PART FIFTEEN: FINISHING THE JOB
Lieutenant Che climbed out of the Great Eye, clambering out over the rocks still partially blocking the entrance and slipping down the other side, ending up in an ungracious heap. Cusp darted forward to help her up, but stopped when he saw the tall, dark-haired stranger slide down after her, his strange black weapon pointed at her back as she got back to her feet on her own.
"Back off, Beavis," Sheppard spat. Cusp backtracked towards the door, raising his hands. Ford had appeared after the major, the menace on his face clear as he lifted up the submachine gun and pointed it at the young man.
"Call Luphron and Borin," he ordered, indicating the control panel near the door with his head. Cusp licked his lips, glancing at Che. She gave a small nod.
Turning, the young man reached for the panel, hitting the intercom.
"Colonel...Colonel Luphron? C...can you hear me?"
A short pause, and the intercom came to life, "Yes! Cusp what is going on! There are four Wraith darts still—"
"Sir, they—urp!"
Sheppard yanked the boy away from the panel, tossing him in Ford's direction. Leaning into the panel, the major lowered his voice to a level that sent chills up the spines of the Deucalions.
"We figured out what your precious Weapon is going to do to our man, Luphron. We're not going to let it happen."
"Major Sheppard? Is that you? But I don't know what—"
"Can it, Luphron. You're a miserable, lying little parasite, you know that? I don't even know why I'm bothering with you, but I suppose I wanted to see if you had any shame. Lord knows your Governor doesn't. I'm only calling to let you know we're getting McKay out of that thing, and if you try to stop us...well, let's just say the Wraith would have been the lesser of two evils."
"No, Major, please, you can't mean—"
"You brought this on yourself, Luphron. I'm going back to that courtyard and blowing up that door. See you there." And he hit the same button the panel that Cusp had hit to activate it. He turned back to the boy, and looked beyond to where Lieutenant Che was watching miserably from near the rock-pile, Teyla standing firmly behind her. "Do you want to lead," he asked the dark-haired woman, "or follow?"
The Deucalion lieutenant's jaw flexed, "Those Wraith darts will finish this city. You've killed my people."
"Well, if McKay is dead, Lieutenant, we'll call it tit-for-tat. Now," he indicated the exit with his 9MM, "after you."
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Stackhouse was grinning, swooping down on the hidden city of Deucalion from above, ignoring the two Wraith darts that just sped out from the Illusion masking the city, obviously headed for the Stargate. Those he'd let Jumper 2 handle—the two still inside the mesa were his. Without slowing down, the Puddle Jumper burst through the Illusion's walls, the sides of the craft opening to reveal its array of missiles.
The two Wraith darts were flying low, barely clearing some of the lower structures, firing down on the gray city, obviously hoping to destroy the weapon that had torn apart their mother ship before it fired again, a touch of desperation and panic to their aim.
Tanner's hands flew over the guidance system board in front of him, which had been adapted for those without the gene to manipulate the Jumper's weapons. Not that his skill was the only thing they were relying on—standing behind Tanner, Sergeant Greene had the Ancient gene, and though he couldn't use it any more easily than Dr. Beckett, combined with Tanner, the two of them were a powerful combination.
No words were spoken as two golden missiles burst out of the Jumper, flying in two different directions – one guided mentally by Greene, the other by Tanner's expert skill with weaponry.
The two Wraith darts responded with surprising agility to the new threat, instantly instituting defensive maneuvers—but the appearance of the Jumper had been too unexpected, and the golden missiles too smart.
Tanner's missile hit the Dart to the Jumper's right dead center, blowing it to pieces.
Greene's missile ripped down one side of the other Wraith dart, blowing out the wing and engines on the right hand side of the ship, sending it pinwheeling through the Illusion's walls. The Jumper followed it out, just in time to see the it crash into the side of a real hill, the resounding explosion shaking the thick forest cover.
"YEEEE-HA!" Stackhouse shouted, pulling up the Jumper to avoid the shockwave of smoke, fire and air from the destroyed Dart.
Grinning, Greene hit the communicator, "Two bogies erased from existence, Major. Two more on their way to you, Captain."
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"Two bogies erased from existence, Major," Greene's voice announced smugly over the communicator, then, more formally: "Two more on their way to you, Captain."
Captain Dunne glanced at the communicator, then at Saunders and Weathers.
And grinned.
They were all so looking forward to this, it was almost ridiculous.
Dunne lifted Jumper 2 to hover above the Stargate, his eyes glued on the distance. He left the ship cloaked for the time being.
Two specks appeared on the horizon.
"Dial Atlantis," Captain Dunne ordered as he maneuvered the ship a little higher up.
Saunders' hands dialed the DHD as the two Wraith darts grew in size, aiming straight for their position. As soon as the event horizon stabilized, Saunders took control of the weapon array, hands raised over the panel in anticipation. In the back, Sergeant Weathers, a gene carrier like Captain Greene, focused his thoughts on the drone weapons attached to the ship.
The Wraith darts slowed fractionally upon seeing the Gate open already, but didn't stop their approach.
"Captain?" Saunders asked, glancing at the pilot.
"Whites of their eyes, Saunders," the Boston-born captain replied. "Whites of their eyes...."
The darts sensed something very wrong, but by the time they realized what it was, it was too late.
"Now," Dunne hissed, dropping the cloak. The Jumper put on a burst of speed, sending it directly into the path of both oncoming ships, almost as if he were playing chicken. At the same time, both Saunders and Weathers fired.
The two golden missiles burst from the ship, and the two Wraith darts crossed paths, flying off in different directions. The trick worked...for one of them.
"Aw nuts," Weathers sighed as his missile followed the one aimed at by Saunders. His control just wasn't good enough—he had mentally focused on the ship on the left. When the ships crossed, the missile stayed left though the Dart had veered to the right, while the one aimed by Saunders stayed on the ship it was intended for, which had been on the right but now veered left.
Hit by both missiles, the first Wraith ship lit up the sky, hundreds of bits of scrap metal showering the ground below, not one of them larger than a man's hand.
All three men's heads turned as the other dart barely missed ramming them, aiming for the Gate.
Dunne twisted the Jumper around, just in time to see the dart disappear through the event horizon.
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Weir had her arms crossed, fingers tapping in annoyance and, frankly, worry, on her arms.
"Incoming," Grodin informed her, studying the readouts from the open wormhole. "It's a ship, I think."
She just nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. All she could do was hope it wasn't one of theirs. No IDC code had been activated--though her eyes constantly drifted to the laptop screen on the console looking for it.
Bang!
The burst of light and obvious explosion as whatever it had been hit the Iris caused her to flinch....
A second later, Captain Dunne's IDC appeared on the screen.
"Lower the shield," she commanded. Grodin pressed down on the pad button.
"Captain?" Weir asked. "What was that? What is happening out there?"
"Sorry, Doctor Weir. Two Wraith darts were attempting to escape, potentially to bring back more ships. Dialing Atlantis so that they couldn't dial the Gate themselves, knowing that if one got past us it would hit the shield on your end, seemed the most effective means to insure—"
"Wait, back up, did you say, Wraith darts?"
"Oh...uh...yes."
"Captain? What the hell is going on out there!"
"Um...well...the Wraith came."
Weir waited, expecting more, her eyes catching sight of Grodin as he instinctively held his hand over the button to put the shield back up, not hiding his nervousness at the word "Wraith."
When nothing more seemed forthcoming from Dunne, Weir sighed, "Captain, did you say...came? As in the past tense?"
"Yes, ma'am. They're gone now."
Grodin's hand lifted away from the Iris's controls with obvious relief, and Weir's shoulders relaxed slightly. "I see. What's your status, Captain?"
"At this time, I have no further intel, ma'am. We expect the major to contact us at any moment, however. We'll be back in touch as soon as we know more."
She nodded, not happy, but understanding.
"Okay, captain," Weir sighed, "We will wait for the major. But," she gave a small smile, "Next time you decide to use the Iris as weapon....just try to give us some warning, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," replied the cocky pilot. "Dunne out."
"Wait, hold on, is everyone...." Weir trailed off as the Stargate shut down before she could finish, "...all right?" she finished weakly.
"He sounded to smug, doctor," Grodin noted. "If someone was hurt, I don't think he would have been so pleased with himself."
She nodded absently, "I suppose you're right. Guess we'll know for sure soon enough."
Her arms recrossed, fingers once more nervously tapping her arms.
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"Last two Darts out for the count, Major," Dunne called over the radio.
"Well done, Captain. Stay by the gate and be prepared to dial Atlantis. I think we're going to need a medical team over here."
The young man's smug expression instantly disappeared, and he glanced worriedly at his companions, "Yes sir."
TBC
A/N -- I love all the reviews! Thank you! And I promise I'm still writing here, despite some hellacious RL. I got a little stuck, but was saved by a brilliant vet. So, full steam ahead, I hope!