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 Thirteen
The star expanded, devouring all the orbiting bodies and thereby destroying any life it had sustained for the last three billion years.
All but one resilient orb protected by fused multi-temporal alloy plates. The radiation pummelled the outer shell, hitting the former planet with more energy in one second than the usual output of a solar year. That energy was not repelled but stored. Giant vats of boiling naquata absorbed the raw power and saved it for what was to come.
For a thousand years the super-nova continued; its radiation and gravitational flux preventing any sub-space activity. The inhabitants of Pi-Antikos and the few remaining of Pi-Anterios waited it out in suspended animation, a long dream filled with nothing but blackness and the troubled knowledge that perhaps they were all that still lived in the universe.
As the nova finally died and retreated the systems of Pi-Antikos detected a break in sub-space and utilised the immense power it had stored to pry open that crack, only nanometres in width. Like a giant clawing at an apple it was clumsy and inaccurate but successful. Sub-space broke and the World-Ship slipped into the void.
The inhabitants of Pi-Antikos soon found that they were not alone. Knowledge, long denied them, flowed and they ate it up as only a starved organism can.
The problem is there is a fine line between a healthy appetite and gluttony.
Millions of years later…
Lorne-Nox dragged himself out of the circle and tried to see around the room. It was simply too dark and his implants were failing one after the other. Death was stalking him and he found it ironic that the blood that flowed out from his chest at least lubricated the floor to make his path easier.
He was pleased that he had learned to be human enough to understand irony.
SGASGASGASGA
"So we have no power, a fleet of ships is about to attack and a world-ship is hovering over us and probably has weapons capable of turning us to dust in an instant?"
No-one bothered to answer McKay as he leapt from console to console, muttering and swearing. Sheppard conferred with Cadman and started sending various soldiers off to set up defensive control points.
All of this Ronon noticed but didn't really think about. The man in his arms was all that he cared for in this moment. One look was all it took for Ronon to know that this was his Lorne, the real Major Evan Lorne with no mistake.
No implants; no glowing blue eyes and best of all no gaping wounds. No injuries of any kind apparently and also strong and getting stronger every second. Lorne's eyes had widened on seeing Ronon, an expression Ronon knew to be happiness but then he had stalked over and enveloped the smaller man in a hug that left no room for misinterpretation. Lorne had been stiff at first, not accustomed to open displays of affection but he soon returned the hug and lowered his head into Ronon's neck; breathing him in and sighing in satisfaction.
Cadman had discreetly looked away; Sheppard had rolled his eyes and McKay had snorted before going to check on Atlantis.
"I love you," Ronon whispered simply in Lorne's ear.
Lorne leaned back and gave him an unreadable expression, then smiled warmly. "I – what? Well… I love you too." He hesitated a moment before pressing his lips to Ronon's, his way had always been a little more aggressive but never before in public.
Once he had breath again Ronon grinned. "Being dead has improved your technique."
"Dead?" Lorne looked to Sheppard who had just sent Cadman to check on casualties.
The Colonel shrugged. "Didn't really have time to fill you in on everything, its been awhile and yes, we all missed you and its great to have you back, and I'm sure you two," he coughed and looked embarrassed for a moment. "Well you have some catching up to do but right now we're kind of in the middle of something and I'm looking for ideas."
"What seems to be the problem, sir?" In response Sheppard took him and led him to the closest balcony. What he saw made Lorne hiss in surprise. Atlantis was on land! Not just on land but kind of wedged into a valley with great jutting mountains behind them. Looking up Lorne swore loudly as he spotted the world ship. Even in daylight the giant orb was visible with its black panels and immense size compared to the moon, which was also in the sky but broken in half.
That, combined with everything that had just happened; being woken and removed from a sarcophagus then transported here using ring technology, told him the shit this time was deep.
"We can't fly?"
"Nope," answered McKay, joining them. "Barely enough power for sensors, no shield and definitely no flight capability… and I just detected something worse."
"What could be worse?" said Sheppard.
McKay wrung his hands. "There is radiation build-up on the world-ships north pole – radiation that will kill any living thing in moments."
"Great," enthused Ronon. "So they'll fry themselves."
"No," answered McKay. "It seems contained in a dish that's pointed this way – I would conclude they're giving up trying to get what they need while we're still on Atlantis and are just going to wipe us out."
"Time?"
"Unknown," answered McKay to Sheppard's question. "But soon if the build-up is anything to go by."
"Then we need to get out of here now," said Lorne and was greeted by three sets of eyes giving him the idiot look. "Hey," he tried to defend his words. "I've been away remember, give a guy a break."
McKay clicked his fingers. "That's it – we all have to leave, no no – here me out," he interrupted himself before anyone could argue. "They don't want Atlantis destroyed, just us gone so they can access the database."
Sheppard groaned loudly. "I would happily accommodate them if the stargate was working but there's no way off Atlantis without it."
"We're on land," stated Ronon. "We can just walk away."
"No," muttered Sheppard. "I considered that – but they're on a war footing, and strategically you don't leave an enemy behind, especially an enemy that has the knowledge we do."
"Exactly, so we have to appear to have left Atlantis." McKay looked at each of them as if it was simple.
"Look," stated Sheppard. "I think I know what you're thinking but three problems; we don't have a nuke, shield and cloak's not working and these guys are smarter than Wraith."
"Please Colonel," said McKay. "You know I'd never try the same trick twice.
"So what are you suggesting?"
McKay rubbed his hands together. "A devious and dangerous plan that I have been toying with for a couple of years."
"Oh no," sighed Lorne. "Let me guess, you've never tested it, whatever you're planning – but you are positive it will work."
"Yeah," said McKay in confusion. "How did you know?"
Three voices answered him. "We know!"
SGASGASGASGASGA
It felt like he had been crawling for an eternity. Death seemed unwilling to take him and the same human part that made him want to say 'fuck you' wouldn't let him give up. They were counting on him down in Atlantis; Ronon was counting on him.
With the thought of the big guy in his head Lorne-Nox made a renewed effort. One hand in front of the other, drag, hand out, drag. His legs had refused to work and that numb feeling in his hands was the result of acute shock – next stop unconsciousness, then finally death.
Until then, drag a bit further.
His hand hit something hard, a step.
Damnit!
He tried going another way but hit yet another step. As he did so a light flicked on illuminating this part of the room. It was exactly where he wanted to be, right near the sarcophagus; Lorne-Nox did not know why it was important or what it could achieve but something told him he needed to get in that machine.
Only problem was there were about thirty steps and he was just about out of energy.
With one shaking hand he tried to get a firm grip and pull himself up.
That was one.
SGASGASGASGASGA
Sharmilla-Joth stared around at yet another room devoid of anything but silent warriors. A dozen times she had tried to reach where Kellerax-Six was and each time she had been diverted; the clever three-faced sentinel had obviously sabotaged the rings.
[Apex]
Yes? She thought back at the integration.
[Weapon primed]
Then activate.
[not necessary, Atlantis is abandoned, no lifeforms detected]
Thinking carefully Sharmilla-Joth considered the options. They had disabled the stargate's ability to create a stable wormhole; their ships were not capable of carrying the entire population and the integration would have reported if the Atlanteans had moved to the land. It was a trick.
Activate anyway.
[weapon deploying]
She smiled and stepped into the rings again; this time she activated a different set of co-ordinates. Kellerax-Six was smart but his inability to think laterally was always his weakness.
SGASGASGASGA
"The radiation is still building and we're about to lose all power," announced Chuck while holding a heavily bandaged head.
McKay swore loudly. "And they're still approaching – guess it didn't work."
"There's a surprise," muttered Sheppard which earned him a patented Rodney death glare.
Woolsey, who had been attended and was now conscious sat at the steps and looked around at his command staff. "Options?"
"We set the self-destruct, we'll be dead anyway but they won't get the database and will be stuck with an army with bad programming." Sheppard's announcement got a round of slow nods, all except Ronon who stood with his arms crossed.
"We're forgetting somebody."
Sheppard obviously understood. "Nox? If he could have done something he would have by now. Also you said he was critically wounded and he 's probably," he hesitated. "Sorry big guy but he's probably dead."
"You're forgetting who he is."
Lorne turned to Ronon with a strange expression. "Am I missing something?"
Ronon lowered his head and ran hands over his short hair before looking Lorne in the eye. "He's you – not entirely but all the best parts, and he won't give up."
"He's… me?"
"Yeah," Ronon answered with a guilt stricken face that told Lorne all he needed to know.
"Colonel," announced Lorne, turning to his commanding officer. "Permission to launch the emergency puddle-jumpers; with luck we can take out the radiation emitter before they fire."
The Colonel scratched his chin. "Permission granted, get all available pilots to the launch bay; and Lorne? Good luck Major."
Lorne nodded but went Ronon before leaving. Nothing was said as they stared at each other. Eventually Lorne nodded and gave a half-smile. "I don't think I could resist a copy of me either."
"Apparently their's millions of them," smiled Ronon and Lorne blanched. "But," continued Ronon, "I'll settle for the original."
Lorne clasped Ronon by the shoulders and let his eyes convey all the emotion of the moment, just like they used to when no-one knew about them. Ronon kissed the top of his head and pushed him to the door, the major left without a backward glance.
"You'll see him again," said Sheppard, walking up to place a hand on his shoulder. "I think he has a pretty good reason to return in one piece."
Ronon frowned and checked his pistol. "He's gonna need help."
"You're not a pilot," said Sheppard in confusion. "And this isn't a ground war."
Smiling his most feral expression Ronon turned to Cadman. "Not yet. Laura, you've got something I need."
SGASGASGASGASGA
"Kellerax-Six," said Sharmilla-Joth softly. The large alien turned his oldest face to her.
"If you continue on this path Apex, you will destroy all that we are."
"I am more concerned with what we can be my old friend – how could you betray the Covenant?"
"I have done nothing of the sort."
"No," whispered Sharmilla-Joth, raising her hand as it blazed a heated red. "You always were a believer."
SGASGASGASGASGA
Half-way up the stairs Lorne-Nox slumped for the last time. His energy reserves were depleted, his blood pressure was too low and his vision was starting to go.
He simply could not make it the final steps and his chest felt another pain, not of bullet wounds but of heart-ache. They would all die because he had failed.
Ronon would die.
The sarcophagus seemed so close but he couldn't even raise a hand anymore. Tunnel vision set in as blackness seeped in around the edges.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to the empty room.
SGASGASGASGA
"All right," said Lorne firmly. "On my mark we de-cloak and fire every drone at the weapon; its big so missing shouldn't be a problem."
As they neared the world-ship he realised the immensity of the craft before them. The weapon was a concave dish the size of a small continent – any damage they inflicted would be inconsequential.
Doesn't mean they shouldn't try.
SGASGASGASGA
Chuck turned to the waiting command staff. "The radiation has reached a critical level, I believe it will be released any second."
Woolsey spoke for all of them.
"Well fuck me."
Tbc…