"Right again. For that reason, let's not waste any time considering the odds of this whole scheme failing miserably. Are we ready?"
"One moment," said Radek, still fiddling with something behind John's seat. "Need to be sure that the correct circuits are left open so that the power surge will not in fact be directed into the jumper's propulsion system."
John pictured a car revving its engine while stuck in neutral. Meanwhile, there was still that pesky cruiser. He waited about five seconds before asking, "How about now?"
It was a good bet that Radek was currently glaring at the back of his head. "Ready. I will reconnect the engines as soon as the surge is discharged. Rodney?"
"All right." Getting out of the spacesuit hadn't stopped Rodney from sweating. "Everybody be prepared to do exactly what I say the very second I say it."
"Aren't we always?" John did his best to look innocent.
Rodney's glare, on the other hand, he didn't have to imagine. He could see it just fine. "Give me ten percent extension on the engine pods."
Obediently, John pushed two fingers across the propulsion console and winced at the scraping sound produced when the pods contacted the docking clamps. Sorry, baby, he told his jumper silently. I'll make it up to you.
"Engines offline," Radek reported.
Inhaling deeply, Rodney placed his hand on the power modulation control and shut his eyes. "Surging in three-two-one-mark!"
The jolt that ran through the craft might have knocked John to the floor if his suit hadn't been tightly wedged between the panel and the chair. Rodney hung on to his seat's armrests for dear life. "Radek, now."
Radek, luckily, was already on the floor. "Engines back online!"
"Colonel, pull in the pods and go!"
"On it." The console's glow was just about the sweetest thing John had ever seen. He retracted the engine pods, tapped the maneuvering thrusters to push them free of the dock, and fired up the engines for real.
The distance between the station and the cruiser was shrinking fast. John wrenched the jumper's nose up just in time to skim along the edge of the derelict ship. After a quick scan of the vicinity, he swung his craft around and aimed at the most direct path to empty space, running the engines close to redline.
He didn't see the colossal impact they'd narrowly avoided, since the jumper was racing away from it with all available speed. The HUD, however, showed it to them in an abridged, antiseptic form. One blue wireframe image struck a much larger, red wire-frame image; there was a sharp, bright light; and then the blue one vanished from the screen.
An unexpected clatter against the jumper's hull, like hail on a roof, made John start. "The station," Rodney said in a hushed voice, sounding like he didn't quite believe they were safe. "Or what's left of it, rather."
Radek got up to stand between their seats again. "Next time," he remarked with patently false composure, "shall we cut it a bit closer? I do so enjoy the panic and the flailing.
Adrenaline giveth, and adrenaline taketh away. Suddenly bone-weary, John waved a hand at Rodney. "You have the controls. Let's head for the second gate and see if Elizabeth's magically found a way to limit the body count down there." With effort, he pushed himself out of the seat. "Radek, get this blasted suit the hell off me."
The Falnori command post seemed relatively calm, all things considered. One warrior after another cycled through, delivering a report on his or her unit's status and losses to Cestan before heading back to said unit. Elizabeth watched from a polite distance, listening as best she could without looking like she intended to eavesdrop.
From what she heard, the Falnori could afford to keep their cool. They were winning. The Nistra army had mounted a frontal assault on the hill and been beaten back, only to regroup and make another attempt at the exact same strategy with no better results. They appeared to be withdrawing again, and it wasn't clear if they would change tactics or try their luck a third time.
"Hastings," observed Major Lorne from beside her.
Elizabeth turned toward him, questioning. "I'm sorry?"
"The Nistra are setting this up a little bit like the Battle of Hastings. You know, 1066?"
Her knowledge of British history had limits. "William the Conqueror, right?"
Lorne nodded. "Yes, ma'am. The English formed a shield wall on a ridgeline, and the Normans tried to break it by advancing and quickly retreating, drawing some of the English out in pursuit. They went back and forth several times and progressively weakened the English line."
Putting aside the seriousness of the situation for a moment, Elizabeth sent him a bemused smile. "I've learned something new about you, Major."
"I'm in the profession of arms, ma'am. It's good business to know what's worked in the past and what hasn't. Even a thousand years ago in another galaxy." Lorne allowed himself a faint smile in reply before continuing. "Thing is, in this case, it's not working. Not many of the Falnori are being lured away from their lines to follow the retreat, so the Nistra are losing a lot more of their force than the Falnori are. I don't know why they keep trying J it.
She clasped her hands, having no answer. "Maybe they just can't think of any other way."
The more she thought about that concept, the more sense it made. Regardless of the good-natured barbs the Atlantis scientists often tossed at the Marines, military strategy required brainpower. The Nistra army consisted of soldiers who worked the mines, their mental faculties altered in God-only-knew-what manner, and hunters who were attempting to use the adarite whips for the first time, undoubtedly becoming affected as well. It was little wonder that they seemed unable to put together a considered, adaptable strategy.
She'd been immersed in the routines of the planet for long enough that the abrupt crackle of her radio made her jump. "Dr. Weir, Major Lorne, please respond."
The Major scanned the area and steered her by the arm, away from any curious Falnori, before activating his radio. "This is Lorne. Dr. Weir's with me."
"Alderman here, sir. We've just come through the second gate in Jumper Two. We have the Cadre leader Sekal with us as per orders. Where do you want us?"
Lorne glanced at Elizabeth for confirmation, and she nodded. "We're about two klicks south of the primary gate, with the rear echelon of the Falnori army. Lock onto our subcutaneous transmitters, and we'll find you an LZ. Come in cloaked-if either side sees a ship right now, we'll be in for even more chaos."
"Aye, sir."
None of the Falnori equivalent of staff officers seemed to be paying much attention to them, so it wasn't hard to slip away. They were close to the edge of the forest, which restricted potential flight paths somewhat, but Elizabeth had faith in their pilots' skills. Lorne selected an area near a recess in the trees and alerted Jumper Two. Within a few minutes, a familiar hum reached her ears. A slight breeze rippled the neighboring branches, and a patch of grass lay flat in the shape of a jumper footprint.
Out of thin air, the hatch opened, revealing four Marines and a handcuffed prisoner. Elizabeth eyed the group. "I take it Carson decided to stay behind?"
The corner of Sergeant Alderman's mouth twitched. "Ma'am, Dr. Beckett sends his regrets and says that, quote, `somebody has to mind the blooming city. "'
"I suppose that's reasonable," she allowed, her own smile quickly damped by the sight of Sekal. The Cadre ringleader was well-dressed, if disheveled, and looked almost bored. Although Elizabeth generally tried to avoid making snap judgments, she immediately got the impression that he was accustomed to finding the easiest path through everything in life. He returned her scrutiny for a moment before his gaze slid off to the side.
She wasn't sure quite what she had expected from him. More defiance, maybe, instead of this… apathy. In the distance, the sounds of the reignited battle could be heard, and her ire flared. "Do you hear that?" she asked him. "Did you see the armies when you flew over? Your actions, more than anything else, triggered this conflict. You must be very proud."