Author's note: Thanks so much to everyone who left reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and reading your comments makes me so happy. Also, this is the first chapter from John Sheppard's POV.
Dinner with McKay, Beckett, and Weir had been fun. John missed his teammates and he missed Atlantis.
He thought that being the leader of SG-4 and still going though the gate would give him a similar thrill, but it wasn't the same. It didn't help that he was used to working with some of the smartest, most skilled people in the Pegasus galaxy and his subordinates on SG-4 just weren't up to par. General Landry had pointed out that it took time for team chemistry to develop. That was true, but Sheppard wondered if his standards were too high now.
At first, he'd been excited that they were all being called back to the SCG because of a problem in Atlantis. It turned out that he should have been careful what he wished for.
Now he had to deal not only with the fact that he might never be going back to Atlantis, but also that the city he loved was going to be destroyed by Replicators a month and a half after they handed it back to the Ancients for their safekeeping.
The moment he heard that, he realized that he'd been in a holding pattern since they got back. He had been waiting and hoping that they would be able to go back to Atlantis soon, even if it was in a scaled down fashion. He understood why the Ancients wanted the place to themselves for a while. Like he said, he wouldn't want to come home to somebody sitting on his couch eating his Cheetos. It was just that Atlantis felt like his couch too. A worn in, perfectly comfortable couch that he had to give to a stranger just because they owned it thousands of years ago.
John wished "finders keepers" was a real thing. He never should have given McKay that idea about overtaking the Tria and maxing out the sublight engines in order to contact the ship. Things had all gone downhill since then.
After they found out what had happened on Atlantis and General Landry's plans to nuke the city, John tried to argue for a rescue mission.
"Sir, General O'Neill and Woolsey may still be alive," he pointed out. "Now, I know the city like the back of my hand. Just give me sixty marines and...and some of Colonel Carter's new, um…"
He reached for the words and McKay jumped in.
"Anti-replicator weapons."
"Yeah, those things."
Landry shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Colonel. I have standing orders. They happen to be General O'Neill's standing orders. The Daedalus will be there in a little under four days. Now how do I get a nuke past their shield?"
At that point, John stopped participating much in the meeting and let McKay stall with a lengthy list of what ifs and technological challenges. Taking down the shield was more of a problem for a scientist anyway.
John Sheppard was used to following orders, even orders that he didn't like. He just didn't like leaving people behind. He'd gone on two unsanctioned rescue missions in his career. During one, he saved the lives of three servicemen. In the other, he lost a good friend. Those occasions left him with one black mark on his record and a narrow escape from a dishonorable discharge.
Even so, it was worth it taking those chances both times.
General O'Neill had gotten him into the Stargate program. It had changed his life and given it meaning. Because of that he had gotten close to some amazing people and done amazing things.
John figured he owed the man.
Sitting in the briefing room, listening to his boss argue with Rodney McKay, John Sheppard considered whether he was willing to undertake a third unsanctioned rescue mission, even if it might mean that he actually got discharged this time.
Third time's the charm, as the saying went.
Eventually, General Landry dismissed them and asked them to come back when they had some options.
The Atlantis team gathered in John's office. They were supposed to be brainstorming ways past the city's shield for Landry, but had other things on their mind.
Beckett was the first to broach the topic they were all thinking about.
"Now, those replicator thingamajigies you're talking about…"
"Let's just call them ARGs," he interrupted.
He had no interest in saying anti-replicator weapon every time they needed to talk about the guns. To his surprise, McKay didn't fight him on this one like he did when John named the puddle jumpers. Instead, the man went right into the description of the weapons themselves.
"They're energy weapons. They disrupt the link between the nanite cells. The Replicators literally fall apart when you fire on them."
The ARGs would be key for any plan. They just needed enough people to fire them. And considering he was less than confident about the current prospective rescue team's background with weapons, he made a suggestion.
"You know, uh, hypothetically, Teyla and Ronon would be more than willing to help…if we asked."
Elizabeth Weir folded her arms in front of her.
"We would need to gate into Atlantis," she pointed out. "All they need to do to keep us out is activate the 'gate shield."
McKay spoke up.
"Well, I did write a backdoor to the shield program. Couple years ago when Kolya stormed the city? So, I mean, it could "hypothetically" let us get into the Gate Room."
Weir's eyes widened.
"General Landry was worried about the Replicators rewriting the bridge macro to 'gate them somewhere else in the Milky Way. Does that mean you could change the macro?" she asked. "Take us somewhere else in Pegasus?"
They could do it, John realized. This could actually work. And if they could end up somewhere else in Pegasus, that meant they could get additional reinforcements.
"Somewhere like, uh…just talking here," he said, "the Athosian settlement where Teyla and Ronon are?"
Suddenly a plan was coming together.
"We'd need a jumper!"
McKay was getting into the spirit now.
John snapped his fingers. "And, uh, some of those ARGs."
"And," Weir pointed out, "someone to make sure Landry doesn't close the iris on us."
"Hmm." McKay was already deep in thought working through the problem.
"Hypothetically," Weir added, as if they weren't all thinking about stealing a jumper and heading back to Atlantis.
"Of course," Beckett agreed.
John nodded and looked around the room. None of these people were military - Carson Beckett wasn't even supposed to be on the base right now - but this team had heart and they had skills. They would be able to do this. He would make sure of it.
"Let's do this then. What's our plan?"
McKay seemed to have an idea for gaining access to the jumper and asked Weir to go with him. While they were doing that, he and Beckett went to track down the ARGs and other gear they would need for the rescue operation.
John went in alone to one of the supply rooms to grab a few duffle bags and fill them with tac vests, uniforms, and basic supplies. Once he had everything, he handed the bags to Beckett and told him to wait around the corner.
The armory was trickier, but he decided to sign out a single zat, chatting with the airman on duty who wasn't aware that John's next mission with SG-4 wasn't scheduled until the next morning.
Once he had the weapon, he met up with Beckett and they headed for the stairs. Getting the ARGs was a crucial part of their plan. Most of them were in the armory, but he couldn't risk it, not with an airman on duty and the busy corridors on that level. Luckily, they had another option. John knew that there were still some ARGs secured in one of the labs three levels below for testing. He and Beckett took the stairs to avoid running into anyone at the elevators.
When they made it to the correct level, they walked down the corridors and said hello to other SGC staff that walked by. The closer they got to the lab he was looking for, the fewer people they ran into. Everyone who worked at Stargate Command had some experience working crazy hours, but the scientists tended to have more normal schedules unless it was an emergency.
The Atlantis team had arrived for their briefing with Landry after dinner, which would work to their advantage. Most of the scientists should be home by now.
He found the correct lab and left the lights off when they entered. The cameras would still capture them if anyone was looking, but hopefully no one in security was paying much attention to the labs after hours.
"This way," he whispered.
He and Beckett walked over to the large secured storage closet on the other side of the room.
John took out his ID card and felt a slight pang of regret, knowing that he was basically saying goodbye to his military career. He swiped the card anyway and opened the door.
"Okay, try to fit at least eight ARGs in the extra duffle bags, more if possible. I want us to bring extras for O'Neill and Woolsey if we can. I'll watch the door."
Beckett nodded and started to grab the weapons.
The light came on and John turned to the door.
Well, this wasn't good.
He raised the zat in his hand and aimed it at her.
"Colonel Carter."