Author’s Note: I just recently watched the Season Three episode “Irresponsible,” which got me to thinking about how the famous enmity between Sheppard and Kolya got started in the first place. I know it’s an early episode, and it’s more fun to watch, but I nevertheless felt compelled to write it out. Of course I’m naturally longing to hear some reviews, so let me know what you think! Thanks so much!

Warning: Spoilers for “The Storm,” and “The Eye.”

Disclaimer: I don’t own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters. Enjoy!

A Fiercer Tempest

It was getting colder by the second. Sheppard had spent a decent amount of time flying helicopters around in Antarctica, and though this was nothing compared to that, it was still uncomfortably frigid… And the fact that he had just killed two Genii soldiers certainly didn’t help matters any; his blood had turned to ice.

Holding up the radio, he turned away from the panel and stared out across the turbulent sea. The wind alone was intimidating, and he could definitely see the oncoming storm. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before – it was large enough to hit an entire continent. In fact, it was going to hit an entire continent. At that particular moment, however, he was willing to wager an entire year’s pay that it wasn’t going to be half as monstrous as the tempest presently raging inside the city’s walls.

He held up the radio. “Let me tell you what you did wrong here, Kolya. A. You lost two of your men.” Just like we lost two of ours… “B. You damaged the switch before I could separate the grounding rods, which I’m sure you’re gonna get an earful from McKay for…” Don’t be too cocky about that, though, John. If we get outta this, you’re gonna get one, too. “And C. You lost all of what little credibility you had with me.”

No time to reflect on that one. He could hear McKay in the background, and the man understandably did not sound happy. “D’you have any idea of how big a setback that is? I may not even be able to activate the shield. I mean, I can’t possibly…” Sheppard grimaced at the scientist’s sudden exclamation of pain. What was going on up there? “Get off me!”

“You killed two of my men,” Kolya’s voice was as hard and as cold as the ice in Antarctica. He did not sound at all pleased, and Sheppard couldn’t blame him. After all, he wasn’t pleased either.

“I guess we’re even!”

“I don’t like even.”

Sheppard didn’t like the sound of that. His heart slowly started speeding up as instinct warned him the tempest within Atlantis was about to reach its climax. “I’m not finished yet!” Best to keep the man talking before he did something-

“Neither am I,” Kolya assured him with a fury hidden beneath a frighteningly calm tone. “Say goodbye to Dr. Weir.”

Hell no…

“The city has a self-destruct button,” Sheppard quickly yelled into the radio, before he had time to think about his words. “You hurt her, I’ll activate it. Nobody’ll get Atlantis.”

Kolya wasn’t stupid. The threat was Sheppard’s last card, and it was a frantic, futile one. The Major could hear a bit of sick triumph in the Commander’s response. “Even if it exists, Major, you need at least two senior personnel to activate it – and I’m about to take one of them out of the equation.”

Breathing suddenly became an unwelcome challenge. “Kolya?” The man did not answer. Sheppard forced himself to fight off panic. “KOLYA?” Nothing. Desperation ate at his stomach. “I’ll give you a ship!” The wind was extremely violent, and Sheppard had to shout just to hear himself think. He did not like the way it made him sound… completely helpless. “I’ll fly it out of here for you myself!” The continued, obstinate silence was maddening. “KOLYA!”

It was starting to rain. The drops reminded him of drums pounding at a procession leading towards someone’s execution. Elizabeth’s execution. “Kolya! Kolya, don’t do this!” Was the man even listening to him? Considering the lack of any response whatsoever, Sheppard had ever right to assume his pleas weren’t being heard. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of anything else to do but beg. He was too far away… It would take a hell of a lot more than a mere “brisk pace” to reach her… and by then it would be too late.

The radio had been disconnected. The rain was growing fierce… drumbeats were turning into needle sized daggers piercing his face. There might have been Genii heading towards him now, but not even that was motivation enough for him to move the slightest inch. Let them come. He’d kill every last one of them.

“Me, um, I like, uh, Ferris Wheels and, uh, college football; anything that goes more than two hundred miles per hour.”

Funny. His world at that exact moment felt like it was spinning, much like a Ferris Wheel, and much faster than two hundred mph. But, for the first time, it was not like the exhilaration he’d grown to so appreciate. Instead, it made him feel nauseas.

He had no idea how long he stood there, silent and motionless, holding his breath, waiting… waiting… Damn, he hated waiting! A minute passed. Then five… Maybe ten?

The radio suddenly crackled back on. “Major Sheppard…”

He stared down at it as if it were one of those damn Iratus bugs. Kolya sounded quiet. Somber. It caused several chills to run down Sheppard’s spine. He definitely preferred frustration and anger over solemnity.

“How’s this for credibility? Weir is dead.”

Weir is dead.

Weir is dead.

Weir is dead.

Three words. Three simple words was all it took to snuff out what little was left of Sheppard’s tolerance. Furiously ignoring the pain and grief that threatened to pour over and consume him, he instead surrendered to a thirst for blood the likes of which he’d never experienced before and hoped never to experience again. “I… am going… to kill you.”

“Maybe,” Kolya acknowledged calmly. Indifferently. He’d just taken Elizabeth’s life, and he sounded like he couldn’t care less. What kind of monster was he? Would he be fierce enough to resist the monster that was presently scratching and clawing and ripping and tearing its way to the Major’s surface right now? Not likely. “Stay out of my way.” A pause… “Or McKay will join her.”

It was too late for a threat like that. Of course Sheppard didn’t want McKay to die, but there was hell to pay, and in light of recent setbacks, Atlantis probably wasn’t going to survive the storm anyway. They were all going to die. Every last, single one of them. They would all die, but Sheppard would be damned if he didn’t make Kolya suffer as much as possible for what he’d done. He’d make Kolya regret just looking at Elizabeth. Hell, he’d make Kolya regret the very day he’d been born!

Setting his jaw furiously, resolutely, Sheppard turned and made his way out of the Grounding Station.

ooooooo

Three more were dead.

The generator powering the control room had been disabled.

Much of the city was blanketed in a darkness that mirrored the shadows in Sheppard’s heart. Outwardly, he was as cool and as collected as any clear thinking soldier on the battlefield. It almost felt like he was hunting. Hunting. That was a good word for it. There was plenty of prey to be stalked, and Kolya was still at the top of his list. He’d pay.

There was a transporter just up ahead. Sheppard made for it, listening silently to what was being said over the radio.

“Can you still track Sheppard?”

Fat load of good it did them even when they could.

“No…”

“Then we have no idea where he is now.” Kolya was outside. Sheppard could hear the wind and rain, as well as the surging sea. He stepped onto the transporter. “Is the control room secure?”

“Yes, Commander,” the girl, Sora, replied. “I suggest we send some men to guard the remaining generators.” That’s it…

“No,” Kolya responded quickly. “He’s trying to divide us into manageable numbers.” The man certainly wasn’t stupid. Sheppard found himself wondering what his faceless enemy actually looked like. He was quick. He was strong. And Sheppard wanted to mutilate him. “Just close Stargate operations until the reinforcements arrive.”

Reinforcements? Sheppard paused, chewing on that bit of information. There was still a handful of Genii left over and only one of him. It was actually kind of flattering to think that Kolya felt it necessary to send for backup. Not that he was going to get it, or anything. Sheppard simply was not about to allow anymore of those damn Genii to set foot inside his city. He wasn’t in the mood for it.

Kolya was outside. No doubt he’d taken McKay to the Grounding Station for one final attempt to save the city before the storm hit in full swing. First thing’s first. No one was going to get out of there alive. Atlantis had to be destroyed, which meant McKay had to be stopped. Sheppard knew what to do.

ooooooo

It didn’t take long at all for him to find and disable the generator powering the third Grounding Station. Without power, McKay couldn’t fix anything. Now that that was out of the way, Sheppard found himself heading towards the control room. If reinforcements were coming, and he knew without a doubt that they were, he wouldn’t stand a chance at killing Kolya. Fortunately enough, he had the home court advantage here, and he meant to use every inch of it.

The corridors leading into the control room were all covered in darkness. Under such a mask, Sheppard watched and waited as the few remaining Genii anticipated the imminent arrival of their comrades. There would be more than sixty… He couldn’t kill sixty men by himself, and so he found himself weighing options that, on any other day, would have thoroughly disgusted him.

“It was supposed to be a raid to retrieve what was rightfully ours,” Sora spoke coldly to the Genii scientist, Laden. Well, Sheppard thought, what had started out as a “raid” was quickly turning into an all-out war. A war that he had no intention of losing, by the way. He was determined to use any and all means necessary to keep Atlantis out of the hands of the Genii. And at the same time… He still felt thirsty for blood. He’d always been driven by passion – to save his friends’ lives, he’d disobeyed a direct order, earning a black mark on his record. He’d probably earn another one for this, but he didn’t care. Kolya killed Elizabeth…

“You killed two of my men.”

“I guess we’re even!”

“I don’t like even.”

Well then, he probably wasn’t going to like this one bit. The gate started activating. Sheppard steadied himself, watching as Sora led the two other guards out of the control room and towards the Stargate. Only Laden was left…

He was standing at the balcony, speaking into a radio as two Genii stepped through event horizon. “Reinforcements are arriving now, Commander.” They had to be stopped. Sheppard crept forward, listening intently to Kolya’s response.

“Have them secure Stargate operations and report back to me.”

“Yes, Commander.” Laden turned around, but by the point it was too late. Sheppard was upon him, and in a single swift move, he knocked the scientist unconscious. The man didn’t even have time to shout out a warning.

Something in the Major’s stomach twisted and tightened painfully. This was merciless. This was brutal. This was not, in any sense of the word, honorable. They were expecting more than sixty men… Sixty… With a few keystrokes, he could wipe them all out of existence. It suddenly felt sickening, and Sheppard hesitated. Was he that savage?

Of course he was. The thirst for it was much too strong. He had begged Kolya for Elizabeth’s life. And Kolya hadn’t listened. He hadn’t even answered. They were both about to taste vengeance. Hastening over to the controls, Sheppard immediately activated the shield. Only three other men had managed to make it through, giving the Genii a total of five new men to back them up. Having already killed five, Sheppard knew without a doubt in his mind that he could take care of them as well.

Presently, panic was beginning to ensue. Men started shouting as they realized the implications of a raised shield. Bodies could be heard pounding against the back of it, and Sora started shrieking for Laden to shut it off. Glancing into the gateroom from the balcony on which he stood above, Sheppard made eye-contact with the girl. When she perceived him, he recognized her fear and her fury. “STOP HIM!”

“UP THERE!”

Sheppard squeezed his weapon’s trigger, and bullets wildly rained down on the Genii. They fired back at him, but he was already on the run. He could see reflections of the flashing shield on the walls around him, and he could still hear it. The sound of fifty five men slamming up against the shield… the sound of fifty five men… dying. Sora was screaming. The remaining Genii were still firing their guns. But Sheppard left them all behind as he rounded a corner and disappeared down a darkened corridor.

ooooooo

There were only a few left. Sheppard would take them out quickly so he could then quickly proceed to his ultimate quarry. It was time to end this.

Presently, an unsuspecting Genii made his way down one of the city’s long, winding corridors. Sheppard watched him soundlessly, waiting for a good, clean shot… but then his radio came crackling back to life.

“Major Sheppard, I have a proposition for you.”

He turned his head slightly towards the sound of Kolya’s voice, frustration sending waves of tension through his body. Luckily, the Genii he was hunting didn’t seem to have heard his Commander’s voice, and Sheppard would like to keep it that way. Spinning around, he hastened down the corridor towards the stairs.

By now Kolya would have heard about the massacre. And as the Major descended down the steps, he failed to keep the contempt out of his voice. “Kolya, I’m having a hard time keeping up… what’s the score again?” The damn bastard had killed Elizabeth merely because he didn’t like the fact that they’d been “even.” Well, he could kill McKay if he pleased, but there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell he’d be able to even the score now. Disturbingly enough, Sheppard felt a sick kind of satisfaction flow through his veins as he rubbed that little fact in.

Amazingly enough, however, Kolya had the restraint to ignore his jibe. “My men have informed me that, not only have you disabled some crucial generators, but you’ve stolen key components that make it impossible to be restored.”

“Yeah, I did that,” Sheppard continued down the stairs. There were several flights, and he wanted to put as much distance between him and any of the Genii that might overhear this little conversation and start shooting at him as he could.

“There are two flaws in your plan.”

Sheppard felt a moment’s déjà vu sweep through him. Not too long ago, he’d been the one pointing out Kolya’s mistakes over the radio. “Always open to constructive criticism.” He could hear the ridicule in his voice. Knowing exactly what he was doing, it sounded absurd to him that Kolya might suggest otherwise.

But, amazingly enough, that was exactly what he did. “One. The assumption that I would believe you would rather destroy the city than let it fall to us is childish.”

Funny. That was precisely what he would rather have happen. Childish, was it? “Doesn’t sound like me.” Even if it was, the Genii ultimately would fail to protect the city from the Wraith. And if the Wraith got Atlantis, they’d no doubt be able to get to Earth. Kolya thought he knew Sheppard. But Kolya didn’t know anything.

“Second,” he nevertheless went right on, as if he did. “If and when I determine Atlantis unsalvageable, Doctors Weir and McKay become obsolete.”

A giant sledgehammer could not have slammed harder into Sheppard’s gut than that last sentence did. He stopped short, momentarily incapacitated as shock tore its way through his entire body. “Weir’s alive?”

He thought he could hear Kolya smirking on the other end. “Dr. McKay was able to make a strong case for keeping her alive.” McKay… Sheppard could not think of a time when he’d ever been more grateful to the scientist for his quick tongue.

“Let me talk to her.” If Kolya was lying…

But he wasn’t.

“Sheppard!” Elizabeth sounded strained. She had to yell over the wind outside, and her voice was trembling slightly, but other than that… “We’re both here!”

Sheppard could not describe the relief that coursed through him, easing all his tension and lightening his heart considerably. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Yeah, it’s good to hear,” she agreed, trying to sound calm and unafraid. She was doing a fairly good job at it, too. Diplomats…

“We have less than one hour until the storm hits full force,” Kolya informed him, interrupting. “If the power is not returned to Grounding Station Three within the next ten minutes, Dr. Weir dies.”

“Again, you mean?” Egging this guy on probably wasn’t the wisest idea, but Kolya really had lost all his credibility. Sheppard no longer felt even the slightest respect for the man.

“Her death will buy you another ten minutes,” Kolya ignored the Major’s insolence, tolerating it only because he no doubt felt like he was still in control of the situation. Unfortunately, now that Sheppard knew Elizabeth was alive, he really was once again at the Genii’s disposal. Atlantis might be going down, and everyone there with it, but he did not want to risk feeling that sense of loss a second time in one night. And so, he listened attentively to Kolya’s every word. “After which, should the power still be out, Dr. McKay dies. We will then leave with what we can, and the city will be destroyed.”

Ten minutes… “Well, that’s not enough time!” God help him if he started to sound like Rodney!

It was Kolya’s turn to sound smug. “If you don’t mind destroying Atlantis, stay where you are for the next twenty minutes. Starting now.”

Sheppard ran. Just ten minutes… He ran as quickly as he possibly could. It wouldn’t be enough time… Two hundred miles per hour, and it still wouldn’t be enough time… He couldn’t hesitate. He couldn’t blink. He needed to get back to that generator. Now!

ooooooo

Would this day ever end? No. Scratch that. Would this storm ever end? Strong, lasting endurance and a healthy dose of adrenaline kept him on his feet, but he was longing for a bit of a break. After reaching the generator, Sheppard had been held at gunpoint by two damn Genii. Fortunately, Ford, Beckett, and Teyla had arrived shortly thereafter, saving his ass, while allowing him to restore the generators before Kolya carried out his threat. Time seemed to be on his side, but despite that, it was still moving much too fast, and they were running out of it.

The storm outside was about to reach the city… but before it did, the storm inside would have to reach an end if any of them were going to live; Sheppard was giving survival a second chance. Now that his team was here, anything felt possible. Absolutely anything. But the problem was, saving the city meant turning it into a deathtrap. The corridors would be surging with electricity to power up the shields, and the only safe place to be would therefore have a population made up entirely of Genii. A fight would definitely be inevitable… and to the death. What they needed was a plan. A good plan. And Sheppard had one… or at least he thought he did.

They’d split up. Teyla and Beckett had returned to the Jumpers, and were supposed to land one in the gateroom in order to cause enough of a distraction for Sheppard and Ford to take back the control room. Foolproof. So why weren’t they here yet?

“Teyla and Beckett should easily have made it back to the Jumper Bay first,” Ford quietly observed as he and Sheppard both hid beneath the stairs leading up to the control room. “They should have been waiting for us.”

Where were they? Sheppard held up his radio. “Teyla, what’s your position?” There wasn’t any answer. There were never any answers! Sheppard was getting sick and tired of radios! “Teyla?” Why had he honestly thought that this would be any easier with his team present? Why?

The storm was getting closer. Louder. “Shoot to kill.” That had been Sheppard’s advice to Ford. Elizabeth was still alive, but even now he found himself lacking in the forgiveness department. Kolya had crossed a line. And now Teyla wasn’t responding…

“Sir…”

The Stargate was being dialed, and Sheppard didn’t need Ford’s warning to notice. Genii soldiers were hastening towards the stretchers some of them had snuck in on under the guise of injury, most of which were now bearing medical supplies and other such equipment. Beckett sure would hate to lose those… As Sheppard watched, the soldiers lifted up the stretchers and started carrying them towards the gate. One of them, he noticed, was the scientist, Laden. They didn’t have time for this! Where was Teyla?

“Change of plan,” he quietly told the Lieutenant beside him before hastening through the shadowy corridor along the side of the gateroom until he came to an entrance with a better vantage point. Ford was still close enough to hear his commands, but now they wouldn’t be such an easy target for the Genii to shoot at. “You got McKay.” He’d get Elizabeth. Make sure she was safe. And then he’d get Kolya. Make sure he got killed.

“SERIOUSLY, THIS IS A BAD IDEA!” McKay was shouting at the top of his lungs as several guards urged him at gunpoint down the stairs from the control room. Of course they’d be taken prisoner. Sheppard should have known that. The moment they walked past him, however, he open fired, shooting one in the back.

Chaos immediately ensued. Taking advantage of his captors’ plight, McKay ducked low and scrambled towards Ford, who had leapt out of the shadows to help him. Elizabeth, however, barely had time to so much as turn her head before one powerful looking man caught hold of her around her waist.

Diving into a forward roll, Sheppard continued to fire, hitting another Genii square in the chest. A couple managed to make it through the gate, but the man gripping Elizabeth held back. He might also have made it through, but for some reason… he didn’t run. Instead, he practically lifted his prisoner off her feet, holding her firmly with just one arm. His other arm was held out towards Sheppard, a gun aimed directly at his head. He could only have been Kolya. Every bit as soaking wet as Elizabeth, he’d obviously spent a great deal of time outside in the rain. Besides, who else would risk getting shot at just for a quick confrontation?

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sheppard assured him confidently, kneeling close to the ground while gripping his P-90. Kolya slowly dragged Elizabeth backwards – they were dangerously close to the gate. But the Genii still hesitated, staring at Sheppard challengingly… Perhaps hatefully would be the more accurate term. After all, he had killed about sixty men that day. Kolya wanted to memorize his face. To learn everything he could about it. So that he wouldn’t forget…

Sheppard’s patience wore thin. “I will shoot you if you don’t let her go.” Elizabeth stared at him in abject terror; he’d never seen that look on her face before. Trying not to focus on it, for it was definitely a distraction, he concentrated solely on her captor.

There was no longer any doubt… The expression twisted across Kolya’s face was one of absolute hate. Pure, irrefutable, indescribable, absolute hate. “And risk hurting Dr. Weir?” He continued inching his way backwards, slowly, while no doubt waiting for a chance to shoot and kill his adversary. His weapon, however, was definitely obsolete when compared to the beauty held in Sheppard’s hands.

He cautiously stood up, not taking his eyes off Kolya. “I’m not aiming at her.” It was time to finish this. Squeezing the trigger, he fired a single bullet, which buried itself deeply into Kolya’s shoulder. The man was thrown backwards, gasping as he inadvertently dropped his hostage and fell through the gate.

Elizabeth quickly struggled to get to her feet, but she didn’t quite make it. Landing back on the ground, she glanced over her shoulder in fear, as if trying to reassure herself that Kolya was truly gone. Sheppard found that he needed similar reassurance, and lowered his gun only once he’d caught his breath.

By then, Elizabeth managed to rise. She was soaked to the skin, and there might have been tears in her eyes, but they would have been impossible to distinguish from ordinary rainwater. Remembering himself, Sheppard started running towards her while turning his head towards Ford. “Find Teyla and Beckett! Make sure that’s all of them!” He paused in front of the terrified woman. “Sorry about that, I had to, uh…”

She was staring at him with a haunted expression. Her face was deathly pale. He’d just fired a gun in her direction, possibly killing a man in whose arms she’d been held… She no longer appeared to be the powerful, capable leader she’d been earlier that afternoon. Instead, she looked lost. Having believed her to be dead, Sheppard had turned into a killer. A bloodthirsty killer. But right now… she looked like she was the one most affected by Kolya’s cruelty. Not him. And that thought terrified Sheppard. “Are you okay?”

She exhaled deeply and shook her head. “No.” There was a flash of lightning outside, and roaring thunder, which immediately reminded the Major of the oncoming storm. It was upon them now, and if McKay didn’t get those shields up, it would completely and utterly destroy Atlantis. The night wasn’t over yet.

But then… the Stargate had shut down, and the Genii were gone. The storm inside the city had past, as all storms eventually must. No tempest lasted forever, and they’d all do well to remember that. He reached for her hand. “You will be. Come on!” Together, they turned and made their way up the stairs towards the control room, where he was confident they’d ride out this second storm in the comfort of their Atlantean home.

ooooooo

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