Stargate Atlantis: Devil's Advocate2
I had seen him at a distance, of course. The dashing, handsome military commander drew every eye to him. He was flirtatious and beguiling, yet also somber and serious. His voice was mellifluous, rising and falling but of late was raspier, more strained by the toll his job was taking. The loss of comrades and friends over the years was a weight on him, as were whatever inner demons haunted him.
I don't think he ever noticed me or rather I never came to his notice until we got back from Earth. It was at Keller's funeral. He was wearing a suit, cast in monochrome tones and not his dress blues like he had at Carson's service. As military commander he had to speak but he didn't know what to say, and I felt empathy for him. When he just happened to meet my gaze I could see the grief but more striking was the guilt. Our gazes locked and it seemed that he took strength and perhaps comfort from my gaze, from me, and he found what he had to say.
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John entered the control room, still rankled by his friends and their well-meaning if annoying concerns. He loathed any intrusion into his private life, even if there was no one in his private life at the moment. "What is it?"
Richard Woolsey turned to him. The Atlantis leader appeared concerned, but calm as ever. "Hive ship. It's still quite a distance out but it's relaying a message to us. Radek's receiving it on a firewalled computer. It's encrypted."
"We need—"
"I'm here!" Rodney appeared as if in reply to John's words. The physicist slid into the chair next to Radek Zelenka. "Let me." His fingers flew across the keyboard. "It's encrypted, all right. Give me a second. It's a Wraith code but it's one we've used before to…crap."
"What is it?" Richard asked, looking over Rodney's shoulder.
"It…it's from Todd," Radek answered, as Rodney had gone very quiet. Everyone eyed the physicist as he sat, stunned into silence for a moment.
"Play it, Radek, and track that ship, Rodney," John decided. He touched the console and it purred at his touch. He hadn't consulted Richard at all, but no one seemed to notice.
Except for the city.
"On it," Radek and Rodney said at the same time. They exchanged a glance, a brief smile before turning to their respective monitors.
"What could he possibly want with us?" Richard wondered. "He must know we'll kill him on sight now."
"We're about to find out," John noted, but he was at much at a loss as was the Atlantis leader.
Todd's visage filled the monitor suddenly. It was a grainy, lined image. Nevertheless Rodney tensed as a host of emotion swept through him. "John Sheppard," Todd began, his voice purring over the name, causing John to feel a shiver up his spine, "my queen has commanded me to make contact with Atlantis. With you. We face a new enemy and only our combined forces can hope to defeat them."
"Our enemies see what our supposed allies don't," Richard quietly commented, causing John to glance at him.
"We need to meet," Todd continued. "Neutral ground. I will send you the address. We will be waiting." The screen went blank.
"Rodney?" John quietly asked.
Rodney was staring at the blank screen, but he shook himself out of his grief and anger to type. A maelstrom of emotion was hitting him, and hitting him hard but he shunted it all aside to concentrate on the matter at hand. "Got it. It's on the far edge of the galaxy. M1R298. It's a barren world with a Stargate."
"It could be a trap," Radek suggested.
"Could be…but I'm guessing not," John said.
Rodney swiveled in his chair to confront the military commander. "Are you, are you seriously considering going there and meeting with him?"
"Yes." John looked at Richard. "I'll take Reynolds and Delta squad for back-up, just in case. Give me ten to prep the team. I'll only need Ronon." He considered a moment, but as far as he could tell the Satedan was fit for active duty.
"No!" Rodney stood. "I'm going with you!"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Rodney," John tried to temporize, but his friend would not be swayed.
"Don't care. I'm going. I'll meet you at the 'Gate room!" Without another word Rodney headed out of the control room.
"Doctor McKay? Doctor McKay, I don't think you should go either! Wait!" Richard called.
"Let him," John decided. "He has a right." He held up a hand before either Richard or Radek could protest. "And I'll be there to keep him safe." He moved aside, tapped his earpiece. "Reynolds, copy? This is Colonel Sheppard. Assemble Delta and have them ready for deployment in ten. Heavy ordnance. Sheppard out."
"Colonel, are you sure about this? It very well could be a trap," Richard cautioned.
John met his gaze. "It could be, yes. In any event we will have to deal with the Wraith and their new queen eventually. It may as well be now before the fuglies make any more incursions. I'll have Lorne keep the city on stand-by in case we…" John paused. There was an awkward silence. He resumed. "I'll have Teldy keep the city on stand-by in case of a trap," he corrected quietly. "Radek, keep tracking that Hive ship. If it gets closer to Atlantis shield the city and lock down the 'Gate."
"But you'll be effectively trapped on a distant world, John," Richard said.
"I know," John agreed. "But the city will be safe. Excuse me."
The bio lab was quiet, but full of scientists all working at their stations. It was a sea of white lab coats and murmuring voices. Doctor Alan Simmons, the head of biology spotted John and headed for him, but John deftly bypassed the man and strode to the back of the lab. One of the monitors was making a quiet, persistent hum that seemed to direct him, guide him to where he wanted to go. As if the city was reading his thoughts and knew whom he wanted. A second later he spotted his quarry as Moira O'Meara stepped to the machine and stood, reading over a printout of something.
John's gaze roved over her work station, seeing the red rose in full, glorious bloom next to a pile of books and folders. Finally his gaze settled on her as she set down the printout and softly sighed. It was a sad sound, resigned and weary and it made him curious, but he had more important things on his mind at the moment. "Moira."
At his voice she almost jumped. Instead she turned to him, smiled briefly in greeting. "Colonel…er, John?" she asked as he raised a brow in playful reprimand.
"I need a Reader's Digest version of the fuglies, er, the Homo erectus aliens," he corrected to her scowl, "in about ten minutes before I leave the city, okay? Meet up with me in the conference room."
Moira nodded. "Okay, John. Where are you going?"
"To meet up with Todd…I know, long story," he said before she could question him. Surprise and concern flared in her brown eyes. "Just get me the basic facts about them and any weaknesses they might have, especially in regards to the Wraith or vice versa. My twenty will be the conference room."
"Your what?"
He smiled. "My location," he translated. "And no Latin, doctor, all right?"
She smiled. "I'll use nice, short and easy words, colonel."
"Thank you." He touched her arm a moment. "Put in anything relevant." His voice fell low, for her ears only. "This new Wraith queen is proposing a truce to fight the fuglies and I need to have the upper hand in this." He withdrew his hand.
"A…wow…okay, I will, John, don't you worry. I'll work on it right now." Her gaze darted past him to Alan, then back to John. Worry crossed her face, but she relaxed seeing John's comprehension.
He nodded, turned and headed for the man as he was making a beeline for them. "Doctor Simmons, I've got Doctor O'Meara writing up some intel for me that I will need on this mission and I need it ASAP so let her work on it, all right?" Before the man could answer John stepped past him and out of the lab.
A smile crossed his face at the other man's consternation.
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"So far it is maintaining position," Radek said, staring at the screen where a red blip represented the Hive ship. "It's in orbit around a planet, but not M1R298 where the meeting is taking place."
"What can you tell me about M1R298?" Richard asked, staring at the screen as if he could discern the motives behind this unexpected contact.
"Not much. We had one mission there years ago. It's barren, devoid of life. The original inhabitants died out before we got here but the Stargate is active and working. It had been considered for an Alpha site but its distant location and lack of any resources caused us to discount it. It's about the size of Venus with no moons or any other satellite bodies."
Richard nodded, glancing at the monitor where the facts where displayed next to the picture of a graphic of the planet. It resembled a grey marble amid the blackness of space. There were no discernible features amid the bland land mass and the bland ocean. "Could you bring up that mission report for me?
"Yes, but there's not much in it."
"Still, I would like to read it."
"Of course." Radek accessed the data, curious but he had more pressing concerns, like trying to figure out how to head off his friend from some damn avenging crusade. "Sending it to your data pad, Mr. Woosley."
"Thank you, Doctor Zelenka. Is the tracking device in Todd still transmitting?"
"Yes. I'm monitoring that as well as the Hive ship. So far both are in the same place. When he reaches the planet we will know."
"Good. Let's keep track of everything just in case."