Title: The Pi Covenent
Title: The Pi Covenent
Author: AshtakRa
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Ronon/Lorne, Sheppard, McKay
Rating: PG (for now)
Summary: A comrade recovered, but how much of him remains? Weir mentioned the existence of advanced civilisations but did not elaborate on their intentions - The Pi Covenent could be their doom, or their salvation.
Chapter Seven
"We should be closing on their position, do you see anything?"
Sheppard leaned forward to better see through the Puddle-Jumper's forward screen but there was nothing but the dark expanse of space littered with stars.
"Negative, are you sure about this Rodney?"
"And just when have my calculations been wrong Colonel?"
"…"
"Look," continued Rodney, as if Sheppard had indeed argued the point. "Something that can change a gas giant's orbit, even minutely, has to be visible – evading sensors is possible but to actually cloak something that produces a gravity well of that magnitude… impossible."
"I don't know Rodney, impossible and Pegasus are usually mutually exclusive."
"Woah!"
"What? What is woah – woah is good or bad?"
In answer Rodney shoved his tablet over, on it a 3D lattice graphic warped down like a sinkhole. Sheppard, using the tablet as a guide brought up the HUD.
"If that's right the object should be directly in front of us, give or take thirty thousand kilometres."
Rodney copied Sheppard and leaned forward. "I don't see any- oh."
"Oh?"
Rodney turned to Sheppard, his face pale and suddenly very sweaty. "Change course right now! Get us out of here!"
Sheppard knew Rodney enough to not argue when he was like this and immediately veered to port and shifted to maximum speed.
"Why are we-." He was interrupted as the jumper started vibrating and several alarms went off.
Tapping furiously into the tablet McKay started yammering away. "Severe gravimetric distortions, sub-space is fluctuating – we have only seconds Sheppard!"
Sweat poured down Sheppard's face as his contorted in concentration – somehow the jumper responded to his need and all power was diverted to engines, sending the little ship into emergency acceleration. Thrown back into their seats and without inertial dampeners both the Colonel and McKay passed out in seconds from the g-forces.
SGASGASGASGASGA
this is so exciting Nox clapped his hands together like a little kid as scientists and soldiers ran past them, carrying everything from weapons, high-tech equipment and power generators to food, water and Lorne thought he even saw a trolley full of gaffa tape.
look at them run, I hope the Covenant gets here soon – they'll love it
Loren shook his head and tried, in vain, to ignore Nox. Once Chuck had explained what he'd found and Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay had gone to investigate Lorne had pretty much been left to his own devices. You would think they'd want to question him – hell of a coincidence something turning up unannounced this soon after his… Nox's capture.
Ronon had been needed by to Teyla to help secure the Athosian population so Lorne had volunteered to help with securing the labs – unfortunately no-one wanted his help and he was left to watch.
maybe you should think of escape whispered Nox, standing close to Lorne as if he could be knocked down by a scurrying scientist. it would be the perfect opportunity and the Covenant would welcome you back with open arms, or feelers, or tentacles… depends who's Apex
"I don't know what you're talking about," whispered Lorne out the corner of his mouth. "What the hell is the 'Apex' and I can't remember the Covenant – just that it is them approaching."
Nox sniggered then covered his mouth. that's hilarious – you could have the key to all this but can't remember… tell you what he moved around to stand in front of Lorne, putting his metal encased hand on Lorne's temple. It felt cool and too real, even though Lorne knew he was some kind of hallucination.
let me back in here Nox smiled and I'll help you remember, then you can help your friends
Lorne let his unamused expression answer that.
Nox sighed and traced the hand down his face and across his chest, letting his finger trace Lorne's pectoral. perhaps you don't want to help them – you didn't mention anything at the meeting – I think you don't trust them his lips came up to Lorne's, too close. you can trust me
"I don't think so," muttered Lorne forcefully.
A cold blue eye stared into his own from beneath the hood.
you cannot begin to imagine a future without me
"Why not? You're nothing but a figment… a dream."
Lips closed on his own, cold lips that still felt human and for some reason Lorne responded. In a way he knew that mouth – it was his own, but different. It was metallic, coarse and pulsing with some energy that drew him in. His whole body responded. A hand snaked around his waist, pressing fingertips into the small of his back just the way he liked it. The entire world seemed to fade out except for this one small sphere of existence, just him and Nox in this strange embrace. Blood flowed to his groin and pleasure shot though his cock.
can a dream do that?
Lorne opened eyes he had not remembered closing but gone was the hooded Nox with those bright blue irises.
"I said what the fuck are you doin' here!" a gruff voice interrupted and turning Lorne was met with a fist to his jaw. The blow should have sent him reeling but instead his head just whipped to the side and he felt the skin tighten around the wound – already healing.
Facing his attacker he noticed a hulking marine, typical square jaw and dark eyes under sheared black hair. The man was drawing back for another swing but Lorne did not intend to let that happen. He went to block but a blow to his side caught him off guard, another marine had used the butt of his rifle to try and crush his kidney – these guys were serious!
The kidney hit would have sent a normal human to the floor writhing in agony and pissing blood for a week. Lorne went to the floor but the pain was strangely numb, as if the rifle had glanced off his hip. On his knee he blocked the larger marine's swing but that opened up his side that the second marine took advantage of again.
This time the pain lanced up his side – he was obviously stronger but not invincible. The distraction allowed the first marine to get a proper punch in, landing right across his temple and sending everything into strobe. His head hit the floor and before he could move a boot slammed into the side of his head, his ears ringing he tried not to panic and took note of his surrounds.
Four marines, two bigger and all armed – thankfully no-one had decided to shoot, Lorne didn't think he was bullet proof as well as blaster proof. He immediately assessed that two he could take down, a third disable – but four would be difficult without using lethal force. A heel smashed on his cheek and the copper taste of blood filled his mouth.
They were trying to kill him – that negated any restraint on his part.
The next kick hit nothing but floor as Lorne rolled away quicker than the marines could have expected. He lifted himself up on palms and toes and turned to his attackers. One of them visibly blanched so Lorne had to imagine his integration tattoos were pulsing amid the flow of blood across his face. He could feel it, dripping down to his jaw and hitting the floor in what to him, were loud splashes. His senses heightened to an extreme point so that he could detect every heartbeat in the room… every breath.
The one with the rifle, his heart beat the fastest – leave him for last. The large marine was strong but his breathing strained, he was not the biggest threat.
That left the second largest and the one he could not see clearly – their heartbeats were regular and breathing controlled. Lorne knew true soldiers and they were it.
The big one who had first spoken trod towards him but Lorne leapt up and ran towards him, at the last second he pivoted and twisted, his momentum allowed him to run up the wall and flip across, leaving the big guy confused and landing in front of one of his identified biggest threats. Full credit to the guy as he only hesitated a moment before tyring to chop at Lorne's neck; blocking with one hand Lorne responded with an open palm right into the man's nose. Blood sprayed and the man screamed and fell.
Threat diminished.
Before the guy hit the floor Lorne used his shoulders as a leaping point and did a full one-eighty, his feet landing in the second threat's chest. He heard ribs crack and finished the man off with three successive jabs to his head.
Unconscious but not dead.
Swinging to face the smaller man Lorne reacted instantly as the guy brought up his P90, bullets thudded into the wall as Lorne ran across the room, the spray of bullets following his arc. Dropping his centre of gravity Lorne fell back under the arc and flipped up and around, side-wheeling to the shooter before he could correct his aim. Kicking the gun to the side he used his momentum to shoulder charge the man, slamming him into the wall he grabbed him by the ears and smashed his head with a knee.
Unconscious, breathing compromised but not dead.
Lorne spun to face the original attacker but as he had suspected four was one too many.
"Not quick enough for me faggot!" Lorne cut down on the gun that was pointed at his chest, he was fast but not fast enough, the 9mm coughed three times and Lorne doubled over.
From the door way he heard Ronon's roar but his head was down and he never saw what happened to the big marine.
It couldn't have been good.
SGASGASGASGASGA
"No response, I'm getting an intermittent signal but something's interfering with the sub-space link."
Woolsey nodded at Chuck in thanks and paced command. They were preparing for the worst, an all out attack on Atlantis from an enemy they knew nothing about.
Just another day in Pegasus. There were days he wished for Stargate Command – he may have been despised but there he only advised, here the buck stopped with him.
"What was their last position?" The screen changed to a flashing dot between the fifth and sixth planet.
"They made a sudden course correction before I lost the signal," explained Chuck.
"The kind of course correction you'd make if under attack?" thought Woolsey aloud.
"I would say that's likely," Chuck responded and Woolsey couldn't tell if it was with respect or derision – never could with gate technicians.
"Doctor Zelenka?"
The doctor shrugged. "We still have a signal, erratic as it is."
Woolsey stopped pacing. "We have to assume they've been attacked and disabled… re-route all available power to the shield."
"They are still six hours away," argued Zelenka. "Every second we have the shield on drains the ZPM."
"Doctor, with all due respect," Woolsey pointed to the second flashing dot, the centre of the gravity-well Chuck had managed to detect. "We have no idea what that is and how far its reach – but its on its way," he traced a finger to the centre of the screen. "And we're the target."
SGASGASGASGASGA
The room was immense, seemingly endless as the polished metal disappeared in pillars growing smaller and smaller. Terraces surrounded them and was the same above, continuing on to what seemed infinity. Sheppard knew it was a trick of the design and the mind – it did not negate the fact, this room was larger than anything he'd ever seen or even imagined.
A steady but silent pulse vibrated through the couch he'd awoken on, although couch was generous. Stone slab with itchy coral that may have served as cushions. McKay had just come around and was, for once, speechless.
"This is amazing, I knew it would be large but this is just…" Well he had been speechless.
"Yet this is a fraction of a fraction of what we are – are you so easily impressed?"
The voice emanated from all around them, it sounded feminine but had a deep bass to it that sounded metallic. It immediately made Sheppard think of Nox and he did not believe in coincidences, not even in Pegasus. Actually, he thought, especially not in Pegasus.
"I'm not saying I'm impressed… just slightly um…" McKay tried to argue, which was typical thought Sheppard. New aliens, unknown power and Rodney had to try and rile them up.
"Momentarily stupefied?" suggested the voice, followed by what was definitely a feminine laugh.
"I think I might like these guys," muttered Sheppard. "At least they have the right sense of humour."
"Put it back in your pants Kirk," snapped McKay. "Big unknown voice inside huge unknown ship and you want to try and-."
"Are we interrupting? Perhaps you two need time alone?" Sheppard shot up as a figure was suddenly before them, standing and talking where a second ago there had been nothing.
"No, I mean of course not," Sheppard almost stuttered, amazed by what he faced. Twice his height the alien was encased in robes that seemed made of mist, revealing a hint of scaled skin underneath. Humanoid in form, sort of. Two legs, two arms and an elongated head above a concave set of shoulders. Certainly seemed to be female with lips and eyes that just spoke 'lady' and not to mention that regal composure that only queens seemed to master. Sheppard had met enough royals in this galaxy to know the look.
Her skin was strangest of all; reptilian scales covered her hairless body but they were coloured silver as if made of metal. Had she remained still she could pass as a statue with the tone and texture but her body was in motion. Moving forward and leaning down to see eye to eye with him. Her eyes were a molten fire, revealing an intellect that sent shivers up Sheppard's spine. He had heard the term 'looking into your soul' but until now never experienced it – she had just shown him what it felt like.
An elegantly thin hand reached out and reed thin finger-tips danced over his hair.
"Fascinating," she almost purred. "Almost as if it has a life of its own."
Not quite sure what to do Sheppard settled with putting his hand out.
"Um, good to meet you, I'm Colonel John Sheppard and this is Doctor Rodney McKay – please ignore any comments he makes?"
The queenly creature stared at his hand for a second before clasping it in her own. Her hand was warm, almost hot but entirely void of any moisture.
"You may address me as Sharmilla-Joth and I will do no such thing Colonel John Sheppard, the Doctor Rodney McKay delights us with his speech and I hope he will not feel intimidated into silence."
McKay opened his mouth to speak but Sheppard beat him to it.
"Immanent death wouldn't shut him up."
Tbc…