A/N: Sorry this is late everyone! I didn't get a chance to completely finish it after I got home late last night. And right now it's also very late. It took my forever to get this all figured out; how this chapter would go, I mean. I'm sure there are a couple awful typos hidden in here somewhere, but since it's 3 am here and I have a class tomorrow morning, I will proof-read tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure this was posted! And, again, thanks for all the reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :D

A/N 2: Okay, all corrected and fixed :)

Stargate Atlantis:
Nemesis

Chapter 4
Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

The clouds slowly parted as the Puddle Jumper zipped through the atmosphere of the planet, on a course for the moon above. Sheppard sat in the pilot's seat, wearily flying the ship at a slower speed then what it was really capable of. He would've already pulled some kind of sabotage, but Koyla was sitting in the other seat, his cold gaze watching Sheppard's every move. John knew if he tried anything he would be condemning Private Davey to death.

Koyla hadn't told the Major anything about why they were going to this moon but John had a few guesses of his own, the entire situation mostly gave Koyla away. The Genii commander had come without any other men besides Norton, indicating that he had probably lost some of his popularity at home and now he was obviously seeking to redeem himself. So what better way to do so then to bring back an Atlantian ship and one John Sheppard? Whatever was on the moon, however, was what Sheppard couldn't figure out.

All that aside, though, he needed a plan of action, something to stop Koyla from getting to that moon and obtaining whatever he was after. Sheppard knew he couldn't wait until they landed, it would probably be too late by then as he feared what would happen to Davey. And not only that but he knew if a chance came now it'd be better to take it then to wait; he may have won out against Koyla before but he knew never to underestimate his adversary and whatever he was capable of. He glanced back at the Private, seeing he was seated with Norton keeping an eye on him, his hands bound. Sheppard's gaze once again moved to his nemesis.

'You know, it's harder for me to drive with you staring at me like that,' John said with slight annoyance, his first attempt to make Koyla look away, even if only for a moment.

'I know this ship can go faster, Major Sheppard,' Koyla said, ignoring John's remark.

'Oh, you do? Sorry, Koyla, but this is as fast as it goes. You gotta learn to be patient,' Sheppard answered, looking straight ahead again. The moon was getting closer; its pale blue and green surface almost filled the whole window now. The moon looked almost like Earth except that John found something very unsettling about it.

'I don't think so. If you value the life of your friend, then you'll do as I ask,' Koyla still didn't remove his gaze from Sheppard.

'Don't listen to em', sir!' Davey cried. 'Just—' He didn't get to finish, however, as Norton struck him with the butt of his pistol. Koyla's eyes held a hint of question as he stared Sheppard down, as though within those dark eyes laid the very fate of Davey. Sheppard returned his adversary's gaze with a cold stare. And that was when the idea hit him as his gaze moved over the controls and he saw the wheel to adjust the inertial dampeners. He gave Koyla a nod and slowly brought his hand up to turn it.

'I don't get it, Koyla, what's on this moon that's so special?' Sheppard asked, creating distraction as he turned the inertial dampeners down completely. His plan was that when he sped the ship up it would jump to such a speed that the motion would take Koyla, Norton and possibly Private Davey by surprise. To Sheppard it would be just like flying a fighter plane.

'That's not your concern,' Koyla answered Sheppard's question without much thought. And then Sheppard increased the speed of the ship.

The Jumper bolted forward, forcing Sheppard and Koyla back into their seats; behind them Norton fell back, dropping the P90 he held and in an instant Davey was on him, kicking him and doing what little he could without his arms free. Koyla stood up, getting his footing as he drew his weapon.

Sheppard immediately turned the Jumper to a hard right and Koyla stumbled before John leaped into him, shoving him back into the wall; he grabbed Koyla's right hand and smashed it into the wall, causing the commander to drop his weapon before he smashed his fist into Sheppard's left cheek, knocking the major backwards.

As he fell, John made a grab for the fallen pistol just as Koyla did the same; Sheppard almost had his fingers around the handle when Koyla pushed him away and hit him again, reaching for the pistol. Sheppard quickly grabbed Koyla's wrist with one hand as he drew out his knife with the other hand. Koyla kneed him in the chest and grabbed him by the neck, shoving him backwards.

Sheppard leapt to his feet, moving towards the gun again just as Koyla pulled at his jacket from behind, wrapping his arm tightly around the Major's throat. Sheppard choked, moving one hand up to pull at the arm locked around his neck. He brought up and sank the blade into Koyla's arm, feeling the commander wince. Sheppard then elbowed him hard in the chest and as Koyla released him, the knife fell, clinging against the Jumper's floor.

Just then, the ship, without a pilot, lurched forward slightly, causing everyone to once again stumble. John was able to keep his feet the most, however. He made a final dive for the pistol as it slipped forward and under the cockpit controls. He whirled round just in time as Koyla came at him, holding his knife with his un-injured arm. Sheppard brought his hands up, grabbing Koyla's wrist to stop the knife. The two glared at each other as they both held their footing.

Sheppard was using all his strength to delay the blade that was getting ever closer to him; he knew Koyla probably wouldn't kill him but hurt him badly instead and John wasn't too pleased with either option.

Meanwhile, at the back of the ship, Norton had gotten to his feet and was punching and kicking Davey into submission, pushing the Private back until he was able to knock him unconscious with one of the heavier plastic boxes on the shelves. He then picked up the fallen P90 and held it tightly to his shoulder, watching Sheppard and Koyla, waiting for an opportunity to get a shot.

Koyla delivered a punch to Sheppard's chest with his free hand, knocking the Major back into one of the seats. As he fell, Sheppard felt a fire in his left leg, an awful pain. He clenched his teeth and looked down, seeing Koyla had stabbed him with his own knife. He winced harshly as the Genii commander withdrew the blade and punched him hard so he fell to the floor. Sheppard lay there face down and didn't move, his eyes half open. Koyla moved away from him and to Norton.

'Secure the ship, I think now we shall see if Weir was lying about this Ancient gene,' Koyla said, looking to Norton as the other lowered the P90. Norton gave a nod.

Out of the corner of his eye, John watched the two men at the back of the Jumper as he moved his hand slowly under the chair once Koyla turned to look down at the unconscious Davey. He gripped the pistol tightly, feeling it was ready to fire already.

He knew he would only have one chance and he waited until Norton began to pick up the fallen plastic box that he'd used to take out Private Davey. He lifted the pistol and quickly aimed it at Koyla.

What resulted was not what John had expected nor wanted; Norton caught his movement out of the corner of his eye at about the same time Koyla did. The young Genii soldier leapt in front of his commander and just as he was struck with three bullets straight to the chest, he mashed the P90 trigger, letting off bullets as he stumbled back, his finger still squeezing the trigger.

The instant that Sheppard saw him with the P90 he let go of the pistol and, using both his arms and his uninjured leg, he pushed himself off to one side of the cockpit to avoid the hail of bullets. The ship's controls, however, weren't so lucky.

A slew of white and yellow sparks flew from the console and within 10 seconds a small fire had started. The ship dropped sharply and very suddenly. Sheppard was on his feet soon after that; he ran to the white container and pulled it from the shelf, opening it. His mind was racing and, at that moment, he didn't care much about Koyla, only about the fire and the fact that he needed to save Davey.

From the white container he pulled a fire extinguisher; he stepped back, glancing at Koyla and seeing his enemy had lowered the limp body of Norton to the floor and taken the weapon from him.

Sheppard turned on the extinguisher and watched as the white, smoky substance filled the cockpit and the fire slowly disappeared to reveal a destroyed control panel, or what was left of it anyway. The piloting controls were gone as well. As he looked forward, he could feel the ship dropping, feel it coming in steeply. He knew they would crash. In fact, it was the last thing he would think before he felt the butt of a P90 strike him in the head. As the darkness took him, he saw the Jumper's window filled with the whiteness of clouds as the ship quickly zipped into the atmosphere on a crash course.