Stargate Atlantis: Path of the Storm
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Chapter Fourteen
Bates and Ford were the first ones through the gate and automatically secured the area, Cummings and Nivera were next to follow and then Summers and Reed. Bates barked an order to the two of them and they stayed put as the gate shut down. The Bre'tar homeworld was far more beautiful than any reports had mentioned, Bates thought while glancing back to the scientists who were quietly conferring about the next course of action to take.
"Think they have any idea of where to start?" Ford asked quietly, he didn't take his eyes from the road before him as he posed the question. Bates didn't even have to time to think of a response to that question but he didn't want it to sound like he'd already made up his mind about it.
"Probably not," he replied his tone the same as Ford's. "But they have to start somewhere right?" Ford glanced to Bates with a look of disapproval then back to the scientists.
"Right," Ford muttered.
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Silveas sat outside of the building where the terrible events had taken place, he hadn't moved for many hours. He was feeling great guilt over his treason to Teyla, endangering her life like that for someone who was so willing to bring harm to people. He pulled back his hood and rested his hands on his knees, looking up into the sky.
"Silveas?"
He barely acknowledged Jeana as she stood there with a cup of untainted Drila in her hands. The women kneeled down next to him and offered it to him, Silveas looked at her and shook his head slowly before casting his gaze back up to the sky. Jeana retracted her hands and placed the cup down to her side, looking down to the ground.
"You are feeling guilt Silveas?" Jeana spoke calmly though her expression didn't resemble that calm. "We are all feeling it."
"When did we reduce ourselves to acts such as this?" Silveas asked not paying her any attention, his eyes were still on the bright sky as if a higher being up there would give him all the answers he desperately dared to seek. "Our people have always been honorable and proud."
"We still are, Silveas."
"Are we?" he asked shooting her a look and getting to his feet. "We are nothing more than accessories to murder. Teyla Emmagan may not even survive, especially if she doesn't get the antidote. You know how deadly Eicatlia is when consumed in vast amounts."
Jeana was painfully aware, after all she was a chemist and had come up with the dangerous concoction in the first place. "I know," she said gently then got to her feet slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We could always contact Atlantis and give them the antidote." She brushed a strand of red hair from her face with a hopeful expression. "Help rebuild relations."
"They would never accept us on our word Jeana," Silveas answered. He let out an audible sigh as he turned to face her. "I fear we may have sold out our reputation for the sake of the protection from someone we don't even know we can trust."
"On that you are correct."
Silveas looked past Jeana to the source of the voice, Commander Kolya was standing there with his weapon aimed at them. Two of his people were either side of him; Jeana also turned round to see this alarming sight. Kolya looked to Silveas and Jeana in turn as he addressed them both. "I thought the Bre'tar were people of honor and pride," he said holstering his own weapon and putting his hands behind his back. "You doubt my intentions when you are capable of this sort of behavior?" he asked intently. "If you were truly as you claimed, you would never have agreed to this in the first place!"
He let the comment hang in the air for a while but neither Silveas or Jeana saw fit to respond to this so he continued. "I don't like liars," Kolya snapped taking a few steps forward so he was nose to nose with Silveas.
"You deceived us," Silveas replied with a haunted expression. It had taken him this long to discover that and it made Kolya want to laugh in his face, however the Genii commander was a much more composed man than that. "You never intended to help us, you used us to get to Teyla Emmagan, to get to her friends."
Kolya stared at the man with an impassive expression. "You're not a very bright man are you?" he said quickly while unholstering his weapon and taking a step back. "Take her." Kolya's men moved forward and seized Jeana by the arms. Silveas made a move to intervene but Kolya simply raised the weapon and shot him. The Bre'tar hit the ground and watched on helplessly as they dragged Jeana in the direction of the Stargate. Silveas rolled onto his back, placing a hand against the wound on his stomach and took in deep breaths.
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Doctors Nivera and Cummings were still debating where to start first. Bates had what could only be described as an angry expression that he was trying to cover up, Reed and Summers were too occupied by keeping a look out that they didn't notice the two arguing and screaming at one another. Sometimes Ford wondered why some of these guys were scientists and not military, most of them seemed to be better equipped to handle situations than people he knew. The thought was unrelated to this and zoning out right about now was something he couldn't afford. He had a distinct scream coming from the direction of the village; Bates also looked up having heard it.
Reed and Summers ran up ahead in order to check it out while Bates ushered the scientists out of sight into some nearby trees. The foliage was more than enough to keep them concealed incase what ever was happening in the village escalated into something more dangerous and from the previous experience with these people, that was always something to consider. Ford remained where he was with his P90 raised as Reed ran back into sight, followed by Summers. "Looks like the Genii sir," he quickly reported. "And they have hostages.
Ford didn't have very long to make a decision, did he confront them or did he let them lead him to where Kolya had taken John Sheppard? He glanced to Bates who was in the process of getting the scientists out of the way for their own protection. "Let's go," Ford said quickly motioning for Reed and Summers to follow him and for Bates to keep a low profile. Once there, he crouched down on the ground and pulled out his binoculars just in time to see Kolya and four of his men with two people, a man and a woman. They were struggling against them but to no avail.
Kolya approached the Stargate and Ford's initial thought would be that he was going to walk straight past it, instead he stood next to it and start dialing up a sequence. He had taken Sheppard offworld and Ford's eyes widened, this was their chance and he lowered them. "Anyone have a digital camera?" he enquired quietly. Most of the looks he received weren't exactly comforting so he repeated the question, Nivera handed hers over which Ford then gave to Reed. "As soon as the last man is through, I want you to run to the gate and take as many pictures as you can of the DHD."
Reed looked to Bates with a questioning look but it seemed that the sergeant was catching up with Ford's idea and gave him a small nod of encouragement. Kolya and his men were through already and Ford looked to Reed shouting: "Go!"
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(A/N: I am finally going to finish this off and due to watching Common Ground, I feel a need for some serious Kolya and Sheppard scenes so lets say my creative streak is back. Enjoy the first two back to back chapters. I only hope to update more. Kelly.)