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Underground Cont.
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Sheppard set the jumper down in the middle of an open field. The only structure in sight was a dilapidated barn. Kai had the HUD activated and had been running scans since they came through the star gate.
"I'm picking up low level radiation," she reported.
"Yeah," John agreed flippantly. "That would be the atomic bombs being built beneath our feet."
Kai looked beyond the HUD to see Teyla and two people in uniform step out of the barn into the sun. They weren't pointing weapons at her but there was authority in their stance and Teyla was unarmed.
"They took your weapons?" Kai asked as the Major decloaked the Jumper.
She was trying to get a sense of what they were walking into. The Major tended to be pretty straight forward and wasn't prone to exaggeration. These people seemed to flip flop back and forth between wanting to be allies and holding them hostage. So there really was no telling what they were walking into.
The people stumbled back, shock on their faces as the shuttle appeared out of thin air before their eyes.
"They had been returned to us when we left," Ford said from behind them. The young lieutenant sounded uneasy as he leaned forward to peer out the windshield.
"What does that mean Major?" Kai asked, allowing her voice to rise slightly with perceived nerves. She knew what it meant, but Kai the mechanic wouldn't. Kai the mechanic would be looking to the Major for answers she already knew. The Major had been suspicious of her before, and she couldn't afford for him to have any doubts especially in front of the Genii.
Their status among these people was varied at best. Teyla waved at the jumper but Kai could read the tension in the other woman's body language. They needed to be careful on this one. It was likely to turn bad at literally any moment.
The major opened the rear hatch and the three of them walked out to meet the group.
Teyla stepped up to make the introductions. "Kai Zian allow me to introduce you to Tyrus and his daughter Sora. They are the ones who recovered some of the data from the Wraith drive."
Kai forced herself to smile and extended her hand. "It's an honor," she said bowing her head respectfully. "I look forward to working with on you."
Sora sniffed. "You're wasting our time," she growled. "There's nothing more to find, if there was, we would have found it."
She turned on her heel and marched back towards the barn.
Tyrus stepped up to Kai and shook her hand. He smiled indulgently. "Thank you for coming," he said, although he didn't look any happier to see Kai than his daughter was. "This way," he said and he guided the group into the barn.
Kai was curious that so few would be there to meet them, leaving their group with greater numbers. Teyla and Ford were the first down the ladder, followed by Kai and the Major coming last.
As soon as she turned their group was greeted with a dozen Genii soldiers. Kai stiffened at the sight of all the soldiers, the tension rising in her limbs instinctually in case she needed to defend herself. None of them were pointing their weapons, but over half were holding three barreled shotguns.
The Major noticed, and he stepped past her quickly to put himself between her and the others. As he moved around her he brushed his shoulder against hers deliberately. Kai flinched at the contact and looked up at the Major as he slid past her in the small space. His eyes flickered down to hers and though his jaw was tight he dipped it once to let her know it was okay.
Kai was stunned. She had never had someone attempt to reassure her in that way. She disliked being touched but appreciated it was the Majors only way of silently letting her know he was there. It felt strange, like the planet they stood on had suddenly tilted on its axis. She was part of his team and he cared enough to put himself between her and the threat.
Kai scowled as her mind raced trying to process this new possibility in her life. It just didn't seem plausible. She was a stranger still, they knew nothing about her. If they did, the Major would never bother trying to protect her.
"Cowen," Sheppard greeted the man stiffly. Sheppard's stance was wide and though he was resting his hands lightly on his P-90 there was an air of aggression around him. Kai could see Sheppard wasn't happy with their greeting in the tension in his shoulders and the way he casually looked over the group of amassed soldiers.
"Major Sheppard. Nice to have you back," the leader of the Genii said without a hint of sincerity. "I trust your meeting went well," there was mockery in his tone. "How is Doctor Weir?" His tone continued to be patronizing. Cowen was simply unable to comprehend a military man like Sheppard having to ask permission of a woman.
"Oh she's good, sends her best," Sheppard responded jovially with a tight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Despite his stance, Kai was impressed with the Major's ability to ignore the Genii leaders attempt to get a reaction from him.
"It was good of her to make time to deal with such matters," Cowen continued.
Sheppard went very still and cocked his head to the side, his eyes running over all of the soldiers standing in the small hallway. "Something wrong Cowen?" Sheppard asked casually.
"Of course not," Cowen snapped his eyes flickering to where Kai was standing just behind the Majors shoulder. "Shall we proceed?"
"Where's McKay?" Sheppard asked. His eyes flickering to Teyla.
Teyla was able to read the tension easily and stepped forward, placing herself between the two warring alpha males.
"He is working in one of their labs. I was just on my way to check up on him," as usual Teyla's tone was soothing as she worked to keep the peace.
"Good," Sheppard said tightly, "why don't you take Ford with you. You know how much he loves bombs."
Teyla nodded. "Understood Major," she agreed.
Without being asked, four of the Genii guards peeled away to follow Teyla and Ford down one of the dark hallways.
Kai inhaled. She could smell the dank oppressive scent of damp earth and mold, both common in caves, but there was a metallic tang on the back of her tongue like old coins that made her think this structure was generations old. She wasn't afraid of being underground, nor was she claustrophobic, but she didn't like the idea of this small hatch being their only exit point. She very much doubted it was the only way out of the base, but it would be difficult to fight their way out of this if things turned sour.
Cowen stepped forward. He looked Kai up and down. "So this is your Wraith expert?" He asked, glancing towards Sheppard.
John nodded grimly. "This is her, Cowen meet Kai Zian."
Cowen extended his hand. "You're not what I was expecting," he said shaking her hand.
"What were you expecting?" Sheppard asked.
Cowen smiled. "Not someone nearly as beautiful." He said with a practiced smile. The leader of the Genii was clearly used to charming the women around him easily.
Kai forced herself to return the smile but Cowen was holding her hand too long. Her eyes flickered over to Sheppard to see if he noticed. He had. As soon as their eyes met the Major stiffened.
Cowen finally released Kai's hand. "You'll forgive me, but my men need to search your colleague." Cowen spoke to Sheppard as though Kai weren't there and had no say in the matter.
Kai bristled but recognized the power play that was going on between the two leaders. Cowen had failed to get a rise out of the Major over Elizabeth and her leadership, but the Major stepping between the Genii and Kai hadn't gone unnoticed. Now Cowen was trying to use Kai against him.
"Oh course," Kai said with a smile. She turned to the men standing there. She handed her laptop over to Tyrus and held her arms out to her side.
"Heiron," Cowen called sharply.
A young, burly soldier stepped forward. He raked his eyes up and down Kai's body with a pleased smile before he stepped close. Heiron was thorough to say the least. His hands were large and lingered too long in places that made Kai want to plant a knife in the man. She tolerated the search, however when he reached for the zipper on her vest she moved to get there before he did. She wouldn't stand here and be undressed by this soldier.
She felt the Major bristle behind her and recognized this as another power play. Cowen had chosen the soldier to search her deliberately. He slid his hands up under the vest and before she could move his fingers gripped the zipper of her jacket. His eyes were locked on her face as he pulled it down slowly. He was drawing it out on purpose.
John's jaw was starting to ache from clenching his teeth. If they had been this thorough when they searched Teyla it had been when he was in the other room. The kid Cowen had chosen to search Kai was enjoying himself too much. Once he had unzipped her jacket the kid's eyes lit up at the sight of the tight black t-shirt.
He lifted his gaze over her shoulder to meet John's and a smirk stretched across his face. John's hand tightened into a fist as he realized this whole production was for his benefit. The soldier swung her around so she was facing John. He buried his hands in her hair as though he were going to find something there. He ran his fingers along her scalp leaving the dark locks tousled. His large hands slipped down, gliding over her shoulders and coming up inside her jacket under her arms. He ran his hands across her flat stomach as though it were possible for her to hide anything under the tight cotton shirt.
John stiffened but Kai met his gaze levelly. Grey eyes met hazel and the connection between them was almost palpable. An moment of understanding passed between the two of them. This was a test of some kind and if they made a fuss this tenuous peace would dissolve.
The soldiers hands ran up her thighs and settled intimately against her low back. He glided his fingers along her spine and found the knife she had there. Kai stiffened, every instinct she had demanded she fight to keep her blade, but she forced herself to remain still. She stared into the Major's eyes and locked down her body. He was on edge and if she reacted so would he and things would turn badly.
The soldier pulled a knife from along Kai's spine and presented it to Cowen with a smug smile.
Cowen took the knife from his mans hand. He turned it over thoughtfully as he studied the black blade. Cowen stepped up and touched Kai's scarf. "What a lovely scarf," he complimented in a carefully controlled tone. "Such a unique pattern. Quite beautiful for what it is...like you. Mortii." Cowen growled the last word like a curse.
With that one word Kai's stomach dropped and her world was destroyed. She couldn't hide any more.
"Why are you here?" Cowen snarled.
John took a step towards them to put himself between the two. Kai was still holding her hands loose at her side and she gestured subtly for him to hold.
She lifted her chin so she was staring Cowen directly in the eyes.
"I am a mechanic on Atlantis. I also happen to be extremely knowledgeable about Wraith technology, and you, regardless of my beliefs," she added jerking her scarf out of his hands. "Need me to look at that drive before you do something stupid like step onto a Wraith hive ship without all the information."
Cowen ran his tongue over his teeth as he stared down at the knife in his hand. He glanced back at John who was wound tightly, prepared to intervene. "You surprise me Major Sheppard. That the people of Atlantis would choose to consort with one of the Mortii. It's rare to see one of them away from their people. You must have offered it a great deal."
"Well," Sheppard said shrugging casually as though he understood everything they were talking about. "She is one hell of a mechanic," he stressed. He didn't recognize the word Mortii, but he didn't miss Cowen suddenly referring to Kai as an 'it'.
Cowen looked down at the blade in his hands with something close to lust. John has never seen the knife before and he wasn't sure why Cowen was reacting the way he was. The blade was black, it's elegant design reminded him of the subtle scrolling pattern embroidered on her scarf.
"They say there is no greater prize for a warrior in the galaxy than to possess an Instrument's Blade," Cowen leaned into Kai and touched her cheek gently with the flat of her knife.
John bristled. He didn't like the direction this was going. The enthusiastic young soldier's eyes were glittering with excitement as his commanding officer focused on Kai. The man in John wanted to step in immediately. Protecting his people was an instinct buried so deeply inside of him he often struggled between the urge and his duty. The Major however recognized how precarious their position was here. They were deep underground, their group divided, with literally hundreds of armed soldiers between them and the exit. He wouldn't stand by and let it go further than this, but so far nothing had happened.
It helped that Kai didn't look scared. If she had he wasn't sure he would have been able to resist the instinct to step in. Kai was staring Cowen down with an intensity he hadn't seen on her face since she first came. The promise of violence building in the room was coming from her, not Cowen. This was the piece of Kai that had sent his instincts tingling when he first met her. Now he found it reassuring. As she stared Cowen down she didn't look like anyone's idea of a victim.
Kai leaned closer into Cowen her grey eyes were hard. "You didn't earn it. The only reason it is in your hand is because I saw fit to let you take it," she promised him.
Cowen threw back his head and laughed.
Kai was conscious of the fact that the Major was standing a few feet away and no doubt memorizing every piece of the conversation. Her exchange with Cowen will have done nothing but reinforce his doubts about her. If they got out of this her entire life on Atlantis would be forfeit. It made her ill, but she couldn't let her regrets touch her now. She couldn't afford to show any weakness.
"If you're done," Kai said imperiously, somehow managing to look down her nose at the Genii commander despite being the shortest in the room. "I would like to get to my work."
Cowen chuckled, a smirk pulling at one side of his face. "Tyrus," he called and the man appeared. "Take the Mortii to the lab."
John turned to follow. Cowen looked surprised but after what happened John wasn't comfortable leaving Kai alone with these people especially now. He had a lot of questions for Kai, but they could wait until after they survived this. The first was going to be what exactly a Mortii was. He was assuming it was a religion but he wasn't taking anything for granted.
Kai stopped in front of Cowen and held her hand up for the knife. Cowen glided his fingers over the blade once more. "It is beautiful," he commented.
John stepped closer to Kai so he was practically brushing against her. He bumped her lightly with his shoulder again. A gesture so small no one else would see it but it told Kai he was there.
"Deadly too," John added staring at the blade in Cowen's hand.
Cowen's eyes were on Kai however. "I have no doubt Major."
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