A very merry lantean Christmas

Sheppard joined the others in the cafeteria. They were having a laugh at something, except for mckay, who seemed to be embarrassed. He sat down next to ronan.
"morning colonel, I was just telling the others about the time that mckay thought he had -"
"Jennifer, that's enough" said Rodney. He had gone bright red.
"more like night" said ronan, pointing at the clock hung on the far wall. 4.30 pm.
"well, I didn't want to be to tired for our little party tonight" said Sheppard.
"oh, you didn't hear? Woolsey cancelled it" said Teyla. Sheppards face dropped

"what! But -" ronan sniggered, and suddenly the whole table began to laugh. Sheppard went bright red, and sat down again silently.
"I still don't get why you celebrate this day, it's the same as any other" said ronan. Sfter everything was silent
"well, uhhm, it's a long story, which im sure mckay would be more than happy to explain" said Sheppard, as he stood up.
"where are you going!?" said mckay.
"I am going to go and report in for duty" said Sheppard
"why? Its Christmas!" he said
"not for the wraith" said Sheppard, and he walked away.

Woolsey was dressed in a suit, and looked like he was about to go to a boring cocktail party. He was stood out on the balcony, overlooking the city. Sheppard went over to see what Zalenka and Lorne where doing by the communications.
"having fun?" he asked.
"yeh, were trying to intergrate a cd player with the PM" said Zalenka.
"so all the city's speakers will be playing music" lorne explained.
"I know. I have to spend a lot of time off world with mckay, ye kinda pick up some of these big words." Said Sheppard

"what music you got in mind" asked Sheppard
"uhmm, we where going to ask around a bit later" said zalenka.
"oh, your welcome to borrow some of mine" said Woolsey
"oh…. That's okay, ive got plenty to go around" said Sheppard.
"okay then" said Woolsey "remember, your still on duty till six" he said.

Sheppard was sat looking at the gate. He hated gateroom duty. He was a colonel for god sake! He shouldn't be ready to point a P-90 at an active wormhole. He looked at his wrist watch. 6.53. 7 more minutes till the party started.

The Daedalus was about 10 minutes away from atlantis, which was relative to about 10 million light years, in hyperspace, when it suddenly slowed down. They dropped out, and began to float aimlessly.
"colonel Caldwell, I think the hyperdrive just overheated" said a technitian.
"it should be operational again in 3 minutes" he said.
"understood lieutenant" said colonel.
"colonel!?" said the weapons officer
"there are three wraith cruises headed towards us" he said
"raise the sheilds" he said
"uh, colonel, the shields won't be operational until the system has cooled. There linked in with the hyperdrive" said the technitian.
"what else is down lieutenant!?" moaned Caldwell, clearly anxious
"nothing sir" he said.
"okay, evasive manoeuvres'" said Caldwell, and he jolted slightly when the sublight engines fired up.

"sir, hyperdrive is online" said the navigations officer
"get us out of here" he said, and she opened a hyperspace window, and as they where sucked in, a single shot hit the top of the ship. They entered hyperspace, and where gone.

Richard Woolsey was a strange man. Whilst surrounded by millions of tipsy dancing officers and scientists, he was stood their, holding a champagne glass, in a suit. Sheppard couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. at the moment, they where blasting music so loud that nobody was sure what it was, and zalenka was too drunk to notice that the deep space sensors had activated. He just mindlessly turned off the sensors all together.

Keller was in the infirmary, trying to make sense of mckay, who had clearly got nervous, and drank way too much.
"I think that, that I may, just might have drank a teeny weeny little amount too far, but don't worry, im fine, im not drunk, no, not at all, im perfectly fine, not drunk at all, not one bit, stop asking! Leave me alone!" he said, and he lay down, and rolled to face away from her.
"uhm, if you say so" hse said
"what!? No no-no-no-no-no-no" he said really fast, the way that no one else could
"I didn't say anything" he said, and Sheppard walked in. mckay suddenly sat bolt upright, and pointed at him.
"it was him! He said it!" he shouted.
"whoa, Rodney, I thought you of all people would drink responsably" he said.
"yeh, just don't forget to take your shoes off" he said Sheppard sniggered a little.

The Daedalus had sustained light damage. The shot had made it throught the shields, and hit the communications array, so they couldn't display IFF. Atlantis's sensors where off anyway though. Dadalus was surprised to see that there was a hive ship orbiting the planet, and that the city was still visible. Caldwell wasn't taking any chances, and he gave the order to engage immediatly. Several blue beams shot from the ship, and hit the cruiser, and it exploded. Catching the attention of atlantis personell, who where to drunk to realise that there was no firework display planned, and a nearby hive ship.

Sheppard and keller certainly noticed the explosion, and Sheppard immediately ran up to the tower. Most of the people where still dancing, even though the music had stopped, and had been replaced by horrible drunken singing. Sheppard was starting to sympathise Woolsey, who had been expecting a controlled party, and had allowed them access to the control room. He pushed his way though the drunken marines, and made his way to lorne, who was frantically trying to work the controls.
"im sorry sir, these controls mean nothing to me" he said.
"its okay major, any idea what that was?"
"no sir, SOMEONE turned off the sensors." He said
"STOP SHOUTING AT ME!" screamed zalenka, at the point of tears.
"sir, ive no idea what to do here." He said.
"what about Teyla, she might know" asked Sheppard.
"yeh, but the PM is offline, and we don't know where she is"
"colonel Sheppard? What is happening" said teyla over the radio. Sheppard pressed n the button, and said
"Teyla, where are you"
"I'm on my way, three levels down." She said.
"speak of the devil" said lorne

The hive dropped out of hyperspace orbiting the planet, and immediately, the Daedalus took out it's main weapons. Unfortunately, it still had a lot of secondry weapons, and darts. Within minutes, there was a mess of 302s and darts and the occasional burst of weapons fire.

A squadron of darts sped towards the city.

Teyla had managed to get the sensors online at the right moment. They had detected the darts, and managed to raise the shield. Unfortunately, there was still the matter of a hive ship in orbit, and the Daedalus, non responsive to any communications. Sheppard was already on his way to the chair.

He fired a string of drones at the hive, and within seconds, there was a second explosion in the night sky….

The next morning, mckay was last up. He slouched into the cafeteria, and collapsed into the seat next to Jennifer.
"morning sleepy" said Sheppard, in a raised voice. Mckay put his forhead on the table and covered his ears, releasing a grouchy moan.

Woolsey was stood on the balcony, looking out to sea.
"colonel Sheppard! I understand that you managed to save the city again." He said
"yeh, well I can't take all the credit" he said.
"well, next time, I guess ill havw to limit the alcohol" said Woolsey.
"yeh, well, maby the wrath will have new year off" said Sheppard.