2.
~ "Don't move!" Larrin shouted as Shepard reached for the flash light he left on the deck.
He slowly straitened himself back up to standing. Even if the total darkness prevented either of them form seeing one another, he knew she would shoot him if she suspected he was reaching for a weapon.
"I was just reaching for the flash light." He said calmly. "What happened?" He asked.
"I think your ship may have drained all the power from mine." Larrin said fearfully as she fumbled for her own portable light.
A bright beam cut into the blackness as she re-trained her weapon on him.
Shepard squinted at the strong light that shown over his face.
"Can you not shine that in my eyes, please?" He asked.
Larrin, satisfied he was still unarmed, lowered the light slightly.
"Where are your weapons?" She asked.
Shepard smiled and shook his head.
"Sorry." He said smiling, still keeping his hands in the air.
He could not tell her where he kept any weapons. Could tell her nothing of Atlantis or Earth. Standard protocol for all off world activity. Plus it was innate, common sense.
She stepped aside and raised her own menacing firearm to his head.
"Over there." She ordered nodding to the entrance of her ship.
"You want me to come aboard your ship?" He questioned.
"Exactly." She told him never taking her eyes off him.
"What for?" He questioned as he stepped over the threshold and on to the alien vessel.
"For this." She said.
A flash of white light engulfed his body. His muscles seized up and his head began to swim. Long experience had taught him that she had just stunned him.
~ 'What a mess.' Larrin mused as she examined the power exchange. She had been right. The power transfer to his archaic vessel from hers had been too great a strain. They were in serious trouble. She would have to sever his ship and re-power her own. An operation that would take hours. Larrin had at least achieved basic power.
She had lights and air, but the re-boot was a difficult processes and one she wasn't sure could be done alone in space. It was already starting to get cold. She heard a groaning as looked over to see this Lt. Col. John Shepard had started waking up.
She was thankful she had secured the stranger before she went to work on repairing her ship. Thankful a search of his ship reveled no weapons except primitive projectile firearms. All of which she left on the Ancient vessel before cutting it adrift.
"You stunned me." He said crankily. "You tied me up." He added looking at his hands lashed together in front of him. Shepard's body felt achy and he remained sitting on the deck of her ship.
"I did." She agreed. "I had to find out what you did to my ship and I didn't have time to babysit you."
"What I did to your ship?" Shepard repeated. "Listen, who are you?"
"My name is Larrin." She said briskly. "Something very serious had happened."
"You got power back up." Shepard said looking around the impressive Jumper. It was very much like the Jumpers from Atlantis only much larger. Much more complex.
"Emergency systems." Larrin explained to him. "I've had to cut lose your own ship." She said pointing to the front bay window.
Shepard looked out to view, in fascinating horror, his own Jumper. Now set adrift in space.
"Oh, Well." He stared to say sourly. "That's just great."
Larrin gave him an exasperated look.
"Shepard is it? We have a serious situation." She started to say
"Why is it so cold in here?" He interrupted. She sighed.
"Because when the power transfer failed, it drained my ship. I've managed to reactive the emergency power, but it will take hours. In the mean time, all non-essentials are offline. That means everything except air, basic lights, cloak and artificial gravity."
"Well, I'd rather have heat then gravity wouldn't you?" he turned to her.
"I didn't design the program." She retorted angrily. "It's not for me to question what the Efrafans think is more important."
"Who?" Shepard questioned.
"Nothing. Listen, we have hours before this ship can produce heat and be fit for travel." Larrin went on. "Until then, we are helpless here. Your recent Gate activity, the ship's signature... if the Wraith come-"
"Do we have weapons?" Shepard interrupted still looking out at his Jumper listing helplessly in space.
"No." Larrin said feeling irritated. "We have the cloaking device."
"I'd rather have drones ready then a cloak if the Wraith do come." Shepard said defensively.
"It's better to evade an enemy then engage. As long as no one knows were here, were safe." Larrin assured him.
She wasn't liking the man. He was arrogant and his constant questioning before he knew the facts was annoying.
"My people will be looking for me." Shepard told her. "In a few hours, they will send a rescue."
"You want to go back to your ship?" She asked angrily. "Last I saw, it had no gravity, no weapons, no cloak, no heat and no air. But if you really want to go back to that old piece of junk, be my guest."
"Piece of junk?" Shepard repeated. Looking really hurt. Larrin sighed.
"Tell me something, how did you come across Ancient technology? How did you make it work?" She asked. Shepard didn't answer.
Yet another rule about off world activity. Never tell anyone about the technology or Shepard's ability to use it. One question would lead to another and then everyone would want Atlantis and it's wealth of Ancient secrets. Larrin shrugged.
"I've only ever seen Gate Ships like yours in history class. In museums. Never seen one actually applied." She told him lazily as she re-arranged power crystals.
Shepard watched her work. The "brain" of her Jumper was far more intricate then his.
"This is a big Jumper." He mused aloud. "How do you get it to go through the Star Gate?" He asked
"Jumper? We don't need to use the Star Gate." She answered casting him a quick glance before returning to her work.
"What? You open a hyperspace window?" He asked. She sighed.
"Tell you what Shepard, I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." She offered. "How did you come across that piece of junk?"
"My people found it. Few years ago." Shepard answered. "How do you get around without the Star Gate?"
"We can create an artificial Star Gate from our ships." Larrin answered.
"How is that possible?" He asked not able to fully wrap his head around the concept. She gave him a smile. Gently reprimanding him for breaking the rules of the game. Shepard leaned back against the wall. Remaining silent.
"Where did you find the Ancient Gate Ship?" She asked.
He didn't answer.
"From Atlantis?" She asked almost fearfully, searching his face for the truth.
Shepard didn't meet her gaze.
"Do you and your people, do you come from Atlantis?" She asked.