Sorry for the long hiatus...
... but here at long last is the next installment of "Jeep Jockey Jumper"!
Special thanks for this chapter go to deana_l , who gave me some very sound suggestions when I was most grievously stuck. Mild spoilers for SGA "Tabula Rasa," and a few references to "There and Back Again."
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Bloody Aluminium Cooking Pots!
Newkirk leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes as he savored the feeling of chicken soup trickling down his throat. LeBeau made wonderful chicken soup, hearty and filling without being too heavy, and it was almost worth getting sick just to be able to sit back and really enjoy it. The hot liquid warmed him nicely against the autumn chill that the barracks walls could not keep at bay, and the steam eased his breathing as he inhaled the comforting aroma.
Yes, he thought as he gingerly lifted his mug for another mouthful, if there's one good thing about being ill, it's LeBeau's chicken soup.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" LeBeau fretted at his elbow.
Newkirk nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of soup. "Yes, I'm fine, Louis," he replied huskily. "Just have to rest a bit between sips is all."
Carter finished his soup with a satisfied sigh. "That was good, Louis. Thanks."
LeBeau hopped down from his perch on Hogan's footlocker and took Carter's mug. "You want some more, André?"
Carter shook his head. "Not right now, thanks. Maybe after my next nap."
"Okay." LeBeau set the mug on Hogan's desk and helped Carter lie down again.
The outside door closed, followed by a murmur of greeting, and Beckett walked into Hogan's office. "Hullo, lads. Glad to see you both awake!"
"Not for long," Carter retorted with a tired smile.
Beckett chuckled. "I'll not be long, son, I promise." He retrieved the scanner from Hogan's wardrobe and scanned both patients. "Aye, definite improvement. And both o'ye have a bit of color back, as well. LeBeau, let's have that window open, let some fresh air in here."
"Oui d'accord," LeBeau replied and opened the window as Beckett stowed the scanner again.
"Say, Doctor, did I 'ear right that Pungenhorst's at death's door?" Newkirk asked.
"Aye," Beckett nodded. "The virus hit him much harder than it hit either of you, and now it's gone into pneumonia. We just sent him off to a rest camp--apparently the hospitals are full up."
The prisoners made noises of false sympathy.
"Think he'll recover?" Carter asked.
Beckett looked around furtively. "I wouldn't normally say this, but... I hope not."
Carter chuckled. "Guess my first attempt at germ warfare worked pretty well."
The others all laughed, and Beckett patted him on the shoulder.
"So we're all out of the woods, then?" Newkirk asked before taking another mouthful of soup.
"Aye, though I can't tell Klink that," Beckett said with a grin. "You'll probably be a bit weak still for a few more days, but the virus has done its worst, and nobody else in the barracks has come down with it."
"M. le docteur has stage-managed an epidemic," LeBeau reported. "M. Dex told me that Cochrane in Barracks 15 got especially into his part."
Beckett laughed. "He got fresh with Teyla, so Ronon and I tied him to his bunk and told Klink his fever made him dangerous. O'course, they let him up when they needed to, but come roll call Thursday morning, the guard walked further into the room than he should have, and Cochrane started screaming and convulsing like he really was delirious--very nearly broke the bunk. The guard was so scared, he's taken head counts from the window ever since."
Carter and Newkirk laughed.
"Speakin' o' Teyla, wot was that bloody racket last night?" Newkirk frowned. "Thought I was 'allucinatin' that tirade o' Col. Sheppard's, but LeBeau says it really 'appened."
"Aye, the guards were bored," Beckett confirmed. "Teyla actually broke one lad's nose, so I had to set it--without anesthetic. I've naught more period-appropriate than morphine, and I'll not waste that on a broken nose."
"Klink's sending them to Norway," LeBeau added.
"Probably deserve it," Carter mumbled.
Beckett smiled grimly, then took a deep breath. "Right, lads, I'll let you rest and get meself some lunch. See you this evening." He patted LeBeau on the shoulder and left.
Carter snuggled deeper under his blanket. "Kinda nice to be able to sleep without the bed shaking," he observed sleepily.
"You're telling me," Newkirk chuckled and drained his mug. "Louis, could I 'ave a drop more soup?"
"Of course, Pierre," LeBeau smiled, taking his mug.
After lunch, Sheppard let Marya drag him back to Klink's quarters, but all pretense of good will on his part vanished as soon as the door slammed shut behind them. He pushed her away and threw his cap onto the dining table before starting to take off his coat.
"Is anything wrong?" Marya asked with obviously feigned innocence.
"If you were my old flame, that question woulda doused it," Sheppard snarled. "Whose side are you on?"
"You do not trust me!" she whined.
"I never have."
"Darling, tell me, have I ruined something?"
"No, we lucked out, but you came awful close." He threw his coat over a chair.
"You were needed on this mission?"
Sheppard turned to face Marya and narrowed his eyes. "Ideally, yes."
Marya smiled cunningly. "Then no one will connect us with the sabotage."
He blinked.
"Sheppard, darling," she said with an air of patient explanation. "We could not trust the quarantine to provide us enough of an alibi. Pungenhorst is gone, but the radio truck is still here, and so are his men. One of them might remember your being in the tent when the lab is destroyed, and since no one saw or heard the supposed test flight last week, there would be no evidence that you did not leave the tent again without anyone knowing. This way, if someone does see the airplane, you will all have a solid alibi and the conclusion will be that someone stole it for a joyride. There will not be any evidence connecting even the airplane with the sabotage."
Sheppard inclined his head, frowning as he assessed her claim. The Gestapo goons had so resolutely stuck to the radio detector unit, emerging only for natural necessity, that he had almost forgotten about them. It wasn't likely that any of them had stepped out at an inopportune moment, but there was no way to be absolutely certain. And Marya was so far in the dark about the true nature of the Jumper, her assumptions would be a fair gauge of the goons'. But was she telling the truth about those assumptions or not?
Marya shrugged at his hesitation. "I admit, the dinner party idea was because I was bored. But everyone in camp will know where all of us are."
Sheppard sighed. "Not like we can back out of it now."
Marya laughed, slapped him on the back, and got out the chess board.
Newkirk was still propped up but dozing lightly when Kinch came in to close the window. He cracked his eyes open and smiled. "'Ello, mate," he said quietly, suspecting that Carter was still asleep.
"Hi," Kinch returned softly, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Newkirk frowned at that. "Kinch? Wot's wrong?"
Kinch sighed and sat down at Hogan's desk. "I have to fly the Puddle Jumper tonight."
"You've got this... gene they keep talkin' about?"
"Yeah. Dr. Beckett hasn't really explained what it is, but apparently I'm the only person in camp who has it and isn't on Marya's radar. Beckett, Sheppard, and McKay all got stuck having dinner with her and Klink. Teyla and Ronon are coming with me, but... I can't help feeling nervous."
"They're sharp, those two. Ronon don't say much, but 'e's no mug, and neither is Teyla. Would've walked right over that lab if they 'adn't gone with us, and run straight into the Gestapo on the way back as well. You'll not go far wrong wi' them."
"Yeah, but... how am I supposed to fly something I've never seen before?"
"Ah." Newkirk held up a finger. "I may be able to 'elp you there."
Slowly and meticulously, he began describing the cockpit of the Jumper, including the controls he saw Sheppard not touch. Kinch took careful notes and made rough sketches for Newkirk to check over. Carter woke up just about the time Newkirk began tiring and added what information he could.
"Dr. McKay said the Jumper can read your mind," Carter concluded. "I don't know how it works, but Ronon and Teyla probably do. It looks easier than flyin' a B-17, anyway."
Kinch took a deep breath, let it out again, and nodded. "Thanks, fellas."
"You'll be fine, mate," Newkirk smiled sleepily.
Kinch left the room, breathed a quiet prayer, and sat down on his bunk to read through the notes again. After the third time through, he prayed again and stuffed the notes into the stove.
At 6:45, Teyla and Ronon made their way to Barracks 2. Kinch met them in the main room and escorted them down to the tunnel, where Hogan was waiting with their weapons and Teyla's tac vest. Baker and Wilson were there, too, working out a schedule for whom to have manning a listening post under Klink's stove and whom to station in Hogan's office to keep an ear on the Lantean radio. Ronon strapped on his blaster as the sergeants said their farewells and shook hands.
"Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay are waiting for us in the Jumper," Teyla told Kinch as she slipped the tac vest on. "There will not be time for much of a tutorial, but we hope it will be enough."
Kinch nodded nervously.
"Hey," said Ronon. "I had to talk Sheppard through flying this thing once when he lost his memory. He didn't crash. Neither will you."
Kinch looked at Ronon for a moment and smiled. "Y'know, strange as it sounds, that's actually encouraging. Thanks."
Hogan looked at his watch and sighed. "Guess I'd better head on over to Klink's. Have fun, kids."
"Don't strangle Marya too early, Colonel," Kinch said with a wink.
"Nah, I think I'll let Sheppard do that," Hogan replied, returning the wink.
Teyla and Baker's laugh followed him up the ladder.
Ronon slapped Kinch's shoulder, and the trio made their way to the emergency tunnel exit. Kinch was too nervous to be more than mildly surprised at the appearance of the Jumper, and he didn't need any prompting from Sheppard or McKay to hurry inside. What he was unprepared for was the faint hum in the back of his mind that started as soon as he entered the Jumper.
"That's the Ancient tech reacting to your gene," Sheppard explained without preamble, seeing the look on Kinch's face. "Good sign--you shouldn't have any trouble interacting with the Jumper. C'mon forward."
Taking a deep breath, Kinch walked toward the pilot's seat and breathed a prayer of thanks for Newkirk's eye for detail. The instruments looked almost exactly like the sketch he'd made from Newkirk's description, and he said as much to Sheppard. Sheppard nodded and proceeded to review the controls with him, along with an explanation of how to switch between cloak and shield and how to fire the drones. Ronon and Teyla also listened closely, though Kinch suspected they'd heard the explanations before.
From the co-pilot's seat, McKay finished typing something on his tablet and unhooked the computer from his side of the instrument console. "I've programmed the course to the lab," he reported as he relinquished the seat to Ronon. "You should be good to go."
"Thanks, Doc," Kinch nodded.
Sheppard looked at his watch. "Time for us to go. Good luck, Sergeant."
"Thanks, Colonel. I'll try not to crash," Kinch added with a wry smile as he shook hands with Sheppard.
"We will see that you don't," Teyla replied from the seat behind him, amused.
Sheppard patted Kinch's shoulder, and he and McKay left the Jumper. At Ronon's prompting, Kinch closed the hatch and cloaked the ship; McKay flashed him a thumbs-up when he got around the front, much to Kinch's relief. Sheppard and McKay then made a production of holding the tent flaps open while Kinch flew out.
Only when Kinch became aware that the auto-pilot was taking over and slid his hands off the controls did he feel two supportive hands on his right arm, one male, one female, and a slight sense of approval from the ship itself. "Good job," Ronon was saying.
Kinch blew out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Thanks."
Baker quietly slid into Hogan's office just before 8. "Sounds like the dinner party's going well," he reported to Newkirk and Carter. "Dr. Beckett's German is kinda shaky, but so far Col. Hogan and Dr. McKay have been able to keep him in the conversation. I think they were just finishing the main course when I left."
The two ill prisoners nodded. "Radio's been quiet so far," Newkirk replied.
Baker sat down at Hogan's desk and pressed the earpiece. "Home Plate to Fledermaus, Home Plate to Fledermaus. Come in, please."
"What do I do?" Kinch's worried voice was barely audible.
"Just speak normally," Teyla answered. "The channel should already be open."
"Right." Kinch cleared his throat nervously and spoke up. "Fledermaus to Home Plate. I read you. Over."
Baker couldn't suppress a smile. "What's your siniath, Fledermaus? Over."
"So far, so good. It's a little strange, but we're fine. Should be approaching orod in... five minutes. Stand by. Over."
"Roger, Fledermaus. Standing by." Baker switched off the microphone. "Didn't think we'd use that code again," he remarked to no one in particular.
Carter sighed. "I hope Professor Tolkien finishes his book soon. I wanna know what happens to those guys."
"So do I, mate," Newkirk agreed, pulling his blankets up to his chin. "So do I."
There not being enough people at the dinner party for two bridge games and with Beckett beginning to get a headache from trying to keep up with the German conversation, he and McKay took their leave after dessert; Zelenka opted to stay and watch the game. McKay's complaints about the food were audible until he was halfway to Barracks 4.
"McKay complains about everything, Colonel," Sheppard assured Klink as Marya shuffled the cards and Hogan procured drinks and cigars. "Please don't take it personally."
"I had noticed," Klink replied.
"Speaking of complaints, Hansie," Marya asked, "how is Fräulein Emmagan this evening?"
Sheppard shrugged. "Well enough, I think. Don't you, Zelenka?"
"She is a very strong woman," Zelenka agreed as Marya began to deal. "She was shaken last night, of course, but Dr. Beckett and Nurse Dex looked after her. They are very good friends, it seems. I believe she has recovered well."
"I must say she handled herself well in that fight, from what I saw from the barracks," Hogan remarked. "I suppose she's had a lot of practice fighting off idiots."
"Keiner, der ihr je gesehen hat, hätte das geglaubt: Küssen ist bei ihr nicht erlaubt," Zelenka deadpanned.
Sheppard very nearly choked on his port trying not to laugh. He recovered before Hogan could glare at him, though, and covered with, "I'm only sorry that you will be losing so many men. I know you're already understaffed."
"To tell you the truth," Klink replied without looking up from his cards, "most of those men, especially Richter and Wolfschmidt, were heading for a court-martial or a firing squad anyway. It would only have taken Hochstetter sealing off the camp again for them to cause even worse trouble than this, possibly even harming the prisoners. Wouldn't you say so, Hogan?"
Hogan shot Sheppard a yes, we're serious look and said, "Yeah, they've been pretty edgy since the Allies reached the Siegfried Line. Grimsel was about to go off on Baker a week or two ago; Schultz had to restrain him until Baker could get help."
"Ach, so," Sheppard sighed. "Na, dann, perhaps the incident will convince the rest of your guards not to let their fears get the better of them. I have to commend Langenscheidt, though. He could have gotten badly hurt had he tried to rescue Fräulein Emmagan on his own."
There were murmurs of agreement all around, and Klink began the bidding.
Kinch put his hands back on the flight controls as the Jumper began to slow down over Berg Hohenstaufen. Ronon gave careful directions to help him position the ship exactly over the lab.
"Good," Teyla said as they stopped. "Now switch to the shield and expand it to the ground."
Kinch repeated her direction mentally, and before he could move his hands, there was a groaning sort of noise from outside, and the HUD appeared to show that the job was done. At another mental query, the lab schematic that McKay had shown him before appeared, along with an outline of the shield, which was exactly where it needed to be. Kinch then took a deep breath and looked at the door of the lab. Fire drone there, he thought, and a burst of light immediately shot from the left drive pod. A second later, an explosion outside matched the HUD's animation of the drone hitting the door. Kinch reeled briefly from the impact.
But Ronon was watching for life signs on the HUD's periphery. "We got company," he reported. "ETA two minutes."
"Send another drone through the door," Teyla ordered.
Drone there, Kinch thought wildly, still focused on the display but unable to remember which room of the lab contained the radioactive material.
The drone shot through the hole in the door and punched through two walls and a floor before detonating in one of the lower rooms. The result was immediate; radiation levels below the shield spiked, and a crater appeared where the lab had been. Kinch didn't need any prompting to keep the shield pressed over the crater. Teyla, for her part, was keeping an eye on the Ancient sensor readings in one corner of the HUD, while Ronon monitored the approaching Gestapo life signs.
"They're almost in range," Ronon finally growled.
"Fifteen seconds," Teyla stated, keeping a steadying hand on Kinch's arm.
Kinch let fly a silent prayer and braced for he knew not what.
Just as the first report of automatic gunfire reached his ears, Teyla squeezed his arm. "Cloak now!"
Cloak! thought Kinch loudly, and there was the groaning noise again, and the shooting was replaced by startled shouts. Go! he cried, and the Jumper shot toward the stars.
"Slow down!" Ronon barked.
Kinch actually remembered to use the controls under his hands, and the Jumper eased level and slowed to its appointed cruising speed. As his panic subsided, the auto-pilot re-engaged.
Teyla squeezed his arm again. "Well done. Now, can you open the subspace channel again?"
Kinch blinked at the console for a moment and selected the correct button. He then took a deep breath and let it out again before speaking. "Fledermaus to Home Plate. Fledermaus to Home Plate."
There was a click, and Baker's voice replied, "Go ahead, Fledermaus."
"Pan sylch annen. Orod dangen. Adtolim. Over."
Three audible sighs of relief came over the radio. "Maer siniath, Fledermaus."
Another click was followed by McKay's voice. "Fledermaus, this is Athos. We'll be waiting for you."
"Okay, Athos. Thanks. Fledermaus out." Kinch shut off the radio and heaved another sigh of relief as he slumped back in his seat.
Ronon reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "You okay?"
Kinch nodded. "Yeah. Not something I care to do again anytime soon, though."
"I am told that Col. Sheppard had similar moments when he first flew a Jumper into combat," Teyla smiled. "You have done very well so far, Sergeant."
"Took McKay two years to even fly in a straight line," Ronon added.
Kinch chuckled weakly at that.
The clock was just striking 9 when McKay returned to Klink's quarters. After some pleasant small talk about the state of play--Sheppard and Marya were just about to take their third rubber of the evening, and Hogan found diplomatic ways of not complaining about being partnered with Klink--Zelenka asked whether anything were wrong.
"I think I finally figured out what's wrong with the thermothrockle," McKay replied. "I need your help to check it out, though."
"Isn't it a little late in the evening for that kind of work, Doctor?" Klink frowned.
"We can sleep when we're done," McKay shrugged. "Beckett just made rounds and thinks he can let us go on Tuesday, and I want to be sure we've got plenty of time to finish all the repairs."
Sheppard nodded. "Good idea, McKay. Zelenka, do you mind?"
"Not at all, Colonel," Zelenka answered. "Good night, gentlemen. Do zavtra, Marya."
Marya blew him a kiss, and Sheppard attempted to look jealous. McKay said his own farewells, and the two scientists made their way out to the tent.
McKay glanced at his watch as they passed Barracks 2 and the light in Hogan's office flickered three times before going out. "Three minutes," he whispered. "You ready, Radek?"
"Yes," Zelenka nodded, then added impishly, "What is it I am to do again?"
McKay glared, but he couldn't help chuckling.
Once the pair reached the tent, they ducked inside and made some vague mechanical noises by 'fencing' with tools for a minute. Then, at McKay's cue, Zelenka doused the lantern and began swearing loudly in Czech. After a short argument in English and Russian, the two of them called the guards over to hold open the tent so that they could see to relight the lantern. One 'gust of breeze' from the Jumper later, the lantern flared back to life; McKay told the guards to close the tent; and if anyone heard the sound of wood against wood moments later, McKay's cursing of tree stumps and Zelenka's sarcastic remarks about the quality of McKay's vision would have allayed any suspicion.
A/N: I once read a great gapfiller for "Tabula Rasa" that showed exactly how Ronon helped Amnesiac!Sheppard fly back to Atlantis from the mainland. If someone knows which story that is, please mention it in the comments so I can rec it properly.
siniath = tidings, news (Sindarin, part of the code from "There and Back Again")
orod = mountain (Sindarin--code for "objective")
Keiner, der ihr je gesehen hat... = No one who has ever seen her would believe it: Kissing is not permitted with her (German--one word changed from the last two lines of the chorus of "Küssen Verboten" by Die Prinzen)
Pan sylch annen. Orod dangen. Adtolim. = All potatoes given. Mountain killed. We're coming back. (Sindarin--code for "all bombs delivered, target destroyed")
Maer siniath = Good news (Sindarin)
Next chapter
Special thanks for this chapter go to deana_l , who gave me some very sound suggestions when I was most grievously stuck. Mild spoilers for SGA "Tabula Rasa," and a few references to "There and Back Again."
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Bloody Aluminium Cooking Pots!
Newkirk leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes as he savored the feeling of chicken soup trickling down his throat. LeBeau made wonderful chicken soup, hearty and filling without being too heavy, and it was almost worth getting sick just to be able to sit back and really enjoy it. The hot liquid warmed him nicely against the autumn chill that the barracks walls could not keep at bay, and the steam eased his breathing as he inhaled the comforting aroma.
Yes, he thought as he gingerly lifted his mug for another mouthful, if there's one good thing about being ill, it's LeBeau's chicken soup.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" LeBeau fretted at his elbow.
Newkirk nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of soup. "Yes, I'm fine, Louis," he replied huskily. "Just have to rest a bit between sips is all."
Carter finished his soup with a satisfied sigh. "That was good, Louis. Thanks."
LeBeau hopped down from his perch on Hogan's footlocker and took Carter's mug. "You want some more, André?"
Carter shook his head. "Not right now, thanks. Maybe after my next nap."
"Okay." LeBeau set the mug on Hogan's desk and helped Carter lie down again.
The outside door closed, followed by a murmur of greeting, and Beckett walked into Hogan's office. "Hullo, lads. Glad to see you both awake!"
"Not for long," Carter retorted with a tired smile.
Beckett chuckled. "I'll not be long, son, I promise." He retrieved the scanner from Hogan's wardrobe and scanned both patients. "Aye, definite improvement. And both o'ye have a bit of color back, as well. LeBeau, let's have that window open, let some fresh air in here."
"Oui d'accord," LeBeau replied and opened the window as Beckett stowed the scanner again.
"Say, Doctor, did I 'ear right that Pungenhorst's at death's door?" Newkirk asked.
"Aye," Beckett nodded. "The virus hit him much harder than it hit either of you, and now it's gone into pneumonia. We just sent him off to a rest camp--apparently the hospitals are full up."
The prisoners made noises of false sympathy.
"Think he'll recover?" Carter asked.
Beckett looked around furtively. "I wouldn't normally say this, but... I hope not."
Carter chuckled. "Guess my first attempt at germ warfare worked pretty well."
The others all laughed, and Beckett patted him on the shoulder.
"So we're all out of the woods, then?" Newkirk asked before taking another mouthful of soup.
"Aye, though I can't tell Klink that," Beckett said with a grin. "You'll probably be a bit weak still for a few more days, but the virus has done its worst, and nobody else in the barracks has come down with it."
"M. le docteur has stage-managed an epidemic," LeBeau reported. "M. Dex told me that Cochrane in Barracks 15 got especially into his part."
Beckett laughed. "He got fresh with Teyla, so Ronon and I tied him to his bunk and told Klink his fever made him dangerous. O'course, they let him up when they needed to, but come roll call Thursday morning, the guard walked further into the room than he should have, and Cochrane started screaming and convulsing like he really was delirious--very nearly broke the bunk. The guard was so scared, he's taken head counts from the window ever since."
Carter and Newkirk laughed.
"Speakin' o' Teyla, wot was that bloody racket last night?" Newkirk frowned. "Thought I was 'allucinatin' that tirade o' Col. Sheppard's, but LeBeau says it really 'appened."
"Aye, the guards were bored," Beckett confirmed. "Teyla actually broke one lad's nose, so I had to set it--without anesthetic. I've naught more period-appropriate than morphine, and I'll not waste that on a broken nose."
"Klink's sending them to Norway," LeBeau added.
"Probably deserve it," Carter mumbled.
Beckett smiled grimly, then took a deep breath. "Right, lads, I'll let you rest and get meself some lunch. See you this evening." He patted LeBeau on the shoulder and left.
Carter snuggled deeper under his blanket. "Kinda nice to be able to sleep without the bed shaking," he observed sleepily.
"You're telling me," Newkirk chuckled and drained his mug. "Louis, could I 'ave a drop more soup?"
"Of course, Pierre," LeBeau smiled, taking his mug.
After lunch, Sheppard let Marya drag him back to Klink's quarters, but all pretense of good will on his part vanished as soon as the door slammed shut behind them. He pushed her away and threw his cap onto the dining table before starting to take off his coat.
"Is anything wrong?" Marya asked with obviously feigned innocence.
"If you were my old flame, that question woulda doused it," Sheppard snarled. "Whose side are you on?"
"You do not trust me!" she whined.
"I never have."
"Darling, tell me, have I ruined something?"
"No, we lucked out, but you came awful close." He threw his coat over a chair.
"You were needed on this mission?"
Sheppard turned to face Marya and narrowed his eyes. "Ideally, yes."
Marya smiled cunningly. "Then no one will connect us with the sabotage."
He blinked.
"Sheppard, darling," she said with an air of patient explanation. "We could not trust the quarantine to provide us enough of an alibi. Pungenhorst is gone, but the radio truck is still here, and so are his men. One of them might remember your being in the tent when the lab is destroyed, and since no one saw or heard the supposed test flight last week, there would be no evidence that you did not leave the tent again without anyone knowing. This way, if someone does see the airplane, you will all have a solid alibi and the conclusion will be that someone stole it for a joyride. There will not be any evidence connecting even the airplane with the sabotage."
Sheppard inclined his head, frowning as he assessed her claim. The Gestapo goons had so resolutely stuck to the radio detector unit, emerging only for natural necessity, that he had almost forgotten about them. It wasn't likely that any of them had stepped out at an inopportune moment, but there was no way to be absolutely certain. And Marya was so far in the dark about the true nature of the Jumper, her assumptions would be a fair gauge of the goons'. But was she telling the truth about those assumptions or not?
Marya shrugged at his hesitation. "I admit, the dinner party idea was because I was bored. But everyone in camp will know where all of us are."
Sheppard sighed. "Not like we can back out of it now."
Marya laughed, slapped him on the back, and got out the chess board.
Newkirk was still propped up but dozing lightly when Kinch came in to close the window. He cracked his eyes open and smiled. "'Ello, mate," he said quietly, suspecting that Carter was still asleep.
"Hi," Kinch returned softly, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Newkirk frowned at that. "Kinch? Wot's wrong?"
Kinch sighed and sat down at Hogan's desk. "I have to fly the Puddle Jumper tonight."
"You've got this... gene they keep talkin' about?"
"Yeah. Dr. Beckett hasn't really explained what it is, but apparently I'm the only person in camp who has it and isn't on Marya's radar. Beckett, Sheppard, and McKay all got stuck having dinner with her and Klink. Teyla and Ronon are coming with me, but... I can't help feeling nervous."
"They're sharp, those two. Ronon don't say much, but 'e's no mug, and neither is Teyla. Would've walked right over that lab if they 'adn't gone with us, and run straight into the Gestapo on the way back as well. You'll not go far wrong wi' them."
"Yeah, but... how am I supposed to fly something I've never seen before?"
"Ah." Newkirk held up a finger. "I may be able to 'elp you there."
Slowly and meticulously, he began describing the cockpit of the Jumper, including the controls he saw Sheppard not touch. Kinch took careful notes and made rough sketches for Newkirk to check over. Carter woke up just about the time Newkirk began tiring and added what information he could.
"Dr. McKay said the Jumper can read your mind," Carter concluded. "I don't know how it works, but Ronon and Teyla probably do. It looks easier than flyin' a B-17, anyway."
Kinch took a deep breath, let it out again, and nodded. "Thanks, fellas."
"You'll be fine, mate," Newkirk smiled sleepily.
Kinch left the room, breathed a quiet prayer, and sat down on his bunk to read through the notes again. After the third time through, he prayed again and stuffed the notes into the stove.
At 6:45, Teyla and Ronon made their way to Barracks 2. Kinch met them in the main room and escorted them down to the tunnel, where Hogan was waiting with their weapons and Teyla's tac vest. Baker and Wilson were there, too, working out a schedule for whom to have manning a listening post under Klink's stove and whom to station in Hogan's office to keep an ear on the Lantean radio. Ronon strapped on his blaster as the sergeants said their farewells and shook hands.
"Col. Sheppard and Dr. McKay are waiting for us in the Jumper," Teyla told Kinch as she slipped the tac vest on. "There will not be time for much of a tutorial, but we hope it will be enough."
Kinch nodded nervously.
"Hey," said Ronon. "I had to talk Sheppard through flying this thing once when he lost his memory. He didn't crash. Neither will you."
Kinch looked at Ronon for a moment and smiled. "Y'know, strange as it sounds, that's actually encouraging. Thanks."
Hogan looked at his watch and sighed. "Guess I'd better head on over to Klink's. Have fun, kids."
"Don't strangle Marya too early, Colonel," Kinch said with a wink.
"Nah, I think I'll let Sheppard do that," Hogan replied, returning the wink.
Teyla and Baker's laugh followed him up the ladder.
Ronon slapped Kinch's shoulder, and the trio made their way to the emergency tunnel exit. Kinch was too nervous to be more than mildly surprised at the appearance of the Jumper, and he didn't need any prompting from Sheppard or McKay to hurry inside. What he was unprepared for was the faint hum in the back of his mind that started as soon as he entered the Jumper.
"That's the Ancient tech reacting to your gene," Sheppard explained without preamble, seeing the look on Kinch's face. "Good sign--you shouldn't have any trouble interacting with the Jumper. C'mon forward."
Taking a deep breath, Kinch walked toward the pilot's seat and breathed a prayer of thanks for Newkirk's eye for detail. The instruments looked almost exactly like the sketch he'd made from Newkirk's description, and he said as much to Sheppard. Sheppard nodded and proceeded to review the controls with him, along with an explanation of how to switch between cloak and shield and how to fire the drones. Ronon and Teyla also listened closely, though Kinch suspected they'd heard the explanations before.
From the co-pilot's seat, McKay finished typing something on his tablet and unhooked the computer from his side of the instrument console. "I've programmed the course to the lab," he reported as he relinquished the seat to Ronon. "You should be good to go."
"Thanks, Doc," Kinch nodded.
Sheppard looked at his watch. "Time for us to go. Good luck, Sergeant."
"Thanks, Colonel. I'll try not to crash," Kinch added with a wry smile as he shook hands with Sheppard.
"We will see that you don't," Teyla replied from the seat behind him, amused.
Sheppard patted Kinch's shoulder, and he and McKay left the Jumper. At Ronon's prompting, Kinch closed the hatch and cloaked the ship; McKay flashed him a thumbs-up when he got around the front, much to Kinch's relief. Sheppard and McKay then made a production of holding the tent flaps open while Kinch flew out.
Only when Kinch became aware that the auto-pilot was taking over and slid his hands off the controls did he feel two supportive hands on his right arm, one male, one female, and a slight sense of approval from the ship itself. "Good job," Ronon was saying.
Kinch blew out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Thanks."
Baker quietly slid into Hogan's office just before 8. "Sounds like the dinner party's going well," he reported to Newkirk and Carter. "Dr. Beckett's German is kinda shaky, but so far Col. Hogan and Dr. McKay have been able to keep him in the conversation. I think they were just finishing the main course when I left."
The two ill prisoners nodded. "Radio's been quiet so far," Newkirk replied.
Baker sat down at Hogan's desk and pressed the earpiece. "Home Plate to Fledermaus, Home Plate to Fledermaus. Come in, please."
"What do I do?" Kinch's worried voice was barely audible.
"Just speak normally," Teyla answered. "The channel should already be open."
"Right." Kinch cleared his throat nervously and spoke up. "Fledermaus to Home Plate. I read you. Over."
Baker couldn't suppress a smile. "What's your siniath, Fledermaus? Over."
"So far, so good. It's a little strange, but we're fine. Should be approaching orod in... five minutes. Stand by. Over."
"Roger, Fledermaus. Standing by." Baker switched off the microphone. "Didn't think we'd use that code again," he remarked to no one in particular.
Carter sighed. "I hope Professor Tolkien finishes his book soon. I wanna know what happens to those guys."
"So do I, mate," Newkirk agreed, pulling his blankets up to his chin. "So do I."
There not being enough people at the dinner party for two bridge games and with Beckett beginning to get a headache from trying to keep up with the German conversation, he and McKay took their leave after dessert; Zelenka opted to stay and watch the game. McKay's complaints about the food were audible until he was halfway to Barracks 4.
"McKay complains about everything, Colonel," Sheppard assured Klink as Marya shuffled the cards and Hogan procured drinks and cigars. "Please don't take it personally."
"I had noticed," Klink replied.
"Speaking of complaints, Hansie," Marya asked, "how is Fräulein Emmagan this evening?"
Sheppard shrugged. "Well enough, I think. Don't you, Zelenka?"
"She is a very strong woman," Zelenka agreed as Marya began to deal. "She was shaken last night, of course, but Dr. Beckett and Nurse Dex looked after her. They are very good friends, it seems. I believe she has recovered well."
"I must say she handled herself well in that fight, from what I saw from the barracks," Hogan remarked. "I suppose she's had a lot of practice fighting off idiots."
"Keiner, der ihr je gesehen hat, hätte das geglaubt: Küssen ist bei ihr nicht erlaubt," Zelenka deadpanned.
Sheppard very nearly choked on his port trying not to laugh. He recovered before Hogan could glare at him, though, and covered with, "I'm only sorry that you will be losing so many men. I know you're already understaffed."
"To tell you the truth," Klink replied without looking up from his cards, "most of those men, especially Richter and Wolfschmidt, were heading for a court-martial or a firing squad anyway. It would only have taken Hochstetter sealing off the camp again for them to cause even worse trouble than this, possibly even harming the prisoners. Wouldn't you say so, Hogan?"
Hogan shot Sheppard a yes, we're serious look and said, "Yeah, they've been pretty edgy since the Allies reached the Siegfried Line. Grimsel was about to go off on Baker a week or two ago; Schultz had to restrain him until Baker could get help."
"Ach, so," Sheppard sighed. "Na, dann, perhaps the incident will convince the rest of your guards not to let their fears get the better of them. I have to commend Langenscheidt, though. He could have gotten badly hurt had he tried to rescue Fräulein Emmagan on his own."
There were murmurs of agreement all around, and Klink began the bidding.
Kinch put his hands back on the flight controls as the Jumper began to slow down over Berg Hohenstaufen. Ronon gave careful directions to help him position the ship exactly over the lab.
"Good," Teyla said as they stopped. "Now switch to the shield and expand it to the ground."
Kinch repeated her direction mentally, and before he could move his hands, there was a groaning sort of noise from outside, and the HUD appeared to show that the job was done. At another mental query, the lab schematic that McKay had shown him before appeared, along with an outline of the shield, which was exactly where it needed to be. Kinch then took a deep breath and looked at the door of the lab. Fire drone there, he thought, and a burst of light immediately shot from the left drive pod. A second later, an explosion outside matched the HUD's animation of the drone hitting the door. Kinch reeled briefly from the impact.
But Ronon was watching for life signs on the HUD's periphery. "We got company," he reported. "ETA two minutes."
"Send another drone through the door," Teyla ordered.
Drone there, Kinch thought wildly, still focused on the display but unable to remember which room of the lab contained the radioactive material.
The drone shot through the hole in the door and punched through two walls and a floor before detonating in one of the lower rooms. The result was immediate; radiation levels below the shield spiked, and a crater appeared where the lab had been. Kinch didn't need any prompting to keep the shield pressed over the crater. Teyla, for her part, was keeping an eye on the Ancient sensor readings in one corner of the HUD, while Ronon monitored the approaching Gestapo life signs.
"They're almost in range," Ronon finally growled.
"Fifteen seconds," Teyla stated, keeping a steadying hand on Kinch's arm.
Kinch let fly a silent prayer and braced for he knew not what.
Just as the first report of automatic gunfire reached his ears, Teyla squeezed his arm. "Cloak now!"
Cloak! thought Kinch loudly, and there was the groaning noise again, and the shooting was replaced by startled shouts. Go! he cried, and the Jumper shot toward the stars.
"Slow down!" Ronon barked.
Kinch actually remembered to use the controls under his hands, and the Jumper eased level and slowed to its appointed cruising speed. As his panic subsided, the auto-pilot re-engaged.
Teyla squeezed his arm again. "Well done. Now, can you open the subspace channel again?"
Kinch blinked at the console for a moment and selected the correct button. He then took a deep breath and let it out again before speaking. "Fledermaus to Home Plate. Fledermaus to Home Plate."
There was a click, and Baker's voice replied, "Go ahead, Fledermaus."
"Pan sylch annen. Orod dangen. Adtolim. Over."
Three audible sighs of relief came over the radio. "Maer siniath, Fledermaus."
Another click was followed by McKay's voice. "Fledermaus, this is Athos. We'll be waiting for you."
"Okay, Athos. Thanks. Fledermaus out." Kinch shut off the radio and heaved another sigh of relief as he slumped back in his seat.
Ronon reached over and squeezed his shoulder. "You okay?"
Kinch nodded. "Yeah. Not something I care to do again anytime soon, though."
"I am told that Col. Sheppard had similar moments when he first flew a Jumper into combat," Teyla smiled. "You have done very well so far, Sergeant."
"Took McKay two years to even fly in a straight line," Ronon added.
Kinch chuckled weakly at that.
The clock was just striking 9 when McKay returned to Klink's quarters. After some pleasant small talk about the state of play--Sheppard and Marya were just about to take their third rubber of the evening, and Hogan found diplomatic ways of not complaining about being partnered with Klink--Zelenka asked whether anything were wrong.
"I think I finally figured out what's wrong with the thermothrockle," McKay replied. "I need your help to check it out, though."
"Isn't it a little late in the evening for that kind of work, Doctor?" Klink frowned.
"We can sleep when we're done," McKay shrugged. "Beckett just made rounds and thinks he can let us go on Tuesday, and I want to be sure we've got plenty of time to finish all the repairs."
Sheppard nodded. "Good idea, McKay. Zelenka, do you mind?"
"Not at all, Colonel," Zelenka answered. "Good night, gentlemen. Do zavtra, Marya."
Marya blew him a kiss, and Sheppard attempted to look jealous. McKay said his own farewells, and the two scientists made their way out to the tent.
McKay glanced at his watch as they passed Barracks 2 and the light in Hogan's office flickered three times before going out. "Three minutes," he whispered. "You ready, Radek?"
"Yes," Zelenka nodded, then added impishly, "What is it I am to do again?"
McKay glared, but he couldn't help chuckling.
Once the pair reached the tent, they ducked inside and made some vague mechanical noises by 'fencing' with tools for a minute. Then, at McKay's cue, Zelenka doused the lantern and began swearing loudly in Czech. After a short argument in English and Russian, the two of them called the guards over to hold open the tent so that they could see to relight the lantern. One 'gust of breeze' from the Jumper later, the lantern flared back to life; McKay told the guards to close the tent; and if anyone heard the sound of wood against wood moments later, McKay's cursing of tree stumps and Zelenka's sarcastic remarks about the quality of McKay's vision would have allayed any suspicion.
A/N: I once read a great gapfiller for "Tabula Rasa" that showed exactly how Ronon helped Amnesiac!Sheppard fly back to Atlantis from the mainland. If someone knows which story that is, please mention it in the comments so I can rec it properly.
siniath = tidings, news (Sindarin, part of the code from "There and Back Again")
orod = mountain (Sindarin--code for "objective")
Keiner, der ihr je gesehen hat... = No one who has ever seen her would believe it: Kissing is not permitted with her (German--one word changed from the last two lines of the chorus of "Küssen Verboten" by Die Prinzen)
Pan sylch annen. Orod dangen. Adtolim. = All potatoes given. Mountain killed. We're coming back. (Sindarin--code for "all bombs delivered, target destroyed")
Maer siniath = Good news (Sindarin)
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