Stargate Atlantis: Origins - Episode I

Episode I: Enemy of My Enemy

These people did not understand the purpose of reasoning! This was infuriating! A discussion with their leader was next to impossible. The man did not listen and only spoke rather forcefully and blunt. Was force the only tactic available to them? If this was true, it was probably smart to throw out logic and common sense as well. Dealing with a military society was certainly not an easy task. Pushing and shoving seemed to be a rather common occurrence. When word of this harsh treatment reached home, it would not be taken lightly.

“Get in there!” The Genii soldier forcefully shoved the two prisoners into the cell and said, “And you might want to teach that smart-mouthed brother of yours some manners.”

“Touch my sister again and I’ll see to it personally that your hands are removed!” The captive scowled darkly as he rubbed at his busted lip.

“Now, now, I am sorry for the rough handling, Lor’shaska, Wysen’urth... but we all know this would have gone better for everyone if you would have told us how you made your form of weaponry.” As he stood outside the jail cell, Cowen mused with his typical leer, “I assure you, in a few hours, you will most definitely feel like talking.”

Nodding to a guard, the cage door was slammed shut and locked with a clank. The noise was so loud, it echoed through the long tunnels. Chuckling, the leader of the Genii took his leave. The soldiers followed suit behind him. Seeing there was no way out of the confinement without a key, there was no need for guards.

Kicking the bars, Wysen’urth was enraged. He gave a loud yell of frustration. His sister merely rubbed her forehead at his immature actions. Even his abilities could not bend metal bars. There was no way out of this one. Waiting for help was the only available choice. As much as he hated to admit it, perhaps his brother was right. Maybe he was not suitable to go along on these diplomatic trips with his sister. He swore violently as he paced in a circular motion about the confinement.

“That two-faced, lying, spawn of a Wraith!” Wysen’urth spouted furiously, “He had planned this from the start!”

“Wysen’urth…” Lor’shaska breathed exasperatedly.

“And we were stupid enough to take the bait!” The brother continued to rant, “We practically walked right into this trap like naive prey!”

“Wysen’urth!” Lor’shaska said firmly as she placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder, “Please, calm yourself… your anger is fueled by energy you may need later.”

“We told them! We do not have any weapons!” Her brother refused to drop the subject, parading on about the current issue. He objected, “We are a peaceful planet! There’s never even been a civil war of any kind! Why would there be a need for a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ as they put it?”

“Wysen’urth! Sit down and shut up for once in your life!” Lor’shaska barked as she pointed to the bench, “Your raving, true as it may be, is not going to help us now.”

Humbled by his sister’s statement, Wysen’urth quietly took a seat. The metal bench creaked a protest at his weight. Interlocking his fingers, his shoulders sagged and his posture was far from straight. His gaze did not meet Lor’shaska’s for the moment, looking to the side. The younger brother did not delight in being scolded by his sensible sister. No wonder his siblings always warned him not to displease her. A woman’s temper no matter how small or large, was indeed a fearsome force.

Sighing, Lor’shaska bent down on her knees in front of her brother. This was a stressful situation and she could usually keep her wits about her. Unfortunately, her brother was good at bringing out her snappy side. Truthfully, she did not like raising her voice to get a point across only to create tension. Every single one of her brother’s words was correct but of no use here. His anger was understandable but would only tire him. If he insulted another soldier, he would most likely get another pop to the face. Sometimes, Wysen’urth just did not think things through like he should.

She requested in a softer tone, “Does it hurt?”

Silently, Wysen’urth turned his head and allowed his older sibling to examine the bruised area around his mouth. The punch had taken him by surprise even though it should have been expected. Genii soldiers had bones like steel. The cut was not too bad but still stung. The skin was turning purple as the blood flowed. At least his jaw was not cracked and only bruised. As Lor’shaska started to touch it, her brother gently grasped her wrist with a shake of his head.

“Not here. I’ll be fine, sis.” He reminded her, “I’ve had worse. Besides, that’s yet another secret we don’t need them finding out, yeah?”

“True… I still do not like seeing you in pain.” Lor’shaska lowered her hand with a frown, “To cause suffering is too cruel a torture.”

“You’re just too soft-hearted.” He teased.

“And your skull is too hard!” She retorted with her arms crossed.

“You need to learn better comebacks.” Wysen’urth grinned as he scratched his head, “So any thoughts on how to get out of here?”

“Escape… is not possible.”

The tired voice from the cell next door caused the two siblings to stand to their feet rather quickly. Lor’shaska and Wysen’urth exchanged uncertain glances. Another prisoner was down here? Who else had pissed off the Genii to end up in this underground hellhole? Better yet, how much of their conversation was heard? Nothing overly important was said, but there was enough to raise suspicion. One could not be overly cautious. The secrets of their people could not be leaked. It was the only reason prosperity and safety had been constant for so long.

“I take it you have been captive for a good while?”

Lor’shaska voiced her inquiry as she slowly approached the tiny barred window of sorts. Her brother’s grip on her shoulder kept her from advancing too close. Raising an eyebrow, the sister presented her brother with a puzzled expression. Wysen’urth held his hand up in a halting manner. There was something different in the air coming from the other cell. He could sense it. To him, it felt… wrong. It felt vile and malicious. Due to his irritation beforehand, it was likely he simply overlooked it for the time being. Such a careless mistake, he would not make it again.

“I have been here far too long for my liking.” It answered candidly, “If there was a way to leave this place, I would have done so already.”

“Well, aren’t you cocky?” Wysen’urth muttered under his breath.

The insult earned him a jab in the side from his sister. He gave a grunt and rubbed his ribs with a pouty glare. Evidently, Lor’shaska was not appreciating sarcasm in their current situation. To her, his attitude was making this circumstance none the better. Once more, the candid brother should have kept his mouth shut.

“Being cocky, as you put it, has nothing to do with the means of proper getaway,” The man retorted in a rather icy tone, “merely having the right tactics that is the key.”

“Oh, tell me something I don’t know!” He snapped right back at his new neighbor.

“Forgive my brother, mister.” Lor’shaska apologized for her sibling’s behavior as she gave Wysen’urth a look of annoyance, “He’s not in the best of a mood.”

The prisoner fell silent for a second.

“You two have the Genii thinking you hiding the resource of your weapon when, I might say, it is in plain sight… am I correct, Ali’quedian?”

Gasping, Lor’shaska placed her hand over her heart. The news stunned her and her brother. There was no one else with this information besides their own people! The Ancestors were gone so it could not be one of them. Who was this man?! Angrily, she tromped over to the bars, her patience finally having run short. Since the man was sitting in the dark corner, she could not see his face. Rattling the rusty bars with a shake, she narrowed her eyes with her teeth gritted.

“I demand you tell me how you know this information!” Lor’shaska’s volume was close to shouting, “You are not Ali’quedian and you cannot be an Ancestor for they have been dead for many millennia!”

The detainee merely laughed dryly.

“You are very observant, Lor’shaska of the Ali’quideans… or should I say Lady Lor’shaska of the Royal Raobeslifer House?”

Gripping the bars tighter, the lady bit her lip lightly. This was not playing out well for them. However, one issue stuck out like a sore thumb. If this man knew their secrets, their identities, and why they were in the first place, would he not used it to his advantage? He could have bargained for his freedom. Her brother, she knew, was disquieted by this stranger’s knowledge as much as she was. However, unlike Wysen’urth, Lor’shaska was excellent at putting two and two together. There was a great reason this prisoner would never be released by the Genii.

“If you’re not an Ali’quedian and not an Ancestor, then that means you can only be one other race.” Lor’shaska said coolly as she released her grasp on the bars, “So tell me if I’m wrong... Wraith.”

At her statement, the next-door neighbor rose from his sitting position and made his way over to the small view between the cells. The shuffling of his gait signaled he was weak. A jingle of chains allowed the siblings to know he was restricted with his movements. As the light revealed the Wraith’s form, Wysen’urth protectively stood in front of his sister. There was no denying the green skin and white hair. The monster simply smiled eerily as he gazed upon the two royals.

“You guessed correctly… my lady.” He sneered, “Your thoughts were so loud, it was almost impossible not to eavesdrop upon them. Your brother’s offensive ones, however, were gladly ignored.”

“As much as I dislike saying this, I’m rather impressed the Genii captured filth like you.” Wysen’urth replied with a grin, “Seems like they did something right. One less dangerous Wraith on the prowl is always a good reward.”

Growling, the Wraith bared his jagged teeth.

“You foolishly deem me harmless because I am shackled and starving, human, but against a witless being such as yourself, I would be the victor in a battle!” He hissed threateningly with those yellow eyes glowing from fury.

“And there it is!” Wysen’urth laughed mockingly as he pointed a finger at the enemy, “That typical Wraith overconfidence! You must be delusional from starvation if you think you could touch me as you are!”

“Stop goading him!” Lor’shaska interjected between the quarreling as she gently pushed her brother back to the bench, “Don’t let him provoke you, Wysen’urth… he wants to get underneath your skin.”

“Listen to your sister since you apparently cannot think for yourself.” The Wraith ridiculed, “She is obviously the wiser of the two of you.”

The royal prince started to march over the Wraith to spout forth further obscene words, but Lor’shaska impeded him. With a grumble, the brother took his original spot on the bench with his arms crossed. The argument was ceased and there was quiet once again. Nonetheless, the Wraith still stared at the pair as if in deep thought. This annoyed Lor’shaska to no end. In her mind, she imaged slamming a metal door in the Wraith’s face, blocking access to her train of thought. The impact knocked him flat on his backside and prevented further entrance for the time being. She could feel him trying to lurk around in there.

“That was not very nice.” The Wraith said with a huff as if he was offended, tilting his head somewhat.

“Then you should know eavesdropping on one’s thoughts is not considered polite.” Lor’shaska responded lightly, as if she was scolding a child, “If you are rude, then you will find even this lady can be discourteous.”

With a harrumph, the Wraith found this human woman quite stubborn.

She continued, “If you know so much about us, why not just tell the Genii our supposed secrets?”

“Allowing them with another advantage?” The Wraith snorted, “You must think me daft if you believe I want to help them. Do you really think the Genii would release me even if I told them such?”

“He’s got a point.” Wysen’urth remarked as he folded a leg across the other, “If he was my prisoner, I would not let him go.”

“Then why obtain information in the first place?” Lor’shaska still pressed the issue, not relenting. What was he hiding? There was a purpose behind this motive. “Our home planet has defended against Wraith attacks before… we’ll do it again.”

“And how many years has it been since the last attack?” The Wraith asked with a scoff, “Do you truly think we have not advanced?”

“Your overall appearance is absolutely not advancement.” Wysen’urth said in a snarky tone.

“Wysen’urth…” Lor’shaska’s tone was one of warning.

“I know, I know, shut up and be quiet.” The brother said dejectedly as he held up a hand in defense.

Amused, the Wraith grinned at the antics between the siblings. The sister was sensible and level-headed while her brother possessed a witty sense of sarcasm, often speaking before he thought. At least it might not be so bad having some entertainment for a while. Being alone with his thoughts was tiring and even boring at times. The Genii soldiers were most certainly not adequate conversationalists. Speaking to them served to be a mute point. It was not like the guards would answer him anyhow.

“You must know I’d never allow you to reveal the location of our home world to other Wraiths.”

“Oh, it is not the planet of the Ali’quedians I desire.” The Wraith said as he shrugged his shoulders, “Even if we did cull them for feeding, your people have certain qualities we find… unwholesome, to say the least.”

Taking the enemy with one was literally enforced by her people. During wars with the Wraith, the Ali’quedians found a most suitable way to use their abilities to an advantage if captured. It was similar to a self-destruct in a sense. Seeing the Ali’quedians possessed the skill to control certain elements of nature, fission could be obtained under great strain to cause a release of pure energy. In the resulting process, the blast would take the life of the Ali’quedian and the Wraith while it was feeding. Manipulating energy from the environment was the very source of their so-called weaponry. Maybe this was what the Wraith was referring to as far as being unwholesome. It was strange to think their ‘food’ could not agree with them.

“Then what is?” She inquired impatiently.

Before the Wraith could answer, footfalls were heard echoing in the tunnels. Wysen’urth stood next to Lor’shaska ready to fight if necessary. He would not let anything happen to his sister. A group of soldiers followed a commander around the corner. As expected, every single one was carrying a weapon. Lor’shaska noticed the Wraith shrinking back into his dark corner. It was an unusual behavior for his species. What would cause him to draw away from what he considered his prey?

Her mind started to place the pieces of the puzzle together into a whole. Lor’shaska had analyzed the way the Genii council reacted when she would not give them the desired ‘blueprints’ for the weapon. The Genii were not really known for their hospitality. She supposed it was a speculation more so of what did the Genii do to the Wraith? A thought like that one led to the pondering of why the Genii held a Wraith as a prisoner anyway. Why not kill him on sight? There was a purpose behind this as well.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting,” The commander started as he clasped his hands together, “I am Commander Koyla of the Genii. Lady Lor’shaska, Lord Wysen’urth, I know our leader Cowen has already requested the source of your weaponry and you refuse to hand over the needed information.”

“Actually, you see, that is the problem.” Wysen’urth said snidely with a frown, “Cowen clearly has a listening deficit. Our people do not have any weapons.”

Koyla merely gave a smug expression.

“We have scout reports from different sections of your planet.” The commander explained, “It seems the weapon you possess allows your people to use certain segments of nature to your will.”

“And I will tell you again, we have no weapons!” Wysen’urth repeated himself with a little more force this time.

“We have evidence!” Koyla exclaimed with a roll of his eyes as if it was the simplest utterance in the world.

“Commander Koyla, is it?” Lor’shaska thought this was a good time to interrupt. The arguing between men would last forever. How many times had her brothers argued before it turned into a contest, or a wrestling match, or something along those lines? She spoke, trying to be as diplomatic as possible, “Did your men see these supposed weapons? Or did your men just see these segments of nature, as you said, being bent to our will?”

The Commander opened his mouth to speak but then gradually closed it. He was not going to admit she had a point. The royal lady was indeed sharp. The weapon the Ali’quedians used had never been sighted. There was no machine, no guns, and no kind of equipment lying around. It was for a simple reason though. The weapon was hidden out of sight. There had to be something which was enabling the people to use such a complex force of energy. He looked at his men, left and right, and then gave a soft chuckle.

“I guess I will skip right to the point then, Lady Lor’shaska.” Commander Koyla began as he signaled his men. Wysen’urth, not liking how the situation was developing, pushed his sister behind him. As the guards entered the cell, the men seized Wysen’urth, bending his arms behind his back. He struggled at first, landing a punch on one and kicking the other against the bars before the click of a gun halted his movements. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the commander pointing the pistol at his sister. “Behave, little prince… wouldn’t want your sister to get hurt now, would you?” He asked with a smirk.

“Coward!” Wysen’urth spat heatedly with his lip curled.

“Hmph, I’ve been called worse.” Koyla said with a twirl of his gun, placing it back in the hostler. He turned his attention to Lor’shaska as he closed the door to her cell, “This is how it is going to go, princess… I am going to, let’s say, interrogate your brother for the answers I want. If he refuses to give them to me, then I will shoot him in front of you unless,” He paused for a minute, “you tell me the whereabouts of this weapon.”

“Don’t listen to him, Lor’shaska!” Wysen’urth called to his sister stridently as the men started to drag him off down the hallway, “Don’t tell him anything!”

“We’ll be back, my lady.” Koyla promised fiendish grin as he turned on his heel and trailed after the soldiers.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. Pacing in a circle, Lor’shaska was worried for her brother. Her people would send reinforcements to look for them when their return was not on time. If Cowen ordered Koyla to harm her or her brother, the Ali’quedians would seek vengeance despite the peaceful environment. No one ever got away with crossing them. The last time things went out of hand with people trying to kill them because their abilities, it resulted in complete genocide of the adversary. Even then, her people were peaceful but then threatened simply because of that single gift.

That was thousands of years ago, but what about in today’s time? If the secrets of their people were revealed once more, who knows what would happen? Humans were greedy by nature and would want such abilities for themselves. Or perhaps, would another attempt to wipe them out as a race, be attempted? Would the Wraith return for a new fight? Another war was the last thing her planet needed, especially with the Genii. There had to be a solution to this without revealing their skill to manipulate elements of nature.

What to do? What could she do? When Koyla returned with her brother, if she did not tell him what he wanted to know, Wysen’urth would be killed. However, if she did tell him what he wanted to know, it was likely he would kill the both of them. The siblings would no longer be useful to the Genii. Not to mention, there was the fact of Lor’shaska betraying her people’s long guarded secret. It was never to be exposed no matter what the circumstance. The crushing sensation of knowing there was nothing she could do almost caused Lor’shaska to release a sob, but she held it back in her chest. The feeling of entrapment was suffocating.

“Koyla will find a way to get what he wants,” The wraith warned the lady quietly, “one way or another.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious.” Lor’shaska snapped at the alien bitterly, “I’ll be sure to remember it when he threatens to murder my brother in front of me.”

The Wraith grunted at her bone-slicing cynicism. Her sense of sarcasm was nearly as appalling as her brother’s. She was quite bold for a female, particularly one of royalty. Although, the lady was calm and collected when pressured states were presented, he could sense her apprehension rising. Looking at the circumstance from her point of view, things were rather bleak for her and her annoying brother. Judging from their attitudes thus far, Wysen’urth, he supposed, was the troublemaker or prankster in the family while Lor’shaska was the sole peacemaker. The Wraith would not complain if he did not have to put up with Wysen’urth’s loud mouth anymore, but he certainly would not force such to the sister.

“Would it be so bad if the Ali’quedians’ capability to control elements spread?” The Wraith stated leisurely, “If others feared you, then you would be superior.”

“We do not want others to fear us!” Lor’shaska spouted all too quickly, her temper getting the best of her, “Fear turns to hatred! Do you really think we want to be on the same level of abhorrence as your kind is? Any sensible human of the galaxy would slaughter a Wraith on sight, and you know it!” She looked through the bars of the window and met the alien’s eyes in the shadows, “We simply want to be left alone in peace!”

“Then I must ask why you came here to deal with the Genii if you wanted to be left alone?” The Wraith questioned with a tiny smirk.

If only she could punch him, the stress relief would be very useful right now.

“The grounds split open in the land of Terra.” Lor’shaska really did not seem the harm in telling the Wraith. What could he do to possibly make things worse than they already were? “Fire and burning earth shot forth from the chasms. Many of my people were hurt and nearly half the year’s growing crops were destroyed.”

The devastation was horrible. There was no way to predict this kind of catastrophic event could have happened. As the ground suddenly cracked opened, the people of the land had little time to react. Liquid fire rushed up from the bowls of the earth. Trees were scorched and the plants were burnt to ash. All the ripe crops from the growing season were perishing due to the flames. Many were hurt and not all were saved. The only good part about the natural disaster was it occurred on the outer edge away from the larger section of settlement. Most of the people would still have to be relocated for the time being.

She said solemnly, “While it is true the people of Terra can simply re-grow plants, the soil is damaged and there are too few hands; too many injured. I would not let them starve, so my brother and I came here to bargain for extra food.”

The lady had risked her safety by coming to bargain for her people. It was a reckless decision dealing with the Genii. Yet she thought of her people first not herself. Her heart was heavy with worry. Putting on a brave face, Lor’shaska armed herself with a reserved demeanor and reminded herself why she was doing this. Even now in this situation, her only concern was for her people and her brother. There was not a thought in her head of the possible outcome of her demise. He admired those qualities of a leader. Being in a position of leadership was never easy. It required precise contemplation and execution.

“You are loyal to your people.” The Wraith finally spoke. For once, he actually sounded… sincere. “Betrayal is not an option for you.”

“Betrayal is never an option,” Lor’shaska corrected, “unless you warrant an early death. In our culture, you betrayal your people, you die.”

“It appears to me, humans are more like Wraith than you know.”

Lor’shaska crinkled her nose.

“I’m not sure if I like the sound of that.”

Laughing, the Wraith rested his head against the concrete wall.

“You are… interesting for a human.”

“Am I supposed to take that as a compliment or an insult?”

“I suppose you could say I am biased due to the majority of humans screaming and running away instead of conversing with me.” The Wraith grinned.

“And I am guessing this is the part where I say you, a formidable Wraith, are quite the talented conversationalist?”

Lor’shaska almost snickered at the thought of a Wraith being decent at communication instead of barking orders left and right. To sit down and have afternoon tea with a Wraith, what a sight that would be back home! What would the topic of conversation be? Talking about recent cullings was out of the picture for sure.

“And should I take it as a compliment or an insult?” He returned her words.

“I’m not sure,” She released a most unlady-like snort, “I’d have to see if you could keep my attention first.”

“I must be doing well so far.” The Wraith replied with a huff.

“To be honest, I’m surprised I’m even speaking to you.” Lor’shaska admitted as she sat down on the metal bench with a deep sigh and hugged her knees. This entire situation had drained her of energy. Stress should be something she was used to as a royal. Perhaps back on her planet, she had it easier than she thought. She murmured to herself, “What is wrong with me? I am talking to the enemy like a friend.”

“Perhaps,” The Wraith began almost hesitantly, “I could apply the old human knowledge of the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

Lor’shaska’s surprise could be heard easily through the concrete walls.

“You think me stupid enough to fall for that?” She challenged with a acidic tone, “Wraith cannot be trusted.”

“And Wraith think the same of humans.” He countered.

The lady briefly fell silent.

“Point taken.” Lor’shaska flipped a strand of stray hair out of her face and then said, “May I suggest we reach a common ground for the time being?”

“And what would this common ground be?”

“Escaping.”

“As I said before,” The Wraith did not like repeating himself, “there is no escaping this place.”

“There was one of you and many of them when you tried before, yes?” Lor’shaska tried to poke a hole in his logic, “This time, there would be three of us.”

“And how do you plan on escaping without revealing your secrets?”

“I can fight, you know.”

“And what are you going to do?” He asked, derisively, “One of those Genii guards could overpower you in a second.”

“Fine!” Lor’shaska growled at him as she chucked a loosed piece of concrete from the wall at the bars which separated him.

The piece was no bigger than a pebble, but it served purpose to release some tension. The clatter echoed lightly, causing the Wraith to flinch. He had not expected her to reaction so… fiercely. Her tolerance with his negative outlook was depleted. The assumption of her being a woman, equaled being weak, was the last straw. She would not be looked down upon simply because she was female!

Pulling her cloak closer around her shoulders, Lor’shaska snapped, “Stay in there and rot for the rest of your miserable life.”

The Wraith winced at her tone. Females could be loud and intimidating. No wonder the males were quick to fall in line after a female was pissed. All the queens he had ever encountered were silencing with a mere glare. Some human females, he supposed, were a little brasher than others. Still, there were some who had managed to knock a fully grown Wraith flat on his back before. There were not many female warriors that he had encountered but many were strong nonetheless. She did not sound pleased at his assumption of her immediate defeat. Perhaps he underestimated her.

“I did not truly intend to insult you,” The Wraith said softly after a few moments, “I retract my earlier statement.”

A Wraith was apologizing? This was certainly new, not to mention confusing. It perked her interest more so than she liked. This was exceeding rare. The royal lady had never heard of a Wraith having emotions. Then again, their kind was once as human as she was. Could a monster as terrible as the Wraith express regret or feel remorse?

“… apology accepted.”

Sighing deeply, Lor’shaska closed her eyes. Even if she wanted to help her brother, there was nothing she could do for him. If she exposed her people’s secrets, the consequences could be dire. There was no way to know for sure, but she could not take the risk. Wysen’urth was just as loyal as she was, and he would never dare speak a word of it to the Genii. It was a conflict, pulling her in two separate ways. Could she live with herself if her brother died since she would not talk? Lor’shaska told herself not to think in such a way. Her people would come for them soon enough.

The silence, however, was getting rather awkward. She was not really in the mood to talk to the Wraith anymore. Lor’shaska’s main focus was getting her brother and then returning to her planet. The Genii would be dealt with later for all she cared. Wysen’urth needed her and it gnawed at her soul knowing she could not help him. All Lor’shaska could do was sit there and wait. There was no point in trying to break the bars or bend them. She needed to conserve her strength.

It was already late at night. The guards had dragged Lor’shaska and Wysen’urth away from the council table right after dinner. The discussion had not even lasted an hour. Her people would not be expecting her return until tomorrow morning at the earliest. When the two royal siblings did not return, there would be people looking for them. The Genii would surely try to stall them but failure was not an option.

When would the Genii bring Wysen’urth back here?

While waiting, Lor’shaska dozed lightly. The events of the day had surged her adrenaline only to have it come crashing down later. Her knees were bent somewhat and her back was against the wall. Her sleep was restless. What would the morning bring for her?