Hunt and run

Chapter Thirty

“Well, it’s about time!” Mister Woolsey was sitting in his office as usual, and set aside whatever report he’d been studying as Sheppard led his team in. “We’ve been trying to contact you for almost thirty-six hours. It was supposed to be a simple rescue mission.”

“Things didn’t exactly go as planned,” Sheppard told him, stopping in front of the Atlantis commander’s desk and standing more or less at rest, military style, with his hands behind his back, legs slightly apart. One of the things he did like about Woolsey was that the man didn’t stand on ceremony, but he also knew the former NID agent appreciated an observance of basic protocol. It also gave him the opportunity to gesture to his three teammates, warning them to keep quiet and let him handle this.

“Elaborate, please,” was all Woolsey replied, leaning forward and steepling his hands. Clearly Sheppard wasn’t going to get off the hook so easily.

With a sigh, Sheppard began his report. “The distress signal was a trap,” he explained. “The shuttle was empty but had been rigged to show fake life signs. It also had a bomb set to detonate when we reactivated our engines. Ronon realized something was wrong and Rodney confirmed the falsified readings, but we didn’t manage to get away in time. The explosion damaged our Jumper and we had to set down on the nearest habitable planet.” He took a breath. “Which was exactly what the people who’d set the trap had planned.”

“They called themselves the V’rdai,” he continued. “They’re freedom fighters, waging war against the Wraith — and anyone they think might be working with them.” He shrugged. “We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“So what happened to these V’rdai?” Woolsey asked. “Did they attack you on the planet’s surface? Are they still at large? Why didn’t you contact us to let us know your situation?”

“The Jumper’s communications systems were down and we were too far from the gate to access it,” Sheppard continued. “Rodney had to repair them, and the engines, and the life support. Teyla, Ronon, and I fended off the V’rdai while he got us spaceworthy again.”

“I take it you were successful, since you’re here and not there,” Woolsey remarked dryly. When he’d first come to Atlantis he’d seemed devoid of all humor, but since then he’d displayed a wry sense of humor, and often slipped barbs into conversation — especially if he was irritated or didn’t like someone. The fact that he was making quips now meant Sheppard still wasn’t out of the woods yet.

“We got out of there,” Sheppard agreed carefully. “Ronon and Rodney also found the V’rdai’s ship and destroyed it, stranding them on that planet. And when we left, a Hive ship had just arrived.”

“A Hive ship?” Woolsey considered that. “They must have angered the Wraith a good deal to warrant such attention. A shame we couldn’t enlist them as allies, then.”

“Not a chance,” Sheppard told him. “They were too paranoid to work with anyone.”

“We tried to contact you, when ten hours had passed and you hadn’t checked in,” Woolsey told them. “We couldn’t get through. Then we tried sending a ship to search for you, and couldn’t activate the gate. Why not?”

“The V’rdai had set up some sort of interference,” Sheppard answered. “They used a charged metal net to fool the gate into thinking it was obstructed, and that shut it down temporarily. Rodney figured out the problem and removed the net once we were able to reach the gate, but up until then nothing was going in or out.”

Woolsey was studying him closely. “Very well,” he said after a moment, and Sheppard tried not to sigh in relief. “I’m glad you all made it back safely. There is nothing pressing for you at the moment, so I suggest all four of you take the opportunity to clean up, eat, and get some rest.” He turned back to the report on his desk, clearly dismissing them.

“That’s just what I had in mind,” Sheppard agreed. He turned and gestured for the other three to precede him out. Together they left the command area and walked down a hallway leading toward their respective quarters. Sheppard was already looking forward to a nice, long shower. But first he had a few questions of his own.

“What happened with Nekai?” he asked Ronon once the four of them were well away from anyone else. Teyla and Rodney stopped and turned to hear the answer as well.

“I let him go,” Ronon replied. He stopped as well, but only because otherwise he’d have to shove past Teyla and Rodney.

“That’s it?” Rodney asked. “You let him go? You’re not going to explain that one?”

Ronon turned to stare at him. “No.” After a few seconds Rodney looked away.

“Never mind that,” Sheppard said, though he’d dearly love to know what Ronon and his former leader had talked about. But he trusted Ronon to tell him if he needed to know, and respected him enough not to pry. As long as he got an answer to a different, more pressing question. “Will he be a problem again?”

“I hope not,” Ronon admitted after a second. “I don’t think so.” He frowned. “But if he does, I’ll be ready.” He pulled a small device from one of the many pockets in his jacket, held it up just long enough for Sheppard to realize it was a small black rectangle that gave off a faint glow from the other side, and then pocketed it again.

Sheppard started when he realized that Ronon had just shown him a tracking monitor, and outright stared when he felt his own pockets and discovered he no longer had the device. He’d last checked it as they’d left the planet, but obviously at some point since then Ronon had found a way to steal the device back. He was just letting Sheppard know he had it and would use it if necessary. Sheppard had only gotten a glance of the device itself. He had no idea whether it had shown any dots on its screen. But he knew that Ronon would keep an eye out, and would let him know if anything suggested the V’rdai were coming after them or after Atlantis. And that was good enough for him.

He turned to continue the slow trek back to his quarters, when Ronon laid a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you,” the big Satedan said softly.

“For what?”

“For leaving out the V’rdai’s history — or my former place with them,” Ronon answered.

“Oh, that.” Sheppard shrugged and tried to look like he didn’t care. “I didn’t want to confuse Mr. Woolsey with unnecessary details.” He grinned at his friend, and Ronon mirrored the expression.

“Yes, there is no reason to mention it, since the V’rdai are no longer a threat,” Teyla added.

Rodney just shook his head. “You’re all ridiculous.”

This time, Sheppard decided to let it go.

Some things just weren’t worth fighting for.

And some things were.