Landry knew that Caldwell was only going to make Elizabeth even more defensive, something he wanted to avoid at all costs, so he stepped in, his tone gentle and his logic sound. �You see, Doctor, from our point of view, Major Sheppard�s independent nature poses a bit of a problem. If he could disobey you, he may see fit to do the same to the new commander of the military contingent on Atlantis,� Landry said.
Though Jack had warned her it might happen and John had flat-out said he expected it to happen, Elizabeth honestly hadn�t believed that anyone would try to replace John as the military commander of Atlantis. She had been sure that someone with a higher rank would be his second in command of the whole military�Lieutenant Ford had been a bit of a stretch, but they hadn�t had as many commissioned military officers as enlisted�and that John would pick someone new to head base security since Bates still hadn�t woken up and, last Elizabeth heard, Doctor Lam was thinking of calling the Tok�ra to get someone able to utilize the Goa�uld healing device to try to wake Bates from his coma. Those changes she had been expecting�Bates might never serve again, and Ford was MIA, not to mention compromised because of the enzyme, and they were running on what John called �military lite� after the casualty count from the siege was finalized and the transfer requests were accepted. But when Jack and John had both told her that John was likely to be replaced she had shaken her head, refusing to believe that it would happen.
Apparently, though, it was happening right before her eyes.
�Excuse me? When did this happen?� Elizabeth asked, stunned.
�Of course, the decision hasn�t been made yet�but we do have a candidate in mind,� Landry said, glancing at Caldwell who tilted his head at Elizabeth, a cocky expression on his face.
Elizabeth internally cringed at the thought of working with Caldwell day in, day out. She and John had an uncanny ability to read each other, an ability that made their co-leadership of Atlantis as effortless as leading a massive expedition in a city no one understood in the middle of a war that had been waging for upwards of ten thousand years could be. The few encounters she had had with Caldwell, and, to be fair, Elizabeth had to admit that they were very few in number, had not been the most pleasant, nor the most productive. Even Colonel Sumner had been willing to accept her word as the final decision, at least during the brief time that he had been her second in command. She doubted Steven Caldwell would react the same way, especially not after having solo command of the Daedalus where his orders were followed without question and he didn�t have to answer to anyone until he turned his reports in to the US Air Force.
Beginning to feel that she was being railroaded, Elizabeth straightened her spine and allowed her gaze to turn icy. The change was subtle, and had John been in the room he would have gotten the �danger Will Robinson� look in his eyes that allowed everyone in sight to know what kind of mood they could expect to be dealing with from the boss. Unfortunately, without John in the room to convey in more obvious terms what her spine-straightening-icy-gaze one-two punch meant, the intimidation factor was minimal, if it, in fact, existed at all. �Atlantis has a military commander,� she said firmly. She was beginning to believe that John had been sent to Nevada and that the people there had been asked to make his training as drawn out as possible to keep him away from the meeting that Elizabeth wished she could just walk out of.
�You had a military commander�Colonel Sumner,� Landry said. Then, to make sure he wasn�t casting any aspersions on how things on Atlantis progressed, rank-wise, from there, he added, �When he was killed, Major Sheppard correctly assumed the position until a proper replacement could be brought in.�
The unspoken �which is what is happening right now� hung in the air and Elizabeth felt that all-too-familiar need to scream coming upon her again.
�Doctor, you can�t be suggesting that a mission of this importance be trusted to a Major, and one with a questionable record at that,� Caldwell said, softly chuckling at the thought.
Elizabeth wasn�t sure if it was the Colonel�s supercilious tone, or just the fact that the Colonel had said what he had, or possibly a combination of the two, but no matter the reason, her patience was completely gone.
�Major Sheppard�s record before he joined my team doesn�t concern me. All I can tell you is that if it wasn�t for him, I wouldn�t be sitting here right now. And as for his rank, if that�s not good enough for you, you�re just gonna have to promote him,� Elizabeth said, her voice strong and unwavering.
General Landry looked like he wanted to laugh, though, wisely, he didn�t give in the impulse. �Doctor��
Elizabeth stood up, interrupting the General. �I shouldn�t have to remind you gentlemen that I continue to have the support of the President and our foreign allies,� Elizabeth said. She smiled sweetly at the General. �You don�t wanna fight me on this one,� she said before turning and leaving the room.
Once she was far enough away from the conference room Elizabeth pulled out her cell phone and