A/N: I don't own these characters. See previous chapters for full disclaimer.

A/N: I relied on transcripts for information on The Tower, so I may have got some things wrong. This is still slow due to other things, like life and papers. I had no idea it would be so long!

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Walk in the Park

The Atlantis flagship team gathered in the gate room preparing for a trip to the planet that had previously provided them with extra jumpers and drones. As Colonel Edward Sheppard walked up to join the group, he found himself being assessed by his son, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. John was in full team leader mode, and the safety of his team, including his father, was now his main concern. John nodded as he joined the group.

"I see you have all your gear. I don't know if I mentioned it, but we do complete gear, including weapons, for every mission since there are still so many unknowns in this galaxy."

His father nodded. "Completely reasonable precautions. I hope you don't mind, but I brought my own hand gun."

John raised his eyebrows, but nodded. "Didn't know you had one with you. If it's a 9 mil, we have extra ammo. If not, you could be out soon."

"Yes, it's a 9 mil. I had it with me on my last six tours, and I've kind of gotten used to its weight and feel. I also have two extra clips."

"Fine," said John, turning to the eight Marines that were going with them. "Are you guys up for carrying the generator?"

"Yes, sir," said one, a sergeant that had come in recently on the Daedalus and had only just been certified for offworld missions. His uniform had Rogers as his name.

"Thank you, Sergeant Rogers. We'll be switching off carrying it since it is around five klicks from the gate to the tower. Are the rest of your men ready?"

"Yes, sir," responded Rogers. His eagerness was obvious.

John narrowed his eyes and approached the sergeant. "I know this is your first mission, Rogers, so I want to remind you to listen to your men. They have some experience and can keep you from making mistakes."

"Yes, sir, you can depend on me, sir."

John nodded. "OK, stay alert." He then moved on to Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney. "OK, where's Beckett?"

"Here, Colonel," said the doctor, coming into the gate room at a brisk walk. He had a full pack of medical supplies with him, and he already had sweat around his hairline.

"Carson, are you sure you need all that equipment? It will get heavy," said John, eyeing the pack and calculating the weight if it were to be distributed among the other members of the team.

"I am kitted out for a walk in the park with you, Colonel.

"Right,' said John, rolling his eyes. He looked up to Elizabeth, standing on the balcony over the gate room. "Ready when you are."

"Fine, Colonel, you have a go. Dial the gate."

The chevrons began to spin around the large ring as the technicians entered the gate address. Five chevrons were locked in when John reached over to pull his father back a few steps.

"You really don't want to be in the path of the wormhole when it engages, sir," he said with a grin.

The older colonel, looking a little sheepish, looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Teyla was smiling encouragingly, but no one else seemed to care. "Got it," he said. "Can I count on you to keep me out of similar trouble?"

"Yep, I got your six, and my team will stick around as well."

"Thanks, son."

At that point the wormhole engaged.

"OK, move it out," said John, motioning to the marines to lead the way with the generator. To his father, he said, "Remember to keep moving on the other side."

The older colonel grinned and stepped through the gate eagerly. John looked up at Elizabeth and saw her smile and her "Be safe" before he, too stepped through the event horizon.

The planet was as they remembered it, heavily forested with the tower in the distance.

"OK, Teyla take point, Ronon, take our six. Marines, two men stay here by the gate, two on the generator, with a ten minute rotation. Let's go, people."

The generator was carried on a kind of palate with handles for a Marine on each side. The first two picked it up and headed off after Teyla with Rodney and the rest of the Marines following. Rodney walked along with John and his father.

"I bet he hasn't told you about his thing for ascended women."

"McKay?"

Edward Sheppard looked confused. "What is an ascended woman?"

"The ancients, as we call them, the folks who built Atlantis and the stargates, don't exactly die. Instead, they ascend to a higher plane of existence from which they watch what happens without stepping in to fix anything."

"And you've run into some of these people?" asked Edward Sheppard, looking at his son.

"Yeah, I got stuck in a time dilation field with a group that was trying to ascend. I was there for six months –"

"Actually, four hours –"

"To me it was six months of boredom in the form of meditation punctuated by short moments of total terror."

"Terror?" The older colonel's eyebrows reached his hairline.

"The village folks were being beset by a monster of some kind and they wouldn't fight it. In fact, I found the village by saving one of its people. In return, they put me up for six months."

"Four hours."

"McKay!"

"Anyway," continued Rodney, "One of these hoping-to-ascend people was, of course, a beautiful female who obviously had the hots for him."

"Right, so much so that she ascended right in front of me."

"Then, of course, there was Chaya, . . . "

"I think we've had enough of this conversation," stated John, firmly, as the village came into sight.

McKay nudged Edward and whispered, "I have some photos if you're interested, later."

John just glared at McKay as the group entered the village. They were welcomed, but not as warmly as previously, and Teyla couldn't help noticing there were far fewer people than before.

"Eldred, where are your people?" she asked, approaching their leader and fearing the answer.

"Unfortunately, the Lord Protector is no longer protecting us from the wraith. We have been culled twice in the last four months."

John looked concerned. "Well, we hope we can fix that situation. Teyla and Ronon, why don't you stay here with Carson and see what you can do for the villagers. The rest of us will head up to the tower."

"Do you wish a guide, Colonel Sheppard?"

"No, I think I remember the way. Let's go."

The group of nine, Rodney, John, his father, and the six Marines, headed into the woods and were soon approaching the entrance to the tower. Suddenly John's radio clicked.

"Wraith!" he heard, in Teyla's distinctive voice.

Just as she cleared the channel he heard another click. "Sir, we are seeing three bogies headed your way."

"Did they come through the gate, Sergeant?"

"Negative, they just swooped down from space."

Great, that meant a hive ship was in orbit.

"Sergeant, stay there and guard the gate. We may need to make a quick get away." He pointed to two Marines. "You two return to the village to help Ronon, Teyla, and Beckett. The rest of you, double time!"

The group made it to the tower door before they heard the distinctive whine of the wraith darts. John pushed open the door and they all ran into the throne room.

"McKay, get that generator hooked up. Marines, deploy around the door."

Edward Sheppard, entering behind the Marines carrying the generator, saw what he would consider faded opulence. Beyond a central chamber he could see what appeared to be a throne with several men working around it and arguing among themselves

McKay was already hurrying to the throne, muttering under his breath. "Walk in the park, he said. No problem, he said. Hah! The Sheppard luck strikes, and once again I have to pull off a miracle!" Already typing on his laptop to pull up the diagnostic programs, he motioned with his chin to indicate where the Marines should place the generator.

"Halt! Stand and declare yourselves!"

Everyone froze. A young, nervous guard stood only ten feet away from John, pointing a serious weapon at him. McKay and the Marines froze by the chair. The Marines by the door raised their weapons, but John motioned them down.

"Easy, soldier," said Sheppard, holding up his hands placatingly. "We're here to help, and to do that I need to get to the chair." John moved to approach the throne dais and the guard got in his way.

"None but those with the blood of the protectors can approach the throne."

"Well, I happen to have that, and it looks like you need it," said Sheppard, moving again carefully to the throne. Rodney had returned to pulling plates off the bottom of the chair and taking tools out of his pack. The men who had been milling about the chair earlier stared at Sheppard, not noticing the scientist at the foot of the dais.

"Tell them to back off!" said the guard, looking more and more agitated.

Rodney could be heard in the background yelling at the Marines. "Be careful with that. An accident would be a bad idea right now."

"Look, do you know Mara? Just get Mara. She can explain everything," said John, carefully, again approaching the chair.

Hearing Mara's name, another guard nearby quickly moved to the northern staircase and disappeared.

"Stop!" shouted the guard, and he fired his weapon at John.

John, not expecting a shot, spun from the impact on his shoulder.

Rodney jumped up, scattering his tools. "Don't shoot him, you fool, he's the only one who can really operate the chair."

The guard looked stunned. Edward Sheppard rushed over as his son collapsed. A Marine at the door used the guard's moment of inattention as an opportunity to subdue him without shots fired. He looked up from securing the guard's weapon to see John being helped to a seated position by his father and Rodney.

John took a breath with a hiss of pain. "I guess I should be thankful the kid missed at this distance. Of course, the kid also probably didn't mean to fire quite so soon. Dad, help me get to the chair. Rodney, finish the generator."

The men, who had been trying to get the chair to work, alternately sitting in the chair and arguing with each other, now turned on Rodney.

"What are you doing!"

"I'm fixing your throne, as you call it. It is really an ancient weapons chair, but I know you prefer the feudal point of view."

While Rodney worked, Edward Sheppard slapped a field dressing on the gunshot. "Looks like it might have broken your left collar bone."

"Feels like it," said his son through clenched teeth.

The men around the chair approached him.

"I remember you," said one. You fought with Otho who died by the poison on his own knife.

"That's right," replied John. "What happened here?"

"The last Lord Protector was unable to use the throne to turn away the wraith. There have been two wraith attacks with no defense, and the court has disbanded and gone into hiding. We remain to attempt to use the chair, but our blood is not strong enough."

"I don't think it's your blood but your lack of power, and we should be able to fix that."

John moved to sit in the chair just as his radio clicked again.

"Colonel, we have moved the villagers into the woods, but the wraith are landing. I think there is a hive ship present."

"Roger, Teyla, the guys at the gate say it wasn't activated, so we have a hive. Has everyone scattered?"

"Yes, that was the most we could do. They have no caves for protection."

"Acknowledged. Do what you can. We should have some defense soon. Sheppard out." Looking down at the scientist, he said, "McKay, now would be a good time."

"Hold your -- Ah!"

On that last note, the chair lit up under John and reclined automatically. John closed his eyes, making contact with the chair and checking on the drones.

"Looks like we have plenty of drones. Is that your info. McKay?"

"Yes, yes, plenty of drones," said Rodney, typing again and reviewing data generated by the chair. "It looks like these are in silos as well, so keep that in mind if you have trouble launching any."

With that, John concentrated, and the men of the tower could see the drones rise up and begin to arc toward the sky. Their faces were wreathed in smiles of relief that the protection of the planet was now assured.

Edward Sheppard, witnessing his son use his gene to harness the power of the ancients, moved toward the door so he could see the outside effects of the weapons. As he watched, one drone took out a wraith dart that was approaching the tower entrance. Most of the drones, however, were aiming at a point above the atmosphere and invisible from the planet.

A noise behind him caused him to whirl around in time to see a beautiful blonde woman, dressed in a style reminiscent of the Middle Ages, hurrying down the stairs toward the throne room. She stopped as she saw John Sheppard in the throne chair. Glancing at the windows, she, too, looked relieved to see the weapons fly. She approached the throne and stood with the others from her city, watching in appreciation while her people were saved.

After about twenty minutes, John slowly raised the chair. "The hive is destroyed as well as the darts that had launched," he said, moving carefully to a fully upright position.

Rodney checked his data again and smiled. "Yes. There is still enough energy in the generator to power the chair for ten more attacks comparable to this. If it takes the wraith that long to figure out the planet is protected, they should be destroyed for stupidity if for no other reason."

John looked toward his father but was caught by the sight of Mara. Seeing her, he smiled and moved to stand, but swayed before he remembered his injury.

"Mara, I'm glad you're here," he said, leaning on the chair as his head cleared. At her look of concern, he added, "We were trying to explain to the guards that we just wanted to help, but one took exception to our offer. He's over there," he concluded, indicating the bound guard who was just regaining consciousness.

"Let me send for a healer."

"Thanks, Mara, but that won't be necessary. We brought our own healer with us, and I can get treatment from him in just a little while. Rodney, is there anything they need to know about the generator?"

"Just leave it alone. If you do, you should probably be able to use it for another ten or twelve attacks. The chair will operate just like it did before when someone with the gene, uh, blood sits down in it."

"But that is the problem. We have no one with the blood left to control the throne," said Mara, twisting her hands.

"No, Mara, we think the chair wouldn't work because there was no power connected to it. Look," continued John, "Why don't you get a couple of the folks you thought had the blood and try it again."

Mara didn't look convinced, but she indicated to the men who had stayed that they should try again. As one sat in the chair, it glowed faintly. Sighs of appreciation were heard, and the one seated concentrated.

"Yes," he said, "I can now feel the power of the throne."

Mara smiled at Sheppard but there was some speculation in her gaze. "Thank you for restoring the throne to us. Our people are safe, now." She paused and approached John, placing a hand on his arm and looking at him longingly. "But to truly protect us, we need the blood of the ancestors renewed for us. Please, John Sheppard, give me your child."

McKay, who was packing up his gear, shook his head in disgust. "What IS it with you, Kirk?"

John's father choked on a laugh.

John, having heard a similar request not long ago, took Mara's hand off his arm, with a strange expression on his face, a mixture of determination and disgust. "I told you last time, Mara, I am not willing to do this."

"But why?" she pleaded. "I did not think you found me unworthy or lacking."

"No, that's not it. It's just," and John paused, wondering how to explain this to a woman of her culture. "I would not want a child of mine raised here without me. . ."

"But you could—"

"No, Mara, I could not move here. I am needed on At--, uh, at home. Now, I was wondering if we could trade for the generator."

Mara was looking at the floor, a frown on her face, but she looked up at his last words. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we brought you a generator to power the chair. We were hoping you would allow us to take another jumper, one of the ships downstairs, in trade for it."

"You may have the jumper, as you call it, in exchange for the generator . . . and your seed."

John, in pain and exasperated, shook his head. "No, I am not going to father a child that will never know me. Rodney, unhook the generator."

McKay, who had followed this conversation with fascination, now looked at John in confusion. "Disconnect it? I thought we came here to let them have it."

"Yes, but remember Elizabeth said in exchange for a jumper. Since that is not forthcoming, we need to pack it up and get out of here."

"Wait," said Mara, a defeated look on her face. "We will allow you to have the jumper. But I ask you to please reconsider. We need the blood of the ancestors to protect our people. Surely you could spare one child to such a cause."

John paused again, noticing that his father had a shocked look on his face. Yeah, that was going to be an interesting conversation. "Mara, I will think on this, and I will speak to our healer. But I make no promises."

"I understand." She looked around, seeming to notice the shabbiness of the hall for the first time. "I am sorry we cannot entertain you as we did during your first visit, but things have become difficult. Perhaps with the throne restored we shall be able gather the court again."

"Perhaps," said John, just to say something. "Now, we need to get our people back home. Could I go to the ship, now, and prepare it for transport?"

"Of course. Do you remember the way?"

"Yes. Rodney, you're with me. Dad, Marines, head back toward the gate to rendezvous with Teyla, Ronon, Beckett and the other Marines. We'll meet you in the meadow in front of the gate." John keyed his mike at that point. "Teyla, this is Sheppard."

"Yes, Colonel."

"Is everything OK there?"

"Yes, the villagers were grateful to see the lights rise from the tower once again."

"Uh, great. Look, gather everyone and head on back to the gate. We've got the jumper and we'll all meet there."

"Yes, Colonel, Teyla out."

"Sheppard out," said John, finally looking back to everyone. "Rodney, you ready?"

"Yeah, but I can't carry my stuff and your stuff, too," he said,

John snorted and shook his head. "Didn't ask you to, McKay." Using his right hand, he gingerly picked up his gear that he had taken off when his shoulder was treated. He stuffed his left hand in his pocket to keep stress off of his shoulder. "We'll see you guys at the gate."

"You sure you're OK to fly?" asked Edward Sheppard, who knew his son's tendency to downplay his injuries.

"Yeah, I'm good. The jumper really just needs my mind. Besides, McKay is a backup pilot." With a nod, he and Rodney headed to the tower's jumper bay.

Edward Sheppard looked at the Marines, realizing, just then, that John had left him in command.

"Are we ready, sir?" said a corporal.

"Yes, corporal. Will you take point?"

"Aye, sir."

"Good, let's move out." And with that, the small group of Marines, led by a retired colonel, left for the gate, leaving behind the remnants of a feudal society and a thwarted woman.

TBC

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