Stargate Atlantis: Shepherd's Watch

"Sheppard."

John Sheppard looked over at the sound of Ronon Dex's voice. The two teams had just stepped through the Stargate, flanking out to form a defensive position. The planet was barren and rocky. It was cast in greys and blacks as a weak, distant sun sent filtered grey light through the grey clouds. The air tasted metallic. There wasn't a sound. There wasn't a breeze.

There was nothing.

"Are we early?" John asked, gaze darting all across the boring landscape after checking his watch.

Rodney McKay checked his scanner. "No. I've got a fairly large energy reading of a ship in orbit. Hive. So they're here somewhere. Ground sensors aren't working right." He tapped the side of his scanner, frowning.

John nodded. "Reynolds, set your team to guard the 'Gate. Just like we planned unless I order otherwise."

"Yes sir." Jason Reynolds gestured and the marines stepped into the gray landscape, seemingly disappearing.

"Now what?" Ronon asked. The Satedan had a firm grip on his big gun as he scanned the surrounding terrain, but there was nothing to see but a sea of endless grey.

John walked over to a boulder. He sat. "We wait," he simply stated. His casual stance belied the tension he felt, even as he balanced the P90 on his lap as if it wasn't needed.

"We wait? We wait? Just like sitting ducks? Is that your brilliant plan, then, John? I suppose next you'll want us to go onto the Hive ship and have a beer?" Rodney exclaimed, pacing wildly. His grip on his scanner was so tight the whites of his knuckles were showing. The readings continued to be erratic on the ground and he couldn't get a fixed point on anyone but them.

"No. I'd prefer coffee," John said mildly. "Just relax, Rodney."

"Relax? Relax? How can I possibly relax?" the physicist fumed, pacing round the DHD. It wasn't the fact that he was contemplating committing a murder that had Rodney rattled. It was justified, in his opinion, revenge for what had happened to Jennifer Keller. And it wasn't murder, not really. Todd wasn't human. Todd was a monster, a piece of vermin that had to be put down, as Ronon would have worded it. No, it was the moment of the confrontation when he would see the thing that had killed Jennifer. It was that moment when Rodney had to rein in his anger and his fear and his hatred for the sake of the mission only to release those things to enact the revenge he felt he owed to the late doctor. His almost fiancée.

John shrugged and felt around in his TAC vest. He withdrew a piece of paper, the report that Moira had snowballed for him. He read it carefully, digesting the essentials that she had highlighted for him in a pale purple. He could imagine her doing it with serious concentration, chewing on her lower lip the way she did sometimes and making a soft, soft sound in her throat that affected John in a sensual way. His thoughts turned to that parting kiss of Ann's and it played on his mind until he focused on the words in front of him.

Several seconds passed, feeling like hours to the team. John kept sitting on the boulder, nonchalantly holding his P90 and appearing as if he hadn't a care in the world. Yet his quick gaze was encompassing everything until he resumed reading the report again. Ronon stood as sentinel, still as a stone and keeping his laser focus on the distant greyness. Every muscle was tensed in anticipation of an attack or ambush. In contrast Rodney was a blur, moving round and round the DHD as he muttered under his breath and kept checking his scanner, then checked the 9mm in his other hand to be sure the safety was off, on, off, on until he couldn't tell any more.

"Movement," Ronon noted.

John was instantly on his feet. He stuffed the paper into his pocket, raised his P90. He stepped next to Ronon. "Rodney, don't shoot Todd on sight," he warned. "Let's see what he wants first and get whatever intel we can. Rodney, I'm serious. Don't shoot him yet."

Rodney grunted. His gun aimed as he stood next to his friends. His hand shook slightly but he stilled it. He stared at the grey landscape, the grey sky and the grey stones. Shapes were materializing out of the rising mist, resolving themselves into bipedal figures. Rodney's grip was so tight on the gun his knuckles turned as white as the Wraith that were approaching.

At first they appeared like ghosts in the mist, indistinct and wavering forms of pallid, slender beings. Creatures with long dark coats and long, braided hair that made them resemble extras in a horror film. Creatures with long faces full of teeth and elongated pupils that could slit like a cat's. Creatures that were holding stunners aimed at the three humans. Behind them were burly versions of themselves, muscled Drones with face masks and even larger stunners.

The Wraith had arrived.

They stopped. They parted to reveal their leader who stepped out from the protective circle. Todd stepped a few feet away from his bodyguards. He smiled. He looked much better than the last time John had seen him. Apparently Todd was feeding well and feeding often, not that he had a healthy glow as no Wraith did but he was fitter, fuller and more animated. Instead of the drab prisoner clothing he had been forced to endure he wore Wraith clothing, close-fitting leather and some sparkly accents. He had a new tattoo above his right eye, and it looked familiar to John but he couldn't quite place it. His hands were devoid of weapons. "John Sheppard."

John suppressed a shiver as Todd's oddly musical voice caressed his name as wantonly as a lover might. He took a few steps towards him, ahead of Rodney and Ronon. He scowled, grip momentarily tightening on his P90. "Todd."

"I knew you would come," Todd said, glancing past him. His gaze danced across the two other men, ventured towards the 'Gate where no doubt others were hidden. "Where is Teyla?"

"She didn't make the trip."

"Oh." Todd appeared disappointed. "But you did."

"What do you want?" John asked, trying to ignore the almost fangirly glee in Todd's eyes.

"I should kill you now, you bastard!" Rodney shouted, advancing as he waved his gun in the air. The Wraith's utter arrogance was too much for the physicist. Ronon gripped the other man's shoulder and forcibly hauled him back in place.

Todd eyed the scientist. "Doctor McKay. Oh, of course," he said, as if just remembering some trivial matter and not the doctor he had fed upon and killed before his escape from Atlantis. "Sorry for your loss," Todd sneered.

"You son of a—"

"Rodney! Not yet!" John whirled but Ronon had already removed the gun from Rodney's grasp before he could fire it. All of the stunners were pointed at the physicist now and John knew he had to defuse the situation quickly. He turned back to meet Todd's assessing gaze. "What the hell do you want, Todd?"

"You. Or rather my queen wants you." He smiled suddenly, as if he knew something portentous that John did not, which in fact he did. "She wants your cooperation. As you know we face a new threat to the galaxy, a threat to both your kind and ours."

"Are you proposing an alliance again?" John asked, skeptical but already knowing the answer. What disturbed him more was that look on Todd's face. Like Todd had an ace up his sleeve and would play it when it suited him best. John hated that.

"No way! Never! Not after what he did! No!" Rodney argued, trying to rush but Ronon's grip was like iron.

"Rodney!" John warned. He was regretting his decision to allow the physicist to come along, but he knew that Rodney needed this confrontation. "Is that it?"

"Yes. Only the combined forces of the Wraith and Atlantis can stand against this new enemy."

"Or we could ally with this new enemy and destroy you. All of you," John threatened with a smile.

"You have had contact with them? What do you know about them?"

"Enough," John said, realizing he had his own ace up his sleeve in the form of Moira's report. "For instance…I know why you can't feed on them."

Todd's surprise was evident and genuine. He seemed stunned but quickly recovered. "You know this? Tell me! Now!" he ordered. Suddenly the stun weapons were aimed at John. The Drones were flanking the other Wraith, moving slowly as if to encircle the three men.

The mist was rising and rising and making them appear like phantoms. John shook his head, casually reached his hand up to adjust his earpiece, to tap it twice in quick succession. He transmitted a code that Reynolds would understand and obey. John lowered his hand back to his gun, shrugging as if considering the request. "Ah, no. First you tell me exactly what this queen of yours has in mind."

"I have already told you. An alliance." There was something akin to glee playing in Todd's eyes that made John a little nervous and curious. It was as if the Wraith was bursting to tell him something but so far was able to contain the compulsion.

"No. You have to do better than that. You've been out there. How many hostile ships are infiltrating the galaxy? How many active scouting parties are there?" John demanded, adjusting his hold on the P90. He had counted four Wraith with Todd, and only two Drones but he was certain there were more.

Todd smiled. "You don't know everything, do you?"

"I know more than you do."

"If that was true you would realize you cannot begin to defeat them without our help."

"You need our help more than we need yours, pal. These are my terms. I want all the intel you have on these guys, everything. I want a fully developed attack plan which will meet my approval. I want you to stop colonizing worlds and stop the cullings until we can—"

"You want quite a lot, John Sheppard. You want more than I can give." He tilted his head slightly, a silent order to his companions but also a rather flirtatious gesture towards the man in front of him. It amused Todd to no end to keep John Sheppard at a disadvantage and a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps you should come with me to the Hive ship and meet our new queen yourself."

"No thanks," John said, but knew this was the chance he had been anticipating and knew he had to act fast and think faster.

Todd smiled. "I'm afraid that wasn't a suggestion."

All hell broke loose.