Lost Queen!
The ebook of SGA: Lost Queen is now available for preorder on Amazon, and will be released tomorrow! This is something a little different for Fandemonium - a 40,000 word novella (about 115 pages, if you’re old school), told entirely from the point of view of the Wraith - and I’m very grateful to the folks at Fandemonium for letting me loose on this.
The queens Moonwhite and Light Breaking have hunted in tandem for an unusually long time, but now Light Breaking wants to ally with Alabaster’s hive - and through them with the Lanteans - while Moonwhite argues that they should keep their distance. Tensions between the sisters’ hives are high, their blades and clevermen braced for trouble, when Moonwhite disappears on what should have been a quick visit to her sister’s hive. Forced to seek the Lanteans’ help, the queens’ consorts must trust their enemies and each other if they are to save their missing queen.
The sun was hot, dazzling even after his pupils had contracted to hairline slits, and Everlasting saw the distant movement before the shapes came clear. There were four Lanteans as well, one large male, two smaller males, and a slender female walking just behind one of the smaller males. Guide lifted his hand, signaling both greeting and for his group to stop, and Everlasting lifted his head, letting the breeze carry any trace chemicals past his sensor pits. He could taste humans, certainly, and not much more - none of the fear that usually flared when humans faced Wraith, though he could also taste a cold and underlying anger, like the tang of iron and blood. Forge felt it, too, and hissed softly.
*The big one is dangerous…*
*They are all dangerous,* Guide said. *And you would do well to remember it.* He stepped forward as the Lanteans came within earshot. “Sheppard! We are here as agreed.”
The male in the lead nodded in answer, though he did not take his hands from the ugly Lantean weapon slung across his chest. Everlasting eyed it uneasily. He had never faced those weapons, though like all Wraith he had heard about them: a gunpowder weapon, but only vaguely like the ones used on Sateda and Hoff and among the Genii, one that spat bullets fast enough to overwhelm even a fully-fed Wraith’s ability to heal. All four of them carried those weapons, and for the first time Everlasting felt a thread of fear worm its way down his spine. The Lanteans might be even more deadly than people had claimed.
“Guide. So these are the guys who lost their queen?”
Blaze bared teeth at that, and even Salt looked shocked. Everlasting wondered if the insult had been deliberate.
“They are.” Guide extended his off hand, naming them one by one. “This is Blaze, Consort to Moonwhite who is missing. Everlasting, Consort of Light Breaking. Forge, Master of Sciences Biological to Light Breaking. And Salt - storymaker.”
The one called Sheppard fixed Blaze with a hard stare. He was a tall man, with dark hair showing the first signs of gray at the temples: a senior blade, then. “Guide says you think your queen might be here.”
Blaze said carefully, “As I am sure Guide has told you, our queen disappeared while traveling between our hive and her sister’s, and we believe it is possible that she may have crash landed here. That is why we have asked permission to search.”
“You sure you didn’t take a quick look first?” That was the big man. He was darker than the others, and his hair hung in the same kind of heavy cords that were popular with the Wraith of Night’s lineage. That similarity was vaguely disturbing, and Everlasting looked away.
“We are aware of the borders set out in the agreement,” Blaze said, still speaking with great care. “And, though my queen has not formally assented to this treaty, it was still her wish that we honor it while we considered.”
“Like that’s believable,” the big man said, not quite softly enough to ignore.
“Ronon.” That was the female, stepping forward to take her place beside Sheppard. She was small and dark and sharp of feature, and Forge drew breath sharply.
*That is the Young Queen. And the Consort. Which Guide did not see fit to mention.*
The queens Moonwhite and Light Breaking have hunted in tandem for an unusually long time, but now Light Breaking wants to ally with Alabaster’s hive - and through them with the Lanteans - while Moonwhite argues that they should keep their distance. Tensions between the sisters’ hives are high, their blades and clevermen braced for trouble, when Moonwhite disappears on what should have been a quick visit to her sister’s hive. Forced to seek the Lanteans’ help, the queens’ consorts must trust their enemies and each other if they are to save their missing queen.
The sun was hot, dazzling even after his pupils had contracted to hairline slits, and Everlasting saw the distant movement before the shapes came clear. There were four Lanteans as well, one large male, two smaller males, and a slender female walking just behind one of the smaller males. Guide lifted his hand, signaling both greeting and for his group to stop, and Everlasting lifted his head, letting the breeze carry any trace chemicals past his sensor pits. He could taste humans, certainly, and not much more - none of the fear that usually flared when humans faced Wraith, though he could also taste a cold and underlying anger, like the tang of iron and blood. Forge felt it, too, and hissed softly.
*The big one is dangerous…*
*They are all dangerous,* Guide said. *And you would do well to remember it.* He stepped forward as the Lanteans came within earshot. “Sheppard! We are here as agreed.”
The male in the lead nodded in answer, though he did not take his hands from the ugly Lantean weapon slung across his chest. Everlasting eyed it uneasily. He had never faced those weapons, though like all Wraith he had heard about them: a gunpowder weapon, but only vaguely like the ones used on Sateda and Hoff and among the Genii, one that spat bullets fast enough to overwhelm even a fully-fed Wraith’s ability to heal. All four of them carried those weapons, and for the first time Everlasting felt a thread of fear worm its way down his spine. The Lanteans might be even more deadly than people had claimed.
“Guide. So these are the guys who lost their queen?”
Blaze bared teeth at that, and even Salt looked shocked. Everlasting wondered if the insult had been deliberate.
“They are.” Guide extended his off hand, naming them one by one. “This is Blaze, Consort to Moonwhite who is missing. Everlasting, Consort of Light Breaking. Forge, Master of Sciences Biological to Light Breaking. And Salt - storymaker.”
The one called Sheppard fixed Blaze with a hard stare. He was a tall man, with dark hair showing the first signs of gray at the temples: a senior blade, then. “Guide says you think your queen might be here.”
Blaze said carefully, “As I am sure Guide has told you, our queen disappeared while traveling between our hive and her sister’s, and we believe it is possible that she may have crash landed here. That is why we have asked permission to search.”
“You sure you didn’t take a quick look first?” That was the big man. He was darker than the others, and his hair hung in the same kind of heavy cords that were popular with the Wraith of Night’s lineage. That similarity was vaguely disturbing, and Everlasting looked away.
“We are aware of the borders set out in the agreement,” Blaze said, still speaking with great care. “And, though my queen has not formally assented to this treaty, it was still her wish that we honor it while we considered.”
“Like that’s believable,” the big man said, not quite softly enough to ignore.
“Ronon.” That was the female, stepping forward to take her place beside Sheppard. She was small and dark and sharp of feature, and Forge drew breath sharply.
*That is the Young Queen. And the Consort. Which Guide did not see fit to mention.*