Stargate Atlantis Legacy: Allegiance
SGA #18
ISBN: 9781905586561
I had intended to talk more about Ronon this week, but I had a bad day on Friday and skipped to a part of ‘Allegiance’ with Guide and other Wraith. It made me smile and I loved the chapter so much I felt like making it its own review.
(It’s chapter 2 by the way)
Guide is most displeased that the Lanteans couldn’t manage to destroy Death’s Hiveship when he basically handed it to them on a silver platter.
It was powered down for heavens sake and up against the newest Earth ship!
The situation is looking pretty grim and Guide is worried about his people. McKay is still Death’s prisoner and it won’t be long before he breaks under her ministrations. When that happens Death will no doubt know of Guide’s dealings with the humans and destroy him and his people.
We get most of our information from a conversation he has with his second, Bonewhite, and the rest comes from Ember before Guide is summoned before Death and her zenana again.
Remember Ember?
The little cutie from when Guide first returned to his Hive in book one?
If I didn’t mention him (which I’m pretty sure I did) he is a young cleverman that was brought on while Guide was on Earth (and he’ll be around for quite a bit and we love him too!).
He’s proving himself to be invaluable and quick. Impressing Guide enough that he’s somewhat reluctant to trust Ember since the last time he trusted a young cleverman, said Wraith stole his Hive and went to Earth.
Destroying the Hive and everyone on it.
Guide doesn’t have much choice at the moment though because he needs to know what’s happening with McKay and he certainly can’t go traipsing about by himself.
Can you say ‘suspicious’?
So, he sends Ember to investigate since Death demanded all available Wraith work on repairing her Hive and who is he to let an opportunity pass by?
Ember comes back quickly and has some incredibly interesting news for his Commander.
McKay has been turned into a Wraith, goes by Quicksilver, and doesn’t remember his past at all.
This is good news for Guide except that he can’t rely on the situation staying the same for long, especially since the one in charge of the program, Dust, is dead. Which means that the chances Death will simply take the information from Quicksilver’s mind has gone up.
Ember, sneaky dude, suggests that Guide put him forth as Dust’ successor for the project. Ember can keep an eye on Quicksilver and kill him if he starts to remember too much.
Again, Guide is hesitant to trust another cleverman, but he has a point and it may get them some extra time for Guide to find a way out of the sticky situation they’re in at the moment.
What made me smile in this chapter is how sneaky Guide can be.
Entering the throne room (I can’t remember if they called it something else before but it’s the council room) Guide feels unkempt compared to the other zenana lords who have obviously fed well recently and are sporting some shiny jewels and such. He doesn’t let it faze him though and gets respect from the others assembled with little effort.
An aside—
It would be interesting to know the ages of the assembled Wraith here. Other than the Old One, I kind of want to know how close in age they are to Guide and who would be considered a sort of age-mate to him. We know Death and Sky are young, and we’re given the impression that it’s by a significant bit, but Farseer and some of the others may be closer to Guide, though I believe they’re younger by a few hundred if not thousand years.
When Death brings up Quicksilver, Guide is quick to make it known he’s aware it’s really McKay. The others are surprised he knows but he goes on to indeed suggest that Ember take over the project since her cleverman, Wintersun, has no wish to work around the ‘changeling’, as Death calls him.
It’s a risk, but not as big of a one as letting them take information from McKay’s head.
Ember set in place, Guide goes on being sneaky.
But that’s for another post, because it’s late and I want to make cupcakes so I have a snack for work tomorrow.
Keep being lights and don’t let the news discourage you!
The Dark Library 