Trust Once Broken | SGA John Sheppard

0.17.0

Kai nodded briskly and picked up three of the cases sitting beside the gate.

"Eight hundred and four years," Major Sheppard drawled lazily. He ran his eyes over Kai. She was dressed in black combat gear including the flak vest, though she had on her own black knee high boots. She wore her scarf wrapped around her head with a single loop coming down to hang loosely around her neck. She looked ready to fight except the only weapon she had was her own knife in her spine sheath. John scowled. McKay had his sidearm but he didn't like the idea of sending the two of them offworld with only one gun between them.

"What?" McKay asked in confusion.

John snapped himself from his train of thought and flashed a teasing smile. "Eight hundred and four years, that's how long it will take for me to come and rescue you both by puddle jumper if you break the gate."

It had occurred to Kai that there was a chance they could become stuck on the planet and she watched the moment of hesitation flash through Rodney's eyes. "Are there ah, extra power bars in there?" he asked gesturing towards the gear Kai was holding.

Sheppard smirked. "There's four days of rations in there, beyond that, you better hope there's something hiding in all that fog that Kai can kill for you both to eat."

"It isn't fog," McKay snapped impatiently, then he hesitated as though thinking over Sheppard's words. "You would come though right?" he asked weakly.

Sheppard snorted. "Of course," he promised sarcastically. Then he hesitated. "Hey Kai, how long do your people live again?"

Kai smiled. "Not that long."

"No rush then," he replied with a teasing smirk. "All right, you two kids have fun, no fighting," he said pointing a stern finger between the two of them. "Remember you manners and-"

"Got it," McKay snapped impatiently, turning away and heading towards the gate with Kai trailing behind.

John strode up the steps to where Elizabeth had been watching their playful exchange.

"Sending her offworld without a gun? I thought you liked her," John said sardonically as he leaned his hands against the top rail.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at him. "It's not a question of liking John, it was the agreement."

"It's a dumb rule. You can't ask the girl to go offworld and then not give her a gun."

Elizabeth bristled. "I didn't ask her, Zelenka did. She agreed knowing the rules. And I will remind you, that girl, as you have pointed out, is a ninety year old 'Intergalactic Super Assassin'. And you personally cleared the planet as safe."

"So I did," John replied acerbically. He didn't like this one bit. It was an unnecessary risk and it put both McKay and Zian's lives on the line.

"She needs to earn our trust before I'm willing to give her back a gun," Elizabeth said calmly.

"What about us earning hers?" John challenged. "Sending her into a potentially dangerous situation unarmed is not a way to make friends," he said and he turned and stalked away.

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Kai and McKay stepped through the gate. She began depositing the cases he needed to work near the DHD and immediately began setting up the work station. The DHD was on a raised stone platform flanked by rough stone pillars. The planet itself was dark, covered in thick mist. The only lights were from the gate and the flashlights each of them had. The light didn't reach far, and was muted by fog. There was no sound, only the hum of the energy passing into the gate. It was eerie for Kai to not be able to hear anything.