ONE PIECE AT A TIME BY wildcat88 [LFWS #2 ROUND 10]

Aug 04, 2009 14:26

Title: One Piece at a Time
Author: wildcat88
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Stargate belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., no infringements of any rights is intended.
Spoilers: Takes place after season 5
Prompt for the Round: Write a fic set 10 years after the finale from season 5.


ONE PIECE AT A TIME by wildcat88

“What do you think it means?” McKay asked.

John sighed loudly. “For the fourteenth time, Rodney, all I know is that Atlantis requested assistance using the code we left Teyla and Ronon.”

“We left over eight years ago. Why now?” McKay paced in a nervous circle in front of the viewscreen then plopped in a chair and stared at long range sensors. “We shouldn’t have left.”

“You know we didn’t have a choice. Our people were being attacked on every planet we visited after that last Hoffan virus mutation, and the IOA in their infinite wisdom had already agreed to never take Atlantis out of Pegasus again in order to ease tensions, fat lot of good that did.” John rubbed his temples, trying to massage away the devastation of those last months before the recall. “I hope Atlantis is where we left her.”

“She is,” McKay replied.

“How do you know? The message didn’t include coordinates.”

McKay’s cheeks turned rosy. “Um…”

“What did you do?”

“I might have reprogrammed the control chair to respond to only one person’s DNA.”

“Whose?”

McKay’s mouth twisted into a sheepish grin. “Yours.”

John gaped at him. “That’s crazy! They’d be sitting ducks if they were attacked.”

“I didn’t disable the shield,” Rodney protested. “Just the control chair so they couldn’t fly her.”

“Or fire drones.” John pushed out of his chair. “What were you thinking?”

“That they threw us out of our home!”

“A lot of people died, Rodney.”

McKay flinched and glanced away. “I remember,” he whispered.

John mentally kicked himself for opening that wound again. A vicious attack on a refugee camp left Beckett, Keller, Lorne, and twenty-seven other aid workers dead. Unwilling to risk any more lives and unable to negotiate a peace, the IOA issued recall orders for the surviving expedition members and handed control of Atlantis over to the Coalition council.

“Colonel, we’re approaching the system.”

“Take us out of hyperspace,” John ordered. His skin tingled as the Odyssey re-entered regular space, and he settled into the command chair. “Tactical?”

“Scanning… No ships in the system,” Cadman reported. “Atlantis is on the surface, uncloaked.”

John’s heart hammered. “Life signs?”

“About one hundred, all human.”

“Wraith have been dead for years, Major.”

Cadman grinned. “Yes, Sir. I just like saying it.”

“Damage?”

“Nothing detectable by our sensors.”

Relief flooded through John. At least they hadn’t been attacked.

“Did you say one hundred life signs?” McKay asked. “That’s it?”

“Yes.” Cadman fine-tuned her console. “All in the main tower.”

“Then let’s say hello. Hail them please, Lieutenant.” When the comms officer nodded, John blew out a breath and stood. “Atlantis, this is Colonel John Sheppard of the Odyssey. We received your request for assistance. Please respond.”

Static hissed over the open channel and John’s breath caught when a familiar voice answered, “Odyssey, this is Teyla Emmagan of Atlantis. We are ready to receive you.”

John bowed his head for a moment then nodded at Cadman. White light filled his vision, and then he was standing in almost the exact spot from where he exited the gate fifteen years prior, but instead of the pristine conditions he remembered, he was surrounded by debris - bits of Ancient tech, shards of glass, crumbling remains of a wall. The stench made his eyes water.

“My God,” Rodney mumbled. “What the hell happened?”

John squinted in the dim lighting and grinned as a form separated silently from the shadows. “Hey, big guy.”

Ronon lifted him and squeezed until John thought his ribs would break. “Knew you’d come.”

“Why wouldn’t we?” McKay winced as Ronon pulled him into a hug and pounded his back. “I bruise easily, you know.”

Ronon’s laugh sounded rusty to John’s ears. “I remember. Come on. Teyla’s up here.”

He bounded up the main staircase toward the conference room. John kicked his way through the rubble and trash, slightly disappointed that the stairs didn’t light when he stepped on them.

McKay’s eyes were wide as he followed. “Aw, would you look at that?” He waved at Operations, where blackened control crystals littered the floor. “No wonder the lights barely work. I’m surprised the gate does.”

“We spent many days searching for the proper crystals to repair the DHD.” Teyla smiled and stepped forward. “It is good to see you.”

John bent his forehead to touch hers, unable to speak. Teyla gripped his shoulders then turned to tug Rodney’s head to hers.

“Where is everybody?” John asked. “I thought there’d be hundreds if not thousands of people here.”

“Used to be,” Ronon said. “Before.”

John frowned. “Before what?”

“The Refari,” Teyla answered. “It is a long story.”

“Give me the highlights.”

She gestured toward the conference room. “Come. It is not yet mealtime, but we have water and sumal berries.”

The center of the room had been cleared, and a makeshift table had been assembled from the shattered remains of several others.

John perched on a crate. “Let’s have it.”

“Because of my association with you,” Teyla began, “my presence was not welcome on the Coalition council. Halling became the Athosian representative. About a year after you left, he sent word that a new faction had gained admittance - a group known as the Refari.”

“They’re the ones that led the attacks against our people,” Ronon interjected.

“But we did not know that at the time.” Teyla shook her head. “Their technology rivaled the Travelers. They replaced the Genii as the military arm of the Coalition, and for the first time in history, we were at peace. But it wasn’t enough. Instead of a loose alliance, the Refari favored tight control.”

“She means sole control.” Ronon pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against. “They attacked worlds that wouldn’t agree to their trade terms or military presence.”

“The Coalition had no way to fight them,” Teyla added. “They had no ships and the Travelers didn’t want to get involved. Once the Refari had Atlantis, they were unstoppable.”

McKay’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Some of them had the gene,” Ronon said.

John closed his eyes. “The jumpers.”

Teyla nodded. “They ravaged every world they could access.” She arched a brow at Rodney. “Which was not as many as I expected.”

John stared at McKay. “What else did you do?”

Rodney shrugged. “Encrypted the database.”

“McKay!”

Ronon grinned. “It worked.”

“It allowed us to form safe havens,” Teyla agreed, “to train people to fight back.”

“You started a rebellion?” Rodney asked.

“And finished it,” Ronon replied. “Then we called you.”

“Why?” John held up a hand. “Don’t get me wrong. We’re happy to help, but you seem to have everything under control. What do you want us to do?”

Teyla glanced at Ronon who nodded. “Atlantis needs the Ancestors’ descendants in order to fully function. We would like for you to return and join the Coalition-”

“Teyla-”

“-which I lead.”

John blinked. “You’re in charge of the Coalition?”

“Yes, along with Ronon, Halling, Ladon Radim, and several others. Atlantis will remain under Coalition control, but we invite Earth’s people to return.”

“Can we really rebuild trust between Earth and the Coalition?” Rodney asked.

“I believe so,” Teyla replied.

“How?”

“The same way we rebuild the city, McKay.” John picked up a chunk of stone. “One piece at a time.”

Teyla smiled. “Welcome home.”

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lfws2: round 10, character: other, character: teyla emmagan, character: ronon dex, genre: team, genre: futurefic, rating: pg, character: rodney mckay, character: john sheppard, author: wildcatt88

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