"A Bad Decision –"Revisiting Hashlana"
Chapter 6
Author: Lorrie Ellis
Email: lorrieannhotmail
Summary : The team gates to a previously unexplored world and may regret what they find.
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Stargate: Atlantis". The characters belong to MGM, The Sci-Fi channel, etc. but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
McKay had to quicken his pace to keep up with her as she made her way to the gateroom. "Dr. Weir, I don't think is such a good idea." He was hoping that she would stop and at the very least, tell him how wrong he was.
Seeing that she wasn't stopping, he picked up his pace. Suddenly he overtook her. Stopping dead in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders, he calmly spoke. "Dr. Weir . . . Elizabeth, you can't be the one to go."
"Do you a better idea Rodney, because I don't and the last time I checked, I'm the most qualified person on Atlantis to negotiate a peaceful compromise, do you agree?'
He nodded, hating to agree with her in a time like this, but knowing full well that she was right. "What if it all goes wrong? That leaves Atlantis without a leader."
She hadn't really thought of it in those terms, but yes, with John possibly dying on Frena, if something happened to her, that would leave Lt. Ford in charge of the military and no one to take her place. "Alert Team 2, they're going in as military back-up. Rodney, make sure that there are helmets for everyone." She looked him in the eye. "Do we have anyone here who can fly a Jumper?"
"The city wasn't that far from the gate, I'm sure that we could walk and . . ."
"Rodney, I want in and out as quickly as possible and we don't want to take a chance on that light source working its way through the helmets."
"Understood." He paused. "So, you're still going?"
She nodded. "I have to. I have to try to appeal to this Maylan's human side, if there is such a thing."
McKay continued down the corridor, feeling very defeated. He liked Major Shepherd as much as the next guy and more than some, especially Kavenaugh, but Dr. Weir was ready to risk her life to save him. Was there something there that he wasn't seeing.
"Hey, watch where you're goin' Rodney." Carson's thick Scottish accent broke him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry."
"Where are ya off to in such a hurry?"
"Dr. Weir asked me to alert Team 2. We're going back to Hashlana to try and convince Maylan to reverse what he's done to Major Shepherd."
Carson's mouth dropped. "You're what?"
"We're going back to Hashlana to try and convince . . ."
"I heard you!" Carson exclaimed. "And Dr. Weir is going?"
Rodney nodded. "Yes." He paused. "Am I missing something here. Is there a 'thing' going on with Dr. Weir and the Major?"
Carson shrugged his shoulders. "Ya got me. I would think that they're just friends though, but we don't have time to speculate on that now. You had better follow your orders and I had better check in with the team on Frena and see how the Major is doin'."
John shivered slightly as he woke. "Beth!" He called out.
"Dr. Weir is not here." Teyla said quietly.
"Teyla?" John whispered.
"Yes. Lt. Ford and I are here with you."
"Where?" He asked quietly.
"We are on a planet called Frena. Dr. Beckett said that your body temperature was too high. Frena was the only place I could think of to keep you cool."
He shivered again. "C-c-c-cold is more like it."
Teyla nodded. "I agree. The temperature here is much cooler than the last time I visited." She held her hand to his forehead. "You are still warmer than you should be."
John nodded. "I still can't see and my head hurts."
"I wish I could relieve you of this pain." Teyla replied as her communicator came to life.
"Teyla, Lt. Ford." It was Dr. Beckett's voice.
Teyla tapped the communicator. "We are here, doctor."
"How is the Major?"
"I'm c-c-cold." John said as loudly as he could.
Carson smiled. "Glad to hear that you're awake. I'm sorry about the cold John, but we need to keep your temperature down until we can remove that energy mass."
"How?" John asked.
"Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay are working on that as we speak." He thought carefully before he spoke, not wanting to tell John that they were going back to Hashlana on his behalf, but he was certain that John could tell that something was amiss.
"Beckett?" John said his name sternly.
"Enough of that, Major, you need to rest. Over and out." Carson signed off before John could respond.
"Ready to dial out?" A voice asked.
"Yes." Dr. Weir replied as she and Rodney stepped aboard the Jumper.
"Jumper 3 ready to disembark."
As soon as the Puddle Jumper cleared Hashlana's gate, Dr. Weir closed her eyes, silently praying that she would be able to convince Maylan that a terrible injustice had been done by torturing John. She only hoped that he would be willing to listen.
"My lord, visitors have pierced the eye again." A century reported.
"I am aware." Maylan replied. "They are in the same transportation device as they others, are they not?"
"Yes my lord."
Maylan took his place in the seat of royalty and suddenly the room was filled with a bright light. He sat there for several minutes. "These visitors, they are unaffected by the light, as were the ones who rescued him."
"So it would seem." Landiv replied as he entered the room.
Maylan stepped down from the chair and stood in front of Landiv. "Who are these people? It is evident that he is of them, but yet not."
"Sire, do you remember Vloyton?" He didn't wait for a reply. "He was of them and of us. Your energies proved only to harm him until he was dead. Perhaps that is the case of the one called John Shepherd. Perhaps he is also of them and of another race."
Maylan nodded. "And because he is partially of another race, my energy will kill him, not just coerce him into talking as in the case of them."
"It is but a theory." Landiv replied.
"And a reasonable one." Maylan acknowledged. "So, do you believe that the ones who have just entered the gate are here to beg for his life?"
Landiv nodded. "I do. It appeared that he was important to them."
Maylan agreed. "They shall not have what they want." He replied, stubbornly. "Not from me."
"But sire, he was not the threat that you thought and . . ."
Maylan held out his hand. "Enough!"
Landiv recoiled and left Maylan's chamber.
The Jumper landed and Drs. Weir and McKay exited. "Secure the perimeter and stick close to the Jumper, we shouldn't be long." McKay heard himself utter and then looked at Dr. Weir who was somewhat impressed. "Did I say that?"
She smiled. "You certainly did."
"I guess I've been listening to Major Shepherd more than I care to admit." He turned to her sheepishly. "What now?"
"We find this Maylan and have a chat." Dr. Weir started to walk away from the Jumper only to be stopped by Rodney. "What? She asked.
"Given our past two encounters with the people of Hashlana, don't you think it would be wise to have a small military presence with us?"
She nodded mutely. Once again, she wasn't thinking clearly. Any good leader wouldn't have put any of her team in danger and here she was asking Rodney to go into a situation that had the potential of being disastrous without any weapons.
Weir shook herself from the momentary mental lapse and motioned towards one of the young soldiers. "You, what's your name?"
"Corporal Davidson, ma'am."
"You'll be coming with us and bring along a couple of your best."
Davidson quickly recruited two more men and the five began the short walk to the city wall.
"What was Beckett . . . talking about?" John asked Ford as his lips quivered.
Ford looked away. "I'm not sure Major."
"You're a terrible liar, Ford." John replied. "Wh-a-t are they doing?"
Ford looked at Teyla and she shook her head. "I'd rather not say, sir."
John winced as a pain shot through his head. "Listen soldier . . . I'm still your CO and . . ." The pain gripped his head like a vice and he passed out.
Aiden breathed a sigh of relief, not for the fact that the Major was once again unconscious, but for the fact that he didn't have to be the one to tell him that he had been relieved of his duties until further notice, per Dr. Weir.
"Is he . . .?" Teyla asked. She couldn't bring herself to utter the word – dead.
"No, but he's not going to make it much longer. The temperatures on this planet are keeping his body temperature down, but it's getting harder and harder to guard his skin and ours for that matter against frost bite.
"Frost bite?" Teyla asked.
Ford nodded. "It's the way your skin reacts to the cold. Bitter cold will kill off the skin cells and . . ." He hated trying to explain things. "Dr. Beckett could explain it better than I can."
Teyla smiled. "I believe that I understand."
As Dr. Weir and her entourage made their way past the city wall, they were immediately surrounded by a group of centuries.
"Drop your weapons." One of the iron clad warriors commanded.
Davidson and the other two service men held their ground with Drs. Weir and McKay centered between them.
"Drop your weapons, or die." The warrior spoke again.
"Do as he says." Dr. Weir advised.
"Ma'am, we never relinquish our weapons." Davidson replied.
"You do now." She said sternly. "Now drop those guns."
Davidson gave the order and then he and the other two dropped their weapons at their feet.
Dr. Weir pushed her way towards the warrior. "I wish to meet with Maylan."
The warrior scoffed. "You know of Maylan?"
"I am the current leader of Atlantis and yes, I know of Maylan."
The warriors eyes grew wide at the mention of Atlantis. "You will come with us." The warrior surrounded the group and herded them towards a building that McKay recognized.
"Dr. Weir, this is where we were first taken . . . when we forgot that John was with us." McKay stated.
She stopped in her tracks. "I don't want to just disappear. I want a meeting with Maylan!"
"That is not possible." Landiv said as he approached the group, waiving off the warriors. "Let them through."
The warriors parted and allowed the five to pass. McKay stood directly in front of Landiv, feeling particularly brave. "We need to speak with Maylan. He has to reverse what he's done to Major Shepherd."
Landiv shook his head. "He will not."
Dr. Weir tilted her head. "Why? Once he realizes that Major Shepherd and the rest of us are not a threat to Hashlana . . ."
"He is already aware." Landiv replied.
McKay looked at Elizabeth and then back at Landiv. "How?"
"We guessed as much just before you came for him. He was weakening already and they only experienced pain and then absorbed the energy. We deducted that he is not entirely of them.
By them you mean the people of Atlantis?" Dr. Weir asked.
Landiv quickly brought his finger to his mouth. "Shh. We do not speak of them by name any longer."
"Why, because of what happened to Vloyten?" McKay asked.
Landiv's eyes looked as though they were going to pop from his head. "You know of Vloyten?"
"Only through a holographic file, but Maylan did the same thing to him as he did to Major Shepherd, didn't he?"
Landiv regained his composure and nodded. "Yes and it was the beginning of the end of Hashlana and them."
"What happened?" Dr. Weir asked, only to be interrupted by Rodney.
"Dr. Weir, as much as I would love to hear the history of Hashlana, Major Shepherd doesn't have much time left and if we're going to save him . . ."
"You're right. I'm sorry Landiv. I would like to hear this sometime, but right now, I really must speak with Maylan and try to convince him to save Major Shepherd."
Landiv shook his head. "He will not, but if you bring John Shepherd to me . . ."
Elizabeth was already shaking her head. "No, he almost died the last time he sat foot on this planet. We'll take you to him."
Landiv bowed his head in an agreeing gesture. "This is acceptable. We must leave now before Maylan realizes our plan."
The group left for the Jumper and once inside, Dr. Weir faced Cpl. Davidson. "Get us to the gate, then take your people and the Jumper back to Atlantis, we'll gate to Frena alone."
Dr. McKay glared at her. "Do you think that's wise?"
"The temperatures on Frena would most likely freeze up the engines on the Jumper and then we'd be nowhere." She explained.
"Ahh, why didn't I think of that?" McKay questioned.
Lt. Ford took aim at the gate as it began to engage. "Incoming wormhole!" He shouted towards Teyla and she put herself between the gate and a still unconscious Major Shepherd.
He lowered his weapon as Drs. Weir and McKay, along with Landiv emerged.
"What is he doing here?" Teyla asked.
"Hopefully, he's going to able to save John's life." Elizabeth replied. "How is he?"
Teyla shook her head. "Not good. He's been unconscious for over an hour."
Landiv kneeled near John and placed his fingers over the Major's temples. "Do not be alarmed if he screams. Removing the energy mass can be a quite painful process and I will tell you now, I cannot guarantee that his sight will return."
Elizabeth nodded. "We understand. We're grateful that you're willing to try and help him."
Landiv held his fingers in place at John's temples, closed his eyes and tilted his neck back. John's body began to flinch, slightly at first, but soon turned from flinching to full convulsions. He screamed as blue light could be seen leaving his temporal lobes, being absorbed by Landiv's fingers. Within minutes, Landiv was finished. John lay shivering in a cold sweat, his fever gone.
Elizabeth knelt behind him, propping his head up on her lap and gently stroked his cheek. "John. John, can you hear me?"
"Beth?" He whispered. "What's going on?" He asked, in a stronger voice, his eyes still closed.
"Landiv removed the energy mass." She said softly.
John opened his eyes slowly. The look on his face expressed the fact that he still couldn't see, but he spoke anyway. "Well, I'm alive anyway. I guess that's a good thing . . . right?"
Elizabeth nodded and looked to the others, her eyes prodding them to offer some sort of encouragement.
"You bet that's a good thing, Major. Where would we be without you?" Aiden replied.
"Well, that's hard to say, considering that I can't see where I am." John replied sarcastically.
Ignoring John's comments, Dr. Weir turned to Landiv and took his hands. "Thank you Landiv. We are forever grateful."
"Your thanks is not necessary. It is our fault that this occurred. To set it right was the least that I could do."
"Are you sure that it's wise for you to return to Hashlana?" Dr. Weir asked. "After all, you have gone against Maylan's wishes."
Landiv bowed again and began to dial the gate. "Thank you for your concern, but even though we don't always see eye to eye, Maylan will forgive me. You see, we are brothers." With that, stepped through the gate.
After watching Landiv leave, Rodney piped up. "Can we please get off of this ice cube and back to Atlantis? At least there, maybe we can find a way to restore John's sight."
"Or not." John replied.
He could feel their eyes burning through him. "Something just doesn't feel right." He offered as an explanation.
"John, you've been hovering on the verge of death for almost a week now, of course things don't feel right." Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, maybe that's it." He said softly as he felt the stretcher being lifted.
"We're going through the gate now, Major." Teyla stated.
John scoffed. "Well, at least I won't have to deal with the bright blue lights today."
To be continued . . .