CHAPTER 128
EPISODE……………………….MIDWAY
(A.N. After watching this episode, I had many different ideas of how I was going to write it. After several times of rewriting certain parts, this is obviously the one I came up with since you are reading it. I won't say what's to come, but I had a lot of different ideas.)
It was just another day in the Pegasus Galaxy for the Atlantis expedition. Today and the last few days had been going smoothly. Just over a month ago had the incident with the tremor planet, which was a pain in the ass, literally for the two girls. Since then it had been relatively quiet. There was an altercation with the Wraith five days ago, with a different team that ended up needing backup from Sheppard, Ronan, Ford, Rebecca and a couple other teams besides Lorne's. No one was killed on the Atlantis side and thankfully, those stunned were taken back to Atlantis before they were captured or feed upon. A good dozen darts were destroyed and about three dozen Wraith were added to the killed list, even though that was metaphorically speaking. Even though Carter understood it better and Ford got it after she talked about it, Ford still found it strange that after four years, the I.O.A. and a few other people from the SGC finally got around to talking to Teyla and Ronan.
Teyla had left three days ago to go answer questions and have a bit more than the standard examine done as part of the I.O.A.'s policy. Teyla had just returned but was still off the active list because she was still pregnant and was talking to Sheppard and both Carter's in Sam's office. Ronan was to leave later that day to go to the SGC and get his evaluation done, leaving Sheppard's team down for over a week since Teyla left. Sheppard was enjoying the down time because he was usually playing golf, either off the pier or in the virtual game system in the T.A.R.D.I.S. that several people, including Ford, were trying to create in one of the bigger rooms of Atlantis that wasn't in use or had any computer or equipment in. So far, it was a bit of a struggle and had been for a month because they had to readapt the system Ford had, to work without the use of the T.A.R.D.I.S. helping since it was currently hooked up to the T.A.R.D.I.S. systems, with those designs and programs in mind.
Teyla was sitting in one of the chairs with Sheppard leaning back in the chair beside her. Carter was sitting on the edge of her desk as Ford was sitting back in her chair, feet on the desk as he was holding his Sonic Screwdriver between his index finger and middle finger, wobbling it. His heavy coat hanging from a metal coat rack by the wall.
"Glad to see you safe and sound back in Atlantis Teyla." Carter said.
"Thank you. It is good to be back in more familiar settings. Two days of no sun and being stuck underground was a bit unnerving." Teyla said.
"If you had to work there constantly, you'd eventually get used to it." Ford said with a shrug. "We all did. There was some days where we couldn't leave the mountain at all and only saw sunlight or the open sky when we went off world."
"The exact reason why I love Atlantis. I may be stuck here for the moment, but at least I can see the sky and mainland when I wish." Teyla said.
"The fresh air is so much better than circulated air too." Carter said as Teyla nodded in agreement.
"So, what's new back on Earth these days?" Sheppard asked.
"I am unsure. Like I said, I spent two days underground before being able to come back. Though I was able to talk to Doctor Jackson for awhile, as he was interested in my people and culture. Although it did pain me to think of my people and their situation, I am quite sure we will find them and talked to him about us anyway. It did help pass the time." Teyla said.
"Glad he was able to help. Daniel's always curious about other people and their backgrounds. Even when they are from another universe." Carter said with a knowing smile. "How about the interview?"
"It went pretty much as you two stated. Though I am a ally and close friend to many here, I was treated otherwise." Teyla said with a slightly upset tone.
"That's the I.O.A. for you." Ford muttered while putting his tool away.
"Mr. Coolidge, the newest member of the I.O.A., was very brusque and arrogant. He spent most of the interview asking questions himself." Teyla stated.
"I knew he would. Having these interviews were the first thing on his agenda as a new member of the I.O.A." Carter said.
"Probably was looking to get bonus points for finding out new info about the people he's asked to talk to. Work his way up into the job as quickly as he can." Ford said.
"He very clearly showed he is very distrustful of aliens, participating in any form with the Stargate program, other than a threat to be interrogated. He made it very clear, without saying it, that he does not like me being an active team member." Teyla said.
"Ouch." Sheppard said. "Hopefully you were able to change his mind on some level."
"I am unsure. I did notice he seemed very distracted because of my condition." Teyla said.
"We told them you were pregnant." Carter said.
"Yes. And though some of the members seemed to support me, I believe that Mr. Coolidge has something against women. His demeanor towards females is very different from it when it comes to men. He kept calling me, honey." Teyla said with distain. "I must admit, the urge to inflict bodily harm was very strong, but I restrained myself."
"He's what most women call a pig. General Hammond used to call me, on occasions, plus Daniel and a few others, son. He did it affectionately, but in a very kind way." Ford said. "Usually the word dear is used on women and sometime it is in a kind way. In this case, he was being demeaning."
"General Hammond called me dear a few times, and it was in a affectionate way since he is my godfather. I think he did so with Janet a few times during distraught situations. More than likely, Coolidge is one of those people who think women have their place and that it should be at home instead of working, especially in military matters." Carter said with distain like Teyla had. "I had to deal with that crap back when I started in the SGC. Thankfully, that problem has diminished greatly."
"Other than being female, I think a lot of your problems were possibly my fault. Even after all this time, he thought he would be able to bully me since I am an alien, he talked to me first before moving onto everyone else. I spent a good hour listening to him rant and rave, along with a few other people there, about my bad qualities and how I'm not being a better 'team player'." Ford said using his fingers as quotes around the word team player. "Despite everything I have done to help the SGC and save so many lives with SG-1, plus the trust I have gained with so many people, he still thinks I am a bad influence. I almost got up and attacked him when he made a bad comment about me being a father and the fact my child should be being used to better the rest of humanity."
"I'm pretty sure he was trying to goad you into causing trouble to see what you would do." Carter said with a grimace of anger. "Good thing I wasn't there."
"I seriously thought about it. They were all surprised when I laughed and told him he was an idiot and that my record speaks for itself, despite my black marks. Must have let all the air out of his bag because they got finished with me shortly after and told me I could leave and so I came back here." Ford said.
"Didn't you mention something about him making a comment about Atlantis and you past?" Sheppard asked.
"He did. I told him the truth. I only have to speak a certain set of words and the city will go into total lock down until I release it. Only Sam knows the words and she is also the only other one that can activate that security measure. Originally, I made the program in case the Replicators or some other hostile force tried to take over the city. Particularly the Replicators or Ancients." Ford said. "Jack agreed to it in case other Ancients suddenly came back and tried to do what they did before, or in case anyone else tried to take it over."
"Thankfully, we haven't had to see it implemented." Sheppard said.
"I think he's glad too, like a few other I.O.A. members have said." Ford said. "I told him if he ever comes to Atlantis, he will not get a warm welcome."
"Unless ordered, I would avoid him as much as possibly and not even talk to him." Teyla said. "I must say, the only reason I think I will have no problems with him in the future is because I am quite sure he believes I will not be going back to active duty once my son is born. At the moment, I am unsure of what I shall do."
"You don't have to worry about it Teyla. I even thought about quitting, but I managed and still do what I do even while taking care of Sally." Carter said. "You can deal with that decision after he's born. Right now, the best thing we need to do is get through these interviews and do everything we can to ensure we don't give the I.O.A. anything they can use against us. I'll let you know what the report says when it comes in."
"Thank you Sam." Teyla said as she got up and left.
Ford and Sheppard stood as she got up and looked at some paper on her desk.
"Now all we have to do is deal with Ronan going and then coming back without causing any trouble." Carter said.
"His interview isn't for another three days." Sheppard said. "But knowing his short fuse, he might do something."
"That's why I sent a message to the SGC when Teyla came back. Ford agrees it would be a good idea since Teal'c had to go through the interview, more than once over these past ten years. He'll be able to coach him pretty well." Carter said.
"Or so we hope." Ford said. "Being strong and determined warriors, they might fight instead of talk. Then again, that might be the best way for Teal'c to get through to him since, no offense to you two, real warriors can say so many things to each other while not speaking at all."
"That warriors pride thing?" Carter asked. "If it wasn't for me watching you fight either against enemies or just sparring, I would say it's a load of crap. Then again, those different times I talked to Chevy about the subject also helped me understand it better."
"See, even though she is a pain in the ass, she does know what she is talking about." Ford said waving a finger.
"It's you, from a woman's perspective." Carter said.
"That's the point. You know, I wonder how things turned out in her universe with being questioned?" Ford wondered.
"Knowing her, she told the guy to shove it, or used more colorful words and then left with a threat. In many ways, she's scarier than you are." Carter said.
"I know." Ford said with a shudder. "She can perform that look only women can give and other than her, you're the only one that is able to effect me with it."
"That and she is pretty much the only one that can effectively fight you on equal terms and power." Carter said.
A couple hours later, the gate activated from the Midway Station and let Teal'c through. His once very short hair was down to his shoulders and completely straight. He was wearing a Jaffa robe and his hands behind his back as he exited. A leather bag hanging from his shoulder and under his arm was all he carried. Ford and Carter were both down by the gate, with Sally and Sam's parents. The Carter family said various versions of hello as he bowed to them.
"I am most pleased by your warm welcome Carter family." Teal'c said shaking each of their hands in turn.
They made small talk, asking him how things with the Jaffa nation, Ishta, his son and wife and such were doing for several minutes. When a guy from the Command Center came down and informed Sam a team was getting ready to go off world, Jacob and Amy took Sally to go back to looking around the city, leaving the other two to work.
"So T, I guess you decided to take after me and Sam." Ford said.
"I do not understand." Teal'c said as they walked through the halls.
"He means the hair. Both of us have let ours grow out just as you have. I love it. Different, but good." Carter said.
"Very different. The last time I saw you, you only had a couple inches. I think it looks rather good too." Ford said.
"Thank you. Ishta also likes it this way." Teal'c said as they nodded to a few people. "This cities size continues to impress me."
"It's a very remarkable feat of engineering." Carter said. "The Ancients really knew how to build them. But the T.A.R.D.I.S. impresses me even more even after all this time. Putting something so big into something so small. I still have barely scratched the surface of the math behind it."
"Is it possible to connect the T.A.R.D.I.S. with Atlantis and use your ships power to bring Atlantis to Earth?" Teal'c asked.
"It is, but we're hoping to find ZPM's to do that. It's not a issue of power, per say, with using the T.A.R.D.I.S. It's the fact that once she is on Earth, if we leave, she has to be able to sustain herself without us. If for some reason the city needed to move, it would be best if she could do it herself. Besides, we need to get rid of the Wraith so they don't follow us back to Earth and to save the people out here." Ford said. "We are still trying to find Teyla's people."
"Indeed. The Jaffa Nation is truly beginning to come together like never before. Another attacking force could bring about the downfall of any chance of governing ourselves once and for all." Teal'c stated.
"Trust us, we're are doing everything we can to keep the Wraith from getting anywhere near the Milky Way galaxy." Carter said.
"On the behalf of my people, you have my thanks." Teal'c said with a small bow.
"Don't worry about it Teal'c. Just enjoying the hundred or so years you have left, hopefully without any more fighting, is thanks enough." Ford said.
"Yeah. Now if we can just get Daniel to settle down and have a family, SG-1 can more than pass on what we've learned to our children." Carter said. "Vala will be around forever if she can keep her head, so there's no time limit on her. Daniel is just getting older each day like the rest of us."
"Indeed. Colonel Mitchell sends his greetings and spoke that he is going to ask Amy for her hand in marriage." Teal'c said.
"Wow." both Carter's said.
"Can't wait to get the invitation." Carter said.
"I wonder who will be his best man?" Ford muttered. "And how you'll look in a dress again. I can't remember the last time you wore one."
"Neither can I." Carter said in wonder. "Hmm, I haven't been a brides maid ever. That will be a new experience."
"Knowing Colonel Mitchell, it would not surprise me if he had the wedding in his home town. He did make mention of the possibility." Teal'c stated.
"Just have to wait and see." Carter said.
Ronan and a few other people were in one of the sparring rooms. At the moment, the few people were sitting around the room, watching as Ronan and another man, a marine from some unit on the base, was currently sparring with Ronan. Neither had any weapons, but were going at it bare fisted.
"Not surprised to see him here." Ford said as they entered. "It's all he usually does. Not surprising either considering his background."
"True." Carter said as they continued fighting.
Knocking the man to the ground, he walked off the mat and grabbed a towel and water bottle. The man got to his feet, with help from a few others as the three walked over.
"Ronan Dex, there is someone we would like you to meet. His name is Teal'c." Carter said.
"We've met." Ronan said while wiping his forehead and face.
"Back when we went to Earth for Sheppard's father funeral." Ford said to her confused look.
"Right, I forgot that." Carter said.
"Both Carter's have spoken highly of you." Teal'c stated as Ronan grunted and took a drink.
"With the interview you have to go through, we felt talking to Teal'c would help you prepare for what is coming. Seeing as you are both seasoned warriors, I figured you two would get along rather well, having quite a bit in common." Carter said.
"Or beat each other up which I am thinking." Ford said as the three looked at him. "You didn't really start talking to me until after I sparred with you a few times."
"Yeah." Ronan said slapping Ford on his shoulder with a bright smile. "I'm looking forward to our next match."
After a few seconds, Carter shook her head as the two just stared at each other intently.
"Well, I think I'll go stand over there and watch how it turns out." Ford said.
"Don't let them kill each other. I'll be in the Command Center." Carter said with a sigh as she saw the two looking ready to fight.
On a planet very far from Atlantis, in a very deserted place, which had a Wraith cruiser landed behind a large natural rock wall, in a desert setting, there was a lone Stargate and DHD nearby. A couple dozen makes Wraith plus a few normal Wraith, walked up to the DHD. A couple of containers were set down near the DHD as another Wraith started working on it as attachments were put on it and the gate.
Ford was rather surprised when they didn't go at it. Teal'c said something to Ronan, which he didn't catch, nor did he hear what Ronan said back. Seeing Teal'c bow to him with his head, he wasn't surprised when Teal'c walked over and asked him to cook.
"Be glad to T. We can talk more while I am working on it. I miss talking to you and the rest of SG-1." Ford said. "As does Sam. Before you say anything, we mean more of the time together in during missions for the most part."
"I understand completely." Teal'c said with a nod. "Meeting in the mansion to spend time together with family and friends is truly fulfilling and fun. But we have lived so long together during dangerous times, it seems more normal to be on edge together than relaxed."
"Damn Teal'c, I'd call you a mind reader if it wasn't for the fact you've been fighting longer than the rest of us, that I'm not surprised with what you said. It is so great to see you again T." Ford said as hem patted the man on the back.
After making him what he requested, Ford went on to continuing to cook for many more people as T went out to eat. Ronan was sitting at a table eating as he watched others go about their daily business, talking and or eating as well. Teal'c walked up and sat across from him, a bit to his surprise.
"Fresh steak. I must admit, I have missed Ford's cooking greatly, as has many people at the SGC." Teal'c said.
"Look, I don't need a coach to tell me how to act during a interview. I have dealt with the I.O.A. many times before." Ronan said.
"The I.O.A. is composed of much more than just Mr. Woolsey. Mr. Coolidge is a very unpleasant man." Teal'c stated.
"Yeah, well, I can handle him. Teyla told me a bit of what she had to go through. I'll stay calm, answer all his questions and then come home like Teyla did. I know how to play their game." Ronan stated before going back to eating.
"I am very pleased to hear that." Teal'c stated as Ronan shrugged. "Very well then. Let us speak of other things."
"Such as?" Ronan asked.
"Tell me of Sateda." Teal'c stated as he cut his steak.
Ronan gave him a hard glare while he chewed and thought a moment before speaking.
"What do you want to know?" Ronan asked with a hard tone.
"When did the Wraith destroy it?" Teal'c asked.
"Years ago." Ronan stated while moving food around.
"Your army was unable to fight back." Teal'c said.
"Oh, we fought back." Ronan said with force. "The battle lasted for days."
"And when you finally surrendered? What did the Wraith do then…" Teal'c said.
"We didn't surrender!" Ronan stated as he almost got into Teal'cs face. "We fought until every last one of us was either dead or captured!"
"So tell me then, was it negligence on your part that alerted the Wraith to your presence? Was it your reckless actions that brought about the thousands of innocent deaths…." Teal'c said calmly.
Ronan tossed his tray aside onto the floor as he got up quickly, also making his chair fall backwards. Teal'c didn't even flinch as Ronan pulled his gun and put it to his head. Everyone around them either backed away and or was watching.
"That's a lie!" Ronan shouted.
"Indeed it is." Teal'c stated calmly as he took a bite of his food. "Yet, such a question arise during your interview, I trust you will not respond in a similar manner. As you stated, you already know how to play their game."
"As you were." Ford said from the kitchen entrance while leaning on the doorway. "Just go about your daily activities and ignore them."
Most of the people looked at them and then at him as he waved them to move on in an order fashion. Most of them sat back down while others simply left. Sheppard walked up to them as Ronan lowered the gun.
"What the hell is going on here?" Sheppard asked.
"They are talking Colonel." Ford said as he walked out while wiping his hands on a towel. "Have you ate yet?"
"Yeah." Sheppard said.
"Good. Now let them be." Ford said.
"Fighting should be done in the gym." Sheppard stated.
Ford sighed as the two continued to stare at each other.
"Ronan, you and Teal'c have my permission to beat the hell out of each other if you wish. But not to the death and certainly not here, and only after Teal'c is done eating or if he wants to leave now. Does that work?" Ford asked standing near them.
"Perfectly." Ronan said while still staring.
"Does that work for you Colonel?" Ford asked.
"As long as they don't break into a fight here." Sheppard said.
"They wouldn't dare do anything in this place." Ford said as he went back towards the kitchen.
"What makes you so sure of that? They looked ready to go at it right now." Sheppard said with a wave at the two.
"Like Steven Segal said, you don't mess with me in the kitchen." Ford said.
"They aren't in the kitchen." Sheppard stated.
"Close enough for me to kick their asses if I have to." Ford yelled back. "I'm trying to make my brownies and I fear Sam more than I do those two if I end up not making some for her."
"Yeah, that makes perfect sense." Sheppard said as he saw the looks of everyone else that stared at the two after hearing about the brownies.
Over an hour later, both were going at it heavily. Ford wasn't part of it, other than watching. Sheppard and many others were making bets, passing a lot of money around. Ford wasn't betting, other than because he had no money on him, but also because he didn't want to, mostly because Sam would get mad. At first, it turned into a sparring match, and eventually into a fight that wasn't dirty, even though both opponents wanted to hurt each other. A lot of shouting was going on, from either side of the room as the two swung wooden poles at each other. Ford was standing near Sheppard, who was leaning on one of the wooden poles. Carter came in, was surprised at what was happening, and then walked over. Ronan didn't have his gun, and was only wearing his tattered yellow vest like shirt and green pants. Teal'c was down to his Jaffa pants and chair mail like shirt.
"What the hell is going on? I told you not to let them kill each other." Carter said.
"They aren't." Ford stated.
"Hey Carter. They're just having a friendly sparring match. You want to place any bets?" Sheppard asked as Carter looked at Ford with a stern glare. "He hasn't placed any bets or wants to."
"At least he's thinking clearly." Carter said crossing her arms. "This doesn't look friendly at all."
"They are just blowing off some steam." Sheppard said.
"It's…" Ford began.
"Don't you dare say it's a guy thing. Nor say it's a warrior pride fight." Carter said pointing at him.
"They are gaining respect for each other this way. I'm sorry, but it is a warrior thing. Ronan only gained respect for me after I fought him a few times." Ford stated.
"I got to stop this…" Carter said.
"Sam, trust me. They won't kill each other. I am watching them." Ford said holding her shoulder. "If things start to get out of hand, I will step in."
"It looks out of hand already." Carter said while waving a hand.
Teal'cs staff broke and they still went at it, Teal'c using both pieces. Eventually, he also broke Ronan's and then they tossed them both aside and went at it with fist.
"How long have they been at this?" Carter asked.
"Over an hour." Ford said with a cringe that Sheppard and several other people had. "That's going to leave a mark."
"I don't think Ronan liked having his face hit that hard." Sheppard said.
"Okay, you either stop this, or I do it and you…" Carter began.
Ford whistled loudly getting everyone's attention.
"Fights over." Ford said as everyone looked at him. "Call it a draw or schedule a rematch for a later date."
Most of the people groaned as they started walking away. Ronan walked away, grabbing a towel. Teal'c only stayed standing nearby as the two walked over.
"Are you okay Teal'c?" Carter asked.
"I have been in worse." Teal'c said.
"I know, I've seen those times." Ford said as Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"Why did you stop us?" Teal'c asked.
"Sorry, she told me to." Ford said holding up his hands as she turned sharply to him. "I am not taking the blame for this even if you put me on the couch, or floor."
After a infirmary visit, both at separate times, they got ready to leave. Ford and Sam were walking with Teal'c to the gate room as Sheppard was walking with Ronan, a couple dozen feet behind, following them. Teal'c was back in his robe outfit while Ronan was in a grayish shirt like vest and black leather pants, gun on his hip as usual.
"Why is he going with me?" Ronan asked.
"He's not actually going with you, per say. He would be staying to visit them more, but some important matters back home need to be tended to by him personally. Some Jaffa government stuff. Besides, it's one less trip on the intergalactic bridge." Sheppard said.
"Why don't we just dial Earth and get it over with?" Ronan asked.
"For the most part, it has to do with protocol and energy usage." Sheppard said.
"But we have a full ZPM." Ronan stated.
"True, and if this was an emergency, we'd dial Earth without any problems. This not being the case, the more energy we save, the better. And, considering this Mr. Coolidge guy, we're better off staying with protocol as much as possible right now. We don't want to give him something to make the I.O.A. come after us for." Sheppard said.
"But there is a 24 hour quarantine on Midway Station." Ronan said.
"Get used to it. Teyla had to go through it as well. You can use the time to read, or sleep. Maybe play a game or talk to him. He's a hundred years old, so he has a lot of experience. It won't kill you to listen to him." Sheppard said as the two saw the group talking by the gate with Sam's parents and Sally. "Just be a good boy and don't cause any problems."
Ronan only grunted.
"You didn't hear this from me, but Ford said, if Teal'c was willing, you two could fight at the SGC and continue the match there undisturbed. Just don't kill him and for gods sake, don't get yourself killed either. Just do it after the interview so the I.O.A. can't use it against you or any of us." Sheppard said.
"Sorry about the sparring match earlier Teal'c. If I hadn't broken it up, you two could be in the infirmary right now or still at it. I don't think it would be good if you both went back to the SGC looking like you tangled with some ferocious beast." Carter said.
"I understand. Though Ishta is a great warrior, she does not like seeing me injured, even in sparring matches." Teal'c stated.
"I know Ronan has been very resistant in accepting any help whatsoever from you, but thanks for coming to help anyway." Carter said.
"I do wish to see him succeed as well. He is a very worthy opponent." Teal'c said.
"Yeah, he is." Ford said as he rubbed his side from phantom pain.
"You already to go?" Carter asked.
"Yeah, let's get this over with." Ronan said walking past them.
"Okay. Dial Midway please Chuck." Carter said.
"On it ma'am." the blonde in the control room said.
"I am greatly pleased to see how well the people here have embraced you as their new leader." Teal'c said.
"Thanks Teal'c. That means a lot coming from you. Besides the paperwork, everything else is enjoyable." Carter said.
"Once again, it was great to see you all." Teal'c said.
The Carter family each gave him a hug, Sally kissing him on his cheek. Once the gate stabilized, the two walked through and then the gate shut down.
Back on the desert planet, the Wraith has just about finished with hooking their systems into the DHD and the gate. The gate activated as it was suppose to as they dialed their destination.
Out in Midway Station, the gate activated as it was dialed.
"Gate to the Pegasus galaxy activating." a man said from the small control room.
Once it finished stabilizing, Teal'c and Ronan stepped out and then the gate shut down behind them. A couple people were working down near the end of the ramp, going over some info on the laptops in their hands as they walked off.
"They are here right on schedule." Lee said as he looked out the window. "Okay, I am going to go down and get them settled in. You are going to run the attitude stabilization diagnostics."
"I thought Dempster was doing that." the man behind a console asked.
"Why would I have to do that?" Dempster asked.
"You don't. I want you to do that." Lee said.
"I just did five hours of power upgrades." the man said.
"You chose to be here." Lee said.
"No I didn't." the man said.
"Yes you did." Lee said.
"No I didn't." the man said again.
"Fine, regardless, I want you to get used to this station and everything about it. Once you have learned it properly, I can hand you the reigns and finally get to go home." Lee said before he left.
Meeting the two men in the hallway, he greeted them, told them about their situation and took them to their quarters, which they had to share because the station was, although big, not big enough to hold a lot of people in the terms of staying crew.
The Wraith were still working on their computers and the links between the gate and the DHD. Finally getting what they wanted done, they got ready for the upcoming battle.
Lee came back in to the command center to find both men working. Dempster was now behind the console as the other was working on a computer in the wall in front of the control in the middle of the room.
"How's it coming?" Lee asked.
"Peachy." the man muttered.
"I get it. You're bored. Welcome to Midway Station." Lee said.
All three of them looked up as the screen showing both gates, suddenly alerted them to the Pegasus gate activating.
"Are we expecting another dial in?" the man asked.
"No." Lee said as he walked around to the console behind him. "Unscheduled Pegasus activation."
The screen showing the gate and two guards standing by the end of the ramp. Both guards went down quickly as several masked Wraith came in and shot them. Teal'c and Ronan were bored out of their minds practically as they stood watching a old Three Stooges DVD. Both looked at each other and then the door as the alarms went off. Even with the alarms going off, the security personal that were getting ready didn't even have time to get their weapons and try to fight back as several Wraith came in and stunned them all. Teal'c and Ronan came out of their room and saw the Wraith nearby. Not having a weapon currently, Teal'c looked for one as Ronan shot two of the masked Wraith quickly before they could do anything, much less repsond.
"What are the Wraith doing here?" Ronan asked.
"I was about to ask the same question." Teal'c said while picking up two Wraith stunner pistols.
In the command center, Lee closed the shutters on the windows and was working on locking out the computer when one of the head Wraiths and a few of the masked ones came in.
"Stop!" one of the Wraith yelled.
The other two lifted their arms and backed away while Lee quickly pushed a few buttons and then backed off himself with his arms also raised. One of the Wraiths sat down and started working on the computer as another Wraith looked at the screen to see the rest of their troops come through the gate, one carrying some hexagonal orb as the gate shut down.
"Now, dial Earth." the Wraith commanded.
The three humans could only watch with worry as the Wraith nodded and began working on the computer.
Back on Atlantis, it was night time and most of the daily personnel were asleep for the night or watching a movie with many others before going to bed. Unfortunately for the main command crew, they were still working. Sam, Rodney, K-9 and Ford were working on checking the system to see if something was wrong with it since they weren't able to dial Midway Station for some reason. Sheppard came in as the four kept talking technical terms about different things to try.
"What's going on here?" Sheppard asked.
"The intergalactic bridge is down." Rodney stated.
"What? How did that happen?" Sheppard asked.
"We're not really sure." Ford said leaning back in a chair beside Carter. "I don't think it is something on this end."
"We can't establish a connection at all." Carter said. "We haven't found anything yet, and neither has K-9."
"I think it is a software glitch." Rodney stated. "We should have it up and running in no time."
"Unless it is something bigger. Any number of things could have happened. Some large stray asteroid spinning through space could have crashed into one of the gates and knocked it out of the path." Carter said.
"Could be something wrong at Midway too." Ford stated.
"Wait, what about Teal'c and Ronan?" Sheppard asked.
"Nah, they made it there just fine." Rodney said waving a hand and then bringing up a screen of the intergalactic bridge. "This all started several minutes after they left. Whatever this problem is, it happened on this planet M4F-788, a planetary gate, not one of the ones in space. Either they are on Midway or on that planet, stranded currently."
"Stranded huh? Great news. Just what they needed, more time together." Sheppard said.
"They might have unresolved issues where they felt the need to battle them out, but I serious doubt that they would be stupid and fight in some place where they can't get medical help." Ford said. "If they are on that planet, they are probably trying to find ways to survive until help arrives."
"Hey Lieutenant, is there any Wraith vessels within the cities scanner range?" Carter asked.
"None currently ma'am. We are in the clear for the moment." the lady reported.
"Okay, for the moment, Atlantis is safe. You go check the planet…" Carter began.
"I can't. We don't have the coordinates programmed into the T.A.R.D.I.S. otherwise I would have left already." Ford said. Snapping his fingers, an idea came to him. "But I could go to Midway, other than to check if they made it, and then go to, whatever the name of that planet is and see what is happening."
"But if the gate is damaged on the planet, you can't dial it to get there." Rodney stated.
"I can get the bridge to drop me out through this gate that still functions and then run a long range scan with the T.A.R.D.I.S. so I can get the coordinates needed to go check out the planet." Ford said while standing. "Once I get to Midway, I'll call and let you know what I find out."
"We'll keep looking here, just in case." Carter said.
"I'll take K-9 with me. If I need to get the gate off the ground or fix the DHD, I can get it done quicker with him." Ford said while picking him up.
"But we might need him." Rodney said.
"Scans indicate the program for the intergalactic bridge is functioning properly Doctor McKay. Processing all the data I have gathered, I conclude that the malfunction is not on this end." K-9 stated.
"We'll keep looking anyway." Carter said. "Gives us something to do to pass the time until we hear from you."
"I'll call as soon as I know something." Ford said.
"Ah, alright. We need to secure the gate room." Ronan said as they entered the armory.
"No, we must get to the control room." Teal'c stated while grabbing a clip for a one of the larger assault rifles and handing it to him.
"But more Wraith could come through the gate." Ronan said.
"They cannot use the Stargate unless they have control of the gate room." Teal'c said as they got the weapons ready and left the room. "It is best if we just keep…"
Seeing a couple masked Wraith come around the corner, he opened fire. Ronan saw a couple more masked Wraith coming towards them from a open door in front of them and opened fire quickly. Seeing and hearing no more enemies coming, Teal'c motioned the direction towards the control room and they took off down the corridor.
In the control room, Lee and the other two were standing against the back wall, not being able to do anything currently as one Wraith paced around as the other was still working on the computer console.
"What's wrong?" the head Wraith asked as the computer beeped at the other Wraith yet again.
"A lockout command has be implemented, keeping me out of the controls." the Wraith said.
"Override it." the head Wraith demanded.
"I am trying. But it requires a code." the wraith stated.
"What is the code?!" the head Wraith asked as he stared at the three.
"We don't know." Lee stated. When the Wraith approached them, he raised his hands quickly. "Honestly, we don't know! There is only select personal that know that code, for security reasons, and as you can tell, they aren't on this base at the moment…"
"Did you initiate it?!" the head Wraith asked.
"Well, yeah. It's standard protocol…" Lee began.
"Then override it!" the head Wraith yelled.
"I can't. There is a big difference between initiating it and overriding it are two entirely…" Lee said.
"Silence!" the head Wraith yelled.
"Things." Lee said weakly.
The Wraith quickly turned away from them and went back to the console.
"Keep working on it!" the head Wraith yelled at his partner.
"I will, but it will take time. But the interface has several…" the other Wraith began.
"The more time you take, the less time you have!" the head Wraith said angrily before spinning back to the group of humans. "In the meantime, perhaps I can persuade you into giving me that code."
Ford had left in the T.A.R.D.I.S. a few seconds ago, and they hadn't heard back from him yet. Seeing as they couldn't dial the gate bridge, they decided to try dialing the planet, and were a bit surprised when it did connect.
"We have a lock." Carter said.
"Finally, we might get some answers." Sheppard said.
"Hmm, it seems we couldn't get a connection because someone was dialing in from 788, preventing us from dialing the bridge." Rodney said.
"Must have been Ronan and Teal'c." Sheppard said.
"I seriously doubt it." Rodney said. "If it had been, and there was a malfunction on their end, the only logical address they would dial is us."
"Maybe it is them and they can't get a lock." Sheppard said.
"Doubtful." Rodney said.
"Ronan, Teal'c, are you there?" Carter said through the mike.
"They made it to Midway, I'm sure of it." Rodney said.
"Wait, this doesn't add up. We're the only ones that are suppose to know the address for this gate bridge." Sheppard said.
"Yeah, that's right." Carter said also realizing it. "No one should know about the address or anything about it other than the personnel here and those in the SGC."
"Plus the fact no one is suppose to be on this planet." Sheppard said while touching the screen. "You said it was completely uninhabited. Other than nature and the wildlife."
"Right." Rodney said. "Which means that someone else had to have dialed out."
"Obviously." Sheppard said sarcastically.
"But who could have done so? We know the Replicators are gone." Carter said.
"The only other race that could have is the Wraith, but I don't see how." Rodney said.
"I doubt Larrin's people did it. They barely even know about Earth." Sheppard said.
"I want a M.A.L.P. sent through." Carter said.
One was brought in quickly and then, after being checked and programmed, it was sent through the still open gate.
"Okay, the M.A.L.P. is through." Rodney said from the computer he was controlling it from as Sheppard and Sam looked at a screen that showed the telemetry it was sending back. "Visual coming in now."
It showed a flat surface of yellow dried out ground and a breeze that blew dust in the air.
"See, no Teal'c or Ronan." Rodney said.
"Pan left." Carter said.
"That's a Wraith pad, and it is hooked up to the DHD." Rodney stated in surprise as they saw the DHD and various Wraith tech attached to it. "How did they do that?"
"More importantly, how did they learn about our bridge? Go back to the right, further this time." Carter said.
The screen moved to the right and then up to show a Wraith cruiser landed on the other side of a large rock formation. A couple seconds later, a masked Wraith moved into the field of vision and shot the machine.
"We've lost the feed." Rodney said.
"And the M.A.L.P. Shut down the gate." Sheppard said as it was quickly done.
"How did they learn about our bridge?" Carter asked aloud as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.
"It's impossible. There is no way they could have learned about it." Rodney stated.
"Ford, what is going on? Why haven't you called?" Carter asked.
"Um, kinda busy at the moment." Ford said as she heard stunner blast in the background. "I'll call back when things have calmed down."
"What's going on?" Carter asked.
"Fighting Wraith on Midway. I'll call back." Ford said hanging up.
"What's up?" John asked.
"Wraith are on Midway Station and he's fighting them. I couldn't get anything else." Carter said putting her phone away. "Rodney, check the system for any security leaks or unauthorized data transfers. Somehow, either we have a bug that is sending data to someone or we were hacked by Todd or some other Wraith."
"That's impossible. Todd couldn't have got into my system." Rodney said.
"He was working with you for over a month in this city while helping with the Replicator problem. At some point, he must have hacked into our files and learned about the bridge. Or, we have some bug in our system. Check all systems and have Radek and anyone else that can help get on it right away." Carter said. "Sheppard, we need a plan to go to 788 and disconnect that Wraith device to bring back here for study, plus take out that cruiser in the process. We can't have all the Wraith finding out about Midway."
"What if they all already know?" Sheppard asked.
"If that was the case, I think more Wraith would have been on that planet. Plus, we wouldn't have been able to dial the planet to begin with." Carter said.
"Good point. I'll get a couple teams and Jumpers ready right away." Sheppard said.
"Now, we just wait to hear from Ford and see how things are going on his end." Carter said with worry.
Ford had landed inside the gate room on Midway, only to step out and get shot at by several Wraith. They had no effect as expected and he was instantly attacked with physical force. Reacting instinctually, he pulled both his personal cannons and was about to fire when K-9 alerted him to stop, stating he could end up shooting several holes right through the station. Not having time to put them away, he took on the dozen or so masked Wraith, using his guns as blunt weapons. Just over a minute later, he had killed or knocked them out and put his guns away, pulling his energy pistols. Before he could take off to check out the rest of the base, his cell phone rang. Running to stand beside the T.A.R.D.I.S., he talked to Sam for a few moments while firing back at the Wraith shooting from a doorway nearby. Even though he was invulnerable to being harmed by their stunners, the cell phone did not like having a surge go through it when it was active, so he was avoiding being shot. K-9 helped kill them quickly as he hung up and put it away.
"Stay with the T.A.R.D.I.S. and keep a open com link with me. Let me know what the scanners pick up." Ford said.
"Yes Master." K-9 stated.
Up in the control room, Dempster fell over dead after the Wraith sucked the life out of him. Two of the masked Wraith guards went on alert as another masked Wraith came in and reported to the Wraith at the console.
"What's happening?" the other Wraith said as he spun around.
"We are under attack. An unknown blue object has appeared in the gate room. We lost over a dozen soldiers to him already.." the Wraith that entered the room said.
"It's the Atlantian super solider." the head Wraith said.
"Yes. We don't know where he is at the moment, but I suspect he is coming here." the Wraith at the computer said.
"Do you have computer control again?" the head Wraith asked.
"Yes. I can now dial the portal." the Wraith at the computer said.
"Then do it. Quickly!" the head Wraith ordered.
Teal'c and Ronan found a access ladder and, after seeing it was safe to move, went down it. Teal'c stood guard at the bottom as Ronan came down. Both looked to their right as they heard multiple footsteps and then quickly ran down the corridor to look around a corner as several Wraith came and went for the ladder.
"They are headed for the gate room." Ronan said.
"Indeed." Teal'c said.
"If you want to head for the control room, go ahead. I am going after them." Ronan stated.
"Ronan!" Teal'c said loudly as the man headed for the ladder.
"The portal is activated." the Wraith at the computer said.
Pushing a button on the console, he looked at the screen as several Wraith were now in the gate room at the bottom of the ramp.
"Send the device!" the head Wraith ordered.
"Um, what device?" Lee asked.
Back on Earth, the gate activated.
"Unscheduled off world activation!" Walter stated.
Landry walked up behind him and asked who it was.
"Receiving IDC now. It's Midway Station." Walter said.
"Open the Iris." Landry said.
He put his hand on the panel and the Iris slide away. Everyone got up and looked as some large glowing round object came rolling down the gate. No one did anything as it rolled off the ramp and bounced off the wall. Landry started to tell the guards to describe what it looked like when a large energy wave came off it, stunning everyone nearby. A message came through the gate before it shut down, but the computer only flashed the message on the screen that no one was able to read currently.
"What, the gate has been activated? Shut it down K-9!" Ford yelled.
"I am unable to establish a connection with the station Master. The Wraith have…." K-9 said.
"Circumvent it then. I want this place locked down." Ford said as he continued for the control room. "Wait, send a message to the SGC and tell them of our situation. They are to stun anyone that comes through the gate and shut down the doors to the gate room. No one in, no one out."
"Sending message Master." K-9 said.
Back on Atlantis, Sheppard and his team, along with Lorne's and a couple others, got ready with the Jumpers to go to 788. At the moment, they were still waiting for McKay to finish getting ready.
"Prepare the next wave!" the head Wraith said through the mike.
"The gate should be open momentarily. We have a problem." the Wraith at the computer said.
"What is it?" the head Wraith asked.
"We have lost many troops to the Lantian. Only just over a dozen men will be able to go through the gate." the Wraith at the computer said.
"That will be more than enough." the head Wraith said.
"Someone is attempting to lock us out of the computer system." the Wraith at the computer said.
"Stop them, any way you can. I want that gate activated immediately!" the head Wraith yelled.
"Your help would speed up the process." the Wraith at the computer stated.
Grunting with frustration, he began typing away quickly with the other Wraith.
Teal'c and Ronan came around the corner to look out a window at the gate.
"They have opened the gate to the Milky Way galaxy." Teal'c stated.
"They are headed for Stargate Command." Ronan said.
"We must pursue them." Teal'c stated.
Running through a couple doorways, they came out into the gate room and were surprised to see the T.A.R.D.I.S. and many dead Wraith. Not seeing Ford anywhere, they quickly ran up the ramp while firing.
"Shut down the gate, now!" the head Wraith yelled.
The two Wraiths looked at the monitor as the gate shut off after the two ran through.
Dialing 788, they made it through with four Jumpers and weren't detected at all until they decloaked well above the gate. Firing a few drones, they crippled the Wraith cruiser and made sure that the hanger bay was damaged enough that no Darts came out. Opening the bay door near the gate, with one Jumper, they used the cloak to continue to hide themselves as a couple of men shot the guards nearby. Three of the Jumpers stayed in different positions, moving in a slow circle around the damaged ship, watching for any Wraith to leave the ship. When they did, they were shot by the men looking down from the aft compartments. Sheppards team was landed by the gate, keeping watch as Rodney was disconnecting the Wraith equipment from the DHD.
Coming through the gate in the SGC, both had their weapons ready. Instead of finding Wraith, they found many people on the ground. Ronan walked up to one and felt for a pulse as Teal'c looked at the others.
"There is still a pulse and I don't see anyone feed from. I'm pretty sure they are all stunned." Ronan said.
"Indeed. Perhaps by this device." Teal'c said.
"Possibly. I haven't seen a device like this before though." Ronan said.
"Hmm. It appears many of the other personal have been effected as well." Teal'c said.
"Where the hell are the Wraith?" Ronan said as he looked around.
Five more guards went down quickly as he blasted them more than once with his energy pistols. Dodging a staff weapon swung at him, he rolled out of the way as it came down where he was standing and quickly blasted the head off the guy before turning to shoot another.
"Quickly, shut the door!" the head Wraith commanded.
The door closed as the two masked Wraith inside the room turned to watch the door in case it opened. Touching a few buttons on the console, he moved to a screen nearby.
"Lantian!" the head Wraith yelled.
Ford stopped in a corridor and glanced around. Turning around, he walked back into the room behind him and looked at a screen that showed a Wraith on it as it yelled the same thing as before.
"It's General, dumbass. Who are you?" Ford asked.
"Who I am is not your concern. I suggest you surrender immediately." the head Wraith demanded.
Ford burst out laughing hard as Lee and the other guy heard and saw him on the screen.
"You want me to surrender? I knew you Wraith were stupid, but you take it to a whole new level. Me, one of the greatest warriors alive, immortal and completely safe from being feed on or injured by your weapons, asked to give up? Plus the Lord of Time! I think you want to ask that question of yourself. I may just kill you outright instead of slowly torturing you for hours, perhaps days or longer. Whatever plan you have, or I should say, had, has failed." Ford stated.
"My troops have made it to your command center on Earth. It shall be the beachhead from which we will take over your race and eventually, your galaxy." the head Wraith stated.
"Blah, blah, blah. No Goa'uld, even the minor ones, really got that close in their plans and you, being so insignificant and totally unworthy of trying, have even less chance of that happening. And seriously, I have heard better winded evil monologue speeches from them too. There isn't a chance in hell of you taking the SGC down. There are several people there that are immune to being feed on, and are immortal as well." Ford said.
Ignoring the Wraith who started talking about threats or something similar, he took off down the corridor while calling Carter to inform her and the rest of Atlantis of the situation.
"Some Wraith made it to Earth, but from what K-9 told me, Ronan and Teal'c went through to stop them. I also had K-9 send a message along about a impending attack, so hopefully the SGC is already prepared and fighting back. Once I get done here, I'll go to the SGC and see what I can find out and help." Ford said.
"That's good to hear. We found evidence that Todd did managed to hack several files, one of which did include the intergalactic bridge. Sheppard and a few teams, which consisted of four Jumpers, went to 788. We haven't heard anything back yet, but I can assume things are going well with them. Let me know when you finished there and then are heading to Earth." Carter said.
"Okay. If anything happens with Sheppard, let me know and I can go help them first. See if you can call Mitchell, Daniel, Rally, Kate or Vala and tell them what is going on." Ford said.
"I'll get on it right away. Be careful." Carter said.
"Always. Love you." Ford said.
"Love you to." Carter said before hanging up and quick dialing Earth.
"K-9, status report?" Ford asked while putting the cell phone away.
"All remained Wraith are holding back at the control center. Four inside with two humans and six outside the door. Currently, the door is locked." K-9 said.
"Cut all access to the station off and reroute controls to the T.A.R.D.I.S. for the time being." Ford said. "And unlock the door when I get close."
"Working Master." K-9 said.
"Look, they are all trying to head for the surface." Ronan said while pointing.
They were looking at a monitor screen that showed the Wraith heading for the top level after they entered the Gate Control room finding even more people unconscious.
"They will be unable to do so. An energy pulse, most likely from the unknown device, has instigated the SGC lockdown protocol." Teal'c stated.
"Hmm, looks like the stunning effect didn't get everyone." Ronan said while pointing at a screen.
"Indeed. It seems various personal are getting ready to repel the Wraith on level 15." Teal'c said. "Colonel Mitchell must be in command at the moment."
"Why do you say that?" Ronan asked.
"This is General Landry." Teal'c said pointing at their feet before pointing at the screen. "And that is Colonel Mitchell and the rest of SG-1, plus Kate and our gunnery master for the base, Rally Vincent. A very formidable warrior when dealing with projectile weapons, of which she is better at than General Carter."
"Well, we better go help them out." Ronan said.
"Indeed." Teal'c said.
"We have been locked out of the system completely. Both gates have been completely deactivated." the Wraith at the computer yelled.
"What?!" the head Wraith yelled.
"I have no control over anything. Nothing is accessible." the Wraith said while pushing various buttons.
"What has happened?!" the head Wraith said while pushing some with the other Wraith.
"Um, that blue box out there has a very unique powerful computer system in it, a lot more advanced than the Replicators when it comes to artificial intelligence…" Lee began as the Wraith moved to be in his face.
"You will help us regain control…" the head Wraith began.
"I can't. No one can." Lee said frightened. "The General is in total control now of all functions on this base. He can run all of Atlantis from that blue box."
Both Wraith turned as they heard weapons fire outside the door. They then heard a lot of physical fighting and the sounds of bodies hitting the walls and floors. A good minute later, everything went quiet and then the door opened. Both of the masked Wraith opened fire only to find no one there but their troops on the ground with various smoking holes. Down the short corridor to the control room, Ford stepped away from the side of the wall and fired, blowing the heads off the two guards. The Wraith at the console, pulled some knife off his belt and rushed forward with great speed. Ford quickly dodged, rolled past him and fired several shots into his back before putting one into the back of his head. The other Wraith moved forward and slammed into Ford, knocking them both into the wall. He had to drop both guns in order to grip the hands around his throat.
"I will enjoy taking your head off immensely. Pity I can't just take your life to add to my own." the head Wraith said.
"I look forward to hearing you cry out in pain as I shove your head through this glass window." Ford said with a growl as he pulled the hands away while head butting the man.
Kicking him in the right knee, it broke making the Wraith cry out in further pain as it went backwards and came off under another sharp kick. Quickly grabbing the hair, he turned and slammed the Wraith head first into the window, cracking it. Another hard slam made the skull split open and crack the window further and the final shove broke the glass out as the head caved in. Letting the body hang from the window, he retrieved his guns.
"K-9, inform Sam of what has happened here and return control of the station to it. And find out how Sheppards team is doing." Ford said.
"Affirmative Master." K-9 said.
"Are you two alright?" Ford asked.
"We will be. Did you have to make their deaths so messy?" Lee asked in disgust.
"Sorry, force of habit. I'll have some people from the SGC come help with the clean up. I'm going to go there and see about helping Teal'c and Ronan. Hopefully, I'll get there to find the Wraith already dead." Ford said.
"What about us and the station? They could come on board and attack us all over again?" the other man asked. "I don't want to be here and never did."
"Then tell the people I send that I approved a transfer back to the SGC. Someone else will come take your place." Ford said.
"But I've been teaching him…." Lee began.
"Sorry Lee, but this place is very important. We can't have people who don't want to do the job out here. They'll only make things worse for everyone else in the long run. That's one of the reasons why that Kavanagh or whatever his name was, was sent back to Earth. He couldn't get along with anyone at Atlantis and not being a team player, was more a danger to everyone there. I think he works at Area 51 now."
"I am that guy." Kavanagh said.
"You are?" Ford asked while staring. "I guess you are. You had a lot less hair a few years ago. Why are you here? Never mind. You still get the transfer."
"Wait, what about if they…" Lee began as Ford began dialing Earth.
"I'll leave the T.A.R.D.I.S. here for now and have K-9 keep watch. If the gate dials, he'll keep this place safe. Be advised, don't go near my ship. He will stun you if he has to. Now, if you will excuse me…" Ford said walking away as he pulled his cell phone out. "Hey Sam. Glad K-9 got hold of you. I'm going to Earth and…"
Going through the corridors, they heard little and saw even less. All the personnel they came across were all stunned. Seeing as they had no idea how many Wraith were on the base, they were staying as quiet as possible. Teal'c did find a communicator off one of the guards and informed Mitchell they were on the base. Mitchell was very happy to hear they were there and that they had help. Everyone that was non essential personal that were unconscious or still awake were heading to higher levels as SG-1 and a few other teams, plus a dozen or so guards, Rally and Kate, were setting up perimeter defenses at the various locations on level 15 to ensure the Wraith didn't get any higher.
"One of your men were feed upon. Not a good way to go." Ronan said as Teal'c knelt down to him.
"Indeed." Teal'c said.
"You say that a lot, you know that." Ronan said.
"What?" Teal'c asked.
"Indeed." Ronan said.
"I had not noticed." Teal'c said, standing while taking a zat from the dead guard.
Hearing a noise nearby, they rounded a corner to unfortunately find a another dead guard that a masked Wraith was just finishing feeding on.
"Hey!" Ronan yelled as he fired his energy pistol into the guy twice.
"Ronan!" Teal'c yelled as two masked Wraith ran up.
Ronan was slammed into the wall, making him drop his energy pistol and assault rifle. Teal'c turned back and forth, shooting five Wraith with the zat gun before loosing it as he avoided a stun lance that almost hit him in the back. He quickly grabbed the guys head and snapped it as Ronan was punching the Wraith that slammed into him in the head. He went down, letting Ronan go as two shots from his energy pistol hit the guy in the back. Bending over and holding his throat as he coughed, Teal'c walked up with the energy pistol in his hand.
"A very impressive weapon. I would very much like to have a weapon such as this." Teal'c said.
"Yeah? You're not the first and probably won't be the last. Next time you see the General, ask him for one. He's made them for several people already." Ronan said taking the gun back.
"Hmm. I wish I knew this before I left Atlantis." Teal'c said.
Heading down a few corridors, they heard a noise in one of the rooms. Getting by the door, they looked at each other, with weapons ready, and then opened it with the intent of firing quickly. Seeing the small conference room and a few people passed out on the table, Teal'c lowered his weapon.
"One moment." Teal'c said while moving around the left side of the table. "Are you alright?"
The man, holding his bald head, nodded as he stood.
"Ronan Dex, this is Mr. Coolidge, of the I.O.A." Teal'c said.
"Oh, hey." Ronan said with a nod before looking out the doorway with his assault rifle.
"What happened?" Coolidge asked.
"You and many others were rendered unconsciousness by a Wraith stun device." Teal'c stated.
"What, the Wraith are here?!" Coolidge stated with fear and shock.
"Yes. The have infiltrated the base. Colonel Mitchell and several others are hold up on level fifteen to prevent the Wraith from getting topside. I suggest you remain here in this room until Ronan and I have neutralized the situation." Teal'c said heading for the door.
"What? Remain here? We need to radio for further help!" Coolidge exclaimed.
"We can handle this." Ronan stated while holding up a hand to keep the man from leaving.
"Do you have any idea of how many Wraith are even on the base?" Coolidge asked.
"No, however there appears to be many." Teal'c stated.
"How many others are there helping?" Coolidge asked.
"You are the only person we have found conscious other than those on level fifteen." Teal'c stated.
"I want a radio…" Coolidge demanded.
"You'll be safer here…" Ronan began.
"Now!" Coolidge yelled.
Leaving the room, they continued through level 28, finding three Wraith trying to pry open a elevator door. They quickly opened fire on them and then turned their weapons as four more Wraith came from the corridor nearby. Coolidge ran for the control room nearby as the two backed off while firing. He screamed as a gun was put into his face and then fainted shortly after. Both men turned their assault rifles around as they heard him scream, only to find him on floor at the bottom of the stairs.
"Duck." a familiar voice said.
Both did so and turned as a stun blast passed over their heads. Five extremely loud shots, that woke most of the people still unconscious, rang out as a masked Wraith was blasted back into the wall. As he sank down to the ground, Ford waved his Sonic Screwdriver around and then put his personal cannon away.
"General?" Walter asked with surprise as he blinked and put his glasses back on.
"Hey Walter. Long time no see, well not really. Anyway, base is clear of all Wraith." Ford said.
"Are you sure?" Ronan asked.
"This says so." Ford said waving his Sonic device. "But just in case. Colonel Mitchell…"
"General? Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?" Mitchell said over the com line.
"Came to see if you all needed help. I see that isn't the case since I'm sure that all the Wraith are dead. But I suggest you go down level by level until you reach here. K-9 said 15 or 16 Wraith got through the gate so we'll check the bodies here and see." Ford said.
"Got it General. How are things down there?" Mitchell asked.
"I don't know. I just got here recently. Teal'c and Ronan can give you updates." Ford said.
An hour later, it was determined that the base had only fifteen Wraith got onto it and they were all accounted for. Fortunately and unfortunately, they only lost the two guards and the Wraith never made it to level 25. After telling them what happened at Midway Station, a group of personal were sent to it from the SGC as Ford called the T.A.R.D.I.S. to him. Getting Teal'c a black energy pistol, and extra energy units and a re-charger, he talked with SG-1 for awhile while Ronan was being talked to by the I.O.A. Mitchell and Amy had yet to set an exact date, but wanted to get married as some point. Ford refused to go into the future to find the date it took place, saying it would spoil the surprise. Since Ronan wanted to get back to Atlantis as quickly as possible, once the interview was over, Ford was staying to wait.
Ronan was at the briefing table, sitting at the head where Landry usually sat, and five people from the I.O.A., Mr. Coolidge included, sat beside each other at the other end, looking at Ronan in the semi darkened room. There was a small silver mike on a small stand in front of him that recorded everything he said.
"Ronan Dex, do you feel you can fulfill the duties of a SGC team member?" Coolidge asked. "With diligence, integrity, and respect for those in authority over you?"
"Yes." Ronan stated calmly.
"Good enough for me." Coolidge said with a smile.
With a small smile, he got up and said thanks before walking out.
"Well?" Teal'c asked.
"I'm exactly the kind of team member they want out there fighting the Wraith. Their words, not mine." Ronan said.
"And you did not hold a weapon to their head?" Teal'c asked.
"I did not." Ronan said.
"I am pleased." Teal'c said as they walked away.
"Yeah, well. I had a good coach." Ronan said.
"Indeed." Teal'c said.
"So, have we heard anything yet?" Ronan asked.
"Colonel Sheppard and other personal under his command were able to destroy a Wraith cruiser and take the technology they used to activate the intergalactic gate way. Doctor McKay is working on modifying the program to better keep others out. Midway Station is functioning properly and is under repair and clean up, as well as personal shift." Teal'c said.
"No surprise there. Especially with that cowardly Kavanagh guy." Ronan said.
Teal'c nodded in agreement.
"The Daedalus will be returning to Atlantis very soon. If you wish, you may take it instead of returning to Atlantis right away." Teal'c said.
"Yeah, and wait three weeks to get home. I think I'll take the express route." Ronan said with a smile.
"A much better choice." Teal'c said also smiling as he nodded.
Sheppard and the others on Atlantis were happy to hear that Ronan not only passed, but that the I.O.A. liked him and was happy to hear he was on their side. Other than a small celebration, mostly with close friends, little else happened that night.
