Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
A/N: Slight Spoilers for 03x07 Common Ground and I apologize for the lateness of the chapter. I have been traveling for work and haven't had as much time to write.
Chapter 21: …In the Pegasus Galaxy
November 24th, Pegasus Galaxy
Larrin wandered down the wide corridor of the Lantean Battleship. Her fingers trailed along the metal of the walls, sliding along groves and patterns forged into the hard material. The ship was a marvel and it was well over 10,000 years old. Her own people's ships never would last as long or hold up so well. Even if they were left unattended, systems would break down and the ship would die. Somehow, the Lanteans were able to build ships that survived millennia in the cold harshness of space.
Her people needed to get this ship online. Their fleet was dying. Without new vessels or the facilities to repair their current ships, her people would be forced to leave the quiet of space. The thought of being marooned on a planet, limited to traveling by Stargate was appalling. Worse yet, her people would have no defense against the Wraith; there would be nowhere they could run to.
They needed to get this ship operational again. The thought kept coming back to the forefront of her musings.
Somehow in her wanderings, she found herself on the bridge. There were quite a few people pouring over the ship trying to figure out how to make it respond to them so it wasn't surprising that a handful of her team was on the bridge when she wandered in.
"Larrin, is something wrong?" Nevik her chief scientist and friend asked in surprise.
Startled, she looked over at Nevik. Larrin hadn't even realized that there were others on the bridge with her. It was almost a struggle not to shake her head to try and clear it of her depressing thoughts before answering her friend.
"Have you made any progress?"
Nevik didn't need to ask what Larrin was referring to. For weeks now he'd been trying to build an interface that would allow his people to pilot the ship. As yet, he hadn't even been able to initialize any of the systems that weren't active when they found the ship.
"No, until I find a way to initialize the systems I just don't have enough information to build the interface."
Larrin smashed her fist down on a console in frustration. She needed to get this ship up and running. "What about repairs, have you made any headway there?"
Again Nevik shook his head. "We repaired the obvious damage but without being able to initialize the systems we simply don't know enough to effect repairs."
"Damn it!"
The others on the bridge suddenly found their work to be totally engrossing. They were afraid of attracting Larrin's attention and bringing down punishment on themselves.
Nevik turned away from Larrin's outburst and went back to work. Sometimes his friend required more patience than he had to give.
"Nevik don't turn away from me! If you can't do the job maybe I'll find someone else who can."
As soon as she'd said it Larrin knew she was wrong. None of this was Nevik's fault. The technology of the ship was far more advanced than their own and he was doing the best he could. She knew that but it didn't stop the constant worry that ate at her.
"Go ahead Larrin!" Nevik took a while to anger but once it happened, the scientist was loathe to back down. "You won't find anyone else that can do the work but at least I won't have to listen to you whine or complain anymore!"
Larrin's face darkened and she took a step towards Nevik in a menacing manner.
"Oh what are you going to threaten me now? Someone doesn't like you attitude and you can't handle it can you?" Nevik didn't back up. He just crossed his arms and held his ground. Sometimes the only way to get through to Larrin was to throw everything right back into her face.
"We need this ship! Our people are dying!" She ground out.
"Yes we do but you acting like a child isn't going to change anything is it? Have you magically conjured a way to interface our systems? Oh wait that's right, you expect me to do that for you!"
Larrin recoiled slightly when Nevik called her a child. Her temper was her biggest failing. When she was frustrated she lashed out at those around her whether there was provocation or not.
"Nevik I'm…" Larrin began, her voice and body language was still tense but was radiating remorse at the same time.
"Save it Larrin. Everyone else may put up with your attitude but I'm personally getting sick of it. If you really want to do something about it than stop behaving like a child when you hear something you don't like."
Larrin stopped and took a breath before answering. She moved closer to her childhood friend and said honestly "You're right Nevik. I'm sorry. We've made no progress and our people need this ship and it's just so…so frustrating!"
Nevik smiled gently at her. He truly knew how she felt because he was in the same position. It was his responsibility to figure out how to repair and run the ship and he'd been able to do nothing in the weeks since they'd found it.
"I know Larrin. I just object to you taking it out on me." He smiled at the list taking any sting out of the comment.
"What about the Lanteans? Have we managed to make contact?" Since he wasn't part of the actual command staff he wasn't kept in the loop on the search. All he knew was that several spy satellites had been setup around various space gates in the hopes of gathering information on the Lanteans or whoever was able to use their technology.
Larrin ground her teeth and gripped the console tightly but she took a deep breath before answering. She didn't think it would be long before she snapped at Nevik again but two minutes was too soon even for her.
"No, they are never on a planet long enough for our ships to reach them in time to make contact."
"They may be our only hope of salvaging this ship." Nevik added before moving off to continue his work.
Larrin considered the scientist's words. It was true. As much as she had hoped otherwise, the Lanteans were their only hope at this point. If they moved around too much for conventional methods of first contact perhaps something more drastic was called for. She could only hope that they would understand her reasoning afterwards.
November 25th, Genii Home world, Pegasus Galaxy
Acastus Kolya had just returned from his latest inspection of the detention facility that would be used to hold the Lanteans. All was in readiness and the two guests were suitably prepared to play their role. The plans and instructions were in place. His soldiers were ready. The only thing that was needed now was word of where the Lanteans would be visiting next. With that information, he would be able to lay his trap.
As he was walking to his office, a soldier ran up to him and passed him a message. Kolya dismissed the man and read the note as he continued walking. Anyone walking by him at that time would have seen a menacing grin spread across his normally dour features.
According to the intelligence sent by one of his spies, the Lanteans would be visiting tomorrow. There was just enough time to get his men in place.
Part of him hoped that Sheppard would be part of the team visiting the planet. The man owed a great debt to the Genii for all the families he had left without their loved ones. It was a debt that he fully intended to call in.
November 27th, P4Z-78X, Pegasus Galaxy
Jason stepped through the Stargate with the rest of the anthropologists. He would've run if he could, the last trip with this group had been boring even if he had told John a slightly different story. The only saving grace for today's trip was that Ford and Teyla were along as well so at least if he had to be stuck on this trip he had friends to share the pain with.
Jason watched silently as Ford issued a couple of orders to his team. It wasn't really necessary but it always paid to be safe. As a precaution, he left one of his men stationed near the Stargate in case they needed to get in touch with Atlantis.
He'd just started to explore a little when one of the anthropologists, he vaguely remembered the man to be Parker something, grabbed his arm and pulled him over. The anthropologist was in his mid-30s slightly overweight with light brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Jason, I'd like to introduce you to Mekos. He is one of the village elders."
Parker paused for a moment before he finished introducing Jason. "Mekos, perhaps you remember Colonel Sheppard, he was with me on our last visit. Jason is Colonel Sheppard's younger brother."
The man, an elderly fellow with thinning hair and a lanky build, looked at Jason in surprise. It was quickly covered though and he nodded to Jason in greeting.
"Mekos was telling me that a banquet had been planned for this evening." Parker explained to Jason.
Mekos nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, we have had a very successful harvest. It would be an honor to have you attend with your comrades."
Jason zoned out again while Parker babbled on with Mekos. He supposed he should pay attention but he'd never been a big fan of social studies and if he'd had his choice, he would have skipped this trip.
When it looked like there was a break, Jason quickly darted away and moved over towards Teyla and Ford.
Teyla smiled and moved to the side to let Jason join them. She had quickly come to realize that Jason and John were alike in many things. Peaceful visits to planets in order to simply meet and learn about the population were not high on either's list of things to do. Teyla could appreciate this view, being a warrior she was not as interested in trade and diplomacy but once she took on the mantle of leadership of her people, she had learned of the role such actions played.
Plus, she had promised John that she would look after Jason. Of course, neither of them would ever tell that to Jason but she knew that John worried about his brother's safety. Teyla worried as well because she owed Jason for his actions on the Wraith cruiser and he was still young and new to the Pegasus galaxy.
It had been sometime since she had practiced stick-fighting with Jason. In fact, she realized they had not sparred once since his return from Earth. John had filled her in on Jason's sessions with Ronon. She had laughed when John described walking in on them the first time only to see Jason practically begging John to do something to end his torment. Yes, she needed to start his sessions again; she missed the time they spent together.
November 27th, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
Elizabeth had been spending more of her free time translating Malus' journals since they had escaped the Wraith for the second time. Atlantis needed something that could turn the tide of the war. Before she had let Jason take the lead in translating the journals and he was still spending a good amount of time on it but there was simply too much work for one person. Recognizing that, Elizabeth as one the expedition members with the most knowledge of the Ancient language had stepped in to assist.
Between the two of them, they divided up the remaining journal entries between them. Each was taking a different approach. Jason was translating chronologically continuing to build a picture of the work that went on and the precautions that had been taken as the war progressed.
Elizabeth was approaching from the final entries and backtracking. Initially they had not pursued this approach fearing that they would miss critical information that was learned only in earlier entries.
The work was slow going. There were simply massive amounts of information to translate and try to assimilate but the last few entries that she had finished translating left her feeling profoundly disturbed. If she understood this correctly, than the weapon that had been developed by Malus and his team had the potential to be grossly abused.
So intent was she on going over the words once again that she barely even acknowledged that the door to her office had opened. She had called for John and Rodney when she realized what she had found.
John waited patiently. He knew that Elizabeth was involved in something important and it would only be a moment or two.
Rodney on the other hand had never been known for his patience. "If we're just going to stand here watching you work, I'm going back to my lab."
"McKay!"
Elizabeth just looked up and studied Rodney like he was a 4 year old acting up in class. His teachers had never really gotten the look to work on Rodney but Elizabeth was accustomed to dealing with difficult diplomats and knew exactly what to do to make her displeasure known without saying a word.
Rodney saw the look and blanched. "Right, sorry, I'm happy to wait here until you deign to give us your full attention." Of course, any intimidation on the part of Elizabeth could only go so far. Rodney didn't really take admonishment from anyone.
"If you don't want to know what the Ancients were working on to defeat the Wraith than feel free to leave." Elizabeth may not have been arrogant as Rodney but she could do sarcasm with the best of them.
Rodney's entire demeanor changed. He went from being annoyed and impatient to an enthusiastic 1st grader waiting to see the next science experiment. Without being asked or offered, he plopped himself down in one of the chairs and looked at Elizabeth expectantly.
John watched all of this with thinly veiled amusement. "Can you train him to roll over and fetch too?"
In meetings, John preferred to stand unless it was going to be a long one, he just needed to be able to move around, otherwise he just had too much energy and he'd be bouncing in his chair. He guessed that this wasn't going to be a long meeting, more of a 'hey look what I found' kind of meeting so he decided to stand but he did move towards the far wall so he could lean his back against it for the time being.
"If I am reading this write…" She stopped Rodney from interrupting with a glare "Yes I will send you a copy…"
Rodney nodded but held his tongue.
"I think I know why there was so much controversy about the prototype that the Ancients developed towards the end of the war. It disrupts all neural electric activity for an unknown period of time. They were never able to pin down duration because the subjects died before it could wear off."
John thought about what Elizabeth was describing. To him, it sounded a little like nerve gas.
Rodney was visibly excited. "It must affect the Wraith ships as well. We already know that they are organic so not only would we be able to eliminate the Wraith but we could prevent their ships from ever being used against us."
"There's a problem though." Elizabeth started only to be interrupted by Rodney again.
"Of course there's a problem, there's always a problem. Weren't they able to get the prototype to work on a large scale? It wouldn't do any good if it couldn't be fired from space."
John nodded along. Rodney made two very good points, there always seemed to be a problem. Every time they found a potential solution it turned out that there was a reason that the Ancients had never deployed whatever the technology was. Secondly, a ground based infantry weapon would do them very little good if the Wraith simply laid siege to Atlantis from space again.
"Ok, there are a couple of problems. One this talks about it being deployed on one of the Ancient cruisers. Last I checked we didn't have any of those in the jumper bay. Also and what I find more disturbing is the fact that weapon can be configured to disrupt the neural signals of any species. It is simply a matter of setting it to the right frequency."
Even Rodney didn't have anything to say after that particular revelation. A weapon that could be used to wipe out the Wraith was one thing, disregarding the ethics of genocide anyway. A weapon that could be used to wipe out anyone was even more dangerous. If the Goa'uld or even some of the groups on Earth like the Trust were to get their hands on the weapon it would be impossible to calculate the amount of damage they could do.
Rodney said it best. "Ok so we have a doomsday weapon. There's no guarantee that we can even recreate it."
"Rodney's right but even so I would suggest that we don't include what you have learned in our reports until we can come up with a way to limit the scope of this thing. You know that the Pentagon would be all over us to develop a prototype as soon as possible."
"I don't like withholding information that could affect the safety of Earth but I think right now it represents too great a risk. Once we learn more than we can report in our findings. Rodney that means that you have to keep quiet about this too. For now Jason will be the only other person that can be told. He will learn soon enough even if we don't tell him since he is still translating as well."
It was a sign of just how much Rodney had mellowed regarding Jason that he didn't even make a comment. And despite what people may think, he didn't always rush head first regardless of the consequences. He knew that this weapon was simply too dangerous to let fall into the wrong hands.
"Have you learned why they never used the weapon? It sounds like the tests were a success." John asked. He still hadn't moved from his position by the wall but he'd crossed his arms over his chest now and wasn't looking quite as relaxed as he normally did.
"No not really but there are references to a split on the ruling council. Malus didn't go into details though, at least not in these journal entries."
Surprisingly it was John who added "Well, none of this will matter if we don't figure out what materials are needed to even construct the thing. Part of me hopes we never do because anything that frightened the Ancients…"
November 27th, P4Z-78X, Pegasus Galaxy
Jason was bored out of his mind. He and Ford had spent most of the day together just wandering around the village. Teyla had stayed with them for a while before she went off to see if there were any trade opportunities for her people. He'd been tempted to join her but then quickly decided that it would probably be nearly as bad as spending the day with the anthropologists. So instead, he unknowingly signed up for an afternoon of torture with Ford.
The pair had just finished a circuit of the village when Ford asked "So how is Catherine doing? I couldn't help but notice you checking out some of the women here."
Jason knew there was no accusation it was just Ford simply making fun of him. It was true though, there were a few girls that looked pretty good even if they a little too skinny for his tastes.
When Jason didn't respond right away, Ford pressed harder having sensed a weakness to exploit.
"Getting bored with her already? What's wrong isn't she any good in bed?"
Jason suddenly stumbled in surprise. "What no! I mean…"
"So she is good in bed then. I always pictured her as a little hellion in the sack."
Jason blushed brightly because they hadn't done anything well maybe they had done more than he would admit but they hadn't had sex yet.
"No we haven't gone that far yet." He finally admitted.
Ford laughed at him "What's holding you back? You're both young. It's not like you're in love or anything, just have fun."
Hearing Ford say that was actually a little refreshing. He and Catherine had talked early on about what they may or may not be looking for and what Ford just described was exactly it. Both of them were just looking for someone to have fun with and not have to worry about trying to build some big romantic relationship.
'Wait a second!' Did he just say you're young? "What? You're only 25 what do you mean we're both young? What about you, any scientists caught your eye or are they too smart for you? I bet you prefer them dumb don't you?"
"That's just weak man and besides we were talking about you."
Jason had learned shortly after he met Ford that there were some battles just not worth fighting. Trying to stop him from wheedling the gossip from you was one of those battles. "No we haven't had sex yet. The timing hasn't been right but she's fun to hang out with. It's nice to have someone relatively close to my own age that isn't male plus I'm not interested in having sex with a guy so I hope you're not too disappointed. I don't want you to pine away waiting for me."
"Ha ha funny guy"
That was how they spent their afternoon just wandering around and talking about nothing.
It was nearing dusk when Ford's radio crackled to life.
Before Ford could respond, both felt something jab them in the shoulder.
Jason rubbed the back of his shoulder and pulled out what looked to be a steel tipped dart. "What the…." The world went black before he even finished his thought.
November 27th, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
"Colonel Sheppard come in."
John was working out with Ronon or it would probably be more accurate to say that he was getting his ass kicked by Ronon. The Satedan had managed to beat him soundly for the last ½ hour despite all the years of training that he'd been through.
"Sorry buddy, I got to take this." He was relieved to get the call. It was no doubt important and he would have to stop sparring for the time being.
Ronon smirked at the man knowingly.
"Colonel Sheppard, we've just received word that the Genii have attacked our team on P4Z-78X." The voice on the other was tense like they were waiting for his explosion.
"I'm on my way." He wanted to scream and yell, he wanted to do something to get rid of the immediate worry he was now feeling but he couldn't do that. John needed to keep his cool or his brother would surely be lost.
John grabbed his gear and turned to Ronon before leaving. "Come on. Our people have been attacked."
One of the things that John had quickly grown to like about Ronon was the fact that he was a man of few words. His expression said everything that was needed in this situation so he wasn't going to belabor it with meaning statements.
Together, they jogged to the transporter and made their way to the Control Room.
"What's the situation?" John demanded as soon as they entered.
Elizabeth was there as well and the other occupants were moving around nervously.
"Colonel Sheppard, I couldn't stop them there were too many." Sergeant Backman explained not realizing that John still didn't know what was going on.
"Start from the beginning Sergeant." John needed to have the whole story before he could fly off the handle.
The Sergeant explained that he had been ordered to guard the Stargate while the rest of the team and the scientists went on to the village. His team had checked in per the schedule until just before he returned to Atlantis. Shortly before the next check-in, a large group of Genii soldiers emerged from over a hill carrying Ford and Jason with Teyla and the scientists following. The only thing he could do was to try and see the coordinates where they were being taken.
"I'm sorry sir; I was only able to see 5 of the symbols from my vantage point." Backman apologized.
"We are already searching the database for possible matches sir." Chuck the gate technician added in knowing that John would be asking.
Elizabeth watched John carefully. She kept her own features carefully schooled not wanting to let him know that she was worried as much about their people as she was about John's reaction. This was a test of his suitability to continue in command, she knew that there were some back on Earth that would look for any excuse to have John replaced.
She just continued to observe as he issued orders to assemble two teams of marines in addition to his own team. As a precaution he called for Carson and asked him to be ready to go through the gate with his men. Since it was the Genii he made sure that the second team had someone with the ATA gene so they could take two jumpers. Together, it would be an overwhelming tactical advantage.
But until they could get the full gate address though, no one was going anywhere.
November 27th, Genii Prison world, Pegasus Galaxy
The Genii separated their prisoners and placed them into different cells. Teyla and the others had not put up any resistance when the Genii appeared in the village carrying the unconscious Ford and Jason. Between the two hostages and the number of Genii present Teyla quickly realized that any fighting would be a futile gesture. She took solace in the fact that they did not appear to have Sergeant Backman; hopefully he had not been killed.
Teyla tried to protest when they placed Jason in a separate cell from hers. Both he and Ford were still unconscious and she was concerned. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do for the moment but watch as Jason was dragged away along with two of the scientists.
--
Parker had just finished checking on Jason again trying to do his best to make the young man comfortable when the Genii guards reappeared.
Murphy, the third occupant, was dragged away at gunpoint.
Parker was left to watch Jason and hope Colonel Sheppard managed to rescue them before something else happened.
November 27th, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
John was standing straight and rigid as he watched Chuck and the other technicians work on finding the address. The initial search had come back with a surprisingly large number of hits and the only way to determine if the planet was the right one was to send through a team. For safety he had them going through the gate in a cloaked jumper. As of yet, the planets had been uninhabited or wiped out by the Wraith. None of them showed any signs of the Genii.
The others in the control room moved carefully around John. Many had expected him to be visibly worried since his brother was in the hands of the Genii but instead shortly after he'd learned of the situation, whatever he was feeling was replaced almost visibly by hatred and a palpable rage.
John kept himself rigid because right not he wanted to lead ever soldier in the city on an assault against the Genii. First they'd tried to take his city and now they kidnapped his people not to mention his little brother.
The Wraith were doing enough damage throughout the galaxy without the Genii adding their own brand of insanity to the mix. If anything they should be allies but instead they ended up enemies after their one failed joint mission.
The Stargate started to hum and the blue lights spaced around the ring began to activate.
"We have an incoming wormhole."
"Activate the shield." Ordered Elizabeth out of habit. Even though it was probably the team currently scouting out the next address on their list it was standard procedure to leave the shield raised until they received the identification code.
The wormhole flared into existence, the wash of energy never expanded beyond the shield before it settled back down into the familiar rippling puddle of energy.
"Do we have an IDC?"
Chuck studied his laptop waiting for something to come through but there was nothing on their normal frequency but the laptop was reporting a different signal.
"No but we are receiving a video transmission."
Elizabeth ordered him to transfer the transmission the main display in the center of the control room.
After a brief moment of static the image resolved into a somewhat grainy picture of a man John had hoped never to see again.
"Kolya!" He spat softly without realizing that the mic on his radio was live.
"Ah, Colonel Sheppard it is good to hear your voice again." There was a predatory grin on the man's face that told an entirely different story.
Though Kolya's face took up the majority of the image the y were able to see a number of Genii soldiers on either side of him in the background.
"Cut the crap Kolya, we know you have our people. What do you want?"
It was unfortunate that the Genii did not have the facilities to receive a video transmission otherwise they might have changed their approach to things if they could've seen the murderous expression on John's face.
"Always to the point, very well, I want all of your C-4 and Lantean ships."
Elizabeth entered the conversation, a little shocked at the outrageous demand. "You don't seriously expect us to accede to your demands do you?"
Ronon was whispering with Rodney trying to figure out why there was suddenly so much tension because of just one man. Rodney for his part was giving a quick overview of their encounters with the Genii while never taking his eyes of the screen.
"Of course I don't, that's why I have prepared this demonstration of our resolve."
Kolya stepped back and to the side which allowed the camera to display the center of the room.
Everyone recognized the figure bound and gagged, sitting in a blocky wooden chair in the center of the room. It was Charles Murphy one of the anthropologists that had been taken.
"Will you agree to my demands?" The question was strangely formal and left many wondering what exactly the man had planned.
"No." Elizabeth's answer was short, firm, and left no doubt that she would not concede to any demands.
"Then you leave me little choice." The man nodded to his soldiers and there was a motion at the edge of the screen.
It took a second for the people in the Control Room to realize what they were seeing. No one had thought that anyone was capable of such an atrocity.
"Don't do this." Elizabeth urged because she couldn't give in to his demands. She knew that even if they did, Kolya would never give up his prisoners.
"Let's be clear, it is you that's doing this. All you have to do is change you answer."
When no response came from Atlantis, Kolya smiled grimly and said "I can only assume you doubt me."
The personnel in the Control Room watched in horror as the Wraith was unchained and allowed to feed on Murphy. Even gagged, the screams of pain echoed off the walls of the small chamber and left a chill in the hearts of the expedition members. When the Wraith was done, all that was left was a withered husk of a man.
The Wraith was quickly subdued and shackled again.
Kolya turned back to the camera. "You have one hour to reconsider your position before I repeat this demonstration."
November 27th, Genii Prison world, Pegasus Galaxy
Jason paced back and forth in his cell. He'd regained consciousness not long after Murphy had been taken away. It didn't take long for Parker to fill him in on what had happened and where they were.
Parker was the only other person in the cell with him. He hoped the others were alive but he just wasn't sure what he should do. John would lead a search for them; Jason had no doubt of that. It had been drilled into his head over and over again that they didn't leave a man behind.
The problem that Jason was facing was whether he should use his magic to attempt to escape. There were two issues that he saw. One, he had no clue where he was or if they were even of the same planet for that matter. Second and more important, Jason had not been able to figure out how many people there were in this place.
This second issue sent Jason in a cycle of self-doubt. He kept seeing flashes of Suffolk all over again and he didn't want to be responsible for killing more men. But, even as these thoughts crept into his head, Jason knew that he wouldn't let them hurt people if he could do something about. Standing by and doing nothing would be almost as bad.
For now, he would wait. His magic would make a great weapon but he needed to use it at the right time.
Parker was sitting on the floor with his back against the rear wall of the cell. His eyes tracked Jason as the young man paced in front of the bars.
"Your brother will come for us Jason. He always does."
Parker sounded much more confident than he actually felt. He'd never been captured before and he had no idea what to expect. It was worse because it was humans. Sure he knew that they had made enemies of some of the human cultures in the Pegasus galaxy but he'd just always assumed that if something was going to happen to him while he was off world it would be the Wraith.
Jason didn't stop pacing. "I know I just need to be doing something."
Jason also hoped that Teyla and Ford were working on a way to escape. He felt better knowing that they were in the same boat as he was. If he couldn't have John here with him, those two were almost as good. Plus there was no Rodney McKay.
The last thought made Jason laugh. When he noticed the strange look that Parker was sending his way, he explained. "I was just thinking how much more miserable this would be if we had to listen to McKay whining and bitching."
Parker laughed with him and added. "Thank god for small favors."
All too soon the laughter faded away and silence returned to the cell.
"What do you think that noise was before?" Jason asked suddenly.
It had sounded like they were taking someone away. There had been some yelling and scuffling but the walls muffled noise too well for him to make it out clearly.
Parker shook his head. He was trying not to think about what the noise meant.
The pair was soon to find out though. A trio of guards approached the cell. Each was armed with a tri-barreled shotgun or what Jason assumed was a shotgun.
"You, come with us." One of the guards pointed at Jason.
Parker was off the floor and arguing immediately. "No take me. He's just a kid. He doesn't know anything."
The guard glared at the anthropologist and simply said. "Don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough. The commander wants to speak with Sheppard's brother right now."
Jason had a sinking feeling. With that one statement, Jason knew that these people had some kind of grudge against John. His choices had just been reduced.
November 27th, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
John and Ronon were in the control room along with Elizabeth and Rodney. Carson was also present along with Sergeants Bates and Markham. A handful of marines were present and ready to move out as soon as they had a location.
"Do we have anything? Were you able to get a lock on any more addresses with the symbols that Backman gave us?"
There was no mistaking the tension or threat of violence in his voice. John was ready to snap at anyone at the moment. His brother was out there being held captive by Acastus Kolya. John knew with absolute certainty that regardless of what Kolya said revenge was on his mind.
Rodney actually held back his own snappish response. He was a genius; he'd learned when to keep his mouth shut. "No and even if we do, how do we know they didn't simply gate to another planet?"
"We don't McKay, we send through another jumper to scout it out. We are not leaving our people in the hands of the Genii." Of course he meant it, but what John was also saying was that he was not leaving his brother in the hands of the Genii. Teyla and Ford would follow in a close 2nd and 3rd place after Jason too.
Ronon put his hand on John's shoulder. "We'll find them Sheppard and then we'll teach them a lesson they won't forget."
Elizabeth would've protested but after seeing Kolya allow a wraith to feed from one of the prisoners, she changed her mind. The only thing she said was "Our people come first anything else is secondary."
No one else was able to respond before the Stargate began to power up.
"We have an unauthorized incoming wormhole." Chuck the gate technician announced needlessly.
Everyone tensed waiting for the inevitable transmission and their own inevitable response.
In seconds, the wormhole stabilized and Chuck made another announcement. "We are receiving a video transmission."
After receiving the ok from Elizabeth, Chuck transferred the image to the large display in the rear of the control room. The screen was nearly 42 inches in diameter and allowed all present a clear view.
The room was exactly the same. It was bare but for a single chair in the middle of the room. There were two guards standing on either side of the chair with more along the walls. The only difference from the last transmission was who was sitting in the chair.
"Oh my god." Elizabeth muttered softly.
Ronon growled.
John turned white before his expression was replaced with a look of anger and hatred that none in the room had ever seen before.
Kolya stepped into view. "I'm sure you recognize my prisoner, especially you Colonel Sheppard."
John couldn't help himself. "Kolya if you hurt him, there won't be anywhere in this galaxy for you to hide."
"I don't want to harm him. That decision rests entirely in your hands. Of course, if you choose not to comply I may not be able to stop the Wraith from taking his fill. It would after all be a small measure of justice. Your brother for my son, would that make us even Colonel?"
Elizabeth answered for them. She knew John wouldn't agree to the deal, even to save Jason but she couldn't let this rest on his shoulders. The knowledge that he gave the order to kill his brother would destroy him.
"We won't negotiate with you. If you release the prisoners, we may be able to come to an agreement but not before."
Kolya didn't bother to sound apologetic or upset. He simply turned to his men and nodded.
"Jason do what you can! I will find you." John called out over the radio.
Jason couldn't respond since he had been gagged but he did nod his head.
Ronon was about to ask John what he was doing when Jason's eyes changed.
No one in the room except for John had seen Jason in action before. All they had ever heard were rumors and second hand stories. Now they were seeing first-hand what Jason Sheppard was capable of.
There were gasps when his eyes began to glow a bright blue-green.
The Wraith had just stepped into view when Jason used his magic to destroy the ropes tying him to the chair.
"What is this? Restrain him! I want him alive." Kolya recognized a potential weapon when he saw it. His military training also taught him to recognize a threat when he saw it. So he was already backing out of the room though, ostensibly to monitor the situation from a safer location.
Jason didn't bother with his gag, he didn't have time. He thrust his left hand out and encased the Wraith in a sphere of energy. His right hand glowed with power and projected a field that quickly expanded and encased his body in a form fitting sheath of magic.
The Wraith was beating against the walls of the sphere trying to escape. It sensed the presence of their enemy and was driven by a need to rip the life from the boy.
Jason squeezed his hand shut and the sphere shrunk, crushing the Wraith. As the sphere had shrunk, the Wraith's body was ripped apart, the crushed bones and organs fell the ground with a splat.
"Fuck." Someone muttered in the control room. More than one person had to turn away to avoid getting sick.
Without the Wraith to deal with, Jason was able to maintain his shield up and moved on to the offensive. Unfortunately, more men were pouring into the room armed with tazers, shotguns, and even some P90s that had been stolen from Atlantis.
Jason decided that any human that would willingly feed someone to the Wraith was a monster themselves. It didn't make his conscience any clearer but it made his decision easier.
Before he could act, he was thrown from his feet by a concentrated volley of fire. The bullets didn't penetrate his shield but it sure hurt like hell.
"Get up Jason. Come on, I know you can do this." John urged quietly.
No one in the control room could look away from the scene taking place before them.
Jason pushed himself up off the floor and remained in a kneeling position. His shield exploded outward. A wall of blue-green magic slammed into every soldier in the room throwing them against a wall or to the floor before snapping back to surround Jason once again.
The move wouldn't stop any of them but Jason just needed a minute. While the soldiers struggled to their feet, Jason worked on putting together a little show.
Just as the soldiers were resuming their attack, the chair in the center of the room was swallowed up by a swirling black disk that appeared on the floor.
"What is he doing?" Rodney asked John.
"I have no idea. " John answered honestly.
From out of the hole a long sinuous body emerged. At first people thought it was a snake but someone recognized the bearded head and the small clawed limbs. The thing was massive, easily 15 feet long and it's body was thicker than three men.
"It's a dragon! Is it real?"
"It must be a trick. Dragons don't exist." Rodney protested. Then he spotted something. "Look!" Rodney pointed at the screen. Everyone could see Jason leave the room while the Genii were distracted by the dragon.
Jason was satisfied that the soldiers would not be bothering him again. Now he just needed to find the others.
It seemed like Rodney was right too. The soldiers' bullets passed harmlessly through the dragon's body.
"See I told you it was just a …" Rodney's voice trailed off and the blood drained from his face.
The tail lased out and speared one of the hapless soldiers through his chest. The man never even struggled; he simply went limp and slid off lifelessly to the floor. Blood began to pool around his body given further proof to the threat that Jason's 'pet' represented.
"Ok, maybe it's not a trick."
The soldiers back away in fear and confusion. Never had they faced a threat like this, they didn't know what to do.
The dragon roared. It's cry of rage was loud enough to shake the room and cause dust to drift down from the ceiling.
"Wait, where did Jason go…" John trailed off when the dragon opened its horrific maw again but instead of an ear splitting roar, a torrent of flame poured out.
Just before the camera was destroyed, John and the others heard the screams of the soldiers as they quickly burned to death.
There was silence for a moment when everything went black on the screen and the stargate disconnected. Everyone was trying to reconcile the friendly, outgoing 18 year old they were used to seeing around Atlantis with the person who had just slaughtered a considerable number of Genii soldiers.
Ronon was the first to break the silence. "He still drops his left shoulder. I guess this means more training sessions."
The comment was so blasé that it broke everyone from their stupor. John in particular wanted to hug the man. Rather than make a big deal or freak out about what Jason could do, Ronon just ignored it and assumed that they would be getting him and the others back.
The muttering was getting louder in the control room. People were truly astounded by what they had just seen.
Not long after the stargate disengaged and while John and the others were still trying to figure out where the prison was located, someone else dialed into Atlantis.
Like last time, there was a grainy video image sent along with the radio signal.
"Atlantis, this is Ladon Radim of the Genii. I have information for you. Please respond."
John, Rodney, and Elizabeth all recognized Ladon as being a member of the strike team that had tried to take Atlantis during the storm when the city had been evacuated.
John shrugged his shoulders before taking the lead and responding.
"This is Colonel Sheppard, what information do you have and why should we trust you?"
Ladon never took his eyes off the camera. "Colonel I know you have no reason to trust me but there are many in the government that do not agree with Commander Kolya's decision to take your people prisoner. Until now we had been unable to obtain the coordinates of the prison where your people are being held."
"What changed?" John knew what changed of course. Kolya got a lot more than he expected with Jason.
"The Commander sent a request for reinforcements. I am transmitting the coordinates now. I ask only that in the future your people consider once again opening a dialogue with the Genii."
Chuck nodded to John that they had received the coordinates.
Elizabeth, the more politically savvy of the two stated "You're overthrowing his government aren't you?"
Again, Ladon never attempted to hide anything. He simply nodded and confirmed Elizabeth's suspicion. "Yes, I believe that together we can become a strong front against the Wraith. The Commander did not agree with me and sought only to steal your technology at any cost."
"If this is a trick…" John didn't bother t finish the threat. Everyone present knew what Atlantis was capable and the kind of hell they could bring down on the Genii if they so desired.
"It is no trick. Needless to say, Commander Kolya will not be receiving any reinforcements from us. I suggest you move quickly though, there is no guarantee that he will remain on the planet or leave your people alive."
There was very little to be said after that. Elizabeth told him that she would consider opening a dialogue with his people if the intelligence proved to be accurate but regardless his government must be stable before anything could begin.
As soon as the wormhole shutdown, John was organizing teams into two jumpers. The jumpers were extra insurance in case this was a trap. The Genii didn't have anything, aside from their atomic weapons, that could damage a jumper. Ladon had to have known this so he was hoping the man was not lying to them.
Elizabeth said "Be careful." Then the jumpers shot through the stargate.
November 27th, Genii Prison world, Pegasus Galaxy
Just after leaving the room, Jason placed his left hand against the wall.
At first it seemed like nothing was happening and then the concrete wall rippled like water. Great drops of concrete rolled off the wall and pooled on the floor.
His eyes blazed and the puddle of concrete reached out and formed a new wall blocking off the doorway. It wasn't particularly strong, but it should be enough to delay anyone that came after him once his little dragon had dissipated.
Satisfied that he was reasonably safe, he took off running down the corridor. He was running back in the general direction that he had been brought from and calling out for Teyla and Ford. At this point, he didn't care if he alerted more guards; he just wanted to find his friends and associates.
His yelling did more than alert the remaining guards, it told them exactly where he was. The 4 men set up position just in front of the cells holding Ford's team and the rest of the scientists while the last two circled around to approach from the rear. Parker had been relocated after Jason had been taken away.
Jason came barreling around the corner and skidded to a halt when he saw the four soldiers. What brought him up short and made his eyes literally blaze in anger was the sight of Ford and Teyla on their knees facing him with guns to their heads.
"If you do anything, these two die." One of the soldiers said. They'd received garbled orders from Kolya to stop the boy. They didn't know what had happened but somehow, the kid had smuggled something on him into the prison and used it to escape.
Two gunshots echoed off the walls.
Jason grunted in pain and dropped to one knee. Yeah, he needed to work on this shield thing. He was sure something had just broken even if the bullets couldn't penetrate his armor.
"Jason!" Teyla called out in worry.
The soldier sneered "Not so tough now are you kid." It was the last thing he ever said.
Teyla and Aiden shared a look before lashing out. Their distraction was all the Jason needed.
Even though he was tired, Jason struck with great precision and power. A sign of Jason's fatigue was the direct and brutal nature of his response. His attack was simple.
From his position on the floor, Jason sent magic coursing through the concrete floor. As with the wall previously, the floor underneath the four men in front of him liquefied and swirled up their legs. Before the men could even move or scream their bodies were encased in thin sheath of concrete. As quickly as it liquefied under the force of his magic, the concrete once more retuned to a solid state leaving four perfectly sculpted statues.
The 2 men behind Jason opened fire again. Aiden and Teyla dove out of the way unable to do anything more than dodge.
Already on his knees, Jason's back to the brunt of the attack. He felt like he'd been kicked by a horse.
Spinning around as fast he could, Jason swung his hand out with him sending out a scythe of magic as he spun. The razor sharp wave sheared through the concrete walls and the legs of the final two soldiers with equal ease. Both men screamed in pain as they collapsed to the floor, blood pumping out freely from the severed limbs.
Jason sent out one last wave of power ending the men's pain.
Teyla was the first to reach Jason's side.
"Jason are you hurt?" She looked over her young friend examining him for injuries. She was relieved to find nothing visible but he had moved as if he was in pain so perhaps his injuries were internal.
Jason didn't move from his crouched position on the floor. He was pretty sure had a couple of cracked ribs, every breath sent little jolts of pain shooting across his chest.
Aiden made his way over. For the time being, he put what he'd just seen in the back of his mind, they still needed to find a way out of this place. "Jason can you open the cells? I think the keys are…um…well they were on the men that you…" He trailed off not really sure how to describe what Jason had done.
Jason nodded tiredly. His eyes glowed faintly and the locks on the cells glowed at the same time before there was an audible click.
Teyla helped Jason to stand and quickly grew concerned when Jason paled slightly and gasped. She recognized the way he was holding his side and was certain that he had at least cracked one of his ribs somewhere in his battle.
"Jason there is nothing I can do for you. They have taken all of our supplies. Can you use your magic?" Teyla described the type of bandage that would help relieve some of his pain and make it easier for him to move around until they could get back to Atlantis.
With Teyla's help, Jason changed his armor to be more like a compression bandage wrapping his chest tightly. At least with the soldiers gone, he didn't need to maintain the rest of his shield.
Ford and Teyla grabbed the weapons and radios of the two soldiers that were on the floor. It wasn't much but it gave them some measure of protection beyond Jason's magic.
--
At the same time that Ford began to lead Jason and the others in an effort to find a way out of the prison, the Stargate flared to life. The handful of guards was unprepared for the two jumpers that came soaring through the gate rather than the reinforcements they had been expecting.
A drone, giving off a golden glow and a dangerous whine shot with surgical precision into the midst of the guards. When the smoke cleared there was a small crater in the ground near the stargate surrounded by the remains of the Genii guards.
The jumpers hadn't even waited to see the results of the attack. They simply flew onward. Their sensors had picked up the subcutaneous transmitters that every expedition member had been implanted with.
The flight took only a few minutes but to John it felt like hours. He swore to himself that he was never letting Jason out of his sight again. His brother seemed to attract more trouble than he did. From the growls that he had heard from Ronon, he doubted the man would be disagreeing with him.
"Where is it Rodney? I don't see anything." John asked. All that was visible was forest but if the sensors were to be believed, they were almost on top of the prison facility.
"I don't…it's underground." He said suddenly. "That's the only explanation."
"Are you picking up any other life signs?" John asked again after radioing the information to the second jumper.
"There are only a handful of Genii left. They all seem to be moving away from our people. I think you brother gave them a bit of a scare."
None of the people in the jumper felt any sympathy for the Genii. The Genii had kidnapped their people and allowed a Wraith to feed from one of them. Quite simply, they deserved whatever punishment Jason had dished out.
"There is a clearing over there big enough for both jumpers. I'm taking us in. Everyone get ready to move out."
The two jumpers landed gracefully on the forest floor. The soft whine from their engines faded and the rear hatches dropped open. Marines poured out of the rear of the jumpers and spread out looking for any threats that may have been missed by the sensors.
John, Rodney and Ronon followed and quickly took the lead.
A small contingent was left behind to guard the two jumpers with the remaining 6 men following.
It didn't take long for Ronon to find a hatch leading to the underground facility. In his years on the run, he'd honed his tracker skills. Not that he needed those skills; the Genii had not taken any effort to hide their tracks to and from the prison.
"Rodney, are you picking up anything?" Before they entered the prison John wanted to have an idea of what they would be facing.
The hand held life signs detector was glowing faintly in Rodney's hand. "Just our people, the signal hasn't changed."
"There must be another way out of here." John mused, the remaining Genii had run. Given what he had seen Jason do to them, he wasn't surprised.
"Ok, let's do this. Ronon and I are on point. Carson and Rodney you're in the middle. Markham I want you and the marines to cover our back. Leave a pair of men here at the entrance just in case."
Carson and Rodney were the only two in the group that might have argued or asked a question but John as thankful that for once both men remained silent and followed his instructions. He was walking the razor's edge at the moment, John knew that. The more he could remain focused on the rescue the better.
John was first down the ladder, followed by Ronon and then the rest of the group. Once everyone was down, Rodney pointed them in the direction of their people.
--
"I…I need to rest a minute." Jason gasped out.
Between the amount of magic he used and his injuries, he was finding it harder and harder to keep up. It hurt just to breathe; his ribs sent jolts of pain shoot all over his chest every time he took a breath.
Ford was undecided. He was worried about Jason, his injuries could be worse than they thought but they had no way of knowing if there were more Genii. Worse yet, they only had two weapons between them, along with Jason's magic of course.
Teyla could see that Ford was unsure of what to do. She understood his position but thought it would be best to rest. Even injured Jason could be quite dangerous but if they ran into more Genii but he would not be any help if he was too weak.
"I think it would be good for everyone to rest for a few minutes before we move on."
Ford knew what Teyla was doing. He appreciated that she was being somewhat subtle about giving him advice. He was still getting used to leading his own team especially when the other members, including Teyla were all older than he was.
"Ok, we rest for 10 minutes but then we have to press on."
Jason nodded his head in thanks and slid down the wall to rest on the floor. It helped not having to support his whole body but it didn't make breathing any less painful.
After resting, Ford helped Jason to his feet and they were on the move again. Barely 20 minutes had passed before Jason needed to rest. He was pale and his heart was racing. Breathing was getting more difficult too; it felt like something was pressing down on his chest.
"I'm worried about Jason." Teyla said softly to Ford. Ostensibly, there were on the lookout for more Genii but it also gave them a chance to talk privately.
"I know he might have internal bleeding. I've seen it with guys wearing bullet proof vests. If the weapon isn't strong enough to penetrate sometimes the impact itself can still do damage. There was a guy in my basic group…"
He shut up when they heard footsteps.
"Ford?" The voice carried softly from around the corner.
Both Ford and Teyla sighed in relief.
"Colonel we thought you more Genii."
John and Ronon came around the corner followed by Rodney, Carson and the marines.
None of the scientists moved, they were too exhausted by their ordeal. They were just relieved that it was almost over.
When Teyla saw Carson she spoke up before either Ford or John could do anything else.
"Dr. Beckett, Jason has been injured; I think you should examine him."
Carson nodded and swung his backpack off his shoulders. He scanned everyone for a moment to find Jason and quickly moved to his side.
John wanted to check on his brother, even from here he could tell he was hurt but he had a job to do. "Is anyone else hurt?"
"No, but Dr. Murphy is missing." Ford reported.
"Murphy's dead, Kolya let a Wraith feed on him."
Ford filled John in on what happened back on the planet and since their escape.
"Carson, can we move Jason?"
"Aye, I don't think he has any internal bleeding but we need to get him back to Atlantis so I can treat him properly."
John had two of the marines rig up a field stretcher so they could carry Jason out.
November 27th, Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy
Elizabeth listened to John report on the rescue. There'd been no sign of the Genii by any of John's men. They were already planning on sending back a team to see if they can find any trace of Kolya. John figured it would've been too easy to have him die, even if it was at his brother's hands.
"John, I think Jason should speak with Dr. Heightmeyer once Carson releases him."
"I've already made an appointment for him. After what happened in England I wanted him to talk to her too."
Elizabeth sat quietly for a minute. "John when Jason is better we are going to need him to get us back into these labs. It's just a matter of time until the Wraith find us and we need to be ready."
"I know, I don't like it but I know."
"How is he?"
"He'll be fine. Carson said he had three broken ribs and two cracked ribs. He'll be out of the infirmary in a couple of days."