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Coup D'Etat Cont.
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John stood by as the med team loaded the bodies into bags. He hadn't moved from standing over Kai's bones since Teyla and Ronon left to get help. It didn't seem real. She couldn't be gone. Not like this.

Her bones were so small they looked like the bones of a child. He rubbed the spot in the center of his chest where he had felt her in the past. There was nothing left now but an empty, hollow feeling in his chest. He had never been able to feel her when he was off world and it hadn't bothered him before, but it bothered him now to know the feeling would never come back.

The medics zipped up the bag and he followed after it, feeling like a sentinel trailing behind what was left of her. He expected to feel something - anger, rage...but he was just empty.

Teyla and Ronon exchanged concerned looks as they followed Sheppard back towards Atlantis. They were taking Kai and the others home. As they stepped through the Stargate Weir was standing in her office looking down at them. When John made eye contact with her she jerked her chin.

John hesitated, glancing back at the body bag.

We'll take care of her Colonel," Beckett's voice was gentle beside him. John turned to look at the Scot in surprise. Beckett's smile was sad and he laid a kind hand on his shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'll find out what happened," he promised the Colonel.

John climbed the steps to Weir's office feeling like he was moving underwater.

"What happened out there?" Weir asked as soon as he was in the door. She crossed her arms over her chest as she paced through her office.

John cleared his throat, lifting his chin a little higher as he forced himself to relay the facts and not let any of his emotions show. Now wasn't the time to prove Weir right. "Well, according to Novak, Major Lourne and his team were on their weekly run to 177. Things were going along smoothly until our guys were attacked."

"Just like that out of the blue?" Weir asked in shock.

"It seems that way," John agreed, pressing his lips together grimly.

"By who? The villagers?"

"I don't know," John said, shrugging helplessly. "Novak's not a really unseful source of information right now. She's a little shook up. When they started pulling the bodies from the building she started hyperventilating. Beckett gave her a sedative. Hopefully she'll be able to give us more information once she wakes up."

"I recommended Kai for this mission," Weir said in a low voice. She ran a hand through her hair as guilt assailed her. Despite what he might say she knew John cared about Kai, and it was her fault she was dead. She dropped down into her chair and hung her head.

John clasped his hands behind his back, his fingers digging into his wrist. Elizabeth was blaming herself for what happened, and as badly as he wished there was someone to blame he couldn't go along with it. Had he been approached about the problem he probably would have recommended Kai for the job as well. "Major Lorne also requested her presence," John said tightly. "Hell, I probably would have too if I'd been asked."

Weir looked up at him sharply and felt an immediate swell of pity for him. John was always someone who bore the weight of leadship on his own shoulders.

"John-" she began kindly but the Stargate activated behind them.

"Unscheduled offworld activation!" Chuck called from the control room, leaning back in his chair to look into Weir's office.

"What now?" John griped.

The two of them hurried into the control room, exchanging a frown. There were no other teams offworld.

"What have you got?" John asked. In some ways it was a relief to have something to focus on. Anything was better than sitting around and waiting for answers from Beckett.

"No IDC," Chuck reported. "But we are receiving a pretty weak transmission on the VHF band. Audio and video."

"Let's see it," John said and the two of them stepped around to the large view screen.

The video was black and white and not terribly clear, but it was clear enough to recognize the Genii science officer. "Atlantis base, this is Ladon Radim. Are you receiving this transmission?"

John walked closer to the screen, his brow furrowed. "It's one of Kolya's men."

"Yeah, i know who he is," Elizabeth agreed. "We can't answer this though. I need the Genii of all people to believe that Atlantis has been destroyed."

Ladon moves too close to the camera and the picture went fuzzy. "My men have witnessed your teams dialing and returning through the Stargate to Atlantis more than once. Now, from that I can deduce the rumors of your cities demise have been greatly exaggerated."

"Sneaky, I'll give him that," John muttered.

"Your secret is safe as long as you respond to this transmission," Ladon promised.

Weir sighed, exchanging an annoyed look with Sheppard. He had them over a barrel. She looked back over her shoulder to Chuck. "Open a channel," she ordered.

"Atlantis Base this is Ladon Radim-" he began repeating the transmission.

"We hear you," Weir replied tightly. "This is Elizabeth Weir."

Ladon sat back a little from the camera. "Doctor Weir," he greeted triumphantly. "I was beginning to fear the rumors of your destruction were true."

"What do you want?" Weir asked. Her expression was hard and closed. She wasn't in the mood to play games, not today. There were four bodies in the morgue and she wanted answers.

"I have something to trade," Ladon said excitedly.

"Don't think I don't recognize you Ladon," Weir snapped, her voice harsher than usual. "You're a member of Kolya's strike force. You tried to forcibly take this city from us. Why would we want to do business with you?"

Ladon hung his head a moment, nodding along with Weir as she spoke as though he both understood and expected her accusations. "Because I have defected from the Genii.

"Well good luck with that," Elizabeth said dismissively.

"And because I have a zero point module," Ladon said quickly holding it up in front of the camera.

Weir exchanged a shocked look with Sheppard. They both knew how badly they needed the ZPM.

"And I have a tentative truce with the Genii that I'm not very eager to jeapordize," Weir said warily. She was not eager to deal, but it was impossible to turn away from a ZPM.

"The genii got what they wanted, they want no more from you. This is of no use to me, but I know how important these devices are to your continued survival. Now we can discuss this more in person. Lower your shield and allow me safe passage into the city."

"We're not interested Ladon," Weir said, but her voice lacked conviction.

"This is far, far better than the last trade you made with the Genii and you know it. I'm transmitting the gate address to the planet I'm on. You can send a team to search me if you wish. I am unarmed and alone. I will be here for two hours. If I don't hear from you in that time this zero point module will be lost to you forever. The choice is your's." he said ending the transmission.

John scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration as the screen went dark. Regardless of what had happened the galaxy kept right on turning. This was an impossible decision for them to make. They couldn't trust the Genii, but they also needed the ZPM and they both knew it.

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Weir called a meeting. It took half an hour for the rest of John's team to meet him and Weir in the conference room. John sat down at the foot of the table and tried not to notice the worried looks Teyla kept shooting his way. If he let himself stop and think about what had happened he wouldn't be able to do his job. And right now, he needed to do his job.

McKay stood in front of the display, studying the transmission. "A ZPM is a ZPM, who cares where it comes from?"

"We've already got one," Weir pointed out.

"Yes, one." Rodney said.

Ronon rocked back in his chair. "Two's better than one."

McKay shot him a disgruntled look. "And three is better than two. Look, we all know that eventually the wraith are going to discover that we are still here. Having power will give us more options. We might even be able to light up the engines and get the city to fly."

"Really?"  Elizabeth asked, leaning forward in her seat. Now McKay had her attention.

"No," McKay admitted after a moment. "But we still need it."

Weir sighed. "Well, flying city or not I think that we should consider this. He says he's alone and he's willing to be searched," Weir said. "I think it's too important of an opportunity to pass up."

"Wait a minute," John said sitting forward. "We should be dealing with Lorne and his team, find out what happened to them."

Everyone in the room went silent. They exchanged looks but no one was willing to say anything.

Weir nodded, knowing she wasn't going to get Sheppard to focus until they had answers. "Teyla and Ronon will continue with that investigation, and you can join them once you finish up with this."

John leaned back in his seat, it was clear by his face that he didn't want to have anything to do with this, but Weir was being reasonable and if he argued about it he would be the one that looked irrational. "All right," he conceded. "Get a MALP ready with a life signs detector. I'm not sending a team in there blind."

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McKay sat at the computer waiting for the data to come back. "I'm getting the readings back from the MALP," he reported. The screen showed the video feedback, and they could see Ladon sitting on a rock by himself. When he saw the MALP he climbed to his feet and approached it.

"I'm only getting one life sign," McKay reported.

"Then so far he's telling the truth," Weir said with a nod.

"So far," Sheppard snapped. He didn't like this one bit. Ladon was slimy and they were wasting their time when they should be out trying to find Kai and Lorne's killer.

Ladon put his hands on his head and knelt down in front of the MALP camera. "As I'm sure your machine has already determined I am unarmed and alone. You can go ahead and send your team to search me."

John glanced over his shoulder. "Go ahead." he called.

"Yes sir," Brown agreed and his team of five went through the gate.

They waited in tense silence until the team returned. Brown stepped through the gate with his hand on Ladon's shoulder. "He's clean sir," Brown reported as John stepped into the middle of the gate room.

John looked Ladon over. "What? No ZPM?" he asked.

"I sent it to another planet for safekeeping. How stupid do you think I am?" Ladon replied.

John smirked. "From what I remember, Kai gave you a pretty good crack on the head last time we met. I guess I was kind of hoping it made you simple." It hurt more than it should to say her name out loud, but John as always hid his emotions behind his humor.

All the humor fled from Ladon's eyes and John knew he had him. It had been almost too easy to shake the Genii scientist.

"No, it didn't," Ladon replied. "But ever since then I've been plagued with headaches."

John flashed an aw shucks smile. "You're just saying that to be nice."

Ladon glanced around. "I don't see your Mortii, I do hope nothing has befallen it."

The smile stilled on John's face and his eyes hardened dangerously. "What do you want for it?" He asked.

Ladon didn't take a step back but he shifted his weight as though Sheppard had surprised him. It was often hard to rectify the smiling man who told jokes to his enemies with the fearsome soldier who had taken out their entire strike force almost single handedly. Kolya had said Sheppard was the best soldier he had ever seen, and that was saying something.

"I'll only talk to Weir," Ladon replied fighting to regain his composure. He wasn't going to get anywhere with a man like Sheppard and he knew it. Sheppard was too suspicious, to ready to believe the worst of their once enemy. He needed to speak with Weir, she was softer, more willing to negotiate.

"Do I make you nervous?" John asked.

"Not at all Major. I'm just not interested in talking to the errand boy," Ladon said smuggly. His imagined power had already gone to his head.

John tipped his head in respect and leaned in. "That's Lieutenant Colonel Errand Boy to you," he corrected.

Ladon nodded impressively but didn't give an inch. He could see Sheppard was on edge and he knew he wouldn't get anywhere trying to negotiate with him.

John jerked his head to Brown to lead Ladon up to the meeting room. He and Weir had already discussed it and decided that Weir would begin the negotiations and have him join them later. They had worked together long enough to know that negotiating wasn't what John did best. He glanced down at his watch. He was guessing he would have at least half an hour if not more before he was needed. He left his men in the control room and strode off down the hall towards the infirmary.

When he got there Beckett had the four bodies laying out on gurneys side by side, each mostly covered with a sheet. The sheet was pulled halfway down from the smallest body. When the doors slid open Beckett looked up and quickly pulled the sheet up, covering it.

Sheppard pressed his lips together and stepped into the dimly lit room. He had been around plenty of bodies, some of them friends, but this was different. If he was honest it was because she had been different. And now it was too late.

He drew in another deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "Got anything Doc?"

He couldn't undo everything that hadn't been said between them. He couldn't go back and give himself permission to acknowledge that there was something between them and act on it. Those were things he would regret for the rest of his life. He knew that with absolute certainty. What he could do was go after the people responsible for her death with every part of him. He would tear their lives apart and relish every second of it. It was the only thing left.

"Tell me you found something,"
John said, hating how desperate he sounded.

Beckett picked up his chart. "It's not them," he told John without preamble.

"What?" John asked in shock. He felt like he had just been hit. How could it not be them? He actually took a step back. "What do you mean?" John felt like he couldn't breathe, he didn't dare allow himself to hope.

"It isn't them," Beckett repeated, leading the way away from the bodies.

"But they were wearing their dog tags," John said. "And Kai-" he dragged off looking back at the body. It was exactly the right size.

He followed Beckett into his office feeling like he was in a daze. Teyla and Ronon were already there waiting. They didn't seem surprised at all to see John.

"I don't know what to tell you, I've run the DNA tests three times now," Beckett responded. "First off all of them are human, so that body is certainly not Kai. And second none of the DNA matches our men's that I have on file."

"So Kia, Lorne and the others could still be alive," Ronon said. He looked almost as relieved as John to hear the news.

Teyla rested her hands on her hips. "When we interviewed Doctor Lindsey, she said she heard Wraith stunners before the fire."

John frowned crossing his arms over his chest. "But this wasn't a Wraith attack," he pointed out. He felt nearly lightheaded to know that Kai could still be alive. It wasn't a guarantee and he was almost afraid to hope, but there was a chance. If they hadn't been killed, she and Lorne were both skilled enough chances were good they had survived.

"So whoever it was wanted us to think they were dead," Ronon finished.

"But who?" Teyla asked with a shake of her head. "And what could they want with Lorne?" She asked. Kai had the disadvantage of being something of a rarity as Mortii outside the protection of her people. But Lorne was just a soldier. It didn't make sense.

"We need to go back and question the villagers," Ronon said tightly. He didn't like the idea of someone taking Kai and the others off world. Whatever the reason it wouldn't be a good one.

John nodded in agreement. He was itching to go with them, but he knew he couldn't leave Weir alone to deal with Ladon. He glanced down at his watch, he needed to get back. "Okay, but regular radio contact." He warned them. Teyla and Ronon nodded in agreement. "Watch your backs," John warned them and he strode back down to the conference room.

When he got there Weir and Ladon were still talking. John stood at attention outside the door.

"John," Weir called when she spotted him. "Why don't you come join us. Ladon and I were just discussing why, here at Atlantis, we don't negotiate with criminals."

John felt for the first time he could actually focus on Ladon and the negotiations.

Ladon turned his head to glance dismissively at Sheppard. "As I said, I was a member of Kolya's strike team. I was just following orders. I harbor no ill will toward you or your people."

"That's nice,"  John snapped sarcastically.

"It's the truth," Ladon replied.

"What do you want for it?" Weir asked severely.

Ladon tilted his head to the side and smiled as though he had finally been asked the question he was waiting for. "I need about a hundred machine guns, a couple dozen grenades and any C4 you have to spare."

"Sounds like you're having a party," John said crossing his arms over his chest. "Explain how us giving you an arsenal is in our best interest?"

Ladon leaned back in his chair. "The real threat are the Genii. Their nuclear weapons are fully operational and it is my belief that they will soon begin using them as a first-strike offensive weapon. Not just against the Wraith but against human populations as well. Now, you give me the arms we need and you never have to worry about them again."

"You're launching a coup," Weir said as understanding dawned.

"Yes, and you're going to help me," Ladon said smugly.

Weir and John exhanged a look.

"Cowen has led the Genii people for too long. It's true he has made the Genii a force to be reckoned with, but the Cowen of the past bears little resemblance to the Cowen who's in power now."

"How so?" Weir asked.

"He's become obsessed with uniting the galaxy under a single ruler."

"And that would be him?" John clarified.

"He thinks its the only chance we have of defeating the Wraith."

"Whether the galaxy likes it or not?" Weir asked.

"Commander Kolya was the only Genii who could stand up to him. Keep him under control. But he's been missing for several months. We suspect Cowen had him murdered."

"But you can't prove it?" Weir asked.

"Not yet," Ladon replied.

John crossed his arms over his chest, his thoughts divided as he heard the stargate activate behind him, knowing Ronon and Teyla were going to investigate where Kai and Lorne might be. Every part of him wanted to be stepping through that Stargate with them. But his place was here. He was the Colonel before everything else, and he had to trust his friends to get to the bottom of this.

"Get to the part where you found the ZPM," he ordered impatiently.

Ladon sat back in his chair. "Kolya spoke about the Brotherhood of the Fifteen. The last mission you encountered him."

"The last mission he tried to kill me. I remember," John said flashing a humorless smile.

"Finding resources for the resistence has been difficult. We have a few rifles, limited ammunition. No where near enough..."

"So you thought if you found a ZPM, we would give you everything you needed," Weir filled in.

"It's very difficult to find trading partners who don't fear the Genii. Cowen has spies all over the galaxy. I figured you would be more than willing to help if we could give you something of value."

"How do we know you're going to be any better than Cowen?" John asked. He had been involved in plenty of coupe operations when he was flying for the black ops. He had never liked them. They made his skin crawl.

"I know you don't trust me," Ladon said sitting forward. He seemed to have realized suddenly that it wasn't Weir he needed to convince, it was Sheppard. "But if Cowen uses atomic weapons to enslave other worlds, then the Genii are no better than the Wraith. Now you can have your ZPM, but you must stop that from happening."

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Kai woke up with a pounding headache. She rolled onto her side groaning as she tried to remember what happened. It took exactly two seconds for her to remember they had been under fire and she had been stunned. She could hear someone's heartbeat beside her. She ignored the pain and shoved herself up, raising her hands so she was ready to defend herself.

"Whoa easy!" Lorne said holding his hands up so Kai would know he wasn't a threat.

Kai rocked back onto her heels and exhaled when she realized there wasn't something to fight. She looked around with a frown. She and the other members of the team were inside of a cell. She stood, turning in a small circle. All the other members of the team were up and appeared to have been awake for some time.

"How long was I out?" She asked.

"Hard to tell," Lorne said with a shrug. "It's been a few hours since the rest of us woke up."

Kai nodded and moved towards the cell door. She gripped the bars. "Any idea who locked us up?" she asked. It wasn't the people from the planet they had been on. The composition of the bars was too advanced for their technology.

Lorne shook his head. "No, we haven't seen anyone. They took our uniforms and dog tags though."

Kai frowned as she stared at the lock. There was a chain wrapped around the lock with an extra padlock. They weren't taking any chances. "Is any one hurt?" she asked distractedly as she moved over to the side with the hinges.

"No," Lorne reported. "Just headaches...don't suppose you have some Mortii trick for escaping jail cells..."

Kai nodded as she glided her fingers over the hinges. They were welded together, but they were the weakest point. "Sure," she said nodding to Lorne. "Let's get out of here." She swung around and kicked at the door, slamming her boot right next to the hinge. The metallic boom echoed through the room.

Lorne flinched and looked out of the bars down the hall. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's a Mortii trick for getting out of a jail cell," she replied flippantly and kicked again.

"I was honestly hoping for something a little more elegant...and quieter," he said glancing down the hallway again. "You know something that won't bring all of their guards down on us."

"Well," Kai said jumping up and grabbing the bars. "This way we'll know who captured us," she said and she swung back and kicked the hinges with both feet. The noise was even louder than before but the door creaked. Kai pulled back once more and the sound of running feet reached her ears. She quickly kicked again and she felt the door shift beneath her.

A group of five men ran down the hallway towards them. Kai quickly recognized Genii uniforms.

"Back away from the door," the one on the lead ordered.

"Why are we here?" Kai demanded.

"Back away from the door," he ordered again.

Kai lifted her chin defiantly and kicked the door once more. The man drew a wraith stunner from his belt and fired into Kai's chest.

Kai dropped to the ground unconscious. Lorne blew out a frustrated sigh as the Genii soldiers began work to reinforce the door.

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Sheppard and Weir watched as John's men escorted Ladon down the stairs back towards the stargate. "You believe him?" John asked once he was out of earshot.

"Well he has a ZPM," Elizabeth responded.

"No, I mean about the other stuff. Evil Cowen?"

"He's lying about something," Elizabeth said crossing her arms over her chest. She could feel it, she just wasn't sure what. "When Cowen handed over two of their atomic weapons it was sort of an olive branch and I would hate to jeapordize what little momentum we have going with that."

"Stick with the devil we know?" John asked. Honestly he didn't see that it mattered either way. The Genii were slippery and just as likely to betray you as talk to you regardless of who was in charge.

"Exactly," Weir said with a sharp nod.

"So, give them the heads up? Tell the Genii he's planning something?"

Weir nodded. "I think so. I'll tell Ladon that we need a bit more time and to set up a way to contact him."

"I left one of our best Special ops guys on the planet when we searched him," John said. "If Ladon goes anywhere my guy will follow him."

Weir looked up at Sheppard impressed. She felt a little guilty for thinking he was too distracted by the Lorne and Kai thing to do his job. "Good thinking."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks," he called over his shoulder flippantly. There was a lot of work to be done.

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Hope you enjoyed the update!