Chapter 16: I won't pretend I'm not really glad you're staying
Fifteen minutes later we were in a cloaked Jumper waiting for our decoy Jumper to lure the Darts guarding the facility away. They buzzed past the entrance, making a show of it to get the most attention. The plan worked like a charm because two Darts took off after them, leaving us clear to proceed.
"Okay, they're moving away," the pilot of the other Jumper reported in.
"Thank you, Jumper Two," Colonel Carter replied. Turning to me she gave the order. "Take us in Sabina".
"Yes, Colonel," I flew the Jumper quickly down to the facility – a massive dome like structure that had 'Wraith' stamped all over it. It was surrounded by a thick forest of tall trees that made landing close to our target entrance a challenge. Guiding the Jumper slowly down through a small clearing I brought us to a stop ... close but still a short walk to the facility itself. Creeping through the trees with little sound it took another ten minutes before we had the facility in sight.
"We'll take out the guards with grenades and then split up inside to cover more ground," Colonel Carter explained the strategy as we hid in the trees as close as we could get without detection. "Sabina, you'll stay with me, Radek you too," She gestured to the Marines, allocating them to each team as well. "Okay, let's move out."
We dashed to the entrance, hanging back as Ronon activated the exterior door. Everyone ducked low as Colonel Carter rolled a grenade down the corridor. The resulting explosion was loud and destructive, taking out several Wraith guards. Ronon and Carter then each took one direction and fired rapidly through the smoke, making sure no guards would be left standing.
Radek strode purposefully forward, no longer the nervous and timid scientist he'd been the first time I'd gone off world with him. He scanned the walls quickly, looking for something we could do to make our passage easier. The scanner beeped and he stopped, motioning Carter over.
"There's a power relay behind this wall here," he pointed to the spot directly in front of him.
Colonel Carter nodded, motioning everyone to stay back as she fired at the relay, taking out the power and hopefully causing enough confusion to occupy at least some of the Wraith. Ronon's team headed out first, quickly disappearing from sight. Radek and I followed Carter and the other two Marines.
"I've got two stationary life signs in that direction," I pointed in the opposite direction to the one Ronon had taken, looking back down at my detector before adding "One of them is John."
"I thought those scanners didn't distinguish between races," Carter commented.
"They usually don't," I admitted, somewhat embarrassed at the idea of having to admit that John's signal felt different to all the other signals ... that I could always tell which was his no matter what tool I was using to do the actual life signs detecting. Instead I gave Colonel Carter a condensed explanation. "Let's just say I've got a special affinity for getting that little bit extra out of sensors when it comes to locating Colonel Sheppard and leave it at that."
"That way it is," Carter signalled for our marine escort to take point with me walking close behind them to give directions as needed.
The facility was quiet in a nerve wracking 'I'm expecting something really bad to happen' kind of way. It looked like any other Wraith made place I'd ever seen ... unfortunately it smelt the same too which was not a compliment. I had yet to understand why Wraith technology had to be so squishy and ugly and could only assume it was because of the biological aspects. Regardless, being back inside Wraith territory left me feeling unsettled in an all too familiar way.
We met no resistance as I guided our team to John's position. There were guards in the corridor, easily taken down by Marine gunfire. John and Teyla walked to the doorway as soon as the way was clear.
"You all right?" Carter asked as she got Radek to open the door.
"Well, it's about time! Any longer and we would have had to save ourselves!" John quipped.
Noticing me for the first time he frowned ... I could almost see the thoughts going through his head. Why is she here? I'm not happy about the risks. What if something happens? Oh yeah, I agreed not to be so uptight about all that. Maybe I am glad to see her. "Hey," was all I got.
"Hey yourself," I replied with a relieved smile. "It's good to see you're okay - you too Teyla. Where's Rodney?"
"They took him away some time ago," Teyla admitted, taking the weapon John handed her. "Did Ronon manage to make it back to Atlantis?"
"He did," Carter replied.
"Where is he?" Teyla asked in concern.
"We've split up to cover more ground," Carter explained. Turning to the marines she added "Secure the entrance," before turning back to us. "Let's go."
John and Teyla led the way in the direction they'd seen Rodney taken. The corridor was deserted until we turned a corner and discovered a Wraith guard about to fire a stunner inside a room. Rather than wait to find out who he was shooting at John quickly opened fire and took him down.
"All clear," John announced.
Rushing inside the room after them I felt that familiar sense of relief rush through me when I spotted Rodney standing inside. Once again the membership of Team Sheppard had survived unscathed ... realising Ronon's plans would change the team had me quickly backpeddling in my head. No point in thinking about Ronon's imminent departure before I absolutely had to.
"All clear?!" Rodney asked John incredulously. "You could have shot me!"
The room Rodney was in was some kind of lab and I wondered what they were trying to get him to help them with ... until I spotted a Replicator floating in some kind of force field.
"Rodney, why is there a Replicator here?" I asked weakly.
"Because the Wraith know how to turn off the attack command," Rodney replied grimly. "Turns out they were the ones to turn it off before. Only this time their little virus isn't working because of the changes I made to the Replicator base code."
"And they want you to change it back," I concluded.
"Something like that," Rodney agreed. "I didn't do anything though – at least nothing they can use."
"Is that force shield secure?" I asked, watching the Replicator as I moved closer to where Rodney was still taking cover.
"It should be," Rodney glanced up at it casually, the expression on his face freezing when he got a good look at the way it was shifting and stuttering. Before he could do anything to fix it the shield disengaged and the Replicator dropped to the floor."
"Oh, no. Oh, no," Rodney muttered sickly, pulling me down to his hiding spot with urgency.
The Replicator straightened and looked around, before heading straight for where John, Teyla and Colonel Carter held their weapons ready to fire. They fired multiple rounds that had no effect, the Replicator easily fixing the damage to his chest as he continued to advance. Seeming to find us all of no interest though, the Replicator ignored us in favour of the Wraith guards running down the corridor towards us. They tried to stun him but he didn't even pause, easily disarming the Wraith before slamming them both to the ground. Continuing on with his mission to destroy the Wraith, the Replicator disappeared down the corridor.
"That was lucky," I mumbled to Rodney under my breath, both of us straightening up from our crouched positions.
"Let's go find Ronon," John suggested after doing a quick visual inspection to make sure everyone was good to go.
We continued on our way down the corridor until we began to find the gruesome evidence of the Replicator's passage in the form of dead Wraith guards. Rodney started, raising his rifle and pointing towards the shadows. John instantly did the same, everyone waiting to see what was going to happen next. When Ronon appeared a moment later weapons were lowered as everyone visibly relaxed.
Ronon had obviously been in a battle – his face was covered in blood from a number of minor wounds including a cut to the face that made it clear where at least some of that human blood had come from.
"Ronon, where are your friends?" Carter looked down the corridor Ronon had come from in confusion. Ronon however made deliberate eye contact with John, Rodney and Teyla, and me before answering, the whole time moving wearily towards the exit.
"They're right here," he said seriously. "Let's go home."
My heart sank as I realised the complete story Ronon had told with just those six words. His Satedan friends had let him down and from the wounded blankness on his face it had been much worse than any of us could have predicted. The way Rodney, John and Teyla were exchanging glances told me they at least knew some of the background behind that.
Everyone was silent as we made our way back to the Jumper. Ronon sat in the back, letting Teyla apply some first aid to his face without a sound. I sat in the co-pilot's chair, instinctively assuming John would want to fly us home, not sure if I should say something to Ronon then, or wait until we were all safely back on Atlantis.
Ronon disappeared the instant the Jumper rear hatch opened back in the city – he was in with one of the nurses getting his face looked at when the rest of us turned up for post mission checkups. Jumping up as soon as the nurse had given him the all clear it seemed Ronon wasn't even going to acknowledge us. Stepping into his path I put a hand on his arm and waited for him to look at me.
"I'm sorry Ronon," I said softly.
"I should have known," Ronon said bitterly, looking away again.
"I hate how it happened," I continued hesitantly, "but I won't pretend I'm not really glad you're staying. We all are."
"Thanks," Ronon forced a small smile, meeting my eyes with a steady glance that said he really did appreciate the sentiment. Without another word Ronon turned and strode quickly from the infirmary.
"He'll be fine," John came up and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Is he gonna tell us what happened?" Rodney asked.
"When he is ready," Teyla replied sadly.
oOo
A few hours later I walked the long route to our quarters, needing the exercise and the quiet to help clear my mind. Seeing how easily things could change, and how quickly plans could be ruined only made me more grateful for everything I had. John had filled me in on Rodney's story - how he'd seen Ronon's friends betraying us and working with the Wraith. No wonder Ronon had been so emotionally wounded - the very idea that a Satedan could be a Wraith worshipper was almost inconceivable ... that it had been his own friends, the people he grew up with and fought beside was inconceivable ... and yet it had happened. It troubled me that Ronon had gone through something difficult alone, made worse by the fact that he was determined to recover alone as well. But at least he was here where we could help by just being his friends ... and his family.
I was halfway home when I noticed a lone figure standing out on one of the larger public balconies. Recognising Colonel Carter I decided now was as good a time as any to say something I'd been thinking about since her arrival.
"Colonel Carter, do you mind if I join you?" I asked hesitantly, standing just inside the doors.
"Not at all," the Colonel replied with what seemed to be her customary friendly smile. "I was just admiring the view."
"It's certainly worth admiring," I agreed. "I just wanted to say that I appreciate you letting me go on the rescue mission. In the past sometimes I've had to argue to be included because ... ah ..."
"Because of your personal connection to Colonel Sheppard?" Carter finished. I nodded, watching with curiosity the almost knowing look that appeared on her face. "I've seen enough in the past to know that personal connections can be the difference between a mission failing and succeeding – in the positive sense."
"Oh," I thought about that for a moment. "Well I hope there's enough detail in the mission reports for you to be confident I can handle it without jeopardising anything."
"I'm sure there is," Colonel Carter said reassuringly.
"John told me what you said about a mission to rescue Doctor Weir," I changed the subject abruptly.
"Are you going to try to change my mind?" Colonel Carter asked almost curiously.
"No," I replied simply. "I wanted to say thank you for giving us some hope that if the right set of circumstances occur you won't just say no without considering it."
"As I said to Colonel Sheppard, I don't like leaving people behind," Carter explained. "If we get the chance to find out what happened to Doctor Weir without risking the city or our personnel, we'll take it."
"It must be difficult to take over a leadership because the previous occupant is missing in action," I began. "But it's also tough for us to have to accept a new leader when we still feel so unsure about what happened to the last one. I was prepared to like you just because Daniel speaks highly of you and I respect him," I smiled as I admitted that, "but the way you handled Ronon wanting to leave, and the mission to rescue everyone ... well, I already have hope it won't always just be about that."
"I could say the same for you, only it was General O'Neill doing the speaking," Colonel Carter smiled back. "I understand the issues with Doctor Weir and I'll try to give everyone the time they need to adjust, but at the end of the day I'm here in charge of this city and I intend to give that the best I've got."
"If half of what Daniel's told me about SG1 is true then we're lucky to have you instead of some starched suit from the IOA," I replied.
"Ah," Carter laughed. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not."
"Definitely a compliment," I replied, turning to leave. I stopped, and turned back to add "Welcome to Atlantis Colonel Carter." It had to be said, no matter how reluctant I felt over letting go of my hope.
"Thank you," Carter turned back to her view of the ocean as I walked away.
Author's Note:
Next Up? Fortunate Journey Season 4 Chapter 17