It's hard to call our communication friendly, but at least it wasn't hostile. And a significant part of the credit for this goes to our familiar fugitive, who had already cautiously told about the circumstances of our acquaintance.
Thanks to him for keeping silent about the invisible ship and other interesting details.
"We do not seek trade with those we do not know," said Teyla after we had sipped the tea. The brew, despite the leaves floating in the mug, turned out to be an order of magnitude better than anything I had tried on Earth. And I had tried quite a few varieties of tea, being not just a lover of this drink, but a real pro in dealing with it. "However, Alvar Jensen vouches for you."
"It seems he enjoys respect among your people," I noted, taking a sip of the warming drink. Not only is it strong and clears the head, but it really invigorates the body and spirit. The energy drink takes a back seat. "Interesting, for what merits?"
"Our peoples traded shortly before the attack on my world," the fugitive explained. "The first world I went to after what the Wraith did to me was Athos."
"Our healers tried to help him. But unsuccessfully," Emmagan echoed. "However, you succeeded. Although Alvar says you are not a healer."
"Well, a bit of luck and smarts," I smiled. "And, let's not hide it — I couldn't wait to help a person who could help me find decent tea in this galaxy."
Laughter was heard at the table.
Everyone smiled and chuckled, including Jensen.
Only Chaya remained silent, carefully hiding the scanner under the table, on whose screen her fingers fluttered. No matter how I nudged her, the girl didn't react. And her activity clearly attracted attention.
"I like open people who do not wish harm," Teyla admitted. "We prefer to trade precisely with such."
"Lucky to be good," I smiled.
No, unrestrained fun didn't gush out of me like from a cornucopia. Suspecting the Athosians that the tea is not just tea would be foolish. Of course, local plants, including the tea and that reed whose juice was used as a sweetener, could certainly affect my body non-standardly, but I simply liked communicating with these simple people.
After conversations with the Ascended, where, as it turned out, a dagger was hidden behind every smile, a conversation with kind and open Athosians literally warmed the soul. And I didn't feel like chattering nonstop. Nor giving away secrets. Drowsiness didn't pull... In a word, no side effects.
"That's right," Teyla agreed. "People are now quite ambiguous. Let the Wraith sleep, but they come periodically... A few months ago their "darts" attacked us and culled many Athosians," the faces of those present darkened. "Even though we tried to fight and flee, the forces were unequal. They surpass us — and all the people we know. Recently they repeated their raid — and there are even fewer of us."
Two raids in a few months?
Hm... And there was no such thing in the series.
Oh, dummy!
Of course there wasn't! Because during the first raid, on the same day the expedition arrived at Atlantis, the Wraith attacked Athos, the locals fled to the city and never appeared on their home planet again. Logically, other raids weren't covered — they simply didn't know about them.
"I think we have a solution on how to make you a bit more combat-ready," I dangled the bait.
"Really?" Jensen looked at me in surprise. "Didn't you say that your people can't give us your weapons because of some gene there?"
"What?" Chaya stirred. "What's the gene and blasters got to do with it?"
"That's how it is," I placed a hand on my companion's shoulder, urging her to be quiet. "But I'm not talking about our weapons. Don't take it as an insult, but they are quite complex to handle. It will take considerable time to understand the principles of their operation. And repairing them is downright difficult."
"Then what is it about?" Teyla asked.
"I remember, when we met last time, you had a good rifle," I recalled, looking at Jensen.
"My weapon is still with me," he said. "But the problem is that it only suits cartridges produced on my planet. There's plenty of firearms in the galaxy, but the calibers are different. Our weapons used large and special cartridges to increase lethality. And all the factories producing them were destroyed by the Wraith. Maybe, if I return home, I can dig up a couple-three rifles or shotguns from under the rubble, a couple of crates of cartridges... But that will hardly suffice for a good fight against Wraith ground forces."
"That's why Chaya is with me," I explained, looking at the girl. "Do you think we can organize the production of firearms by studying a few samples?"
"You can do this?" Emmagan was amazed. "It would be wonderful. We asked for weapons from the rulers of Jensen's people, but they refused us, saying our level of development wouldn't allow us to understand the mechanisms."
"The design of any firearm is thousands of times simpler than the device of a blaster," Chaya reported, tearing away from her activity. "I think it's not worth talking about a full factory, of course. But a small workshop producing small batches can certainly be set up. The only question is energy costs and resources for producing casings, moving parts, and so on."
Teyla and Alvar exchanged glances.
"You're not joking?" the former fugitive double-checked.
"Not in the least," I said. "The Wraith bring trouble to virtually all people. And, in my opinion, people have the right to defend themselves."
"Then why not make something better in that case?" Jensen couldn't hold back. "Your blasters are much more powerful. Even a large-caliber rifle needs several cartridges to drop a Wraith. Your weapon," he pointed to the Lantean blaster resting in the holster on his thigh, "needs far fewer. You killed Wraith with one hit."
"Shall I remind you how many shots it took to land one hit?" I parried. "Not to mention the other caveats."
"Easy, friends," Teyla said conciliatorily. "We gathered here not to argue."
"Well said," I agreed. "If Alvar doesn't mind showing the planet, then we'll inspect everything there, search for weapon samples, and try to produce as much as needed for the Athosians to feel protected."
"I see what you're doing," Jensen said. "You don't want to give me and these people your weapons. Instead of us fighting better and more effectively, you want to complicate everything."
"That's just how it seems to you," I objected.
The guy clearly had no intention of continuing the verbal jousting.
"Alvar, please calm down," Teyla said. "We're just conversing. And my people wouldn't mind powerful weapons against the Wraith."
"But this weapon, for which my people paid with their blood," Jensen said. "And I know that Misha and Chaya can give us all much more."
"Perhaps we'll talk about that someday," Emmagan noted peaceably. "Right now, we're simply discussing the possibility of mutual help."
She looked at me.
"So I assume the weapons you supply won't be free for my people?" she clarified.
"We would like that," I said, "but it's not that simple. Our resources are limited, so..."
"What do you want in return?" she asked.
"Foodstuffs," I pronounced. "Not too much, no more than for five hundred people... Every month."
Teyla looked somewhat taken aback. Jensen — interested, the other Athosians — slightly less friendly than before.
Then Chaya kicked me under the table. And if only she did it neatly, like I do. But no, the armored elements clanged against each other with a characteristic sound, drawing general attention.
"I don't think we'll need that much," Chaya quickly said.
"No, we will," my tone made her understand not to argue. Damn, we should have discussed everything beforehand. But I was inclined to think the girl wouldn't butt into the conversation. "We need to think about everyone."
"Isn't that too much?" Sar made "scary eyes."
"Just right," I cut her off, turning back to Teyla. "Is that possible?"
"This..." she faltered. "This won't be easy. After the Wraith raid a day and a half ago, my people lost many providers and workers... I don't think we can help you. We have many elders, whom the Wraith don't strive to take..."
Chaya and I looked at each other.
A day and a half ago?
Sounds too familiar.
"Elders have little life force," Jensen explained. "As I understand, Wraith pilots during culling orient on fast-moving targets."
"Not only," Chaya pronounced. "They have fairly advanced scanners allowing to determine parameters of human bodies."
"Is that so?" Teyla took interest. "We didn't know."
"We didn't either," Chaya sighed. "Until certain sad moments in our history..."
"Perhaps it's worth sharing such valuable information?" Jensen creaked. "If the Wraith can track people selectively... That means they can hunt a specific person?"
"In theory, it's possible," Chaya nodded. "Moreover, their harvesting beam can be tuned to ignore obstacles, or to specific object parameters, so..."
"Afraid that even without the transmitter they can track you?" I guessed the man's worry.
"Not without that," he said. "Teyla, I don't think my presence here will be beneficial any further. There's a chance that during the last raid the Wraith might have spotted me here. Sorry, I thought Mikhail and his people could help you," he looked at me probingly. "But it seems that's not in his power. I can't risk endangering the Athosians with my presence."
"Or they could have figured you were here from the weapon you used," Emmagan agreed. "Mikhail, sorry, but it seems we won't be able to come to an agreement. We'd be glad for the opportunity to defend ourselves more effectively, but... Weapons — that's too little for my people to toil in the fields without mercy. Especially since the threat is growing."
"You know, Alvar, my offer to join is still on the table," I said unobtrusively.
"As are my conditions," the fugitive replied.
"Are you recruiting warriors?" Teyla took interest.
"We need people who know the planets of the galaxy well," I explained in general terms. "And ready, if necessary, to repel Wraith attacks if fighting becomes inevitable."
"There are many valiant warriors among the Athosians," Teyla said. "We can fight. And we hate the Wraith with all our soul. Like all honest people in the Pegasus galaxy."
"Yes, but how much will your people weaken if we take its warriors to serve us?" I decided to cool the offworlder's enthusiasm. "It might happen that you need help, and your people are far from home. That could create problems."
As well as the fact that the Athosians are familiar with many local civilizations. And not all of them are without skeletons in the closet. Moreover, what's the likelihood that, falling into Wraith captivity, Athosians won't spill our secret? We can't keep our infantry scouts on another planet. Separate existence would cause too many issues.
***
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