Title: The Search
Author: Lorr
Genre/Rating: Drama
Characters: Sheppard, Ronon, Weir, Teyla, minor McKay, Lorne, Caldwell
Disclaimer: The Stargate universe and character do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them.
Spoilers: I cannot think of any
Note: This takes place sometime during season three before Sunday. Reviews are always welcome. Please be honest so that I know if I am on track. I sometimes jump on flights of fancy. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it.
"It's Col. Sheppard's IDC, Rodney." Zelenka read the computer screen. He turned and nodded at the technician sitting at the Gate control console. A second later the shield dissolved.
McKay ran down the stairs as Sheppard, Ronon and two Marines emerged from the puddle. He stopped abruptly at the bottom step and tried in vain to compose himself. His team mates warily looked around the area, sensing something was wrong. McKay did not run unless he absolutely had to.
"Rodney?" Sheppard made a beeline for McKay as he shrugged off his vest and handed it and his P-90 to one of the Marines. "What happened?"
"Colonel. We need to talk." The astrophysicist turned and ran back up the stairs.
Sheppard and Ronon exchanged glances and followed him, taking the stairs two at a time. McKay turned back to them once they entered the conference room.
"You know Elizabeth and Teyla went to M5R-723." He started then stopped and half turned away.
"Spill it, Rodney." Sheppard became very concerned.
McKay turned back again. It appeared as if he would burst but was trying his utmost to maintain control. He handed two folded sheets of paper to the Colonel. "They were kidnapped this morning."
Sheppard's eyes narrowed momentarily as he took the papers. The top sheet was in a language he didn't know, but the second in was English. He began to read. "Where did this come from?"
"It was stuffed into Lt. Rollins vest. The second is the translation."
"We have tried for many years to convince the landowners and council of our determination, and have been forced to take this drastic action. We do not wish to harm anyone, but if the authorities try to follow or find us, the hostages will die. Dr. Weir and Teyla Emmagan will remain here. You must leave immediately. If even one of your people tries to stay or returns, the hostages will die. Our demands are simple. The landowners and Council know our terms. We want full amnesty and equal rights on Caldea or to be allowed to leave in peace. The decision must be posted on the Town Hall doors by one hour after dawn on rest day next. When our demands are met the hostages will be freed unharmed."
As he finished reading, a young man appeared in the doorway with Maj. Lorne behind him. The Lieutenant snapped to attention.
"Please tell me this is a bad joke." Sheppard closed his eyes and rubbed the side of his forehead with his fingertips.
"I'm sorry, Sir, it isn't a joke."
Sheppard opened his eyes again and perched on the edge of the table. "At ease, Lieutenant. Report."
Rollins took a deep breath. "It was an ambush, Sir. The dissidents knew where we would be and…"
"What dissidents?" Sheppard interrupted him, holding up the notes. He was fighting to speak with an even tone. "The reports from previous contacts didn't mention anything about any kind of rebel activity. What the hell is going on there?"
The young man glanced at Lorne, who nodded almost imperceptibly, before he continued. "Colonel, it seems there has been political unrest for some time the Caldeans didn't tell us about. Apparently, refugees from Wraith cullings on other planets have settled there for many years. I don't know for sure how many there are, but it's at least a couple of hundred. They'd lost everything on their home worlds. Some of the more affluent inhabitants of Caldea hired them, so to speak. The terms of their jobs are not good. On top of that, a majority of the inhabitants are pretty much kept impoverished by a small group of landowners."
Ronon had been leaning against the door post. He stepped forward to speak, his deep voice making the young man jump. "Sounds like slave labor to me. I've seen it before."
Rollins nodded. "You could say that, Sir. The refugees and many Caldeans are treated almost like slaves and most of the rest of them are living hand to mouth. Few own land or businesses, Sir. And, leaving Caldea is…uh…discouraged. The Gate is guarded 24/7."
"Why didn't we know this before?" Sheppard asked with barely contained anger.
"The politicians there didn't seem to consider it an issue, Sir. I doubt they would ever have mentioned it." Rollins frowned in thought. "I only found out as much as I did because one of the constables that took my team back to the Gate seemed to be a little sympathetic towards these people."
"And, they decided to do something about it today." Sheppard said flatly. He needed a moment to think. "Okay, what happened?"
----------
"Dr. Weir, Teyla Emmagan, we are honored with your visit." The elderly man smiled as he bowed his head respectfully. The two middle-aged men flanking him bowed more deeply from the waist.
Elizabeth and Teyla also bowed their heads and smiled. "Thank you, Prime Minister Dullon. It is a pleasure to meet you. We appreciate the opportunity to establish trade relations with the people of Caldea."
"Please, come with me. The Council has gathered." Dullon turned and began to climb the few stairs into the substantial stone building that housed the governing body of the planet.
"Fuller, Taylor, Samuels, hang out here." Lt. Rollins signaled his three team members to remain outside. They nodded and he followed Elizabeth and Teyla.
They passed a room that vaguely reminded Elizabeth of a lecture hall in college. A mini-stadium of three tiers of seats for about sixty people created a semicircle focusing on a large desk. The upper tier was set back a little, as if for observers. The Prime Minister told them it was their assembly room. He led them further along the hallway into a smaller room. Five men sitting around a conference table hurriedly stood up. Each bowed formally as they were introduced.
"Dr. Weir, Teyla Emmagan, this is Agricultural Minister Dessan, Cultural Minister Eloral, Education Minister Sandap, Security Minister Nathal and Industry Minister Hodda." Two attendants pulled out chairs for Elizabeth and Teyla. "Please sit down."
They all settled around the table. It was decorated with small vases of colorful flowers and a large bowl of what looked like fruit. Three trays with carafes of water and other beverages and glasses filled the gaps between the vases. Drinks were quickly offered and accepted.
Some time later, Rollins slowly regained consciousness to the firm shaking by Taylor. The young woman's voice was steady but angry.
She was relieved when his eyes focused on her. "Lt. Rollins! Sir, Dr. Weir and Teyla have been snatched."
Rollins sat up, and immediately regretted the movement. His head felt like it was being crushed in a vice. He looked around the room and saw Dullon, Nathal, Sandap and Eloral still lying on the floor with several other Caldeans attending them.
"How long have I been out?" He struggled to stand.
Taylor helped him up. "Don't know for sure, Sir. It's been about an hour and a half since you came inside. It was only a few minutes ago that one of the Caldeans came running out, yelling that two of the ministers and the visitors had been kidnapped."
"Damn it, that means we had to be out at least an hour. Last thing I remember is sitting down and drinking…" He looked at the table. "The drinks must be drugged. Any sign of them, Sergeant?"
"No, Sir, but Fuller and Samuels are taking a quick look around with a couple of the local constables." She handed him a sheet of paper. "This was tucked into your vest, Sir."
Rollins staggered to the table and sat down. He frowned at the paper. "What the hell does it say?"
----------
"As soon as they translated it, Sir, we were…escorted, to put it politely, back to the Gate." The Lieutenant fidgeted. "Colonel, Prime Minister Dullon had another note pinned to his coat. It looked a lot longer, Sir. I think it had more detailed instructions. The Security Minister, Nathal, called all his people off the search as soon as they read the note."
"And, they didn't think it was necessary to mention the danger before now?" McKay was livid. Only a stern look from Sheppard had kept him quiet while Rollins related the story.
"It was like most of them thought that there was no real danger, Dr. McKay. They've had some trouble before now, but I was told it was minor, vandalism, theft, fist-fights. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Nathal. The others didn't consider these people capable of organizing anything this big, especially a kidnapping of four people from their Town Hall. There must have been more than a few people on the inside to pull this off without causing a ruckus. The constable that talked to me on the way back to the Gate said the landowners didn't seem to be worried that a large percentage of their people are very poor and getting poorer." Rollins' voice was strained, his distress clear. "Colonel, this guy said he thought the rebels were desperate enough to carry out their threats."
"What did this Dullon say about giving into the demands?" Sheppard asked quietly.
Rollins shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Sir. I don't think most of them really believe the rebels will go through with it. Dullon and Nathal were arguing over it. They both wanted us gone, but for different reasons. At one point, Nathal pretty much said 'I told you so', but Dullon wasn't so sure the threat is real."
Sheppard exhaled heavily. "Great."
"Well, what are we going to do?" McKay demanded. He looked from Sheppard to Ronon and back again. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"I'm sorry, Sir. I take full responsibility." The Lieutenant said flatly.
"There was nothing anyone could have done under the circumstances, Lieutenant. Let it go." Sheppard gently dismissed the Lieutenant's guilt. He stared at the notes in his hand for a long time before looking over at Ronon. "We can't go charging in there with guns blazing. We'll have to keep it low key. Only concealable weapons. Twenty minutes."
Ronon nodded in acknowledgement and quickly left. Sheppard pushed away from the table and headed for the door. McKay, Lorne and Rollins hurried to keep up with him.
"Where are you going?" McKay was almost yelling. "You just said you can't go charging in there! What are you going to do?"
The Colonel stopped abruptly and spun on him. The cold anger in his voice was chilling. "It'll be just Ronon and me. I want to know what's going on."
He turned again, and ran down the stairs before anyone could protest.
----------
"Rodney! Dial it!"
Sheppard looked up at the Gate operations deck. He was standing with Ronan at the foot of the main stairs. Even though they had cleaned up and changed clothes, both were still unshaven. Sheppard was dressed in nondescript, dark colored civilian clothes with a heavy coat. In a further departure from the military, he was not carrying a P-90. Instead, he slipped a Wraith stunner into a holster slung under his left arm then pulled a small pistol from behind his back and dropped to his right knee. The weapon fit snugly into a holster on the inside of his left ankle, hidden by the loose trouser leg.
Ronon's appearance was different as well. His partially armored long coat had been replaced by a shorter, heavy cloth one. He also wore a thick, hand woven shirt. His weapon was tucked away under the coat, undetectable to even the most practiced eye.
They both carried small bags slung over their shoulders. The bags were packed with a single change of clothes similar to those they wore, completing the image of two men who had been on the road for some time.
"You can't! You heard what the Lieutenant said! If anyone goes after them, they'll be killed." McKay stood at the rail and looked down at the two men waiting at foot of the stairs. He was of two minds, but decided that he had to stop the Colonel and Ronon leaving.
"That's why we're going alone. These guys haven't seen us before. Dial it." Sheppard's voice was more than firm. He was right. They could be travelers from any planet.
Lorne approached them. He was obviously unhappy with the situation. "Sir?"
"I know. The Daedalus will be in radio range tomorrow, but she'll take more than two days to get to Caldea. She'll get there too late. Just let Col. Caldwell know what happened." Sheppard looked from Lorne up to McKay. "Dial it, Rodney."
The astrophysicist folded his arms over his chest in a show of defiance. "No."
Sheppard stared at him for several seconds. He glanced at Lt. Rollins. "Go dial it, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Sir!" The young man nodded and ran up the stairs. He stepped around McKay and quickly dialed the address on the DHD. Before he could hit the activation key, McKay turned and pushed him out of the way.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"McKay!" Sheppard yelled from the Gate Room floor. When the astrophysicist held his ground, Sheppard closed his eyes. A muscle in his jaw twitched. Everyone in the area jumped as the event horizon formed. He opened his eyes again and exhaled heavily.
After the briefest hesitation, McKay hit the shield control. He glared down at the two men in defiance. Sheppard glanced at Ronon and jerked his head toward the Gate. They began to walk toward the event horizon.
"Sir." Lorne stepped forward, not understanding where they were going with the shield up.
Sheppard stopped Ronon a few feet from the shimmering disk. He shrugged off his coat and holster together, taking care not to show the weapon, and carefully draped it over one arm. The knitted tunic he wore was snug enough to show there were no weapons hidden underneath. "Major, you have your orders."
"Colonel, you can't…" McKay pleaded as he ran down the stairs. "At least let me come with you."
"No, Rodney. Stay here." Sheppard looked at the astrophysicist.
"They won't be expecting just two men." Ronon observed impatiently.
Lorne knew it was hopeless, but tried to dissuade his CO. "Sir, you should at least wait for the Daedalus."
"No, we can't risk it. No-one follows us. That's an order." He took a deep breath and quickly glanced around the Gate room. "We'll be back as soon as we can."
The shield dissolved. Sheppard and Ronon stepped through the puddle, which disappeared almost immediately.
Lorne stared at the Gate as he asked the question to which he already knew the answer. "Who…?"
"Sheppard." McKay was looking up at the operations deck. Rollins was standing at the rail, hands out and shaking his head.
"Crap."
McKay turned to the Major. "You're not going after them, are you?"
Lorne looked at him like he had just grown a second head. "No."
"Crap."
They started towards the stairs to the ops deck, but before they left the Gate room floor a young Sergeant ran in. He almost stumbled as he stopped in front of the Major.
"Sir!" He looked around. "Col. Sheppard and Ronon haven't left yet, have they?"
Lorne frowned. "Yes, why?"
The young man gulped and held out his hands. "They left these in the armory, Sir."
The two glanced down, then at each other. The Sergeant was holding out radios and ear transceivers, IDC generators, as well as Sheppard's watch and dog tags.
"That's everything that could identify the Colonel as military." Lorne's mouth compressed into a tight line. "Or let us contact them."
"Why leave them behind?"
"They're probably worried about being searched. These would be easily identifiable."
"But, the weapons..." McKay started to ask then it dawned on him. He nodded. "…aren't standard issue. Right. Elizabeth and Teyla have radios."
He looked hopefully at the Major.
Lorne shook his head. "Whoever has them would've taken their radios, IDCs and any weapons. We'll just have to hope the Daedalus finds them in time."
McKay and Lorne looked at each other again. "Crap."
----------
The brightest stars were visible in the sky above Caldea, and twilight was fading rapidly. With each second that passed, more stars twinkled into view. The air was still and clear but cold. Sheppard and Ronon emerged from the event horizon as if nothing was amiss. Their attitude was one of tired wariness, as was typical of travelers in this time of marauding Wraith.
"Halt!" A tall, thin guard challenged the strangers. Sheppard was close enough to Ronon to nudge his arm before the latter could move to draw his weapon. The half-dozen guards in a semicircle a little further away were cautious, crossbows aimed in their direction. Two more guards shone lanterns at them. They watched closely as one of the strangers shivered and pulled on his coat. "Identify yourselves and your business on Caldea."
Sheppard wasn't sure if anyone had mentioned his name as the commanding officer. He decided to play it safe. "I'm Han, and this is Chewie. We're from a small settlement on Endor. There was a Wraith culling on our planet a few months ago and we're looking for some of our people that escaped."
"So, you're hoping they might have come here." An older guard approached, sizing them up in the faint light. This one had stripes on his sleeves where the younger guard had none.
"Yeah. Have you heard of anyone coming from there?" Sheppard allowed some of the anxiety and weariness he felt creep into his voice.
The older man looked them up and down again for several seconds. He seemed to be deciding whether they were a threat to his people or just as they claimed, travelers looking for survivors of a Wraith attack. He decided these men were not military, maybe once, but not now. They were unshaven and unkempt. Sheppard yawned and rubbed the stubble on his cheek. The spontaneous gesture seemed to sell the story.
"Never heard of it, but we get folk coming and going, so that means nothing." The guard pointed down the road. "Town's that way. You can ask around there. Best be watchful, though. There's been a few reprobates roaming about the countryside at night."
"Thanks. We'll watch out." Sheppard said as he looked in the direction indicated. "Can you recommend somewhere to get a meal and a place to sleep?"
The younger guard relaxed, reassured now that his superior had passed favorable judgment on the strangers. "Yeah, a couple. Rolth's or Dunan's are two of the better. They're just off the main street to the south past the Town Hall."
The older guard growled. "Constable Norval, who gave you leave to speak?"
Norval snapped to attention. "Sorry, Sir."
"Thanks." Ronon's deep voice rumbled as the two of them walked away. After about a hundred yards, when he was certain they were alone, he glanced at the Colonel. "Han? Chewie?"
Sheppard spoke softly. "Characters in a movie. We don't know if anyone here has heard our names."
It was almost fully dark when they walked into a good-sized town. From what they knew, about six thousand people lived in the vicinity of the Gate on Caldea. They also knew the town was big enough for around four thousand inhabitants. The remainder lived on the farms surrounding it. They were going to need to get very lucky to find the hostages in time.
----------
Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly. She was on a narrow bed, covered by two heavy blankets. She pulled them around her shoulders as she sat up and looked around the small space. The coat she wore for the negotiations was not heavy enough for the cold she now felt. The building did not seem to have any heating to keep out the cold. A narrow crack in a boarded up window high in one wall allowed little light into the room, and that quickly faded. The only other light came from a slightly less narrow crack under the door.
Her head throbbed and her mouth was dry. Elizabeth assumed they were after effects of the drug used to knock her out. She could barely see a bowl, a small jug and cup on a small table near the bed. The food in the bowl seemed harmless, but the thought of eating made her nauseous. The jug appeared to contain only water. Hopefully, it was only water. She poured some in the cup and drank it slowly.
After her head cleared a little, Elizabeth got up, went to the door and listened. There was no noise, so she tried it. It was definitely locked. The room was only about eight by eight feet. It was bare wood from top to bottom. Any paint that might have been on the walls was long gone. It could be anywhere from fifty to hundreds of years old. There was no way out other than the door.
Elizabeth walked to the door and listened for a minute. When she heard muffled noises from the other side, she pounded on it with a closed fist. "Hello! Is anyone there?"
Seconds later, a key turned in the lock and the door opened. Elizabeth backed away as she tried to make out the features of the large man and woman entering the room. The woman's face was in shadow with the light behind her. She silently replaced the food bowl with another and filled the jug from one she carried. The man stopped in the doorway for only a moment before bowing his head and disappearing. A moment later, another man, of middle-age and average size, entered and bowed deeply. He carried a lit candle which he placed on the table. The big man stood just outside the door, as if to protect the new arrival.
"Who are you? Where are my people? What do you want with us?" Elizabeth tried to sound authoritative but the lingering effects of the drug made it difficult.
"Dr. Weir." He stated simply.
She stood next to the table. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"
"Please sit down. I will explain." When she didn't move, he took a single step forward. "Dr. Weir, please."
She glanced at the bed and slowly sat on the edge.
He bowed again, but only his head. "Thank you. My name is Janen. I arranged for you to be brought here."
"Why? Where are my people?" Elizabeth fought to keep her composure. Her head still ached.
"Only you and Teyla Emmagan are our guests. The rest of your people were escorted to the Ancestral Ring and allowed to return home. They were unharmed." Janen glanced back at the door. The woman returned with two steaming cups on a tray. She offered them to Elizabeth, who hesitantly took one. Janen took the other and the woman left. He sipped some of the hot liquid. "Please drink. It is only hot tea and will help your feel better. I am sorry the drug we used has caused you discomfort."
She held it with both hands, but did not drink.
"I assure you, it is only harmless herbal tea. I will take some to prove it if that will convince you." He reached out to take the cup.
Elizabeth shook her head once and sipped. "What do you want with us?"
"First, I want to apologize for needing to involve you in our struggle." He paused, expecting her to respond. When she remained silent, he continued. "Over the years, many people have come to this planet when their own was decimated by the Wraith. The handful of survivors from my own world came here almost fifty years ago. I was quite young. We had hopes to start a new life, but the landowners here took advantage of our plight.
"Once in their employ, we were kept virtual prisoners by low pay and high prices. It did not take long for us to be in their debt. The situation has gradually worsened ever since. We are not allowed to leave and cannot work our way out of the debt."
Elizabeth had listened in silence. She held the hot cup tightly, sipping a little at a time. The tea was warming her whole body and helping to clear her head.
"Why did you kidnap us?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.
Janen thought for a moment. "We did not know what else to do. You walked through town, but you have not seen the real Caldea. Just a short distance from the main street and square the town looks very different. The population is poor. Some still own their businesses, but not many. They rely on the landowners for much of their food and the materials for their trade. Bakers, weavers, carpenters and other artisans get the raw materials of their trade from them.
"We have negotiated, or tried to, for years to be allowed to have our own land, further from the town, or to leave and find a world of our own." He paused. "I am sorry we involved you and your companion, but we had no option."
"Some of your leaders weren't enough, were they? You needed a different leverage." She said flatly.
He nodded. "Yes. We have two of the ministers in our care, but they would not be enough. We have seen your weapons and hope that fear of your people will sway the landowners and the council."
"What happens if they don't comply?"
"I pray to the Ancestors they do. A number of our people are on the verge of rebellion. Violence would bring injury and death to many on both sides." Janen's seriousness was all too evident. He took a step back. "Dr. Weir, I explained our situation to you as a courtesy. I will do the same for your friend. Please understand that we are desperate. We do not wish to harm you in any way, but I must warn you that if you try to escape or draw attention to this place, we will take steps to restrain you and keep you quiet. Please follow any orders given by the attendants."
"How do I know that you have Teyla and she is alright?" Elizabeth set the cup on the table but remained seated.
"You will need to take my word for it." He exhaled heavily.
"My people will come looking for us."
"You have been here for much of the day, Dr. Weir. None of your people have come through the Ancestral Ring. They have been warned not to try to rescue you." Janen moved toward the door. "We believe we were able to convince them."