Chapter 12 Additional Training
Mess Hall
Ten Fifteen Hundred Hours
General Jack O'Neill walked back into the mess hall and was a bit taken aback by how many people were in the room. It seemed that most of the civilian personnel along with all the off-duty military personnel were there.
When the military crew saw him enter, they all came to attention which in turn quieted down the civilian crew. He walked over to a table and awkwardly climbed up on it so he could be seen and heard by everyone.
"May I have your attention? Military personnel may be at ease. Could everyone find a seat so we could get started?" He waited while everyone seated themselves. After about two minutes, quiet remained. He cleared his throat and began. "I take it all of you are here about General Sheppard?" Many, if not all heads nodded. "Okay, The X-Men and Doctor McKay have devised a plan called Operation Backlash. If you all want in on this and you know of the rest of the crew that is on duty currently, then it has to be coordinated. You will divide into groups with a leader for each group. What we plan to do is make him think that he is going a little nuts. This is also a way of getting back at him for a major slight that he has done to Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard. I have to assume that the military personnel find the Colonel an acceptable leader?"
Sergeant Stackhouse stood up and said, "Speaking for the military personnel, I'd say he is a very good leader and we would follow him into any skirmish there was, Sir."
"Thank you Sergeant. I'm assuming that the scientific crew likes the Colonel as well?"
Doctor Radek Zelenka stood and addressed O'Neill. "We all respect the Colonel and will fight to keep him here. The General does not know how good a man he really is."
"Thank you. I'm glad to hear that. Now, to get this done you will form teams. I want two science crew and two military on each team. If your team comes up with an idea of how to get back at General Sheppard, you will run it by Ambassador McCoy, Doctor McKay or myself. We will let you know if the idea is in the planning stages or not. Under no circumstances is General Sheppard to be physically injured. I know that idea would make you all feel better but this is a psych war. We want him to feel like he is going a bit nuts.
"Now, make up your teams and set meeting times. I want this room organized and cleared by the end of the hour. No acting without authorization from one of the three of us. That's all. Oh, before I forget. If anybody is written up or has been written up by General Sheppard, don't worry about it. Everything has to go through me first and they might conveniently get lost in some shredder."
Jack climbed down off the table and the room began to break up into teams of four. If there were any left over then some groups enlarged to six to accommodate those that didn't have a group. Meeting times were set and then the groups disbursed and went about their duties. Jack smiled to see the organizing being done and the rallying to save their Colonel from a very bad General.
Training Room
Twelve Forty-five Hours
Teyla and John Sheppard stood in the ready position as some of the Marines began to file back into the room. Without warning, two sticks clacked together and then a rhythm was set up for about three minutes. Teyla made a move and John blocked it with his stick but he forgot about the counter move that Teyla then made. Her second stick cracked against his arm and he was forced to drop his stick as his arm went tingly.
He let out a yelp and shook his hand as his stick hit the ground. Teyla smiled and said, "You are not concentrating."
"I am. I just forgot about that counter move you do. Ready to go again?"
"Always. Remember to center yourself and we shall spar for a bit longer. You did well for a bit."
"Just a bit excited about being back on full duty tomorrow. Finally get to go off-world again."
"It has only been a week."
"I know, but a week seems like a really long time when you want to do something."
"I understand Colonel. I, too, am looking forward to going off-world again," she said with a smile. She got into her ready stance and waited on John.
John calmed his slightly racing heart and found his center. He then got into his ready stance. After about thirty seconds of inactivity, a blur of motion began. For the next five minutes, Teyla and John cracked sticks together in a beautiful rhythm of timing and choreography that was something to behold.
All the observers were amazed at how well the Colonel was doing. It almost looked like a dance between the two combatants. Jack smiled to see how smooth John was fighting with Teyla. He looked over at Thomas and could just feel the animosity rolling off the man. He couldn't understand how one person could hate his own flesh and blood so much.
Thomas had a sneer on his face as he watched his son and this woman hit each other with sticks. This wasn't fighting. How could anyone consider this a type of combat? Anyone could probably do it.
John made a move that swung his stick over Teyla's head as she slid her body down and sideways. She smiled at the move and then tried to take out John's feet. He jumped but kept his sticks at the ready and stopped her own sticks as they tried to come down on his arm again.
Teyla stopped and stood up. She smiled and said, "Much better."
John grinned and then looked around the room. He nodded at General O'Neill and went to salute General Sheppard. Jack shook his head and nodded for him to start the exercise.
John nodded back to O'Neill and looked to see who else had come.
All the X-Men were present. Logan had mentioned that he knew some martial arts and wondered if he would like to try stick fighting with Teyla.
"Logan, would you like to try a go with the sticks?"
"Why not," he said and made his way to the floor.
"Play nice Logan," John said with a grin as he passed his sticks over.
Logan got into his ready stance as did Teyla. Silence reigned for about a minute and then crack after crack could be heard of the sticks. Teyla was enjoying this workout and sensed that Logan would be good at all hand-to-hand fighting.
After a few minutes, Logan stopped and looked at Teyla. He then bowed to her as a sign of respect. He thanked her for the exercise and then calmly walked off the floor. He handed the sticks to Rogue and said, "Your turn."
Rogue took the sticks and nervously walked out on to the floor. She spun the sticks trying to get a feel for them and then Logan commented to her, "Just like the Danger Room sequence we ran three weeks ago. Start slow and you'll pick it up quick."
Rogue nodded and then bowed to Teyla. Teyla wasn't sure what to make of the bowing but she accepted it and nodded back at Rogue. She got into her ready stance and prepared to start slow and then build up the speed.
As with Logan, Rogue began slow and matched Teyla strike for strike. Soon a speeded up rhythm could be heard through the room. After a few minutes, Rogue miscalculated a strike and got hit on the arm. The sting and tingly feeling caught her off guard and she dropped her sticks. Logan was proud of how long she held her own. He had been working with her for weeks to build up her speed and confidence in self-defense.
Rogue rubbed her arm as Teyla came over to her. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, just stings and tingles a little. Thank you for letting me try."
"You are quite welcome and very good for a beginner. If you would like more instruction while you are here, do not hesitate to ask. I would be honored to train with you."
Rogue smiled and thanked her and then walked off the floor. She turned to Iceman and said, "Your turn Bobby. Play nice."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yep, nothing Logan hasn't done before. Go on, get out there," she grinned at him.
Iceman walked out slowly to the middle of the room. He spun the sticks in his hands and tried to get a feel for the weight of each one. He had only started training with Logan last week in the martial arts so was very unsure of his ability.
He bowed slightly to Teyla and then hoped that he was in the correct stance. Teyla smiled at him and got into her stance. She slowly brought her right stick up and then down quickly. Iceman just got his own right stick up in time.
Teyla then began to slowly swing each stick in turn until Iceman got the rhythm. Logan nodded as Iceman kept pace with the woman. He was still swinging in a rhythm when Teyla took a swipe at her opponent's left side. She connected solidly and Iceman doubled over. The only problem is that his right hand came out and shot ice at Teyla. She barely saw it at the last second and got out of the way although it did brush the skin on her left shoulder. She shivered and quickly brought her right hand up to cover the area.
John rushed over to Teyla and Storm and Logan went over to Iceman. John asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, my shoulder is just extremely cold. Now I understand why they call him Iceman. Did I hurt him?"
"Don't think so. He was just reacting to the way he was trained. You sure you're alright?"
"Yes, I am fine. Let us go see to your young friend," and she walked over to the trio in the middle of the room.
Logan and Storm were on either side of Iceman. He was winded but slowly standing up. His left hand was holding onto his left side and he looked sheepishly at Teyla as she approached.
He looked at Teyla and said, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No but it seems that I did hurt you. Should you not see Doctor Beckett?"
"No just knocked the wind out of me. I wasn't expecting that hit but I should have been. I only started martial arts with Logan last week while coming here so I'm not very good yet."
"I can tell that you will be a fine student. You did quite well with me. If you, Rogue or Logan wish to practice more, just let me know and I will be happy to work out with any of you."
Iceman smiled and then bowed to Teyla in a show of respect. Teyla took him by the shoulders and brought their foreheads together in the traditional Athosian greeting. Iceman grinned and John smiled.
Logan and Storm helped Iceman off the floor and Carson looked at his side. After a few minutes of poking and prodding, Carson said he was just suffering from a large bruise but would be fine by the morning.
Jack watched from the sidelines and decided that he wanted to give it a try. He stepped out on to the floor and nodded at John. "Kinda would like to give it a try if Teyla is up to it?"
Teyla smiled and nodded her consent. John grabbed the fighting sticks and handed them to Jack. "She's tricky sir. Be careful," John said with a grin. Jack nodded and took the sticks. He spun them in his hands a few times and then stood ready to start.
Teyla got into her ready stance and spun her left stick a few times. She nodded at Jack that she was ready and Jack attacked without warning. She countered all of his moves and then they got into a fighting rhythm for all of five minutes. Teyla then countered a move he made which totally caught Jack off guard. Teyla swatted him on the rear end as she moved past him.
Jack grabbed at his butt and grimaced at the sting. He then turned and glared determinately at Teyla. He was ready for another go and about eight minutes into the battle, Teyla had him on his knees with her sticks across his neck.
"You lost concentration General. Against a Wraith, you would have been dead or dying right about now."
"I see that. Now how do I get out of this mess?"
Teyla released him and helped him to stand. He thanked her and carried his sticks over to Thomas. Jack held them out to him and said, "Give it a try. It's not as easy as it looks."
"This is not fighting, it's child's play. I fully expect to beat her in one go."
Jack just smiled and shook his head. He knew that Tom had no chance in hell of beating her. Jack watched as Tom removed his jacket and handed it to a young Marine. So far, no one had beaten Teyla and Logan had called an end to his session, hence that was a draw.
Tom walked out to the middle of the room and turned and faced Teyla. He nodded at her to begin and she got in her ready stance. Tom watched her face and realized that she was not giving away any idea of what or when she would begin.
Abruptly, her right arm came up and cracked against Tom's arm. Tom dropped his stick and swung out with his other stick. Teyla blocked the swing and then swung her right stick again and cracked against Tom's left knee. Tom dropped like a stone and Teyla took advantage of it. She had him pinned against her body with her sticks across his throat.
John just shook his head and glanced over at General O'Neill. Jack grinned back and nodded for John to go to his dad. John slowly walked out to hear Teyla commenting, "You must learn concentration General. If you don't, then a Wraith will kill you quickly."
"Let me up and I'll show you some real fighting."
Teyla looked at John and shook her head. She released the General and John held out his hand to help him to his feet. The General glanced at the hand and looked up at his son. He turned away and got to his feet all on his own. He rubbed at his knee and then looked to see where Teyla was. She had just stepped back into the middle of the room when the General charged at her. A gasp went up from the crowd and Teyla saw him coming at her. She sidestepped the charge and used her sticks to lightly strike the General on the back.
Thomas dropped to the floor and slid into the other side of the crowd. No one helped him up; afraid he would strike out at them. Thomas turned over and let out a low growl. He would not be humiliated by a young girl with no training in the military field. He dragged his sore body up off the floor and ran at her full tilt.
Teyla spun and cracked her sticks against Thomas as he charged her again. She didn't mean to do it so hard but she ended up hitting the side of his head and he dropped like a stone, unconscious.
John, Jack and Carson all ran out onto the floor and checked on the unconscious man. They gently rolled him over and Carson checked his vitals. John was quietly biting his lip and Jack rested his hand on John's shoulder.
Teyla came up to John and said, "I am sorry. I did not mean to hit your father so hard but he attacked as if he were possessed. I only was defending myself."
"It's not your fault Teyla. He should never have attacked you from behind. I think he felt humiliated. He was never beaten in hand-to-hand combat. You aren't military trained and I think he thought you would be a push-over. You did the only thing you could have in this situation. He deserved what he got. We may not ever get along but I don't like to see him hurt even if it was his own stupidity. I'm not mad one bit at you." He touched foreheads with Teyla and then smiled at her.
Teyla smiled back and then looked down at Carson working on John's father. Carson sat back and called for a gurney to be brought to the training room. He looked up at John and said, "He'll be alright. I don't think there's any concussion but he did get hit kind of hard. I knew what was comin' the minute he got up the second time. He'll have a headache when he wakes up but he'll be fine. I'll send him to rest in his quarters when he wakes up and he should be right as rain tomorrow morning. Don't worry Colonel. Seems he has a hard head same as you," Carson grinned at John.
John let out the breath he was unconsciously holding. A gurney and two orderlies arrived then and transferred the General from the floor. In no time at all, Carson had him being wheeled out of the training room and headed to the infirmary so he could be observed until he awoke.
John watched until the gurney turned the corner and then he turned back to the training room. "Alright, now you've all seen what not to do, who would like to get instruction on how to properly fight with sticks?"
The entire room, except for Logan, raised their hands. John grinned and said, "Those interested see Teyla and make arrangements for a training period. Just remember that she does also go out on missions so make arrangements accordingly." Everyone nodded and slowly made their way over to Teyla to schedule times for training.
Logan came over to John and looked him seriously in the eye. "He'll be okay. It may even teach him a lesson not to underestimate his opponents."
"That'll be the day. He'll come up with some excuse to write her up or charge her with assault."
"Don't worry about it. He won't do anything to Teyla," Jack told him.
"How can you be so sure, General? He's always gotten his own way except for me."
"Well, he reports to me, so nothing will happen to Teyla. He's not getting his way with anything while we're here."
"That's good to know Sir. I guess I should go see if he's come to. If you'll excuse me Sir?"
"Go on Colonel. Keep me informed as to when he wakes up. I have some choice words for him myself."
John saluted and turned to leave the room. Jack and Logan looked at each other. "He cares about the man, yet they don't talk. I never had anyone treat me that bad," Logan commented as John left the room.
"He wants to do everything in his power to maybe impress the man but John's beating his head against a brick wall. The more I learn about Tom, the less I like the man. General Landry has known him for a long time and never knew that John was his son. He kept it hidden from everyone."
"Not a very good father at all. I'm glad they sent me to find Eagle. He's a good soul even without a good father figure. His mother did an excellent job of raising him until the accident. We'll just have to be there for Eagle when he needs us."
"I'm glad. You and his team here are good friends and an excellent family for him. He needs someone to be in his corner." Jack paused. "Will this delay Operation Backlash?"
"No. Doc Beckett said he would be released later today so tomorrow begins the fun. Kitty and Bobby are ready for their parts at the beginning of the morning."
"Good, the sooner we start maybe the sooner he comes to his senses and sees what an interesting and intelligent son that he has. He's missed out on so much because of his own stupidity."
"It has affected Eagle but I think the X-Men have helped with some of the emotional upheaval he's had. The Court Martial was a problem but I'm glad that they sent him to Antarctica instead of booting him out."
"He's a good officer and an excellent pilot. We really need more like him but he does have a problem with authority."
"You should see me with authority," Logan grinned.
"I don't think I want too," Jack grinned back.
Atlantis Infirmary
Two Hours Later
General Thomas Sheppard slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and tried to figure out where he was. He slowly looked around and saw his son sitting in a chair next to his bed. He wondered why John was there but decided that he didn't really care. John wasn't his. His wife had cheated on him and John was the result. He had tried to convince his wife that keeping the child was a bad idea but she had loved the child. He had never shown affection to the boy as he grew but his love for his wife overcame his hatred for her cheating on him.
What he couldn't understand was why John felt the way he did. No matter how he treated him, John kept trying to do everything to get his support. He made the honor roll in school, he took his school to the football championships, and John could have joined Mensa. So many things over the years yet Thomas wanted nothing to do with the boy. Then he had joined the Air Force. That was another insult.
As he laid there thinking, he was also observing his so-called son. It seemed John had been there for a while. It also looked as if he was used to sitting in the chair next to the bed. John had dozed off and as Thomas looked at John, he realized how many of his late wife's features that John had. Maybe that was part of the reason he never wanted to see John again. The memories of his wife had been stronger lately. He missed her desperately and seeing John just reminded him of how much.
John shifted in the chair but didn't awaken. Thomas wondered why he didn't. He noticed that John had an air about him. It seemed that John was older than he really was. Thomas wondered if he had done that to John or if life in general had done it.
Thomas shifted slightly in the bed and that seemed to rouse John. He sat straight up in the chair and rubbed at his eyes. A small smile lit his face and John stood up and moved to the head of the bed.
"Finally awake Sir. Let me get Doctor Beckett," John said and turned to get Carson.
"Wait. Why are you here?"
"You hit the floor pretty hard Sir. I wanted to be sure that you were going to be alright. You've been out for a couple of hours so I was a bit worried."
"You didn't need to stay here and I don't want you here."
"Yes Sir. I'm leaving as soon as I let Carson know you're awake." John saluted and then turned and went to get Carson.
"Carson, he's awake. I'll be going now."
"I take it he didn't appreciate you waiting for him to wake up?"
"Nope but it made me feel a bit better. Thanks. He won't say it so I'm saying it for him."
"You don't have to lad but I thank ye for it. Now go get somethin' to eat," Carson said with a smile.
John smiled back sadly and quickly left the infirmary.
Carson shook his head and headed over to the General's bed. "Good to see you awake General Sheppard. How are ye feelin'?"
"Some pain in my head but nothing that is debilitating. Can I leave?"
"After I do my checks General." Carson then checked his eyes, pulse, blood pressure and checked the side of his head that he was hit on.
"Well, except for a residual headache, you should be fine General. I wouldn't stick fight with Teyla anymore while you're here but you should be fine in the morning."
"She attacked me. I should have her written up for attacking a superior officer."
"First off General, I was there during your fight with Teyla. She defended herself against an attack from behind. As for writing her up for attacking a superior officer, she is a civilian, just the same as me. She has allied herself and her people with us. If you don't want to make enemies of some of the finest people that I have met, you will do nothing to antagonize her. Now, having said that, your clothes are on the other bed. You can get dressed and go get something to eat and then remain in your quarters resting for the rest of the night. If you have any problems or the headache returns, come and see me tomorrow and I'll prescribe something for the pain. Good day to you lad," Carson said and headed back to his office. He shut the door and let out a frustrated breath.
Thomas laid in bed thinking about what Carson had said. Truth be told, he did attack the young woman. He just couldn't believe that the small woman could beat him, a trained Marine, with a couple of sticks. He pushed the covers back and began to get dressed. How could she beat him? She's not even trained to fight.
He was straightening his tie when he thought about John. Part of him didn't understand why John insisted on worrying about him. Another part was starting to lean towards accepting John in his life a bit but every time he looked at the boy, all he saw was his wife. Maybe he should try to get used to the boy but it was not something he looked forward to.
He walked out of the infirmary and headed to the mess hall. He would just get a cold turkey sandwich and take it back to his room. He was still a bit tired but decided that some food would be good.
Carson looked out his office window as the General left. He hit his com and called to Major Lorne, "Major, the General has just left the infirmary. I told him to get some food and then rest in his quarters for the rest of the day and night."
"Thanks Doc. I'll spread the word. Lorne out"
"Beckett out." As Carson signed off, he wondered how the night would go. He was hoping for a quiet night and he hoped that Colonel Sheppard got some good rest himself. He knew that the General had said something to the Colonel because he wasn't his usual chipper self when the Colonel let him know that the General was awake. He could only hope that Operation Backlash did some good for both Sheppards.
A/N: It seems I hit a snag and am now a bit behind with writing. I know what I want to do but getting it down is proving a challenge right now. The next chapter will begin Operation Backlash. Subsequent chapters will be the X-Men and John's team going out on missions. Beware of Wraith, Genii and Wraith Worshippers in upcoming chapters. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or even just read the story so far.
