Title: The Problem with nice villages and their leaders.
Author: Belisse
Genre: action/adventure, Drama
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Sheppard is taken away on another planet and the team must find a way to rescue him.
Disclaimer: SGA is not mine and never will be.
A/N: Thanks a lot to Chrystalline for all your help, your counsel and patience with all my questions. LOL.
This is the companion fic for my story "The problem with nice villages." It is a companion, but you don't have to read the first one to understand this one. The only warning that I can give about it is that if you want to know what happens to Sheppard you have to read the other one. This one will tell the same story from the Team's POV, there's almost no Shep in this fic.
Enjoy!
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Chapter I: Nice, Normal day
Ronon Dex sometimes wondered why he stayed with the people from Atlantis. Yes, they were fighting against the Wraith, but sometimes the Wraith were the least of their problems.
Once he heard someone say that Colonel Sheppard's team attracted too much trouble. Ronon didn't mind it as he had always had his share of trouble all his life, not only because he was a Runner, but also when he was a child. Ronon was used to it by now. That was the reason he was always ready for it.
On this day, though, trouble had taken him by surprise. For the first time in a very long time, Ronon Dex didn't see the bad things coming from the start.
Their arrival to the planet had been uneventful. The civilization seemed to be pretty advanced, and while he was getting used to McKay's excitement about technology, nothing he saw there impressed Ronon. Atlantis was a far more superior place. Still, this city could be a really good sanctuary in time of need.
Their weapons were not as advanced as what they had in Atlantis. While he was a Runner, Ronon had seen many more advanced civilizations. The people of Sateda were way more advanced than the place they were currently in, and even Earth could probably take them without too much effort.
Security was a joke; the gate remained unguarded. Guards weren't scarce, but they weren't on strategic points, and there didn't seem to be any organization to their patrols. The exits of the city were mostly unguarded as well; they were either stupid or overconfident – or maybe both. For what he was able to see, the city was some what round going from smaller buildings to the tallest in the middle. Almost like Atlantis, but with large circular buildings instead of towers.
Even with its Ancient origin, the place didn't look any more remarkable than the Atlantis mess hall. It was almost certain that when the Ancients left they took everything with them; very little seemed to remain of Ancient origin. Most of the guards carried nothing more threatening than the long sticks they hung on their backs. Only a small group, mostly those around the city's leader, carried small, silver guns. They looked to be more of a stunning weapon than one used to attack.
The leader, Ocnus, was unimpressive. He was of medium height and a bit fat, with a ring of mouse-colored hair sticking out around a huge bald spot. He didn't look like he could out-wrestle McKay on a bad day, and yet he was smug and arrogant as if his people could easily win any battle against the Wraith.
Ronon smirked internally; that was about as true as his wish to have a Wraith for a mate. The fact that he was now able to turn on one of the Earth computers didn't mean that he understood them, and Ronon suspected that the same was happening with these people. Still, McKay insisted on learning about the shield and the possibility of a ZPM
The team had been taken around the city, and the day ended with a meeting in the main leadership building. The building was dark and almost round; bent spikes facing the entrance gave the impression of an unfinished circular building. Ronon carefully scanned the lobby entrance and the surrounding areas. All the main roads of the city lead to the main building, but there were also small trails that were darker and emptier than the main roads. Excellent if someone needs to make a quick escape and loose the attacker in the process. The lobby was large and sparsely furnished; a lot like Atlantis' gate room, with surprisingly large windows. That made it impossible to hide inside the lobby. But it had the advantage that he was able to see what was happening on the outside.
A group of civilians, most of them women, passed by talking and laughing about something one of them was carrying. The nearest one took a good look at Ronon, glancing from head to toe with an expression of disdain usually reserved for stepping in sewage. For good measure, he gave her a feral grin, and was rewarded with a startled flinch before she hurried to catch up with the others.
The table at the end of the lobby turned out to be a guard station. They'd been asked to disarm on other planets before, but somehow this felt different. Ronon's internal alarms went off when they were asked to leave their weapons at the door. There didn't seem to be anything wrong. He hadn't sensed any ill will, but still he was hesitant to give up his weapons. Sheppard's doubt was apparent when he said, "I don't think so."
Teyla moved uneasily too, leaving only McKay oblivious to whatever was triggering the fighters' caution. What was that Earth word for situations like this? Hinky? Something was definitely hinky.
The leader just gave them a reassuring smile and replied, "Colonel, I hope you understand. This is, after all, our most important building; wouldn't you do the same in your world?"
Sheppard remained silent for a minute, and then he nodded and ordered the team to leave their weapons at the lobby. Ronon was still unsure, but Sheppard glanced his way and pointed to the table. Ronon frowned, but drew his sword and pulse pistol, even if it was against his better judgment.
He had already traced a few ways he could get out of the building and to the gate, not that any of them provided decent cover if they ended up in a firefight. He always had a couple of weapons that the guards didn't know were there, but still, he felt uneasy when he handed his gun to the guard at the door. There was still no obvious reason to be worried, but Ronon couldn't help himself.
Inside, McKay and Ocnus started talking.
"Do you really come from the great city?" Ocnus asked.
"Yes, well, we used to live there; the city was destroyed by a Wraith attack. But it was not our home planet."
"I know, Colonel Sheppard told me earlier. Do you know much about the technology of the Ancestors?"
McKay laughed, his face lighting in that arrogant 'I can't believe you just asked that' way he had. "I am the foremost expert on Ancient technology; no one knows more about operating these devices, except maybe Dr. Jackson, but he actually Ascended for a while, so that hardly counts. Anyway, he's an archeologist, not a physicist." He waved his hand in the air, dismissing that line of thought. "We are always in search of things that could help us against the Wraith. And usually my expertise is needed."
Ronon couldn't help but smirk at McKay's comments and exchanged an amused glance with Sheppard. Even Teyla looked like she was trying not to laugh, but the smiles disappeared when Ocnus replied, "The Wraith don't bother us anymore. We keep them away; that is why our society has flourished and prospered. Our shield has made them scared of us. That is why they haven't returned."
The team shared a doubtful look before Teyla spoke up. "I'm sorry, Ocnus, but it is very probable that the Wraith can not touch your world because of the protection the shield gives you, not because you have scared them away."
Ocnus gave Teyla a smug smile. "I believe you are mistaken."
Teyla stared at him in disbelief, and then glanced at Sheppard. The colonel just shook his head and kept walking.
Ronon turned his attention back to the guards; most of them acted a bit lazy. They weren't sharp on their feet or paying complete attention to their surroundings. He tested them when he stopped several times to stare at stupid objects, letting the group get ahead. None of the guards eyed him suspiciously or informed him that he should stay with the others. They never would have gotten away with that on Sateda, or in Atlantis, for that matter.
Ocnus was silent now, and no one felt like giving the man another opportunity to gloat about his planet. Of course, McKay couldn't stop being himself and strayed from the group. He headed into a nearby room, where all was well until Sheppard followed the scientist.
The consoles lit first, flaring up with a low, almost metallic sound. The Ancient text set into the sides of the platform like the staircase in Atlantis' gate room came to life in a wash from one side to the other, like a river racing across the room. Power flowed upward as watery panels in the walls offered their full light, and a holographic diagram of some sort flickered into existence in the center of the room.
The Ancient text was just beginning to flash on the screens when Ronon felt the mood shift like a sudden change of weather. He could see it in Ocnus' face as the man went from relaxed to frozen with anger and surprise.
Ronon slowly went for his gun, only to remember that he didn't have it anymore. Before he could assess the situation, Sheppard stood beside Ronon. "You okay?"
"Something's off, we should leave."
Sudden movement around them prompted Ronon to survey the room briefly. The guards around them had their eyes on the team; so much for their lazy inattention. If looks could kill, Ocnus would've been dead five minutes ago. He kept his gaze fixed on Ocnus, pinning the man with a hard glare, so he saw the flicker in his expression when Sheppard asked, "Why?" The reaction was immediate; they were surrounded by guards.
It was all he could do not to snort when Sheppard used his standard 'Oh, crap, maybe we can talk our way out of this' voice. "What's going on, Ocnus? We were getting along so well."
Sheppard looked just as surprised as he was. The guards were moving in, and the team closed back to back with each other for protection. The guards pulled the long sticks from their backs and stared at the team in a menacing way. Ronon ignored them in favor of watching the leader; his closest guards weren't helping the others.
Once he heard the words, "Take him!" out of Ocnus' mouth, Ronon sprang into action. All the guards with guns left with their leader, which confirmed their stupidity and overconfidence. The guard to his left made the first move and was the first to hit the floor.
Chaos ensued.
Ronon grinned at their overconfidence; he had killed Wraith who were less arrogant, and that was saying something. Many of the guards launched themselves against Sheppard. Ronon managed to hold off a couple, but if he had the time, he would shake his head. Yes, the guards only had sticks to attack them with, but they were unarmed. He quickly disarmed a startled guard and slammed the stick onto the guard's head. Handling the stick as if it were his sword, he knocked out another pair of their antagonists. He took a quick glance at Teyla, and felt his grin return. Teyla liked sticks. With any luck, they'd be out of here in moments.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Ronon felt someone slam against him; it almost sent him to the floor, and the stick he was using as a weapon went skittering across the room. He managed to recover quickly, but the guards had the colonel. Ronon started knocking heads together, slamming his fists into a couple of the guards' faces.
It didn't seem to matter. They overpowered Sheppard and dragged him away, still struggling.
It had come to be one of those days when animal instincts were required to survive. Subtly but quickly, Ronon pulled a blade from his wristband and hid it under his hand. The fight seemed to pause for a moment and the guards eyed Ronon carefully.
The next guard to move suffered the worst. In a blink of an eye, Ronon slid the blade between his fingers, closed his fist, and slammed it into the guard's throat.
Teyla started shouting at him; Ronon didn't care. He stared at the man in his grasp, his eyes wide with surprise and blood spewing from his neck. Ronon twisted the blade free and let the man fall to the floor, quickly turning the spot into a pool of blood.
The guards kept some distance, but remained ready to fight. Ronon realized too late that the situation had suddenly changed. At first they were trying to prevent these people from taking away Colonel Sheppard, but now – their freedom was at stake.
It had been a mistake and Ronon knew it, but he felt that they deserved it nonetheless.
The guards bellowed at him to drop the blade and move. A glance around the room showed Rodney struggling to breathe past the arm of the guard manhandling him to the doorway by his neck and Teyla firmly restrained on the floor between two guards. He'd have to ask her later how that happened. If they didn't do something soon, all of them would end up with the Colonel, and it would be more difficult to get them out.
There was another blade on his belt, but before he even thought of what to do with it, Ocnus reappeared. Yep, things were worse; Ocnus' close guards had guns.
Ronon decided to drop the blood drenched blade. Rodney and Teyla were being dragged away by the soldiers; meanwhile, Ronon had a good number of guns pointing his way. His stare pierced Ocnus as the leader made his way toward Ronon.
"You will pay for what you did," Ocnus said.
Ronon's glare never wavered as he replied, "What I did? What about what you did? Why did you take Sheppard?"
Ocnus eyed Ronon carefully. "Because he's a liar, just like the rest of you."
"He didn't commit any crime, I did. Let him go, keep me."
"He will stay because he shouldn't have come here to make us believe that you wanted to be friends. All you wanted was to take what the Ancestors left to us. You… I will make sure you pay for the man that died today."
Ronon looked around and saw that Teyla and Rodney were staring at him. Without warning, he launched himself at Ocnus. Ronon grabbed the leader by the neck, took out the blade that was on his belt, and quickly pushed the tip into Ocnus' chin, making a very small but painful wound.
Using Ocnus as a shield, he pointed at Teyla and Rodney. "Let them go."
Ocnus remained silent and Ronon pressed the blade a bit further up into the man's chin. That did the trick, because Ocnus shouted, "Release them!"
Rodney and Teyla were as bewildered as the rest of the guards, but Ronon signaled them to move towards the exit. He followed, still holding Ocnus. At the door, Ronon held on tight to the blade as he growled, "Our weapons!"
Again, Ocnus didn't say a word, which only made Ronon shout at the guards that were following them. "Now!"
Ocnus nodded to his soldiers, and quickly Teyla and Rodney picked up their weapons. Ronon kept his tight grip as he continued, "Now, I want you to call your men and have Colonel Sheppard released."
"Absolutely not!"
"Your life depends on it."
"Then you better kill me now…"
Ocnus never finished, because one of the guards shot Ronon with some kind of energy weapon. The blast hit his left arm; he released Ocnus and stumbled backwards. Acting quickly, Teyla prevented him from falling, and amidst the commotion, the team fled the building.
Ronon was conscious, but his whole left side was completely numb, and it was spreading toward his legs. He had to limp his way to the gate, but thankfully they managed to go almost unnoticed through all the back alleys. And by the time the guards started closing in on them, they were already close to the gate. Ronon could hear the guards closing in, but he kept going.
With the Stargate in sight, Rodney ran ahead to dial. Teyla had to help Ronon, as the numbness had reached his legs and it was difficult to move. They were in plain view; some of the guards fired at them, but for once luck was with them.
The gate whooshed open, and Rodney helped Teyla carry Ronon through the gate, where Ronon collapsed on the floor before a rather surprised Elizabeth Weir.