Melissa Scott - Allegiance

“That just usually means somebody’s in trouble.”

“Somebody sent us a coded message,” John said, laying it down on the table in front of him. “It says it’s from Rodney.”

Both Teyla and Ronon glanced down at the paper, as if needing to see even that much concrete evidence for themselves.

“So, we go get him,” Ronon said after a moment.

Teyla shook her head immediately. “We must take time to think,” she said. “We could very well be walking into a trap.”

And of course she was all too aware of the possibility, having walked into Michael’s trap herself intending to rescue Kanaan. He didn’t think she’d ever be quite as quick to throw herself into danger again. They’d all been younger five years ago, and more fearless, if probably not as smart.

“We still have to go,” Ronon said.

“I agree that we must,” Teyla said before John could. “But we must think of the fact that it may not truly be a call for help.”

“Believe me, I am,” John said. “We’ll take a Marine team for backup, but we need to act fast. If he was able to send a coded message through the gate, he must have at least radio equipment with him. That suggests a Wraith scouting party or something like that, and they may not hang around the area for long.”

Teyla looked at him a little too perceptively. “What do colonels Caldwell and Carter say?”

“I haven’t asked them,” John said. He looked from her to Ronon, knowing the one he really had to convince here was himself. “I don’t know what Colonel Carter would say, but Colonel Caldwell thinks that it’s time to eliminate Rodney as a threat. I’m not ready to do that yet, not if he’s remembered who he is and is trying to escape.”

“Nor am I,” Teyla said. “I think that changes the situation.”

“I don’t think Caldwell’s going to see it that way,” John said. “But he’s senior to me and Carter both. If he really wants to arm-wrestle over who’s in command in Atlantis, we’re going to have a problem.”

“Mr. Woolsey left you in command,” Teyla said.

“That’s the way I see it,” John said. “It’s my responsibility to make a decision, and I’m making one. But if we have to have an argument over whose responsibility it is right now, we could be losing our last chance to get Rodney back.”

And with Caldwell and Carter both on station, it wasn’t like he was leaving Atlantis undefended if this went badly. Carter had certainly done a fine job when she was in command, and as many times as he’d clashed with Caldwell over the years, John did at least trust him to take care of the city if he wasn’t around.

Ronon shrugged. “You’re in charge of Atlantis. We work for you, not for the Air Force. It’s not a problem for us.”

“All right,” John said. It wasn’t exactly disobeying a direct order. They hadn’t gotten the orders yet, although he knew they would as soon as they got back in contact with Earth, as soon as he reported in. And he’d do it, if there wasn’t any other way, but not without trying one more time. If that didn’t work, if this was a trap, then he’d do what he had to do and try to live with it.

It was the best decision he knew to make, the best he could do for Rodney and for everybody who was screwed by the way the Wraith were using Rodney, for everybody who was also going to be screwed if they didn’t get Rodney back to saving their asses on a regular basis. The best he could do for Atlantis. He’d think about whether it was the best he could do for the Air Force later.

“Let’s go get Rodney,” he said.