Title: The C.O.

Author: stella_pegasi

Summary: Atlantis mounts a mission to stop raiders on the planet Glostern and two young corporals are put to the test when one of the Atlantis team is wounded.

Rating: T (violence, minor coarse language)

Spoilers: Spoilers for Remnants.

Characters: John S. / Rodney M / Teyla E. / Ronon D / Evan L / Carson B / assorted Atlantis personnel / original characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own them; I would have treated them better.

Notes: The character, Corporal Rodriguez is of Puerto Rican decent and I have tried to incorporate a Puerto Rican slang word, 'broki', which means 'buddy.' If I am mistaken, my apologies for the error; it's all Google's fault.

This is an eight chapter story and I am posting three chapters now and will post the others in the next 48 hours. The story is complete, just need to proof the last chapters. Hope you enjoy and thanks so much for all the kind words. If you can take the time, let me know what you think of this story. I love hearing from all of you.

The C.O.

Glostern Raiders

Atlantis

"Colonel, these raiding parties are bringing our villages to a standstill. Our people are afraid to leave their homes for fear that they will return to find all their possessions gone and nothing left but a burned out shell. A man in Daster died yesterday, killed by these villains while trying to protect what little he had. So far, seven of our people are dead. We need your help."

Jast Veron was a slight man but a proud and honorable man and he was not accustomed to begging for help from strangers. He was the leader of the Village Tribunals and had sworn to protect the citizens of Glostern. He had not been able to do that on his own with only a small militia to protect the people. Feeling that he had no other choice, he had turned to Atlantis for assistance.

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, USAF and military commander of the Atlantis base, was sitting directly across the mahogany conference table from Veron. He silently tapped the table for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Leader Veron, what kind of information do you have on these raiders? Have any of your people been able to identify them? Do you know how many raiders there are or any idea where they come from?"

"No, colonel, we do not have any information. When they attack, these men are very quick; they loot the homes of whatever they might be able to sell and then burn what is left. As for who these raiders are or where they are from, Colonel Sheppard, we have no idea. The villagers who have seen them say they wear leather masks, gloves, and hoods, their clothing very plain, no identifying marks. We assumed they came through the ancestral ring and I have had a couple of our people posted at the ring to see if they attempt to leave but we have not seen them there."

Veron glanced around the room; he was encouraged by the concern he could see on the faces of these men and women of Atlantis. Perhaps these people, who have a reputation to help the needy in the Pegasus galaxy, would help to protect his people. "We simply have no idea how they came to Glostern or where they are hiding."

"What kind of weapons do they have?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard turned to look at his friend and teammate; he was surprised that Ronon had asked a question, the Satendan usually preferred to sit back and observe. Most of the time, Ronon would save his questions for Sheppard. The fact that he spoke up was a good indication that the big guy had taken a strong interest in this situation.

"I do not know what they are called but they are very powerful; they are made of metal and have a long metal box sort of thing attached on top and metal projectiles come from them. We found small metal cylinders of a yellow color near one of the people they killed. Those who have heard the weapon say it makes a loud, popping noise not unlike the fire sparks our children love at festival time. The only weapon we have is a long gun which shoots round metal balls."

Atlantis' military members sitting around the table quickly looked at each other; all thinking the same thing. Veron's description sounded very much like a P-90, which put a completely different perspective on an already bad situation.

Sheppard addressed their visitor, "Leader Veron, I need to speak to my people for a few minutes; the sergeant will escort you to the mess hall, I imagine you might like to have some food or something to drink." He gestured to the sergeant who was standing at the conference room door.

Veron stood up, "Thank you, colonel; I have, in fact, not eaten since yesterday. This situation has been too difficult to deal with to think about myself. I appreciate your kind offer of food."

As the conference room doors were closing, Sheppard left his chair, empty coffee cup in hand and headed for the coffeepot for a refill. As he walked past McKay, the scientist held up his cup, not even looking up at the colonel.

"McKay, just who in the hell do you think I am; your personal servant?" McKay grinned and handed his cup to the scowling colonel who got his coffee for him anyway.

As he was pouring coffee into the mugs, Sheppard asked his team and Majors' Lorne and Teldy, "So, people, thoughts on the situation on Glostern?" He walked back to the table, making certain that he dropped some coffee on McKay's sleeve as he put the scientist's cup down.

"Very mature, colonel." Sheppard just smiled at the scientist.

Teyla ignored the juvenile bantering of the two men; she knew it was just their way of relieving tension. "Colonel, do you think the weapon Veron described is a P-90?"

"Sure sounds possible, which leads to a whole lot of other concerns. We know Michael's hybrids had P-90's that they found in the cache on New Athos and most likely the Genii or some of our other 'friends' may have picked up one or two along the way. As for how they have ammunition for them, that's somewhat scarier. The flip side is if they are not P-90's but similar weapons, who is advanced enough to produce a weapon with that power?"

"Colonel, are you planning on helping these people?" Major Lorne asked.

"Do you think we should, major?"

"Yes, sir, I do. I don't like bullies, thieves or murderers."

"Neither do I, major; neither do I. Let's think about how we want to approach this and formulate a mission plan. These raiders could become a threat to other planets as well as Glostern. As soon as Veron has finished his meal, we'll accompany him back to Glostern and deal with these criminals."

Glostern

It was late afternoon when the gate on Glostern activated and a jumper emerged, heading for the village of Beston. Colonel Sheppard banked the jumper to the southeast toward the village, the center of the planet's government. On board, along with Rodney, Teyla, Ronon and Leader Veron, Sheppard had added Dr. Carson Beckett to the team and since a little extra backup never hurt, Captain Isaacs' team.

The village was about five clicks from the gate and when they arrived, Veron directed Sheppard where to land the jumper, next to the village open-air market. The market and the village appeared deserted from the air and looked even more desolate once they were on the ground.

With Veron leading the way, Colonel Sheppard and the others made their way through the empty stalls of the market toward a broad cobblestone street that led to the village center. The sky was dark with thick, heavy clouds that seemed to hug the ground.

McKay shivered, "Why can't we just for once find a temperate climate to visit? We only get a really hot planet or a really cold planet on missions."

"Sorry that we haven't found your 'just right' planet yet Rodney." Sheppard never looked back at Atlantis' chief scientist so he missed the face that McKay made at him.

The air smelled keenly of burning wood and an aroma like burning coal, drifting from fireplaces and furnaces used to heat the village buildings and the small huts that nestled around the village. The village proper consisted of several one and two stories buildings and few three story buildings surrounding a large square with a well in the center. There a few other cobblestone streets leading into the village center in addition to the street from the market.

Ronon caught up with the colonel, "Sheppard, these roads look like they have been heavily used but I don't see any carts, wagons or animals that might be used for transportation. Seems strange to me." Sheppard nodded in agreement as they approached the doorway of the most prominent building which housed the Village Tribunal headquarters. Veron opened the heavy wood doors and motioned them to enter.

Sheppard turned to Isaacs, "Captain, I want your team to remain out here; scout around a bit and see if you can find out why there are so few people around. It might just be that everyone is protecting their homes and are not venturing into town. Just don't get too far away." The captain acknowledged his orders and Sheppard entered the building, following his teammates through the door.

Inside, the large room was warm, heated by a roaring fire burning in an oversized stone fireplace along the far wall. The room glowed with an amber hue from the light provided by the candles, oil lamps, and the fire. Sheppard noticed the shelving that lined the walls was empty except for a few books and some pottery. There were several villagers seated at numerous tables through out the room, pitchers and mugs dotted the tables.

"Colonel, everyone, please have a seat." Veron pointed to a table near the warm fireplace. He whispered something to a young man who was standing near the doorway. The youth moved toward a counter where he picked up a tray full of mugs and a pitcher that he filled with a steaming beverage.

The team walked across the room and sat at the polished wood table, the warmth of the fireplace seeping into their bones. Rodney had walked straight to the fireplace; a contented look on his face as he warmed up. The young server poured the hot beverage into the mugs and then sat the pitcher on the table. Sheppard noticed a young woman heading for the door carrying another tray of mugs and a pitcher; most likely taking hot drinks to Isaacs' team outside. He was impressed with the Glosterns hospitality that they remembered his men outside as well. He had taken his first sip of the hot cider-like beverage when he noticed a few of the villagers approaching their table.

"Everyone, this is Colonel Sheppard from Atlantis and his team, Dr. McKay, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex and their healer, Dr. Beckett. They have come to help us." Veron bowed slightly to the villagers.

"This is all you could find, leader; you did not bring anyone else? How can four men and a woman take on these monsters? These raiders have killed eight of our people, Veron, eight people that shouldn't be dead. Four days ago, they killed my brother in front of his family; took their possessions and burned their home to the ground. His wife, daughter, and two sons are now living with my family. If they did not have us, they would be homeless and destitute." The villager, a tall middle-aged man was standing toe to toe with Veron, his anger boiling over. "We are in need of more than a handful of men; we need an army to find these murderers. You and your brother need to show some leadership, if we cannot turn to you, who else can we turn to?"

Veron paled, appearing faint; Dr. Beckett quickly moved to the leader and gently pulled him into a chair. Veron voice was trembling as he looked up at the angry villager, "Eight? You are telling me that we have now lost eight of our people to these monsters?"

A dark-haired woman who had just come to the table, placed her hand on Leader Veron's arm, "Yes, Jast, while you were on Atlantis seeking their help, Paut Harben was killed as he left his home to come meet with us. His wife and daughter are missing, his home looted and had been set on fire but two passersby were able to put the fire out before it destroyed the house."

"What are we going to do? Colonel, what can we do? Veron was extremely distraught; he looked at Sheppard and implored, "Please, colonel, we cannot lose any more of our people."

Sheppard didn't answer. He looked at the woman who had just given them the news about the latest death, "Ma'am, do you know what has been done to locate these women?"

Another man who had entered the building a few moments after the Atlantians spoke up before she could answer, "Colonel, I am Dever Veron, Jast's brother, and I am the constable here. We picked up some tracks that appeared to be from several men along with smaller tracks which may have been the women. The tracks disappeared into the woods behind the house and we couldn't pick them up again."

Dever sat down next to his older brother, placing his hand on Jast's shoulder. The younger Veron was taller and broader than the village leader and at least ten years younger. There was only a slight family resemblance in the shape of their face and their grey eyes. Jast was quite dapper, with short gray hair and his clothing of finely woven fabric, tailored to fit his slight frame. Sheppard thought Dever looked more like a cowboy than a constable. His dark hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail, his dark clothes more casual and loose fitting and he was sporting a short, unkempt beard.

"Colonel, we cannot combat their weapons, we have only flint rifles to defend ourselves with. But I promise you, we would have gone after Losa and her daughter if we could have. Her daughter is only sixteen years old, colonel. We are all sick with worry about them and what could be happening to them. I believe that we would have lost more people if we had followed them but we would have tried if we had been able to find tracks."

"Dever, I am certain that any of you would have gone after them to rescue the women if you had known where to look. We would like to see the area ourselves. Would it be possible for you to take us to the house before it gets dark so that we can have a look around?"

"Certainly, colonel, please follow me." Dever walked to the doorway, grabbing his cloak from a peg and headed into the street. With a nod to the people in the room, Sheppard and his team followed.

Outside of Beston

The wind had picked up and it was getting colder, leaving no doubt that the weather was deteriorating. Dark clouds were hovering on the horizon, reminding Sheppard of the snow clouds in Stowe, Vermont where his dad took him and his brother skiing when they were kids. Dever said the walk to the Harben house would take about ten minutes. There was a narrow but fast moving river on the outskirts of the village and as they walked across the wooden plank bridge, Dever pointed out the mill and granary that Harben had managed.

Constable Veron talked about the family as they walked. "Everybody here adored Paut and Losa, they had done well because Paut had worked hard all of his life but they gave as much as they received, always helping those in need, opening their home to travelers. They were just good people; the daughter, Clessa is a pretty little thing and there are many who are quite angry at what they fear may be happening to her and her mother."

Sheppard spoke softly, "Believe me, Dever; we share your concern for their safety." He continued, "Who were the people who put out the fire?"

"The men were two stone masons who live on Mudon Ridge, which is less than a mile away from the Harben house; they were on their way to work on a house beyond Paut's. If you are wondering whether these men were involved, colonel, let me assure you they were not. The Wraith destroyed our way of life but we learned a valuable lesson from that horror. We learned that fighting among ourselves was foolish. There has been virtually no crime on Glostern in my lifetime and long before. An occasional young one will have too much ale and create some mischief but not one of us has died at the hand of another in many, many years. People die on Glostern, colonel, but they do not kill each other."

Dever quickly walked ahead for a few steps and Sheppard left him alone. A society not used to crime is a society in crisis. These people seemed to be exactly what they appeared to be, a kind and gentle people; now it was up to Atlantis to help them put an end to their nightmare.

The Harben house sat on a ridge where the main road from Beston intersected a road that ran horizontally past the house. As they approached, Teyla remarked, "This is a beautiful place to have been the scene of such violence." The two-story house was built of stone and rough hewn wood, the roof made of what looked like the cedar shakes used on houses back on Earth. The small yard was tidy and was surrounded by a low stone fence; the wooden gate was painted a deep green like the wooden shutters surrounding the windows.

Dever led them through the gate and along a stone paved path to the rear of the house. "Beauty can be deceiving," he pointed to corner of the house and a large section of the roof, the fire damage was extensive. Dever stood for a moment and looked at the damage, "We'll fix this for Losa whether she wishes to stay here or not after what has happened, but we will fix it."

Rodney had been very quiet during the walk from the village. The abduction of Losa and Clessa by these raiders was not sitting well with the Atlantians. The scientist spoke quietly, "We can help, constable." Dever looked around and nodded.

Sheppard turned to Teyla, Ronon and Isaacs, "Start looking around for anything that might give us a clue as to where these bastards went."

"Dever, I would like to have Rodney and Dr. Beckett to look over the house and see if they notice anything that could help us, if that's OK with you."

"Absolutely, colonel, please follow me."

They entered by the back door which had been broken most likely by the raiders and found the house in total disarray. The room they entered extended to the front of the house, and included a living, dining, and kitchen area; cabinet doors stood open, there were broken dishes scattered across the kitchen floor, and overturned furniture throughout the entire floor.

Dr. Beckett stopped near the dining table and knelt down, "Colonel, there is blood on the floor here," he stood back up, "and on the edge of the table." Turning to the constable, "You said Harben was killed outside the house?"

"Paut was lying just a few feet from the front gate; there is a blood stain where the body laid on the cobblestones. The stone masons said they didn't move the body and we didn't find blood anywhere else, so Paut must have dropped right where he was shot."

"Then someone was hurt inside this house but as to who, no way to know." Beckett sighed and continued to look for other signs of injury.

While Beckett was checking the living area, Rodney entered a short hallway off the kitchen where he found two doors leading off the hallway. The door to his left was unlocked; he opened it and found a fully-stocked food pantry. What appeared to be a brand new padlock secured the door at the end of the tiny hall. He wasn't certain why he considered the new, shiny lock out of place; people purchased new locks all the time. But in a house where a crime occurred, he thought everything was important.

Rodney left the hallway to inspect the locks on the front door and on the broken kitchen door and he found the locks on both were both old and rusty. He checked the other hardware in the house and found it all to be the same, old and rusty.

"Constable, I found a padlocked door at the end of the small hallway off the kitchen. Would you have any idea where that door might lead?

"I believe that it goes to a small basement where Paut kept wood and hotstone for the fireplace and the furnace, which is also in the basement."

McKay's eyes brightened, his scientific curiosity aroused, "Hotstone? It's used for heating, is it black and shiny?"

Dever replied, "Yes, it is; it is a mineral that is mined in the hills near here. It is one of the main reasons that we located in this area so many years ago after our population dwindled from the cullings. The hotstone is plentiful in this area and most of the veins are located near the surface which makes it is easer to mine. There are also some deeper underground mines located here which proved useful when the Wraith came. Those who could get there would use the tunnels to hide from the Wraith. If they got deep enough into the tunnel, the Wraith couldn't find them."

Sheppard realized that the discovery of coal had distracted Rodney. The scientists had forgotten all about his original question regarding the lock. Sheppard asked Dever, "Do you have any idea where Paut might have kept a key to that padlock?"

"No, colonel, I am sorry but I do not have any idea where Paut would keep any keys; it is possible there may have been keys on his body when our healer removed it from here."

Isaacs entered the back door. "Colonel, Ronon would like you to come outside, he thinks they may have found tracks." Sheppard motioned for Beckett, who was still looking around in the living room, to join them and they followed Isaacs out of the house.

Rolling hills rose behind the house with groves of trees lining the shallow valleys, through the cold mist they could see higher hills in the distance. Dr. Beckett stood for a moment gazing at the scenery. He explored such hills and valleys when he was a child in Scotland and could almost hear his mother calling him to come home for dinner.

Ronon was standing in the side yard on a slight rise that overlooked the roadway. He was watching Teyla who was examining the area just off the road where an old broken wood gate stood. Beyond the gate was narrow overgrown path leading into the hills.

"What have you got?" Sheppard walked up beside Ronon.

"There are some recent broken branches on those bushes along the road and Teyla spotted a bloody handprint on that tree near the house front gate, someone with blood on their hand must have leaned against it. There a big bloodstain on the ground next to the tree so the handprint might be Harben's; he could have grabbed the tree before he fell to the ground." Ronon pointed to the path and asked the constable, "Where does that path go?"

"There's an old fortress a few miles over those hills; it's been abandoned for more years than I know, hundreds I think. The old ones tell tales that have been passed from generation to generation about the fortresses that were built all over the planet. Once we were strong in numbers, there were populated areas all over the planet; we traded with other worlds and our planet was prosperous but there was also strife. My grandfather would tell us that our ancestors coveted each others' land and valuables, always wanting what their neighbor had and they fought for generations. That all changed when the Wraith came and wiped out so many."

"Colonel, the danger from the Wraith is over; why is this happening to us when we could actually be building our lives instead of hiding?" Dever kicked a rock lying on the edge of the road.

"Constable, I have no answers for you and believe me, I wish I did. Life just seems to happen the way it wants to, doesn't matter what we want."

Ronon had left Sheppard and the constable and joined Teyla on the overgrown path looking for more tracks. Sheppard saw them returning to the house and walked over to intercept them, Dever following him. "Find anything?"

Teyla looked back over her shoulder toward the path, "Colonel, we believe the raiders went that way. There are a few signs but these raiders are good, they have been very careful."

"Constable, can you give me an exact location for the fortress?"

"I believe that the path leads directly to the fortress and is fairly straight, colonel. I haven't been to that area since I was a child when my friends and I played there. I believe that the old fortress should be about four miles from here."

Sheppard walked out of earshot from the constable and tapped his COM, "Lorne, you overhead?" Lorne had come through the gate a few minutes after Sheppard's jumper and had cloaked immediately; his orders were to follow them while they were on the planet. The colonel liked to be prepared.

"Yes, colonel."

"Can you see the path that Ronon and Teyla were walking along a few moments ago?"

"Yes, sir."

"I want you to follow that path; there should be some kind of large building they refer to as a fortress about four clicks out. Get as much intel as you can, then return to the village and meet us back at the tribunal hall. We're heading back there now."

"Understood, colonel."

Sheppard looked up at the darkening sky, the clouds were getting lower and it was getting colder. They had done all that they could and it was getting dark; it was definitely time to return to the village.

"OK, people; let's head back to the village before it gets dark and while the weather is still halfway decent. Captain Isaacs, your guys have the point and six."