The Saints of Atlantis 10
Sheppard leaned against the doorway to Elizabeth’s private office. “Do I need to ask what that was about?”
“Was I that obvious?” Elizabeth sighed as she leaned back in her chair.
“Only to those who know you,” Sheppard said. He walked in and sat down in front of her desk, thinking the door shut behind him. “What about them bugs you so much?” he asked after a few minutes of strained silence.
“What doesn’t, John?” She got up to pace. “They’re killers, vigilantes. That alone goes against everything I believe in, everything I’ve ever worked towards. They came in and sat down wearing some of the most powerful hand weapons we know and then they started talking about adding alcohol to the mix. At least Doctor Zelenka doesn’t produce enough of his homebrew to get the entire base drunk. They want to set up a brewery! They’re religious fanatics! How long will it be before they decide to resume their ‘work’ and start killing all of us?” Elizabeth sighed and dropped into her chair. “Plus that synchronicity thing they were doing creeped me out.”
“Well, the last one I think is the easiest to answer. They’re twins and closer than most,” John said with a grin. “According to the file that General O’Neill sent me they’re actually phobic about being separated. That’s why I put them in the suite I did. There are two bedrooms, one with two single beds and the other has one of those not quite king beds. They can figure out their sleeping arrangements for themselves.”
“As for the fact that they kill people, so do I; actually I’ve killed more people than they have, especially if you count my waking up the Wraith.”
“John, that’s completely different,” Elizabeth interrupted sternly.
John shook his head. “Actually it isn’t. When I got the file on them I went and did some research. Not only did they only kill criminals, they only went after repeat offenders that were either released with a slap on the wrist or got off scot free. They’ve never killed an innocent person. As for their being religious fanatics, it actually doesn’t have that much to do with what religion they follow.”
John leaned forward, willing her to understand. “They are the descendents of an order of Ancient Knights. They still follow the code of that order. Teyla told me what’s still remembered here in Pegasus, and it’s practically a quote of what Murphy told me. They also said that they have no idea who in their family will take that path, just that there is always someone who is called to do so. I think that their family has bred themselves to reinforce their Ancient genes, breeding for the one specific trait of being able to see evil. I think it’s one of the things that came about because of the Ancients’ obsession with ascension. We know they started to evolve psychic abilities. They do believe that this ability is triggered by God and as a result the entire family is very religious, but they don’t discriminate against anyone’s religion.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “The universe isn’t as black and white as that John. There are a thousand shades of grey and I’m worried about what they’ll do when they meet that grey head on. What will they do about Carson and his involvement with the Hoffans? What about your waking the Wraith and killing Colonel Sumner? What will they decide about Rodney’s destroying five sixths of a solar system? We’ve all screwed up and pretty badly with serious consequences. I don’t want them to kill any of our people because they’ve decided that we’re evil because of what we’ve done.”
John stood up. “Elizabeth, I think you’re wrong about them. I know you’ve made up your mind though. Just give them a chance to show you what sort of men they are.” He turned and left her office. He hated her ‘shades of grey’ routine, but he knew she honestly believed it. There were some things though that combat had taught him, including that there was actual evil in the universe and that the only way to deal with it was to destroy it.
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Teyla was fortunate enough to get a ride with one of the groups helping the Athosians with harvesting the crops planted on the mainland. This was their second major harvest of the season, and Halling had told her that this time there would be enough to not only feed all of their people, including those who lived in the city, but there would be more than enough to trade as well. Every year her people grew small amounts of specialty items; teas, spices, herbs and fruits. In bad years, these had gone to trade for basic necessities. This year there would be luxury goods.
It was the Earth born who had made this possible. Farming was hard work, especially when beginning on new land. John’s Marines had made the difference in the amount of ground that could be farmed. Rodney’s engineers had made small machines that increased the speed at which they could work. Elizabeth had ensured that no one starved while the new crops were being grown that first year, even as they were rescuing more and more refugees from Wraith attacks. It was good that they would be able to repay the kindness that had made their survival possible.
“Halling!” she cried as she walked towards the village.
“Teyla! We did not expect you today.” Halling was a tall man, big across his shoulders and with the muscles that came from the hard work it took to survive in the Pegasus galaxy. “It’s looking like the, buckwheat,” Halling paused before the still unfamiliar name, “will soon be ready. I did not think that anything would grow on that ground. Doctor Parish was right and now I owe him a trip to look at the plants of this world.” Halling was grinning as he said this.
Halling was not sorry to lose the small bet. The grains that the Earth born had introduced the Athosians to had not only made for a greater variety in their diet, but also provided them with rare grains to trade with. There were some worlds whose nobility considered themselves to be above eating the plain and simple grains that were the mainstay of the common people. The Athosians could now supply grains that quite literally no one from their galaxy had ever seen before and no one else could grow.
Teyla smiled. “That is wonderful Halling, but I bring news. Something has happened and the council needs to be called.”
Halling’s smile fell from his face. The Athosians were a simple people, although once they had been much more. It took a great need for the council to be called as they were content to follow where their leader walked. “I’ll call them.”
The council met in Halling’s home, and consisted of all the remaining elders, a term that had a different connotation in Pegasus than elsewhere. The youngest of the elders was twenty years of age, the oldest was fifty. Teyla greeted each of them as they entered Halling’s home. When they were all gathered, she began her tale. “As you all know, when the Ancestors left our galaxy, they traveled to Earth. There they married and had children with the Earth born. This is why Colonel Sheppard is so beloved of Atlantis.” She waited as each of them nodded seriously. “Two more men have come to Atlantis that the city recognizes as children of the Ancients. They are brothers and something called twins. I have not yet learned what that is. What I have learned is that their ancestors were the mila poppaaem. They still follow the code, and they have the gift. Atlantis would not allow any to enter the temple of the mila poppaaem until they arrived. I cannot decide what to do next. I need your guidance for our people’s future.”
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John had decided to hide out in the McManus’ new quarters. To make sure he was welcome he’d brought his supply of beer, four six packs, Ronon and a few DVDs with a player that Rodney had fiddled with until it could hook up to the Ancient equivalent of a wide screen TV. It hadn’t originally been put to that use of course, but every set of quarters in the central spire had one, so there were no objections from anyone who really mattered.
By the time Rodney had figured out where John had gotten to, (he knew from one look at Elizabeth’s face that the two of them had gotten into it again,) it had turned into a party. Ronon and Murphy were comparing knives and drinking shots of smurf piss. Conner and Radek were discussing Radek’s still and Doctor Beckett was trying to convince them both to use the not-corn from PXT-794 as it was something they had in abundance. John and Lorne were explaining puddlejumpers to a bemused Romeo.
Generally one not to partake of parties unless either forced to or it involved food, for once Rodney didn’t care. There was booze to be had and they had zats. That was reason enough for him to celebrate. The damned Wraith would probably know all about them, but he still doubted that they could recover from disintegration. “I can’t believe that you’re doing straight shots of that!” however, was the first thing that came out of his mouth.
Murphy leaned back so that his head hung upside down. “It’s terrible, but after a couple of jars, you don’t mind so much.”
“What does your rank mark mean?” Ronon asked Murphy suddenly, pointing at the tats on Murphy’s arm.
“Rank?” Murphy asked puzzled. Then his expression cleared when he saw where Ronon was pointing. “Nah, I just like having them. They’re reminders of our faith. I got others, more than Conner cause he’s a Nancy boy.” Before Ronon could ask him what he meant, Conner had tackled Murphy and they proceeded to get into one of their frequent tussles. They had known they couldn’t get into any fights while they were on the Daedalus, and as a consequence were more than ready to go at the drop of a hat.
Within a few minutes Sheppard and Lorne had settled down from their initial reaction of alarm to amusement. There was no doubt at all the that the two men were brothers as they used every hold and dirty trick out there, except that which would actually cause physical damage. “Three weeks stuck in that tin can. No fighting, no drinking, no smoking, it’s a wonder we didn’t all go crazy. I think the only way we got through it was taking out that snake thing and that NID traitor,” Romeo said, as he watched Conner and Murphy roll across the floor trading punches and slaps.
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” was Ronon’s opinion. “They’re not even as good as your Marines, Sheppard.”
“You shouldn’t have said that amigo,” Romeo said with a grin.
Before Ronon could react, both of the twins were on him, and this time they weren’t holding back. Every dirty trick they’d ever learned from every bar brawl they’d ever been in, every move they’d ever learned from the fighters in their family and beyond was used against the former Runner. It didn’t take Ronon long to realize that he was in a real fight and to react, but by then the twins had the upper hand, especially as they moved as one person, each knowing where the other would be before his brother moved. It didn’t take long for them to have Ronon pinned. He stiffened expecting the worst, but Conner just tapped him on the head. “Tag, you’re it!”
Laughing the twins let him go, and went back to get more drinks. Conner picked up his tablet and Murphy went to join Sheppard’s group. “You know that the two of you have the worst sense of humor ever right?” Romeo asked.
“Blame our Ma,” Murphy laughed. “We get our sense of humor from her.”
“Hey Murph, Ma sent us an email!” Conner called, having finally worked his way through the Ancient version of an owner’s manual. Comparing what they had written with what the scientists had figured out made learning the options that the scientists hadn’t figured out yet a lot easier.
“Yeah?” Murphy asked as he crowded in behind his twin. Conner nodded and with a thought, pulled up a holographic screen. “Hey, she sent a vid!” Murphy cried, pointing at the file. “When did she learn that?”
“Don’t you remember when we sent that one for Doc to Duffy?” Conner reminded him. They were now the center of attention, and everyone crowded in behind them to watch.
Conner started up the vid. “You ungrateful little pissants really did it this time!” their mother growled at them from the screen. The twins laughed at their mother’s frequent pet name for them. “You two better be good, you hear me? You do what you’re told so’s you can come home. Don’t you put Gretchen and Jacob through what your Da put me through! At least I only had the two of you to try and beat some sense into. Gretchen and Jacob both have something to say to you. You’d best be sending them letters and such or I’ll beat you both shitless when you get home!”
“Yes Ma,” they chorused.
A young woman appeared next in front of the camera with a three year old boy on her lap. Jacob had his mother’s dark hair, although it was easily as messy as either of his fathers along with their bright blue eyes. “Da, Da! Ma an Grama teeched me the prayer! A shepherd I shall be, for Thee my Lord for Thee,” he took a deep breath and continued. “Power hath defended forf from Thy hand, so my feets shall swifty carry out Thy commans, So I shall floo a river forf unto Thee, and deeming wif souls shall it ever be. E Nomini Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti.” Jacob bounced up and down, a big grin on his face as his mother laughed in the background.
Conner and Murphy burst out laughing. “He did it!” they told each other excitedly.
“Wow, you guys learn that shit early, don’t you?” Romeo asked.
“Aye, he did better than we did at that age though,” Conner said.
“That’s because we did it half in Gaelic and half in Latin,” Murphy pointed out. “And we kept switching it up.”
On the screen Gretchen said something in German, the love in her voice coming through loud and clear, even for those who did not understand the language. The twins sat still for a moment, shocked until the video ended, then turned to each other in surprise. “Another set of twins?” they asked each other.