Title: Tethered
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Ronon/Keller preship, Lorne/Keller friendship
Notes and summary: See part one

"How many we lookin' at?"Ronon asked quietly from his seat next to Lorne.
It was becoming more important to Ronon that he be the one to bring Jennifer home. She'd some how gotten into his heart before he was ready.
He hadn't had time….now he wanted time with her more than anything.

"Whatever there hull is made out of is interfering."Rodney reported with dismay. "Life signs keep fluxiating could be six, could be twenty."

The small cargo hold area was still dark by the time Sheppard brought the jumper to a halt.

"The hold is now pressurized."Rodney stated as the hatch slid closed.

"I don't like that there isn't a welcoming committee."John commented as he moved out of the pilot seat. "Let's move."

Sheppard took the lead as they climbed out of the jumper. Rodney was close behind his flashlight illuminating the way. Ronon was behind his gun raised and ready followed by Lorne and his team.

The metal door creaked loudly as Sheppard pushed it open. Once establishing the long hallway was clear Sheppard turned back to the others.

"Okay, we're going to split up."

"That always goes well."Rodney said sarcastically as he peered nervously around Sheppard into the dark corridor.

John ignored him and looked at Ronon and Lorne. "Ronon, Rodney, you're with me. Major, keep radio contact to a minimum."

"Yes, Sir."Lorne acknowledged as he motioned to his team. "Let's go."

After Lorne's team left Sheppard waited a beat before turning and going the opposite way.

"You still picking up life signs?"Sheppard asked after several minutes of walking through the darkness. "Maybe they abandoned ship."

Rodney shook his head. "Life signs are still in flux All ship readings are normal, engines, life support, atmosphere, everything's good."

"So why are we wandering around in the dark?"

"To conceal their numbers."Ronon suggested quietly.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."John muttered as they came to an intersection. "Rodney, which way?"

"Depends what you want. Crew quarters are ahead along with the bridge. Engineering is to the right……"

P90 fire interrupted Rodney causing Sheppard to whirl to face the sound.

"Sounds like Lorne found 'em."Ronon commented dryly

"Major Lorne, come in."Sheppard called as he activated his radio.

"Down….by…..engineering……ten….."Lorne reported through bursts of static.

"Damn."Sheppard swore as he took off down the smaller hallway to the right with Ronon and Rodney close at his heels.


Evan dodged a very familiar energy blast as he took cover in a shallow alcove. He heard Matthews lay in cover fire from behind and to his left. Connors was above him and to his right.

The sight of the energy blast made Evan's anger heighten. It was all the confirmation he needed that these were the same bastards that attacked them on the planet.

Between he and Matthews they'd taken out three of them. That left five.
Normally good odds, but they knew the ship better than Evan and his team did.
The darkness wasn't helping things either.

Evan fired off another round as a silhouette appeared in his line of sight illuminated by one of the energy blasts.

Instead of falling the silhouette lunged at Evan knocking him to the floor.

As Evan fell to the floor he saw that the silhouette turned out to be a human male approximately six foot with a muscular build. The man had bright blond hair and dark almost black eyes.

Evan clawed at the man's hands as they clamped around Evan's throat cutting off his air supply.

The gunfire continued around them.

An energy blast from the doorway restored Evan's air supply as Ronon hit his mark knocking the man off of Evan.

Evan glanced at his now unconscious attacker before scrambling and picking up his P90 and returning fire.

Suddenly the engine room was ablaze with bright overhead lights. Momentarily blinded the SGA teams stopped firing.

The ship's inhabitants inched forward.

Ronon quickly disarmed two. The other two dropped their weapons leaving only the leader.

A thin man with brown hair spoke as he came to stand in front of Sheppard. "If Ragar sent you to take our shipment he's slipping in his old age……or he's very hard up for help. You're the worst smugglers I've seen."

Evan tightened his grip on his weapon. Smugglers and mercenaries were almost as bad as the Wraith in his book. Lives were nothing to them only a means to more money.
The thought of Jen in their hands made Evan's blood run cold.

"Colonel."Evan called gaining Sheppard's attention as he angled his head toward the smuggler's weapons silently telling Sheppard they were the same.

Sheppard nodded tightly before advancing on the brown haired man. "We're only here because you took one of my people."

The man laughed.

Before Sheppard could react Evan flew past him slamming the smuggler into the wall pressing his P90 into the man's throat.

"Where is she?"Evan demanded pressing his gun harder.

"Major, stand down."Sheppard ordered.

The smuggler leader merely smiled.

Evan pulled back his gun and grabbed the man by the shirt color slamming him hard against the wall.

"Did you sell her?"Evan asked as he pressed the barrel of his gun against the man's head.

"We don't deal in human trade."

Ronon snarled and grabbed one of the other smugglers putting him in a choke hold.

Furious Evan slammed the barrel of his gun against the man's head.

The smuggler was still conscious just barely. The gash bleeding freely.

Ronon tightened his hold on the other man. "This woman would be valuable to you….a healer."

The man in Ronon's grasp tried to break free. "W-we have no one."

Ronon threw him into the wall, the smuggler slid down in an unconscious heap.

"You're lying!"Evan shouted as he pressed the smuggler leader harder against the wall. "You know where she is!"

"Major."Sheppard said warningly even though his own hand was balling into a fist. These people were opportunists in the worst form. They'd only have kept Jen here as long as she was worth something. "In order to tell us he needs to breathe."

Evan eased his hold. "The woman that was with me on the planet, where is she?"

Ronon powered up his gun and leveled it at the leader.

The smuggler leader laughed, then choked, spitting up blood. "We don't miss and we don't drag along baggage. We hit you, then her and we left."

Evan shook his head. "She saw something…..you took her to protect yourselves."

"We kill….we do not take."

Disgusted Ronon fired hitting the smuggler square in the chest. The man slid through Evan's grasp to the floor.

"They do not have her."Ronon stated simply as Evan whirled on him angrily.

"How can you be sure?"Evan snapped advancing on Ronon.

"I know their kind."

Sheppard stepped between the two.

"They still know where…."Evan argued but John cut him off.

"Enough!"

"Matthews, Connors round them up and secure them."Sheppard ordered."Rodney, I want those weapons taken back to Atlantis and run tests on. There's gotta be something here we're missing. Major you and I are doing a through search. Ronon, keep an eye out make sure none of their friends are lurking."

Rodney solemnly watched Lorne and Sheppard leave.
He had a sinking feeling they weren't any closer to finding Jennifer than when she first disappeared.

The smuggler leader's cold words came back to him.

'We don't miss….and we don't drag along baggage.'

Rodney picked up one of the smuggler's weapons taking a closer look.

"Interesting."Rodney mumbled as he studied the gun.
Maybe, just maybe John was right….they were missing something…..they were looking at this wrong.