Hello everyone, I decided to try and keep this episode to one update, so it ended up being a little longer than usual. I hope you enjoy!
Happy Reading!
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The Tower Cont
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The next morning Amara was back at John's door and offered to walk with him down to breakfast. She slid her arm through his as he stepped out into the hallway. He glanced towards Kai's door. Amara smiled up at him sweetly. "Don't worry John," she said giving his arm a squeeze. "Tavius was already here to escort Lady Zian down to breakfast."
"Oh," John said with a frown. It bothered him that Kai hadn't radioed to let him know.
"You needn't worry about Lady Zian, Tavius will take good care of her," Amara soothed.
"I'm sure he will," John griped half under his breath, but he politely let Amara lead him down to the banquet hall.
When they got there The Lord Protector was still missing. At the head of the table however, Tavius was sitting in his seat, lording over the court. Kai was seated to his left but he was ignoring her as he laughed with the other ladies of the court who seemed all to happy to have the prince's attention. Otho was standing just behind his chair, his hands clasped behind his back respectfully as he watched the spectacle.
Amara took the seat to the right of Tavius and gestured for John to sit beside her. John couldn't help feeling like they were on the longest blind date ever. He ate some of the fresh fruit and took a swig of tea, wishing they had coffee. He never slept well in the field and there was no telling how long they could be stuck here while they sorted this mess out.
"So," Tavius said turning to his left. "Lady Zian, after breakfast I have made arrangements to give you a private tour of the palace..." he hesitated as he looked her over. "I see you did allow the Lady's maids to help you with your attire," he said condescendingly.
John choked on his tea. Kai for her part kept her face perfectly impassive. "I'm afraid they did not come to my room by the time I was ready to go."
"No matter," Tavius said with a casual flip of his fingers. "Once you adapt to life here in the palace you will realize you no longer need to get up at such obscene hours of the morning."
Kai swallowed a sip of tea. "Yes, 0700 is obscene," she agreed with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
John kicked at her under the table. He connected with her shin but she didn't flinch. Instead she flashed John a charming smile and popped a grape into her mouth. John scowled at her. She needed to watch her mouth or she was going to get them into trouble. Luckily Tavius didn't seem to realize a woman was capable of being sarcastic and it went straight over his head.
"Ah, Lady Zian and I were promised a tour of the history of this place," John said quickly.
Tavius and Amara wrinkled their noses in distaste. "Why would you want to visit Otho's musty archive chamber?" Tavius asked in distaste as he glared down his nose at John. His eyes traveled to Kai. "A lady like yourself needn't bother with such things."
Kai forced a complacent smile on her face as she spoke so she wouldn't throw her cup of hot tea in his face. "If I'm to be Lady of the palace its important to me that I understand the history of it's people and..." she hesitated, she wasn't any better at this game than John. She wished fervently that Elizabeth or Teyla were here, they always seemed to know the right things to say.
"And the history of the Lord Protectors," John filled in. He turned to look over Tavius's shoulder. "Isn't that right Otho?" he asked.
Otho stiffened his eyes widening slightly as John pulled him into their mess. "But of course my lord, my lady," he agreed bowing to each of them in turn.
Once Tavius was finished with his meal everyone was dismissed from the banquet hall. He grabbed Kai's hand and planted a sloppy kiss on the back of it. "Once you are finished with that bore Otho, come find me my lady, there are many other exciting treats in store for you."
Kai felt her skin scrawl but nodded demurely before pulling her hand back. She settled in beside John as they followed Otho down the hall.
"Many exciting treats, aren't you lucky," John muttered half under his breath.
Kai shot him an annoyed look and hip checked him. It caught him by surprise and John actually stumbled sideways. He laughed out loud, looking back at Kai as he straightened. Otho glanced back at them over his shoulder in concern and both Kai and John cleared their throats and forced their faces to look serious.
"You're no better over there," Kai observed in a low tone. "The princess is practically crawling in your lap."
John nodded. "She offered to do more than that."
"What?" Kai asked in surprise, turning to face him. She had forgotten to keep her voice down and Otho looked back at them once more in concern. Kai quickly flashed him a smile and jogged to catch up.
"Something fishy is going on around here," John agreed.
"Because the princess is throwing herself at you?" Kai asked, though her voice was steady, she felt anything but. The princess was beautiful in ways Kai would never be, she was gentle and sweet.
"No, that's not that unusual," John responded flippantly. "But them both acting like its a forgone conclusion..." John dragged off. He shrugged. He didn't like it. They needed answers so they could figure out how to get themselves out of this situation, and Otho was the one who would give them to them.
Once they were inside the Archive chambers Kai closed the door while John stepped up towards Otho who had sat down behind his desk. "We need to talk," John said grimly.
Otho looked back and forth between them in surprise. "Colonel Sheppard, Lady Zian are you saying you did not come here to learn of the historical archive?" he feigned innocence, and it made John tighten his jaw.
John didn't much like playing at politics. It had been the last nail in the coffin of his career that he was so poor at them. It was only his performance on Atlantis that earned his Lieutenant Colonel rank. He was under no illusions that he would ever make it to General. He wasn't good enough at playing the game.
John crossed his arms over his chest. "It seems certain people around here have got certain...ideas about us," John said as delicately as possible.
Otho looked back and forth between them in confusion.
John blew out a frustrated sigh. "Amara came to my room last night," John prompted.
Kai swung around to face John, shock on her face, but he didn't look at her. It was one thing to know the beautiful princess had been flirting with him at meal times, it was quite another to know she had gone to his room. Kai wondered if it was before or after John had checked on her. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight as she fought down the ugly jealousy.
Otho cleared his throat. "You must forgive her forward behavior Colonel. She doesn't have much time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" John asked severely. He certainly wasn't interested in Amara in a romantic sense, but he also wasn't going to let something happen to her. She was a nice girl.
Otho crossed his hands on his desk in front of him. "I have many duties, but the greatest of which is as royal genealogist," he gestured to the shelves lining his room. "These scrolls record the blood line of the Lord Protector going back twenty generations. It's my duty to study them in order to determine the best possible match for every member of the royal house so we might maintain the integrity of those lines."
Kai caught on faster than John did. Her own people selectively bred in order to maintain genetic purity. It would make sense that on a world governed by who could use the technology it would be important as well.
"This is necessary because only those of the royal blood can control the throne chair which in turn controls the weapon which protects us from the wraith. But I suspect you know some of this already..." Otho said glancing back and forth between them meaningfully. When neither gave anything away he smiled indulgently. "Most people when they see the throne chair activated for the first time act as if they have seen some kind of magic. But you...you didn't bat an eye."
Kai crossed her arms over her chest. She and Sheppard hadn't reacted at all because they both had logged hours in the control chair. She recognized their mistake now.
When neither one of them said anything Otho continued. "What's more you both have in your blood the gene our royal family has been so selectively bred all these generations. I scanned you shortly after we met, remember? Colonel, Lady Zian, you must understand how important this is to us. Over the generations despite our best efforts the bloodlines have deteriorated. The ability of each new Lord Protector to operate the throne chair is no longer a certainty."
"Well, maybe its time to start thinking about a new system of government," John ground out. His jaw was tight as he began to understand the depth of shit they were in. These people wanted to use him and Kai to breed themselves new rulers.
"You have observed the inequalities of our society and you disapprove," Otho deduced. "I can hardly blame you."
"You didn't seem to have much of a problem with that in the village." Kai accused taking a step towards the desk.
"I must maintain the authority of my position in front of the villagers. It is my duty. But believe me between all of us you both are in a better position to change things. Colonel, the gene in you is stronger than it has been in any member of the royal family in over 300 years...and you," he said turning to Kai. He shook his head in disbelief.
"That's why junior is so interested in her," John said gruffly. He manged to keep his tone level but it wasn't easy watching the perfumed prince chase after her.
"He doesn't know the half of it. I informed The Lord Protector that she bore the gene, but that it was comparable to your numbers Colonel. If any of them even suspected the strength of the gene in her body..." Otho shook his head in distaste. "You would not be considered a guest any more Lady Zian."
John took a protective step towards Kai instinctually. She noticed but didn't react as he shifted so his shoulder was in front of hers, half blocking her from Otho. The threat however, wasn't the mild mannered Chamberlain. He was the least of their problems.
"Why lie for us?" Kai asked. She was grateful he had done so. She had never considered the fact that her position here could turn quite so dangerous. She was capable of getting herself out of the palace as a guest, but if they imprisoned her things would change rapidly.
Otho arched his brows. "Is it not obvious?"
John shot him a disgruntled look. "Let's pretend for a half a minute you're talking to two soldiers who aren't used to playing court politics," John snapped.
Otho nodded indulgently. "You have met Tavius, surely you see that he is not a desirable ruler."
John scowled. "You sent Amara to my room," he accused.
"I didn't have to," Otho said, turning away from them. "She understands the situation perfectly well. Right now Tavius is next in line. But the possibility that his sister might one day bear children with superior genetic make up to him or his progeny, that will always be a threat. If however, Tavius reproduces with Lady Zian, it will cement his and his progeny's place on the throne easily for another twenty generations if not more."
Kai went cold. Tavius's flirting had been off putting before, but it took on a new, much more menacing air now. She and John shared a long look. He shook his head, he wasn't going to let that happen to her. He took another step up to her and she felt the gentle telepathic bump in her mind as he turned back to Otho.
"So if the old man dies..." he dragged off.
"Precisely. And his condition grows worse every day," Otho reported gravely.
John pressed his lips together. They needed to get out of here before that happened or Tavius would be the new ruler and things would get a lot more complicated. "I know of someone who might be able to help with that..."
John quickly explained and Otho agreed, he disappeared to gather his men and make arrangements. Kai turned to Sheppard raising her eyebrows. "Beckett isn't going to like it," she said with a small smile.
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Beckett came to the palace five hours later. He went straight to The Lord Protectors Chambers to examine his patient. Sheppard, Kai and Otho stood by, waiting for the consensus. He turned back from the bed. "He's anemic," he reported gravely. "Both his kidney's and liver are failing. But he's not running a temperature so I don't think it's an infection. I'll need to run some more tests."
Kai frowned, she didn't know much about keeping people alive unfortunately, but she could tell by the look on Beckett's face and the persistent rasp in The Lord Protector's chest that things were not looking good.
"I want to talk to him," John said firmly.
Beckett's face hardened. "Right now he needs to rest."
"Carson," John said.
But Beckett was firm. "He's not lucid at all."
"Thank you doctor," Otho said graciously, sensing the tension between the two men.
"All right," Carson said with a nod and he turned back to his patient.
"Colonel, I have been authorized by the Lord Protector to speak with you on his behalf...please come this way," Otho said and he led the Colonel down into the bowels of the city. Leaving Kai with Doctor Beckett.
John knew where they were going even before they stepped into the jumper bay. John looked around, thinking how sad it would make Kai to see the entire bay filled with disused jumpers.
"Do you know what this is?" Otho asked gesturing to a jumper.
"You tell me," Sheppard responded distractedly as he counted exactly how many were here. The spare parts alone they could get out of here would keep the Atlantis fleet in working order for a long time.
"It's a flying machine, at least it used to be. It ran out of power a long time ago," Otho said grimly. "I know you have some understanding of these things even though you try not to show it. I also know that this place was once home to a much more advanced civilization."
John crossed his arms over his chest but he didn't give any thing away.
"Unfortunately, aside from a few trinkets and useless relics all that is left is the throne chair. And if the bloodline continues to deteriorate that will be taken from us as well," Otho explained gravely.
John drew in a deep breath and looked back at Otho thoughtfully. "What if I told you there was a way around that? A way to protect the planet without having to worry about all these royal bloodlines or any of that crap?"
Otho's eyes lit up in wonder, but there was still an edge of suspicion. He wasn't quite ready to believe yet.
John was making the call without speaking to Elizabeth first, but it was the only way he could think of to get himself and more importantly Kai out of this situation without calling in the troops.
"That's impossible," Otho said shaking his head.
"What if it wasn't?" John asked seriously.
"Such talk is dangerous," Otho said, glancing around them.
John scoffed. "You can't watch everyone all the time. Look I know you serve these people, and if you're right and eventually they lose their ability to control the chair, well at that point what good are they?"
Otho frowned, looking bewildered. "What are you suggesting?"
John paced a line around Otho as he considered his next words carefully. "A drug, gene therapy, you give it to the people in the village and half of them will be able to control the throne chair no problem"
"You're talking about revolution!" Otho exclaimed.
"I'm talking about survival," John growled in a low voice. He wasn't just going to look the other way while these people lived like this. He couldn't. "What's going to happen once the royal family can't protect this planet anymore?"
Otho looked entirely bewildered as his thoughts raced. "And in exchange for this drug? What do you want in return?" Otho demanded.
John reached up and activated his comm. "McKay come in," all that came back was static.
"Rodney," he tried again.
"Say again," McKay called loudly through the comm.
John winced. "I said, have you found anything?"
"I've only just gotten down here," McKay snapped defensively.
"Look, I may have figured out a way to make a deal here. Drones in exchange for the gene therapy. I just need to know how many they have left."
"All right, I'm on it," McKay agreed.
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Kai was sick of the court almost as much as she was sick of Tavius. She had tried hiding with Beckett most of the day, but that only last another couple of hours before she had to make an appearance and her patience was wearing thin. The women kept trying to befriend her so to speak but their backhanded compliments and comments were enough to make her want to start throwing punches. It truly made her appreciate her own people. They may have been vicious, but at least they weren't backstabbers. You faced your enemies eye to eye in the ring.
Amara came over and sat beside her. "How do you find court?" Amara asked in her gentle voice.
Kai turned to look at the princess. Her perfect golden hair hung in ringlets, framing her beautiful face. "I-" Kai started to say.
Amara chuckled gently. "That bad?" she asked
Kai looked away. She was a better liar than this, but she wasn't as good as the ladies of the court. This was a different kind of game. A much more dangerous one. Kai heard John approach and she glanced around, trying to pin point his location. She spotted him up on the balcony looking down over the court. He was leaning his palms against the railing just like he did back at home in the control room.
"You and the Colonel," Amara began, her voice not quite as bright and chipper as it had once been. "You are close?" she asked, a little bitterly.
Kai glanced back at her.
Amara smiled indulgently. "It is not difficult to see he is fond of you," Amara said. "But beware," she warned, her face becoming serious. "If my brother suspects he will have John killed." Then Amara was gone slipping away into the groups of other ladies of the court, laughing and talking about the latest fashions and foods.
Fear made Kai freeze for a second as she stared after Amara. Her eyes flew up to John and then went where Tavius was speaking with other ladies of the courts. Her hands tightened into fists at her sides.
John watched below where Amara spoke with Kai. Whatever she said made Kai stiffen and he felt a strange uneasiness in his chest. John tightened his jaw, wondering if it was his own or if it has something to do with Kai.
He wanted her out of here as soon as possible.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Beckett called coming up behind him. "I've completed my examination of the Lord Protector and the reason he is dying is because he has been poisoned."
"What?" he hissed, turning to face Beckett.
"Aye, my guess is it's been done slowly over the last couple of months, probably in his food. Any idea who would like to see him dead?" Beckett asked.
John's eyes swept over the entire court. There were too many to name. Too much intrigue to wade through. But his eyes landed on Tavius as he swept up to Kai. Tavius took her hand in his and kissed the back of it, flashing what he probably thought was a charming smile. Kai smiled brittley and jerked her hand back as quickly as possible.
"Yeah, I think I have an idea."
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John and Beckett went to see Otho. John didn't know who else to trust. Otho was the only one who seemed to genuinely care about the people and what happened to them.
"This is terrible," Otho said pacing a line across his chambers. "I knew Tavius was cruel and vindictive...but to want to murder his own father..."
"Raising children can be very dangerous," John agreed sardonically with a nod. "The key is, we don't let him succeed to the throne. We need to talk to The Lord Protector."
"I'm afraid it's already too late," Otho said gravely. "I received word only moments ago. He's dead."
Beckett's mouth dropped open in shock. "But-" he started to say and he stopped.
"You must leave now," Otho said quickly. "Tavius will arrest Amara and arrest anyone he considers to be consorting with her, and that includes you Colonel."
"What about the villagers?" Beckett asked.
"He'll kill them all," Otho said gravely. "Burn the place to the ground to make an example of them."
"They had nothing to do with what happened!" Beckett cried.
"It doesn't matter. Any defiance must be crushed without mercy to keep it from spreading to the other villages."
Sheppard glanced back at Beckett before he stepped up next to Otho. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tube. "Look, this is the gene therapy we were talking about. You can take it to the people and tell them what it means."
Otho took the injection tube in his hands, turning it over carefully.
"You don't have to be slaves to this royal bloodline anymore," Sheppard said fiercely. "You can stop Tavius."
Otho shook his head. "This may be too late. Tavius will consider this to be treason. He'll fight it, and if the soldiers support him..." he dragged off turning away from Beckett and Sheppard as he slid the tube up his sleeve.
A bell began tolling outside.
"What's that mean?" John asked urgently.
"It means, news of the Lord Protector's death is already spreading. The court is being called to assemble in the throne now. Go now!" Otho implored them. "Before it is too late."
"Colonel," Beckett said taking Sheppard's arm.
Sheppard nodded and followed behind Beckett as the two of them rushed from the room. They needed to find Kai and get out of there. He activated his comm. "Kai you there?" but there was no response. He turned to Beckett. "Head back to the village, I need to get Zian," John told Beckett.
"Right," Beckett agreed and ran for the door.
John hustled through the palace but he couldn't find Kai anywhere. "Amara!" he called when he spotted her.
She turned. "John what are you still doing here?" she asked.
"I'm looking for Zian."
She shook her head. "You have to leave now," she said firmly, trying to shove him the other way.
"I know, but I can't leave without Zian," Sheppard said.
Amara shook her head, "I don't know where she's gone," she replied indecision on her face.
"Look, maybe you should come with me too," John said. "You know what's going to happen if you stay here. I can find a safe place for you to go."
Amara's face softened. "You do care!" she exclaimed. "I knew you did. You'd really take me with you?" she asked latching onto his arm.
"Of course," John said with a distracted nod slowly pulling his arm away from her. "We just need to find Kai and the three of us can get out of here. Can you help me find her?"
"That won't be necessary," A stern voice intoned behind them. John whirled around to see Otho standing with guards at his back. "Tavius has been arrested for the murder of The Lord Protector and Amara is free to do as she likes. Kai is perfectly safe."
"That's great news," John said with a forced smile, but there was something going on. Some instinct of his was prickling and telling him things weren't okay. He shifted, rubbing at the center of his chest. Where in the hell was Kai if she was so safe?
"You really should have left," Otho said. He reached out and put a hand on John's shoulder. "I was prepared to let you walk away. You should have gotten out while you had the chance," he growled.
A soldier came up behind them with a knife to Beckett's throat.
"What the hell is this?" Sheppard snarled.
"I was prepared to let you walk away, but your colleagues in the village forced my hand. They have incited an uprising, which is something as the new Lord Protector just can't allow," Otho snarled.
The soldiers grabbed their arms and dragged them down to the prison. When they threw them inside John looked around to see Tavius lounging on a couch. It was the cushiest jail cell he had ever been in. He grunted in agitation and paced along the walls of the cell.
Otho strutted in moments later. "Wait outside," he ordered the guards.
"I'll have your head for this Chamberlain," Tavius drawled from where he was reclining. "Did you really need to add insult to injury by imprisoning me with these people?"
"We're not the ones who committed murder," Beckett bristled.
"True," Tavius agreed climbing dramatically to his feet. "There is only one murderer in the room. Isn't that right Otho?" he asked. He swung back around to face Beckett and Sheppard. "Oh let me guess, he told you I did it. Do I look like a person who knows anything about poisons or chemicals?" he asked gesturing to himself. "Otho on the other hand is always making elaborate studies of things, topics you and I might find boring but sometimes might turn out to be quite useful."
"You're the one who poisoned the Lord Protector?" Beckett asked in confusion turning to face Otho. He had liked the Chamberlain, genuinely believed Otho wanted to help his people.
"I had no choice," Otho said defensively.
Taviud chuckled bitterly. "Oh you're leaving out the best part. Once I assumed the throne Amara was to be given to Otho as his wife. That all changed of course when Lady Kai walked into the door. Otho thought he was so clever hiding her away, not telling my father of her true potential. But I was smart enough to check her scans myself. With Amara he might rule at her side, but he would never be the Lord Protector."
"That's true," Otho agreed. "Now with the gene therapy I will be the Lord Protector myself and with Kai we will produce a new dynasty. One that will last thousands of years."
"You won't touch her," Sheppard growled.
Otho chuckled. "I can be quite persuasive," he said brightly. "Especially to save her friends lives," Otho said dramatically and he slammed the cell door behind him.
"I really need to stop making house calls," Beckett muttered.
Sheppard turned to Tavius. "Where's Kai?" he demanded.
Tavius arched a brow, unimpressed. John grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. "Where. Is. Kai." he demanded in a dangerous voice.
"Colonel!" Beckett exclaimed.
Tavius was struggling to breath but all John could feel was his rage pounding through his body and the overwhelming need to protect Kai and get them as far away from these people as possible.
Tavius struggled against Sheppard, but he wasn't strong enough to break his grip. "I had her communications device taken from her," he wheezed. "I had her secured in her quarters once my father died."
"Why?" John demanded.
"I was going to threaten to kill you and all your friends if she didn't agree to marry me."
John rolled his eyes and threw Tavius away from him. "Good," he snarled as Tavius rolled across the floor.
"Good?" Beckett asked surprised. "What did I miss?"
"Well, I'm guessing Otho would have kept Kai locked in while he took control before he goes and makes the same offer," John cast a look at Beckett. "It's why we're still alive."
"Okay, so once again, why is that good?" Beckett asked slowly.
John smirked, a strange sense of pride on his face. "Because no one, not even Rodney could lock Kai in one of the rooms of Atlantis."
"But this isn't Atlantis," Beckett pointed out.
"You're right, it's a lot more simple than that," John said with a grin.
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Kai crept through the city. She had been out of her room for almost half an hour. She couldn't find Sheppard and Tavius's men had taken her radio. She crept through the hallways down to the cells. As she got closer she could hear Beckett and Sheppard talking. She didn't think it was loud enough for the guards outside the cell to hear them but she couldn't be sure.
There were two guards in the hallway, and she couldn't hear the heartbeats of any others. She launched herself at the first, leaping up into the air to put as much power behind her punch as possible. She caught him in the temple and he fell unconscious.
The other guard shouted and swung around to face her drawing his knife. She smirked at him. She might not be armed, but knife fighting was her forte. She dodged easily as he swung recklessly, backing towards the cells. She dodged four strikes before he lost his patience. He yelled impatiently and charged her. She smirked and spun out of the way at the last second. She shoved his arm up, making the knife useless and kicked as he sailed by, he slammed into the heavy metal bars of the cell.
When she looked up Tavius, Beckett and Sheppard were all staring at her. Tavius with shock, Beckett looked worried and Sheppard was smirking at her with a strange sort of pride on his face. She didn't want to think about it too hard.
"Looks like you boys are in need of a rescue," she said with a smirk as she crouched and pulled the keys off the guards belt.
"Yeah yeah, hurry up!" John called.
"How about a little appreciation," she said unlocking the door.
"You call this a rescue?" he teased in disbelief.
"Colonel," Beckett prompted urgently, reminding the Colonel that time was of the essence if they were going to save Ronon and Teyla.
"Right," Sheppard agreed. "Otho's going to use the throne chair to destroy the village." He stalked out of the cell and hurried to the side table where his and Beckett's radios were stashed.
"McKay come in," John called into the radio. "Rodney come in."
"Sheppard, are you all right?" McKay asked with uncharacteristic concern.
"I'm fine," Sheppard said quickly. "Look I need you to pull the ZPM and cut the power right away or Ronon and Teyla are dead."
"I already know all that," McKay sputtered. "Unfortunately I am cut off from the ZPM."
"There has to be something you can do," Sheppard said.
"I'm working on it!" McKay snapped.
"So work faster!" John ordered. Sometimes all McKay needed was a little pressure.
"All right I think I've got something," Rodney came back. "According to my reading the ZPM is almost depleted if we can activate enough systems simultaneously it might drain power completely thus rendering the drones inert."
"So do it!" John ordered.
"I can't, I don't have access to enough systems that draw that kind of power. I need something really big!"
"The star drive!" Kai called from across the cell where she was eavesdropping on their conversation.
John snapped his head around to face her with a grin and activated the radio. "How about the star drive? The cities just like Atlantis right? A city that was designed to fly."
"You want me to fly the city right up out of the ground?" McKay asked in disbelief.
"No," Sheppard snapped impatiently. Normally McKay was able to follow along a lot faster than this. "You don't have to go anywhere, just charge the engines. That should be the single greatest draw of power you can create."
"That could work," McKay agreed. "There's only one problem."
"What?" Sheppard demanded impatiently.
"This place is pretty unstable, I fire up the engines the vibrations alone could make the whole thing come down on us."
John glanced at Kai and blew out a sigh, closing his eyes. "It's a risk we're going to have to take."
"Firing up main engines," Rodney said warily and the whole place began shaking beneath their feet.
Two more guards ran in. John punched one and Kai kicked the other with a round house to the temple, dropping him to the ground. She was pleased to see it was the man who took her Blades. She crouched over him. "These are mine," she said pulling them from his belt and sliding them into their cross sheath on her low back.
"What about me?" Tavius called running to the cell door.
"Leave him," John called over his shoulder.
Tavius looked ready to argue and Kai smiled at him. He took a step closer to her and she pulled her fist back, punching him across the face with enough force the throw him back. She turned and ran to follow John.
Beckett chuckled and pulled the cell door closed on him. "Sorry wee man," he said with a laugh.
"Let's go," John called again and the three of them ran for the throne room.
They were halfway there when the power shut down in the whole compound. When they came into the throne room Otho was staring down at the chair in disbelief. "You," he cried shoving himself to his feet as John stepped into the middle of the floor. "this is your doing!" he accused. "Seize them!" he cried, turning to the guards.
John shook his head. "You're only Lord Protector if you can control the chair," he said stalking out into the middle of the room. "You said it yourself. It's over." John turned to the rest of the room. "You don't have to bow down to this man or Tavius or anyone else!" John told the people.
Everyone was watching John, the only thing that saved his life was that Kai was still watching Otho. She saw the movement behind John out of the corner of her eye. "John!" she called just as Otho charged him.
John whirled out of the way. Otho swung wildly and Kai stepped in, blocking his forearm and shoving him back. Otho whirled around, his blade aiming for John once more. John grabbed for the knife, jerking it out of his hand. The blade sliced across Otho's skin as John disarmed him.
Otho froze, staring down at the wound while John and Kai faced him in a crouch. Otho chuckled as he looked at his hand. "Tavius was right about one thing," he said grimly. "I do have a fair knowledge of poisons," he said and he gasped and collapsed to the floor.
John looked down at the blade in his hand as he realized one nick could have killed him or Kai. He threw the blade to the ground.
"John you saved us!" Amara cried and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.
Kai slipped out of the throne room. She just wanted to leave.
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Once they were back, John found Elizabeth on the balcony looking out over the waves. The doors slid open and Elizabeth glanced back at him.
"Got the drones, got a few jumpers, I even got the girl," he said proudly.
Elizabeth's eyes widened a little and her gaze went to the window over John's shoulder where she could see Kai moving through the control room. "You got the girl?" Elizabeth asked in surprise as she watched Kai.
John followed her gaze and saw Kai. He immediately turned back to face the ocean shifting uncomfortably. "I mean I could have got the girl," he said casually. "I turned the princess down," he explained quickly.
"What did you offer them in return for the drones and the jumpers?" Elizabeth asked, changing the subject.
"A supply of medicines and an IDC if they need to reach us. We also offered to help them come up with a new way of running things when the time comes," John said.
"They didn't offer you King?" Elizabeth teased.
John rested his hands on his hips and smirked down at her before walking backwards towards the door. "Turned that down too."
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Hope you enjoyed the update!!! Thank you all for your continued support!