It had only been ten minutes since Major Sheppard's team had left for Marina, so Elizabeth wasn't sure what to expect when the gate started to come to life and Grodin announced an off-world activation. It was likely to either be very good news or very bad.
"I'm reading Sgt. Bates' IDC," Grodin told her moments later.
Elizabeth gave herself a mental shake when she heard this. Of course it was Bates and his team. "Let them through," she said, and then made her way down the steps towards the Stargate.
As soon as Bates cleared the event horizon, he glanced up to see her coming towards him. "I'm afraid we came up empty again, ma'am," he said.
"Not your fault, Sergeant," Elizabeth said, though her disappointment almost drained her of all energy for a moment. "Major Sheppard and his team returned a few minutes ago with the same result. They've just headed off to scout another planet. Will you be doing the same?"
Bates looked over at his teammates before turning back to her and shaking his head. "I think we're all in need of a little rest, if that's alright with you, ma'am," he said. Elizabeth was pleased to note that he sounded rather regretful of the fact.
"Yes, of course," she said. "Take as long as you need."
Even though she'd given them her blessing, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a little put out over the fact that they were giving up when they were so close to finding Rodney.
Not that they were giving up permanently, of course. Any moments lost now seemed like an eternity, though. Kolya was still out there, and if he was with Rodney now after Major Sheppard had done what he'd done... Elizabeth shuddered to think about what he might do.
She wished there were other teams available to scout the planets, but there were so many other things going on that two were all she could spare. Even though they were her two best teams, it was taking longer than she'd hoped to find the right planet.
Elizabeth had only just made it back to her office from the gateroom when she heard the Stargate beginning to activate again. She took off for the control room right away, and got there just in time to hear Grodin announce that he was receiving Major Sheppard's IDC.
This was it. Somehow, part of her already knew what news Major Sheppard would be giving her as soon as he stepped through that gate.
"Dr. Weir! We've found him! Jassin Tiya was from Marina. They have Rodney - the whole planet knows it. We're gonna need that jumper."
"Take Sgt. Bates' team and Dr. Beckett," Elizabeth said without a moment's hesitation. "Go."
It was time to bring Rodney home.
'At least this time we have a general idea of where this prison is,' John thought to himself as he piloted the jumper past island after island. It would have taken forever if he'd had to check each one of them out as they went along.
He just thanked his lucky stars that the people on this planet actually seemed helpful for a change. So helpful, in fact, that he couldn't even hold Rodney's incarceration against them. He didn't get the feeling from talking to the "boatmaster" that these people had even the slightest clue that Rodney was innocent. All the boatmaster knew was that someone had killed one of his own and had been brought here to live out the rest of his life in their prison.
What the boatmaster also knew, and something that disturbed John greatly, was that Kolya had, indeed, been coming by every few days since Rodney had arrived, and that he was there on the planet that very moment.
Never had John pushed the jumper to go faster than he was right then.
"There it is," Ford said after what seemed like hours.
John nodded. "Alright, sit tight, everybody," he said. "We're coming in for a landing."
He didn't bother to disengage the cloak, but he didn't have any intention of sneaking or fighting his way in this time. If the people of this world really did just want justice served, then maybe they would listen to reason and let Rodney go once they heard the truth.
If not, the jumper would be standing by, ready for battle.
Once they'd landed a short distance away from the prison, John got up out of his seat and said, "Alright, Ford and Teyla, you're with me. Bates, hold down the fort. I'll give you three clicks on the radio if we run into any trouble."
The three of them were about to head out when a certain Scot came up behind him. "Major?"
"Doctor?" John said, trying not to show his impatience.
"I'd like to come with you, if I may," Dr. Beckett said almost too politely. "You said yourself, if Rodney's been beaten..."
John didn't need to hear him finish his sentence. "You're right," he said. "You're coming along. Just keep your mouth shut, okay?"
Beckett nodded, not saying another word. He was obviously taking the command very seriously.
Now that the four of them were ready to go, John led them out of the jumper and towards the prison. The large stone building was situated out in the middle of nowhere, basically, and was one of very few buildings that had been constructed on this little island. Therefore, there weren't exactly crowds of people that they had to get past in order to reach the prison doors. They didn't seem to be expecting visitors.
Before long, they were entering the prison, acting as casual as they could to avoid suspicion. They had all left their P-90's back on the jumper, but weren't stupid enough to come unarmed - even Dr. Beckett had been given a berretta just in case. Still, John really hoped it wouldn't come down to that.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
John forced a smile for the guard standing just inside the doors, attempting to look as unthreatening as possible. "Hey there," he said. "We've just come by to visit a friend of ours. Dr. Rodney McKay. Maybe you've heard of him?"
The man scowled. "Inmates are not allowed visitors," he said. "You must leave."
John sighed and glanced over at Ford. The younger man looked ready to spring into action if required, which made John feel a little better. He turned back to the guard and said, "Oh, I don't think so. You see... our friend shouldn't be here in the first place, and we've come to take him home."
The guy didn't say another word, just reached behind him and pressed a button on the wall.
Suddenly, lights started flashing and an alarm began to sound.
'Well, so much for listening to reason,' John thought as he drew his weapon. He could hear Ford, Beckett, and Teyla doing the same as more guards appeared all around them.
"You know, you really didn't have to do that," John said with a sigh as he found himself in a standoff. "We were all set to arrange our friend's release peacefully and maybe even make friends with your people, but now you've kinda gone and ruined it."
"We cannot allow any of our prisoners to escape," a second guard spoke up. "To aid someone in such an endeavour is breaking the law, and therefore requires strict punishment."
"I didn't come here to help Rodney escape. I came here to ask you to set him free."
This seemed to puzzle the guards. It was obviously one they hadn't heard before.
"Please," Teyla said, putting on her most diplomatic expression, "our friend is innocent. We have proof of this if you will only hear us out."
"What proof?" the first guard demanded.
Teyla slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out one of the devices she'd taken from Kolya a few days earlier. "This device holds a record of every message that has passed between Commander Kolya of the Genii and Councillor Mackush of Decaria over the last few days," she said. "One of these messages makes mention of 'the Atlantean who bears the blame for the murder of Jassin Tiya.' Councillor Mackush is the one who murdered Jassin Tiya, not Rodney McKay. If you would only take a look at these messages, you will see."
John could have kissed her. How could anyone mistrust that voice or feel ill at ease looking at that face?
Not the Marinan guards, thank God. They warily took the device from Teyla's hands and started examining it for themselves.
John tapped his foot restlessly as the men seemed to deliberate over the device forever. He really needed to get to Rodney before Kolya did, and every second that passed made that seem less of a possibility. "Look," he finally said after a couple of minutes had passed, "while you're looking at that thing, could you at least let one of us go and see our friend, just to check if he's alright?"
"I am afraid that is not possible," the first guard said. "Commander Kolya has demanded to see him."
John tried not to rip the guard's heart right out of his chest, he really did. The guy wasn't making it very easy, though. "I don't care what Kolya demanded!" he cried. "Didn't we just tell you that he's in on this whole thing? He should be the one that's locked up somewhere, not Rodney!"
"We must show this information to our supervisor..."
"No, what you must do is take us to our friend right now," John demanded. "I'm not messing around here, guys. There's a cloaked ship right outside just waiting for my order to open fire, and let me tell you... if they do start shooting, every prisoner in here will be free. Do you really want that?"
The guards all exchanged nervous looks, seemingly undecided about what to do.
John rolled his eyes and keyed his radio. "Bates, in fifteen seconds, I want you to blast a hole through the west wall of this building," he said.
"Yes, Sir," came the reply.
The guards were now looking downright terrified. "You must not!" the first ones cried. "The men here are dangerous! You do not know..."
"Twelve seconds," John said.
"No! Please! You cannot!"
"Watch me. Nine seconds."
"We will take you to him!" the second guard said.
John exchanged looks with his teammates and then turned back to the guy as casually as he could. "And I also want you to arrest Kolya," he said.
"Yes! Yes, we will arrest him," the man agreed. He snapped his fingers and motioned for two of his fellow guards to go and do just that.
Once the two men had run off into the depths of the prison, John keyed his remote again. "Belay that order, Sergeant," he said. "But standby, just in case." He raised his eyebrow significantly at the guard, and then made a sweeping motion with his hand. "After you."