Chapter 21

The closer to the center of the capital they got, the more crowded the streets became. Ronon inched forward through the traffic, anxiety thrumming through his body. He did his best to hide his face from casual passersby, but he was driving—ever so slowly—and couldn't hide completely. Most people were focused on heading toward the government blocks and the large nearby park anyway, the excitement at the President's speech moving through the crowds like an infection. If the Wraith showed up now…

He shook his head, slammed on his breaks as a group of pedestrians darted across the street in front of him, and turned at the next corner. They had to get away from these crowds. Maybe they could leave the vehicle somewhere close by and walk the rest of the way. He looked into the rearview mirror to see Sheppard dozing, his head lolling against the back seat, bouncing and sliding with the movements of the vehicle. Would Sheppard be able to walk?

Maybe for a little while. Ronon worked through a mental map of the government sector of the capital. The speech was at Victory Park, the palace a few blocks from there. The ring was in the large stone square a little farther from that. He turned another corner, speeding up as the crowds thinned out. Less people would be near the ring and Sheppard's people were staying at the palace. Would they still be there?

There were too many holes in Ronon's plan to really think it through logically. He was hoping Sheppard's people would be at the palace and Kell and his guards would not. The chances of that were slim, but could they risk showing up at Victory Park? Kell had to have every soldier and police officer in the city looking for them at this point.

He glanced at Melena and felt a pang of guilt again at ruining her chances of escaping. He'd tried to tell her she still had a chance, but he hadn't really believed it. He knew the second he intervened in Sheppard's execution that he'd taken away Melena's best chance of getting off Sateda alive. And now that the Wraith had attacked, there was little chance of him finding a new way out.

Melena sat in dazed silence, staring out the window without really seeing anything. Ronon felt a second wave of guilt pass through him. When Kell's men had attacked, he had reacted and he had survived, but he had not intended to kill anyone. Melena had seen a new side of him—one that was dark and violent. Would she look at him the same way? Would some part of her always be afraid of him? Could she—a medical professional intent on saving all life—still love a man who could extinguish another's so easily?

He opened his mouth to say something to her, but snapped his jaw shut. What should he say? He couldn't take away what she'd seen. He couldn't stop being a military man, a fighter. He knew deep down that he would do the same thing again, especially if it meant protecting her life. What he didn't know was whether Melena could live with knowing that about him.

The vehicle turned down a narrow road and the high walls surrounding the central square holding the ring rose up on one side. Up ahead was the entry into the square, guarded by a handful of soldiers. A wild thought suddenly struck Ronon. Could the three of them escape through the ring and contact Sheppard's people from another world? That would depend on how many people were trying to get off-world—he assumed it would be heavily guarded after the Wraith attacks the night before, but if most of them left to listen to the speeches…

Ronon looked up again at Sheppard, who was still asleep, and decided to pass the front entrance first. If there weren't a lot of guards visible, then he would wake the man up and tell him his plan. He had to make sure Sheppard could contact his people once off-world anyway.

At once, his new plan collapsed. The front entrance into the ring was mobbed with people all clamoring to get through. Reinforcements had obviously been called in to control the flow of people. About every third or fourth person—from what Ronon could see—was wearing a uniform. There was no way they'd be able to slip in, especially with Sheppard visibly injured and barely able to stand up.

"What's going on?" Melena asked, seeming to suddenly notice the crowds spilling out into the street.

"They're trying to get through the ring," Ronon answered.

"All of them?"

"Apparently, I'm not the only one concerned about our chances of success against the Wraith."

Ronon eased the vehicle around the people, hoping the guards wouldn't look too closely at him. They seemed overwhelmed enough dealing with the anxious mob trying to get off the planet as fast as possible.

They were almost past the crowd when Ronon noticed a tall, stern looking woman surrounded by uniformed soldiers. A cart of luggage followed her. She stared directly ahead, dragging two children by their arms toward the front entrance of the square. Ronon knew her, and he tapped the steering wheel trying to place her face.

The crowds thinned out almost immediately once they'd passed the entrance, and Ronon turned down another road. He could still see the woman's face, angry but resigned. Unlike the crowds clamoring to get to the ring, she did not look like she wanted to leave. Where had he seen her?

"Where are we going?" Melena asked.

"The palace," Ronon answered, but even to his own ears he sounded unsure. "I don't know where else to look for Sheppard's people."

"The speech," Melena said easily, like it was the most obvious thing on Sateda. "The radio announcer said they'd be at the speech, pledging their support to help Sateda fight the war."

"Wonder if they know that," Ronon mumbled. In the distance, he could see the roof of the ornate palace. Were Sheppard's people still there? Or where they at Victory Park now?

"I guess we're going to the speech."

Melena nodded and returned to staring out the window. Ronon was yearning to ask her what she was thinking, if she was okay with what she'd seen him do.

Of course she isn't okay, he griped to himself. She's just witnessed me killing a man—in self-defense, certainly, but that doesn't make it any easier to witness.

"His wife!" he suddenly barked out, flashing again on the stern woman walking toward the ring.

"What?"

"That woman going to the ring, with all the luggage. That was Kell's wife. I saw her at a dinner party a few years ago."

"Okay…"

He could feel Melena looking at him.

"Sorry, I couldn't place her right away and it was bothering me," he tried to explain. He slapped his hand against the steering wheel. "That was Kell's wife. He's getting his family off Sateda—did you see all the luggage the soldiers were carting for her. Kell probably planned to get her off the planet right from the start."

"What does that mean?"

"It means…" Ronon's voice trailed off. It meant nothing beyond what he already knew. He shrugged, unable to finish the sentence.

The crowds had grown thick again. The speeches were scheduled to start in minutes and the stragglers were pushing toward the park as fast as they could. Ronon spotted a lane, not really a street or alley but wide enough for him to park their small car. He turned down it, stopping a few feet in and away from the seething mass of people still flowing along the main street.

He jumped out and moved to the back seat of the vehicle, pulling out the suitcase they'd packed and flipping it open. Melena was slower to get out of the car, but she stood up and watched Ronon rifle through the suitcase with some confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for something," he said. "Can you wake Sheppard up? We can't leave him here."

Melena nodded, and he could hear her whispering Sheppard's name. Sheppard moaned in response, sounding dazed and groggy. Ronon smiled as he spotted the items he knew he'd thrown into the case, and pulled out three hooded jackets and a knit cap. He snapped the lid shut and threw it in the car, then moved around to Melena's side just as she was helping Sheppard stand up.

Sheppard swayed on his feet, his face turning a shade paler than it had been before. Ronon grabbed his elbow, steadying him through the wave of dizziness.

"You okay, Sheppard?"

"Uh…yeah, thanks. M'okay now…"

Ronon tossed one of the hooded jackets to Melena, telling her to put it on and pull the hood up. Thick clouds had moved in over the city in the last hour promising another winter storm. Ronon slipped his own jacket on, pulled his hair back, then stuffed it all under the hood. He hoped it would start raining soon—that would make them even less conspicuous. Finally, he helped pull the third jacket over Sheppard's head, threading his arms through the sleeves before the man had a chance to react. He held out the knitted winter cap.

"What's this?" Sheppard asked, leaning against the vehicle and snapping the top buttons of his jacket.

"A hat, to cover the bandages on your head. You won't stand out as much."

Sheppard nodded and grabbed the cap. He began pulling it on, wincing when his fingers brushed against the side of his head. Ronon could see the man's hands shaking, and he helped him pull the edges of the cap over the white dressings.

Sheppard looked sicklier than ever, like some of Melena's patients who had been in the hospital for months battling some disease or another. His hair was completely hidden under the cap. The dark circles under Sheppard's eyes stood out, almost matching the color of the dark cap and making his skin look gray and ashen.

"Can you walk?" Ronon asked, giving Sheppard's frail, trembling form a critical glance.

Sheppard pushed away from the car and squared his shoulders. It wasn't the most convincing show of strength, but it was enough to persuade Ronon that the man wouldn't collapse within twenty feet. Sheppard nodded, signaling Ronon to lead the way.

The three of them walked back to the main street and melted into the crowd moving toward the park. There were fewer people now, and Ronon jolted at the sudden sound of music—the drums and horns of the Presidential band—indicating the start of the big event. They moved as fast as they could, but Sheppard's progress was slow. At least his knee didn't seem to be bothering him too much. Melena and Ronon walked on either side of him, surreptitious hands on each of his elbows keeping him upright and moving.

It didn't take long to reach the edge of the park. Like most official parks on Sateda, it was ringed with a large stone wall. Open gates allowed easy access to everyone who wanted inside, and Ronon was relieved to see there were no guards standing watch. The crowd had gathered in a thick mass in the open field, eyes riveted to a raised platform at one end of the park, and Ronon, Melena, and Sheppard moved with the crowd toward it.

A group of young men rushed around them, laughing and jostling each other as they pressed through the crowds toward the front of the park. Ronon was about to yell at them when one of the boys laughed and pushed his friend into Sheppard. The boy flailed and stumbled into Sheppard before Ronon or Melena could do anything.

"Sorry, mister," the boy called out, looking slightly embarrassed. His friends laughed louder and disappeared into the crowds, and the boy pushed away from Sheppard to follow them.

Ronon scowled at their backs, but there was nothing he could do about it. Sheppard was breathing hard next to him, and Ronon glanced at the man. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat. He could feel Sheppard shaking as well, and was almost prepared when his legs suddenly buckled.

Ronon grunted, wrapping an arm around Sheppard's waist and lifting him back up. Melena grabbed Sheppard's arm with both hands and tried to steady him as well. She nodded her head toward the stone wall. Ronon looked up and saw the inside of the wall was ringed with tiny alcoves, and he dragged Sheppard in that direction.

Sheppard, for his part, tried to stay on his feet and help Ronon along, but his head hung on his neck. He was on the verge of passing out. Ronon ignored the occasional curious stares directed toward him and pressed through the people until he reached the wall. The first two alcoves were occupied, but the third was nearly empty. Ronon chased two young kissing teenagers back out into the crowd, then lowered Sheppard to the ground against the back wall.

"John?" Melena called out, kneeling on his other side.

Sheppard looked up at the sound of his voice, his eyes fluttering. He was panting and slumping to the side, but he fought to keep himself upright. Melena reached under his armpits and lifted him up, sliding in next to him so he could lean against her. She grabbed his wrist to monitor his pulse.

"Should I get some water or something?" Ronon asked.

Melena looked up at him and nodded. The look of confusion and fear that had seemed to be burned into her face for the last few hours had dropped away completely, and in its place, Ronon saw her professionalism and strength return. She was a doctor now, not some scared young woman, and she would face whatever she needed to face to care for her patient. Ronon smiled, encouraged when Melena smiled back at him before turning her attention back to Sheppard.

Ronon weaved back into the crowd, scanning for the vendors he knew wouldn't be able to resist the selling opportunities this gathering offered. Within minutes, he found someone selling jugs of water at an exorbitant price, but he shoveled the money over with a grunt and worked his way quickly back toward Melena and Sheppard. Rain began to spit down into the crowd, doing little to dampen their excitement but doing a lot for Ronon's peace of mind when the majority of the people pulled on jackets and coats and buried their heads under hoods and caps.

Sheppard was looking a little better by the time he returned with the water. He rasped out a heartfelt thank you when Ronon handed him one of the jugs of water, and Melena held it steady as he took a long sip. A voice boomed out over the crowd, causing a ripple of silence to pass through everyone even as they pressed closer to the dais.

"That's Chieftain Madal," Melena said, still sitting next to Sheppard with an arm around him to hold him upright.

"Yeah. I didn't get a clear look at the stage, but if Sheppard's people are here, that's where they'll be." He glanced out at the crowd standing just outside the alcove, then back at Melena. "Stay here with him. I'm going to try to move closer."

"Be careful," Sheppard said, catching Ronon's eye. His gaze was intense, and he suddenly looked much stronger than he had mere seconds before.

"I will," Ronon answered. He gave Melena's arm one last squeeze, then moved back into the crowd.

The rain was coming stronger now, the pattering of drops drowning out Madal's voice. Ronon ignored his actual words, hearing more the rousing inflections and the instant crowd response. He worked his way forward along the side, noticing that there were more guards near the front. For once, he cursed his height, worrying he would stand out too much, that the guards would spot him moving forward.

He could see the dais clearly now. Chieftain Madal stood at the podium, waving both arms above his head. His squat body was animated, peppering the crowd with emotional callbacks to past Satedan victories. Behind him and to one side stood Kell, seemingly oblivious of the rain and staring with dark eyes into the crowd of people. On the other side was a row of chairs, occupied by strangers in hooded jackets.

Ronon studied their faces until he recognized the smaller woman with the brown hair. She'd been fighting with Sheppard and Sincha when he'd led the rescue team toward them. She and another man with short dark hair…Ronon nodded in relief, seeing the other man at the very end of the row. He was tense, his back straight, and his hands stuffed into his pockets as he stared out at the sea of faces.

Madal suddenly waved at the off-worlders and began talking about their new alliance. Sheppard's people stiffened in their seats, their faces tight. Unlike the crowd, they were not responding with any sign of excitement. Madal launched into the benefits the alliance would bring, and as Ronon expected, he mentioned their plan to fight the Wraith first. The off-worlders' faces darkened, though they didn't look surprised. The crowd began cheering wildly, and Madal's voice was lost in the screams.

The cheers were so loud that Ronon almost didn't hear the pop of sound that echoed across the park. In fact, it didn't fully register until the cheers of the people near the front of the stage turned to screams. Ronon moved to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of what had happened at the same time as his mind connected the popping sound.

A gunshot.

More of the crowd was screaming, jostling each other and backing away from the stage. Sheppard's people had jumped up from their seats, and one of them had run toward the podium. Kell was also moving toward the podium, his eyes focused on something at his feet. Ronon realized Madal had stopped speaking at the same time as he caught a glimpse of the Chieftain lying on the platform floor.

Thunder cracked overhead, and the excitement of the crowd turned instantly to fear. Ronon was shoved to the side, and he pressed himself up against the wall as people tried to get away. The crowd in the back didn't seem to realize what was happening, and their cheers mixed in seamlessly with the screams of those standing closer. The two groups pressed toward each other, the ones in back still wanting to move closer and the ones in front desperate to be anywhere else.

Two of the off-worlders were now kneeling next to Madal, as was Kell, but none of them seemed to be doing much but staring at the body in front of them. Madal himself was deathly still. The guards around the stage were frantic, waving their guns in the air and looking for the shooter. Ronon was grateful that Melena and Sheppard were hidden in the alcove out of immediate harm.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind when an explosion ripped through the park. In the three seconds of silence that followed, Ronon found himself curled up on the ground, his hands wrapped around his head. His ears rang from the noise, and the muted world staggered around him.

Sound returned, crashing down on top of him and making him want to curl up even tighter. He thought of Melena and forced himself to his knees to look around the park. A wave of smoke from the explosion washed through the crowd. Screams and cries of panic began to pick up as people realized what had happened and staggered back to their feet. The threatened stampede finally materialized, every person intent on the safety of themselves and possibly a few nearby family or friends.

The site of the explosion was obvious—about halfway back and in the middle of the park. The center of the audience. A pit was gouged into the ground. Ronon forced himself to turn away from the bodies, but not before his stomach flipped with nausea. He swallowed back the sickness and horror of what he was witnessing, pushing it to the back of his mind, and turned his attention to the platform.

One of the off-worlders was leaning over the side throwing up, and Ronon's stomach clenched in sympathy. The woman warrior was next to him, rubbing his back and reminding him instantly of Melena. The alcove Melena was in was far enough away from the blast that she wouldn't have been hit by the explosion, and the stampede of people would be heading to the gate. She was out of their path. She was safe—she had to be safe.

The two off-worlders next to Madal stared out across the park and the rampaging masses in shock, and the third—another woman—stood frozen, an open target for whoever had shot Madal.

Ronon pushed to his feet, intent on reaching Sheppard's people. Soldiers ran past him, trying to control the riot erupting throughout the park and no doubt in the streets beyond. He couldn't see Kell anymore, and he scanned the area behind the stage for the man's face.

"What are you doing?" someone yelled behind him.

Ronon stopped, but before he could spin around he felt a sharp jab in his lower back as the man—a soldier—jammed the butt of his rifle into him. Ronon flew forward, landing on his hands and knees. He felt his muscles tense, anticipating the fight.

A second explosion shook the ground, knocking Ronon and the soldier behind him to the ground. This one had been closer to the stage, spraying clumps of dirt over the wood platform. The man behind Ronon swore, scrambled to his feet and took off toward the exit at a run.

Ronon pushed himself up and looked toward the off-worlders, feeling his hood fall away from his head. The off-worlder soldier was pulling the woman—the open target—away from the stage, yelling the entire time. Ronon couldn't hear what he was saying, but he could see his mouth moving. He grabbed the one throwing up and propelled him forward as well, then turned back to the one still leaning over Madal's body. The sick one and the target were obviously civilians and in shock. The woman warrior took over where the soldier had left off, grabbing both of them and steering them off the stage.

Ronon yelled, and the woman warrior looked up, her hand moving instantly to her side pocket. She froze at the sight of Ronon. Her eyes opened wide in recognition and she took off running toward him. They reached each other within seconds, and Ronon grabbed her with both arms.

"Ronon Dex?" the woman asked.

Ronon nodded. "Your friend—Sheppard—"

"Where is he? Is he alive?" The desperation in her voice was palpable, and Ronon swallowed sympathetically. He waved his hand toward the back of the park and the alcove where he'd left Melena and Sheppard.

"Back there," Ronon said.

The woman warrior turned to yell at her companions. The two civilians, whom Ronon recognized now as being the leader and the head scientist, had stayed back near the stage. He realized he must have looked quite a sight, running toward them, yelling and waving his arms.

A movement flashed directly behind them, and before Ronon could give any kind of warning, Kell stepped up, wrapped his arm around the off-world leader's neck and jerked her off balance. He lifted his other hand and pressed his handgun into the scientist's temple.

The woman warrior next to him went utterly still, and Ronon saw the off-world soldier on stage slowly moving his hand toward his pocket. He slid his eyes back to Kell's face, wishing once again he had some kind of weapon on him.

Not that he could have taken Kell out from this angle. The leader, despite her thinness, was proving to be an effective shield. The woman warrior stepped back a little behind Ronon, and he could feel more than see her moving her hand to her pocket.

They must have weapons on them. That was the only explanation. Kell's mouth moved but Ronon couldn't hear what he was saying. The steady drip of rain washed out any sound. Kell stepped back, his arm firm around the woman leader. He spoke again, and the scientist flinched into motion, moving with Kell with arms and legs so stiff they hardly bent when he walked.

The soldier on stage made his move, whipping out a black handgun. Ronon watched the scene play out in slow motion, knowing what was going to happen before it did and unable to stop any of it. Kell swung his arm toward the soldier and fired, pulling the woman with him as he moved. The off-worlder jerked and spun, landing heavily on the stage next to Madal. His gun skittered along the wood surface, then dropped off the edge into the dirt.

When Ronon turned back, Kell and the two off-worlders were gone.

TBC…