Author's Note: This story was inspired by a friend of mine on a different fanfiction site (Atlantica), ploots (thanks to you, by the way! :D). I was asking her for inspiration when I was still trying to decide what to do, and this idea came up. It worked out that I didn't have to use this there, so it's just been sitting around on my computer; but then I remembered that I had the perfect reason to post it! :D It's not quite done yet, but I will try my hardest to write/post in a timely fashion!

Dedication: to fyd818, a birthday present ;) Hi girl! *waves* :D Been savin' this one up special for ya ;) You've been so nice to me and tolerated all of my insanity, I figured that the least I could do is give you a really awesome present :). I hope you like it! ('cuz you have no idea how hard it was for me to chose between this fic and "Kryptonite"; but don't worry, that one'll make it up eventually ;) LOL) :D *supermegatacklebearhugsX12000!*

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Prologue

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Teyla stepped through the gate and immediately set a rapid pace towards the Athosian settlement, ignoring the man who had come for her. She knew him, but he was not Halling---and Halling always came to meet her; he insisted upon acting as her protector whenever they were together; her brother---which meant that there was something very wrong indeed.

She reached the village quickly, and was met by a scene of utter chaos. Everywhere people were shouting, as if all of her people had suddenly become one giant, screaming mob. Halling---who was always able to restore order---was still nowhere to be seen, and in the midst of the crowd, she saw Ronon.

He had come the day before to teach several of her people his fighting style; but she doubted very much that that was what this was.

His hands were bound behind him, and he was covered in blood. And two of her people were dragging him through the crowds, her people beating him as he passed. Then his pain-filled eyes caught sight of her.

He ripped away from his captors and pushed through the crowd for her, stumbling to his knees at her feet. She dropped to her knees beside him and took his battered face in her hands.

"Ronon, why…?"

"I'm sorry, Teyla," he gasped desperately, his eyes looking alarmingly wide in his bruised face. "I swear, I didn't know! I didn't know that anything was wrong, I promise!" He was jerked to his feet again, and they started to take him away from her.

"STOP!"Teyla cried. "What happened here? Where is Halling?"

"This man," one of her people pointed a dramatic, angry finger at Ronon, "this traitor tired to kill him! And we are going to try him, and punish him for what he has done."

"But the punishment for such a thing is-"

"Death? Exactly."

"You cannot condemn him before you have tried him!" Teyla shouted angrily.

"But we will condemn him. You have done the same thing, Teyla. You have condemned before. And we cannot make exceptions for your friend because his looks appeal to your sense of-" Before he could finish his accusation, Teyla had backhanded him across the face and he was on the ground, nursing a quickly bruising cheek.

"You will never speak to me that way again." Teyla whispered to him, her voice low and dangerous. "If you do, the next person that I will condemn will be you." She turned away from him, and raised her voice to her people.

"You will try him fairly, and you will let him speak in his own defense. As is our custom and my right as your leader, I will judge him; and unlike I have been accused, my judgment will be fair." She paused, but everyone had grown silent, waiting for her to continue. "You will secure him, and guard him, and wait for me," she commanded; and her orders were instantly obeyed. "We will do nothing until I have seen Halling."

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Teyla entered the healer's tent, and as the cloth door closed the sounds of outside were muffled, and the quiet was a relief. But the relief was short lived when she saw the healer.

"How is she?" she asked the old woman, her soft voice high with worry. The healer shook her head.

"Not well, I'm afraid. He is very badly hurt."

"Let me see him."

"You won't like it, Teyla."

"I want to see him," she said firmly, her voice still quiet, but no less powerful.

"Very well," she pulled aside a curtain that blocked a small section of the tent from the rest. Teyla gasped.

Halling was lying on a long pallet, the skin that stood out glowing pale, ashy gray. But the vast majority of him was red and raw from dark, oozing burns. His brow was slick with sweat, and hot to the touch. Teyla turned to the healer.

"What happened?" she asked her softly.

"No one knows for sure; he has been unconscious. I am sure you will hear of it at the trial."

"Has he spoken?" she knew that unconscious men often became delirious and spoke in their sleep. But the healer shook her head.

"No, he has not been awake since they brought him to me. Your Ronon carried him all the way back." Teyla's cheeks heated at the way that she said "your Ronon", but she pushed it aside.

"Back from where?"

"I am not sure. I believe someone said that they were inspecting the weapons cache." Teyla nodded very slowly, and stood up.

"Take care of him," she said softly. "Send for me immediately when he awakens." She couldn'g bear to use the word "if". "I will send someone back to the gate to get Dr. Beckett," she continued. "He can help you." The healer bowed her head reverently.

"I would be honored by his presence," she said earnestly, her seriousness almost enough to make Teyla laugh… almost. She knew that her people adored the Scottish doctor, but she sometimes forgot how much.

Her brief, innocent thought was rudely interrupted by sounds from outside. Things sounded on the verge of out-of-hand, and it worried her.

"Do not forget," she said to the healer, bowing to her respectfully before leaving the tent.

Upon exiting the refuge of the healer's place, she was bombarded by questions concerning Halling's wellbeing and Ronon's punishment and the situation that she wasn't even aware of, yet.

"Stop!" she shouted again. "Your questions will not heal Halling. And until I am told exactly what happened, I can pass no judgment on anyone." Her words seemed at least partially effective, because the crowed quieted, and parted like a wave so that she had a direct, clear path to get by them.

She stopped a boy briefly with instructions about bringing Dr. Beckett, and he ran off to do what he was told. Once he had gone, Teyla looked around for Ronon.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

"He is at the other side of the settlement, where he awaits your judgment. We have arranged for the trial there." Teyla nodded, and walked briskly towards the place that the man who had spoken indicated, the rest of her people trailing behind her.