Chapter 1: Blades

This is the following sequel of Wraith: The Journey of Origins. It will more or less describe Wraiths on the hive ship. Pre SGA. Era: Probable start of Wraith Lantean war.

Disclaimer: the Stargate franchise and aliens that they created are the property of MGM. This is just a fictional story made out of fun and has no profit or commercial value derived from it.

The purpose of this story follows in part the Atlantis canon on Wraith and some pure speculation on my part. There are some original characters which are owned by myself. Any constructive comments are welcome in this pilot.

It was the first and only training session in using the recently improved single-pilot Wraith fighters. She rather called them darts. They looked like the darts on the bottom of a certain insect on one of the planets. The irritating insect would direct its dart like stinger towards the target. They came in swarms. Bites gave the six children an annoying itch but the adult wraiths were immune to that itch due to the regeneration process.

The oldest one was in the session and he was going to outgrow her soon. Soon, he would be going for adult initiation once his feeding slit opened. He was designated as a young blade. Blades was a new term she learnt on the Hive ship. She could understand the term clevermen and wits. It refer to the brilliant minds of scientists, engineers and even the old grouchy technician who could upgrade everything fast. Blades were part of the command structure.

Now she was always understood the old talk about commanders and hunters. With this new fangled single pilot ship, the old ways of hunters gathering prey was soon to be gone as the inseparable duo explained to her. They were posted to the same ship as her. It was good to have familiar faces. Blades were as sharp as a daggerbut they can be dull too. That was their joke about the blades. She was only getting used to more new terms.

The instructor was continuing on his boring telepathic drawl on the new fighter after leading them to a massive hangar where the darty looking fighters were. It was like a nest. Perhaps the single fighters could reproduce themselves with a Queen fighter. She snickered. The instructor stared fiercely at her. She stopped. The Queen was generous to take her in and she was on her best behavior.

They had an odd elongated front which looked like tail of the Iratus. That slim straight tail-like structure was designed to decrease the resistance of the atmosphere and channel thrust behind the bigger body area. This meant increased speed. The disadvantage was the high pitch sound when it is at optimum speed. However, most prey would have been stunned by then.

High pitch. This had to be a joke. It was shrill and she thought her ears were ringing when one flew past and docked.

Their scientists are now working on a more efficient way of transporting prey but it was at an experimental stage. It looked promising however the last time that they trialed the transport beam, the prey was mutated in transit.

Mutated was a mild way of putting it. The inseparable duo brought her into their laboratory to look at a lump of stinking flesh with odd hairy parts. It was the result of the transport beam. The energy signals had scrambled the genetic makeup. Ouch.

There were two types of single pilot fighters. One long distance and the other short distance. We will be taking the short distance fighters for practice around the planet today. Please do not fly over populated areas. We do not want to frighten the prey. Needlessly.

Activation required Wraith DNA. Their Queen have wisely demanded the function added in. Others may not use require Wraith DNA but ours do. The instructor paused as some unfamiliar faces turned and look at her standing at the back of the group. She ignored the looks. Those were coming from blades who did not know her. Male wraiths were being swapped around in ships now. Something was going on and she did not want to know.

Everyone went to their allocated fighter in the massive hangar. The instructor continued going over the controls, launch and docking functions telepathically. Then he signaled for the only part of the session she cared about - practice. Practice meant going around the planet.

Some who were looking at her in the group session were waiting to see if she could even activate the fighter. Sure, she could make them happy and pretend that she could not activate it. She could even throw them down into the depths of the hangar if they try to feed on her after. Unfortunately, by Iratus, her hand accidentally touched the control pad when she got in. The canopy sealed over her. She let out a small groan of disappointment. The display of information was appearing.Too easy. They followed the instructor's fighter out of the hangar. It was all automated to prevent collisions when there was a mass launch. Too easy again.

She looked through the canopy. The other fighters in front did look like a small swarm of dart-insects as the shrill screeches went past her. Young blades were extremely competitive by nature. They did not like anyone else , except the instructor, to be in front. Soon there were even more speeding past as though there was a group competition to see who could enter the outer atmosphere first. She took her time. She had no need for speed. Those in front were too tightly packed. There was no anti-collision mechanism mid-flight. The telepathic reprimand of the Instructor hit their minds hard on being too tightly packed in formation. She got the praise for keeping to his instructions on distance between the fighters. Of course she did. She was lagging behind everyone. Her own sweet time. No hurry to be anywhere else. Or maybe she could swagger into the Worshippers' hall later and get them scurrying for dear life. She thought of them fondly.

Space came into view. The long front of the fighter made it so easy to exit the atmosphere. The rest were already circling in some sort of race around the planet. There were four other ships in orbit. Her instructor told them not to get too near as a courtesy to their space. Must be a territorial thing. She remembered reading about territorial behaviour in most species. Iratus were very territorial towards other rival groups.

She took her fighter in another permitted direction. The young blades were busy being stupid racing and doing acrobatics in the fighters. It was too crowded. There were three or four fighters released from a nearby ship. She went towards the northern polar area of the planet. It was having some iridiscent green color shimmering on the surface. A reaction of charged particles in the atmosphere and the solar wind from their sun. She remembered the lessons from the planetary scientist. She stabilised it to look further from the canopy. She has never got a chance to watch it so close in space.

The canopy started showing another fighter approaching. It was another ship's fighter. No harm. The instructor had obtained permission for certain paths and he programmed it into their fighters' interface. She checked to confirm it. Besides the fighter just stopped at a safe distance. The pilot was also probably enjoying the sight too.

Beautiful is it, not? An unfamiliar touch of light wind entered her mind. The other pilot was communicating with her.

Yes, it is. She continued looking at the dancing green lights.

Are you a cleverman? A light wind touched her mind.

No. Training with the fighters. She answered carefully. But I like to watch the reaction between the magnetosphere and solar wind.

Interesting. Blade I presume? Your mind is strong like a fire burning. Most blades do not care to know about this phenomenon. The only similar word they understand are pheromones. The female type. The light wind flew around her mind.

You must be a cleverman. She laughed.

Yes. How wise of you from two simple choices. I am taking readings out of interest. The light wind swirled on her mind.

I better go before the instructor comes and find me. He wants us to practice flying. Not sitting idly. She answered.

Before you go, I am transmitting a link and instructions. Would you like to play a strategic game? It can be done on a data tablet. The light wind moved around her mind.

Game? Why me? She asked.

I am bored playing with the other clevermen. They use the 101 strategies I have seen and countered 300 times. The blades in my ship are worse. I am a good judge of minds. Your mind would be interesting. The light wind tapped on her mind.

I accept the challenge. She was intrigued by this cleverman. She thought of the inseparable duo. If she cannot outwit him, they will be handy.

I am honored. I look forward to it then. The light wind left her mind. Transmission of the details started appearing in the canopy's screen.

She went into full speed with her fighter and rejoined the rest of the circling blades. They were still racing around. However when she asked where the finishing point was, they had been so busy racing that they forgot. So aimlessly she went with them until the instructor ordered them to return.

Blades. Can be so dull.