Archive of Our Own

Staff Sergeant James Buckley had heard all of the stories about the Pegasus Galaxy and how different it was than Earth. It was more intense, more dangerous but also far more exciting. Which is what led so many to accept such a post when it was offered to them. The fact that they even had a choice to decline a post while serving in the military spoke volumes as usually, they were stationed somewhere and that was that. There were no choices. 

But not with the Pegasus Galaxy. Not with Atlantis. 

Soldiers were selected, be it for their skillset or lack of family ties on Earth, he wasn’t exactly sure. But after being identified as a possible candidate for the Atlantis Expedition, they were then given the opportunity to join. 

And as James - commonly referred to as Buck - maneuvered behind the boulder on some distant planet as yet another strange blue beam of paralyzing energy shot past them, he understood why this post was so unique. Not only was this particular stunner-type weapon completely foreign to him, the thing that was firing it was equally as foreign and far more terrifying than the weapon itself.

The term alien didn’t even do it justice. It was huge, body and face covered in armor. From the skin - was it skin? - that was visible under the armor being a sickening blueish green color to the animalistic roar that it emitted during battle, James wondered how the hell things had gone so bad, so quickly. This was only their third day off of the Deadalus, for God’s sake. Major Lorne had called it a simple training mission on a neighboring planet - a three hour ride via Puddlejumper. Four teams had set out in four jumpers, each allowing natural gene carriers a chance to practice flying the spacecrafts during the long trip while the rest awaited the much anticipated gene therapy to hopefully give them access as well within a month. With that said, each team had also been assigned a senior officer who could pilot the jumpers as well as lead their respective teams.

But as he glanced at one of the many bodies scattered across the grassy valley, he knew their own senior officer - Captain Marlow - was among them after taking an energy blast to the chest. And now Buck, along with the other two new recruits, were doing their best to not join their number. He wasn’t even certain if the Captain was alive or dead at this point. 

The ambush had been quick. One second they were arriving in the jumpers, each team landing strategically a couple miles apart from each other with the intent to converge in a battle royale type game of Capture the Flag. The next, they were hearing the deafening whistle of terrifying new alien spacecrafts before having these creatures - James was certain it was the infamous wraith - diverge from all angles. He had heard the shouts and the screams through the earpiece, and he was certain that some of them had been the final sounds those people would make. 

He had also heard Major Lorne call Atlantis for assistance but after what felt like hours of running, hiding and fighting, he and his other two companions - Corporal Davis and Sergeant Benson - were beginning to lose hope. They were soldiers, sure, so they were holding their own. But this wasn’t your common Earthly adversary and their leader had taken a blue shot to the chest while protecting them, which was honorable, but it now left them woefully vulnerable as their weapon supplies dwindled. They needed backup and they needed it quickly.  

“Three of the jumpers have already left,” Davis called nervously over the sounds of battle when the wraith were apparently focusing their attention on another target. Buck had seen them leave as well, which meant there was only one left and none of them really knew how to fly it. Hell, Buck was the only natural gene carrier in their group, anyway. Didn’t exactly bode well for an escape. 

“But I just saw another arrive,” Buck replied, trying to convey hope and strength in his tone because, somehow, he had ended up being the most senior ranking member of their ragtag team. The blind leading the blind in a totally different galaxy.

“You sure it wasn’t one of the others circling back?” Benson asked quietly, glancing between the two of them.

Buck knew it was a possibility but he also knew they wouldn’t just leave them out here all alone. He had already informed Major Lorne that Captain Marlow was down, so they were aware.

“Either way, help is coming,” Buck responded quickly, “We just have to hold out a little longer.”

When he pulled his P90 closer to him and glanced over the boulder again, he saw one of the remaining five wraith fall to the ground as two people now crept quickly over the small hill, grabbing the limp body of Captain Marlow and dragging him backwards while another two members of the expedition laid cover fire. Now out of sight on the other side of the hill, Buck was at least happy to know they hopefully would be able to save the Captain, or at least get his remains back safely. 

“What’s happening?” Benson asked, his voice shaking.

“They just got Captain Marlow,” he reported, still watching the scene play out in the distance, now at least a football field away. 

“ Sergeant Buckley, report! ” came a voice in his ear after a long period of silence. 

“Here, Major,” he answered quickly, thoroughly pleased to hear the man’s voice. Given that they had yet to even catch a glimpse of the famous Lt. Colonel Sheppard, Buck saw the Major as more of their CO than Sheppard. In all fairness, Buck knew that Atlantis was different and that the Colonel oftentimes went in the field himself, explaining why he couldn’t greet every new recruit the moment they beamed down from the Deadalus. Still, Major Lorne had been the one training them for the past few days and Lorne was the one who was likely going to get them out of this predicament. 

“ About to send you some help, ” the Major replied quickly, his voice strained. “ Are you still in the same location? ”

“Affirmative, sir. Running low on ammunition.”

“ Copy that, ” Major Lorne replied. “ Hang tight. ”

Buck sighed and was happy to see the relief on the others’ faces mirrored his own. But as he peered back over the boulder, he felt his stomach clench tightly as he watched a jumper - the fourth one and the very jumper that he and his current companions had arrived in taking off into the air. The only consolation was that two drones took out some of the remaining wraith soldiers, but he knew there were still more. 

“Th-they’re leaving us!” Davis stammered.

“But Major Lorne is coming,” Benson reminded, his voice shaking all the same. Buck wondered if he was thinking the same thing: the Major had said he was going to ‘ send help,’ so did he really just mean the back up team from Atlantis that could still be an hour away? Or were there people from the training session still remaining? If so, that still meant that they would likely be getting someone other than the Major himself. Would that be enough?

With the Puddlejumper now keeping the remaining visible wraith busy, Buck looked over the boulder again to assess the current situation because, damn it, they needed a plan. How many enemies still remained, were there any friendlies still on the ground and was there another location that could be used for cover, as this one would eventually be discovered?

Thankfully one of those questions was answered right away. As blue beams fired toward the hovering jumper, a single human could be seen running full speed towards their current position behind the rocks. Every so often the approaching man would turn, his weapon in hand, to check the situation behind him. Just as he neared the boulders, an explosion sounded behind him and the man leapt through the air, landing kind of rough between Buck and Davis. 

Wide eyes searched the newcomer. He was in his 40s maybe, a black t-shirt and dark BDUs - both of which ripped and stained with spots of blood. Blood that likely came from the bright red gash that was steadily leaking from a head wound hidden beneath dark, messy hair. It made the man look even more wild as the whole left side of his face was glossy red beneath the classic aviators. 

This man may have been military, but there was no way he was a Marine. 

“Fellas,” the man greeted simply, a quick smile shot their way.

“You’re the rescue team?” Benson demanded with a hint of exasperation and maybe even desperation in his voice.

But the man smirked, “Sorry to disappoint. But don’t worry, we’re getting out of here.”

“But they just left us,” Davis stammered again. His eyes searching the sky where the fourth Puddlejumper had just been, now nowhere in sight. Buck didn’t miss the hint of fear in their youngest member’s voice. Still, he was maintaining his composure and if James was being honest, his relief from a few moments ago was almost completely dried up. Surely this man had a good service record or Lorne wouldn’t have sent him, but at the same time, he had clearly already been in the battle for quite some time. And his body was already looking torn up. 

But the mystery soldier just shook his as he reloaded his Beretta, shooting a quick glance to Davis’ uniform lapel. “They didn’t leave us, Corporal. Just cloaked and waiting for us to get to the jumper. Although, they can’t wait for too long. Lorne was injured and it’s a long way home.”

Buck frowned at the man’s lack of formality; he would never refer to the Major by name only. Who was this guy?

“Jumper?” Benson asked, “All four are in the sky and Atlantis’ rescue team should still be another hour at least.”

The man used a small pocket mirror to hold above his head while his back pressed against the rock, examining the scene behind him. “Good thing I was running late to the party. I have a cloaked jumper waiting to take us home, boys. Okay, so looks like the drones took out two of them, that leaves two in this section and two more by the jumper over the hill. Definitely manageable, but it’s only a matter of time before another dart shows up.”

Buck could tell the man was mostly talking to himself at this point, forming a plan. Buck briefly wondered if he should demand to know their “rescuer’s” rank, just in case James should still be the one making a plan, but decided not to interrupt the man’s process. Besides, Lorne had sent him. There had to be a reason for it and the sense of calm in the soldier’s demeanor told Buck that this was far from his first rodeo.

“Wait,” Benson said suddenly, his eyes wide and filled with even more fear. Buck followed his gaze to the man’s shoulder and saw exactly what was causing the increased worry in Benson’s face. “Dude, is that a knife in your shoulder?”

Buck watched as the soldier observed Benson for a minute - did he look amused?? - before a wild half grin spread on his face for a brief moment. “How observant of you. Yeah, one of the damn things threw it at me. They don’t normally get fancy like that.”

It was said so nonchalantly and while Buck now noticed more pain lines etched in the man’s face than before, surprisingly, this veteran soldier didn’t seem to be overly phased by what was likely a highly painful and significant injury. Who is this guy?!

“Where are you three at with weapons?” he moved on, though the rest of them were still trying to process everything. “Remaining weapons and ammunition, now!”

Buck frowned briefly at the demand, again wondering what his rank was, but realized that regardless, it was a fair question to be asking.

“I have a flash bang and one clip left on the P90,” Buck reported instantly.

“Grenade and Beretta,” Sergeant Benson said next.”

“Half my P90, maybe,” Corporal Davis added, a bit quieter, knowing he had probably used more of his weapons and ammunition than necessary out of nerves when the battle began.

The man seemed to pick up on that shame and shrugged with his good shoulder, “That should be plenty. I have a grenade, P90 clip, Beretta and a knife,” the man finished, gesturing to the knife hanging out of his shoulder, before adding passively: “Although I’m hoping to keep that in as long as possible.” 

Buck, still slightly in shock at how positively insane this man seemed, nodded at the comment. He knew that in most cases, field medicine suggested keeping penetrating objects in place as long as possible as removing them could lead to more blood loss.

“Okay here’s how we are going to play this,” the mystery soldier began before going into a full fledged plan that sounded surprisingly doable. It was wild, sure, but it was clear and gave them all specific positions and roles to play that would get them to the awaiting cloaked jumper and hopefully back to Atlantis. At one point, he questioned if any of them had the gene, which Buck replied he did, and the soldier nodded.

“After you two make it in,” the man continued to speak towards Davis and Benson, coming to the end of the plan as he glanced to Buck, “I’ll lay the cover fire and you use that flash bang on any wraith that shows up at the last minute. I then want you in the jumper and take the pilot seat until I get there. But if you see me go down or if I tell you to go, do not hesitate. Concentrate on what you want the jumper to do and it will listen. Understood?” 

Buck stared, fear now creeping back into his mind a bit at the idea of leaving this guy behind. He still had no clue who he was but he was getting the impression that he was maybe someone important. Or, at the very least, someone he didn’t want to leave behind for any reason.

“Who are…”

But the question was interrupted by another screech of a new wraith spacecraft piercing the air.

“Now or never, boys,” the man said, the sense of urgency now increasing. “I want us on that jumper before they find a place to land. Everyone know what they’re doin? Good, let’s roll.”

And suddenly the world became a blur of movement, explosions and gunfire. The adrenaline took over, as did deeply ingrained military training, that kept him focused on the plan as they began taking down the enemy and closing the distance to where the jumper - their rescue vehicle - was waiting. It felt as though time slowed down and moved at lightening speed all at the same time, but relief washed over Buck as he saw Davis and Benson run into the hatch of the now uncloaked Puddlejumper. That now left himself and the veteran soldier to make it. James saw the man only a stone’s throw away take down one of the only remaining wraith. He lifted his head and looked in Buck’s direction, his expression suddenly changing as he saw something behind Buck.

“Get down!”

But it was too late. Buck’s vision suddenly exploded into a world of pain as something massive rammed into his body, sending him crashing into the grass. Adrenaline reaching a fever pitch, James realized he was now in the middle of a hand-to-hand combat situation with one of the alien creatures. 

He fought desperately, realizing immediately that his strength was no match whatsoever for this wraith. Now on his back with the wraith straddling him, the stench of his breath filling Buck’s nostrils, he couldn’t help but sigh and wonder if he was going to get the record for Atlantis’ quickest new recruit death. But just as suddenly as the attack began, the weight of his attacker was now gone and he was instead left staring at the beautiful blue sky above him. 

After two steadying breaths, Buck lurched to his side where he could hear commotion and saw the hand-to-hand combat had now been transferred to the soldier. Their rescuer.

“Get to the jumper,” the soldier somehow managed to order Buck despite the intense struggle he was involved in.

Buck wavered, caught between following the order and staying to help the man who had just saved his life. He knew he was the only other one capable of piloting the spacecraft, though a pilot he certainly was not. Still, leaving this man went against everything within him.

“Now!” 

Buck’s heart pounded as he gathered himself to run towards the jumper. Before he turned away, however, he saw one swift movement from the man who was on the ground, followed by the unmistakable sounds of blood gurgling in the throat. Buck expected to see the wraith now turn to him to begin pursuit, but instead, the creature was pushed away with one hand as the soldier began to roll to the side. 

Now lying dead in the grass, Buck realized that the wraith was now sporting a knife sticking out of his neck. The same knife that was stuck in the soldier’s shoulder only moments before.

“A little help,” the man rumbled, and something told James that he wasn’t used to asking for assistance often. Pulling himself from the tendrils of shock, Buck raced forward and grabbed the man under his good shoulder, eyeing the growing red stain on the opposite one. “Gotta move before… the other wraith find us.”

Buck nodded and after a moment to steady himself after standing, Buck watched with more bewilderment as this man, clearly in rough shape, somehow found the energy to begin jogging towards the jumper. It was kind of slow and uncoordinated, but no less amazing given his condition.

When they reached the ramp to the jumper, Buck’s eyes met those of Davis and Benson, all sharing similar looks of awe, relief and nerves. They still weren’t quite clear of danger and Buck wondered if the man was going to even be able to pilot the spacecraft, let alone fight if they came under fire again.

“Seats, gentl’mn,” the soldier slurred slightly as he lowered himself - more like plopped - down into the pilot’s seat. They all listened and took the seats in the cockpit, watching as the Puddlejumper lifted into the air, giving them shots of the carnage below. 

In the distance, they heard the wail of the alien aircraft, and James noticed the squirming from the other two new recruits.

“Don’ worry,” the man said as though he could read their minds. “We’re cloaked n’ if they’d seen us, they’d be shootin’ by now.”

James could see the man starting to battle with consciousness, but didn’t interrupt just yet. He really had no idea how to pilot this thing and the soldier seemed to still be doing a good job at working various settings. 

“K,” the man broke the silence, as his head tilted towards them. “We’re clear and course is set for Atlantis.Three hours. May pass the rescue jumper soon but in the meantime, who can start an IV?”

Sergeant Benson awkwardly raised his hand, “I’m specialty trained in combat medicine.”

“Great,” the man sighed, now trying to get off the pilot seat. Benson immediately stood up and helped him stand. “There’s a med kit with a couple of saline bags up there. Could also use a patch for my should’r…”

Benson looked down at where the knife used to be and his eyes grew wide for a moment. “I see you weren’t able to hold onto that one, after all.”

The soldier tilted his head nonchalantly as Benson lowered him gently along the bench, bringing his head to rest on one of the softer duffle bags. “Gotta use what’s avail’ble.”

Buck sighed, knowing he was the reason the man had made the choice to yank a knife out of his own body in order to kill a wraith before it could kill Buck. But as Sergeant Benson started working on patching the wound and moving on to an IV, Buck noticed the soldier staring lazily his way.

“Staff Sergeant..?”

“Buckley,” he answered, still not knowing who this man was but accepting that he had to be a higher rank and, if nothing else, had certainly earned the respect to be treated as such. Buck made his way over to the bench and listened carefully.

“The saline should help in a bit,” the soldier started, his eyes rolling back every so often before being snapped back into focus, “but ‘m about to lose consciousness. I-if somethin’ goes wrong, the jump’r will link to you. Jus’ think what you need. ‘N then try to wake me.”

Buck nodded, still surprised that the man was thinking clearly even as he was losing the battle with consciousness.

“Got it.”

And then with a sigh, the man went completely limp. Benson, finishing up the dressing through the now heavily cut up shirt, stopped for a moment to check the pulse. He then nodded and looked up at Buck.

“His heartbeat is a little thready but still surprisingly strong for how much blood he’s lost.”

And it was true, between the head wound, the hole from the knife and various other abrasions and contusions, the man before them looked closer to dead than alive. 

“Who the hell is he?” Davis stuttered from the cockpit door frame. “Did anyone catch that?”

Buck and Benson both shook their heads slowly.

“I don’t remember seeing him at the briefing this morning,” Buck started as he thought back on the meeting that seemed days ago. “And he wasn’t one of the team leaders.”

“Well he did say he came late…”

Buck nodded as he recalled that statement. “Whoever he is, he saved our asses out there. You think he’ll make it back to the base?”

Benson studied the soldier with a tilted head, “I’m no doctor, but I’ve stopped the bleeding - or at least slowed it down considerably - and the IV fluids should at least help combat the bloodloss for a while. As long as there are no internal injuries, he should make it back.”

They all nodded and fell into silence. Buck decided to take the pilot’s seat, fearful of messing anything up but also not wanting to get a feel for it in case he needed to try to actually pilot the thing. 

“I can’t believe we were ambushed on our third day,” Davis said after a while, no doubt coming down from the adrenaline. 

“You can’t?” Benson said with a laugh. “Have you not heard of the Pegasus Galaxy?”

Buck chuckled too and nodded, “Those wraith are scary as hell. And those weren’t even the smart ones. The ones that normally suck your life out.”

“Right,” Benson added, “I’ve heard those have face tattoos and long hair like old 80’s bands.”

“I imagine they were going to be the next ones showing up,” Davis muttered, a visible chill running down his spine as he shuddered. “Can you imagine having your life sucked out of you like that?”

Buck winced at the idea. It was honestly hard to imagine that even being possible.

“Well you know what I’ve heard?” Benson said as though he had some juicy gossip to tell them. “Apparently Colonel Sheppard was held captive once and fed on by a wraith. From what I understand, it was all on camera and they’ve started showing it to the new arrivals as a part of their training. I heard someone from the last training group mention it at the mess hall and how he may try to watch it again when we do…”

Buck frowned and looked skeptically at him, “That doesn’t make any sense. I know the Colonel has a fan club but if he’d been fed on by a wraith, would he still be able to be the Military Commander of Atlantis?”

Davis shrugged, “Maybe it wasn’t much? Like maybe just took a few years off.”

“Yeah, but still,” Buck responded, looking back towards the controls display that showed their approach to Atlantis. “Can you imagine the PTSD with something like that? I mean, you saw those things today. How could anyone continue to run the whole base, let alone one as dangerous as Atlantis.”

Benson shrugged, “Just telling you what I heard.”

“Well I’ve heard Sheppard is like… the real deal. Damn near superhuman,” Davis added, a hint of excitement in his tone. 

Buck chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Well so far, the almighty Lt. Colonel John Sheppard has been MIA. As far as I’m concerned, Major Lorne is more of a superhuman. Hell, whoever this guy is was beyond badass today.”

All of their eyes turned toward the man laid out on the bench, the slow rise and fall of his chest proving he was still alive.

“True,” Davis uttered as Benson got up to check the soldier’s bandage and IV bag again. “He just came in, made a plan… saved your ass.”

“Thank you for that reminder, Corporal,” Buck said carefully, cutting his eyes towards the younger man. But then added a small smile at the end. Yes, he was a higher rank than Davis but after today, that didn’t seem as important anymore. At least not for now. 

But his comment did make him consider something new. He looked over his shoulder at the man sprawled out across the bench. Whoever he was, he clearly had been in the Pegasus Galaxy for a while, he had referred to Lorne by name, not rank… Surely this couldn’t be Colonel Sheppard? 

Nah, Buck thought. He just couldn’t see the Military Commander riding three hours out to a training session and then staying to get the last of the men out of harm’s way. Those kinds of things were usually delegated out, even for the famous Colonel.

All of the sudden, however, his mind was pulled elsewhere as the heads up display beeped and showed what Buck assumed was a nearby spacecraft. His heart race increased exponentially, adrenaline and nerves flooding his veins.

“ Jumper 1, this is Atlantis Jumper 6. Please come in.”

The strong female voice played through the speakers in the jumper, making his heart skip a beat. They still had at least two hours until Atlantis but the mystery man had mentioned possibly coming across the rescue jumper that had been sent from the base.

James glanced around the cockpit, wondering if there was a headset or microphone, but didn’t see anything.

“Um, this is Jumper 1. Go ahead.” 

“ This is Major Teldy. Could you tell me who I am speaking with and who is on board with you?”

“Yes ma’am,” Buck said quickly, glancing at the others who were also listening intently. Except for the unknown soldier, still unconscious in the back. “This is Staff Sergeant James Buckley, here with Corporal Davis and Sergeant Benson. There’s also another man, he’s currently unconscious, but we haven’t learned his name or rank.”

“ Well can you at least manage to tell us if it’s someone from Atlantis or did you pick up some random idiot on that planet?”

This male voice was quick and filled with nervous annoyance. Most likely one of the scientists, from what he could tell.

“Appears to be a soldier, but…”

“ Staff Sergeant,” came a new female voice. This one was calm and kind, something he wouldn’t necessarily expect from a scientist or military personnel. “ If he is, indeed, a member of the military, he will be wearing an identification necklace, correct?” 

Buck glanced at the others with furrowed brows. They knew she meant dog tags, but was surprised to hear them referred to as an identification necklace. Regardless, he nodded at Corporal Davis to go check. 

“Right, we will check.”

“ Be careful.” Another new voice played through the speakers, this one was little more than a low rumble. Whoever that was sounded huge and admittedly intimidating. 

And as Buck glanced back at Davis who was reaching down to the man’s neckline, searching for the chain, suddenly a bloody hand caught Davis’ wrist with a speed Buck would have never thought possible for such a beat up body.

“What the hell are you doing?” the man demanded, clearly not fully awake or didn’t remember how he had gotten there.

“I-I’m sorry,” Davis said quickly, his eyes wide. Buck and Benson now at his sides, ready to manhandle the injured man into compliance to protect the youngest member is necessary.

“Major Teldy from the rescue jumper is communicating with us,” Buck said quickly, his eyes scanning the man’s features for any more signs of aggression. “They want to know who’s with us but we never got your name or rank.”

A second later, understanding spread across his face as his expression went from ready to fight to weary once more. He released Davis’ hand and glanced at Benson.

“Help me sit up,” he half-whispered, his voice weak as he painfully strained to sit up. Benson and Buck quickly guided him to a sitting position.

“Report, Major,” the man spoke, his voice stronger as he ensured he could be heard. “All the other jumpers good and everyone accounted for?”

“ Affirmative, sir,” the Major reported. 

That “sir” was not lost on the occupants. Did that mean…

“ It is good to hear your voice, John,” the calm female now spoke, relief clear in her voice. “ We were beginning to fear the worst.” 

“Yeah, leave it to you to walk into an ambush during a newbie training mission…,” the snide voice added, warranting a chuckle from John.

As Buck looked at the others, he saw they were beginning to think the same thing; unless there was someone else who a Major would be referring to as “sir” AND who happened to share the same first name as their CO, it was looking more and more as though they were sharing a jumper with Lt. Colonel John Sheppard.

“They were fighting when I got there, Rodney,” the man - John, maybe Colonel Sheppard - responded with a roll of the eyes. “Major, none of our people are still on the planet. We can return in a few days to see if we were targeted but for now, I don’t know if I’ll be conscious the whole way to Atlantis and these fine Marines here are a little new to Puddlejumpers. Think you could escort us back, in case things get a little hairy.”

“ Of course, sir.”

“ What did you do this time, huh? Blow yourself up? Hit your head while trying to sacrifice yourself for every single…”

“Rodney…,” the weary man sighed, and Buck knew immediately that those two were friends, however unlikely a pair they seemed. “I’m fine. Possible concussion, nothing horrible. And one of the wraith threw a knife in my shoulder…”

“ Threw it?” the deep, intimidating voice rumbled through the speakers. “ That’s new.”

John nodded, “Yeah, I said the same thing. Anyway, Sergeant Benson here gave Beckett a run for his money on starting an IV. Barely felt anything. Patched up the knife wound, too, so I’m good until we get home.”

The man glanced at Benson with a lopsided grin and an appreciative nod. 

“ Copy that,” Major Teldy responded. “ We will have your six all the way there, sir.”

“Thanks, Major. See you there.”

The gentler female voice then added, “ And I am quite certain the Marines with you will keep a weathered eye out in the meantime. Try to get some rest, Colonel.”

There it was. Buck’s eyes met Davis’ and then Benson’s, all sharing equal looks of shock. After a brief moment, Davis snapped straight up, arms at his side as he stood at attention. Without further thought, Buck and Benson followed suit. Of course they needed to do this, right? They hadn’t known the man’s rank, let alone the fact that he was their CO. Oh God, did he hear their conversation earlier? 

But the soldier - no, Colonel Sheppard - chuckled tiredly and waved his hand absently as he let his head rest against the jumper wall.

“At ease, guys.” 

“Yes sir!” Davis snapped, now officially in military mode. Buck still felt more curious than anything. He had always figured most of the extreme stories of Colonel Sheppard’s escapades were largely exaggerated; cross-galaxy tales passed down from Deadalus crew members or discharged Atlantis personnel. And even if they were all true, he would have imagined someone who looked more like Superman: large and physically intimidating. Probably older because that’s usually how long it took to gain the kind of wisdom it would take to pull off stunts like the ones he’d heard.

But this man… this man was tall and kind of lanky. He didn’t present himself as being very military-like and seemed far more charming than intimidating. Granted, Buck imagined he looked more intimidating when fully healed but still, he just looked like a pretty average guy with erratic hair. 

At the same time, Buck had seen it with his own eyes today. Watched an injured man come up with an excellent plan to overcome an enemy that outnumbered and out gunned gunned them, not to mention fought and killed one of them by hand. All while being completely calm and even cracking jokes.

“Sergeant, I think I could use a dressing change, if you don’t mind,” the Colonel muttered softly, exhaustion clear in his voice as he glanced at the now soaked dressing. 

“Yes sir,” Benson stated quickly, immediately going to the man’s side. 

But Colonel Sheppard scoffed as his head lolled towards Buck and Davis. “Y’all were more fun when you didn’t know.”

“I called you dude,” Benson said with exasperation, and maybe a hint of amusement, as he pulled the crimson gauze away from the man’s chest. Buck frowned for a moment but then did recall that happening when Benson first saw the knife sticking precariously out of Colonel Sheppard’s shoulder. 

“You did,” the Colonel laughed, turning into a pained cough. “That was funny.”

Benson smiled slightly and shook his head, now hanging the other saline bag since the first was now empty.

“Why didn’t you tell us, sir?” Buck asked, his mind curiously considering the Colonel’s choice to keep his identity a secret. Sure, it had been nonstop action since the moment he joined them behind the boulders, but even then, there had been plenty of times to reveal his name and rank, but he never did. Besides, military personnel weren’t exactly known for withholding their rank, especially when they are the senior ranking official. Generally, that was made painfully aware the first possible second. 

But not Colonel Sheppard.

They all three watched as he shrugged slightly, half-lidded eyes finding Buck’s. 

“Didn’t need to,” he said simply. “You all followed orders so no need to pull rank. Besides, it was tense enough out there without you having to worry about your CO breathing down your neck.”

“Or bleeding out while attempting to rescue us,” Benson added, apparently feeling comfortable enough to joke slightly with his CO. Surprisingly, Colonel Sheppard didn’t seem to mind it. “We would never live that down.”

“Attempting, my ass,” he spat, but the tone was playful. “Pretty sure it worked out.”

“Yes sir,” Davis chimed in, sounding a bit more like he was in boot camp than a small spacecraft. “Thank you, sir.”

The Colonel glanced at Davis with a half-smirk and tilt of the head, “You’re welcome, Corporal…”

“Davis, sir.” 

“Corporal Davis. Right. Well, for what it’s worth, you all held your own out there,” Colonel Sheppard breathed, his voice becoming more weak and his eyes dropping more. “Good work.” 

Buck looked at the others and saw a slight smile on all of their faces. What a crazy first mission this ended up being. 

“Thank you, sir,” Benson began, “but we still have two hours until we get back to Atlantis and your best bet if you want to make it there alive is if you get some sleep. I’d give you morphine but with the potential concussion…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, mom. But don’t let the Corporal try to get second base again, got it?”

They chuckled and Benson continued as he helped the Colonel lay back down on the bench, “Yes sir. I’ll grab some Tylenol, though.” 

But the injured man scoffed grumpily and replied, “Why bother?”

“Something is better than nothing, sir,” Buck responded as he sat back down in the pilot’s seat.

“Yeah, yeah,” his CO responded, “but don’t get crazy up there. Don’t need any more trouble today.”

“Sir, yes sir.”

Soon after that, the Colonel was either asleep or unconscious again. Once Benson was done with whatever it was he was doing to get the Colonel settled, Buck found himself once again in the cockpit with the other two. That sat in silence for a moment, not sure what to say next.

“Do… do you think he heard us earlier?” Davis stammered in a whisper, his voice barely loud enough to be heard over the hum of the control panel. “About the torture stuff and… you know.”

The thought had certainly crossed James’ mind as well but he didn’t think anything too horrible had been said. Besides, they genuinely didn’t know who they were sharing a jumper with at the time so even if he had heard, could their CO really be offended by it?

“Even if he did, I don’t really think he’s the type to care too much,” Benson added in a slightly louder whisper.

Buck had to agree there, “Yeah. Definitely not like any other CO I’ve had.”

A silent agreement fell over them. And over the next two hours, they either made small talk or had hushed conversations about how crazy the rescue, led by their new Military Commander, had been. 

Strangely enough, it seemed like only an hour or so had passed when the escort jumper spoke up again.

“ Colonel Sheppard, what’s your status?”

Buck jumped as the Major’s voice sounded through the spacecraft. Buck looked at the Colonel and saw that he was still very much asleep. Or unconscious. Could be either.

“Ma’am, this is Staff Sergeant Buckley. Colonel Sheppard is asleep, it would appear. Would you like me to try to wake him?”

“ Affirmative,” came the reply, to which Buck nodded at Benson to try to wake the Colonel, knowing Davis was likely nervous to do so after the events from before. “ We are on final approach to Atlantis and autopilot only works when coming through the Stargate. No offense, but a little more experience may be wise to get you all docked safely.”

“None taken, ma’am.”

Truthfully, Buck was eager to pass off the control to the jumper and be on solid ground once more. There was a reason he stayed clear of the Air Force. 

“Colonel,” Buck now heard Benson saying louder than before. “Colonel Sheppard, you need to wake up. We are almost to Atlantis and could use some help. Colonel?”

James stood up now and joined Davis as they gathered around the Colonel and Benson. Buck felt his heart rate increase with each passing second that Colonel Sheppard remained unresponsive. He couldn’t land this thing… 

“ Is there an issue, Staff Sergeant?” It was the man who the Colonel had referred to as Rodney and he sounded highly annoyed, though Buck understood that to be concern. 

“We… uh, we’re having difficulties waking him up.”

Benson was now feeling the man’s pulse and then raised the tattered shirt to reveal dark, nasty looking bruising covering the man’s torso. 

“I… I think he’s in the beginning stages of shock,” Benson stammered. “Colonel! Raise his legs! Colonel Sheppard, you need to wake up.”

“How are we going to land?” Davis asked, looking back and forth between all of them. 

Buck took a deep breath and tried to remember what the Colonel had told him but just felt blank. He knew he needed to sit down and just think what he wanted to happen? But he barely even knew what the jumper bay looked like, let alone how to safely dock in it. Was it even called docking, or was that only for oceanic ships? 

“ Is he breathing?”

“ Yes, but his pulse has weakened and his skin is clammy…”

But then there was an unmistakable groan from the man in question as the Colonel’s head rolled side to side a bit and green eyes appeared between slits.

“He’s awake!” Davis shouted.

“ Dammit, Sheppard!” the man named Rodney sounded off angrily. “ Can you just not give us a heart attack for once.”

“Colonel, you are on final approach to Atlantis, t-minus two minutes,” Major Teldy now said, time being of the essence. “ Are you well enough to land it?”

“Get me to the chair,” Colonel Sheppard said, his eyes lazily on Buck. The man was clearly in bad shape and probably didn’t need to be anywhere near those controls and yet what other option did they really have?

“Sir, I think you have internal bleeding…”

“Get me to the controls,” the Colonel repeated, surprising strength radiating in each word. “Tha’s ‘n order.”

Without further hesitation, Buck joined Benson on the Colonel’s other side and helped raise him to a standing position. Buck could tell their CO was fighting hard to stay conscious as they practically carried him to the pilot seat and lowered him into it. 

“ Staff Sergeant Buckley, what’s your status over there?” Major Teldy’s voice now echoed through the tight space as the main tower of Atlantis drew ever nearer. 

“He’s conscious and flying us in, ma’am,,” Buck answered, his hand resting as gently as possible on the Colonel’s shoulder, now caked in mostly dried blood. It was a surreal thing, flying so close to the tower while being fully aware that the pilot was barely hanging on to consciousness and that there was nothing they could do if something went wrong. And yet somehow, James found himself not feeling all that concerned. Perhaps it was all of the fan club stories of Colonel Sheppard playing through his head that gave him confidence beyond what should really make sense. 

“ You got this, Shep,” the deep voice rumbled. Buck suddenly found himself very interested in putting voices to faces, especially of the deep voiced man. 

“Major, I believe Colonel Sheppard has internal bleeding and could go into shock, possibly cardiac arrest at any time,” Benson added, holding on to the other shoulder. Buck felt the Colonel huff but ultimately the man said nothing. James imagined it was all the Colonel could do to stay awake and land the jumper. There was likely no energy left to argue with his subordinates.

“ Understood, Sergeant,” Major Teldy replied. “ There’s a full medical team standing by.”

“ You’re doing great, John,” the soft-spoken woman now encouraged as the Puddlejumper rose parallel to the central tower of Atlantis to find a large bay door opening up. Buck could feel his CO beginning to slump in the seat but much to their relief, the Colonel managed to maintain consciousness right up until the jumper landed with a jolt on the bay floor. 

Now shouldering most of the fully unconscious man’s weight, Buck looked around the jumper and saw the other two staring back at him, relief and fear both etched in their worn out faces. They had made it back to Atlantis but at what cost?

But then the enclosed area became a flurry of movement as medical staff raced in and began examining their patient. Buck and his military companions found themselves being pushed out the jumper to make room for the ones now assuming the role of “keep Colonel Sheppard alive.” Once outside the jumper, however, they couldn’t just leave. It didn’t feel right until they knew he was going to be okay. Or at least until he was infirmary bound.

And they were in good company.

On the other side of the outstretched ramp stood four people who Buck knew instantly were the members of the other jumper. Each person fit their voice perfectly, in James’ opinion and right away, he knew that the three with Major Teldy were surely the Colonel’s own team that also managed to have a few well known stories amongst the SGC. 

But in this moment, he didn’t see the fierce warriors or science genius he’d heard about. No, for now, he just saw some very worried friends. Ones who likely had been in this very predicament of watching their leader cling to life after a rough mission too many times before.

“Get him to the infirmary, now!” called a thick Scottish accent from within the Puddlejumper. A second later, a backboard carrying the Colonel was rushed out, surrounded by several medical staff members. Just as quickly, he was transferred to the awaiting gurney and whisked away. 

Buck watched as Colonel Sheppard’s assumed teammates followed the medical staff without hesitation, leaving the Major and the new recruits behind. 

“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Major Teldy said softly, perhaps even fondly. “He always is.”

They smirked and nodded. That seemed about right. 

“Okay, I’m going to walk you to the infirmary for an After Action Exam. Once cleared by medical staff, report back to the Duty Room to await a quick debrief concerning today’s events. I would then highly suggest dinner and sleep.” 

“Yes ma’am,” all three sounded off before following her through the halls of Atlantis. It was mostly quiet; only passing a few personnel along the way who talked among themselves 

as though nothing had happened. And likely, for them, it was just another day. 

Once in the infirmary, nurses began to run various tests on them and patched up their wounds, thankfully all minor. Buck had been the worst out of the three of them, no doubt thanks to the close-quarters battle he’d participated in with the wraith. The one that would have killed him if Colonel Sheppard had not been there.

Speaking of, James had found himself scanning the beds of the medical bay, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man who had rescued them but it was to no avail. He did notice the Colonel’s team, however, waiting in chairs in a corner apparently designated as a waiting room. This likely meant his CO was in surgery. That sucked, but it also meant he wasn’t dead.

Buck had noticed Major Lorne in one of the beds, however. The man was asleep and sported a nice bandage across his forehead and one of his feet was heavily wrapped and raised up on at least two pillows. Surprisingly though, there were very few of the new recruits being held in the beds which meant the senior staff had done their jobs: kept the newbies safe or, at the very least, alive. Or so Buck hoped, anyway. 

Once they had been patched up and checked over, Buck, Davis and Benson all stuck together as they tried to remember how to get to the Duty Room. As soon as they found it, however, Buck felt himself wanting to retreat almost instantly.

The room was packed with the new recruits, most sporting various bandages and some even wearing slings or using crutches. But they all turned to the newest arrivals and exploded with cheers and clapping. Suddenly people were patting his shoulder and fluffing his hair.

“We were starting to think you three bit the dust out there!” someone called happily out from the crowd.

“Yeah, last three on that damn planet, holding the line, baby!”

Buck saw that Davis and Benson both seemed overwhelmed as well but were trying to play along.

“So everyone made it out?” Benson asked as the room began to settle down some.

“Yep!” Lt. Daniels reported cheerfully. “A little banged up, but all accounted for.”

“What about Colonel Sheppard?” Someone else asked. “We heard he’s the one who got y’all out of there.”

Someone else sighed and interjected, “He wasn’t even there! We would have seen him before we left…” 

“He was there,” a kid Buck remembered as Miller responded. “Who else has crazy black hair and can have a knife thrown into his chest but keep fighting?!”

Buck chuckled. Yeah, that did sound pretty fantastical and yet was entirely true. Perhaps all the other wild tales had been true, as well. 

“It’s true!” Davis responded excitedly, clearly enjoying the  attention and a chance to rave about their new CO. “He came in out of nowhere, made a plan and got us out of there. He even plowed over a wraith that was fighting Staff Sergeant Buckley, pulled out the knife in his own freaking shoulder and used it to kill the wraith. It was INSANE!”

The noise in the room increased exponentially as everyone chatted about the latest story, another tale for the Fan Club, but all Buck could think about was the injured, tall and skinny man who had needed help to get to the pilot seat only hours ago. And not because he knew the Colonel to be weak. Quite the opposite; he now knew firsthand just how human the Colonel was. How he had, indeed, managed to do all of these things that seemed superhuman with an entirely human body. Which somehow made him more remarkable than a superhuman.

“You fought a wraith, Buck?”

James met the eyes of his friend, Staff Sergeant Meads, and half shrugged. 

“Yeah, and was losing,” he responded softly.

Buck was entirely thankful when the office door opened up and Major Teldy, along with Dr. Weir, began calling people in to debrief, effectively rendering everyone silent. James just didn’t feel like talking to everyone right now and knew it was going to be difficult enough to relive everything so soon to his superiors. 

But if Colonel Sheppard could save their asses all while being extremely injured himself and still find the gumption to land the jumper before passing out for good, the least Buck could do was make sure it all went down on record.

—————ONE WEEK LATER—————

James and some of the other new recruits filed into one of the many rooms that had been designated as a gym/work out room. Today, however, all of the equipment had been moved aside to create a large, open space. They had been summoned there as a part of their training routine, not far from officially graduating and becoming full-fledged members of the expedition. 

Buck came to rest against a wall with Benson and Davis on either side of him. There was something about fighting side by side on the battlefield that made people closer in a way that couldn’t be explained. 

Across the room, Buck saw the large man with dreads who he had since learned was named Ronon Dex and beside him, the beautiful and calm woman, named Teyla, both natives of the Pegasus Galaxy. He also had confirmed that both were, indeed, members of Colonel Sheppard’s team. If they were here and looking completely at ease, hopefully that meant the Colonel was also doing well. 

Truthfully, he hadn’t seen or heard much about their CO since returning to Atlantis. There was some overheard mess hall chatter, as always, that implied the injuries had been especially severe and no one had really put eyes on the man. Buck had found himself more and more concerned that his inability to overpower the wraith as the injured Colonel had managed to do would ultimately be what finally took the famous Colonel down for good. 

But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind did the man himself walk into the room. Buck joined the rest of them in immediately standing at attention and took the opportunity to assess his CO.

It suddenly became painfully clear that Buck had only ever seen the man while covered in blood and various injuries, hyped on adrenaline that came at the heart of a fight for one’s life. Because now, apart from a sling housing one of his arms and maybe slightly slower movements than Buck remembered while on that planet, Colonel Sheppard looked healthy. Safe. He wore a standard military uniform now and his eyes were bright and alive.

It was a stark contrast to the man who he had helped carry to the Puddlejumper controls in a last ditch effort to safely land the thing. But after an unheard joke thrown in the direction of his teammates, the Colonel turned towards the recruits.

“At ease,” their CO announced, allowing everyone to relax slightly but Buck could feel the anticipation of his cohorts as they finally were rewarded with a glimpse of their new and highly distinguished CO.

“For those I haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet,” he began, his eyes lingering slightly on Buck, Davis and Benson, “I am Lt. Colonel Sheppard and while I try to be a bit more involved with fresh recruits, it’s been a rough couple of weeks. But I’m here now!”

He began casually walking the open space between them as he glanced at all of the men and women. 

“Besides, Major Lorne apparently took the ‘sink or swim’ route last week during the training mission, so you guys have a bit more firsthand experience than our new guys and gals normally have. Always the overachiever, that one.”

A stifled chuckle reverberated through the room. Sink or swim had been a fair way to put it, as it certainly felt like they had been thrown in the deep end during that wraith encounter. 

“But one thing you all undoubtedly noticed was how annoyingly difficult it is to kill a wraith. They are big, strong and can heal. Staff Sergeant Buckley.”

Buck’s heart leapt into his throat at the mention of his name. But he swallowed down the initial shock and stood straighter. “Yes sir.”

“How would you describe hand-to-hand combat with a wraith?”

Buck took a quick breath and tried to figure out how he was going to answer that. The encounter had certainly replayed more than once while dreaming during the past week, so he certainly didn’t feel far removed from it. Not to mention the guilt he wore from not being able to take the creature down himself. 

“It felt… impossible, sir,” Buck answered truthfully. “He was so much bigger, so much stronger…”

Colonel Sheppard nodded knowingly. “Yes, they are abnormally large and possess a natural strength that outmatches ours almost any day.”

The man named Ronon scoffed and shifted behind the Colonel but he paid the younger man no attention.

“So during those moments, you have to try to hold your own while also trying to outthink your opponent. That means pushing through the adrenaline enough to think clearly. It’s a hard thing to do, but it’s possible. And if nothing else, frequent practice in sparring and other combat training will at least give you a chance to hopefully stay alive long enough for help to arrive.”

The Colonel stopped walking and let his eyes linger on Buck this time. 

“Back on M3X-9899, I watched Staff Sergeant Buckley do just that,” he said calmly, his free arm coming to rest on his hip. “With no weapons remaining, he fought hard enough until help could take over.”

Buck shifted uncomfortably at the sudden attention but also felt a bit of weight lifted from his shoulders. After all of the guilt, having the Colonel offer a slight compliment his way was cathartic. It also wasn’t lost on James that the Colonel hadn’t used the opportunity to sing his own praises, which would have been entirely fair. Just a weird, albeit impressive, man. 

“Even so, I believe all of you, Buckley included, could benefit from regular training with both Ronon and Teyla, here,” he moved on, gesturing behind him to his teammates who stood proudly behind him. “I’d fight you all myself but, you know, I have a hurt wing and paperwork to catch up on.”

Ronon and Teyla shared amused looks with one another. The sentiment was shared amongst the new recruits as they had all become aware that his injuries went well beyond a damaged arm.

“Ronon is an arguably larger fella,” the Colonel continued again, somewhat lightheartedly as Ronon Dex was undeniably a powerful and highly intimidating man. “And sparring with him is pretty damn close to fighting a wraith. And Teyla will help you fight smart. Help you learn how to keep your wits about you while battling it out with an opponent. I highly suggest everyone to engage fully in these training sessions, as well as volunteer to train with them every chance you get moving forward.” 

They all nodded and never before during a training session did James find himself in total agreement with an instructor. After the things he’d seen, Buck would be willing to do any training available to give himself a better chance in the field. 

“Alright, don’t hurt them too much,” he instructed his teammates before turning back to the recruits. “Buckley, Davis and Benson. Stop by my office when you’re done here.”

“Yes sir,” they all chimed and felt the eyes of their cohorts looking their way. He considered being nervous but decided it would interfere with his performance and training, so he pushed the impending meeting to the back of his mind. Instead, he began to watch Ronon and Teyla closely as they fought the others effortlessly, trying to gain any insider knowledge on how to be a more worthy opponent for them.

Despite his efforts, Teyla had laid him out quickly during his session with her and Ronon had knocked the wind out of his lungs when it was his turn. Still, he lasted longer than the others and that had to count for something, right?.

“What do you think he wants?” Davis asked nervously as they walked the winding halls up to the central tower where Colonel Sheppard’s office was located. As they climbed the stairs and took in the sight of the busy control room and magnificent Stargate, Buck felt his own nerves increase some, though he wouldn’t let that be too well known.

He shrugged and replied, “Not sure, but worrying doesn’t help.”

“How bad could it be?” Benson questioned as the Colonel’s office door came into view. “I don’t think we did too badly out there, right?”

They stopped in front of the door and saw that Dr. Weir was currently in his office, but when she saw them, she turned with a big smile. 

“Ah, you must be the new guys who saved our dear Colonel Sheppard last week,” she said with a grin. In the background, the Colonel wore a smirk as he leaned further into his chair.

Buck shrugged, “Not really, ma’am. He mostly saved us.”

She peered back at her second in command before returning her gaze to them. “Be that as it may, you still helped get him back home in one piece. Which is most appreciated.”

They smiled and nodded, no doubt feeling a little better about this conversation than they had a moment ago. As Dr. Weir walked away, Colonel Sheppard motioned them inside the office.

“At ease,” he waved them off before they could snap into formalities and pointed at the seats located along the walls of the office. “So how did it go with Teyla and Ronon?”

Judging by the smirk on his face, he already knew they had their asses handed to them by the two warriors. 

“They are scary,” Benson answered first.

Davis nodded, “Teyla is so small, you wouldn't think…”

The Colonel laughed heartily, “Yeah, I still can’t seem to win against her, especially when she has those damn sticks. Well, there was this one time… never mind.”

“Yeah, and with Ronon you kind of know going in that it’s just going to suck,” Buck added, but then quickly threw in a “Sir” for good measure.

“Yeah, well they’re built differently,” Colonel Sheppard added with a hint of sadness. “They’ve been dealing with wraith their entire lives out here.”

Silence fell over them and Buck and the others were once again reminded that this was an entirely different galaxy and one in which the inhabitants had been terrorized and killed routinely at the hands of such a terrifying enemy. But it only helped to reinforce why this expedition was here in the first place. Why they fought.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat and glanced briefly at the large stacks of paper before pushing them to the side. “I’m sure Lorne is bored with the bum ankle. He’d probably enjoy some paperwork.”

Buck looked down and smirked. It was kind of hard not to like the Colonel and he suddenly realized yet again how the man had managed to earn such a celebrity status amongst the SGC. His not-so-little Fan Club.

“I won’t keep you guys long,” he started, now giving them his full attention. “I don’t usually get to work one on one with the new guys so, given we were more or less forced into it last week, I wanted to personally check in with you three and give you my thoughts.”

He leaned back in his chair again and shifted his eyes to Davis.

“Corporal Davis, you have good instincts,” he began. “You just lack confidence and perhaps a bit more experience. Both of which can be remedied with training sessions and regular missions. Keep being open to learning from those around you, even as you move up through the ranks.”

“Yes sir,” Davis responded quickly, a smile on his face.

“Sergeant Benson, I was impressed with your comfort and skills with the medical tasks,” he continued, “and from what the good doc told me, your handiwork is the reason I lived, so thanks for that. I have also spoken with Dr. Beckett and he’s agreed to do a little extra training with you to really capitalize on those skills. Definitely an asset to have.”

“Of course, sir,” Benson replied proudly. “Thank you, sir.”

The Colonel then turned to Buck and considered him for a moment. Buck suddenly wondered if he was going to receive kind words like the others did.

“Buckley, for over an hour, you managed to lead your makeshift team in a new galaxy and against an enemy you’d never experienced before. You weren’t preoccupied with rank and other bullshit, just willing to do what needed to be done. That’s a damn good trait, in my book. Also held your own with that wraith. Granted, you should definitely keep training with Ronon and Teyla.” 

Buck nodded quickly, “Yes sir.”

The Colonel then took a deep breath and placed his good hand on the desk.

“That’s all I got for ya,” he announced with a sense of finality. “Keep up the good work. Get some food.”

“Yes sir,” they all chimed and stood up at attention. 

“You’re dismissed,” their CO said calmly before adding, “Oh, and welcome to the Pegasus Galaxy.”

Buck smiled. Despite all previous doubts, it was clear that of all the things he’d heard about this galaxy and their daring Military Commander, he could now confirm that it was all far more man and than myth and absolutely the kind of stuff legends were made of. And that was something he could proudly be a part of and maybe, just maybe, even join the Fan Club.