Chapter 30

The steady beep of medical equipment softly urged Sheppard back into wakefulness. For a while, he kept his eyes closed and gradually let more sounds, sensations and smells seep in; the soft shuffle of shoes, hushed voices, the pull on the back of his hand of an IV line, the cool liquid in his vein, the sound of someone close by tapping on a tablet…

Figuring he knew who that would be, he cracked his lids a fraction, spotting McKay sitting on the infirmary bed beside his, fully dressed in a clean Atlantis uniform, working on his tablet in silent concentration.

'We made it back then?' he croaked, only now realising how dry his throat was.

'Well, it's about time you woke up!' Rodney chirped, setting his tablet down beside him and hopping off the bed to hold a glass of water and straw up to Sheppard's mouth.

He drank gratefully, thinking it was unusually kind of Rodney to do that without even a little prompting. He figured he must really have been worried about him.

'Teyla? Ronon?' he grunted as McKay pulled the glass away.

'Both safe,' Rodney smiled. 'They've been taking turns sitting with you. They're probably down at the gym sparring. You know what those two are like.'

He did, and yes, that wouldn't surprise him. They would be keen to get back to their peaks of physical fitness. 'And Mehra?'

'Well, Carson is taking good care of her, but it'll be a few months before she's back to active duty.'

'Wow, she'll be climbing the walls,' Sheppard snorted. He knew that because he would be too.

He lay his head back against the firm pillows, breathing in their freshly laundered scent, so far away from anything he'd slept on in Phylacos. He shifted his body in tiny increments, assessing his level of discomfort. His ankle throbbed and his ribs still hurt…and his right hand was bandaged and painful when he tried to flex it. Added to that a dull headache throbbed all the way across the top of his skull. Still, it wasn't so bad considering the last thing he remembered was the compound blowing up around his ears. 'Anyone else hurt?'

'A few scratches, nothing major,' Rodney assured him, still smiling. 'I should go get Carson. He'll want to check you over.'

He scurried away, and Sheppard went back to tentatively testing out his body, one joint at a time. Lady Luck had obviously been with them if he just had a few aches and pains and the others had got away with minor contusions. He wondered how everyone else had fared – how many humans had been freed alive from Phylacos. And what had happened with the rebellion? He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to them…he kind of regretted that after the work they'd put into giving him a chance to rescue his friends. And Mishta had begged him to come back to her…

'Ah, good to see those eyes open, lad,' Carson's Scottish brogue called across the room as he entered. 'Let's take a wee look at you, shall we?'

The doctor ran through a battery of tests to check his vitals, seemingly satisfied with what he found as he straightened up and hooked his stethoscope around his neck. 'Well, I can honestly say, for someone who's had a building drop on their head, you're in good shape.'

Behind him, Teyla and Ronon filed in, followed by…Elizabeth?

Sheppard felt his jaw drop.

'Ah, yes, I forgot to tell you,' Rodney piped up, grinning like an idiot. 'When the Kheprians brought us back we couldn't quite get the timing right. We arrived a little early.'

Sheppard looked around from one grinning face to the other. 'Okaaay…'

'Don't suppose you'd like to tell me why your team looked so surprised to see me here?' Elizabeth asked, folding her arms and quirking an eyebrow, wearing her customary gentle smirk.

Was that what all the odd grinning was about? They were hinting they hadn't told Elizabeth her fate and it was their shared secret?

He looked at Ronon, his face twisted into a bizarre, jokeresque smile.

Something felt off.

'Uh…I just think they're really glad to be back. And so am I,' he fudged. He was glad to be back all right, but wasn't there something major missing? 'Teyla…you okay?'

She blinked a couple of times, as if unsure why he would be asking her that question specifically. 'Of course. We are home and we are safe. Why would I not be happy?'

Her grin remained fixed. Sheppard's blood turned to ice-water in his veins and his skin prickled. 'But what about the promise I made to you? What about Torren?'

She continued to grin, looking back at him as if he'd gone mad. 'Torren?'

'And if we came back too early, where are the other 'us's? Shouldn't they be here, too?'

'Ah, now I can explain that to you, but it's all kinds of complicated physics that your concussed mind will not be able to grasp right now,' McKay interjected. The he pinned on his grin again.

'Try me,' Sheppard growled, his growing sense of unease refusing to be side-tracked so easily.

'You cannot hope to understand,' a phlanged voice insisted.

He turned his head and where Carson had once been standing beside him, Oolanae now lurked.

'You were foolish to think you could escape us so easily.'

Sheppard pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Aww crap. This isn't real.'

'If you think it's so ridiculous you must be dreaming – wake up.' Mishta stepped out from behind Ronon now, her face bearing her familiar scowl. 'Come on, Human. If you're asleep, wake up!'

The terracotta walls of the infirmary lost their colour, then began crumbling in to chunks of grey stone, metal and dust falling around him.

The others were gone, along with Atlantis. Only Mishta remained, unflinching as what was left of Phylacos broke apart around her. 'Do it human. WAKE UP!'

From behind her, a huge ball of flame erupted from further back in the facility, a fireball from the incendiaries he'd laid for the rebels. It rushed up to them, but she paid it no heed, not even as it engulfed her and went on to charge toward him.

As the flames licked at his skin, Sheppard heard the words one more time. 'WAKE UP!'

'Sheppard! Come on! Wake up!'

It was Ronon's voice yelling to him, not Mishta's, Sheppard realised as he gradually came to his senses. He couldn't figure out where he was, only that dust clogged his nose and throat, making it hard to breathe. There was barely any light, just a flashlight beam shining his way and half-blinding him in the process. 'Ronon?' he choked, as he sucked in more gritty air.

'Sheppard…stay with me,' Ronon gruffed, his head coming into view and blocking the painfully bright beam of light. He had blood covering the right side of his face, and a gash on his right bicep that was bleeding heavily too, caking dust to his skin.

Sheppard slowly figured out that he was lying face down in their dark, cramped confines, with something weighing heavily on the lower half of him, pinning him to the ground.

'You're hurt,' Sheppard slurred, a wave of nausea coming along with his attempt to speak. He retched and began coughing fit to bring up a lung. Every breath he took in just added more debris to his already struggling airways. It took longer than it should have to bring under control.

Just as he managed to stop coughing, a shower of dust and grit rained down on them and set him off again. It was only as he brought his own coughing fit under control, that he realised he could hear other folks besides himself and Ronon wheezing and sputtering.

Ronon squeezed around him and began trying to shift whatever wreckage was pinning him down.

'What happened?' Sheppard asked, trying to move as the weight on him reduced. He cried out when fierce pain speared through his right ankle and palm. He turned his hand over to see a sizable shard of glass spiking into it.

Ronon put a hand on his back and stopped him moving then pulled the glass out, tearing off the bottom of his shirt to wrap around the wound to stem the blood. 'Facility blew before we could get out. Section of roof came down over us…stayed intact…worked like a shield when the fireball came up from the lower levels.'

It was only as Ronon gave his explanation that Sheppard realised he could smell burning. His mind conjured up horrific images of humans caught up in the conflagration, screaming as they burned alive. And he'd done that to them. He'd been so sure they could all get out. 'Anyone hurt in here?'

'Two females…sleeping,' he heard Wanless respond in broken English, realising then it was the huge Kheprian holding the flashlight. 'Hurt bad. Three more, two males and a female, wounded, still moving.' He crawled over and flipped whatever remained on top of Sheppard off him with relative ease.

'D'you get that?' Ronon asked.

'Yeah, I got it,' Sheppard replied as the various aches, throbs and lancing pains began to set in through his own body. He realised they coincided with his dream, only way, way worse. He tried to move again, but once again Ronon forced him to stay still.

'Don't move, we need to wait for help.'

'My leg,' Sheppard wheezed. 'Feels weird.'

Ronon looked down toward it, then made a slight grimace before composing his expression again. 'It's nothing. Just a scratch.'

'Like the rebar in my side at Michael's compound was just a scratch?' Sheppard replied, trying to look around at his injured limb.

Ronon grabbed his face and made him look at him. 'Stay still.'

That was when Sheppard's panic began to rise. There was something Ronon didn't want him to see. 'We need to get out. If the Reliquiae know the compound is down, they're gonna come looking for stray humans,' he said, for the time being letting the Satedan win the battle of wills.

He saw the concern register on Ronon's face. He cast a look at the Kheprian, who immediately shifted position setting down his flashlight and finding purchase anywhere he could under the ragged lower edge of the fallen roof. He attempted to lift it, causing a shower of dust to fall on them all.

Sheppard dropped his face to the floor, but it provided little relief since it was already filthy down there. He still ended up with a mouthful of debris he couldn't help but inhale and choke on.

Wanless tried again, but the roof was too heavy for him to lift alone. Ronon slid over and added his own strength to the battle, but Sheppard notice he was only using one arm, and now he could see him at a distance the one with the gash appeared to be dislocated.

Now unattended, Sheppard took a look around at his ankle; beside his foot lay some fallen blockwork he suspected was what Wanless had tipped off him, and the bottom half of his right leg was twisted at a weird angle that told him it was broken somewhere just above the ankle joint. It was hard to tell, but he thought he might be bleeding from the injury too. The fabric of his BDU leg felt warm and sticky down at that point, but he couldn't really identify exactly where that sensation was coming from over the growing intensity of the pain burning in his mangled limb.

'Sheppard!'

'John! Ronon!'

It was McKay and Teyla. The movement of the section of roof must have drawn their attention as they searched through the wreckage.

Sheppard drew in a breath to shout out, but the pain in his ribs pulled him up short with a gasp.

'We're under here!' Ronon called back to them.

'Are you all right?' Teyla asked.

'Sheppard's hurt. We need to get out. He thinks more Reliquiae might come!'

Muffled conversation from the other side of the roofing led to the sound of Mehra shouting. 'Hey, you bug dudes. Over here!'

Sheppard winced. They were going to have to work on her diplomacy skills.

Whether her request was polite or not, the Kheprians apparently understood and followed her instructions. Soon, the roof was lifting a little again, several sets of Kheprian legs coming into view in the gap between it and the floor.

'Help me move him,' Ronon barked at Wanless, the two of them grabbing an arm each and hauling Sheppard toward the opening as it rose higher and became a more feasible escape route. Sheppard gritted his teeth as his useless, broken leg dragged along behind him, battling the urge to scream his lungs out. He hated breaking bones. There was no other pain like it…except maybe bullet wounds. But he sure as hell wasn't getting himself out of there, so he put up and shut up. He could complain about his various aches and pains later once they were all safe.

As soon as they were out of their protective shell, the heat and smoke hit him. He hadn't realised the level of danger his friends were putting themselves in to get to them. Flames licked all around what remained of Phylacos, and heat and smoke hung thick at their level, making it even harder to breathe as Ronon and Wanless pulled him free.

'Get clear!' he yelled as the other humans trapped under the roof with them were either pulled or guided out of the rubble. They had no idea what was in that facility, and with fires still burning he couldn't be certain there would be no subsidiary explosions to follow as the flames spread.

To their credit, the Kheprians were doing what they could to free up humans caught in the wreckage and crying out for help. Their strength made moving fallen roof, walling and masonry relatively easy, as was lifting injured people and carrying them to a safer area.

Teyla, darted forward to help take over supporting Sheppard from Ronon as the big man dropped to his knees, unable to continue under the strain of his own injuries. But his inability to use his leg made Sheppard heavy and he could feel her buckling, her tiny, undernourished form lacking its usual strength.

And then someone else was there, someone taller and stronger that he could barely make out through the smoky haze.

'John! Tammah Oriah. Yuros veeti!'

He recognised Mishta's voice, and felt her ease Teyla out from under his right arm and take the strain upon her own shoulders. It immediately raised him higher, helping him to lift his unsupported broken ankle above the ground to reduce the impacts on it as they travelled.

Once a reasonable distance form what remained of Phylacos, Wanless and Mishta lowered him gently to the ground. The Kheprian soon disappeared, but Mishta remained there cradling his head in her lap, talking to him, soothing him. He felt water run gently over his eyes and mouth, the relief it provided from the stinging smoke and grit almost instant and oh, so good. The long drink she allowed him to take once his mouth was cleared of debris was nothing short of blissful.

She continued to talk, but he couldn't understand what she was saying without his translator. He couldn't form the sentence to explain, so tapped his ear and said, 'Broken,' hoping that was enough to make it clear.

It was, and she began to speak in relatively fluent English. 'You be all right, John. I take care of you.'

As his vision began to clear he saw two other forms had joined her. Lansha and Juroah leaned over him, their faces grim with concern.

She screamed something in Birajan at them, and Lansha shot out of sight again, his running footsteps soon lost in the midst of the chaos of fires and crying.

Juroah knelt beside her, slipping off his coat and folding it to form a pillow for his head. Mishta slid out from under him and carefully lowered his head onto the wadded fabric, proceeding to examine the various injuries she could see. Juroah pulled out his own flask of water so they could wash away any excess blood from the numerous lacerations the collapse had inflicted on his battered body. He tipped some onto Sheppard's forehead and he felt the sting of a raw, open cut there for the first time. He was honestly so beaten up he couldn't really pinpoint any once single pain until they began to treat it. Everything hurt.

Juroah spoke to Mishta, and although Sheppard couldn't tell what he was saying he could tell he was worried. She replied, then translated for him.

'I gave Juroah the enzyme we had left from this morning because we were attacked by the Reliquiae and he was dying. He says I should have kept some back, but he would have died without all of it. He's lucky I remembered I still had it with me. In all the chaos I almost forgot.'

'I'll be fine,' Sheppard croaked, giving the old guy a crooked smile. 'Takes more than a building landing on my head to finish me.'

Mishta translated for her mentor and Juroah gave a chuckle and a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Sheppard figured that meant he looked as bad as he felt.

Teyla, Rodney, Ronon and Wanless found their way to the spot where he had been deposited, the Satedan heavily dependent on the help of the others to get him there. They lowered him down beside Sheppard, and he rolled onto his back with a groan that told him Ronon felt pretty much as bad as he did. Only a short distance away, Mehra barked instructions to the Kheprians, organising them into search and rescue teams. The woman had spirit considering the pain she had to be in from her own injuries, and despite the language barrier she was making herself understood.

Rapidly thudding footfalls grew louder from somewhere nearby, and moments later Lansha dropped to his knees between the two of them, speaking in Birajan again.

Mishta was unbuttoning Sheppard's BDU shirt and pushing up his t-shirt checking for further damage. 'John's translator is broken. Speak English so he know what we do. How much synthetic skin do we have?'

Lansha looked at Sheppard's body, concern etched across his face. 'I check. I think enough.'

Sheppard felt someone take his good hand and squeeze it while Mishta got to work. He knew it was Teyla. He would recognise the grip of that hand anywhere. He closed his eyes and let them fix him up as best they could, desperately sorry for the other humans suffering there with them. If the Reliquiae hadn't come they might have stood a better chance of getting everyone out, but they'd been slowed down by the attack…that and power being reinstated. Why hadn't he considered that? And then, of course, there had been that shadow creature that had caused panic and mayhem just as escape had seemed within reach. Where the hell that had come from was anyone's guess. Some weird experiment released by the explosions, he supposed…

'Reliquiae! Ponta oustra!'

Sheppard didn't realise his mind had phased out until Juroah's shrieked order to the Kheprians woke him, a fact that was made all the more regrettable when Mishta activated some kind of shrink wrap splint for his leg that pulled tight and immobilised the broken bones. He damn near crushed Teyla's hand as it forced his broken bones into place.

'We need to get John out of here!' Mishta shouted over the growing whine of the dart's approaching engine.

'We could take the Diiro Koora,' Lansha suggested. 'It can carry many and it will move faster than our damaged craft.'

'No! We can't leave the other humans…they'll kill them,' Sheppard protested, stubbornly refusing their plan.

'If we not leave the Reliquiae will take you,' Mishta insisted, as Lansha and Juroah began trying to lift him.

'I said no!' he pulled free, falling back to the ground. 'We stay and fight.'

'We cannot, John. We are not strong enough,' Teyla warned. 'We should take as many as we can and get into hiding.'

'Listen to your friend,' Mishta pleaded. 'The Reliquiae will sweep us up without struggle. And then they use you to rise to top of order again. We not allow that to happen.'

'The disrupter!' Lansha suddenly piped up. 'It knocks out power. We can use it – take down the craft.'

'Now that sounds like a plan!' Sheppard agreed, and Mishta's brother scrambled away to retrieve the device from where they had left it.

The tension was etched into every face around him as the all too familiar while of the ship moved closer, zoning in on their position. It was coming into view in the starlight, just the first hint of white on the wing tips at it began to turn their way.

'We need to get everyone moving,' Ronon grunted, forcing himself to his feet and beginning to back off. 'Sheppard…come on!'

When Ronon and Teyla were telling him they had to leave, Sheppard knew things were bad. They were almost always in favour of staying to fight where the defence of innocents was necessary. But they had no weapons, they had no shelter, they didn't even have their health, all they had was an acute sense of danger and a desire to survive that they needed to communicate to everyone there.

'Come on, Sheppard,' Rodney pleaded. 'We just got free. You can't give up now.'

'Go…I'll be right behind you,' he nodded, 'Get everyone out of here.'

Ronon, Teyla and Mehra began to yell out instructions for people to start running, doing what they could to help them, even though Ronon was clearly struggling with huge discomfort. Rodney stayed with Sheppard a while longer. He could see in the scientist's eyes that he knew Sheppard had no intention of following, and though it looked like he wanted to beg him to change his mind, he apparently relented on that and instead gave him a rueful smile before joining his colleagues in encouraging the other humans there to get moving.

Mishta took Sheppard's uninjured hand and fixed him with an earnest stare from her violet eyes. 'Do not tell me to leave because I will not…not this time.'

He knew it would be pointless to argue with her, so didn't. She spoke with Juroah, who nodded and slapped her on the back before running to join the others who were speeding humans and Birajans on their way, all scattering from the scene like rats leaving a sinking ship.

The dart was almost upon them. The harvesting beam shot out and began sweeping, gathering up a few humans not quick enough to evade its touch.

The light disappeared, and in the darkness Sheppard watched dazed and wounded humans falling over themselves in their desperation to get away from the approaching craft.

The beam appeared again, swirling across the ground to pick up stray humans caught in its glare. It was approaching them, only a hundred yards away at most.

'Mishta…'

'No!' she asserted, gripping his hand tighter, clearly determined that if he was to be taken, she was going with him. This was crazy, he couldn't let her risk her life for him. They barely knew one another really.

'Please…go!' he yelled over the screaming engine, but she only shook her head and screwed her eyes shut as she bowed her head and waited for the beam to take them. He closed his eyes to, blinded by the brightness.

Then, through his lids, all was dark again.

The engine's whine decreased into silence and he opened his eyes to watch as the dart passed over them and continued to drift down toward the ground, crashing in an impressive explosion some distance beyond them.

He looked back at Mishta, saw the tears and a smile of relief on her face. She pulled him into a hug and refused to let go, even when Lansha joined them again with the disrupter clutched tight in his arms. 'It charging again, but we need to move everyone to safe distance.'

'Or use it to distract Reliquiae,' Mishta countered, finally relinquishing her hold on Sheppard. 'We know they use it to track us. If we send it far away, they will hopefully follow it while we get everyone to safety.'

'I take it.'

Wanless stood behind Sheppard, stretching out his pincered hand.

He spoke to Mishta and Lansha, and once again Mishta translated for Sheppard.

'He say he can use one of their craft to take to safe distance and leave it. He also say his men will use transport trucks to help move humans to safety, then will return to organise the rest of troops to search for more humans.'

Sheppard could hardly believe the alien's offer. It was selfless and empathetic in a way he had never considered the Kheprians capable of. The Birajan rebels had been right that these aliens were not truly bad. And now Phylacos was gone they were free to act in a manner that reflected their true nature.

'Give it to him. Trust him,' he told Lansha.

Lansha nodded, and passed the disrupter over to the huge Kheprian, who wasted no time in sprinting away with it, heading back into what was left of Phylacos as he yelled orders for other Kheprians to follow him.

Teyla now ran back over to them, bent double with the effort. 'Are you all right, John?'

Mishta stood and extended her hand to him. 'Let us make use of Diiro Koora. We can fit many humans aboard that and Kheprians can follow on with rest.' Juroah started after the Kheprian leader, calling to Mishta as he went. 'He say he will ride with Kheprians – show them the way,' she explained to Sheppard and his friends.

Sheppard took hold of Mishta's arm with his good hand and let her haul him upright, both she and her brother supporting him as they guided him toward the Reliquiae craft. The movement was hard and took his breath away, leaving him panting and at the point of passing out when they finally got him into a seat aboard the vessel. Ronon soon joined him, as did the other most seriously injured humans, plus a few terrified folks who could barely stand they were shaking so hard. The rest of his team opted to remain behind and assist with keeping the humans calm and organised while the Kheprians readied their vehicles and loaded humans for the trip to the rebel camp.

It was hard for Sheppard to leave them behind, but he couldn't argue. He felt like he should be there to do the job himself since he'd brought them all to this point. But he couldn't, and that fact drove him crazy.

Mishta slid in beside him and stroked his hair back from his forehead, careful to avoid the gash that now throbbed sickeningly along his hairline. 'Rest now, John. You did everything asked of you.'

He'd almost forgotten the main purpose for his mission in the carnage that had ensued. 'What about Akalus?'

She looked tense, but forced on a smile anyway. 'No one found him yet. If he not dead, he trapped and we will find him. It is over, John. Akalus not win now.'

'Not a him…it's a her. A young human girl. She was what he hid behind the suit.'

'A girl?' Mishta seemed worried as if she though the knock to his head had left some damage.

'I swear, you can ask Rodney and Mehra when they join us later. They saw her too.'

'Do not concern yourself with that now, John. If she not here with us, your friends find her amongst the humans when they loaded onto transport trucks.'

He scoured the vessel, checking every pale or bloodied face, but Geeja wasn't amongst them. With any luck, she hadn't made it out. Certain Mehra would recognise her and alert the Kheprians if Akalus did show up among the survivors, he allowed all the tension and pain in him to drain away and succumbed to sleep. He was hurt, but he'd survived. Recovery was his next mission, and the first stage of that was rest.

oooOOOooo

It was a few days later before Sheppard came back to full consciousness.

His eyes fluttered open to the sight of Lansha's shelter, the roof fabric billowing in a stiff wind that was whipping up outside. Bright sun illuminated the shelter through the open door canopy, aided a little by the lamps swinging gently in the breeze.

'John?'

There was uncertainty in Teyla's voice, as if she had watched him awaken several times before only to be disappointed.

He turned his head to the right where he'd heard her voice coming from. 'Hey, Teyla…you okay?'

She gave him a broad smile and a small laugh of relief. 'I am fine. How are you feeling?'

He hadn't really had time to think about that, but an attempt to shift position soon told him all he needed to know. 'Sore,' he admitted, falling back against his pillow.

Teyla helped him drink from a flask, before lowering his head again. 'We were quite worried for you. You had some internal damage from the building collapse, but the rebels paid for a good physician they could trust not to betray them to come and assist in your treatment. She assured us any bleeding that was taking place has been brought under control, and she has set the break in your leg and given you some kind of –' she paused, reaching for the correct terminology, 'bone regrowth augmentation therapy. She believes it will be completely healed in two weeks at the most, if not sooner.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'Wow! We could use some of that back at Atlantis.'

'Yes…' She said wistfully, sadness seeping into her expression for just a short time, and he knew she was thinking about Torren. She paused a moment, and then he noticed a twinkle come into her eyes. 'Mishta worked very hard at securing the best treatment for you. She even scoured the dart crash site and other locations for enzyme, but the Reliquiae's bodies were either too damaged or had already been looted.'

'Yeah?' he hedged, certain Teyla was hinting at something, but not willing to fall into her trap. 'That was good of her.'

'She is obviously a caring woman…she has relieved me of my bedside vigil many times over the past few days…even when I have assured her I am happy to sit with you. In fact, she was most insistent that I get more rest.'

He regarded her a moment or two, watching her battle back a smile. That was an idea he needed to put an end to quickly since it had already caused him plenty of trouble. 'Now don't get excited,' he drawled casually, pretending not to think anything of Mishta's attentions. 'The only reason she's doing all this is because I saved her life and now she has to repay me until the debt is settled. It's Birajan tradition.'

'Then she adheres to their traditions most…rigorously,' she grinned, offering him the flask again. This time he took it from her, determined to do something for himself. Crappy as his body felt, the thought that he would never again find his sorry carcass thrown into a cell in Phylacos made the discomfort worthwhile.

He let Teyla have her fun, sticking out his hand and saying, 'Help me sit up. I've been lying down long enough.'

'I am not sure…'

Just as she was trying to persuade him to remain lying down, Mishta herself arrived. He felt his faced flush as Teyla beamed at him again.

A radiant smile split Mishta's face, too. 'You're awake!' she breathed, quickly schooling her features into a less delighted expression. 'I suppose you thought you should rise now the hardest work is already over.'

He frowned, confused. 'Either your English just improved a helluva lot, or someone fixed my translator, right?'

'We fitted you with a new one so we could communicate with you better again. Your friends have them too. Plus a select few of the other humans. I'm afraid we could afford to supply everyone.'

He pushed up more to try and ease himself into a sitting position. 'I don't think they'll mind. It's better than they're used to in Phylacos.'

She strode forward and took hold of his arm, let him use her strength to right himself. He swung his legs out stiffly and sat on the edge of his bed, panting as the pain in his ribs first peaked and then began to settle again.

'Should he be moving already?' Teyla asked, looking worried by his struggle.

Mishta immediately dismissed her concerns. 'The physician said he should begin to move as soon as he is able to. Bodies are not designed to be still for prolonged periods of time. Small movements will do him no harm, in fact they will be beneficial.'

She pulled out her flask and tapped it gently against his shoulder to gain his attention as he stared at his feet and concentrated on not puking. He accepted the gesture and took a drink. He didn't know what was in it, but it had a kick that woke him up even more. 'Whoa! What is that stuff?'

'A herbal brew to boost health…with a little something extra,' she shrugged. 'It will help your tissues to knit without infection.'

'You sure it's not for external use only?' he wheezed, his throat still burning.

She smirked. 'Quite sure. Drink up and stop being a baby.'

He took another big swig, feeling it burn its way down to his stomach. 'So…' he rasped, his voice now hoarse, 'bring me up to speed with what's happened while I was out.'

'The latest head count shows one hundred and twenty-two humans had made it out of Phylacos,' Mishta told him, all business now. 'Many of them were fortunate enough to escape with nothing more than cuts and bruises or whatever injuries they already bore, but those at the back of the line when the incendiaries activated suffered more serious injuries such as burns, and broken and crushed limbs. Rumours of incompletes running from the complex and heading out across the wastelands are spreading, but we can't be sure of their validity. We haven't found an incomplete alive yet, though there were a few found dead on the first day of searching the wreckage. I doubt any of them will survive for long if they're out there. Life would be hard for any human unfit to defend themselves against attack.'

He nodded, absorbing that information. 'How many dead?' he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

'Thirteen so far,' Teyla said softly, sitting beside him. 'Four others are critical, but they have been treated and are fighting.'

He swallowed hard, almost choking on the lump of guilty anxiety rising in his craw. 'What about the people in the mines?'

'The Kheprian leader mounted a search and rescue operation as soon as he'd adequately disposed of the disrupter and the heat in the wreckage of Phylacos became bearable for his people to work in,' Mishta reported. 'A Chapellan contact of ours helped us acquire tunnelling equipment to sink narrow shafts into the earth as deep down as the mines to allow in air, food and water while they clear the upper levels as quickly, and as carefully, as the situation allows. They believe there were no casualties down there as a result of the explosions. They're hoping to connect power to the main elevator shaft with the help of your friend Dr McKay soon, once they have cleared a path to the access on the upper levels.'

Sheppard watched Mishta reel it all off like a mission report, formal and tight-jawed. 'You all right?' he asked, from the look on her face completely taking her by surprise.

'I…' She hesitated, and he realised she was fighting back tears.

'Mishta?'

'We…we are conducting funeral rites for Goronak in a few hours. If you feel well enough to attend…'

Sheppard pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd been so focused on how the humans had done he hadn't thought about the old Birajan. 'Aw, crap, Mishta. I'm sorry…I didn't realise he hadn't made it.'

'You have nothing to apologise for. We were…betrayed by the Gavallan who sold us the disrupter. They put a tracking device on it that the Reliquiae could follow and they came hunting us as soon as we turned it on to build the charge. Goronak was too old to fight effectively, that is all.'

Again with the cold, clinical assessment. But he sensed there was more she wasn't telling him.

'Teyla…would you give us a minute?'

Teyla arched a quizzical eyebrow, looked toward Mishta, then smiled and nodded. 'Of course. I will be just outside.' She dipped her head respectfully to Mishta as she passed her. The smile Mishta gave in acknowledgement was rigid and controlled.

'Come over here…sit down,' Sheppard said to her, gesturing to Lansha's bed opposite him.

She shook her head. 'There is much to do. I should go…'

'You can spare me five minutes, right? We've barely spoken since the explosion.'

With a reluctant sigh, she perched herself on Lansha's bed, but stared out of the shelter's open entrance. Her whole body was stiff, her jaw clenched. She was clearly dealing with something…something she needed to talk about if he wasn't mistaken. He'd seen this kind of reaction before after a mission gone bad. Talking was the only thing that helped. And yes, he acknowledged his own hypocrisy since he was so bad at opening up himself, but this wasn't about him.

'Sounds like it got pretty rough out there after I left you,' he began, watching her face as she closed her eyes briefly as if trying to shut out her memories. 'I never got chance to ask you what happened.'

She shook her head, and he wondered at first if it was a refusal to speak, but then he realised it was more an inability to find the right words as she stammered to answer him. 'There…there were five of them,' she began, sucking in a shuddering breath. 'We…we had no hope to outrun their ship and…and stay in range of Phylacos. We knew we had to stay…stay and fight.'

He saw her hands begin to shake before she clasped them tightly between her knees to prevent the tremors. He chewed his bottom lip and resisted the urge to reach over and take hold of them.

'I have never…never seen such unmitigated violence. They attacked Lansha first…I thought he would die. I just couldn't…I couldn't protect them all. I tried –'

She broke off then and went back to staring out of the entrance, bottom lip trembling, struggling to keep her feelings in check.

Sheppard swallowed down the knot of emotion in his throat to speak to her. 'I know you will have done everything you could. Goronak would know that, too.'

'It wasn't enough…' she whispered, lost in thought.

He passed her back her flask. 'Here, I think you need this more than me.'

She took it and drank a large mouthful, closing her eyes again to savour the warmth as it worked its way down. 'He told them where to find you.'

Sheppard frowned, confused by the statement. 'Who?'

'Goronak,' she croaked, finally finding the strength to hold it together and look at him. She was angry, and that gave her the energy to tell him what was really eating at her. 'The Reliquiae had linked Lansha to you somehow, and they were attacking us, demanding to know where you were.' She let her violet eyes settle on his. 'He told them you were in Phylacos. He gave you up to them.'

Now he understood what all this was about. She felt Goronak had betrayed him. 'Mishta…I've seen the Reliquiae in action. I can only imagine what it was like out there for you guys up against five of them. It's nothing short of a miracle that any of you survived – ' He saw her involuntarily shudder as the memories invaded her mind again. 'I'm damn sure Goronak was in agony when he gave that information up to them. You can't blame him for trying to make them stop. I sure as hell don't.'

'When I saw the explosions begin, and you hadn't come out…' She dropped her head and covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.

She was crying.

Much as he knew he shouldn't, he somehow managed to launch himself from his own bed across to sit himself beside her. She looked startled at the sudden movement, then even more so when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 'I'm here, aren't I? And that's all thanks to you guys.'

She slipped both her arms around his neck and pulled him into her, and he let her. It felt good…incredibly good. Even if they weren't supposed to be doing it. Or maybe because of that. And even with the aches and pains it woke in him he still chose to enjoy the moment.

Eventually, with a little persuasion on his part, they separated. She looked flushed and embarrassed, pushing loose strands of hair back off her face and refusing to look him in the eye.

'Will you come for me when it's time for Goronak's funeral?' he asked,

Her violet eyes sparked with happiness and relief. 'You wish to be there?'

'Of course. He was a good leader. Strong and fair…mostly. He gave me the chance to save the humans, and between us we already have over one hundred and twenty of them safely out of Phylacos. It would be an honour to attend.'

She smiled, standing and straightening herself out, still self-conscious. 'I think he would be honoured to have you there after what you did for us.'

He looked up at her, radiant in all her embarrassed and slightly dishevelled glory. 'I may need some help getting there.'

'And you'll have it,' she smiled. 'I should go now…Lansha will be happy to hear you have fully woken…as will your other friends. I won't keep them from you any longer.'

He watched her go, letting out a sad sigh. That woman touched him at a level no one had for a long time, and once they figured out how to get home he was going to have to leave her behind. He was beginning to think the universe was determined to keep him single.

Teyla poked her head around the doorway. 'Are you ready for some food, John?'

Was he ever. His stomach was cramping from hunger he realised now that Mishta was gone. He hadn't been conscious of it until now. 'Sure. What's on the menu?'

'Halmac broth and bread cakes. I'll bring you some.'

She disappeared, and Sheppard lunged back over to his own bed, panting through the discomfort even that limited amount of movement caused. He looked at his arms, gouged and scarred, tentatively felt the now sealed cut on his forehead, took a peak under the dressing on the bite mark the Reliquiae had left on his shoulder, and even lifted his shirt to examine the scar from his emergency surgery. His skin was an amazing array of bruise-related colours from nearly black to almost-healed yellow, but very few inches of his body didn't carry a mark of some kind. He felt like he'd been pushed under the wheels of a truck, then dragged along by it for a mile or two. But he was alive, and that was way more than he'd expected when that building had started coming down around his ears.

He lay back on the bed to wait for his meal to arrive, trying to put regrets about those he couldn't save on the backburner just for now and instead revel in the feeling of being alive and free at last.

oooOOOooo

At sunset, the Birajans stopped work to attend the funeral of their fallen elder, while the Kheprians continued to toil at the site of Phylacos' still smouldering ruins.

Mishta collected Sheppard as she had promised to. He had been provided with some clothing by Lansha since his own had been so badly damaged during the collapse of Phylacos; the smart long-sleeved tunic in dark blue and brown trousers only a shade or two lighter than black seemed appropriate for the sombre occasion. Though Lansha had arranged a seat for him, Sheppard refused, accepting instead a crutch to take the weight off his leg. He wouldn't sit out of respect. Goronak had given him the chance to save his people; he could put up with a little discomfort and fatigue in return.

Goronak's swaddled remains now lay atop a funeral pyre, awaiting the service that would send his soul to its eternal rest. It gave every human gathered there pause for thought. They were all fortunate to be alive, and this Birajan had done his part to help them gain their freedom.

Thalliah, the newly appointed lead Founder, read the final rites. He told stories of Goronak's life and achievements, and his devotion the rebellion. It turned out Goronak had led a colourful life, a life full of happiness as well as sacrifice. Finally, Thalliah reminded everyone of how proud they should be of the fact Goronak's final acts had assured the destruction of Phylacos and the salvation of so many innocents throughout the universe, before saying the words that would release his spirit from his body to make its final journey. It made Sheppard sad to think that after devoting himself to the rebellion, Goronak hadn't been alive to see them succeed in bringing down Phylacos. His death would have been somehow less cruel and untimely if he'd died knowing they had scored a victory.

Mishta stood beside Sheppard, struggling to hold back her tears. Though she covered her sadness well, he could hear the quiver in each breath she took. Putting his concerns for propriety aside, he reached over and took her hand, gripping it tightly to give her the support he knew she so badly needed. The attack had left deep scars on her psyche. She would recover, but it would take time.

Looking down at Sheppard's hand, then up into his eyes, her tears began to flow. Teyla, always empathetic and giving freely of herself, wrapped an arm around her from her other side, whispering words of support. Just further across the crowd, Sheppard caught sight of Marmotah glaring at him. He knew he was jealous, and felt a little bad for him since his father was recently dead, too, and this had to be bringing back horrible feelings of pain and guilt. But he wouldn't be intimidated into letting go of her hand. He could feel how tightly she was gripping him, dependant on his closeness for whatever reason. Marmotah's jealously would just have to boil, and hopefully he would have the good grace not to vent it right here in the middle of such a dignified service and with Mishta already so fragile.

None of the Birajans cried. Lansha had explained to him during an earlier chat that it wasn't something that came naturally to them, and clearly this show of emotions from Mishta left them baffled. Mishta buried her head into Sheppard's shoulder and sobbed out her grief. He caught sight of Lansha now, looking at him from the other side of the pyre, giving him a smile and a nod of thanks for the support he was offering his sister. Sheppard needed no thanks. Both Lansha and Mishta had risked their lives to save him from Akalus' lair, so this was the least he could do.

Following the funeral, Sheppard swiftly made his excuses and retired to Lansha's shelter, his friends accompanying him before they settled down themselves for the night. Exhausted just from the effort of standing, he stretched out on his bed, fully dressed and still in his boots, and decided that would have to be it for the night. He didn't have the energy to do any more.

'Thought you might like to know we found Geeja's body, Sir,' Mehra told him, as she stifled a yawn. Teyla had told him over their lunch that Mehra had worked tirelessly to find any humans in the rubble of Phylacos, and the strain was beginning to show.

He didn't smile, though the news pleased him. 'Guess that means the mission was an almost complete success,' he replied, closing his eyes.

'Almost?' he heard Rodney ask, puzzled.

'Thirteen dead, Rodney. I went in there with the intention of getting everyone out.'

He felt someone sit on the edge of his bed. 'You cannot blame yourself for that, John. You did all you could for them,' Teyla told him, trying to assuage his guilt.

'Doesn't make it any easier to swallow,' he sighed, then yawned, feeling sleep trying to pull him down.

'On the positive side, we're close to accessing the elevator shaft to the mines,' Rodney announced. 'And once we're there I can get power connected and start bringing up the rest of the miners.'

'Any estimates on numbers?' Sheppard asked.

'Close to a hundred,' Ronon replied.

Sheppard lifted his head at that. 'A hundred more humans? That's a lot of people to hide.'

'Especially from the Reliquiae,' Mehra added. 'If we keep them all together they're soon gonna sniff us out sooner or later.'

'We need to find somewhere secure for them,' Teyla agreed. 'We cannot stay here. We endanger the rebels just by being among them.'

'We'll figure something out once we have the miners freed,' Sheppard promised them, draping his arm across his eyes, hoping they would take the hint and give him some time to rest. His consciousness was beginning to phase in and out and he was struggling to stay with them now. He had a long way to go before he would be much help to anyone. It was time to admit he wasn't recovered yet.

'Well, once my work on the elevator shaft is done, I'm planning to work out the kinks in the Kheprian time dilation drive. And once that's done, we can start taking people home,' Rodney told them. Sheppard could hear the smug smile on his face without seeing it. He made it sound so simple, but Sheppard had a feeling that could be a long job.

'We need to compile a list of when and where everyone was taken from,' Mehra replied. 'We can't just drop them off anywhere.'

'Can I leave that with you, Mehra?' Sheppard asked.

'Uh, well…I was planning to help with the rescue some more…' she stammered, clearly not happy with the suggestion. Sheppard understood her reluctance. She was a 'get out there and do something' kind of soldier, just like he was. Data collection was too mundane to hold her interest.

'I can do that,' Teyla offered. 'It will give me something useful to do while I regain my strength.'

He had a feeling they all had a long way to go before they shook off the after effects of Phylacos, both mental and physical. 'That'd be great. I'd help, but…' he lifted his splinted leg, then lowered it carefully again, figuring it was enough to finish his sentence without needing the actual words. He yawned, and set the others off, too.

'Perhaps it's time for us all to take some rest,' Teyla thankfully announced, at last picking up on his body language. He hadn't exactly been subtle.

They agreed and said their goodnights before he listened to them leave, his consciousness again phasing in and out as he struggled to stay awake. It took him a few seconds longer to realise he wasn't alone yet, a fact confirmed when he felt Teyla take his hand in hers.

He moved his arm from his eyes to see her smiling kindly down at him. 'I knew you would come for me, John. And I know you are saddened by the deaths of the humans who did not make it out of Phylacos, but you still did a wonderful thing.'

He sighed, and gave her a grim smile of his own. 'I doubt the families of those people who didn't make it would agree.'

'Losses are inevitable when we go to war,' Teyla mused quietly. 'I have seen far too many good people die in my life. All we can do is try to learn from those losses and move on. If Rodney is right about what Akalus had planned, there was no other choice than to destroy both Akalus and her work. What you did has saved billions of lives.'

'Didn't quite get you home yet though,' he pointed out, with a crooked grin.

'I can be patient,' she replied. 'Especially since Rodney thinks he can return us to a time very close to when we were taken once he has the time dilation drive fixed. Besides, I like these new friends of yours. I think we can be happy among them here for a while.'

Sheppard, gave her hand a tight squeeze. 'You don't know how glad I am to have you guys with me. Don't get me wrong; the rebels are nice, but they haven't seen many humans and the phrase personal space has no meaning for them.'

'Well, at the risk of invading your 'personal space...' She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 'Thank you for everything you did. I know you will take me home to Torren one day.'

His face glowed into life, heat burning in his cheeks. 'I'd have done the same for any of you, you know that.'

She smiled sweetly. 'I do.'

He noticed someone slipping in through the entrance behind her. He half-expected it to be Mishta checking in on him, but it was one of the other Birajans, a face Sheppard vaguely recalled from the various meetings he'd attended.

'I'm sorry to interrupt,' the male said, his tone a little odd because it didn't really sound like an apology.

'That's okay,' Sheppard replied, forcing on a smile. 'Do you need something?'

'Yes – the woman.'

The Birajan pulled a pulse gun on Sheppard, an unspoken instruction that he shouldn't move.

'Who are you? What do you want with me?' Teyla demanded, rising slowly as he swung the gun in her direction.

Sheppard sat up, drawing the weapon's point back to him. 'Why do you want her? These humans are free, you can take any of us for trade.'

'I do not do this for trade,' the Birajan assured him, rummaging in his pocket while keeping his eyes fixed on the both of them. He pulled out a box. 'I'm sorry to do this at all, but my prince gave me instructions I cannot disobey.'

'What is that?' Teyla asked, eyeing the box dubiously.

'You will see,' he assured her. He walked slowly toward her, holding it at arm's length.

'Back it up, buddy,' Sheppard said, forcing himself to his feet despite his injury.

The gun rose to face level. 'Do not move again or I will shoot you.'

'Stay where you are, John,' Teyla said calmly. 'I can handle this.'

As the Birajan fumbled one-handed with the box, she batted it away and struck him hard under his jaw with the heel of her hand. His weapon fired, just missing Sheppard, but sending a pulse close enough to shake him off his feet. Teyla leapt on the Birajan and punched him again, trying to force him to release his gun.

Sheppard saw the box the Birajan had dropped positioned between him and the intruder. He tried to lunge for it, but he wasn't quick enough, the Birajan snatching it up and activating it before either he could lay hands on it or Teyla could land another blow. In a blinding flash, Teyla disappeared and the Intruder was on his feet and bolting for the entrance. 'Just stay where you are and you won't be hurt, Human.'

As the assailant flung open the entrance flap, Sheppard caught sight of Mishta behind the Birajan. Her sharp mind quickly figured something was wrong and she pounced on him, wrapping an arm around his neck, and trying to drag him down to the ground to disarm him. But the intruder wasn't fazed, pointing his weapon behind his back and releasing a pulse straight into her abdomen.

Mishta instantly dropped to the ground, all this before the entrance flap had even had time to settle back into place.

'No!' Sheppard yelled, lunging for the doorway and falling beside her. 'Stop him!' he yelled, as he checked Mishta for a pulse, wondering if he even knew the right place to find one in a hybrid. Thankfully, he found it, and though it was very weak, it still beat. He tried to rise and follow her attacker, but his leg could not take his weight again and he spilled to the ground on his hands and knees.

The Birajan darted away into the distance, no one able to get near him as he fired his weapon randomly all around to keep them at bay. Even Ronon couldn't catch him; a shot fired by the fleeing Birajan hit his legs, taking them out from beneath him and sending him crashing to the ground. Before anyone could reach him, Sheppard saw the Birajan leap into a transporter and set off. Some of the other rebels jumped into vehicles and tried to follow, but his speed soon left them far behind. He clearly knew which of them was the fastest and he left them trailing in his wake.

Not knowing what else to do, Sheppard crawled back to where Mishta had fallen, Ronon's agonised scream of frustration filling the camp as he once again checked her vitals.

Lansha appeared beside him, dropping to his knees. 'Mishta! What happened?'

'One of your people walked into our shelter and took Teyla. Mishta tried to stop him and he shot her,' he explained, feeling for her pulse again. It was still there…barely…but she was completely unresponsive. 'Mishta? Mishta, can you hear me?'

Nothing. He felt like his heart might actually stop.

Lansha scooped his sister's limp body up into his arms and carried her to his tent, calling for medical supplies. Juroah came bolting over as soon as he saw her, crying out her name. He stroked her face as Lansha kept walking, his voice cracking in as close to an emotional reaction as Sheppard had seen from either of them. Mishta was like a daughter to him, he'd seen that in just the few days he'd shared their lives.

Sheppard didn't follow them. Lansha and Juroah would take care of Mishta better than anyone else could; he would be no help in his current state. He couldn't even stand on his own he realised as he tried to follow. He almost rose, but dropped back down to his hands and knees as pain lanced through his side and ankle. His body hadn't been ready for the strain he'd put it under. Now it refused to comply.

Rodney and Mehra came stumbling over now, drawn out of cover by all the commotion. 'What happened? Where's Teyla?' Rodney asked, his wide eyes darting around the camp looking for any sign of her.

'I don't know,' Sheppard replied, his voice little more than a whisper. 'He took her.'

'Who?' Rodney asked, looking around again. 'Who took her?'

'A Birajan – one of the rebels. He made her disappear. Don't ask me how it works, I just know he has her!' Sheppard spat back, too tired and weak to be civil.

'Where'd he go?' Mehra demanded, looking around and spotting Ronon some twenty yards away.

'He took off in a speeder...' Sheppard said, his voice trailing off as he went over the incident in his head, wondering if he could have handled it differently. Mehra darted over to Ronon, checking him over as he continued to growl and yell out his anger and despair.

A group of female Birajans rushed over and fussed around them all, helping Sheppard back to his feet and ushering them all back under cover with promises the men folk would find the perpetrator, and warnings that it wasn't safe for them to be out in the open considering their worth in these parts. He wanted to tell them to go to hell, but knew he had no choice but to wait in camp for news. He allowed them to support him as he limped toward cover, all the time watching the darkening horizon as the secondary sun sank for the night.

Stunned by the suddenness of Teyla's abduction, they all allowed themselves to be steered back into their tent. The transporters were all out pursuing the abductor, so all they could do was wait for news. As he dipped into the entrance of the shelter Rodney and Ronon were sharing along with a handful of other humans, Sheppard looked back to see Lansha emerge from his dwelling, clearly distressed. Had Mishta succumbed to the force of the pulse? He tried to approach, to find out how she was doing, but Lansha told him he could not stay and talk, that he had to hail the physician to come see her.

One of the females intervened, steering Sheppard back toward his friends. 'She will be well cared for. Lansha will see to that. You cannot go to her –' she glanced around at a bustling group heading toward Lansha's shelter, at the centre of which was a clearly furious Marmotah, demanding to be allowed to see Mishta. ' – it is not your place.'

Torn between his need to check on Mishta, and his desire to avoid causing more anxiety for Lansha, Sheppard stopped his attempt to reach her and let the female push him toward the shelter where his friends waited for him. What the Birajan female said was true. He had no right to see her. Mishta was committed to another, and tradition governed everything in this camp. It would be improper to insist, no matter how much his heart ached with the need to make sure she was going to be all right. He ducked back into the tent and, exhausted and in pain, he curled up on a bed, shutting out reality and the questions of his companions for at least a short time. He couldn't do anything right now, but if he rested he would be ready to act when the time arose for him to do so.

His promise to Teyla was the reason he'd been so determined to go back to Phylacos to save the humans, and now she'd been snatched away right from under their noses. She was worth a lot in these parts, as were all humans. Out here, they were precious commodities; her kidnapper could sell her on within hours, a process that could be repeated several times over to satisfy the greed of traders, and they might never be able to trace her. Every one of them faced that risk in this world. Their survival was at risk, and their futures uncertain. None of them knew what lay ahead for them.

But there was one thing he knew he could control, and Sheppard swore to himself as he listened to Ronon's railing and Rodney's pained exasperation that he wasn't going home without her.

THE END...FOR NOW

A/N: And there you have it! I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but I will write the second part, I promise. I've already made a start, in fact. I hope you all enjoyed it so far, and ass always, thank you to everyone who left reviews to show support during this story. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to comment. Lastly, I want to thank Sterenyk Strey and lizlou57 for betaing for me. Their help is always invaluable. Take care, and I hope not to keep you all waiting too long to find out how this all ends. :)