Rogue Element3

Moira stared as the Wraith Hive ship grew larger, larger. As the Jumper hybrid flew closer, closer. She swallowed, unease making her stomach churn. "How..."

"I don't know," Sheppard answered. "Ford commandeered it somehow. He's a sneaky son of a bitch, but not clever. Not like us. Wait until you see his semi-Wraith personnel. The experiments...again, sloppy."

"Experiments?" she asked with a shudder.

"I bet he tries a few on poor John," Sheppard taunted. "The retro-virus, doubly toxic in its unfinished version, remember? My mutations. Ford's developed along those lines. Further than the simple regeneration of his arm. Nice work, by the way. But there have been complications. So I've been led to understand. Rejection and cannibalization at a molecular level. That's what Carson theorized about the Ford in my reality. My Carson, not yours."

She stared. Horrified. "Oh my God..."

"You see, his leverage on you would have been your John, of course. If not that then some form of torture. Until I entered the picture. I wouldn't allow that. You are the price for my cooperation. So he thinks."

Moira hugged herself as Sheppard flew the ship into the landing bay. "Colonel...John," she amended, "you made the deal. To rescue my John. To get him safely to Atlantis."

"I know." He guided the ship to a smooth landing. Shut down the systems. Took the keycard and placed it in the pocket of his TAC vest. Stood. "Moira." She stood, followed him to the back of the vessel. Turned to meet her gaze. "Here's the plan. You are not here. I'll spin a believable fib to Ford about not finding you and I'll be pissed. So pissed he'll need to mollify me. Here." He handed her a small device. A light blinked. "This will help you get back to this ship."

"With John! Right? You agreed," she reminded, tightly clasping the small rectangular object.

"Yes. As did you." He took a step closer to her. "Moira, that wasn't an idle threat I made. So your word had better be trustworthy. I'll take you as far as the holding cells, but then you will be on your own. If you are not back here in ten I will find you. Only you. And we will leave. Understand?"

"Yes."

He took her hand, held it against a panel. It lit up for a moment, a sporadic flash of green and gold. "Controls. Only keyed to me. You. Him." He handed her a small blaster. "Stuns. Only if you have no choice. Remember, you are not here. Reverse it and it will access the panel on the holding cells. Let me reiterate the gravity of this, Moira. If you do get caught I will save you, but only you. You have one chance to rescue him. Only one. Come on." He led her out of the ship. Closed the hatch. Led her quickly, quietly down darkened hallways. Down a level. He stopped, pushed her back and stepped back himself as some men passed.

Moira stared past him at their strangely mutated forms, faces. A soft gasp escaped her lips. Seeing the Wraith-like features. Bluish scales. Nails extending into claws.

Sheppard turned to her. "Down the hall, sharp left. It's in your hands whether he stays here or returns to Atlantis. Go!"

She nodded, darted down the hallway. Glanced back but he was gone.

Sheppard strode angrily onto the control bridge. "Son of a bitch!" he flared, grabbing Ford by the arm, spinning him round. Guns were raised but Sheppard ignored them all. "You lied to me!"

"What? You got–"

"No! She wasn't there!"

"What?" Ford asked, genuinely surprised. "How could she not be there? Sheppard would never allow her out of the city after finding my dog tags! And your tracking device pinpointed her there!"

"True, but somebody did let her leave the city! My guess it was Weir. And no doubt McKay found a way to rig that device to give a false reading. All I know is I got in, just like I said. No security! But Moira was not there, not anywhere! So much for our bargain, lieutenant!"

"Hey! You can't back out now! Just on bad intel."

"What intel? Your so-called knowledge of him? Pathetic! Moira is the deal breaker. Without her knowledge you won't control those things or find any way to terminate the Wraith."

"What? So that's it? You're just going to leave and ruin our plans? What about the Wraith? Ending them once and for all? I have him, now, and soon I'll have all of his codes! Everything!" Sheppard freed the younger man, pretended to consider. He leaned on the console, blocking the sudden blinking alarm, silencing it with a quick flick of his wrist. "I can make this work, colonel!" Aiden continued, unaware of what was happening. "We still have Sheppard! If I can't convince him to join us I'll break him and we will have Atlantis! Atlantis can be yours, colonel. Moira too. We can make proper use of its resources and end the Wraith as a species! Isn't that the prime objective?"

"Yes," Sheppard agreed. Surly. "At all costs. At any cost. Once we find Moira she is mine. End of discussion." He straightened. "I'll take my ship, scout the area. Your men are at the rendezvous site. Bring the creatures later."

"With Sheppard. I'll get those codes."

"No, you won't. You forget I know your prisoner better than anyone ever could. He won't divulge a thing. He'll die before he is broken, even with Moira as bait. Either way it suits my purpose. Our purpose," he added as an afterthought.

"Just remember, colonel, we need her expertise. And my research. My...creatures," Aiden argued, suspicious.

"Of course, lieutenant. I'll have the city, and you'll have your revenge. It's a done deal."

Moira stealthily ran along the shadows. Darting across the pools of light when she couldn't avoid them. Down the hall, left to the cells. Cell after cell, absolutely silent. Abandoned. She didn't doubt that Sheppard would leave his alternate self behind if she didn't find him in time. She became increasingly worried as she didn't find him. Cell after cell. One held a dead body. She quickly moved on, heart racing. Finally breaking. "John? John!" she softly, urgently called.

"John! John! Sweetie? Sweetie!"

John stood, staring dispassionately as blood trickled down his cut arm. Wondering how the injury had occurred. He heard a voice. Ignored it. A low humming made him shake his head. He heard the voice again. Recognition came groggily as his mind struggled to clear. "Baby?" he automatically responded. "No...baby's safe. Moira's safe on Atlantis," he muttered the mental block. Relaxed.

"John! Thank God!" Moira ran to the cell. "Hold on!" She pulled out the blaster, flipped it and slid it into the panel. The cell's woven threads parted. She withdrew the weapon, pocketed it. Ran to him. "John! Oh John!" She hugged him tightly.

"Moira's safe in Atlantis."

"John?" She pulled back from him. Saw the blood. The vacant expression in his green eyes. "What did he do to you? John? Come on! We don't have–"

"Moira's safe in Atlantis," he repeated. Voice a dull monotone. Seemingly not seeing her.

"John? I'm here! I'm here to rescue you!" She pulled but he wouldn't budge. "Damn it, John, come on! What did they do to you?" Her gaze scoured him head to feet and back again.

"Moira's safe in Atlantis."

"Shit." She considered. Touched his face. Tried to get him to see her, to focus on her. "John? John, please!" She shook him, grasping his arms. "John!"

"Moira's safe in Atlantis."

She bit her lower lip, considering. Saw a flicker of recognition in his glazed green eyes. "John?" She caressed his bruised jaw. Kissed him. Kissed him again, trying to open his lips to hers. To nibble his lower lip. She ran her mouth across his jaw. Up his throat. Circled his ear. Circled. "John, please," she whispered until he moaned. Abruptly pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Tongue gliding into her mouth until she murmured.

John pushed her back, gaze alert. Shook his head. "Moira? Moira, what the hell?"

"Come on! We have to get out of here now or he'll leave you!"

"Huh? Who? How–"

"Come on, John!" She pulled him out of the cell. She withdrew the rectangular object. It blinked, indicating direction. "This way! Hurry!" Grabbing his hand she broke into a run. John followed on her heels, his mind clearing.

"Moira, Moira, how did you even get here? How–"

"Come on! No time! John, please!"

Abruptly he pulled her back around the corner, shoved her behind him as a group passed. "Weapons?" She handed him the little blaster. He stared at it, quirked a brow. "Seriously? This?"

She smiled. "Sorry. All I have. Go!"

He shook his head. "Where is your sidearm, baby?" He peered round the corner. "Stay behind me. Down."

"It only stuns, John, so–"

"What? Crap." He advanced, firing. "Run!" He plowed ahead, Moira on his heels. "Where?"

"This way! The ship!"

"What ship? This is some rescue!" he quipped, running after her as she darted ahead of him, waving the device in front of her like a wand. He whirled, firing at their pursuers. "This thing is useless!" he snarled, threw it at another as lasers pinged around him. He spun, pushed her. "Down!" He dove after her as electricity crackled along the walls.

"John!" Moira scrambled but froze as a familiar pair of boots nearly trampled her. She looked up the long, lean form clad in black.

Sheppard shook his head. Disappointment on his face. "Moira." He hauled her to her feet. "Go! I'll cover!"

"John!" She pulled him past as he stood, staring at his dark side self. Startled. Suspicious. He ran after her into the bay. "Here! John!" She rushed to the ship, opened the hatch as gunfire erupted. John dove in after her, grabbed a P90 and whirled to fire.

"Moira! Get us airborne!" John ordered.

"No! We have to wait for the colonel!"

"What?" He almost dropped the gun. "Are you crazy? No!" He started to close the hatch but she grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Moira!"

"No! We can't leave him, John!" she argued.

"I can fly this ship! I've done it before!" he argued.

"We can't leave him in Ford's clutches, can we? It'd be like leaving you! A version of you! Besides, two Sheppards are better than one, right?"

John frowned. "Fine. This had better not be some kinky twin fantasy, baby. Go power up! I'll hold them off!" He turned, stepped down the ramp and fired around the colonel as he was backing up towards the ship. "Come on!" he shouted.

Moira ran to the front of the ship, touched the console. It hummed at her fingers, powering quickly. "He has the keycard, John! We can't fly the ship without it!"

"Crap. Come on!" he urged, firing high as Sheppard whirled, ran to the ship. He dove into it. John slammed the hatch shut.

Sheppard sprang to his feet, ran to the pilot's seat. "Hold on, Moira!"

She slid into the co-pilot's chair, turned to see John in the back. "John! Hold on!"

Sheppard guided the ship to rise, rise. To fly out of the bay as it was closing. "Just remember our deal, Moira," he reminded gruffly.

Moira nodded.

John witnessed the exchange as he scrambled to a seat. "Deal? What deal? Moira?"

"Here they come," she noted, ignoring his question. "Vipers."

"Yes, they aren't too happy right now. Hey, Johnny," Sheppard said, the dislike, disdain in his voice all too evident, "rear gunnery. Like the Ancient Chair device. Hold them off while I plot a course."

"Sure thing, colonel," John acidly agreed. Moved to the back to find an opening. He dropped down into it. A seat conformed to his body. He grabbed the controls, swinging round as the viewport cleared to give him a nearly three-sixty view. "Now this is sweet!" he remarked, marveling for a moment. "What's the ammo?"

"Drones, with a kick or two. Headset. Control panels, center. The twin rods guide it. Your thoughts do the rest," Sheppard instructed, accessing the HUD display as he plotted a course, swerved the ship away from the Wraith ship. Darts followed rapidly. Firing.

"Guess I better behave, then," John wryly noted. He grabbed the headset, placed it on his head. Winced at the memory of that other device but there was no pain here. He tapped the panel, grabbed the twin rods. The console lit up, displaying a triangulating grid and the Vipers chasing them. "Cool."

"Anytime would be good," Sheppard stated, as a hit rattled the ship.

"Why don't you cloak?" Moira asked.

"Or shield?" John added.

"Too much power drain. We need it for the anomaly. Moira, chart. Watch that radar. When it goes green tell me. It will be a clear path."

"Got one!" John announced, smiling as the Viper in his sights exploded into a blast of crimson energy and smoke.

"Good. Only twenty to go," Sheppard commented.

"You want to do this? 'Cause I can sure as hell fly this better than you," John remarked, hearing the sarcasm. Another hit made the ship lurch.

"Johns, please! We need to work together!" Moira chided. "Two Sheppards should easily get us out of this! Come on!" She stared at the screen. "Colonel, shouldn't we be heading away from the Cruiser?"

"Yeah, colonel, listen to her. Where is your sense of direction?" John asked. "Five."

"We're taking out the Cruiser. Weren't those your orders, Johnny? Shoot to kill? I'll save you the trouble."

"Thanks. Seven."

"Moira! Eyes on the screen!" Sheppard ordered, seeing her gaze wandering back and forth between the two of them. Studying with both amusement and fascination.

"Sorry!"

"Don't apologize to him!" John retorted. "Nine."

"Here we go. Firing magna drones one and two."

"I like the sound of that. Full arsenal?"

"Complete. Drones plus the Wraith blast tech, with a dash of naquadda thrown in for good measure. Destroys everything in its path."

"Nice. Even through shielding?"

"Yes."

Moira shook her head at their enthusiasm. Relieved that they were finally being civil to each other. She watched the side of the Cruiser light up like a Christmas tree. Glanced at the screen. "Yellow."

"Closer. Green is what we want."

"Fifteen. Cruiser?"

"Hull breached on port side. Venting atmosphere."

"Green! It's green, colonel! What does–"

"Open pathway," Sheppard noted, smiling at her anxious tone.

"Hyperspace jump?"

"To the planet."

"No Stargate?"

"Not needed with this tech."

"Sweet!"

"Johns!" she scolded as space blurred into lines. "I know you are both in your happy place but focus!" Both smirked. "Where are we going?"

"Rendezvous. Anomaly." Sheppard answered as space morphed back to real time. The ship descended rapidly, breaking atmosphere over a planet.