Rogue Element8

"Stop!" Sheppard ordered, paused as Aiden halted up the ridge. Moira slowed, nearly fell as she doubled over in pain. Trying to catch her breath.

"What? If she becomes a liability we need to dump her,"Aiden remarked coldly.

"Or I could just kill you, lieutenant." Sheppard scanned the lines of caves perched above them. "That one. Three o'clock. Go." Aiden led the way, scrambling up the slope with more than human agility. Sheppard took Moira's arm. "Moira, are you–"

"Fine, just winded," she muttered through gritted teeth. Pulled free and followed Aiden. She grabbed onto tree branches, finding purchase as her shoes slid on the uneven ground. The sharp rise of the slope threatening to toss her backwards.

Sheppard followed, glancing behind him to hear noises of pursuit. Shrieks. Weird grunts and calls from yet another direction. He followed his companions into the cave. Motioned Aiden to one side of the entrance as he took the other. Water splattered in front of it, creating a shimmering, noisy curtain of silver. He pulled out his binoculars. Scanned.

"Well? Anything?" Aiden asked tersely, grip tightening on his weapon.

"Not yet. See how far back this cave goes. We may need an egress point."

"Right." Aiden stepped into the darkness.

Moira sank to the floor, winced. A moan of pain erupted from her lips. She started as Sheppard was suddenly kneeling beside her. "I'm fine."

"Let me see." He moved her hands away, lifted her shirt. A purplish bruise under her rib cage marred her flesh. He carefully felt around it. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

"This?"

"No."

"This?"

"Ow! Yes, that hurts!"

He freed her as she shoved her shirt down. "Nothing serious. Just a bad hit. You'll be fine." He touched her cheek. Brushed some dirt off her now rosy face. "Moira." His husky voice held a low, intimate tone that made her shift slightly.

"What's the plan, colonel?" she asked, trying to ignore her reactions to him. "You know you have to join with Atlantis. You have to help them. Help me. Give over Ford...you can go back to your own survivors," she reasoned.

"And you'll go back to John?"

"Yes." She eyed the ground. Felt tears. Wondered if John would even want her back now.

Sheppard lifted her face to his, kissed her. "One thing at a time, Moira." He moved back to the cave entrance. Stared out past the water.

"It's about twenty feet," Aiden announced, returning. "Opens onto another waterfall with a thirty foot drop into a lake. There's no clear path down. If they come in that way we're dead."

"If they come in this way we're dead," Sheppard countered. He looked at Aiden. "I'll make you a deal, lieutenant."

"A deal?" Suspicious Aiden glanced at Moira, who was staring at the colonel in surprise as well. "What kind of deal?"

"You help me get back to my ship and I'll take you with me. To my reality." At Aiden's stare he continued. "You want to fight the Wraith, don't you? End them? In my reality Atlantis is lost, but the war rages on. You'd be safer there than here with John hunting you."

"You'd let me come with you? After everything? Why?" Suspicion and a glint of hope flared in Aiden's normal human eye.

"Because I need every fighting man I can get. Because your knowledge of the Wraith and their enzyme is invaluable. Because Atlantis has a shoot to kill order on your head."

"What about her?" He pointed at Moira.

"She's my concern, not yours."

"You need her expertise as much as I do."

"I know."

"So she's coming with us?" Aiden tested.

"You think I came all this way for nothing?" Sheppard retorted.

Moira frowned, but kept silent. Wondering what Sheppard was really doing. What he really wanted. Knew the ship was all but useless without the key card she had given John.

"All right...you have a deal. But how are we–"

"John's teams. They'll take care of our enemies for us. You'll see. I know what he's planning." Sheppard turned back to view the terrain through the binoculars.

"And what is that?" Aiden asked.

"Keep watch and you'll see."

John signaled, lowered his binoculars. "There. Past the forest. Three klicks. Group one. Lorne?"

"Copy, sir. Group two is two klicks east of them and heading into position." Evan stared at the shambling, grunting cavemen. Distorted features making him wince.

"Good. On my mark start firing. Drive them towards each other. Then pull back on my orders. Reynolds, copy?"

"Yes, sir. Holding the line so there are no strays up the ridge." Jason squatted with his men, waiting. Blocking access to the higher terrain.

"Copy that." John glanced at Ronon who was staring up ahead of them, up to the line of caves dotting the cliffs. "Do you see something?"

"No. They could be in any of those caves." He met John's gaze, then frowned, eying his leg. "You're bleeding a–"

"Ignore it. They're up there. I know it."

"Sir, um, do you think this will work?" Evan asked.

"It had better, major. Move."

They fanned forward, silently approaching the two groups from either side. "Mark," John ordered. Fired his weapon as did the others. The Wraith hybrids shrieked, scattering, leaping out of the way. Converging upon the cavemen who were doing the same. Headed directly for a collision course as John and his men tightened the net around them.

The gunfire startled Moira. She scrambled to Sheppard as he peered through his binoculars. "What's happening?"

Sheppard smiled. "Clever. As I thought. They're driving both groups to fight each other. With any luck to annihilate each other. Buying them time to work their way up here." He stood, glanced at Aiden who was watching. "Let's go. We don't want to be here when they arrive."

"I do." At Moira's voice Sheppard turned to her. She shook her head. "This ends now, colonel. Go to your ship. Wait there. I'll bring you the key card, I promise."

"What is she talking about?" Aiden asked.

Sheppard shook his head. "Sorry, Moira. You I would trust, but not him. So no."

"Colonel! He'll want you gone! And Aiden is right, I'm just a liability now! I'll slow you down! So go! Just let me–"

"No. There could be more of those things out there. Besides, Moira, who said I was going to let you go?"

"But, but you...you..." she stammered as Aiden laughed.

Sheppard took her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Let's go. Ford! Point!"

"No! No, colonel, please! You can't! You can't just take me!" She tried to fight but he pulled her along. "Please let me go! Let me go!"

"No, Moira. I need you. I need you for the key card," he explained.

"The key...then you'll let me go?"

"Depends. Come on."

"Depends? Depends on what? Colonel, colonel, please! You can't just take me!" she protested, but was forced to watch her footing as they exited the cave and made their way up the perilous ridge.

John halted the men as they skirted round the mayhem. The air was full of shrieking, grunting. Screaming as the two mutated groups fought each other. He could only imagine the bloodbath ensuing. Carefully he guided his men well clear of the carnage. Pushing past trees. Pushing past the dizziness in his head.

"Sir!" Jason and his men met them halfway, clearly relieved. "Nothing's gotten through. And there's been no activity behind us."

"Good, good." John rested a moment, blinked to clear his head. Pain laced his leg. His arm ached. He could feel blood trickling where the stitches had been torn. He glanced at his men, all watching him, all waiting for his orders. Ronon's gaze was narrowed, as if guessing the true severity of his injuries.

"Sir? Shouldn't we be heading up the ridge?" Evan asked, almost shouting over the wild cacophony of bloodlust and rage.

John's brow furrowed in thought. He considered. "Shit! How could I be so stupid?"

"What is it?" Ronon asked.

"He won't be there, damn it!"

"What? But you said–" Ronon argued.

"I know, I know! He was there, but we've just handed him a get out of jail free pass. He'll be heading back to his ship, with Moira. But he won't be able to leave because I have the key card."

"A get out of jail–" Ronon repeated, confused.

"Got it, sir," Evan rejoined. "Unless he uses the Stargate, sir."

"Shit. Fall back! All teams!" John ordered into his radio. "Double-time to the 'Gate! Now! Keep sharp! No one gets through! I repeat, no one gets through!" He spun, began to sprint but slowed, almost falling. He cursed, leaned on a tree, favoring his good leg for a moment.

"We'll catch them, Sheppard. Rest a moment and–" Ronon reasoned, but John shook his head. Regretted it as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"No! No, there's no time! We have to get there before they do! Before he takes Moira," he muttered. He groaned, forced himself into a run with the rest of his men.

"Wait, wait!" Moira slowed, stumbled. Stopped. She leaned heavily on a tree, hand on her side. "I have to rest!"

"We don't have time for–"Aiden snapped, about to grab her arm when Sheppard raised his gun.

"Don't." He glanced at Moira as Aiden stepped away from her. "We can rest. For five."

"We don't have time to coddle her!"

"Fine. You go on, alone, lieutenant. See how your chances are then!" Sheppard moved to stand near Moira as she sat on a fallen log. All but collapsing as she gingerly held her side.

"You know he'll have men stationed at the 'Gate. Probably at the ship too."

"Yes. I know. Why don't you make yourself useful and take them out." At Moira's gasp of protest he added, "Don't kill them. Just knock them out. They'll be more useful alive than dead."

"Fine. But you better be on my heels in five!" Aiden ran through the trees.