Title: New Friends
Category: Drama, adventure
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Teyla doesn't trust the Tok'ra, but after a mission together with them goes wrong, she may have to.
Characters: Teyla, Sheppard, McKay, Ronon, Sarran/Nenesh, Lena/Razan, Eschel, OC Tok'ra
Prompt: 148. SGA, Teyla Emmagan|Tok'ra, Teyla is a fierce warrior on her own, but how would she change if she became a host? And what would it take to convince her to allow an alien into her body and mind, knowing it has the ability to completely control her?
Notes: Crossover between Stargate: the Lost Colony (fanfilm) and Stargate Atlantis, and a little Stargate SG-1 I guess.
Since I've seen so many others do so, I'm going with bold for symbiote voice. I've debated with myself about how to show internal dialogue, and have decided on italic.
Written for Tok'ra Kree on LJ.
"We're going on a mission with them?" Teyla asks, sceptically.
"Yes, they've got some experience we can use." Sheppard smiles at her. "Problems with our new friends?"
"They're your friends, not the Athosians friends."
"Well, they did spend several centuries trying to fight the Wraith while they were here. That counts for something, doesn't it?"
"Mm," Teyla mumbles, noncommittally. "They still ran off back to your Galaxy as soon as they could."
"Not all of them. I hear some of them may want to stay. For a while, at least," Sheppard says.
"What's up?" McKay asks, when he walks up to them together with Ronon.
"Teyla doesn't approve of the Tok'ra," Sheppard tells them.
Ronon nods. "Can't say I blame her. The idea of creatures that can burrow into your body and take control of you is unpleasant."
"Unpleasant! It's creepy!" Teyla exclaims.
"Well, the Tok'ra don't do that. Take unwilling hosts, I mean," Sheppard says.
"Oh? Maybe they don't do that usually, but did you ever hear of what happened to Colonel Carter?" McKay says. "She became host to a Tok'ra, and she sure didn't agree to it!"
"Jolinar. Yeah, I was told about it." Sheppard shrugs. "You can't judge a people on the actions of one person, besides, from what I've heard, she had her reasons. Also, Colonel Carter has forgiven her."
"Still. See what I mean?" Teyla gives them all a meaningful look.
"Hush - they're coming now," Sheppard tells them. "And try to be nice - I've meet the ones we're going to work with, and I assure you they're okay."
They all turn to look at the two people, dressed in borrowed standard Atlantis uniforms. They look normal, human. One is a handsome young man, fairly tall, with brown hair. The other is a young woman with curly reddish hair and a somewhat arrogant expression.
"Hi, guys!" Sheppard greets them. "This is Teyla Emmagan, Ronon, and Rodney McKay."
"Greetings, I am Sarran, host to Nenesh." The young man makes a funny little half-bow, with his hands held together before his chest. "This is Lena, host to Razan."
"Host!" Teyla repeats, in a low voice.
Sarran raises an eyebrow at her, but says nothing. He turns to look at Ronon, who gives him a hostile look.
"Okay, well, you've all be briefed, so let's get going," Sheppard says, trying to lighten the mood.
"So, ah, how is it going for you guys, back in the Milky Way? You're getting along with your... uh, compatriots?" Sheppard asks, when they are walking along a path on the alien planet.
Sarran dips his head, giving Nenesh control. "It is strange to be home. Good, of course, but it will take some time to get used to. Particularly since most of our traditional enemies, the Goa'uld, are gone, and are now changed for a new enemy, the Ori."
"Yeah, I don't think anyone's happy about the Ori invasion." Sheppard grimaces.
"In addition, many of my brothers and sisters are dead. Many which I had hoped to see again..." Nenesh shakes his head sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Sheppard looks towards the tree line. "You sure this place is safe?"
"It should be. The Wraith killed off the entire population - the Manoans - centuries ago, as punishment for hiding their technological development and much of the population below ground."
"Like the Genii."
"Yes."
"Teyla? Your people know anything about the people who lived here?"
"Like he says. The Manoans are dead," Teyla says, clearly not happy to be reminded of the fate of a whole people. "We shouldn't be here. Shouldn't come to steal from the dead."
"The dead have no use for their technology - including what you call a 'ZPM'," Nenesh reminds her.
"Okay, how much farther?" Sheppard asks.
"About half an hour at the current speed we are moving with." Nenesh looks at the sky, which is a clear blue-green color. "No signs of approaching storms."
"You don't like us," Lena observes, throwing Teyla a half-amused look.
"I don't know you."
"It's more than that. It's okay - we are used to being hated. Razan tells me it was the same back in the Milky Way."
"I don't hate you."
"Sure."
After a long silence, Teyla looks up. "Your... symbiote was born in the Milky Way galaxy?"
"No, she was born here."
"How, then, does she know?" Teyla asks.
Lena closes her eyes for what looks like a long blink.
"My kind have genetic memory. So I have many of the memories from my mother - and she was born in the Milky Way."
"Oh. Ah, I see." Teyla looks faintly disturbed by the switch.
"You prefer talking to my host." Razan transfers control to her host.
"Listen, it's just... strange. Two people in the same body - one of whom can take control against the other's wish," Teyla says.
"The Tok'ra symbiotes don't do that," Lena tells her. "Unless it's absolutely necessary. Life or death."
"But they can."
Lena nods. "Yes."
"I couldn't do that. Be a host, I mean." Teyla throws her a quick look. "You don't have any privacy - there's always someone there. Someone who can read your mind."
"True," Lena concedes. "But she's my friend, and it was a long time since that I cared. She also won't read my mind if I don't want her to." She stretches. "Listen, I don't mind telling you all this, but we getting close to our destination. I would like to focus on that."
Teyla nods. "Sensible."
"You are a warrior, like I am." She looks at Ronon. "Like he is. We probably have more in common with each other than with Sheppard and Nenesh and Sarran."
"Sheppard is a warrior too."
"But not like you and I. The same with Sarran and Nenesh. They are soldiers, we are warriors. I don't know what that one is." She nods towards McKay, who walks off to the side, looking at a scanner, then she smiles at Ronon. "Your name is Ronon, and you are from Sateda?"
"Yes," Ronon answers.
"I am from Sateda as well."
"You are?" Ronon looks at her, sceptically.
"Yes. I was in the Satedan military, but was wounded during an expedition to another planet, and left for dead. The Tok'ra found me, and offered me life - in return for becoming a host."
"And you took the offer?" Ronon looks taken aback.
"I did." Lena looks at him challenging. "How could I not? It was another chance at fighting the Wraith!"
Ronon nods. "True. I understand." He relaxes. "So what can we expect from this place?"
"As Nenesh said, the population is long gone, and the Wraith no longer has reason to come here. There is wildlife, but it is not a danger to us. The only danger here is from the occasional firestorms, but they are rare. Fortunately, since they are accompanied by quakes."
"All right," Teyla says. "Those ruins over there look ancestral. Is that where we are going?"
"Yes. The Manoans hid in tunnels under those ruins, using the leftover energy signatures to mask their presence," Lena tells them.
"Okay, guys," Sheppard says. "Watch out. We're entering the ruins, and they look more than a little unstable."
"It is caused by the quakes that accompanies the firestorms," Sarran informs him.
"Quakes? What quakes?" Sheppard looks unhappy. "Firestorms? Why haven't I heard about them?"
"They are not completely uncommon on worlds which have leftover Ancient technology, but here they are stronger than in many places. However, our studies show that it is a very rare occurrence here, something which happens maybe once per century," Sarran says.
"Hm. Well, that sounds reassuring," Sheppards says.
"Reassuring? With our luck, we'll have firestorms and quakes just as we stand under the most unstable structure," McKay exclaims. "We should leave immediately!"
"And give up on getting the ZPM?" Sheppard grins. "Not going to happen!"
They had spent almost three hours on slowly working their way through the Ancient ruins, and had now reached the place where the Tok'ra said there had been an Ancient laboratory once, and where there should still be a fully charged ZPM.
"Impressive!" McKay says, looking into the laboratory. "It's almost undamaged. You wouldn't have thought so out here among the ruins."
"We believe it has been protected by a forcefield until recently," Sarran says.
"We need to bring this stuff back with us!" McKay insists.
"Later. Maybe," Sheppard says. "Right now we're only looking for the ZPM."
They began looking. While the Tok'ra had information the ZPM would be there, they did not know the exact location.
"We should make haste," Sarran tells them, entering from outside where he has been keeping guard. "The color of the sky is changing towards purple and gold over the mountains. It is not a good sign."
"Firestorms?" Sheppard asks.
"Possibly," Sarran says.
"I told you guys! We're like a magnet for bad luck!" McKay whines.
"Just hurry up and find the damn thing!" Sheppard orders.
It's almost 30 minutes later when they actually find the ZPM.
"According to the readings on this display, the ZPM is fully charged!" McKay says happily.
"Just grab it and let's go!" Sheppards tells him, throwing an unhappy look towards the entrance. They can hear rumbling and the air smells of electricity.
"I can't just grab it! I have to disconnect it in the right way!" McKay exclaims.
"Do that, then - as long as you do it fast," Sheppard orders.
Grumbling, McKay sets to work.
When they finally step back outside, the ZPM safely in a carry-box, the sky is a dark purple interlaced with golden streaks.
An ominous rumbling is heard from the direction of the mountains, and then a flash tears across the sky, immediately followed by another.
"It's beautiful!" Teyla says, looking at it.
"And very dangerous. We should leave. As quickly as possible," Sarran says, a worried look on his face.
They began running through the narrow passages between the ruins, trying not to trip on anything or cause anything further to fall. They had gotten perhaps half-way when the ground suddenly shifted under them.
"Quakes!" Sarran announces, unnecessarily.
"Dammit!" Sheppard exclaims. "Watch out!"
A boulder falls and narrowly misses Ronon.
They skitter on, as another quake hits, causing the ruins to shake and rocks and boulders to fall.
They are almost at the edge when a violent tremor goes through the ground, followed by a firebolt from the sky, hitting the mostly-whole building beside them. The whole top of the wall is cracked free and tumbles to the ground.
Teyla shrieks briefly as she buried under it, then becomes silent.
"Oh, hell!" Sheppard swears. "Ronon, help me dig her out! The rest of you - get back to the Stargate and get out of here. We'll follow as soon as we can!"
"There is a lot of rubble. Let me assist - then we will free Teyla sooner," Nenesh says.
Lena wavers, and finally swears something in Satedan. "I shall help too."
"Uh..." McKay says.
"Just get back to the gate and report!" Sheppard orders.
McKay nods, and somewhat reluctantly starts to leave. Another firebolt and quake convinces him, and he runs as fast as he can.
The others dig fast but carefully, and soon finds Teyla. She is unconscious, but alive. Blood is flowing from a wound to her head, and a piece of metal has pierced her right shoulder. Blood is seeping out from various other injuries.
Ronon rips the metal piece out of her shoulder, causing her to emit a small groan, but she does not wake up.
"Wait - you can't just lift her up like that! There could be internal injuries!" Sheppard warns, when Ronon picks her up in his arms.
"I know, but we cannot leave her here, and we cannot wait," Ronon says.
"He is correct," Lena says. "The storm seems to be growing worse."
Nenesh studies the sky and nods slowly. "It has not yet reached the maximum. It will not be safe to remain for much longer."
Another tremble causes more of the building to fall apart, narrowly missing anyone. A larger firebolt crashes to the ground, followed by three others, each zipping past them closely.
"Okay, you're right! We're getting out of here! Run!" Sheppard orders.