Promises Made, Chapter 6
A conference table has been placed in front of the Stargate. The Inbi and Dreyan delegations are standing on either side of the table staring each other down. At the end of the table, directly in front of the Stargate, stands a second team from Atlantis. Among them is Dr. Rodney McKay, who thinks he's about to have a nervous breakdown.
It's 20 minutes past the time designated for the peace talks to start. Way over a half hour since the first of the delegations began arriving. Nobody has taken a seat at the table and nobody has said a word. The absence of Dr. Weir and Major Sheppard is glaringly obvious.
Dr. Beckett starts to lean towards Rodney and one of the Dreyan delegates looks over suspiciously. Carson pastes a fake smile on his lips and whispers through his teeth.
"Say something, Rodney."
McKay matches Beckett's fake smile, but his comes out more like a grimace. He whispers back with a rising level of panic in his voice.
"What the hell am I supposed to say? I know this peace thing is really important to you all, but Dr. Weir is running a little behind schedule. She should be coming up the road any time now. Never mind that it's a total lie and they're all going to shoot us!"
"Shh!" Both delegations are now looking at the two men with concern. McKay is red in the face and starting to hyperventilate. "Now is not a good time to faint, Rodney."
"I don't faint, I pass-"
"Whatever. Either way, now is not a good time."
"It would be a good excuse to go back to Atlantis."
"Nobody is going through the Stargate until the first team comes back."
That comment is from Bates who is standing behind the two men. Dr. Weir had left strict instructions about the number of men he could to bring to the negotiations and he's starting regret following her orders. Bates only brought two other Marines in addition to these two yahoos who are bickering like an old married couple.
"One of you better say something or there aren't going to be any negotiations."
"Well thank you for stating the obvious," McKay retorts. "Maybe if you had something more constructive to-"
"Enough of this!" The Dreyan High Minister's sudden outburst has Rodney clutching at his chest. "Where is Dr. Weir? I should have known better than to trust you, Kashak! You Inbi are nothing but-"
"Whoa! Whoa!" Rodney interrupts before the Dreyan says something they'll all regret. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Grand Commander Kashak had nothing to do with what happened."
"Then something has happened!" exclaims the High Minister.
"Crap. I didn't mean to say that." McKay looks behind him for support. Beckett is staring at him like he's lost his mind and Bates looks ready to strangle the astrophysicist.
"I take full responsibility for what has occurred," says Grand Commander Kashak calmly.
"There's really no need to do that," pleads Rodney.
"What have you done to Dr. Weir?" demands Minar from behind the High Minister. An angry murmur starts to spread through the young Dreyans.
Two taps are heard over the Atlantis team radios, alerting them to the incoming communiqué.
"Ford to Atlantis team." His voice sounds tired, but is otherwise devoid of emotion. The team looks at each other in concern, not sure what to make of Ford radioing in instead of Sheppard.
"This is Bates. Please report your position." The sergeant doesn't dare say or ask anything else in front of this audience. They'll find out soon enough if there's bad news for all of them.
"We're less than a klick away. Should be there in ten. Ford out." The lieutenant is unusually curt, as if he didn't have the energy to say more.
Bates looks intently down the central road that leads from the Stargate to the old ruins. He regrets not bringing a pair of binoculars. Beckett grips the handle of his medical bag tightly, almost hoping he'll need to make use of it. McKay wishes he never asked about the ruins in the first place.
A few minutes of tense silence pass before a bedraggled looking group comes up the small hill leading to the base of the Stargate. All of them are dusty and appear dead on their feet. They all have varying amounts of dried blood on their uniforms.
The major seems like he's aged a year in the past day as he looks over the Dreyans, Inbi, and Earthlings standing in front of the Stargate.
::::Flashback::::Sheppard pushes through the last few trees and runs into the clearing. The look on his face clearly says the he's expecting the worst. He surveys the scene and rushes over to the woman on the ground.
John drops down on his knees beside Elizabeth and tenderly brushes hair, sticky with blood, from her face. He looks up at the Inbi standing above them in shock and disbelief. The man looks down at the dead body in disgust and starts to leave the clearing. He stops short when Sheppard calls out to him.
::::End Flashback::::
There's an audible gasp as the assembled group sees Dr. Weir clearly for the first time. Most of the blood has been washed away from her face, but there's still a fair amount clumped in her hair. Her lower lip is split and there's a huge blue-black bruise covering her cheek. Those who are closer and have a better view can see five small, distinct bruises on her neck. Her uniform is covered in blood.
::::Flashback::::The Inbi stops at the edge of the clearing, but does not turn around to face Sheppard.
"Thank you, Ralen."
Ralen turns and looks back into the clearing. First at the body of his former commander – a man he followed blindly into disgrace. Then at the man and woman kneeling in front of each other. The man hasn't stopped looking at her still beautiful face and his movements have streaked the blood, Karna's blood, across her forehead and cheeks.
Ralen doesn't regret his decision. He nods when Sheppard glances at him. The Inbi soldier walks into the trees, back toward the ruins.
Elizabeth reaches out with one shaky hand to make sure that John is really there – that she can still touch him. Her eyes close and she shudders when her hand makes contact with his chest. She opens her eyes and their depths are filled with unshed tears.
John moves to brush his knuckles against her cheek, but stills when he sees the bruise already starting to form there. Elizabeth leans forward and places the uninjured side of her face on his shoulder.
Weirs don't cry. But Elizabeth can't keep the silent tears from escaping as John wraps his arms around her.
"You know," John says, his voice wavering with a quality she's never heard before. "This may not be the best time to bring this up, but I guarantee that sleeping in my room last night would have been much better than this."
Elizabeth starts to laugh and then sob as John's arms tighten around her.
::::End Flashback::::
Beckett starts to move forward, but Elizabeth stops him with a shake of her head. She walks purposely toward the head of the table and sits. Sheppard stands behind her with one hand resting lightly on the back of her chair. They draw strength from each other. The rest of the Atlantis team stands a little prouder.Dr. Weir sits at the table, bruised and bloody, and doesn't say a word. She looks between the Inbi Grand Commander and Dreyan High Minister, then waits. The two delegations take their seats at the table.
"The time for playing at war is over," she begins. Her voice is clear and strong, belying her fatigue. "The Wraith hives are awake. It's time to make a choice: peace or death."
TBC...
One more chapter to go, the epilogue. A teaser to get you to come back and read it: It's a formal (hint, hint) celebration of the successful peace talks.
