AN: Hey, guys! *waves* I changed a few things around, adding a few extra thoughts or dialogue, since some parts seemed a little rushed. Or just rough. Anyway, I hope it flows a little better. Let me know what you think!

Shock and Awe

Chapter 1

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard strolled down the halls of Atlantis, nodding periodically as people passed by him. He could feel the city's awareness humming in the back of his mind, and as always, it put him in a good mood. He loved this city, maybe even more than he loved Earth. On bad days, the tingling hum of the city soothed him, and on good days, such as this one, it excited and invigorated him like nothing else could.

Well, except maybe flying, he corrected. Steering a helicopter, or piloting a fighter jet going full speed usually had the same effect, though it didn't last as long. Here, he constantly felt the city's pull on him, as if he was bound to Atlantis by an invisible cord, and though it could sometimes tire him out, he welcomed its presence.

"Colonel Sheppard," a voice greeted him from a few paces away. He looked up, and smiled as he saw who it was.

"Hey, Carter!" He replied cheerily.

Clearly not a morning person, Colonel Samantha Carter merely grinned back. Here it was, just turning five A.M., and Sheppard was looking fresh-faced and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Far be it from me to break his good mood, she thought to herself as she fell into step beside him.

"I just got the preliminary reports back from M2R-435. There's a small village relatively close to the Stargate..."

"How close?" Sheppard interrupted, before shooting her an apologetic look.

Carter simply smiled and went on, "Not more than five kilometers, give or take. Anyway, I think it warrants a closer look. The people may welcome some new visitors."

Sheppard nodded, a small frown dimpling his face. "Or, they could totally freak out and shoot at us."

"Colonel..." Carter began, but he waved his hand, silently urging her to forget his previous comment.

"I know, I'm probably just paranoid. It just seems like it's been so long since we've had any trouble, it's due to find us again soon."

"Well, in any case," she said, stopping when they reached the transporter at the end of the hall, "your team has a go. You leave at oh-nine-hundred."

"Great. I'm sure it'll be an interesting mission."

Ignoring his light sarcasm, Carter got onto the transporter and smiled at him, just before the door slid closed. Taking a deep breath to clear his head, Sheppard walked down the hallway to the right, on his way to the gym, where he knew Ronon would be sparring with some unfortunate soul.

Sure enough, the Satedan was there, as was Major Lorne. Sheppard stepped through the door just as Ronon tossed Lorne onto the mat, his back slamming against it with enough force to knock the wind out of him. Lorne uttered a cry and lay there gasping, until Ronon reached down and easily picked him up by his Knicks t-shirt, settling him lightly on his feet.

"Thanks," Lorne breathed, his hands on his knees.

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder. "No problem."

"You know," Sheppard commented from just inside the doorway, "if you keep beating up my men, I'll have no one left to do Gate room guard-duty."

"Hey, Sheppard," Ronon said, though he'd noticed his friend enter the room a while ago. "Wanna turn?"

"No, thanks. Judging by how Lorne's doing right now, I think it's best to save it for another day."

Ronon shrugged, as Lorne managed, "Good to see you, Colonel."

Sheppard chuckled softly. "You're on for duty in an hour. Why don't you get some rest?"

Lorne nodded gratefully, glad to have an "excuse" to leave the gym. "Sounds good. Thanks, Colonel."

As the Major jogged out of the room, Ronon grabbed a towel to wipe away the sweat on his forehead and arms. As he tossed it aside again, he asked, "So, what's up?"

Sheppard strolled farther into the room, picking up a stray basketball someone had left near the benches. Turning it over, he realized why. The ball had lost some air – when he pressed his fingers into the rubbery surface, it dimpled easily. "Not much. We're slated for a mission to M2R-435 at nine-hundred, Atlantis-time."

"Which one is that?"

Sheppard shrugged. "One with a small village of inhabitants, and probably not much else."

"Sounds like fun," Ronon replied, though his tone suggested he thought otherwise. He stuck the last bantos rod into their plastic holder, then retied the hank of hair that held his dreads out of his face.

"That's what I said. But Carter seems to think the village might be willing to trade with us. Or something."

At this, Ronon stopped to think for a moment. Then, he turned to face Sheppard and scowled, muttering, "Or we could show up, and they'll toss us in some dungeon."

Sheppard laughed outright. "I said as much to Carter, but she didn't agree. We're going, end of story."

Ronon nodded. "Whatever. I'll be ready."

"Sweet," Sheppard replied, turning to leave.

"Where're you goin'?" He heard his friend ask.

Without turning around, he called over his shoulder, "I'm gonna bug Rodney for a while."

Ronon grinned, knowing all too well how that usually ended. Grabbing a stray bantos stick from the floor in front of him, he called back, "Have fun!"

The last words he heard before the door closed were, "I will!"

"Jordan? Hello, Atlantis to Jordan..."

Jordan Hayes looked up from her work, the blush rising in her cheeks making her face feel suddenly hot.

"Uh, sorry, Dr. McKay," she stammered, brushing her auburn hair away from her face. "I was...thinking." No, she corrected, daydreaming. Thinking somewhat dirty thoughts about a certain man with a cocky smile and not enough time on his hands. Not lately, at least, and that was probably a good thing for him. Not so much for her.

"Yes, well, maybe you could hand me that tablet right there?" Rodney McKay replied, impatiently pointing at a data-pad on the counter in front of her.

"Sure." She handed him the pad, then went back to reading the notes she'd been studying before getting distracted. Daydreaming, her mind argued again, and she conceded.

Jordan had been Rodney's unofficial assistant for just over three months, and as such had learned tons more than she ever had at the SGC, where she'd worked for four years previous. When she'd been offered a position on the Atlantis expedition, she'd jumped at the chance, nearly throwing herself on General Landry in thanks. It wasn't that she didn't like working at the SGC – she got along swimmingly with everyone - but the idea of visiting other worlds, of traveling through space, really excited her. Not only that, but with both of her parents dead, and with no other siblings to speak of, there was nothing really holding her back on Earth, anyway.

Jordan was suddenly aware that she'd been lost in her own thoughts again, and now, two pairs of eyes, rather than one, were watching her expectantly.

Again, she glanced up and apologized. "Sorry. I don't know why I keep getting sidetracked."

The pair of eyes that belonged to Colonel Sheppard crinkled at the corners, their hazel depths full of good humor. "Don't worry. Happens to all of us now and then, especially when we're around Rodney."

"Oh, ha ha," Rodney scoffed, tossing the data pad onto the counter's surface. "Is today 'make fun of the genius day'? I wish someone would've told me; I'd have pulled out the red nose and rainbow wig."

"You actually have those?" Sheppard joked, ignoring the icy stare he received from McKay.

"Are you here for a reason, Colonel?" McKay asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"Actually, yes."

"Oh, good." Rodney clapped joylessly. When Sheppard didn't respond, he asked, "Well, what is it?"

"What is what?" Sheppard asked, flopping down in a nearby chair and propping his feet on another.

Rodney sighed, his eyes rolling heavenward in a "why me?" gaze. Patiently, he replied, "Why are you here?"

Sheppard caught Jordan's eye and winked, silently informing her that he was not yet finished having fun with his friend. Her own brown eyes widened at his sudden attention, and she wondered if either of the men could hear her heartbeat suddenly start thumping in her chest. It was no secret that John Sheppard was the subject of most of the Atlantis women's affections, and she was no different in that respect. She had always admired his good looks and inescapable charm, though usually from afar. Never before had he actually acknowledged her presence.

Not until now, anyway.

Forcing herself to continue her research, Jordan perched on her chair and continued reading, though she managed to subconsciously glance over at the colonel every now and then.

Sheppard shrugged and said, "I'm hiding from Ronon."

As he resumed his work, Rodney asked, "And you feel the need to do that in my lab, rather than, oh, I don't know...your room?"

"Rodney, you know me. If I go back to my room, I'll fall asleep. Besides, I figured you might need some company."

"Well, I don't. I have Jordan here, and it's been blessedly quiet, since Zelenka is working on some project on the other side of the city."

Sheppard was silent for a while, choosing to simply watch the pair of them work rather than purposefully irritate Rodney any longer. After a few minutes, however, he began to get restless, and stood up again.

"So, Rodney?" He began.

McKay looked up, seeming to forget that he'd been upset with Sheppard not long ago. "Yeah?"

"We're going off-world in a few hours."

"Okay," McKay prompted.

Knowing that if they continued this way, it would be an hour before anything was actually said, Jordan put down her book and piped up, "Where to, Colonel?"

"That planet they sent the MALP to yesterday."

Rodney groaned. "You mean the one with the tiny village?"

Sheppard nodded.

"Do you really need me for that? I mean, from what I saw, there was no technology to speak of. No ruins, no weapons..."

Sheppard stifled a chuckle. "Sorry, Rodney, but the MALP didn't go far enough to be able to tell if those things aren't actually there. We need to check it out."

Sighing again, Rodney replied, "Fine. But if this is just another Podunk village in the middle of nowhere..."

"Podunk?" Sheppard asked him, his eyebrow raised and looking for all the world like a caterpillar that had strayed from its path, heading not for his ear, but for the top of his head. "Who says that?"

Again growing irritated with the colonel, Rodney scowled. "I say it. And I'll say it again when we get back, with nothing to show but a fruit basket and a couple disease-ridden blankets."

"Okay, okay," the colonel said, trying to calm his friend with only his voice. It was a half-hearted gesture, as he'd known it wouldn't work even before he tried it. "I'll see you in the Gate room." Then, he turned his eyes to Jordan. "Bye, Jordan."

"Bye," she squeaked, cursing her shyness. He didn't seem to notice, as he simply waved good-naturedly at the two scientists, before he left the room.

McKay, on the other hand, did notice, and Jordan cursed herself again. "Oh, don't tell me," he moaned, "you like him, too?"

Feigning ignorance, Jordan shook her head. "What? Of course not. I just prefer to be nice to people. Especially military people, since they have guns."

"Uh...huh," Rodney responded, not fully convinced. "Well, anyway, why don't you finish up what you're doing, and go grab some breakfast? Speaking of which, I'm off to grab some food before our little 'mission'." He pouted at the dour prospect of his day, grabbed a handful of equipment, and started for the door. Then, he remembered something, and turned toward Jordan. "Oh, and don't touch anything."

Amused, Jordan replied, "I won't, I promise."

He stared at her for a moment, as if assessing whether she was telling the truth or not. Then, he nodded. "Good. Okay. See you."

"Bye, Dr. McKay," Jordan replied.

When he had gone, she slid further back into her seat and tried to finally finish reading her research materials. Unfortunately, all she could think about was the way Sheppard had winked at her earlier, the way the corners of his gorgeous hazel eyes had crinkled ever so slightly when he smiled. And that smile…oh, it was a wonder he hadn't melted the ice in Antarctica with that beaming grin, she thought. Sighing, she gave up on reading, closed her books, and headed for the mess hall.

M2R-435

Two weeks later

Colonel John Sheppard was starting to believe that he was, in fact, in Hell.

For a whole week now, he'd been sitting in a cold, dirty cell, being tortured periodically for information. Of course, his captors weren't torturing him by actually beating him anymore; they had since discovered a much more sinister method of inflicting pain onto him.

When Sheppard's team had first arrived on this planet – M2R-something-or-other (he couldn't remember the designation, not that it really mattered anymore. As soon as they were off this God-forsaken planet, he would make Rodney delete it from the database) – it had seemed so peaceful, so inviting. The grass was green, the town was full of friendly people...it was almost paradise for the team, after having to deal with the Wraith for so long. They'd already begun to talk of trade with the townspeople, and had shared quite a few meals with them. All around, it was a good experience for everyone involved.

One day, Rodney had noted aloud that there was no military force to be seen. The "mayor" of the town, Kellan, had looked around nervously and said, "We are never in need of them, but the military does have a base nearby, in case trouble should arise."

Well, Sheppard thought as he tried in vain to find a more comfortable position on the floor of his cell, trouble had come, after all. While his team were performing a simple exploratory sweep of the surrounding woods, they had unexpectedly run into the military Kellan had spoken of. And, just as unexpectedly, they found that they recognized some of the personnel.

The Genii, Sheppard spat, as he lightly probed a cut on his cheek. The new commander of the "military" had not failed to recognize Sheppard, either, and as expected, a battle had ensued. In the confusion that followed, Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney had managed to escape capture, and made it back to the Jumper. However, Sheppard had been knocked unconscious and so had been caught, along with Jordan Hayes, Rodney's assistant, who'd come along on their latest visit to the town.

Before they'd headed out this last time, Sheppard had argued with Colonel Samantha Carter about allowing Jordan to come. You never know when danger might pop up, he'd said, and since Jordan hadn't had any military training, she might get hurt. Or worse. But Carter hadn't seen his side of things, telling him that having another woman along with Teyla might make both her, and the townspeople, more comfortable. And, she'd argued, there hadn't been any indication that they'd run into trouble. The people in the town were peaceful, and accepted Sheppard's offers of trade with gratitude. In the end, he had no choice but to go along with her decision, though he repeated his earlier concerns.

And now, look where we are, he scoffed. He glanced at Jordan through the bars between their cells. She was asleep, thankfully, her hands placed under her cheek and her knees drawn up as close to her chest as they could go. The curly red hair that covered her face from his sight was tangled and dirty, and she sported quite a few defensive wounds. He thought that despite the poor shape she was in, she looked kind of pretty. Like an angel that'd fallen from her cloud. Sure, she was banged up, bruised and dirty, but it somehow didn't detract from her beauty in the slightest. If anything, it seemed to amplify it.

Jordan's sleep was soon to be interrupted. Sheppard could hear footsteps coming toward them, from down the hallway. Though he wasn't afraid of the Genii – he hated them, more than anything – he subconsciously began to move even farther against his cell's back wall. At first, he wasn't sure if he should try to wake Jordan, but as the steps came closer, an urgent desire not to be alone overtook him.

"Jordan!" He hissed. "Wake up!"

Jordan stirred where she lay, but as soon as the sound of the Genii's heavy boots reached her ears, she sat straight up and also scooted against the far wall.

"Sheppard," she whispered, her eyes wide, "please..."

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he could only nod before two soldiers stopped in front of his cage. He knew what she meant. He'd heard that same plaintive request so many times that he was sure he'd never forget it, even if he lived to be a hundred. The way she whispered it made him shiver, the "please" like a faint winter's breeze, one that chilled a person before they even realized it was still only March, and they weren't wearing a jacket. And truthfully, he'd wanted nothing more than to give in to that "please" for the past five nights. But he couldn't. Not because of some moral code, but because he honestly, truly couldn't.

"Tell us what we need to know, Sheppard," sneered the one who he'd secretly named "Roger", due to his resemblance to a certain, portly movie critic.

Keeping his gaze away from Jordan, he replied, "Bite me."

He heard Jordan whimper softly at his answer, but he kept his gaze locked on the two guards, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. He could only hope that she understood, that she knew why he was doing this.

"By keeping your silence, you're only causing more pain to her," the other guard, the one he called "Mick", said as he jagged his thumb to Sheppard's right. Right where Jordan sat, her knees drawn up to her chest, dried blood crusting over a cut above her eyebrow.

"I told you before," Sheppard growled, "We only came here to trade with the townspeople. We don't know anything about the weapon you're looking for!"

"Roger" glared at him for at least a full minute, and Sheppard could almost see the guard's mind turning over his answer. Then, to both his and Jordan's horror, Roger nodded once at his partner, who grinned evilly in response.

"Very well, Sheppard," Roger replied as "Mick" began to unlock Jordan's cell door, "then I guess we'll have to do this hard way, again."

"Leave her alone, or I swear, I'll kill you!" Sheppard shouted, rushing toward the front of the cell. Summoning all his strength, which had lessened severely due to not eating and being hit with sticks that resembled police batons, he reached through the bars and grabbed Roger's shirt, yanking him against the cell so hard he thought he heard the guard's breath whoosh out of him. Sheppard glared into the man's terrifyingly pig-like eyes, sending him the same warning, only silently, You mess with her, I'll mess you up, but the guard quickly produced a shock-prod and stuck it through the bars, hitting him in the chest. Electricity surged through Sheppard's body like fire, and he dropped to his knees, gasping. Eventually, the buzzing in his ears faded, but it was soon replaced by Jordan's screams. Sheppard found himself suddenly wishing for the hum to return, for some kind of temporary hearing-loss, for some cotton to shove deep into his ear canals.

Unfortunately, none of those happened, and all he could do now was wait for rescue, which, he was certain, was bound to come soon.

"Colonel Carter."

Sam Carter turned around, to see Ronon striding purposefully toward her, a dark scowl on his bearded face. Hiding her intimidation, she merely nodded at him and replied, "Ronon. What can I do for you?"

"You know what I want."

Carter sighed. They'd had this "conversation" at least ten times in the last week. Each time, it had ended badly. Neither of them was happy with the other, and they made sure each knew it. "I'm sorry, Ronon, but I can't allow you to return to the planet."

"But Sheppard is down there..."

"I realize that," she replied, growing impatient. In some ways, Ronon was rather like a pit-bull – once he latched on to an idea, he just didn't let go, no matter how hard you hit him. "But if you go down there and get captured –"

He threw up his hand to stop her. "If it were me down there right now, Sheppard would've gone back by now!"

Carter closed her eyes, trying to find a way to diffuse Ronon's anger. When she realized that was a futile endeavor, she opened them again, and tapped the communicator settled in her ear.

"Rodney?"

Dr. McKay answered her immediately. "Yes, Carter?"

"Have you finished working on the cloaking device, yet?"

"Almost there," he replied. "Give me another hour or so, and it should be ready."

"Understood. Keep working, Rodney."

"Yes, yes. Going as fast as I can."

Smiling at the irritation now apparent in his voice, she clicked off her radio, and gazed at Ronon. "If Rodney's cloak works during testing, then I will give the rescue mission the 'okay'. But not before."

Ronon nodded. "Fine. I'll be taking Teyla and McKay, then."

"Ah," she held up her hand, "And Major Lorne."

He glared at her for a moment, but then nodded. It would do no good to argue with her on that. Besides, Lorne was okay in Ronon's book. He was like a younger Sheppard, only Lorne took orders better than his superior ever had.

"Okay," Ronon replied. Without waiting for her to dismiss him, he turned and stalked back down the hallway.

Carter watched him leave. She knew how much he respected Sheppard, how he'd come to see the colonel not only as a fellow warrior, but almost as a brother. But she had her reservations about this rescue mission. She'd read Weir's reports on the Genii, and knew that they wouldn't stop to negotiate with the rescue team, nor would they show mercy to anyone from Atlantis.

Sighing, Carter turned in the direction of her office. She could only hope that Ronon would indeed wait for her permission to leave.

TBC...