A Little Piece Of Home - Part Two

By Winnie

ACT 111

Richard Woolsey looked up from his laptop as Radek Zelenka knocked on the open door. “Come in, Doctor… tell me you found something?”

“I believe we found out what is making the gate malfunction and it is not an accident as we first thought,” Zelenka explained.

“I thought we had already decided it wasn’t an accident,” Woolsey said and shook off Zelenka’s attempt to explain. “Tell me later. Right now we need to know whether it can be fixed. Can you pinpoint where Colonel Sheppard and Ronon wound up?”

“I believe it can be fixed, but more importantly, I believe with the information I downloaded, I can indeed accurately pinpoint where Colonel Sheppard and Ronon ended up,” Zelenka said and explained what they’d been able to do with the information he’d gathered on Marcosia. 

“Major Grant’s team should be ready to go back to Marcosia and help in the search for Colonel Sheppard and Ronon,” Woolsey said and stood up. He hurried out of his office with Zelenka on his heels.

“Dri will be angry-“

“Right now I couldn’t care less about Dri or his brother,” Woolsey interrupted. “We don’t leave our people behind!”

“I am going to reconfigure the gate so that Major Grant’s team will be sent through the second Marcosian gate and hopefully they’ll be able to help Major Lorne in the search for Colonel Sheppard and Ronon,” Zelenka explained and hurried to connect to the gate systems while Woolsey spoke with Chet and had Grant’s team report to the gateroom.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

Rodney McKay did his best to ignore the feeling that the walls were closing in on him and his lungs felt unable to draw in enough air. He knew it was all in his mind, but that didn’t make it any easier and God help him if he made a complaint now Lorne would simply remind him that it had been Rodney’s idea to search for Sheppard and Ronon.

“Oh God!” McKay stammered when he felt something crawling over his face.

“Be quiet, McKay!” Lorne ordered softly, but there was no denying the authority in his voice.

“Easy for you to say! You’re not the one with a giant Tarantula crawling over his face!”

“Did it bite you, Rodney?” Teyla asked sympathetically.

“No, thank God, but I’m sure it would have…”

“Probably would have died if it had bitten you,” Lorne teased. “Look, Dr. McKay, you’re not the only one who doesn’t like closed in places, but we learn to live with it.”

“You’re claustrophobic?” McKay asked incredulously.

“Sometimes…”

“Oh, give me a break! You can’t possibly be claustrophobic sometimes! It doesn’t work like that!” McKay said and suddenly realized Lorne had gotten his mind off his fears if only for a few seconds.

“Rodney, are you all right?” Teyla asked softly as they continued along the narrow tunnel.

“I’m okay, Teyla,” McKay answered. “Thank you, Major.”

“Anytime,” Lorne assured him and signaled for them to be quiet. “Someone’s coming this way.”

“Sheppard?” McKay asked.

“I don’t think so,” Lorne said and motioned for the others to stay as far back as they could. Several men with flashlights passed by their hiding place without glancing in their direction, but Lorne kept them where they were until he was sure it was safe to move. “Stay behind me and keep quiet.”

McKay wanted to protest being given orders, but right now he knew Lorne was right. They had to move as silently as possible if they were going to find Sheppard and Ronon. He briefly wondered if the two men were alive, but brushed those thoughts aside because there was no way the two men would go down without a fight.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Prager moved into the brightly lit chamber he was using as a storage area where several of his scientists were working. There were several pieces of technology that looked like weapons, but so far they’d been unable to figure out how they worked. One of his top scientists had discovered they were linked to the ancients and had also figured out there was a certain genetic material that made the items work.

Prager moved toward the scientist who’d discovered the genetic material and watched as he entered several commands into a system that so far did nothing but flash in different shades of light. He knew the man was doing everything he could to find a way to make it work, but until they found an Ancient, it would not obey their commands.

“There is nothing more I can do, Prager,” Luchanse offered when he felt the other man hovering.

“Are you sure, Old Friend?”

“Unless you can bring me an Ancient, there is no way to make these things come to life,” the stooped scientist answered.

“Perhaps I have an Ancient-“

“Where is he? Do you know what this means, Prager? We can defeat your brother and you can take your rightful place!”

“Easy, Old Friend, I do not have him yet, but he is close by,” Prager explained and paced in front of the silent equipment. “Are you sure this is a weapon?”

“Yes, it is,” Luchanse answered simply. “We were able to isolate the explosive mechanism, but we are unable to make it work. If you are able to bring the Ancient here I can guarantee you will have what you need to defeat Dri.”

“Keep working on it and I will bring you the Ancient as soon as I have him.”

“Is he here?”

“He is somewhere in the tunnels,” Prager answered.

“Perhaps I can help you find him.”

“How?”

“There are devices here that can distinguish between different readings. Perhaps the Ancient’s genetics will show up as something different than ours,” Luchanse explained and reached for a small device on the table he’d been working on. He hit several small buttons and watched as several life signs showed up as beeping dots. 

“How can you tell the difference?” Prager asked.

“I’m not sure, but how many people do you have searching for the Ancient?”

“There should be four search parties.”

“How many in each party?”

“Four,” Prager answered.

“So your people are here, here, here, and here,” Luchanse explained and pointed to a series of dots.

“What are these other signals?”

“Well, there are a set of two and a set of three. Are you sure your people haven’t split up?”

“No, they wouldn’t do that without contacting me first,” Prager told him.

“Then I’m guessing these two are the Ancient you are searching for, but there are two signals.”

“Sheppard and Ronon,” Prager told him.

“These three?”

“I have no idea,” Prager said.

“It looks like one of your search parties is close to their location. You could have them move in and find out who they are,” Luchanse suggested.

“I’ll have Sobon check it out,” Prager said.

“What of these two?”

“I believe Durelli and I will make our way toward them.”

“Do you believe that’s the Ancient?”

“I believe it’s Sheppard and Ronon and it won’t be long before you can tell me exactly what Sheppard can do,” Prager said and took the detector from his friend. The device went dark for several seconds, but soon activated at his touch and he nodded to his friend before moving out of the chamber. The device was not part of the Ancient technology, but something his scientists had created when they’d relocated to this area. It was generally used to detect the large creatures that inhabited the mountainous terrain around them.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Sheppard felt Ronon beside him and fought the nausea and pain churning through his gut. They’d been standing against the wall for several minutes while whoever was in the outer tunnel moved on, but John knew he could not stay on his feet much longer. His legs felt as if they would give out and he felt Ronon’s hand on his arm.

“You ready?”

“For what?” Sheppard asked.

“To move!”

“I thought we were moving… least it feels that way,” Sheppard told him and tried to take a deep breath while Ronon led him away from their hideout. He blinked several times until his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness once more and he was able to make out darker shadows as they moved along the left hand tunnel.

“We need to find a way out, Sheppard.”

“Thought that was a given,” the colonel said weakly, gasping as bright light shone in his eyes. “Sonofabitch!”

“Sheppard! Thank God!”

“McKay? How the hell-“

“Explanations can wait, Colonel, we need to get out of here,” Lorne told him.

“You won’t get any arguments from me or Ronon, Major,” Sheppard said.

“How bad are you hurt?” Teyla enquired.

“Don’t know…bad enough, but I can move and so can Ronon. Please tell me you know the way out of here,” Sheppard replied.

“That could be a problem,” Lorne said and turned to McKay.

“Oh, now you look to me for help! Well, I’m sorry, but I didn’t have any breadcrumbs to mark the trail,” McKay sniped.

“Guess we keep using our system, Ronon,” Sheppard said.

“Please tell me you’re not using eenie meanie minie mo?” McKay snapped.

“Nothing that complicated,” Sheppard said with a grin. “We just keep going left.”

“Oh, that’s just brilliant…you keep going in circles and end up back where you started,” McKay said and checked the sensor, disgusted when it came up blank once more. There was the sound of movement further down the tunnel and McKay knew whoever it was they weren’t friends. “We are so screwed.”

“I heard that before, McKay, quit griping and help us find a way out,” Sheppard ordered.

“The damn sensors don’t work down here!”

“Then pick a tunnel or we go left,” Sheppard said.

“I don’t-“

“Right, left it is,” Sheppard said, leaning on Lorne when the major offered his arm.

SGASGASGASGASGA

War Minister Dri was not a happy man, but he knew the plan his advisors had come up with was the only way of defeating Prager. He had several weapons in his arsenal, including an explosive device designed to kill all living creatures in a 50 mile radius of the epicenter. The explosion would be small, but that was not where the death toll would come from. Oh no, the death toll would come from the toxin his scientists had built into the device itself.

“War Minister, are you sure you want to do this?” Brackle asked.

“What choice do I have, Brackle? If I do nothing and Prager decides to attack then we will lose and he will take our homes by force. I cannot allow that to happen!”

“Perhaps if you spoke with the Atlantians, they would reconsider.”

“I do not think so. Mr. Woolsey has already given his reasons for not getting involved. I will not beg for his help, but perhaps when Prager is taken care of I will invite Mr. Woolsey back.”

“You would offer him friendship after he turned you down?”

“I did not say I would offer friendship, Brackle,” Dri answered. “I would invite him back and use him as a warning to those who would deny me my right to lead our world.”

“You are more like your brother than even you realize, Dri.”

“No, I am far worse, Brackle, for I know what I stand to lose if Prager is allowed to continue with his plans,” Dri said and walked over to stand in front of the window. He knew it was time to show Prager and everyone else that he did have a backbone and was not squeamish when it came to matters of war.

“I suddenly feel sorry for Prager,” Brackle said with a hint of a smile. He knew that Dri would someday come to realize just how strong he needed to be if he wanted to hold his position. “When do you plan to attack?”

“It will take the scientists some time to reprogram the delivery sequence and make sure the toxin dissipates once it reaches a certain radius.”

“Do you plan on giving Prager a chance to surrender before you launch the toxin?”

“No, my brother would not offer me such a chance and I have recently come to the realization that I can be just as devious as he is,” Dri answered and reached for the glass of liquor Brackle handed him. “To the future.”

“To our future,” Brackle corrected.

“To our future,” Dri repeated with renewed confidence.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Prager held the device in front of him and continued along the tunnel, keeping his footsteps as silent as possible as he drew closer to his target. There were five of them now, but that didn’t matter, not when he had two teams coming at them from two locations. It wouldn’t be long before he had Sheppard right where he wanted him.

Once he had Sheppard and his people it would be simple to get the Ancient technology working and use that power against Dri. It did not matter how many died in the attack, because there were always casualties in war. Luchanse had once been part of Dri’s inner circle, but it had not taken much for the man to come over to his side.

Luchanse’s face had lit up when Prager had told him about the stockpile of devices in the chambers. The man had quickly taken him up on the offer to work with the technology and given him free rein to do whatever he needed to do to get them working. Luchanse had quickly discovered that most of the devices only activated to a certain touch, and that touch was Atlantian.

“Prager, they seem to be moving toward the main station.”

“I see that, Durelli, have several teams converge on the entrance, but make sure they realize Sheppard is to be taken alive!”

“They know, but what if Sheppard’s people open fire on us?”

“The others are expendable, but Sheppard is not. Do I make myself clear?”

“Understood,” Durelli answered.

Prager continued along the darkened tunnel and listened for any sound that would betray Sheppard’s people. The device showed that they were close, but the signal could have been giving off false readings and he realized the quarry could be in an adjoining corridor separated by a mound of stone and dirt.

Prager’s people knew their way around and if they said Sheppard was headed toward the main station then that’s where he was going to go. If anything changed then he’d simply backtrack and rely on the detector to tell him what direction the Atlantians had taken.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Ronon held up his hand for the others to stop and leaned against the stone wall while listening for the sound of Prager’s people. He could hear Sheppard and knew the man was doing everything he could to stay on his feet and not give away their location. He sensed their pursuers close by and kept his back against the cave until he was sure they wouldn’t be discovered.

“Ronon, the tunnels are crawling with Prager’s people,” Teyla said.

“I know,” Ronon told her.

“We need to get out of here,” McKay offered.

“If you have any ideas I’m willing to hear them, Rodney,” Sheppard whispered, his voice heavy with pain and fatigue.

“We’re back to Rodney the miracle worker are we?” McKay griped.

“No, but a miracle sounds good right about now,” Sheppard supplied as Lorne managed to keep him on his feet. John knew he couldn’t keep up the pace, even though it felt like they were barely keeping up a snail’s pace. “Leave me…”

“I thought we were past that,” Ronon grumbled.

“Damn, I was hoping you’d forgotten,” Sheppard said.

“We don’t leave our people behind, Colonel,” Lorne offered and turned pointedly toward McKay. “Although sometimes it does seem like a good idea.”

“You’re real funny, Major,” McKay said.

“We need to concentrate on finding a way out of here,” Teyla reminded them. “Ronon, is it clear?”

“Think so,” Ronon said and stepped out into the next tunnel He motioned for the others to follow and kept as close to the wall as possible as they moved further along the corridor. His head was pounding and his vision was blurred, but he would not allow himself to give into the need to rest. He’d been hurt worse and stayed on his feet and no blow to the head was going to be his downfall when there were other lives depending on him.

“Ronon, what is it?” Teyla asked when the Satedan halted them again.

“Someone’s coming,” Dex answered. “Sounds like just one.”

“We can take him,” McKay suggested.

“By we, you mean me, Teyla, or Ronon?” Lorne asked.

“No, I mean we as in all of us…”

“Would you two be quiet!” Sheppard snapped impatiently. “Ronon, be careful.”

Ronon didn’t say a word, but inched his body further along as the footsteps drew closer. He blinked several times and waited for his vision to clear as the newcomer came into view. He acted on instinct and lashed out with his fist, striking the man in the face and driving him into the opposite wall. He didn’t give Prager a chance to regain his footing and struck his arm, knocking the device from his hands.

Sheppard tried to go to his friend’s aid, but he didn’t have the strength as Lorne released him. He saw Teyla move to help Ronon and realized, right now, he was a liability. He knew the Satedan wasn’t much better off, but the big man had help now as Teyla and Lorne came to his aid while McKay moved to Sheppard’s side. He couldn’t see how many of Prager’s people were there, but he had confidence in his team and Lorne.

At any other time Ronon could have handled Prager, but with the head injury and chest pain, there just didn’t seem to be enough energy to lift his arm, let alone hit someone. He staggered back under a savage blow, relieved when Teyla and Lorne took his place. He tried to help, but a hand on his arm stopped him and he focused on Sheppard.

“Teyla and Lorne can handle it from here,” Sheppard told him, relieved when Lorne stuck Prager and sent him to the ground where Teyla quickly straddled him and pulled his arms behind him.

“What now?” McKay asked.

“Who is he?” Lorne enquired.

“His name’s Prager,” Ronon answered.

“He’s the one who diverted the gate’s signal,” Sheppard supplied. “We need to find something to tie him up.”

“There’s no way you can escape!” Prager shouted.

“Teyla, shut him up!” Ronon ordered, and smiled when the Athosian shoved something into the man’s mouth as Lorne handed her a length of rope that had been attached to Prager’s belt.

“What do we do with him?” Teyla asked.

“We take him with us,” Sheppard ordered.

“Are you sure that’s wise, Colonel? You and Ronon are hurt and Prager will try to signal his people,” Teyla observed.

“If he does then we have him as a hostage,” Sheppard told her, gasping when he tried to move. “We need to find a way out of here.”

“Perhaps he could show us the way,” McKay suggested.

“Not likely, McKay,” Ronon said. “We need to keep moving.”

“Left?” McKay said and rolled his eyes.

“It hasn’t let us down yet,” Sheppard offered and looked at Prager whose eyes shone in the darkness. “Try anything and I’ll turn you over to Ronon!”

Prager glanced at the big man standing at Sheppard’s right side and realized, even injured, the man was dangerous. He looked at Sheppard and nodded his head as a sign that he would cooperate, for now.

“Lorne, watch him!” the colonel ordered.

“My pleasure, sir,” Lorne said and stood behind the captive as Ronon took the lead once more.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Richard Woolsey knew Lorne’s team was half an hour late for their scheduled check in and knew he was hovering. It was making Chet and the others nervous, but right now he had people missing and needed to find out whatever he could before sending Grant’s team through the gate.

Grant was waiting impatiently for the go ahead and Woolsey knew he’d have to make the call soon or have them stand down. They’d decided against sending a Puddle Jumper through and send the new team by foot, heavily armed and ready for anything. Woolsey knew it fell on him to make the call, and hoped he wouldn’t live to regret it.

“Major, the mission is a go,” Woolsey called.

Donald Grant held his P90 in front of him as he stepped through the gate. He exited through the wormhole on the other side and moved to the left as the rest of his team joined him. It took nearly fifteen minutes to secure the area, before moving toward the coordinates Zelenka had supplied.

It surprised him that the gate was left unguarded, but he knew his team could handle anything the Marcosians threw at them. He motioned for the others to follow and soon found a narrow path that seemed over-run by brush, ducking beneath it as a large creature roared in the distance.

“Guess that’s one of McKay’s dinosaurs,” Lieutenant Rickman said.

“Probably something small,” Markham declared.

“Keep it down,” Grant warned as they continued along the trail toward the mountains.

SGASGASGASGASGA

“Ronon, is that what it looks like?” Sheppard asked, his voice a rasping wheeze as he stared at the section of tunnel. Someone had managed to break through the barrier Ronon had built and the rocks and debris had been pushed to one side.

“We’re back where we started,” Dex told him.

“I told you we’d end up going in circles if we kept going left!” McKay griped.

“There’s got to be a way out,” Sheppard said.

“Especially now that we have a hostage,” Ronon agreed.

“What’s on the other side, Colonel?” Lorne asked.

“Prager’s headquarters,” Sheppard answered.

“Oh, that’s just great! Out of the frying pan and into the fire!”

“McKay, give it a break!” Sheppard warned. He knew McKay was voicing what they were all thinking and that he was a hell of a lot braver than he let on. It just seemed second nature for him to complain, and complain he did right up until he came through with his own version of a ‘Hail Mary’.

“Do you have any idea how many of his people are on the other side?” Teyla asked, worried about the two injured men who seemed to be moving on adrenalin alone.

“Don’t know, got a feeling most of them are in here,” Dex answered.

“Let me go through and check it out. If it’s clear, I’ll signal for you to follow,” Lorne told them, wishing their communications device worked, but since entering the tunnels it seemed like everything they could use had been effectively shut down. He settled Sheppard on the ground and moved to the narrow opening as McKay moved to guard Prager.

Ronon and Sheppard quickly described what they remembered and hoped Lorne didn’t run into any hostiles, but the way their luck had been running they’d probably be overrun before long.

“Colonel, I should take a look at your side,” Teyla suggested.

“It’ll keep, Teyla,” Sheppard said, not wanting anyone touching the wound until they were clear of Marcosia.

“Might as well let her take a look, Sheppard, because I don’t think Chewie is up to carrying you,” McKay said, slightly relieved when Sheppard reluctantly acquiesced.

Teyla knelt beside the colonel and opened her pack. She knew he was hurting, and one look at the bloodied bandage told her he’d lost a lot of blood. She eased the bandage away from the wound and heard Sheppard’s sharp intake of breath as it pulled on the skin surrounding the hole in his side. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Sheppard said and knew there was nothing she could do except put a fresh bandage on it.

“Do you have anything you can give him for pain?” McKay asked.

“Not much,” Teyla answered and knew Sheppard would refuse to take anything that could knock him out until they were safely back on the Jumper.

John knew they had to get moving before they were discovered and overrun by Prager’s people. He kept watching the opening where Lorne had disappeared and tried to ignore Teyla’s hands as she tended his wound.

“We should---”

“He’ll be back, McKay, just give him a few more minutes,” Sheppard ordered, relieved when Lorne reappeared.

“The place looks deserted,” Lorne answered the unspoken question.

Sheppard looked at their captor and knew Prager would never leave his headquarters unguarded. He reached for Lorne’s hand, grateful when the man helped him stand. He stood in front of Prager and ignored the pain in his side as he spoke in heated tones. “Here’s the way I see it, Prager! This is the only way out for my people, but I’m betting you’ve got people watching for us and that could get us all killed. I can guarantee you it will get you killed because Ronon or Major Lorne will make damn sure you go down before we do. Blink your eyes if you understand.”

Prager looked at Ronon and Lorne before returning his attention to John Sheppard and knew the man did not made threats he could not carry through on. He blinked his eyes once, silently vowing to make the Atlantian pay for humiliating him in such a way.

“Good! Lorne, you take point, but keep the sonofabitch in front of you!” Sheppard ordered and looked at Teyla. “Teyla, you’ve got our six!”

“Lean on me,” Ronon ordered as his friend wavered and grabbed the tunnel wall for support.

“Thanks,” Sheppard said and silently prayed they’d all get out of this alive. “McKay, stay behind Lorne and shoot Prager if he tries anything stupid.”

“My pleasure,” McKay said and moved in front of Ronon and Sheppard.

“You ready?” Ronon asked.

“Not by a long shot,” Sheppard answered, but forced one foot in front of the other. He could hear Lorne and McKay moving ahead and knew Teyla was probably sweeping the rear and making sure they weren’t being followed as Ronon released him. John pushed through the narrow opening, muffling a cry of pain as the rough wall scraped along his injured side. He exited through the other side where McKay grabbed him and eased him to the floor.

“Sheppard, are you all right?”

“I’m just peachy, McKay,” he snapped, but managed to smile weakly at the other man. He leaned heavily on McKay while they waited for Ronon and Teyla to join them. Once the duo made it through they listened for any sound from in front or behind before moving deeper into Prager’s headquarters.

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

Major Grant led his team through the thick underbrush, bypassing an area that seemed to have been overrun by animals that made a T-Rex look like a pussy cat. The life signs detector hadn’t picked up anything that remotely resembled Sheppard or the others and he was frustrated and tired when Rickman pulled up short and stared at the device he held.

“Major, I just got several readings… they just showed up out of nowhere,” Rickman explained.

“You could be reading Prager’s people,” Markham offered and stared over the lieutenant’s shoulder.

“I don’t think so,” Rickman said. “I’ve got pockets of readouts, but they’re too far away and they’ve been moving away from this area.”

“Get me the coordinates, Lieutenant,” Grant ordered as the other members of his team kept watch for the large animals that surrounded the area.

“They’re about a mile southeast of our location,” Rickman explained.

“I’m on point… Markham you’ve got our six! Stay alert and watch out for nasty critters,” Grant told them, holding his P90 against his shoulder as he led his men in the general direction Rickman had given him.

SGASGASGASGASGASGA

War Minister Dri watched as his scientists and military people worked together on the project that would see his brother dead. He felt no remorse for what he was about to do and actually felt a hint of excitement at having such power in his hands. Killing Prager was something he had never thought about until he’d been pushed into a corner.

Dri moved through the rows of tables where men and women completed their assigned tasks and brought them closer to the time of reckoning. Once the device was finished, a small craft, piloted by Brackle, would make the flight and drop it in the vicinity of Prager’s compound. They knew his brother’s base was in the mountains near the area where the animals were bigger than most of the buildings in this city.

“It should be ready for deployment in a couple of hours,” Brackle explained.

“Excellent,” Dri said. “Do we have any idea what the blast radius will be?”

“It should take out everything within a thirty mile radius of the point of detonation,” Brackle assured him.

“Will it penetrate the mountain?”

“It should as long as there are openings.”

“Prager won’t know what hit him,” Dri said.

“No, he won’t. You are doing something that is far beyond anything he would believe possible,” Brackle agreed.

“I wish I could see his face.”

“I do too, but it would not be wise to be anywhere near Prager’s base when we release the toxin,” Brackle said. “You know if Prager has Woolsey’s missing people, it could start a war with them.”

“Woolsey’s people are not my problem, besides they are what you once called ‘casualties of war’ are they not?”  Dri asked.

“Yes, I believe I did,” Brackle said and moved to check the ship he would use to deploy the weapon as Dri continued to watch over the ongoing work.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Richard Woolsey knew he was probably wearing a path along the edge of the stairs, but it didn’t stop him from doing it. There’s been no word form Lorne, McKay, and Teyla, and now it seemed that Major Grant’s team was past their check in time. Not by much, but with so many people missing, Woolsey worried that things had escalated on the Marcosian world and that did not look good for any of his people.

Woolsey looked toward the silent gate as if he could will it to activate, but he knew that was just wishful thinking on his part. He’d thought about sending another team through, but decided against it. He knew the others were watching him and hoped they understood that, for the moment, there was nothing he could do, but wait.

“Chet, let me know if you hear form Major Grant or Major Lorne or… anybody,” he ordered before disappearing into his office. He stared at his open laptop and briefly wondered if Elizabeth Weir had ever felt the same frustration of not knowing where key members of the expedition were. He knew she must have because this wasn’t the first time and probably would not be the last. With that thought, Richard Woolsey tried to concentrate on mission reports that were backlogged since they had first been contacted by the Marcosians.

SGASGASGASGASGA

John Sheppard knew he was slowing the others down, but no amount of arguing would make them leave him behind. His side was burning, and he swore he felt the bullet moving around with each step he took. There was no telling what kind of damage it was doing, but whatever it was, Keller and Beckett would take care of it when…if they reached Atlantis.

Somewhere along the line Ronon had replaced McKay at his side and John felt the man’s uncanny strength as they started up another set of stone steps. So far they hadn’t met anyone, and he wondered where Prager’s men were. There was no doubt in his mind that they were out there, but he didn’t want his people thinking they were safe. He knew Ronon, Teyla, and Lorne would stay on their toes, but Rodney did not have the same instincts that came from being tied to the military, although McKay had learned a few tricks of his own since coming to Atlantis.

“I don’t remember this place being so big,” Ronon observed.

“We didn’t get the r… royal tour last t… time,” Sheppard managed. “Think maybe we were out w…when they put us down there!”

“Probably,” Ronon agreed.

“Any idea how much further?” McKay asked.

“Until what?” Sheppard asked.

“Oh I don’t know… until we reach the surface maybe?” McKay snapped.

“No idea, but at least we’re going up and not left,” Sheppard quipped and slid to the floor as Ronon’s strength gave out.

“There’s a door up ahead,” Lorne told them and shoved Prager down beside them. “Dr. McKay, make sure he stays put. Shoot him if you have to. Teyla, you’re with me.”

“Be careful,” Sheppard ordered and closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

ACT 1V

Lorne and Teyla slowly made their way along the narrow corridor until they reached the doorway the major had seen earlier. He stood on one side, his weapon ready while Teyla did the same on the other side. They had no idea how many people were on the other side, but this was the only way out of the structure and they needed to get Sheppard and Dex to Atlantis.

“Cover me,” Lorne said and saw Teyla nod once. He reached for the handle, hoping it wasn’t locked and slowly put downward pressure on it. At a second nod from Teyla, Lorne shoved the door open and dove through. He saw two men standing on the left and fired before they had a chance to raise their weapons. He heard Teyla come through behind him and took cover behind a crate that stood to the left of the doorway.

Lorne fired at a man who wasn’t quite fast enough to escape and heard him cry out just before he dropped from sight behind a large grain sack.

“Major, behind you!” Teyla warned and fired at the man who seemed intent on take Lorne’s head off with a long, thin knife. She returned her attention to the second door as several more of Prager’s people came through. She fired, hitting two, even as Lorne laid down suppressing fire from her left.

Lorne had no idea how many of Prager’s people were in the area, but he and Teyla were doing what they could to keep from being overrun. He just hoped they had enough ammunition to outlast the enemy, or this rescue would be short lived. He fired at a woman who was steadily creeping toward Teyla and heard her cry out as Teyla motioned her intention of moving forward. Lorne knew the Athosian could handle herself and continued to cover her as she used the crates and bags and anything available as cover.

Teyla crept along the wall, keeping to the shadows until she reached the doorway. She passed several men and knew they were out of the fight and silently hoped she and Lorne could get the others to safety. There was no sound from outside the open door and she turned to see Lorne gingerly picking his way through the debris until he reached her.

“Anything?” Lorne whispered.

“It is quiet out there,” Teyla answered.

“Cover me,” Lorne ordered and again dove through the door. This time there was no movement and no sound except for his own harsh breathing as he came up into a crouched position.

“Major?”

“It looks deserted, Teyla,” Lorne called. “Go back and get the others.”

SGASGASGASGASGA

Donald Grant knew Rickman understood what he was seeing on the screen and anxiously waited for the man to tell them. So far they’d been lucky and hadn’t run into any hostiles, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any.

“It’s not much further, Major, but…”

“What, Lieutenant?”

“I’m getting one big reading,” Rickman answered.

“Big, as in?” Markham asked.

“Big, as in we’d better shag ass or we’ll be the ones needing to be rescued,” Rickman told them.

“What direction?” Grant asked.

“Looks like that trail is still the best bet,” Rickman answered.

“Where are the hostiles?” Grant enquired.

“East and west, and they’re converging on our location too damn fast for my liking, sir!” Rickman offered.

“We keep going southeast,” Grant said and again took point as they moved along the trail at the edge of a deep crevasse.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Sheppard grunted as Ronon pulled him to his feet. He had no idea where he found the strength, but he found himself putting one foot in front of the other with McKay and Teyla guarding Prager. The man had not tried anything and John knew something wasn’t right as Rodney kept prodding the Marcosian with his weapon.

“Ronon, watch that bastard.”

“Think he’s up to something?”

“He’s been too damn cooperative,” Sheppard said.

“Maybe he’s just overconfident,” Dex suggested.

“Could be, but I’d rather we don’t make the same mistake,” Sheppard told him. He knew Ronon was taking most of his weight, and hoped that when Prager made a move he wouldn’t be a liability to his friends.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Grant was the first to notice the structure hidden amongst the overgrown trees and brush near the base of a cliff that seemed to disappear into the clouds high above their heads. The sky was now dotted with dark clouds and the wind seemed to have picked up, cutting through their clothing and sending a deep chill through their bones.

“Lieutenant, are you getting anything on that thing?” Grant asked.

“No, sir, not since this damn wind picked up,” Rickman answered.

“Sir, there’s movement near the north side of the structure,” Markham observed.

“Damn fine time for that thing to stop working!” Grant spat. “Markham, you and Roberts see if you can find an entrance, but stay out of sight. Rickman, you’re with me!”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant agreed.

“Be careful…we have no idea what these people are like, but the fact that they took Colonel Sheppard and Ronon makes them the enemy in my book,” Grant explained before they separated.

“Sir, I see two hostiles near the east side of the building,” Rickman observed.

“Then we’d better take them out and find the others before this damn storm gets worse!” Grant said and inched his way along the narrow trail toward the structure.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

Rodney McKay had never believed himself to be a brave man and he didn’t think anyone else in the Pegasus or Milky Way Galaxy saw him that way either. The problem with that belief was that it was so wrong in so many ways.

Somewhere along the line he’d taken over watching the prisoner and had even struck the man when he’d tried to slow them down. They were moving along a narrow corridor that had several doors leading back toward the entrance to the tunnels, but McKay had no interest in returning to that place. He wanted to get out of here, and off this planet, not just for himself but for the injured men.

Ronon moved as if every step was an effort in futility, but he refused to relinquish his burden and continued to take most of Sheppard’s weight. If Ronon looked pale, then John Sheppard had that near translucent coloring just this side of ghastly. They needed to get the two men back to Atlantis and into Keller’s capable hands.

Rodney stopped when Lorne raised his hand and signaled for them to be quiet. He glared at Prager, but the man just stared right back at him until McKay put his weapon in the Marcosian’s face and silently warned him with a show of placing his finger on the trigger. He listened for any sound, but all he heard was Sheppard’s harsh breathing as he tried to control the growing level of pain.

“Rodney, make sure that bastard stays p… put,” Sheppard warned.

McKay was shocked that the colonel’s voice, although weak, still held that ferocity that spoke of a natural inner strength. It was something most men found hard to do when they were on their feet, yet Sheppard managed it without conscious effort. With a simple nod of his head, McKay signaled that he would make damn sure Prager stayed where he was and didn’t give away their position.

Lorne and Teyla moved to the partially open doorway and stood on either side. Lorne signaled that he would go through first and Teyla gave a simple nod of understanding.

Lorne silently counted down to zero before opening the doorway and moving through at a crouch so that his body was as small a target as he could possibly make it. He knelt for several seconds, scanning the surroundings as Teyla joined him and took up refuge behind several stacked crates.

There seemed to be no movement anywhere and Teyla motioned that she was going to move away from the doorway. At Lorne’s hand signal she kept in a low crouch and moved stealthily toward another sanctuary, again surprised that there was no sign of Prager’s people. She could see Lorne out of the corner of her eye and covered him as he hurried across an open expanse before taking refuge behind a strand of small saplings that had thick, gnarled trunks.

“Prager’s people have to be---” Lorne didn’t get a chance to finish as the familiar sound of a P90 reached their ears. It was quickly followed by more gunfire from behind and to the left of their position as several of Prager’s people came out from behind the structure. Lorne turned and fired at the people coming at them from the rear and hoped he was right about the P90 fire belonging to another Atlantian team.

SGASGASGASGASGA

As soon as the gunfire sounded from outside, Sheppard and Ronon were on their feet while McKay kept Prager on the floor. Rodney knew he was the only one with a weapon and it would be up to him to keep the injured men safe. Not an easy feat when both Ronon and Sheppard were making their way, sort of a limp shuffling effort, until they reached the door.

“Rodney, give me your weapon!” Sheppard ordered.

“And just what are you going to do with it? You can’t even walk straight let alone shoot straight!” McKay snapped. “Ronon, watch Prager while I check on Teyla and Lorne!”

Ronon eased Sheppard back down to the floor and moved to stand in front of Prager.

“Ronon may not have a gun, but he can snap your neck like it was a twig so I wouldn’t try anything stupid!” McKay warned and made his way toward the door. There was still gunfire, but most of it sporadic as the fight seemed to be moving away from their position.

“McKay, be care… careful,” Sheppard ordered, angered that for the time being anyway, he was down for the count. He struggled to stand as McKay slipped through the doorway and made his way toward something that offered some protection from stray bullets.

A sound behind him had Sheppard turning in time to see Prager laid out flat on his back, eyes closed and breathing uneven. “Guess he didn’t believe McKay.”

“Guess not… we going out there?”

“Better than staying in here and waiting for Prager’s men to come after us,” Sheppard said and used his hand to lean against the wall. John didn’t see the bloody handprint he left, but Ronon did and knew his friend was in trouble, but he also understood that they needed to move before it was too late.

John held his right arm tight against his side as Ronon held the door for him. There were still shots being fired, but they seemed to have moved off to the left. The two men knew they were sitting ducks, but if they could reach the others then it would save them having to come back and cover the same ground again. Sheppard blinked several times and spotted a pair of legs sticking out from behind a stack of crates. It took a second to realize the boots were the same as the ones worn by the Marcosians. Before he could say anything, Ronon had reached the man and returned with a primitive, but effective gun.

“Is it loaded?” Sheppard asked hopefully.

“Yeah… even got a few extra rounds,” Ronon answered. “Stay behind me… think you can keep up?”

“As long as you don’t mind a snail’s pace.”

“A what?”

“Never mind… I’ll tell you later,” Sheppard said and pointed toward the trail as gunfire echoed through the rough terrain.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Lorne and Teyla knew they were closing in on whoever was using the P90s, but stayed hidden as they approached from the rear. There was no doubt that the Marcosians were the ones firing back and they hoped Prager’s people were too interested in the firefight to notice their approach.

Teyla motioned for Lorne to stop and pointed to an area just ahead of their position where two Marcosians had taken up position behind a downed tree that must have been spectacular before it had fallen prey to whatever had caused it to fall. The leaves were withered and the veins stood out in a crimson tide against the silvery green foliage.

“Take them out,” Lorne ordered and fired at one while Teyla did the same to the other. There was no time for subtlety and both knew the Marcosians would not give up easily then Major Grant suddenly appeared.

“Thanks, they had us pinned,” Grant said.

“Are you all right?” Teyla asked, noting the blood on the man’s sleeve.

“It’s nothing serious… I hooked it on a branch,” Grant said. “Did you find Colonel Sheppard and Ronon?”

“Yes, we did, but they’re hurt. McKay’s with them,” Lorne answered, cursing when McKay burst from the brush behind them firing over his shoulder as he came. Teyla and Rickman covered him and quickly took refuge as the Marcosians returned fire. “McKay, you were supposed to stay with---”

“Colonel Sheppard ordered me to cover you!” McKay grumbled and quickly reloaded.

“How far back are they?” Grant asked, raising his head and firing several shots before dropping down beside Teyla.

“Half a mile maybe,” Lorne answered.

“We need to get them to the jumper,” Teyla said.

“Where is it?” Rickman asked.

“It’s cloaked and hidden near the north slope,” Teyla answered.

“Think you and McKay can get it and pick us up here?” Grant asked.

“I believe we could do that,” Teyla said and turned to McKay. “Rodney…”

“At least let me catch my breath from the last headlong rush to escape,” McKay groused, but was on his feet and shaking his head as Teyla took the lead. “Are you sure you can get us back there?”

“I believe we simply follow this path until we reach the summit and then find the trail that leads to the clearing,” Teyla explained.

“Which means we go through Dino World again,” McKay griped, but followed the woman away from the others.

SGASGASGASGASGA

“Someone’s coming,” Sheppard whispered.

“I know,” Dex said and held the gun in front of him. Whoever was coming along their back trail was quiet, but not quiet enough to avoid detection by both him and Sheppard. They remained as still as possible and listened for anything that would tell them how many there were.

“Wait, Ronon,” Sheppard said when the footsteps grew closer. He knew the Satedan could take whomever it was down, but right now he’d rather avoid detection and save what little energy they had left. A weak frown formed when he spotted two men in familiar fatigues moving toward them. They were doing a pretty good job of staying out of sight, but Sheppard knew what to look for.

“What?”

“That’s Markham and Roberts,” Sheppard said and waited for the two men to reach them before showing their position. 

“Colonel,” Markham said once they reached the two missing men.

“Tell me you’re not alone,” Sheppard said.

“No, sir, Major Grant is also here. I thought I heard gunfire,” Markham answered.

“You did,” Dex replied.

“Colonel, you’re bleeding,” Roberts said.

“No kidding, look, we need to get moving before more of Prager’s men discover our location,” Sheppard said.

“Let me take a look…”

“Later, Teyla took care of it,” Sheppard said and heard several shots in the distance. “We need to get moving.”

“Yes, sir,” Markham agreed and took point while Roberts took their six with Sheppard and Dex in the middle.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

Grant fired several shots and thought he’d hit at least one of the hostiles, but he couldn’t be sure as there seemed to be more and more coming out of the woodwork. Lorne, Teyla, and Rickman had taken up strategic positions and were firing at the Marcosians, but he wasn’t sure they were making a difference.

Rickman glanced toward him and pointed along the back trail as if he wanted to head in that direction and Grant shook his head, making a cutting motion across his throat. The younger man seemed to understand what he meant, but he didn’t seem very happy with it.

“Lorne, any idea how many Marcosians we’re facing?” Grant asked as Lorne continued to lay down suppressing fire.

“No,” Lorne answered.

“We need to get Sheppard and Dex and get the hell out of Dodge,” Grant said.

“My thoughts exactly, Major!” Sheppard’s voice was growing weaker by the minute, but the fact that they’d made it to Lorne’s position without being discovered was a shock to all of them.

“Colonel, it’s good to see you, sir!” Grant said.

“Same here,” Sheppard said. “Where are McKay and Teyla?”

“They went to get the Jumper,” Lorne answered and turned when he heard a sound from beside him, shocked to see a blossoming red stain spreading across Rickman’s shirt.

“Sir…” Rickman managed before his strength gave out and he dropped to his knees.

“Damn it! Roberts, help him!” Grant ordered, but deep down he knew there was no point as the young man’s eyes seemed to lose their luster.

Roberts moved to check on Rickman and shook his head in frustration when he saw the damage. Whatever the Marcosians had used had torn a hole through his friend’s chest, leaving shattered bone fragments where ribs had once been. He could hear gunfire and quickly made a sign of the cross before closing Rickman’s eyes, removing his dog tags,  and turning his attention to John Sheppard. “Colonel, since we’re not going anywhere at the moment, I want to take a look at you,” he said, with a little more authority than he’d used earlier.

“Rickman?” Sheppard asked when Ronon had lowered him to the cold ground.

“He’s gone, sir,” Roberts answered sadly and opened his pack as Lorne removed his jacket and placed it beneath the colonel’s head and shoulders.

The wind whipped up dirt and debris, but the downed trees and rocky outcrops seemed to provide some protection from the inclement weather. John’s vision blurred, but he refused to give in to the darkness while gunfire continued around him. Rickman’s loss was hard, but right now he had others who relied on him and he would take the time to grieve for the young man once they were back home.

“How is he?” Lorne asked softly.

“He’s lost a lot of blood and who knows what kind of damage that bullet’s done,” Roberts answered. “All I can do is patch him up for now.”

“Can you give him anything for pain?” Grant asked. He’d asked for Roberts to be part of his team once he learned the young man had trained to be a paramedic on Earth and continued to study medicine under Keller and Beckett.

“Not much, I can give him Tylenol, but anything stronger will put him out,” Roberts explained.

“Don’t put me out,” Sheppard said as Roberts taped a pressure bandage to his side.

“Sir, I know you’re strong, but---”

“Not strong right now - just need to stay awake until Teyla and McKay get back,” Sheppard said and tried to get up.

“Stay put, Colonel, we’ve got things under control!” Lorne ordered, relieved to see that Grant and Markham were watching their back trail while Ronon, gun in hand, was helping him with the trail ahead.

“We need to get moving,” Sheppard said.

“Sir, McKay and Teyla will bring the Puddle Jumper here,” Lorne said.

Roberts handed Sheppard a couple of white pills and a bottle of water, relieved when he took them without protest. He waited for the injured man to drink some water, but it wasn’t nearly enough to replenish the lost fluids.

“Go help Grant,” Sheppard ordered.

“I should stay-“

“I’m not going anywhere,” Sheppard vowed. He kept his eyes closed, but listened to what was happening around him even as he fought to stay conscious.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Teyla had seen a lot of changes in Rodney McKay and one of the biggest was his confidence in his ability to hold and shoot a weapon. They’d been moving steadily higher as the trail took on a decidedly upward slant until they were both panting with the effort it took to continue.

“Teyla, please tell me you… you know where we’re going.”

“I believe we are close, Rodney.”

“How can you tell?” McKay griped, relieved when they seemed to have reached the summit.

“I took the time to check for markers when you landed the Jumper. There were several large rocks that made a ‘V’ shape…”

“Like that one?” McKay asked hopefully.

“I believe that is the same one, but we must be careful, Rodney,” Teyla said and motioned for him to remain still. “I do not believe we are alone.”

“Prager’s people?”

“No, I do not think so… perhaps those creatures you call dinosaurs,” Teyla replied. “We must be careful.”

“I am so tired of this planet and I swear I’ll never watch Jurassic Park again even if Sheppard brings the popcorn,” McKay vowed.

Teyla smiled and held her weapon against her shoulder before making her way toward the ‘V’ shaped rocks. She felt McKay behind her and knew he was making sure there would be no surprises from behind them. She looked up when she heard what could only be described as a loud flapping of wings and spotted two creatures diving toward them and quickly ducked below their talons, relieved to see McKay had taken refuge beneath the branches of a large tree.

“Rodney, do not move!” Teyla ordered. She’d seen movement in the branches above McKay’s head and understood why the bird-like creatures were poised to attack. Their nest was hidden back against the thick trunk and two smaller versions were poking their large beaks over the edge.

“Teyla, what’s wrong?” McKay asked softly.

“There are two creatures above you…”

“Oh, God, I’d prefer having dinner to being dinner!” McKay snapped.

“I know, just be still and maybe they will lose interest,” Teyla advised. A squealing noise reached her and again she looked over her head to see the two creatures soaring high above her. She hoped they would not see her as a threat and that McKay’s position beneath the tree kept him from discovery.

“Teyla, what do I do?” McKay asked.

“You need to move very slowly, Rodney,” Teyla explained. “Stay as low as you can so the creatures do not mistake your movement as predatory.”

McKay did as she said and carefully moved out from under the branches. He heard the loud squealing noises above him, and fought against the fear that welled up inside him.

“That’s it, Rodney, just a little further,” Teyla whispered, relieved when McKay was finally at her side. They remained where they were, breathing as softly as they could until the winged creatures disappeared below the tree line.

“Are they gone?”

“I believe so, but we must be careful,” Teyla explained and slowly backed away from the tree where the nest was located. “This way, Rodney.”

McKay followed her through the brush and soon they stood in the clearing where they’d left the Puddle Jumper. He pulled out the hand control and quickly decloaked the craft and opened the rear hatch. “Thank God!”

“Rodney, we must hurry!”

“I hear you, Teyla,” McKay said as the sky overhead suddenly darkened and the wind whipped through the clearing, bringing with it heavy rain and debris.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

War Minister Dri knew his orders would be obeyed and watched as Brackle completed his flight check and the weapon he would deploy. There were warnings of heavy storms in the north, but that did not shake his resolve to make this attack as soon as possible. Brackle knew what he had to do and the high winds and heavy rains would simply help disperse the toxin that would kill Prager and his followers. 

“Make sure you have the correct coordinates,” Dri warned as Brackle finished his check.

“I will… It should take an hour to reach the mountains and another ten minutes to verify Prager’s headquarters,” Brackle explained.

“I would enjoy being with you when you destroy my brother-“

“I know you would, but we must consider the dangers if Prager finds out about the attack. He could simply destroy my ship with both of us on it. This way even if Prager destroys my ship, he will also effectively disperse the toxin and my mission will be a success.”

“I do not want to lose you, Brackle,” Dri said.

“I will do everything to see that does not happen,” Brackle said and fastened the belt across his shoulders and lap before closing the cockpit.

“Be safe, Brackle,” Dri said and moved away as the craft powered up. He stood with his scientific advisors and knew some of them thought he was moving too fast and could very well be sealing the fate of their world. A fate that would see the planet devoid of any living, breathing creature.

SGASGASGASGASGA  

Prager struggled with the ropes binding his arms behind his back, but all he did was tighten them and cut off the circulation. His anger continued to build, and he tried to push the gag from his mouth when he heard movement behind him. He turned onto his side and stared in that direction as a familiar form appeared.

Luchanse recognized the bound man as his friend and quickly cut through the ropes and waited for Prager to remove the material from his mouth. “What happened?”

“Sheppard and Dex!” the Marcosian said and managed to climb to his feet and began rubbing the circulation back into his arms. “They are no longer alone.”

“I know, Durelli contacted me and he’s got them pinned down not far from the north exit,” Luchanse explained.

“Give me your gun!” Prager ordered and took it when the man handed it over, cursing as his vision blurred.

“Perhaps you should wait here?”

“No, I want Sheppard and Dex alive!”

“I thought it was just Sheppard?”

“It was, but Ronon Dex will pay for what he did. I will see to that myself,” Prager vowed and motioned for the other man to follow him.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Colonel John Sheppard had never felt so useless in his life. Lorne and Grant were doing a damn good job of keeping Prager’s people at bay, but for every one they took down, two others took their place. The storm seemed to gain momentum and even the heavy rain stung where it hit exposed skin.

Sheppard pulled himself up to a sitting position and realized just how weak he was as his arms bent and he wound up lying back against Lorne’s jacket. He fisted his hands in frustration, and again tried to sit up, but felt as if a hot poker was being driven through his right side.

“Colonel, are you all right?” Roberts asked.

“No, Roberts, I’m not. Help me up!” Sheppard ordered.

“I don’t think that’s a wise idea right now, Sir,” Roberts explained. “There’s no fresh blood on the bandage and I’d really like to keep it that way.”

“Damn it - I can help!” the colonel snapped.

“You can help by staying put, sir,” Roberts said and fired at something moving at the edge of the trees.

John knew the younger man was right, but it didn’t make this any easier and his own stubborn pride was making it even more difficult. He lay still, allowing Roberts to keep watch for more of Prager’s people.

SGASGASGASGASGA

“Chet, has there been any word from Major Grant’s team?” Woolsey asked. He’d been to the Mess Hall, but had only toyed with his food. He wondered if this was how Carter and Weir had felt when one or more of the teams were missing. His stomach churned and he knew if he wasn’t careful, he could easily develop an ulcer.

“No, sir, Major Tyner’s team returned from P47-T9,” Chet explained knowing Woolsey would be interested in knowing what teams were still on off world missions.

“Did they run into any trouble?”

“No, sir, but Major Tyner said to tell you his mission was successful and that he’ll meet you in the debriefing room as soon as Dr. Keller clears his team,” Chet answered.

“Very well,” Woolsey said. He knew Tyner’s team had been on P47-T9 for a week and that it was SOP for them to report to the infirmary after every mission. “Notify me if there is any word from either Major Grant or Major Lorne.”

“Yes, sir,” Chet said and returned his attention to the task at hand.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Rodney watched the screen as he flew the Puddle Jumper south along the mountainous terrain, amazed that they’d managed to travel such distance in a short period of time. He frowned when he noticed a blip that suddenly appeared and touched several surfaces to bring the image closer.

“Is there something wrong, Rodney?” Teyla asked.

“Not sure, but we’ll have company before long,” McKay answered and pointed to the ship that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “See that?”

“Yes… could it be War Minister Dri?”

“Maybe,” McKay said.

“Perhaps he is sending reinforcements to help---”

“I don’t think so,” McKay interrupted. “It’s only one ship and it’s too small to carry reinforcements. If I am reading this correctly… oh no---”

“Rodney, what’s wrong?”

“I’m getting a reading on the sensors, and if what I’m picking up is correct that ship’s carrying something dangerous.”

“Dangerous as in?”

“As in some kind of toxin that’s giving off strange emissions. It’s not good, Teyla. We need to get the others and to quote Major Grant ‘get the Hell out of Dodge’,” McKay told her.

“How long before we reach the others?”

“We should be there in ten minutes.”

“What about that ship?” Teyla asked.

“If it stays on the course it’s on it will be at Prager’s headquarters in less than 30 minutes,” Rodney answered.

“We should warn Prager,” Teyla suggested.

“What good will that do?” McKay asked and shook his head. “I don’t like this any more than you do, Teyla, but Prager and Dri seem to be on a collision course that will probably end with everyone dead and the planet laid to waste.”

“All the more reason for us to stop them.”

“I agree, but there isn’t much we can do to stop that ship.”

“Can you disable it?”

“Probably, but whatever the toxin is it’s already leaking out and if we disable the ship, it could disperse the remainder and we could all be contaminated.”

“Rodney, there must be something we can do.”

“There’s just not enough time, Teyla,” McKay told her and hoped she would understand that this was one time he could not pull some miracle out of his hat.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Lorne knew they could not keep this up indefinitely, and hoped McKay and Teyla had found the Puddle Jumper. Prager’s people seemed to be concentrating on taking his and Grant’s team out no matter what the cost. He knew that at least a dozen of Prager’s people had perished in the gunfire and that Grant had lost Rickman. A good man who’d proved his worth on more than one mission and would be sorely missed.

Lorne glanced at Sheppard and knew the colonel would want to take care of writing to Rickman’s family and didn’t envy the man that task. It was something they all faced during their time in the Pegasus Galaxy, but it was always Sheppard who wrote the letters for those in the military.

Lorne could hear Prager’s people, but he couldn’t see them because they’d quickly learned to stay out of sight or risk taking a bullet. He glanced toward Grant who continued to monitor activities ahead of them and signaled that there was nothing new on his end. Ronon stood near Sheppard as if he was the colonel’s protector and in a way he was since the injured man could not protect himself. Although, if it came right down to it, Lorne knew Sheppard might be down, but he definitely couldn’t be considered out.

Lorne glanced toward the north, but he knew McKay probably had the Puddle Jumper cloaked, especially with Prager’s people surrounding them. He fired a quick shot toward a clump of gnarled brush on his right and smiled when he heard a muffled curse. Whoever had been trying to sneak up on them would think twice about it now.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Brackle flew the craft north over the heavily forested foothills and carefully avoided the large creatures that roamed the area. He knew this could very well lead to his death, but if it meant Prager could not damage Dri and their home then his sacrifice would be worth it.

Brackle thought about the creatures below and was saddened that such magnificent animals would fall prey to the toxin, but there were always casualties in war. This war had gone on for many generations culminating in the rivalry between Dri and Prager, two brothers who were more alike than they realized.

Brackle adjusted his course and flew higher above the winged creatures that soared just below his flight plan. If he was to hit one then the toxin would be dispersed early and could easily spread south toward the city he called home. He would not allow that to happen.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Prager gathered those who had stayed behind and began issuing orders to those with guns. “I want Sheppard and Dex alive. I do not care what you do to the others, but they are to be brought to me alive!”

“What if Sheppard and Dex do not want to be captured alive?” Driale asked.

“They will fight,” Prager said with a hint of a smile. “But we have been trained in how to capture our prey. Whoever brings them to me will be rewarded, but if they die then I will make sure I find out who made the killing blow and I will see that he or she takes Dex’s place. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir!” came from those gathered before him.

“Good,” Prager said and led them out of the building. The storm was raging outside and the winds gusted, bending the tall thin trees until they were touching off the ground before whipping them around again. He could hear sporadic gunfire on the trail ahead and quickly raced toward it. He ducked beneath low hanging branches and managed to find refuge when several shots were fired in his direction.

SGASGASGASGASGA

“Rodney, we need to get down there!” Teyla said.

“I’m trying, Teyla, but it’s hard to control the Jumper in this wind,” McKay observed. Not for the first time, he wished Sheppard was there because the man had a knack for flying anything with wings, although technically this vessel didn’t have wings.

“Be careful,” Teyla warned as the craft was caught in a downdraft that threatened to throw it into the ground. She breathed a sigh of relief that the inertial dampeners kept McKay and Teyla from being thrown from their seats.

“I’m going to put it down over there, Teyla,” McKay said, motioning toward a narrow clearing between several swaying trees. “Once we’re down you’ll need to signal the others that we’re here!”

“Are you sure you can put it down without hitting the trees?”

“No, but there really isn’t much choice,” McKay said and did his best to keep the Puddle Jumper airborne until he could lower the ship in the gap.

SGASGASGASGASGA

John Sheppard opened his eyes and fought to sit up, but what little strength he had he needed just to keep breathing. His instincts told him something was happening and he glanced toward the sky as if he could see the Puddle Jumper. He knew it was there, could sense the craft under McKay’s control and soon heard Teyla’s voice.

“Major, we must hurry!” Teyla said and hurried toward them as the wind threatened to knock her off her feet.

“Roberts, help Ronon with Colonel Sheppard!” Grant ordered and fired at two men who appeared behind Teyla.

“Colonel Sheppard, if you and Ronon Dex give yourselves up, I will allow the others to leave!”

“Prager.” Sheppard’s voice was low, but there was a certain authority to it as Ronon helped him stand.

“Did you hear me, Colonel?”

“He heard you,” Ronon snapped.

“What do you say, Ronon, are you and Colonel Sheppard going to give yourselves up or do my people kill everyone now!”

“Go to hell,” Sheppard managed.

“Colonel Sheppard said to go to hell!” Lorne said once Roberts and Ronon had the colonel suspended between them. Markham moved toward Teyla and fired whenever Prager’s people showed themselves.

“Stay behind me,” Lorne ordered and took point with Teyla and Markham laying down suppressing fire. He knew Grant would take the rear and hoped they made it to the jumper without any more casualties.

Ronon and Roberts supported Sheppard between them and left it to Teyla, Lorne, and Grant to watch their backs. The ground was uneven and it was hard to keep the injured man on his feet, but they refused to contemplate the alternative.

“Teyla, tell them to hurry!” McKay’s voice came over the communications device and was filled with anxiety.

“They are moving, Rodney, but Prager is trying to keep them pinned down.” Teyla explained.

“That ship is headed straight for us and will be here in less than ten minutes! Teyla the readings are dangerously high!”

“I will hurry them along,” Teyla said, relieved to see Lorne had nearly reached her position.

“Teyla, behind you!” Lorne said and fired at the man who’d tried to cut them off.

“Rodney says we must hurry. There is a ship headed toward us and it is carrying some kind of toxin,” Teyla explained, worried when she spotted John Sheppard. The man looked ready to pass out, but Teyla had never met a man with such inner strength.

“Where is he?” Lorne asked.

“Not far, just stay on this trail and you’ll find the clearing,” she replied as the wind seemed to grow worse. “I will stay here until Major Grant arrives!”

“He’s right behind us,” Roberts told her.

“Very well,” Teyla said as the driving rain nearly blinded her.

“Sheppard! I’ll kill them all!” Prager’s warning came just as he and several others burst through the brush and stood facing Sheppard, Ronon, and Roberts.

“Ronon, let me go!” Sheppard tried.

“No!” Dex said as Grant reached them.

“Ronon, bring Sheppard and the others may leave!” Prager offered.

“We don’t negotiate!” Grant said and shot the man standing next to Prager. The others scattered as Teyla and Lorne joined the firefight. 

“Roberts, get them to the Jumper!” Lorne ordered.

“Yes, Sir!” Roberts replied. He refused to release his hold on Sheppard even when the man stumbled and nearly fell. He knew it was up to him to keep them safe and hoped he could do Sheppard proud. He spotted the open hatch of the Jumper and rushed forward, stumbling, but not falling as McKay came out to take Sheppard from him and guide both Dex and the colonel into the Jumper.

“Where are the others?” McKay asked worriedly.

“They’re coming!” Roberts said as Markham staggered across the slippery terrain. Behind him came Teyla, followed quickly by Lorne and finally Grant. The latter two were firing at Prager’s people who still would not give up on capturing them.

“You’re a coward, Colonel Sheppard!” Prager screamed.

“Rodney, get us o… out of h… here!” Sheppard ordered as the rear hatch closed.

“I’m trying! This damn storm is not cooperating!”

“Try harder!” Dex snapped.

“Oh no!”

“What now, McKay?” Lorne asked.

“That ship is closing in fast!” McKay answered.

“Then get us out of here!” Grant said.

“I’m doing everything I can!” McKay said, fighting for control as the Jumper rose above the shorter trees. He headed toward the Stargate and hoped they would make it before the other ship released the deadly toxin it carried.

SGASGASGASGASGA  

Prager cursed when they entered the clearing and found it empty. He looked around, but aside from his people there was no sign of the Atlantian. He knew they had ships, but did not think they’d brought one through the Stargate although now he felt foolish for not having searched the area when they’d first captured Sheppard and Dex.

“They are gone,” Driale observed.

“They can’t have gone far!” Prager spat.

“Perhaps Dri was able to send a ship,” Driale offered.

“My brother is an idiot, but he would not send anyone to rescue the Atlantians!” Prager said, frowning when he heard a sound to the south. He knew Dri had been working on the means of flight, but had never seen such a craft as it flew above the treetops, circled and came back toward the clearing.

“What is that?” Driale asked.

“It would seem Dri’s scientists have discovered a way to make those old craft fly,” Prager answered and watched as the ship banked left and then right again as if searching for something. He frowned as the ship continued to move in circles and suddenly understood what the pilot was searching for.

“Prager…”

“We need to go back to the caves!” Prager ordered and raced back along the trail as the craft flew lower and a large screeching sound reached his ears. The smell hit him first as the wind blew whatever had been released toward them. His lungs burned and his eyes watered, but Prager had never been a quitter and raced past those who were more susceptible to whatever poison his brother had released.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Richard Woolsey rushed toward the railing and looked down into the Gateroom as Chet’s voice sounded behind him.

“Unscheduled off world activation!”

Woolsey turned to see the worried faces of several other expedition members before settling on Chet.

“It’s Dr. McKay’s IDC!”

“Open the gate!” Woolsey ordered and didn’t realize he was anxiously leaning over the rail as the gate activated and the Puddle Jumper came through.

“Shut it down!” McKay’s voice came through and was instantly obeyed before the craft came to a complete stop. The rear hatch of the Jumper opened and Teyla’s face appeared.

“We have injured,” Teyla said.

“Medical team to the Gateroom!” Woolsey ordered and rushed down the stairs. He hurried toward the Jumper and looked inside. Ronon looked pale and drawn as he sat next to an unconscious John Sheppard. Roberts seemed to be doing his best to keep Ronon from leaving the ship, and for once the Satedan wasn’t putting up much of a fight. “How bad?”

“Ronon has a head injury and possible broken ribs. Colonel Sheppard has a gunshot wound to the right side and has lost a lot of blood,” Roberts answered as Jennifer Keller and her medical team hurried toward them.

“Excuse us, Mr. Woolsey,” Keller said and brushed past the expedition’s leader.

Rodney McKay stood back as Keller and her team went to work on Ronon and Sheppard. He knew both men were in good hands, but the fact that Sheppard had lost consciousness and looked like death warmed over cut him to the core. Sheppard was a friend, one that didn’t give a damn how many times Rodney played the ‘last minute miracle’ card. He sank down on a seat as Keller started an IV and they transferred Sheppard’s unmoving body to the gurney.

“Ronon…”

“I can walk,” Dex said, but his legs buckled as he tried to stand and he would have fallen had it not been for Lorne and Grant.

“Put him on the gurney!” Keller ordered as they hurried out of the gateroom.

“Rodney, what happened?” Woolsey asked as Ronon’s gurney was pushed past him.

“The Marcosians kidnapped Ronon and Sheppard,” McKay answered flatly.

“Yes, we gathered that, but how were they injured and why did you order the gate shut down so quickly?” Woolsey asked.

“There was another craft…”

“The reports said the Marcosians did not have the ability for flight.”

“The reports are wrong,” McKay answered tiredly. “We picked up a craft bearing down on Prager’s location and the emissions were dangerous. I did not have time to identify them, but they appeared to be toxic and with the gale force winds I didn’t want to chance the toxin following us through the gate.”

“Rodney, are you all right?” Teyla asked.

“I’m fine, Teyla,” McKay assured her. “If that’s all, I’d like to go to the infirmary.”

“I’ll expect your report on my desk in the morning,” Woolsey told him.

“You’ll have it,” McKay said and realized Woolsey was not being cruel in asking for the report, but was instead trying to keep his mind off the injured men.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Ronon knew there was no point in arguing as the doctor checked him over. Keller was in another area of the Infirmary with Sheppard, and so far there’d been no word on how bad the colonel’s wound was. He knew it wasn’t good, but he also understood that Keller was damn good at her job and would do everything in her power to keep him alive.

“Ronon, I need you to lie down…”

“Don’t touch me!” Dex growled.

“I need to check your ribs,” Dr Daniel Burns said and understood Ronon had always reacted this way when faced with his own injuries. He’d seen it before and hoped he would not have to resort to medication to keep him from doing anything stupid.

“Problems, Dr Burns?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, Teyla,” Burns answered. “Ronon is being his usual stubborn self.”

“Ronon…”

“I’m fine, Teyla,” Dex lied.

“Sure you are, but why not let Dr. Burns do his job?” Teyla reasoned.

“I…”

“Need to lie down before you fall down,” Burns warned when Dex seemed to list sideways.

“Come on, Ronon, lie back and I am sure you will feel better,” Teyla said and helped ease the big man down. She moved back as Burns and a nurse began examining him and hoped it was nothing too serious.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

Brackle had seen Prager’s people in the clearing and quickly calculated how fast the toxin would overtake them if he released it north of them and allowed the winds to scatter it. There was no doubt that it would kill Prager, but it would take time and the effects would not be pleasant. There was no sign of the Atlantians, but that did not matter since it was Dri’s brother who was the actual target. He pressed several buttons and heard the whir of the hydraulics as the cylinder containing the toxin was released.

It wouldn’t take long to empty the canister and he turned the ship east, following the trail that Prager and his people were using. Brackle knew it would eventually kill everything within a certain radius, but the scientists had assured them it would not reach their city in the south.

Prager and the other traitors deserved everything they got, and he would die happy if every one of them perished in a death so horrible it made being savaged by the creatures that inhabited the mountainous area seem like a walk in the park. It bothered him that the animals would also be ravaged by the poison. When the last of the toxin had been delivered, he turned the craft south unaware that the wind was blowing the poison in a direct path to his home.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

War Minister Dri stood on the highest level of his home and stared northward as the wind buffeted the buildings and rattled the panes of glass in the windows. There were very few people who dared to roam the streets when the storms blew down from the mountains, preferring to stay inside where it was warm and dry.

Dri wondered whether Brackle had delivered the poison, and if so, was Prager out of his life for good? Would the fighting finally end and could he simply go on with his life without worrying about his brother? If Prager was dead then they could start to build the city and make it stronger. His scientists could concentrate on the Stargate and possibly find the address that would open a wormhole to Atlantis. They had the correct sequence, but somehow the Atlantians had found a way to block access.

Dri would never let that stop him, one day in the very near future he would see Richard Woolsey and prove to him he’d made the wrong choice. That in refusing to help him defeat Prager he had sealed his people’s fate. Atlantis and the people living there would perish in much the same way Prager would.

SGASGASGASGASGA 

Jennifer Keller knew Sheppard’s team was waiting for word on his condition, but right now she needed to concentrate on getting the bullet out and replenishing fluids. His blood pressure was low, his heart rate too fast and his temperature registered at 104.2. She’d started him on antibiotics and had hooked up a pint of blood while waiting for the scan that would reveal the bullet’s exact location.

It didn’t take long to complete the scan and she knew the surgery would be dangerous, but then again any surgery was risky. Lately it seemed that Sheppard and McKay and even Ronon were spending way too much time in the infirmary, but it seemed to be part and parcel with life in the Pegasus Galaxy.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Prager hoped he’d made it to the inner chambers in time to outrun whatever his brother had dropped on them. He knew he’d lost people during the gunfire, but that had been expected, but this new attack by Dri was callous and deadly. Several of his closest followers had fallen to the ground before they’d reached the entrance to his headquarters. Two men who’d been several steps behind him were struck down by an invisible force that made their skin peel away from their bodies.

Prager didn’t take the time to look closely as he sought refuge inside the labyrinth of tunnels that led deep under the mountain. If he could reach the inner chambers he could easily shut everything down tight so that nothing entered his sanctuary. The scientists had warned him long ago that there were poisons that could be used by Dri, some of them odorless and carried by the winds. He had heeded their warnings and made it clear what he wanted the workers to do.

Prager hit the control panels each time he entered a new tunnel and heard several screams that told him he was leaving his people behind, but right now that was a sacrifice he had to make. The war between himself and his brother had just gained momentum and would end with one of them dead, preferably Dri.

Prager hurried along the tunnels, ducking when an entrance was shorter than his six foot three frame would allow. He reached the deepest level and entered the chamber to find several scientists watching him, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown.

“Prager, what is happening? The alarms are sounding and we have heard screams,” Larkase observed. He was an older man who seemed to have mastered some of the Ancient technology, but not enough to make it work properly. He had also been the one who had detected the Ancient gene in Colonel John Sheppard.

“Dri has released some kind of poison,” Prager answered and moved to a panel near the back of the chamber. He hit several keys and waited for the screen to activate; when it did his stomach lurched with the scene displayed for all to see.

“They… they look like they melted,” a second scientist offered.

“Their skin is gone… it’s just bones and some kind of gel-like substance left,” Larkase said with disgust.

“You say Dri’s scientists came up with this?” another asked.

“Who else would do this to us?” Prager asked angrily.

“The Atlantians… perhaps they are more sympathetic toward Dri than we thought,” Larkase observed.

“I do not believe that,” Prager said as he watched what was once a creature with a wingspan of 20 to 30 feet hit the ground and splatter as if it was nothing but a gelatinous blob.

“What if you were infected?” Larkase asked worriedly.

“If I was, I’d be like the others,” Prager told them. “Are the doors sealed shut?”

“Everything was sealed the minute you hit the buttons,” Larkase advised. “It should be impenetrable, but we cannot stay here indefinitely.”

“What if there are cracks we did not seal properly?” another scientist asked.

“We will deal with whatever happens, but right now I want you all working on something that will make Dri’s attack seem like child’s play. I want his home destroyed, and I want him to suffer for what he has done!”

“We will do what we can, Prager, but if we are locked in here, how do you propose we deliver the poison?” Larkase asked.

“Leave that to me,” Prager said and turned away from the screen as more and more of the winged creatures flew into the ground.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Jennifer Keller removed her gloves and dropped them into a disposal unit before running her fingers through her hair. She knew Woolsey and the others were waiting for her update on Sheppard’s condition, but right now all she could think about was a large drink and a bed.

Shaking off the bone deep weariness, Keller exited the room where Sheppard had been settled and smiled at the people waiting for her. The only one missing was Ronon Dex, but she knew he was probably in one of the beds and hopefully sleeping under the watchful eyes of the nursing staff.

“Dr. Keller, how is Colonel Sheppard?” Woolsey was the first to voice the question on everyone’s minds.

“Surgery went well, but as you know he lost a lot of blood. There was also major bruising to his abdomen, but no damage to vital organs. We will be watching him closely for complication due to blood loss.”

“But he will be all right?” McKay asked tiredly.

“He should be as long as he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Keller answered.

“This is Sheppard we’re talking about, Jennifer. He never does anything stupid… just heroic,” McKay said and rubbed at his tired eyes.

“I believe that’s something you’re all guilty of,” Keller said with a hint of a smile.

“When can we see him?” Teyla asked.

“He’s heavily sedated right now and will not wake for several hours so you might as well get something to eat and a couple of hours sleep,” Keller said.

“You heard, Dr. Keller, now do as she asks or I will make it an order,” Woolsey told them.

“I need to see Zelunka,” McKay said.

“Rodney?” Keller said, frowning as McKay stared at her.

“Is something wrong, Jennifer?” McKay asked.

“You said Zelunka,” Teyla offered.

“I meant Zelenka,” McKay said and shook his head. “Look, I’m fine, just tired.”

“As long as that’s all it is,” Woolsey said of his chief scientist. Beckett and Keller had both given the team the all clear after their run in with the ‘mad scientist’, but every now and then a little of the man’s influence came through. He hoped this was just a slip of the tongue and not a relapse on Rodney McKay’s part.

“Jennifer, you’ll-“

“I’ll let you know if anything changes, Rodney,” Keller vowed and watched them leave before making her way toward the bed where Ronon Dex was sleeping. She checked the monitors and saw that the IV was running properly before turning and heading toward her office.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Radek Zelenka looked up from his laptop as Rodney McKay stepped through the doorway and realized he was truly glad his colleague had returned in one piece. McKay had an inflated ego, but the truth was he usually knew exactly what he was talking about and had the answer to most problems before the rest of the team had time to think it through. There were times when he was wrong, and it had ended in a major catastrophe on one occasion that saw half a galaxy destroyed.

“Radek, I need your help,” McKay said.

“Oh my… has it ever snowed here?” Zelenka asked.

“What… how should I know?” McKay said and placed his laptop next to Zelenka’s without giving him a chance to answer. “This is the data collected before we came back through the gate. I want to run it through the database and see if there’s anything that will help identify this.”

“I can do that, but what are we dealing with?”

“I’m not sure, but before we left the Marcosian world a ship appeared to the south and the readings were off the chart. I swear I’ve seen this before, but I’m not sure where.”

“It has some of the properties of Anthrax, but it also shows some similarities to Hemorrhagic Fever.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” McKay said.

“Do you think you were exposed to it?” Zelenka asked.

“I don’t think so. Things happened so fast that I never even thought about quarantine, and it’s too late now.”

“Maybe we should run some tests just to be sure?”

“I’ve already ordered tests and precautions and asked Mr. Woolsey not to allow any of the off world teams to return until we’re sure Atlantis is safe.”

“Wouldn’t the protocols have detected the poison if it came through the gate?” Zelenka asked.

“I think so, but if this doesn’t show up on the radar then Atlantis’ protocols might not have screened it or seen it as a problem,” McKay explained.

“Why don’t we run it through diagnostics and see if the Atlantis Database recognizes the toxin?”

“You start working on that and I’ll see if there’s anything that might be used as a preventative measure if you find anything in the database,” McKay explained. 

SGASGASGASGASGA

Ronon knew he was being stubborn, but he didn’t like being down and right now he wanted to see John Sheppard. He’d slept for several hours, waking when one of the nurses checked his IV grumbling that he was fine. Jennifer Keller stood next to the bed with her arms folded across her chest.

“Whenever you’re ready, Ronon,” Keller said.

“Gimme a minute,” Dex said and closed his eyes before sliding his legs over the edge of the bed and sitting up.

“That’s what you said five minutes ago, Ronon,” Teyla teased.

“Funny,” Ronon groused and was finally able to stand on his feet without feeling like he was going to fall flat on his face.

“Would you like a wheelchair?” Keller asked, smiling when Ronon’s only answer was a negative grunt. She stood on his right, while Teyla stood to his left and tried not to be too obvious.

“I’m not going to fall,” Dex told them as they slowly made their way toward the room where John Sheppard slept. Ronon looked at the man and for the first time realized the extent of the injury and how close his friend had come to dying. Sheppard’s face had that washed out look that wasn’t quite corpselike, but damn close to it.

“He’s doing better,” Ronon,” Keller said as Teyla pushed a chair closer to Sheppard’s bed and Ronon moved to sit down.

“I told him we’d get out of there,” Ronon said.

“Ronon, you look worse than I feel.”

“Colonel?” Keller said and moved closer to the bed, shocked to see Sheppard’s eyes open to half mast. “How do you feel?”

“Better than Chewie looks,” Sheppard answered.

“You looked in a mirror yet?”

“No, but if I look anything like you they should just shoot me now,” Sheppard said just before his eyes closed and sleep claimed him.

“Now, Ronon, you’ve seen Colonel Sheppard and it’s time you went back to your own bed,” Keller said, her voice leaving no doubt that she would find a way to force him if he didn’t go on his own.

“Come on, Ronon,” Teyla said and helped the injured man back to his own bed. She helped him lie back and covered him with the blanket.

“Thanks, Teyla,” Ronon mumbled.

“You’re welcome, Ronon,” Teyla said and left the infirmary.

SGASGASGASGASGA

Richard Woolsey looked at the people gathered around the conference table. Radek Zelenka and Rodney McKay were engrossed in something on their laptops, while Teyla, Lorne, and Grant were seated opposite the two scientists. Sheppard and Dex were conspicuously absent, and he knew it would be some time before either man returned to duty.

“Dr. McKay, did you and Dr. Zelenka find anything in the database concerning the unknown toxin?” Woolsey finally interrupted the two men.

“Not really,” McKay answered. “Radek and I did manage to identify several key ingredients, but they are not dangerous on their own-”

“However when they are mixed in sufficient quantities they become deadly and could easily wipe out the entire planet if left unchecked,” Zelenka added.

“I assume since there were no alarms that the toxin did not come through the wormhole when you returned?” Woolsey asked.

“No, if it had, Atlantis’ failsafe system would have activated and shut the gate down,” Zelenka said.

“Not necessarily,” McKay said. “There are times when even this city’s operating system doesn’t pick up toxins or contagions.”

“Are you saying whatever the toxin is, it may have come through with you?” Woolsey asked.

“No, we ran a system analysis immediately after we discovered what the toxin’s components were and found nothing that even remotely resembled it,” McKay explained.

“Exactly what would happen if we were exposed to the toxin?” Woolsey asked and knew it was bad when Zelenka and McKay looked at each other before McKay answered.

“If we’re correct…”

“We are, Rodney,” Zelenka said and mumbled several words in his native language when McKay continued.

“If we’re correct, it would act like acid. Stronger than anything we’ve ever seen before and would kill every living creature that came in contact with it.”

“Rodney, we don’t know that-“

“Yes, we do, Radek. Everything about the makeup of this toxin suggests it will literally melt the flesh off any living organism. What’s worse is that it will not dissipate over time and will eventually make the planet uninhabitable for centuries,” McKay snapped. “If Dri planned the attack to get rid of his brother, he didn’t think it through or his scientists didn’t take the time to find out exactly what they created. It’s literally a doomsday toxin and will wipe out the Marcosians. We should block Marcosian access from our gate.”

“So you believe the toxin could travel through the wormhole?” Woolsey asked.

“It could,” Zelenka answered.

“Could we send a MALP to see if there are any survivors?” Lorne asked.

“We could, but it would be a waste of time and the MALP itself would be lost,” McKay told them.

“How long do you think it would take the toxin to spread throughout the planet?” Woolsey asked.

“There’s no way to know for sure,” Zelenka answered.

“Can you program the MALP to check for the toxin?” Teyla asked.

“Yes, of course, but what’s the point?” McKay groused. “The planet is beyond our help.”

“But if there is a possibility of saving some of the people, we should attempt it,” Teyla offered.

“I agree, or I would if I thought there was a remote chance, but the wind trajectory…”

“Dr. McKay, why did the Puddle Jumper pick up the toxin, but Atlantis did not pick it up?” Woolsey asked.

“Because the toxin had not reached us at the time we came through the gate,” McKay answered.

“Exactly, and that is why we need to check the Marcosian world,” Woolsey offered.

“What? Why?” McKay asked.

“The toxin may not have reached the southern hemisphere and therefore we may be able to help anyone who lives there,” Woolsey told him.

“We can’t open the gate,” Zelenka said.

“No, but we could send a Puddle Jumper and release one from space,” McKay said, resigned to the fact that they were going to do this.

“Dr. McKay, you and Dr. Zelenka need to reprogram a MALP to pick up the toxin,” Woolsey ordered. “Major Lorne, get your team ready. Dr. McKay will accompany you once he has the MALP ready. Dr. McKay, let me know the minute you’re ready. Dismissed.”

SGASGASGASGASGA

Dri knew he was dying and that he’d condemned his world to a painful death. The only consolation was that Prager was also dead and that he would never take what did not belong to him. As War Minister he held the highest office possible and he slowly walked out onto the steps to look at the death and decay that surrounded him. People had begun dying over the last few hours, an agonizing death that seemed to steal the breath from their lungs and the flesh from their bodies. His own skin was beginning to liquify and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before death was upon him.

“You did not take what was rightfully mine, Brother. I die knowing you will never rule Marcosia.” With those words, War Minister Dri sat on the top step and took his last breath on a world that was now dying along with him.

SGASGASGASGASGA

John Sheppard looked at the people surrounding his bed and waited for someone to speak. He knew Lorne had led a mission to the Marcosian world, but had yet to find out what they’d discovered because Keller had refused to allow any discussion until he was stronger. 

“Okay, somebody talk,” Sheppard ordered and knew by the grim faces that the news was not good. “What happened?”

“I had Dr. McKay reprogram a MALP to check on the Marcosian planet,” Woolsey answered.

“Why? What did I miss… besides being shot and chased through tunnels?” Sheppard asked and turned to look at the Satedan. “You okay, Ronon?”

“I’m fine…”

“Yes, he is… hitting his head might have knocked some sense into him,” Keller quipped.

“I think I owe you a thank you-“

“Owe me nothing,” Dex said.

“Okay… thanks anyway,” Sheppard said. “So what happened when you sent the MALP?”

“There was nothing we could do,” Teyla answered.

“The toxin had reached the southern hemisphere,” McKay offered. “There was no sign of life.”

“Was there any word from Dri or Prager?” Sheppard asked.

“Nothing, if Prager made it to his inner chambers there is a possibility he survived, but there’s no way of communicating with him and if he decides to leave the chambers before the toxin dissipates, he’ll die anyway,” McKay explained.

“How long before that happens?” Sheppard asked.

“There’s no way to know for sure,” Zelenka added. “If we’re right about the properties, it will sink into the soil and water and contaminate everything.”

“Was Dri behind the attack on Prager?” Sheppard asked.

“Yes, he was,” Woolsey answered. “It is the only possible explanation. War Minister Dri disliked his brother…”

“Disliked… talk about an understatement,” McKay observed. “If Dri knew what his scientists had discovered then he knew he was signing his own death warrant.”

“Dri did not seem the type to commit suicide,” Woolsey offered. “I think he was ignorant and desperate to hold on to the leadership.”

“Doesn’t make sense when leadership means killing everyone you’re supposed to lead,” Sheppard said.

“No, it does not,” Teyla said softly, her eyes filled with sadness at the loss of so many people and animals.

“The telemetry sent back by the MALP showed nothing, but rotted corpses and even some of the plant life showed signs of deterioration. There was nothing we could do to help them once they released the toxin,” McKay offered.

“Colonel,” Keller said when she noticed Sheppard wince as he moved in the bed. “I think it’s time for everyone to leave and let you rest.”

“I’m okay, Doc,” Sheppard assured her.

“No, you’re not,” Keller said and adjusted the flow of the IV.

“Rest, Colonel, there’s nothing pressing right now and you need to listen to Dr. Keller,” Woolsey said and left the infirmary.

John leaned back against the pillow as the others left, leaving him and Ronon alone. “Ronon, I don’t remember much about what happened, but I do know we need to talk about obeying orders.”

“Never was one for that,” Dex said with a half smile. “I’d rather make-“

“Deals,” Sheppard finished for him.

“Right, deals,” Ronon said.

“You know your deals are kind of one sided?”

“That’s why they work.”

“Yeah right.”

“I got another deal for you.”

“Oh really?”

“Could sneak you in some real food.”

“Real food?”

“Deal?”

“Hell yes,” Sheppard said. “Thanks for saving my life, Ronon.”

“You’d have done the same for me.”

“Yes, I would,” Sheppard said simply and closed his eyes. He heard Ronon leave and relaxed knowing his team was safe.

Sheppard thought about Andrew Rickman and knew his family deserved to know what had happened to him, but they would never know the whole truth. He would write a letter to them once he was awake and alert enough to find the right words. The problem was the right words were hard to come by where a member of the expedition was concerned.

John’s thought turned to Dri and Prager and he figured they were probably dead now, and he felt remorse at the stupidity of their rivalry. He knew there were other worlds to visit with people who would welcome their help and hopefully both sides could learn from the Marcosians, mistakes.

SGASGASGASGASGA

ACT V-Epilogue 

“Sheppard, it’s good to see you up and around,” Rodney McKay said.

“Thanks, McKay,” Sheppard said. The last few weeks had seen him battle back from the injuries he’d received on Marcosia and he was ready to get back to work.

“Where are you going?” McKay asked.

“I’m hungry and I hear they have meatloaf-“

“Yes, yes, they do, but would you mind coming with me first?”

“Rodney, I’m hungry,” Sheppard told him.

“I know, but it’ll only be for a few minutes and I swear you’ll be glad you came with me,” McKay said.

“Five minutes, McKay,” Sheppard grumbled, but followed the man toward the nearest transporter. Before he could voice his objections, he found himself at the highest point of the city and the scent of the ocean made him smile.

“Follow me, Colonel,” McKay said and hurried outside where a table and chairs had been set up. Teyla, Woolsey, Zelenka, Ronon, Keller, and Lorne were already seated at the table, leaving two vacant chairs.

“What’s going on?” Sheppard asked.

“We have no idea. It seems Rodney has a surprise planned for all of us,” Teyla explained.

“Sit down and you’ll see!” McKay said as the transporter opened and a trolley was wheeled toward him. “Ah, now this is what I’ve been waiting for.”

“What is it, McKay?” Sheppard asked as he sat down.

“Do you remember me telling you about the best pizza-“

“967-11-11?” the colonel said.

“No, yes, that’s the number, but the name is Pizza Pizza…”

“Rodney, you’re repeating yourself,” Teyla said.

“If he starts saying Zelunka, we’re going to the infirmary,” Keller said and smiled when McKay shook his head impatiently.

“Pizza Pizza is the name of the company.”

“Must be a Canadian thing. Probably ranks right up there with ‘Eh’,” Sheppard said.

“Real funny, Sheppard, now would you mind letting me finish before this culinary masterpiece gets cold?’ McKay asked.

“By all means go ahead, Dr. McKay,” Woolsey said. He knew of McKay’s special request that had arrived with the Daedalus, but had no idea what it was.

“Thank you,” McKay said and took three large pans from the trolley. “This is the best pizza in both Galaxies.”

“That remains to be seen, McKay,” Sheppard said as McKay served each of them and took the seat opposite him.

“Dig in,” McKay said and smiled as they did as he said. He sank his teeth into his first slice of good pizza in several years. “Mr. Woolsey, what do you think of opening a Pizza Pizza franchise in the Pegasus Galaxy?”

“Don’t even think about it, Rodney,” Keller said and wiped her mouth. “Fast food is not exactly something the Pegasus Galaxy is ready for.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Doc, maybe McKay has finally found something he can be proud of. This is good, Rodney,” Sheppard said and meant it. Before long the team was talking about their next mission with Lorne, Keller, and Woolsey adding to their conversation. Life in the Pegasus Galaxy would never be boring, but at times like this they could relax and enjoy a little piece of home.

                                                       The End!