Wow, writing action is hard! My hat goes off to those who do a tremendous job with action scenes.
But, anyway, as promised, here is a long chapter to both make up for the tardiness in updating and for the short chapter last time. Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! :D
And because I always reply to my reviews:
Anonymous: Wow, that is such a great compliment! I am truly honored. Hope you continue to enjoy the story! :D
renzei27: I totally went back and checked out my story when I read your first comment. I thought the fanfiction website was messing up, lol. I'm so glad you're liking it so far. :) Sorry for the late update!
Military terms:
Sitrep: Situation report
SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fucked Up
"Go faster! Faster!" McKay shouted hysterically.
"I'm trying," Cami said through gritted teeth. She maneuvered the jumper, weaving in and out of the tops of the trees in an attempt to dodge the three Wraith darts following them. She tapped her earpiece. "Sir, we've got Wraith."
"This isn't funny, Buchanan," Sheppard's voice rang loudly in her ear.
"Does it sound like I'm laughing, Sheppard?" She brought up the HUD, making sure the darts were still right on them.
"Sitrep?"
"SNAFU, sir. We're in the jumper. I've got three darts on my tail. I'm trying to lead them away from you."
"Okay, we're almost at the - "
A burst of sharp static cut off the rest of Sheppard's sentence. Cami instinctively winced at the sound, and she tapped her earpiece to turn it off.
"What the hell was that!" She spared McKay a quick glance.
The scientist shrugged. "I'm guessing they reached the magnetic field. It's jamming the communications."
"Of course it is," Cami sighed.
She threw out a few drones, and they caught the closest dart. It exploded behind them sending a rumbling shake through the jumper.
"Maybe you can try to get us on the ground," Ronon suggested from the passenger seat.
His hands were clenched into fists, and Cami could tell that what he really wanted was to fight them face to face - something she wasn't too keen on doing. Despite her obvious lack of both flying and hand to hand combat skills, she would rather fight the Wraith from the air than take it to the ground. At least the jumper offered some sense of protection, not to mention drones.
"Oh, that part'll happen pretty definitely," she said under her breath as the jumper got sideswiped by one dart's energy blast. Alarms blared around the cockpit, but she quickly shut them off.
"Do something! The jumper doesn't have shields!" McKay yelled as he gripped the console in front of him.
"You're a miracle worker. Can't you give us shields?"
"Can you give me three hours?"
"Damn it, McKay, give me a break here! I'm not exactly trained in aeronautic evasive maneuvers. Do you want to fly the jumper?" she asked sarcastically, zooming through the trees as two more darts caught up to them.
"As a matter of fact, I do."
"Oh," Cami replied blankly. "Well...you can't." The Stargate came into view, and a sudden thought popped into her head. "Hey, do you guys know of any addresses to uninhabitable planets or, I don't know, space?"
"We can't leave!" McKay exclaimed. "Sheppard and Teyla are waiting for us! Besides, how is that gonna get rid of the Wraith?"
"We're coming back," she assured him. "We just need to buy Sheppard and Teyla some time."
"What do you have in mind?" Ronon asked.
"I, uh, I don't really know. I'm kinda making this up as I go along." She bit down on her bottom lip, sending out two more drones so that they collided with another dart. "Look, all I know is that we can't keep this up forever. The drone supply is limited, and who knows how many more darts will show up once these three, and the two we hit, don't make it back."
Ronon nodded, punching in an address on the DHD. Cami turned the jumper in a wide arc as the gate activated. The darts seemed to sense their departure, and they quickly followed. The gate took them to another planet. A great expanse of desert loomed before them, the white sand radiating waves of heat off the surface.
"Now what?"
Cami looked at Ronon reassuringly, hoping he couldn't see the same question in her eyes. There were no trees in which to hide or take cover here. It was just the sand and the sky for miles on end. She moved the jumper in a zig-zag form, as she launched another two drones behind them.
"Cloak still work?" she asked McKay.
The scientist stood and opened up a panel in the cargo hold. "All systems are still operable. Why?" he asked suspiciously. "What do you have in mind?"
Cami ignored him briefly as she turned back to Ronon. "Know another address?" He, too, eyed her warily but nodded again. "Dial it when I tell you to," she said as she turned her full attention back to the HUD displayed over the viewport.
Cami led the darts far enough away before pulling around again to face the Stargate. She increased the jumper's speed as she made a beeline for the gate.
"What are you..." McKay stared at her for a few seconds and then it dawned on him. "Oh, no. No, no, no...that's impossible. The jumper can't pull off a move like that. Not even Sheppard can - "
"Does anyone else have any other ideas?" They all looked at each other and shook their heads. "Then we have to try."
She gave Ronon the signal to dial the gate. The wormhole opened up just as she activated the cloak. At the last possible second, she veered the jumper up, right before it could switch to autopilot. The darts that were following them flew through the gate. Silence filled the interior of the jumper.
"We...did it," McKay whispered, going back to the control panel in the cargo hold. "Minor structural damage from that energy blast earlier but nothing serious. I can't believe that actually worked."
Cami let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Neither do I," she admitted, bringing the jumper around again. "That was awesome!"
She offered them both a smile as she dialed the address to M3X-236, hoping that Sheppard and Teyla were outside the magnetic field already. The planet seemed distinctly quieter again as they zoomed back around. The Wraith seemed to be gone for the moment, and from up in the air, the Kinji didn't really seem like a real threat.
"Maybe I can fly around the field," Cami proposed, already making her way over to the north side of the land mass. "Hopefully, Sheppard or Teyla will be able to see us and know that we're okay."
"Wait, Captain! Don't - "
But McKay's words were cut short as the feeling of weightlessness reached their stomachs. Cami lost control of the jumper as everything shut down. They fell, the jumper skimming through the treetops as their momentum crashed them forward.
They all tumbled out of their seats, riding the jumper like some sort of crazy rollercoaster ride. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally came to a stop. Cami let out a groan of pain as she rolled herself off the viewport and onto the dashboard.
" - get too close to the magnetic field," McKay finished his sentence, wincing as he sat up and grabbed at his ankle. "It'll disrupt the jumper's system."
Cami looked up long enough to fix him with a good frown. "Now you tell me."
Cami and Ronon stood back to back with McKay sitting against a tree at their feet. The Kinji were closing in on them. She could see them through the trees. She took out her pistols, aiming one in front of her and the other to her right. Behind her, she heard Ronon charge his gun.
"How many can you count?" she whispered, pistols gripped tightly in her hands.
"Can't tell...trees are too thick. Maybe eight."
Cami nodded. "I'm counting at least six on my side." There was a slight pause in which they both took a second to assess the situation. The odds were against them, but Cami was more than sure of hers and Ronon's abilities. "Ready?"
"Ready," Ronon affirmed.
Back to back, they worked together as a team. The awkwardness of their kiss was all but lost in the heat of battle. Spears flew past them and they ducked and dodged, never leaving each other's sides. Ronon holstered his gun, raising his arms above and behind him to reach for her Kukri knives that were strapped to her back. He unsheathed them, bringing them down swiftly to deflect a spear that was flying right at McKay.
Cami, in turn, reached down to release Ronon's combat knife from the strap on his leg. She flipped it so that the blade landed in her hand before flinging it out at a Kinji warrior that had gotten too close. The knife pierced the warrior's chest, and he fell dead a few feet from them.
For the next few minutes, the only sounds were of her pistols firing or the whistle of her knives in the air as they continued to fight. McKay offered the occasional burst of his P90 from his position on the ground. Cami dropped her empty clips and loaded full magazines into her pistols. It had turned surprisingly quiet, and they waited. Their eyes searched for more danger, their weapons aimed and ready for the next attack. Only it didn't come.
When it became clear that the Kinji warriors that had attacked them were finally all dead, Cami relaxed, holstering her pistols and turning to help McKay up. Ronon wasn't so quick to let down his guard. He sheathed the knives into the scabbards on her back and readied his weapon, keeping an eye on their surroundings.
Cami left McKay to lean against a tree while she walked over to the Kinji warrior with Ronon's knife in his chest. She knelt down, pulling the knife out and wiping the blade on her pant leg. Sudden movement out of the corner of her eye caused her to turn sharply. She looked up in time to see a warrior running at them full speed, his arm swinging forward as he released his spear.
"Shit! Ronon!" Cami cried out a second too late.
She sprang up, diving in front of Ronon as the Satedan turned around in alarm. The spear impaled her left shoulder just as Ronon blasted the warrior in the head. Cami let out a sharp cry of pain as she landed on the ground.
"Are you...are you okay?" McKay gasped. He limped closer to her despite the obvious pain from his swollen ankle.
Cami clutched at her shoulder. As she moved, the weight of the spear shifted, sending bolts of pain shooting down her every nerve. She shot McKay an angry look.
"Of course I'm not okay! I just got impaled with a spear right here!" she exclaimed, gesturing to her shoulder as if to emphasize the situation.
"Well, it seems your charming personality is doing just fine," McKay muttered after hearing her tirade. "Besides, considering the circumstances, I'd have to say this was a pretty successful confrontation."
"I got impaled!" she repeated. "Right here!"
Cami could feel the blood trickling down her arm, and she was almost afraid to look down at the wound. Ronon helped her up, and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out in pain every time she moved.
"We have to fall back to the jumper," Ronon calmly explained, his gaze even more alert to their surroundings. "You two are in no condition to travel."
Cami nodded, figuring it would be safer to go back than to continue forward. She knew it was only a matter of time before more Kinji showed up. Ronon put McKay's arm around his shoulder and then held out his hand to her.
"I'm fine," she grunted, forcing herself not to wince in pain. "Just help McKay. I'm right behind you."
She slowly followed them back to the jumper, her right arm trying to hold the spear in place. She took great care not to jolt the spear unnecessarily, but it was a little hard considering the shaft was slick with blood. Once they reached the jumper, Ronon set McKay down on the cargo hold seat and immediately closed the cargo door.
"How long do I have before the poison starts taking over?" she hissed through her teeth.
"I-I don't know. I never got the chance to read Carson's analysis of Major Lorne," McKay answered honestly. "But the more you freak out - "
"I have a fucking three-foot wooden spear in my shoulder, McKay! Of course I'm gonna freak out!"
Cami knew that the more she panicked, the faster the poison would course through her veins. But now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, the reality of the situation was starting to hit her.
"Camila."
Ronon's calm voice broke through her hysteria. It was hearing her name, more than anything, that got her to quiet down. It was the first time she had ever heard him say it. Her eyes flicked to his, and she tried desperately to retain that calmness that he so easily exuded.
"What?" she answered bitterly though there was really no bite to it.
"I need to remove the spear," he explained slowly.
His hand reached out to touch her, but she flinched, taking a step back.
"No, don't touch it," she gasped.
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course," Cami answered without hesitation.
"Then let me help you."
She didn't say anything for a few seconds. She knew the spear had to come out...but she also knew it was going to be extremely painful. Cami finally nodded her consent, and Ronon helped her sit down on the floor of the cargo hold.
The spear had pierced her shoulder right on the outside of her vest strap, preventing the spear from being removed without first cutting off her vest. Ronon quickly set to work, using a combat knife to tear her t-shirt and then using the serrated blade to saw through the strap of her vest and the band of her knife scabbard. He was careful to avoid jarring the spear, and Cami marveled at his attentiveness. When he was done, he used a smaller knife to cut the straps of her tank top and sports bra. Ronon pushed the material down, leaving her shoulder bare. He had a grim look on his face as he inspected the extent of her wound.
"That bad?" she whispered. She could feel the beads of sweat forming on her brow, and she hastily wiped at them with the back of her hand.
Ronon gave her a small smile. "I've seen worse." He took off one of his leather bracelets and handed it to her. "Here. Bite down on this."
Cami took it reluctantly but did as he said. One of his hands grabbed the spear tightly, pressing it down to her shoulder to keep it steady. A soft whimper escaped her lips before she could stop it. She bit down hard on the bracelet and closed her eyes, but not before seeing Ronon grab one of her knives with his other hand.
The whistle of the knife sliced through the air, and she felt a slight jarring as the blade cut through the spear. Cami opened her eyes to find the spear cleanly cut in half. She tensed up, knowing what was coming next.
"You know, I think I kinda like the spear sticking out of my shoulder like that," she said weakly. "Makes for interesting conversation..."
Ronon shook his head at her, moving away long enough to grab a first aid kit. She noticed that his hands were covered in blood, and she briefly wondered exactly how much of the vital fluid she had already lost.
"Lean into me," he ordered as he sat down in front of her.
"And don't pass out," McKay added. "The poison...we don't know if you'll ever wake up if you faint."
Cami had almost forgotten the scientist was there. She blinked up at him, a cloudy haze slowly obscuring her vision. A retort died on the tip of her tongue as Ronon scooted closer to her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, gripping his shirt tightly with her right hand.
She was starting to feel slightly woozy, and she knew that the poison was starting to take effect. She inhaled sharply as Ronon slid the spear out of her shoulder, and the leather bracelet fell from her mouth. The warmth of blood gushed down her back, and Cami forced herself to focus on the pain to remain lucid.
Ronon kept one arm around around her, holding her close to him while his other hand worked to stop the flow of blood. Cami's hands fell down limply as she felt her strength slowly leaving her.
"Camila," Ronon pulled her back, and her head lolled to the side. She saw his worried look through her half-lidded eyes. "Stay with me. Don't lose consciousness. You have to stay awake..."
Cami stared blankly at the man in front of her. He was talking to her, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. The ethereal glow surrounding him seemed to drown out everything else. She let out a small gasp at his beauty. Her right hand slowly found its way up to stroke the side of his face, marring his cheek with streaks of blood. He was a warrior. She could feel his strength under her fingertips.
"Ares and Adonis," she whispered to him, and his green eyes darkened in confusion. "A perfect mixture of both."
She saw him turn to the other man who was sitting on a seat above them. Their voices were muffled, sounding almost like she was underwater. She shook her head to clear her thoughts but it only made her dizzy. She tried moving away, but a sharp pain on her left side caused her to cry out. The man turned to her again. He ran his fingers through her hair, sweeping back the strands from her face. His mouth opened again...he seemed to be pleading with her.
"Por que você está aqui?" she asked him, the haze of disorientation making her head swim. "Para me salvar?"
His perfect features contracted in confusion. Why couldn't he understand her? She thought she was being perfectly clear.
"Are you here to save me?" she asked again and this time it looked like he understood her perfectly. Her eyelids fell heavily as exhaustion took over.
"Camila," his deep voice broke through whatever trance she was under.
Cami's eyes fluttered open as she gasped for air. "Ronon," she breathed out, her hand gripping his shirt again. "I have to tell you something...before the poison takes over again."
"Save your strength," he answered gruffly, pulling her closer to him.
"No, listen to me!" Cami blurted. She could feel herself slipping way again. She fought to catch her breath. "I know you still love her. I know that I'll never compare to her..."
"Don't say that," Ronon growled.
She could feel his anger, but she continued to push. "I don't...have much time," she gasped, as the glow around him intensified once again.
"Yes, you do," he persisted angrily. "Stop talking like this. I already told you, I won't let you die."
He patted her cheek in an effort to keep her awake, but she could feel the strength leaving her body again. Her eyes found his and, for a moment, she felt perfectly safe.
"Don't leave me," she whispered. A rush of darkness slowly began to envelope her, but she wasn't afraid. Not as long as he was there. "Eu te amo."
The last thing she heard before the blackness overtook her was Ronon's guttural roar screaming out her name.