In this chapter, we learn Destiny did not come out of the Alliance takeover unscathed.

See my notes at the end of the chapter so I won't spoil anything. :)

Chapter 6

"Run that by me again?" began Young as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It was just as Camille had predicted, one problem after another...and the problem solver still hasn't woken up and it's been 10 hours already.

"Destiny reprogrammed most of its processes during the Lucian Alliance takeover," began Eli. "Meaning all the other workarounds and systems we've modified have all been erased."

"Then why can't we just program it back?" asked Telford, who surprisingly, wasn't as commanding as he usually was. Young filed that for later, right now their main issue was surviving...and that entailed waking up the person who could solve the problem.

"We tried," began Brody. "But it looks like Destiny has gotten...well immune to our tinkering."

Young, Telford and Camille all turned to the Science Team, confused and their gaze also was a bit on the lines as, in English please.

"You mean it's adapted to counter all the work you've done?" It was TJ who had voiced it out much to the relief of the Science Team on how they were going to explain it.

"But it's a ship," voiced Camille. "How can it adapt?"

"Well it's a centuries old ship that we have only about 10% understanding of," answered Volker, much to everyone's stare. "Ok us 10%, Rush about 35…"

That last statement was met with silence.

"Any idea when he'll wake up?" asked Young to TJ who shook her head.

Young sighed and paced the Interface Room. "What's our worst case scenario?"

"Worst case is we run out of energy and drop out of FTL in the middle of nowhere," said Brody. "Right now, we're still in FTL and hopefully we reach our course and there's a planet and a star there."

"But the problem won't be fixed," pointed out Camille.

"We just need to figure out a way to do another overwrite," raised Telford. "I'm sure you guys can come up with something like that."

"If we had Rush yeah," said Volker.

"Without Rush?" asked Young.

The science team all turned to each other with concerned looks that unsettled Young. That was a no then.

"We could give it a try," offered Brody and just as he said it, the temperature of the room dropped a few degrees, everyone feeling the change.

"What was that?" asked Telford as the Science Team, headed for their own consoles.

"Destiny just turned down the temperature," explained Park. "No idea why yet...or if it helps with our power situation."

Then the room heated up again. "Ok scratch that," raised Park. "She's just diverted power to living environment and other similar systems."

"While diminishing the power from the shields," added Eli. "We're down to 35% shield power."

"FTL engine power just dipped to 70% power as well," reported Volker. "We might drop-"

"Destiny just shifted a lot of power to its reserves," raised Brody as he studied his console. "The problem is I can't seem to make Destiny access them so we won't drop prematurely."

"We dropped before when we ran out of power," pointed out Young. "And drifted next to a star, wouldn't that work out the same now."

"That was when even the reserves were gone," replied Eli. "Now we have full reserves that we cannot access because Destiny's systems are all over the place."

Young sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. This was getting dire by the minute and things weren't looking up. He turned to the room and wasn't surprised to see all eyes on him. There was really one hope everyone was clinging to...the hope that Nicholas Rush would wake up and fix the problem.

It didn't take a mind reader to see what was going through Everett's head when the briefing had ended and the non-members of the Science Team left the Interface Room.

Well to be fair, Telford has known the man quite a long time…

"You should have disconnected the stones," said Telford as he rounded the corner to where Young had stormed off to.

Young was leaning on the wall but at Telford's words, the man turned and glared at him. "Don't you think I know that?" snapped Young huffing and turning to walk to his quarters. "I've had this lecture from him, from Camille...I don't need to hear it from you."

"You need to hear that you messed up, Everett," continued Telford. "It was your personal feelings for a friend that compromised this mission."

Young stopped and turned to stare at Telford through narrow eyes. "I don't believe this...just because you're here doesn't mean you're now the commanding officer on board, David!"

"Well if I was the person leading this mission, then we wouldn't be having this problem," replied Telford.

"Yes because the entire crew would be dead and Kiva would be slowly torturing Rush just so the Alliance could get what they want," argued Young, as he got into Telford's personal space. "I see that the brain control didn't mess around with who you really are, David."

"We both know that you're not thinking straight right now, Everett," began Telford anew, his voice softer. "You just lost a child. It's understandable to not see the bigger picture."

"I am perfectly capable of being in command," hissed Young.

Telford raised his arms in surrender. "I know Everett...but maybe you could also use some help." He stopped and met the man's eye. "That man in the infirmary volunteered to learn more about the Lucian Alliance by going into a very dangerous situation. From what I'm hearing, he's the main reason why you've survived out here long enough."

"I'd get to the point, David," said Young, losing patience with the conversation.

"All I'm saying Everett is you shouldn't let your personal feelings for the guy cloud your judgement," ended David. "The man's a pain in the ass on his good days. But I still would have severed the connection if I had been on your shoes. Rush is too valuable...and now we're dealing with the consequences of what happened."

Telford turned and left, Young noting how he had phrased his last words...the man could have said that they were dealing with the consequences of what he did...but instead chose to not play the blame game.

Young sighed and leaned back against the hallway again. He needed to do something...he just wished he knew what it was.

Young must have roamed around the accessible parts of Destiny twice before finally making his way to the infirmary. It was empty except for its lone patient and TJ looking through her available resources.

"Any change?" asked Young as he leaned on the bed next to where Rush was sleeping.

TJ shook her head. "His vitals are stable and looks like he's actually getting some decent rest...but I doubt our problem has been solved." She turned back to the things scattered in front of her.

"What are you doing?" asked Young, not really comfortable with the silence that ensued after her statement.

"Trying to come up with something that'll help calm him down if he gets agitated again or has another episode…" trailed off TJ. "I can't just let it pass...I have to do something."

"My thoughts exactly," whispered Young and TJ turned to him. His attention was already back to Rush, studying the unconscious man. "I'm responsible for what had happened."

TJ didn't know what to say...because it was true. And she knew he wasn't just talking about Rush's current state, he was also referring to the lost of their child. If Young had disconnected Rush and Telford, Rush wouldn't have been tortured, wouldn't have been forced to dial the Destiny, the Alliance wouldn't have taken over the ship, she wouldn't have been show, they wouldn't have lost the baby…

TJ was brought out of her own thoughts by Young's gaze on her. "I don't know what you want me to say, Colonel."

"I want to know how to make things right," replied Young. "Tamara I-"

"You can start with not always losing your cool with him," said TJ all of a sudden, not liking where he was taking the conversation. Their priority at the moment was getting Rush back so he could solve the problem with Destiny's systems. Selfish, yes but they all needed to survive. "He's a difficult man to get along with, yes...but he's also dealt with a lot of things that we can only dare to imagine."

"I know that," admitted Young, barely above a whisper. "We've had a truce ever since the Nakai...and this happened." He paused then turned to look at her. "David said if he had been on my shoes, he would have severed the connection because Rush was an asset that couldn't be lost. He would let his own friend die just for the good of the mission."

TJ sighed and went to sit next to him. "That's because you and Colonel Telford are very different." She paused to let her words sink in. "Telford, inasmuch as Dr. Rush is, is very focused on what he needs to do. Focused on the mission, as you would say it. He doesn't let his own principles meddle with that...doesn't let his emotions get the better of him."

She stopped and turned to Rush. "I don't know why that is for Colonel Telford but for Rush, it's because he doesn't want to get hurt again that's why he keeps everyone out...he works and focuses on numbers and science so he won't have the time to feel about anything else."

Young turned to follow her gaze. His first impression of the scientist was a bastard who was too smart for his own good, that he only cared about solving the mysteries of the ninth chevron...but solving that may have been a mean for another goal...who knows?

"Everett," continued TJ who now turned back to him. "You did what you did because you weren't going to willing kill someone important to you to for the sake of the mission. Because you value friendship, you value a lot of other things, trust, loyalty...for Telford that's not as important as finishing the mission."

"That's the thing," began Young. "Should I shift to that mind set? Should I put my own principles aside and focus on what needs to be done? Because that was what needed to be done, especially when they had dialed in and got on board…" He stopped and stood to pace the infirmary. "I had multiple chances of stopping the Alliance take over and I didn't...I failed."

"We're alive," voiced TJ. For the time being, she added to herself. "The ship is back under our control. I don't see that as a failure, Everett."

"But look at the consequences of that," replied Young as he turned back to Rush. "I actually told O'Neill that I thought he was the spy of the Lucian Alliance...because I would have accepted that rather than accept that it was Telford." He stopped and sat back down next to her on the bed. "I want to trust Rush...I really do. But every time an opportunity arises, I chose not to trust him, even after all the times he's saved our asses."

TJ opened her mouth to say something else but she was cut off by someone radioing Young.

"Colonel, do you copy?" came Brody's voice and Young's hand immediately went to his radio.

"What is it?" asked Young.

"Destiny just just shifted all its reserves to one particular system…" began Brody.

"Well room actually," came Eli's voice from the background.

Young turned to TJ, both worried.

"Where?"

"You're not going to like it."

Any guesses where Destiny is putting all its power to?

Note: I love Young. Don't get me wrong. I fly the Rush/Gloria and Rush/Young ship strongly. Eventually they'll be the duo that'll run Destiny together...like the two we saw in Twin Destinies. But right know, their relationship is rocky at best. As for Telford, again I like the character, well my own version of the character anyway. Like I had TJ explain, Telford isn't a guy who would put his friends first before any mission. First opportunity he would sacrifice his own to continue on with had he needed to do. That's the type of guy I see him as.

On a side note, I've changed the spelling of O'Neill from my file and I'll fix the ones on previous chapters once I've completed the story...which I think we'll run for another 4 chapters. Which leads me to the next question, I have an idea for a new fic...would anyone be interested in an AU where Gloria Rush won her battle against Cancer and was on Icarus with Rush and also found herself stranded in an Ancient ship billion of light years from home?