TITLE: What is Needed Most part 6

AUTHOR: sablecain

DISCLAIMER: see part 1

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Part 6

Sheppard exited the lead jumper ahead of the others, searching the surrounding area for any visible sign of Kolya's men. Ford had tracked Rodney's signal and followed the SOS to its point of origin. The grouping of small hills looked to be as deserted and unpopulated as the rest of the forest, but the life signs detector had lit up like a Christmas tree as soon as they'd flown over. Sheppard managed to find a clearing just large enough for both puddle jumpers and directed Carson to follow him.

"What do you think?" Ford asked, glancing over the barrel of his P90.

"I think we're looking for a cave entrance." John lowered his weapon and studied the handheld device again. "I've got at least thirty life signs other than ours here." He pointed. "We're right on top of them…literally."

"How are we gonna take on thirty Genii?" Ford looked around at theirsmall group. Other than Teyla, Wilmington and Wells, Carson was exiting the second jumper with only six others.

"Hopefully, we have the element of surprise." John checked his vest, making sure he had extra clips, grenades and flash bangs. "Plus, a hell of a lot of fire power. Load up."

Beckett joined him, looking uncomfortable with his weapon, but determined.He held up his own life signs detector. "Where do we start?" thedoctor asked.

"Wells and Daniels, stay with the jumpers. Be ready for anything and keep radio contact open on channel two." Sheppard pressed his GDO remoteand the jumper closest to him vanished, then continued as Carson did the same. "Maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary. We'll go in pairs and keep this as simple as possible. We're here for McKay. Beckett, you're with Ford."

John and Teyla led the way as the group slipped into the dense forest. The others spread out but, still in sight, followed stealthily behind them. The trees were thick, making the going slow and complicated.

"Is it true, what you said back there?" Teyla's question caught Sheppard off guard.

"What do you mean?" he whispered, casting a glance at the Athosian as he climbed over a thick root.

"You said we were keeping this mission simple." Teyla whispered. "Looking for Dr. McKay." She grasped Sheppard's offered hand and allowed herself to be hauled over the menacing root, not taking offense to his help, though they both knew she could outpace him.

"Yeah, that's the plan." Sheppard's eyes darted around the area, keeping steady watch for any signs of Genii soldiers or a cave entrance. The hillside began to slope slightly and he put out his hand to warn Teyla to slow down.

"What about Kolya?"

Sheppard stopped.

"I thought you wanted to get Kolya," Teyla explained.

"I do." Sheppard almost spit the words, his hatred for the Commander obvious. He looked around them, checking on the teams before starting down the hill again. "That's MY plan."

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Rodney could hear the approaching footsteps as he worked and knew his hour was long gone. He tried to ignore the nerves wreaking havoc in his stomach as he experimented with another arrangement of the programming crystals. He'd gotten half of the upper lights to come on but was actually stalling with the rest trying to figure out what he was going to tell Kolya.

"How's it coming, Dr. McKay?" Kolya's gravely voice shattered the silence in the cavern and made Rodney jump despite the fact he'd been expecting the Commander.

"Fine. It's coming along just fine," he answered testily.

Kolya grinned, amused by Rodney's grumpiness. "What is it then?"

"I don't know yet." McKay focused on his work, trying to ignore Kolya's hovering presence behind him. He plugged another crystal into place and the rest of the top panel lit up.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Kolya lost his casual tone.

"I mean exactly what I said." Rodney pushed himself to his feet, moving stiffly, his back and stomach aching. He was so tired and hungry and thirsty. Damn he wished he'd remembered the canteen. Wearily he gestured to the device. "I don't know. It could be anything really. I only just got the thing fully powered up and you know it can take time to run tests and check its programs for glitches in order to make sure I'm not going to cause some kind of…."

His rant was cut off in a sharp yelp as Kolya grabbed him by the collar and jerked him closer. McKay flailed, trying to scramble away but Kolya's grip only tightened.

"Hey!" Rodney tried again to pull away as the Commander held him uncomfortably close.

Kolya's eyes seemed to bore into him as if searching for the truth. Rodney tried to look away but Kolya jerked him roughly. "What. Does. It. Do?" he growled.

"I don't know," McKay answered too quickly. "Really, I don't…" He didn't see the knife until Kolya pressed the sharp tip of it against the side of his face, tracing it teasingly up to the edge of McKay's eye. Rodney shivered, fear surging through him. His heart began to race uncontrollably. He opened his mouth trying to protest but his voice failed him.

"How effective will you beif I take your eye?" Kolya whispered with terrifying calmness.

Rodney trembled in spite of himself, feeling only the stinging prick as Kolya slowly began to apply pressure. Reason told him it was an empty threat, but his mind betrayed him, flashing back to Atlantis and the feel of cold steel slicing into his arm. Kolya twisted the knife slightly, digging it into the skin at the edge of Rodney's eyebrow and dragging it sadistically toward the scientist's ear. A thin line of blood appeared behind the tip, tracing his temple. Rodney gasped. "Please." His hands fluttered around Kolya's arms suddenly, pulling at them, trying to make him stop. Kolya merely twisted the knife again, digging it deeper. Rodney inhaled frantically as he felt the blood began to drip down the side of his face, tickling his ear. "Okay, okay, okay," his voice rose. "It's a musical instrument of some kind, I swear, that's all."

Surprised, Kolya pulled back, lowering the knife and letting go of McKay. "What?"

"The device." Rodney touched his own face, feeling the shallow cut and the blood, touching the corner of his eye, and reassuring himself that everything was still where it should be. He took a deep breath, trying to gather himself together again and ignore the feeling of self-loathing that crept up, reminding him that once again he'd given into the Commander without so much as a fight. "It's some kind of musical instrument. I believe it was used like what we would call a piano, possibly in the mornings to awaken the community."

Kolya stared at McKay then at the machine, then back to Rodney again. "Do you think I'm stupid?" he demanded angrily, shoving McKay further away from him.

Rodney stumbled, shaking his head, sprinkling droplets of blood. Oh God, how could he explain it? "I'm serious. It's similar to a piano or an organ possibly. You press the top crystals like keys and musical tones should come out of it." He moved his hands, mimicking playing a piano.

"Show me," Kolya ordered.

"It's not fully functioning yet," Rodney protested, taking an instinctive step backwards, trying to put as much space between him and the Commander as possible.

"What's all this then?" Kolya waved at the lit crystals and open access panel. "What have you been doing?"

McKay's own anger flared back. "It's barely been an hour. Contrary to what you seem to believe, that's not enough time," he shouted. "It's a lengthy process to go through the circuits and test their viability. If I skip one or go out of order…."

"But you're certain it's just an instrument," Kolya cut him off.

"Well, yeah. No. I'm not positive, no. I won't know for certain until you let me finish my testing."

Kolya's eyes narrowed. "So it still could be a weapon of some kind?"

Rodney swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing Kolya wouldn't like his answer but doubting he could pull off a believable lie at this point. "That possibility is highly unlikely. No. It is not a weapon."

"Damn it." Kolya stared at the machine as if it had betrayed him. "What does that do?" he asked suddenly, pointing to the inner panel and attached scanner.

"It's my diagnostics and programming interface." Rodney waved at it. "Don't touch it or it'll shut the whole machine down and I'll have to start over." He was frantic as Kolya squatted and looked closer at the blinking screen.

"You brought this from Atlantis." Kolya looked up suspiciously.

McKay nodded, unconsciously twisting his hands in front of him, praying that the Genii had never developed any similar coding system. He couldn't let Kolya figure it out or interfere with the signal…it had to stay working in order for Sheppard to find him. It was his only hope. "Yes. Of course I did. It was in my pack. You took everything else, my vest, the radio. You gave me that earlier, I need it to keep the device functioning until I can get its power source working again."

Kolya reached out and tapped the screen. "Why is it blinking this way?"

"Don't. Don't touch it." Rodney panicked, lunging toward Kolya, instinctively trying to protect the signal and, so focused, he forgot about the surrounding guards.

There was no real warning. No one yelled 'halt' or 'stay back.' There was just a sharp shout and the deafening explosion. Rodney saw Kolya look at him in shock. Abruptly, a fiery pain tore through him, spinning him violently. Confused, he stumbled, trying to maintain his footing, but his body betrayed him. He fell, landing hard in the dirt, his arms failing to catch or support him. He heard Koyla's shout, a rage-filled 'no', but his senses were suddenly overwhelmed by noise and pain and darkness…and the clinging thick scent of the damp earth beneath him.