Monarchy
-o-
AN: The Wraith are growing on me. So is the relationship between Teyla and Todd, though at this point I have no idea what the relationship will ultimately be. By the way, thanks for the continued feedback. I hope this very very late update hasn't turned anyone off of this gripping tale.
Okay. Moving on...
Chapter Three: Segregation
Teyla
Teyla ate the cold bread and dried fruit that had been left for her, but the halfway meal did very little to help her over the next few days.
She had no choice but to interact with Todd whenever there was an audience with another member of the Hive's crew. Despite her increasing contempt for his patronizing, cold, indifferent approach to her extended stay, it became very clear that there was much to Wraith that she had yet to learn. For that much, she was grateful that she had at least one 'ally' aboard the ship whose life depended on her acting skills. It meant he was obligated to speak to her truthfully, otherwise risk a catastrophic mistake.
In the next twelve hours, she had begrudgingly learned the names of the chief cleverman and the blade commander, Graven and Halfarrow. As they addressed Todd as 'Commander' and nothing else, she did not learn anything about his own title or name, though she had convinced herself she did not care. Both the scientist and Wraith warrior bowed, pledged their loyalty to her, the new Primary Queen, and left quickly enough to make it clear that the pledges were superficial and not based on trust.
"You are closing yourself to them," Todd observed gravely, as soon as the door had sealed behind them. Teyla clutched the arms of the Queen's throne instinctively. "A Queen must never relent when it comes to controlling her subjects," he added, lightly tapping his right temple with a long nail.
"A Queen should not have to rely on such things to earn trust," she replied through her teeth. Her mouth and gums were aching, she found. The surgical changes Dr. Keller had made were never intended to be long-lasting. How long before her disguise failed or began to affect her health?
"You preach your wisdom with such vanity, but yet you know nothing about Wraith culture. A human with Wraith DNA as...potent as yours has the potential to influence an entire Hive's network. Even now, I can sense your childish resistance as I check the boundaries of your mind."
"Then get used to it. Do not presume that because I play a Queen, I will gladly be a Wraith." She fixed a steely gaze on him and stood up quickly. As she did, a stab of pain in her temples struck so hard and suddenly that she fell back onto the throne with a silent gasp.
Todd gazed down at her and asked with no measure of compassion, "What is it?"
"Do not think for a moment—" Her harsh retort was cut off by another stab of pain, making her double over on the seat. In the bleak shadows of her mind, she felt him gazing at her, peering through the cracks of her mental shields. Forcing those cracks to close again was about as agonizing as breaking the burnt, oozing skin of a fresh burn.
She heard him growl audibly, and the presence became like a monster. "No! You are are reacting like prey. Why do you insist on betraying your weakness so easily? Open your mind!"
If she had the stength to add to willpower, she would have done just the opposite. However, the tighter she closed those mental shields, the worse it became. Like an explosion of breath after coming up for air, Teyla dropped her defenses significantly—but only enough to accommodate the closest Wraith mind.
Todd's.
And just as abruptly as it came, the pain ceased. There was a gnarled, tense expression on the old Wraith's face, as though he had learned something that shook the foundation his ten thousand years of experience.
Teyla stared at him with challenge in her gaze, panting slightly from aftershocks of the gripping pain. Like a barrier of ice, she felt her mind seal itself shut again, and the silence between them wore on uncomfortably.
Finally, he sighed.
"It will only be a matter of days before the other alliance ships arrive," he said unexpectedly, as though the incident had never happened. His pale green eyes bored into her. "This is yet another sign of weakness, Teyla. The other queens will sense that you do not command your Hive as a true Queen should."
"As far as they are concerned, I am their Primary. I will demand their allegiance and they will obey far as you are concerned," she seethed, fueled by the backlash of unexplainable pain in her head. "You are wearing my patience thin. Do not make me test the limits of my authority over this ship, Commander."
'Commander' was voiced with same mocking tone of voice he used when he referred to her as 'my Queen'.
Todd
She was angry. It hardly surprised him, guided by the knowledge she'd slammed into his mind like a stone tablet just moments before. Under the surface, it all made him rather amused. The Young Queen had a temper to match some of the longest-living Queens he had known in his lifetime. He had a vague suspicion that when the other ships arrived, desperation would lead her to discover that her 'unique gift' would cast a spell on the other weak-willed Queens. Was it irony, or something more?
For the next four days at least, assimilating her to the customs of the ship and establishing himself as Crush's replacement would be quite the challenge. She was simply too human to accomplish anything other than a superficial performance. Strong spirited, Wraith-like enough to play a part...but not Wraith. His doubts about her were resurfacing again.
Perhaps he too, was desperate.
A very human expression of trepidation was spoiling the Young Queen's face right now, in fact. "You are still in pain," he observed.
"This is...the longest I have ever been on board a Hive ship," she hissed. Her fingernails scratched into the hard veneer of the throne. "What is wrong with me?"
After a long moment, he replied, "I have a theory."
"Tell me!"
He scowled at her. Any return was interrupted when an alarming message from the control room entered his mind. "There is no time for this," he said. "No. Another Hive ship has just dropped out of hyperspace nearby and is arming its weapons for battle."
"What? How can anyone know we are even here?" she demanded, with just an edge of hysteria. This was too much for him.
The loss of his Hive Ship, his comrades, his command and his home all rushed down on him at once, and her constant betraying weakness sparked something cold deep inside. Baring his teeth, Guide whirled on the throne and lunged at her, pinning her neck back with one forearm. For a second time, he seethed within inches of her deceitfully and frustratingly alluring face. "Perhaps you would remember, my Queen, that our continued civility towards one another is no longer driven by any motivation other than my strength and will to survive. If you will not command, then you will serve—I suggest you choose quickly!"
He had expected a frail, angry lashing of words, or another threat oozing her vanity, but he did not expect the mental wave that struck him then. The Young Queen hissed at him and surged, both in body and mind, breaking down the telepathic wall she had built around herself and bowling him over. So strong was the will that pierced his mind, a once-powerful Guide staggered backwards and nearly succumbed to the unspoken, unconscious command of Kneel.
Then she had flashed past him, either unaware of what she had done, or uncaring. His protege stormed out of the throne room, leaving the old Wraith stunned and apprehensive at the side of the throne.
Only the urgency of the clevermen at the helm, each battering his mind with their impatient request for his presence like whispers following a massive storm, broke him out of the stupor. He followed the human Queen out into the hallways,
Teyla
Teyla had been on board too many Hive Ships in her time, because she knew the way to the control center. She had not shielded herself completely, either, so that she could follow the 'scent' of Wraith thoughts that were entirely too pungent to bear. She couldn't afford the smallest chance of getting lost on her way to the ship's nerve center. It would not only scream ineptitude, but arouse suspicions she would rather keep dormant.
A collective of four, black-clad Wraith engineers looked up at her entrance. This was not the first such appearance of their 'new Queen' in this fashion, so they responded with impartial reverence instead of surprise. The apparent leader of the group, the one she recognized as Graven, bowed deeply before her.
"You honor us with your presence, my Queen," he said breezily. "The Queen of the hostile ship is demanding to speak to you directly. She will not answer to anyone else."
Teyla drew herself up fiercely, exerting a slight pressure on the engineer's mind. Why she did this, she couldn't fathom—not in the moment—though it somehow felt as if it would be necessary. "If that is true, then why am I still standing here, speaking to the likes of you?" she hissed.
She was entirely aware of Todd, who entered the control center briskly, and just in time to witness the screen in the middle of the chamber flicker on.
A long, slender face bathed in greyish-green skin and topped with a knot of blood-red hair appeared. Her thin lips drew back in a sultry snarl that was at the same time, pleased, when she saw the rival 'Queen' standing before her.
"I was beginning to suspect you were a fantasy," she spoke slitheringly, the crystal-like yellow eyes taking in Teyla's stance and attire. "My, such a young Queen for a Hive this ancient. My instincts, it seems, were resplendently correct."
"I am already tired of this exchange," Teyla snapped in return. Even at such a long distance, the presence of the old queen's mind snaking towards her own repulsed her. "If there is a reason you have chosen to act aggressively towards me, explain yourself. I have no time for games."
"Do not take me for a fool," rattled the Queen. "Considering the extent of your damage, time is certainly the only thing you have. You are in no position to speak down to me, insubordinate husk!"
"My Queen," came the low voice of a Wraith she did not recognize, just behind her ear. One of the engineers—not Todd. "This Queen is allied with the Hive ship responsible for destroying your birthship. If you would grant us permission to-"
Teyla didn't wait, and whirled on the 'upstart' male Wraith, lashing out with her clawed hand at the same time. Silently, she thanked Dr. Keller's professionalism, because the ugly, gnarled implants were sharp and did not break off as they impacted his cheek. Stripes of fresh black blood were his reward.
"I am your Queen," she seethed. "I will give you the order to attack when I see fit, and I will not hesitate to personally cut out your tongue for your insolence!"
"Yes, my Queen," said the lanky engineer with a wheeze, and retreated. This time, the reverent title passed from his lips with a great deal of authenticity.
Well, she thought to herself with a deep mental sigh. One Wraith convinced of her claim to the throne. That left nearly three hundred thousand more to go.
That thought momentarily froze her mind. Three hundred thousand Wraith—that was information she had no idea she possessed. How?
"You can rest easy," the Queen on the viewscreen interrupted her thoughts. "I have no intentions of doing more than baring my teeth, wetling. Retribution for retribution for retribution—it is a tradition for which I have no appetite. I have come merely to extend my greatest condolences for the loss of your birthship. Also..."
The expression on the old Queen's face curled into something wicked and enticing.
"Well," she continued. "Perhaps my ulterior motives can wait. For now, you may lick your wounds and regain the strength you have sacrificed so much to gain."
With a whirl of grotesque colours, the screen shut off.
Teyla didn't have to feign her outrage then.
"The other Hive ship has entered hyperspace," one of the Wraith engineers announced with evident disdain.
Inhaling sharply, Teyla turned on her heel to face the judging gazes of a half dozen male Wraith, feelings of trepidation crawling into her skin like so many microscopic bugs. "If you have time to gawk at your Queen, then you have time to redouble your efforts on repairing this ship!" she hissed. "Get back to work immediately!"
She did not even wait to see how they would react—she did not care, to be precise. There was a horrible, gut-twisting sensation taking hold inside her body, and the last thing she needed was to break down in agony in front of Wraith who already believed she was an unfitting replacement Queen. Teyla stormed out of the control center.
"That was an acceptable performance," Todd's gravely voice followed her, as soon as they were well out of earshot of other Wraith.
"I am not in the mood to duel with with you," she shot back, quickening her pace. "I will only be here as long as it takes to convince this 'alliance' to take Dr. Beckett's retrovirus. Or have you forgotten that my goals and yours do not entirely align to the same principles?"
She turned on him to make that point, and was mildly startled when she was met by a sharp-toothed grin. This particular expression was not uncommon for Todd, yet it went against the nature she expected of Wraith so entirely that she never expected it.
"The pain is still there," he repeated his statement from earlier. It was darker this time. "The other queen sensed it from you. Perhaps she does not know the source of that pain, but I believe she is maneuvering herself to take advantage of that weakness, and gain your trust."
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know," he said a little distractedly, as if his mind were wrapped around another point entirely. "I am somewhat more concerned about the source of the pain you are feeling. I was half-expecting this, but it should not be happening so soon."
Teyla's eyes widened, a reaction she could not control even if she weren't half occupied by the spreading aches throughout her body. Dr. Keller had warned her before the surgery that the 'enhancements' were not intended to be long-term, and that there was a chance they could jeopardize her health over the long term...
"The surgical alterations—"
"Are not the cause," he interrupted smoothly. "As I overlooked the entire procedure, I can assure you, that is the last thing you should be worried about, Teyla."
A cold knot formed at the center of the nausea and pain as he used her name. The single corridor they stood in, the pillars that formed the curved, concave walls and supports seemed to be growing, while the space felt smaller and smaller.
Without warning, she felt a brand new seizure of agony unlike any she had felt before, not even during her labour pains with Torren. Like a knife ripping through her abdomen, it ripped a guttural cry from her lips before causing her to collapse against the rubbery, unsympathetic wall.
Suddenly, Todd felt close. Very close—in fact, close enough that his presence was overlapping her mind, giving her overwhelming double-vision. She saw herself, folded over and gaping silently, while overlaying that image she witnessed the ground circling around her. She felt his hands grasp her wrists and experienced that same sensation as though she were the one gripping them. Todd pulled on her and made her stand, while she writhed and tried to break his hold.
"What did you...do to me?" she gasped—would have yelled, but her lungs were being squeezed by the spasms rippling through her chest. "What have you done?"
"There is nothing that can be done, nor is it something I did," he replied, his voice filling her ears as well as her head."It is the Wraith DNA responding to the call of a Hive ship without a Queen. No, I cannot stop this, but I will agree to help you control it. If you cease fighting my attempts to aid you, I will even teach you to dull this pain."
This did not even have the taste of betrayal; for betrayal, one had to trust someone, and the revelation that her sole Wraith ally was manipulating her fear and emotions came as no surprise. Every fiber of her body screamed in frustration, but Todd held the rule book, the board and all the pieces needed to play this chess game.
Except for the queen. That was hers.
With clenched teeth, she pushed back the abdominal pain and stood up straight.
"Tell me what to do."
TBC