by Stargate
Sam sighed. Command of the Atlantis mission was nothing like she had expected, and in some ways, everything like she had expected. Every day was a challenge, and just this short jaunt into the field — and into the grip of certain danger — reminded her with potent force just how much had changed about her life.
No. I wouldn’t change the orders I gave if I could. I did what I thought was right, I trusted my people to get the job done. And they did.
“Colonel Carter.” She turned at the sound of her name and found Takkol approaching her. His guards remained at a respectful distance, and she noted that there were fewer of them. Sam wondered what message that sent about the changes the man had been through recently.
“Elder,” she nodded.
“I wanted to thank you personally for the gifts you gave us. The supplies and equipment.”
“We can spare it,” she replied. “It’s the least we can do to help.” Carter sighed. “I hope you understand, we never intended to bring the Wraith here or upset the balance of things on Heruun…”
“I think… This would have happened sooner or later, would it not? The Aegis…” He stumbled over the word. “This… Asgard being. Eventually he would have left us and the Wraith would have returned. Perhaps it was better it took place now instead of in the future.”
Sam felt a pang of sympathy for the man. All the superiority and arrogance he had shown before was gone, and in their place he seemed uncertain and wary. “Change is always difficult,” she said, with real feeling. “But we have to embrace it.”
“I suppose so. My reticence was a mistake, Colonel.”
She answered without thinking, hearing Hammond speak once again. “Every leader makes mistakes. The real test is if you don’t make them again.”
Takkol accepted this with a nod. “Wise words. In looking back, I find I have made many such errors.” He looked away. “I was wrong about the nature of the Aegis. When Aaren and Kullid turned on our ways and went to the side of the Wraith… When Soonir, a man I thought to be nothing but a renegade and dissident, gave his life to save mine… I misjudged so much.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem. Being a leader can isolate you from that truth, if you let it.”
Takkol met Sam’s gaze. “Now I look around and all I can do is wonder how many other things I am mistaken about.”
“There are worse places to start. But what’s important is that you move on, and strive to do the right thing.” She was a little surprised by the conviction behind her own words. Am I talking to him, or to myself?
“You speak truth, voyager,” he agreed. “I allowed my rank and status to close me off from my people. No longer.” Takkol bobbed his head. “For that I thank you.”
From the blue sky overhead came a humming whine and they both looked up to see the barrel-shape of a Puddle Jumper loop past and fall into a steady hover. The outriggers retracted and the craft settled gently to the open wooden decking.
In the shade of the lodge’s porch, Laaro handed the small twists of animal hide and polished stones to Teyla and Jennifer. “These are for you and your friends,” he told them. “I made one for each of the voyagers, so that when you return to your great city you will have something to remind you of Heruun.”
Teyla turned the gift over in her hand; it was a small bangle, a simple version of the ornate bracelets worn by the elders. She put it around her wrist and Keller did the same.
The doctor paused for a moment, then reached up and tore the Atlantis expedition patch off the velcro mount on the shoulder of her jacket. “Here. This is for you.”
Laaro weighed the patch in his hand. “I am honored, Jennifer.” He bowed formally. “And I thank you all for making my parents safe.”
All eyes turned as the Jumper swept in and landed, the aft drop-ramp falling open. Teyla saw Major Lorne appear in the hatchway and throw her a nod.
“Time to go,” she said.
Laaro bowed slightly. “Safe journey to you, voyagers.” He stepped off the porch, crossing through the bright, hot sunlight, marvelling at the spacecraft.
Keller reached for the gear bag at her feet and halted. When she spoke again, her voice was low and quiet. “Just so you know. After you came back from the Aegis, when I checked everyone over?” She threw a look toward Teyla’s belly. “You’re both okay, despite the pounding you took.”
“The children of Athos are a resilient people.” Teyla glanced at the doctor and sensed an unspoken question in the woman’s eyes. “As are the Herunni. If Laaro is anything to go by, I believe they will thrive, even without the protection of the Asgard.”
The doctor gathered up the bag and the two of them made their way toward the waiting Jumper. “The sickness won’t come back,” she replied. “I’m certain of that. As for everything else…” Keller smiled ruefully. “Well, we did just completely dismantle their entire belief system in a matter of days.”
“We showed them the truth.”
“Yes we did. I hope that’ll be enough.” The doctor paused. “I just wish. There was so much we could have learned from Fenrir. There are so many things we still don’t understand about the Asgard, even with the Odyssey core.”
Ronon was standing on the ramp waiting for them. He caught the last few words of the conversation. “Fenrir paid his debts in full,” said the Satedan.
Teyla’s eyes widened. “It surprised me to hear you say that. After all that he put us through. After what he did to you.”
“I’m not forgiving him, if that’s what you think,” came the reply. “But I understand why he did what he did. I know what its like to be isolated from your own kind, to be lost, to want more than anything to just go home…” He shrugged. “Can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same in his position.”
The Athosian woman felt a stirring of emotion and swallowed hard. “No being should be so alone.”
“Whatever Fenrir did,” said Keller, “whatever choices he may have made in the past, he gave the last moments of his life to save others. If that’s not atonement, I’m not sure what is.”
Colonel Carter was the last one to step up into the Jumper, and as she did so Ronon folded his arms. “So. Can we go home now?”
Glancing back from the cockpit, Sheppard nodded with genuine feeling. “Yeah, I reckon so.”
Carter hesitated. “One second, Colonel. There is one last loose end to deal with.”
“Oh, right,” said Sheppard. “That. It’s not a problem. I sent Lorne and McKay out to go pick it up.”
“Are you sure this is the place?” said Rodney, squinting at the display on the handheld sensor device. “I mean, there’s nothing here!”
Major Lorne frowned and surveyed the open span of savannah around them. “I’m telling you, this is it.” He pointed. “Look. The grasses here are all compacted. And there’s a burn ring where the drives scorched the ground. This is where the colonel put us down.”
McKay shook his head. “When Sheppard plucked us off the Aegis with that UFO’s transporters, we came straight down out of orbit! He could have dropped us anywhere.” He sniffed. “And it wasn’t his best landing, I have to say.”
Lorne gestured at the ground. “No, this is it, I’d bet my oak leaves. I’m telling you, there should be an Asgard shuttle parked right here.”
McKay walked forward, waving his arms. “Look, see, nothing! Even if it was cloaked like a Jumper, I’d still bump right into it.”
The major was silent for a moment. “You don’t think it…left on its own, do you? Can Asgard ships do that?”
“Of course not,” Rodney snapped. “We’re talking about a faster-than-light spacecraft! You couldn’t pilot something like that without a thinking, reasoning intelligence on board!” No sooner had the words left his mouth that he found himself suddenly wondering. “Um…”
Unbidden, McKay and Lorne both turned their heads to look up into the clear sky; and for a second, just for the smallest of moments, the scientist thought he saw a tiny flash of light like su
nshine off silver, vanishing into the distance.
About the Author
James Swallow is the author of several books and scripts, and his fiction from the worlds of Stargate includes the novels Halcyon and Relativity, the audio dramas Shell Game, Zero Point and First Prime, and short stories for Stargate: The Official Magazine.
As well as a non-fiction book (Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher), James also wrote the Sundowners series of original steampunk westerns, Jade Dragon, The Butterfly Effect and tales from the worlds of Star Trek (Day of the Vipers, Infinity’s Prism, Distant Shores, The Sky’s The Limit and Shards and Shadows), Doctor Who (Peacemaker, Dalek Empire, Destination Prague, Snapshots, The Quality of Leadership), Warhammer 40,000 (Red Fury, The Flight of the Eisenstein, Faith & Fire, Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius) and 2000AD (Eclipse, Whiteout and Blood Relative). His other credits include writing for Star Trek Voyager, and scripts for videogames and audio dramas, including Battlestar Galactica, Blake’s 7 and Space 1889.
James lives in London, and is currently at work on his next book.
THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE....
More STARGATE SG-1, STARGATE ATLANTIS and STARGATE UNIVERSE novels are available for your Kindle. Based on the hit TV series from MGM, the novels capture all the excitement and drama of the TV shows that we have come to know and love.
Stargate Kindle books UK
Stargate Kindle books US
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
