DISCLAIMER: I do not own this show, or these characters; I just borrow them.
Weathering the Storm Part 6
Sora was walking down the corridor toward the generator room where her comrades had Major Sheppard in custody. She heard voices ahead of her. The first voice she heard was that of Major Sheppard. She grinned knowing that her people finally had him in custody, and that the killing of the Genii would now stop. That thought however was shattered when she heard another man respond to the Major; a man with a voice she did not know. Sora tried to melt into the shadows to determine what was going on. She heard Major Sheppard respond to the unknown man, and then heard a voice she would never forget say, "We should leave this area. More Genii will be on their way."
Sora saw red as she thought about Teyla Emmagan's role in her father's death. Sora watched as the foursome left the generator room, and she started to stealthily follow them. Her thoughts were so geared toward figuring out how to get to Teyla that she did not bother to check on her comrades that were down. Nor did she think about what problems the additional Atlantians would bring for her people, and their goals of procuring the city.
Dr. Weir was holding the laptop so that Rodney could read the schematics for the control station. As he was fiddling around with the last wire he feared what might happen if he could not get the grounding station separated. Dr. McKay knew that he and Elizabeth were only a valuable commodity if they could do what they were commanded. While he knew that he was a genius, he also knew that he was a human prone to errors, even though he would never tell that to anyone. "If this doesn't work…"
"It will." Dr. Weir tried to reassure him that everything would work out fine.
"I'm just saying if it doesn't work…" he again tried to voice his feelings which revolved around the usual speech of 'it's been great working for a wonderful and charming leader like yourself.'
He was not able to finish as Elizabeth cut him off again with a little more force, but still trying to sound comforting, "it will."
Rodney was never one that liked being cut off. He loved to hear his voice, and even more so in threatening environments as if to calm himself. While others wondered about that habit at it only seemed to annoy those around him, and therefore many times put him in more danger. "I'm sure it will work," Dr. McKay said in a flippant manner before adding, "but in the unlikely event that it doesn't…"
Dr. Weir was known for having infallible patience when dealing with just about any diplomatic mission you could think of. However in the midst of the freezing rain, a scientist that would not shut up about the doom that might befall them, and the shit she had already put up with on this lovely day in the Pegasus Galaxy she lost her cool. "Rodney! Please." Elizabeth could not deal with the thought of what might happen to them if things did not work out. She feared what failure might bring to them… to her.
She did not shout more than was needed to be heard over the storm, but Rodney could tell by the tone of her voice that she was on edge. He knew that any sane person would be when faced with the situation they were in; however he did not know that the day would get to Dr. Weir so much that she would let others see that by snapping at them. Dr. Weir had always shown herself to be a person in control of any situation, and the fact that she would drop her leader's mask for only an instant worried Rodney to the point he was stunned into silence. This momentous occasion was spent rearranging the final crystal into position. Dr. McKay breathed a sign of relief as the grounding structure separated and stated, "Oh thank god." One hurdle in saving the city down, only a few more to go, he thought. However the next few steps were going to be trickier with the Genii in the city. Rodney knew that he needed to remind Kolya about the rest of his plan before the commander tried to force it out of his with a sharp object. He felt a little more at ease with telling what the plan was as the city needed to be saved from this storm first, as Elizabeth had reminded him earlier. IF his plan worked, then the plan of trying to take back the city would be important, else it was a moot point.
Kolya went back to the control room and the protection that that part of the city would give his men. He noticed that Sora was not present and was a little peeved that she had not contacted him in order to inform him how the capture of Major Sheppard was progressing. "Why haven't you responded?" he questioned angrily into his radio.
"She here," she whispered into her own radio so that the foursome that she was following would not hear her words.
"Who?"
"Teyla…she and two others have joined Sheppard." Sora was so intent in her desire to get to Teyla, that she did not even think how enraged this information would make her Commander.
More so, Commander Kolya was first and foremost angry that his soldier had not reported this fact when it first came to light. He brought up this insubordination by asking, "Why wasn't this reported sooner?" Kolya knew he would have time to punish her later, but now he needed to make sure that she was safe from the storm. "Fall back to the control room immediately."
"She's just out of my reach. If I am patient…"
"I gave you an order," Commander Kolya barked out letting Sora realize how she was straying out of the bounds that were in place for military personnel.
"She left my father for dead." Sora stated furiously. She almost did not reign in her emotions in time to lower her voice to the volume that it was. She wanted to yell it with all the air that could fill her lungs. She wanted Teyla to turn around and face her. She wanted revenge. But Sora knew that she must wait for a more opportune time. That time was coming soon she could feel it.
Kolya tried to make her see reason, "The storm is upon us. The city is no longer safe."
"I don't care," Sora realized as she said this that she did not care about her death as long as she got to see the life drain from Teyla Emmagan first. She could not understand how her commander had the right to order her from this task that she so desperately needed to see through. At least she risked only her life, unlike Kolya who in his desire to take the city was putting many Genii at risk. If he could go after his own vendetta, then who was he to deny her the same?
"Fall back," Commander Kolya ordered. He again tried to reason with her, "You have my word that your father will be avenged."
The command left no room for interpretation, but Sora could care less about the reprimand that she might receive from her commander. She desired revenge so much that her stomach churned with her contempt for the female walking only a few steps away. Kolya had mentioned that her father would be avenged, and that time was now at hand. "By me," she said as she turned off her radio.
She continued to following the foursome after she turned off the radio, and soon she saw her chance to get at Teyla. Sora watched as the group split up. Major Sheppard and the other soldier went one way while Teyla and the imbecile who could barely hold a weapon correctly hurried down the opposite corridor. Perfect, Sora thought as she followed her prey.
Teyla took the forward position, and left Dr. Beckett to watch their backs. This was the best course of action to take. The Genii would all be in the control room to stay safe from the storm once the shield was raised. Teyla did not take into account that one lone Genii soldier would be following the doctor and herself. They came to a storage room and Teyla took point to scout out the room to determine that no Genii were hiding in the shadows.
As Teyla stepped into the room and away from the doctor, Sora came up behind Carson and quickly and efficiently took him out of the scenario, by hitting him upside the head with her weapon. Sora knew that he would be no match for her as he talked more than watching his own back. However she wanted to take on Teyla alone, without the fear of the man trying to get in her way. Teyla heard Doctor Beckett crumple behind her, and turned to face Sora. Both trained their weapons on the woman in front of them. "Drop it," Sora commanded as she shifted the barrel of the gun toward the prone doctor. "I'll kill him." Sora knew that Teyla was a very commendable person and would not want to put others at risk when she could prevent it. At least when it involves her own friends and family, she thought bitterly. Teyla dropped the weapon as was expected. Sora looked at her own gun in her hands and determines that feeling Teyla's blood flow from her body would be a much more befitting death. She slid her weapon across the floor away from the two of them while stating calmly, "I would hate to have to kill you so quickly."
Teyla stepped farther in the room, trying to get Sora away from Carson. She glanced quickly over to him, and could see that he was still breathing as the floor by his mouth and nose would fog up every few seconds. Good, I can put all of my thoughts on apprehending Sora, but as she thought this, she also thought how hard it would be to have to battle a life long acquaintance and friend. "I have known you for most of your life, why are you doing this?" Teyla asked, hoping that she could get Sora to see reason.
That question sparked Sora's anger, as she wondered how someone she knew for so long could condemn her father to death, thereby making her an orphan. "You left him to die," Sora spat out as she pulled out a knife that was strapped to her waist.
Teyla remembered the situation that Sora was talking about. She watched her memories play out and saw Sora's father pull out his weapon. Tirus shot the person who was asking for her help, as he feared any rescue attempt would alert the Wraith. Instead, his own weapon fire alerted them to the intruders. Teyla hid behind a column and watched as Sora's father was gunned down by the Wraith. She wanted to go to him, but she knew that he was already dead as she saw where he was shot. Teyla knew she had to warn the others, and that warning outweighed the desire to bring back a dead corpse to his family; because if they didn't get out of the hive ship soon, there would be no going back at all.
Teyla pulled her thoughts back to the fight at hand. "Your father killed an innocent. He alerted the Wraith to our presence."
Sora thought about the father she knew. Teyla's remark went with the impulsive father from her memories. He would get it into his head to do something, and nothing would change his mind. Not even his daughter's pleas to not go hunt the beast that roamed the woods near the village, would sway him to keep away from possible danger if he saw fit. She could see her father doing something so detrimental, but as all children want to have faith in their parents Sora would not see reason to end this fight. She placed her anger back on the person in front of her. "And you escaped!" Sora stated. This was hard for her to fathom as she would fight to the death to try to protect someone that she had known for as long as Teyla had known her family.
"If I am to die by your hands Sora, I die knowing that there's nothing I could have done to have saved Tirus." Teyla could understand the hate and anger from the girl in front of her. She had felt the same anger when the Wraith took her own father. Teyla wanted to lash out at the world, but there was no one to blame for his death other than the Wraith. Halling helped her to see that fact, at the same time as he fought her, to let her release the pent up anger that she was carrying. Teyla could she herself in Sora's eyes, and knew that she needed to get the anger she felt out. If fighting her was the only way to help, Teyla knew she would be there for her as she was not there for Tirus.
Sora waived the knife through the air. The light glistened off the deadly object as Sora spoke, "This was my father's. It was handed down from his father."
Teyla reaches down to pull out her own knife as she realized that this fight would happen. "If you want to fight this way Sora… I will win." While Teyla had never seen Sora fight, she knew that the hatred was clouding her judgment, as smoke would cloud her eyes. In that type of situation, Teyla knew she had the upper hand. She remembered the fight she had with Halling. Even though she was a better fighter, he beat her in a minimal amount of time because she was fighting with her heart and not her head. Teyla knew that she would have to keep Sora busy until she could get through her clouded emotions, as Halling had down for her. "You will have avenged no one." Teyla knew that this would enrage Sora, and hoped to get her passed the fighting stage and into the emotional breakdown stage as was bound to happen sooner or later.
"We'll see," Sora got into a fighting stance, and quickly lunged at Teyla. The twosome parried the dodged each other. If anyone was watching the fight it almost looked as if the two were lock in a deadly, yet graceful dance. The dance continued, and Sora drew first blood as her knife grazed Teyla's arm as she tried to dodge the blow intended for her stomach.
The fight continued, and the graceful dance started to take on a more frenzied pace. If Major Sheppard would have been around to watch he would have commented that the cat fight would only be complete with a little more hair pulling and a pool of mud. The knives became a side weapon, as their fists and legs started to try to deal painful blows to the other.
The fight started to wind down as Teyla gets a hold of Sora and pushes her against the wall. Somewhere in the shuffle Teyla managed to procure Sora's knife, and she places it against her components throat to get her to hold still. Teyla could see that Sora was getting tired, and Teyla wanted this to end. But she knew the ending had to be Sora's choice, or she would never start to get over the hatred she felt for her. "This is not what your father would have wanted. Our people were destined to be allies"
Teyla's radio came to life as Major Sheppard sounding a bit desperate said, "Teyla and Beckett fall back to the control room." Teyla knew that their time was almost up, and if she was to try to save herself and Dr. Beckett she must go now.
"This…Must…End…Now." Teyla said enunciating each word, hoping that they got through the emotional fog in Sora's mind.
"Then end it," Sora said while moving her neck in such a way that Teyla could deliver the death blow more efficiently. Teyla would not give her the satisfaction of killing her. She had already seen too much death, and Teyla did not want another one to personally be on her conscience. Teyla decided that she would end it, but not in the way the Sora thought. She stepped away from Sora, dropped the weapon and hurried over to Carson.
Even though the force holding her against the wall was no longer there, Sora could not bring herself to move as she thought about what had just happened. Teyla, who Sora blamed for killing her father, did not kill his daughter when given the chance. She thought back on the times when she had met Teyla growing up. Sora remembered once telling her father that she saw Teyla as her older sister. They would keep each other company as they ran through the village tormenting the elders. Sora cracked a smile as she was brought back to the present by the sounds of a nearby struggle. When Sora looked toward the sound, she saw Teyla trying to drag a still unconscious doctor toward the control room. Sora hurried to catch up and as she neared the twosome she saw Teyla tense, as she wondered if she would have to protect the doctor. Sora held out her hands to show Teyla that she had no weapons, and went to the doctors other side. They each grabbed an arm and placed it over their shoulders and then walked together toward the gate room. Teyla and Sora both realized that there would be many hurdles ahead of them, but this current time of trying to kill the other was over. Granted Sora mused; if she did she Teyla like a sister, then another fight to the death might be probable in the future.