Thanks for all the people who left reviews, hope you enjoy the next part of the adventure.
Captain Evans took point on guiding the group back to the jumper, which was park close to the one Sheppard's team had brought through the gate before this mess had start. They saw a few more darts but each time they were climbing back up toward space. For now, the wraith seemed to be honoring the agreement to withdraw their forces and end the engagement. They walked for the most part in silence. He could feel the tension in the air, this mission was dangerous and none of them felt comfortable with Todd. In the end Captain Evans, trusted Sheppard's call and he didn't see a better choice. He supposed that the wraith had just as much to lose if the female wraith was poison. Their chances of going undetected on the Hive were greater with the wraith along but Evans wouldn't lie to himself either. Todd would put Molly and himself ahead of his team survival, he didn't believe for a second that Todd wouldn't sacrifice the lives of SGA-7 to ensure his own survival. Still they needed to get the cure, then just maybe they wouldn't lose anyone, to be honest he thought it was a miracle that no one had died already.
"I sense wraith nearby," Todd said in a low voice causing the team to stop.
"Where?" Anna asked as she scanned the surrounding area, Evans saw nothing either but the rocky covered slopes gave a lot of places for someone to hide.
"That way," Todd pointed to their far right. Captain Evan scan the area and led them down a slope to the left to shield themselves hopefully from any prying eyes. If the wraith saw them not heading for the ruins it might retrigger the conflict and at least make them suspicious about what the team was up to. He circled around to get back to the jumper that was tucked along one of the large hillsides. Todd issued no warning so he took it as he was in the clear. As they drew closer to the ship Captain Evan slowed scanning the area for signs of the wraith. What drew his attention was the number of tracks in the dirt around the jumper was more then there should be.
"What's wrong?" Todd asked.
"I think the wraith may have stumbled on to our jumpers," he said a worried expression on his face.
"Well if they did they are no longer in the area," Todd said.
"Move with caution," Captain Evans said as the team moved slowly toward the jumper. The team drew closer to the jumper but no wraith appeared. Studying the ground, he was sure that not all the tracks were theirs, so it meant the wraith had indeed found the jumpers. Maybe they had hope to ambush them but had withdrawn. Evans uncloaked one of the jumpers, but Todd held out one of his arm stopping Captain Evans.
"Wait, do not lower the jumper hatch. Stay here," Todd said walking carefully toward the still close jumper door.
"What?" Chairmonte asked as the wraith lean down pushing the dirt carefully. Evan made out some sort of device hidden in the dirt.
"A booby trap," Todd let out a low hiss. Looking at the jumper he realized if they had open the hatch it would have drop down on it.
"Explosive?" Chairmonte asked inching forward to study the device.
"Possibly or a poison, I suspect they have placed another at the other jumper door."
"Well this is just what we need," Anna grumbled.
"Can we move it?" Evans asked.
"Once armed any effort to move it would trigger the device,"
"Then how do we get in the jumper?" Anna asked. Evans bitterly thought the wraith were getting too dam smart.
"I believe I can disable it." Todd said. "I recommend you fall back in case I fail."
"If you guide me I can disable the other one, just in case Sheppard and the others head back here before we get back," Chairmonte said moving toward the other jumper. Evans couldn't argue the logic in Chairmonte thinking. If something went wrong on the hive, he wanted Sheppard and the others to have a chance to escape using the jumper. One way or another Atlantis would end up sending another team even if it was a few days from now to confirm if there was anyone alive and retrieve the two jumpers.
"Maybe you should wait till were sure he is successful," Anna said not hiding the worry on her face.
"That would cost us too much time," Chairmonte said carefully clearing the device.
"Wait till he does a step, then do it next," Evans order, a smirk spread on Todd'd face leaving Evans a little baffled by the wraith sense of humor.
"Yes Sir,"
"We will keep guard," Evan and Anna drew back from the area. If the device went off the jumper might well be still operational. As disturbing as it was, as long as two of them were alive they could at least attempt to complete the mission or give support to Sheppard from the air. Todd and Chairmonte went to work leaving Anna and Evans to silently pray that the wraith knew what he was doing.
"That should do it," Todd said a while later, he reached down and grab the device on two side. Anna and Evans took in deep breath as the wraith lift the device from the ground. He walked over placing the device near a rock and Chairmonte finished the last step before doing the same.
"We should leave, we've wasted enough time," Todd said.
"Good job," Evans said passing the wraith as the puddle jumper hatch drop to the ground. "You too Chairmonte." He called as he dropped into the pilot seat. Todd remain standing behind Evans, while Chairmonte took the second seat. Anna went about resupplying them with the backup supplies kept on the jumper, so they would be ready to move once they got to the hive. He recloaked the jumper before taking off. It glided up into the sky and climb steeply toward space. Finally, the view was swallowed by the darkness of space and one hive ship that was sitting in orbit near the planet. Captain Evans followed a group of darts into the large hanger that was open.
"Land over there," Todd pointed to a corner of the hanger. Evans landed the jumper, hopefully the jumper wouldn't be found, else getting off the Hive ship was going to be hell.
"We'll have to go up three floors to get to the Queen's private chambers." Todd said, he put his pack down on the floor and remove two of the capsules. The team waited till finally there were no wraith around that would see them exit the ship. They quickly hurried off the jumper so it's location wouldn't be spotted and followed Todd toward a nearby door.
"This way," Todd said in a quick voice leading them to the right. He guided them through the weaving hallways, Captain Evans kept mental track of the turns they took so that he could get back to the jumper fast if they came under attack. Todd easily overcame any seal doors they encountered, thankfully without alerting security and they made good progress through the hive. They reach the fourth floor when he finally paused as they kept guard. He placed the capsule in one of the ridges on the ceiling.
"The command station is directly above us," I've set the device to overload it should damage the command center and cut off its power." He indicated to a large root like thing that must be some sort of power supply.
"How long do we have before it explodes," Evans asked.
"I can't give you an exact time, I estimate it will overload around fifteen minutes,"
"That's not a lot of time, if we run into trouble," Chairmonte said.
"It won't destroy the ship, at most it will disable their systems and draw their attention," Todd said as he turned heading back the way they'd come. They continue down a few more halls before Todd said.
"Here we are," Todd led them into a large room. Todd shut the door as the team peered about the strange alien room. The room was full of plants and even strange alien animals in cages. There were vials, jars, and canister with many wraith bio made items that Evans couldn't identify.
"Well this is different," Chairmonte said studying a strange bio tank with a weird spikey water animal swimming in it.
"It's creepy," Evans said in a low voice. "And this is the worse hobby a wraith could pick up," Chairmonte gave a nod in agreement.
"Over here," Todd said heading to a large wall full of vials. "These are antidotes," there were tons of large vials full of different colored liquids.
"There must be over a hundred of them," Anna muttered.
"We need only these ones," Todd eyes scan over the label under each one before he started picking vials out and handing them to Anna who put them in a medical box she'd empty out on the jumper. Todd reached out placing a hand on the wall as if he were about to fall over. Evans didn't get a chance to ask if he was alright as he felt a wave of dizziness hit him hard. He glanced around the room and realized there was some kind of vapor coming out of some overhead vents, oh shit he thought.
"We need to go," Todd followed his glance to the ceiling and gave a nod of his head, the wraith quickly snatched a few more vials and handed them to Anna who was already shielding her face. Evans follow suit, unsure if it would help protect them or not. Todd headed for the door but the door didn't pop open.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked as she looked like she was close to tipping over, or maybe it was Evans who was losing his sense of balance.
"It is not opening," Todd quickly went to the console, as Evans felt darkness crawling at his mind and wasn't sure how long he could last before he'd pass out. Chairmonte quickly began trying to override the door with his computer.
"Hurry," Anna said.
"Move," Evans said as he pulled out a stick of c-4 and put it on the door. "Get back," he ordered. Evans knew they'd lose the element of surprise but he also knew soon they'd be either out cold or dead. They all fell back as the explosive device went off leaving a large hole in the door. Todd easily pushed the door open and the team hurried outside.
A deep laugh filled Evans ears and Todd rose to his full height letting out a hiss. Evans found the source of the laugh was a male wraith standing at the end of the hallway flanked by four drones. Even as wraith went this one was large towering well over six feet. The sound of footstep reveal that more drones had taken up position at the other end of the hallway.
"Nothing can ever go smoothly," Evans muttered as SGA-7 took up ready positions and cover as best they could in the narrow hallway. As Evans took another deep breath he felt a little less dizzy so he hoped the effects of the unknown poison would wear off rather fast.
"If it isn't the fool and his human friends. You are not nearly as clever as you claim to be," the wraith said as Todd glared at him. "You will suffer greatly for betraying the Queen,"
"I do not side with fools," Todd said.
"Humans focus your fire on the wraith behind us, that is the way we will go," Evans heard in his head. Glancing at Todd he realized he was holding one of the canisters from the room in his hand. Evans wasn't' sure when he had picked it up but he spotted a small blinking light.
"I will enjoy destroying you," the wraith said as Todd threw the canister. The canister rolled between the wraith and then with a pop a thick yellow gas filled the hall. SGA-7 open fire on the drones and fled quickly down the hallway not wanting to breathe in the poison gas.
"This way," Todd took a fast right as alarms filled the ship. They only made it a few steps before the explosion rocked the ship.
Please leave a review!