The area around the gate looked exactly like she remembered, but they didn't take much time to look around. The Jumper hovered as they watched the gate disengage, and then Mitchell keyed her radio.
"Sheppard, this is Mitchell, do you copy?"
The response was instant.
"This is Sheppard, we copy."
"Where are you, Colonel?"
"Just waiting for you. Where are you?"
"By the gate."
"We'll be there in a minute. Sheppard out."
OOOOOOOOOO
John turned to Kale, who was watching with concern.
"Are you certain you would not like us to accompany you, Colonel Sheppard?"
Sheppard shook his head.
"I'd love to have you, Kale, but we don't dare risk it. If something really has gotten everyone at Atlantis sick, we can't risk allowing it into your population as well."
"And if it isn't an illness, but is instead something that threatens your people more directly?"
"We'll have to handle it."
Kale nodded. It was, after all, their decision, and he had made his offer. It was all he could do.
"If there is anything we can do, call. We'll be ready to aid you."
John smiled, touched.
"Thanks. We'll let you know when we know."
He shook the Light One's hand and gestured for the others to get into the Jumper, and Kale, Char and several of the Light Ones watched as the ship rose into the air and headed off without a sound.
"We should help them," Char said, his voice a growl of frustration. "They're our allies."
"We can only help them if they want our help," Kale replied, shaking his head. "But we will be ready if they ask."
It was all they could do.
OOOOOOOOOOO
It was obvious that the Jaffa were relieved at a chance to stretch their legs after such a long time in the cramped Jumper. Mitchell set a perimeter of guards – because the Dark Ones were still a threat – told Jinto to stay close (which was unnecessary) and then she, Duck and Ronon stood near the Jumper and waited, with several Jaffa looming in the background as an unofficial honor guard watching over their goddess.
They didn't have long to wait. Only a few minutes later, Ronon nudged her, his gaze watching the faraway mountains. Melony looked as well and saw a small speck moving towards them and getting larger as it approached. A moment later, the other Jumper settled in front of them and the rear hatch opened.
Mitchell and Ronon walked over with Duck and a couple of the Jaffa as McKay, Sheppard and Ford exited the ship.
"What kept you?" she asked, sarcastically.
John smiled.
"We thought about flying in, but didn't want the Jaffa to shoot the Light Ones down by mistake."
Not to mention, flying with the Light Ones would have taken a lot longer – and would have left them without the added advantage of the other Jumper.
"Have you had any luck contacting Atlantis?" Mitchell asked, changing the subject and the tone of the conversation.
Sheppard shook his head.
"We didn't even try once we stopped talking to you. Something's obviously wrong, and I think we're better off sneaking in and finding out what it is before we make another attempt."
"Through the Stargate?" Jinto asked. He had been standing by the Jumper, but had followed Mitchell and Ronon over when they'd met Sheppard and the others.
Melony looked at Sheppard, clearly asking him his opinion of that idea. And Sheppard shook his head.
"I'd say that's a bad idea…"
"Whyso?" Rodney asked. "We could find out-"
"Because we'd also be setting ourselves up for an easy ambush," Ronon answered.
Mitchell nodded.
"Not to mention, they'd know we suspected something and would be far more cautious than they might be now…"
"What's the plan, then?" Ford asked.
"We'll go through a different gate, and fly direct the rest of the way, do a flyby of the city and see what we can find…"
"Cloaked, of course," Sheppard added.
"Definitely."
McKay nodded, excited because he'd be able to have a part to play in things right away. A part that was totally safe, really.
"We can do a scan of the city with the Jumper's sensors and see if there are any life forms there that don't belong."
"We won't be able to do anything about them from the Jumper, but we'll know where they are and we can land and clear them out before they even know what's going on."
"Or we'll know if there's nothing wrong," Mitchell added. "So we'll be able to find Weir and Beckett and find out what this illness is that they've reported."
"But you don't believe the illness story, do you?" Ford asked.
Melony glanced over at Jinto, who looked small and scared. And she shrugged.
"I don't know. Let's wait and see what we find out when we get there."
"Are we leaving Jinto here?" Sheppard asked, looking at the boy, too. Obviously an assault on Atlantis wasn't the place for a child.
Mitchell frowned.
"We can leave him with the farmers."
"Why not the Light Ones?" Duck asked, and then he grinned as he figured it out on his own. "Never mind."
Leaving a teenaged boy with a group of pheromone spewing naked aliens was a terrible idea. Leaving him with the farmers was much safer.
"But I want to come, too," Jinto told them.
Melony shook her head. There was no way in hell she was taking him with her. Not when either scenario was dangerous.
"It's too dangerous. You'll be safe with the-"
"But I-"
"She said you're staying," Ronon interrupted, glaring at the boy with his killer stare.
And that was that.
Mitchell hid her smile, and glanced over at Ronon, whose eyes were sparkling with amusement that belied his stern words. Sometimes a scary reputation could definitely come in handy.