Chapter 13: Rescue.
John was filled with determination as he stepped into the cobbled courtyard in the early morning light. One of the suns was just above the horizon, casting a garish glow over the desolate landscape. The morning was cool, but John knew it wouldn't stay that way for long because after the first sun rose, the second and third would soon follow. John hoped this would be their last day on the planet, and then they needed to find a way to return home. But first, they had to overthrow the enemy in the ancient city on the new Hilaring homeworld. The outcome was uncertain, but John and his team were committed to returning to their beloved home.
Rodney had managed to contact the crews on the original Hilaring planet, and they were on their way to pick them up. It was crucial that they arrive before nightfall. Then, John needed to work with the Hilaring military to devise a detailed plan to retake the ancient city on New Hilaring. Only then could he and his team return home.
Rodney had also found a way to take the medical hologram Dave back to New Hilaring, a decision that could have significant implications. Dave, a unique AI with advanced healing capabilities, could be a game-changer in their battle against their numerous enemies. Dave had graciously allowed Carson to take any healing devices with them—whether they could take them back to Atlantis with them was a matter to be discussed later.
A whisper startled John, and he was surprised to see Teyla stand beside him. They were on a distant planet, far from their home in the Pegasus galaxy. He studied her face, and she seemed as serene as always, but there was a weariness there, and he was sure it was related to more than recent events.
"Where's Halling?" John asked, looking around with apprehension.
"Do not worry about our son, John; he is safe with Carson. I decided to come and spend a few moments with my husband before we left this planet since I am positive you will be extremely busy until we get home."
"When I get home, I plan on sleeping for a month," John commented, feeling exhausted," I will wake up to spend some time with my family, but other than that, I'm sleeping."
Teyla stared at him, and John could sense her worry and concern for him, "how are you, John? When I arrived on this planet, you were in great pain and had severe injuries. I am sure the last few weeks have not been easy for you."
That was just like Teyla, putting others' needs ahead of her own, even though she'd also been through a lot. John admired her strength and resilience and was grateful to have her by his side.
"What about you, Teyla?" John asked, turning the attention away from himself, "You were in a jumper crash, walked through a mysterious portal, only to give birth to our son on an alien planet in another galaxy, and it isn't a very nice planet either."
"Do not forget I gave birth to Torren on a Wraith Hive ship," Teyla reminded him, her voice hinting at pride in her resilience. Her voice turned sombre as she continued, "I do not know what would have happened if Rodney hadn't been there assisting or if you had not come to rescue me."
John shuddered at the rescue, as he was severely injured at the time and barely on his feet. If they hadn't rescued Teyla when they did, he was sure he would have collapsed on the floor.
His thoughts returned to their experiences in this galaxy, and he sighed, "Don't forget I suffered far worse injuries the last time I was in this galaxy. We've been through a lot together, Teyla."
John was quiet, and although he hated to get emotional, there was something he needed to discuss with Teyla. And because they didn't know how long until the Hilarians rescued them, he decided there was no time like the present.
"Umm…Teyla, I know this pregnancy was difficult for you and Umm… I'd totally understand if you don't want any more children."
She looked at him with beautiful brown eyes, and he wasn't sure what he saw. Was it sorrow or relief?"
"I do not think I would like to have any more. But do you?" Teyla asked, her tone respectful of John's thoughts on the matter.
"No, I think I'm going to have a hard time juggling work and family with three kids; I can't imagine having any more right now - or ever."
"I will ask you again in a month, John. Because you might change your mind," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. However, her eyes weren't as bright as usual, so she probably didn't mean what she said.
John knew he would never change his mind, but would Teyla? That was something to be discussed in the future, but first, they needed to return home.
The sky was aglow with pink and purple hues as the first sun rose above the horizon. The second sun was now peeking over the horizon, and the heat was rising. Very soon, the third sun would also rise, and the day would be unbearable, like the last few days or however long they'd been on this planet. Dave had told them the planet's name, but he couldn't remember it, and right now, he didn't care.
John stood silently with Teyla, taking in the alien world's strange beauty. Despite the impending battle, he decided to savour the peace, knowing that the next few days would starkly contrast this serene moment.
oOo
Lorne was deeply engrossed in a serious discussion with Sillian in General Sheppard's office when the Stargate activated, jolting them with the situation's urgency. Sheppard's team was missing, and all off-world teams were accounted for, perplexing him. Lorne knew he had to contact the SGC, but the thought of explaining Sheppard's and Teyla's disappearance to General Landry was daunting.
After a brief rest, Lorne returned to General Sheppard's office to find Sillian already there, clearly eager to discuss important matters. Just as they were getting down to business, the unexpected activation of the Stargate abruptly interrupted their conversation.
"Who is it?" Lorne asked, urgency in his voice, rushing to the control room with Sillian on his heels.
"It's the SGC, " Amelia replied with a worried look, a look he was sure mirrored his own.
He wondered why she was in the control room and not with Sharnie and Sheppard's kids, but that was none of his business. He was positive someone would be looking after them.
"Put it through," Lorne ordered, unsure what he would tell Landry - not that he wanted to talk to him.
"It's a video transmission, Colonel," Amelia replied with the same worried look.
"Okay, put it through once I reach the General's office," Lorne replied.
Lorne wasn't happy, but he knew Landry was probably wondering why he hadn't sent the weekly status report. Looking at his watch, he realised they were four hours late.
Sillian remained quiet throughout the exchange until Lorne was about to head to the office. "Colonel Lorne, I will return later to discuss current issues."
Lorne nodded and continued to the office, wondering what he would tell Landry. The last thing the SGC knew was that Sheppard and his team were on a mission to KK203, and a lot had happened since - although the SGC didn't know a lot had happened.
Finally, he reached the office and sat in the chair. After punching a few keys on the computer, he was surprised to see O'Neill on the other end of the transmission.
"What took you so long, Lorne, and where's Sheppard?"
O'Neill seemed to be looking around as if he were trying to find Sheppard, which was impossible in front of a video feed.
"Umm…do you remember you sent him on a mission to Ilaria two in galaxy K2203?" Lorne replied with hesitation.
"Yeah?" The General replied, and it was more of a question than a statement of remembrance.
Lorne took a deep breath before answering, "Well, the gate on Ilaria Two exploded, so there was no way for them to return home from the ancient city. We then sought out an eight-symbol address that leads to KK203 and found one. That's when things went wrong.
Before he could continue, O'Neill interrupted, "Don't tell me anything more. I'm coming over straight away."
"Where's Landry, Sir?" Lorne asked before O'Neill cut the connection.
"He's gone up to his cabin for a few days. I'll see you in five minutes, Colonel."
O'Neill cut the connection, and before he could exit the office, the chevrons on the gate started to light up. He rushed into the control room to stand beside Amelia, and when the wormhole sprang to life, he immediately asked her, "Do we have an IDC?"
"Yes, Sir. It's General O'Neill's," Amelia replied, looking confused.
"Of course it is," Lorne muttered. When he continued, he spoke louder, "Lower the Shield and let him through."
O'Neill walked out of the wormhole in BDUs with a duffle bag in hand, and Lorne wondered how he had put his things together so quickly.
Lorne rushed to meet him, "Welcome to Atlantis, Sir."
The General wasn't happy when he answered. In fact, he seemed angry: "Okay, Lorne, why don't you take me to Sheppard's office and explain what's happening?"
Lorne wasn't one to stand on formalities; Sheppard had trained him that way, but right now, he sensed the urgency in O'Neill's voice and decided the man needed a little respect, "Yes, Sir. Right away, Sir."
When they arrived in Sheppard's office, O'Neill sat in Sheppard's chair, and Lorne sat
on the other side of the desk.
The General seemed calmer by this time and spoke softly, "Okay, Lorne, why don't you tell me exactly what happened?"
"When we tried to contact the gate with the eight symbol address, whoever was on the other end told us not to contact them again because they didn't like outsiders. They also told us they could destroy our world if we tried again. Teyla pointed out that we weren't allowed to explain, so we tried again."
"I hope you had a security detail in the gateroom," O'Neill said, interrupting Lorne.
"Yes, sir."
Before Lorne could continue his story, O'Neill interrupted again," How is Teyla? She must be ready to have her baby?"
"I will get to that in a minute, sir," Lorne said, his voice anguished in his reply.
When O'Neill nodded his consent, Lorne continued his story, "We redialed the address, and this time there was no reply, but a strange sphere came through the gate and rendered everyone unconscious. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was invaders coming through the gate."
O'Neill sat forward in his chair and didn't look impressed," what happened next?"
"When I came too, the invaders Teyla and I were restrained in this office, and all the other military personnel were restrained in the gate room. Zelenka was supposedly helping the intruders lift the gateroom lockdown."
"What happened next?" O'Neill growled, becoming angrier by the minute.
"Well, we convinced the intruders that there may be ancient technology on the mainland, and they wanted to go and explore. They took Teyla with them, and we both hoped it would give me and Zelenka a chance to retake the control room."
O'Neill took a deep breath before asking, "Don't you need a puddle jumper to get to the mainland, and don't you need the ATA gene to fly it?"
"Yeah, and unfortunately, either Jannar or Bannar had it. They were the hostiles that took Teyla to the mainland."
O'Neill's face was worried when he replied, "Colonel Lorne, where is Teyla?" There was tension in the air and urgency in O'Neill's voice.
"We don't know," Lorne whispered, the devastation showing on his face.
"She's not on the mainland?" O'Neil asked, his voice barely above a whisper."
"No, Sir. We found the remains of a crashed jumper, and Bannar and Jannar were deceased. Teyla wasn't in the jumper, and we found evidence of her on the planet, but we couldn't find her. We found an Ancient ruin, and there'd been a cave-in, but when we searched through the rubble, we couldn't find her there either."
O'Neill shook his head, his concern evident," So obviously, you managed to retake the gate room. What happened to the intruders?"
"We took them to the holding cells, and Teldy and I questioned them, but we couldn't get any information from them. Finally, I asked Todd to help us get some information."
A smile spread across O'Neill's face, "I wish I could have seen that."
"Yeah, well, in the end, they agreed to help us. So, I told them I would return after Todd had fed. They were petrified and thankful that Todd hadn't fed on them."
O'Neill chuckled, "I take it you didn't tell them Todd no longer needs to feed on humans?"
"No, why would I do that?" Lorne answered, his smile mirroring O'Neill's.
Lorne's face turned serious as he continued, "When Todd and I returned after lunch, the prisoners were unconscious. It turns out they'd all poisoned themselves, and that was two days ago."
"Are any of them still alive?" O'Neill's voice cut through the air, urgency dripping from every word, a call to immediate action.
"Yes, they all are. And it turns out one of them is on our side. The planet is New Hilaring, and people from a planet called Core have infiltrated the ancient city and now control the gateroom. Zelenka has blocked the gate to New Hilaring so no more hostiles can enter Atlantis."
O'Neill's face was a canvas of relief and anticipation, and his eyes had a glimmer of hope. " So, what are you and this ally planning?"
"Well, Sillian suggested we see if any of the other men want to help us. But they're all still in comas."
A thoughtful look crossed O'Neill's face, "Why didn't they die?"
"Apparently, a Hilaring scientist put the toxin in the men's molars and only used half the dose," Lorne revealed, the mystery of the situation hanging in the air like a thick fog, piquing O'Neill's curiosity.
"Why don't you bring Sillian here? Then you can tell me your detailed plans for retaking the Hilaring home world, including how we'll deal with the Core infiltrators," O'Neill suggested.
"Yes, Sir, " Lorne said, heading to the control room so Amelia could contact Sillian.
They may finally be able to infiltrate New Hillaring and, hopefully, find General Sheppard and his team. However, he had no idea how to tell Sheppard his wife and unborn child were missing.
oOo
Carson watched the supply ship's infirmary come into view as the transporter beam dissipated. Finally, the Hilarians had rescued them from the planet—whatever its name was. Dave, the hologram, had told them, but Carson couldn't remember, and he didn't care because it was one planet he never wanted to visit again.
Sheppard and Teyla were transported with him. Carson was particularly concerned about Teyla and the baby, as the recent events had put a significant strain on her. He also wanted to double-check Sheppard to ensure his well-being, given the physical and mental toll of their ordeal.
The others were transported to the bridge or science labs respectfully.
He looked at Sheppard, and the man looked exhausted, so he thought about grounding him in the infirmary for the remainder of the trip to New Hilaring. But he knew Sheppard would need to be involved in any military discussions if they ever wanted to win back the ancient city on Hilaring, a place of great historical and strategic importance the people from Core were currently inhabiting. Then, they could return home.
"General Sheppard, I want to check you for any injuries before you go anywhere."
"It's not going to happen, Doc. We have a few short hours before we reach New Hilaring, and I need to know what Commander Voth is planning before then. But can you look after Teyla and Halling and ensure they're both okay?" Carson admired Sheppard's determination. He knew the man was exhausted, but he was still focused on the mission. "I'll take care of them, John. You just focus on getting us home."
"Carson, can you please look at Halling to ensure he's okay?" Teyla asked softly. "I would feel a lot better if you looked at him."
Carson smiled at her. At least one of the Sheppards appreciated his concern. " Sure, Luv. Can you get on the exam bed and hold Halling in your arms?"
Once Teyla was on the exam bed, he perused his surroundings. The room was tiny, and the walls and carpet were a dull grey. Plenty of modern medical equipment and two other patients were in the small room. By the looks of their disfigured faces and hands, they were the same scavengers they'd encountered on the original Hilaring homeworld, and he was sure one of them was Rulan. A tall, thin Hilarian with dark brown hair stood beside the scavengers' beds.
Carson introduced himself to the man before he began the examination on Halling, "Hello, I am Dr Carson Beckett."
"My name is Dr Julian Sheply," the other man said. "I have heard stories of you and your friends all my life, and it is a pleasure to meet you," Julian said with a hint of hero worship.
"What is the condition of these men? Carson asked, ignoring the hero worship and, pointing to the scavengers.
"Multiple internal injuries. They were caught in a rockslide on the original Hilarian planet. I have treated them the best I can without proper medical facilities, and I hope they survive long enough to return the Hilaring so I can treat them properly."
Carson smiled and replied, "I may have someone to help with that."
He glanced at Halling and Teyla and realised they were fast asleep. He left them to rest and went to see if he could help the scavengers. Carson was a doctor, first and foremost, determined to do everything in his power to help these men.
"Do you have a way for me to contact my friend, Rodney?" Carson asked Julian.
Julian walked over to a console and pressed several buttons, "you can contact the science labs from here."
Before Carson could do anything, Rodney's face appeared on a computer screen, "Carson, I have Dave's program integrated into the ship's systems. Just say activate Holographic doctor, and he should come online."
To Carson, that sounded like something out of a sci-fi series, and he couldn't believe it was a reality. " Thanks, Rodney. I was just going to ask you about him."
"No problems. It was easy for me, McKay out."
Carson chuckled. Typical, Rodney loves to sing his own praises. He turned to Julian and smiled, "You'll love this."
Julian stared at him with big brown eyes, and Carson could see confusion.
"Just watch." Carson took a deep breath before he attempted to activate the hologram. He really hoped it would work: " Computer activate the holographic Doctor."
Suddenly, Dave materialised, "Welcome to the infirmary. How may I help you today," he greeted.
Julian remained silent for a few minutes before he emerged from his stupor. "Cool!" he exclaimed, and Carson chuckled. This man would get along with Sheppard.
Dave looked around the small infirmary before turning to Carson, "I see you managed to free me from my eternal torment. Now, why have you activated me?"
"These men have internal injuries, and I was wondering if you could show me how to use some of the devices to heal them?" Carson asked, pointing to the tray of devices he'd brought from the planet.
Dave nodded and approached the two injured men. As he approached, Rulan began to wake, and Carson could see the terror in his eyes. The poor man had no idea where he was, and Carson was convinced that only one man could help him, so he rushed to the computer console and contacted the bridge.
"Somebody get me, General Sheppard now!" Carson's voice was urgent, and the gravity of the situation was evident in his tone.
oOo
John was already feeling the weight of Commander Voth's flawed plan, and they'd only been together for about ten minutes. The man's strategy to win back the ancient city of New Hilaring was questionable at best, and John couldn't help but wonder why he was in charge of the military. John had seen leaders like Voth on Earth, sitting in their offices, sending men and women out into the field without a clue about what was happening. John had tried to command the troops from Atlantis once, but it had turned him into a stuffy administrator, a role he didn't enjoy.
Ronon sat beside John, his dissatisfaction with the situation evident. Despite his obvious displeasure, he kept his temper in check for the moment.
Voth's idea was a full-on assault. The troops would beam directly into the ancient city's control room and take it by force. He'd also seen that arrogance, which usually happened right before a Wraith fed said person. John knew this plan wouldn't work because the core people had already infiltrated Atlantis and weren't stupid.
"So, what kind of weapons does this ship have?" John asked when Voth stopped talking to take a breath.
"It only has basic laser canons," Voth replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Great!" Ronon growled, "The Core will shoot us out of the sky as we approach the planet!"
Voth's surprise was palpable as he answered, "Doesn't a person need the ancestors' gene to operate the control chair?" His question clearly indicated his underestimation of the situation and John's strategic thinking.
John sighed; he didn't need Ronon in the room, getting angry whenever Voth said something.
"Ronon, can you please leave the room for a moment?
When Ronon looked like he was going to object, he glared at the man and said, "Do I have to make it an order?"
Ronon shook his head and quietly left the room. Once he was sure Ronon had left, he turned to Toth with a severe look: "The men in the ancient city have already infiltrated Atlantis, and we know some of those men had the ancestors' gene. So it's a good bet that someone in that city will be able to destroy this ship."
Voth's face softened, and John saw the arrogance leave him, "So what shall we do, General Sheppard?"
"We need to surprise them," John said thoughtfully. "Are there any tunnels leading into the city?"
"Yes, and I have their schematics on the ship," Voth smiled.
"Okay, here's what I'm thinking," John told Voth.
Before he could tell Voth his idea, the computer chimed. Voth pressed a few buttons, and Carson's face came on the screen.
"What's happening, Doc? Are Teyla and Halling okay?"
"Yes, they're fine, but we have a situation with some of the scavengers that were injured and beamed aboard the ship." The urgency in Carson's voice was evident.
"What's happening?"
"They are terrified and panicking and are demanding to see their god."
John sighed. He didn't have time for more hero worship, but he knew the scavengers from the planet were scared, and he was the only one who could settle them down. His determination to handle the situation was palpable; maybe he could stop them from worshipping him while he was about it.
TBC…