Laura Cadman looked at the sketch she'd drawn. The rudimentary casings had come from the mess hall's leftover canned goods from the Daedalus' most recent supply run. She drummed her fingers on them, looking at the detonators she'd recently acquired.
It hadn't been the easiest thing to do. She had been painfully aware of the security feed, luckily that officer owed her a favor and had said he'd keep his mouth shut. Three detonators, crudely affixed to the canisters with a tiny amount of C4. It was just enough to rupture the canisters and spill the gas all over the place, without igniting it.
Of course there was no way to know for certain if it would actually work. She trusted Rodney about the chemical, despite her misgivings about chemical warfare. If any of her superiors found out, she'd be sitting without a commission in the marines. It was the one thing that worried her.
She sighed, leaning back, wishing Carson was here to give her a bit of support. God only knew she needed it. She needed to know she was doing the right thing, something kept bothering her about it. Maybe it was just deceiving everyone that trusted her.
This was Teyla's fight, and Laura knew it, Ronon and Rodney's too. It wasn't hers. Yet her friendship with Rodney, and her sympathy over the loss of John Sheppard had brought her into this team. For some reason that didn't feel right, was she really a part of the team, or just something everyone needed.
The gas had been delivered by Radek earlier, in a large burlap sack with three containers with the gas. The containers themselves were extremely flammable and easily burned, which was another thing needed to making a grenade.
Laura shifted in her seat and adjusted the desk lamp she was using to light her makeshift workbench. She carefully packed the first gas package into its container, then fastened the top back on. She'd cut a crude hole in the tops for the detonator. When the button was pressed, the timers were set for five seconds, then they'd explode, spilling the gas everywhere.
She checked the seal, tossing the grenade up in the air a few centimeters and catching it. Nothing shifted, which had been her first worry. The contents were table and not likely to go flying. The gas would be useless if it wasn't released from its container.
The second check she did was a simple detonator check, she pressed the button. There was a faint beep. She immediately pressed it again. There was another beep and it shut off. She'd programmed each of them with an extra second, just so she could run that test.
"Rodney you'd better be right about this." Laura muttered, moving on to the second grenade.
XXX
Ronon took another swipe at the punching bag, the impact allowed him to settle some of his anger. John Sheppard was the one person in the entire city he entirely trusted with his life. No one else had earned Ronon's trust. Not even Elizabeth Weir.
He slammed the punching bag on its peak swing away from him, reveling in the pain that shot up his arm. It allowed him to focus, to breath. For days he'd been seething, ready to fight at any moment. He'd been willing to go alone, but he knew he'd be stopped by the Earth marines, for his own good. At least thats what he knew they thought.
He'd been a runner from the wraith for eight years. His reflexes were honed like the end of a freshly sharpened spear. He could walk through that gate and take down most of the defenders, maybe. If they were waiting even he might be overwhelmed. He should've stayed with Sheppard, but McKay had to be defended.
The door to the gym opened, Ronon grunted and turned, expecting it to be another marine. Instead it was Teyla. She looked a bit tired, but what scared him was the amount of worry in her eyes. Beckett had promised to release her about now, so Ronon didn't worry.
"Teyla." He said with a nod.
"Ronon, has Doctor McKay told you of his plan to save Colonel Sheppard?"
"Briefly." Ronon replied, remembering the brief conversation with McKay. "Something about going without permission. Its the only thing keeping me here."
"I cannot find him." Teyla said, her voice sounded strange. Something mixed with worry and guilt. He wasn't sure about what. There was still the signs of her injury showing just below the waistline of her black tank-top.
"He said he'd find me." Ronon turned back to the punching bag. "You alright?"
"I am fine." Teyla snapped. "I have lost my connection to John... Colonel Sheppard... and I do not believe he has much time."
"You can't be distracted." He said calmly, turning back to face her and approaching.
"I am not distracted." Teyla said, in a quiet tone of voice, but he could still hear the subtle threat if he continued.
Ronon decided a different tactic. He faked a low punch. Teyla did more than dodge, she spun, dropping into an instinctive combat stance, a small smile coming to her face. Ronon lowered his center of gravity to match hers, tossing her a pair of sticks, he relied on one, which he kept for himself.
Teyla brought both up in her train grip. "You need not test my reflexes Ronon."
"Lets see about that." He finished quickly, taking a heavy swing towards her.
Teyla blocked it and redirected it out of the way, catching Ronon's counter swing with her second stick and then spinning on her left foot, using it as a pivot point. Ronon stepped back using his long stride to stay out of her range.
A single bead of perspiration fell from Teyla's eyebrow. Then she attacked, dropping low to take advantage of her small size. Ronon managed to parry her first two attacks, but got her elbow in his stomach on the third attack.
He grunted, he'd taken far worse. Teyla had arrested her blow at the last second. Enough for him to realize she could've knocked him down there. Teyla had already backed away. "Are you satisfied?" Teyla asked, the sharpness in her tone evident, but her expression was one of relief.
"Yeah." Ronon grinned, prompting another hit, this time in the arm from Teyla. "Just checking."
"Let us go find Doctor McKay." Teyla said, setting her sticks in the corner where the practice staffs rested.
XXX
"Hacking city security is stupid Rodney!" Radek exclaimed, finally realizing what Rodney was doing.
"All I have to do is lock out Elizabeth's pass code at 21h00 tonight." Rodney said, typing another string of commands into the keyboard. They were at the auxiliary control room, interfacing with the citywide network.
"And all it takes is for Elizabeth to look down at her console to see that we are doing this!" Radek said, again pointing out the obvious.
Rodney moaned. "And Elizabeth is busy getting dinner with Caldwell."
"What?" Radek asked. "I thought... they could not stand each other!"
"He's made impressive progress swooning our young doctor." Rodney said with a smirk.
"Define progress?" Radek said slowly.
"It means Elizabeth isn't inclined to let Sheppard kill him." Rodney finished the command line. "There, at 21h00 tonight, which is when we will make our escape, Elizabeth won't be able to override my security lock down until we're through the gate."
Radek took a deep breath. "I'm not going with Rodney."
"Why not Radek?"
"I will be hazard. I will slow you down."
"And you think Ronon and Teyla aren't used to it by now. You're coming with Radek because I'm not doing this alone." Rodney gave Radek a wistful smile. "Besides, two brains are better than one, because even me with all my mental capacity cannot compare to both of us."
"Is that compliment?" Radek asked, shocked.
"Uhhh... maybe." Rodney said quickly. He tapped his radio. "Cadman, you ready?"
"Yes Rodney." Laura replied over the radio.
"Ronon, what about you?"
"Been waiting, where should Teyla and I meet you?"
"Armory." Rodney turned to Radek. "Lets go."
XXX
Teyla walked in silence next to Ronon. She wasn't even concentrating on making it the armory, all her thoughts were focused on where he connection to John had been. Where there had once been his thoughts, there was nothing. It scared Teyla, maybe that woman had truly seen her.
She doubled her pace, further determined to get back to John before it was too late, before he was lost to them. Ronon kept stride easily, his longer legs allowing him to move quicker to begin with. The armory was guarded usually, but not generally well. Two guards were at the entrance.
"Ronon, Teyla." One of them said, nodding to them.
"We require access to the armory." Teyla said as calmly as she could. "Doctor McKay needs Ronon's weapon for a scientific experiment."
The guard nodded, and opened the door with a wave of his hand. Ronon stepped inside first, heading to the rack that held his usual off-world gear. He strapped the pistol to his waste and draped the sword across his back.
Teyla retrieved her jacket and vest, securing them both. She grabbed a P90, clipping it to her vest and extra ammunition, placing it on her belt. Instead of the normal pistol she carried off-world she took a hand held wraith stunner, holding it at the ready.
"We're gonna have to deal with the guards." Ronon said quietly.
"Are you set to stun?" Teyla asked.
Ronon checked. "Always in Atlantis."
She nodded, making her way to the doorway. She opened it again, the two marines turned around. "What's going on?" The one who had opened the door earlier asked.
"I am sorry." Teyla said, firing her stunner at one of them. Ronon shot the other. Teyla caught the one nearest to her, gently setting him down on the floor, Ronon again followed suit. "We will not have long."
Luckily, Rodney and Radek showed up just at that moment, followed by Laura. "Was that completely necessary!" Rodney yelled.
"They are unharmed." Teyla replied. "It will not be long before we are discovered. We must hurry."
"Right." Rodney, Radek, and Laura grabbed their gear from the armory. Teyla was surprised to see Rodney carrying a P90, he had only started carrying it occasionally now. They all carried stunners instead of pistols. In each of there hands were gas masks, with two extras.
XXX
Elizabeth yawed, looking down at her datapad while leaning back in her seat. It had been way to long of a day. On the datapad was her initial report on John's situation. It was enough, but she still had to go over it and make sure it was worded correctly, to prevent the committee from overreacting.
She could deal with Colonel Caldwell as her military commander. He didn't do things like John, nobody ever wood, but she didn't want to be sent someone new. She wanted someone she'd learned to deal with. Besides, he had the right intentions, and had become a much more agreeable person after the removal of the Goa'uld in him.
She dropped it on her desk. It was getting late and she had to get up early for a briefing with Major Lorne's team. She stood up and walked to the control room. Only a handful of technicians were on duty, most with some form of coffee on hand.
"Any activity on the city scanners?" She asked.
"Nothing, space is clear." The scientist replied.
"Good, and the city?"
The scientist bent over his console for a second. "Wait a second..."
Elizabeth turned to look at the gate for a second, just as a mix of blue and red stunner bolts took down all four marines on guard duty. She was just about to radio a security alert when she felt a stunner to her back.
"Don't make me Elizabeth." Rodney said, nearly stumbling over each word.
"What the hell is going on Rodney?" Elizabeth asked as Ronon and Teyla became visible in the gate room.
"We're rescuing Colonel Sheppard... and saving you from the international committee." Rodney replied.
Radek walked in front of Elizabeth, pushing the gate technician out of the way. Radek punched in the symbols on the DHD. Elizabeth noticed Laura Cadman walking around from the lower entrance, she was carrying three cylinders.
"Rodney.. this is crazy." She said.
"I know, but I seem to work miracles." Rodney gently pushed her to the control room. "I'm sorry Elizabeth."
"Rodney, don't..."
"And don't try to stop us." Rodney
said. "Ronon can hit anyone near the DHD from the gate room."
"Security lock down is in place." Radek said, getting up from the chair and engaging the Stargate.
"Throw the grenades." Rodney yelled to Ronon, Teyla, and Laura.
"What's in those grenades?" Elizabeth asked.
"You don't want to know. Its enough to get us there." Rodney pulled his gas mask down over his head. Radek followed suit.
"RODNEY!" Elizabeth yelled.
Rodney left Elizabeth standing there as he jogged down the steps and to the gate. Laura was silently counting, Teyla and Ronon both stood ready, their weapons in position. Ronon was facing the control room, watching. Elizabeth stood next to the glass, worry and concern written across her face.
"Its time." Laura said. "Let's go!"
Teyla and Laura stepped through first, followed by Ronon, then Rodney and Radek.
XXX
Elizabeth watched the Stargate shut down, and for a moment wondered if maybe she should have gone with them. John Sheppard was as important to her as he was to them. No, Rodney had saved her the political trouble by acting as a rogue.
She waited for only a few seconds when Major Lorne arrived with security. "What happened?" He asked.
"They're gone." Elizabeth said, turning away from him and heading back to her office.