Chapter 16:The Hunt

At the present time Edana had no intentions of fighting her way to Stargate Ops, she was headed out to the end of the South Pier to hide. Well not so much as to hide, but to find a nice quiet place to try and absorb more of Alexa. She couldn't get rid of her in one sitting, because it would drain her too, and she needed to get around and keep out of sight.

Lorne along with Sheppard's team made it to the Jumper Bay before the Security team. They looked around carefully making sure Edana hadn't been there, or was hiding somewhere. As they searched the Security team entered, and Sheppard gave them their orders. "Well, there's no sign that she's been here, but that doesn't mean she won't try. So keep alert and cover the entrances." The men took their posts as the others exited. "Alright, let's get up to the control room, See if we can't pick her up on the sensors."

Weir met them at the top of the staircase, "We've located her in the South Pier." She motioned to the screen, "Looks like she's sitting still. Planning her next move?"

"Doubt it. She's smart. It's gotta be something else. But what…" Lorne trailed off.

Weir activated her headset, "Rodney, we need to know what's in that database."

"I know! We're working on it, it's only been 15 minutes!" McKay was on edge as usual. "I'm scanning through it now." The group in the control room waited silently for something they could use. "Oh no," wasn't what they were hoping for.

"What is it," Weir asked calmly.

McKay continued, explaining the experiment and what had happened, including how Edana had killed the scientists. "She takes over their body and absorbs their memories and knowledge, until their conscious fades and dies."

McKay's explanation took a few minutes, and as Lorne listened he closed his eyes and thought of Lexa. Memories of their time together ran though his mind. He remembered the day they met, a beautiful young Lieutenant with a smile that immediately melted his heart. Images of their sneaky relationship at the SGC and their vacation to the Bahamas flashed before his eyes. Next he pictured just two days before, when he walked into her room and found her up on the chair. Finally, one last image of Lexa lay frozen in his mind. Not just 15 minutes ago when she was trembling and begging for help. "Lexa," he was overcome with emotion and didn't even know he had said anything until he open his eyes to puzzled stares. He bit his lip and recomposed himself, "That thing is going to kill her. That's what she's doing out there. Hiding, gaining time to kill her. McKay, does it say anything about how to get Edana out?" The puzzled looks continued. "That's what she said her name was…"

"Um, unfortunately no, but it does say how they caught it, to trap it in the urn. They made some kind of high voltage energy field and chased it into it while it was between bodies, in astral form. The zap stopped it long enough for them to scoop it up into the urn," McKay informed them.

"Well that's great, but where exactly are we going to get a high voltage energy field," Weir questioned.

After a short pause they heard the clicking of McKay snapping his fingers, he had an idea. "The stunners. It's the same concept, except they give you a low voltage shock. I could amp one up. Then if we hit Madison with that, it should knock this thing out of her."

"Wait," Lorne was hesitant about the idea. "So, you're proposing we hit Madison with a high voltage shock? Won't that kill her?"

"Um," McKay was stumped, he kind of forgot about that. "Did I mention there was a small flaw to may plan."

The whole group sighed, but then Zelenka spoke up. "Not necessarily. If she was touching something rubber, then most of the voltage would go right through her, but still knock this Edana out of her."

"Right, sounds like a plan." Sheppard eyed the group, "So, anyone know of where we could find some rubber?"

Lorne looked to his CO and Sheppard could tell he wasn't going to like what the Major had to offer. "The Jumpers, the floor is covered with a rubber mating."

"Great. This is going to be fun. Getting her into one of the Jumpers without her taking off through the Gate. We better get working on a plan." As Sheppard finished the four of them headed up to the Jumper Bay with a wish of luck from Weir. As the jogged up they worked out a plan for once she was inside the Jumper Bay, but they were still working on how to get her there as they waited for McKay to bring them the tweaked stunner.

After some deliberation, and Lorne pretty much keeping his mouth shut, he finally spoke up. "Um sir, I have a really bad idea." He continued on explaining his plan to the others.

"That's pretty risky. You sure it will work," Ronan asked.

"I'm a pretty good actor. As long as I can keep my cool, I think she'll buy it."

"Alright Major, get going," Colonel Sheppard ordered him off. Lorne removed his sidearm from its holster and handed it to Sheppard, then he grabbed a Life Signs Detector from one of the Jumpers and left towards the South wing. "Wow, he's got it bad, though I can't blame him." Sheppard turned to the opening door, "Ah Rodney, nice of you to join us." He took the stunner from McKay.

Lorne quickly made his way out to the South Pier. As he drew closer to Edana he walked slowly and quieted his breathing to be sure to come upon her in surprise, and that he did. He glanced at her from around the corner, and he could tell she was in a sort of meditation. He walked over to where she was sitting on the floor and coughed. A few seconds later her eye lids flew open and she raised the palm of her hand toward him. There was a bright flash of pale blue light and Lorne went flying across the hall into the wall, her powers were returning. Edana jumped to her feet, and prepared to run, but stopped when the Major moaned out a proposal. "Wait, I've come to make a deal with you." She turned around and gave him the I'm listening stare. "You want to leave. Fine, I'll fly you out of her myself, to wherever you want to go, just let me talk to Lexa. Let me say good-bye."

"And why would you do that," Edana asked in a deep tone as she suspected foul play.

"Because she's only been back in my life for two days, and for one of them it was you. I can brush it off, I've lost her before, but this time I want to at least get a good-bye. And I understand why you're doing this. Seems like you had a pretty good life before the experiment, Lexa's life is pretty messed up, seems only fitting that if one of you lives that it's you. So, what do you say, deal?" Lorne stood up and reached out his hand. Edana contemplated proposition. She knew he loved her, how could he just let her go. She gave him a stern look and shook his hand. "Alright then, after you," he motioned her forward.