A/N: This is the story that grew out of "Moments". I always intended to write it eventually, but the response to "Moments" actually convinced me to write it now. I stole the word "Alketch" and the name "Ezrikos" from Barbara Hambly.


Before he'd stepped through the gate at the beginning of this mission, Dr. Weir had come up to him.

"Major?" she had said, "Will you do me a favor?"

When he had just raised his eyebrows in calm curiosity, she had said, "Try not to get into trouble."

"You know, Doctor, I never actually try to get into trouble."

"Well this time actively try not to."

He had flashed her one of his trademark smiles.

"I'll give it a shot. No promises."

And he had stepped through the gate with her laughter behind him into a circle of heavily armed troopers who were all aiming straight at his team.

So much for not getting into trouble.

"Marquez," snaps the trooper who seems to be in charge at one of his men, "get the captain, double time."

There's a voice behind Sheppard. "Oh, god. Not again."

McKay, of course.

"Rodney," Sheppard grits between his teeth, "shut up. Ford, Scherer, everybody, weapons down, hands up."

They aren't substantially outnumbered, but every single one of the troopers surrounding them is pointing something that is obviously a weapon at them. Actually, they look kind of like M-16's.

The soldiers appear to be of their same technological level, Sheppard scrutinizes their weapons and uniforms, if not slightly more advanced.

Their uniforms are black, and consist of black combat pants, much like Sheppard's own, and what looks like a tight, black leather flight jacket, with combat boots.

Definitely soldiers.

The leading trooper, noticing his scrutiny, snaps, "Do not attempt to reach a weapon. I will execute with extreme prejudice my orders to insure the safety of…"

Another voice cuts him off.

A low, husky, female voice.

"Really, Sergeant," says the voice, who's owner is presumably concealed behind the other troopers, "you must try to contain these violent impulses of yours. Have they offered any resistance?"

By this point, the speaker has come into view.

It's a young, dark haired woman, perhaps in her late twenties, wearing the same uniform as all the troopers, aside from insignia, of course.

The first trooper is still glaring malevolently at Sheppard and fingering his weapon.

"Sergeant?" says the woman, half-turning from her slightly advanced position to look at the trooper, "Have they offered any resistance?"

She repeats the question at though the sergeant was too slow to understand it the first time.

Reluctantly, the sergeant says, "No, Captain. They have not."

She turns to look at Sheppard, but speaks to the sergeant behind her.

"Then stand down."

"But, Captain…"

She doesn't look back at him, she just tilts her head slightly to the left, and the sergeant cuts off mid-sentence.

"Yes, sir. Squad One, stand down."

He complies, but he does not look happy about it.

'No sudden moves,' Sheppard thinks to himself.

"Now then," the captain says to him, "you will please identify yourselves."

Despite the implied request, her tone makes it perfectly clear that this is an order.

Sheppard laces his fingers together on top of his head and says, "Major John Sheppard, United States Air Force, Military commander of Atlantis," and then adds, "This is a peaceful, scientific mission."

"A rather heavily armed peaceful scientific mission," sneers the disgruntled sergeant. "In fact, you look more like a …"

"Sergeant Toombs."

The captain enunciates every syllable of the two words very clearly.

The sergeant swallows hard. "Yes, sir?"

Her tone is velvet covered steel.

"May I remind you we are also on a heavily armed, peaceful scientific mission."

It obviously isn't a question, but the sergeant says, "Yes, sir," anyway.

The captain turns her attention back to the Atlantis away-team.

"Atlantis is not a world known to me," she says. "Have we allies or enemies in common?"

Sheppard considers that. "Well, we don't really have a whole lot of allies at the moment. I guess you could count the Athosians."

The captain shakes her head. "They are also unknown to me. Enemies?"

Sheppard sighs. "Well, the Genii, I suppose. The Wraith, of course."

The captain smiles for the first time. "The Wraith are everyone's enemies. Very well, Major. You say you are on a scientific mission?"

At his nod, she continues.

"I have no objections to your presence on this planet. I would ask that you respect our camp boundaries and am willing to offer you the same courtesy."

Sheppard drops his hands and says, "That's fine, Captain. May my men rearm?"

She nods, and is turning to signal her men away, when Sheppard calls out to her.

"Captain?"

She turns back, raising her eyebrows over what appear to be her world's version of aviator sunglasses.

"Never got your name."

After several seconds she says, "I am Captain Ezrikos, Commander Strike Force One, Royal Alketch Space Force."

Sheppard nods. "You got a first name, Captain?"

She stares at him in something like incredulity for a long moment, the soldiers on both sides tense and confused.

"Yes," she says finally, but it's clear she's not going to tell him what it is.

"Alright then," he says after a moment, and he turns to signal the away team in the direction McKay indicates might be of interest.

Captain Ezrikos, Royal Alketch Space Force, watches him move off.

Sergeant Desperaux comes up to her. "So," she says, chewing gum noisily, "who was that?"

They're both staring after the Atlantis party as he gives instructions to his men.

"Major John Sheppard."

"Hmm. Well, he's handsome."

Desperaux is one of her few close friends. "Very," she says in agreement. "I get the feeling he knows it, too."

"Yeah, well. When you look like that, modesty becomes something akin to stupidity."

Ezrikos turns to her friend, and snorts indignantly. "Come on. He's not that…" She breaks off, and turns back to stare after the Major's group.

"You may have a point there."

Desperaux grins and the Captain shakes her head. "Keep an eye on him, will you?"

The Sergeant's grin turns wicked. "Gladly, sir."

And Ezrikos walks away, shaking her head, with the sense that the aggravatingly handsome Major Sheppard is going to complicate her life something awful.