SINS OF THY FATHER

Ronan finished his workout with John. It had been a particularly gruelling one, tensions had been running high on the base these past two weeks with the offworld missions temporarily suspended due to a potential pathogen scare from P5R476. Not used to being enclosed in a city environment for such a long period of time, Ronan had felt the need to expend some serious energy. Fortuntely, his commander and good friend, John Sheppard, had recognised this and set up a training session.

John Sheppard however, had not fared particularly well at the end of that gruelling hour. He sat on the floor of the workout room, a cut above his left eye, large bruise on his ribs and slightly wounded pride from suffering such a beating. Giving a mental shrug, he looked at the big Satedan. There weren't many on Atlantis that would even attempt to spar with him, so full points for lasting the full hour at least.

Holding a towel to the small gash on his head, he tapped his ear comm as it crackled to life. "John? Elizabeth here. We have just been given clearance by the medical team – the pathogens are now gone and we can resume gate travel." His resulting cheer had her laughing. "I'm guessing that you and Ronan have just finished sparring and you came off second best again?"

"Roger that Elizabeth. I've been used as a punching bag by the big man for the last week, so yeah, I'm feeling just a little battered at the moment. You have a mission for us?"

In the control room, Elizabeth flicked a glance at Rodney who had just intercepted the last communication. "Yes Colonel. This is a strange one. Remember young Arlia from T8N926?"

It was Ronan whose eye's were the first to show awareness, remembering quite clearly their previous mission there. The ruling family of one of the planet's contintents had been in active disagreement with the ruling family on another country on the other side of the same continent and the disagreement had centred around the supply of water for crops. When they had arrived on the planet to complete a simple trading mission, they had been met by an angry ruler of Arlon, one of the larger countries on the one continent that held all the inhabitants of that world. The continent was divided into two countries, each country with a ruling family and the culture was not dissimilar to the fuedal times of earth back in the medeivel days, somewhat primitive and with little technological advances.

Crops were their main industy and these were grown both for the use of the people and basic trade and the water supply to irrigate the crops was taken from a large river that bisected the two countries, making an effectual border. When the Atlantis team arrived on the planet for trade, the two countries were bitterly fighting over the rights to control the supply of water, and Sheppard and his team had sat down with both leaders to come to a suitable agreement. They had left, with both ruling families in accord and with the goods for which they had come. A successful mission in their eyes.

But it was not just the mission that Ronan remembered clearly. The daughter of the ruler from Arlon had watched him with curious eyes and had taken to following him around, asking questions and every time he had turned around, she was there and he had found himself fascinated by her long, almost jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. They had spent several days there, and one evening he had been sitting outside around one of the large fires that burned in the evening for warmth and comraderie, and she had joined him, sitting close enough so that their bodies had just brushed up against each other. Ronan had felt a piercing need shoot through him, but had quickly quelled it, knowing that she was not one of the peasant girls who could be bedded for a little fun and no consequence.

His reverie was broken when he heard John speaking into the comm, and saw that he had risen and was packing away the sparring sticks they had been using. "I'm sure you'll refresh our memories Elizabeth. Give us an hour to get cleaned up and I'll organise a team to meet you in the conference room. You can give us a run down there. Sheppard out."

Seeing the thoughtful look on Ronan's face, he paused. "What's up big fella?"

Ronan frowned now. "I remember that mission Sheppard. The girl, Arlia – damn, I don't know that I want to be seeing her again." He dropped his eyes, missing the frank curiousity that shot straight to John's. "Inappropriate thoughts Sheppard, and you don't roll around the hay with girls like that. Get's you into serious trouble!" At his brusque explanation, John gave a bark of laughter.

"Unless you make it a classy roll in the hay Ronan..." and was rewarded with a slap on the back that left him gasping for breath. "Hey! Just joking!"

"Well don't Sheppard. Men like me don't get women like her."

"Well that's crap Ronan. If there's chemistry there man, then go for it. You're a warrior, a soldier and have a damn lot more to offer than some of those little ineffectual morons that call themselves men. If you want her, stand up for yourself and take her... I mean ask her... hell, you know what I mean!"

At Ronan's forbidding glare, he chose that moment to exit quickly and take his shower. Ok, so there were some things you didn't joke about to Ronan, point taken, thought John and wondered then, if perhaps there was something he could do to help things along... just a little.

They met in the conference room with the full team and Ronan's frown increased when they heard why they were being requested back to the planet.

"There has been another serious disagreement on the planet, this time over the rights to mine one of the large underground caves that cross the border of both countries. Unfortunately this time things have escalated, and the security forces from the second country, Pengal have stormed Arlon and have taken the girl, Arlia prisoner in their main settlement and she is being heavily guarded with threat of torture if the Pengalians are not given permission to work the mine equally."

Ronan pushed himself away from the wall where he had been leaning, refusing as he often did, to sit down when he could stand. "So, we go in , get the girl and kick the crap out their miserable butts – sounds like a simple extract and destroy mission to me!"

John hid his grin, somewhat unsuccessfully and Elizabeth's reply was sharper than usual. "No Ronan, that is not what you are going to do. Yes, you will go in and extract the girl... carefully and without undue use of force..." she held up her hand to silence him when he went to interupt. "We will be there at the request of the Arlon ruling family and we will also be there to offer peace talks, which is where I come in. We will round table them until a solution is reached. We do not want to risk increasing the chances of this escalating to a full war if we go in with guns blazing and an unnecessary show of might. We have to promote a peaceful solution."

"Peaceful my ass..." Ronan muttered. "Just wait till I get my hands on any of those bastards who lay one finger on Arlia..." and this time John did not hide his smile, nor did he attempt to cover the laughter that erupted out of him, earning a sharp glance from Elizabeth.

"You boys – if you're not going to do this my way, I'll not sanction the mission – is that what you want?" Playing hard ball now with her delinquent male soldiers in front of her, she looked each of them in the eye until she got the required nod of respect. "Ok, organise yourselves and be ready to move out in an hour. And leave the heroics and the machoism behind – Ronan and John – your testosterone is not required on this trip, however some tact would be nicely appreciated!"

It was Teyla who laughed this time, earning glares from both Ronan and John, she had however spent many missions with them and knew exactly what Elizabeth was talking about. They were typical boys, if you kill it, shoot it, hit it or fly it, they were happy and she agreed with Elizabeth that in some cases, and this one in particular, a little more tact and thought was required.

Suited up in tactical vests, the usual assortment of weapons and somber faces, the team met in the gate room at the appointed time and once the final chevron had clicked into place and the event horizon of the established wormhole had settled into a shimmering blue, Sheppard, Ronan and the team stepped through along with Elizabeth.

There was no welcoming committee this time and Elizabeth thought that things must have escalated just a little further since their communication. John checked his weapon unnecessarily to give himself a couple of minutes with Ronan while the others moved on ahead. "Ok Ronan? You're not gonna do anything stupid are you and get Elizabeth all pissed at us again?"

"I'm good Sheppard. I've got it under control. Don't worry." Ronan spared John a sharp glance then turned to follow the others.

"Ok Ronan, I've got your back. Let's go find your girl." John said and promptly wished he hadn't when Ronan swung around with clenched fists declaring "she's not my girl!" John wisely chose silence to follow, and went to catch up to the others.

The head of the ruling family of Arlon, and Arlia's father was called Ryall and he was pacing angrily in front of the men responsible for the country's security when they arrived. He spied John immediately and his relief was clear as he welcomed them into the room. "Colonel Sheppard. At last. We have received another communication from Brast and I could hear Arlia's screams in the background. He has hurt her and will continue to do so if I do not give into his demands. But if I give into his demands this time, there will be another, and another and soon there will ne no more peace. I do not wish this."

"So you'll see your daughter hurt?" Ronan stood before him now, glaring down at him from his superior height. "You'll use your daughter as a pawn in your game of control?"

"Ronan, stand down." John had come up behind Ronan and said the words quietly and by the slight change in the carriage of his shoulders, John saw that Ronan was heeding his words.

Ryall did not however, cower from Ronan's questions. "I love my daughter very much Ronan, and I'll not see her hurt, but I cannot afford to show weakness in front of my people. I need guidance, and I need you to get her out – that will save face and show that you have stepped in as an intermediary."

Ronan's look of disgust was evident but he stepped back and let Sheppard take the lead. "Ronan, Teyla and I will go there now Ryall, and we will send back Brast to sit down with yourself and Elizabeth to see if you can come to an agreement that suits both parties. But priority is to get your daughter out, she doesn't need to be a casualty here. Where is she being held?"

Given the location, Ronan, Teyla and John left the settlement and headed toward the river where they would cross to get into the other country. They had radio'd Brast's people to let them know they were coming so as not to receive any nasty surprises. Primitive river crossing was available, mainly by either footbridge or boat and they chose footbridge which landed them near the settlement on the other side. John halted them well before they got there.

"My spidey senses are starting to kick in. You getting anything? Teyla?"

Teyla paused to look back at John. "I believe that you are the only one that gets these 'spidey senses' as you call them, so no, I do not."

"Ronan?"

"Getting an uneasy feeling Sheppard, so yeah, I guess you could say so. Set up do you think?"

"I'm thinking that we go in with extra caution. Something's not right here – Ryall was too quick to send us over here, and Brast was too quick to let us come... I'm thinking that we are being set up."

"You are distrustful Colonel Sheppard." Teyla had experienced John's sense of distrust before, sometimes it played out a good hunch and other times, well it was not so good.

"Yeah Teyla, trust is earned, and that hasn't been done yet, so I'm giving the order here to go in with an extra set of eyes and ears on. Copy that?"

Teyla's nod was enough to convince him that his orders would be carried out.

The moved closer to the settlement and it was a rustling in the bushes that alerted John to the fact that his spidey senses were in fact correct this time. "Incoming..." was all he managed to get out, when they were suddenly surrounded by ten burly men, wielding guns which were pointed at them in an extremely threatening manner.

"Colonel Sheppard. You will come with us. Please." The one who stood centre front spoke, and he did not appear to be in the clothing of this world, slightly more modern in nature, and the weapons they wielded were certainly not of this world.

"Seeing as you said please..." and earned himself a hard tap around the head from one of the weapons for his smart mouth. Their weapons were taken from them and they were marched at gunpoint to the centre of the settlement and into one of the main buildings that was used for disciplinary matters such as court and jail. Ronan growled threateningly at the man who prodded him in the back to get him to move into the room and received a fist in his stomach, which left him doubled over and breathless, but cursing his attacker.

They were thrown in the jail cell, a dark, damp concreted room that had water dripping down the floors and mildew creeping up the walls and from within a darkened corner of the cell that heard a small cry. "Ronan?"

Ronan straightened from his punch immediately and moved quickly to the corner, drawing the girl out of the shadows and into the light. "Arlia! Are you hurt...?" his question was abruptly cut off as he saw the large bruise on the side of her face and noticed that she was holding her arm in such a way as to imply that it had been either badly sprained or broken. "Damn it Sheppard, I'm gonna kill them. Peace talks be damned – those bastards are mine!"

He drew Arlia toward him and ran his hands over her head and down her body to make sure there were no further injuries and seeing the tears spring into her eyes he pulled her close to fold her into his arms. Dropping his head down so that he could bury his face in her hair he murmured. "You're ok now Arlia, those men won't get near you again – and your father? I'll make sure he pays for this!"

"My father?" Arlia pulled back out of Ronan's arms. "What has he to do with all of this? He has only to agree to their demands and I will be set free."

Sheppard stepped forward now, to give Arlia a grim smile. "Not so simple Arlia. We were set up here, led straight into a trap. Your father has been working with another group, men not from this planet. I think they got greedy and used you as bargaining chip, but dear old dad got even greedier. He tried to play them off against Brast's people, and guess who holds all the chips now? Our offworld friends, who incidentally are starting to look remarkably familiar." He snapped his fingers at Ronan.

"Remember that group of bounty hunters who were sitting in that bar on P9T239 and bragging about some high flier they had just caught and were bringing in for a reward.?"

John waited until recognition shone in Ronan's eyes and Teyla spoke up. "I remember John. They were drinking heavily and the more they drank, the more stories they seemed to bring out. Some of them seemed so outlandish we thought they were making them up. Do you think it is the same group?"

"That one that spoke to us once we had been ambushed? I'm sure that he was one of them – and he knew my name. They want something on this planet real bad and they've offered both Brast and Ryall something in return, but looks like the plan has backfired."

Arlia was looking a little sick at hearing all this information and she leaned into Ronan to rest her cheek against his chest. "My own father? He used me like this? Is that true Ronan?"

"I'm afraid so honey – and he used you to get us here as well. These men obviously want something we have as well – so Sheppard?" he waited until John acknowledged. "Hope you can come up with a plan soon, cause this simple extract and destroy mission just got a whole lot more complicated!"