Left Behind : Stargate Atlantis

Dragonlots aka Dana Bell

Chapter 29 – In a twinkling

There were several Wraith darts on the ground, not to mention the repulsive creatures themselves, a number of Jaffe' - now that surprised John. He lowered the binoculars he'd been using to observe the enemy. The soldier had safely tucked himself behind some thick bushes, using it as a screen so he could watch below. Not that he needed to worry about them firing at him, not with the shield in place.

"So here you are."

Sheppard frowned as Teyla crawled on her stomach to join him. She lifted her hand to look below. "I don't recognize the ones with the odd marks on their foreheads."

He lifted the binoculars again. "They're called Jaffe'. I read about them in SG1's mission reports. Though what they're doing here." He glanced at her. "Where are the kids?"

"Katie is looking after them." She offered him an apologetic smile. They'd had a long talk about her joining him on his scouting mission. He'd thought they'd settled it. Evidently his wife thought differently. "I thought you could use some backup," she told him, her eyes scanned below. "I don't see any of the cats."

"I haven't seen them either. They're there though." John shifted his foot and a few rocks rattled down. They both instinctively froze. None of the Wraith seemed to notice. "You need to go back, Teyla."

"Why?" she demanded, her voice getting louder. "We're perfectly safe behind the shield."

"I don't want to risk both of us. I thought I made that clear."

"Even if we are killed," she lowered her voice as her husband glared at her. "Christ is returning soon. Our children would not be long without us."

"I'd rather they not do without us at all."

"Then why are you out here?"

"It's my job."

Something skulked along the hillside and they both fell silent. Moments later a cream colored shape joined them.

"Hey, Bob," John greeted, rubbing the cat's head. Bob quietly urped in response, lying beside the soldier.

"I should be there," Teyla teased.

"You shouldn't be up here at all," Sheppard griped back, using the nocs to check out below. "I'd really like to know how those Jaffe' got here."

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"Oh," Elizabeth groaned. She closed her Bible placing it on the side table and slowly pushed herself up out of the chair. Dorcas glanced up from where the girl sat on the floor. She was drawing all sorts of odd pictures, which Weir only spared a glance. "Wish I understood why I don't feel good," she told her daughter. Finally she reached the pitcher and shakily poured a glass of juice. Taking a few sips, Elizabeth slowly lowered her body into another chair. "I didn't feel like breakfast this morning."

"I am concerned about you." Grogan said as he entered the hut. He'd been teaching a Bible study earlier about Christ's soon to be expected return. He came to kneel beside his wife. "Perhaps you should go see Joy."

"I can barely walk across the floor," she confessed to her husband, hating to admit any type of weakness, even to the one she loved and trusted more than anyone else.

"Then I will bring Dr. Joslin to you." He hurried out.

She smiled after him, before almost doubling over with what felt like horrible gas pains. "Please, hurry."

Dorcas came over to her. Her expression held no concern. The girl held up one of the pictures she'd drawn.

With a gasp, Elizabeth realized what it was.

"They come. I go to them." She tossed the drawing on the table. "When I big, I eat you." Dorcas skipped past her mother headed for the door.

"Wait!" She tried to grab the girl, almost falling on the floor.

Laughter that didn't sound at all child - like mocked her and Dorcas slid outside.

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Athar rounded a corner and saw Dorcas duck behind a hut. "That's strange," she said, deciding to follow. She knew Elizabeth wouldn't have allowed the girl out by herself. The pair were conscientious parents and one of them would have been with her. Wondering if Dorcas had slipped out when her parents' backs were turned, she hurried after the child.

Past the village the girl struggled up the slight hill that hid the presence of the structure that held the equipment powering the shield. It had been made to seem like part of the landscape. Those who made this place had not wanted to frighten others who wanted to ascend.

"Dorcas?" she called gently. Her eyes searched for the child, who seemed to have vanished. The sound of shattering glass penetrated her ears. "No!" Athar ran. She paused in the door seeing the damage and turned to see where the girl had gone.

"There you are!" Halfway across the field she saw Dorcas fleeing. No doubt the child meant to leave the sanctuary. "Come back here!" she yelled and hurried after the little saboteur.

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"Did you hear that?" Rodney lifted his head.

"Hear what, Rodney?" Katie answered, filling the last glass and placing it in front of Peter. She'd just sat the children down for lunch.

"Oh, no." The scientist raced out.

"I hate it when he does that," she fumed. "Go ahead and eat. I'll be right back." She found her husband looking at the sky. Following his gaze she stared in wonder. Banks upon banks of clouds piled high as far as she could see. "Wow." Katie stood there and marveled.

"Get back inside," her husband ordered her.

"What?" Shocked she stared at him.

"The shield is down."

"Are you sure?" Nothing seemed different to her.

"Yeah." He pointed. "Normally we'd see the sky with a type of haze to it. It's gone." He faced her. "Don't you see it?"

"Guess I hadn't noticed."

"Go inside, Katie. Please." Rodney sounded scared.

"Rodney." Now he was frightening her.

"Just go inside. I'm going to check the shield equipment." He kissed her. "I'll be back soon. Promise."

She smiled back trying not to cry. "Hurry."

"I will."

The devastation Rodney found made him moan. "Who did this?" He fell to his knees gathering up the broken crystals. "Oh, please, God. Please, tell me we aren't all going to die a horrible death."

"Dr. McKay," Dr. Novak seemed surprised as she skidded to a stop.

"The shield generator is down." He got up.

"Noticed. You can fix it, right?"

"Not unless we have replacement crystals."

"Oh." A strange look crossed her face. "I'll bring you the ones from the Deadalus' hyperdrive." She grinned at him when he faced her, not believing what he'd just heard. "It's not like we're going to need them."

He stopped to think about what she said. "You know, that might just work."

"Be right back."

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Lindsay passed Grogan and Joy as they rushed past her. The doctor carried her bag and the big man carried a few other items. "Elizabeth must be having her baby," Novak said to no one and hurried to complete her task. Tiez joined her and the two of them removed the crystals.

"Be right back," she promised the Asgard. After she delivered the crystals to McKay, who was, like normal, muttering to himself and in a frantic flurry to fix the shield, she went back to the Deadalus. Going up the ramp, she started, realizing the ship had been powered up. "Tiez!" she called joining the alien in the engine room. "What are you doing?"

"Giving everyone else a chance." Tiez hit a control and the Deadalus slowly rose. "I am supposing you want to come."

Novak took a deep breath, her heart beating in both fear and excitement. "Anyone else on board?"

"A few others. All volunteers." The Asgard blinked.

Plopping down at her station, her fingers automatically found the right buttons. "Let's do it."

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"What the hell are they doing?" Rodney paused in the repairs long enough to check out the loud noise. Aghast he saw the Deadalus rise over the village and head up over the ridge. "Are they crazy?"

He saw others running and pointing, their voices rising in excitement. He grunted. "Least someone could do is come and help me."

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Athar had to stop and catch her breath. The cave was darker than she remembered and she'd long ago lost sight of Dorcas. She heard the child's echoing footsteps and tried to catch her. Light shined in on the rock walls as she finally reached the entrance. The little girl toddled across the scorched ground where a Wraith queen waited, her pale arms extended to welcome the youngster.

"No!" Athar screamed and ran, hoping against hope to stop grab Dorcas before she reached the queen.

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"What is Athar doing!" John half rose his eyes unable to believe what he was seeing.

His wife caught her breath. "Oh, no."

The scene playing out below them was like something in a bad horror movie. They watched as Dorcas ran into the arms of the Wraith queen.

Teyla moaned and covered her face briefly. "Poor, Elizabeth."

"Worse for us if they figure out how she got there." John clinched his hand in helplessness. There was nothing he could do.

They continued to watch as Athar stopped just short of the queen and her drones. Her hesitance told them she knew the battle had already been lost. Yet, her frantic glance backward indicated she knew she couldn't return even if she wanted to, not without endangering the entire village.

"Run, Athar," John pleaded.

Bob hissed, crouching low, his tail flipping, turning up loose soil.

"She can not." There would be no escape for the woman Teyla knew.

"I can't watch this." John grabbed his rifle and aimed at the nearest drone.

"John, the shield." Teyla put her hand on her husband's arm.

Low rumbling sounded as a huge shadow passed overhead. Both glanced up astounded as the Deadalus hovered there. The ship's weapons fired and several darts exploded. Confusion reigned and John made a move to go down.

"No!" She grabbed her husband. "John!"

"I have to help!"

"Too late!"

In horror they watched as the Wraith queen grabbed Athar. The alien's arm shot out connecting with Athar's chest and she fell to the ground within seconds. Faint winds picked at the dead woman's skirts. A triumphant scream rent the air and the queen gathered up Dorcas. Several drones surrounded the pair and escorted them to the nearest ship.

"Oh, Athar." John sank down.

"John." Teyla tried to comfort her husband. "I'm so sorry."

More shots were fired from the Deadalus and returned by the Wraith. Darts hummed through the air, zipping low trying to get past the Earth ship.

"We've got to warn them." John half turned, his eyes widening. He grabbed Teyla trying to protect her body with his. Bob slithered past them and away just as an explosion rocked the ridge and their perch shattered.

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"Nothing gets by," the young officer on the bridge ordered.

The few on board nodded, grim expressions on their youthful faces. They all knew what was at stack and had sworn an oath to protect the civilians at all costs.

Lindsay heard the order down in engineering. She and Tiez shared a look. They both nodded in understanding and worked at keeping the Deadalus in the air as the ship shuddered under each successive attack.

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"What's going on?" Elizabeth wanted to know, even as another contraction ripped through her.

"Relax, Dear One." Grogan gently wiped his wife's sweating brow. "There are others taking care of this crisis." He rinsed the rag and kept it ready. "Your job now is to deliver our child."

Joy spoke up after checking to see how far Weir had dilated. "You're doing fine."

"Easy for you to say," she retorted as a more painful contraction gripped her.

"Is it getting dark?" Joy asked.

Grogan went to the window. All light faded and darkness fell upon them. Flashes of lighting decorated the thick clouds in amazing kaleidoscope colors. Streaks of orange burned through the sky and the temperature noticeably dropped. Whistling pierced artificial night and sounds like explosions rippled through the village.

"Grogan!" His wife's cry forced him to hurry back.

"I am here." He took her hand. She squeezed it hard.

"Almost time to start pushing," Joy told her in her professional voice, though her uneasy glance betrayed her fear to both her patient and husband.

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Lightening zagged overhead, striking into the midst of the fleeing Wraith and Jaffe'. Bodies flew into the air like limp tossed aside rag dolls. The Deadalus continued firing. Darts buzzed around the ship, their stinging attacks punching holes in the vessel.

"Shield gone!" an officer reported.

"We're loosing power down here!" Novak's frantic voice floated up from engineering.

"Noted," the officer in the command chair responded.

Concentrating their efforts the Wraith darts rammed the Deadalus. Metal glowed in the darkness and the ship howled haunting alive, as it slowly flipped and crashed down on the position of the enemy. Its blazing end rivaled the meteors falling all around, tearing up the landscape and managing to target the few remaining Wraith and Jaffe'.

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When Petra fell in his final attack, Carpathia intended to borrow one of the Jaffe' ships and strut through his massive intergalactic kingdom. At least the wretched river had finally dried up and now his army approached the Valley of Megiddo.

Quickly primping he prepared to go live on camera before the world. He mounted his enormous horse, taking great pains to appear as the great conquering general he knew himself to be. He put on his face for the press and spoke about his massive army. Continuous thunder interrupted him and he ignored it, answering the reporter's question, putting himself in the best light possible.

After all, the cowards in Petra had tried to assassinate him and he had so generous offered amnesty to any who wanted his mark after the deadline. And he had raised him self from the dead, proving his divinity. There would be no negotiating. Not this time.

In conclusion he said, "Therefore, our plan is annihilation. I shall personally lead this effort, with the able assistance, of course, of my generals. We shall rally the troops as soon as we arrive, and the siege should take only a matter of minutes."

Showing off he rode toward the battle.

Taken directly from Glorious Appearing by Jenkins and LaHaye.

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"Your daughter," Joy told the couple as she laid the tiny infant on her mother's chest.

"She's beautiful," Elizabeth whispered, marveling at the tiny baby.

"Yes," Grogan agreed. He wiped at his eyes.

Ebony rose up on her hind feet to stare at the infant. None of the humans remembered the cat coming in.

The doctor lifted her head. "It's really quiet."

Slowly Grogan rose and checked outside. The darkness was still there, but the lightning and thunder had ceased. He faced the two. "It will not be long now before Christ returns."

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Emerging from fixing the shield, or at least, Rodney hoped he had, he stumbled out into the absolute darkness. The lightning and thunder show had made him nervous, but with everyone's life hanging on his actions, yet again, he had pushed on until he finished.

Somehow he made it back to his hut. Katie threw herself into his arms and he hugged her tight. "It's okay," he reassured her.

"I was so scared." He heard her voice catch. She was crying.

He hugged her against him. "I'm here."

"Look, daddy!" He could barely see his daughter standing on chair looking outside.

"Be right there." Rodney kissed his wife. "Are the children all right?"

"We're all fine." Katie sniffed. "Aaron and Deborah screamed for most of the storm. Samson and Peter helped me by holding them."

He grimaced. "Sorry, I wasn't here to help.'

"At least the babies are asleep now." She squeezed his hand and lowered her voice. "I'm worried about John and Teyla. They should have been back by now."

The cat bumped against Rodney's leg. "Hey, Bob."

"He came back a couple of hours ago." She paused. "He was covered in dirt."

"Daddy," Ruth had the impatient tone in her voice.

Barely he could see the boys also looking up.

"What, Ruth?" Rodney joined his daughter, his arm wrapped around his wife.

"Whoa!" Rodney stared in wonder. Across the sky a huge cross-shimmered.

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"Elizabeth, you must see this." Grogan went back to the bed and helped his wife to her feet. Supporting her, he took her to the window. Joy grabbed a chair and Weir sat down, still cradling her new daughter against her.

"Wow!" Joy marveled.

Extending across the sky a cross dominated the darkness.

"The Sign of the Son of Man," Grogan murmured. He fell to his knees, raising his arms and worshipped God.

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Bolting up, Teyla squirmed as rocks pinched into her butt. "Are we dead?" Earlier when she'd woke, she cold hardly breath and assumed her ribs were broken. She had also been dizzy and her eyesight blurry. Now, she felt fine.

"Don't feel like we're dead," John muttered from somewhere behind her. "Besides, we'd be in heaven, not sitting on this hard ledge."

"John," she reached back and touched his leg. "Look, over head."

He lifted his eyes. "Now that," he marveled, "is worth waking up for."

As far as they could see a gigantic cross dominated the sky.

"We should try to get back to the village." Warily, she got to her feet. "They will wonder what has happened to us."

"Should have been only me," he reminded her.

"The damage is done."

He reached out and pulled her to him. "NEVER, scare me like that again."

"I will do my best." She smiled, though she doubted he could see her. "But I make no promises."

"We'll see about that."

Her giggle was stifled by his passionate kiss.

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Carpathia taunted God, throwing jeers and sneers at his enemy. He bragged on now he would defeat the great and mighty I Am. The rebels at Petra stared down at him and the siege began.

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The cross vanished from the sky leaving their village in complete darkness. Elizabeth gasped. Grogan took her hand. "It is well, Dear One."

Light splashed above. Yet, it was not like the sun as it chased away the dark corner shadows and seemed to invade their home.

"We must go outside." Grogan helped his wife up and they hurried out. Joy followed, Ebony bounding after them. Once they stood on the dirt paths, he glanced around seeing everyone else there as well.

Rodney and Katie joined them. They had their two children, as well as John and Teyla's three. Bob meowed in a reverent tone. In silence everyone else stood – waiting. Even the cats were there, some on high perches, others on the ground.

"Look!" Someone in back shouted.

A brilliant rainbow cloud parted and rolled back like a scroll. It stretched horizon to horizon. Almost everyone dropped to their knees and lifted their arms. The cats simply sat. Heaven opened. Before them, on a dazzling white horse, sat Jesus, robed in incandescent ivory, with writing on it. His chest seemed girded with a gold band.

"I can read the writing" Grogan spoke in awe. "I don't know the language, yet I know what it says." He lifted his voice to carry over the group. "King of Kings and Lord of Lords!"

And behind him, were the armies of heaven, dressed in fine white linen, all mounted on horses of the same color.

An angel appeared and called for the birds to come feast.

"For the battle on Earth," Grogan supplied.

"We won't see that, will we?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, Dear One." He took her hand. "From what I've read, I think it is better we do not."

"It's like he looked right at me," Rodney babbled.

"Me, too," Katie shared.

"He was looking at all of us," Grogan told them.

"Do we get to go back to Earth?" Joy wondered.

"We will," Elizabeth affirmed. She smiled down at her daughter. "We must wait for a time. When He's ready for us, I think we're going to be surprised on how we'll be transported."