Author's Note: This little one-shot has been bugging me for a long time. The dialogue is from my memories of "Trinity" (which I haven't seen in a while), so any mistakes are mine and I definitely do not own the dialogue. This is just something that I noticed that irritated me a bit; Teyla DOES have all that technology at her disposal, but she can't tell anyone about it or trade it. And knowing that when she could be trading for so much better must be tough on her.

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A Lesson in Trading

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Teyla did not enjoy trading with the Balkan trade-master, Hendon. He was a hard, unfriendly man, interested only in self-preservation and pretty woman; the latter tendency resulting in several uncomfortable offers that she had had to turn down more than once. Because of that he was especially hard on her whenever they traded. Even now, with Ronon by her side and acting restless--- definitely thinking more like a protector than a trader--- he was still trying to take advantage of her. It wasn't working; Teyla was better than that, and she was merely trying to tip the scale slightly more in her people's favor, as any leader did. She had expected and planned for Hendon to try to barter her down. The only problem was that he was seeming to grow suspicious and start to catch on. But still she played her part, pretending that he was succeeding in taking advantage of her.

"...The price that you are demanding is outrageous," she said, with just the right amount of irritation. "You would turn my people into nothing more than indentured slaves to serve your farms."

"Well it would seem that you have nothing of value to trade but your people," he said bitterly; no doubt recalling his numerous rejected advances. Irritated, Teyla deliberately turned her gaze towards another traders, standing in the back of the room.

"Matthis," she addressed him, "You know full well that my offer is fair."

"I'm sorry, Teyla," he said helplessly, coming forward. "Perhaps if you had something of more value to trade; technology, weapons..." Teyla sighed; this was the hardest part. She lived in the city of the ancestors, where all the technology and weapons that someone could ever wish for was at her fingertips... and she could use none of it. She had the means to help her people, but she was unable to use it in the way that they currently needed it most.

She turned back to Hendon.

"You've heard my terms," she spoke coldly and with finality. Hendon shrugged and started to rise; a sign of disrespect to her.

"Then our business is done." Before Teyla could even blink, there was a loud bang, and Ronon was on his feet, one of his knives quivering in the table before him.

"She said her offer 's fair," he ground out. Hendon didn't seem nearly as scared as he should have.

"Well, I say it isn't." Ronon leaned forward.

"Well, I say it is." Hendon's gaze traveled from the murderous Satedan to to Teyla's face, which she had schooled into an unreadable expression; anything so that he couldn't guess at her anger. She knew what the outcome would be now--- and she could not contradict Ronon's actions without completely losing her standing. Hendon would fold this time because of Ronon, but she would pay for it, heavily. She suppressed a moan of frustration. What had Ronon done?

Fin.

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A/N: Hope you like it :).