Title: The Pi Covenent
Author: AshtakRa
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay
Rating: PG (for now)
Summary: A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.
Chapter Twelve
Striding into command Lorne was almost unrecognisable with his alien armour and pulsing implants across his face and eye-piece. Only Ronon by his side put the staff at ease, at least a little. Looking around Lorne took only a moment to pick out Chuck and walked up to him immediately.
"I need access to the city's systems."
The shock was evident on the technician's face. "I don't think so – we're in the middle of a battle here and forgive me, but you're not exactly yourself."
Lorne shrugged. "Fair enough." He turned away but swung back, his forearm connecting with Chuck's jaw, the blow spun him around and he crashed into a monitor to the back. Ronon jumped forward as Lorne pointed his hand at the downed man.
"Hey! He's on our side remember."
Turning to Ronon and revealing an unreadable expression Lorne placed his other hand on the console. A few seconds later power pulsed along his arm and his eyes closed.
"Access granted, I have control. Enemy ships located, blocking communication protocol, initiating neural upload." His face squinted in concentration before he breathed in sharply. "Navigation override successful." Lorne removed his hand and smiled. "That takes care of the ships, for now."
Ronon, who was checking Chuck's pulse grunted in relief as he found one. "What did you do, send them into the mountain?"
"No," answered Lorne. "A simple matter of reconfiguring their lateral control systems, they can still fly but not with enough control to attack the city – I estimate ten minutes before they are able to overcome my virus."
"Major Lorne, stand down!" Cadman stood across the room, a gun trained on Lorne. He stared at her for a second before sighing and began to raise his hands. "No," she stated simply. "Remain still – I am well aware you have many weapons in that armour, if you make even one aggressive move I will fire." She adjusted her aim to his head. "It pains me sir but there are reports of you attacking our people." Her eyes settled on Chuck for a moment. "Don't make me shoot you Evan." The last was almost whispered.
Ronon looked between the two and crossed his arms in typical fashion. "I guess I shouldn't tell you that he just saved the city, again – and that those people were trying to kill us." He did look down at Chuck. "Well not all of them."
"Fine," she said simply. "Then you won't mind standing down, both of you." It wasn't a question and they both shrugged and moved slowly to the side where two other soldiers motioned them over to the rail. "Check the systems and get communications on-line," Cadman ordered while moving over to Ronon and Lorne. Her weapon was lowered and she shook her head. "What am I supposed to believe – that our own people are hunting you?"
Lorne sneered but kept his body still. "They are motivated by fear and ignorance – but that makes them no less dangerous."
"I have spent the last hour trying to co-ordinate the city's defences, and all the time I have had to contend with reports of a former Major gone mad and on a killing spree with the help of his alien accomplice." She shook her head again. "I don't want to believe it but as the ranking officer I must put the safety of my people first."
The expression on Lorne's face turned to one of sadness. "And we're not your people?"
She mirrored the regret he wore. "Not today Evan."
SGASGASGASGASGA
Sharmilla-Joth seethed at the delay and demanded answers. Information flowed to her through integration and by the voices of her command staff. The attack wave had suffered a major malfunction, the city still stood and they had yet to locate the two humans.
"Prepare the bio-weapon," she said, only a hint of emotion showing. "I had hoped to get the data with minimum bloodshed but they leave me little choice."
A bipedal functionary pointed to a flashing icon on the lower screen. "We have them, they are in the primary cloning facility – Kellerax-Six is with them."
Sharmilla-Joth glared at the screen, her eyes flashed a brilliant mix of blue and red fire. "Of course he is – prepare transport, I will handle this myself." She marched to the transport rings and spun back to face the room. "Do not delay deployment of the weapon – when all are dead the database will be ours for the taking, and then… the Pi Covenant will be acknowledged as the dominant force in the universe."
The rings jumped out of the floor, encircling her and in moments she disappeared in a shaft of light.
SGASGASGAGSGA
McKay stood before the machine and noticeably gulped. "It's a sarcophagus, but larger than any I've seen and definitely more complex."
"He was lifeless when salvaged, but with his death only recent we were able to revive and sustain his vital systems," Kellerax-Six spoke softly, as if the area was somehow sacred. "I myself have undergone the procedure untold times – unlike the Goa'uld of your galaxy we do not suffer the negative effects of long-term regeneration."
Moving up to the side Sheppard ran his hand along the engraved blue-gray metal. "So he's inside, alive?"
The old face turned to him with a sombre expression. "Alive yes, but what remains is unknown – his consciousness was not relevant to the cloning process."
"There are many instances of people being revived successfully after being clinically dead for some time – of course the Goa'uld usually only did it to kill them a second time." McKay spoke more to convince himself than anyone else.
Sheppard hesitated before the flashing control panel. He knew the basic functions from mission reports but this was not exactly the same. "What if this doesn't work – Nox seemed convinced Lorne was dead and I assume he was referring to this Lorne, the original?"
"His programming would have no data on the condition of the progenitor," answered the younger Kellerax-Six. "In fact knowing would probably interfere with effective function, since there would be an inherent need to 'know' the original, perhaps even to wake or free him."
"I have to believe that this hasn't been for nothing," whispered Sheppard and touched three symbols in quick succession. The was a dull clunk and a soft hissing followed by the twisting of several circular locks. McKay joined him and they stood by as the lid split in two and slowly moved aside, revealing a blue-lit mist covering an inert form.
They both held their breaths.
SGASGASGASGA
Ronon, Cadman and Lorne all stood before the Stargate as Lorne removed a small circular disc from his armour. "I cannot prove to you what this is, nor can I do anything to convince you that I only want to save Atlantis, and everyone within her." He directed his speech at Cadman, who had gone as far to bring them down here at his request. Handing the disc to her he smiled as their fingers touched. "There is such a thing as trusting your gut Laura – I know you have before and I need you to trust me now."
She examined the thin object. "What does it do?"
"It is a transport device, once aboard the world-ship I hope to awaken my brothers and lead them against the tyranny planned by the Covenant."
"Or," she countered. "Lead them against us, stamping that tyranny upon the universe."
He looked to Ronon and smiled, holding out a hand. "I have learned a great many things while being here – one is that sometimes you have to rely on something that is immeasurable by empirical means."
Ronon squeezed his eyes shut, obviously conflicted but when he opened them they had lost their distrust. "Before Lorne was taken I enjoyed being with him," the Satedan muttered, his voice rough with emotion. "We spent a lot of time together and he taught me things about your culture, things Sheppard could never share. I started to realise that, especially in matters of intimacy and trust, you have such duality that even you cannot fathom how difficult it is to understand." His dark eyes flicked to Cadman. "Because of this I never fully trusted what I felt, because he could never truly show what he felt – but losing him, then finding him; only to realise that," his voice caught slightly. "We didn't get him back, not really – all of this made me understand."
"Understand what?" asked Cadman softly.
Ronon smiled. "That I should have ignored all the bullshit and gone with my heart from the beginning – we were so busy being careful that we forgot to have fun and just live in the moment." He reached out a hand to Lorne. "Forget what you see before you and just feel it – you know the right thing to do."
Their fingertips brushed at the same instant a clatter of shots rang out and the front of Lorne's armour shattered under the impact.
"No!" shouted Ronon, diving after Lorne as he was thrown back by the impacts.
Cadman spun around to see the Texan marine armed with a fifty calibre that was still smoking from the shots fired and he was adjusting his aim to fire again. She didn't hesitate, she didn't think about it – in one smooth motion the P90 was raised and she shot him through the head with one round. His eyes had only a split second of confusion before they rolled up and he sagged to his knees, dead already and waiting for his body to catch up.
Running to Ronon she looked down at Lorne. The armour was pierced in several places and already a pool of blood was spreading under him. The eye-piece had fallen back and his face was in shock, the latticed tattoos flickering on and off. Ronon cradled him and looked up at Cadman.
She had never thought to see tears in his eyes but there they were and also running down his cheeks. She fingered the disc in her hands and cursed silently.
Where the hell was Sheppard?
SGASGASGASGA
Sound was the first thing, whispered voices and he think he heard his name. Breath was next and it hurt so much he didn't want to try again. Little choice though and he gasped with the roughness of it – that seemed to elicit excited chatter and this time he definitely heard his name called.
"Major Lorne."
"Evan."
He recognised them.
Opening eyes that almost hurt as much as breathing Major Evan Lorne looked up at Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay. They were obscured by some kind of fog that he thought must be in his mind. Not so much as McKay waved his hand and it dissipated as Sheppard reached down and gently clasped the back of his head.
"That's it Evan, open those eyes – we've got you."
"Colonel?" His voice was so rough he couldn't even recognise it but Sheppard's face broke into a relieved smile and McKay assisted him into a sitting position. He was in some kind of metal case, his memory catalogued it and he realised it was a sarcophagus. Moving his neck gingerly Lorne tried not to start when he saw an alien standing behind his friends, an alien unlike any he had ever seen. "What?" He tried to ask but Sheppard shook his head.
"Don't talk Major, we'll explain things later but right now we have to go."
His legs wouldn't function so McKay and Sheppard helped him out and down from the sarcophagus. The alien stood politely back but swivelled a few times, revealing three faces that somehow made him think of a Doctor Who episode. Once on the floor they quickly moved over to a circular ring in the floor; another piece of technology his muddled brain recognised.
He allowed his head to fall into the Colonel's neck, the familiar smell anchoring his processing ability. He was fairly sure this was how Han Solo had felt after being freed of the carbonite. "Am I really alive," he whispered.
Two worried but relieved eyes looked into his own. "You bet; so stay that way 'cause I know this big guy back on Atlantis who'll kill me unless I get you there quick smart."
Lorne's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You know?"
Looking across at McKay before chuckling loudly Sheppard answered, "Sure, who didn't?"
SGASGASGASGA
Ronon desperately tried to rip the armour off to plug the wounds but it wouldn't budge and blood continued to pump out, over his hands and across Lorne's chest.
"You can heal right?"
Lorne smiled softly through the pain and put a shaking hand on Ronon's, preventing him from doing anything else. He said nothing but his eyes told him everything.
Ronon tried to breath but it was as if the air had become water. When Lorne had awoken and Ronon realised that Nox was back, or half-back or whatever it was Ronon just wanted this construct of his lover and friend gone. Then he saw that it was still a part of Lorne, and part of him wanted to clutch on to that fragment and never let go – no matter it would never match up to the real thing.
"Ronon," gasped Lorne, his lips blue and face pale. The tattoos had faded and not returned. "Do not-," he coughed and could not continue.
Ronon hugged him tighter. "Stay with me, the doc can fix you up." He knew it for the lie it was but this was so fucking unfair. You lose a lover once, then you lose the planet and all the people you know. Your culture destroyed, alone in the universe and nothing to look forward to but a painful death at the hands of the Wraith. Then you meet these damned Earth people, full of hope and optimism – and it starts to rub off. The pain dulls and becomes a memory, always there but not always at the front. They give you a new home, a new family and then – a new love.
Then take him away.
Now it was happening all over again. The city was going to fall, everyone would probably die and he was holding another dying lover. Ronon leaned in and kissed Lorne roughly on the lips, he wanted the man to feel it, to know it. Lorne looked up at him and the blue light in his eyes faded to just his human colour, his lips crooked up in a small smile.
"It does matter that you're not him," Ronon spoke softly. "But right now, in this moment – I want you to stay."
Lorne's smile grew. "That is the greatest thing anyone has ever said to me Ronon, thank-you… but I cannot." His eyes grew strained and he looked past Ronon at Cadman. "Do it, send me home."
The Major held up the disc in her hand and pressed its surface, the device flashed and jumped. Hovering in the air it arose above their heads before growing in intensity. Suddenly gold light shot out and down, searing a circle around them. The floor sizzled in response and markings appeared, spaced panels in the same circular pattern.
A hand pushed against his chest. "You have to go," Lorne gasped. "This journey is mine alone." He looked up at the ceiling, "I hope they will understand."
Cadman grabbed Ronon from behind and he was so stunned he allowed himself pulled back. She must have known what would happen as a loud humming was heard she quickened the pace and they cleared the circle. A bright light lit up Lorne and he managed to push himself up to a kneeling position.
His eyes caught and held Ronon's. "You never lose love Ronon, sometimes you just can't find it for awhile." His eyes, his smile and his whole being was so much Lorne, and yet not. Half-a-dozen metal-like rings jumped up from the floor, seemingly from no-where and encircled Lorne; he held up a hand in final farewell and was engulfed by light before disappearing.
Cadman stared at the three figures revealed by the rings falling back to the floor.
"Colonel," she almost squealed. "Are we glad to see you."
Tbc…
