A/N: Thank a lot to everyone for being so patient, there are more angst and pain and some torture coming in the next chapters. I may start to slow down the updating because I've hitted the really hard wall of writer's block. I sort of know how the story is going to continue, but I'm not even sure of the end. Sorry about that. Let's hope it'll go away soon. To my reviewers thanks a lot for your support.
Thanks a lot to my beta reader, for helping me.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything only the character I invented for this story.
Chapter VI: Revelations
Sheppard's mind was slipping further away into unconsciousness only vaguely registering Amara's screaming voice in the distance, "NO! Leave him be!" But he knew no more as darkness overcame him.
Maur and his guards turned as soon as they heard Amara screaming. They were surprised to hear sound coming from her mouth, as she wasn't supposed to speak at all. And yet there she was, screaming, pleading to leave the Ancient intruder alone. Amara didn't realize her mistake until it was too late. She sighed, as she knew that as a result of her carelessness she would have a lot of explaining to do to Elek. She knew she had to find a good and solid reason for being so near to the Stargate at the same time the intruders were leaving and maybe more importantly, why she was able to speak.
Doctor Elizabeth Weir was standing on the balcony near the control center where she had a clear view on the gate area. As soon as the team came through she ordered Dr. Beckett to report to the gate area as McKay was visibly injured. She needed to know what had happened, seeing Major Sheppard clearly hadn't made it back to Atlantis. She quickly made her way down the stairs, meeting the incoming team, "What happened? Where's Major Sheppard?" Lt. Ford turned from the gate to Weir, "What? He was right behind us. He should have made it through with Teyla."
Beckett soon arrived to take care of Rodney, who welcomed his help with lots of grumbling. After a few minutes he insisted on dragging McKay to the infirmary. Meanwhile Teyla approached Weir, "We must go back."
"No, I could be sending you into a trap." Ford looked at Weir, "Is the MALP still there?" Weir frowned, quickly realizing what the young lieutenant had in mind, "Come on." The trio quickly made their way up to the control area, dialing the planet a second time.
The gate opened with the usual swoosh, while everyone waited nervously for the video feedback to come on screen. As soon as the MALP started transmitting images they looked at the monitor in disbelief.
Maur was standing near Sheppard who was lying seemingly unconscious on the ground. It looked as if the guard had been dragging him away from the gate the moment it had been locking chevrons into place, preventing the Major from being killed by the swoosh. Amara was standing close by, staring at the Stargate seemingly in horror. As their attention was drawn to the open gate, thinking someone was going to step through it any moment now, they didn't notice the MALP starting to function. But Amara did, and she stared at it. As seemingly nobody was coming, two guards picked up John while Maur grabbed Amara rather savagely by the arm taking off with the gate shutting down behind them.
Amara's mind was racing, going through different options. She had to come up with something to help John. Damn it! What happened? This wasn't supposed to happen. She realized she hadn't considered the possibility that while she had been trying to convince Elek to release the prisoners, he had discovered she had been in contact with someone else. Amara knew Sheppard was going to pay for something she had done.
The moment she saw the entrance to the main building, she could see Elek waiting there, staring her in anger. Without giving it a second thought he turned to Maur, "Take her to her room and make sure she stays there!" The man nodded and while he escorted Amara to her room he instructed the two other guards to take Sheppard to one of the holding cells.
Weir waited for Rodney to get out of the infirmary before starting a thorough briefing about what had happened to the team on their recent outing. As soon as they were all seated around the table, Teyla and Ford started telling Weir what had happened back at Toulnya. McKay remained silent as he listened to the part he missed while he was being tortured. When he felt that everything was covered, Rodney spoke up, "What's important is that they didn't like the Ancients. Major Sheppard, having a strong Ancient gene, probably made them believe we are their descendents. But the most important thing is, they have a living, breathing Ancient."
"Not a real Ancient but an Ancient invention." Teyla interrupted McKay, "An Ancient creation with Wraith qualities, made for the sole purpose to fool the Wraith and shield the inhabitants from any Wraith ship that would fly past their planet."
Weir's look had turned grim. There had already been too many close calls for Major Sheppard. Moments like these she hated being the one to decide whether to risk a team to rescue him or not doing anything at all. She glanced around at each one them and knew whatever she said they were more than determined to return to the planet whatever the cost. "Didn't Sheppard think that something like this could happen, that she couldn't be trusted?"
"We don't know." Ford replied, and then added, "She met with him only once and there was certainly no reason for her to be near the Stargate."
"She was near the Stargate?" McKay looked up surprised, seeing them nod in reply. Weir called Peter over the radio, requesting the MALP recordings. Minutes later Peter walked into the briefing room, handing the recordings, now on a small disk, to McKay. Rodney immediately put it into his laptop and stared quietly at the images. When finished he looked at his friends, "Okay, that… sort of makes sense."
Weir frowned and looked a little confused at McKay, "What do you mean?"
"Well, think about it, she told Sheppard that she wasn't allowed to interact with others. So, why would she be near the Stargate other then to leave with us? That's the reason why that guard dragged her away from there. She wasn't allowed to leave that planet. She's stuck there."
And even though Rodney knew he was right he knew there was something else, something he couldn't place just yet.
