss to her cheek. Always quick and polite, and not lingering or implying he wished for more.
She both loved those moments, and also feared them too.
Like never before did she understand how insects were drawn to the burning danger of a flame at night. John's presence was wonderful, entertaining and supportive, but also worryingly bright and attractive.
Too much had happened between them to pretend otherwise. He was her weakness, and she had hurt him with her rejection and attempt to marry another man. Though they had discussed the facts several times, and he had said he had forgiven her for her past mistakes, they had both agreed that their affair before had been misguided.
But, the warming light of him at her side...the temptation of the flame. Part of her wondered if she could hold her distance from him for the years ahead. Whether she even wanted to.
Or whether he had truly forgiven her enough to agree.
She sighed loudly into the warm Sol air. This mission at least had given her some distance from the emotional confusion John could provoke in her – or did it simply give her more time to dwell on it?
Better to focus on her work. The sun was past its height overhead, so best to do what she and Oneakka had been assigned here for.
She leant her head to one side to check on Oneakka. His posture told her that nothing in the vicinity concerned him. He would be continuously monitoring the surrounding forest with a sensor pad, while it was her duty to watch and wait for the Wraith to stir awake.
Trusting Oneakka to watch over her, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Slowly, she stilled further, deeper; sinking into that cold place inside that was her connection to the Wraith psychic network.
Years of training, and real world experience, meant that she no longer feared the cold place, but instead knew how to drive into it effectively. She always felt as if she were diving down into a deep cold and vast ocean. She pictured sweeping her arms out in front of her and then pulling them back, propelling her deeper and deeper.
She had used to struggle in this place, but now she knew it all too well. She had long ago found her power here, and she wrapped that control and belief in herself as a warmth around her against the cold depths.
Focused, and in the deepest place she needed, she held still in the coldness, waiting. Seeking.
After some time, she felt a single mind as it stirred awake, its consciousness rising into the sense of damp trees and a chill across the Wraith's skin.
She forced herself up through the ocean and snapped her eyes open. She reached to the collar of her coat and tapped the link to Oneakka, alerting him to her discovery.
At which point she realised that Sol's sun was at the horizon, the sky a deep dark claret red. She had been waiting in the depths far longer than she had realised. But, she had a lock on the Wraith's mind now, a light touch that it should not be able to feel.
A light crunch of boots on bracken below drew her gaze down the tall tree in which she was wedged. Oneakka had arrived at the foot of the tree and was looking up at her. His pale skin was oddly bright in the new mist that lingered over the soft forest floor around him. The dark lines of his facial tattoos stood out sharply as he angled his head in silent question.
She held up her right index finger, indicating one Wraith mind, and then pointed off to the far left. He nodded and stepped back from the tree, sensor pad in his hand.
Teyla moved her stiffened limbs to life and climbed quickly down the tree to join him. The sun was sinking faster now, and by the time she reached the ground, the mist had grown thicker, dampening the air and adding a more eerie sensation to the darkening forest.
As she stepped up close to Oneakka's side, she studied the sensor pad in his hand. The display showed a myriad of small lifesigns, which would be local wildlife. That those readings were moving around at varying speeds told her that the Wraith was not in the immediate area.
All life feared the Wraith.
Except Elite.
She drew out her two stunners, checked their power and that they were set on kill level. Her swords on her back, knife at her lower back, a small projectile gun at the back of her holster, boot knives, and wearing Wraith stunner resistant clothing, she was ready for the hunt.
Oneakka, his own weapon check complete, nodded, and they began to move silently forward. They would not talk unless absolutely necessary. There was no need to give the Wraith any warning.
The forest grew darker as they walked, the mist thickening further, hanging between the mighty trees and over the thick patches of waist-high shrubs. Small creatures scurried away as she and Oneakka moved through the vegetation as smoothly as possible.
Oneakka held his sensor pad ahead of him, but she was the lead on direction. Her senses expanded, she kept that channel open between the part of her in the ocean and the Wraith somewhere in this forest.
It was fully awake and moving.
She could not tell precisely where it was, but she knew the general direction and that they were gaining ground on it. The closer she got, the better she would be able to pinpoint the Wraith's location. For now, she could only follow the vague direction, which she gestured out for Oneakka again, and he moved with her without question.
The forest started to change around them, the shrubs increasing and the ground more uneven. Deep hollows between giant lifted roots of the largest trees became wider and deeper. They had to carefully clamber over thick roots, down into the hollow echoing dips, and then back up the other sides. All while keeping as quiet as possible and making sure to check all directions and watch for any ambushes from above.
Perhaps it was the crunch of tiny twigs underfoot, but she knew the instant that the Wraith heard their approach.
She froze, her hand shooting to her temple – the sign that the Wraith was aware of them. Oneakka froze too, his entire posture altering, preparing for battle.
She felt the same, her body bracing in readiness, her back rounding very slightly, held like a spring ready to release once the angle of attack was found. For now though, the search was inside.
She could feel the Wraith's mind searching for a Seeker, like a light shining through the ocean, hoping to illuminate her position. She held still mentally as much as physically, eyes scanning the misty forest around her.
The Wraith could not find her still mind, but she could tell it somehow knew it was now being hunted. She sensed fear flash through its mind, almost panic. It was indeed from the Nest System, for she had seen a flash of unprotected images from its mind – the Alliance Military Fleet, a burst of fire, tumbling through atmosphere and an impact so hard she sensed the Wraith had been critically injured.
She looked towards Oneakka, to see that he held up his pad, indicating the same direction she had sensed. She nodded and silently communicated to him with hand-signals that they had learnt during the first days of training. He nodded and confirmed the direction he would take. She nodded in turn and they parted across the soft ground, fanning out from each other as they circled round in the direction of the Wraith.
She moved as quickly as she could whilst still being as silent as possible, but it could cost the hunt if she and Oneakka lost time in catching up to the Wraith. The creatures could move very fast when they wanted to run.
Breathing fast, but softly, her breath swirled into the mist ahead of her, the night air now colder against her cheeks.
She slowed her steps, knowing Oneakka would be led by her actions from his position further out to the left.
The Wraith was close.
Moving up a slight rise in the ground that may once have been a fallen tree, she kept her stunner in front of her, sighting along it, and she focused her mind like a knife now. If she could find it's mind and cut in, she could hold the Wraith still; but she needed to intently focus for that, to be still herself. If she could find it while it hid...
Except it felt her touch this time and a flash of distracting ghostly shadows danced out of the shrubbery around her.
She ignored the display, for the Wraith had now revealed its position to her. As she turned in the right direction, she saw the Wraith break ground and race away, darting behind a tree.
She raced after it, knowing Oneakka would be running now too, keeping pace with her, looking for a different angle on the creature. And sure enough, a blast of energy fire lanced through the mist from her left, but it simply exploded against tree bark.
Teyla raced ahead, using her innate speed to push ahead and run down their quarry.
Another large fallen tree was ahead and she leapt up over it, only to discover that there was a hidden hollow behind it. She reached out and caught the top of the fallen tree as she dropped, quickly slowing her descent, and she landed safely down in the forest's dip and then raced up the other side.
Stunner in hand, she held it high and forward, ready to fire the second she had a line of sight of the panicked Wraith.
A flash of light skin and flying hair to her right instantly drew her gaze, and she fired three blasts towards it. Bright unused energy blasts hit the edge of a tree, sending up sparks in the mist to highlight the dipping and diving Wraith as it dodged another blast from Oneakka to the left.
She raced after it and shouted to Oneakka. "Six degrees off right," she informed him as she raced on.
Energy blasts tore past her as Oneakka fired again from the left, trying to provoke the Wraith to run the way she wanted. Another tree lit up in sparks and the mist glowed brightly, highlighted the Wraith in the darkness.
Another ghost danced around her, the Wraith's attempt to distract again, but she had aim and fired.
The Wraith hissed loudly as its left arm lit up and the creature tumbled sideways out of view. "Hit!" She reported to Oneakka with a shout.
The Wrath was out of sight though.
"Still where it fell," Oneakka shouted from the far left, his voice breathy from the run, as he reported from his sensor pad.
Teyla raced towards that point, the smoking tree a perfect signpost. She raced up a rise to the place where the Wraith had disappeared and looked down into a new flatter, vegetation covered stretch below.
Her legs were burning and her shoulders tight from the cold air, but she held still, scanning the blanket of thick vegetation. The Wraith was hurt and it was hiding down there somewhere.
She edged down the rise to the edge of the thicket. Dark stains over large green plants told her she had indeed gotten a good shot on the Wraith.
She didn't dare call out to Oneakka and give away her position, and she sensed the Wraith within reach.
The mist hung over the leaves and prickly looking bushes, and nothing stirred with any telltale breath of a moving body yet.
The mist shuddered, fake shadows moving at her, designed to provoke the primitive attention of her Human brain. She reacted to the movements, but her training allowed her to instantly ignore them as false.
She started to focus the knife edge of her mind again when it struck.
It ripped up out of the dense vegetation, flying up at her with a vicious snarling rage.
She fired several blasts at the shape, reacting instantly. Further fire hit the Wraith from her left, and it was dead before it dropped into the prickly thicket near Teyla's feet.
She sighed a heavy breath of relief, only to realise that though the Wraith's mind faded, another was still present. She opened her mouth to shout a warning to Oneakka, turning to where he stood on the rise to her far left.
But, it was too late.
A loud sudden snarl and a blur of motion slammed into Oneakka and pushed him off the rise and down into the vegetation.
Teyla ran to help, weapon ahead, but also focusing her mind to attack the Wraith's mind. Except she need not have worried, several blasts of weapons fire and a loud swear word from Oneakka followed instantly, and she felt the Wraith's mind disappear.
And which point, another mind appeared, as if triggered by the death of the last one.
Her mind sharp and alert she had sensed it's arrival immediately though and she turned to her left, looking up to see the newest Wraith appear on the crest of the ridge and leap down at her. She fired up at it before it had even begun its leap, striking it directly in the skull twice, and it tumbled down the rise, rolling past her and into the prickly thicket. She could see immediately that it had already been injured, his body armour broken and tied back together, and there was dried blood over it
"Any more?" Oneakka asked in a loud whisper, appearing into her peripheral vision.
She moved away from the third, and now dead, Wraith, scanning carefully.
There was nothing but empty air, but she tried again, just to be certain.
"What happened?" Oneakka asked, no further detail required to his question. He was still focused outward into the forest, but moving towards her.
She turned on the spot, sweeping her Gift through the cold ocean.
"I think as each died, the next awoke from hibernation," she guessed. "I think this last one was already badly injured; its mind was very weak."
"My one's missing an arm," Oneakka reported as he reached her side, gun pointed in the opposite direction of hers. "My guess is it was probably torn off on impact. Even Wraith can't grow arms back."
"I can't sense anything else," Teyla reported, but she wished she felt more certain.
"You sure?" Oneakka checked, but she did not take any offence.
"Yes," she confirmed. Hopefully.
Oneakka relaxed next to her. "Those last two both came from over the rise that way."
Teyla nodded and looked round at him. The left side of his forehead was dark with blood. "You are injured," she pointed out in case he had not realised in the adrenaline of battle.
"Just a few scratches. Damn thorns on that shrub it pushed me into."
"Okay," Teyla accepted as she started up the rise again, her senses expanded just in case.
"The latest sensor updates were supposed to pick up hibernating Wraith," Oneakka muttered from behind her as he followed her.
"It's still to be proven satisfactorily in the field," Teyla replied offhand as she scanned the forest, picking up the leaping spaced boot-prints of the Wraith on the other side of the rise. "This way."
She headed off to the left, climbing up a tangled collection of the big tree roots and over them to find another dip behind. And in the middle of the dip there was something covered in tree branches and broken vegetation.
"Another fighter," Oneakka noted as he reached her side.
"They must have dragged it down in here and concealed it," Teyla slid down into the dip, noting the fresh boot-prints moving back up. She used her gun to push sharp dry branches aside to reveal more of the broken fighter. "The front end is missing," she noted.
Oneakka had moved past her and pushed something aside. "Cockpit is here. On its side," he reported and Teyla watched as he crouched down and crawled into it.
"They dug it down into the soil," Teyla noted as she crouched down by Oneakka's protruding lower legs, "made a makeshift hut."
"There's blood in here," Oneakka reported from inside the fighter. There was some scratching around and a light blinked alive inside, lighting up the limited interior. "They've rigged up something in here," Oneakka muttered as he pulled something free and the light dimmed away.
Teyla pulled back as Oneakka backed out, a piece of tech in his hand.
"That isn't from this fighter," Teyla noted.
"Looks like it's our tech," Oneakka muttered as he pried it open. "It's an Elite sensor pad basic chip and relay. How'd they get this?"
"They kill enough of us," Teyla reported grimly as she stood back up, stretching out her senses again. There was nothing though, just the cool forest air. She heard something small shifting through some leaves behind her; life was already emerging now the Wraith were dead.
Oneakka stood up next to her, frowning at the tech, clearly annoyed that the Wraith had used it, but it was his forehead that drew her gaze.
"You're still bleeding," she informed him.
He dabbed the back of his free hand against the left side of his forehead and looked at the resulting stain on the back of his hand. "It's drying," he reported and crouched back down by the Wraith fighter. "We're going to need to change our blocking frequencies."
Shaking her head at Oneakka's version of self-care, she moved back through the dip to climb back out. "We need to gather the bodies and head back to the local settlement." It was always important to bring the locals to the scene afterwards, so that they could see for themselves that their enemy had been defeated. They could then decide how best to dispose of the bodies. Some cultures Teyla had encountered believed certain rituals had to be performed to prevent the Wraith rising again.
"Eager to get back to Athos?" Oneakka asked. On the face of it, the question sounded innocent enough, but his tone suggested otherwise.
Teyla paused and looked back towards him. "Yes, of course," she said sarcastically, "All those fascinating endless debates on how best to weigh Alliance grain."
Oneakka had fished something else out of the fighter and stood up again, turning towards her as he pushed the two reacquired pieces of Elite tech into his jacket pockets. "I was referring to your imminent stay in Atlantis," he replied.
Oh yes, that was only days away. She had managed to forget about that while dealing with matters at the Conference and spending time with John.
Or perhaps she had simply been in denial of it.
"I have been focusing on getting to the final day of the Conference first," she dismissed the thought and returned her attention to climbing out of the forest hollow.
"Seven days living in Atlantis," Oneakka continued on the subject though, his voice following her as she climbed up over the tree roots above. "Should be interesting."
"I have stayed in Atlantis before," she replied as she started down the other side of the roots and headed for the rise, on the other side of which the three dead Wraith were waiting.
"Though you'll be sharing quarters with Sheppard this time," Oneakka replied, tone full of very clear implication.
She glared at him over her shoulder as she reached the rise.
"Or did you share them last time?" Oneakka teased, raising his blooded left eyebrow.
"They will be adjoining quarters only," she pointed out, feeling oddly warm cheeked at Oneakka's far too accurate guess at how she had spent her last stay in Atlantis. Things would be very different this time.
She wasn't entirely sure if she felt relieved or sad at that fact.
"You must be very bored staying in the Facility to be focusing your thoughts on Sheppard and me," she provoked him back. With the Sythus still in space dock for its major repairs following the Nest System battle, Oneakka was staying at the Elite Training Facility. He had actually attended the Conference twice though, interested in some of the technical lectures and seminars. He had had his usual silent intimidation routine working for him, making all those around him nervous, except when he had sat with her, John and the small group from Atlantis for midday meal. Then he had been quite chatty about all he'd heard.
She had rather missed Oneakka's presence for all these weeks, and she had barely heard anything from Halling. That worried her, though Oneakka had assured her, quite firmly actually, that Halling was alive and well. Apparently the two of them had found some prophecy they were investigating together as a project – Oneakka on active available duty in the Facility and Halling on duty on the docked Sythus. Teyla wasn't sure why they found another prophecy so interesting; there had been thousands of such reports over the years; foretellings of the Wraith arising again, a buried Hive awakening etc. were all background noise to the Elite now. With all the Hives awake, there was no further need to pay much attention to local planetary legends to find a Hive.
"You and Sheppard are all the talk everywhere," Oneakka replied.
"You read the political news feeds?" She asked doubtfully.
"I skim them," he argued.
She shook her head at him and continued on up the rise and down to the bodies. "We will need to mark our way back here, so we can find them again."
"I've got a paint marker," Oneakka reported as he grunted and pulled his one armed dead Wraith from the aforementioned thorny shrub to lie alongside the other two.
Teyla checked over the bodies, pulling out a Wraith stunner and little else. "Our tech aside, they were not well supplied."
"Wraith only need their hands," Oneakka repeated the often recounted piece of Elite training wisdom.
She nodded at that truth and headed back up the rise, eager now to find their way back to the settlement. Some food and a walk back here with the locals in the morning, and then she could head back through the Portal to Athos.
"You want me to have a word with him?" Oneakka asked her.
"A word with whom?" She asked Oneakka over her shoulder.
"Sheppard," Oneakka replied, a cheeky grin showing in the light of his sensor pad's screen as he followed her. He was pulling out a small box from a pouch in his holster with his free hand, inside of which was a white pad of ink that could be pressed to an object to highlight a route. "Make sure he behaves himself," Oneakka added as he opened the little paint box.
"Then maybe I should have a word with Seeal," Teyla countered.
Oneakka's cheekiness evaporated instantly. "What?"
Now it was her time to grin at him, pleased with the quite dramatic reaction.
"What has Massa been saying?" Oneakka asked with a sigh of exasperation.
Teyla turned and headed away. "Nothing," she said with feigned innocence. The truth was that it had been Si that had first drawn her attention to the dynamic interactions between Oneakka and Seeal, though Massa had mentioned the same quite frequently of late.
"The man sees things that aren't there. He promised me he wouldn't go telling lies to people," Oneakka complained.
Teyla had to smile at hearing him talk that way, for it brought back memories. Back to when they had both been far younger, lives immersed in their Elite training, and before the dark days when Oneakka's entire people had been murdered by the Wraith. Though never boastful, the young Oneakka that Teyla remembered had been gloriously enthusiastic in everything he did; whether it was learning, drinking, dancing, attracting females, or challenging even the most famous Elite warriors to sparring matches, he had been a bright star among the Recruits.
Before he had chosen to seek vengeance by himself for his lost people. Only a teenager, he had done what no one had thought possible and it had almost killed him. Once he had woken from his injuries, scarred and orphaned, he had never been the same.
But, there were moments, when he was with those he cared for the most, that the younger, more emotionally vulnerable version of him could appear.
His voice now, whinging about their mutual friend took her right back to those days; days when she and her fellow Recruits had been focused only on learning and the usual social pressures of being full of hormones and finding one's place in the universe; when they had all felt safe in their training. Oneakka had been the first to have that safety broken, but it had never broken him in turn. Though, it had, perhaps, killed a lightness in him. To hear even the slightest echo of his more open youth, could only make her smile.
"As I recall things," she turned to face him, "you were the one who told Massa about John and myself."
"But that's real," Oneakka answered quickly as his excuse.
"It was real," Teyla corrected immediately; it was important to reinforce, even to herself, that the days of her and John's misguided passion over politics were at an end.
As much as part of her might wish otherwise.
"Who was it you married again?" Oneakka challenged.
She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Massa is not the only one who has noticed your closeness with Seeal."
"We're friends – colleagues," he quickly corrected himself. "We're colleagues," he repeated firmly. The older version of him was back, annoyed and sensitive.
"If you say so," Teyla offered, but smiled at him before turning back to leading them through the forest. It was a rare day indeed when Oneakka could be teased about personal feelings, and it was not to be wasted.
"Why is this so interesting to people? I'm allowed to have friends who are female. I have several; I'm friends with you and no one believes there's more to it," Oneakka insisted on the subject as he followed her.
"I thought you and Seeal were simply colleagues?" Teyla asked over her shoulder.
Oneakka sighed loud as he paused and smacked the ink pad a little too aggressively against a tree that was now their marker back. "Stupid Massa," Teyla heard him mutter.
She didn't bother holding back her laughter. For in these moments with good friends, she could forget the pressures on her; of those waiting for her back on Athos, those ahead in Atlantis, and those of her broken heart.
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TBC