Retribution
Chapter 11: Just Desserts
The bullet struck the center of his P90, jamming the firing mechanism as it missed his hand by mere inches. The sudden impact to his rifle caused his own shot to ricochet harmlessly off the wall past Koyla's shoulder. Sheppard ducked back around the corner, taking cover as Koyla continued firing. Tossing his damaged weapon to the floor, he assessed the options currently at his disposal to quickly formulate a new plan of action. Hearing a muffled oath as the gunshots ceased, Sheppard peered cautiously around the corner. The Genii commander was cursing softly to himself as his firearm ran out of ammo.
Stepping into the hallway, Sheppard flippantly called out to his adversary. "Out of bullets, Koyla? Now that's a damn shame."
Koyla's head snapped up as he saw the major standing defiantly in the open only a few feet away.
"Not a problem, Major. I am well-versed in hand-to-hand combat and am only too eager to take you on." Koyla hissed as he approached closer.
Sheppard unsheathed his military-issue knife as he stared his enemy and tormentor down. Dropping his now useless gun, Koyla reached on his belt for his own knife in preparation for the upcoming confrontation between the two determined warriors. Both understood there could be only one way to finally end this. One of them had to die.
Koyla eyed Sheppard warily as he assessed his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, amazed at the resilience of the man. "It's a shame, Major, that we are not on the same side. Under different circumstances, I would have considered you a great asset to the Genii cause."
"You were given a chance to be our ally, Koyla. But you were too shortsighted to take us up on our offer. Consider it a loss you won't live long enough to regret." Sheppard vowed as he circled the Genii commander, readying himself for the impending attack.
The older, craggy-faced warrior gripped the handle of his dagger tighter as he lunged forward, thrusting his weapon towards the major's abdomen. Sheppard barely managed to parry the swipe of Koyla's blade with his own weapon before he struck the commander's shoulder with his other arm, stopping his forward momentum and momentarily throwing the heavier man off balance. Koyla recovered quickly and swung his leg out, catching the major in the back of the knees and knocking him to the ground. Grunting in pain as his already injured ribs impacted with the hard floor, Sheppard instinctively rolled as Koyla continued his attack, slashing downward with violent force. His reaction time slowed by his previous injuries, the major was unable to completely get out of the way before the commander's knife completed its downward arc. The blade sliced into the major's side as the glancing blow hit home.
Trying to ignore the searing pain above his hip, Sheppard kicked upward, his foot connecting solidly with Koyla's stomach as the Genii soldier reared back to deliver the final thrust. Koyla doubled over from the impact, giving Sheppard the chance to scramble clear and grab the commander from behind. As Sheppard gripped Koyla around the neck and prepared to cut his throat, the Genii slammed his elbow back into the major's ribcage, forcing his opponent to release his hold. Panting with the effort it took to stay upright, the major swayed unsteadily as he backed up a few paces in preparation for Koyla's next move.
Sensing his rival was quickly faltering, the Genii commander could not resist taunting Sheppard as he circled ever closer. "Why do you continue to fight, Major? You are beaten and wounded and cannot win. You are only delaying the inevitable. I will kill you and take back what is mine from Atlantis."
"You know what they say about overconfidence, Koyla. It has a funny way of coming back and biting you in the ass. We have a saying where I come from...it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. I have no intention of dying today." Sheppard retorted as his eyes narrowed in concentration and his stance grew more determined.
"We'll see, Major. We'll see..." Koyla replied as he raised his blade upward and sprang forward once again.
"Yes, we will." Sheppard said as he blocked Koyla's arm from completing its downward thrust with one hand while he simultaneously jabbed his knife upward in one swift motion. His hand felt the sudden impact as the steel blade impaled the commander's stomach. Using the last of his strength, the major twisted his wrist forcefully, causing his weapon to cut deeper as it angled under the ribs into vital organs, severing major blood vessels. While his life spilled out onto the ground, the commander's body jerked spasmodically as death drew near. Koyla's face registered shock for several long seconds, then his eyes finally stared into eternal nothingness.
Staggering back as Koyla's limp form fell away and dropped heavily to the ground, Sheppard barely remained on his feet as the aftereffects of the battle took their toll. Gritting his teeth against the throbbing pain, the major grasped his stabbed side in a futile effort to stem the flow of blood. He weakly stumbled a few steps before he collapsed against the nearby wall, sliding to the ground as the remaining energy drained out of his spent and bruised body.
Only moments later, the team, accompanied by Sergeant Bates and several soldiers, rushed into the hallway to find Sheppard sitting slumped with his back against a wall, holding a bloodied hand pressed against his side. Beside the battered and bleeding major, lay the body of Koyla. The major's knife remained deeply embedded just under Koyla's ribcage and the commander's still open, lifeless eyes stared vacantly into space.
The three knelt down next to their team leader, afraid to find they returned too late to come to his aid. As Teyla reached out to touch the major's shoulder, his head slowly came up to rest back against the wall. His weary eyes looked up at his anxious teammates, and his voice was tinged with pain and exhaustion as he spoke.
"Hey guys, 'bout damn time you showed up. What'da say we get the hell outta this town?"
"That's an excellent suggestion, Major." McKay replied as he swapped relieved looks with Ford and Teyla. Sheppard's teammates helped their injured colleague to his feet and together supported him as they turned to make their way back to the stargate and home.
(TBC)