John could feel the burn in his legs, but he tuned it out. He stopped and gave Teyla a moment to find her balance before he released his grip on her waist, before reaching into his vest and pulling out his detector.
Her arm still draped over his shoulder, Teyla used him to steady herself. "How far?" she gasped.
John took a deep breath. "Half mile at the most." He looked over at Teyla, his gaze narrowing. A sheen of sweat covered her brow and her breathing was rapid. They'd kept a fast pace, but Teyla had been hobbling along on one good leg the whole distance, and she was exhausted, although he knew she wouldn't own up to it. "Let's take ten." He slipped the detector back into his vest pocket.
"I am fine. It is imperative that we get to the base as soon as possible."
Her answer was predictable, but John still wouldn't have anything to do with it. The small smile he gave her was a knowing one. "I wasn't talking about you," he lied. "I'm exhausted." He winked at her.
Teyla smiled slightly and turned her head away for a moment, before she looked back at him and nodded.
John shrugged out from under her shoulder and held tightly to her forearm as he slowly lowered her to the ground. He knelt and unclipped the canteen from his belt before holding it out to her. "How's the knee?"
Teyla took a long sip and then handed the canteen back to him. "It is… painful. But I will be fine."
John took one sip of water before returning the canteen to his belt and looking back the direction they'd come from. Without communications, he had no idea what Rodney and Ronon's situation was, or even if they were still alive. The fact that they hadn't radioed him was a pretty clear indication that Rodney hadn't had any success with the jumper's power systems yet. John pursed his lips and hoped they were okay.
"Trust in their skills, John." Teyla spoke quietly. "They can take care of themselves, and each other."
John sighed. "Yeah." He drew in a deep breath and stood, before extending his arm to Teyla. "We need to keep moving."
Teyla nodded in agreement and took his hand.
John pulled her to her feet but froze as her expression turned guarded and she stiffened slightly. She looked past him and around them, before her eyes met his. "It is too quiet," She whispered.
John looked behind him and then back at her. He couldn't see or hear anything, and that alone made him uneasy. He draped her arm over his shoulder and once more wrapped his free arm around her waist. "Let's go." Without another word, they continued on their way.
---------------------
"The trees are thinning."
Ronon resisted the urge to roll his eyes at McKay's obvious statement. "Yep."
"At least we'll be able to see more than ten feet in front of us," Rodney pointed out.
"Easier to attack us; we'll be out in the open," Ronon commented absently as he looked around. To his right, he could see a pond.
"Can't you ever see the positive in anything?" Rodney snapped.
"You're one to talk." Ronon's gaze narrowed and he stopped abruptly as he spotted motionless bodies ahead of them. He stiffened. "Beasts."
"Oh no," Rodney lamented quietly.
Ronon took one step forward and nodded to himself. "They're dead."
"Sheppard and Teyla killed them?"
Ronon cautiously walked towards the first body and noted the bloody wounds in the side of the dead animal. "Yep. Gunshot wounds."
Rodney looked around. "They had a hell of a fight."
Ronon smiled smugly. "But they won." His gaze fixed on a beast floating motionless in the pond. He looked down and saw skid marks in the mud leading down to the shore. Following them, he slid down to the water's edge.
"What is it?" Rodney hurriedly followed him.
"Not sure." Ronon looked around before pointing at a depression in the dirt. "Someone lay there." He pointed at the torn up mud near the water. "Someone was dragged out of the water there." He knelt and picked up a discarded plastic wrapper. "Bandage." He looked up at Rodney. "One of them is injured." His gaze returned to the depression in the dirt. Worry sprang up deep inside him and he resisted the urge to take off at a full run to find his friends. He knew McKay would never be able to keep up, and he wouldn't leave the scientist behind and alone.
"Oh no…." Rodney breathed in sharply. "Which one?"
Ronon looked up at him. "Does it matter?"
Rodney shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Well, no but…."
"Teyla," Ronon interrupted. He pointed at the depression. "Too small for Sheppard." He stood and walked a few paces before he isolated a specific set of tracks. "They left." He pointed. "Combat boots. Too big to be Teyla, has to be Sheppard. His stride is uneven." He pointed at one more boot print that followed the same track as the other two but to one side. "Teyla's leg is injured. Only one print, and it's deep, as if she carries all her weight on one foot. Sheppard is helping her, that's why his stride is rough." Ronon looked up and off in direction that the boot prints led. "That'll slow them down. If we move quickly, we might be able to catch up to them."
"How quickly is quickly?"
Ronon turned and glared at him. Without another word, he took off at a brisk trot, following the tracks. Behind him, he heard Rodney's loud sigh but the scientist followed without comment. But Ronon only made it a dozen steps before his instincts screamed a warning at him and he stopped dead in his tracks. "McKay!" He turned and pulled his gun.
Rodney staggered to a stop and stared wide-eyed at him. "What?" He grabbed his Beretta.
Ronon sniffed once and stared over the top of his gun, looking for anything that needed to be shot. His gaze narrowed. His eyes saw nothing, but his instincts refused to be silenced. After his instincts had kept him alive for seven years as a Runner, he wasn't about to start discounting them now. "Something's out there."
Rodney edged closer to him. "I don't suppose its Sheppard and Teyla?" he asked hopefully.
"No," Ronon answered. "Beasts. Probably smelled the blood." He turned and faced the opposite way to McKay.
"Oh, this is so not good," Rodney whispered. "Can't we just… you know, get away?"
"We're surrounded," Ronon answered flatly. He took a deep breath, relishing the familiar adrenaline as it coursed through him. "We'll have to fight our way out."
"Not what I wanted to hear," Rodney grumbled.
"McKay," Ronon spared Rodney a warning glance.
"I know, I know, I get it." Rodney raised his gun.
Ronon returned his attention to the empty space around him… empty to his eyes, but his instincts told him it was cluttered with danger and heightened his senses. He could feel the beasts nearby, sense the absence of other animals… taste the danger. His reflexes reacted almost before his eyes perceived a threat, and two shots from his gun dropped an attacking beast. Behind him, he could hear gunfire, but he could only focus on the attackers before him.
-----------------------
John stopped as he and Teyla crested a small hill. Before them, in the near distance, he could see the rubble remains of a structure. Though worn and battered, the architecture was definitely Ancient. He looked over at Teyla and smiled slightly. "That's it."
Teyla returned the smile. "Yes. How much time do we have?"
John looked down at his watch and his smile faded. "It's already been two hours. We've missed our check in. Hope we can figure out how to warn the rescue party quickly." He tightened his grip on Teyla and started down the decline. "Our friends still around?"
Teyla nodded. "Yes, they're…." She stumbled to a stop, her sudden move pulling John off balance slightly.
He staggered but compensated. "What? Beasts?"
"Yes." Teyla pulled away from him and lowered her injured leg. She hissed in pain, but stood on her own two feet before raising her gun.
"Damn it," John muttered. He raised his own weapon and looked around. "Where…?" His voice trailed off as a beast suddenly appeared right before him. Immediately, he opened fire.
--------------------------
Richard would never put his instincts up against any one of the Atlantis veterans. After all, he'd spent his life as a bureaucrat, pushing papers and judging others. But he couldn't help but think of the hesitation he'd had when he'd sent his alpha team off on this mission in the first place. Now, in hindsight, he wished he'd revoked his permission entirely. Instead, he was now staring at an active wormhole, waiting for a reply that wasn't coming. "Colonel Sheppard this is Atlantis. Please respond." He really didn't know why he'd tried hailing the team again when the first three attempts had been fruitless. Sighing deeply, he turned around and met gazes with his operations officer. "Shut it down, Amelia. Then call Major Lorne to my office immediately." Richard barely waited for her nod before he turned and headed for his office, his stride purposeful.
He stopped just across the threshold, his gaze landing on the picture of his beloved Yorkie which sat on the bookcase behind his desk; just one more prize his ex-wife had taken. His gaze narrowed slightly. The divorce had been messy: she'd called him judgmental, uncompromising, and critical, amongst other terms he preferred not to think about. It hadn't been any concern of the IOA when they'd chosen him, but his strife with his ex-wife had a lot to do with his accepting the post. Coming to Atlantis had been a way to make a fresh start.
His thoughts turned to his command of Atlantis. Ever since the expedition's inception, he'd followed the events on Atlantis closely: scrutinized every decision, even spoken out against choices Weir had made….
That was until he'd seen Weir in action, and seen those decisions being made in real time. His perspective had changed at that moment, and from then on forward, he'd had nothing in his heart but admiration for her. The tragedy of her loss had been substantial; unbeknownst to even Colonel Sheppard, he'd nearly lost his position with the IOA defending the actions that had led to her demise, defending her, and even Sheppard, against the criticism of the other IOA members. The dose of reality Carter had given him last year had only reinforced his belief in and respect for the people that commanded the base before him. But when the IOA had decided to remove Carter from command, no amount of protesting on his part could change their minds. And when they'd offered command to him, it was something he couldn't resist.
He'd come here with every intention of going by the book, following the rules, and running a tight, orderly base. Atlantis and Pegasus, it seemed, had other ideas: from the get go, he'd found himself bending the rules and making decisions much like his predecessors had. Briefly, he wondered what his ex-wife would think of her uncompromising and judgmental ex-husband now.
Richard walked around his desk, running his hand over the smooth surface, before he slowly lowered himself into his chair. Bending and even breaking the rules he truly believed in was something he still struggled to reconcile within himself, but, as he watched Lorne cross Ops and head towards his office, Richard pushed aside that internal argument for another day. He waited another moment until Lorne stood in his doorway. "Major," he said, as he gestured to a chair. "Have a seat."
Lorne walked into his office. "With all due respect, Mr. Woolsey, I'd rather stand." He tilted his head. "Colonel Sheppard's team?"
Woolsey sighed. He'd read Sheppard's report on Lorne more than once, and knew the colonel's praise of the major wasn't unfounded. Lorne had good instincts. "They missed their check in and aren't responding to our calls."
Lorne nodded once. "I'll get a team together right away. I want Zelenka too. Don't know what we're facing out there, but it'd be good to have him along, just in case." He turned, but only took two steps before he stopped and looked back at Woolsey. "With your permission, Mr. Woolsey?"
Richard stared back at him for a moment. There was no way to know exactly what had happened to Sheppard's team and it was a very real possibility that Lorne's team could suffer the same fate the instant they passed through the Stargate.
"Mr. Woolsey?" Lorne's voice was edged with urgency.
"We never leave our people behind, Mr. Woolsey, that's one of many things I've learned from Colonel Sheppard." Richard could hear Elizabeth's voice, uncompromising in her defense of Sheppard, echoing in his head. Of all the things she'd ever said to him, that one statement stuck in his mind more than anything else. It was a military tradition but, as they found themselves cut off alone in the Pegasus galaxy that first year, it'd become part of the fabric of the expedition's culture.
"Mr.… Woolsey." Lorne repeated pointedly.
"Go." Richard responded. He watched Lorne's retreating back and hoped silently he hadn't sent another team to share his alpha team's fate, whatever it was.
------------------------------
Rodney's hand easily found the eject for his gun, and he dropped the empty clip and loaded another one. In spite of the danger, the irony of how easily he could reload wasn't lost on him. He, Doctor Rodney McKay, a man who had little or no use for physical violence, reloading a gun with practiced expertise.
Rodney pushed the thought aside and concentrated on firing on one approaching beast and then another; anything moving towards him was fair game. He kept a half watch on Ronon, who was soundly dispatching attackers behind him, but Rodney was forced to concentrate on dealing only with the beasts attacking from his side. Deep down, he knew Ronon wouldn't let anything attack him from behind; Ronon had his six, as Sheppard would say, and Rodney was bound and determined to return the favor.
Again, Rodney was forced to reload and yet Ronon kept firing, his gun seemingly inexhaustible. Got to get one of those! Rodney slipped another clip into place and fired. "How many are there?" he yelled, not particularly expecting an answer.
"Lots!" Ronon shouted back.
At that moment, Rodney wished he could spare the attention for a scathing reply, but it was all he could do to keep his attackers at bay. He dropped another beast and then paused, scanning the empty area in front of him but not finding another target. A scuffle from his left preceded Ronon's loud shout and Rodney spun, but didn't have a chance to react as a beast leapt on him. The last thing Rodney felt, before the cold of darkness took him, was hot, putrid breath on his face and hard ground against his back.
-----------------------------------
John lowered his gun, his wary gaze passing over the dead beasts in front of him. "Not as many this time," he pointed out, adding with dark humor, "Maybe they're giving up on us."
"Or we are just killing enough to make a difference," Teyla countered.
"Whatever the reason," John ejected the clip from his P-90, "I don't see any more around. I'm out of ammo. Get me a couple clips from the pack." He stood still as Teyla opened the backpack and shoved her hand inside. Before long, she held two clips out to him, keeping two more for herself.
John loaded one, and slipped the other into his vest. Once again, he grabbed hold of Teyla. "Come on. That place is bound to be more defensible than being out in the open like this. Besides, we gotta warn the rescue team." He set off down the hill, Teyla hobbling alongside him.
It didn't take them long to reach the ruins. Stopping in front of the weather-worn structure, John looked up and down its length. In many ways, it reminded him of the central spire of Atlantis, though it was much smaller, shorter and a little wider. He looked at the flat, smooth surface in front of him. "Door?"
Teyla pulled her arm off his shoulders and balanced herself on the side of the building. "It would appear so."
John reached out, gently pressing his palm against the smooth surface as he mentally commanded it to open. They'd encountered Ancient bases before that only required the touch of someone with the gene to grant access, but this didn't seem to be one of them. One of these times, our luck has gotta change! "Damn," he muttered. "Worth a try."
"Perhaps there is an access panel?" Teyla pushed away some vines and branches from nearby bushes as she searched the walls. It didn't take her long. "Here," she pointed.
John looked over her shoulder and smiled at the distinctly hand-shaped indentation in the wall. "Looks promising." Reaching out, he settled his hand into the print and again sent the mental command to open. For a moment, nothing happened, before the wall before them groaned, shuddered and slowly slid open. "That's more like it." He grinned at Teyla.
Flicking on the light on his P-90, he scanned the immediate area inside the building but saw nothing besides a long corridor. He helped Teyla through the doorway. Just inside, he inspected the walls around the entrance. "No sign of another hand panel. Weird. You'd think they'd have a way to get out as well as in." He sighed. "Wish we could close this behind us."
"Yes," Teyla agreed. "Maybe there is a way to close it in the control room?"
John nodded. "Yeah." He grabbed hold of Teyla and helped her along as they slowly made their way down the dark corridor.
--------------------------------
As his scattered thoughts started coming together, Rodney really wondered who was shaking him and why… and he wished they'd just stop. His thoughts coalescing, he tried to put into words the numerous snappy protests that crossed his mind, but all he could muster was a groan. Apparently that was enough, as the blasted jarring stopped.
"McKay?"
Ronon…. Rodney groaned again before opening his eyes. What met his gaze wasn't at all what he expected to see. He closed his eyes, wondering if he'd lost it. The horizon shouldn't be upside down and the ground three feet away! Slowly, he opened his eyes again, but everything was the same. It was only then that he felt his own crushing weight against something… and something, or someone had a firm grip on one of his arms and one of his legs. Finally his thoughts came together and he realized he hadn't lost his mind, although working out what was actually going on was scant comfort. "Put me down!" he managed, and the ground got closer as Ronon crouched and shifted him off his shoulders.
Rodney lay there for a second, before his gaze fixed on Ronon, who knelt next to him.
"Glad you're awake," Ronon commented quietly. "You were gettin' heavy."
"You were carrying me?" Rodney's voice was colored with as much disbelief as he was feeling.
Ronon's gaze was slightly amused. "Yep."
"Do you realize the damage you could've done?" Rodney snapped. "I could've had back injuries, or neck injuries or… injuries!" He pushed himself up on his elbows. "You could've killed me!"
"Didn't have time to wait for you to wake up." Ronon's answer was unfazed. "Beast didn't hit you that hard."
"Hard enough to knock me out!" Rodney shot back.
"You look fine to me."
"Oh, thank you for your expert opinion, Dr. Schweitzer!" Rodney pushed himself up on his elbows and lifted a hand. "Want to help me up here?"
Ronon stared at him, deadpan, for another moment, before he stood and extended his hand.
Rodney grimaced at the aches in his body as he let Ronon pull him to his feet and closed his eyes against the throbbing in his head.
"We need to get moving, McKay," Ronon pointed out.
His eyes still closed, Rodney waved his direction. "Just… give me a second!" The words had no sooner left his mouth than a screeching wail reached his ears and echoed around them. His eyes snapped open and he met Ronon's gaze.
"Second's up."
Rodney nodded. "Yeah, I think so." Adrenaline muted the pain in his head as he followed Ronon towards a distant hill.
------------------------------------------
Lorne immediately pulled up the HUD as the jumper emerged from the Stargate and into open space. He felt a slight shudder as the drive pods extended, and he gently banked the craft towards the planet. "Anything, Doc?" He glanced over at the co-pilot's seat, where Zelenka was scrutinizing the HUD readings.
"There is an unusual energy field surrounding the planet. Seems to be naturally occurring. Is hard to get any precise readings," Zelenka's frown deepened.
Lorne stared at the planet, bathed in the opaque hue of its atmosphere. Sheppard's team must be somewhere around here…. He opened a communications channel. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne. Do you copy?" He looked upwards as if he could see any response coming from the colonel, but the open channel remained silent. "I repeat. Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne. Do you read me?" He glanced at Zelenka, who shrugged.
"It could be the odd properties in the planet's atmosphere interfering with communications." Zelenka tapped a couple buttons on his controls.
Lorne nodded once, more to himself than to the doctor. "Okay, let's head down to the planet to investigate." He pushed the jumper into a slow descent.
"Wait, Major." Zelenka raised his hand. "I am picking up a residual energy trail. The signature matches the jumper's propulsion system."
"Where does it go?" Lorne looked around almost as if he expected to see the trail through the jumper's windshield.
"Towards the planet," Zelenka answered.
"Okay, all the more reason to get down there," Lorne returned his attention to the planet as it grew larger in front of them.
"Wait, that might not be a good idea," Zelenka looked up at the planet and then at Lorne.
"Why?" Lorne asked. "If they're down there, they could be in trouble."
"Yes, but we cannot communicate with them."
Lorne frowned. "You said that was because of the planet's atmosphere."
"Is likely, yes, but it is also possible that the same interference will affect the jumper. Based on these readings, it seems unlikely, but there is some reason why Colonel Sheppard's team is not communicating with us. Perhaps we should be sure what that reason is before we venture too close?"
Lorne sighed. He was itching to get down to the planet and find their people, but what good would a rescue be if they ended up needing to be rescued as well? "Wouldn't McKay have determined that before they went in for a closer look?"
"Possibly," Zelenka answered. "But if I did not have the history of Colonel Sheppard's team disappearing to make me suspicious, I would not think the odd readings would pose any danger."
Lorne pressed his lips together. "We're toeing awfully close to being paranoid here, Doc."
Zelenka nodded. "Yes, but in this case, I believe the term is prudent?"
Lorne frowned at the scientist's response. "Okay, holding in a high orbit for now. But," he threw a determined look at Zelenka, "figure out what's going on down there, and do it quickly."
Zelenka nodded and returned his attention to the controls under his hands.
Lorne watched him for a moment before gazing at the planet. If his people were down there and in trouble, then the last thing he wanted to do was sit in orbit doing nothing. He'd give Zelenka a little time, but only a little, before they'd go in, orbital readings be damned.
---------------------------------
John could feel the shift in the air around them as they apparently left a low-ceilinged hallway and entered a much larger room. He shone his light upwards, but the beam wasn't long enough to find the ceiling. Bringing his light back down, he scanned around them. "Gotta be a control panel around here somewhere."
"There," Teyla was shining her light across the room..
John shone his light towards where hers pointed and smiled slightly as both beams reflected off a large, Ancient-style, control panel. He helped Teyla over to it, before leaving her leaning on one side while he walked around behind it. "Let's see how much of Rodney's 'Ancient Tech 101' I remember…." He only needed to push a couple buttons before the console whined and dim lights turned on all around them. The whine grew louder and the lights brighter. It wasn't long before the whole room was illuminated and the whine faded into a soft hum in the background. John smiled at Teyla. "More than I thought apparently." He looked around the console. "Communications…. Communications…," he muttered.
"Do you think Mr. Woolsey has already sent a rescue team?" Teyla asked.
John's gaze never left the controls. "Count on it. We're almost an hour overdue."
Teyla hobbled around the console and stopped next to him. "They may have already crashed, John."
John paused in his tinkering for a moment and looked at her. "I'm going to be optimistic and believe they're still in orbit." Abruptly, he looked back at the panel as a thought came to him. "Sensors." He tapped another couple of keys, and a display very similar to the jumper's HUD, popped up on the hanging crystal monitor in front of them.
"Let me," Teyla pushed a couple buttons. "Extending the sensors to orbital range."
John smiled. "Thanks. Where…?"
"Dr. Zelenka." She responded with a small smile of her own. "He is very… detailed when he is excited about explaining something."
John chuckled. "Glad you were listening." His gaze focused on a dot apparently in orbit. He pointed. "Any readings on that?"
"Just a moment," Teyla answered as she tapped another couple keys.
Abruptly, the display changed as it focused in on the dot, which morphed into a schematic of a jumper. Next to the image, lines of sensor data scrolled by. John's smile widened. "They're still in orbit."
"But that will not last," Teyla answered. "If they believe we are down here, they will attempt to land to find us."
John nodded. "Yeah, gotta warn 'em." He tapped a key and opened a communications channel. "Unidentified jumper, this is Colonel John Sheppard. Authentication code: bravo, delta, charlie, alpha, niner. Do not approach the planet. Repeat. Do not approach the planet. Stay in orbit." He dropped his head, pursing his lips as his hail was met with silence. He looked up. "Unidentified jumper, do you copy? Do not approach the planet." He shook his head. "Something ain't workin." He glanced at Teyla. "Don't suppose you…?"
"No," Teyla shook her head. "I do not know much about communications; only how to open a channel."
"Damn," John looked helplessly at the console. "Where the hell is McKay when you need him?"
--------------------------------
"More dead beasts." Ronon worked his way between bodies, his gun ready for any movement. "Sheppard and Teyla have to be getting low on ammo."
Rodney nodded quietly, his wide-eyed gaze flicking from one dead beast to another. They were huge, their faces frozen in hideous snarls. Even dead, they sparked fear with in him. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and continued following his Satedan team mate. How do I manage to get myself into these messes? I should be back in my warm, safe lab, studying power sources and Ancient technology, not traipsing through a damp forest, waiting for some damned carnivore to appear out of nowhere and eviscerate me!
"McKay."
Rodney jumped, and then took a deep breath before responding. He looked at Ronon. "What?"
Ronon stared at him for a moment, his expression somewhat understanding. "They're dead."
Rodney swallowed hard and nodded. "Right."
Ronon nodded back once and crested the small hill. "Right." He stopped at the top and waved Rodney on. "Look."
Rodney climbed the last few feet and stood next to Ronon. Slowly, a smile formed on his face as the sharp but graceful lines of an Ancient structure met his gaze. "Oh yeah," he whispered.
Ronon slapped him on the arm, before starting down the hill, slowly making his way through more dead beasts. "Looks like Sheppard and Teyla made it."
"With any luck, a rescue team is on the way," Rodney added, surrendering, just for a minute, to a feeling of hope. "We might actually get out of this alive." The words had no sooner left his mouth when the powering up of Ronon's gun made him wonder, just for a moment, why he ever traded his pessimistic outlook for an optimistic one.
"Watch out!" Ronon shouted as he opened fire.
-----------------------------------
John took a deep breath. "Okay, we can't talk to them, but maybe there's another way." He unclipped his P-90 from his vest and held it out to Teyla.
"What are you doing?" She took the proffered weapon.
"Improvising." John knelt and scooted underneath the console. He pulled an access panel away and stared for a moment at the circuitry. "Now, how did I do it last time?" he muttered to no one in particular.
"Do what?" Teyla inquired.
"Send an SOS. Last year, when Larrin captured me." John closed his eyes for a moment, pulling on memories.
"Subspace Morse Code," Teyla answered. "I have been meaning to ask you where you learned to do that with Ancient technology."
John smiled as he carefully extracted a crystal. "McKay. With his ego, he thinks everything he says goes right over my head, but I pick up a few things here and there." He began carefully tapping the free crystal against another, seated one. "Here's hoping whoever's in that jumper is monitoring subspace communications… and knows what the hell they're hearing."
------------------------------
Lorne sighed loudly and threw an irritated look at Zelenka. For the past twenty minutes, he'd been sitting there, staring at the planet and listening to Czech mutterings, while the scientist worked over his console. Lorne could feel the impatience from his men behind him, who sat quietly in the back of the jumper. He took a deep breath. "Doc?"
"This takes time, Major," Zelenka responded. "I am not certain of anything at this moment, except that the odd energy reading is definitely interfering with communications. I am working on compensating for it now."
Lorne's gaze narrowed. "What about being able to land safely on the planet?"
"I do not know at this point," Zelenka answered. "But it is reasonable to believe that if the energy interferes with communications, propulsion could be susceptible as well. I recommend we hold orbit until I know for sure."
Lorne ground his teeth. It wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, not by a long shot. "Doc…," his voice trailed off as Zelenka's console beeped insistently at him. "What is it?"
Zelenka tapped a couple of buttons. "The jumper has detected an odd repeating pattern in subspace."
Lorne resisted the urge to sigh again. "And that means…?"
"Well, as Rodney discovered last year, the Ancients designed a program to monitor subspace… static, for lack of a better description, looking for repeating patterns that could indicate communication by other intelligent life forms." Zelenka pushed his glasses up on his nose. "We also discovered that the jumpers carried the same program. It was reasonable, really, given that jumpers travel through the gate to sometimes distant areas of the galaxy. It would be likely that the Ancients would encounter intelligent but technologically more primitive life on their travels."
"Fascinating, Doc," Lorne jumped in before Zelenka could continue his thought. "Care to circle back to the situation?"
"Oh, yes. Sorry." Zelenka looked a little embarrassed. "It is possible someone is trying to communicate with us."
Lorne nodded. "Let's hear it."
"Major, it is just a repeating pattern of noise, not language," Zelenka pointed out.
"Call me curious." Lorne shrugged. "Turn it on." His gaze narrowed as static buzzed over the jumper's com system. Woven into the white noise, distinct clicking sounds could be heard. Lorne listened for another moment, before his eyes widened. He swiveled around in his chair. "Jorgenson! How's your Morse Code?"
Sergeant Jorgenson jumped up and walked towards the major. "With all due respect, probably better than yours, sir."
"Funny," Lorne's half smile was cynical. "What are you hearing?"
Jorgenson looked up at the ceiling and listened for a moment. "Morse Code," he answered, then half smiled at Lorne's exasperated sigh. "Sorry sir, hold on." He squinted. "Danger… to… jumpers. Stay… away. Sheppard… b… d… c… a… niner. End message."
"BDCA-niner? Zelenka asked.
Lorne nodded. "Bravo, delta, charlie, alpha, niner. It's Colonel Sheppard's personal authentication code. That's him talking, for sure." Lorne half smiled at Zelenka. "Seems you were right about trying to land on the planet."
Zelenka smiled back for a second before he stood, walked back to the fuselage of the jumper and pulled open a crystal bay. "We can send him a message back in the same manner."
Lorne watched him for a moment before nodding at Jorgenson. "Sergeant, acknowledge the message. Tell him Dr. Z's here and working the problem. Tag my authentication code, delta, delta, charlie, five, two, five, on the end of it."
"Yes, sir." Jorgenson walked back to Zelenka and took the proffered crystal from him, before tapping out a quick message.
-----------------------------
John smiled as distinct dashes and dots sounded over the base comm channel. "Sounds like they got our message."
"What are they saying?" Teyla asked.
"They're working the problem. Auth code… It's Lorne. He's got Zelenka with him."
"Then we just need to be patient and wait," Teyla answered.
"Except I'd feel better if I knew Ronon and Rodney were okay." John squinted at the circuits in front of him. "Maybe I can figure out how to boost the signal and get a message to them over radios?"
Teyla bent over and looked at him. "Do you know what you are doing?"
John grimaced. "Not really." He quirked his brows. "How hard could it be?"
"Hmm." There were no words in Teyla's response, but her doubt was clear.
"Right…." John's reply was cut short by an echoing sound that sent a wave of adrenaline through him. He scooted out from under the console, nearly whacking his head on the edge for his efforts, but the near accident didn't matter to him. The only thing that did was the faint but unmistakable sound of gunfire. He jumped to his feet, taking his P-90 back from Teyla. "That's a nine mil," he commented, raising his gun warily.
"If the rescue party is still in orbit, then it must be Rodney and Ronon." Teyla hobbled up next to him.
"What the hell are they doing here?" John listened again to the repetitive gunfire. "Never mind that. They're in trouble." His gaze narrowed as he quickly made a decision. "Stay here and monitor communications. I'll be back." He sprinted towards the entrance.
"Be careful," Teyla called after him.
John waved behind him as he left the room and sprinted down the long corridor leading to the exit. What the hell were they doing out there? Why hadn't they stayed with the jumper? Half a dozen questions raced through his head, but he dismissed each of them as irrelevant given the urgency of the situation. Why they were here didn't matter. What did matter was that they were out there and they were in trouble.
He squinted as the dim light of the base was replaced with overcast sunshine, and as soon as his feet hit soft dirt, He stopped, his gun raised, as he scanned the area around him. He couldn't see anything but, as this planet and these beasts had taught him, that didn't mean he wasn't being hunted. More gunfire grabbed his attention, and squashed his sense of caution. Lowering his gun, John took off at a full run towards the fight.
---------------------------------
Rodney's breaths were deep, heavy and fast. Fatigue made his muscles shake, but adrenaline countered it and he continued firing. As he dropped beast after beast, the echoing staccato shots of his Beretta were offset by deep resonating bursts from Ronon's gun. But the melody was short lived as he fired his last bullet and the gun clicked harmlessly. "I'm out!" He spun towards Ronon, who was at least a dozen paces away. How did we get separated? "Ronon!"
Ronon sprinted towards him, but was forced to stop short by two more beasts that had to be dealt with. While Ronon was busy, Rodney's attention was captured by a deep growl, something resembling the low cry his cat gave him when she was really pissed… except this was no housecat. He turned, his gaze fixing on a beast that crouched a short distance away. It snarled and drew back its lips, revealing a long line of sharp teeth. Head lowered, the animal's muscles bunched as it shifted its feet under itself. In that moment, Rodney knew he was in deep trouble. "Ohh…" he whispered. "Niiiice… kitty?"
"McKay! Hit the dirt!"
Rodney didn't spare a moment to wonder who'd yelled at him in a voice that definitely wasn't Ronon's; he just dropped flat on the ground. His eyes widened as the beast leapt but was spun mid-air by rapid automatic gunfire. Its snarls turned pained before it fell silent and hit the ground hard. Rodney stared at it for a long moment, but it remained motionless. He let out a loud breath and pushed himself up. "Jesus!"
"Rodney! You okay?"
Rodney looked over his shoulder. Behind him, John stood in a wide stance, his P-90 aimed directly at the beast that had attacked Rodney. "Sheppard! Where the hell did you come from?"
Slowly, John lowered his gun. "You're welcome," he answered dryly.
"Oh." Rodney swallowed. "Thanks." His voice cracked and he cleared his throat before standing up.
Ronon holstered his gun and walked over to the colonel. "Good to see you in one piece."
John smiled slightly and nodded once. "Likewise. Come on. Lorne's in orbit with Zelenka. Teyla's back at the base."
"Is she okay?" Ronon asked. "Found your tracks. Looked like she was injured."
"Twisted knee." John smiled. "She's okay." His gaze narrowed. "What are you two doing here? Why'd you leave the jumper?"
"Beasts," Ronon answered. "Busted the windshield and we couldn't close off the cockpit. Too dangerous to stay put."
John nodded. "All right. Well, this makes the rescue easier, that's for sure."
Rodney ejected the clip on his side arm. "Uh, little help here?" He waved the gun.
John reached down, grabbed the spare clip for his Beretta and tossed it at Rodney. "Here, let's go." He started off at a jog towards the base.
Rodney loaded the fresh clip and followed behind. He spared a moment to wonder how they'd communicated with the jumper in orbit but pushed aside his questions for a safer time.
------------------------
Teyla braced herself against the console, her gun held ready. She could hear the distinct snarl of beasts echoing from the long hallway as they made their way towards her. It was foolish to think they didn't know she was there. She'd encountered enough carnivores on hunts in her lifetime to know that they smelled her… sensed her, just as she sensed them. It was a relationship… a balance of life between hunter and hunted that she'd known as long as she could remember. But this time, who was the hunter and who was the hunted? Her gaze narrowed. She'd been hunted by her prey before and had survived. This time, it would be no different.
Gun snug against her shoulder, she watched with her eyes and felt with the rest of her senses, looking… searching for that attack. When it came, she was ready and opened fire without hesitation.
---------------------------
At the doorway to the base, John staggered to a stop, the sound of automatic gunfire echoing around him. "Teyla!" He sprinted down the corridor, momentarily reassured by the footsteps of Ronon and McKay right behind him. If he'd left the base to help Ronon and McKay, only to lose Teyla…. John pushed the thought away. Gunfire continued to echo around him: Teyla was still alive.
He burst into the control room, gun raised, and immediately fired on the first target he could find. Beside him, Ronon and Rodney fanned out, each firing at several beasts that had encircled Teyla. Attacked from behind, the beasts spread out, some turning towards John, Ronon and Rodney, others still stalking Teyla, who continued firing as well.
John dropped a beast in front of him, and then turned and took out one threatening to flank Ronon. The superior firepower tipped the balance, and it wasn't long before the entire pride was dead.
John lowered his gun and breathed deeply. "Teyla?"
She nodded once. "Thank you." Her attention turned to Ronon and Rodney. "I am relieved to see both of you are well."
Ronon flashed her a half smile as he walked from one beast to another, assuring himself they were dead. "Same here."
"What is it with these things?" Rodney sidestepped a carcass and made a beeline for the console. "They take aggression to a whole new level."
"The blood," Ronon answered. "They smell the blood of the dead ones. It attracts more here and makes all of them more aggressive." He walked over to the entrance of the room and held his gun ready as he watched the corridor for any attack.
"Ronon is right," Teyla nodded. "I have seen this sort of behavior with predators on several worlds. The smell of blood will attract many of them, from miles around."
"Let's see if we can find a way to shut the entry door," John suggested as he walked up next to Rodney. "And find a way to enhance communications. I'd rather speak to Lorne than have to use Morse Code."
"Morse Code?" Rodney paused and looked at him. "Oh, subspace! Same trick you used when Larrin caught you?"
John smiled smugly. "Yep."
Rodney's expression turned cynical. "Huh. Unimaginative but effective." He knelt. "What did you do to my crystals?"
John glared at the top of Rodney's head. "Your crystals?"
"Oh, just… you know what I mean," Rodney shot back. After a minute he stood again. "Let's see what that does…." He tapped a couple keys and the display changed.
"The beasts," Teyla pointed at the display screen.
"Yeah," Rodney agreed. "Looks like we stumbled onto the Ancient's research notes." He squinted at the readings. "They're called Felinidae…. Hmm, sounds like Felidae. Huh. That's the biological family for all cats."
John arched an eyebrow as Rodney made eye contact with him.
"What?" Rodney answered. "I like cats and I own one… or rather I did…. Anyway, if you're going to own an animal, you should know all about it."
John glanced at the tolerant look on Teyla's face before he looked back at Rodney. "That goes way beyond scratching posts and kitty litter, McKay."
"Can I help it if I'm thorough?" Rodney retorted. He rushed on before John could answer, "Looks like the Ancients were studying an organic means of stealth technology. Apparently, something in these Felinidae's genetic code made them ideal test subjects. Hmm…," he tapped a couple controls. "Lots of information here we should take back to Atlantis."
"Fine, great." John waved his hand. "Communications?"
"Right." Rodney tapped a few more keys. "There had to be some way the Ancients managed to communicate… or land a jumper for that matter. Just have to find it."
John nodded. "The door?"
"Door?" Rodney squinted at the display. "Huh… not seeing that. Let me look."
-------------------------
Zelenka's Czech exclamation sounded triumphant and Lorne smiled in response. "What?"
"I believe I have found a way to communicate with our people on the planet." Zelenka smiled. He made a couple of adjustments and waved in Lorne's direction.
Lorne's smile widened and he opened a channel. "Colonel Sheppard this is Major Lorne, do you copy?"
"Major," Sheppard's voice responded. "Good to hear you."
Lorne's smile turned into a full grin. "You too, sir. We're working on getting you out of there. Just sit tight."
"Can do better than that, Major," Sheppard answered. "We located an Ancient base. McKay's researching the propulsion issue as we speak. Hope to help you from this end."
"Copy that, sir," Lorne replied. "We'll stay in touch. Jumper Two out." He looked over at Zelenka. "Doc?"
"I am working on it," Zelenka replied without looking up from his data pad.
---------------------------
John smiled. "Point for Zelenka." He looked directly at Rodney, who glared back.
"It is not a competition," Rodney snapped.
"Sure." John purposefully goaded the scientist. "You'd be singing a different tune if it'd been you that fixed communications." He quirked his brows at the black look Rodney gave him before, muttering under his breath, he returned his attention to the console.
John watched him, amused that the "who's better' competition between Zelenka and McKay was still robust even after four and a half years. He knew goading McKay would make him work that much faster, if only to make sure he wasn't bested by his Czech colleague. John glanced at Teyla, who smiled knowingly back, well aware of John's tactics for managing Rodney.
"Got something…." Rodney's statement trailed off as he tapped a couple more keys.
John looked over his shoulder. "What?"
Rodney smiled triumphantly. "The fix." He opened a communications channel. "Zelenka? It's McKay. Sending a data burst with the fix for the jumper's propulsion systems your way."
After a minute, Lorne's voice answered. "Received. We'll let you know when we have things fixed on this side. Lorne out."
Rodney turned around, leaned on the console and folded his arms over his chest. His expression was smug. "Who's better now?"
John arched his brows. "I thought you said it wasn't a competition?"
Rodney's expression fell. "But…."
"Besides," John interrupted. "You still haven't closed the exterior door."
"Sheppard!"
John's head snapped around as he fixed his gaze on Ronon. "What?"
Ronon raise his gun. "Company."
"Aw, hell." John took two big steps and rounded the end of the console. "So much for closing the door. McKay, stay here with Teyla. Ronon and I will try to catch as many in a crossfire as we can, but you'll have to mop up the rest."
"Go," Teyla raised her gun. "We will be fine."
John sprinted across the large room, snarls echoing around him.
------------------------------
"I have it." Zelenka closed a crystal bay in the fuselage and hurried back to his seat. "That should fix the issue. We should be able to land safely and take off again from the planet."
"There's a lot of 'shoulds' in that statement, Doc," Lorne quipped darkly as he banked the jumper towards the planet, glad he'd dialed back to Atlantis and given them an update on what they'd found about the alpha team's fate and the effect of the planet's strange magnetic field.
"Well," Zelenka sighed. "It is what the Ancients used, but is untested in this situation. If I was off on any of the calculations…."
Lorne took a deep breath. "Only one way to find out."
"Fix has enhanced the sensors as well. I have isolated the Ancient base. Feeding coordinates into navigation now."
Lorne nodded and adjusted his heading. He opened a channel. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Lorne. Fix is complete. We're on our way." He furrowed his brows at the silence that greeted him. "Colonel Sheppard, do you copy?" Reflexively, he flinched as the sound of gunfire came across the comm channel.
"Little busy right now, Major. Nasty indigenous carnivores. Help would be good!" Sheppard's reply was strained.
Lorne steered the jumper into a steeper descent and called back to the men in the rear of the jumper, "Hang on! It's gonna be rough!"
----------------------------
John fired again and again, each time trying to drop a beast with as little ammo as possible. He'd grabbed several clips when they'd left the jumper but, with all the resistance they'd encountered, he was nearly out. His current clip was half full and there were no more to replace it. He spared a glance for Ronon, who continued firing. Sometimes, he swore Ronon's gun was unstoppable, but he knew that even that gun had to be recharged at some point.
He fired on another beast that suddenly appeared past their crossfire, but it leapt at the last second and his shots went wide. "Damn it! Teyla! Heads up!"
Teyla turned towards his hail and opened fire, dropping the beast in its tracks.
John fired again, using the last of his ammo to stop yet another beast that appeared in front of him. He dropped his P-90, letting it hang from his vest as he smoothly pulled his Beretta. Part of him was amazed there were this many beasts in the area, but why or how was a moot point. They were there and still coming. With their tendency to disappear when shot, they were damn hard to bring down and it took a lot of ammo to do it. With ammo running low, John came to the dark realization that his team would soon be defenseless.
-----------------------------
Misty clouds gave way to green trees as Lorne piloted the jumper at a near suicidal speed towards the Ancient base. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zelenka's white-knucked grip on the armrests of his chair. "Got the inertial dampeners on full, Doc. Besides, your fix worked."
"Yes," Zelenka responded tightly. "And I would love the opportunity to say that to Rodney's face."
"You'll get your chance if I have anything to say about it," Lorne answered. "Jorgenson! Lock and load! As soon as we're down, move!"
"Yes sir! One predator ass kickin' comin' right up!"
In spite of the situation, Lorne smiled slightly as he listened to the scuffle behind him. He knew that, as soon as he touched down, the team of Marines would be out the back without a second command. He skimmed close over the top of the base and landed only a few feet from an open entrance. "Go!" he commanded over the sound of the back hatch opening, even as he sprang from his seat and grabbed his own P-90. "Stay here, Doc, and close the hatch behind me." He barely waited long enough to see Zelenka's nod before he raced out the back of the jumper and followed the team of Marines into the base.
-----------------------------
John lowered his side arm, and looked around helplessly. He was out of ammo, having given his spare clip to Rodney. "I'm out!"
"Here!" Ronon reached behind his back and produced a Beretta, which he tossed in a high arc towards John.
John watched the gun and jumped, catching it mid air. With one smooth movement, he clicked off the safety and fired.
"John!"
He twisted towards Teyla's frantic hail, his eyes widening. Alone, she was fending off two beasts, who kept appearing and disappearing, but she managed to point in Rodney's direction. He switched his gaze towards Rodney, who was slowly backing away from two more stalking beasts. For a moment, John wondered why he didn't shoot, but realized there could only be one reason…
… he was out of ammo.
"Uhh… a little help here?" Rodney shouted.
"Hang on!" John sprinted towards Rodney. Stopping a dozen paces from the beasts, he opened fire on the nearest one.
The beast snarled and turned towards him. It disappeared for a moment, before re-appearing to his right. John fired again and kept firing until it crumpled to the ground. He looked past it, horror surging through him as the other one stalked Rodney, its haunches swaying from side to side. He raised his gun, but was met with an ominous clicking. Cramming the empty gun into his vest, he looked back at Teyla, who had abandoned her P-90 in favor of her side arm as well. She had no ammo to spare, and Ronon was too far away to help.
"John!" Rodney shouted as he backed against the wall.
John's gaze narrowed. Reaching down, he drew his knife. He didn't relish the idea of going up against one of these beasts with only a knife to defend himself, but he'd be damned if he was going to stand there and let one make a meal out of McKay. He took one step towards it and then instinctively flinched as rapid gun shots resonated around him. The beast stalking McKay fell under gunfire and John spun, his eyes widening in relief, as a team of Marines, with Lorne to one side, ran into the room, firing on any beast that dared to appear.
He took a deep breath and called across to the rescue party. "Heads up! They can disappear and appear at will!"
Lorne fired on a beast that abruptly disappeared, and then made a beeline for John. He reached inside his vest and produced a P-90 clip. "Sir."
John took the clip and quickly loaded his gun. "Thanks. Good timing, Major." He instantly raised the gun and downed a beast that appeared just behind Lorne.
Lorne turned and stared at the dead animal a moment, before looking back at John. "Thanks, sir."
John nodded once. "My pleasure."
"Clear sir!" Jorgenson shouted as the sounds of gunfire abruptly ceased.
"As far as you can tell," John corrected. "Stay sharp!"
Jorgenson nodded once, curtly. "Yes, sir!"
John looked back to Rodney. "You okay?"
"What is it with the near death experiences today?" Rodney panted and stepped around the dead beasts.
"I'll take that as a yes," John answered. "Let's move before more of those damned things come visiting."
"Wait…," Rodney protested. "The database…."
"No," John answered flatly. "We're not waiting around."
"Just hold on." Rodney walked back to the console. "If I can compress it, I think I can fit it onto my data pad as long as I overwrite everything, including the operating system…"
"How will you get the data off it if you do that?" Lorne asked, earning himself a scathing look from Rodney.
"Please! I can interface with another computer and pull the data off in my sleep! Don't be insulting."
"McKay," John hardened his look, "we don't have time for this."
"We can't leave without this database," Rodney insisted. "Isn't that why we're out here? Just give me ten minutes."
John signed deeply before nodding once, curtly. "Okay. You get ten minutes, but after that we're leaving. Database or no database, got it?"
Rodney immediately started tapping keys on the console. "Right. One high speed compression coming right up…."
John looked at Lorne, who nodded once and turned towards his men. "Jorgenson! You're on perimeter duty with me. Hawkins! Help Teyla." Lorne trotted over to the entrance.
Tense minutes passed and John paced, occasionally throwing a questioning look in Rodney's direction. Not that it mattered: the scientist was too engrossed in his work to notice. Finally, John stopped in front of the console. "McKay?"
Rodney detached his pad from the controls and looked up. "Got it."
"Let's move." John turned towards the exit, sparing a glance Teyla's direction but seeing she was managing well with the help of Private Hawkins. He stopped in the doorway. "Lorne, take point. I got the six." John waited as everyone filtered by him. With one last look around, he turned, and followed his people out of the ruins, emerging into bright sunlight. He looked up cynically at the sky, where patches of blue were showing between the lifting clouds. "Nice," he groused. "The rain lets up just in time for us to leave."
"Someone's sick sense of humor," Rodney muttered as he rounded the jumper and walked up the ramp. John followed and smacked the hatch release as he passed by it. Stopping next to where Teyla rested on one of the benches, he looked down at her. "Doing okay?"
Teyla smiled. "Yes. I will be fine."
John nodded once and walked past her. He flashed an approving smile at Zelenka as he stopped behind Lorne's chair. "Nice work, Doc."
"Oh sure," Rodney interrupted from his seat behind Lorne. "Like I had nothing to do with getting off this rock!"
John rolled his eyes. "Yes, Rodney," he answered in a placating tone, "you did good too."
"Thank you," Zelenka responded with a quiet grin.
John nodded once, and then looked at Lorne. "If you don't mind, Major, I'd like to get off this planet now."
Lorne smiled. "Yes sir." Powering the jumper, he eased her off the ground, swiftly leaving the planet behind them.
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Epilogue
Richard looked up, watching as Colonel Sheppard made his way toward him through Ops. He smiled slightly and set down his data pad stylus. He'd been understandably relieved when the teams had returned to Atlantis relatively unscathed, and had requested that Sheppard check in with him when the colonel was finished in the infirmary, with the understanding that a full debriefing was scheduled for tomorrow.
He held onto his smile and gestured towards a chair as Sheppard entered his office. "Colonel. Sit, please."
Sheppard settled heavily into one of the plush chairs and sighed, before resting his head on the back.
Richard quirked his brows at Sheppard's nonchalant and relaxed demeanor. He'd been warned before taking command that Sheppard was unorthodox and casual when it came to protocols, almost to the point of insubordination. But Richard had also heard, and had seen for himself, that when it came down to the really important things, the colonel was all business. Richard's smile deepened slightly. Surprisingly, he found the colonel's style refreshing. "Clean bill of health from Dr. Keller?"
Sheppard lifted his head. "Yep. I'm fine. McKay has a slight concussion but is otherwise okay. Ronon needed stitches but was released. Teyla has some torn cartilage in her knee; Keller's scheduled surgery for tomorrow. She tells me it's a minor procedure and Teyla should make a full recovery, but she'll be out of commission for a little while."
Richard nodded. "Good to hear. All things considered, your team is lucky."
John nodded in agreement. "They're also really good at what they do, Mr. Woolsey. That made a difference."
Richard's smile turned respectful. "They are. You included, Colonel."
John chortled quietly. "Thanks." He leaned forward in his chair. "Look, I know you second guessed this mission, but in spite of everything that happened, it was still right to go on it."
Now, it was Richard's turn to lean back in his chair. He folded his hands on his lap and thought for a minute. He briefly wondered how many times Weir and Carter had second guessed themselves for sending a team on a mission that didn't produce exactly ideal results or, worse yet, deaths. He sighed. "Unknown is normal here," he muttered.
John smiled. "Yep. Facing it is what we do."
Richard pondered his words. "There was a time when map makers marked the unknown with dragons and sea serpents. Maybe I should call you a dragon slayer, Colonel."
John chuckled. "I can imagine how the IOA would respond to that when they read your report."
Now it was Richard's turn to chuckle. "They would think I had broken under the strain of command."
John's smile faded slightly and something resembling respect crept into his expression. "I don't think that'll happen."
Richard looked away and nodded. "Thank you, Colonel."
A long moment passed, before John abruptly stood. "I think I'm going to go sleep for a day and a half… or until the next crisis comes along." He headed for the door.
"Or the next unknown planet in need of exploring," Richard added.
Halfway across the bridge to Ops, Sheppard waved over his shoulder. "Or that!"
Richard chuckled and rocked side to side in his chair as he watched the colonel disappear down the back stairs. The longer he commanded here, the more he saw why Weir had so stubbornly supported and defended Sheppard, even though he hadn't understood it at the time.
Richard's smile lingered. He had good people here and as long as he kept sight of that, he believed everything would work out.
~End~
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Author's Notes: This was the first time I participated in the Gen Ficathon and I had a great time doing it! I absolutely LOVED the prompt and my muse definitely has a soft spot for straight out action/adventure and team stories. ;) Many thanks to my intrepid beta reader, as always! :)