Myths of Reality

Chapter 2: A temporary reprieve

Luck, the second myth of reality;
skill determines our success and
not a mysterious, unseen force!

The nature of Reality, Gith database

Three words echoed through John’s mind over and over again as his former second-in-command aimed at him: ‘This isn’t happening’. He had expected to die while defending Atlantis from the Wraith or maybe in an accident caused by one of McKay’s experiments but certainly not this way. Even in his numbed state he searched for a way out of this mess though
he knew that his chances of cheating death this time were slim indeed.

The expression of pure hatred on Ford’s face and the mad twinkle in his eyes made clear that every further attempt of reasoning with the Lieutenant was pointless, though Teyla tried it anyway. Ford ignored her but the fact that he seemed hesitant to end his former CO’s life was a sliver of hope but it was possible that he was only savoring the moment. John contemplated whether there was a way to overpower the marine without getting shot in the process, when an unknown voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Settling a score, Aiden?” a woman who had apparently materialized out of thin air asked, “I must admit that I never considered you to be the vengeful type!”

Ford whirled around to face the speaker, his expression changing from irritation to shock within seconds.

“Belbe?” he said, looking as though he had seen a ghost.

Belbe was a stunning looking woman with long curly brown hair, jade-colored eyes and a definitely mischievous smile on her lips. She wore an armor made of a silky black material and a matching cloak, though the two of them seemed more practical than protective. The most remarkable pieces of clothing were her crystal-inlaid gauntlets and an amulet both looking more like devices than garments. Under other circumstances John might have considered her attractive but he had the nagging suspicion that this woman would cause enormous amounts of trouble.

“The very same,” Belbe replied, bowing low, “Though I suspect that you won’t enjoy this meeting as much as the last one!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ford asked, looking suspicious, “And what are you doing here?”

“Straight to the point, huh?” the woman echoed, her amused expression fading, “Ok, let’s get professional than! Your extraordinary abilities got the attention of my master who ordered me to find and capture you. On Arborea you managed to evade us – quite impressing show by the way – but this time you won’t slip out of my grip. My men are getting into position while we are talking, cutting of any means of escape! I’m sure Gix is already dieing to meet you and like all Wraith he can get quite unpleasant when kept waiting!”

Before anyone could react Belbe’s amulet flashed and the bounty hunter faded from view while heading towards the ruins that surrounded the open space which had almost become John’s grave. The unmistakable sound of Wraith stunners broke the silence and the team ran from cover to cover, dodging the projectiles while trying to find a way out of the plaza. After a few very narrow dodges, Sheppard noticed a path that led back into the labyrinth of ruined buildings about 500 meters away. He pointed it out to his teammates and ordered that Teyla and McKay would go first while he and Ford would watch their backs. To his surprise no one – not even Ford – disagreed, apparently they all understood how serious their situation was.

“That’s quite enough hide and seek!” Belbe yelled somewhere behind them, sounding seriously annoyed, “Use your CMGs, the debris won’t shield them against this kind of projectile!”

How exactly these CMGs should render their cover useless was made clear a few seconds later when one shot blasted through the wall they were hiding behind as well as through Ford’s leg, knocking the soldier to the ground. Cursing, John fell back to help the Lieutenant back to his feet while Teyla and McKay continued their flight. Three stunners missed the Colonel narrowly and hit McKay instead who had just turned around, probably to tell him that he should hurry up. The artifact in the astrophysicist’s hands lighted up and a blue light enveloped everything.


* * * * *


If she had actually believed in it, Belbe would be convinced that she had an unusually nasty streak of bad luck. Her carefully prepared and foolproof plan had been foiled by an Ancient trinket, which had probably teleported her targets to another part of the ruined city. To say that she was frustrated would have been the understatement of the century, she was angry enough to murder the next person who crossed her path.

“What are you waiting for?” she snapped, addressing her confused looking subordinates, “Find them! They can’t be far away!”

“I must admit that I’m disappointed, Necroshade!” Gix’ cold voice said, “You have failed me twice in a row what is unacceptable! Either our foes are much more capable than we have thought or you deliberately undermine the operation!”

Her anger vanished instantly and she realized that she needed to come up with an excuse that would soothe Gix’ anger before the Wraith decided that she was expendable.

“The plan was perfect, Commander” she replied, trying to sound apologetic, “I had no way of knowing that they possessed an artifact that would allow them to escape and I would have nothing to gain from helping them!”

“I’m sure that you are hiding something, Belbe!” the Commander stated, a wicked grin on his face, “And now I’ll find out which secrets are buried in this head of yours!”

When Gix lifted her by the throat and began using his telepathy to search her mind for traces of treachery, Belbe decided to make a desperate gamble that hopefully would get her out of this mess. Though she had the means to free herself and to stop the telepathic onslaught, she knew that using them would only confirm the Wraith’s suspicions. Instead she allowed him to glimpse at least part of the truth, hoping that he wouldn’t see through her bluff. The first part of her plan seemed to work out perfectly, for Gix released her and stopped probing her mind. Panting, the Necroshade dropped to her knees, wondering what would happen next.

“You have exactly 30 seconds to explain yourself, Necroshade!” the Wraith said, “Why did you keep this information from me?”

“I didn’t consider it necessary,” Belbe croaked, “I told you all I know, the fact that I met the human in person was irrelevant!”

“Why didn’t you eliminate this Lieutenant Ford when you had the chance?” her interrogator inquired, “He was hurt and it was quite obvious that he belonged to the humans who tried to defend the city of our foes!”

“I had various reasons,” the bounty hunter stated, having regained some of her composure, “My task was to gather information, killing another human would have endangered this goal. Besides, I though he would end up dead anyway without allies or a place to hide! So I collected the required information and left! Of course, I would have acted differently if I had known that he would cause that much trouble!”

“I’m impressed, Belbe!” Gix said, “You’ve just earned yourself a temporary reprieve but if you fail me again, I won’t be as forgiving! Now, get back to the Gate and make sure they can’t escape. I’ll take most of your men and continue the search of the city!”

Simple guard duty was of course far below her level though the Necroshade knew that any kind of protest would end this ‘reprieve’ prematurely. She had been extremely lucky that Gix hadn’t glimpsed what really happened on this planet for this piece of information would have sealed her fate. When she made her way back to the Gate, she allowed herself a sigh of relieve, making a mental note never to get in this kind of situation again.


* * * * *

Somewhere in the ruins

The blue light faded and once Aiden’s eyes had recovered from the blinding flash he realized that they had somehow entered another part of the ancient metropolis. He and his former teammates had appeared in what looked like the remains of a laboratory whose walls had collapsed under the weight of the ages.

“Now that’s strange!” Sheppard stated, “Any idea what has happened, Rodney?”

“There are two possible explanations,” McKay, who to everyone’s surprise hadn’t been stunned, replied, “The artifact was activated by the Wraith stunners’ energy and the fact that we are somewhere else suggests two things: Either we’re dead and in some kind of afterlife or we have found and used a miniature version of a teleporter.”

“Let’s just assume that it is a teleporter,” the Colonel said, apparently considering McKay’s other thesis ridiculous, “Can you reactivate it and get us back to the Gate?”

Aiden tuned out the scientist’s angry retort about not being MacGyver and the argument that followed, intending to care for his leg and to do some thinking. The recent events had shattered his drug-induced confidence and had left him unsure whether he had misjudged his comrades. They had come to his aid when Belbe tried to capture him even though he had treated them so badly. Without McKay’s trinket he would probably be in the hand of the Wraith by now, waiting for a certain and painful death.

Before continuing this disturbing train of thought, he sat down and examined his leg. The projectile had hit exactly the same spot as Sheppard’s bullet had three weeks ago, only that this new wound was much smaller than the half-healed original one. He sterilized and bandaged the injury before gingerly testing his leg, feeling elated when it supported his weight without complains. Probably the impact of the bullet had caused him to stumble and not the seriousness of the wound, after all it had blasted right through a wall before entering his flesh. He shakily got back to his feet and wondered whether to get to Gate on his own or to ally with his former teammates. Before the near fatal encounter with Belbe his choice would have been clear but right now he had many questions concerning his friends.

Was it friendship driving them and not fear or jealousy? Would they welcome him back with open arms and perhaps even see the benefits of the enzyme? Could he trust them or would they backstab him like they did on Radiation Planet? But perhaps the most important question was whether he could afford not to trust them?

Aiden made his decision and concentrated on the discussion between McKay and Sheppard again, which apparently had come to an end.

“To make a long lecture that was probably far above your horizon short,” the scientist said, “I don’t have enough energy to reactivate the device and even if I could it is unlikely that it will teleport us to Gate. I suspect that it functions exactly like an Atlantis teleporter so it can only get us to a few fixed places and this is probably one of them, so we’ll just have to walk to the Gate what is presumably easier than tinkering with the artifact anyway.”

“Thanks for you expert opinion” the irritated Sheppard snapped, “The problem is that we have no idea in which direction the Gate is located!”

“I happen to know these ruins quite will, sir” Aiden interrupted, “The Gate is about 3 miles southeast of our current position.”

The look on the Colonel’s face was priceless and McKay seemed to be similar astonished by his statement. Teyla gave him a warm smile that sent a shiver through his body; he definitely had a crush on the beautiful Athosian though he knew that she had only eyes for Sheppard.

“Ok, Ford, you have managed to surprise me again,” his former commanding officer said, “10 minutes ago you wanted to kill me and now you’re calling me ‘sir’ again? Don’t get me wrong it is a pleasant surprise, but what made you change your mind?”

“Ironically Belbe saved your life,” the Lieutenant explained, “I was determined to kill you and probably also McKay for trying to kill me! But you risked your life to help me and I wouldn’t have made it without you, so I guess we’re even. Besides we need each other if we want to get away from this planet alive! I suggest that we avoid confrontation until we have reached the Gate, overpower the guards and dial out while most of them search the city for us.”

“Sounds good,” Sheppard replied, ignoring McKay’s are-you-nuts-he-is-crazy look, “But before we march out I want to hear everything you know about Belbe!”

“Well, that’s kind of private,” Ford said, feeling his face go red.

“We’re all adults here Lieutenant, I’m sure we can take the juicy details,” the Colonel stated, guessing the reason for his embarrassment, “And we need as much information as possible about our enemies.”

“Ok, ok” Aiden replied, “I’ll tell you though the woman I knew was completely different to the bounty hunter who hunts me. I met her a few days after I had left Atlantis…..”

Old memories resurfaced when he started his tale and the whole story seemed to unfold before his inner eye…….

* * * * *

Lieutenant Aiden Ford ate his stew in silence, feeling miserable and lonely. It had been three days since he had been forced to flee from Atlantis, three long, exhausting days he had spent thinking about his former friends. Their cowardice would have killed him, it had been necessary to leave but still their betrayal had hurt the Lieutenant more than he had expected. He couldn’t help but wonder whether he would return to Atlantis one day – if it still existed- and what would happen if he actually met some of his former comrades.

Ironically, he seemed to be the only one in a radius of 25 miles who wasn’t cheerful for the inhabitants of this planet celebrated some kind of midsummer festival and had invited him to join the festivities. Though he wasn’t in the mood, the prospect of free food and shelter had made him accept their offer. It had been a rather unpleasant evening for the villagers had tried to make conversation only to flinch when they saw his blackened eye. By now, they left the irritated soldier alone and concentrated on getting as drunk as possible, which was completely fine with him. Lost in his dark musings, he stared into the campfire before him and was oblivious to the fact that someone approached him.

“Seems like I’m not the only killjoy here,” a voice behind him said, “That’s good to know because it’s simply infuriating when everyone around you is so outrageously cheerful that they don’t even realize that you want to speak to them!”

Furious, Aiden turned around but his angry retort died on his lips when he saw who had addressed him. The speaker was a beautiful woman who seemed to be as much out of place as he was for she wasn’t drunk, dancing or engaged in some kind of sexual activity. Her clothes, which, except for a magnificent black cloak, were simple and worn out marked her as a traveler who probably had stumbled into the celebration much as Ford had. He noted with growing interest that she wasn’t repulsed by his mismatched features and had the impression that she was checking him out.

“I’m Belbe of Shakuras,” the woman said, “Originally, I’ve come here to trade but I guess I’ll have to wait until my partners have sobered up. I was beginning to worry that everyone on this planet is too drunk to even notice that I’m here.”

“Lieutenant Aiden Ford,” Aiden replied, “Of nowhere in particular.”

“What a mysterious answer.” Belbe responded, frowning “I enjoy solving puzzles but it seems like you’re the only sober person in the village so I would prefer a real conversation over allusions.”

Despite himself, Aiden answered her question “I had to leave my home a few days ago to save my life. Probably the Wraith destroyed it, so I don’t have a home right now.”

A strange look crossed Belbe’s eyes at this point and she seemed lost in thoughts for a moment. He wasn’t sure what she felt this instant, was it compassion, sadness or … envy? Why should she envy someone who has just lost his home and his friends to the Wraith? Before he could solve the mystery the moment passed and the trader snapped out of her thoughts.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she stated, “My people have suffered greatly under the Wraith, so I can understand your grief. I didn’t want to bring up a sore subject, Lieutenant.”

“It’s ok,” Aiden replied, “I was thinking about it anyway. And please, call me Aiden; my rank probably won’t matter anymore. I was lucky to get away unscratched, for the most part at least.”

“I trade medical supplies” Belbe stated, “They probably won’t restore your eye but I can take a look at your shoulder if you want.”

Ford was surprised that she knew about his newest injury. He had run into a Genii patrol yesterday and one bullet had hit his right shoulder. Due to the enzyme he didn’t feel any pain but his shoulder still felt awkward and he had trouble moving. He had the suspicion that part of the projectile was still buried in his flesh though he hadn’t been able to find it. So he decided to accept Belbe’s offer, took of his shirt and told her to get going.

His suspicion that the trader wanted more than a decent conversation increased tenfold when she examined his shoulder, definitely enjoying the sight of his naked torso.

“This might hurt now,” she said after a few minutes, producing a knife out of her cloak “I’m going to remove a splinter that’s stuck in there. Just hold still and let me do my work.”

It took her only a few moments to finish the operation and to patch up the wound with fresh bandages. Almost instantly, his shoulder felt much better and he reached for his shirt only to be stopped by Belbe.

“If you’re wondering how to thank me,” she purred, “I have a great idea and you won’t need that for it!”

Without waiting for him to respond, she leaned forward and kissed him passionately. Immediately reason listed several reasons why he shouldn’t do this: He hardly knew that woman, he couldn’t trust her, and he should know from experience that beautiful alien women are a guaranty for trouble. However, he hadn’t seen any action since having arrived on Atlantis – damn Sheppard, who always managed to get the attention of all hot women within a 100 mile radius – and no sane man would decline an offer like that. So, he kissed her back and pulled her closer while fumbling with her clothes which were quite difficult to get off.

Her lips left his and wandered towards his neck, licking and caressing the skin in the process. Aiden squirmed when Belbe found an extremely sensitive spot and tried even harder to get rid of the trader’s clothes. The sound of the villager’s voices broke through the curtain of lust that surrounded them and both agreed that they should find a more private spot to continue this encounter.

Without breaking the contact they moved towards one of the huts that served as shelter for visitors and were probably deserted right now. Belbe pushed him onto the makeshift but comfortable bed and finally removed her cloak as well as most of her upper garments. Aiden paused a moment to study her flawless, pale skin and perfect body before pulling her down for another passionate kiss. Her lips started to wander downwards again, tracing every muscle of his chest before caressing his navel. With a mischievous smile Belbe undid his pants and boxers, while moving teasingly close to his erection.

“Quit teasing!” Aiden growled after a few moments of this frustrating game.

“You should know that patience is a virtue,” she chuckled, apparently enjoying her game, “But now, just wait and let me do my work!”

He could only groan when she ran her tongue down his length before engulfing his penis with her mouth. It was the best blowjob of his life and he knew that he wouldn’t last long this way so he soon flipped their position and began concentrating on satisfying Belbe’s needs. He slowly worked his way down her body, removing the rest of her clothing and caressing every centimeter of her skin in the process. The trader moaned in pleasure when he sucked one of her nipples and urged him to take care of her lower regions. Aiden was determined to make her pay for teasing him, so he moved extremely slowly towards this new destination and was rewarded by a frustrated groan.

“You have made your point!” Belbe gasped, “Now, please, get on with it!”

Satisfied, the Lieutenant obeyed her and began to explore her velvet softness with his tongue, making her squirm with pleasure. Soon a hand grasped his hair and pulled her upwards to face Belbe again.

“That was very promising,” she purred, running a hand down his neck, “Now, we should move on to the main attraction of this evening!”

Aiden followed her suggestion and slowly entered her before picking up speed, kissing and nuzzling her neck in the process. The two of them lost themselves in the waves of pleasures that shook their bodies, every rational thought purged from their minds. Both climaxed simultaneously and collapsed on the makeshift bed. Aiden had never the type who dozed off right after pulling out of his partner but the enzyme had made the whole encounter far more intensive and also ten times more exhausting. So sleep claimed him and he didn’t realize that the strange look had returned to Belbe’s eyes.


* * * * *


“When I woke up the next morning she was gone,” he finished – having left out the too juicy details of course – “I didn’t expect to see her again, especially not as a bounty hunter who works for the Wraith.”

“You military guys are unbelievable!” McKay said, “You go around and lay every alien woman you can find, always getting yourself and innocent bystanders into trouble. You really should consider thinking with your head instead of your dick; it would make thinks much easier!”

Sheppard interrupted at this point, stifling Ford’s angry retort: “First, she rather laid him than the other way around. Second, I don’t think she hunts him out of that reason, so I would appreciate it if you could suppress your jealousy until we’re safe again.”

“I have thought about what Aiden told us,” Teyla said, preventing the start of another argument, “And I suspect that Belbe is a Gith! It would explain why she works for the Wraith!”

“You cannot be serious!” McKay protested, “You could also claim that she is the Bogeyman or the Yeti! There must be another explanation!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” the Colonel inquired.

“There are rumors among my people,” Teyla stated, ignoring McKay’s protests, “Few listen to these dark stories for they believe that even thinking of them is a bad omen. One of them claims that not all Ancestors were brave enough to fight the Wraith. Some of them surrendered and became their slaves, abandoning all they hold dear to save their lives. They are called the Gith and supposed to be everywhere, killing everyone who might be able to defy the Wraith. I never believed in these stories but for all we know Belbe could be a Gith, it would explain why she works for the Wraith.”

“This is ridiculous!” the scientist replied, “There is no evidence that the Gith exist at all! I found no trace of them in the Atlantis database and we shouldn’t waste our time with fairy tales. We should get moving before they find us for I am not eager to meet this crazy woman again no matter why she hunts us.”

“I don’t like it but I have to agree with McKay at this point!” John said, “Ford, you take point and lead us to the Gate, McKay and Teyla will follow you and I’ll guard our six. Let’s hope that our friends are still busy with searching the ruins!”

* * * * *

Later, a plateau overlooking the Gate

Despite his mental instability, Ford turned to be a reliable guide and the reached the Gate without incidents, much to Sheppard’s relief. It was encouraging that the Lieutenant had given up his claim for revenge, though John wasn’t sure how far this new trust would extend. He could only hope that it would last until they had left this planet for the prospect that they were possibly fighting direct ascendants of the Ancients was unsettling enough. McKay was convinced that the Gith were only a legend but the unpleasant experience with the Iratus Bug had painfully reminded John that some legends actually were true and the superior equipment Belbe had used hinted that she was much more than a simple mercenary.

At the moment, the team had gathered on a plateau similar to the one they had occupied when Ford had crossed the event horizon. John’s former second-in-command crouched close to the edge, scanning the area for the best way to approach the Gate while Teyla and the Colonel watched his back. McKay spent his time examining the artifact and throwing suspicious glances at Ford, apparently still convinced that allying with the renegade marine had been a grave and possible deadly error. After a few minutes of observation, the Lieutenant abandoned his vantage point, returned to his comrades and delivered his report:

“There are only four guards at the Gate, a Wraith and three humans,” he said, handing the binoculars to Sheppard, “though it might get difficult to overpower them. They took cover between the ruins that surround the Gate, ready to attack everyone who approaches them. A frontal assault would be fatal, especially because the humans carry those CMGs instead of stunners.”

“Is there a way how we could break through their defense?” the Colonel asked, after having observed the situation himself.

“Not as long as they stay there,” Ford replied, “But if we could lure them up here, I sure that I could take them out.”

McKay snorted: “Oh, sure and afterwards you’ll storm a hive ship armed with only a knife! And of course they’ll leave their secure positions and walk into your obvious trap; you’re Super Ford after all. The enzyme must have inflated your ego otherwise you wouldn’t have come up with a stupid idea like this!”

A sly smile spread on the Lieutenant’s face: “You’re lucky McKay for you will play a crucial part in the plan. Just trust me and make sure that you grab the edge in time!”

To say that John was surprised when Ford pushed the scientist towards the edge of the plateau would be a hell of an understatement. The weathered stone collapsed under his weight, sending both rubble and McKay on a one-way journey towards the ground. Fortunately Teyla reacted fast enough and grabbed the scientist’s arm sparing him a probably deadly fall. While she busied herself with pulling the panicking astrophysicist back up, Sheppard whirled around to ask Ford what the hell he was doing but the Lieutenant had already vanished into the ruins.

Suddenly it dawned him what his former second-in-command had intended with nearly killing McKay and he checked on the guards again only to find out that they had noticed their presence and had apparently decided to check the ruins. Ford used them as bait to lure the enemies up here, oblivious to the fact that he brought his friends in grave danger. John hated being used as bait though he had to admit that the first part of the renegade’s plan had worked out perfectly. He could only hope that they would survive the second part for their current position offered almost no cover.

“Hurry up Teyla!” he said, “We’re getting company! Get McKay’s ass back up here while I watch out for the bad guys.”

He didn’t wait for Teyla to respond but moved behind a nearby boulder, fully aware of the fact that it wouldn’t protect him against a CMG projectile. Still it was better than nothing and at least would allow him to make the first strike. He had just begun to crouch behind his improvised shield when he heard soft footsteps approaching. He waited until they were very close before making a roll to his left and immediately opening fire. His target, one of the human guards, had only enough time to raise his weapon before a torrent of bullets ended his life. However, the risky move had left Sheppard in an extremely vulnerable position, right in front of a second human who had presumably watched his comrade’s back. Before the soldier could exploit his opponent’s vulnerability, Teyla came to the Colonel’s help, cutting his would-be killer down with a salve of her P90.

“Excellent timing Teyla!” John gasped, “I really should stop taking such enormous risks!”

“Drop your weapons, human!” a cold voice –probably belonging to a Wraith- behind him said, “One wrong move and you’re dead!”

John knew that there was no way to subdue the Wraith so he did as he was told, cursing his bad luck in the process. However, his streak of bad luck seemed to be quite short-lived for the sound of a Wraith stunner broke the silence and two bodies hit the ground right behind him.

“See?” Ford said, while climbing down the overgrown pillar he had used as a hideout, “I told you that it would be easy to take them out up here. Now, let’s get to the Gate, they have probably called for reinforcements!”

“Your easy plan almost killed me!” McKay protested, having finally rejoined his comrades.

“It had to look like an accident or they would have recognized the trap,” Ford replied, grinning broadly, “Besides, I knew that Teyla or the Colonel would come to your aid. Don’t be so whiny because you had to take a small risk! No pain, no gain, you know!”

“Can we continue this discussion on another planet?” John asked, getting back to his feet, “I’ve had my share of close battles for today!”

* * * * *

McKay was still shocked when they had reached the Stargate, though the sight of the device that would get him out of this madness soothed his nerves a bit. Ford really was crazy! His stupid plan could have killed the best scientist in the Pegasus Galaxy, dooming the whole expedition in the process. Rodney was convinced that without him, it would be only a matter of time until Atlantis would be destroyed in some kind of unforeseeable catastrophe which seemed to happen at least every two weeks.

And always Rodney McKay had been the knight in the shiny armor, rescuing everyone with the brilliant ideas that emerged from his extraordinary mind. It would have been more than tragic if the smartest being within a radius of about 20 million light years would have died simply to get the attention of a few guards!

Sheppard’s interrupted the astrophysicist’s train of thought: “Ok, Teyla dial Atlantis and get us out of here while I’ll make sure that we’re undisturbed!”

The order was music to McKay’s ears while Ford seemed oddly troubled by the prospect of getting away from this damned planet.

“Perhaps we should dial another planet before returning to Atlantis to wipe away our traces,” he suggested, “I know the address of some uninhabited planets we could use as a temporary hideout.”

“You should come with us to Atlantis, Aiden,” she said softly, apparently considering his suggestion as a pretense, “It’s not safe out here with Belbe hunting you!”

“I know but I’m not sure if it is safe for me in Atlantis either! I just need more time to….” Ford started before stopping suddenly, a confused look on his face, “Did one of you just run a hand down my neck?”

Before anyone could respond to this odd question Sheppard returned from his scouting trip with promising news.

“Seems like we’re lucky,” he stated, “No signs of Belbe or her lackeys but I would like to be back on Atlantis when they return!”

“Luck is only a myth!” Belbe’s voice said, “And yours ran out right now!”

A familiar sound followed her statement and everything went black.


* * * * *

Belbe allowed herself a small smile when she pocketed the crystal which now held the life signatures of her four now dematerialized targets. Voidstones were a resource she rarely used both because they were extremely rare and had several severe drawbacks but desperate times required desperate measures. Basically they were a tiny version of a Wraith transporter, being able to store the life signatures of up to six humanoids. This grade of miniaturization required a small and efficient power supply which usually became exhausted after the first use and couldn’t be replaced or restored.

Gix’ cold voice emanated from her equivalent for a radio, demanding immediate report. Smiling, she obeyed the Wraith’s command already imaging his reaction when he learned how exactly she had subdued the humans.

“Good news, Commander!” she said, “I stopped them before they could escape through the Gate. All four of them are now in my mercy!”

“Excellent work Necroshade,” Gix replied, dark triumph in his voice, “Dial Arborea and get them on board of Predator!”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Commander!” the Necroshade stated, trying to keep the malicious joy out of her voice – frustrating Gix while being out of his reach was so much fun –, “I had to use a Voidstone in order to capture them!”

It took the Wraith a while to respond and she was sure that a hint of anger had crept into his voice: “Very well. Dial the City of Traitors and have them re-materialized there! I’ll return to Predator and will join you in around 36 hours. Make sure that no one questions them until I come for them!”

Belbe’s mind was already spinning with possibilities: The facts that Predator was to big to travel through the Gate and that only the City of Traitors had the required equipment to restore persons who are trapped in voidstones, offered her a unique chance. An insidious plan began to unfold, a plan that would be outrageously risky but even more rewarding should everything work out. Smiling, she turned around and began to dial out, caressing the voidstone in the process.

“Don’t worry, Aiden!” she said, “you won’t become Gix’ toy! I have other plans for you and your cunning friends!”