24 Gifts Of 2012 - Day One - Last Resort
AU based on the ABC show 'Last Resort'. Multifandom crossover. I don't think this fic will ever get much more than random snippets of it written, but... yeah. I talked about it, wrote this, and thought it would make a good gift.
Last resort
The bridge was almost silent, no one speaking unless they had to while O'Neill was on the radio with command. At sonar, Ryan Atwood was watching his screen, but listening to O'Neill and the others.
"I will not launch these missles until I talk to someone who's authority I recognize," O'Neill said, drawing everyone's attention.
"Commander O'Neill, you are relieved of command," came over the line, and the few random whispered conversations went silent. "Put Sheppard on the line." O'Neill stepped back and offered the radio to Sheppard, who took it.
"This is Sheppard," he said.
"You have your orders."
"I'll launch the missles when someone tells me why the back up array was used, even though primary is fine and DC is obviously intact," Sheppard said, his eyes locked on O'Neill, who nodded approvingly.
"You will launch missles immediately."
"No, I don't recognize your authority. I believe the array may have been hacked and you may be an imposter. Regulations allow me to refuse to follow an unlawful order and until proven otherwise that is what you are giving me," Sheppard said. "We will not launch until we speak to the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of the Navy, or the President himself. Hell, I'll settle for anyone in my chain of command able to give these types of orders. I repeat, until then, we will not launch."
There was a brief burst as the line went dead, then Ryan saw the echo of another sub at the edge of their sonar range. "We have company," He called over his shoulder, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt. "Looks like... missles. We have incoming missles," he said, interrupting himself. He tried to breath deep, even, as O'Neill and Sheppard both came to look over his shoulder.
"We're traitors," Sumner snapped from off to one side.
"Get him the hell off my bridge," O'Neill yelled.
When no one moved to do so, Sheppard turned. "You heard the Captain," he said. "Get Sumner off the bridge, now. Confined to quarters until myself or the Captain say otherwise."
"Launch counter measures,"O'Neill ordered as he crossed to the weapons console.
"Can you tell who launched them?" Sheppard asked Ryan.
"I'm trying to identify, sir, but they're hovering right at the edge..." Ryan began, then stopped as he finally got enough information. "Oh God..."
"What?" Sheppard asked, looking over his shoulder and seeing for himself. "The Illinois. Sir!" he called back to O'Neill. "The missles were launched from the Illinois!"
"Our own people are trying to kill us," Ryan whispered.
"Get me command," O'Neill told communications as he went to the radio. When he got the nod, he began to speak, and Ryan heard every word, even as he focused on watching the sonar as the missles came closer all the time. "Cancel your attack or we will retaliate with one of ours to DC," he should, keeping it short and sweet.
"You're bluffing."
"Try me," O'Neill growled, turning to the weapons officer and nodding sharply.
There was a moment of hesitation from Lieutenant Evan Lorne, then he did as ordered. "Launched," he said, a hitch in his voice.
"O'Neill..."
"Status, Mr. Atwood?"
"Illinois' missles are still incoming."
~~~
The TV was on in the background as Taylor made out with one of her coworkers from the UN, Henri Michel. Then she heard the words that would shatter her world, and she pulled away to stare at the screen.
"To repeat, missles launched from Pakistan have destroyed the USS Atlantis in the South Pacific in what is already being called an act of war. Rumors are already running rampant that retaliation will be swift and total."
"Oh God," Taylor whispered. "Ryan."
~~~
Taylor was in her office at the UN, trying desperately to understand how what, when her cellphone rang. She almsot ignored it, she didn't even look at the display, but something made her answer it. "Hello?"
"Taylor?"
The phone slipped from her fingers, but she quickly fumbled to pick it up. "Ryan?" she said. "Oh my God... Ryan? Is that really you?"
"It's me," Ryan said. "Listen, I don't have much time. What they're saying isn't true. It was a set up, Taylor. Pakistan did not fire on us, the USS Illinois did. The US Government tried to kill us because we refused to wipe a country off the face of the Earth without getting confirmation through proper channels. We refused an unlawful order, we did nothing wrong."
"I believe you," Taylor said, wiping away her tears. "What can I..."
"The captain is going to break into communications, broadcast our statement, but... who knows what happens after that," Ryan said. "I just... I need you to know that we did nothing wrong. I... I did nothing wrong. And I know we didn't work out, Taylor, but... I love you, okay? And I need to know that you... that you know I'm not one of the bad guys."
"I know," Taylor promised. "I love you, too. Just... stay safe, okay? Come home someday."
"I don't know if that's possible," Ryan whispered. "I have to go. Other people need to try and call."
"I'll pass it along to the Cohens," Taylor promised.
"Thanks."
The End
Last resort
The bridge was almost silent, no one speaking unless they had to while O'Neill was on the radio with command. At sonar, Ryan Atwood was watching his screen, but listening to O'Neill and the others.
"I will not launch these missles until I talk to someone who's authority I recognize," O'Neill said, drawing everyone's attention.
"Commander O'Neill, you are relieved of command," came over the line, and the few random whispered conversations went silent. "Put Sheppard on the line." O'Neill stepped back and offered the radio to Sheppard, who took it.
"This is Sheppard," he said.
"You have your orders."
"I'll launch the missles when someone tells me why the back up array was used, even though primary is fine and DC is obviously intact," Sheppard said, his eyes locked on O'Neill, who nodded approvingly.
"You will launch missles immediately."
"No, I don't recognize your authority. I believe the array may have been hacked and you may be an imposter. Regulations allow me to refuse to follow an unlawful order and until proven otherwise that is what you are giving me," Sheppard said. "We will not launch until we speak to the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of the Navy, or the President himself. Hell, I'll settle for anyone in my chain of command able to give these types of orders. I repeat, until then, we will not launch."
There was a brief burst as the line went dead, then Ryan saw the echo of another sub at the edge of their sonar range. "We have company," He called over his shoulder, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt. "Looks like... missles. We have incoming missles," he said, interrupting himself. He tried to breath deep, even, as O'Neill and Sheppard both came to look over his shoulder.
"We're traitors," Sumner snapped from off to one side.
"Get him the hell off my bridge," O'Neill yelled.
When no one moved to do so, Sheppard turned. "You heard the Captain," he said. "Get Sumner off the bridge, now. Confined to quarters until myself or the Captain say otherwise."
"Launch counter measures,"O'Neill ordered as he crossed to the weapons console.
"Can you tell who launched them?" Sheppard asked Ryan.
"I'm trying to identify, sir, but they're hovering right at the edge..." Ryan began, then stopped as he finally got enough information. "Oh God..."
"What?" Sheppard asked, looking over his shoulder and seeing for himself. "The Illinois. Sir!" he called back to O'Neill. "The missles were launched from the Illinois!"
"Our own people are trying to kill us," Ryan whispered.
"Get me command," O'Neill told communications as he went to the radio. When he got the nod, he began to speak, and Ryan heard every word, even as he focused on watching the sonar as the missles came closer all the time. "Cancel your attack or we will retaliate with one of ours to DC," he should, keeping it short and sweet.
"You're bluffing."
"Try me," O'Neill growled, turning to the weapons officer and nodding sharply.
There was a moment of hesitation from Lieutenant Evan Lorne, then he did as ordered. "Launched," he said, a hitch in his voice.
"O'Neill..."
"Status, Mr. Atwood?"
"Illinois' missles are still incoming."
~~~
The TV was on in the background as Taylor made out with one of her coworkers from the UN, Henri Michel. Then she heard the words that would shatter her world, and she pulled away to stare at the screen.
"To repeat, missles launched from Pakistan have destroyed the USS Atlantis in the South Pacific in what is already being called an act of war. Rumors are already running rampant that retaliation will be swift and total."
"Oh God," Taylor whispered. "Ryan."
~~~
Taylor was in her office at the UN, trying desperately to understand how what, when her cellphone rang. She almsot ignored it, she didn't even look at the display, but something made her answer it. "Hello?"
"Taylor?"
The phone slipped from her fingers, but she quickly fumbled to pick it up. "Ryan?" she said. "Oh my God... Ryan? Is that really you?"
"It's me," Ryan said. "Listen, I don't have much time. What they're saying isn't true. It was a set up, Taylor. Pakistan did not fire on us, the USS Illinois did. The US Government tried to kill us because we refused to wipe a country off the face of the Earth without getting confirmation through proper channels. We refused an unlawful order, we did nothing wrong."
"I believe you," Taylor said, wiping away her tears. "What can I..."
"The captain is going to break into communications, broadcast our statement, but... who knows what happens after that," Ryan said. "I just... I need you to know that we did nothing wrong. I... I did nothing wrong. And I know we didn't work out, Taylor, but... I love you, okay? And I need to know that you... that you know I'm not one of the bad guys."
"I know," Taylor promised. "I love you, too. Just... stay safe, okay? Come home someday."
"I don't know if that's possible," Ryan whispered. "I have to go. Other people need to try and call."
"I'll pass it along to the Cohens," Taylor promised.
"Thanks."
The End