CHAPTER TEN

They were dead. My team was gone.

I sagged to my knees beside the force field, grief overwhelming me. Carson gasped behind me as he finally spotted them, lying lifelessly on the ground.

"No dear god, no."

The marines had the decency to back away, giving the two of us some room. Carson was leaning over me…talking to me..probably asking me if I was ok…but I couldn't hear him. I couldn't think. I couldn't breath. I could only stare at my friends and wish it had been me.

After all that had happened…the trial…the escape from the Wraith…I couldn't believe that it had ended this way after all. I had no idea how it could have happened this way. Malorn and his followers were dead. Killed by the invading Wraith. I had witnessed their demise with my own eyes. So why were my friends trapped in that damned force field and how had they died?

"They came back, Colonel Sheppard." a soft voice said from behind me. A voice I had thought never to hear again. I jumped to my feet and spun towards the sound, raising my weapon. The marines were instantly alert behind me.

"Malorn." I growled out, ready to shoot him. "You're dead."

He shook his head. "Not dead, Colonel. That was part of the Trial."

The Trial again. Another hallucination. No Wraith. No dead priests.

Just dead friends.

"You bastard!" I shouted at him, barely controlling the rage that was welling up inside of me. "There was no reason to kill them!"

"But there was." Malorn said, walking over to stand in front of me. "They were trying to steal our artifact and they were trespassing upon sacred ground, as you well know. We had no choice."

"We thought you were dead!"

"Death does not give you the right to trespass upon our lands and steal from us. We deserved respect."

His words reached past the haze of anger and I lowered my weapon slightly.

"And they didn't deserve to be murdered over a stupid ZPM." I said softly. "A damn stupid power source."

It wasn't right. My team had given their lives for a power source.

Malorn was studying me intently. "You are upset by this."

I looked away from my friends and stared at him. What kind of asinine comment was that?

"Damn right I'm upset!" The anger was back. "They were my friends. My best friends and I considered them family." I looked back at Carson. "We all did. They will be missed more than you can ever imagine." Unable to stop it, a single tear rolled down my cheek, but I made no move to wipe it away. Raising my weapon, I trained it on Malorn and began backing up, towards the force field.

"You will deactivate the field and we will collect our friends." I informed him. "Then we will leave. No more of our people will ever step foot on your planet again." And I meant it. I would never send another member of the expedition to their deaths at the hands of these crazy priests.

Malorn nodded and raised his arms up over his head.

"And the Trial is over."

What the hell?

Instantly the marines surrounding me vanished and I whirled around, searching for them. Carson disappeared next. I swung back to Malorn.

"What did you do to them?"

He approached me slowly. "Your comrades were never here." He gestured towards the force field…which was now empty. "Your friends were never here."

I repeat, what the hell?

"You have five seconds to explain before I start shooting!" I told him, raising the P90.

Malorn only waved his hand and the P90 dissolved in my hand.

"What is your game?" I asked him quietly.

"This was the last part of your Trial, Colonel Sheppard." Malorn began. "To find out what kind of leader you were. Your compassion for your people has touched us and confirmed that you are indeed a worthy leader. And worthy of living."

"They're not dead?" I couldn't dare to hope.

"Your friends are alive and well." Malorn told me and I sagged back to the ground in relief. "They have not yet returned to collect you."

That surprised me. "But more than a day has passed." I said, almost to myself.

"In your mind, Colonel, more than a day has passed. But in the Trial, time moves more slowly. In truth, less than 12 of your hours has passed since the Trial began." He pointed to the sky, which was already beginning to brighten with the beginnings of a new day.

"You are a most interesting people." Malorn continued. "Filled with curiosity and driven by the need to explore."

I watched the sun come up, not sure of what to do. I was still in a state of stunned disbelief that my team was alive and well.

"And you show vast amounts of compassion towards each other."

"You could learn a thing or two about compassion." I told him and he smiled.

"We are a suspicious group of people." Malorn admitted. "But it has served our people well. Many another have ignored the deaths of their comrades and tried to steal our artifact, even after completing the Trial. And they have died."

I glanced behind me as I heard the unmistakable sound of someone coming.

"Ah, your colleagues have arrived to collect you."

I nodded and winced at the pull in my abused back. Which reminded me…

"If you are capable of concocting such realistic visions," I asked the priest, "then why did you feel it necessary to actually beat me with a whip?" My back was burning again, protesting any movement.

"We find that physical pain weeds out those who are not worthy to continue the rest of the Trial." was all he said as explanation.

There was nothing I could say to that. I looked back over my shoulder as Rodney, Teyla and Ronon entered the clearing, weapons raised.

"Sheppard!" McKay shouted, spotting me. "Are you ok?"

Malorn backed away slowly as my friends surrounded me. Ronon glared at the priest, pointing his weapon at the other man's chest.

"Let me shoot him, Sheppard!" he growled, looking very close to doing so without my approval. I quickly grabbed hold of his arm, groaning at the resulting pain in my back.

"No." I told him, looking at each of them in turn. "The Trial is over. We're leaving."

I looked back at Malorn. "I made a promise and I stand by it." I told him. "We will not return to your planet again."

The priest nodded.

I turned my back on him and headed down the path, away from the clearing. "Lets the hell out of here."

My team followed me, Ronon still looking like he wanted to shoot the priest. Teyla walked up beside me, her face full of concern.

"Are you okay, John?" She looked at my back, at the welts and lacerations that were still oozing trickles of blood. I could feel it running down my back, tickling me. "We should take care of those or they will become infected."

I shook my head no. "We're leaving this planet now." I said sternly, leaving no room for argument. "Carson can fix me when we get home."

"Seriously?" McKay asked. "You look like hell…are you sure you're ok?"

I could only smile. I was so relieved that he…that they all…were alive. Even McKay couldn't annoy me. Much.

"I'll be fine." I assured him.

"Too bad about the ZPM." he continued. "If only we could take one more look…"

"Rodney!" Teyla admonished. "After all that Colonel Sheppard has been through, how could you even think about going back there!"

McKay shrugged. "I'm just saying…and he said he was ok."

Ronon growled and hulled the scientist away, saying something too quietly for me to hear.

"Okay okay!" McKay was saying in response. "I'm sure his back hurts like hell…I do have eyes!"

I rolled my eyes and kept walking, heading for the gate. One thought crossed my mind as we walked towards the gate, away from Malorn and away from the clearing where my greatest Trial had taken place.

"Guys?" They all looked at me. "Did any of you happen to bring some Tylenol with you?"

THE END

Hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading and thank you again for all the positive reviews.

~SyfyDiva