A/N: Ready for this?
Point of Ascension
Chapter 6 part 3
"Take her out."
"You knew!?" McKay unsettlingly tried to throw accusations on Vera.
"Of course I knew." She answered. "Not exactly what the nature of the betrayal would be, but most certainly that they wouldn't simply stick to the deal."
"Why didn't you say anything?!"
"I did. However you deemed the risks of continuing the alliance worth it. Therefore I decided to come along. To see if I could prevent a disaster."
"Oh! Well done on that."
"We're not dead yet."
There was something in her voice that both annoyed and disarmed McKay. She was so calm, as if the situation weren't bothering her at all. The chambers they had been put in had covered them with thick web-like material by now. But Ronon was still struggling and Vera wasn't still either.
"What good will that do us? I'm pretty sure these are struggle proof! Even if big-guy here won't believe me."
"Are you getting anywhere Ronon?" She asked.
"In time."
"How would they even get to Earth?" McKay kept talking to himself. "I mean, even if they somehow found the location of Earth they don't have the means to get there... Unless.. they downloaded something along with the hive ship plans..." He scowled, rolled his eyes and grunted. "Something like spyware, like when I stupidly downloaded porn-Music! When I downloaded music!" He glanced over towards the other two but only saw Ronon struggling. McKay fell silent for a moment until it hit him. "I did this. I'm responsible for the destruction of my own planet."
"If anyone was going to do it, it'd be you." Ronon taunted him.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for that!"
John looked around and pondered the situation. He couldn't just sit here forever. There was the idea to take out the hyperdrive while in hyperspace. He seemed to recall a conversation between McKay and Zalenka that was about if you could fly inside the hyperspace field… But the most he could remember of it was the eyes of a pretty brunette sitting at the table opposite to him...
"I need to pay more attention to those guys." He sighed.
The wraith queen sat at her throne, talking with one of her underlings. She sat with the back straight, both hands resting on the armrests. As if she was born into it. Michael entered the room and the queen snarled at her subject. Motioning her head for him to leave. As the short haired wraith stood before her she had taken up a pose of complete superiority.
"Yes... Michael?" Her voice conveyed the same superiority, as well as contempt to his human name.
"You should have told me." He said and received a questioning look. "That we were going to betray the Lanteans."
"Are you feeling sympathy for them?" She asked with mockery.
"No." He sounded insulted. "But I don't understand why I wasn't told. I told you of their plan because I believed it was a viable way t-"
"You're only alive because you may yet prove useful." She interrupted him. Clearly annoyed by his attitude, or maybe just by him. "But I fear, Michael, that the lingering stench of what they have transformed you into will never fade." She tilted her head, looking straight into his eyes. Challenging him to speak up against her again.
He knew he couldn't. And the way she used his name was a marker clear enough. He growled in protest and turned to walk away. So they didn't accept him, not a big surprise really. But he didn't expect them to be this front about it.
He traveled through a few corridors until he found his way blocked by fellow wraith. He looked at them, annoyed.
"There is work I must attend to." He said to no effect. "Stand aside!"
But the guards silently looked back at him. His voice had no command here it seemed. There was a rage building up towards these people who were supposed to be his own. Simple guards standing in his way? A lieutenant? But his rank seemed to have diminished to nothing because of this treatment that had been forced upon him.
"Am I to sit quietly in my quarters?"
Not receiving any response he growled again before he walked away.
McKay had gone into an almost catatonic state as he relaxed hung against the webbing keeping him prisoner. The two next to him though seemed to refuse to give up their struggle.
"They're actually quite comfortable." He said staring at nothing in front of himself. "Surprisingly warm, takes all the pressure of the spine. I suppose it's as good a place as any to witness the end of humanity."
"Is he always this cheerful?" Vera asked.
"Just about."
"You haven't figured it out yet, haven't you?!" He snapped. "Even if you somehow break out of these cocoons, then what? Hmm? We're traveling in hyperspace, probably in the massive void between our two galaxies where there aren't any planets, let alone Stargates! So what do we do, huh? Go up to the wraith and say 'Oh sorry, we tired of just waiting could you take us home please, it's past our bedtime'?"
"Upgrading a wraith hive ship will strain its systems." Vera answered calmly. "It's highly unlikely the ship has reached the void yet. Or that it will before they have to stop to let the engines rest. If we can break through by that time, there is still hope."
"Hope? Hope for what? There is still the problem of getting out of the ship!"
"You don't think I can fly a wraith dart?"
"Oh... you.. can?"
"Of course."
"Huh..."
McKay fell silent, but he didn't start to struggle.
"You shut him up. Well done." There was some amusement in Ronons voice.
"Oh you shut up! It's not like you're getting anywhere anyway!"
The scenery outside Sheppard's 302 started to shift and within moments the two hive ships dropped out of hyperspace. John looked around to see the stars and was relieved.
"Ok, time to do some damage."
He switched on the radio and tried to reach McKay and Ronon over it. After a couple of calls he received a reply, but not from a voice he expected.
"Colonel Sheppard, is that you?"
"Who is this?" He asked, staring at the radio in surprise.
"You know me as Michael."
"Sorry, wrong number." Not sure what to do with the situation he tried to joke it away.
"Your people are still alive."
"What are you gonna do with them?"
"If you want them to live, listen to me. I don't know how you got aboard, but if your friends are in pursuit, you need to disable these ships in order for them to reach us."
"If you really wanna help why don't you just do that."
"They would know."
"Aren't you 'they'?"
"Please believe me when I say I was as deceived as you were."
"Oh I don't know." Sheppard stated with sarcasm. "I was pretty deceived."
Michael explained how the wraith had stopped regarding him as one of them. There was some inevitable mockery being exchanged between them before they decided to co-operate. They agreed that Johns target should be the ventral hyperdrive generators.
"Wonder what they'll do to us? Feed on us, probably. I mean, that's ... that's what they do."
McKay was talking to himself, staring blindly into the air. It seemed as if he had lost all hope. While Ronon and Vera continued to struggle in their cocoons.
"It won't come to that." Ronon said stubbornly.
"Maybe!" Rodney started thinking, at first perking up at the thought. "Earth'll probably mount some kind of defense..." And he lost hope again "In which case I imagine death would be instantaneous. Unless we're trapped on a deck in a fire or something, then we'd be burned alive. Well, burned alive or suffocate. I wonder what'd be worse: being life-sucked by the Wraith or, burned alive. I honestly couldn't consider two worse options."
"Such a positive attitude." Vera pulled at her strain in frustration.
"Stop talking!" Ronon barked at McKay.
"You know what?! Make me!" He shouted with defiance in his voice.
And as if fate had a hand in the events Ronon punched his hand through the webbing, clasping a knife.
"What are you doing? Where did you get that?!"
"I'm millimeters away from my own blade." Vera grunted, made a last effort and felt a smooth handle at her fingertips. "Finally."
After one final push Ronon was free of his cocoon at the same time Vera started cutting at her own.
"I've been trying to get my hand free so I could get to it."
"Both of you brought hidden knives?"
"Wraiths are curious like that." Vera panted, kicking out of the cocoon as Ronon helped McKay out. "They consider themselves advanced in their level of technology, and therefore they don't expect any society on the same level as themselves to carry anything less than the same weaponry. Hidden blades have saved many Lantean lives."
"You serious?" McKay frowned and added "Watch it!" As Ronon handled the task of cutting him loose a little... roughly. Dex stopped and pointed his blade towards him.
"Are you gonna stop all this "We're gonna die, there's no hope" talk?"
"Well now there is hope!"
When the three of them were finally loose, Ronon started pulling off the webbing off himself.
"So now what?" He asked.
"What?" McKay was confused.
"How do we get out of here?"
"Well... I don't-" McKay stopped talking. Looking a little worried.
"What?"
"You said no more death talk."
Ronon inhaled and clenched his teeth but before he could start an argument Vera came to the rescue.
"We need to get the ships out of hyperspace."
"How do we do that?"
"We find a control panel."
"And how do we do that?"
She pulled off a large piece of webbing from her back and threw it into the cocoon.
"This is a standard class hive ship. I know my way around well enough. Come on."
Vera turned and started out of the chamber. Ronon and McKay looked at each other, slightly confused, before they followed.
The wraith ship shivered from exiting hyperspace and Michael stood up to look out a window. Yes, they had stopped, but why?
"What's happening?" He heard Sheppard's voice from the radio. He walked over to the table and picked it up.
"We just exited hyperspace before schedule. I do not know why."
"What?"
"I suggest you move quickly Sheppard. Destroy the hyperdrives of both ships as quickly as you can."
"And you're sure my people isn't anywhere near the place?"
"I'm certain, good luck."
"Thanks! It'll be a walk in the park... A very scary park filled with monsters that wants to kill me."
"I don't understand." Michael said, looking at the radio confused.
"Never mind."
McKay stood hovering over a console in the Wraith ship as Vera and Ronon stood guard at his sides. Focused, he was navigating the panels as best as he could. Suddenly the ship shook of and explosion. Ronon and Vera looked at him but he raised his hands from the consol.
"That wasn't me."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't cause that explosion!"
"We need to move." Vera said as she heard running footsteps down the corridor. She turned towards them and added "Now."
Michael hurried down a corridor, hoping to intercept the Wraith before they could take Sheppard to the food storage. The man from Atlantis had broken radio contact just after a swarm of darts had forced him to land and taken him prisoner. Michael figured that if he were quick enough he could use his former authority to get them to release Sheppard into his care.
As expected he did find them halfway there.
"You should not be here." The wraith told him.
"She asked me to question the prisoner."
The wraith took a look at him from top to toe and gave him a look as if to say Really?
"If you prefer to discuss it with her..." Michael motioned to step out of his way, but the words did have the effect he'd hoped for.
"Release him." The soldier ordered and the others complied.
Groggily Sheppard stumbled over to Michael who raised a stun gun on him. Grabbing his collar he announced that he'd take the prisoner from here and dragged him along a different corridor. When they were alone he lowered the gun and Sheppard stopped his act, standing up straight and ready for action.
"You had me worried there."
"You've slowed them down, at least for a little while now. But it seems your friends has escaped."
"What?"
"They're the ones who caused the ships to drop out of hyperspace."
"We have to find them!"
That's when they heard the charge-up of a wraith gun and two people stepped out from around the corner.
"That won't be necessary." Ronon was holding the weapon against Michael and aimed it towards his head when the wraith moved.
"Whoa! Calm down, he's on our side... again."
"You sure?" He was reluctant to lower the weapon.
"Yes." Sheppard gestured with his hands and eventually Ronon did lower his weapon, reluctantly.
"Where did you come from?" McKay asked, confused.
"We can go through that later. Where's Vera? And how did you get that weapon?"
"We managed to get one of the guards alone." McKay explained and got a stare from Ronon. "Okay he did."
"And Vera?"
"She got caught." Ronon informed him.
"What?"
"I'm not sure what happened, but we heard her demanding to be taken to the queen."
The three humans turned their eyes towards Michael.
"She's most likely at the bridge. It would be unwise to go. There would be several wraith-"
"We have to try." Sheppard stated.
Michael sighed but by now he knew how stubborn these people could be.
"Alright."
He said and reached for something inside his coat. Ronon readied the weapon again but Michael calmly pulled out Ronon's own blaster and handed it to him. Still guarded, he took it and handed the larger weapon to Sheppard. As McKay was the last one who wasn't armed Michael handed him a pistol.
"Now this is what I call help." Sheppard smiled.
Vera was flanked by two guards and facing the wraith queen. She looked as calm as ever, meeting her eyes without fear. As Michael had guessed, the queen was at the bridge. Now she gave the soldiers who had taken the ancient to her a hard stare.
"Why did you take her here?" The two turned their heads to the floor, hoping to avoid punishment by showing submission.
"I asked them to." Vera stated.
"You... asked them to?" The queen repeated with doubt.
"I did think they were showing remarkable compliance. For wraith."
"So you are the reason we dropped out of hyperspace." The queen continued and started to slowly circle the woman. If she was here she could just as well make the most out of it. And there were really no reason to let her live any longer. "I will have you know that we captured your Colonel Sheppard. He is most likely being... interrogated, at the moment."
The queen came up at Vera's right and she turned her head towards her. Their eyes met. Vera hadn't known about Sheppard. How could he have managed to get onboard the ship and stayed hidden for so long? Without attempting a rescue? It wasn't like the man. Was the queen lying to her? The wraith could be manipulative, yes, but to this extent?
There were too many questions. Distractions she couldn't afford right now. If she was going to pull this off she needed her full focus on the task at hand. So she stopped listening to the queens words and started to concentrate. Luckily this particular wraith queen took pleasure in her prisoners' demise. And trying to break them with words alone. Vera followed her with her eyes but didn't hear the words she spoke.
Suddenly there were loud voices in the hall leading to the bridge, and then shots from energy weapons and lastly Sheppard and Ronon popped up in the doorway. There were moments passing by when nothing happened. Shock and confusion spreading through the room. Vera lifted her eyes.
Every second was passing by slowly. She could feel the air filling up her lungs as she inhaled, sent her consciousness throughout the room. Reach for the wraith minds and took control.
"Take her out."
Vera gave the order, and after the words were spoken, time seemed to pass on in a raging speed. The wraith obeyed. Twenty individuals took arms and fired at their queen. She died in silent surprise.
"Go." Vera continued. "Kill anyone who tries to enter the bridge. Anyone who raises a weapon towards you."
McKay, Ronon, Sheppard and Michael was standing just inside the bridge and did nothing but move carefully out of the way as the wraith obeyed her command. No one said anything until the room was emptied of wraith.
"What the hell just happened?" Sheppard asked. Michael took a step towards the woman.
"You! You're one of them!" He raised a hand pointing at her.
Vera turned her cold blue eyes at him.
"There are no they." She answered as if she knew exactly what he meant. "There was only ever me. Now be silent. I will need to concentrate for this."
She stepped up to the main console, took a deep breath and readied herself to take control of the ship.
"What really did just happen?" McKay looked like a confused puppy trying to understand. "Is it even possible for a human to handle a wraith computer like that?"
"Quiet Dr McKay. I need to focus." Vera's voice was hard and distant.
After that, no one said anything, and just watched. They exchanged some looks with each other. Ronon checked the hall, but it was still clear. There hadn't been a single sight of the wraith. But they had heard shots down the hall.
Vera took hold of the panel and closed her eyes. The ship spread through her mid as he control spread through the ship. She held her hands to the panel and breathed hard through her teeth. Overpowering a wraith computer wasn't an easy task. For most it was an impossible one.
Why did the wraith do as she ordered? Why could she interact with the ships computer? Within minutes it was clear she could. The ship rocked and reading the screens Michael told the others that they had engaged in combat with the other hive.
McKay hissed in a whisper that she 'd had him hacking a panel to turn off the hyperdrive. How was this even possible? Sheppard still wanted to know what the hell was going on.
She raised her head in surprise, as if someone had just called on her. After a few movements of her hands she spoke out loud.
"Colonel Caldwell."
"Vera? Is that you?"
"Yes. Me, Colonel Sheppard, Dr McKay, Ronon and Michael are on board the formerly friendly hive. I am in control of the ship. I recommend you divert all your firepower towards the second hive." Her voice was perceptibly strained.
"What do you mean in control?"
"Colonel, I don't have much time!"
Caldwell proceeded to order the nukes to be sent towards the other hive. Vera touched a finger under her nose and felt blood. There truly wasn't much time. Her control over the wraith was slipping as she had to focus on the ship; soon they would come running in the corridor.
"Colonel." She said, panting now. "I have disabled the codes that would prevent you from using your beaming technology on and off this ship." Vera swallowed, her vision becoming a blur. "I suggest-" She had to catch her breath. "I suggest you beam on board the gas, after you take us off it."
There was a short conversation between Caldwell and Hermiod where the asgaard confirmed the success of the plan. Meanwhile Vera forced herself to let go of the ships controls. She took a step back and turned towards the group. There were blood coming from her nose and her eyes were bloodshot.
"What the..." John stared at her, she was pale and out of mind.
Vera blinked, but her vision wouldn't clear. The four figures waiting for her was a blur. The world was becoming unstable. Her legs were harder to control. They failed her after two faltering steps. Both John and Michael went forward to catch her. Though the wraith was halted by Ronon's gun.
Sheppard managed to get to her in time and caught her before her head hit the floor. He tried to get a response from her.
"Vera? Vera! Answer me, Vera!" But there came no response, not a single hint of consciousness. "McKay, tell Caldwell to get us off this ship now."
Rodney fumbled with the radio before he got contact. Shortly after the Daedalus beaming technology illuminated the wraith bridge and the team was gone.
End of Chapter 6
Authors Notes: I thought I would be able to post this on Christmas eve, but holidays got in the way and then my friends arrived for new years and stayed a week, had one free day until I was travelling off to Junior WC in hockey, then started the year with working overtime.
Yesterday I finally managed to get the last part down and decided to post NOW before I started thinking about it and decided I wasn't done yet x3
SO! Finally some changes to the episode, huh? :3 Next chapter might be very hippie.
No idea when it'll be posted. There's lots to do and I'm actually going to London next weekend as well.
If you want more on me I'm now starting to use my tumblr account: JediTc
(Ps: AC4 was god damn good)