Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings of Stargate Atlantis except for Korianka, Orthéus, Aram, and the Makkedahns.
A/N: This is my first Stargate Atlantis story, so please be honest but kind with the reviews.
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A rush of uncomfortably warm air hit Rodney McKay as he stepped out of the event horizon. He made a face of disgust as the humid air entered his nose. "A bit muggy," he commented.
"Yeah, just a little," Sheppard replied sarcastically. "So, Teyla," he turned to the copper-haired woman standing next to him. "Anything especially important that we need to know about these people?"
Teyla shifted her gun to a more comfortable position on her hip. "They are called the Makkedahns, and their leader is Chieftain Aramianonisoro—"
"Come again?" Sheppard cocked an eyebrow. Ronon stood a few feet from them with his arms folded over his chest.
"If you would have let me finish," Teyla replied with a smirk. "I was going to say that he is called Lord Aram."
"Right, sorry."
"It is quite all right." Teyla began her trek through the tall grass field around the Stargate. There was a narrow path through the grass, presumably cut for trade purposes; there was a tree line a few dozen yards away. "We have traded some with these people. They put a lot of emphasis on independence and skill in battle, even for their women, but their crops are usually of good quality. We have also traded for their weapons—some of the best-made hunting and fighting tools that I know of."
Soon, the group arrived at the distant tree line of luscious green trees. Teyla looked back over her shoulder. "We are almost there."
"Almost where?" McKay asked, a little exasperated.
"The capitol city, Rodney—Athalia." Teyla replied with a slight smile.
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"Teyla Emmagan!" A man in his late fifties approached Teyla with a wide grin on his lean face. His hair was dark brown, highlighted by several silver hairs around his temples. He sported a strong goatee and mustache—also highlighted with silver hair. Even though he was well on in years, his muscular build was quite evident and enhanced by the khaki-colored fabric of his billowing robe. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure is mine, Lord Aram," Teyla replied sweetly. She extended her hand, which Lord Aram heartily embraced. He turned to see the three men behind her.
"And who might your friends be?" he asked playfully.
Teyla gestured to each man as she introduced them. "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay, and Ronon Dex."
"What long names!" Aram declared. He waved it off. "No matter, long names are very common amongst the Makkedahns." He spread his arms wide as a welcoming gesture. "Come, I will give you the grand tour of my humble abode. This—as you may have guessed—is the main hall." He gestured widely around himself.
The main hall was not large, yet not small—comfortable would be the right word to describe it. The architecture was simple, yet elegant, and an odd combination of antiques and modern technology.
"The Makkedahns are not as advanced as you are," Teyla explained to Sheppard. "But they do incorporate their simple technology into their lives. Notice the automatic doors and the working clocks." She pointed to each one in turn.
"Indeed, Teyla," Aram interjected. "We choose to live somewhat simply, in order to keep the traditional beauty of our surroundings. Now, this way if you please." He led them through a set of double doors that looked to be wooden, but opened automatically and made a soft whoosh as they closed behind them. "This is the main courtyard…"
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Rodney sighed with boredom and kicked at a random pebble in the dirt as he grudgingly followed Lord Aram into the courtyard. Two people were sparring nearby—a man and a young lady. The man caught her by the arm and flipped her over his shoulder with ease. She landed on her back in the dirt with a heavy thud. Rodney winced.
The woman got up with a grunt and swept her chestnut hair from her sweaty forehead, smearing dirt all over her face. She must be getting ready for something important to be training this hard. She nodded her head, and the pair went at it again. This time, the woman was ready for his attacks. She countered them and even managed to land a few blows of her own. She threw a right hook, but Lord Aram suddenly stepped between the two and blocked it with ease. The woman glared at him for a moment, and then backed down. Rodney sensed a bit of tension between them.
"Teyla, you remember my daughter Korianka?" Aram asked.
Teyla smiled and embraced the woman. "You have grown much since we last met, Korianka."
"And you have grown no less beautiful, Teyla," Korianka replied with a grin. "Please excuse my filth," she said and released herself from the hug. She dusted some dirt from the front of her brown tunic.
Rodney mused at Korianka's strange appearance. All the other princesses he had previously met did not wear plain clothes, and they certainly did not like to get dirty. This one seemed like she enjoyed getting her dirt under her fingernails (which, by the way, were jagged and bitten down; she must be a compulsive nail-biter) and grime on her face. The sleeves of her cream tunic were rolled up to her elbows, and her wrists were protected by a pair of leather gauntlets. Her leggings were dark brown and tucked into a pair of brown boots covering her calves. All of these, by the way, were covered with sweat stains and dirt. Even her brown hair frizzed slightly from the sweat seeping from the scalp.
"C'mon, McKay!" Sheppard exclaimed, pulling Rodney out of his musings. "I just burned you and you weren't even paying attention!"
Ronon leaned closer to Sheppard and whispered, "He was too busy 'analyzing' the princess." Sheppard barely suppressed a snicker. Teyla's face dropped all expression, but her eyes were full of amusement.
"What? Is this 'Burn McKay Day' or something? Jeez!" Rodney scowled and folded his arms across his chest.
Aram took this opportunity to interject, "Well, I will leave you to your training, Dear. You have a big day tomorrow." Satisfied with himself, Aram straightened his robes, clasped his hands behind his back, and began to walk away with the team in tow.
Why was tomorrow so important? Rodney did not even care at the moment. He trudged along behind the group, bored out of his mind, listening to Aram as he animatedly told them about Makkedah's colorful history. This was going to be a long day.
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A/N: Wow, that was a long first chapter. Hopefully, I will actually finish this story; I have every intention of doing so, but I do apologize in advance if I don't update regularly. My schedule is somewhat erratic.
A/N (3/27/07): After a brief consultation with Madam BiteMeTechie, I have decided to go back through this story and give it some major revisions, mostly to lessen Korianka's Sue-ish-ness. Expect almost every chapter to have changes, and please feel free to provide honest but kind feedback. Thanks.