Disclaimer: The Stargate Atlantis characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.
Warnings: language and violence.
Reviews are always welcome
Empire of Dirt
Chapter 1: I Focus on the Pain, the Only Thing that's Real
"I think they're gone now. I mean, they've definitely left the area. Hopefully, their friends aren't waiting for us at the gate. Maybe we should just stay here for awhile and wait for Lorne to come to us, just to make sure. They didn't see us, no thanks to your big mouth, but they might come back. What do you think Sheppard?"
"Sheppard?"
"Oh, that's really mature, Sheppard. The silent treatment? What are we four?"
"Sheppard!"
"Shep... oh god no."
Rodney sat out on the North Pier and stared out into the vast ocean. The ground was hard and uncomfortable and probably doing nothing for his back, but it was preferable to being around the population of Atlantis: the military personnel who stared at him with judgement, the scientists with sympathy, the friends that looked at him with concern, pity and maybe just a little bit of blame. He supposed the last part was just his imagination. He did tend to let it wander out here.
Perhaps that's why he came out to the pier. He hadn't been out there since Carson died. Secretly he had hoped Sheppard would appear, tell him it hadn't been his fault, that the others were telling him the truth when they said Rodney wasn't to blame. Maybe he just needed to tell Sheppard he was sorry, but the man never materialized.
He couldn't help but dwell on everything he had done wrong on the mission, which had gone spectacularly sideways. More importantly, he couldn't help but fixate on how he had handled things, or rather didn't handle them.
Sheppard sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the warm sun and traces of sweetness on the breeze. Every once and awhile it was nice to just take a moment and forget the hundred and one problems that seemed to plague the Atlantis expedition at any given time. Letting his hands slip from resting against his P90, he moved away from the Stargate.
The planet had little information in the ancient database, other than being unpopulated and tropical, and the MALP recon had turned up nothing that contradicted that assessment. Still, a lot can change in a couple millennia, and what the Ancients had dismissed as a nice place to visit but insignificant, could yield results for the team. Really, one had to jump at any opportunity to enjoy a potential vacation spot when the opportunity arrived.
"Explain to me again why we're here?" whined Rodney, as he sauntered towards his three teammates.
"Exploring new worlds is our job Rodney," replied the Colonel. The smile he was trying to hide slipped a fraction at Ronan's irritated huff. McKay had made it no secret that he had no desire to be a part of this particular mission.
"It might be part of your job, but at the moment, mine is happening in Atlantis without me. Do you have any idea how badly Radekis going to mess that project up?" ranted Rodney.
"I'm sure Zelenka has everything under control. Besides, what are you really worried about? Radekwon't give you credit?" Sheppard teased.
"The only one who should be giving credit is me, but instead of working on actual important things, you've dragged me out to wander around in the sticks on a worthless planet." The scientist wasn't pulling any punches as his voice rose from slightly irritated to full on dictator.
"Perhaps we will find something even more interesting here," offered Teyla, trying to smooth out some of the Doctor'sruffled feathers.
"If there was anything of interest, the MALP would have picked it up. No we're here so our fearless leader can spend a day lounging in a hammock." Ignoring Ronan and Teyla's curious looks, he pressed on, "No you watch, there's probably some tribe of scantily clad women around here that will elect Sheppard as their god and I'll be stuck being the cabanaboy while Zelenka makes the discovery of the century!"
John rolled his eyes. Dragging Rodney out of his lab once and a while for something other than a doomsday scenario or a potential scientific wet dream was good for him; even if the rest of the team had to bleed from their ears as a result. It had become Sheppard's mandate to push it more since Carson's death as Rodney had chosen to deal with it by slowly locking himself away more and more. "Are you pouting McKay?"
"I don't pout. I'm not two," huffed the scientist, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Could have fooled me," muttered Ronan before taking the lead through the clearing.
McKay paused in the presence of the bright orange flowers that were curling their way towards the sun. They were unlike anything he had seen on Earth or anywhere he had visited in the Pegasus Galaxy. It probably would have been far more fascinating had he been a botanist but he could still appreciate the rarity of them. More importantly, he knew a botanist that would not only appreciate the find, but revel in the fact that McKay had actually thought of someone else.
Teyla quickly slapped his hand away as he reached towards the thick patch of orange growth.
"What the hell was that for?" snapped Rodney, rubbing the sting out of the back of his hand. He glared at the Athosian. "I was just going to bring back a sample for Katie. Something useful should come out of this giant waste of time."
"While I'm sure your intentions were noble, that particular flower would not be the way to go," cautioned Teyla. Sheppard and Ronan looked more invested in the conversation after hearing the note of worry in Teyla's voice. "This particular plant is rare but dangerous. It has sharp spines it can shoot out when threatened that contain a toxin with most undesired effects."
"The plants are sentient?" asked Sheppard.
"More of a defensive response to things that touch them," offered Teyla. "The toxin acts quickly making the infected turn into what can be compared to as an emotional child. There is confusion, slower reflexes, almost a regression. It is not fatal but the symptoms can cause those inflicted to do irrational things that lead to deadly situations."
"Right, so orange flowers bad," surmised the Colonel. "Everyone keep their hands to themselves. I don't feel like chasing anyone through the jungle playing hide and seek."
Rodney's hands gripped tightly to the edge of the pier as he let his legs dangle over. The anger he had felt for having to go on the mission in the first place hadn't dissipated, simply shifted onto other things, more important things. In hindsight, the situation hadn't called for the response he had given. It was another mission, like all the others before; interrupting yet another experiment that Rodney would have liked to perform. There was a reason he was on a gate team and not just his unparalleled intellect and unique ability to constantly save Sheppard's ass; he was in it for the potential of great discoveries that so often accompanied off world exploration. If he was going to be really introspective, he liked the sense of camaraderiethat came from belonging to the team.
Something had just rubbed him the wrong way that fateful day and everyone was going to be a miserable as he was. Chalk it up to his horrible interpersonal skills. Even being surrounded by the quintessential paradise wasn't enough to calm his somewhat justified but ultimately irrational anger. But trust Sheppard to be able to turn a beautiful, tropical paradise into a warzone.
A group of Genii soldiers just happened to be lurking on the otherwise uninhabited planet and they didn't take too kindly to an Atlantis team dropping in on their nefarious activities. The inevitable shootout had done nothing to soothe Rodney's disposition and now looking back he felt a stab of guilt over adding unnecessary stress to an already hectic situation.
A small smile pulled at the scientist's lips as he stared out into the vast blue of the ocean before him. The Colonel just had to go and play the hero, never willing to shirk his duties for common sense. His smile quickly vanished, replaced by cold emptiness. If only Sheppard had ended the mission, let the Genii go and ordered the team back through the gate.
Rodney slammed his fist down on the hard metal of the pier, instantly regretting it. It wasn't a fair thought. This wasn't Sheppard's fault. Actually it kind of was, but it was Rodney's job to save Sheppard from himself. He should have fought harder to stay and finish his project, the one that had been so important at the time, but now paled in comparison to what happened on that planet. If he had just convinced John to let him stay, the Colonel would have given the mission to another team, not wanting to go a man down. But Sheppard was stubborn, almost as much as Rodney.
He should have just listened to John's constant complaints and came out of his lab for air once and awhile instead of waiting for Sheppard to drag him out kicking and screaming. That mistake was now going to haunt Rodney for the rest of his life.
"We need to follow," stated Sheppard. The tell-tale whirl of Ronan's gun signalled the taciturn man's approval of the plan.
"Oh why?" protested McKay, looking thoroughly put out. "You've got them on the run, there's no one between us and the gate. I say we cut our loses and leave while the leaving's good. Or is this going to be another example of 'they touched our toys'?"
Even Teyla's never ending patience was wearing a little thin as she forcefully asked, "Do you not think it prudent to figure out how the Genii obtained weapons like ours?"
"Not regular Genii," grunted Ronan, eyes scanning the horizon as his whole being itched to engage the enemy. "Uniform was slightly different."
"Ronan's right," concurred with John. "There's a new insignia patch on their shoulders. Besides, I don't think Laden would be that brave or stupid to risk engaging us like this. Not when were supposed to be allied."
"Do you believe them to be part of one of the factions trying to over throw the Genii government that Laden spoke of," inquired the Athosian.
"If they are, they might have information Laden might be grateful for, earn us a couple of favours down the line. At the very least, like McKay said, I don't like to share my toys. We need to find out how and from where they got our weapons." With a quick hand signal to Ronan, Sheppard ordered, "Let's move out."
Dejectedly, Rodney fell in line mumbling, "How could this day get any worse?"
There was the death nail. 'Ask and ye shall receive,' thought Rodney bitterly. If there was one thing the Pegasus Galaxy could do, it was make things worse.
How many fire fights against impossible odds had they managed to survive without a scratch? So many that seven Genii shouldn't have been a problem. The odds had been stacked in their favour,what with Super Soldier Ronon, Teyla Warrior Princess and Colonel Unstoppable. Rodney had even been perfectly happy to duck and cover once the shooting began and stay out of everyone's way.
Rodney clenched his fists in anger. Things went to hell because some bluish lemur thing had chosen that moment to jump in front of Ronon and howl in fright, giving away the team's position and the element of surprise. What should have been a simple surround and take prisoners, turned into an open fire-fight.
"You couldn't just let it go could you Sheppard?" he posed to the universe at large. It wasn't a fair thought. Logically, Rodney knew the importance of solving the weapons riddle but why did John always have to play the goddamn hero? Why did he always have to try and save him?
The bullets started spraying their now all too familiar rattle, disturbing what very well could have been a postcard scene; the tacky ones that said wish you were here, when in reality one probably took the vacation to get away from the one they sent the card to. Rodney stood there slacked jawed for a moment before autopilot kicked in and he started to clumsily back away.
Sheer panic didn't even have time to take hold as something solid and massive slammed into him, stealing the breath from his lungs and knocking the scientist off his feet. The world began to spin in a kaleidoscope of greens, blues and bright orange. McKay landed at the bottom of the hill in an undignified heap, the mysterious weight pinning him down. With a huff, he glanced down only to take in a mop of black hair. Of course he would break Sheppard's fall.
"You okay Rodney?" mumbled the Colonel, scrambling off of his companion.
"No thanks to you," McKay snorted in reply. He was going to be feeling all those bumps and bruises for days. They needed a saving technique that didn't hurt so much.
"You're welcome," John snapped, absently rubbing the back of his neck, and pulling out debris tangled in his collar from the trip down.
Both men stared back up the hill. It would have been difficult to see that distance to start with, but the dense foliage made it impossible.
The sounds of battle started to grow distant before ceasing all together. John shifted from foot to foot, anxious to find out what was happening in the fight he was now excluded from. Tapping his radio, he ordered, "Teyla, Ronon, come in. Are you guys okay?"
"This is Teyla. The group has split in two. Two are following us but we believe the remaining four are working their way to you. I can confirm they have one down," returned Teyla, slightly out of breath. "Ronon was hit but we do not believe it is serious. We can attempt to lose these two then circle back for you."
"Negative. You and Ronon head for the gate. Get Ronon to a medic and send reinforcements back. Rodney and I will see if we can find another way back to the gate. Hopefully we can meet you there."
"Understood."
Sheppard stood there for a moment running over options and assessing McKay. Odds that started in their favour were quickly going the other way. The most direct route back would put them directly in the path of their new pursuers.
McKay glared in response to the sudden attention that left him feeling like a bug under a microscope. Was Sheppard really scrutinizing him and his chances of making it out of the mess Sheppard had landed them in? The persistent anger that had embraced him the whole mission thus far flared up with renewed vigour.
"Our best bet is to head that way, see if we can find an easy spot to climb up and then head for the gate. Hopefully by the time our friends make it down here, we'll be long gone," offered the Colonel.
"And that's our plan? Wander aimlessly, hoping to find a less steep slope to crawl up then try and make our way to the gate and just hope our Genii friends don't find us?" snapped Rodney. He could be safely tucked away in his lab on the verge of a Nobel Prize, instead he was covered in dirt at the bottom of what might as well be a cliff, from the tumble they'd taken down it, and all because some boneheaded flyboy wanted to work on his tan.
"Yeah Rodney, that's the plan. And right now it's the only one I got," defended Sheppard, trying to match the same bite McKay managed.
"Yes, because the last one worked out so well!" Rodney thought he saw a flash of hurt cross John's face but it was quickly masked by Sheppard's usual calm demeanour.
"We don't have time for this," interjected Sheppard, wiping the sweat off his forehead and rubbing at his neck. "We need to get you back to the gate."
McKay shook his head but silently fell in line.