Title: After the Storm
Summary: Teyla's thoughts as she sees the aftermath of "The Storm" on the mainland. Dedicated to all those in the Gulf Coast who lost their lives, their families, or their homes to Katrina.
Spoilers: Season 1, "The Storm" and "The Eye"
A/N: It's been a year since Katrina (and Rita), and those who were uprooted are still feeling the effects of the storm and the criminally slow government response to it. To all my fellow Louisiana citizens and to those of Mississippi and Alabama as well: keep on rebuilding and healing. You are not forgotten.
:o:
The sky was so blue and clear, it was hard to believe clouds had raged there not long ago. The sun blazed overhead, its heat reminding Teyla once again that this planet was not Athos.
Sighing, she wiped sweat from her forehead and looked around at the village—or rather, what was left of it. Countless homes were completely flattened, while others stood untouched right next to them. Mud, roofing materials, and uprooted trees added to the chaotic scene. Sticking forlornly out of a puddle a few yards away was a doll Teyla knew belonged to Jinto's young cousin Amah.
Teyla remembered the fury of the storm. She remembered sitting inside the jumper, listening to the wind roar louder than any noise she'd ever heard. She had whispered half-finished prayers to the Ancestors or anyone who would hear her. As a leader of her people, Teyla wasn't allowed to show fear, even in the face of the Wraith. That didn't mean, however, that she never felt afraid.
She shook her head, sending more drops of sweat flying. No point thinking about such things now. There was too much to be done. Her people had to return through the Stargate and be ferried back to the mainland. First they needed to rebuild their homes, then they could turn to salvaging the remaining crops and helping the Atlantians repair their city. Teyla wasn't worried about the reconstruction. The Athosians had survived centuries of cullings; they had had to flee from their homes before. They were good at rebuilding.
But she couldn't help wondering how many times they would have to do this. Rodney had assured her such terrible storms happened rarely, that there wouldn't be another so fierce in her lifetime. But what about the Wraith? What if they found Atlantis, and began their cullings anew? What if the Genii returned in greater numbers? How many times would her people be forced to flee, without knowing if they would ever see their homes again? Someday another storm would come, bearing rain or darts or guns. Would her people survive? Or would they be swept away in the wind?
Looking at the village once more, Teyla stood a little straighter. No. They would not surrender so easily. If there was one thing she had learned from the stubborn John Sheppard and his equally hard-headed people, it was to never give up. This battle wasn't over yet.
:o:
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