• Kalgen stiffened a little, but it was in defense and he didn’t lower his arm from Akaeda’s shoulders. “I understand how different this must appear to you, John Sheppard, but we must discuss this inside. The rest of the hive will exit hyperspace within moments.” When no one moved, he added, “I sincerely doubt you wish to be fed upon.”

    Sheppard sighed/growled and nodded. “Fine, but don’t try anything.”

    Akaeda willingly let Kalgen guide her to an open hatch. The dark confines of the ship felt safe and the last dredges of her fear went away. She wasn’t willing to leave the safety of Kalgen’s body just yet, however. Ronon could loose his fragile control and kill her.

    They entered a deeper part of the cruiser that was little more than a cargo hold, its piles of crates as familiar to Akaeda as her hut. Not all of the food inside was for her, though. Because of Kalgen’s one-in-a-billion genetic mix-up, he didn’t have the need to feed on human life as much, though he did need to once in a while to keep the Wraith part of him alive. It was also a secret Akaeda would never tell, even to the Lanteans.

    Kalgen turned Akaeda around. “Go get some refreshments for them, ‘Kaeda,” he softly suggested, his eyes gesturing towards a side room.

    Very reluctantly, Akaeda nodded and weaved her way through the crates. There might be another reason for this, she realized. Kalgen could now talk to Sheppard and the others without loosing his leverage point as a Wraith. Akaeda didn’t mind; whatever kept them from killing Kalgen was fine with her. As she searched through the crate in the side room, Akaeda couldn’t help but listen.

    “Well, looks like you’ve been busy,” Sheppard dryly commented. “What are you planning? A vacation?”

    Teyla smoothly covered Sheppard’s question with a less-harmful one of her own. “Akaeda seems frightened by the least dangerous gesture. Why is that?”

    Now Kalgen sighed, an unusual sound from a Wraith. “You would have to ask her, like I have done. She does not say anything when I do. I can only guess that someone used her like an experiment and as such left her mind scarred.” The timbre in his voice sounded like he was reluctant to speak like that.

    “You did it no doubt,” Ronon rumbled and was immediately warned by a muttered sentence from Sheppard.

    “I had nothing to do with it,” Kalgen insisted hotly. “I found Akaeda on my ship two years ago in a worse state than she is now. It took a year for her to trust me.”

    “Why do you try to help her?” Teyla inquired, seeming to try and understand it herself. All she got for an answer was a quiet snarl from Kalgen.

    Sheppard sighed. “Okay. So you’ve been helping get rid of whatever’s scaring her. What’s that got to do with us? We’re not exactly mind doctors.”

    “Believe what you want, but I had not intended on you finding this ship,” Kalgen admitted. “When this hive leaves, there will be no one left on the planet who will believe Akaeda did not bring them. You know of other planets she could go to safely, do you not?”

    “Yes…”

    “My people would gladly take her in,” Teyla offered.

    “Wait a minute,” McKay piped up. “This is all very nice, but what if the hiveship detects this one? I mean, we’re not buried under several hundred years worth of dirt and plants.”

    A rare chuckle came from Kalgen. “You do not need to worry, Doctor McKay. If the others do find this ship, it will appear like it was shot down by the Lanteans and is no longer space-worthy.”

    Akaeda finished with the plate and carried it out, pretending not to have heard them. With a shy smile, she offered the others what was on it. McKay eagerly grabbed some and Teyla and Sheppard cautiously took a couple, but Ronon, with his arms crossed, and refused to look at them. He’ll come around; Akaeda reassured herself and set the plate within his reach.

    “You all are free to wander the ship,” Kalgen added. “You are not prisoners and you will be safe so long as you do not leave until the hive is gone.”

    Akaeda felt his mental touch as he spoke. “I have business to attend to, ‘Kaeda. Will you be all right with them?”

    Very carefully, Akaeda used her own weak abilities to reply, “Yes. I like Teyla.”

    Fondness that Kalgen would never show in front of strangers echoed down their link. “Good. You cannot have me to talk to all the time.” He turned and strode down a hallway.

    Sheppard stuck an arm in front of Ronon when the runner tried to go after him. “Relax, buddy. I think if he was gonna eat us, he’d have done so by now.”

    “Anyway,” McKay added, nearly bursting with eagerness. “How often do we get a chance to explore a Wraith cruiser without being shot at? We should definitely learn what we can before that hive leaves.”

    Sheppard looked about to refuse, but that idea seemed to appeal to him. “Okay, but Ronon goes with you. I’m gonna go talk to this guy some more. We’re due to report back in about five minutes, anyway. When we don’t, Colonel Carter’s gonna call and ask why we haven’t. We’ll need a heck of a convincing story.”

    Gathering her courage as Sheppard disappeared down the hallway after Kalgen, Akaeda turned to Teyla. “I can show you around if you want.”

    A smile appeared on Teyla’s face, but Akaeda guessed that it was half-forced. “That would be wonderful, Akaeda.”