Kisses
The sight of Mede running towards the abbey made Lorne say screw undercover. Williams informing him that the First Mender was missing from her group made him say double time.
"Halling, you keep an eye on them," Lorne said pointing to Teyla and Ronon. "You have your gun right?"
Halling nodded.
Lorne and the rest of his team took off following the trail of priests and workers running down the corridor. He spotted the third man from the balcony. He turned to his team and pointed to the High Abbot. He pointed to his eyes and back at the abbot. Everyone nodded and followed the man.
Then the sound of gunfire reached his ears. "Damnit!" Nothing good was happening now.
They went down hallway after staircase until a loud crash and thud was heard from somewhere up ahead. Clerics and brothers and abbots blocked his view but a gasp meant, yes indeedy, something bad was happening. He pushed his way through the crowd to the ghastly sight.
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Nothing happened. No click. No bang. No moment of pain. No oblivion.
Mede cracked an eye open. He then opened his other eye to the unexpected and amazing sight before him.
Col. Sheppard held Arna Gezble by the throat with one hand and by the wrist of her gun arm with the other.
Somehow, he was at full power.
Then he hurled himself and her at the closed hallway door in the anti-chamber. He let go and she continued smashing through the door and into the opposite wall. He remained at the doorway then stepped through into the hall staying in sight of the cube. He squatted down next to her and Mede heard him whispering to her.
"Now who has no light," he sneered at her and blew her a kiss goodbye.
Mede turned around to look at the vessel. It positively glowed with a golden light and only a smidge of red. He had never seen anything like it before. He knew it was damaged and no one controlled it. The cube should not be working.
His eyes fell on the young woman on the floor. Mede scrambled to the Vestibule and checked Ganede. Tears started to burn in his eyes. He would miss his sister. He held her and put his face into her matted hair.
He looked up at Gezble's slumped body leaning against the wall with absolute revulsion. She was also dead. Sheppard had crushed her body into the stone. Whether it was on purpose or by accident Mede really did not care at the moment. She could not hurt anyone else.
Many footsteps and voices echoed off the stone. As they grew closer, he heard the gasps and hushed voices. No more being discreet.
Sheppard returned to the brother.
"I couldn't stop her…" He started to fade. "I'm sorry…"
"Colonel!" The yell came from the hall doorway.
Sheppard gave a tired recognition to the person in the doorway. All his anger ebbing away with his appearance. "This is Mede; he'll explain. Good to see you Major."
He disappeared and the cube turned back to red.
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Major Lorne watched Sheppard fade. He looked through the anti-chamber and into another room. The brother that had originally started the chase sat on the floor cradling the body of Sheppard's young Facilitator. He whispered to what was left of her and sobbed into her hair.
His phantom of a C.O. had said to talk to Mede- Lorne did not think Mede would be able to talk anytime soon.
"Jones get the Athosians and bring Teyla and Ronon down here. We're comin' out of hiding."
Jones put his radio on and tried to contact Halling as he left.
Lorne walked into the small room and stopped in the next doorway. He stared at the cube. Amazing. Sheppard was in there.
He stepped into the Vestibule.
The walls started to glow. The room powered up.
Mede left his grieving for a moment to stare at the major.
"Geez Major, I think you pulled a Sheppard," commented Williams.
Lorne shot the young man a quick shut-up glare. He directed Williams attention to the Mede and Ganede on the floor.
The room continued to come to life despite the death all around. Monitors behind portraits started to flicker with information and a console slid out of the wall.
The assembled abbots and brothers still vied for a view into the rooms. Their mutterings grew louder and more excited at the spectacle.
"Please oh my brothers and sisters, let me through." The High Abbot stopped into the outer room. His gaze went from Arna in the hallway to Ganede and Mede on the Vestibule floor to the powered up room and Lorne.
"We need to talk," said Lorne and the High Abbot to each other.
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Chancellor Refra had watched the courtyard practically empty out after the muffled gunshots. He nervously kept watch down the breezeway.
"Where are you?"
But he already knew. Her actions on the balcony told him all he needed to know. He ordered one of his guards to check the lavatory. The man came back alone and too quickly shaking his head.
"We're leaving." He turned and walked briskly towards the exit of the monastery. "We will be back. It's time for a change."
If he had more people with him, he would take the Protectors right now and use them to his advantage. The Wraith were not the only enemies of Mina. The Protectors relied on volunteers, but he had proven that they were not necessary.
Arna…he would miss her counsel…had showed him how to adapt. It was time to teach these priests the lesson.
They made a mistake. The Venerable had informed the High Abbot of his treachery. He also told the High Abbot how to fix it.
In their meeting, the fool flat out asked him for the ceremonial scepter of Mina and the use of the Ring.
"No way," mumbled Refra as he entered his personal carriage. "Guardsman remain here with those four and keep watch. I want to know of anything that goes on."
The guard saluted with a hand on his breast and left.
Today would be the last day for the abbots' control of the greatest weapons in Mina.
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A/N: Alright, another chapter down more to go. Have a good weekend.