Beckett was thrust unceremoniously into Raynu's office and he stumbled forward only to be caught by Ford.

He gave the young man a withering smile and then looked over to Elizabeth.

"Are you okay?" she asked her face a mask of concern.

Beckett nodded and turned to Raynu, "Where have you taken Major Sheppard?"

Raynu walked over to his desk and sat on the edge of it, "He's being put into a cell. Where he belongs I might add."

Beckett took a step forward and raised up placating hands, "You have to understand, the Major isn't well. He needs to be in a medical facility," he started, but Raynu put his hands up to stop him from continuing.

"What's wrong with John?" asked Elizabeth.

"He was wounded in the arm and has since got an infection from the injury. He needs to be in a bed resting."

"Ambassador if he's unwell." Started Elizabeth.

Raynu stood up, "Enough."

He walked over to his window and stared out of it, all the while behind him the figures gave each other nervous glances.

Elizabeth edged closer to Beckett and kept her voice low, "Did you see the body?"

Beckett nodded and didn't move his head towards her, "Yes. Sheppard didn't kill that man."

Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

"You have desecrated my sons body," said Raynu suddenly, startling them both.

Beckett was looking increasingly uneasy but he stood his ground, "Aye, but I can prove Sheppard didn't kill your son. If you would just let me talk to Leena and-"

"So you're still suggesting my daughter is responsible," he laughed and shook his head, "He was her brother. Does family mean nothing to you?"

"Sheppard is right handed, the shooter is left handed and the height differential suggests it was somebody shorter-"

Raynu cut Beckett off, "My daughter did not kill her brother. Understand?"

"I understand that you're being bloody unreasonable," said Beckett.

"Carson please," said Elizabeth, "Ambassador if we can at least prove Sheppard didn't do it, cant you let him go?"

Raynu shook his head, "I've heard enough of your stalling tactics and lies. Sheppard will be hanged tomorrow."

"What?" Elizabeth took a step forward. She was aware of the doors opening behind her and guards spilling into the room with their weapons drawn.

"Your kidding?" said Ford.

"You can't do that," said Elizabeth.

"I can do that and proceedings have already begun." He pursed his lips. "Please leave."

"Not without my 2IC," said Elizabeth.

Raynu was smiling now, "If you want I can put you in a cell with him."

That wasn't going to help anybody and Elizabeth knew it. Picking your fights and knowing when you could win them was one of the lessons that Sheppard had taught her. Now wasn't the time. "At least let us talk to him."

"You can talk to him tomorrow before his execution."

Ford was beside her with his weapon pointed upwards, his face set in determination, "We can't just leave." He said looking down at her, distress evident in his eyes.

Elizabeth gave him a look that told him to trust her, "Lt, lets go."

-------

Raynu watched as the Atlantean's left his office and heard the side door open.

"Please tell me you have nothing to do with this?" he asked without turning around.

"I promise," said Leena.

"Because I've been defending you and if I find-"he realised he was clenching his fists and he stopped to unfurl them.

"Father, I would not lie to you." Leena walked over to him and place a delicate hand onto his shoulder.

"A man will die tomorrow Leena, you understand that?"

"I understand."

"Now is the time to speak up."

Leena stared at her fathers back and strengthened her hold on him.

---------

They walked back to the gate in subdued thought.

The heavens had opened as if to compliment their already bad moods and as the gate came into view Ford finally spoke up, "Doctor Weir your not going to just let him kill him,"

Elizabeth wiped the rain out of her eyes, "Of course not."

"Well then what are we going to do?"

"We resort to plan B," said Elizabeth as she approached the dhd.

--------------

Without opening his eyes, Sheppard tried to assess the situation as it was.

He was lying on the floor, that he knew, and his back had recorded its discomfort and was now relaying that to his head.

He had a headache, felt immeasurably hot and clammy, and when he finally opened his eyes the dizziness assaulted him and sent a signal to his stomach to lurch uneasily.

He stared up at the ceiling for a minute before letting his eyes slide closed again.

It was the swift kick to his side that had him snapping them open again and curling over to instinctively protect himself.

He found he had little energy to retaliate and just before the next swift kick he heard a voice call out to stop.

For a minute he thought it might be Elizabeth or one of his team members coming to get him, but when he managed to refocus he could see it was Leena leaning over him, one hand on his chest the other wiping at his forehead with a damp rag.

"Where's Beckett?" he asked and pushing her off him he attempted to sit. "Is he okay?"

"Your friend is unharmed."

One lazy scan and he could see that he was in an all white room, which was obviously his cell.

"Good," said Sheppard.

Leena looked to the door, where one of the guards had just stepped out, and then back to Sheppard, "They have left," she said.

Sheppard swallowed against the pain in his side and shifted his position, "They left?" he asked now feeling completely helpless.

And that was the one thing he hated the most.

Leena seemed to look at him with sympathy, "What are you doing here?" he asked pushing her hand away from his forehead.

He was feeling suffocated again

"You are unwell," she said moving the rag about in her hands.

"Does your father know you're down here?"

She looked down at the floor and chewed at her lips again.

"Didn't think so," said Sheppard rubbing at his bruised side.

"I'm sorry about the guard. All they seem to understand is violence."

"Doesn't matter all that much seen as I will be dead tomorrow."

"You know then?" she asked sitting on her heels.

"That tomorrow he's going to hang me?" he put his head against the wall and closed his eyes, "Yeah I know."

He felt her hand on his leg and he couldn't be bothered to move away from it, "Then tell me you will help me carry out my plan?"

Sheppard slid one eye open, "What plan?"

Leena was looking at the cell door again, as if she was expecting it to burst open, "If my father were not here…." She paused, "If he were gone you would free….I would be free. You and me, we could have so much power at our hands."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes and it seemed to pinch the headache behind them, "You're going to kill your father."

Leena's hand crept up his leg and the other went up to his shoulder, "Shh!" She retracted the hand on his shoulder and rubbed at her head, "The device in Doctor McKay's lab. If it were to overload what do you think would happen?"

"It would explode."

"Exactly."

"I didn't know you were a scientist?"

"If you had asked you would know that," she said and Sheppard didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

There was an eerie silence which descended over them and in that quiet Sheppard reached a disturbing conclusion, "You can activate the stunner. You must have the ATA gene."

"The what?"

Sheppard didn't answer. He felt that with her already dubious mental status she didn't need to know she had the capability to operate highly dangerous equipment and other foreign devices.

"Is that why I feel such a strong connection to you? Do you have it?"

Sheppard shifted his position again and licked his lips, "I won't help you."

"You wont?" she looked confused, "Then you'll die."

Sheppard nodded and closed his eyes again and wondered if his team had left him here permanently or if they were planning on rescuing him.

Leena seemed to read his mind and said, "Your friends they came here and left. They're not coming back."

"How do you know?"

Leena looked deep into his eyes and didn't answer him, "I'm sorry you wont help me. That you would rather die."

Sheppard was feeling tired and he welcomed the growing darkness, "You know, you could just help me out of here anyway."

Leena shook her head, "I could," she stood up.

"But you wont," he said.

"You know I cant do that. Either way, somebody needs to be held responsible for my brothers death." She looked down at her hands, "If I am to rule I need to be credible."

"And killing your father is going to make you just that," said Sheppard dizzily.

"It will look like an accident," she said.

Sheppard closed his eyes when his vision started to swim.

He felt her lips on his for the briefest of moments and he didn't move away from it.

------

Morning arrived and Sheppard opened his eyes somewhat disappointed.

Disappointed that he was still in his cell.

Disappointed he was still in pain.

Disappointed that his team-mates hadn't rescued him and his mind served to remind him that this was just like before.

When he had been in Afghanistan he had defied orders, travelled across the borders, and attempted a rescue of men who had been left behind.

It turned out in the end, in an ironic twist of events, that he was the one who was left behind and stranded.

He had waited patiently for four days for his country to come and save him.

And that's all he had done.

Waited.

If he hadn't taken the initiative and got his own way out he would probably still be there; a decayed corpse.

From his position, sat up against the wall, he lifted a stiff arm and rubbed the weariness out of his eyes.

He couldn't decide if he had slept last night or been unconscious.

He figured it didn't matter either way.

Not now.

There was the sound of keys in the lock and Sheppard stiffened as he watched the door slide open. The next thing he knew he was being hauled to his feet and Raynu was stood before him.

"Its time," he said solemnly.

-------------

The square outside Raynu's complex was overflowing with people and Elizabeth found herself buffeted around as she was pushed aside and tripped over by various spectators.

She looked across into the crowd where Mckay and Beckett were nervously standing. They were trying to look inconspicuous against the other faces who all watched in anticipation for the murderer of Aaron to be bought down to justice.

Elizabeth looked over to the door again and swallowed nervously. She hoped Sheppard hadn't thought they had abandoned him, but then considering the type of man he was, she knew he would be fine.

After all, John Sheppard was a relentless fighter.

She watched as the front door to the complex opened and there were audible gasps as Raynu walked out onto a manmade podium.

Behind him guards dragged out Sheppard and he seemed somewhat deflated in their grip. He was hunched forward, held up by the sheer force of those men.

Elizabeth bought her hand up to her earpiece and depressed it, "Ford, Are you in position?" she asked, cupping her ear in an attempt to make Ford's response clearer.

Lt Ford had managed to sneak into Ambassador Raynu's complex and get up to a height where he could set up his rifle and was now sitting patiently at one of the windows.

"Yes Ma'am," he answered, "This place is surprisingly quiet. It would seem everyone wants to get a good view of the hanging."

Elizabeth found herself smiling despite the grim situation, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"When Sheppard gets up onto that platform I'll shoot out the rope," he said quickly.

Elizabeth kept her eyes on Sheppard. He seemed to be looking around for something and she wondered if it was them he was trying to seek out.

"I hope this all goes to plan," said Elizabeth.

"It will."

"If you miss-"

"I wont." There was a confident edge to his voice that gave her reassurance.

"Good luck."

"Luck is for losers," said Ford, "Ford out."

Elizabeth glanced over and her eyes connected with McKay's. He looked anxious and she knew he was disgruntled at the fact he had felt out of the loop. He hadn't even known when they got back that Sheppard had been taken away, let alone sentenced to death. He had insisted on coming, especially, when he was convinced that Leena had stolen from his lab.

Her eyes were drawn back to Sheppard as he was dragged over to a platform and a rope was placed around his neck. His hands were bound behind his back and he stood with his head down.

"My son's death will be paid for," Raynu said loudly all of a sudden, "This man, John Sheppard-," he said to the crowd, "murdered my son in cold blood."

"No, I didn't!" Sheppard all of a sudden shouted and there were gasps from the crowd.

Elizabeth shook her head.

Even with impending death he couldn't stop the wise cracks.

Raynu looked over to Sheppard and then back to the crowd, taking a moment to compose himself for speech again, "As I was saying, its time he paid."

Sheppard seemed to be laughing and he was shaking his head as one of the guards walked over to the lever which was going to retract the floor under his feet.

Raynu smiled and shouted, "Now!" and Elizabeth watched as the platform fell away beneath Sheppard's feet.

"Now would be a good time Lt," she said activating her earpiece.

There was static on the other end and all she could do was watch as Sheppard slowly started to suffocate on the rope.

"Lt?" she said desperately, "I need you to shoot out that rope."

Again she was met with static.

TBC

WHUMP LOTSA WHUMP.

Shep isnt going to get a break in the next few chapters