The sun was glaring overhead on the planet designated M3X-285 as Major Evan Lorne and Lieutenant Laura Cadman trudged along behind Colonel John Sheppard and Ronon Dex across a field of tall, dry grass. The team compilation was an unusual one, but Teyla was visiting with her people on the mainland back at Atlantis, and Rodney McKay had been working on something he deemed "too important" to be interrupted by something as mundane as exploring a new planet.
Sheppard had run across is 2IC begrudgingly filling out mission reports and it hadn't taken much to convince him to come along. Lorne, in return, stumbled over Laura just outside his quarters and she had invited herself to join them.
She told Colonel Sheppard it was because she had been twiddling her thumbs with boredom down in the science labs, and that was true, but she'd also jumped at the opportunity to spend an afternoon Evan.
They were so busy fulfilling their respective duties, it wasn't often they got to see each other for extended periods of time that didn't involve them sleeping.
While they couldn't exactly hold hands in front of – or behind – their Commanding Officer, they had still enjoyed the chance to talk and just be together.
"Lord have mercy, it's hot," Laura muttered as she stepped over a stray branch. Her hands were slick on her P-90, causing her to let it dangle from its strap for a few seconds as she wiped her palms on her BDUs. "I wish they had a swimming pool at this resort."
Beside her, Lorne chuckled, making her smile.
"This isn't exactly a romantic getaway," he agreed.
"Ha!" She scoffed. "Not with those two here to chaperone."
He grinned, reaching over brush a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear.
"Ah, I bet we could give them the slip."
Laura looked around at the vast expanse of withering field around them, edged about half a mile away by an equally withering forest, before arching a brow at him.
"Oh yeah? And where exactly would we go?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I could find somewhere."
She laughed at his bravado as she maneuvered out of the sleeves of her jacket and let them hang out of her TAC vest.
Sheppard and Ronon had stopped just ahead on the edge of a deep ravine and when Lorne and Laura caught up they peered cautiously over the edge. There was a sharp slope before a drop down into the river below. Lorne looked over at his girlfriend.
"Looks like we found the pool."
Laura scanned up and down the edge, looking for a place where they could safely descend. Seeing her calculating look, Sheppard cautioned,
"Uh, Cadman, I'm pretty sure the Major was just joking."
"Aw, Sir," she mock whined, and he chuckled.
"Sorry, Lieutenant, you'll have to save that dip for later."
She turned around to offer up another retort, when suddenly she felt something slam into her right side.
She barely had time to register the crack of gunfire a split second later as the force of the bullet knocked her back and she stumbled over the edge of the ravine.