At the moment, Chaya Sar is the only representative of the female sex in my society. So why not please the girl by showing signs of attention? Within reasonable limits, of course.
I think she wouldn't mind a bit more attention from a person. Support is not my strongest trait, but… What we have.
Chaya looked at me with suspicion and distrust. Apparently, my gaze was too clingy.
"Don't worry," I assured. "Office romances are not my thing."
"And not mine," she said quickly. "I think we need to return to work."
"I fully agree," I nodded. "And I have something in mind."
"That is?" she asked.
"I know a little planet where one soldier is bored, who really doesn't like the Wraith," I smiled. "And the locals are very friendly to the Ancients."
"I'm not sure that after everything, you and I can consider ourselves Ancients," Chaya shook her head.
"And who will forbid us?" I spread my hands. "We're not sending them to war, we just want to make acquaintances. Only… We need to search what we can offer the natives in exchange for products… Preferably not something that at the first capture of the Athosians by the Wraith will reveal Lantean technology."
"Quite a task," Chaya furrowed her little forehead.
***
"I'll talk to them. Otherwise, I'm afraid the locals won't be able to take you seriously."
"Why do you think that?"
"Your little suit…"
"This is a light armored suit for infantry, an experimental development that didn't go into production," the girl explained. "It's designed to dissipate the energy of hits without harming the wearer of the armor. What's wrong with it?"
"Let's say, it makes one look anywhere but in the eyes."
Chaya, walking next to me, almost stumbled while stepping over a fallen log. Only by grabbing the girl by the waist and pressing her to myself did I save the Proculian from imprinting her face on the autumn foliage and the path softened by rains.
The girl favored me with an unkind gaze.
"I don't understand your sarcasm, Mikhail."
"And I understand where Anubis got the technology for creating the armor of the Kull warriors," I sighed.
"Sorry?"
"I forgive," I smiled.
"Actually, you're wearing the same armor suit…" The girl squinted her eyes but decided not to finish the phrase, continuing to walk along the path. "You're always joking. Trying to distract me from thoughts about my people?"
"Doing everything in my power," I had to admit. In fact, I was trying to look as little as possible after her. It so happened that there were only two suits, and the one she took, I definitely wouldn't fit into — it was even small for Chaya. But mine was okay, comfortable even.
Only, unlike Chaya, besides the Ancient blaster, I also have a personal shield attached under the plates of the breastplate resembling glossy plastic.
And in the backpack behind my back not
I… remembered something.
Anubis's Kull warrior. A still from the series
Kull warriors were the development of the unascended Goa'uld named Anubis. Due to Oma Desala's blunder, the Ascended, he gained access to most of the knowledge of the Ancients and Ascended. And successfully applied them in practice. The Kull warriors represented the fruit of an experiment that was supposed to become the elite of his army.
Mutants clad in impenetrable armor caused a lot of harm in the known events. And I always wondered where Anubis got the technology to create such excellent armor protecting from any damage. Turns out — a Lantean development.
True… Honestly, comparing Chaya's outfit with the outfit of a Kull warrior, doubts crept in about which one was more decent. Anubis at least took care that the underarmor was fabric, not shiny latex. Honestly, both want to and it's prickly to ask Sar in which army sex-shop she found this outfit…
Experimental light armor suit of Chaya. And yes, this is a still from "Blade II." Fctress Leonor Varela (Chaya Sar) played in it.
I think it's time to start examining the laboratories of Atlantis. Surely there's not only something deadly out of the ordinary there. Although… remembering a couple of those inventions and… Somehow I really don't want to encounter various nanoviruses killing everyone except carriers of the Ancient Gene, various energy entities feeding on electricity, including human… And so on and so forth…
We reached Athos without the slightest problems, not meeting anyone at the gates. The "Jumper," surrounding itself with an invisibility field, soared into the skies to assess the situation. We discovered the local settlement without much difficulty. We had to tinker to find a place for "parking." Halfway from the gates to the settlement there was a good clearing where our ship can easily wait for our return under invisibility. No need for just anyone to see a Lantean ship here.
The Athosian settlement reminded me most of a nomadic camp. A semblance of something in between camping tents and yurts on wooden frames. And a significant number at that.
On the streets — hearths for cooking, men and women sitting by their dwellings engaged in their affairs. And if I mostly didn't care about that, Chaya examined the Athosians with great interest.
And they stared at us with all their eyes.
I think our external appearance still strongly distinguished us from their usual visitors.
"Goodest day," stopping at the entrance to the largest "yurt" in the middle of a trampled area of the clearing turned into something resembling a square, I looked around. The locals gathered around us, didn't point with fingers, but quietly discussed. "A few days ago, one person named Alvar arrived to you. I'd like to meet him — he promised to stay with you for three days and the term hasn't expired yet."
"And who are you?" a voice came from the crowd. "What's your name?"
"They don't call me, I come myself."
Time to diversify the phraseological dictionary of Pegasus galaxy society.
The locals, unlike Chaya, liked the joke. The Proculian is generally not very smiley. But emotions sometimes burst out of her like a fountain, so I suspect that her "iron lady" image is just assumed. Just as I'm "sizing her up," she's not wasting time either.
"We won't cause harm to any of you," she said. "We're simply looking for a friend."
The flap of the main yurt was thrown back and a familiar rational being appeared.
"I wouldn't say that Mishya and I are friends," Alvar stated. "But we chased the Wraith together."
"And I also eased your life," I had to remind him. Knowing how they treat fugitives in the galaxy — somewhere they pity, somewhere they even try to finish off or, in the best case, drive out, I decided not to advertise this fact. "And promised to come, talk."
"Yeah," Jensen smirked. "Introduce me to your girlfriend?"
He nodded in Chaya's direction.
I answered him with the same gesture, but regarding the chestnut-haired young woman perfectly known to me from the series, standing next to the fugitive.
"First, introduce me to your acquaintance. Something tells me that she can speak on behalf of all present here."
"I am Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan," the Athosian leader stepped forward, without embarrassment examining us.
Teyla Emmagan.
"Mikhail," I introduced myself and pointed to my companion. "And this beautiful lady is Chaya."
"Mikhail?" Jensen was surprised. "I suppose that 'Mishya' is a diminutive name? Or invented?"
"It's a secret name that they share only with friends," I mystified. "After all, we fought against the Wraith side by side. That's worth something. I hope you didn't blab my secret name to everyone around? Otherwise, I'll have to befriend everyone at once. Otherwise it will be awkward."
Laughter was heard among the Athosians.
Well, my jokes land great here.
"Fighting against the Wraith side by side is worth a lot," Teyla said, making an inviting gesture inside. "Alvar told about you. True," she measured Chaya with an attentive gaze, "he said you would come alone."
"Well, I couldn't leave a beautiful girl without a fresh air walk in the company of good people," the smile on my face elicited a reciprocal smile from Teyla, a smirk from Jensen, and a confused-annoyed expression from Chaya. "Moreover, as I heard, you have tea that's amazing in taste and vigor."
"Yes, but we drink it before dawn," Teyla exchanged glances with Alvar. "And now it's already noon."
"On the other hand, we can always adjust the hour hand, right?" the former fugitive issued, examining my companion.
"I don't like him," Sar whispered.
"And he shouldn't," I replied. "He's a soldier, pilot, Wraith opponent, not a supermodel."
"These people also don't make the impression of being sufficiently developed to master advanced technologies," Chaya whispered when we were already at the entrance.
"Oh, believe me, they'll have something to surprise you with," I smirked.
Either way, we entered the main yurt. In the center stood a large wooden table with snacks and the fragrant contents of simple mugs. Teyla, reservedly introducing us to the Athosians inside, indicated to take seats next to her.
To the left hand, a bit further from the fugitive who sat right there. Apparently, he has some influence among the locals, sitting so close to the chief according to the rules of simple civilizations.
Well, let's start getting acquainted with the locals.
***
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