Chapter 37: "This is your fault."
"Sabina, would you join me up in the control room," Mr Woolsey radioed me late in the afternoon. Glancing at the clock I noted that John's team was due to check-in and wondered if that's why Richard was asking for me.
"I'll be there in a couple of minutes," I promised, closing down my computer and heading for the nearest transporter.
When I walked into the control room there was already an active wormhole shimmering within the Stargate.
"What's happening?" I asked curiously.
"Colonel Sheppard failed to report in as scheduled," Mr Woolsey revealed. "Major Lorne and his team went through to see if they could determine why."
"Oh," I swallowed back the instinct to question, realising this was my first test as his deputy. I wasn't there as the concerned wife and I had to act accordingly. "Have they found anything yet?"
"We're just about to fine out."
"Atlantis, this is Major Lorne," Evan's familiar voice sounded different coming through the speaker.
"Go ahead Major," Woolsey invited.
"There's no sign of the Colonel's team in the village or on the way from the gate," Evan reported. "We're going to canvass the village, see if we can find someone who knows something."
"Very well," Woolsey replied. "See what you can find out in the next hour. We'll reconvene here then and determine our next course of action."
"Yes Sir," Evan replied, signing out. The gate shut down moments later, leaving the control room strangely quiet.
"Maybe they were worried about having all the members of the coalition so visibly in one place," I suggested, trying to come up with a reason for John's absence that didn't spell doom and disaster. "The village could have been the initial meeting point but then they had somewhere outside the village for the actual meeting."
"Perhaps," Woolsey frowned, "but then, why not include that in their invitation?"
He was right – if they'd needed to have a secondary site for the meeting itself, why not tell us that up front. Why the secrecy? That's if it was something as simple as moving somewhere different. What if there was something more sinister at play here? Maybe the Wraith had gotten wind of the meeting and set their own trap to capture the coalition leaders.
"There's no point in worrying just yet," Woolsey advised in a gentler tone.
"Was I that obvious?" I asked ruefully.
"Believe me, I too am thinking about the more worrying reasons for why Colonel Sheppard's team would disappear," Richard admitted.
"John always cuts me off when I start doing the 'what-ifs'," I shared.
"What if analysis is a perfectly valid method of contingency planning," Woolsey said in his more usual, pompous lawyerly tone.
"I'll have to remember that response for next time," I quipped.
Mr Woolsey and I were waiting when Major Lorne and the rest of the team walked through the wormhole back onto Atlantis.
"Major," Woolsey greeted him. "What happened?"
"Still trying to figure that out, sir," Evan replied. "One thing's for sure - they're not in the village anymore."
"They wouldn't have gone anywhere else without notifying us first," Richard said what we were all thinking.
Evan glanced at me before answering. "Not voluntarily, no."
"Did you collect all the gate addresses in the buffer?" Woolsey asked.
"Yes, Brown has them." The lieutenant handed Mr Woolsey his data pad with the information he'd harvested from the DHD.
"I'll send out teams to check them all. In the meantime you take as many men as you need," Woolsey ordered. "Search the entire area. And keep questioning the villagers. Somebody there knows something."
Evan nodded, striding away quickly to begin getting a larger team together. I followed Mr Woolsey up to the control room.
"Amelia, organise all the teams we can spare to begin checking the gate addresses Major Lorne's team brought back," Woolsey ordered, handing her the data pad.
"Yes Sir," Amelia agreed, getting straight to work.
"This doesn't make sense," he commented as we walked on into his office.
"What, that they'd invite us to a meeting and then take our people somewhere else?" I asked, sitting down in the chair across from his desk.
"Precisely," Woolsey pursed his fingers together, his expression thoughtful. "We're missing something here."
"Hopefully Major Lorne will find some clues, or better yet, someone who knows what's going on."
"You believe there will be people who know what happened?" Woolsey questioned.
"Of course there will," I returned intently. "If this was some kind of trap then someone in the village had to be involved. Outsiders are regarded with suspicion, especially these days with the Wraith hell bent on hunting down every Hoffan drug survivor. You couldn't walk into a village and set up a place to spring your trap without someone questioning you."
"That's true," Woolsey nodded. "For now there's nothing we can do but wait for word from Lorne's team."
I nodded. "I hate waiting," I admitted.
"I admit that I'm not overly fond of it myself," Woolsey agreed.
Major Lorne dialled in a couple of hours into the mission with news.
"We've managed to locate someone who says he knows what's going on," Evan reported. "We've detained him here but I'd recommend bringing him back to the city for questioning, with your permission Sir."
"Permission granted Major," Woolsey decided immediately.
"We're on our way."
"Have another team report to the Gateroom," Woolsey requested. Chuck nodded, getting on the radio to make it happen. A team of marines arrived moments later, ranging out around the gate.
The wormhole shimmered and then Evan stepped through, his team behind him and a stranger walking beside him.
"Mr Woolsey, this is Myrus," he introduced the stranger. "He claims to be a representative of the new Coalition of Planets."
"Does he?" I was impressed with Woolsey's tone and the bland, guarded expression he showed our visitor. The message was clear – Myrus was not welcome here and would be watched closely.
"Are you the leader of Atlantis?" Myrus asked Richard.
"That's right," Woolsey confirmed.
"Then we need to speak," Myrus said urgently.
"Very well," Woolsey agreed. "Major, bring our guest. We'll use the conference room."
"This way," Evan invited blandly, gesturing for Myrus to follow Mr Woolsey.
I was too interested in what was going on not to follow along. Once we were seated at the conference room table, Woolsey began. "Please, tell us what this is about," he invited.
"The Council for the Coalition of Planets have detained your team to stand trial for the crimes committed against the peoples of this galaxy."
"What?" I couldn't help but react.
"Your team represent the Atlantis expedition," Myrus reiterated. "They have been arrested by the Council to answer for the crimes of your people."
"This is outrageous," Woolsey slammed his hands angrily down on the table. "You're telling me that one of the first official acts of your new government was to assault and kidnap my people?"
"They weren't assaulted; they were arrested," Myrus replied
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Evan exclaimed incredulously.
"Believe me, not all of us agreed with this decision, but it wasn't taken entirely without reason," Myrus shot back.
"We've been trying to help you people!" Evan pointed out with heat in his voice.
"What you've been doing is making unilateral decisions that affect the lives of millions without consultation and without accountability," Myrus countered. "This is no longer acceptable."
"I'm not going to get drawn into a debate here," Woolsey said intently. Leaning forward he gave our visitor a narrow eyed stare. "I only need to know one thing. Where are my people being held?"
"Of course I can't tell you that," Myrus denied.
"Then why come here?" I demanded. "Why tell us anything at all?"
"The Council felt that you deserved to know."
"More likely the Council were worried about what we'd do if we manage to track our people back to them," I countered.
Evan nodded. "With good reason," it wasn't a threat of words but his tone said it all. At the first chance Myrus and the Council were going to regret messing with us. I met the Major's eyes and his expression assured me that we'd work this out and get John and the others back.
"It you do anything to stop the trial you will only confirm that such a trial is necessary," Myrus pointed out.
"You speak as if your actions should be taken in good faith, and yet you refuse to tell us where our people are," Woolsey said. "Fair trials don't take place in secret locations."
"Nevertheless -," Myrus began.
"I think Mr Myrus needs a little time to reconsider his position here," Woolsey interrupted, turning his attention to Evan. "Escort him to a cell."
I held back a grin, sure that our visitor wouldn't have expected that.
"My pleasure," Evan stood, intent on following that particular order without delay.
"You're making a mistake," Myrus protested.
"Am I?" Woolsey didn't seem bothered by the suggestion.
Evan walked around the table, pulling Myrus' chair out, forcing the other man to stand.
"When I was chosen to deliver this message, I knew there was a chance I wouldn't be coming back," Myrus told Woolsey. "But if you detain me, you will only be confirming what many already suspect: that you're a rogue element in this galaxy, operating without restraint or due process."
"Wanting to know where our team are does not make us rogue!" I shot back, glaring at the man. "Would you just let your people be detained like this? Would you abandon them; leave them at the mercy of people you don't know?"
Myrus didn't have an answer for me.
Mr Woolsey looked away for a moment and I thought – don't cave in now. We had to know where John's team was and this guy was our only lead.
"Lock him up," Woolsey reiterated.
"Let's go," Evan took Myrus' arm and escorted him from the room.
Once they were gone I turned to Mr Woolsey. "Do we have an official position on having to go along with the laws of the places we visit?"
"No, but unofficially the I.O.A. have an expectation that we will do our best not to offend the people who might assist us in acquiring the benefits we expected to get out of running the Stargate program." Woolsey grimaced. "Assuming we can get Myrus to reveal the location of Colonel Sheppard's team, there's no guarantee we'll be able to convince the Council to release them peaceably."
"We're not going to let them try John and the others for these supposed crimes, are we?"
"Even if we suppose there are real grounds for a trial, it's ludicrous to hold individuals responsible for the actions of this entire expedition," Woolsey replied. "For now, let's focus on finding out where the Council is holding our team. Once we have that we can work out an acceptable course of action."
"Maybe someone else has heard something," I suggested. "Surely the new Coalition and the appointment of a ruling Council would have people talking. It's a big change for everyone."
"True," Woolsey agreed. "Speak with Major Lorne. Have him get in touch with our off world contacts."
Nodding, I took my leave, intent on finding Evan immediately. "Evan, this is Sabina. Where are you?"
"On my way back to the Control Room," Evan replied.
"I'll see you there," I turned, walking the few steps to the Control Room to wait for him.
"Any news on Colonel Sheppard's team?" Chuck asked me when I walked in.
"Not so far," I admitted. "The guy Major Lorne brought back knows where they are but so far he's refusing to tell us."
"Some time in the brig might change his mind," Evan said as he arrived.
"Mr Woolsey wants us to talk to our off world contacts, see if any of them have heard anything about the Council," I told him.
"Okay," Evan moved to the nearest console. "Let's make a priority list of who's most likely to know something," he suggested.
We worked for a few minutes before Evan glanced at me. "You okay?" he asked quietly.
"I will be when we have John and the others back," I replied grimly.
"We're gonna find them," Evan promised.
"I know, but in the mean time they're being put on trial," I said in a low tone. "You know what that means Evan. They're going to rehash every mistake we've made since we got here!"
"You think that Colonel Sheppard will take some of that on board?" Evan asked, frowning.
"Don't you?" I retorted in a whisper. "You know him Evan. He already feels responsible for waking the Wraith … it's not that hard to twist everything around so that it flows from that one event. Now he'd going to have a bunch of people telling him that yes, it is his fault, after I've spent the past four years telling him it isn't!"
"There's no time for personal considerations when you're in a situation like this. The Colonel will play along but he'll be focussed on getting his team out of there," Evan countered.
"Maybe," I allowed. "That just means he'll save it for later."
"Then we'll deal with it later," Evan promised. "For now, let's find someone who knows where the Council was going to meet, okay?"
"Okay," I agreed.
A few hours later, after we'd run through our entire list, Evan left to report to Mr Woolsey, insisting I take a break and get something to eat.
Standing, I stretched my stiff muscles, realising for the first time that I was actually hungry and a bit tired.
"We haven't given the gate a workout like that in a while," Chuck commented.
"No," I agreed. "I think we've blown the entire budget for the year, all for nothing." We'd dialled our contacts on numerous worlds and got the same story – no one had heard anything and no one knew anything about the new Council for the Coalition or where they held their meetings. Even Evan was frustrated by the reception we'd received. People we'd considered our friends in this galaxy were acting as anything but. It made what we were trying to do here tenuous, especially if we couldn't trust that arrangements we'd made off world weren't traps to capture us.
"We might not have found out anything yet Ma'am," Chuck replied, "but you can bet on someone you and Major Lorne spoke to today knowing something. They just need some time to think about doing the right thing."
"I hope you're right." Nodding to Chuck I made my way to the Mess Hall. It was after the usual dinner hour so it was quiet … I didn't mind though. Being worried about John and the others made me a poor companion. I'd finished my meal and was nursing a herbal tea Teyla had recommended when Major Lorne found me.
"How did Mr Woolsey take our lack of progress?" I asked glumly as Evan sat down across from me.
"Not like I expected," Evan admitted. "He doesn't believe the whole galaxy has turned against us. Insisted we go and talk to Myrus again."
"Did he relent and tell us where the Council is?" I asked hopefully.
"Not exactly," Evan grimaced. "Mr Woolsey negotiated with Myrus for our team to have proper representation. He manipulated the guy into agreeing to take him to the Council to take over their defence."
"He what?" I blinked, surprised.
"He's gone with Myrus to wherever they have John and the others," Evan clarified. "And before you ask, no we can't just follow them. The only way he'd agree to take Woolsey was using the same route as before. Even if we went to the same address we'd have the same problem as before – fifty gate addresses, any one of which could be the right one and from there another gate with another fifty addresses, and none of them is the right one either. We tried to contact Todd to see if we could get a subspace locator but he didn't respond and we could only stall Myrus for so long before he'd get suspicious."
"So we're back to waiting?" I questioned glumly.
"Afraid so," Evan agreed.
"Did Mr Woolsey have a plan?"
"Aside from getting the lay of the land, he's going to play lawyer," Evan offered.
"He's taking this trial thing seriously?" I asked, worried.
"No, but if he can win then the Council will have to release Colonel Sheppard and the others," Evan pointed out. "Apparently he was a big wig lawyer back on Earth – he seemed pretty confident he was more than a match for the council."
I nodded, not sure what I could say.
"There's one other thing," Evan added reluctantly. When I looked up he had an almost smirk on his face.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes at him – with John still stuck off world and not being able to do anything to help I wasn't in the mood to find anything amusing.
"Ah … with Mr Woolsey off world, that deputy thing kicks it."
"It doesn't," I denied. Evan shook his head. "It does?" He nodded. "Damn."
"You'll be fine," Evan insisted, his eyes twinkling. The man was amused – that was so not the way a friend should react.
"This is your fault," I reached across the table and smacked him on the arm. "What was it you said? Oh, that's right. If down the track you need to step up to fill Woolsey's position, you'd have gained enough confidence by then. This isn't down the track Evan!"
"I know and I'm sorry," Evan rubbed his arm.
"You're just going to have to be where I am until Mr Woolsey gets back," I declared. "You're officially my back up buddy."
"Sure, okay, I can do that," Evan agreed, still acting put upon. "I was going to do that anyway," he added under his breath.
"So as acting Mr Woolsey, do I still get to sleep?"
"Of course," Evan looked amused again. "The night shift is already on duty."
"Good, then I'll see you in the morning, bright and early." I stood, gave him a mock salute and then turned to leave.
"Sabina," Evan called out. I turned to see him still lounging at the table. "It really will be okay," he promised.
"I know," I smiled, waved and headed off home. Once there I looked around bleakly – lately there had been too many nights where either John or I were stuck somewhere else. It had to stop.