Time to Begin
Dragonlots aka Dana Bell
Chapter 6
Katie gave a breathless laugh. "I'm no one special."
The thin-faced man gave her a speculative look. "We both know that's not true, don't we?"
She turned away, again making sure the plant was secure. "I should really take you to see General Landry."
"Trained you well, didn't they?"
"Excuse me?" The red head faced him, her plain face scrunched into a frown. "Who trained me well?"
"No need for such games with me." He stuck his hands in his coat pocket and produced some sort of device reminding her of a silver pencil. A faint blue light shown on the end and it made a noise as he pointed it around the room.
"Are you looking for something?" Katie put her hands on her hips.
"McKay didn't propose, did he." The Doctor said it such a way it was more a statement than a question.
Her face burned. "No."
"Would you have told him?"
She made a dash for the alarm on the far side of room.
"Hold on." Katie hadn't counted on him being as fast as he was. "No need for that." He grabbed her before she got there and managed to hold onto her as she struggled. "Trying to hide the truth?"
"Let go of me." She hit his arm and surprisingly, he released her. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He held up the device, his lips curled into a triumphant grin. "I think you do."
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John stepped out of the gate and moved down the stone steps. He glanced around noting the semi clear area surrounded by huge trees. The rest of his team followed, McKay, Ronon, Teyla, along with Major Lorne and Commander Cain.
"Which way?" he asked the Colonial.
Cain shook himself. "Is it like that every time?"
Sheppard shrugged. "You get used to it."
"This way." Cain pointed into the trees.
"After you." John didn't have any reason to doubt the Colonial, still, they'd been lead into enough traps to make him cautious.
The older man gave him a smile and set a steady pace toward the woods.
"You know, if he's not telling us the truth," McKay said. "Then we're walking into a trap."
"Rodney." Sometimes the brilliant astrophysicist drove him nuts particularly when McKay was right.
"I do not think he is deceiving us." Teyla couldn't quite match their pace, and stopped briefly.
"You could have stayed behind," John reminded her.
"He says he put my people here." She pushed past him and McKay.
"No point arguing," Ronon commented totting behind her.
"I'll bring up the rear," Lorne offered.
"Thanks." Sheppard hurried to catch up with the others.
McKay made a face and yelled, "Wait for me!"
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"Earth!" Adama waved the pair to the cushioned seating along the wall. "Our brothers are so advanced?" He couldn't believe it! Maybe they were strong enough to help them fight back against the Cylons.
"They're using something called a Stargate," Sheba went on as she sat down. Apollo took his place beside her and took her hand.
The commander sat down on her other side and frowned. "Stargate?"
"The native I talked to, Arnk, explained the ancestors built them to travel throughout the galaxy."
"Did he know where this Atlantis was?"
She shook her head. "They did, but something happened and the Earth people had to move the city. I'm guessing from what little he knew that they're being very secretive about their location."
"I think, Father, that the Wraith are probably responsible for that."
"No, doubt." He had to agree with his son. The Wraith, and he hoped the fleet did not encounter them, poised a great danger. "Had they been contacted recently, Sheba?"
"Not for sometime."
Adama rose and paced for a few centons. The planet ahead had given them more clues, but he dared not wait for the remote chance their Earth brothers might return. "We'll stay on our present course." He stopped. "Apollo, I want vipers flying in and around the fleet until further notice."
"Yes, commander."
He smiled at the pair. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you to be careful what you say to your fellow warriors. I don't any rumors spreading around the fleet."
"But, Commander," Sheba approached him and touched his arm. "This is the first information we've had about Earth, don't you think,"
"No, Sheba." He gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "For the protection of everyone, we need to keep this to ourselves."
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The new village Teyla's people had constructed was similar to the previous two John had seen. Hide covered yerts, cooking pots hanging in the middle of three upright poles over an open fire, wooden tables and stumps for sitting.
A boy dashed out of the woods, stopping when he saw them. "Teyla's back!" he shouted as he gave them a huge, welcoming smile.
People appeared all around them. An entrance was shoved aside nearby and a man emerged, his face lighting up. "Teyla!"
"Kanaan?" She tried to run to him only to have him meet her before she took more than a few steps. The two embraced. "I thought I'd lost you."
Sheppard wondered why he had an odd sinking sensation in his belly.
"We were fortunate." Kanaan released her, but managed to keep one of his arms around her. "It is good to see you again, Commander Cain."
"And you," Cain amicably returned.
"I do not know how to thank you for saving my people," Teyla said.
"As I told you, I didn't save them all."
"Most of us are here, Teyla," Kanaan reassured her. "The Wraith who tried to cull us did not succeed."
"And we managed to stop the Cylon raider who surely would have killed them as well."
"Then you have my thanks twice over." Teyla's face lit up. "Come. We shall celebrate." The pair turned away as the rest of her people surrounded her.
McKay leaned over to speak to John. "At least we know he told us the truth."
"Yeah. Lucky us."
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Delenn had not been to see her old friend for many years. Her sleek ship settled easily on the dock and she walked the ancient corridors with ease, sure of her destination and welcome.
"Welcome, Delenn!" he greeted her with a smile.
"You look well, Draal."
"Well, of course!" he boomed. "And how are your husband and son?"
"They are well." She waited. Draal had sent for her and it would do her no good to inquire until he was ready to tell her.
There was a sudden silence between them. "I thought I should warn you. That pesky Timelord, the Doctor,"
"I thought you told me he would leave after he had paid his debt to you." If the Doctor figured out too much and did not do as they expected, she shut down her train of thought. That was not a path she wished to travel upon and hoped to avoid.
Draal leaned toward her. He could still be intimidating, even if he was just a hologram. "And you didn't tell ME everything."
She meekly bowed her head. "That is true."
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Katie glared at the Doctor from the other side of the console. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the metal, was it really metal?, floor. The annoying man had snapped his fingers and dragged her inside his blue police box just when she thought she might get away.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded again, even as her eyes took in the odd control console, the large lights all around and the almost spider like interior. Hard to believe the inside was bigger than the outside indicated.
"Thought that would be obvious."
"Do you have any idea the type of panic you're going to cause when it's discovered I'm missing?"
"Taken care of." He grinned. "Contacted UNIT and they'll handle the explanations to the SGC."
"UNIT?"
"Sort of like your SGC only they've been in operation since my third incarnation. They handle all the alien invasions and such."
"I've never heard of them."
"No, don't suppose you have."
"I have work to do!" She left her spot and stomped over to him. "Take me back!"
"Can't do that."
"And just why not?"
"Because, Dr. Katie Brown, I know who you really are."
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"Excuse me, Dr. Weir." The voice on the Com woke her and Elizabeth turned over to answer it.
"Lights." They flashed on and she sat up on her bed. "Go ahead."
"You have a message from Colonel Carter."
"Put it through." During her time running Atlantis, and even before, Weir had learned to instantly wake if she'd been sleeping. Her ability to adapt had saved countless missions and agreements.
"Sorry, if I woke you, Dr. Weir."
"Quite alright, Colonel. I'm used to it."
She heard the other woman chuckle. "I'm sure you are. I just wanted to let you know I got a message from Colonel Sheppard. They found Teyla's people and they're fine."
"That's good to hear."
"I'm relieved. It means Commander Cain was being honest with us."
"You mean you're glad you don't have another enemy to deal with."
"That, too." There was a brief pause. "He mentioned he was looking for more of his people. Seems there's another battlestar and a refugee fleet."
"And you think they're here?"
"McKay had a chance to run the coordinates he's been following. If the Colonial fleet is on the same one or similar, they'll have to pass through Pegasus."
Weir wondered about something. "Do they have hyperdrive?"
"Lightspeed and I suspect, from what little he said, not all the ships have it."
"It'll take them centuries to reach Earth."
"I know." There was another silence. "Cain also told Rodney about 'Beings of Light'".
"Ascended ancients?"
"That would be my guess."
"Interesting." Again Weir suspected she and Lyta had been sent to accomplish more than one mission but at whose bidding? "Anything else?"
"Just a request. I'd appreciate it if you'd take your ship and scout around. See if you can find the rest of Cain's people."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, Dr. Weir. Atlantis out."
There was a light tap on her door. "Come."
Lyta entered. "I listened." The telepath didn't sound apologetic about it.
"And?"
"She's being honest with you." Lyta sat in a chair as Elizabeth got up and tossed on her robe. "Do you think the Ancients are orchestrating this contact?"
"From what I understand, it's against their rules, but you never know." Weir activated the Com. "Bridge, we're going on a scouting mission." Her eyes met Lyta's. "We're looking for another battlestar."
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Lyta and Elizabeth hadn't been on the bridge for more than a few minutes when the blue police box appeared again. The telepath groaned and Weir took a deep breath understanding how Lyta felt.
"Doctor," Weir greeted as he stepped out. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I'm hard to get rid off," he shot back. "And I brought you a surprise." He pulled a young woman out by her arm.
"Doctor, what are you doing?" Weir couldn't believe who he had. "Katie, are you alright?"
"Fine," the botanist snapped back as she grabbed the nearest denn'bok off the belt of a passing ranger. Expertly she snapped it to its fullest length and whirled, managing to knock the Doctor off his feet. She held the end of it at his throat.
The Timelord didn't seem stunned or startled, though Dr. Brown's actions had taken Weir by surprise. "Katie," she began.
"He blew my cover." Katie closed the fighting pike and tossed it back to its correct owner. "I'm sorry, Dr. Weir. I was under orders not to tell you. I'm a Ranger."
"Oh, you're more than that," the doctor said as he rose to his feet wincing slightly. "You're Valen's daughter."