A/N: Sorry it took me so long but I had exams and was really busy.
Enjoy
DISCLAIMER: look chapter one
CHAPTER ELEVEN: XIZOR
"Maybe it's better you do this!" Sheppard cleared his throat and handed Ronon a pair of handcuffs while his eyes flicked round to Kaylena who was standing at the stairs. Her face didn't betray any of her emotions, except for her eyes which seemed to burn with be liquid fire. She was definitely not in the mood for Sheppard's easy going attitude towards their mission.
Of course she knew better than anyone else that it wouldn't be funny for her to be part of this mission.
He knew exactly that she didn't like the dress Teyla had put her in. That she didn't like the way Ally had curled her hair and she defiantly didn't like the fact that she wasn't allowed to bear any weapons.
But she knew that this was the only way to get hands on the ZPM, which they needed so badly for their new ships, so she would handle her anger about the circumstances.
Ronon stepped towards her while Sheppard walked over to Teyla and Cadman who were dressed the same way like Kaylena and didn't look happy either.
For a moment they both looked at each other without saying a single word. In the end he was the one who spoke first.
"Do you trust me?"
For a moment the fury in her eyes turned into something else and she nodded without hesitation. Warm relief washed through his body but he pushed that aside and returned the nod while he showed her the handcuffs.
Her eyes never left his as she thrust out her hands. With an audible click the handcuffs closed and for a moment he saw her standing chained up at the stone wall again, bleeding all over her body, with a mix of pain, fury and hope in her eyes. He wouldn't allow happening something like that ever again.
"I will...!" Protect you. He wanted to say but she interrupted him with a slight smile.
"I know!" And with that they both returned to the others who looked ready to leave.
"Everything clear?" Sheppard asked, while he fumbled with an uncomfortable expression with the neckline of the dark green tunica, Teyla handed him. Compared with the casual grey trousers and the brown leather boots he usually wore, he looked rather unfamiliar. But his outfit would back up his chandler story whereas his military clothes would only raise suspicions.
As everybody nodded he went on. "Lorne and Campell will wait in the cloaked jumper as backup. If everything goes according to plan t they won't be needed. So let's go!"
The Colonel gave Dr. Weir a small nod who gave the signal to dial the gate and he gripped his gun which brought him an odd look from Sheppard.
"Better safe than sorry." He growled but he wasn't sure if that would be enough to prevent trouble.
They decided that it would be the best if Sheppard played the chandler who was willing to sell pretty women on the high bazaar while he would play the guard, which worked well for him. Ronon wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger this time but he feared that Sheppard underestimated the people on Xizor. He and Kaylena had tried to explain him but he wasn't sure if John understood the whole thing. But Ronon was clear about the fact that he would understand the moment he set foot on this planet.
Xizor was a planet with easy rules: Want, take, have. The more possessions a man could label his own, the more power he had and that was the only thing that mattered.
He had stranded there once by accident during his runner time but had left quickly. He hadn't been in the position to do something and he knew himself good enough to know that he had done something stupid if he had remained.
He didn't like men who used to beat their woman and sure as hell he didn't like what he had seen on this planet.
If anyone dared to touch one of the three women he would kill him by instant and he gave a damn about whatever Sheppard told him.
Luckily for them, Lorne and Campell found out that the law was on their sides. The women were their possessions until the moment they were sold and till then they had the right to protect them. In every possible way.
He let out a deep snarl and followed the others through the gate close to Kaylena who was starring grimly at his gun. Suddenly he couldn't stop himself from grinning as he let his eyes roam over her.
"How many?" He asked her in a low voice so that the others couldn't hear him.
"How many do you count?" She asked, apparently not surprised that he found out about her hidden weapons.
"Only one!" He answered truthfully but he was sure that there were more.
"Good!" She stretched the word and a small grin covered her moth.
Now he was sure that they wouldn't pass through that without troubles. His grin widened. At least it would not be boring.
"Keep your temper!" Laura whispered while the woman, who received them at the bath temple's anteroom lead them in the main temple.
"Laura is right, Kaylena." She heard Teyla's voice on her other side while her fingers gripped her arm lightly.
Kaylena took a deep breath and freed her arm from Teyla's fingers. Swallowing her fury she pressed her lips together and nodded. The women were right but that didn't raise her mood. Not a bit.
"Listen to your friends!"
Her head snapped up and she fixed her gaze on the woman who had introduced herself as Seraphina. Golden skin, black hair and dark eyes combined with a perfect body in nearly non existing clothes- the perfect slave. Only her voice didn't fit in the picture. Something was wrong with it but she couldn't fathom what it was.
"They will pay a good prize for you!" Seraphina told her and she felt Teylas hand on her arm again. Apparently the Athosean didn't trust her temper and maybe she was right.
"The men like spirited woman like you." The dark haired slave smiled sweetly at her and suddenly she recognised what was wrong with her voice. She didn't sound fearful, shy or broken -only sneaky.
"They like beautiful hot blooded woman like you, with a wild and unruly temper." The quiet sweet voice now forced Laura to grip her other hand.
Kaylena noticed the satisfied look in Seraphina's eyes as she recognised Laura's and Teyla's hands on her. But she also noticed the short confusion in the dark eyes as she didn't move. But from one moment to the other a cruel little smile played around Seraphina's lips.
"You know they like it to break them!"
The hands on her arms were like vices and she had the impression both women held their breath but before one of them could say anything she burst out into laughter.
It was no artificial laugh it was real. After all she had gone through, this stupid little woman tried to scare her with this thought. Seraphina hadn't even a clue what she was talking about.
By now they were standing in the middle of the bath temple and her laughter caught the attention of every woman in there.
"Kaylena!" Teyla whispered unsure.
But she didn't listen to her Athrosean friend she rather enjoyed the confusion in Seraphina's eyes that suddenly show light sparkles of fright as she leant forward. Near enough to be nearly nose to nose with that woman, without paying any attention to the fact that she was still hold back.
"Really?" She asked amused before her eyes showed this brat what she really felt. "Nobody breaks me!" She told her with ice cold voice while her eyes where sparkling with fire of fury.
Then she leant back, banishing the fury deep to her inside. She hadn't forgotten about the mission. She wouldn't allow her temper to destroy and ruin everything.
Of course she had been clear about the fact that the men on this planet would try to touch her and the moment Ronon and Sheppard weren't longer there to guard them one of men who should lead them to the temple couldn't hold his hands any longer. Like Pervert he had touched her and the other women and like at that time she had felt a rush of nausea. Just like herself, Teyla and Laura would have killed him instantly if it wouldn't have endangered their mission.
But unlike her they could control their temper a lot better. Not that she would have hit him or did any thing else. She played the well-behaved little slave she had to be, with her eyes fixed on the ground but after a while she started to shake.
She wasn't afraid like this stupid little man thought at first. No. She was shaking because of her effort to control her fury. And the moment this filthy little scum put a finger under her chin to eye up her face he saw it in her eyes. But her fury only seemed to raise his interest.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself.
The grip on her arms loosened and she send a look to both sides. Laura looked eased while Teyla send her a slight little smile which she returned with a nearly invisible nod. But the Athosean noticed it and she could see that she relaxed a little.
She didn't grant Seraphina another look. Instead her eyes examined the bath temple.
Nothing had changed since the last time she had been here. The huge cupola room was built entirely of marble, which was so white that it seemed to shine on some places. But maybe that illusion was caused by the golden elements embedded in the walls, pillars and the ground. They bore complex musters and were pretty to look at.
A huge in grounded pool dominated the middle of the vast room. Four, mosaic-decorated steps guided the way into the crystal clear water which was illuminated from the ground. The pool had been designed to create an atmosphere of recreation with lots of artificial waterfalls, spring sources and little platforms in different heights to sit or lie on.
And on the right side she found the reason for their coming. There was a grotto, only accessible through the water. She had never been in there but from what she could see from her position it couldn't be small. The outside wall was overgrown with some exotic looking plant which hadn't been there the on her last "visit" but that had been a rather long time ago.
The long tendrils of the plant twined around the grot and showed beautiful purple and white petals beneath sharp looking thorns. Her eyes fixed on a special point on the roof and she nearly sighed with relief when she noticed the light red gleam from the ZPM, largely overgrown, but still in the same spot she remembered.
It was the source of energy for all the lights, the water temperature and many other things which needed energy in here. But she was pretty sure that nobody knew exactly how valuable their energy source was.
"Undress and go in. Some of the girls will help you to wash yourself!" Seraphina's voice stopped her eyes from roaming over the room. Kaylena glanced at her and noticed that she was still unsure about her but something told her that she had to be careful around her.
Kaylena exchanged a quick glance with Teyla and Laura, who both had been checking the room, and it seemed to her that the others, too, fought the urge roll their eyes.
"Hurry! The auction is tonight and we've got a lot to do till then!" Seraphina hissed and let her eyes roam over their bodies and it wasn't hard to notice that the last part was addressed to Kaylena.
With a shrug of her shoulders she opened the laces of her skirt and pulled it over her head. She had no problem with nudity and from the sounds beside her, Teyla was the same. Only Laura seemed to hesitate a moment but finally she copied their actions and a minute later they all stepped down the stairs and descended into the warm scented water.
Ronon's hand was never far from his gun and his gaze never rested long on one place. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous around a place.
After he and Sheppard had turned the women over to the men who were responsible for this part of the selling they had decided to have a look around.
Although he had known about this part of their plan he wasn't happy with it. In truth he would like nothing more than to turn around and shoot his way to this temple. The mere thought that one of the men would try to touch them, while they were unarmed and in chains, made him angry. But the fact that he wasn't allowed to be there and rip every possible attacker into tiny little pieces, drove him insane.
"Keep your temper, buddy!" Sheppard hissed quietly and shot a quick glance in every direction. "She's a big girl and can look after herself! They all can!" He added after a short pause.
Ronon knew that Sheppard only tried to appease him and that he was probably right. But he couldn't help himself. He was worried and he was furious and one look in John's eyes told him that the Colonel was much in the same mood.
None of them liked the way the women were treated on this planet and it was against his conscience to look away and do nothing. Behind every corner he was forced to witness a situation which made his blood boil to a dangerous level and his guts twisted at the thought that something might happen to Teyla or Laura. But the thought of Kaylena and all the possible things that could happen to her drove the animal in him wild with rage.
He could feel it near to the surface. Watching hopefully that someone would free it from its cage. And Ronon knew pretty well that it didn't need much for that, when it was about Kaylena.
And that was what surprised and frightened him likewise.
From all the things which fascinated him about her, this was what amazed him the most. He had never met a woman who had this amount of power over that part of himself.
His primal part. Deep, superior and dangerous. Not to her but for everyone who had the intention to harm her.
Since he had met her, his inner animal which he caged so carefully most of the time, since he was in Atlantis, was back again with all its power.
Like in the past it sharpened his instincts, raised his strength and reactions but unlike in his runner times it was able rest in peace.
He never knew it was possible that this part of himself could be tamed and sleep quietly and pleased instead of just be encaged.
But as long as Kaylena was around and she was okay, it seemed to him, the animal was almost purring in satisfaction.
There was something about that woman that he couldn't fathom. Something deep inside her. But his primal part had sensed it and it was obvious that it was very pleased with what it had found.
Found. Liked. Claimed. And there was no way that it would ever let go of her again.
Ronon knew deep inside him that he would do everything that was necessary to take care of her and if he was honest he had known that since the first moment he looked into her eyes.
And he was afraid of loosing control.
He took a deep breath. That was definitely not the right time for these kind of thoughts. So he pushed them aside. Later would be enough time to think about emotional stuff like that.
If there was a later.
"How many guards?" Sheppard asked.
"Ten at the gate. Thirty at the temple and twenty one near the bazaar." He told him without hesitation.
"I counted as many!" John nodded and didn't look very happy.
"There will be more!" He added and even Sheppard didn't look surprised by this it darkened his expression.
"That's not good."
"What did you expect?" Ronon growled deeply and he felt his earlier thoughts confirmed- that Sheppard tended to underestimated these people.
Sheppard mumbled something inaudible and forced him to another growl.
"It will work!" John hissed stubbornly apparently not willing to admit that the plan could fail. A very thin and fragile plan.
Shortly before the women would be sold on the bazaar they would blow up the demolition charge and hope that they would cause enough trouble to give the women time to steal the ZPM. After that they had to find a way out of the temple and then all they had to do was reach the cloaked jumper.
All in all. Impossible.
Again he pushed that thought to the side. Thinking about the plan was nothing that would raise his mood. And even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do but follow the plan.
Thirty minutes later the plan and all the other thoughts were forgotten when the darts appeared in the sky. The crowd started to scream, people jumped apart and ran, in the ambition to save their life before the beamer could catch them.
"Crap!" Sheppard hissed and obviously couldn't believe his eyes and ears. "She is really a magnet for trouble." John moaned and added mumbling. "You two really fit!"
"Wraith!" Ronon snarled and pulled out his gun.
"I look like Princess Leia!" Kaylena snarled, some time later, after she had looked in the mirror for a few minutes.
"Yeah, welcome to the club!" Laura didn't sound very happy but then a frown appeared on her forehead. "How the hell do you know who Princess Leia is?"
"Evan and Ryan watched the movie with me! They said it's duty to watch it."
"Introduced you to the good stuff, hmm?" Cadman asked.
"Yes, they always try to make me familiar with all this earth stuff."
"Yeah!" Laura suddenly started to chuckle. "They are both very protective of you! You nearly get the impression they were your older brothers!" She whispered while making sure nobody could hear them.
Teyla started chuckling as well as she rolled her eyes and muttered that she could look after herself.
"Don't worry. John and Ronon and even Rodney are acting much the same when it comes to Teyla. Seems to be the side effect of being the only female in a team." Laura grinned and Teyla agreed with her.
"So what did they do?" She asked but wasn't sure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
"The same as every well-behaved older brother would do!" Laura snorted. "They told the guys to watch their tongues and keep their hands from you, otherwise they would regret it!"
The expression on her face apparently forces Laura to bite her lower lip in an effort not to laugh out loud. Instead she chuckled slightly.
"I'm sure most of the guys wouldn't dare to risk anything, anyway. They were too much afraid of Ronon!" Laura told her and she didn't miss the watchful glance from Teyla.
"Apart from Mitchell, I mean!" Laura's forehead creased into a frown and a curious expression rose up on her face. "What have you done to him? I mean- he is really into you! I have never thought I would see him like this."
"What do you mean?" Kaylena asked confused.
"He had a crush on you!" Cadman's blunt manner forced the frown to deepen.
"He never made any suggestions that he wanted to court me and as far as Evan and Ryan told me, earth people ask for what you call a date. And he never attempted something like that." She asked herself what she had missed this time.
"What? You are kidding me." Laura snapped astonished. "Mr. Womaniser is too shy around you, to ask for a date?" She chuckled hard but went silent after a quick glance around. "Well, after all he deserved not much better!" She snorted.
Kaylena exchanged a quick look with Teyla and the Athosean seemed to sense her problem. Slowly she began to wonder if the customs on her planet had been so unusual. Except her everyone seemed to be fully clear about all this strange actions.
"What Laura means is that Lieutenant Mitchell had been together with a great amount of women." Teyla tried to explain her.
"You mean he had a lot of dates!" She did her best to follow her and combine the things Evan and Ryan taught her.
"No a more intimidate way!" Teyla tried again.
"Sex!" Laura added blunt and she couldn't avoid her eyes from getting wide.
"Oh!" She hesitate a moment. "Is that one of these typical earth things, too?"
Laura surprised her with a humourless laugh. "Well for some men it seems to be a natural habit. Something to be proud of! You know: date them, bed them, and leave them."
She shook her head and looked at Teyla who seemed to have the same troubles with that attitude.
"Well..." She started unsure. "I'm not interested in something like that!"
"Which woman is?" Laura asked bitterly and for a moment she asked herself if she had had a bad experience like that, but then she grinned.
"Lucky for us not all men are like that! I'm pretty sure Ronon isn't!" She winked at her impishly and gave Teyla obviously a hard time not to grin.
Kaylena opened her mouth to explain that she wasn't with Ronon, but before a single word could escape her lips, a vocal explosion kept her attention and finally reminded her were they were.
But even though they had planned an explosion, this one was far too early and- what was worse- too heavy. Something was going very wrong and an odd feeling in her guts told her that she wouldn't like to find out.
"What the hell..." Laura started but was interrupted by another explosion. This one was so powerful that the whole temple started to jiggle and they had troubles to maintain their balance. The ground was shaking and the air was instantly filled with the ear-piercing screams and shrieks from the other women.
Some had fallen to the ground and were now hectically trying to get to their feet again. The ones in the pool nearly slipped on the stairs in their hasty effort to leave the water while the others seemed to have difficulties to decide if they should run or stay stiff because of the shock.
But a series of distant explosions and screams from the men outside forced them to react. Within seconds the panic raised to a new level and everyone did its best to reach the exit.
Everyone apart from Laura, Teyla and herself. They were still standing in front of the giant mirror which now was covered with a lot of flaws.
A bad sign if she believed in the sayings from her home planet.
"Impossible!" Cadman mumbled in disbelief.
"You can always count on my luck!" Kaylena hissed while Teyla spoke out what everybody was thinking.
"Wraith!"
"Crap!" Cadman snapped and she wouldn't dare to disagree with her.
They were trapped.
"We are locked!" Teyla stated the obvious and forced her to a frustrated sign. Just then Kaylena remembered the reason they were here.
"The ZPM!" She hissed and spun around without waiting for an answer.
"Kaylena!" She heard Teylas voice behind her but she didn't look back till she was in the water.
"Help them with the door! I will get it!" She yelled and after a second of hesitation the Athrosean nodded. She couldn't say if Laura was okay with her plan too, because she had turned her attention the grot again.
She waded through the water as quick as possible. Unfortunately the Leia outfit with the heavy golden top and the fluttering skirt like cloth wasn't made for that. More than once the skirt wrapped around her legs and she nearly lost her footing.
With a series of impressive curses she finally reached the grotto only to face her next problem. The ZPM was on the roof and the roof was covered with thorny plants.
But a new explosion and the raising screams reminded her that she had no time for acting like a princess only she because she was dressed like one.
How the hell was it possible that Wraith of all things attacked this planet? Was it possible that it was only bad luck? Lots in thoughts she gripped the next best cavity in the stone she could find and tried to find some hold with her bare feed.
The wall wasn't as bumpy as she would have preferred it and she gritted her teeth as she dug her nails deeper in the slight holes between the stones to feel the rough texture under the sole her foot. The stupid soaked skirt didn't make it easer to climb the wall but somehow she made it. Step by step till she was close to the cupola roof.
The vague memory of one of her dreams appeared in her mind and turned to a brisk reality as she spiked her hand on a thorn, just as she gripped between the tendrils which suddenly seemed to be everywhere.
A painful gasp escaped her throat but just as in her dream she fought down the urge to free her hand. She couldn't risk loosing her hold. Instead she searched with her other hand for a better place as fast as she could manage.
Her wet bare feed slipped over the wall for a better hold and her nails scraped painfully over the stones. Swallowing hard to ignore throbbing pang in her left hand she clenched her fist around the thorn and found the strength, she needed to go on, despite her pain.
With an eased moan she freed her palm from the thorn when she had found a good hold whit her feet and her right hand.
With a deep growl she risked a quick glance at her wound. Blood cascaded over her hand, mixed with the water which was still on her body and made it look worse than it really was.
Her inner part was snarling by the sight and the smell of her own blood. She pushed it down for the moment and concentrated on her temporary ambition.
From where she was she could see the ZPM glowing lightly under the tendrils. On this point the roof was flat enough to go on easily but still too cliffy to walk on it.
She started muttering in Lotharian as she realized that the only way to get it was to rob over the thorns.
It's your own fault, spitfire! If you would just once use your brain before you act you would have noticed that THIS couldn't work!
She heard the voice of her commander in her head.
"It will work!" She answered back. Still muttering she robbed forward ignoring the sharp thorns which rasped over her body. She worked slowly but steadily and was surprised that it didn't hurt as much as she had expected.
Lirren, one day you will be my death!
Again she muttered and rolled her eyes at the memory but than a slight smile crossed her lips as she remembered what he had said after that.
But hell, that will be a great fight before it's time. He had chuckled. Always trouble with you, Kay, but always fun.
The sound of her chuckling commander filled her with new energy and it almost had the power to benumb the sharp pain that hit her as one of the thorns dug deep into her flesh near beside her belly button.
She disengaged herself from the memories and robbed the last inches forward to a point from where she could reach the ZPM easily.
She pushed the tendrils aside and barley heard Teyla yelling to step back and search for cover before another explosion filled the air. This one was much closer. Hadn't it been for Teylas warning it would have hit her unexpected but so she was able to hold herself where she was.
The next thing she was aware of was the familiar voice of John Sheppard. So Ronon couldn't be far she guessed, while she hurried to get the ZPM out of its place.
Again she started to spill out curses in her mother language as it didn't work the way she wanted. Finally she spotted the point where the ZPM got stuck and managed to pull it free. Just in time.
"Kaylena!" Ronon's voice reminded her of her commander and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm busy!" She told him while she gripped the ZPM firmly.
"Kaylena!" He growled again.
"What?" She snapped and turned her head, surprised to find him standing in the water directly beneath the grotto.
"How do you think you get down with that?" The Satedaen pointed at the module.
Truth to be told she hadn't thought about that and he knew that exactly, so she made do with an annoyed growl forcing him to a nearly invisible grin.
"I've seen that!" She told him.
"What?" He teased her.
"Hey, kids, no time for that!" Sheppard's voice interrupted them and for once he was right.
The Colonel jumped in the water without a second of hesitation.
"Throw it!" John ordered.
She didn't think twice and tossed the ZPM in his hands as good as she could and she sighed with relief when he caught it easily.
Kaylena was occupied with climbing down and started cursing again as the thorns scratched her again.
"Jump!"
She stopped moving and looked at Ronons tall frame. He had put his gun away and winked at her with his hand. It dawned on her that it would take too long to climb down.
"Do you trust me?"
She didn't need to think twice about that. Kaylena had no doubt that he would catch her no matter what, so she let go. With a gasp she landed exactly where she had planned and grinned at him.
"Yes, I do!"
He smirked and let her down. That all happened in seconds and before she could blink twice he pressed a gun into her hand.
"Here, thought you may need that!" He growled and she was sure the grin on her face couldn't get wider.
"Hey, lovebirds, I'm sorry for interrupting you but..." The next explosion interrupted the Colonel before she could do it and drowned a coeval growl from Ronon and her.
But he was right. Without further discussions they all struggled through the water, as quick as they could manage. Three minutes later they reached the door where Teyla and Laura where holding place.
"Kaylena, is everything okay?" Teyla's concerned voice reminded her of her state and she looked down at her form.
"I'm fine!" She affirmed and ignored the throbbing pain in her left palm. Instead she gripped the gun, Ronon had given her, tighter.
"How many?" She asked.
"More than enough." Sheppard mumbled and risked a quick look outside. "What the heck..." He started and looked at Teyla.
"Yes, they try to catch the women!" The Athosean nodded.
"The Wraith?" Kaylena asked astonished and tried to get forward to risk a look by herself.
"No. The slavers!" She heard Laura's voice before she could see it with her own eyes.
"You got to be kidding me!" She hissed. "They were attacked by wraith and they have nothing better to do than..." She stopped her triad as the scene appeared before her eyes.
While the darts flew over the sky and every now and then, dissolved people with their beamers, the Xizorian men had nothing better to do than to catch the escaping slaves.
"Insane!"
"Completely insane!" Sheppard agreed with her.
"Only darts?" She asked and the others nodded.
"Until now!" Ronon growled and she knew she he was right. After the darts had done most of the work, some Wraith would come for the hunt.
"So we better hurry!"
She noticed that Laura and Teyla hadn't any weapons.
"My weapons!" She looked at Ronon, who already put out the three knives and the two snap blades which were a little bit larger than the ones she had given Ryan.
With an annoyed growl she had agreed that it would be better to hand the weapons over to him before she was brought to the temple.
With a sad sigh she handed the gun over to Laura, who wasn't good with blades as far as she knew. She offered Teyla two of the knives and put the third one in her waistband before she gripped the snap blades.
"Let's go!" Sheppard ordered.
Laura nearly stumbled over her skirt as she rushed forward and started cursing.
"Next time you will play the princess!" The Lieutenant muttered in Shepard's and Ronon's direction and Kaylena couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"But we wouldn't look as good as you three!" John chipped in.
They hadn't gone far as their troubles began. That meant as their troubles rose up. But it wasn't the wraith that caused the most trouble. The darts were still in the sky and they had to avoid the beamers and Ronon knew that it wouldn't take long till the first wraiths would step their food on this planet.
Every now and then an explosion over drowned the general screams of panic and cries and left a nearly hysterical spirit back.
They covered themselves as good as it was possible on their way to the jumper. John at the top, Teyla and Laura in the middle, while Kaylena and he watched their backs.
He heard John yelling at Lorne, over his earpiece to hurry up but was distracted by a very familiar voice that immediately caught his attention.
"Get her!"
With disbelief he recognised Mikosh and a dozen other worshippers behind him and suddenly realization hit him that the attack was not only bad luck.
There was still a bounty on Kaylena's head and he was sure that one of the Xizoreans had remembered her face from the file.
"Hurry! We've got company!" He yelled in Sheppards direction but was over drowned by Kaylenas scream as she noticed Mikosh. Screeching like a wounded animal and completely out of her mind she rushed forward to get her hand on her brother in law. Ronon hadn't expected something else but wasn't quick enough to catch her.
"Kaylena!" He heard Teyla- who knew Kaylenas temper as good as he- behind him while he got after her as quick as he could. Without a second of hesitation he shot two of the approaching men and watched with twisted guts, as Kaylena jumped at the first man within her reach, with nothing more than two thin blades.
The increasing power her fury gave her was enough to get them both out of balance and she landed on the man like an animal on its prey. Snarling and with flashing eyes.
His own animal called for liberty and he didn't hesitate to let it out as two other men reached him. Too near to use his gun he found himself engaged in a hand to hand combat.
He heard Sheppard yelling and saw one or two of the man falling down but he was too focused on the men he was fighting with, to listen to him.
Kaylena had been right. They didn't recruit everyone. These men were really good in fighting and it wasn't as easy to bring them down as he had expected.
Growling in annoyance he increased his speed and the power of his strikes. He got a lucky hit on the right one's nose and his attacker stumbled back. That gave him enough space to focus all his powers on the other one for a short moment.
The dead body hadn't even reached the ground as number one was back again and Ronon had to admit, that this one could pouch much more than the most. Snarling he doubled his force and just the moment he got the upper hand he heard Kaylena scream.
Not with fury. Only fear and it felt as if someone had ripped out his guts.
He beat the worshipper with so much force that the man seemed to take –off the ground as he flew back. But before his body could react and turn around to the source of the scream something rammed him.
This time he was the one tumbling down. Long learned reflexes allowed him to pull out his gun during the fall. With a harsh gasp he landed hard on the ground and it took him a second to notice that it was Kaylena who had pushed him aside. And after another second it was clear to him that something was wrong.
She didn't move and slowly but steadily the drumming sound in the back of his mind got to the surface and turned out to be Sheppards voice.
"Get up and carry her! Now!" He heard him.
"Ronon, hurry. We must get out of here!" Teyla's voice came from somewhere over him but then again all he could hear was the drumming beat of his blood in his ears and the painful stitch in his chest as he lift his hand from her back and found it covered with blood.
"Kaylena!" His voice was hoarse and brash and then from one second to the other he jumped up and took her with him.
"Here!" Sheppard yelled and his half cloaked body showed him that the others were already in the jumper. He looked around put couldn't see any worshippers while he hurried to get in the ship and at the moment he didn't care.
Kaylenas body was limp and he could feel the blood running down his hand, which he had pressed against her back.
He barely noticed that the doors closed and the jumper took off as he put her careful to the ground.
"What's wrong with her?" Ryan asked with a hint of panic.
"She has been shot!" Teyla explained while Ronon tore his shirt over his head and pressed it against the wound on Kaylena's back.
"The first aid kit!" Teyla ordered but Evan was already beside him with the medical box, so it was John who flew the jumper.
"Crap!" Lorne hissed as he got a clear sight of her wound, in his effort to supply her injuries as good as it was possible.
"Hurry!" Ronon growled in John's direction.
"The gate is blocked. They dialled it!"
"Then find another one!" He yelled and wasn't able to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat.
Fear. Pure fear washed through his body as he looked down at Kaylena's blood covered, motionless body. His heart hammered in his chest, sweat covered his forehead and he was sure his hands would be shaking wildly, hadn't he entwined them with Kaylena's.
The voices and movements of the others disappeared from his perception, the slight movement of her upper body, which told him that Kaylena was still alive, was the only thing which remained.
Up and down. Up and down. Withering away with every minute. And everything he could do was sit, wait and hold her hand.
Only once in his life he had felt this helpless. He could see the window exploding before his inner eye again. Only this time it was Kaylena standing in front of it.
And again there was nothing he could do. Only watch.
TBC
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger but I couldn't stop myself from doing so...but I promise I will update sooner.
Asugar: Thank you so much for the review. Yeah I like Rodney too and he is really fun to write. John and Teyla is a bit difficult. The girly girly part in me wants to make all of them happy, with a lot of pink fluff. But I try very hard to refuse my inner demon. lol.
So there will be hints, that they like each other and would make a nice pair but nothing more...(well it's planned that way...Ronon and Kaylena are difficult enough..)
HeavenlyKitten: Thx for all you reviews...It always made my day much brighter after I read your comments. It's really nice that someone else enjoys my stories and want to read some more...
crakedmind: Divine? Wow thx. Also thx for the hint with the explanation points. I'm no native speaker and so I'm always trying to make everything "perfect" so maybe now and then it's a little bit too much.
I will keep it in mind...but I can't promise anything.g
Shandra