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Kai stood at attention in the hall outside of the conference room. She was surprised to find she was nervous. Inside Weir, Bates, McKay, Teyla and Sheppard were discussing her situation and her potential future. In all her years facing the Mortii Tribunal to be disciplined had never had her this tied up in knots.

That morning Bates had come and found her, notifying her of a 'status evaluation meeting'. She and Bates had never been friends but they had respected one another. That morning he had been colder than usual. She was sure he felt betrayed and knowing Bates he was probably mad her actions would give Major Sheppard the opportunity to say 'I told you so' to the security chief who had stuck his neck out for her. His actions had been far from altruistic, but he had given her a chance.

The door slid open and Major Sheppard of all people stepped out into the hall. "The firing squad is ready for you," he told her sardonically.

Kai stiffened.

"Kidding," John assured her. "Sort of." He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching him, then stepped out into the hall near her. "Look, just be honest. Elizabeth is fair." John didn't have any idea why he bothered trying to make her feel better. She was the one who had lied to them. He cleared his throat and straightened. "She'll give you a chance to tell your side of the story and then make a decision from there."

Kai nodded briskly. John held out his hand encouraging her to step towards the door. She hesitated right at the threshold. She drew in a deep breath to ground herself and she stepped into the room.

Sheppard stepped in behind Kai, closing the door, and moved around to the head of the table to sit beside Weir.

Kai stood on the opposite side of the table from everyone. There was a chair, but she felt better being on her feet. She clasped her hands behind her back and lifted her chin, waiting for the interrogation to start.

This was her fault, she was under no illusions about that. Part of her felt like she should have run when she had the chance. The truth was she wanted to stay. She had been living a lie, but it was one she had grown to truly enjoy and she wasn't ready to give up on. Even if she had to face what felt like the disciplinary tribunal back home. This was far more unsettling for her however, now she actually had something to lose.

Weir had a file open in front of her and Bates was prepared to take notes on his computer. "Do you have anything you would like to say before we begin?" Elizabeth asked authoritatively.

"Yes ma'am," Kai said stepping up to the table. "I would like to apologize to each and every one of you for the deceit. I wish I could say it wasn't necessary, but my people are taught from birth to conceal what they are. It's how we survive. I'm truly sorry for those of you who feel as though I have betrayed your trust. I promise you, I will answer all of your questions with absolute honesty." Kai was uncomfortable discussing her feelings but she recognized this meeting for what it was, her only shot to stay on Atlantis. "For the first time I feel like my work is making a difference. I hope I have not irreparably damaged my chances of staying here on Atlantis and continuing to work with Doctor Zelenka."

Bates scoffed. "You think after what you did-"

Major Sheppard cleared his throat loudly and lifted his brows at the security chief. Bates quieted immediately and began typing.

"Thank you for your words," Weir said, she looked visibly shaken. Whatever she had expected Kai to say that wasn't it. "Please state your name for the record."

Kai tilted her head in an odd alien way. "I don't have one," she replied as though it didn't bother her at all.

John shifted his weight in his seat.

Kai quickly noticed how uncomfortable her words had made the people in the room. Teyla was looking at her with pity she didn't want or need. She quickly pressed on. "My people aren't given names."

"So who is Kai Zian then?" Bates asked, his voice sharp. He was more upset than any of them. 

"Zian is my caste. I am the Instrument of the Blade Kai, it's the number designation of my knife," she moved slowly, so they wouldn't feel threatened, and pulled the slim black blade from her spine sheath and laid it down in the middle of the table.

Weir's eyes landed on the unique blade and her eyes cut up to the scarf that was wrapped around Kai's head. She noticed the matching patterns immediately.

"My people are called The Mortii," Kai supplied.

"Mortii," Elizabeth repeated frowning.

Kai drew in a breath and the cocked her head to the side so she could watch Doctor Weir's reaction. "It means death in the language of the Lanteans."

Elizabeth knew the language of the ancients better than anyone. She nodded in agreement. "Yes it does, do your people speak Ancient?"

Kai shook her head. "We still have some of their words."

Elizabeth frowned, leaning forward in her seat. "Your people interacted with them?"

The next truth Kai spoke would break the covenant of her people completely. She had a brief moment of hesitation, but they had broken their covenant with her when they left her on that planet to die. An uncharacteristic flash of anger and injustice went through her. "My people are descended from them," she replied calmly.

Elizabeth froze, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean exactly?" Now it was Elizabeth's turn to work to keep the excitement from her voice.

"My people are descended from a small faction of Lanteans that chose to stay behind rather than go through the gate. They disagreed with the decision to abandon the Pegasus Galaxy and chose to remain behind so their...skills...would continue to be available to aid the people of Pegasus when needed."

"I've read Major Sheppard's reports about you. The Genii referred to your people as assassins and mercenaries, hardly an act of benevolence." Bates shot back.

Kai lifted her chin. "I never said it was an act of benevolence. Any one who believes a race as ancient and powerful as the Lanteans were all wise and kind pacifists is dangerously naive," Kai replied bluntly.

Bates tensed and moved like he was going to shove himself to his feet. Major Sheppard shifted his weight in his chair as a warning. Bates sat back, but his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"So you're saying your people were descendants from warrior ancients?" Teyla asked leaning forward in her seat with interest. She had never heard legends of Ancestors that were also warriors but it made sense. 

"Yes," Kai agreed.

Weir made a small note on the page in front of her. "How did you end up on that planet?"

"The Mortii Grand Council made a deal with the wraith to keep them from culling our planet. No one else knew, but the council would take an Instrument once a year and leave them on a planet for the wraith."

"To hunt?" Weir asked, frowning.

"As an offering," Kai replied coldly. "My people are not as long lived as our Lantean ancestors but we live on average between two hundred and fifty to three hundred years. It makes us...attractive to the Wraith."

John went very still as he thought back. "The Wraith on Hoff..."

Kai nodded. "I was told by the Wraith hunting me that they could smell the difference."

Weir made another note on her paper. "How old are you?" Weir asked.

Kai shrugged. "My people don't count the annual passage of years in the same way humans seem to, but I suspect around ninety years."

"How long were you there?"

Kai shrugged. "I stopped counting."

"Your people-" Weir started to say.

Kai tensed, this was where things had the potential to go very wrong. As she had told Major Sheppard. They were the good guys, and good guys didn't give people like her a chance to live and work side by side with them. 

She cleared her throat and tightened her hands but her voice came out steady. "As Sergeant Bates stated, they are assassins and mercenaries. Available for hire to those that can afford their services."

"So what would stop you from taking the first offer the comes along to betray us?" Bates demanded.

Kai scowled, she opened her mouth to defend herself, but was interrupted by The Major.

"That's enough," Sheppard snapped.

"With all do respect Major, this is exactly the kind of questions we need answers to. She lied to us, I can understand doing that in the moment to get a ride off that hell hole of a planet. Then she was trapped by the lie. I get that too. What I am not willing to accept is sitting here while she tells us she has spent the last ninety years selling her services to the highest bidder. What's to stop her from turning on us if someone comes by with a better deal?"

"Sergeant Bates," Kai said calmly. "If I were planning on betraying you my answers here would be immaterial. I certainly wouldn't fess up to it now."

John shot Kai a look of disbelief. Her answer was certainly not going to get Bates to back off.

"However," she continued, looking away from Sheppard. "All I can tell you is that I value my life here on Atlantis, and wish to be allowed to stay. If I were a prostitute would we be having this conversation?"

Sergeant Bates grunted. "That's not the same thing?"

"No?" Kai asked arching her brows in challenge. "As per the custom of my people and the caste I was born into I learned a skill. The Grand Council would be contacted regarding a job. They would choose one among my caste to go out and complete the job and the council would receive payment. No more, no less. It is nothing more than a skill, one I do not wish to use any longer. All I ask is to be able to stay here and continue my work as a mechanic and assistant to Doctor Zelenka."

"I think the Sergeants point," McKay interrupted. "Is that the problem is that your 'skill' happens to be killing people."

Bates nodded. "Your presence here is a security risk. You're dangerous."

Kai blinked for a moment. "Yes, of course," she agreed.

Bates pulled back, shocked that she had agreed with him.

"But Sergeant," she continued. "So are you, so is Teyla and certainly Major Sheppard is," Kai said jerking her chin towards John.

"That's-" Bates began to argue. 

"Enough all of you," Weir sighed. "You've given us a lot to think about Kai," she said. "You've done a great deal here. You've risked your life to help us, but you've also lied to us."

Kai nodded once curtly. "I understand Doctor Weir."

"I will need time to review what we've discussed here. Given the new information regarding your genetic history, would you be willing to submit to an exam from Doctor Beckett in addition to whatever Major Sheppard has in mind?"

Kai bit her lip. She knew Elizabeth was interested in finding out more about her Lantean ancestors, and it would be the perfect thing to use to try and persuade her to allow her to stay. Doing so however, wouldn't look good. Instead, she found herself nodding in agreement to being poked and prodded by the Doctor. "I'll head down to the infirmary as soon as we're finished," she agreed.

"Fantastic," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"We still need to do a physical evaluation," John said. "Things in the Hive got a little dicey. I would like to evaluate your skills for the report," he said gesturing towards the computer where Bates was typing away fastidiously. "Is there someone in particular you feel sparring against would help us assess your skills?"

This question also felt like a test, there was a small part of her that considered holding back, not showing them all she could do in case she still needed to escape. But she had promised Sheppard she would be honest and if she was caught lying again she stood no chance of being able to stay.

"I'll do it," Sergeant Bates offered a little too quickly.

John opened his mouth to argue but Elizabeth beat him to it. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea," she said glancing towards John.

John nodded his agreement. Bates had been a little too heated in his questioning of Kai and things on the sparring mat could go wrong quickly. 

"I would be happy to spar with Kai," Teyla offered with a warm smile.

"Perfect," John said shoving himself to his feet. "Let's move this party to the gym. Zian has another appointment to get to."

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Kai stood across the mat from Teyla. "You have no reason to be nervous," Teyla assured her. In addition to Sheppard and Bates several marines were in attendance.

Kai's smile was brittle. "My people rarely trained without a crowd. I'm not nervous."

It wasn't nerves as much as annoyance. She had hoped to keep what she had been a secret. She could hardly blame the men however. They had been working out in the gym when two of their commanding officers had come in and set up Teyla and a woman they knew as a mechanic to spar. Even Kai would have been curious. The men were gathered around in a loose semi-circle to watch.

Teyla nodded, a small understanding smile stretching her face. "Have you fought with bantos rods before?" she asked holding out Kai's rods.

Kai shook her head. She twirled the wooden training rods adjusting to their weight. "I'll be fine." Most of her combat training had been done with knives, but she welcomed the challenge of something new.

Teyla bowed to the other woman. It was not something her own people did, but Kai returned the gesture of respect.

Teyla waited for Kai to make the first move. Kai lifted her left rod, feinting, but swung experimentally with the right. Teyla blocked the move easily, but a small smile stretched the other woman's face. She hadn't faced a worthy opponent in quite some time.

"Tey-" John started to say but before he could finish Teyla attacked. She struck with her left, knowing Kai would block and then spun around trying to bring the right into Kai's unprotected left side. Kai brought her knee up, surprising Teyla with her sudden motion. Kai brought both wrists together and struck straight down at the other woman. Teyla was forced to throw herself backwards to avoid the powerful blow. She landed on the mats rolling clear. She rolled to her feet and when she looked back Kai was in a ready crouch.

Before Teyla could attack again Kai pulled her arm back and threw the bantos rod straight at Teyla's face. Teyla stepped to the side, slapping the rod aside with her own rod. It flew towards Sheppard. John ducked his head to avoid being hit. The rod clattered against the floor as the gathered marines scurried out of the way.

Kai charged Teyla as the woman swung her rods. She kicked straight at Teyla's head. Teyla blocked the kick but Kai brought her elbow up and caught the other woman in the shoulder before sending a roundhouse kick towards Teyla's exposed side. Teyla blocked with her two rods and then slammed the handles into Kai's stomach. Even as Kai doubled over in pain she swiped towards Teyla, catching the other woman in the side. The two of them tumbled down onto the mat together. Teyla rolled over and pressed her rod against Kai's throat before the other woman could recover.

"You're fast," Kai observed.

"As are you," Teyla said with a pleased smile.

The two held, each of them gasping for breath as they stared into one another's eyes. A smile lit Kai's face as Teyla climbed off of her. Teyla reached down to offer Kai a hand and Kai took it.

"Well," John said. "That was-"

"Quite impressive," Teyla finished for him. "Thank you Kai," Tyela said bowing her head respectfully.

Kai bowed back. She turned to face Major Sheppard. "Is there anything else you would like to see?"

"No," Sheppard said shaking his head. "I think that was enough."

Kai nodded. She hadn't dared look at Sergeant Bates, but she had heard the quiet clacking of his keyboard as he took notes and she hadn't missed the camera he had set up before the match began.

"Doctor Beckett is waiting for you," Sheppard told her dismissing her to the next round of tests.

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"I've never seen anything like it," Carson reported. He was standing in Elizabeth's office with her and Major Sheppard.

"I thought you had examined her before this," John said leaning back in his seat. It was late and he was tired. It had been a full day. He had finished writing up the report Elizabeth requested on Kai's physical performance. It hadn't taken long to see she was incredibly skilled. The brief fight with Teyla had shown how thorough her people had been in her training. He wished he had marines with the skills the two women had shown.

"I never ran the full battery of tests. I was just treating her for the illness. The point is, her physiology is an 87% match to the Ancient genetic code we have on file. I mean, its no wonder she can work the technology."

"You're saying she's an Ancient?" John asked.

"Not exactly. What I'm telling you is based on her DNA her people must have been extremely careful about outcrossing."

"So they didn't make friends with strangers, so what."

"No Major, you don't understand. You underwent the same testing when they found you have the ATA gene. You are one of the strongest we have ever found and you have only a .3% match to the genetic code. Over the course of ten thousand years this type of purity goes far beyond mere isolationism. It would require careful scientific, reproductive practices to maintain those levels."

Weir nodded, reading over the file Beckett had handed to her. "If she is that close to the Ancients does she have any of their capabilities we should be concerned about?"

"I don't know about concerned, but those physiological changes I noted earlier were just the tip of the iceberg. What she told you about aging was correct. She claims to be 90 but physically she looks 30. Based on the scans and how incredibly healthy she is she could easily live another hundred years or more."

"What about telepathy? Any psychic abilities?" Weir asked turning the page.

Beckett pressed his lips together and lifted his tablet. He pressed several buttons to show a scan of a brain. "This is a normal brain, my brain," he admitted with a wry smile. "This is Kai's," the image changed to a smaller one but it was lit up in several places with splashes of red."

"I'm going out on the limb here and assuming that's not murderous rage showing up in her scans," Sheppard said sarcastically.

"Ah, no. These are the areas typically associated with psychic abilities such as telepathy. Here is a scan from an Ancient." The screen changed and the splashes of red illuminated almost the entire brain. "This is an image from the SG-1 database of the brain of an Ancient about to ascend."

"So...what? She's only a little telepathic?" John asked frowning down at the image.

"She didn't divulge that in our interview," Weir pointed out warily.

"Well, I don't know if it would even be enough for her to know. I wouldn't damn her for it without asking," Beckett advised.

The truth was he liked Kai. Beckett was truly a healer down to his soul and there was something about the woman that made him think she was more broken than she let on. He genuinely wanted to help her. He understood the Major and Weir's concerns. It was their job, but in his opinion Kai needed to stay. She might not know it, but Kai needed them possibly even more then they needed her.

"What else?"

"Her senses; hearing, sight, I don't know about taste, scent or touch, those are more difficult to quantify, but even her reflexes are roughly ten percent higher than an average human."

Beckett had known for a while that Kai could hear better than anyone he had ever met, but he would never have imagined it was because she was so closely related to the Ancients. Though she looked human, physiologically she was quite different. He found it truly fascinating.

"Something else you should know," he said and he shifted uncomfortably. To him the rest of the information wasn't private, but what he was about to say next felt like he was coming close to breaching the Doctor-Patient confidentiality. "I know you didn't ask for it in the report, but I think it's important you know. Whatever she did in the past, I doubt very much it was her idea."

"You can't know that," Weir said in a guarded tone.

"Bones don't lie," Sheppard muttered, remembering the words Beckett had spoken to him when Kai had first arrived.

"Too right," Carson agreed. "There is evidence of systemic, repeated trauma all over her body. The poor girl was tortured and beaten continuously over her life."

"Poor girl?" John asked. "That girl is a ninety year old intergalactic super assassin."

"Aye and none of us can help what we're born into, nor what we do to survive it."

Beckett's words hung in the air for a long time as Sheppard and Weir shared a long look. Neither seemed pleased with what they read in the others gaze.

Weir pressed her lips together and turned to Beckett. "Is that it?" She asked briskly.

"Aye," Beckett agreed.

"Thank you Carson," Weir said without looking up from the report, clearly dismissing him.

Beckett glanced at Major Sheppard and stepped towards the desk. "Elizabeth," he said in a low voice.

Elizabeth lifted her eyes, surprised to find Carson still standing in front of her. "Yes?"

"If Kai is permitted to stay," he said. "I would like to ask if she would mind providing us with samples for research. We could learn a lot from studying her physiology more thoroughly."

"I'll make a note," Weir's words were sharp and Beckett backed slowly out of the room.

"Good night Major," he called as he left.

John turned back to Elizabeth. "So..." he started to say. He was tired and didn't want to have it out over this, but it couldn't wait.

"I'll let you know my decision in the morning."

John's eyebrows rose. It wasn't often Elizabeth asserted her leadership so completely. He could have argued the decision was based on the security threat, but judging by the look on Elizabeth's tired face he knew what her reaction would be.

"I thought maybe you would like to discuss it," John said, pushing gently.

"I already know what you think," Elizabeth said without taking her eyes off the reports in front of her.

"You do?" He asked in disbelief.

"Of course, you want her to stay."

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