Lightning Strikes, part 15
Welcome back! Hope all of you are doin' great! To all of you out there that have waited for this chapter - I present to you John's military meeting!
Thanks to nacimynom for her beta! You rock!
Please remember to feed the kitty! He enjoys your comments as much as I do!
Title: Lightning Strikes
Author: Amycat8733
Rating: T
Pairing(s): John/Teyla
Characters: John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Keller, Lorne, Woolsey
Warning(s): sentient Atlantis
Length: 1,794 this part
Disclaimer: The characters and locales of SGA don't belong to me. For fun, not profit. I just swim in the pool. No borrowed OCs were harmed during these productions.
Summary: A lightning bolt brings change to John Sheppard. His bond with the city deepens, bringing its own hazards. Friendship is tested as Rodney and John clash over his new strength. As John’s abilities grow and change, change also comes to Atlantis.
Part 15
The Marines and Airmen milled around in the big assembly hall. No one could figure out why they were here. The weekly briefing had been held by Major Lorne three days ago, and there were no missions or imminent enemy attacks in the works.
Once the entire contingent arrived, several of the SO’s from the Hammond took up positions around the room just as the house lights dimmed. There were many worried glances being shot their way. Finally, Gunny Dillon stepped to the front of the still lit stage to get the show rolling.
“Ah-ten-shun!” The Gunny had the best parade ground voice in Atlantis and everyone in the room snapped to attention upon hearing it.
At the back of the room, one of the sets of double doors opened and the overhead lights came on along the aisle. The assembled soldiers craned their heads to see what was going on.
First through the doors were Major Lorne and Director Woolsey. A cloud of whispers followed the progress of the pair through the crowd to the stage. Next came Carson, Jennifer and Radek. The trio of doctors took up positions behind Lorne and Woolsey. The presence of the assorted group had rumors flying through the room. It was unheard of for the head of the expedition, the head of Engineering and the two Chief Medical Officers to attend a military briefing.
After the doctors reached the stage, Gunny Dillon gave a hand signal and the assembled troops relaxed into parade rest just before the lights dimmed again. No one moved and not a word was spoken by those on the stage. Wisps of green and blue lights appeared on the walls like ghosts. After about ten minutes, rows of cool blue lights glowed to life along the aisle from the main doors, sparking an increase in the whispers.
Just as the whispers peaked, there was motion at the doors and a wave of silence spread through the room as Colonel Sheppard entered the room flanked by his entire team. Their Colonel was still a bit pale, but the determined look on his face put the lie to his appearance. He had dressed with care that morning. His boots were polished and properly laced. His uniform shirt was brand new as were the BDU’s. Even his leather jacket gleamed softly of fresh oil, the Atlantis shoulder patch standing out in stark relief, the straight sleeves hiding the black wrapped cast on his left wrist. His long strides carried him towards the stage, the lights dimming behind him like a trailing cloak of darkness, silence spreading through the room as his troops paid him the respect he had earned and deserved.
Upon reaching the stage, John took up position dead center and waited while everyone else spread to either side, flanking him in a show of solidarity. Cool blue spot lights came up and focused on John, allowing the gathered troops to get a clear view of their CO. His dark gaze roamed the hall, catching the eyes of each service member present.
“Airmen, Marines, at ease.” The entire contingent stiffened at the ring of command in John’s voice, even the doctors found themselves standing straighter. At center stage, John did not have to yell in order to be heard. The hall was acoustically tuned to project even the slightest whisper. “As you all know, I have very little use for protocol. I find that, in most cases, it is a waste of time. However, one thing that I do stand firm on is discipline. Without discipline, we are nothing but a group of thugs. I have no use for thugs or bullies and behavior that can be attributed to either of these groups will not be tolerated.”
John paused to let his words sink in. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on his hips as he continued. “It has come to my attention that, during the recent incident between me and my teammate, Dr. McKay, that many of you were unhappy with the situation.”
John dropped his hands and paced forward to the edge of the stage as he spoke. “I also understand that threats were made against Dr. McKay and other members of our science community by unknown members of this contingent. That will not be tolerated. Every member of this expedition is important.” John’s voice rang from the rafters, the acoustics of the hall adding counter-harmonies to it that sent shivers up many spines. “You are highly-trained service men and women, the finest that your services and countries have to offer. You are not schoolyard bullies and I will not tolerate any of you acting as such.”
Eyes flashing with a fierce chill, John drew himself up to his full six foot height, right hand resting on the butt of his .45. “Dr. McKay is a valuable member of my team and of this community. He is also my friend.” John’s voice changed, growing slightly colder with the steel of command still firmly in place. “If any of you have a problem with my friend, I suggest you take it up with me, personally.” John paused to let his statement sink in, noticing many guilty looks throughout the crowd.
“I have forgiven him for his part in an incident that was not his fault and I expect you to do the same. If you cannot, I expect you to at least treat him with the respect his position deserves. The true perpetrator has been caught and shall be punished. Any future incidents, accidental or not, will not be tolerated.”
John scanned the assembled service members again, making sure to catch the eyes of each man and woman present, his dark green eyes holding a challenge that had many dropping their heads in shame.
Gesturing towards Woolsey at his side and behind him at the gathered department heads, John continued. “We, the leaders of Atlantis, stand here before you in agreement. As of right now, the slate has been wiped clean. This is a zero tolerance policy. Violators will be summarily dealt with. This is your one and only warning. When you have eagles on your shoulders or the title of Director then you can write policy. Until then, discipline is to be left to those of us that get paid the big bucks. Do you understand me?”
A resounding “Sir, yes, Sir!” rang throughout the hall.
John nodded as he scanned the crowd, eyes flashing with a chill fire. “Good. We will not have this discussion again.”
With that, John turned on his heel and marched off the stage, his team, the doctors and Woolsey following in his wake. Major Lorne stayed behind to dismiss the troops.
Colonel Samantha Carter knew she was a curious person. Standing outside the assembly room, she watched lightning strike the ice floes while she waited on John to arrive. Having been privy to the planning discussions, she did not want to miss this little assembly. During her time as head of Atlantis, she had watched John command in some hairy situations, but she had rarely gotten the opportunity to see him deal with his troops in a serious non-combat situation.
With the lights dim, she slipped into the assembly hall behind Ronon and took up a post in the shadows near the door. From there she could see the whole show. As John made his way to the stage, Sam looked around and noticed the luminous effects on the walls and the way that the other lights in the room adjusted to put John in the best light possible. She also noticed the looks that John and his team were gathering. They had each dressed to impress. John was neat as a pin for the first time since she had met him over two years ago. Ronon and Teyla had each put on their best and were well armed, Teyla going so far as to have two sets of bantos rods on her. Rodney had dressed to show his place in the city - he was wearing his grey jacket with the blue stripes that proclaimed him a scientist, but instead of the matching trousers he was wearing black BDU and combat boots and had his 9mil strapped to his leg. The pistol alone served as a reminder that Rodney was the only scientist that had permission to be armed at all times.
Once John started speaking, she felt the reverberations in his words as they reflected from the walls. His use of command voice coupled with the finely tuned acoustics of the hall made his words shiver through the air. When his voice sharpened, she saw several Marines flinch as if they felt the dagger of his words at their necks.
Sam watched Woolsey step forward to stand at his Military Commander’s side. He had been silent throughout the proceeding. He knew this was a military matter, and she knew that he had originally wished to be excluded, but John had argued that showing a united front was the best way to handle this. So here he was, standing just slightly behind the man that had done so much for this city and asked so little in return, providing his support in a situation that could have turned extremely ugly for all. Outside of a crisis, this was one of the few times she was aware of where he had been able to observe John as he worked with his men. Sam noticed the look on Woolsey’s face as he gazed at the crowd and realized the deep respect and admiration that his troops had for the lanky Colonel. John would not have to order them to follow discipline; he would simply need to remind them that the chain of command was there for a reason.
Sam didn’t know where John had learned to work a crowd like that, or if it was a natural talent, but she knew that every soldier in that room would have knelt and offered their backs for him to walk upon if he had asked it. This man was why Atlantis was such a hotly contested duty station at the SGC. The locale didn’t hurt, but John was why everyone wanted to come here.
Realizing that the meeting was over, Sam watched as John left, Lorne stepping to the spot he had recently occupied. Scanning the gathered troops, she felt that the Colonel’s speech had sunk in. It helped that every soldier in the city would do anything for John. From the stage, Lorne’s voice broke into her contemplations. “Alright, boys and girls, you heard the Colonel. If you have any concerns, bring them to me, one of the other majors or to the Colonel himself. Dismissed!”
Thanks to nacimynom for her beta! You rock!
Please remember to feed the kitty! He enjoys your comments as much as I do!
Title: Lightning Strikes
Author: Amycat8733
Rating: T
Pairing(s): John/Teyla
Characters: John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Keller, Lorne, Woolsey
Warning(s): sentient Atlantis
Length: 1,794 this part
Disclaimer: The characters and locales of SGA don't belong to me. For fun, not profit. I just swim in the pool. No borrowed OCs were harmed during these productions.
Summary: A lightning bolt brings change to John Sheppard. His bond with the city deepens, bringing its own hazards. Friendship is tested as Rodney and John clash over his new strength. As John’s abilities grow and change, change also comes to Atlantis.
Part 15
The Marines and Airmen milled around in the big assembly hall. No one could figure out why they were here. The weekly briefing had been held by Major Lorne three days ago, and there were no missions or imminent enemy attacks in the works.
Once the entire contingent arrived, several of the SO’s from the Hammond took up positions around the room just as the house lights dimmed. There were many worried glances being shot their way. Finally, Gunny Dillon stepped to the front of the still lit stage to get the show rolling.
“Ah-ten-shun!” The Gunny had the best parade ground voice in Atlantis and everyone in the room snapped to attention upon hearing it.
At the back of the room, one of the sets of double doors opened and the overhead lights came on along the aisle. The assembled soldiers craned their heads to see what was going on.
First through the doors were Major Lorne and Director Woolsey. A cloud of whispers followed the progress of the pair through the crowd to the stage. Next came Carson, Jennifer and Radek. The trio of doctors took up positions behind Lorne and Woolsey. The presence of the assorted group had rumors flying through the room. It was unheard of for the head of the expedition, the head of Engineering and the two Chief Medical Officers to attend a military briefing.
After the doctors reached the stage, Gunny Dillon gave a hand signal and the assembled troops relaxed into parade rest just before the lights dimmed again. No one moved and not a word was spoken by those on the stage. Wisps of green and blue lights appeared on the walls like ghosts. After about ten minutes, rows of cool blue lights glowed to life along the aisle from the main doors, sparking an increase in the whispers.
Just as the whispers peaked, there was motion at the doors and a wave of silence spread through the room as Colonel Sheppard entered the room flanked by his entire team. Their Colonel was still a bit pale, but the determined look on his face put the lie to his appearance. He had dressed with care that morning. His boots were polished and properly laced. His uniform shirt was brand new as were the BDU’s. Even his leather jacket gleamed softly of fresh oil, the Atlantis shoulder patch standing out in stark relief, the straight sleeves hiding the black wrapped cast on his left wrist. His long strides carried him towards the stage, the lights dimming behind him like a trailing cloak of darkness, silence spreading through the room as his troops paid him the respect he had earned and deserved.
Upon reaching the stage, John took up position dead center and waited while everyone else spread to either side, flanking him in a show of solidarity. Cool blue spot lights came up and focused on John, allowing the gathered troops to get a clear view of their CO. His dark gaze roamed the hall, catching the eyes of each service member present.
“Airmen, Marines, at ease.” The entire contingent stiffened at the ring of command in John’s voice, even the doctors found themselves standing straighter. At center stage, John did not have to yell in order to be heard. The hall was acoustically tuned to project even the slightest whisper. “As you all know, I have very little use for protocol. I find that, in most cases, it is a waste of time. However, one thing that I do stand firm on is discipline. Without discipline, we are nothing but a group of thugs. I have no use for thugs or bullies and behavior that can be attributed to either of these groups will not be tolerated.”
John paused to let his words sink in. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on his hips as he continued. “It has come to my attention that, during the recent incident between me and my teammate, Dr. McKay, that many of you were unhappy with the situation.”
John dropped his hands and paced forward to the edge of the stage as he spoke. “I also understand that threats were made against Dr. McKay and other members of our science community by unknown members of this contingent. That will not be tolerated. Every member of this expedition is important.” John’s voice rang from the rafters, the acoustics of the hall adding counter-harmonies to it that sent shivers up many spines. “You are highly-trained service men and women, the finest that your services and countries have to offer. You are not schoolyard bullies and I will not tolerate any of you acting as such.”
Eyes flashing with a fierce chill, John drew himself up to his full six foot height, right hand resting on the butt of his .45. “Dr. McKay is a valuable member of my team and of this community. He is also my friend.” John’s voice changed, growing slightly colder with the steel of command still firmly in place. “If any of you have a problem with my friend, I suggest you take it up with me, personally.” John paused to let his statement sink in, noticing many guilty looks throughout the crowd.
“I have forgiven him for his part in an incident that was not his fault and I expect you to do the same. If you cannot, I expect you to at least treat him with the respect his position deserves. The true perpetrator has been caught and shall be punished. Any future incidents, accidental or not, will not be tolerated.”
John scanned the assembled service members again, making sure to catch the eyes of each man and woman present, his dark green eyes holding a challenge that had many dropping their heads in shame.
Gesturing towards Woolsey at his side and behind him at the gathered department heads, John continued. “We, the leaders of Atlantis, stand here before you in agreement. As of right now, the slate has been wiped clean. This is a zero tolerance policy. Violators will be summarily dealt with. This is your one and only warning. When you have eagles on your shoulders or the title of Director then you can write policy. Until then, discipline is to be left to those of us that get paid the big bucks. Do you understand me?”
A resounding “Sir, yes, Sir!” rang throughout the hall.
John nodded as he scanned the crowd, eyes flashing with a chill fire. “Good. We will not have this discussion again.”
With that, John turned on his heel and marched off the stage, his team, the doctors and Woolsey following in his wake. Major Lorne stayed behind to dismiss the troops.
Colonel Samantha Carter knew she was a curious person. Standing outside the assembly room, she watched lightning strike the ice floes while she waited on John to arrive. Having been privy to the planning discussions, she did not want to miss this little assembly. During her time as head of Atlantis, she had watched John command in some hairy situations, but she had rarely gotten the opportunity to see him deal with his troops in a serious non-combat situation.
With the lights dim, she slipped into the assembly hall behind Ronon and took up a post in the shadows near the door. From there she could see the whole show. As John made his way to the stage, Sam looked around and noticed the luminous effects on the walls and the way that the other lights in the room adjusted to put John in the best light possible. She also noticed the looks that John and his team were gathering. They had each dressed to impress. John was neat as a pin for the first time since she had met him over two years ago. Ronon and Teyla had each put on their best and were well armed, Teyla going so far as to have two sets of bantos rods on her. Rodney had dressed to show his place in the city - he was wearing his grey jacket with the blue stripes that proclaimed him a scientist, but instead of the matching trousers he was wearing black BDU and combat boots and had his 9mil strapped to his leg. The pistol alone served as a reminder that Rodney was the only scientist that had permission to be armed at all times.
Once John started speaking, she felt the reverberations in his words as they reflected from the walls. His use of command voice coupled with the finely tuned acoustics of the hall made his words shiver through the air. When his voice sharpened, she saw several Marines flinch as if they felt the dagger of his words at their necks.
Sam watched Woolsey step forward to stand at his Military Commander’s side. He had been silent throughout the proceeding. He knew this was a military matter, and she knew that he had originally wished to be excluded, but John had argued that showing a united front was the best way to handle this. So here he was, standing just slightly behind the man that had done so much for this city and asked so little in return, providing his support in a situation that could have turned extremely ugly for all. Outside of a crisis, this was one of the few times she was aware of where he had been able to observe John as he worked with his men. Sam noticed the look on Woolsey’s face as he gazed at the crowd and realized the deep respect and admiration that his troops had for the lanky Colonel. John would not have to order them to follow discipline; he would simply need to remind them that the chain of command was there for a reason.
Sam didn’t know where John had learned to work a crowd like that, or if it was a natural talent, but she knew that every soldier in that room would have knelt and offered their backs for him to walk upon if he had asked it. This man was why Atlantis was such a hotly contested duty station at the SGC. The locale didn’t hurt, but John was why everyone wanted to come here.
Realizing that the meeting was over, Sam watched as John left, Lorne stepping to the spot he had recently occupied. Scanning the gathered troops, she felt that the Colonel’s speech had sunk in. It helped that every soldier in the city would do anything for John. From the stage, Lorne’s voice broke into her contemplations. “Alright, boys and girls, you heard the Colonel. If you have any concerns, bring them to me, one of the other majors or to the Colonel himself. Dismissed!”