My Everything

Recon Mission

As soon as McKay gives the all clear, both teams go through the gate, cloaking their jumpers as soon as they are on the other side. Sheppard had decided that they needed to do a flyby of the area first, in order to find the mine as well as a place to land safely.

As luck would have it, the mine isn't far from the gate and there is an empty field close by where they can land. Rosalie gives thanks for small mercies, because if the mine had been further away, she doesn't know how they would get everyone out.

Once on the ground, Sheppard leaves two Marines behind with the jumpers, along with McKay, just in case something happens and they need to make a quick escape. Leading the rest of them to the edge of the mine, he hopes that this isn't going to be the headache that he is already anticipating it will be.

Finding a spot where they can have a clear view of the mine's entrance, it becomes clear to them that things are worse than they had imagined. Everyone is shocked at the conditions the Genii have those people in and, what is worse is that, it seems as if some of them actually enjoy seeing them like that.

-"We should just take them by surprise and shoot our way in." - Sheppard hears Rosalie say.

-"We can't. We're severely outnumbered."

-"I recognize a few people, both Genii and prisoners. I used to do trade with them." - Teyla says, a hint of anger in her voice. - "We must do something, John."

-"This is a recon mission, not a rescue one."

-"Then tell me this, Sheppard. Will you be able to live with yourself if even just one person dies while you did nothing? Even though you can?" - Rosalie asks him.

-"Rodney." - Sheppard lets out a long-suffering sigh, knowing that she is right.

-"Go ahead."

-"Contact Weir and tell her that this is now a rescue mission and we need as many men and jumpers as we can get to get these people out of here."

-"Copy that."

-"Happy?" - He looks back at both Teyla and Rosalie, seeing them looking at each other before Rosalie thanks him.

Rosalie knows that that was a low blow, but she had to. She knows that behind all that military bravado, Sheppard has a good heart and is a good man, he would never leave those people behind, not when he can do something about it. It seems that sometimes he needs a little push and she is more than happy to provide him with just that. Plus, he could've easily told Ronon to stun her and carry her back to the jumper, but instead he chose to help her. Even if that might mean getting an earful from Elizabeth.

McKay's voice breaks the silence they all had fallen into, telling Sheppard that Elizabeth is sending five additional teams in jumpers to help with the rescue, but that she is clearly not happy about it.

-"I'll take the blame." - Rosalie tells Sheppard.

-"As long as we pull this off, Elizabeth will understand. But from now on, you'll follow my orders, no matter what I tell you to do, understood?"

-"Understood."

Rosalie has to agree. She knows it's the only way to salvage whatever trust might still exist between them. It was never Rosalie's intention to force his, or Elizabeth's, hand, but she needs to do this. She owes it to Chantria and Bassel to save them, just like they had saved her.

Captain White's voice comes through a few moments later, informing Sheppard that his team, along with SGA teams 11, 15, 18 and 22 are landing as they speak and awaiting orders. Sheppard gives the order to fall back to the jumpers so they can come up with a plan.

Rosalie follows him back to the jumpers and she can't help but think that, even though she has agreed to follow Sheppard's orders from that point forward, she will not be leaving that damned planet without Chantria, Bassel and Ollie.