New Year!!!

HAPPY 2011!!!!!!!!! LOVE AND KISSES AND ALL THAT KINDA STUFF!!!!

also welcome home to all our US troops who are home for the holidays! :)

Taking A Break

But not forever!!!! Just until the end of the holidays. Ciao!

Chapter 9: First Mission

"Nice landing," Ford said.

"Thank you," Sheppard answered, sounding a little hurt.

"So I we flew too close to the energy field?" asked Akire.

The mission had been going fine until McKay had detected an energy field. They had decided to go closer to check it out, when they started experiencing turbulence. The jumper's systems had completely shut off, and Sheppard had been forced to crash land it. Luckily, no one had gotten hurt, but Sheppard, McKay, Ford, Teyla, and Akire were sitting inside, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

"Yes, Sheppard took us too close to the energy readings," McKay said scathingly.

"And whose idea was that?" Sheppard retorted, turning in his seat to look at McKay.

"I make mistakes, I make mistakes. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not perfect."

"Just fix the ship."

McKay gave a snort and peered at the console next to his seat. "None of my diagnostic equipment is working."

Akire leaned towards Ford. "Is it like this every mission?"

He grinned. "Not usually."

Meanwhile, Teyla had walked forward to look up at the sky from the puddle-jumper's windshield. "The sun is still high in the sky," she announced. "We should be able to make it back to the Stargate before dark."

"So we should start now," Akire suggested. "We can always have McKay come back and fix the jumper."

"Oh, yeah," McKay said, still fiddling with his equipment. "The only problem is that nothing is working."

"I like Akire's idea better," said Sheppard. McKay opened his mouth to reply, but Sheppard cut him off. "Alright everyone. Let's gear up."

☆☆☆☆☆

"Sir, I think my compass has gone crazy." Ford was studying the compass in his hand. The needle was spinning in different directions each second. [[OMG IT'S JACK SPARROW'S COMPASS!!!!!]]

McKay laughed. "You brought a magnetic compass to another planet in another galaxy?! You have no idea if the planet's magnetic field is the same as Earth's!"

"I think it's cool," Akire said defensively. McKay waved his hand absently, then snapped his fingers together quickly. "Let me see that," he said. He took the compass from Ford. "It looks like the disturbance is electromagnetic. That would explain why all our equipment is out. It must be an electromagnetic field!"

"Like the Bermuda Triangle," Sheppard offered.

"Exactly," McKay said excitedly. "Now, I think we should go that way." He pointed towards the sun.

"I believe the gate is this way," Teyla said, tilting her head in the other direction.

"Yeah, but I might be onto something here," McKay said, heading off into the forest.

"I bet you're glad Ford brought it along, aren't you?" Akire suppressed a smile.

"Whatever," McKay called back over his shoulder.

☆☆☆☆☆

Akire looked up at the ruins around her. The team was standing in a clearing, complete with large pillars carved with intricate runes, most of which had faded. McKay was intently studying the compass, tapping the glass from time to time.

"These ruins are very old." Teyla ran her hands over a pillar. "Several hundred years at least."

"So the population is extinct?" Sheppard asked.

"Most likely," McKay answered. "Check it out." He handed the compass to Sheppard. Sheppard looked at it for a few minutes. "Ok, I give up."

"You see how the needle is flicking between north and south?" McKay didn't stop for an answer. "If the disturbance is man made, as opposed to naturally occurring, it's probably emanating from within these ruins. Somewhere....over....there." He looked to his left.

"So if we find it, we can shut it off?" Akire said.

"It's worth a shot. If we shut down the field, we won't have to walk back to the gate--"

"And we can save a perfectly good puddle-jumper," Sheppard interjected.

"That too," McKay agreed. "Now, if we go this way--"

Suddenly, a boy, no older than thirteen, jumped out from behind the ruins and pointed a bow and arrow at the team, Other children, the oldest at about sixteen and the youngest at ten, emerged from the shadows with their weapons fixed on the five adults. They appeared to be wearing some sort of war paint. Ford and Sheppard instantly pointed their guns at the newcomers.

"What's going on?" Akire asked. Sheppard lowered his weapon, but Ford was less eager. "Come on Ford, they're just kids," said Sheppard.

"Kids that have bows and arrows pointed at us," Ford said resiliently.

"Lower your weapon, Lieutenant." Shepard ordered. Ford reluctantly put down his gun.

"Hey....kids," Sheppard began. They stared at him in silence. Teyla cut in. "We are not here to harm you in any way. We just wanted to return home through the Stargate."

"Yeah. What Teyla said." McKay muttered.

"You're a full grown," bone of the boys said, staring at Sheppard.

"Excuse me?" Sheppard replied.

"You need to see the Elders," the boy said, turning his gaze to Akire.

"Elders.....riiiight..." McKay said. Sheppard threw him a glance. "Lead the way," he said to the boy.

They backed off into the forest, still keeping the team at arrowpoint.

This is not how I imagined my first mission going, Akire thought. Ford seemed to hear her thoughts, because he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

[[to be continued....]]

Chapter 8: Belonging

Akire woke in her room and hugged her knees to her chest. She loved that she had her own room on Atlantis now. She had been here two weeks, and she knew so many people that her brain could hardly handle it. She had been introduced to Teyla Emmagen, the leader of the village formerly on Athos, and Dr. Rodney McKay, the chief scientist of the expedition, who was arrogant, but funny, along with so many others.

Ford had brought her a bar of something he called "chocolate" for a present to celebrate her getting better. This chocolate food she had found to be delicious, and she had eaten it in one sitting.

But the best surprise of all had come the previous day. Akire had been down in the sparring room, going through the sword drills that Xerin had taught her when she was little (she had picked them up surprisingly fast) when Sheppard had come in....

[[flashback time!!!!!]]

"Knock, knock." Akire turned around so fast that she almost lost grip of the sword. "Oh. It's you," she said, relieved. "I was just going through some drills."

"Yeah, what I came to talk to you about is kind of like that," Sheppard said. He straightened up from leaning against the doorframe and came over as Akire took a cloth and began wiping down her sword's hilt. "I'm wondering if you would be interested in being a part of my off-world team."

"Define 'off-world team'," Akire said, interested.

"An off-world team is a group of usually four people who go to other habitable planets through the Stargate to look for trading opportunities, or allies," Sheppard explained.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Akire asked.

"Well, I already have Ford, McKay, and Teyla on the team, but we've had a pretty bad time so far," Sheppard said.

"I've heard," Akire said. Sheppard and his team had encountered a life-sucking bug similar to the Wraith, survived a stuck puddle-jumper [[a kind of small spaceship, see here]], and destroyed a Wraith tracking device, all in two weeks.

"So I talked with Weir, and she said that I could ask you if you would like to be a fifth member. Ford is certainly keen to have you on the team." Sheppard gave a supercilious half smile.

"Me?" Akire said in disbelief.

"I can't take Carson with me, can I? It's bad enough we have to put up with McKay." Akire laughed, then said, "I would be honored."

Sheppard had a confused look on his face. "Is that a Pegasus Galaxy thing? Cause Teyla said that too."

"No, it's called being polite," Akire smirked.

"Hey, I can kick you off the team anytime I want," Sheppard said, turning to go.

"But really, Sheppard," Akire said in a more serious tone, "Thanks."

[[un-flashback!!!]]

"So where are we going today?" Akire asked Ford. They were walking towards the puddle-jumper bay. Both were dressed in Atlantis personnel attire, complete with bullet-proof vests (in case they needed them) and guns (only as an absolute last resort) but Akire also had her sword, strapped to her left hip.

"M7G-677," Ford rattled off the gate address. "Sheppard wants to take a jumper....I wonder why..." He rolled his eyes, and Akire chuckled in agreement. Sheppard possessed the ATA gene, a gene that allowed him to operate Ancient technology. McKay had had the gene artificially imposed on him, but Teyla, Ford, and Akire hadn't tried the treatment yet. Flying a puddle-jumper was one of Sheppard's favorite past-times, as before the expedition he had been a helicopter pilot.

"Has Teyla been there?" Akire asked. Teyla had been on several journeys to planets that the team had visited, seeing as she used to be her village's embassador.

"I don't think so," Ford said as they rounded the corner to the doors that led into the jumper bay. "But she'll be able to tell once we get there." He ran his hand in front of the crystals on the left side of the door, and it slid open. He and Akire walked inside.

☆☆☆☆☆

"So this is the new girl, hmm?" McKay was sitting in one of the front chairs, which he had spun around. He held a tablet in his hand, and his attention was divided between pushing buttons on the screen and glancing up at Akire.

"Yes," she said. "I'm Akire." She held out her hand. McKay waved her away. "I know who you are," he said irritably. Akire was a bit taken aback.

"Don't worry," Ford whispered in her ear, his breath stirring her hair. "He's like that to everyone."

"If you two kids in the back would stop whispering, then maybe we can start," McKay said. Akire took the empty seat behind Sheppard, while Ford stood behind her. Akire caught Teyla's eye. The light brown haired woman was sitting across from her, and when she saw Akire's gaze, she offered a smile. Akire smiled shyly back, feeling very intimidated, despite Teyla's gesture. The only person she really knew on the team was Ford.

"Okay, sit tight," said Sheppard. The puddle-jumper started to vibrate, then it rose into the air. Sheppard was controlling the jumper with his mind--that was how Ancients had operated the ships. He steered the jumper to the middle of the room, and the floor below them slid away. The jumper descended until it was in the middle of the gate room, in front of the activated Stargate.

"Maj. Sheppard, you have a go," Weir's voice crackled over the intercom.

The puddle-jumper flew into the gate, and they were through to the other side.

[[Did you like the flashback scene? Also, I am working on a page that entails the episodes of SGA that will be featured in this blog. Aaaand, a page that tells you about the characters of Atlantis. Yay!]]

Coffee Mug Throwing Ninja?

I updated the playlist, and it's title is now "Magical Song Box of Doom!" I thought we needed a little more comedy in this blog, since Part Two is going to be *really* dark.

But fear not! I am going to go sneaking around Youtube and try to get a couple of Stargate clips as the story goes on (one of which includes Ford as a coffee-mug-throwing-ninja, but this will not be featured until the end of Part Two) so that you can get a sense of people's manners, behavior, interaction with each other, etc.

But for right now, I am working on Chapter 8 (the name of it is Belonging), and the poll seems to be going nicely: we have a tie between Athan and Xerin for first, with Ryda behind them.

And we have 9 days until the end of the contest, and 5 days until Christmas Day!

Chapter 7: Waking

[Just a note: I will say everyone's first name, last name, and rank when I introduce them. After that, I will call them by one name in the text, but in dialogue, they may be called something different. If you are unsure of who a character is, I am going to put up a list of them. Thanks!

Spyre: FORD IS IN THIS CHAPTER!!!! *goes insane from awesomeness*]

The world was a blinding, dizzying swirl of light. Akire blinked her eyes. Is this the afterlife? She looked around. Doesn't look like it. In fact, it looks kind of like--

"How are you feeling?"

Akire turned her head. A man dressed in a white coat was standing beside her. Akire realized she was lying on a white bed, her body covered by a white blanket. Around her, people carrying cases and equipment seemed to be unpacking. She blinked again, and rubbed her eyes. "I assume I'm not dead?" she asked. Her voice sounded scratchy and distant. She shook her head and looked at the man.

He laughed. "No, you're not, but you had us worried for a while." He looked down at what he was holding in his hand: a large book-sized tablet, then back up again. "I'm Dr. Carson Beckett."

"Akire Zyll Flickerclaw," Akire said. "What's a doctor?" she asked.

"A doctor is...someone who helps others," Beckett said. "I fix broken bones, heal sickness, that kind of stuff."

"A Healer," Akire's violet eyes lit up.

"I guess you could call it that," Beckett smiled.

"By the way, where am I, if I'm not dead?" Akire added. Beckett's smile faded slightly.

"You are in the city of Atlantis. Actually, I was wondering if you could tell us about how you got here. We found you in one of the city's corridors. You were unconscious, vey close to death."

Akire took a deep breath. "I...I came here from a planet called Lewil. My parents dialed the gate and sent me through, to protect me from the Wraith."

"Ah, the Wraith," Beckett said, his face clouding. "We've just met them."

Akire stared at him in disbelief. "You are very lucky. I haven't heard of anyone who didn't know what the Wraith were until recently. Can I ask, what planet are you you from?"

Beckett looked nervous. "The fact is, Akire, we aren't from any planet near here."

"What do you mean?" Akire asked, confused.

"We come from another galaxy, from a planet called Earth. We discovered the dialing address to Atlantis in a pyramid, and we journeyed here through our Stargate."

Akire opened her mouth to ask a question, but she was cut off.

"She's awake?"

Three people entered through the doors of the room: a woman with short, dark red hair, a man with brown hair that looked like he hadn't brushed it in a while, and the youngest, a dark skinned man wearing a blue hat. The woman was the one who had spoken, and she looked at Akire inquisitively.

"Yes, she's awake," Beckett said. "We were just talking about how the Atlantis Expedition got here. Her name is Akire Zyll Flickerclaw."

Akire wanted to say something, but she was too busy studying her new companions.

"Good," said the woman. "Akire, I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir. This is Major John Sheppard," the brown haired man inclined his head, "and Lieutenant Aiden Ford." The other man smiled at Akire, and she couldn't resist grinning back. "It was Lieutenant Ford's team that found you," Weir explained

"Pleased to meet you," she said politely.

"Same," answered Ford. "Glad to see you looking alive."

Akire nodded her head, and then addressed Weir. "But, I still don't understand. How do you not know the Wraith?"

The four exchanged looks. It was Sheppard who spoke. "We just met them today. We were visiting a planet called Athos in order to seek out trading partners when they attacked. We lost one of our men, but we are now taking care of the people of the village we stayed in."

"At least for now," Weir added. "Oh, sorry, I have to take this." She turned away and pressed a button on her headset. Beckett went back to pressing buttons on his tablet.

Sheppard smiled at Akire. "Nice to see you back in good health. Now," he turned to Ford. "I have to go and see if Teyla and her people are okay." He walked away.

Ford pulled up a chair and sat down beside Akire's bed. "Thank you," she said.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Seriously," she said. "If you hadn't rescued me, I would be dead by now."

"Well, when you put it that way..." They both laughed, and there was a silence. "Anyway," Ford said. "When my team and I found you, we also noticed that you had this." He pulled the Book of Tiroulau out of his pack and gave it to Akire. She held it in her hands and looked at it. "Thank you--again," she said. "It seems I am indebted to you and your people. This is the Book of Tiroulau--it has the history of my parent's home planet in it. My mother told me that one day I would give something to the book."

"Well maybe you could write about Atlantis in it," Ford suggested.

Akire looked up. "Yes...I suppose I could..."

She looked down again at the book in her hands, wondering...

Chapter 6: Arrival

[So far, Dawnfeather is winning the follower contest. But remember, they/you must comment as well!]

Akire looked around in wonder at the huge room. Directly in front of her was a set of stairs, leading up to a window that looked like stained glass. There were two staircases off of this landing, one leading to a balcony overlooking the gate, with a window-encased office farther along it. She tilted her head up, and saw a metal roof that looked like it could open and close. To either side of her were two tunnels that led farther into the city

Akire stepped farther into the city, the gate's watery light behind her casting her shadow onto the floor. Small horizontal lights around the room gleamed dimly. The gate's portal behind her disappeared in a flash, but she did not notice. She turned to her left, and followed the tunnel down.

She walked slowly, taking in the sights around her. The horizontal lights that she had seen on the poles in the original room were here as well. She turned to one of the windows and gasped. The sight before her was of a great city, with spires and towers, but that was not the most shocking thing of all. The whole city, herself included, was underwater.

Akire sat down on the cold floor. This was too much to handle right now. The Wraith culling, the separation from her parents, and now being stuck in an underwater city for who knows how long? She put her head down on her pack and fell into a fitful sleep.

A few hours later, she awoke slowly. Where am I?

The events of the past day came rushing back like floodwaters, and she gave a little moan of defeat. She sat up and opened her pack, rummaging around to see what Xerin had given her. Her fingers touched a leather cover, and she shook her head in disbelief.

No, this can't be it. He couldn't have...

She pulled out a worn, leather book. Emblazoned on the front, in purple cloth, was a strange symbol Akire had seen many times. This was the Book of Tiroulau, or at least a copy of it. Ryda and Xerin had brought it from their home planet, and it contained the broken history of Tiroulau, as well as family trees, legends, and maps. When she was younger, each night Xerin would read something from it.

She couldn't count how many times she had opened it's yellow pages and studied her family tree. Ryda had told her that someday, at her wedding, she would write her partner's name in the space next to hers. Akire couldn't imagine this, and she was still unable to grasp the concept that sometime, in the not so distant future, she would find someone that she would want to spend the rest of her days with.

And now, looking at the pages in the darkness of an alien city, that day seemed farther away than ever.

Seven Weeks Later

She had journeyed farther into the city as time went by, and now she was lost. Her supplies were gone, despite her careful rationing, and each day she grew weaker. Around her, voices whispered and images flashed across her subconscious.

Hunger visions, that's what they were called. She remembered it from hanging around Healer Dawkin's cart at the fairs. He had called her exceptionally smart, and she had looked up to him. It had been her life's dream, to become a Healer. But now, survival was her main goal.

She heard voices again.

Mother? Father?

And footsteps.

Have you come to bring me away? I don't want to die. Please.

The lights got closer and closer, the voices louder, but Akire was no longer listening. Her body was curled into a ball, and her vision faded to black.

☆☆☆☆☆

"Sir?"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"I think we have something here."

"A way to raise the city? An alternate power supply? Food? Water? What is it?"

[static] "It's a woman, sir. She's unconscious."

"An Ancient?"

"Doesn't look like it. She's unarmed, and barely breathing."

"Bring her to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir."