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Letters From Pegasus Cont.
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The silence in the jumper was tense as John fired it up and they waited. Kai was careful not to draw attention to herself or his mood as she activated her controls. She didn't blame him for being upset. Teyla had been out of line. They may have been friends of hers, but undermining the majors command in front of strangers could be dangerous.
As soon as Teyla was in the rear hatch Kai closed it and John lifted off. Once they hit the atmosphere he cloaked the ship. Kai kept her eyes firmly on the controls, and tried not to notice the silence that hung between them. Sheppard and Teyla were normally on the same page, it was strange for them to be at odds with one another.
"This wasn't supposed to be a rescue mission," John finally said after a few moments. Teyla wasn't military so he had always awarded her more freedom than the others under his command, but he couldn't let this kind of thing slide.
Teyla looked up at him. "Orin is a good friend of my father," she said as though that settled the matter.
John nodded. "And I agreed to warn him. Which we did," he pointed out keeping his attention on the controls. He didn't often get mad, he liked to think of himself as a pretty easy going guy, but he didn't appreciate being blind sided especially by someone he considered such a good friend. "You should have talked to me about it first."
Teyla turned to John, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "If someone close to your family, a dear friend, was in danger of being taken by the Wraith, would you have not done the same?"
"Not if it jeopardized the mission." John's voice was sharp and left no room for discussion. This was not a point he could be swayed on. This effected not just their safety, but the safety of every person on Atlantis.
"Kai?" Teyla asked turning to her. She clearly expected Kai to side with her against the Major.
Kai skimmed her hands over the controls as she prepared to run full scans as soon as the ships were within range. "You are not going to like my answer on this one Teyla," Kai said grimly, then because Teyla had been kind to her and was probably the closest she had to a friend she turned to face her. "My entire life has been about the mission," she said honesty.
Teyla stared at Kai but she just couldn't accept her answer. She looked back and forth between the two of the in bewilderment. "But you both have families-"
"Not that I would be willing that sacrificed every one on Atlantis to save," Sheppard said harshly.
Teyla swung back to Kai, her gaze imploring. She respected and trusted both Kai and John. They were both friends and before today she would have said she knew them. Now she wasn't so sure.
"I was grown in a lab along with every other member of my caste. I was literally designed for this," Kai said without looking up. Teyla flinched, but Sheppard was careful not to react. She had detailed her people's reproductive programs to Doctor Beckett. She was sure the Major had read the report at some point.
Righteous anger flowed through Teyla. They were both missing the point and now the Major in particular was just being stubborn. "So in fighting the Wraith we are to give up that which makes us different from them?" She accused.
John's jaw tightened. It wasn't fair for Teyla to keep throwing accusations around, he hadn't missed the way Kai had tensed. Teyla could be as mad as she wanted but she didn't get to throw Kai's past in her face.
"Look, I agreed to stop and pick him up if there was time, but only if there was time." His tone was hard and he left no room for argument.
Kai glanced out of the corner of her eye at The Major. Honestly, the only time she had ever seen him allow any emotions other than humor rule him was when they faced Kolya. Teyla's accusations however bothered him for some reason.
Kai wasn't surprised. Teyla wasn't a soldier. She was a warrior leader for her people, and while she was one of the most capable fighters Kai had seen, Teyla's experiences with having to make the tough calls was limited. In so many ways Teyla was incredibly innocent. She didn't begrudge her friend that.
"I'd like to be saving everyone in the damn galaxy if we could," Sheppard muttered in frustration.
Teyla however wouldn't relent. Kai she could forgive, she was a Mortii, but she expected more from the Major. "One man and his children are not every person."
"I agreed to help if there's time. You can only fight the battles you can win," he snapped defensively.
A long silence stretched between them as John settled the jumper into orbit. "How we doing Zian?" he asked glancing towards her.
Kai rotated her chair and began typing rapidly on her laptop she had plugged directly into the ships sensors. "Detecting a hyperspace window...We are ready." She said, hitting the last key.
Directly in front of them a huge hyperspace window opened. Kai felt her eyes widen, it was the largest she had ever seen, but she didn't hesitate to activate the sensors.
"Whoa," Sheppard muttered. He leaned forward as the first hive jumped into view, followed not only by the other two, but an entire entourage of cruisers and darts. He let out a low whistle. This was so much worse than they thought. One dart had caused havoc in the city and destroyed one of their jumpers. It wouldn't take more than a single one of the nine cruisers he could see to overpower them.
John glanced out of the corner of his eye and caught Kai's gaze. Her face was grim. She understood what this meant. She held his eye until her computer beeped and she swiveled her chair away.
"Receiving data," Kai reported. Their goal was to get as much information from the scanners as possible in the least amount of time to minimize the chance of being detected. Once the scans were complete they could go.
"Done," she reported as the ships glided silently past them.
"Let's get this thing turned around," Sheppard said turning his attention back to the controls.
As soon as they turned they saw hundreds of Darts break off from the armada.
"They are headed towards the planet," Teyla said desperately as she leaned forward in her seat. She gripped the back of Kai's seat so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"We need to get back to the Stargate." Kai said. "We have our information."
"Kai," Teyla admonished. "We could-"
"Take on an alien armada?" John interrupted harshly. Teyla didn't respond. John pushed the Jumper to its max speed, headed straight for the Stargate. They broke atmosphere, and approached the village coming in just above the treeline. The sensors on the HUD were beeping wildly, warning them of the approaching ships coming in behind them.
"I'm sorry Teyla," John said grimly. "Even flying full out we're only just ahead of the armada. I can't risk putting down for Orin or his family."
"I see," Teyla growled tightly from behind them. She hadn't believed John would stop even if they had time. It angered her that he would even bother pretending.
But John wasn't paying attention to Teyla anymore. The darts were closing in on them, fast. There was no way to go through the gate while still in stealth mode so they were going to have to do this on the fly. They would risk detection, but they couldn't wait to get this information back to Atlantis. They had to prepare.
He turned to Kai. "I'll take us out of stealth mode for the pass through. Kai dial the gate."
Kai leaned forward and glided her fingers over the symbols. She was only on the fourth chevron when the ring activated.
"Hang on!" John yelled. "Incoming wormhole," he pulled the jumper up at the last second. They just barely missed the edge of the ring.
Kai swallowed, it had all happened in a matter of seconds. Only the Major's quick reflexes had saved their lives and prevented them from going through the gate to maker knew where. She quickly skimmed her hands over the controls. "Activating stealth mode," she reported.
"Thanks," the Major said quickly and he let out a tight breath. "That was close," he said to no one in particular.
It was closer than either one of them cared to admit. Kai cleared her throat. "The Wraith will sometimes dial in to prevent victims from using the Stargate to escape," she told him.
"So we're stuck here," John grumbled as he turned the Jumper away from the active Stargate.
"We should be perfectly safe in stealth mode," Teyla said tightly behind them.
John glanced at her over his shoulder. "I'm not worried about us, I'm worried about getting the intel on the wraith fleet back to Atlantis."
"They'll keep dialing in through the night at the very least," Kai said grimly. She pulled up the HUD. "The closest Stargate is at least four days away at sub-light. We'll have to wait them out."
"If we wait in the location that I told Orin and his family to meet us, then-" Teyla started to say, her voice carefully casual.
"That's where I'm already headed," John interrupted her. "Kai?"
"I'm not picking anyone up on the scanners yet," she reported. "But there's pandamonium in the village. It's difficult to tell if someone is running towards the rendezvous or just running."
Teyla looked back and forth between the two of them in shock. She couldn't believe how quickly they had switched gears from refusing to even consider helping her friends to scanning for survivors with scarcely a word spoken between them.
It was full dark by the time John set down the Jumper in the open field at the edge of the tree line. It wasn't the place he would have picked for a rendezvous, the line from the village to the Jumper was too open, but it's where Teyla told them meet. He reached under the console and lifted up a pair of binoculars. Kai looked at him and snorted. She pulled up the HUD and magnified. John shot her a look and she lifted her eyebrows innocently. John shook his head and focused his attention on the open field any survivors would have to cross.
"Come on Orin," John said tensely. "Show up."
Teyla was opening staring at him in disbelief.
"What?" John asked defensively, shifting uncomfortably.
"Not long ago you would have blithely left him behind," Teyla accused harshly.
John looked forward out of the view screen. "The situation has changed, he said simply as though that were the end of it.
Teyla shook her head in disbelief. "Earlier today Lieutenant Ford suggested we steal from a community of children."
Kai knew immediately what Teyla's problem was and she knew the arguement was bankrupt before it even began. She just didn't understand. She never had to. Kai could forgive her for that, but found herself getting more and more angry as Teyla continued to push the Major.
John bristled in Ford's defense. "That's because they have a ZPM and we could bring them back."
"Only to face death on Atlantis?" she asked sharply.
John stared into Teyla's face for a long time. Her wide brown eyes were narrowed into accusatory slits. Since he had first met her there had always been something there between them, but he had never moved forward. Staring into her angry brown eyes he realized what it was that made him hold himself back. She would never be able to accept him for who he was, for the decisions his position forced him to make. She was a leader yes, but the very nature of her people, their community and their relationship with Atlantis allowed her the luxury of being idealistic even in the face of the Wraith. He made the tough calls so she would never have to.
"Look, Ford and I are military. We've spent a lot of our lives learning how to survive-"
"I've spent my life surviving the wraith," Teyla interrupted passionately. She was not about to sit here and let the Major talk down to her.
John tensed, his jaw tightening with the effort of keeping his tone level. "Part of that training is knowing who you can save and who you can't."
Teyla scowled at him. "And that decision is your's alone?" She accused.
It was an old argument, one he had fought so many times with his ex-wife. Nancy had never understood that the mission came first either and just like Teyla she had tried to make him feel guilty over and over again. Eventually when the call would come John had learned to slip out of the house to avoid the fight. Eventually she had left, unable to cope with the man John had turned himself into to do the job.
It was like muscle memory as John's voice rose and his temper flared. Teyla was his friend but she didn't get to pass judgement on him. "I said I would wait for your friend if there was time. Now there's time," he scowled at her. "What else do you want from me?"
It felt like an intimate question and Kai tensed in her seat. She wanted to be anywhere but in the middle of this argument that felt so personal.
Teyla stared into John's hard hazel eyes and it felt like a part of her broke as she realized he would never, could never understand. She stared into his face and it was like looking into the face of a stranger. The Major simply ruled too much of John's life.
"Too much I fear," she said her voice breaking.
Kai glanced over at the Major and something in her chest tightened. For an instant he looked so open and vulnerable, she wanted to scream at Teyla for not understanding what she was doing. People like Sheppard made hard calls so others wouldn't have to, and Teyla was damning him for it.
John's eyes flickered to Kai's and they stared at one another. The accusation in Teyla's eyes was missing when he held Kai's gaze. Instead of the steely anger he had expected she gazed back with open understanding. She dipped her chin once, so subtly Teyla wouldn't notice and spun back around to her computer.
John sighed and turned back to the viewer. "It's going to be a long night," he muttered.
As they sat hundreds of darts whizzed around them, their beams activating as they dipped close to the ground. Some fired shots at the building in the town, forcing the inhabitants to run out into the streets to escape the blasts. They ran straight into the waiting beams.
Sheppard's tension grew with each passing minute. Kai could feel it from where she sat, it was like a tangible thing. He coiled tighter and tighter as his body demanded he do something. "This is hard to sit and watch," he said.
"There is nothing we can do," Teyla said hollowly. After her rant she seemed to have simply run out of energy. Her realization that she was never going to get through The Major to the man beneath had taken the fight out of her. In many ways she felt like she was mourning a piece of her friend.
"Oh we could do a lot," he growled, his eyes catching Kai's. He could see the gleam of determination in her stormy gaze. He knew she was itching for a fight, just like he was. "It would just be the last thing we do," he allowed, glancing back towards Teyla.
"We are far outnumbered, and the gate is still inaccessible," Teyla said tightly. Then her face softened as she watched how angry the Major was becoming as he watched the Wraith's destruction. "But," she added gently. "If we save Orin and his family we will have done something."
"Something," John agreed grimly.
As they watched one of the cruisers settled into position over the town. Sheppard leaned forward at the same time Kai magnified the viewer. A large beam activated from the cruiser It resembled the Dart's transport beams but instead of making fast sweeps it was a sustained beam.
"What is that?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.
Kai shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it," she said honestly. "I didn't know cruisers could do that," she said leaning forward in her chair. She quickly activated the sensors to begin collecting data.
"I'm going to go check it out," John said climbing to his feet.
Teyla grabbed John's arm desperately. "You may be discovered," she said looking frantically back and forth between the two of them.
"I'll make it a point not to," Sheppard snapped back flippantly. His tone was more harsh than it needed to be, but he was on edge and needed to get out of the Jumper.
"Major-" Teyla started to argue.
"Look, I just want to see what...whatever that is," he said. "Just stay here and wait for Orin and his family show up," he said tightly as he picked up his gun. "Zian?" he called over his shoulder. "You up for a walk?"
"I'm with you," she told him and followed.
As soon as the hatch opened Kai was bombarded with the shrieking and crying of the villagers. If she focused she could pick up on individuals. She fought not to hear them as she followed behind the Major. He pulled out his life signs detector and led the way across the open field into the trees. The two of them prowled along the tree line edging closer towards the village.
Being out in the cool night air with a gun in her hand cleared Kai's head. It was a relief to be free from the tension in the Jumper. She and the Major didn't have to say anything. They moved through the dark forest moving closer to the beam.
The life signs detector let out a low beep. John looked down at the screen. He bit back the curse on the tip of his tongue, five wraith were closing in on them. He whirled around and grabbed for Kai. He moved so fast Kai dropped back into a crouch before her mind processed it was the Major and not an attacker.
John didn't hesitate. He pressed the two of them back into the shadow of a large tree. His hand closed around her wrist to stop her from a pulling a knife and attacking him before she realized it was him.
Kai's hand was on the handle of her Blade when the Major's warm hand wrapped around her wrist. She sucked in a breath, but let it out as the Major shielded her with his body. They were shadowed at the edge of the treeline as a Wraith patrol moved past them. She studied the patrol. It comprised entirely of soldiers carrying large stunners. She looked back up at the Major to see if he wanted to wait them out or fight their way to the village.
John looked back from the Wraith to Kai. He froze as he stared down at her. John was suddenly aware of how close Kai was. He quickly released her wrist. Their chests brushed as they waited for the Wraith to move on towards the city. Once he was sure they had moved away he moved to activate the life signs detector.
Kai could still hear the Wraith, she grabbed his arm, stopping him before it beeped and gave away their position to the wraith. He scowled down at her. She reached up and touched her ear. He nodded and stilled, waiting for her to give the all clear.
Finally the Wraith moved out of earshot and Kai nodded briskly to the Major. He stepped back and they continued to the edge of the village. The two of them crouched side by side behind a half wall, hidden from sight. Even from across the town Kai could hear the energy surging through the beam. Wraith soldiers were dragging people out of the buildings and shoving them into it.
"What do you think?" Sheppard asked, handing the binoculars down to her.
She took them and shook her head. "It looks like a transport beam, similar to those used by the darts," she whispered. "I've never seen one sustained for so long," she looked up. "It appears it's drawing them straight into the cruiser."
Sheppard made a noise of disgust low in his throat. "Seen enough?" he asked.
Kai nodded as a dart whizzed overhead a little too close for comfort.
"All right, let's go." The two of them jogged back towards the jumper. They slipped through the trees when a wraith slammed into Kai. She hit the ground. "Wait!" she called when Sheppard raised his gun. "It'll draw the rest of them." She threw a knife and it buried in the wraith's neck. He staggered but didn't go down. She ran at him and kicked the side of it's head slamming it against the tree. Sheppard scooped up it's stunner and shot the wraith in the chest.
"Thanks," she said.
"You too," Sheppard agreed and they ran the rest of the way to the Jumper.
They were nearly back when Teyla appeared out of thin air. "Major!" she called waving her arm.
Sheppard and Kai jogged up the ramp. "It's pretty ugly out there," he reported, then hesitated as he saw four people he didn't recognize sitting on the benches in the cargo area.
"Is this Orin's family?" he asked.
Teyla looked sheepish. "No."
Sheppard's head snapped back towards her in disbelief.
Teyla had the good graces to look repentant. "They have not seen Orin since the culling began."
"Well the whole village is pretty much wiped out," Sheppard said.
He and Kai moved towards the front of the ship. Kai pulled the viewer back up. "The gate just shut off," she reported to the Major.
Sheppard dropped into his seat." We should be able to dial up and get out of here before the Wraith can do anything about it."
Teyla walked up behind them. "Please Major, give Orin more time."
"Look if he was able to get here, he would be here by now. We've got to get back," John said activating the controls.
Teyla drew in a deep breath, her chin jutted out defiantly. "Then go," she snatched up her gun. "I will stay and search in the daylight, you can return for me later."
Kai tightened her jaw. Teyla was manipulating Sheppard, knowing full well he would never leave one of his own people behind.
"You can't do that," he growled.
"I consider Orin as family Major," she snarled whipping back around to face him. "I'm sorry if you don't know what that means!"
John looked like she had struck him. Then his jaw set and he shoved himself to his feet. "I understand it Teyla," he growled back. "But that's not the point I'm trying-"
"With or without you I am staying." she promised.
Sheppard stared her down. "You won't make it," he said with absolute certainty.
Teyla nodded in agreement, not even bothering to argue with him. "Then I ask that you stay as well."
Kai hated Teyla in that moment. She was using her own life as a bargaining chip to control Sheppard.
"Just a little longer," she added a little more gently. "Allow something good to come of this," she implored taking a step towards the major.
John pressed his lips together. He knew when he was being played. His ex-wife had always known exactly how to guilt him, and so did Teyla. His eyes met Kai's and he stared at her for a few moments as though she would somehow have the answers.
"All right," he finally relented. "We'll give it a little more time."
Teyla sighed in relief and dropped down onto the bench.
"Someone's coming," Kai reported a short time later.
The HUD picked up eight life signs, magnifying in on them as they crossed into the open expanse of the field. Teyla smiled and laughed in relief as she stood and ran for the back of the jumper. She stepped to the bottom of the ramp. "Orin!" she yelled, waving her arm.
John and Kai climbed to their feet and followed wearily behind her. Eight plus the four they already had was approaching the maximum capacity for the jumper.
"Orin!" Teyla called again as she trotted out to meet them.
Sheppard and Kai jogged after her. "How big is this family?" Sheppard asked."
Teyla looked at him. "He must have met up with some others along the way."
"That's going to be a problem," Kai muttered to Sheppard as they met up with the refuges in the middle of the field. Kai prowled in a tight circle around the group as Teyla spoke quietly with them. The darts buzzed over head and Kai could hear movement in the woods.
"I didn't think you would still be here," Orin said warmly as he greeted Teyla.
"We would not have gone without you," Teyla promised.
"We found others along the way," Orin said triumphantly.
"Others?" Sheppard asked in dismay looking over the group.
"And even more, further behind," Orin said proudly.
"How many more?" Sheppard asked sharply.
"Twelve," Orin frowned, not understanding. "Perhaps more."
Kai's head snapped toward the forest behind them a second before a group of another dozen villagers broke the tree line.
"In here!" one of the villagers from the jumper yelled, drawing the line of people straight for the concealed jumper.
"Major-" Kai warned, keeping her eyes on the sky. "The darts are getting closer!" In the next second two darts broke into view above the trees and the beams activated. The groups of running refuges had led the Wraith straight to them.
John swore. "Alright we'll fit as many as we can!" He yelled, ushering the villagers towards their concealed ship. "Run!"
"Hurry!" Teyla yelled as she turned and ran back towards the jumper, leading them to safety. "Come on!" she called from the bottom of the Jumper.
"Hurry!" The other villagers yelled.
"Come on!" Teyla encouraged from the shuttle. "Run!"
Sheppard and Kai ushered the people ahead of them. The dart swung towards them. The beam caught the stragglers. Kai could hear the buzz of the engine all around her as the darts turned around for another pass.
"Zian! Move your ass!" Sheppard yelled and the two of them sprinted towards the jumper. The dart was right behind them.
"Sheppard!" she yelled as the dart came for them. She and John were too late. They hadn't been fast enough.
John heard Kai's cry behind him and the buzz of the dart was too close. He shoved the villager next to him onto the ramp. He wrapped an arm around Kai's waist and the two of them fell sideways into the jumper barely avoiding the beam.
He landed on his back, with her on top of him. They were both panting, there was a fine tremble to her muscles. That had been close. John started to sit up as Kai climbed awkwardly to her feet.
"Thanks Major," she said offering him a hand up.
"That was close," he said tightly.
There were screams outside as the ones who didn't make it to the jumper were taken by the wraith. The open field made them easy targets. John stood, his eyes locked on those he couldn't save as they were taken. He pulled Kai up beside him, his grip tighter than he intended. He stormed back towards the front of the jumper.
Teyla settled into her seat, looking sheepishly back and forth between Kai and Sheppard. The Major's anger was palpable.
Kai followed and dropped into the co-pilots seat. She dialed the gate at the same time John lifted the jumper off the ground without either of them having to say a thing.
John sped the Jumper towards the gate. "Let's get the hell out of here."
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"So tell me, how bad is it?" Weir asked, stepping into the conference room.
John was exhausted, they had been back on Atlantis nearly an hour. He leaned forward and scrubbed at his eyes. "Bad," he said simply looking up into Weir's face. "Each hive acts like a carrier group with cruisers and hundreds of darts escorting it." John looked down and shook his head. "Zian and Zelenka are downloading the sensor data right now."
Teyla stepped up. "I have never witnessed a culling that took so many." The guilt over the ones they hadn't saved was evident in her eyes.
"We were able to save a few," John report tightly.
"Well that's something," Weir said with a warm smile. She laid a reassuring hand on Teyla's arm. "Get some sleep, both of you," Weir said.
John trailed after Teyla as they left the conference room. Once they were alone in the hall he spoke up. "That can never happen again." He said firmly.
"What's that Major?" Teyla asked turning back to him. She could sense the anger simmering just below the surface.
"You led some of those people straight to a position where the Wraith were able to take them. You endangered your life, my life, the lives of every single one of those people you were trying to save."
"And that is something I will have to live with Major," Teyla said.
"You're damn right you will," he growled angrily. "You compromised the success of the mission for-"
"I also endangered Kai's life." Teyla added sharply.
John scowled. "What the hell does that mean?"
Teyla sighed exhaustedly. "Nothing Major."
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I hope you guys are enjoying the story! I'm really enjoying writing it! Thank you all for the incredible support.