A/N:- Sorry for the wait in updating but hopefully you'll get two chapters quite quickly now. I'm putting this up early in the morning so if there are any mistakes I apologise I'm still a bit sleepy. I hope you're still with me, only four more chapters and an epilogue to go after this one so we're on the home straight but it won't be all plain sailing. As always feedback is appreciated.
Chapter 13
Slow Motion
Elizabeth darted forward and guns swung toward her as she did so, guards closing in around her, preventing her from reaching the priests. Glahan turned to look at her.
"Please, Lord Patriarch, I'm sure none of us want there to be anymore bloodshed. If you could just wait until you have spoken to your council." She needed more time, she didn't know how much but it couldn't be long now. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Braen pointing out a man in the group of prisoners and saw the guards drag Corporal Hines, a young marine, out in to the centre of the room, making sure that all the Atlanteans had a good view. "Please, I am begging you not to do this."
Glahan took a step toward her. "Then tell them to open the doors and surrender."
"They have been told to disregard any order I give them while I am held prisoner."
"Then we have no other choice." Turning back his back to her, he addressed Braen. "Can the others in the city hear us?"
"I believe they can hear us through this," He handed the earpiece over. Glahan turned back to Elizabeth.
"Is this true?"
"Yes." She admitted there had been an open com link between them and the control room the whole time and the priest examined the tiny earpiece in his hand before raising it to his mouth.
"Hear this. We are about to begin the execution of your people; everyone of them will die unless you relinquish control of the city to us." Lifting the communications device to his ear, he listened intently, frowning. "He speaks nonsense."
"Czech actually. Please may I speak with him?"
"No." The priest passed the earpiece back to Braen. "It is too late for talk, now we must finish what we have started." Braen smiled at her and it sent chills down her spine. He walked over to Hines, gesturing for the guards to push him to his knees. As soon as the solider was kneeling down the priest kicked him, knocking him over, and continued continued to kick at the defenceless man, Hines curling into a ball to try to protect himself. When the guards dragged him up on to his knees again, he stared up at the priest, making eye contact and setting his mouth in a defiant sneer.
"Are all your soldiers so foolish?"
ooOoo
They walked in silence for a while, both slightly in awe of their surroundings, until they came upon an open area, a large court yard centred around a now dry fountain. Mosaics were set into the paving and benches were set in a circle around the perimeter of the courtyard. In the dark, the strange statues of some kind of animal that formed the fountain looked like something from a horror film and the whole area felt creepy but they were in need of rest. They lowered themselves down onto one of the benches and sat silently in the dark, preserving the batteries on the flashlight As Sheppard had become more coherent, the agony written on his face had become more obvious, McKay knew that whatever Iestyn had given him was wearing off and that the pain was only going to get worse for him. Unable to bear it any longer, Rodney broke the silence.
"I'm sorry."
Quizzical eyes turned toward him. "What for?" Sheppard's voice was still slurred.
"We left you behind."
"No…you came and found me." McKay cringed.
"No, I didn't. I was kidnapped by Sora and forced to come here and we were looking for Benedict and McCormack, not you. I didn't know you were here." In the dark he couldn't quite make out the expression on his friend's face.
"We need to keep moving." Sheppard stood up and began making his slow way through the dark. Rodney watched his friend's painful movements from the bench, his heart sinking. As the Colonel stumbled, he dashedforward, not quite managing to catch him in time. Sheppard stumbled to the floor, letting out a harsh cry that echoed through the empty streets. By the time Rodney was at his side, he had rolled over onto his back and was panting in sharp breaths.
"Are you okay? Stupid question, of course you're not okay. You need to rest more."
"I'm good."
"No. No, you're not for God's sake." Sheppard's good hand reached up and took hold of Rodney's collar.
"I need to get out. I won't lay down and die in the dark Rodney." Rodney sat back on the ground beside him.
"Good. Because you are not allowed to die now, that would be the most selfish thing you've ever done - I would stand a chance here on my own." Rodney rubbed his temples. "But say we get out of here, reach the surface, then what? If Atlantis is really under attack they won't have come looking for us; there'll be no Daedalus waiting for us. And it's not like we're going to be able to fight our way through a battalion of Genii soldiers to get to the gate. We're stuck here and you need a doctor and you're gonna die and leave me on my own."
"They told me you were dead, you know?" His voice was little more than a whisper. "You, Ronon, Teyla, Elizabeth…all dead."
"Well, obviously we're not…at least I'm not," he added quietly. "And the others weren't last time I saw them. Though Ronon was trying to take on an entire bar full of drunks." Sheppard furrowed his brow. "Long story."
"Anyway my point is…if they lied about you, they could have lied about Atlantis." Rodney could see in his face that Sheppard didn't really believe it but knew what he was trying to do.
"Only you could be optimistic at a time like this."
"One of us has to be."
"Well, forgive me for being a little more realistic. We're stuck in the dark in an abandoned section of an alien city, underneath a mountain, on a hostile planet; our home is being invaded and there's nothing we can do about it, you're falling apart and I'm exhausted, my face and my neck really hurt and to top it all I don't remember the last time I actually ate anything!"
"It's called hope, McKay. Seems they didn't quite beat that out of me after all." He paused for a moment. "We're underneath a mountain?"
"You know, I would have thought that us being in a massive cavern with buildings carved out of the rock might have been a clue."
"Cool!" Rodney rolled his eyes. "McKay?"
"Yes." His voice was a little harsher then he'd intended.
"Help?" He looked at the Colonel still laying flat on his back.
"Sure." It was an awkward manoeuvre and Rodney felt his friend's body tense as he levered him up. Sheppard let out a sharp hiss of breath and a muffled whimper. Even here, with just the two of them, he wouldn't let go and show just how much pain he was in, though in the soft glow of the torch light Rodney could see the sheen of tears in Sheppard's eyes. He looked away, filling the silence with the first thing that came into his head.
"They replaced you on the team." He winced. Tactlessness wasn't something he did intentionally, it just kind of happened.
"Yeah?" He spoke through gritted teeth.
"Her name's Izzy." Sheppard stopped and turned his good eye to McKay, squinting suspiciously at him.
"Let me guess, she's blonde."
"Well…yes, as a matter of fact, she is." He paused, smiling smugly. "I think she likes me." Sheppard gave him an incredulous look. "No…really, she brought me pastry."
"Oh! Well in that case it must be love."
ooOoo
Elizabeth never got a chance to answer; the flash of white light was blinding and was followed by a second and then a third. The Irithians looked around in shock and fear, raising their rifles, unsure where to aim. At the same time the blast doors opened and Lorne led the Atlantean forces into the gate room, using the panic to disarm the Irithians nearest to them.
Two groups of heavily armed marines had beamed in and now stood in front of the gate, Colonel Caldwell standing at their front, P-90 firmly in his grip, while at the base of the steps just in front of Elizabeth, Ronon, Teyla and Frischmann appeared flanking a small guard of Genii at the centre of which stood Ladon Radim.
Elizabeth breathed out heavily. "I never had you down as a showman, Colonel, but you certainly know how to make an entrance."
"Thank you, Doctor. It's all in the timing." Elizabeth allowed herself a smile of relief.
"Ladon, thank you for coming." He bowed his head toward her.
"What is the meaning of this?" Braen bellowed, staring around in shock. The invading force were surrounded and each side now held their weapons trained on the other; a single shot fired would begin a bloody fire fight. Now it was up to Elizabeth to stop that from happening.
"This is called diplomacy, Patriarch, a concept you seem to have trouble with." She turned her back on him and concentrated on the two senior priests. "This is Ladon Radim, leader of the Genii people."
Ladon stepped forward, bowing to the two priests. "It is an honour to meet you."
Braen barged in between them, his face red with fury. "Lies! Lies and tricks, we will not listen to them." Ronon's hand was suddenly resting on the man's chest, stopping him dead in his tracks. The Satedan looked at him raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Braen, you're surrounded by my forces. I really don't see right now that you have much of a choice," Elizabeth pointed out to him.
"We could shoot our way out." Even he didn't sound convinced.
"Go ahead and try." Elizabeth was back in control and she wasn't going to show an inch of weakness; if this madman did give the order to start shooting then it would be horrific, she had to just trust that his soldiers wouldn't be so stupid. Arlais stepped forward, pushing Braen out of the way.
"You fool! You have walked us into their trap with your arrogance."
Elizabeth kept her tone of voice calm and precise; with so much panic and confusion it was important that she remained the voice of reason. "Lady Arlais, this is not a trap. I wish to make peace with your people. Please, listen to what Ladon has to say."
"And how are we to know that this is truly Ladon Radim?" Ladon stepped forward and pointed out the Genii working on the consoles.
"Ask them, they will tell you who I am." He called out to them. "Or will you continue your treason by denying your leader?" The Genii scientists looked to one another, their faces a mixture of fear and anger.
"No, Sir."
"Good." He turned back to the priests. "Satisfied?"
"What is happening here?"
"These people their not your enemy. Kolya has manipulated you and, while you and a large proportion of your forces stand here, he and his army are invading your city." There was a ripple of murmurs through the Irithian forces and the Genii huddled closer together.
"Lies, more lies. He is conspiring with the heretics," Braen called out, once again pushing himself forward and once again coming into contact with Ronon's hand.
"Well, you'd know all about conspiring, wouldn't you Braen?" Ladon stepped forward and began circling Braen. "Ask yourselves, who has been working so very closely with Kolya? Who has pushed this plan of action from the start? Who insisted that it was safe for members of the council to be among the invading forces?" Never taking his eyes off Braen, he continued to speak to the other two men. "If you do not believe me, send a soldier through the gate and see if he returns; the Genii holding the gate will shoot him on sight."
There was silence; the two priests looked to be in shock and the soldiers on both sides stood rigid with tension, fingers hovering over triggers. Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Please, tell your men to stand down. We can end this peacefully."
"If what he says is true, our city is under attack, how can it end peacefully?" Glahan asked, his voice quiet and sad.
"They are lying, my Lord!" Braen screamed out, his face slick with sweat, anger burning in his eyes.
"SILENCE! What did they offer you? What could make you turn on your own people?" Glahan demanded. "I knew you always craved power but to sink to such lows. You disgust me!"
"They offered him the gene therapy," Ladon provided. "Those Genii you call the Children of the Ancestors, or the Heirs, they only have the ability to operate the technology of the Ancestors because of a medical procedure which my scientists developed using samples taken from Doctor Weir's people."
Glahan and Arlais looked at Elizabeth, confused. "You are the Children of the Ancestors?" The man asked.
"No. At least I'm not, but there are those among my people who I guess could claim that title." An image of John sitting in the chair in Antarctica crossed her mind but she pushed it away. "Now please, tell your men to stand down so we can try and find a solution to this mess. I promise you they will not be harmed."
Holding out her finger, Arlais pointed at Braen. "I ask for no such promise regarding him." Turning to face her men, she called out. "Stand down! Surrender your weapons and give no resistance."
Almost as one the Irithian guards dropped their weapons and Elizabeth could have sworn she felt a cool breeze pass through the gate room, almost as if the city itself had sighed with relief. She grabbed the earpiece Frischmann held out to her.
"Carson, I want a medical team in here straight away; multiple serious injuries."
"Already on my way." The Scot's voice came back over the radio.
"Radek, return control of the city to the main control room and get up here."
Arlais and Glahan hung their heads as a sign of submission and held out their wrists to Teyla and Frischmann. The Captain creased her brow and looked to Elizabeth with a shrug.
"I don't think restraints will be necessary do you, Doctor Weir?"
"No. Certainly not. Now please let me show you to the conference room; we have a lot to talk about and not much time."
ooOoo
John was shivering again; this deep empty part of the mountain was freezing and all he had on was his thin prison tunic and trousers. McKay walked beside him, watching him like a hawk, the slightest stumble and the scientist was there to grab hold of him. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it, it's just that it made him feel all the more useless. They must nearly be there by now, assuming they hadn't lost their way in the dark.
The painkillers Iestyn had pumped him full of were still having some effect; now the drugs were just making him clumsy and slow-witted. When he got home he was going to let Carson dope him up with as much morphine as he liked. He'd stay in the infirmary for a month if the Scot asked him to, he just wanted to be home and free of pain.
In the faint light of the flashlight, he could just make out McKay's features; he had that determined look on his face and he hadn't moaned about the walking in at least two minutes which was pretty impressive, considering. Who'd have thought he could have grieved so much for that smug face and annoying whiny voice?
"Kinda missed you…just a little bit." McKay bobbed his head slightly but kept looking straight ahead.
"Yeah, kinda missed you too…every now and then." The scientist hesitated, swallowing back. "We never gave up looking for you, you know that right? We didn't know where you were."
"I know, it's just…" His voice cracked and the words drifted away. "It's okay." He forced a smile, McKay returned it half-heartedly, and they continued their long trudge through the dark.
ooOoo
Now that the priests had time to take in the city, they looked at everything with wonder. Elizabeth had guided them to the conference room along with Ladon; she treated all three of them as she would honoured guests but Ronon, Teyla and Frischmann stood guard, their hands on their weapons and eyes alert. Caldwell joined them at the table while Lorne dealt with the surrendered soldiers, being sure to keep the Irithian and Genii separate from one another. Elizabeth took her seat at the head of the table.
"Gentlemen, as I said, time is of the essence so we need to move quickly. It appears we are all victims of the same lies. Kolya has caused a civil war among the Genii, forcing Ladon into hiding," She nodded at the dark haired man who turned his eyes away, a hint of shame on his face. Sora had been right; Ladon was weak. He was undoubtedly highly intelligent but he lacked the strength for leadership. "while the Irithian people have been manipulated into a holy war and then turned on by their allies. If what Ladon's spies tell him is true, it is not safe for you to return through the stargate if the Genii hold the other side and, based on your conversation earlier, I am assuming that is the case."
Arlais nodded ruefully. "It would appear so."
"So, we need to find another way." Elizabeth nodded toward Steven Caldwell. "Colonel."
Caldwell leaned forward. "We have a ship capable of transporting your people back to your planet within a couple of hours, we can then transport them down to the surface in the same way you saw myself arrive with my men. We can't fit all of your men on board, and we'll have to put them down outside of the area of your jamming field, but there is space for a sizable strike force, and with the added benefit of surprise you should be able to retake the gate."
"Why would you do this after everything we have done?" Arlais asked.
"Because we're not like Kolya." Elizabeth answered simply. There was anger at these men, she could feel it inside her and sense it in the soldiers outside, in the other Atlanteans in the room, but she also felt sorry for them; their faith and belief had been turned against them. "I won't pretend that our people can be friends anytime soon but I know that you would not have carried out your attacks on my people without Kolya's intervention and I will not send you back through that gate to certain death."
"Then we accept your more than kind offer. If we could please speak with our officers?"
"Of course, but Ronon and Captain Frischmann will stand guard."
Getting up, she left the conference room and headed for her office, gesturing for Caldwell and Teyla to follow her. Stopping on the balcony, she looked down at the scene in the gate room; Lorne had begun moving groups to the holding cells, beginning with the Genii. Half a dozen stretchers lay out on the floor and Carson was working furiously on one soldier, shouting out instructions to his staff. Another group of medics crouched down over another marine; his shirt had been cut open and they were charging the defibrillator. Her skin crawled at the sight and her own body jumped as the marine's body jerked with the electric pulse from the paddles.
Walking into her office, she wrapped her arms around herself and rested her head against the glass, looking down at the chaos below. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Teyla's worried face beside her.
"Elizabeth?" She forced a smile.
"I'll be okay." Turning away from the window, she took a seat perched on the edge of her desk.
"Are you sure you're okay with this, Colonel?"
"Honestly, no." Caldwell answered. "The idea of having a group of enemy soldiers on my ship isn't particularly appealing but you're right, we can't just send them back through the gate. The other option is we ferry them back in smaller groups, put them down further away from the city and let them fight their way in once they're all there."
"But that would give the Genii plenty of time to gain a strong foothold within the Irithian city." Teyla pointed out.
"Not really our problem."
"No, but finding Doctor McKay is. If they have been captured then it is in our best interests to help the Irithians."
"Teyla's right, Steven. This is the way we have to do things."
"You're the boss."
"Yes, I am. So get to it." Caldwell nodded and left the office, already talking to Hermiod on the radio.
"Ronon and I would like to go with the Daedalus, we have already lost one of our team, we would like to do what we can to find Rodney and bring him home safely." Elizabeth smiled, nodding sadly.
"Of course, take Frischmann too." Teyla inclined her head in a slight bow before leaving to inform her team mates. Elizabeth headed for the balcony; she knew it was selfish of her but she just needed some fresh air to clear her head, needed the stability offered by the familiar view of rolling waves stretching out into perfect blue. For a moment she lost herself in the vista only to be snapped out of it by Teyla's urgent voice in her earpiece.
"Doctor, come quickly! There is something you must hear." Elizabeth raced back into the control room in time to see Ronon dragging Braen toward the conference room by the scruff of his neck. The priest screamed abuse at the Satedan and Elizabeth could see the quiet anger raging inside the big man. Elizabeth ran after them and watched as, upon reaching the conference room, he threw the priest across the table.
"Ronon! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"They have Sheppard." Elizabeth felt like the breath had been knocked out of her.
"What?" She looked questioningly at Glahan and Arlais.
"We are sorry, we thought you knew." Ronon had picked up Braen and was holding him by the neck up against the wall.
"No, we…he's alive?"
"I am afraid I do not know, I have never seen him; Braen always dealt with the prisoners." Elizabeth looked at the man Ronon held up against the wall, his face slowly turning purple and foam forming at his mouth.
"Ronon, put him down." The big man slid the priest down the wall so his feet touched the ground and released his grip enough for the man to breathe. "Is Colonel Sheppard still alive?"
The priest sneered triumphantly. "No. He's dead."
Elizabeth struggled to hold back her emotions. "You're sure?"
"Kolya killed him this morning; we had no further use for him, his mind was gone."
There was such delight in the man's voice. He got a kick out of seeing their pain, it was one little piece of power he had left. When Ronon smacked the man's head back into the wall it took all of her strength to tell him to stop. The Satedan ignored her, still holding the man gripped round the throat.
"Ronon, please! This is not the way." She looked at Teyla for help and could see anger and disgust burning in her normally gentle eyes. Elizabeth could see the effort it took for her to softly prise Ronon away from Braen who slumped to the floor as he was released. Teyla looked at him with disgust as she held tightly to Ronon's arm.
"Ronon, let us try to find Rodney and bring him home safely. That is what John would want us to do."