Ace In The Hole
Chapter 44
"You're lying!" Ladon snarls.
"Alex is Atlantis... any crazy idea's that you may have had" Aiden grins "Kiss em good bye... you dick!"
"Are you telling us that Lt. Weir is actually... "Larin is looking at Aiden eyes wide.
"Now I understand!" Tamar says snapping his fingers "From what he and Colonel Lorne said back on Sarisia I believe it to be true... he knew things of my world that only the Ancestors..." Tamar looks at the room around him with a beaming smile "Or this city would know"
"I find it hard to believe" Salia of the Tuklan tribe says.
"I know... he seems so..." Halling says voice fading off.
"Human?" Larin says with a grin causing Halling to nod.
"Why were we not told of this sooner?... he is to be revered and venerated!... we should beg his forgiveness..."
"Halling!" Ford snaps "He's not gonna want a bunch of groupies following him around like he's the second coming" Every one frowns at Ford not completely understanding the reference but Larin just nods.
"Lt. Weir would not want that... actually he's kinda cool... he has a way of helping you without you even realising..." Larin smiles "The last thing he would want is people bowing and scrapping to him"
"We need to form a coherent leadership though... Sheppard is right on that... we need to start to work together to beat the Wraith once and for all" Aiden says with solid determination.
"He is right on that" Halling says with a defeated sigh.
"Sarisia is bountiful and with these Tokra crystals we could expand far beyond the confine of the Lashara caves" Tamar says gaining everyone's attention "We could assist those without food... ensuring no world goes hungry"
"Galdora is rich in minerals... and we have never really been good farmers... if you could augment our food supplies we could start mining again... we need ore for building" Aiden smiles at Tamars nod.
"If you truly want to survive then I should begin coord..." Ladon starts but stops when every single person in the room glares at him.
"Are we suggesting that the coalition be strengthened?" Salia says gaining everyone's attention.
"No..." Larin says with a smirk "I have been watching the recent CNN briefings from Earth"
"You mean you've been watching the news?" Aiden grins at seeing Larin nod.
"Cameron has been educating me on your world" she glances at the others "Earth is made up of many nations... all different... with their own different rules, different religions, differences not unlike those between all of us sat here..."
"You're point!" Ladon snaps.
"My point is simple!... its the differences that are making them stronger... fresh ideas, debate, finding common ground but most of all working together"
"Is that not what I said?" Salia says in a huff.
"I suggest we follow Earth's lead... but on a planetary basis" Larin grins.
"An alliance!" Ladon stares slightly dumbfounded.
"Why not?" Tamar nods noting a few more nodding in the room "There is more to gain working together than could ever be gained alone"
"And I suppose you are suggesting Sheppard be that leader!" Ladon says glaring at Larin who merely smiles at him totally unreadable.
"No" Larin looks at Ford "He said it himself" Ford frowns for a moment before a smile breaks across his face realising what she means.
"Alex will follow Sheppard's orders because he's the military leader" Ford says pointedly.
"In times of war that is only right... but he also said that we had pick someone who Sheppard would be willing to follow" Larin says glancing around the room watching the realisation on their faces as they replayed what had been said in their heads.
"Then I believe we have much to decide"
Across the city Alex smiles as he walks back into the mess hall "Sorry... I didn't think I would be so long" he sighs as he sits back down opposite Dr. Cairns.
"You said you would be ten minutes... twenty at most" Cairns says looking partly annoyed and partly amused.
"I was only... slightly out" Alex shrugs
"You have been gone over an hour!"
"And yet you are still sat here waiting here patiently for my return" Alex smirks cockily.
"You're not that cute!" Cairns grins but the blush forming on his cheeks is telling Alex the opposite, Alex just smiles and nods blushing slightly himself.
"So... did you sort out the problem?"
"I think so... what about you?... what you working on?" Alex points to the pad in his lap.
"Truth?" Alex nods with a smile "Destiny"
"Ah... I see"
"She is amazing" David says being completely honest.
"Thanks... she meant a lot to me..." David sees the far off look that has fallen on Alex's face and smiles.
"The drive system?"
"David" Alex says sterner than he intended.
"Sorry" The scientist mumbles looking deflated.
"No... I'm the one that should be sorry... I didn't mean for that to come out like that" Alex says noting the small smile tugging on his companions face.
"It's OK... really... I get it... I just wanted to say... its a work of art" he says with a shy smile.
"Thanks" Alex says.
"You know there's this cheesy program on T.V at the moment... called Glee..." Alex frowns suddenly confused at the change in conversation "Anyway Dom... gives me a lot of stick because I like it"
"I'm sorry... I have not seen it" Alex says with a confused smile.
"No... the programs not what's important... not really... I like it because they do a lot of mash ups" Alex is completely lost by now and Cairns grins "A mash up is basically putting to songs together... you know two songs that you wouldn't think would work together... coming together to create something completely new and exciting" David smiles a beaming smile upon seeing the slight smile creeping on Alex's face.
"I see"
"So here I was... sat alone in the corner waiting for you to come back... listening to the Glee mashup of Adele whilst going through the drive schematics of Destiny's beautifully designed Slipstream Drive when an idea stuck me"
Alex just smiles his face remaining unreadable "An idea you say?" David just shrugs with an exaggerated sigh.
"It doesn't matter... probably wouldn't work anyway"
"David!... how do you know unless you try!" Alex glares and the scientist just looks him in the eyes and grins.
"Thank you"
"What for?" Alex says surprised and slightly taken aback.
"For confirming my theory" David says taking a sip of his coffee whilst never taking his eyes of Alex's.
"Wha..." Alex finally understands "You played me?" Alex stares at the scientist dumbfounded.
"But I am right... it can be done and you just confirmed that" David smiles excitement and adrenaline coursing though him.
"You crafty devious..." Alex is lost for words "I can't believe you got that out of me so easily"
"I'm on to you Alex... it may have taken a while to figure out how you do things... but I have you figured..." David beams a big smile and Alex just chuckles nodding.
"Bring it on geek" Alex grins.
"Looks like they're going to need to get a room soon" Dom says nodding across the room towards Alex and David sitting in the corner.
"Looking that way" Evan grins.
"So... hows married life" Dom grins at Evan, who just rolls his eyes in return.
"We're not married... not even..." Evan sighs
"Please tell me you have at least got him in the sack!" Dom groans and shakes his head at Evans response "You my friend are off your game" Dom grins causing Evan to sigh.
"It's complicated..." Evan smiles weakly "What about you how's Rick?"
"Good... for the most part... having him back on Earth is tough but we both knew what we were getting into" Dom says "How are the kid's doing? I hear that the Colonel took them to Earth for the day"
"Good... Mark did nothing but complain because he didn't get to go on a Ferris wheel when he got back though" Evan smiles at Dom's frown "Something John is always raving about" Dom just nods "Other than that, they had a good time"
"So... is it true?... about Alex I mean?"
"Yeh... I know you are all probably pissed off at not being told... but" Evan rambles
"Ev... I get it... even agree with the reasons... its just..." Dom sighs.
"I know how you hate being kept in the dark" Evan grins.
"Anyway changing the subject" Dom just shakes his head ignoring Evans last comment "The last time I got to speak to Rick he told me that echo 2 is already up and running" Dom smirks at seeing the surprise on Evans face.
"Really?... wait 2 is Ascension Island right?" Evan says suddenly frowning until Dom nods for confirmation "That's a lot quicker than they expected... your husband must be a hard task master" Evan chuckles causing Dom to laugh.
"He's a brilliant engineer but that makes him a tyrant to work for" Dom grins "You can't get much past him that's for sure"
"I heard that Jane Gilmore is the even worse"
"She's the one on 3 right?... Midway?" Evan nods with a tight smirk "Oh Rick has already had some run ins with her... she's a right bitch apparently"
"Gets the job done though" Evan nods.
"True... they're knocking 302's out of midway like they've been up and running for years instead of weeks"
"The way they are going every jet on Earth will be replaced within a few years" Evan says wonder showing.
"Times are definitely changing... a few years ago the idea of going into space would have been ridiculous but here we are sat on another world in another galaxy no less"
"Tell me about it" Evan says with a smile.
"You are kidding me right?" Sheppard says staring at the delegates with a stunned look on his face "You ask me to give you a little time alone and in the space of" Sheppard glances at his watch "An hour you decide to create a unified alliance" all the delegates save one nod in agreement.
"I am against the idea... but the Gennii do not shirk their responsibility's "Ladon growls out.
"You just don't wanna be left out on your own" Larin grins.
"So just like that... no squabbling or political manoeuvring" Sheppard carries on dropping into his seat.
"Colonel... this galaxy has been plundered by the Wraith for far to long" Tamar says gaining Sheppard's attention "We like the Athosians are farmers... its in our blood" Tamar glances towards Halling who merely nods "The Galdorans and Tekoran are minners... the Tuklans and the Jazari even the Gennii" Tamar sighs "Are warriors... each of our worlds alone are weak but together"
"We just might be able to mount a proper co-ordinated effort against the Wraith" Larin says with a smile.
"Its the little things that each world does... if we all did them we could really hit the Wraith" Ford grins as Sheppard looks at him "The ring of Kavos trees that surround the Galdoran gate"
Sheppard nods with a slight frown "I had a bitch of a time getting the jumper through... thank god Lorne had pre-warned us"
"The Kavos ring was planted centuries ago and since then the Wraith have stopped sending darts through... in fact they only ever come to Galdora by now ship now"
"They could just put the gate in orbit if they wanted" Sheppard says with a frown.
"There's other easier targets out there at the moment... we need to make it harder for them to get around... limit the darts ability to use the gates on every world" Ford says on a role "Tank traps for want of a better term" The others frown but Sheppard just grins.
"What if they move the gate into orbit?"
"We put it back each and every time" Larin says with a nod "Make them realise that tactic will not work... the Wraith will be forced to rely on their fleet which they now know is vulnerable"
"I like your optimism I do... but your asking that each and every world in Pegasus starts fighting as one... its going to take a hell of a special kind of person to pull them all together... I'm a fighter that's what I do best... I ain't the man for that job" Sheppard sighs rubbing the back of his neck but he frowns when he sees the smirk on Larin and Ford's face.
"No Colonel..." Larin grins as the door opens "But she is"
"You sent for me?"
"Teyla... please join us... we have something to ask of you" Tamar says with a warm smile.