Warning: mature themes

Chapter 7

The power that surged through the Colonel coursed through her hand and into the rest of her body. She could not let go as her muscles tightened. And yet, she sensed something else and it was communicating with her. Images of Rodney and Ronon and a single word flashed in her mind: rescue. It was fleeting. She would have almost questioned it as another vision, but it was so straight forward.

A large pink hand slapped down on hers. It reminded her of the situation. That hand forced her energy to drain out and into Col. Sheppard. If Orodi had asked her, she would have done it readily. She would have volunteered without reservation. Since he did not, she was angry at the violation.

Her body sank to the deck as Sheppard took in a huge lungful of air. His eyes opened, but Teyla realized as her knees hit the floor; something was wrong. Before she could ask Sheppard anything, Orodi's voice boasted in her ear, "You see Colonel, Ms. Emmagan, my ways."

"No, not really," answered Sheppard quietly.

"Colonel…" Teyla tried to remove her hand from Orodi's, but he held it tightly. "Can you…"

"I grow tired of your constant disparaging comments." He forced her hand away from Sheppard and flung her to the wall behind the Control Chair. She weakly sat up. There was only one other time she had felt this badly. It was after the withdrawal from the enzyme. Not an experience she wanted to duplicate.

"It's time to get back into the fray. Solar is hidden in a neighboring solar system, so we are safe while we resurrect our weapon." He gave Sheppard a smug grin. "As you said Colonel, one of her defensive capabilities is speed and she uses it so deftly." Orodi walked back to the front of the room.

"No. The ship is damaged…and maneuverability is compromised. It's a nightmare to keep…one step ahead of them. There are just too many…I like to blow things up as well as the next guy, but…"

Orodi wailed and held his hands to his ears. "More incessant chatter: noise, noise, noise! There shall be no more discussion, no more dissent. You shall continue to fire until none are left!"

"I won't." Sheppard said with steel in his voice. There was no mistaking his resolve, even if it was futile.

Teyla interrupted, "Let your ship rest and recuperate. Allow for planning and give Col. Sheppard the time to recuperate as well." She knew Sheppard's refusal was useless. Asking for these simple things was just as useless, but if Ronon and Rodney were on their way, she needed to stall. She only hoped she had not misconstrued the message and they needed rescuing. If that was the case- to quote the Doctor himself- they were screwed.

His pink face turned white as snow. "ENOUGH! You will! They will die; they will pay! I will enjoy watching their ships disintegrate. I will enjoy imagining their screams as they die. I can only hope they board, so my ears will collect their shrieks as I crush their bones with my will."

"I'm not directing anymore drones. Your ship needs to heal."

Teyla heard something else in his voice. Orodi kept the chair powered and Sheppard tried his best to keep his voice steady. The challenging tone was gone. Instead, it held concern for the welfare of the Solar Tempest. If the ship talked to her, then the ship must be communicating with him as well.

The white of Orodi's face was electric. "I've told you before; you have no choice," he said calmly. The manic anger of the previous outburst was gone. The tone of his voice was more malevolent than anything he said before. For the first time, fear actually grabbed Teyla's attention. "And you can join him again, little sister."

Chop-chop-chop-chop-chop. An unfamiliar sound beat down on her from overhead. The craft was unfamiliar and smaller than a Puddle Jumper, and yet she knew everything about how to fly it. This must be the inside of a helicopter.

"Keep firing!" John shouted as he flew the aircraft. "We have to take out those positions and the other aircraft!"

The rounds from the .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the…MH53J PaveLow- yes, she knew the name- moved like the drones. It was unnatural to see human made weaponry move thusly. However, they struck their targets with the same effectiveness.

This was neither a memory nor a dream. It was purely for control. A quilt of memories, dreams and fears he created just for this. It was created purely for his delight as he enforced his will on little cowering curs- the disobedient strays who dared to voice an opinion.

As they fired their machine guns, enemy fire struck the ship. They dodged and swooped low to hide in the terrain. They used their instruments to locate the enemy, painted the target with other instruments, and then released a volley of rounds. Enemy aircraft exploded on contact. They kept dancing like insects in the summer until that inevitable bad thing just had to happen.

"Oh shit!" Sheppard yelled over the helmet radio. The aircraft lurched as he took an evasive maneuver.

Glass shattering reached her ears and, a second later, an explosion ripped through the cockpit. Searing heat blistered her arm and side of her face.

John kept yelling, "I've lost pedal control! My instruments are cooked!" They did not have time to look each other in the face, "We need to get this bird on the ground!"

It was up to her. She fought her set of controls, but, at least, her side was intact. The landing was hard; one she could walk away from. Teyla finally allowed her eyes to see the damage on his side. The lower portion of the craft was completely gone. No wonder he did not have pedal control, there were not any pedals left or feet to use them or legs…

John collapsed against the harness that held him in place as she screamed his name. The yell was on her lips as her eyes adjusted to being back on the bridge. She awkwardly scrambled to the chair. The ship must have taken another powerful hit, but she concentrated only on reaching her teammate.

Whatever happened, he was singed from the power transfer. She could see minor burns to his face and on his hands. His uniform smoldered. It must have also damaged his ears, because blood seeped out of them. The heat, they experienced, was not an illusion. She noticed for the first time her arm and face also prickled from burns.

Thank the Ancestors his other injuries were fictitious, she thought as her head rested on the arm of the chair. With the contact, Teyla realized the chair was off, but still reclined- stuck in its operating position. As wonderful as that was for her team leader, it left them defenseless.

She looked around at the room full of smoke. The damage was not just to the Control Chair. The original wall that they had been sitting against was completely gone. The view screen was blank and Orodi was pulling himself back to his feet. "Craven and greedy bastards! It will take more than that!"

She marveled at the foolishness of this creature, because, she knew the Wraith always did more. The cold twisted her insides as the enemy's proximity to her position increased. The first wave was already on board the ship and was heading towards them.

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"What is done, can sometimes be undone, Dr. McKay." She spread her arm across Ronon's body. "Is he not your friend or at the very least, a teammate?"

"They're not going to be flesh eating zombies or some other undead creature intent on sucking the marrow from our bones or slurping the vitreous from our eyeballs, are they?"

"You did not answer my question."

"Can't you use your freaky, supernatural powers to raise them up?" He really wanted to find another way than touching dead flesh.

"My life force is incompatible with yours. I cannot help them without you."

"Of course you can't. I bet it's against some prime directive. You seem like a very advanced race. The Ascended Ancients are always covering their asses by staying out of our little problems."

Once again that smile patiently played across her face. "Are you still petty, not good with people and so arrogant you would waffle on such a task? Even we have freewill. As a rule we let natural order and time flow on; there are always exceptions to the rules. Actually, they are more like guidelines." She stared at him with such empathy his knees about buckled. "We are immortal students. New points of interest pop-up and then there is the whole alternate universes and timelines with which to contend. So much to do and all the time in the Universe to do it."

"We're just points of interest? A nice roadside plaque, 'here lies the arm of Jackson'. Hope you loaded the camera with film because mine's all out."

"You bluster and cry like the infant you are. No, this ship needed rescuing. We could not locate her until she completely powered herself up. Orodi skillfully hid himself from us. As much as we hate to admit any sort of weakness, we don't know everything and those that think they do are mistaken. Even your Ancients are still very young and are still learning."

"Did you just call me a crybaby?"

She just smiled back at him.

He looked at the two bodies. Well phantom Carter, let's do a little self-improvement. He stepped up to the Lilliputian and replaced his hand on the cold chest. Her hand pressed on top of his.

"Let's try and fix this little inconvenience of being dead," he quipped right before he felt his life drain into the little guy. Rodney sank to his knees. She removed her hand and he sat on the floor trying to catch his breath.

"I'll let you rest of a few minutes. You will recover, but your body will take a little while to balance."

She turned back to the bed as Mayor opened his eyes. "Mayor of the Thack'eeryn, it is good to meet you."

He blinked. With a voice full of reverence and fear, he asked, "You are of the Dormi?"

She laughed and McKay nearly melted. He wished she was laughing at him.

"Yes." She placed her hand on his chest. "Rest for a moment."

She knelt down in front of Rodney. "Dr. McKay, can you help Ronon now?"

He ran a mental checklist of his condition. "I think so."

She helped him to his feet. They repeated the process and Rodney, once again, found himself on his ass.

"Specialist Dex, it is finally good to meet you."

Ronon also blinked, but said nothing.

"I knew it! Brain sucking Zombie."

"No McKay, just wondering what happened and if I should kill the being standing over me?" Ronon said warily while studying her.

She laughed again.

She should always laugh, thought McKay.

"You would have no chance, but there are others that need your skills. Rest and re-acclimate to life." Another explosion shimmied through the bulkheads. "As you can feel, we have some work to do."

She moved her head to the side as if listening. Apparently, she was. "I understand Solar."

This reminded Rodney…

"Who in the hell is Solar?" He said looking around the room as another shudder vibrated through the deck.

"The ship Dr. McKay, you are correct. This is the Solar Tempest: researcher, explorer and friend. She has been keeping me informed of Col. Sheppard's and Teyla's welfare."

Ronon sat up on his bed ready to jump to their aid if necessary, "…and their welfare is?"

Rodney pulled himself to a standing and then a leaning on the counter position. He gave her his full attention waiting for the answer.

"Under stress."

A powerful explosion rocked the room. The group grab anything to keep their balance. The beguiling creature appeared to study the walls as she regained her footing. "We must go. All of us. The Wraith are boarding and are heading straight for the bridge."

McKay staggered over to Ronon and she helped Mayor to join them. Out of nowhere, she produced Ronon's babies and the two P90s left by Teyla and Sheppard. "It's time for you to use your skills. Mayor, stay with Dr. McKay. Solar, take care; it's time Orodi and I have a little talk."

She pushed Rodney and Ronon on the back with her hands. Mayor was sandwiched between them and was pushed forward by her body. Rodney tried to backpedal, but he might as well have been on a conveyer belt. She was pushing them right towards the bulkhead. At the last second, amazement took over and McKay realized this was what the other Dormi did to Sheppard and Teyla.

"Cool," he uttered as they walked right through the wall.

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