If this is to end in fire
Then we should all die together
Watch the flames climb high into the night
Calling out for the rope, sent by and we will
Watch the flames burn on and on the mountain
Side hey
They're journey took them to another planet where there was an alien device that Rori could never have imagined. It was a huge ring that John described as a Stargate, which was pretty straightforward, a gate that transported the user to the stars. It was enough of an explanation for them, but Rodney went into a complicated explanation about how the gate worked. John rolled his eyes at his old friend and quickly tapped the symbols on the center console in some pre-determined order. The inside ring on the Stargate spun around and a liquid light spilled out of the center before settling back in a shimmering pool inside the ring. John guided the Jumper through the ring and they stopped in a large room. There was another Stargate across from them, it looked different, more elegant.
"Welcome back, Colonel Sheppard," a woman's voice filled the cockpit. Rori assumed it was some kind of built in communications.
"Only temporarily," John replied.
"I have a few supplies for you before you head to Pegasus," the woman said.
"We'll meet you in the bay, Sam," Rodney jumped in. He turned to John and pointed up. John maneuvered the little ship through a door in the ceiling and landed it on a platform that Rodney indicated.
"Very nice," John said. Obviously, the old Midway station wasn't as elaborate. He bounced out of the pilot seat as soon as the ship had stopped moving and headed for the back. He opened it up and led the group out. There were several docking platforms in the large, open bay. It could dock at least ten of the small ships and the center of the bay spanned from the door they'd come through all the way up to the top landing platform. They were about halfway up.
"Look Danny, not so cramped anymore," Steve teased.
Danny carefully looked over the edge of the platform. "Yes, cause this is much better," Danny snarked back. Rori gripped his hand reassuringly as a blonde woman joined them.
"General Carter," John greeted her with a hug. "Congratulations on the promotion."
"Thank you," Carter replied. "This the help that Rodney mentioned?"
"This is my wife, Rorianna Rivera and our husbands," John said, he paused a moment after that word to gauge the General's reaction.
"Husbands?" Carter asked.
"Yes. Commander Steve McGarrett, Doctor Hank Lawson, and Detective Danny Williams," John took on a proud tone, as if introducing them as his Ohana was the best decision he'd ever made.
"Congratulations on that," she replied. She seemed a little hesitant, but not judgmental.
"Thanks," John nodded his agreement as he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Now, what supplies do we have?"
"Not much, I'm afraid," Carter said. "The Jumper and a few weapons. Some food and water." Carter headed down the corridor and John followed.
"So, who's the new Commander of Atlantis?" John asked.
"You're not going to like it," Carter replied.
"Caldwell?" John asked. Rori had heard that name before. John had told her stories of an angry man who had tried to steal his command.
"The IOA decided the job was too big for one person," Carter said. "So, there's a board."
"A board?"
"Six people, two are politician, two scientists, and two military officers," Carter said. "Lorne is one of them."
"Lorne?!" John spat the name as if it were a disease. His anger was evident. Rori knew that name too, but he'd never told her, only mumbled it when he was having one of his nightmares. "No wonder they left Ronan to die."
"You know Lorne is a good man, you trained him," Carter said as they stopped by a door. John didn't reply. "You guys need to get the gear you need and head out quickly, the maintenance team will be back soon and you'll need to be gone before they get back."
"Cloak and dagger, huh," John said.
"It was the only way," Teyla said.
"Doctor, I didn't realize you were coming, so I only put a basic first aide kit aside. Would you like to check the infirmary for some more useful tools?" Carter asked Hank.
"I brought some, but I could use a few things I didn't have on my honeymoon," Hank replied sarcastically and Carter nodded down the corridor.
"You're starting to sound like Danno, Henry!" Steve called after him as he and the General headed off.
"Is he upset?" Teyla asked, confused.
"He's just overwhelmed. This isn't necessarily his kind of thing," Steve said.
"I'm not gonna lie, I could definitely use a cigarette right about now," Rori said to let them know she was pretty stressed out by the whole idea of other worlds and galaxies and aliens.
"Just wait, it gets better," John said with that same child-like glint in his eyes. He pulled open a plastic case that contained a handful of P90s, a few .45s, and some extra clips.
"It's like a Steve McGarrett toybox," Danny said when he caught sight of the weapons. Another case had tack vests and holsters.
"This is all she could get us?" John asked.
"The station isn't stocked for missions or wars," Rodney said.
"This one has food," Teyla said as she peeked in another case. "And water."
"Thank God, I'm starving!" Rodney said. He grabbed a power bar and ripped it open. They each carried a case to the Jumper and waited. Hank and Carter returned a moment later. Hank looked just like a kid in a candy store.
"We ready?" John asked when Hank set down a few items.
"I believe we are," Teyla replied.
"Good, we're out of time," Carter said. "When you get to Pegasus you won't have much time to board the hive before it launches again."
"And you're sure Ronan is on board?" John asked.
"No, we think he's running," Carter said. "But his location should be in the database."
"Understood," John said. He was apprehensive at best. It didn't make sense, if Ronan was running he was free to come back for help. She felt like she was missing some big piece of the puzzle. The look on Steve's face said she wasn't the only one.
"Good luck, John," Carter said.
He nodded and stepped onto the Jumper. "All aboard!" he called. Rori had already headed to the cockpit to claim shotgun and sat down in the chair. The console lit up and startled her.
"Oh, look at that," Rodney said.
"What did I do?" she asked.
"You have the ATA gene," he said. "It's a common throwback gene handed down by the Ancients."
"It's not that common," John said as he took the pilots seat. "But it means you'll be able to operate the Lantean technology." He wasted no time guiding the Jumper back into the room with the gates.
"That's cool," Rori said. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she felt like it somehow brought her closer to this world of John's.
"Just be careful," John warned. "Lantean tech can be pretty responsive to naturals."
"Naturals?"
"People who have the gene naturally," Rodney said as if it were common knowledge. "You guys ready? There's no turning back from here."
"Hell and back," Rori said confidently.
"Yes, well, careful what you wish for," Rodney warned.
"Alright, once we're through, follow my lead. Don't trust what you see on the ground. They can make you see things," John said. He lined the ship up with the more elegant Stargate and punched another code on the console. "Henry, stay in the middle of the group and we'll protect you."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Hank replied. He was nervous. He shouldn't be with them. He wasn't a cop, or even a military medic. This kind of mission wasn't for an emergency room Doctor. Rori had always kept him off the front lines as much as she possibly could. Why she had allowed him to come was a mystery to her, but it wasn't just her decision anymore.
"Here goes," John nodded to them and the ship shot through the gate. They were on a planet a moment later.
"Take the Jumper straight onto the ship," Rodney said. The thing he pointed to looked like a mountain complete with trees growing in tight clumps and a river flowing down the side.
"That's a ship?" Steve asked. Sometimes it felt like they were in her head, this was one of those times.
"A hive ship to be exact," Rodney confirmed.
"You make these aliens sound like bugs," she said.
"They evolved from bugs," John replied with a shudder. There had to be a story behind that. She decided it was probably best not to ask before they went on the mountain ship of doom.
A silence fell over the group as the Jumper coasted into a cave looking opening in the ship's exterior. John landed on a platform in room that looked much like the Midway station's docking bay. He sprang from his seat like it was on fire and reached for the P90 he'd set aside.
"Where are we going, Rodney?" John asked.
"I need to get to a console so I can plug in and find out where they have him," Rodney replied.
"Alright. Steve, Danny, up front with me. Rodney and Hank in the middle. Rori and Teyla cover our six," John directed. Rori was more than happy to defer command to him. This wasn't a Five-O mission and she was way out of her element. She was woman enough to admit that. They nodded acceptance of their orders. "Thank you for coming, guys, it means a lot," John added. He opened the back hatch of the Jumper and they filed out. "Remember where we parked." He clicked a button on a small device and the Jumper disappeared.
Rori stared at the space that the Jumper had occupied and took a steadying breath. Her heart was racing and she could feel her adrenaline rising.
"It is best not to linger," Teyla said and nodded after John.
They followed John's lead to a small room with a pedestal in the middle. The walls were organic looking, almost like bone with bits of skin and tendrils hanging off them. There was a fog covering the floor that made her nervous about walking, like she could step on something or fall in a hole. Rodney rushed over to the pedestal and plugged the computer into it. The flat thing that Rori assumed was a screen showed symbols that Rodney could apparently read. John, Danny, Steve, Teyla, and Rori took up defensive positions at the door. John and Steve crouched down in front with Rori, Danny and Teyla several feet behind them and staggered just so they wouldn't get caught by friendly fire.
"Hurry up, Rodney," John said.
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, they don't even know we're here yet," Rodney snapped.
"I'd rather them not know we're here at all, Rodney," John quipped back.
Rori could hear her own heart beating in her ears. The P90 was heavy in her hands and the trigger was solid, cold. It was more fire power than she normally preferred, but John had said she'd need it. He'd said if they didn't look human not to be shy about loading them up.
"Time's up, Rodney!" John shouted as a huge man with green skin, white hair, and some kind of mask over his face rounded the corner. Teyla and John opened fire simultaneously and the rest followed suit. Then men kept coming.
"Got it!" Rodney shouted. "He's here!" Rori could barely hear him over the sound of the weapons fire.
"Where?" John called out.
"Three levels up, holding cell," Rodney responded.
"Let's move!" John shouted.
Rori, Danny, and Teyla ceased fire a second before John and Steve stood up in front of them, continuing to fire. They were like choreographed performers, in sync for each and every move.
"Corridor on the left," Rodney guided.
Danny stepped up between Steve and John and helped lay down cover fire so the rest of them could move down the left corridor. Rodney led them to take the next right turn. He relayed directions for John and the guys through the radio. The gunfire behind them ceased and she heard the guys running to catch up.
"We held them off for now, but they'll send another wave," John reported. He took up the lead again and set a fast pace. Most of them had no trouble keeping up, but Rodney was starting to breath pretty heavily.
"Can we slow down?" Rodney asked.
"The Wraith know we're here," Teyla said, she had that slightly condescending, annoyed tone she'd taken with him earlier. "It is not wise to slow down."
"Suck it up, Rodney," John added.
"There's a transport at the end of the hallway," Rodney said after a moment of silence.
The door at the end looked like a spider web, which split open after John pressed a gooey looking spot on the wall. Rori shuddered at the thought of touching it. Wraith suddenly poured out of the door. John loaded the first one with bullets but the second one threw him aside and went for Steve. Rori pulled Hank back away from the aliens before opening fire herself, but the Wraith was right on top over her. She took a blow to the chest and fell backward. Her head bashed against the wall and darkness shrouded her vision.