Well, here's today's chapter. The next chapter will definitely be a bit longer.
I'd also like to thank bjon66 for giving me a good idea on where this story can go next. It never occurred to me to make have this series go that way. So this story isn't the end of the series.
On another note, I think this story is almost done. I say I think because the last time I thought I was sure the story took a twist for the better I think. So yeah. Might be done soon. Not sure. I guess it'll be over when it's over...
Elphie Muse: You're rambling. Get to the disclaimer and let them read.
Right! I own nothing in this story that is recognizable. If I did, I wouldn't be doing a disclaimer now, would I? Yeah. I thought not.
"I'm telling you, we need to get him to leave! Who knows when he'll go savage on us next time," Rodney said a day later.
"Doctor McKay, he gave us fifty-five ZPMs. That will supply this city with enough power beyond our lifetime," Elizabeth said wearily. "And you yourself said they were fully charged and were not tampered with. This discussion is over. He is welcomed to stay here as long as he likes."
"But…" Rodney began.
"Give it a rest McKay," John ordered.
"Fine, but when he rips out your throat in the middle of the night, I told you so," Rodney grumbled.
A sudden beeping from the Control Room made John and his team turn their heads. Elizabeth was already out of her chair and heading into the room. "What is it?" she demanded of a technician.
"Five Wraith ships are on their way to the city," she answered. "They'll be here in five hours."
"Michael must have finally told them," Elizabeth said, referring to the Wraith they had tested the retrovirus on. "Get the shields up. Alert the Daedalus and get the people on the mainland to safety."
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"Give them time to accept you Dante," Janet said, her head resting on his chest, the covers to their bed covering them. Since Janet's return, Dante had procured a room in the city. The diminutive doctor smiled as Dante stroked her hair.
"I know. It's just a little hard to walk down the halls and hear them talking about me behind my back," he said.
"You hear what they say?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Good hearing," he said, pointing at one of his ears. A knock sounded on the door, loud and urgent. "What?" he called.
"Get dressed now! We got company coming and they aren't good house guests!" Sam voice shouted through the door.
Janet frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Wraith," Dante said. He swiftly got out of bed and began pulling on his clothes. Janet did the same, though she was slightly slower. Dante grabbed a loose black shirt and pulled it on. He quickly tied his boots on and pulled on a loose fitting coat. He grabbed a bag of blood from the refrigerator and drained its contents while waiting for Janet to finish dressing.
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"Are the shields up?" Elizabeth demanded as Dante and Janet entered the Control Room. Everyone was running around, obeying orders and shouting more out.
"Shields are up and are at one hundred percent," a technician confirmed.
"People on the mainland?"
"Jumpers are en route to pick them up," another called.
"What about the city defenses?" Dante asked.
"You mean weapons?" Rodney asked. Dante nodded. "This city doesn't have them. We're fresh out. Shouldn't you know that?"
"Shut it McKay," John ordered. "The Daedalus is taking up a planetary orbit. If we can use the Ragnarok as well, then that'd be great."
"Ask Sam. It's her ship now, not mine," Dante said.
"I don't know how to fly that thing," Sam said.
"It's just like an F-302," Cameron said. "I mean, I was able to fly it."
"Then I guess SG-1's going up," Sam said.
Dante walked over to a computer console and pushed the laptops away. He began rapidly punching keys, his fingers flying over the buttons. "What are you doing?" Rodney demanded. "You'll break it!"
"Shut up you sniveling coward," Dante snapped. "I'm bringing up the city's defense grid." He finished typing and turned to the humans. "All Wraith ships coming anywhere near the planet will be in for some surprises. Ones they haven't seen in several millennia." He hit a button. "The Daedalus and Ragnarok won't be affected. Nor will your F-302s. Unless they get too close to the explosions."
"Thank you," Elizabeth said.
"First group from the mainland coming in!" a technician shouted.
"Dial the Gate," Elizabeth ordered.
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Dante walked through the bowels of the city, not wanting to stay in the Control Room while Rodney was there. Janet had followed him. There was only an hour before the Wraith would arrive. "You all right?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. "Just need some time to pull my head together," he said.
"There's something else, isn't there?" she pressed.
"It's just…I don't know," he said. "I have this feeling that something really bad is going to happen. Like this big ominous feeling of dread."
"Not surprising. The Wraith are almost here, everyone's nerves are on edge…you need to relax a little," she said.
"I know, I just…" he began when a sudden gust of wind made him stop talking. A frown formed on his face and he cautiously crept down the hallway, Janet behind him. Lights suddenly flooded a large area of the room they were in.
"What was that?" Janet asked.
"This isn't a hallway," Dante said slowly. "It's…it's a hanger…"
"For what?" Janet asked.
"That," he said, pointing.
A medium size ship, slightly smaller than the Ragnarok, was resting on the ground. Its full length was a quarter of the size of the Prometheus. The black finish gleamed in the light. Dante slowly made his way towards it, a strange look in his eye. He walked around on the metal landings. He came to a halt at the front of the craft. Janet rested her hand on his.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I…I think it's an Ancient ship of some kind," he said. "I thought I saw some sort of opening near the back," he said.
"Great, so how do we get down?" Janet asked. Dante looked at her, a grin on his face. "Oh no…" she began. He picked her up and leapt over the railing. "Dante you jerk!" Janet yelled. He landed lightly on his feet. He gently set her down, a cocky grin on his face. She smacked him on the arm.
"Come on," he said. They walked around to the back of the ship and saw a pair of cargo doors opened. They stepped inside the ship and internal lights flared up. Ahead of them was a staircase that led to the cockpit. Behind the stairs was a door that led to the engine room. To their right was a single door. Dante peered inside and noticed that it was an airlock. On the left side of the ship were two doors. One led to a decent size room with a bed and some furnishings of a bedroom. The other door led to a large medical bay.
Dante walked up the steps and entered the cockpit. It was large enough to walk around in. To the left of the cockpit was one chair for auxiliary controls. On the right there were several Ancient space suits hanging on the wall. On the front left of the room was the pilot's seat, the copilot's seat opposite of it. A console separated the two seats and two bracers rested on it.
"Those look like the one Sam has," Janet observed.
Dante picked them up and noticed that one was smaller than the other. He shrugged out of his coat and pushed up his sleeve. He placed the large bracer on and it clicked closed around his left forearm. An image appeared on the view screen. It was the top half of an older looking man, long white hair around his weathered face.
"Greetings Dante and Janet Fraiser. That's right. I know who you are. And if you are listening to this recording, then it must mean you have found the Nightwing. It is a ship specifically designed to the both of you. Only you can use the armguards you now wear; only your genetic code can activate them. My name is Shen and I am an Alteran. I built this ship knowing that you would find it. I traveled through time to record history and discovered that the only way Atlantis can be saved is if the two of you join in the fight. This ship is yours. Use it well."
The recording turned off. Dante looked at Janet. "What do you think?" he asked.
She shrugged. "What've we got to lose? As long as we're together, I'm happy." She took the bracer from his hand and placed it on her left forearm. It closed around her arm. "Now what?" she asked.
"The Wraith will be here in less than forty-five minutes," he said. "Let's see what weapons this heap has." He slid into the pilot's seat and began looking over the controls. Janet wandered down to the medical bay and began poking through the room. She was amazed at the level of technology that was in the room, her mind reeling from the possible uses she could use the equipment for.
"Janet!" Dante called down a while later. "It's go time!"
Janet ran out of the room and up to the cockpit, sliding into the copilot's seat. "The Wraith?" she asked.
"They're here," he confirmed.
Dun dun duuuuuunnnnn! What will happen to Atlantis now? You'll have to wait to find out.
And for any McKay fans out there, I don't despise the man I...wait...yes I do... But that doesn't mean I don't...well...I can tolerate him. So he probably won't be getting killed.
Now, if you're a good reader, and I know you are if you've stuck with the story this long, use your cursor to click on that little review button. It's not like it'll end the world if you review. Just one little review a chapter is all I ask of you...hmm...now I feel like listening to Phantom...review or else I shall sic Erik and his Punjab lasso on you!
