Chapter 27

Sep 19, 2007 22:53

The Battle of Millhaven.



Chapter 27

March 25

The night had been long for Jeremiah. Marty kept up a dialogue pretty much on his own, but it helped. One part of Jeremiah wanted everyone to arrive now and get it over with. Another part was nervous about being the one in charge. He didn't know squat about deploying troops or recognizing a good battle plan from a bad one. He had only done things for himself.

"Do not worry, Jeremiah. I will help and I believe Theo will be an asset," Marty reassured him.

"I hope she could pass the message on." That was another bad thing hanging over the plan. Torture. Had they tortured anyone else? Killed anyone? Theo had looked in pretty bad shape, although knowing Theo she probably had brought it on herself.

Jeremiah took another deep breath, anxious for the trucks to hurry up and arrive. It felt like they had already wasted twelve hours and--

"I see lights ahead," Marty broke into Jeremiah's thought.

The two men stayed hidden within the trees until they could see the outline of four large military style trucks coming towards them.

"Those vehicles are the kind that transported my mate," Marty told him. "Are they from Thunder Mountain?"

"Wait," Jeremiah cautioned. "If they are, they'll stop."

The trucks lumbered down the road, stopping at the intersection. A woman stuck her head out of the passenger side of the lead truck. "Jeremiah?" she called.

"Hey, Kate," Jeremiah called back, jumping out of the overgrowth at the side of the road. "What took you so long?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "So, where do we park these monstrosities?"

Marty had shown Jeremiah earlier that night a side road off of Baird that ended at a forestry cabin. Plenty of room to turn around in and then wait for the signal to drive closer to Millhaven after the prisoners had been set free. Jeremiah wasn't sure yet whether bringing the trucks into town was a good idea or not, but having to walk to the trucks while Millhaven was assembling a counter army had sounded worse.

Jeremiah and Marty started down Baird, walking, while the trucks followed behind. The turn off wasn't that far ahead, and it only took about ten minutes to find it. The dirt road was fairly hidden and being on foot with the headlights behind them was a definite asset.

Once the trucks were settled, the drivers instructed to stay and monitor the radio. Kate climbed out to talk to Jeremiah.

She looked pointedly at Marty. "And who's this?"

"I am Martouf," he answered, then added with a rueful smile, "but Jeremiah insists on calling me Marty."

"Welcome to the party," she acknowledged. "My people are waiting."

"Then let's head out," Jeremiah answered. "We'll walk most of the way in. When we're about five minutes away, we'll radio and have the choppers dispatched. When we hear them coming, we'll contact the trucks, have them start rolling in. Then as a unit, we'll descend on the school and the choppers will cover us. Sounds good?"

Kate nodded and made all the new soldiers form five groups.

"When we get to the school," Jeremiah pointed at group one, "you guys will take the left side." He pointed at group two, "You'll take the right. Both moving toward the front." The third, larger group was instructed to cover the back, but to wait until the others entered the front, to draw off the guards on the back. "Kate, you go with group three, since they're the ones that'll probably find the prisoners and lead them out. I'll be in front coordinating most of our firepower, and Marty will be with you, since he knows where to take people if this plan gets fucked over."

With everyone in agreement, Jeremiah radioed the mountain and told Erin that they were ready to leave and to have the choppers on standby.

---+--

Sam felt like she was being torn in a million directions at once. Everyone needed to ask her opinion or for instructions--anything to help ease their nervousness. Each Huey had been equipped with guns and as much ammo as they could carry. Since they only had four pilots in residence, it severely limited the quality of air support they would be able to contribute. But, since they were only covering the perimeter of one school, Sam believed--hoped--it would be enough.

She had volunteered to fly, but in the end, she and Jack had decided that her expertise at actually firing from a helicopter was more important. They weren't sure any of the other gunners were going to be able to hit anything from the air. The plan didn't call for pinpoint accuracy, but anxiety about not hitting their own people was going to make the gunners hesitant. She was prepared to take over for her pilot if necessary.

The ceiling had already been retracted and the choppers fueled up. The guns were ready. All they needed was the call to tell them to lift off. It was a short flight to Millhaven and Jack had given Nathan explicit instructions on the best way to approach.

With a few minutes of down time, Sam couldn't help thinking about this reality's Jack O'Neill. He'd seemed a very different man at first, but now, he seemed more like the colonel she knew. Was she getting used to him, or had he changed under their influence? Would he revert after they left? If they left. God, she didn't want to even think they might be stranded in this reality. Hadn't Mister Smith seemed to imply they would get off the planet and make it back to the world with the tuning arches? Yet they were no closer to obtaining the needed naquadah and kept getting roped in to helping the people here. Not that she regretting giving them assistance, but they needed to focus on getting home and that meant--

The radio beeped. "Nathan! Sam! Power up, and let's go!" Jeremiah called.

As one, each helicopter's engine roared to life. Sam listened and they all sounded fine. No one had sabotaged them.

Sam put on her headset and jumped into the last chopper taking off. Nathan was taking lead and hers would be flying slot. The other two would be a bit in front and flying wing. They would hold the diamond formation until just before the attack.

Excitement curled in her stomach. This would be the first step in correcting the wrong that had happened in St. Louis, although they were no closer to getting Daniel and Markus back. It was however, a step in the right direction.

---+---

Theo finally regained consciousness to find everyone hovering over her. "What time is it?" she asked, sitting up and finding out how stiff she'd gotten. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck, amused when the sound made Elizabeth scrunch up her face in disgust.

"It's almost morning," Elizabeth told her quietly. "You've been out of it for almost seven hours."

"I needed the sleep, if I'm gonna be able to do my share. I take it it's still quiet?"

"No alarm, yet."

Theo let a feral smile cross her face. "Good. Have you told everyone?"

"Oh, yes," Elizabeth affirmed.

Theo looked around. Most acted like they were sleeping, but there was a restlessness in the air. She was very good a picking up vibes and her instincts were screaming that the time was almost here. Jeremiah was outside, gathering his troops, getting ready to burst in and release them all. "How's Kurdy?" she remembered to ask.

"I'm just fine and I can answer for myself," the man in question spoke from behind her.

Theo turned around to see Kurdy sitting up, with Jo-Lynn asleep next to him. He shrugged his shoulders. "She said to wake her when the 'time is upon us'. Guess she's just resting up."

Elizabeth gave a little laugh. "Between your slang," she indicated Theo, "and Jo's lack of it, it's really hard to know what anyone is talking about."

Theo didn't believe she talked any different from, say, Kurdy, but she did agree that sometimes Jo sounded strange. Whenever she'd tried to question the other woman about her past, the conversation always turned away, until Theo had forgotten she'd asked anything. Jo was good. Maybe when they got out of this rathole, she'd make Jo-Lynn give them the real low-down.

---+---

Jeremiah slipped in next to Gabriel.

"All set?" Gabriel murmured.

"Yep," Jeremiah replied, taking out the field glasses and gazing at the school. Everything still looked quiet. "Just waiting for Kate to call and tell us Marty's joined them." Marty had stayed with Jeremiah in front, helping to evaluate the Millhaven positions, making sure they were unchanged, and then hiked around to the rear.

The radio clicked. "Jer? Kate. Marty's here. We're ready."

"I'm in position. Waiting." Waiting for the helicopters, in other words.

"Copy that," she answered.

Jeremiah next radioed the choppers. They had an ETA of three minutes. It was the longest one hundred and eighty seconds of his life. Dawn was still an hour away and the chill ate through to his bones.

Then he heard them. "Let's move," he called both to the people beside him and the left and right flanks over his radio. With careful precision and guns with their safeties off, the Thunder Mountain Regulars began their first assault.

---+---

Sam peered through the scope on her target. So far, Jeremiah's charge had only provoked attack from the soldiers already positioned at the school.

Nathan had the lead and cruised his Apache like a giant, menacing bat over the top of the school. His forward guns blasted into the big gun on the roof, eliminating the largest threat to the entire operation. Suddenly the outside lights blared on, illuminating the surrounding grounds. Sam felt her own chopper turn toward the town as the lights there also came on and soldiers, half-dressed, poured out of houses. Most had guns, but others ran toward what was probably an armory.

"Turn a bit north," Sam directed into her headset. Her pilot obeyed and she targeted the building with her grenade launcher. A big fireball leaped to the sky. "Bulls-eye!" she laughed. Too easy.

The gunner next to her fired a round causing some new additions to the fray to run for cover. Sam added her own, which made them retreat. They had to be rethinking their path to the school. The street they were monitoring was the most direct, but cutting across darkened lawns was also going to be an option for them. Raining another shower of shots across several backyards, Sam happened to notice someone pulling out a missile launcher from a garage.

"Everybody watch your tails -- they've got shoulder missiles!" She shouted, and swung her gun trying to take it out. She fired rapidly, but on single-shot so as not waste ammo, and finally succeeded in pinging the shooter in the leg, so he dropped the launcher. Her clip emptied, and she held her hand behind her for a new one to jam into the base of the MP-5.

A missile shot from another chopper went wide and took out a building. Sam's pilot did an excellent job of maneuvering to give them the best possible targets. Reloading her gun, she scanned the ground for another group trying to find their way to the school.

---+---

Jolinar woke abruptly and jumped to her feet, all senses alert. It had begun.

Kurdy lazily opened his eyes and stared at her. "They here?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, head tilted, listening. Helicopters and shortly gunfire.

Soon it became apparent to all. Guards ran out the doors, yelling orders to each other, leaving the prisoners unattended. Everyone began bunching up, assembling into their groups, Jolinar noticed with satisfaction. Suddenly a voice came over the loud speaker.

"Stay where you are. This is just a drill."

"Drill, my ass," Theo snorted in disbelief.

"I repeat, do not worry. No one is at risk; we will protect you, but please stay quiet."

By now everyone was wide-awake and waiting in their prearranged groups. Kurdy looked much better, no fever, but his arm was weak and he wouldn't be much use in hand-to-hand combat. Theo was showing no ill-effects of yesterday's ordeal and appeared eager to join the battle.

"Over here," a feminine voice shouted from outside, in the hall.

Four soldiers in green camouflage clothing entered the gym, one woman and three men.

"Kate!" Elizabeth cried in recognition.

Jolinar smiled as the woman commanded the men to break the lock with an ax, as if they needed the direction. It took only four blows before the chain was severed and the door swung open.

"Everybody out," Kate commanded, and without further encouragement, they began exiting through the narrow gate.

Surprisingly, Theo didn't rush out, but stayed behind, directing and making the others follow the plan when some might have trampled those in front in their hurry. At last it was only their group, Kate embraced Elizabeth and told them to hurry.

Others from the Thunder Mountain rescue team lined the halls, providing protection from any errant Millhaven guards. When they came to the door to the outside, a tall, brown-haired young man was standing next to her beloved, pointing the way they had to run. Kurdy went up to the man and barked, "What took you so long?" before demanding a gun. Both men wore silly grins for a second before their faces cleared and they became warriors once again. So, that was Tweedle-Dee.

Her attention returned to Martouf as he grabbed her hand and squeezed. Jolinar had to rein in her emotions so her eyes didn't glow and cause unnecessary fear in the Tau'ri.

"Come on, Marty. You can do the kissing stuff later," his companion teased.

Jolinar lifted an eyebrow and smirked. Martouf shrugged and the two followed their new friends to safety. Jolinar let the door close behind them as they took off at a fast run across the open field. Three helicopters were shooting in the distance while another circled above them. Jeremiah waved, and the helicopter followed them until they hit the trees.

Deliberately Jolinar and Lantash began to lag behind, letting the distance grow with each step they took. Then they made a quick ninety degree turn and disappeared into the darkness.

"Is the ship close?" Rosha asked, her hand closed tightly on Martouf's arm.

"The tel'tak is about a mile northwest."

They broke into a jog, anxious to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the two Tau'ri factions.

---+---

Sam stared in shock as the chopper circled around the last bunch to leave the school. They wanted to make sure none of the prisoners were followed by soldiers making a last ditch effort to reclaim their hostages. While everything pointed to them having gotten away cleanly, that wasn't what had captured Sam's attention.

Her eyes were totally focused on a man and a woman running behind Jeremiah. She couldn't believe what her eyes were telling her. The man, Martouf, was easy to recognize. His blond hair and good looks was the same in this reality as it had been in hers. Absently she realized that Jeremiah's "Marty" had to be him.

However, it was Rosha's image that had rocked her. The woman's likeness existed only in her broken memories left behind at Jolinar's death. And Jolinar was with her, most likely. Jolinar and Lantash. Sam felt frozen, yet she burned to jump out and talk to the Tok'ra. Their presence was so unexpected. Why were they here?

Sam was jerked back to awareness as the other gunners shouted in triumph. They had won. Now it was time to meet at the rendezvous point and decide who needed immediate transport to the Mountain.

---+---

Jack sat back, feeling the same relief as Erin at the news. The prisoners were free. Jeremiah had produced a miracle. A grin refused to be suppressed.

"Are you really pleased?" Erin asked him, looking worried.

"Of course," he replied, trying to look reassuring, but he knew what she actually meant. He had helped bring about the defeat of his own people; soldiers he had trained with, lived with, and should have had his loyalty. Yet they didn't. He still cared about some of them, but the majority were only faces.

"What are you going to do now?" she kept at him.

In defense, he shot back, "You trying to decide whether to throw me back in the brig?" His harsh words caused her to flinch, making him both feel guilty and then mad for feeling guilty.

"No, honestly, that didn't cross my mind. The spy's been caught--"

"Yeah, but Millhaven knows that Thunder Mountain was behind it all. You need me here in case of retribution. Plus, I promised to go fishing with Markus when he gets back."

She gave him a weak smile. "Markus doesn't know how to fish."

"I can teach him. It's not hard."

"That's what he said."

But her questions got him to thinking. What was he going to do? He had to assume the other Jack O'Neill and Charlie would rescue Markus and come back. Where would that leave him?

He couldn't stay here, it would kill the fake Jack, and he didn't want to be responsible for that. He'd have to be the one to leave, but go where? Valhalla was out of the question. He'd seen and been a part of something so much better. There was no way he'd put himself back under Simmons' and Waverly's power again. He'd be better off on his own--at least until the others went back home.

"Eagle's nest calling the bird, do you read?" Erin called into the radio.

Lee's voice came over loud and clear. "I'm here. How'd it go?"

"They're on their way home with a full cargo," she told him.

"Did we lose anyone?" Lee asked, his voice sounding worried.

"Nope. Two seriously hurt, plus Kurdy got shot in the arm in St. Louis. We're flying them home."

Lee sighed audibly in relief.

"Have you heard from the others?" she asked, meaning Charlie and the other Jack.

"Nothing, yet. But we'll let you know as soon as we do."

She signed off. Despite the rescue she still looked strung out from worry.

He felt compelled to help reassure her. "Hey," he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. "If that other Jack is like me, he won't give up until Markus is out of there. I-- uh, we -- never leave our people behind."

---+---

Jeremiah was surprised how glad he was to see the main doors of Thunder Mountain come into view. For a long time he'd been out on his own, and then Thunder Mountain had happened. But it had still been little more than a comfortable place to sleep. Now though, something had changed. Hearing those doors close behind him came as a relief, not as confinement.

He went below as soon as he could, and headed for the infirmary. Without knocking or asking permission, he went in. He grinned to see Kurdy sitting up and looking hopeful.

"You come to get me outta here?"

"Just got in," Jeremiah replied. "Haven't even seen Erin yet. I think you need to get permission from the blonde tyrant first."

Kurdy shook his head and chuckled. "Nah, Erin's easy. It's Elizabeth that's difficult. I wouldn't be here at all, except she made Sam promise."

Jeremiah hopped onto the foot of the bed. "How's your arm?"

"Good as new. I'm ready to go get Markus out." Kurdy said the words boldly, but Jeremiah noticed he wasn't moving from the bed.

"It's being taken care of. You concentrate on healing up."

Kurdy stared at him. "Is this you talkin'? Not go to Valhalla? It's all you ever talked about for months. Ad nauseum, I might add. And now all of a sudden you're backing out. It doesn't sound like you."

"I can't go, Kurdy," his voice broke. "I'll get used against my dad."

"Harsh, man."

"Jack said he's going to get my dad out, too. So... at least there's that," Jeremiah said, trying for casual. He didn't want to pin all his hopes on it. Life had a way of taking stuff away.

"That'd be great," Kurdy said, but not with excessive enthusiasm. He knew how it was. "So how did the extraction go?"

"Pretty good," Jeremiah answered. "Nobody killed. Only a couple of people hurt, though I hear Kevin's in bad shape." He waved vaguely toward the other ward where Tess was busy. "And the choppers are still functional."

"Not bad. And you led it." Kurdy chuckled and shook his head. "The world is truly a fucked up place, you notice that?"

"Yeah, I did, smart ass." But Jeremiah's amusement dwindled away. "Erin tell you she got the traitor? He wanted to go scout Millhaven with me. But the other Jack figured it out and stopped him."

Kurdy's good hand clasped his shoulder and squeezed briefly. "Good thing, or we'd all be in deep shit, huh? More than usual I mean."

They both heard footsteps, and in a moment Erin came into sight.

She gave him a warm smile. "Heard you were back," she greeted Jeremiah, "Good job. And how's the patient?"

"Ready to leave. Is Elizabeth back?" Kurdy asked, looking anxious.

"Not yet," Erin responded. "She's taking Elena back to Arizona."

"Alone?" Kurdy asked, sounding appalled and making a move to get off the bed.

"Of course not," Erin answered. "There's a whole parade." She smiled, teasing him, "She says she's been with you for the past week, and she wanted to let Jeremiah have his turn listening to you whine about your boo-boo."

"Remind me to give her my thanks when she returns," Jeremiah said wryly.

"So tell me about the Big Meeting," Erin asked, pulling up a rolling chair. Jeremiah turned to listen, curious as well.

Kurdy paused, bit his lip, and looked away. "I left him," he admitted. "They were firing at Elizabeth and I jumped to get to her. Jo-Lynn tried to help us escape, but they shot at us, nicking me in the arm, so we surrendered. I couldn't take the chance they'd hit Elizabeth next. Before we were carted off, I saw Markus and Daniel get taken in the helicopter. God, I'm so sorry."

Erin cocked her head a little to one side and she looked rueful and sad. Her voice was kind. "Kurdy, do you honestly believe Markus would object to you trying to protect her over himself? You followed your heart, and he would never blame you for that. Okay? Besides, it wouldn't have helped. You'd just be one more body for Jack and Charlie to get out of Valhalla Sector."

Kurdy nodded, but didn't seem convinced. Jeremiah knew that Kurdy would be fine as long as Markus came back -- but if he didn't, it was gonna be rough.

"Have you heard anything?" Jeremiah asked Erin, and knew from her face that the answer was no even before she spoke.

"It's early yet. They're barely at breakfast even in Virginia."

Kurdy yawned and his eyes closed.

"We should let you get some more sleep," Jeremiah commented, carefully getting off the bed.

"Hey, I'm fine," he protested with heavy eyes, but said nothing more as Erin and Jeremiah left.

"You should go catch some sleep and a shower," Erin suggested as they went down the hall.

He saw the circles under her eyes and raised his brows. "I will if you will."

She smiled wearily. "Deal."

He smiled back, and felt even better when she let him push a hanging lock of her soft, golden hair back behind her ear.

Their eyes met and her smile went away for a long, considering look at him. She didn't tell him to get lost, he noticed. "Have a good rest," she wished him and walked away down the hall.

He turned and went the other way, wondering.

INDEX or on to Chapter 28

Note: I'm going to be uploading the next chapters as a group. We call it the Escape from Valhalla Sector sequence and I can't bear to break up the flow of the action by parceling it out.
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