Demons

by SGAFan

When a routine mission goes horribly wrong, Major John Sheppard survives, but now must face an enemy none of his training or experience could prepare him for himself. Suddenly, John is forced to question everything he's ever stood for.

1. Book I Chapter I

I'm pleased to post this story online, after a year of it being the exclusive property of my zine publisher. This was probably the most ambitious writing project I ever undertook, (although my new project will probably wind up challenging this one LOL) and while I occasionally pulled my hair out at parts of it, one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

Over a year of my life I spent writing this story; about 14 months actually. The biggest challenge I ran into was finding my muse again, once I'd finished it. I honestly was lost for a while but managed to find a project to ease me back into writing again.

Part 1 - Capture

Observe your enemies, for they first find your faults.
Greek Proverb

"What have you got, Rodney?" Elizabeth walked the short distance from her office to the control room, and stopped behind the Canadian doctor. She looked down at one of several laptops lined up in front of him, before glancing back at John who had followed her from her office.

Rodney waved at the active wormhole. "We were doing a routine reconnaissance of planets with addresses in the Ancient database." He pointed at the laptop display. "The MALP sent this reading back from M27-194." He looked up expectantly.

"Since you barged into Elizabeth's office and demanded our attention, I'm going to assume this means something?" John arched an eyebrow at the display.

"Of course it means something!" Rodney sighed and tapped several keys on the laptop. The image on the screen changed, with the MALP reading on top and another, similar, wavelength on the bottom. "This reading," he pointed at the bottom wave, "is an energy reading from the Zed PM we had at the Ancient Outpost on Earth. This one," he pointed at the upper wave image, "is what the MALP is sending back to us from M27-194."

Elizabeth glanced at John, his confused expression matching hers, before giving Rodney a blank look.

"And?" John prompted with a slight shake of his head.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rodney shot back, "or do I have to spell it out for you?"

"That'd be nice," John smiled smugly, "for once."

Elizabeth sighed, briefly wondering if she was an expedition leader, or a Cub Scout Den Mother. Sometimes she really thought it was the latter. "What," she firmly headed off any retort, "are you saying, Rodney?"

Rodney's expectant expression intensified. "They're nearly identical signals?" When they both stared back at him blankly, his sigh reached martyred proportions. "There may be a Zed-PM on M27-194!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Rodney, are you certain?" She glanced at John. All the humor was gone from his face, his stare intent.

Rodney shook his head in frustration. "I don't know for sure. At the very least, it's a powerful energy source, and worth checking out."

"How far from the gate is it?" John's voice was thoughtful.

Rodney punched a few more keys on the laptop. "About a half mile or so. The immediate area around the gate seems to be clear, but MALP readings indicate dense vegetation and trees surrounding the clearing." He sighed in resignation. "We could get through the gate with a Jumper, but I doubt we'd get far before we'd have to get out and walk."

"On foot then." John smiled playfully at Rodney. "The walk will do you good."

"Funny." Rodney grimaced.

John ignored his reply and turned to Elizabeth. "We should go and at least take a look."

Elizabeth raised her hand. "Just a second, Major." She turned her attention back to Rodney. "What other telemetry readings are being sent back by the MALP?"

"If you mean, is there any sign of sentient life? No. Not within the MALP's scanning range, anyway," Rodney responded. "The atmosphere is similar to that of Earth. I can detect no immediate dangers." He shrugged.

Elizabeth folded her hands behind her back and crossed the command deck to stand at the railing. After a moment, she turned back around and nodded at John. "Alright, you have a go. Just be careful, Major."

"Aren't we always?" John nodded and smiled, before lightly tapping Rodney's shoulder. "Let's go." He reached up and activated his headset as he headed for the back stairs, Rodney right behind him. "Teyla, Ford, meet me in the armory in five minutes. We have an off world mission to investigate a power source."

Not ten minutes later, John returned, with Teyla, Ford and Rodney only a step behind. They all were dressed in full gear, except for Rodney, who only carried a side arm. He had two padded cases thrown over his shoulder and a backpack. John stopped next to Elizabeth and smiled at her concerned expression. "If it makes you feel better, I'll take Bower and Cooper with us to watch the gate while we investigate this."

Elizabeth nodded and walked next to John as they all descended the stairs to the Gateroom.

John paused on the landing and smiled at the two soldiers who were stationed there. "Bower, Cooper, feel up to a little off world excursion today?"

They nodded, eager to break up the monotony of guard duty. "Yes, sir," both men answered in unison.

"Good. You're with us." John skipped down the stairs and crossed the Gateroom with the rest of the team flanking him. Without breaking stride, he raised his P-90 and stepped through the wormhole.

---------------------------------

John emerged from the wormhole and looked around. Dwarfed by the huge trees surrounding it, the Stargate stood on the edge of a large clearing. Holding his P-90 close, he walked straight forward as Ford, Bower and Cooper fanned out, each surveying the area thoroughly before signaling the it was clear. John lowered his gun as Teyla and finally Rodney came through the gate, which immediately disengaged. "Which way, Rodney?"

Rodney pulled out his Life Signs Detector, touched a few buttons, and turned in a circle. He stopped, facing slightly left of the gate and pointed. "That way."

John nodded. "Bower, Cooper," he glanced at the sergeant and the corporal, "you have gate duty. I doubt we'll encounter anything, but maintain radio silence unless you get two clicks from me."

Bower nodded brusquely. "Yes sir." He took position next to the DHD while Cooper walked back to the gate.

John looked off in the direction Rodney had pointed, spying a narrow path through the trees. "Okay, let's go. I'm on point. Ford, take our six. Let's find out what this is all about."

They set off through the woods, following the path, which Rodney indicated seemed to head in the general direction they needed to go.

John scanned the woods around them as the trail gently curved to his right. Before long, the path widened into a large grove, dominated by a tall, black obelisk. "I think we found what we're looking for," John commented.

"A grove with a tall, black, unnatural column in the middle of it. Wonder how you figured that out?" Rodney commented sarcastically as he walked up to the obelisk.

John stared for a moment at the obelisk. It kind of reminded him of the Washington Monument. About ten feet tall, black and shiny, it looked to be made of polished stone. Two sides were lined with intricate carvings, loosely resembling Ancient runes, while the other two sides were unmarked. John slowly walked around the column, his gaze taking in every detail. He ran his hand over a long string of runes on one side. "Isn't this Ancient?"

Teyla looked over his shoulder. "It is similar." John and Teyla both stepped back as Rodney walked in front of them and squinted at the writings.

"Hmm… yes, Interesting. There are some elements of Ancient, but its definitely not one of the known dialects. It'll take me a bit to decipher it."

John tore his gaze from the obelisk and looked at Rodney. "Is this the source of the energy readings?" His eyes narrowed at the confused expression on Rodney's face. "McKay?"

"Yes…." Rodney's voice trailed off as if he'd left his sentence unfinished.

"But?" John leaned slightly towards Rodney.

Rodney sighed. "Well, if it's a Zed PM, and I stress if, then why isn't there some console here where we can gain access to it?"

"Good question." John's gaze narrowed. "What else?"

Rodney shrugged. "It's old. And when I say old, I mean… old. Thousands of years old."

John scanned the obelisk again. "It doesn't look that old."

Without looking up from his LSD, Rodney nodded. "There's something in its construction, in its design, that's incredibly resilient."

"And?" John prompted.

Rodney's expression turned sour. "What? I just started scanning it. It's not like I can pull the answers out of my ar…."

"McKay!" John interrupted.

Unfazed, Rodney shrugged out of his backpack and pulled out his data pad. He quickly connected the device to his LSD and tapped a few buttons. "The energy reading I'm getting from this structure matches the one we received from the MALP."

"But?" John arched his brows.

"Will you stop already? When I'm ready to finish my thought, I'll let you know!" Rodney turned and walked around the obelisk, muttering under his breath.

John took Rodney's rant in his stride as he glanced around the grove. Something quietly nagged at him, but he couldn't really place it. The whole situation felt slightly off to him, and his instincts made him uneasy. He fixed Rodney with a direct look. "McKay, is there anything useful here?"

Rodney's shoulders sagged, his arms dropping to his sides. He glared at John. "We've been here all of five minutes, and you expect me to answer that?" He pressed a few keys on the LSD. "I told you. When I know something, I'll let you know!"

John pursed his lips. "You have thirty minutes."

"What? Thirty minutes is hardly…."

"Thirty minutes!" John raised his voice slightly, cutting off the doctor. He matched challenging expressions with Rodney, arched his brows and glanced at his watch. "Twenty nine minutes."

Flashing him an irritated look, Rodney sighed. "All right, fine. I get the point!" He turned and once more scanned the obelisk.

John walked over to where Ford stood guard. "Lieutenant."

"Sir, everything seems fine." Ford glanced over his shoulder at a muttering Rodney, before looking back at John. "You think that thing could help us?"

"Don't know," John replied, his gaze scanning the grove to the opposite end where Teyla stood. He checked his watch. "McKay's got 25 minutes to figure that out."

"Yes, sir." Ford once again scanned the trees.

John paced the grove, his attention alternating between watching around them and looking at the obelisk and his watch, as the allotted time slowly passed. Finally, John walked up behind Rodney. "Well?"

Rodney continued scanning the obelisk, refusing to turn and face him. "Major, half an hour is hardly enough time! I don't know anything yet."

John sighed, glancing around. The woods seemed peaceful, but the nagging unease still whispered at him, its foreboding effect demanding his attention. It wasn't rational, but long experience had taught John to listen to his gut. "I have a bad feeling about this. We'll have to come back." John waved at Ford and Teyla, who started back across the grove towards him.

"Major…."

"Now, McKay." John added a hint of command to his voice, but Rodney paid it no heed.

"Major." Exasperated, Rodney turned to face him. "You can't just…." Rodney's voice trailed off, his eyes widening as he stared at the LSD.

John's unease intensified as he stared at the doctor's shocked expression. "Rodney?"

"What the hell is that?" Rodney whispered. His attention was fixed on the LSD as he slowly walked around John.

John turned and followed behind. "What?"

Rodney stopped in his tracks and pointed into the trees. "There's a second energy source… that way." He stared hard at John. "I caught just a piece of its signature when I turned around."

John reached out, grabbing Rodney's arm. "Wait. I don't like this." He glanced over at Ford. "Lieutenant, you're with me. Teyla, Rodney, stay behind us."

Side by side with Ford, John slowly stepped through the trees. He reached out, parted some branches and looked down, his attention drawn to a small, spherical, black machine anchored firmly into the ground. A faint red light on the surface blinked silently.

John turned around. "McKay?"

Stepping through the trees, Rodney paused and stared silently at the machine. "There's definitely an energy reading emanating from it," he commented as he glanced first at his data pad and then the LSD.

"At us?" John eyed the sphere warily.

"No. The signal is directed into space." Rodney shook his head. He tapped a few keys on his LSD and hesitated. He stared at his diagnostic screen in confusion. "This makes no sense."

John stepped around the sphere and glanced down at the display. "What?"

"The reading, it's not that strong. I don't see how it could go very far into space." Perplexed, Rodney shook his head.

"Didn't the MALP pick this up?" The bad feeling that had been lurking in John's gut began to grow, and he looked around, his instincts sharpening.

"It wasn't here when the MALP scanned the planet initially," Rodney insisted. "In fact, it wasn't here when we entered the grove, or I would've detected it. It's like something triggered it after we arrived. I didn't detect it until I turned around to talk to you. It can't have been active that long."

John looked around warily. His voice took on a deeper, serious tone. "Rodney, you have ten seconds to convince me not to high tail it to the gate and get the hell out of here."

"Doc?" Ford squatted on the far side of the sphere. "There's some writing of some kind over here."

Rodney walked around and looked over Ford's shoulder. "Think you could move out of my way?"

Ford sighed, glared briefly at Rodney, and stepped out of the way. Rodney peered intensely at the markings. Abruptly his eyes widened. "It's Wraith." His jaw dropped as realization hit him. He looked in the direction of the obelisk, then back to the sphere. "Fake," he whispered. "The energy…," he shook his head. "Fake."

John tensed, his hand unconsciously tightening on his P-90 at the open shock and confusion on Rodney's face. "McKay, full sentences here. What's Wraith?"

"The transmitter!" Rodney pointed emphatically at the spherical device, before he drew in a deep breath. "I don't think the energy reading we were detecting was really an energy reading at all, but designed to make someone think there's a powerful energy source here, when there's not. The faint energy signal I picked up just a minute ago was this transmitter! Somehow we activated it, and it sent a beacon into space." Rodney's unfocused eyes darted around, their movement mimicking his racing mind. Abruptly, his gaze focused on the knuckles of his left hand. Slowly, he turned his hand over before looking up at John

John cocked his head warily, and stared back at Rodney's alarmed look. "What?"

"We touched it," Rodney whispered.

"Rodney! Bottom line this for me!" John interrupted forcefully.

"Don't you get it?" Rodney's voice took on a slightly panicked tone and raised in volume, "The obelisk has a variation of Ancient writing on it! That means it could be ATA technology! We both have the gene, and we both touched the obelisk when we first found it! That must've initialized it, and sent a signal to this transmitter to activate it! That's also why the energy reading the MALP detected didn't exactly match what we had on file!"

"Rodney…." John's confusion deepened as he tried to keep up with what Rodney was thinking.

Rodney shook his head. "The obelisk is a lure. It's a trap. And since the bait is powerful energy readings, and ATA technology that only someone with the Ancient gene can activate, it must've been designed specifically to lure and capture Ancients. There isn't a Zed PM here…. It's all a ruse." He pointed emphatically at the Wraith transmitter. "The signal coming from this transmitter was weak… too weak to go far in space, but if there is some sort of Wraith relay device that picks it up…." His voice trailed off.

"I don't like the sound of that," John muttered. He clicked his radio call button twice.

"This is Bower, go ahead sir."

"Sergeant, the Wraith could be alerted to our presence here. Dial Atlantis and keep a sharp eye out. We'll be back to you in about fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir."

John raised his P-90 and scanned the area around them. "Okay, we're getting out of here. I'll take point, Ford, take our six, and keep your eyes open, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," Ford replied, following behind the single file line as John set off at a brisk trot, leading his team back down the narrow, wooded path.

"Why would they design something so weak and use a relay? Why not just have a transmitter capable of sending a strong enough signal?" Ford wondered aloud as he ran behind Teyla.

"Obviously, they thought if the signal was weak enough, whoever was here wouldn't detect it... and I wouldn't have, if I hadn't turned around at that moment to talk to the Major," Rodney replied.

John held his P-90 close and scanned the woods around them. In his gut, everything felt wrong, and he had the distinct impression there was a target on his back. His squawking radio grabbed his attention.

"Major! We have gate activity!"

John stopped in his tracks, his hand flying to his radio. "Bower? What's your situation?"

"We were unable to dial out before we were blocked by an incoming wormhole." Bower's tense reply was almost immediately followed by gunfire. "Wraith! Major, we have Wraith coming on foot through the gate!"

John took off, running down the shadowed path. "Copy that, Sergeant. Hang in there, we're on our way."

"Sir! We have ten, maybe twelve, Wraith here! We'll hold as long as we can!"

"Negative!" John leapt over a small log, "You and Cooper fall back before you're overrun!"

"Yes, sir!" Bower immediately responded. "We… what the hell?"

John lengthened his stride, raw determination fueling him. "Sergeant? Report!"

"Sir, a Wraith just came through the gate, he's… different. I can't…. No!" Bower's voice took on a panicked note.

"Sergeant!" Fueled by the desperation he heard in Bower's voice, John pushed his burning leg muscles even harder. "Bower, talk to me! Bower!"

"Sir…." Bower's voice was strained and filled with pain, "I can't… he's in my head! Forcing me… can't resist… can't get away…." Bower's voice trailed off into a strangled cry, which morphed into a pain-filled scream.

John stumbled to a stop, his chest heaving in exertion. He'd heard a scream like that before. It was the scream of a human being fed upon by a Wraith.

He closed his eyes for a moment and pushed down his emotion, his hatred… the familiar pain that plagued him when he lost someone under his command. He looked around, momentarily debating risking trying to contact Cooper on the radio. Despite the risk, John needed to know if the Corporal was alive before planning any sort of escape. He clicked his radio twice and paused, waiting for a response. Exasperated, he sighed loudly. "Damn it."

"Major?" Ford's voice grabbed John's attention. "What now?"

"We don't know what's happened to Cooper." John's voice was grim. Deep down, he knew there was little chance the young corporal was still alive. He glanced at Ford, whose expression mirrored that thought.

To his credit, Ford just nodded. "Yes, sir."

"We go in quietly," John continued. "Whatever Bower was talking about, this different Wraith, we need to know about it… and we have to find some way to get through the gate." John slowly walked forward, his feet silently finding the path as the others followed behind. "Let's go."

He looked around, scanning the woods for any signs of trouble. He took a deep breath and pushed his senses outward, listening… feeling for anything threatening. Every rustle of leaf, or scamper of small animal, he noted. His combat training kicked in, smothering uncertainty, fear and hesitation under cool, controlled and calculated prowess. As a pilot back on Earth, he'd had scant opportunities to use that training; since coming to Pegasus, and leading teams off world, often into the unknown, he'd had plenty of opportunities to hone those skills. Knowing how to take care of yourself and your people, and how to survive in life or death situations, was like riding a bicycle… you never forget it. His reactions and frame of mind were almost habitual, and he felt like he'd been a combat soldier all his life.

As he approached the gate, he lowered himself to all fours and waved for the others to do the same. He crept forward and peeked through some thick underbrush at the immediate gate area.

A dozen Wraith milled around in front of the gate, but John paid no heed to them. His gaze was fixed on a tall, lithe Wraith male standing next to the DHD. He was hard to see in the growing darkness, but John instantly recognized something different about him, though he couldn't place exactly what. John tore his eyes from the unusual Wraith and scanned the area. "I don't see Cooper." His gaze fixed on a prone figure not far from the DHD. He shook his head slightly, his gut clenching at the sight. "They got Bower though." He scanned the clearing, searching for a tactical advantage.

"What the hell is that?" Ford whispered.

Knowing the Lieutenant meant the tall Wraith, John just shook his head. "I don't know. I've never seen a Wraith like that before." A quiet rustling in the bushes behind them grabbed his attention. He quickly turned, bringing his P-90 to bear. Glancing at Ford, he jerked his head left.

Ford nodded and crawled away.

John raised a finger to his lips as his gaze passed between Rodney and Teyla. Slowly, he crawled away from them, in the opposite direction to Ford.

Kneeling near a thick stand of bushes, he held his gun ready as a figure crawled out in front of him. Instantly, he pressed his P-90 to the head of the figure, which stiffened and froze.

John squinted hard for a moment before lowering his gun. "Cooper?" he whispered.

Cooper's shoulders sagged and a quiet sigh escaped his lips. "Major. Glad to see you, sir," he whispered as he looked over at John.

John raised his hand, waving off Ford, who had materialized seemingly from nowhere.

Ford looked at Cooper and smiled.

John's eyes scanned the blood on Cooper's forehead. "You okay, Corporal?"

Cooper nodded. "Just a scratch, sir." He swallowed hard. "Bower's dead."

John started crawling back towards Rodney and Teyla's position. "I know."

Cooper crawled along behind John. "I couldn't help him, sir. The Wraith guards were closing in around me, and Bower… Bower was dying. We were on opposite sides of the gate when the Wraith came through. There was no way I could get to him. I was forced to fall back or be captured."

"You did the right thing, Cooper," John reassured. "Don't blame yourself."

"Yes, sir." Cooper's voice was uncertain, but he fell silent.

John looked back. "Why didn't you answer me on the radio, Corporal?"

"I heard your clicks, sir," Cooper whispered, "I was too close to the Wraith to risk communication."

John nodded. "Understood." He paused as he approached Rodney and Teyla. "It's us," he whispered, watching as both relaxed their weapons. He pointed over his shoulder. "We found a friend."

"Cooper!" Rodney's eyes widened. "We thought you were dead."

"McKay!" Ford whispered incredulously.

"What?" Rodney glared at Ford.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Cooper replied sarcastically.

"Corporal…," Rodney started, but was cut off by John.

"Stow it, McKay," he whispered as he reached up and quietly parted a few branches in the thick underbrush. He once more peeked through the bushes at the gate and the Wraith. "We have to draw them away from the gate somehow, then double back and get through." He sighed and glanced over at Cooper… and the high-powered gun he carried. A humorless smile settled on John's face. He looked at each member of his team. "Okay, here's the plan. Cooper and I are going to draw the Wraith away from the gate. Chances are, a couple will remain to guard it, but nothing more than you can handle, Ford… Teyla…. I hope." John flashed Ford a grim look. "Lieutenant, you, Teyla and McKay make for the gate, take out whatever Wraith you have to, dial Atlantis, and get home. Cooper and I will double back and come through after you."

"Sir," Ford objected quietly, "let me go with you and Cooper. Teyla and McKay…."

"Negative. You've seen the obelisk, and you tactically know what's going on here. I'm ordering you to get back to Atlantis with Teyla and McKay."

"Major…," Teyla started.

"No, Teyla." John fixed her with a no nonsense stare.

"Major we shouldn't split up," Rodney protested, his voice trailing off as John raised a hand.

"That's enough, all of you." He fixed each of them with a stern glare. "There's no other way to do this. I'm ordering the three of you to go through that gate once Cooper and I draw the Wraith away. The discussion is closed." After a tense moment, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "Cooper and I will be right behind you. Be careful."

"You too, sir," Ford replied.

John quickly checked the load on his P-90. "Wait here until we've drawn the Wraith away. Then go."

Ford still looked on the verge of objecting, but he just nodded. "Yes, sir."

Glancing over at Cooper, John nodded once. "Let's go, Corporal."

They slowly made their way through the underbrush, circling the small clearing, until finally they were on the opposite side of the gate from where Ford, Teyla and Rodney waited. John lowered himself to all fours again and glanced at Cooper. "You ready for this, Corporal?"

Cooper silently prepared his weapon and looked over at John. "Yes, sir."

John smiled slightly at the confidence in the young soldier's voice. "Okay. On my lead." He crawled forward, and peered through the underbrush.

Not ten feet away, a Wraith guard stood silently, his stunner ready, as he watched the clearing.

John took a deep breath, the familiar adrenaline rush of combat sharpening his senses, and switched the P-90 to single shot mode. He pulled his legs under him and slowly tightened his index finger around the trigger of his gun. Quickly, noiselessly, he stood and squeezed off three shots directly into the Wraith guard's head. It was dead before it hit the ground. Nearby, other Wraith rushed towards John, and stunner blasts crashed into the bushes around him.

He dashed past the dead Wraith and took cover behind a nearby tree. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Cooper do the same thing about twenty feet away. He switched his gun back to full automatic, knelt and slid around the tree, his back pressed hard against the trunk. Raising his gun, he squeezed off several rounds into a nearby guard, before quickly ducking back behind the tree as a stunner blast hit it right where his head had been only a moment before.

He shook pieces of bark off his face and looked over at Cooper, who leveled another guard with several shots from his powerful gun. "Fall back!" John pointed emphatically at the woods.

Cooper nodded and dashed back towards the thick underbrush as John stepped out from behind the tree and laid down covering fire.

A stunner blast zipped by him and crashed into the bushes as he ducked back behind the tree, his skin tingling from the near miss.

From the underbrush, bullets sped past him as Cooper returned fire. Wasting no time, John dashed into the bushes and slid to a stop next to the Corporal. He turned and looked back, watching as the Wraith slowed their headlong dash and continued at a more cautious pace.

Checking his ammo, John looked up at Cooper. "Take out the lead guard."

Cooper nodded and squeezed off several shots into the chest and head of the lead Wraith, who crumpled to the ground.

John arched a brow. "Nice shooting, Corporal. How are you set for ammo?"

Without looking at him, Cooper continued to watch the Wraith, who had stopped their advance. "Half a mag left here, sir, and one more in my vest. Full clip plus one extra for my nine mil."

John nodded. "Same here. Shooting the lead guard bought us a few minutes, but they won't wait long. They're going to come after us sooner instead of later." His calculated gaze shifted to the Wraith. "We're going to do this fifty feet at a time, Corporal. You go first, find a defensible spot, and give me two clicks on the radio. Then lay down cover fire, and I'll fall back another fifty feet beyond that and do the same for you. Understood?"

Cooper nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Can you see how many are left at the gate?"

"There's seven out there, sir, two are dead, so that leaves three, including that… weird one, still at the gate."

John nodded in agreement. "Ford and Teyla should be able to take them out and get through the gate." His gaze narrowed as the seven Wraith guards once more advanced on them. "Okay, time's up. Get going. I'll cover you."

"Yes, sir." Cooper nodded and quietly made his way through the brush.

John opened fire, spreading his shots in a wide dispersal, hitting as many Wraith as possible. Five fell, while the other two dropped to the ground and returned fire.

He ducked as stunner shots piercing the brush around him. He glanced up, unsurprised to see all seven Wraith stand and slowly advance again. He'd never kill any of them if he didn't concentrate fire on just one, but killing them was secondary right now. Their objective was to escape. Just slowing them down was good enough. Once again, he pulled his legs under him as his radio clicked twice. There was a moment of silence, before gunfire echoed off the trees as Cooper laid down covering fire.

Wasting no time, John turned and crashed through the brush, leaving the Wraith behind him.

And so it continued. Fifty feet at a time, John and Cooper drew the majority of the Wraith away from the gate. Fifty feet at a time, they put distance between the Wraith and the rest of the Atlantis team, buying them the chance to get away. A dozen times, they repeated the process, each one covering the other's retreat, and gradually circling back towards the gate. The Wraith pursuing them numbered five now, with two finally taking enough hits to go down and stay down.

On the twelfth retreat, John's chest heaved with exertion as he stopped next to Cooper. "Ammo?"

Breathing equally hard, Cooper shook his head. "Half… a mag, sir."

John nodded. "That's enough. I'm guessing we're about 200 yards from the gate by now. We've ambushed them enough times that they're going to be pretty cautious following us for a while. Ford, Teyla and McKay should be through to Atlantis. Come on, let's circle around and make a run for the gate."

Cooper nodded. "Yes, sir."

John turned to his left and started through the brush, anxiously hoping his plan had worked.

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There was nothing about any of this that Ford liked. He stared through the brush, waiting for the Major and Cooper to ambush the Wraith, all the while resisting the urge to go after them. Orders were orders but, deep down, the whole thought of leaving them behind grated on the young Lieutenant.

Abruptly, the silence of the forest was shattered by gunfire and subsequent stunner fire. Several of the Wraith ran in the direction of the gunfire, and Ford counted them hastily as they crossed the clearing. He glanced at Rodney. "That's seven. There were two in the general area of the Major's ambush. That leaves three here." He scanned the clearing, his eyes moving from the gate at one end to the tree line on the other. His gaze settled on the male Wraith and two guards at the opposite end of the clearing.

"The gate's clear. Now's our chance." He shifted his feet under himself and stood, staying in a crouched position. "Come on." He started through the bush, the other two following behind him.

He led them through the underbrush, moving through the thick foliage as quietly as possible. Before long, he once again stopped and peeked through the brush at the three Wraith, not twenty yards away.

"Ford, we can't just leave the Major and Cooper on their own." Rodney whispered emphatically.

The Lieutenant glanced sideways at him. "We have our orders."

"But…," Rodney's voice trailed off as Ford raised his hand.

"I'm not leaving here without the Major, but what good will it do if we don't' secure the gate? First thing's first." Ford sighed and checked the load on his P-90. He glanced across the clearing, his eyes following the sound of distant gunfire. "The Major and Cooper can't keep this up too long before they run out of ammo. They'll be circling back soon. Let's make sure we have a wormhole to Atlantis when they get here." He looked at Rodney, his expression dangerous. "Okay?" Ford held Rodney's gaze until the doctor nodded.

"Right."

"Teyla," Ford looked at her, "you and I will ambush and take out the Wraith." He returned his attention to Rodney. "You get to the DHD and dial Atlantis, while Teyla and I keep the Wraith busy." He looked from one to the other as both nodded in agreement. "Okay, Teyla, let's do this. McKay, make a break for the gate when we start shooting. We'll watch your back, so you just think about getting to that DHD… and don't forget to send your IDC."

Rodney's expression turned irritated. "Obviously, Ford. Wouldn't do us much good to splatter on Atlantis' shield now, would it?"

In spite of the grim situation, Ford cracked a small smile at McKay's normal behavior… and the arched eyebrow Teyla directed at him. "Right. Just checking."

"Whatever." Rodney drew his 9 mil and looked expectantly at the Lieutenant. "Well?"

Ford nodded once at Teyla, and the two of them crept forward to the edge of the clearing. As one, they stood and opened fire, their bullets taking the Wraith by surprise.

Ford concentrated fire on one of the guards as, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Rodney sprinting across the clearing. He ducked behind a large stump, deftly avoiding a stunner blast, before rolling to his right and peeking out from behind his cover.

Across the clearing the larger Wraith male was watching Rodney intently. The Wraith raised his hand in the direction of the doctor.

Ford tore his attention from the Wraith and watched Rodney. Nearly to the DHD, he stumbled to a stop, his body tense as if he was fighting something. He staggered forward a step, his movements jerky, as if someone had roped him and was pulling him backwards against his will. Ford once more looked at the Wraith, whose face was dominated by a smug smile. The Wraith turned his outstretched hand, and Rodney staggered back a step.

Ford was confused for a moment at what he saw, but he focused on the task at hand. He stood and opened fire on the male Wraith, who fell heavily to the ground. The Lieutenant glanced at Teyla just in time to see her finish off the Wraith guard. "Let's go!" He waved emphatically at Teyla and the two ran across the clearing.

The chevrons came to life as Rodney dialed Atlantis. Ford allowed himself a small smile as a flush of energy sprang from the Stargate and receded. The water-like event horizon had never looked so good to him.

Rodney waited for them just in front of the Stargate. "Weir radioed back. The shield is down." He looked expectantly past Ford and across the clearing.

Slightly out of breath, Ford nodded. "Good. Go, McKay." He turned and looked at Teyla. "You too."

Teyla shook her head emphatically. "I am not leaving without the Major and the Corporal."

"Me either!" Rodney chimed in.

"McKay…." The retort died on Ford's lips as gunfire grabbed all their attentions. He looked across the clearing, watching as first Cooper, then the Major burst through the underbrush and started across the clearing at a dead run. Ford lifted his gun and glanced at Rodney. "McKay, go. Now!"

Rodney hesitated for a moment then turned and ran through the wormhole.

Looking to his other side, Ford turned his attention to Teyla. "You too, Teyla."

Teyla shook her head and stood rooted to the ground next to him.

"Teyla! Ford!" John's out of breath voice came across both their radios. "Get your asses through the gate now! That's an order!"

Ford moved from between Teyla and the gate. "Go! I'll cover you."

Teyla paused a moment, then nodded. She turned and disappeared through the wormhole.

Never taking his eyes from John, Ford backed up a step. His skin crawled, charged by the closeness of the event horizon, but he went no further. Orders or not, he wasn't leaving without the Major. He watched as Cooper and John continued their sprint across the clearing, each turning occasionally to fire back into the woods. The Lieutenant knew they were using the last of their ammo to try and slow the pursuing Wraith, but he held his fire, waiting… ready to cover their escape. Yet, even though he knew the Wraith were still out of range, he had to fight the urge not to open fire.

A stunner blast ripped through the bushes, striking the ground in front of the Major. It was followed by another… and another, as five Wraith guards emerged from the trees. Ford tensed his grip on his gun, but still he held fire. The Major and Cooper were still too far off for him to fire safely.

"Come on… come on…," Ford muttered, nervousness working its way through his calm training. "Damn." He watched as Cooper, finally out of ammo, tossed his gun to the ground and raced towards the gate. John dropped to one knee behind the Corporal, firing what little ammo he had left to cover their escape. Still a good hundred yards away, it'd be close for either of them to make it to safety.

Ford's eyes widened in shock as Cooper was slammed in the back by a stun blast and crumpled to the ground. Instantly, John's voice came across his radio. "Ford, get the hell out of here," he yelled as he ran towards the fallen Corporal.

A moment of indecision gripped the young Lieutenant but he overpowered it. "Like hell I'm leaving," he muttered as he took a step forward. In that instant, he felt as if his body was on fire. Pain shot through every inch of him, and was quickly replaced by an overpowering numbness. He felt himself fall backwards towards the Stargate in the last instant before he lost consciousness.

------------------------------

John's eyes widened in shock as he watched the Wraith stunner blast slam into Ford's chest, propelling him backwards. Instantly, the young Lieutenant disappeared as the force of the blast sent him through the Stargate. John refocused his attention on Cooper. He reached down and grabbed the unconscious corporal by the vest, and unceremoniously dragged him to a nearby tree for cover.

He peered around the tree at the advancing Wraith and opened fire on the lead guard, dropping him. His aim followed the Wraith to the ground to finish him off. But, he was met with a pitiful clicking sound as he squeezed the trigger. Cursing, John dodged back behind the tree and dropped the now useless P-90. Pulling his 9 mil sidearm, he stood over his unconscious Corporal and emptied a clip into another Wraith guard, who also fell.

Once more taking cover behind the tree, John expertly ejected the empty clip and loaded another. He paused for a moment and stared down at Cooper, before looking across the clearing towards the Stargate. The Wraith male and one of the guards Ford and Teyla had shot were slowly getting up. Beyond them by a good 50 yards, the wormhole remained patiently open, waiting for them. The Wraith male looked at the open gate, and motioned to one of the guards, who headed for it.

John looked at the four remaining Wraith guards, now a scant twenty yards from his position. A strange sense of finality swept through him as the facts of his situation registered in his mind and pushed aside his strong sense of optimism. He once more looked down at Cooper. "We'll never make it, Corporal," he muttered, knowing full well the unconscious soldier couldn't hear him. A feeling of helplessness started in his gut, and spread through him. He'd go down fighting, and take as many of the Wraith with him as he could. But before that, he had one thing he needed to do… one thing to be sure of. He reached for the call button on his radio.

-------------------------------------------

"Where are they?" Elizabeth tore her gaze from the open gate and looked down at Rodney. Her gaze briefly flicked to the retreating stretcher as the medics wheeled an unconscious Ford towards the infirmary. She looked back to Rodney, whose expression was turning desperate.

"If Ford is stunned, then they had to be right behind us!" he yelled up to her. "Keep it open!" Rodney and Teyla stared intently at the open Stargate as Atlantis soldiers rushed into the Gateroom, taking defensive positions around it.

Elizabeth turned to Zelenka. "Keep that shield down. We'll give them a few more minutes."

Zelenka nodded, his eyes wide with fear.

Elizabeth turned back to the gate and stared hard, willing John and Corporal Cooper to burst through it at any time. "Come on, John," she whispered. Her attention was abruptly diverted as her radio crackled to life.

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard. Raise the shield."

John's voice, while out of breath, sounded strangely calm to Elizabeth. Her gaze fixed on Rodney, who returned her shocked expression. Beating her to the punch, Rodney grabbed his headset. "Major! We can't just leave you there!"

"Elizabeth!" John's calm voice turned strained, and she winced as a loud stun blast echoed across her radio. "Cooper and I aren't going to make it, but there are five Wraith left here who can! You have to raise the shield!"

Elizabeth pulled in a ragged breath and stared down at Rodney, panic rising in her gut.
"John…." Her wavering voice was pleading, but John would have nothing of it.

"Elizabeth! RAISE THE DAMN SHIELD NOW!"

She heard gunfire and more stun blasts. Her mind raced, searching for some way to help him… but she found none. Bowing her head, she turned and nodded once at Zelenka. She wiped a hand across her face as she looked back at the gate. Guilt nearly overwhelmed her as she watched the shield spring to life. "I'm sorry, John," she whispered, but received no reply. Behind the shimmering impenetrable barrier, one flash bounced off it, as the shield stopped an uninvited guest. The wormhole stayed open a few seconds longer, before disengaging.

"We have to go back now!" Rodney descended on Elizabeth, his voice filled with determination. Standing at his shoulder, Teyla's demeanor was similar.

Elizabeth whirled around, fixing Sergeant Bates with an intense expression. "Bates, get a team together!" She watched as Bates flew down the stairs, grabbing a P-90 from the nearest guard.

Teyla followed right behind Bates.

Elizabeth hastily grabbed Rodney's arm. "Rodney, no!" She looked back at Dr. Zelenka. "Radek! Dial M27-194!"

Zelenka nodded and quickly dialed the DHD.

Rodney looked on the verge of resisting her, before realization dawned on him. The nature of the mission was military, and he had no place in it. Frustration passed over his face as he turned away and stared at the gate.

Elizabeth looked down to the GGateroom as Bates stopped in the dead center and quickly assembled a group of the defending soldiers. She watched expectantly as the chevrons began to light up. But, as the sequence came around to the seventh chevron, the gate whined and went dark. She turned. "What happened?" she demanded.

Zelenka shook his head. "It won't lock."

"They must have an outgoing wormhole established. It's blocking us," Rodney pointed out quietly.

Elizabeth's shoulders sagged as Bates and Teyla ran back up the stairs. She pulled in a long breath and looked to Peter Grodin. "Get Stackhouse up here now." She looked back to Bates, Rodney and Teyla, mustering as much strength and confidence as she could. "Conference room. Five minutes."

------------------------

John dropped his empty 9 mil next to his discarded P-90 and bent over, hastily pulling Cooper's sidearm from the unconscious soldier's holster. He looked around the tree at the advancing Wraith guards before turning his attention to the male Wraith. For the first time, he got a close up look at him.

Although he looked similar to other males John had seen, this one was somehow even more terrifying. He was taller, with tattoos that followed the curve of his left cheek and down his neck, disappearing under his tunic. The sides of his pale, almost white, hair were pulled back from his face, with the rest left to flow off his shoulders and down his back. A feeling of power seemed to radiate from him, and it struck fear and helplessness into John the moment he met the Wraith's dark and foreboding glare.

The Wraith snarled at John and raised his hand.

Fear, helplessness and panic swept over John, and it took every shred of his self-control to keep from crumbling under the assault.

"Stop!" The Wraith commanded, his tone confident.

John's whole body was rigid and unresponsive. He grunted as he struggled to keep his gun aimed at the Wraith, who leered back.

"Drop the weapon," the Wraith hissed.

John gritted his teeth, the gun shaking in his hands, as he fought the Wraith's command. The Wraith's willpower was overwhelming but, from somewhere inside him, he pulled on an untapped well of strength. He arched a humorless eyebrow at the male Wraith and fortified his grip on his gun. "I don't think so." The Wraith's expression turned to one of shock in the instant before John opened fire. He managed three shots before pain lanced through his body. In the back of his mind, he instantly recognized the distinct feeling of a Wraith stunner, and realized one of the guards had finally got a clean shot at him.

His knees buckled as blackness crept over his sight. The gun slipped from his rapidly numbing fingers as he fell, but he never felt himself hit the ground.

-------------------------

Elizabeth took her seat and watched as each member of the meeting filed in and sat around the table… everyone except Rodney, who paced in front of the closing doors.

"Elizabeth, we have to go back." Rodney stopped next to the table and leaned on his fists, staring across it at her.

"We could be charging right into a Wraith ambush for all we know." Sergeant Bates stared coldly at him.

"So we're not even going to try?" Sergeant Stackhouse glared at Bates. "That's not right. The Major would never leave any of us without a fight!"

"The Major wouldn't want us to compromise ourselves or the security of this base either." Bates shot back. "Besides, we don't even know if they're alive."

Stackhouse stood and glared across the table at the head of security. "You can't make that assumption, Bates!"

Elizabeth sighed and knocked quietly on the table, the echo of her actions silencing the two soldiers. She stared intently at Stackhouse for a moment, until he slowly sat down again. She glanced around at each of them. "Right now we can't even establish wormhole back to the planet, so let's not fight about what we can't change. We're all worried about Major Sheppard and Corporal Cooper, but we have to stop and think this through." Her gaze settled on Rodney. "You should sit down." While her words were a suggestion, her tone definitely was not. She held his gaze until Rodney reluctantly settled into a nearby chair.

"Teyla," Elizabeth looked over at the Athosian, "you were the last one through the gate before Lieutenant Ford. What was the situation?"

Teyla leaned forward in her chair. "Lieutenant Ford had just ordered Dr. McKay through the gate, while we waited to cover the Major and the Corporal's retreat."

"I should've stayed with you," Rodney muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"Your presence would not have made a difference, Doctor." Teyla glanced at Rodney before she returned her attention to Elizabeth. "The Major ordered us through the gate. Lieutenant Ford told me to go through and that he would cover me. I thought he was right behind me, but he was not. The last thing I saw before stepping through the Stargate was Major Sheppard and Corporal Cooper running across the clearing towards the gate. They still were a considerable distance from us at that time."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "We can only assume that either Major Sheppard or Corporal Cooper, or both, were captured by the Wraith, and that Ford was struck as he was coming back through the wormhole." She looked around at each of them, "I want options for finding and rescuing our people."

"Elizabeth, there's more."

Rodney's quiet voice grabbed her attention. Elizabeth slowly leaned forward in her chair and folded her hands on the table. "Rodney?" Her gaze narrowed. "What is it?"

Rodney's intense gaze deepened as he glanced at Teyla, who nodded slightly. "One of the Wraith was.…" He shook his head, groping for the right words.

"Different," Teyla quietly supplied.

Elizabeth's gaze flicked back and forth between them. "Different? How?"

"Telepathic control." Rodney's words carrid a note of conviction, as if he had just reasoned it out.

"Telepathic?" Bates interjected.

"Yep."

The voice, suddenly coming from behind her, grabbed Elizabeth's attention. She looked up, smiling as Ford slowly walked into the room. His movements were stiff, and he winced slightly as he took a chair next to Stackhouse.

"Lieutenant," Elizabeth nodded. "You should be in the infirmary."

Ford shook his head. "No ma'am, I'm okay. It's wearing off."

Rodney gave the briefest of nods to Ford before looking back at Bates. "We know the Wraith have innate telepathic abilities, Sergeant. It stands to reason that some are more telepathic than others. We've seen two... no three different types of Wraith, the "soldiers" the "males", and the "keepers." Who's to say there aren't more? We know next to nothing about Wraith society or any hierarchy."

"All this is well and good, but the likelihood that the Wraith are even still on that planet is slim," Stackhouse commented quietly, "and if they're not, then we don't have the first clue where to look for them."

"I know, Sergeant," Elizabeth agreed, "but if there's a chance they're still on the planet, we need to do something."

He nodded. "Agreed."

"If we can connect back to the planet, we could try to access the MALP," Bates suggested. "At least we'd be able to see the immediate gate area."

"Teyla, Rodney, how many Wraith were there?" Elizabeth asked.

The two exchanged glances, but it was Teyla that spoke. "There were twelve to start. I'm sure the Major and the Corporal killed at least two, most likely more, Lieutenant Ford and I killed two during our escape." She paused, thinking. "Five…maybe six Wraith were left? Assuming that the Major and Corporal did not kill more of them."

"A strike team, heavily armed, could take them out, ma'am," Bates cut in, "assuming they haven't already called in reinforcements."

"Why would they?" Rodney suddenly spoke. "What reason would they have for staying on that planet? They were there because of us."

"Do you know that for sure?" Bates asked, his tone slightly annoyed.

"Ohm let's see. We inadvertently activate a large black obelisk, whose sole purpose was to give off fake energy readings. And, oh, look! The Wraith show up right after that. Gee, what a coincidence." Annoyance drove Rodney's voice louder. "Oh, and I forgot! They just activated the Stargate, but didn't leave the planet!" Rodney glared back at Bates.

"All right, Rodney," Elizabeth spoke up, beating Bates to a reply. "You've made your point, but Sergeant Stackhouse is right. If the Wraith aren't there any more, then we have no way to find Sheppard and Cooper."

Rodney pushed back from the table and slowly stood, his expression thoughtful. "That might not be true." He walked behind his chair, tapping absently on its tall back as he passed it, before he slowly started pacing the room.

Elizabeth silently watched him for a moment, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean, Rodney?" She cocked her head slightly, as he looked at her, his expression distracted. Elizabeth knew the look well. Rodney always wore it when his brain was moving faster than his mouth could keep up with.

"It's just a theory, mind you, but it might work…." He continued pacing.

Elizabeth watched him again, waiting through the silence. "Rodney?" she finally spoke.

With a start, Rodney's eyes widened and focused on her. "The DHD might be able to tell us where the Wraith went."

"What?" Elizabeth felt her jaw drop. She looked around as the others leaned forward and stared at Rodney. "Rodney, what are you talking about?"

"I've taken apart several DHDs." Rodney's pace quickened the more and more he thought. "I've always wondered about the redundancies I've found in them. I assumed they were for reliability, power flow, that kind of thing, but recently, I've started to think about where the circuits were redundant."

"Rodney," Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm not following you."

"Okay," Rodney's gestures turned animated. "Most of the redundancies lie around the crystals responsible for encoding the gate chevrons."

"All right," Elizabeth nodded, her tone reluctant, "go on."

"So, what if that circuitry was there for a reason other than plain redundancy?"

"Rodney," Elizabeth interrupted, "what, exactly, are you saying?"

"Elizabeth," Rodney's expression turned incredulous as he stopped and faced her. "I think the redundant circuitry could store gate addresses… or at least the last dialed address." He drew in a deep breath and continued pacing. "Think of it sort of like a caller ID for the DHD. I think we may be able to access the last dialed gate address on M27-194's DHD."

"If that's true," Stackhouse interrupted, "then we could feasibly rescue the Major and Cooper."

Elizabeth held up her hand. "Just a minute, Rodney. Wouldn't we erase that address by dialing into the planet's DHD again?

"No," Rodney pushed a chair out of his way and continued pacing. "The circuits for dialing out are completely independent from the ones responsible for incoming wormholes. They wouldn't be affected by us gating back."

Elizabeth nodded. "Why would the Ancients design something like that?"

Rodney shrugged and continued pacing. "I don't think they did."

"But you just said…. " Bates started.

"I know!" Rodney snapped. "What I mean is, I don't think it's actually designed for this purpose. I don't know. But it doesn't matter! If I'm right, we can find the Major and Cooper."

"It's a long shot," Bates muttered, unconvinced. "For all we know, the Wraith have discovered this, and have a way to get around it."

Rodney stopped and glared at the Sergeant. "Yes, yes! It's a long shot! But right now, it's the only shot for finding them!"

"The question is," Elizabeth interrupted, heading off Bates' reply, "do we return to the planet even to tryi to find the Major and Corporal, and risk encountering this Wraith, or more like him, again?" The response of her people was instantaneous.

Simultaneous protests from Stackhouse, Ford and Bates all blended together, while Rodney's voice rose over the top of the commotion.

"Elizabeth! You can't be serious!"

"Gentlemen!" Elizabeth raised her voice loud enough to silence the men. Her strong gaze jumped between each of them. "I have no intention of abandoning Major Sheppard or Corporal Cooper if there is a chance we can save them." She sighed. "That said, we need to consider the ramifications before we act."

"Elizabeth," Rodney interjected, "If this is some different sort of Wraith with telepathic powers we think we're seeing, at the very least we need to learn more about him."

Elizabeth stood and slowly circled behind her chair, her arms crossed in front of her. Silence permeated the room as she considered their choices and the consequences of each.

Finally, she nodded. "Okay, Rodney. If the MALP readings come back clean, you have a go."

"Well, ah, there is one problem here," Rodney interrupted.

"Only one?" Bates muttered. He stared evenly back at Rodney's annoyed glare.

"What is it, Rodney?" Elizabeth stood behind her chair, her hands resting lightly on the back.

Rodney slowly sat down, before leaning forward and resting his arms on the conference table. "This is all highly theoretical and while I am confident my theory is right and this will work…."

"You have no idea how to do it?" Elizabeth finished quietly.

"Right." Rodney's shoulders sagged. "Once we 'gate onto that planet, I'm not certain we can 'gate off until we've retrieved the address without losing it permanently."

Elizabeth sighed. "I don't like the idea of stranding a team on that planet, unless you're confident you can do this, Rodney."

McKay perked up. "Of course I can do…."

"And that you know exactly how to do it," Elizabeth interrupted. She arched an eyebrow at McKay, and he nodded silently.

"The longer we wait, the less chance we have of finding them," Stackhouse commented quietly.

"True, but whether we wait here, or on the planet, we still have to wait until McKay figures out how to do this. I for one would rather be here, where it's secure," Bates replied.

"Ma'am," Ford spoke next, "we still haven't determined for sure if the Wraith have left M27-194. For all we know, Major Sheppard and Corporal Cooper could still be there."

Elizabeth nodded. "Which leads us back to re-connecting to the MALP on the planet. Let's find out what we're dealing with. I want MALP telemetry as soon as we can get a connection." She looked at Rodney. "Rodney, get to work on your theory and keep me posted."

She turned her attention to Ford, her expression dubious. "Lieutenant? Has Dr. Beckett cleared you for duty?"

Ford shook his head. "Not really, but I feel fine."

"Just the same, I want Dr. Beckett's word on it. I don't want to see you back here until he says so. If he clears you, then I want you and a team ready to go through the gate if we determine the Wraith, Sheppard and Cooper are still there and if there is a chance we can rescue them. Take Stackhouse and whoever you think you need with you."

"Ma'am," Bates interrupted, "I should…."

"No, Sergeant," Elizabeth interrupted. "As head of security, I need you here." She stared evenly back at an obviously displeased Bates.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered quietly.

"That's all." Elizabeth watched as they all stood and filed quietly out of the conference room. She glanced at Teyla, who stopped next to her. "I thought Bates and Stackhouse were going to come to blows for a minute there."

Teyla nodded slowly. "Yes. Neither one will accept the possibility that we may never find the Major, or Cooper, but each reacts differently." Concern was etched in her face, but she managed a small smile as she looked at Elizabeth. "The Major is more than their commanding officer, Dr. Weir. He is their leader, and one is different from the other. They do not only follow him because he outranks them, but because he leads them. Even Sergeant Bates," her voice hardened slightly, "respects him, though they do not see eye to eye." Teyla's expression turned painful as she battled her own emotions. "It… will be hard on them, if we cannot find him."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Not just on them," she whispered and looked at Teyla, knowing that the pain and concern she saw in Teyla's eyes was mirrored in her own.

-----------------------------

Everything was pitch black at first, and then gray, as John slowly came back to consciousness. His entire body tingled, and his skin crawled, but he knew they were side effects of the Wraith stunner and would pass. He lifted his head, groaning at the pain, and slowly forced himself up, first on one arm and then to a sitting position. He looked around, taking in every aspect of the small cell. It was the same as he'd seen before after the attack on Athos, only this time he was on the other side of the bars. He patted himself down quickly but, as expected, everything that could be a weapon had been taken from him, including his vest and the holster for his side arm. He shook his head, his thoughts drifting back to his last conscious moment on the planet. Waking up here was unsettling to say the least. He had no idea how much time had passed since he'd been stunned, or where the Wraith had taken them. They could be anywhere in the galaxy by now, with no way for his team to find them. He pushed off the thought and latched onto his optimism. They'd just have to find a way to escape on their own.

A soft groan to his left grabbed his attention and he forced himself to his feet, stumbling a few steps over to where Cooper was just regaining consciousness. John knelt.

"Corporal?" he whispered, tapping his shoulder softly. "Cooper, wake up." He cracked a small smile as Cooper's eyes opened.

"Major?" Cooper grunted and lifted a hand to his forehead. "What the hell was that?"

John slowly stood, feeling stronger as the effects of the stun weapon rapidly wore off. "Wraith stunner."

Cooper slowly sat up. "Damn, that hurt."

John nodded. "Yeah. It's my third time through and it doesn't get any better." He grabbed the bars of their cell and pulled on them experimentally. They were rock solid.

Cooper stood. "Major? How are we going to get out of here?"

"I don't know that yet, Corporal," John turned, fixing Cooper with a penetrating gaze, "but we'll figure something out."

"Where are we, sir?" Cooper looked around at their small cell.

John paced next to one of the side walls, running his hand over the rough but solid surface. "I'm guessing we're on a hive ship. I just hope we're still on a planet with access to a Stargate, and not in space." He stopped, turned and fixed the young Corporal with an intense stare. "There's no way they're going to be able to find us, Cooper. We're going to have to escape on our own."

Cooper stared evenly back and slowly nodded. He glanced at the entrance, his eyes widening. "Sir."

John turned to see a Wraith male and five Wraith soldiers approach the cell. One of the soldiers leveled stunners at the two men while the male Wraith opened the cell, before Two unarmed soldiers and the male walked purposefully towards John and Cooper.

John held onto his confidence and filled his expression with it. "What do you want with us?"

Quicker than he could react, the male backhanded him, sending him sprawling across the room. Before John could stop him, the young corporal had launched himself at the Wraith, only to be sent crashing to the ground next to John.

John exchanged worried looks with Cooper, but anything he had to say was cut off by the Wraith.

"You will come with us," he snarled, glaring coldly at both men.

The two unarmed Wraith crossed the cell and unceremoniously grabbed them both, hauling them to their feet.

John felt like a rag doll in the grip of the powerful Wraith guard, who cruelly twisted John's arm behind his back and clamped down hard on John's neck. John saw stars for a minute before he glanced over at Cooper, who was futilely resisting the other Wraith's grasp. "Cooper," John hissed through clenched teeth, "now's not the time."

Cooper looked at the John and ceased struggling. The other Wraith grabbed Cooper in a similar fashion to John.

His stare cold and frightfully eager, the male Wraith approached John. "A wise decision, human."

John stared back, carefully holding his expression neutral. "Don't look so happy. This isn't over."

But the Wraith only laughed. "You have strength." He smiled widely, showing a full mouth of sharp teeth. "The Master is looking forward to breaking it." The male whipped around, his long hair flowing behind him, and left the cell.

John swallowed hard, pushing down any apprehension he had and replacing it with cold calculation as the guard shoved him forward, keeping him from falling only by twisting his arm harder and lifting him by his neck. Pain coursed through John's body, but he channeled it, using it to fuel his determination. Forcing the pain away gave John control… control he'd use to match wits with the Wraith, and find a way to escape.

They were half dragged and half carried a long way through the ship by the Wraith guards. They turned down one corridor and then another, until John couldn't keep track of their path anymore. The maze of corridors intersected and crossed each other, each looking the same. John tried to pause and look down one corridor, but was forced onward by the vise-like grip on his neck.

Before long, the narrow passageway widened and turned into a large room. At the opposite end, there was a broad table with two female Wraith pacing in front of it. John swallowed hard, contempt wrinkling his features. One of the females made eye contact with him and slowly sauntered across the room. She stopped before him and ran a hand through his hair, before stroking his cheek. He stared daggers at her and tried to turn away, but she grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. She slowly scanned his face, her dark eyes wanton and lustful. Revolted, John glanced over at Cooper, who was enduring a similar treatment from the other female. He saw anger in the young corporal's expression and, before he could say anything, Cooper spat vehemently in the Wraith female's face.

She jumped back as if stung and, snarled at Cooper, before tearing his shirt in half, baring his entire chest. Hissing, she grabbed his shoulder with one hand and raised the other over him.

"No!" John struggled against his captors, but the effort was futile. A knot constricted his stomach and he felt physically ill as he watched the Wraith smile in anticipation.

"Stop."

The female looked up and snarled once, before backing away from Cooper.

John slumped as his female also let go of him and stepped back. The voice echoed through the room, coming at John from all directions, its cold tone bringing dread with it. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to identify the source of the voice. His curiosity was short lived as the Wraith holding him threw him to his knees. He felt blood roar in his ears as the pressure to his neck was released. He pulled his legs under himself and tried to stand, only to be brutally knocked to the ground. He grunted as his shoulder made contact with the hard floor, and glanced over at Cooper, who was being held on his knees by two Wraith guards. Another guard grabbed John's arm and wretched it behind his back, hauling him to his knees. John bit back a groan of pain as his shoulder screamed in protest, but the pain was lost in the voice that echoed around him and in his head.

"You will not stand in my presence, human."

John looked up and once again scanned the room, trying to find the source of the voice. A flicker of movement in the shadows caught his eye and he turned his attention across the room. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him but, as he stared, a figure silently materialized out of the shadows and into the eerie blue light of the room. It was the tattooed Wraith from the planet. John pushed back his disappointment that this Wraith was still alive. He should've expected it. Three shots from his nine mil were hardly enough to kill any Wraith. Especially one that's fed recently…. John's thoughts briefly touched on Bower, but he pushed them away.

"Major?" Cooper's voice shook slightly and, without looking, John knew the young soldier was nervous. Trained to the teeth and hand picked by Sumner, Cooper was a good man to have at your back. It was no small feat to shake his will, but John remembered his own feelings the first time that he saw this Wraith up close. This time, however, he was ready for it. He tore his eyes from the Wraith and glanced at Cooper. "Easy, Corporal." He watched as Cooper pulled a ragged breath through his nose.

"Yes, sir," Cooper responded through clenched teeth.

John looked back at the Wraith as he slowly crossed the room, his movements soundless. He stopped a couple feet in front of John and stared down at him, while the two female sauntered up and stood very close. They also stared down at John, their soft breathing punctuated by the occasional quiet hiss.

"You are Lantean." The Wraith stated bluntly.

John drew in a deep breath and steadied his voice. "I don't know what you're talking about."

With a snarl, the Wraith backhanded him, the force of his blow bouncing John off the guard who held him. Growling, the guard threw John down hard, and he bit into his tongue as his head slammed into the floor.

"Major!"

John looked up, blinking repeatedly to try and clear his double vision. He felt a trickle of blood meander around his eye and down his face, and he quickly swiped the back of his hand across it. John looked up and saw Cooper was struggling against the guard, his face flushed in anger. John's eyes widened in surprise as Cooper somehow managed to break free. He staggered to his feet and leveled a powerful punch at one of the Wraith females.

The female Wraith fell heavily to the floor, but the Wraith male seemed unfazed. Raising his hand, he spoke quietly, but his voice seemed to echo around them. "Stop."

As if he had hit a wall, Cooper staggered to a stop, his body rigid.

"Corporal!" John croaked, struggling to push himself off the floor.

"Major…. Can't… move…." Cooper's strangled voice was barely recognizable.

John pushed himself to his knees, only to be rewarded by the brutal grip of the Wraith guard, who held him down. Powerless to help, John could only watch.

The male Wraith smiled and pointed at Cooper. "Kneel."

John clenched his teeth in anger, blinking the blood from his scalp wound out of his eye, as he watched the young corporal fight the will of the Wraith. "Cooper!"

"Can't… sir…." Cooper slumped forward heavily as the mental power of the Wraith won out. He fell to his knees, only stopped from falling to the floor by the strong grip of a Wraith guard. The guard grabbed Cooper's short hair and pulled him up straight.

Silently, the male Wraith slowly walked over to face Cooper. He looked down, his cold and calculating gaze meeting Cooper's spiteful one. The Wraith smiled evilly and looked over at John. "I will ask you again. You are Lantean?"

John's racing mind ground to a halt as understanding came to him. Only a pawn in a greater game, Cooper…. Cooper's life hung in the balance between the Wraith and John. John wanted to answer… wanted to say yes, but what would be next? If he answered this question, another would follow. He looked away.

"You are foolish." Looking back at Cooper, the Wraith snarled and slammed his hand into the corporal's chest.

"NO!" John pulled fruitlessly against his guard as Cooper's strangled scream echoed through the large room. "Leave him alone you son of a bitch!"

The Wraith ignored John and stared down at Cooper's pained face.

Cooper's agonized cries tormented John, and he continued to struggle. "Leave him alone! He doesn't know anything! It's me you want!"

His hand never leaving Cooper's chest, the Wraith looked smugly at John. "Yes… you are the one I really want." The Wraith abruptly pulled away from Cooper, who slumped in the guard's grip. Circling the young soldier, passing calculating eyes over him, the Wraith finally returned to stand in front of Cooper once more. The Wraith raised his hand and paused, before slowly looking over at John. "You are Lantean?"

John's expression softened as he swallowed hard and looked down at the semiconscious Corporal. "Cooper?" John's plea elicited a quiet moan from Cooper. In the face of Cooper's torture, John felt his strong grip on his training… his self-control failing.

"Answer me!" The Wraith grabbed the young soldier by the shoulder, his poised hand inches from Cooper's chest.

"Yes, damn it! We're from Atlantis!" John's voice cracked, his failed attempt to keep desperation at bay only angering him more.

Still poised over Cooper, the Wraith sneered at John. "That is good. How many of you are there in Atlantis?"

John looked away, his mind racing. His training flashed unbidden through his thoughts. Before being shipped to combat in Afghanistan, he had been required to take some weeks of POW training. It was that training he now latched onto. In his mind's eye he could see the Special Forces colonel as he circled the small group of pilots….

By yourself, you have leverage, gentlemen but God help you if you're not. Oh sure, you're full of valor now, thinking 'one life is worth not giving the enemy any intel', but that's a million miles away from the reality of watching your buddy get tortured and die! You won't resist that hell, gentlemen, I guarantee it! I don't give a damn how tough you think you are!

Give them something… anything. Don't be macho or you're just asking to be broke… and don't think for one second you won't break when the tortured screams of your co-pilot reach your ears! Your objective is to resist telling the enemy anything they can use, not to give them nothing at all! Tell them something useless, bluff, even lie. But compromise, gentlemen, you have to compromise!

John looked up at the Wraith, his expression challenging. "Atlantis has a shield you can't beat. It's useless for you to even try." John pulled on as much strength as he could muster and poured it into his expression, strengthening his bluff… and daring the tattooed Wraith to call it.

The Wraith sneered. "That is not what I asked you, human." His poised hand descended on Cooper's chest and he once again fed.

"You bastard!" John fought the guard's strong hold. "I gave you something! Leave him alone!"

Unfazed, the Wraith's smile was chillingly content as he sucked the life from Cooper. He looked at John. "I am only interested in the answers to my questions, human." He pulled his hand away from Cooper's chest. "You can resist me a little, but this one, cannot." The Wraith let go of Cooper's shoulder, and the corporal slumped back against the guard. The Wraith flexed his fingers slightly. "There were Lanteans that could resist my call… I will know why you can also… eventually." Gesturing slightly, the Wraith backed up as Cooper's guard began dragging him away.

John blinked hard, a wave of dizziness washing over him as he was jerked to his feet. Resisting the rough pull of the guard, he stared into the tattooed Wraith's eyes. Outwardly, John's expression was confident, but inside, the reality of what he was facing started to sink in. He began to realize he never had any leverage to start with. Still, he clung to his confident expression and glared back at the Wraith.

The Wraith was motionless for a moment, before he laughed. "I shall savor your strength, Lantean." Leaning in close, the Wraith countered John's confident stare with a cold one. "I look forward to breaking your spirit." He waved once, and a guard grabbed John's neck and forced him away.

-----------------------------------

Elizabeth paused at the top of the stairs leading to the command center and sighed at the two legs sticking out from under Atlantis's DHD console. Faint mumbling could be heard, while an occasional twitch of a foot proved that Rodney was still awake. Her gaze switched to Dr. Zelenka, who was fast asleep, his head resting on folded arms on the console next to the DHD. Quiet snores punctuated his slow breathing.

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and shook her head. Rodney's ability to function without sleep never ceased to amaze her. For a while, she was sure it was the dozen cups of coffee he seemed to ingest every day, but ever since the coffee ran out, he still operated at full throttle, although he did seem to be more cranky than usual.

Despite the dreary situation they'd been in for the last 48 hours, she still smiled slightly at the thought. Her smile faded. It had been a tense two days since they had managed to access the MALP on M27-194 and found that the Wraith had left. Barely pausing long enough for food, surprising for someone so intolerant to hunger, Rodney had buried himself in the DHD, determined to make his theory work.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, fighting her own frustration. After a moment, she opened them and looked around. Absorbed in their duties, other Atlantis personnel continued working, but there was an air… a feeling of tension that surrounded all of them. Pushing down her frustration, Elizabeth was determined to set an example. Dropping her hands to her side, she calmly crossed the control room and stood over Zelenka. She squeezed his shoulder gently, but the doctor nonetheless started awake. His head shot up as he looked around in surprise, Czech phrases tumbling from his mouth.

"Radek," Elizabeth interrupted him quietly.

"Oh, Dr. Weir. Is it morning?" Zelenka pushed his fingers under his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"It is. Go to bed, Doctor."

"But…."

"The discussion is closed. You can't function like this." Elizabeth shook her head. "Get some sleep." She looked down at the legs protruding out from under the DHD as Zelenka slowly stood and walked towards the stairs. She once more placed her hands on her hips. "Rodney."

Slowly, Rodney pulled himself out from under the control panel and looked up at her. "Elizabeth? It's morning? Huh."

She rolled her eyes before looking back at him. "Yes. I sent poor Dr. Zelenka to bed. Haven't you slept at all in the last two days?"

"No, but I fail to see how that's important in any way," Rodney responded, his tone slightly annoyed.

"Rodney, even you need sleep…."

"Not as much as you think." He grabbed a diagnostic tool and slid back under the DHD console. "I can go days without sleep," his muffled voice continued. "I've been that way all my life."

Elizabeth sighed in resignation. "Fine. Have you made any progress since last night?"

"Yes," he responded immediately, "I think… I just about… have it… there!" He quickly scooted out from under the console and stood up. Pulling one of several laptops closer, he rapidly punched keys and then stood back, gazing at the screen in anticipation.

Figures, symbols and formulas raced across the screen, faster than Elizabeth could tell what they were. Not that she'd understand them anyway. That she left to Rodney and the other scientists. She glanced at his hopeful expression, and assumed the computer was doing what it was supposed to. "Should I be impressed?"

He smiled eagerly and glanced at her. "You will be in a minute, if this does what I think it'll do."

Abruptly, the screen changed, and seven gate chevrons appeared in a row across the middle.

"YES!" Rodney exclaimed, shaking his fist in emphasis. "Bingo!" He pointed emphatically at the laptop screen. "The last address dialed by this gate was M27-194… and that's the address for it! Pulled directly from the DHD!"

Elizabeth smiled broadly and reached for her headset. "Lieutenant Ford, this is Weir. Get Stackhouse and a team together and be in the Gateroom in 10 minutes. McKay has figured out how to access addresses on the DHD."

She smiled warmly at the Canadian doctor. "Good job, Rodney."

--------------------------

Elizabeth slowly descended the stairs into the Gateroom, her eyes flicking over the off-world team quietly milling about. She stopped in front of Ford and Stackhouse, and forced a small smile to her mouth. "The MALP still shows no activity in the immediate area around the gate, but we don't know beyond that." She sighed. "Be careful, Lieutenant."

Ford's smile was grim as he nodded back at her. "Yes, ma'am."

Stackhouse lightly patted the heavy gun he carried. "Don't worry, ma'am. If the Wraith are still there, we're ready for them."

She nodded, her gaze narrowing. "If anything goes wrong, or if the DHD is different in anyway, you're going to essentially be stranded on the planet, until Dr. McKay figures things out. You can dial out at any time, but we run the risk of losing the stored address, and any hope of finding out where the Wraith took Major Sheppard and Corporal Cooper."

"No pressure or anything," Rodney commented as he walked up behind her, several padded carry cases of equipment draped over his shoulders.

Ford's voice was low and determined. "We won't come back until we know where the Wraith went."

"On that note, Lieutenant," Elizabeth gave Ford her best authoritarian gaze, "if you do find the address, I don't want you to think you should go and try to rescue them immediately."

"Doctor…," Stackhouse started but was interrupted by Elizabeth.

"Therefore I am ordering you to return to Atlantis first, before any rescue mission is attempted." Her warning gaze shifted between the two soldiers. "Understood?"

Both men nodded.

"Yes ma'am," Ford replied quietly.

"Good." She smiled slightly. "Good luck." With Rodney standing next to her, she watched as Stackhouse and Ford walked back to the rest of the team. She turned towards the stairs, but was stopped by Rodney's peculiar expression. A cross between guilt and worry, the air about him was atypical, as his blue eyes fixed on the inactive gate. "Rodney?"

Slowly he looked at her, any vulnerability disappearing from his face. "We'll find them, Elizabeth, I promise."

Taken aback by his uncharacteristic sincerity, she could only nod. From somewhere inside she found a small smile, and squeezed his arm briefly, before making her way up the stairs. She stopped on the landing, turned and looked down at the assembled team. She tapped her headset lightly. "Peter? Dial the gate." Her eyes flicked briefly to the gate as it activated, before once more fixing on the team. The last time she had sent people to this planet, they didn't all come back. Deep inside, a strong sense of foreboding swept through her, and it took everything she had not to order the mission scrubbed. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the curving stairs that led to the control room, half expecting to see John Sheppard lightly trot down the steps to join the off-world team. Blinking hard, she once more fixed her attention on the team as they disappeared into the wormhole…. Never before in her life had she felt more helpless.

--------------------------

"Spread out!" Ford dashed straight forward from the Stargate and stopped, scanning the clearing for any movement as his team fanned out in all directions, securing the immediate area around the gate. "Are we clear?" He continued watching while each member of the team gave an affirmative answer.

He reached up, clicking on his radio. "Atlantis, this is Ford. The gate is secure. We'll contact you again when McKay is finished."

"Copy that, Lieutenant. We'll contact you in four hours for an update, and to see if you need anything," Elizabeth responded. "Be careful."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Atlantis out."

Ford turned, watching as the Stargate disengaged. He looked over to Rodney, who was holstering his sidearm. "What about the transmitter signal?"

Rodney waved absently as he started unloading equipment from his backpack. "Relax, Lieutenant, I had the MALP scan for that before we even came through the gate. It's not transmitting. As long as someone with the Ancient gene doesn't touch the obelisk, we should be fine."

"Good because I'd like to have a little warning before the Wraith…."

"Lieutenant, do you honestly think I'd be here if we were walking into a trap?" Exasperated, Rodney glared at Ford. "Now, can I get to work?"

Biting back his irritation, Ford nodded curtly. "Go ahead."

Rodney nodded once and headed for the DHD, while Ford walked around the MALP and up to Stackhouse.

"Let's get a perimeter set up, Sergeant. Even though the MALP didn't detect anything, I still want the area secure." Ford's gaze wandered to the far side of the Stargate, settling on the prone form of Sergeant Bower. He clenched his jaw in anger… pushing aside unbidden images of the Major being fed upon by Wraith. "Cover the Sergeant's body. We'll take him back to Atlantis when we return."

Stackhouse nodded curtly. "Yes sir."

Allowing his gaze to linger on Bower for a moment more, Ford shook his head and headed back the DHD, leaving behind the sound of Stackhouse organizing the team. He watched as Rodney knelt under the device and removed an access panel. "How long is this going to take?"

Rodney looked out from under the DHD, his expression decidedly annoyed. "A lot longer if you keep bugging me about it." He once more disappeared under the DHD.

Ford glanced at Teyla, who sighed at Rodney's behavior. He turned away, his gaze fixed on the open and silent clearing. He could almost see the Major and Cooper running towards him, his mind's eye playing the scene over and over. "We're coming, Major," Ford muttered to himself.

Teyla briefly squeezed his arm. "We will find them, Aiden," she said softly.

Ford smiled briefly… unconvincingly, and just nodded.

---------------------------------

John staggered and fell heavily to the floor as the Wraith guard all but threw him into the cell. He lay on his side for a moment, his shoulder and head throbbing from the impact. Looking back, he watched as the Wraith guard tossed Cooper into the cell in much the same manner before leaving them alone.

John rolled over and crawled slowly to the Corporal's side. He grabbed the soldier's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Corporal?"

Cooper's groan turned into a choked cry of agony.

John winced and once more squeezed Cooper's shoulder. "Take it easy, Corporal."

He gently rolled the paralyzed soldier onto his back. Shrugging out of his jacket, John bunched it up and placed it under Cooper's head. He paused, his hand resting on young soldier's chest as his gaze fixed on the deep lines already present on Cooper's face, and the patches of gray that sprinkled the hair around his temples. More than ten years John's junior, Cooper already looked ten years older. John felt his confidence, his optimism, slip, and found himself pulling on every scrap of control he had so as not to lose out to the call of a rising frustration. Cooper's screams of pain echoed within him and he felt a rising anger towards the Wraith. To kill one of his men was bad enough, but to do it in such a torturous way ground away at his self control.

Although a man who followed his gut, he liked to believe he had a rational head for things. When it came to the Wraith, though, he was finding it more and more difficult to quell his vindictiveness. Sumner, Abrams, Gaul, Bower… Cooper. John swallowed hard. How many more men under his command would the Wraith kill? He bowed his head. He was a soldier, and he'd faced many enemies in his career, most ready to kill him, but he'd never crossed the line before… never seen them the way he saw the Wraith. Since that first time, when he'd mercifully shot Sumner, a low anger had been burning in him, its effect bringing a dark clarity to him. He found himself toeing the line between what he should do… and what he'd have to do.

His eyes passed over Cooper. The Wraith threatened everyone, and everything, dear to John. His friends… his family… hell, even his species. Not even his training, it seemed, could help him. John found himself in unknown territory, with only his own moral compass to guide him. He shook his head at the irony. Wasn't following his own personal standards what he'd tried to do his whole career? Now faced with a situation where he had to follow his gut and nothing else, he found it darkly ironic that he had any hesitation at all. He was snapped from his dark brooding by Cooper's quiet moan.

Eyes glazed over with pain, Cooper looked up at John. "Hurts… sir," he choked out. "Can't move."

Teeth clenched, John blanketed his emotions under an iron will "I know, Corporal." He mustered a small, barely reassuring smile as he slowly stood and surveyed their situation. Hopelessness eroded his optimism, but John pushed it away. Cooper's condition definitely complicated any thoughts of escape, but John refused to admit defeat. Somehow, he would find a way to escape… for both of them. You don't leave people behind….

He slowly crossed the cell to the bars blocking the entrance and grabbed hold, uselessly pulling on them, before leaning heavily on his hands and letting his head drop. He felt helplessness surge through him, its effect unfamiliar, as his racing mind found no tactical advantage he could use to secure an escape. He'd never faced a situation like this before…. In fact, John could never remember a time where he couldn't find a solution for any situation he found himself in. A grim smile briefly graced his mouth. His dad had always been proud of John's resourcefulness, convinced that his son would be a brilliant military tactician someday. John looked around at their seemingly inescapable prison, his mind drawing a blank. "So much for the tactical genius," he muttered.

Frustrated, he sighed loudly, before forcing himself to once more concentrate on their situation. To no avail. A small voice whispered to him… alone and healthy, you stand a chance at freedom. Guilt stormed through him, and he immediately dismissed the idea of escaping alone. Racking his brain, he couldn't see a way out for both him and Cooper... but he'd be damned if he was going to leave the corporal behind.

His head snapped up, and he was pulled from his thoughts, by Cooper's strangled cry. He quickly crossed the cell to Cooper's side and knelt next to him.

"Cooper? What is it?"

Cooper's face contorted in pain. "My guts… on fire…." He pulled a hissing breath through his tightly-clenched teeth.

John pursed his lips tightly in frustration, powerless to do anything but squeeze Cooper's shoulder in silent support. "Take it easy," he muttered, his words sounding hollow to him. Just as helpless as he'd been when the Wraith fed upon Cooper, he could now only kneel there, his grip tight on Cooper's shoulder, as the corporal suffered through the excruciating effects of the Wraith attack. Fighting anger and frustration… trying to hold onto optimism and confidence, John tightly clenched his jaw, his pursed lips twitching as intense pain tore agonized groans from Cooper's throat. "Easy," John muttered. "Easy."

Abruptly, Cooper drew in a deep, shuddering breath and visibly relaxed. "It's passing… sir," he whispered. "The pain… it's better." He looked up, his expression a strange mix of fear and control, as he did his best to stay calm.

John stared back, momentarily inspired by the outright courage he saw… all the while hating the Wraith for slowly killing Cooper. Somewhere deep inside himself, John mustered enough control to give Cooper a small smile. "We're going to get through this."

Cooper swallowed hard, his expression knowing. "Sir… I can't…. There's no way I can escape now…."

John straightened, alarms going off within him. "Cooper, don't. I'm not leaving you behind." The rational part of John urged him to listen to Cooper, but he immediately turned away from it. Rational be damned. He knew what the young soldier was driving at, and it was not an option.

"Sir..."

"Corporal, we're not going to have this conversation," John interrupted immediately, his voice taking on a commanding tone. "We are both going to get out of here. Have I made myself clear?"

For a moment, Cooper looked on the verge of objecting, but a stern look from John ended the thought. He sighed deeply and nodded. "Yes, sir."

John nodded once, curtly. He stood and slowly paced the cell, his mind racing… searching for any escape.