10: Dawning Alliance
by Chaoseternus

When Enerina is sent to investigate why every gate in an area of space will not establish a wormhole, she finds something totally unexpected...

Fifteen

“"Damn, they really got hit didn't they?”"

“"Yes well, at least we weren't aboard at the time”"

“"Ahh Rodney"” Sheppard spat back, sarcastic as ever, "“you're all heart”"

“"That's enough”" Weir glanced back, her tone disapproving as she manipulated the controls on the Minbari grav sled they were using to ferry Medical Supplies and food to the survivors as they arrived at Minbar.

“"Well, he started it”"

Weir stopped, shooting a shocked look at Rodney, "“he started it?”"

“"Yeah, way to go with the mature Doctor”"

“"Yeah like you can say anything about that Sheppard”"

“"Yeah, and how often have I said anything as infantile as ‘'he started it'”"

“"What, would you like me to start counting?”2

Weir stopped again, a note of pure exasperation in her voice as she interrupted them, "“Children please, we've got a job to do”"

"“Yes Ma'am”"

"“Listen, I don't see why I am needed here, I am a scientist, not a relief worker, I have studies which are being disrupted by this”"

Weir shot Rodney a thousand watt glare as Sheppard replied, "“you know Rodney, sometimes you can be a real arsehole”"

“"Excuse me…”"

"“Delenn, long time no see”"

“"Apologies for that, but the Grey have many demands upon their time”"

“"We are aware of that, and I am sure Sheppard wasn't trying to condemn you for that”"

Sheppard nodded at Weir's words agreeing, "“'long time no see' is just used as a human greeting to a friend you haven't seen in a while”"

“"A friend?”" Delenn looked slightly pleased, but shrugged it off, "“it's not important, the Alliance Council has called an emergency meeting, you are required to be there”"

Weir was already looking around for someone to foist her load of to, "“lieutenant take this to the Docs in C-15 okay?”"

“"And find somebody to take these two as well"” Rodney commented, abandoning his load.

Sheppard turned to Delenn, “"we'll just be a moment, but you were wrong about one thing”"

“"Really?”"

Sheppard grinned slightly, ignoring Weirs glare, "“friends are never ‘not important'”"

Weirs glare turned to a grudging smile.

“"Sheppard, stop flirting with Delenn, our loads have gone, we have a meeting to get too”"

“"Rodney!"” the shout came from both Weir and Sheppard, but it was Sheppard who disgustedly continued, "“are you always this self centred and objectionable?”"

“"Well, yes of course”"

“"Rodney"” Weirs tone conveyed a dark warning.

“"Yes?”"

“"Zip it”"

“"Why, I..."

“"Not another word”"

Delenn just listened, slightly bemused as the Tau'ri tried the entire way to the meeting to get Rodney to shut up.

-

“"Well, I am sure the General Hammond would have passed on word to Earth, but I really don't see how we could afford such a construction not at this point in time”"

“"Ah, but you see here's the thing, we have been discussing it and we have decided that you don't build it, you tell us what to build, how to build it and we build it for you, its simple”"

“"Okay”" Sheppard turned his full attention to the Narn Ambassador, “"what's the catch?”"

"“He's already told us"” Weir's tone was wary, “"tell us how to build it?”"

“"They want technology”" Rodney finished off.

"“For you, it is perfect. You get a station, a foothold in our space from which to gather resources, research technologies and whatever you need to do a safe distance from the main lines of the war and we will put our full effort into making it the best station we can construct”"

“"But to do that, you would need access to our technology”"

"“Exactly”" G'kar replied, his tone jovial, and laced with a certain amount of pride at being invited to speak for the whole Alliance .

Weir rubbed her forehead, she could definitely feel a headache coming on, "“I may have some power to speak for the Tau'ri, but not to this level. This goes upstairs, it has too”"

Delenn nodded, speaking for the first time since the meeting began, "“understandable, but know this. We may be able to outmanoeuvre the Drakh but we cannot outgun them, we need a bigger edge or our people will die and not just in the thousands as they are now, but in the millions. Your technology could be that edge, and you have to consider that much of that technology was taken by you, it was not given”"

“"Maybe not, but the three most potent devices we have were given to us and we are bound by treaty in how we distribute those technologies"” Weirs tone was warning.

G'kar sighed, “"Let me guess, your shields and your gauss rifles for two”"

“"Asgard technology, with some human innovation, several of the newer Asgard vessels are actually using our hybrid designs for shields, the third is the new Impulse drive technology that as yet, you have not seen”2

Delenn looked up, "interested, “pulse lasers?”"

Weir smiled, “"Earth Human technology, one of the very few advanced technologies we came up with ourselves”"

“"That's your best shot2” Rodney said, earning a '‘what?' from Sheppard.

"“Its simple, we both have laser technologies, technologies we could hybridise if we had a central place every race could freely get at to actually develop these things. Same for several other technologies, we both have they are just different so a lot of the earth Politicians will have their fears about sharing technologies appeased”"

“"Play down the diplomatic aspect of the station slightly depending on the audience, build up the military research aspect..."” Weir mused.

“"The whole Delta site aspect will appeal to a few"” Sheppard commented.

"“Excuse me? Delta site?"” Rodney asked.

“"Well, we already have an Alpha and a Beta site”..."

Weir smiled, "“another fallback position, this one with allies known to be in the area”"

“"Think we can spin it?”"

Weir beamed at Sheppard, "“hell yeah”"