— Thor's Slayers —
Chapter Seven
One Does Not Simply Walk Into Atlantis
Author's Notes: Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you Chapter Seven of Part III of Thor's Slayers! I apologize for the delay in releasing the chapter, but as I've stated previously, I found myself in a bit of a rut. I've spent the last month working on my new Star Wars story, The Will of the Empire, which gave me some time off from my BtVS streak to recharge. Be advised that, while I've posted this new chapter, future contributions will remain slow in coming; my current plan is to alternate chapter releases between my two stories and would guess the next chapter of TS will be at least three weeks away. Not only is this because my work with WotE, but because I've been tempted to just wrap this story up in the next chapter or two just to get it over with. That's a crappy attitude to have while writing a story, so I'm giving myself more time to release a chapter that fits with my original story outline.
Hope everyone enjoys!
#
March 9th, 2006
Atlantis
"I gotta say, Colonel, it's a damn good thing you suggested making regular weather sweeps," Major Sheppard told his superior officer with genuine appreciation. "Being surprised by what we found would've been..."
"Cataclysmic, disastrous, catastrophic—" McKay supplied helpfully, directing a bland smile towards the taller Air Force officer.
"Bad, in other words," Sheppard stated, cutting Rodney off with an elbow to the Canadian's side.
"Radek, Rodney, you've been working on this project for several weeks now, what can you tell us?" Doctor Weir asked.
Radek Zelenka and Rodney McKay glanced at each other from opposite sides of the conference table and shared identical grimaces.
Sheppard's discovery of the fledgling storm developing more than 1,000 miles away had prompted Weir into action. Her call for a meeting had brought the two scientists, Colonel Sumner, of course, but also Major Sheppard, Teyla, Doctor Grodin, and Illyria together at the illuminated table. They had gathered to listen to the discovery of the storm and to discuss their options for saving the expedition and saving the city. Though it had been the AR teams' primary goal since the start, they'd been unable to locate a ZPM or alternative power source for Atlantis and the consequences would be looming over them in a short amount of time.
Weir inwardly cringed at the Old One's presence but was able to keep her face blank whenever their eyes met. Faith had had a point in her debriefing with Marshall Sumner: Illyria was an asset of practically immeasurable benefit. Having her in this room might if nothing else, persuade Illyria that she was highly respected for her knowledge and intellect. In fairness, that respect was genuine, even if she felt like washing her eyes out in the vain hope of forgetting Burt's "quick" death. Illyria certainly had some bizarre fascination with spines that was best left unspoken of.
Elizabeth shook her head of the memory of that particularly gruesome memory and refocused her attention onto the discussion.
"As the colonel had suggested, I attempted to perform some long-term weather forecasting to gauge the extent to which the storm might be a danger. Meteorology has never been one of my stronger skills, so most of my data is supplemented by the database we found," the Czech said unhappily. "There I found some...alarming information about how severe these regularly occurring storms could become. For one, the storm that Maj. Sheppard found might only be the first of several such systems. Data indicates that it was common for several such storms to form and then converge upon one another to create a single massive system."
"As if it weren't bad enough," Maj. Sheppard mumbled.
"Past information indicated that this storm, or storms, might cover a very, very large portion of the planet," the Czech doctor stated with a sigh. He put his notes down and looked at every other person in attendance. "Col. Sumner and Dr. Weir already know, but to give you a better frame of reference, they might cover almost a quarter of the planet."
"25% of the planet?" Sheppard echoed, incredulous. "But even then...how could a storm threaten Atlantis?"
"In the past, it seems that the Ancients would either utilize their shield or submerge the city," Zelenka answered. "Neither of which, as you well know, are currently options for us."
"My god," Peter Grodin murmured as he shook his head.
Sumner remembered Faith's mention of a wave the height of a skyscraper and cringed. Given that Faith seemed to have hit the nail on the head, it would seem that the higher powers that had gifted her with abilities and used her on Earth would continue to do so in the Pegasus galaxy. He honestly wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.
"So what a—" Sheppard began, but Elizabeth Weir spoke over him.
"How long do we have?" Peter asked quietly.
"Well it's hard to know for certain," Rodney hedged as he ran a hand over his face. "If it continues in its current direction and speed, it'll pass through the mainland in about a week and Atlantis a few days later. The only way I can get more accurate data is to wait and see how the weather system develops."
"The first thing that all of us should remember," Dr. Weir said, "is that we will prepare, but we will not panic." The former ambassador glared at everyone in the room to underscore her words.
Sumner's lips quirked up and he decided to weigh in. "There are several key elements that we need to be thinking about so that we can act intelligently. The first and foremost objective is to ensure the expedition's long-term survival, with or without Atlantis. Without another Stargate on Lantea, that'll mean moving to another planet. One with a Stargate, one that is viable, and one that preferably has a known, friendly, human population. Teyla, I would welcome and encourage, your people to come with us."
Teyla looked startled at his use of her name but regarded the Colonel with a pleased expression. "I thank you, Colonel Sumner, for the regard you show to my people."
Sumner nodded at her. "Your people have helped ours, Teyla, and that is something that hasn't been forgotten. You are friends to us."
"Wait a minute, we can't just abandon—" Sheppard started, but again, Sumner resumed his summary.
"The secondary objective would be to find a way to save Atlantis. We need power, much more power, and we have yet to find a source that could power the shield for an extended amount of time. So, the key questions are: where can we find the power to raise the shield long enough to weather the storm or are there any other ways to keep Atlantis intact?"
Sumner nodded respectfully towards Weir. "Ma'am?"
Weir gave him a raised eyebrow and a small smile. "Succinct, Colonel, but accurate. All I would add is the necessity to prioritize what we bring with us if or when we evacuate. For now, none of this is to be shared with anyone else until we've laid down the groundwork for an evacuation. Understood?"
The others nodded.
"Radek, Rodney, Fred, I would appreciate it if you three would work on finding a way to save this city," Weir added and looked to Sumner.
"Sergeant Bates and AR-2 have negotiated with the Manarian Council and have secured an evacuation site for our use. Several expedition members are already there working on building shelters, but the rest of AR-2 will be sent through immediately to assist them. Dr. Grodin, I would like you to assemble a group of scientists who specialize in any field that would enable the expedition to survive should Atlantis be destroyed."
At Peter's frown, Weir glanced at Sumner and elaborated. "Experts in flora, fauna, toxins, oceans, any kind of basic engineering knowledge, and agricultural skills."
The doctor nodded his understanding. "Will do," he acknowledged, looking grim but determined in the way he often did.
"Teyla, I want you and AR-1 to work with the Athosians on explaining the danger and helping them to evacuate," Sumner stated. At their acknowledgment, he glanced around the table and continued, "AR-3 will stay on Atlantis and work between the various departments to determine which of our supplies should be evacuated to Manaria and in what order. They'll also work on shuttling those supplies to Manaria once Bates believes the position properly secured."
"Ladies, gentlemen, let's be about it," Weir ordered with a tight-lipped smile.
"So...saving the city. Alright kids," McKay said in a cheerful tone, "brainstorm session starting...now!"
Illyria turned to stare at him with an unblinking, scornful expression.
McKay ignored the Old One's glare and remained standing in the lab, facing the other two occupants with his hands shoved into his pockets.
Illyria continued to stare at Rodney, a lip curling to form the most perfect display of disdain that Dr. Zelenka had ever been privy to.
Radek coughed at the sudden awkwardness. "Well, as we've said before, it all comes down to power. To save the city, we need to move it, or shield it."
"The ZPM module you found on M7G-677," Illyria began with her customary Texan drawl, nodding to indicate Rodney, "I know it doesn't have a whole lot of power left on it, but could we use it to shelter Atlantis from the worst of it? We could take the children with us so we don't leave 'em high and dry."
Radek raised an eyebrow and turned to Rodney, who in turn gave Illyria a thoughtful look. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "Even if it's able to protect Atlantis from the brunt of the storm surge, it wouldn't be able to maintain the shield against a storm of this magnitude for more than an hour or so."
Radek frowned. "We know the size of the storm will be immense—"
McKay snorted at the understatement.
The Czech glared at him. "Very immense. But I haven't been able to predict how long Atlantis would be threatened by it."
"Too early to tell," Illyria interjected with a frown. "Storms don't always move the way you'd expect them to, but even if we were on the periphery of a weather system like this, the city could be in dangerous conditions for days."
"It doesn't matter how long we need the power, not yet at least," Rodney said with an air of solemnity that was atypical of the man, "we just need to find a way to get that power or we are going to lose Atlantis."
Radek, Illyria, and Rodney each glanced at one another and immediately took a seat at the nearest table without saying a word. Eyes fixed upon their laptops or heads bent in muted conversation, the scientists, humans and non-humans alike, worked together to save the city of Atlantis.
March 11th, 2006
Genii Homeworld
"Is it ready?" Kolya asked, not even bothering to look at the pale, exhausted scientist who stood at his side.
"As ready as it can be, Commander," Ladon replied quietly, also examining at the vessel he'd helped create.
"The Wraith?" Kolya asked, turning a raised eyebrow toward the man.
Radim sighed. "He was under our observation the entire time."
At Kolya's unimpressed expression, Radim elaborated. "We ruled out any interference in the physical construction of the ship, though we did keep a close eye. The more intricate work he 'agreed' to perform was all completed on isolated dummy systems which we examined before loading into our own installed hardware."
"And?"
"We found three hidden sequences that would have been used to send out a coded signal to the other Wraith. One to let the Wraith know where he was, one to let the Wraith know about Atlantis and the last would have sent the coordinates of Atlantis. The first two would have triggered the moment we fully engaged the power, and the last whenever we left hyperspace."
"And you're confident that you've rooted out any other surprises?" Acastus Kolya pressed.
"As confident as I can be, Commander. I'm confident that he believed physically taking the ship to escape would have been impossible. Letting the Wraith know where he was and what he'd found would be the next best thing. My people are still searching the ship and software, but we're fairly confident it's clean at this point."
The commander nodded thoughtfully and stood still for a moment, still looking over the ship. "Have you calculated the amount of time it will take to reach the coordinates I gave you yesterday?"
Ladon Radim nodded. "Seven days, although I could narrow it down to the microsecond if you'd prefer."
Kolya grimaced and shook his head at the offer before rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, then we leave in two days. After exiting hyperspace, we may have to stay in orbit for several more days before taking Atlantis, depending on the planet's conditions. Say...two weeks worth of provisions for each member of our team."
The scientist pursed his lips. Though they'd been able to include a rudimentary sanitary system, it would be a vast understatement to say that the notion of spending that amount of time aboard the ship was unappealing. That being said...one week wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, in fact, it was actually quite good. "My earlier estimate of 30 occupants still stands, Commander."
Kolya raised his eyebrows. "Impressive, Mr. Radim, most impressive. Get some sleep, Ladon, you look like hell."
Ladon didn't even bother to salute the commander as he hurried from the room, his only thought being on the need to lose himself in the comfort of sleep.
March 14th, 2006
Atlantis
"You feel it, B?" Faith asked quietly. Faith stood with Buffy at her side, gazing off into the horizon from the mess hall's veranda.
"Storm's coming," Buffy answered, just as quietly.
Faith huffed out a breath and glared at the blonde. She then snaked a hand toward Buffy and pinched the blonde's side, making the other Slayer chuckle and squirm away.
"Yes, B, we all know that a storm is comin'," the brunette growled out.
Buffy shrugged, her face growing somber. "But I'm not wrong, just not sure which storm yet"
"One storm is just over the horizon," Faith nodded toward the clouds just starting to manifest in the distance. They weren't storm clouds, not yet, but they both knew it wouldn't be long before those white puffy clouds became darker and would herald something far worse than a little rain. Faith tilted her head back at Buffy. "So, where's the other one?"
"I suppose we'll find out soon," Buffy declared confidently, "and we'll deal with it the way we deal with everything."
"Stakes, style, and sarcasm?" Faith asked, lips quirked.
"Close enough," Buffy affirmed, returning the other girl's smile. "What's the plan for the day?"
Faith scrunched her nose up. Relieved as she was to be back on AR-3, she was, however, less than pleased at their upcoming duty assignment. "Pack up shit to take to Manaria and then help AR-2 on their building sites for the next two days."
"Ugh," Buffy groaned, "close proximity to Bates for that amount of time is definitely not of the good."
Faith nodded sympathetically. "Let's just hope that Blue and the boys will work something out while we're gone."
March 15th, 2006
"This is isn't working out," Radek declared in a flat voice. Glancing aside, the Czech noticed Miss Burkle studying one of the ferns inside the lab with a startling intensity. Evidently, she found McKay's ongoing efforts to be a waste of time as well.
McKay huffed but ended the current test that had been running on his laptop. "No matter what we try, using the Naquadah generators, even with all of the upgrades we've managed to work out, won't be enough to raise the shield. The nearly depleted ZPM from M7G-677 will allow the shield to be raised, but even supplemented by the generators, won't be enough."
Fred Burkle abandoned her fascination with the flora to join the others at the small workstation they'd set up to run test scenarios. Truth be told, Radek found himself more than a little intimidated by the diminutive, young, woman. Her grasp of Ancient technology was such that her ideas and intellect were the cornerstones for many of the upgrades they'd devised for the Naquadah generators. There was also this look she'd get at times that was...uncomfortable to be the recipient of. Luckily, Rodney was usually the one who'd receive that scornful gaze, but there was still something other about it...
"I told you," Burkle stated simply.
Rodney narrowed his eyes at the Texan. "Well, unless anyone has any other ideas, I think Atlantis is going to sink."
Radek ran a hand through his bushy hair and shook his head. "Ne, to je k ničemu!"
"English," Rodney growled.
"No!" Radek nearly shouted in exasperation. "No, I have no other ideas."
Radek and Rodney turned to Fred, who was staring out the window that overlooked the city.
Rodney cleared his throat.
The young brunette didn't turn around.
Rodney cleared his throat louder.
Radek rolled his eyes and elbowed McKay. "Fred, do you have anything to add to our discussion?"
Fred glanced over her shoulder with a frown on her face. "Well, it isn't like Atlantis needs its shield during every little storm. We've seen our fair share of rain, wind, and lightning strikes, so—"
"The lightning rods!" Radek and Rodney exclaimed in unison.
Fred blinked.
"You are a genius!" Radek shouted, and scrambled around the table to grab Fred by the shoulders. He spun her around to face him, dipped her, and kissed her. He quickly released her and exclaimed, 'brilantní!' before hurrying from the lab.
#
Illyria blinked as she righted herself and watched the human who'd just initiated a prelude to mating exit the lab. How dare he treat me like some female in heat, she thought, outraged. Still... Illyria tilted her head in consideration; it was impressive that he'd managed to catch her unawares and escape reprisal, but in fairness to the muck, she had found him to be one of the more clever apes that infested the Alteran city. Still, such disrespect could not be tolerated; she'd find a way to deal with Radek Zelenka soon enough.
Thankfully, her failure to react to Zelenka's unexpected act did not detract her awareness of the other intelligent, albeit incredibly annoying, human in the room. Seeing Dr. Rodney McKay approach her, she realized with something akin to alarm that he intended to mirror his compatriot's actions.
Illyria grimaced.
Disgusting, she thought scornfully. Even being aware of her true nature, she still caught the human occasionally looking upon the feminine aspects of her form with desire. Her eyes turned blue as they pinned the man with all the weight of an Old One's pitiless stare. "If you attempt to touch me, muck, I will unman you and feed you your own genitals."
Without another word, McKay quickly followed Radek's example and left to find Weir and announce their idea.
March 17th, 2006
Genii transport en route to Atlantis
Commander Kolya watched his people from the front of the ship, frowning as he considered their options.
Cowen's faith in Ladon Radim appeared to have been rewarded because, miracle of miracles, they were in hyperspace on their way to Atlantis. The scientist was across from him, anxiously watching the various panels and instruments of the ship just as he'd been doing since they began their journey.
In all honesty, the only hardship they'd faced so far was the uncertainty of the ship's ability to ferry them to Atlantis and the boredom that the voyage inspired. One can only check their ammo and the sharpness of their blade so many times before even that becomes boring, Kolya mused.
Three more days, Radim had said earlier. Three more days until they would be in a position to take the city of the Ancestors for themselves. He smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair, tipping his cap over his face to block out the muted lighting. He soon fell asleep, dreaming of Genii warships, built from the technology of the Ancestors, taking the fight to the Wraith.
March 18th, 2006
Atlantis
"That's...risky, to say the least," Weir said with a frown.
"Yeah, it is," McKay agreed, "but unfortunately, I'm not sure we can do any better."
"So we have to be in the storm to save us from the storm?" Sheppard asked, squinting at the Canadian physicist as if looking for some semblance of sanity.
"Exactly," Radek said. "SG-1 performed a similar technique to power a Stargate, this is no different other than being performed on a larger scale."
"It does mean that we'll only be able to have a small number of people here because anyone not in the control room is going to get toasted by the conducting electricity," Rodney warned.
Sumner sighed to himself. If he hadn't been a believer in Faith beforehand, he sure was now given how eerily her dream was syncing up to the reality. Glancing out the window, he could practically envision the looming clouds that were swiftly bearing upon the mainland and then Atlantis itself.
"How much longer until the storm hits us?" Weir asked quietly.
"Approximately four days if the storm continues at its current direction and speed," Radek answered, "and we have managed to evacuate all of the Athosians."
"How long would it take to prepare and execute your plan?" Sumner asked.
"Not long," Rodney replied.
"A couple of hours," Radek elaborated, "then it would just be a matter of waiting for the storm."
"And then a lot of praying to god that your plan actually works," Sheppard added sourly.
"And that," Rodney agreed.
"Then let's get to work," Weir decreed, nodding decisively.
March 19th, 2006
"So the storm, the literal one, is finally on its way," Buffy offered lamely. She walked with Faith at a brisk pace, heading toward the conference room where Sumner would be briefing most of the Marines about the situation."
"Looks like." The brunette gave the blonde a sidelong look and spoke with an even, neutral tone. "What's your plan, B?"
Buffy met the dark-haired girl's worried eyes. "I won't be kicked out of my own home again, Faith, and especially not by these...jerkfaces."
Faith snorted and nodded her agreement but her amusement waned as she thought about the ancient city that had become her home. Her eyes glittered dangerously. No, this is our home and may God help anyone who tries to take it from us.
"Faith, you comin' to hear the colonel, too?" came a sweet, familiar Texan drawl. Illyria, clad in Fred Burkle, joined the two Slayers.
"Heard Zelenka managed to give you a kiss," Faith murmured with a barely concealed smirk.
Buffy snickered.
Illyria glowered at the two young women.
"Musta been a good one if you didn't rip his face off," Faith added, grinning at Illyria's audible growl of annoyance. Then again, even if God does help them, we have Illyria, she thought smugly.
#
Col. Sumner observed Faith, Miss Summers, and Illyria make their way into the room, squeezing between the other Marines to situate themselves by Sheppard and Stackhouse in the crowded conference room. Sumner considered the three women for a moment before studying his larger audience.
Instead of the usual arrangement of people sitting around the table, his Marines stood along the edge of the crescent so that he stood in the center of the room facing them. Sumner took a breath and spoke in his usual measured tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, we have a situation. While the majority of you will be going to Manaria, some of us will have the single task of securing Atlantis while McKay and Zelenka attempt to ensure the survival of the city," he announced in a voice ringing with authority.
"Exactly how much of a focus do you want to have on securing the city in the middle of an uber-storm?" Sheppard wondered aloud with a puzzled expression.
Sumner winced at the question and spoke carefully. "We have intelligence from an unverified source that indicates an unknown party, likely the Genii, will attempt to take Atlantis while the bulk of our people are off-world."
If the colonel hadn't had the group's attention before, he certainly did now.
"Unverified source?" Lt. Ford echoed, drawing out the words to form a question.
"Exactly how it sounds, Lieutenant," the colonel answered. "Nothing concrete as far as details are concerned, but the source if reliable and trustworthy enough to take the warning seriously."
"How would they even know when to attack us in the first place?" Sgt. Bates asked, confused.
"And how would they attack us?" Stackhouse added.
"All questions that I have no answers for and that we need to consider," Sumner stated.
"Well, the only real way for them to enter the city would be the Stargate, right?" Bates asked.
"Presumably," Sheppard agreed, "but the Genii are clever. The only humans we've come across so far in this galaxy who've not only managed to survive the Wraith, but also built a society advanced enough to conceivably challenge them in the future. They're damned resourceful, they've had to be."
"By all accounts, they don't have anything close to the technology to make ships that are capable of hyperspace travel," Illyria said thoughtfully. "Then again, most of Humanity's advanced technology is cobbled together from other races'. They coulda' done the same."
"That's a happy thought," Ford muttered. Speaking louder, he added, "if they intend on taking Atlantis during the storm, then they either have a way to monitor Atlantis and Lantea, or somebody's been talking."
"That's something that we'll leave to others to figure out. The bottom line is we can't afford to leave more than a handful of our people here because evacuating Atlantis will become increasingly complicated. Our efforts will become moot anyway if the city sinks. But, if we do find a way to save the city and the Genii do attack, then we have to make sure it stays in our hands," Stackhouse summarized.
"Yes," Sumner confirmed.
"Well shit, a dozen people to cover a city the size of Atlantis? Even if we only limit ourselves to patrolling the immediate area around the central tower that's still a lot of territory to cover," Yamato pointed out.
"Yes it is, Yamato, but we'll deal with it. I'll be working with fireteam leaders to sort out patrol patterns after dinner tonight at 18:30," Sumner declared, shooting a look at the recon teams.
Sheppard, Bates, and Stackhouse nodded dutifully.
"McKay and Zelenka are the civvies staying to find a way to bring the shield up?" Ford asked.
"Dr. Zelenka will continue his efforts to find a solution, but he'll end up joining the others on Manaria when the last of the expedition goes through the Stargate. However, our Miss Burkle," Sumner began, indicating the smiling, brown-haired woman, "has shown a remarkable aptitude for understanding the Ancient language and their technology and has volunteered her skills in his stead."
Several of the individuals familiar with Burkle's intellectual capabilities visibly perked up. John Sheppard, however, narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman suspiciously until finally meeting the colonel's eyes. John remained silent, but those who knew him well enough could see how agitated he'd become upon hearing the news.
"With the forewarning we received, we were able to mount an effective evacuation to Manaria. The camp, thanks to the hard work of a number of individuals, including AR-2, is well stocked, relatively fortified, and a possible Alpha site in the future. The area is large and defensible enough that, should we lose Atlantis, it can be modified for permanent use. We've also moved three of the Puddle Jumpers to Manaria, cloaked and parked at camouflaged landing sites to leave us with additional firepower and mobility options.
"So even if we're stranded," Ford said slowly, "we're not too stranded."
"Something like that," Sumner agreed.
"So the only thing left to decide is who stays behind on Atlantis?" Bates inquired, curiously.
"Weir is adamant that she be the last one to leave this city if its destruction becomes certain," Sumner started before being interrupted by a chorus of groans and jeers.
"Hey knock that off!" the colonel shouted, slapping his hand on the table with a crack of sound. "I may be your commanding officer, but she is the leader of this expedition! You will treat her with respect or as God as my witness, I will break your legs and leave you in the city to drown. And if by some miracle Atlantis survives, I will take your worthless carcass and dump you into the ocean myself. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Because Weir has decided to remain here, I'll be going with the expedition to help organize and secure our relocation site. If necessary, I'll also be temporarily taking charge of the expedition if Weir fails to make it off Atlantis. Lieutenant Miller and Sergeant Markham will assume command of our security teams in Manaria," Sumner announced.
"So who stays?" Parker asked.
"Teyla, Lt. Ford, Miss Summers, and Dr. Beckett will work on evacuating the Athosians to safety. They'll also act as a reserve should the situation in Atlantis heat up. AR-2, you'll be coming with me to Manaria. Stackhouse, I want both you and Faith working security here—"
Louis bumped fists with Faith.
"—Johns, Smitty, you'll be staying here as well," Sumner deliberately paused, giving them a moment to consider the information and ask questions.
"And my team?" Sheppard asked.
"Burns will join Miller's team on Manaria and you'll take over security in Atlantis," Sumner announced evenly. "Major, I'm going to trust you to protect this city or, failing that, get everyone in Atlantis off this planet in time."
Sheppard gave the older man a respectful nod. "Consider it done, Colonel."
"I'll consider it done, Major, when we're off Manaria and back on Atlantis, safe and sound. We do not know if we're going to be attacked and though we cannot verify the authenticity of our source and their information, we have to plan for the worst. That, Major, I'll leave up to you. Everyone who isn't staying in Atlantis should be working on getting our critical supplies secured and loaded up to take to Manaria. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!'
"Then get to work," the Marine colonel ordered. "Sheppard, a minute of your time, please."
As the crowd of assembled Marines funneled out of the room, Sheppard found himself in the room not only with Col. Sumner but with Faith and Buffy as well. The latter two were leaning next to each other against a wall, arms folded with a deceptive casualness. All three were giving him a strange look, the kind of look that usually preceded unpleasant news, he realized with a sinking feeling. He might have considered bolting up to join the others in their exodus except for the looming figure of one probably-not-Winifred Burkle lurking by the door.
"Hello Major," she greeted him pleasantly as the last Marine stepped through the door. When the door behind her slid shut, blue streaks appeared in her brown hair and her smile faded as if it had never existed. She stared at him as though he were nothing more than an interesting type of worm and when she spoke, her voice was as cold as ice. "Your ignorance has left you unable to function efficiently in my presence, we will resolve this now."
Sheppard noticed that Sumner looked just as uncomfortable as he but said nothing. Faith and Buffy, on the other hand, looked perfectly comfortable at the sudden change in Burkle's behavior. Her eyes looked...intent and focused entirely on him.
#
"You fear me," the definitely-not-Winifred Burkle stated in a flat voice.
Sheppard blinked at the blunt words. "You make me a little ...uncomfortable, I admit," he hedged, shrugging a shoulder in an attempt to downplay exactly how disconcerted she made him feel/
"The air is made foul by the stench of your fear," the scary-definitely-not-Winifred Burkle stated, implacable and unforgiving as she continued to stare at him unblinkingly.
Sheppard winced and felt at least a small measure of gratification that everyone else in the room did as well. "Okay, maybe uncomfortable is a bit of an understatement, I'll grant you that," Sheppard allowed, but was unable to curb his own defensiveness. John pointed a finger at her. "To be fair, whatever-you-are, you left quite a mess of those Wraith on that hive ship we rescued the colonel from. That and, well, you're dead."
"The shell is dead, I am not. I've found the slaughter of Wraith to be most refreshing, John Sheppard; they have far greater strength and pain tolerance than humans. I like the sound of their screams," the...thing said in a dreamy voice before its tone became harsh once again. "I would apologize for the distress caused by the remains of my entertainment but to apologize for your weakness would serve no purpose other than to coddle you."
Faith groaned and Buffy was visibly struggling not to laugh.
They're crazy, Sheppard thought sourly, they have to be crazy; it's the only explanation for them to like whatever it is.
Dead-nonhuman-scary-definitely-not-Winifred Burkle stared at him, and he had to take a minute to process her words to distinguish between information, insult, and creepiness. It was sort of blended together so it was more difficult than it should've been. Eventually, not knowing what else to say, Sheppard decided to start with the easy questions. "Who and what are you?"
"I am Illyria, God-King of the Primordium."
Huh, glad we got the easy ones settled, Sheppard swore. "Okay..." Sheppard drew out the word, waving a hand as a request for elaboration, or context, or possibly liquor.
"Illyria is an Old One," Faith sighed and point a finger at the nearest chair before he had a chance to open his mouth. "Sit down John, we're going to have some story time."
"Do so, my guide, I must locate the one who desires me and correct his erroneous assumptions about Alteran technology." The 'Old One' sighed, "in days long past, it would have been a simple process to provide the energy necessary to power such a crude shield myself, but in this weakened shell I am limited by the frailties and primitive technology of your kind." Without another word, Illyria turned her back and left the room, her blue-streaked hair becoming an even brown as she did so.
Sheppard blinked and looked at the others with wide eyes. "'The one who desires me'?"
Faith barked out a laugh. "McKay is having trouble adjusting to the revelation of Illyria's existence," Faith explained, chuckling. "He has a mad nerd-boner for Fred and Illyria's smarts and it only gets harder by that body Illyria walks around in; he keeps forgetting that it's Illyria who's lurking on the inside. The man probably thinks he's subtle when he's eye-fucking her; he's just lucky that Illyria doesn't mind. My guess is that she considers his appreciation as something close to outright worship. Personally, I don't think she's far off."
Sumner grimaced while Sheppard choked and began coughing.
When he was able to breathe again, he demanded in a raspy voice, "tell me everything." Seeing the glint in Faith's eye, he hastily added, "about Illyria, not McKay and...ugh."
Buffy and Faith took turns doing so while Sumner helped provide his own observations, confirmations, and input on how Sheppard could proceed in regards to the Old One. When they finished, Sheppard sat back in his chair and just stared at the table.
"I'm gonna need a little time to process this," he said, unable to raise his eyes in his stunned state.
"You have it," Sumner consented in his usual gruff voice.
He felt a small hand settle onto his shoulder and heard Faith take a seat next to him. "John. Forget everything else for a while and focus on this: Illyria is one of your best chances for saving this city. Use that."
"You know, I'm like ten years older than you. I think there's a rule out there that says you're not allowed to give me pep talks and good advice," Sheppard murmured.
He winced when a hand slapped him upside the head. "Ow!"
"Take your time to think about it John, but don't think too hard or you'll go bug-nuts crazy," Faith advised before clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make him wince.
Sheppard nodded quietly and rested his hands on the table, studying them as if they'd become the most interesting things in the universe. He didn't hear Buffy, Faith, or Col. Sumner leave, being too focused on assimilating all of the information he'd been told. It was hard, it was so hard. Not long ago, he'd just been a fighter pilot and thought the worst thing he'd ever have to face would be a Taliban or al-Qaeda ambush. Now...
He studied his hands in silence wondering how Faith and Buffy had coped when they'd been told they were 'Slayers' when they were still in high school. He shook his head and slapped the table. He'd think about it all later. Faith was right; Illyria was an asset and damn if she wasn't one of the finest assets he'd ever had on his team. Maybe she was a bit psycho, maybe she was a bit of a monster, but she was their monster.
"Bring it on, Cowen," he murmured, showing teeth in a feral smile.
March 20th, 2006
Lantea orbit
Acastus Kolya whistled. "That is one big storm."
Ladon merely nodded, staring at the weather system that covered the side of the planet facing them.
"Have you been able to locate Atlantis?" Kolya asked.
The brown-haired scientist shook his head. "It'll take some time. Even without the Ancestors' technology, we know the ones living in Atlantis possess weapons more advanced than ours. I thought it prudent to keep our scanning effort limited to low-tech and passive methods."
Kolya's lips tightened. He understood Radim's reasoning, understood and agreed, but that didn't stop the flare of anger it stirred. "We have precious little time, Ladon. If Atlantis is at risk, we need to find it soon or we'll be stranded here for a long, long time."
"You think I don't know that?" Ladon snapped. "This is a big planet, Commander, and we have to find a single city. We've turned off all non-essential systems and are in a slowly decaying orbit. We'll have a better chance of catching any stray radio transmissions as we get closer to the planet and our ability to scan the surface will improve as well. We can only do our best, Commander."
Kolya looked at the scientist, at the stress lines that had appeared on the man's face and the dark circles under his eyes. He bit back the reprimand and forced himself to speak in a calmer voice. "Understood, Radim, do what you can and if you get the chance, get some sleep. We'll—"
"Commander! We found something!"
Both men snapped their head in the direction of the exclamation. The pale-skinned, red-haired woman had gone rigid at her station, frantically adjusting a series of dials as she glanced at them.
"What?" Kolya and Ladon exclaimed simultaneously.
Kolya glanced at Ladon Radim, making the man step back with a sheepish expression. Kolya left the scientist at the head of small ship while he went to look over whatever Sora Tyrus claimed to have found.
She pointed to a moving dot on the planet's surface, moving unnaturally quick across the water on a heading that would take it to the mainland. It was barely visible with their scanning equipment, only having been caught by Sora because of the movement. Kolya traced the dot's course backward until he saw...
Ten minutes later, Commander Kolya was smiling as Ladon began making small adjustments to set the ship on its new course. It seemed they had the blessing of the Ancestors themselves, given that they'd discovered the city before its possible destruction. It would take time for the ship to break atmosphere in a way that was natural enough to avoid scrutiny and then even longer to plan and mount the raid itself. They'd be cutting it close, judging by how fast the storm was moving, but they'd make it.
Oh yes, we'll make it, Acastus Kolya thought with a smile, thankful to Sora's keen eyesight and luck in seeing the small, moving ship of the Ancestors' design.
March 21st, 2006
Atlantis
Faith felt something splash against her arm and she looked down, confused at the odd sensation. She saw the drop of moisture on her arm and shook the sweat off. She was currently on a veranda in one of the shorter towers in the central section of the city, setting up a camera to watch the open space that led to a direct route to the central tower. She'd been working with Louis to set up a surveillance grid around the central section of Atlantis all day. It was a difficult task, one made complicated not only by the sheer number of open areas that could double as entry points but also by the amount of vertical territory they had to cover.
It was incredibly unlikely the Genii had a way of traveling to Atlantis without the use of a Stargate but if they did, then Atlantis's few defenders would be hard-pressed to spot any incoming danger if the Genii were stealthy enough. Even with the cameras and motion sensors they'd installed, they simply had no way to watch everything at all times. In fact, it was likely that if the Genii were able to get on Atlantis and were clever enough, they could probably make it all the way to the central tower without being detected.
Another odd tap on her body, this was one on the back of her neck. Faith rubbed at it and paused when she felt the wetness there. Withdrawing her hand, she looked down at her wet fingers, just in time for another raindrop to splash against her open palm. She looked up and noticed that the gray clouds that had covered most of the sky earlier that day, had become far darker and covered the entire sky. Now that she was paying attention, she could feel what had once been a pleasant breeze had turned cooler and less gentle. She exhaled heavily and instinctively checked for the presence of her sidearm and the scabbard at her side that held one of the swords gifted to her by Thor.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Faith could see, as well as feel, that the rain was beginning to fall faster and that the temperature was quickly declining.
Not long now, Faith thought, hardening herself for the fight she knew to be coming.
She finished setting up the small camera, activated it, and began jogging back to the Gate room to let Major John Sheppard know that time was running out.
#
"Well?"
McKay glanced at Illyria and shrugged. "We're ready, we just can't do anything until we receive sufficient electrical discharge from the lightning can be harness to power the shield. We just have to wait."
"'We just have to wait'," Sheppard echoed, giving McKay a glare.
"Though it pleases me to think you believe me to be a god," Rodney McKay began, giving Sheppard a sunny smile, "I do not actually have the ability to conjure lightning."
"Inducing atmospheric discharge within the atmosphere is hardly the work of gods, muck. Doing so in the void of space is far more impressive, if impractical," Illyria announced, before turning on her heel to go examine her plants by the Stargate.
McKay and Sheppard watched her leave. Sheppard shook his head and glanced back at McKay, whose eyes had fixed upon...
Sheppard smacked McKay's gut. "Dude, stop staring at the scary lady's ass."
McKay blushed. "I know, it's just..." The Canadian waved a hand at the Old One who had bent over and appeared to be crooning at an odd vine.
Sheppard stared at McKay.
"Oh, shut up, like you've never had a crush before," McKay snapped then hurriedly changed the subject. "So yes, Sheppard, now we just wait."
Rodney was almost out of the room before he heard John's voice echo out of the room.
"Yes, McKay, I've had crushes on girls before, but never one that found ripping off body parts to be the best thing since sliced bread."
Rodney scowled and glanced over his shoulder. "Well, maybe I'm just kinky like that!"
When he turned back around, he noticed that Illyria had looked up from the potted plants to stare at him. McKay gritted his teeth and kept on walking, ignoring Sheppard's laughter.
#
"This is boooring," Buffy complained.
"Stop whining, lass, it doesn't suit you," Beckett informed her, wincing when she glared at him.
"I wasn't whining!" Buffy whined.
Ford, the current pilot of the Puddle Jumper, chuckled.
Teyla patted Buffy's arm sympathetically. "We must wait, Buffy Summers, until we find out if we're needed. If we go early, then we ruin any surprise we'd have for Atlantis's would-be attackers."
Buffy crossed her arms and pouted. "I know, I just hate the idea of waiting for an attack."
"You are a hunter, Buffy, it is natural to feel that way," Teyla offered, this time bumping Buffy's shoulder with her own.
Ford blew out a breath. "She isn't wrong, though." The dark-skinned man rummaged through his tactical vest before revealing a deck of cards featuring nude women. "Poker anyone?" Ford asked with a grin.
Beckett turned bright red and coughed while Teyla just looked confused.
"You got those from Faith, didn't you?" Buffy asked, sighing in resignation.
Ford just nodded, still grinning.
"Deal me in, as long as we don't have to bet with tabbies, siameses, or calicos," the blonde Slayer grumbled and ignored the odd looks she received in reply.
"How much longer, Radim?" Kolya asked quietly, as if afraid that his voice alone would alert his prey to his presence.
"Another hour or so until we're within visual range, Commander," Ladon answered. "Maybe another fifteen minutes after that until we reach it."
A sudden gust of wind jerked the ship, flinging some of the equipment into the main hold.
Kolya scowled at his soldiers, many of whom had fallen down or pitched from their seats at the sudden movement. "Secure that gear and check your own equipment. We'll finalize our assault plans in about an hour."
Grim nods from his people as they followed his orders. There would be a fight on Atlantis, and whether Atlantis could be saved or not, he would get his people home with the weapons and supplies they wanted.
"Sora, front and center." The girl stood straight so fast it almost hurt him to watch. She was too eager, too hungry for this. Sora would make trouble if an old childhood friend, Teyla Emmagan, was on Atlantis if what he'd heard from Cowen was true. Kolya cleared his mind with a shake of his head and focused on the girl practically vibrating in front of him. Young, eager, but smart. "Sora, I need a sounding board; we need to figure out our approach vector."
The ship pitched to the side again.
Sora grimaced. "Since it's only going to get worse than this, Commander, I'd recommend we stay as low as possible. With the water so dark and with all the lightning, I bet it'll be damned hard to spot us. I'm more worried about being detected once we're on the inside."
Kolya stroked his square jaw, looking at her thoughtfully. "I thought the same. I want you to sit with Ladon Radim in the cockpit and come up with some viable strategies to get our people in Atlantis. Once we're in visual range, decide which method will suit us best."
"Yes sir!" the girl smiled and hurriedly made her way to the scientist who'd made the whole trip possible.
The man deserved a medal, not that Kolya would admit it aloud, but he'd float the idea to Cowen when they made it back home. Yes, this trip would benefit all of the Genii and all it would take is the capture or destruction of a token defense force.
The image of the beaten, shattered Wraith corpse flashed into his memory, but he shrugged it off, focusing instead on the list of items he was hoping to find for the Genii to help fight the Wraith.
The rain poured, the wind howled, and the thunder boomed.
Faith gritted her teeth, feeling her skin prickle like it would when a vamp was watching her. She glanced at one of the monitors over Sheppard's shoulder, looking for any sign of the source of her discomfort.
Nothing.
"Faith..." Sheppard warned.
"Has Ford or B seen anything?"
"Not since you asked two minutes ago," Sheppard replied, narrowing his eyes at her.
"What about the cameras and the sensors? Anything?"
"Everything's fine so far. Faith, go find something to do elsewhere," Sheppard ordered, turning his chair and crossing his arms resolutely.
Faith was tempted to argue, but seeing the expressions of Louis and McKay, decided to exercise the ol' maturity muscle she'd found herself neglecting far too frequently. Moving away from his personal space, she left the DHD room and began pacing the circumference of the Gate room, ignoring the curious or annoyed glances she garnered from the others.
It won't be long, Faith thought, but I wish they'd hurry the fuck up.
Louis and she were stationed in the Gate room, watching over both the Stargate as well as Dr. McKay, Dr. Weir, and Illyria, who were monitoring both the cameras and sensors, but also the indicators that estimated how much energy they'd be able to collect at any given moment. Those indicators were steadily increasing as the storm grew worse, but there still wasn't enough lightning to charge the shield.
Johns and Smitty were conducting a patrol on the lower levels of the tower, near the armory, while Faith and Louis would observe the sensor grid. When they finished, Faith and Stackhouse would conduct their own sweep of the Jumper Bay above the Gate room, before descending and checking the infirmary and its remaining supplies.
It was boring and what was worse was that Faith could just tell that they were near. If they weren't on Atlantis yet, they would be soon.
"Well?" Commander Kolya asked.
"There's definitely someone there but I've seen no activity," Sora reported, pointing out the lights that were clearly not of Ancestor origin.
The ship bucked.
Ladon swore. "Commander, this ship isn't going to take much more, I'm already getting alerts about microfractures in the hull. We need to get off this ship now."
Kolya gave the man a curt nod and raised an eyebrow at Sora. "We'll do it your way."
Sora gave him a smile that was all teeth. She bent down next to Radim and pointed at a bridge that connected two tall towers, with one side ending at a large flat pane of glass. "Right there will do, Ladon, right next to that window."
"Hover over that spot, Mr. Radim. You said you had an automatic navigation system?"
Ladon nodded, bringing the ship to the designated spot, sweating as he fought to keep the ship steady amidst the sheets of rain and wind. "Then we'll all drop down on the marker and you'll set the ship to travel far enough away that it 'll crash into the sea."
"Yes, Commander," Radim muttered, grunting when a gust of wind made the hull creak ominously.
#
Sora carefully plucked the rectangular section of cut glass from its setting, waiting until a barrage of thunder to wash over them before Kolya helped her toss it away from the building. She put the glass cutter in her pack and took back the rifle Acastus had held for her.
Then she, Kolya, Ladon, and the other two dozen Genii soldiers carefully entered their makeshift door, spreading out and taking defensive positions, alert for any sign of trouble or observers.
They weren't on the main tower, unfortunately, but both she and Kolya had deemed it too reckless to charge straight into what must surely be the heart of Atlantis. So they'd picked a smaller tower, one immediately adjacent to the central tower and that connected directly to the lower third of that main tower.
Rather than going on the inside of that smaller tower, Sora had thought it a more cunning idea to travel to the central tower on top of the causeway, rather than through it. Even if Teyla and the others were watching, which they surely were, it was unlikely that they'd be watching there.
When the last of the Genii soldiers had escaped the raging storm into the safety of the tower, Kolya divided them into teams and gave them their orders in a quiet, but authoritative voice.
"Commander, what are we supposed to do with any of the defenders we encounter?" one of his men asked quietly.
"You do whatever you have to," Kolya replied simply, and clicked the safety off his weapon. "Remember, the highest priority is finding their 'Puddle Jumpers', the secondary objective is to find the supplies the Genii need. Sora, you, Ladon, and your team are to find their weapons and medical equipment as a secondary priority. All of us are to meet in their command and control room; it's likely to possess their Stargate and we can use that to retreat if we don't capture one of their ships. See if you can find out what their plans are for saving Atlantis if possible; if we can capture Atlantis we would finally have a true edge against the Wraith. Now, get to work."
Ladon Radim cleared his throat. "Remember, they may have access to some of the Ancestors' technology that might already allow them to see us. But if not, they might have tools that could be used to observe us, like our cameras. Look for anything on the walls, ceilings, or corners that looks out of place and do your best to avoid being seen."
Kolya nodded and waved a hand at Radim, "do as he says."
With those final words, the three teams of Genii split off from each other as they began their search for the ships and the supplies, determined that nothing would stop them.
A high pitched cracking sound had Johns and Smitty jerking their weapons up, reflexively searching for the source of the shot. Only a second later did they relax.
"Fucking lightning is going to make it impossible to hear an actual shot even if there's actually some assholes coming here to take our shit," Johns grumbled.
"Thunder," Smitty replied absentmindedly.
"What?" Johns asked, glancing at his partner in confusion.
"It's the thunder that makes the sound, dumbass," Smitty smirked.
Johns gaped at Smitty. "Well, fuck you too, professor," he sneered before throwing a lazy swing at Smitty's shoulder.
Smitty deftly avoided the punch and shook his head with a smile. He glanced to his left, giving a hallway they passed a cursory look, inspecting it for whatever aggressors they may or may not be expecting.
They stopped when they arrived at the entrance of the armory, palming the door open and stepping inside to inspect the supplies still within Atlantis. The door slid shut behind them, unaware of the eyes that followed their progress.
Ladon shot out an arm, preventing Sora from moving past him down the corridor that their team was slowly moving through.
She snapped her head in his direction, opening her mouth, obviously intending to demand an explanation.
Landon pointed at something on the wall, something close to the floor.
Sora crouched with Ladon and studied the device. It was dark and black and now that she was looking for it, saw a similar device on the opposite side of the wall. They were small, not even the side of a finger, and were completely even with one another.
Sora lifted an eyebrow at Ladon who frowned, studying the devices.
Glancing at Sora, Radim used a hand to indicate the invisible, horizontal line that connected the two devices. "I don't know what it is, but I suggest we step over that line. Could be a weapon, could be some kind of camera or sensor of some sort, I don't know," the Genii scientist ventured.
Sora nodded and indicated for the others to step over the imaginary line Ladon had drawn out.
They continued forward, quiet and intent.
The flash of lightning and booming of thunder was like a burr under Sheppard's skin, an annoyance only made more so by Faith's belief that they were no longer alone in Atlantis. A belief they couldn't prove, but one that he wasn't willing to doubt.
"Anything?" Sheppard asked over the radio.
"Nothing, sir. All's quiet aside from all the fucking lightn—thunder," Johns replied, voice oddly loud in the DHD room.
"Affirmative, finish your patrol and get yourselves back to the Gate room. McKay estimates only another ten minutes until we have enough lightning to power the shields, and eleven minutes until the storm surge impacts Atlantis," Sheppard ordered.
"Cutting it a little close, sir?" Johns inquired, voice tinged with humor.
"You could put it that way, now get back up here so you don't get fried."
"Yes, sir!"
Sheppard set the radio down and sighed. Hearing the rapping sound, he looked aside to see Faith in the doorway, wearing that same look she'd worn when she'd gone with him to rescue Col. Sumner.
Predatory, ready, intent, he mused. Or, to put it more accurately, ready to rip off someone's face. John shook his head and said aloud, "nothing new, Faith. Ford and Buffy haven't seen anything up top either, Dr. Weir told them to go ahead and get back down to Atlantis and get ready to give us a lift if Atlantis goes bottoms up."
Near one of the computer consoles, McKay turned his nose up in the air and sniffed. "Ye of little faith."
Illyria, instead of double and triple checking their numbers like McKay, was currently staring at the office fern with a creepy level of intensity.
Dr. Weir sat near Sheppard, studying both the cameras as well as the energy readouts.
Even as Sheppard studied the older woman, the former ambassador suddenly jerked up before leaning forward with narrowed eyes. "Sheppard...?"
Sheppard walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the camera displays. "What?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I saw some movement in the corridor leading to the armory," Weir said, pointing at the screen. "Faith, why don't—"
Weir cut off abruptly and Sheppard followed her gaze to the doorway formerly occupied by Faith, the doorway that was now empty.
"She intends to defeat the intruders," Illyria explained helpfully then tilted her head. "I will join her." Without waiting for their say-so, the Old One left looking mildly interested in the new developments.
Sheppard and Weir glanced at each other.
"Poor bastards," Weir murmured with a shake of her head. "Lt. Ford and Miss Summers will be here in less than five minutes, better get on the com and let Johns and Smitty know they're being tailed."
Sheppard just nodded, feeling a surge of pity for their Genii intruders.
"Johns! Report in!"
Johns and Smitty looked at each other and shrugged. Johns tapped his earpiece. "Major?"
"Johns, you and Smitty need to get up here, now. We might have unfriendly company already in Atlantis."
"On our way, sir!" Johns replied smartly. "Come on Smitty, time to roll out."
Smitty blew a raspberry. "How the fuck are the Genii supposed to get here without the Stargate?"
Johns shrugged. "Not my department."
They palmed open the door to the armory and found a man in an unfamiliar uniform aiming two pistols at them. The man wore a gray cap and uniform and his face had a cold, hardened expression that offered no mercy.
There was a flash as both pistols discharged, a flash that was the last thing either Johns or Smitty would ever see.
#
Ladon Radim and Sora Tyrus watched the two bodies fall to the floor and moved past them as soon as they were no longer obstructing the doorway. Walking into what must be Sheppard and Weir's armory, Sora found herself disappointed.
"We were supposed to find out their plans; we should've kept them alive," Ladon protested quietly.
"No reason to chance it, inspect the room," Sora argued, directing the last part of her words to the others.
"They must've taken most of their equipment when they fled," one of Sora's men suggested.
Sora nodded. "Grab what you can. If there's C-4 here, make sure you find it and stash it. Get to it, you have last than four minutes to canvas this room. You heard as well as I did: they know we're here."
"If they didn't before, they sure will now," another one of her men muttered, staring at the corpses Sora had left in her wake.
"Yes, so get to work. Kinto, Sturn, you watch the hallway. Four minutes gentlemen, then we make our way to their 'Gate room' to greet Teyla Emmagan, Dr. Weir, and Maj. Sheppard," Sora directed.
The men obeyed.
#
"This is ridiculous!" a man whispered, "there's almost thirty of us! So why are we the ones crawling around like bugs afraid to get stepped on."
"Be quiet!" the leader of the squad hissed. "We have to find the Ancestor's ships or we're dead."
"How do we even know that they're in this tower?" another asked.
"Radim pointed out an aperture near the top of the tower on our approach; the ships have to be somewhere near that point," a woman murmured.
"Come on, let's find those ships," the leader whispered and began leading his squad up a darkened set of stairs.
A disdainful face framed by blue-streaked brown hair observed their interactions with blue, blue eyes. Illyria cocked her head and smiled.
"Are you sure about this," Lt. Ford breathed. "We're like fish in a barrel in here."
"I have to agree," Beckett complained, "I'm feeling quite out of my league. I'm a doctor, damn it, not a soldier!"
"I believe that Fred Burkle will be able to distract them sufficiently enough that we can surprise and overwhelm them," Teyla replied calmly.
Buffy had to bite her tongue to avoid laughing for a good minute or two until she let the humor fade.
That she'd been able to laugh proved she'd come far in her life, had done so many things, had seen even more. Not too many years ago, this situation would've been a nightmare scenario for her, one that she would've fought tooth and nail to find a way out of. Now...she'd killed humans before, not all of them had even been truly evil and the idea of killing them again. Well, she supposed what was bothering her was the fact that she wasn't actually all that bothered to begin with. Glancing down, she cycled the bolt on her P90 and steeled herself for whatever might come.
"They aren't responding, ma'am," Sheppard told her, fists clenched as his gut told him that he wouldn't be hearing them ever again.
Weir breathed out a long breath. "Damn," she swore. She grappled with her emotions before whirling on McKay. "How much time do we have and what can we do to help?"
"Don't let me die," the Canadian replied instantly.
Sheppard took out his pistol and cocked it, snagging McKay's attention. "Seriously, don't let me, or any of the equipment in this room, die. We have about eight minutes, so go do your soldier thing elsewhere."
John considered the man. Or more accurately, John considered how nice of a target the man's head made and how much lovelier it would be with a few bullet holes in it.
A shoulder nudged his own and he glanced aside to see Weir flashing a half-smile at him. "Go out there and target the bad guys, John. Sgt. Stackhouse probably shouldn't have to cover the entryway to this room all by himself."
"Of course, ma'am," he replied and turned to leave. Then he paused, turned around, and gave the pistol he was still holding to Weir. "Just in case."
The doctor raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she took the pistol. "Be careful, John, we still have no idea how many there are."
Sheppard just nodded.
Faith held herself still, digging her fingers into the metal of the pipe as she watched the soldiers pass underneath her. She saw the small droplets of blood their shoes left, she saw their packs filled with the Atlantis expedition's gear, and she saw the earpiece that the man had fitted into his ear, probably hoping to catch any chatter between the expedition members.
She didn't know was actually responsible for killing Johns and Smitty but the two mysterious corpses she'd seen in her dreams now had faces and names. Somewhere, there was a man who might just kill her if she wasn't careful but it wasn't only that Genii man she'd have to worry about. These Genii, all of them, were quiet, professional, and intent on fulfilling their mission. Sure, they were on a mission to help their people or whatever, that she couldn't blame them for. But they didn't give a single flipping fuck who got hurt in the process and that they needed to answer for.
Her eyes narrowed. Payback.
As the last man moved past her, she let go of the pipe.
"There should be more ships here than this," the leader of the Genii squad observed, looking at the hanger bay that held only three of the small Ancestor ships.
"Maybe, but it's not a surprise that they took most of them to Manaria. At least the ones here should be enough to take us all out of here," another man observed.
They slowly fanned out into the hanger bay and approached the ship that was in the center of the bay, powered down with its hatch open. The leader of the group stopped and waited until the others stopped and looked to him for orders. He pointed out the ships in the bay and the two visible ways of reaching the upper levels that held those ships.
The men followed his gaze and split apart into their assigned teams, heading off in opposite directions even as the leader began issuing instructions.
"We don't have much time; Nyles, Hoden, Kimmur, Athen, get in that ship in front of us and see what you can do to power it up. Olato, Penka, Jedan, you three take the ship on the second level directly ahead of us. Jedan, Pris, you two are with me on—"
The leader's voice was abruptly cut off with a choked gasp followed by a loud, sickening, snapping sound.
The eight men all turned around at the sound, already raising their weapons to aim at...
"You have made a grave mistake in coming to this place. Normally, I would find no pleasure in the education of muck, but I find myself looking forward to showing you the error of your ways," a cold voice said.
The head of the leader was flung toward the closest man while the rest of the body was similarly thrown at the Genii soldiers.
Illyria picked up the leader's rifle and broke it in half. Straightening. she felt a bullet impact against her chest but ignored the sensation. She threw one and then the other rifle halves, sending them hurtling through the air like javelins. The jagged ends of the rifle halves each impaled one of the Genii soldiers resulting in both being jerked off their feet at the force of the impact.
She felt a bullet graze her temple and another flatten against her right shoulder, but neither bullet so much as broke the skin, let alone her red carapace. Illyria smiled and began walking toward them.
#
"Kill her! Kill her!" Kimmur shouted, firing his own rifle at the...thing that had ripped Esan's head off.
Aiming down the sights of his rifle, he pulled the trigger and watched, slack-jawed, as the only evidence of his bullet's impact was the slightest indentation in the thing's armor.
Beside him, Nyles and Hoden wore the same expression as he, utter disbelief that was quickly morphing into abject horror.
Athen raised a battle cry and ran at the thing with his long knife.
The thing smiled and grabbed the man's hand faster than Kimmur's eyes could track. Athen screamed as the thing began crushing his hand, a scream that redoubled in volume when the thing's hand slapped down onto Athen's chest. No, not slapped down...
Kimmur staggered back and vomited onto the ground when he saw the thing's arm withdraw from Athen's chest, an arm encased up to its elbow in Athen's blood.
He could hear Penka praying to the Ancestors even as she continued firing ineffectively at the thing. He didn't blame her; this was no Wraith, no Ancestor, but some kind of demon!
Glancing behind him, he shouted, "get in the ship, find a way to power it up and close the hatch! We need to get out of here!"
Hearing the others' acknowledgment, he fired several more times before he ran to catch up with the others. Kimmur quickly caught up to the others, all running from the thing that was the spawn from some nightmare. They were close, just a handful of more steps until the safety of the Ancestors would be theirs.
He took the lead of the group, turning the corner of the ship's rear to enter the ship through the open hatch.
He stumbled to a halt and looked into the raised barrels of four rifles. Kimmur's jaw dropped in shock and felt a wet warmth expand from his groin as his bladder loosened. The others jostled him, trying to move past his frozen form to perceived safety.
#
"Take 'em down!" Ford ordered.
Ford, Beckett, Teyla, and Buffy pulled the triggers and sent a stream of bullets into the half dozen Genii soldiers who stood frozen, staring at them.
It was Ford who had come up with the plan, Ford who had convinced the others to lure the Genii into a trap. When Illyria had informed them over the radio that there were nine Genii on their way to the hanger, they'd decided to go along with it.
Buffy had personally felt icky about the idea, of shooting into a mass of people without even giving them a chance of surrender, but outnumbered more than two-to-one and with precious little time until billions of volts coursed through the city, practicality had won out over morality. There was also the fact, one she wouldn't share with any of the others, that shooting the Genii was a kindness compared to what Illyria would do to them.
Waiting in the Puddle Jumper with the others, she'd felt much better about her decision when the screams resulting from Illyria's appearance had begun.
In seconds, it was over and the five Genii had fallen in place, multiple bullet holes in each body that wept blood into their clothing and onto the floor.
Ford didn't move, holding a hand out to tell them to stay in place. "Miss Burkle? Are you alright?"
"I'm just fine, don't worry, Lieutenant, but we better hustle up if we're gonna make it to the control room in time!" the southern drawl answered.
Ford put his hand down and cautiously stepped from the Puddle Jumper, P90 still raised but angled downward.
Buffy followed him, grimacing as she stepped over the bodies. When she'd finally stepped out of the ship and caught up to Ford, she gave a brief wave to Illyria, who merely tilted her head at her.
Seeing a slight twitch in one of the bodies, Buffy immediately twisted and fired a quick burst from her P90 into the injured Genii's face. As everyone jumped and swung their guns in her direction, she just pointed at the dead guy who hadn't actually been dead before.
"We missed one," Buffy answered their unasked question with a bland voice.
"We are thankful for your watchfulness, Buffy Summers," Teyla murmured with a regal nod.
Buffy gave her a thumbs up.
"How'd you take these Genii down, Fred?" Ford asked uneasily, looking at the headless corpse, the two impaled bodies, and the single unaccounted for Genii featuring a gaping hole in his chest.
"Well, Daddy taught me how to toss a javelin and it isn't so hard to decapitate someone!" Illyria replied, looking adorably sheepish. Wearing her Atlantis civilian uniform, pristine and utterly free of blood, the brown-haired girl was at complete odds with the liberal amounts of blood that could be seen everywhere else in her immediate vicinity.
Everyone stared at her.
"Time to move folks, we don't want to get all crispy fried, now do we?" Buffy asked loudly and dragged Ford by his shirt away from his inspection of the grisly scene. She continued dragging him, ignoring his squawks of protest and was relieved when he finally got the hint and began leading the others from the hanger bay.
Reunited with Illyria, the five expedition members made their way down toward the Gate room. Behind her, Teyla and Dr. Carson Beckett studiously avoided looking at the bodies that Winifred 'Fred' Burkle had left strewn about the floor as they followed Ford and Buffy down the nearest set of stairs.
Faith dropped behind them and opened up with her P90, immediately tagging two of the Genii with multiple bursts of gunfire. The bullets tore into them, turning each of their heads into pulp and cratering their chests.
Two for two, Faith thought grimly, and I'm not done yet. Johns, Smitty, this is for you.
Before the Genii had even begun to react, Faith loosed another hail of bullets, taking down the woman furthest from her position, the one most difficult to reach. The P90 cut off with a series of clicks, and as exposed in the open corridor as she was, she elected to take out her sidearm instead of reloading the P90. She slung the P90 behind her and stood with her pistol raised in a classic Weaver stance.
Reacting to the threat behind them, the Genii scattered to the edges of the corridor, using the evenly spaced wall junctures as cover. One Genii didn't make it, felled by the four bullets discharged by Faith's Beretta.
Faith abandoned her shooter's pose and took cover of her own, narrowly avoiding the staccato of return fire. Sparks marked the bullets that had missed her but even though she'd found safety and had taken down almost half of the Genii, she was unwilling to risk a prolonged firefight. She peeked around the corner and jerked back at the gunfire that erupted in her direction. When there was a lull in the shooting, she peeked back out with her pistol already aimed at the poor cover one man had taken position behind.
There was only a small target available, but Faith took it and emptied six bullets into the man's knee. If the man's screams of agony weren't proof enough of her accuracy, then the leg that had been torn off at the knee from the sheer amount of concentrated fire would more than suffice. Using the distraction of the man's screams, she drew her sword and darted out, rushing toward them.
It must've looked laughable, Faith supposed, a crazy lady wearing advanced weaponry charging them with a sword of fall things. But they won't be laughing for long, Faith thought with a feral smile.
#
Sora swore when she saw Sturn clutching the stump of his leg, screaming as blood pooled from the ragged wound.
"Kill the bitch," she ordered harshly, turning away from the sight to bring her pistol up to fire at...
The dark-haired woman was rushing toward them with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other, with more than twenty feet separating them. Sora gaped only for a moment before instincts and training kicked in.
She pulled the trigger, the others following her example less than a heartbeat after.
To her amazement, the girl jumped, jumped higher than should be possible and shoved her sword into the ceiling ten feet above their heads. The Genii under her command faltered for a moment but reacquiring her in their sights. By then, the girl had used the sword to swing herself toward them, closing the distance in just a few seconds.
Now in their midst, the brunette fired a single bullet into Sturn's head, pivoting to fire four more at Kinto. Kinto had reacted quickly and managed to escape a fatal injury but was still hit once in the shoulder by the girl's bullets. Kinto cursed and dove onto his side, firing his own rifle at the girl. The girl, however, was already moving.
Sora fired her own rifle, only to be stymied as the girl dodged this way and that way, even using the walls on each side of the corridor as launch pads. She kicked one man in the gut, sending him flying back then darted back and stepped on Kinto's elbow hard enough that Sora could hear the bone crumbling.
The brunette grabbed Kinto by his shoulder, using him as a body shield before tossing him at Sora as if the man weighed nothing.
Sora swore and scrambled out of the way. "Ladon, Jurgen, do something!"
"On it," Ladon grunted, ruffling through his pack. Jurgen raised his rifle and fired, again dodged by the girl somehow. Another sword appeared from the girl's wrist and cut the rifle in half before a slim, feminine fist slammed into Jurgen's face with enough force to send him flying backward.
Out of ammo, Sora drew her knife already knowing the outcome. She slashed at the woman, twice, three times, to no effect. The woman twisted each time and used Sora's nearness to prevent Jurgen, Ladon, or the injured Kinto from firing their own weapons.
Sora screamed her rage, a rage fueled even hotter when the woman smirked at her. She reversed the grip on her knife slashed with her forearm and was blocked each time with the odd wrist sword the woman wielded. Sora slashed faster, doing everything she could do to at least draw blood, an accomplishment that none of the five dead men had managed to accomplish.
Hoping to surprise the smirking woman, Sora feinted with the knife before throwing a punch at the other woman's throat. The woman caught her fist and squeezed.
Sora screamed as she felt the bones in her hand grind into small pieces. She fell to her knees, making pathetic mewling sounds in between her screams as she made a vain attempt to run away, to beg for mercy, to do anything to get away.
"Sora!"
Sora heard Jurgen's voice, but only registered the woman's slim hand that had destroyed her own.
"I hate you, Teyla!" Sora screamed, not even caring that it wasn't Teyla she faced. "I hate you!"
The woman's eyebrow arched. "Honey, you ain't the first and you won't be the last. But unlike you, at least most of the others who hated me were able to draw blood."
Inspired by rage and pain, Sora made one last attempt to stab the other woman. Her hand stopped halfway, knife clattering to the floor as the woman's sword first removed her hand and then sliced her from shoulder to hip before the pain of her severed hand had even begun to register.
#
Ladon finally found what he was looking for, just in time to see Sora dismembered by the sword wielding woman. He shuddered.
This entire operation had gone straight to hell, start to finish. True, they knew they would be in for a fight that they wouldn't know exactly what to expect, but...
The team that had found the Puddle Jumpers had been slaughtered according to 'Major Sheppard's' report. Kolya was slowly advancing into the Gate room and now Sora...
Three members of their original squad left. Three. Ladon knew that the humans serving their Doctor Weir and Major Sheppard were just defending themselves and their home, but he couldn't help his own anger at the senseless waste of lives.
"Kinto, Jurgen, get out of here and catch up to the commander!" he shouted. Looking dazed, they instinctively obeyed the voice that held a note of command. The moment they cleared the area, he pulled the pin from the grenade behind his back, waited for a handful of heartbeats before sliding it on the floor toward the woman.
The woman's eyes widened and she moved impossibly fast in an attempt to escape the blast, but not fast enough as the grenade went off. Fortunately for the woman, the blast consisted of a series of concussive bangs and blinding flashes. Even in the midst of the storm's own lightning flashes and booming thunder, the flashbang was more than capable of doing its job.
Ladon turned tail and ran, wishing he'd taken something other than stun grenades and ammo cartridges. But it was enough and he ran to push Jurgen and Kinto forward before the warrior woman shook off the effects and caught up to them.
"Go!" he shouted, spurring them on even faster. They obeyed, even Kinto who wore an agonized expression that only grew as every running step jostled his shattered elbow and wounded shoulder.
We shouldn't have come here, Ladon Radim thought with sincere regret. We could have been allies, despite the rocky beginning. Damn you Kolya and double damn you, Cowen!
Maj. Sheppard and Sgt. Stackhouse looked down the main corridor with their rifles raised, watching for...anything.
"Are you sure?" Sheppard asked, straining to hear the gunshots Louis claimed to have heard.
"I'm sure, Major, I heard gunshots above us," Stackhouse stated quietly.
A moment later their earpieces crackled, Ford's voice echoing in their ears.
Sheppard relaxed and tapped his piece, "what was that, Lieutenant? How many?"
At Ford's answer, Louis turned incredulous eyes on his leader. "Well, crap, there can't be too many more of—"
There was the crack of a gunshot and Stackhouse was knocked to the ground as the bullet penetrated the sergeant's chest.
"Stackhouse!" Sheppard cried out and jerked his head up the corridor, a corridor rapidly filling with more than a half-dozen Genii soldiers.
He raised his P90 and held the trigger down to release a burst of bullets in their direction. He darted out to Stackhouse's side, letting out another burst of bullets before he took hold of the sergeant's collar and dragged him to the relative safety of the DHD room. He ran back to the corridor entrance to fire at the Genii, now much closer to the Gate room's entrance than before. Two Genii went down from his P90, but their answering gunfire forced him to take cover around the corner.
"Ford, I need you in the Gate room! I counted seven Genii on their way in and Stackhouse is down!" he shouted into his earpiece, not bothering to wait for a reply as he darted from around the corner to shoot at the advancing Genii. Another Genii soldier was brought down, but he had to take cover once again from their return fire. He breathed out, checked his P90's ammo, and repeated the maneuver.
The lead Genii, unfortunately, was ready for him, and the flash of the man's pistol was accompanied by a flare of pain in Sheppard's shoulder. A glancing blow, but one that threw his aim off. Already seeing the danger, Sheppard glanced at Weir, who'd taken a crouched position in the DHD room. "Weir, I can't cover both you and McKay, get to McKay's side!"
Weir nodded curtly and was running toward Sheppard and McKay's position on the opposite side of the floor when a gray blur knocked Weir off her feet, flinging the pistol Sheppard had given her from her hand. Knowing of Sheppard's injury, the Genii leader had obviously capitalized on the situation and four other Genii soldiers filed into the Gate room behind the one who had taken Weir down. Sheppard ducked behind a computer console and managed to take out another Genii soldier with a burst of his P90.
Only five left, just gotta hold out for Ford, Faith, and Illyria, Sheppard told himself. Without bothering to look behind him, Sheppard shouted, "is it done yet, McKay? Maybe we can use it to fry—"
"90 seconds, Sheppard, hold them off for that long!" McKay replied, then ducked down when sparks from a bullet impact rained down on him.
Sheppard looked over the computer console to fire when he realized that Weir was being held upright with a gun pointed at her head. "I'd stop firing now, Sheppard, unless you want this lovely woman to die. You are Sheppard, yes? And I imagine this would be your vaunted leader, Dr. Weir. How fortuitous," one of the men said. The man stood behind Weir, pistol aimed toward Sheppard while one of the other Genii held a pistol against Weir's head.
"Who are you?" Sheppard demanded.
"Commander Acastus Kolya, at your service, and you will do what I say," Kolya declared.
A sudden commotion at the door made John's heart leap in hope, only to be driven into despair when three more Genii soldiers entered the Gate room. All three looked positively spooked and one was nearly white with pain as clutched a bullet wound in his shoulder. By the looks of it, his elbow had been shattered as well.
Attagirl, Faith, Sheppard thought approvingly. You better be okay though or Buffy will have my ass.
"Ah, Ladon, perfect, dial the gate please," the apparent leader of the Genii commanded. One man, who appeared to be holding a wound did as requested, looking over the system with an intelligent eye before he began pressing buttons. The buttons were pressed, randomly at first, and then with intent as 'Ladon' gained a better grasp on the DHD device.
Thirty seconds later and the wormhole appeared, tunneling inwards before disappearing into the event horizon of the Stargate.
"Eamon, put a bullet into this one, if he's not already dead, we'll be doing him a favor. If he isn't, then I don't want to chance him getting better at the wrong time." the leader ordered, noticing the downed Sergeant Stackhouse for the first time.
"No!" Sheppard screamed!
The Genii nodded at his commander and raised his rifle to dispatch Stackhouse.
However, before either the Genii could fire or Sheppard could mount his own attack, a blade was flung at the Genii from the newest Gate room occupant. Faith's knife buried itself in Eamon's eye socket, dropping the man like a rock. Injured she may be, Faith was still a Slayer and so she slayed.
Having lost her P90, Faith withdrew her Beretta and quickly emptied the clip into the Genii's positions. Three Genii were cut down instantly, the others having ducked into cover in time.
"Get to the Gate, now!" Kolya ordered.
The man who'd activated the Gate, Ladon, barely hesitated. He glanced at Sheppard, a mixture of guilt and regret writ large upon his face, before grabbing the small pack of supplies he'd carried, quickly bounding down the steps of the Gate room and jumping into the Gate.
Faith was already in motion, however, and was among the men, hesitant to abandon their commander, like a sheep among wolves. Withdrawing her sword, she bisected one of the retreating men in half, removing the gun-hand of another before finishing him with a slice across the stomach that resulted in the man's intestines spilling out onto the floor.
Faith completed the move, spinning around like a dancer before she found herself in front of a man with cold eyes and a grim face. The man held Weir against him with a pistol aimed squarely at her forehead.
The man from her dream.
This was how she was going to die.
"FAITH!"
Buffy's scream jolted both Faith and the Genii soldier, causing the man to physically jerk in surprise. When the pistol went off, the discharged bullet flew through the air at a much lower trajectory. The moment Faith had heard Buffy's shout, she was already in motion, twisting sideways and downwards, but it wasn't quite enough to avoid being hit entirely and Faith let out a soft, involuntary grunt as the bullet entered the side of her chest. Stunned from the sledgehammer-like impact of the bullet, Faith went down on a knee, hand instantly seeking her wound to put pressure on it. But injured or not, Faith wasn't called the Slayer without reason; she ignored the pain and threw her remaining knife at the man, smiling in satisfaction when it buried itself into his upper shoulder, only millimeters above Weir's own body. Seeing the man's new injury and hearing his hiss of pain, Sheppard raised his rifle to take advantage of the opportunity, but Kolya had obviously predicted the move and had maneuvered Weir to act as a body shield once again.
Kolya descended the steps, quickly but carefully in an effort to escape, ignoring the knife that was still sheathed inside his body.
Footsteps echoed in the room and Sheppard darted a glance to the side, just enough to see Beckett, Buffy, Ford, Illyria, and Teyla bursting into the room. Ford immediately took a position at the railing in the upper tier of the Gate room, P90 locked onto the Genii commander, waiting for a clear shot or for an order to stand down.
Teyla raced down one of the side staircases to take a position on Sheppard's flank with her own raised P90, taking a step forward with each step Kolya took back. "You can surrender, Commander Kolya, but there is no victory for you, nor is there any escape."
"And yet I'm the one who has your precious Dr. Weir ready to take ever bullet for me, don't I?" Kolya retorted.
Behind him, Sheppard was distantly aware of Beckett kneeling over Stackhouse, cutting away his shirt to examine the man's grievous chest wound. Buffy slid next to him and searched her tactical best for something, finally withdrawing a vial and forcing the liquid concoction down Louis Stackhouse's throat. She murmured a few words to Beckett than clambered to her feet to check on Faith, who was protesting loudly that 'she was just fine' and that Buffy needed to go 'twist the fucker's head off'. Sheppard agreed wholeheartedly.
But he maintained his focused on the Genii, who had used the distraction of the Atlantis expedition members' entrance to back up several more paces. Eyes hard, Sheppard advanced down the stairs, P90 held ready and trained on the barely visible part of Kolya's face. Ford was silent, watching for a moment of opportunity while Teyla raced to one of the side staircases to flank Kolya.
The Genii leader stepped back toward the Gate.
"I will shoot you if you don't let her go!" Sheppard shouted, glaring at Kolya.
Kolya smirked at Sheppard, dragging Dr. Weir with him as he retreated toward the active Stargate. "And risk hurting Doctor Weir?"
Sheppard was about to reply, with both words and a bullet, when he caught sight of something moving, or possibly slithering, on the ground. It was so incongruous with the rest of the floor that he couldn't help but stare. It was long, barbed, and dark, like a thin tendril that crept its way toward the Stargate before slowly climbing upwards, coiling like a snake ready to strike.
"There is no risk to Dr. Weir, muck," a cold voice proclaimed. "A pity you will not learn why it is unwise to tread upon an Old One's territory."
Kolya shifted his gaze to the young brunette standing by a group of plants. He stepped back, inching his way toward freedom. "And what is that supposed to mean?" Kolya inquired in a tone laced with condescension. He stepped back.
The girl tilted her head and smiled at him.
With less than an arm span separating him from freedom, Kolya sneered and took the last step before reaching the Stargate.
Sheppard watched as Kolya took that last step toward freedom, a freedom that was obstructed by the unseen, coiling, rope-like object that had inched its way up the side of the Gate. The moment Kolya took that step back, the dark thread darted toward Kolya. Sheppard watched with a mix of horror and relief as the object punched through the back of the Genii's skull only to emerge from Kolya's open mouth. The Genii went limp instantly, his body held upright only by the strange rope.
"You can escape his hold now, Dr. Weir," Illyria stated emotionlessly.
Weir, who had been paralyzed as she stared at the—thorn?—that had emerged from Kolya's mouth, jerked at the use of her name. She hurriedly disengaged herself from Kolya and backed up several paces to stare at the sight in front of them.
"Uh, what is that?" Sheppard asked, unable to take his eyes away from the sharp spear that had impaled the Genii's head.
"Barberry is an extremely thorny vine, Major Sheppard, one that can act as an effective deterrent to all sorts of pests," Illyria explained. "One need only know how to coax it to do so in a more effective manner."
Looking at Kolya's suspended corpse, Sheppard was willing to bet that Illyria counted humans as among those 'pests'.
The vine began to shiver and seemed to sway before it gently tossed the corpse through the Stargate just moments before it deactivated. Everyone stared as the vine began crawling its way back to the pot that Illyria had taken a position by.
"Sorry to interrupt the creep show, but if you want to live, then get up here now!" McKay shouted. "Twenty seconds!"
They obeyed and moments later, witnessed the bright light of energy coursing through the veins of Atlantis from the safety of the control room. Aside from the Old One, everyone held their breath as the shield powered up just in time to protect them from the wall of water that was threatening to engulf the city.
Two days later
March 23, 2006
Atlantis
"Well Miss Lehane, do you foresee any further difficulties coming our way?" Weir asked gently, smiling at the tired-looking brunette standing in front of her.
Faith made a 'pshaw' noise. "Isolated from Earth and any familiar civilization with only our limited resources and each other to rely on? Trapped in a different galaxy with a race of evil space vampires ready to descend on us at any given moment? Nah, Dr. Weir, I think we're just super."
Elizabeth Weir laughed for a moment before offering Faith a warm smile. "How are you feeling, Faith?"
"Five by five, Liz, already back at 100%," Faith declared proudly.
Weir cringed at the familiar use of her name but didn't bother to correct Faith. If she did so, she would only guarantee its continued usage, that she'd figured out a while ago. Instead, she offered, "Dr. Beckett has informed me that Sergeant Stackhouse is expected to make a full recovery. I didn't get details but from what I understand, Miss Summers forced him to drink some sort of vial that she'd been carrying. Apparently, that was enough to not only keep him alive but to also jump-start the healing process."
"I'm betting Beckett used much bigger and technical-sounding words than that," Faith mused aloud, smiling before giving Weir a slight shrug. "Sort of a cure all that one of our friends gave us back on Earth. Limited supply only, I'm afraid."
"Should I ask?" Weir wondered.
The dark-haired Slayer hesitated. "It's comp—"
"Complicated," Weir finished, nodding along. "That does seem to be a running theme in your life."
"Oh, Dr. Weir, you have no idea how right you are. Now, if you don't mind, I have a girlfriend I need to spend a couple days in bed with in order to properly apologize for my getting injured," Faith mock-whispered in a conspiratorial tone. Weir hadn't had the chance to properly express her shock at Faith's candor before the brunette's eyebrows furrowed in thought and added somewhat absentmindedly, "do you have any massage oils by any chance?"
Weir stared at her with a single raised eyebrow.
Faith shrugged a shoulder. "Worth a shot. Alright, see you..whenever."
Without another word, Faith bounced out of Weir's office, slapping Sheppard's ass when the major moved past her to join Weir.
"That's sexual harassment!" Sheppard shouted reprovingly at Faith's retreating form, receiving only the brunette's laughter in response. Sheppard shook his head and continued into Weir's office. "That woman..." Sheppard began, before trailing off with a shake of his head.
"Yes, that about sums it up, John," Weir smirked. "Dr. Grodin discovered how the Genii managed to reach us with a helpful side investigation conducted by Colonel Sumner."
"Oh?"
"Marshall found out th—"
"Marshall? You call him Marshall!?" Sheppard cried out.
"Well, I call you John!" Weir hissed defensively but was blushing as she did so.
"Oh. My. God. You and...Marshall Sumner?!" Sheppard exclaimed, staring at her as if she'd grown a third head.
"Shut up or I'll—"
"Tell Marshall?" Sheppard asked smugly, cutting Weir off.
"Shut up, John," Weir growled before backhanding the major in the gut.
Sheppard let out an 'oof' but grinned at Dr. Weir, who blushed again and turned away, pointedly refusing to look at him. "So," John drawled out, "what did the colonel find?"
Still not looking at him, Weir replied in a quieter, more grim voice. "Smeadon betrayed us. Apparently, he was an agent of the Genii. He told Cowen everything about our situation and movements."
Sheppard swore. "And what are we doing about that?"
"What can we do?" Weir retorted. "Manaria is still a useful trade partner and it's not like we have jurisdiction. The Manarians will deal with him. As for how they got here... they managed to produce a hybrid ship using their own technology combined with Wraith technology. It appears to have been a one-time-only sort of ship, according to Dr. Grodin. He'll tell us more when we're able to bring it up from the bottom of the ocean.
John smiled ruefully and followed her gaze to the Stargate, where another Puddle Jumper had returned from Manaria, ferrying people and supplies back to Atlantis. Turning to Weir, John asked, "you say these things happen every twenty years, right?"
Weir nodded. "That's what they tell us."
John sighed and gave her a solemn look. "How far in advance can we book days off?"
Elizabeth Weir smiled and bumped John Sheppard's shoulder with her own. They stood in silence, content to watch as expedition members reunited in their true home of Atlantis.
Author's Notes: At some point in the books, the Genii are able to repair a crashed Lantean cruiser well enough that it was space capable, which is really damn impressive when you think about it. That takes place only a few years after the events of "The Storm". A Wraith prisoner and a crashed Wraith cruiser full of partially working computers and components give them even more of a leg up on making the insertion method I'm proposing viable.
Atlantis did have deep space sensors that detected the Wraith Hive ships coming in at the end of the serious, but they kinda just popped them in without any fanfare. This happens at some point during the season, presumably at a much later point in the season; this is why Atlantis was unable to detect the Genii.
I hope everyone liked the chapter and thought there was enough action to warrant the uber long build up. I tried really hard to make sure all our main characters got their fair share of the violence and make it so that at least a couple of red-shirts died as well as all of the Genii except for Ladon. Let's be honest, Ladon Radim is a badass. I also found a use for the potions/magic crap Willow gave Buffy in the second part of the story!
Translations:
Ne, to je k ničemu! - "No, it's useless!"
brilantní - "brilliant!"