Chapter 11

The market on the outskirts of the town of Hartinga was in full swing as Juroah swept their craft in low over the landing site and settled them at the very back of the allotted area. From his window, Sheppard could see hundreds of varied aliens clustered around stalls arranged in a huge circle, and at the centre of that circle rose a dais that sat currently unoccupied. He figured that was where the auction would take place once the time came around. He checked his watch. Less than twenty minutes to go before it would start. Not too long. His stomach did a queasy flip-flop at the thought they might be about to see Teyla again. And with Rodney working hard on the time dilation device, they really could soon be on their way home.

That thought had his attention shifting over to Mishta. She hadn't given him a single look since vacating the seat beside him, apparently satisfied that she'd sewn enough uncertainty in him that he would be thinking about what she'd said for some time to come. No more effort necessary.

'Are you ready, humans?' Juroah called to them, turning his seat to face them. 'Remember to keep your faces covered at all times and keep everyone at a safe distance. The buyers here are particularly brutal…if they even suspect there is something amiss with you, they will not stop until you are…'

'Dead,' Mishta finished for him, matter of fact. 'Unless they figure out that you're humans before they kill you, then they'll start a war to claim ownership of you and kill anyone challenging them.'

'Bring it on,' Ronon rumbled, prepping his weapon one last time and concealing it under his voluminous sleeve.

'Easy there, Chewy,' Sheppard replied, sliding out of his seat. 'I'd prefer to avoid trouble if it means getting Teyla out of there unharmed.'

'We'll proceed with caution, Sir,' Mehra assured him, once again ignoring the instruction to drop the formalities.

'We need to collect the bidding pad,' Lansha said as he opened up the hatch. 'You all wait here. I'll go.'

He disappeared off and Sheppard and his friends adjusted their clothing and weapons to be sure everything that could give away their identities or intentions was obscured.

Mishta appeared before Sheppard, lifting the heavy cloth of his hood so she could look him in the eye. 'All you need to do is identify Teyla. The rest you can leave up to us. And at the first sign of trouble, you need to head back to this craft. I take it you could fly this in an emergency?'

'I could,' he assured her. 'But we won't be leaving without you guys.'

'If they discover you're humans, you'll have to,' she insisted. 'While Lansha and I hold some value, we're nothing compared to you.'

'That's not true,' he mumbled, tugging his robes into a more comfortable position. He could practically feel her smile as she let his hood fall back in place.

'Hopefully, everything will go smoothly, and we along with your friend will all be safely back at camp before anyone realises the payment we're making for her is fraudulent,' Juroah said, pushing up from his seat as Lansha returned. 'Do you have it?'

Lansha, clearly empty-handed, looked decidedly pale. 'We have a problem.'

'But of course we do,' Sheppard sighed, his whole body slumping. When did anything ever work out the way it was supposed too?

'So, you don't have it?' Mishta clarified, making to push past him. 'Honestly, Lansha, I swear you're scared of your own shadow. Let me do it.'

He grabbed her arm. 'You are absolutely the last person who should go for it.'

She tugged her arm free. 'And why is that?'

Apparently so shocked he couldn't even string a sentence together, he simply said, 'Kaliq.'

Ignoring his friends' confusion, Sheppard threw his hood back and interrupted. 'Kaliq…as in, the guy you told me was dead.'

'Yes,' Lansha answered, his head bobbing up and down in a frenzied nod.

Sheppard narrowed his eyes, planting his hands on his hips. 'So…not dead then?'

'Er…no…apparently not.' Lansha dropped heavily into the pilot seat as if his legs had given up on him. 'He is very much alive and currently collecting a bidding pad.'

'I thought you buried him,' he said, looking to Mishta for an explanation.

'We did,' she insisted, immediately defensive. 'It took an age to dig a hole big enough to conceal his huge, ugly carcass, so I think I should remember.'

'How is that possible?' Mehra asked, puzzled. 'How is some dead guy walking around like nothing happened.'

'POD tech,' Lansha muttered, with a thousand-yard stare.

'POD tech? What's that?' Mehra asked.

'Point-of-Death technology. Your consciousness is uploaded into a storage device the moment you die to be downloaded into another body at some future date. It's very old and very, very rare, not to mention illegal,' Lansha told her, swiping a hand down over his face as if trying to clear his thoughts.

'Yes. It seems he must also have a cloning chamber,' Juroah added. 'Which is banned tech in this galaxy. It was outlawed long ago in our attempts to contain the Reliquiae threat.'

'Kaliq didn't strike me as the kind of guy who would let a little thing like the law come between him and something he wanted,' Sheppard replied, as he pulled out a set of view enhancers he'd also been equipped with. 'Where is he?'

Lansha pointed out of the windshield to guide his view, and there, sure enough, was Kaliq. Just as colossal and hideous as Sheppard remembered him. He was ambling through the stalls for all to see, but since they were the only ones who knew he should be dead, there was no reason he shouldn't be.

'Well, that's awkward,' Sheppard mused, hiding the view enhancers away again. 'So, what now?'

'He won't recognise your friends,' Mishta pointed out. 'They could still go ahead with the plan. We can communicate with them from here.'

'I'm going with them,' Sheppard insisted, pulling his hood back on and readying to move out. 'Where do we get the bidding pads?'

Mishta caught hold of him. 'No. You're wearing the exact same disguise as the last time he saw you. Kaliq has a sharp eye for valuable things. He'll know it's you the moment he lays eyes on you. And knowing him, he wouldn't think twice about selling you the Reliquiae…or whoever else is willing to pay a handsome sum.'

'Ok…so I stay out of sight.'

'Sir, if he sees you that'll jeopardise the mission and we could lose Teyla. I think you should stay here and advise us from the cover of the craft,' Mehra told him.

'Me too. We can handle this,' Ronon assured him.

Juroah wagged a finger in Mehra's direction. 'Listen to your woman, Sheppard. She sees with the clarity of the Founders.'

Mehra threw him a murderous glare. 'Yeah. And if you call me his woman again, you'll be seeing stars,' she growled, bringing a huge grin to Juroah's face.

'I like you,' he chuckled. 'Humans amuse me.'

Mehra just rolled her eyes. 'Do you have some kind of comm-links we can use?'

'Er…yes…yes,' Lansha seemed to come around from his shock, heading further back in the cabin and opening an overhead compartment. He removed a box, that when opened, contained the exact thing they were hoping for. He handed them out. 'They're already pre-set to communicate on synchronised and constantly scrambling frequencies that should be hard for anyone else to detect.'

They all inserted them testing that they were operational.

'Just remember, do not speak in front of Kaliq,' Mishta warned Mehra and Ronon as they prepared to leave. 'He is able to detect human language via his translator. If he hears one word from you, you will swiftly become his target.'

'Understood. No talking near the big, ugly alien,' Ronon nodded.

Sheppard figured that wouldn't be much of a problem for Ronon. Mehra on the other hand…

'You see the stall over there?' Lansha pointed out of the windshield to a stand just to the left of the centre dais. 'That's where you will collect the bidding pad. Just hand this over,' he passed them a twenty-credit token, 'and the vendor will give you what you need. You don't have to say anything; he's not much for idle talk anyway. I'll guide you through the instructions on how to use it once you have it.'

'Got it,' Mehra barked, all business now the time had come. She exchanged a glance and a nod with Ronon, and they headed out, leaving Sheppard behind to watch from that safe distance. He hated not being out there with them. He was the one who'd promised to get Teyla home, after all.

Juroah slipped back into the pilot seat and watched them through his view enhancers, 'Kaliq is a good distance from the stall. He doesn't seem to be paying them any attention. They should be fine.'

'That's good,' Lansha breathed, pacing. 'I can't believe that monster is still alive.'

'Well, from my experience, the bad guys are always the hardest to kill,' Sheppard drawled as he took up the seat beside Juroah.

'Akalus was evidence of that if we needed it,' Mishta agreed. 'So many tried and failed to take him down over the years. It's hard to believe that the one human he was so desperately seeking was the one to end him.'

'Her,' he corrected. 'Akalus was a girl.'

'This time,' Mishta shrugged. 'But he'd had many hosts over the millennia.'

'Still can't believe I fell for the friendly human act. Mehra saw right through it.'

'She's a smart one, that Mehra. She would make a fine commitment partner for one of our younglings,' Juroah mused.

Sheppard sputtered out a laugh. 'You guys would be in for a shock if you ever tried to pin her down to that.'

'Give our Mishta a run for her money, would she?' the old Birajan snorted, casting a fond if slightly despairing look his charge's way.

'You'd better believe it,' Sheppard smirked, catching Mishta's eye and hoping she knew he meant it in good humour. She didn't seem to mind.

It was only a few seconds after the friendly banter that Mehra reported in an exaggerated whisper, 'Okay. We got it. How's it work?'

Lansha talked them through how to program in the fake credit details they would use to pay, and the correct functions to use for bidding. It sounded confusing to Sheppard, but without a bidding pad in front of him, he had no point of reference. He leaned his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his hands as he listened, hoping it all made more sense to Mehra and Ronon than it did to him.

A hand settled lightly on his shoulder, and when he lifted his head he found Mishta gazing at him with concern. 'They're warriors like you, John. They will be fine.'

'I know…I know…' he agreed, but the inner control freak in him just wanted to be out there with them, making sure of that for himself.

'Ah, seems like we have action,' Juroah announced, dipping his head toward something out of the windshield.

Sure enough, a string of sorry looking specimens of all kinds were now being led out of a large transport craft toward the dais. Animals, mechanoids, some things that looked more plant than sentient being…and then, toward the back of the line, a frail looking human woman, flanked by several huge alien guards.

'The main event,' Mishta said, her voice soft. 'These monsters trade in misery. They truly have no hearts.'

Sheppard whipped out his view enhancers and tried to get a better look at the woman bringing up the rear of the group. She was the right build, her hair was a similar colour, though matted and dishevelled, but he got the instant sinking feeling that it wasn't Teyla. He activated his com-link. 'I can't get a clear look at the woman. Can you two tell if it's Teyla?'

'Everyone's crowded in around her. I can't make her out,' Mehra whispered.

'I don't think it's her,' Ronon added. 'Need to get a better look to be sure, though.'

'See if you can move in a little closer…but be careful,' Sheppard told them.

'Yes, Sir,' he heard Mehra reply, and then radio silence resumed.

He watched them begin to move in for a better look, only to be thwarted when Kaliq barged his way to the front of the massing crowd of bidders. He used his huge bulk to shift aside a couple of the guards and took hold of the woman's arm, yanking her toward him. Sheppard tensed, and instinctively knew his friends would be itching to intervene. 'Hold your positions. Let's see how this plays out.'

There was something of a scuffle breaking out, with Kaliq refusing to let go of the woman's feeble arm. She made no attempt to free herself, something that told Sheppard this wasn't Teyla they were looking at after all. She would never put up with being treated that way without retaliation.

'He's yelling something about being allowed to examine the quality of the goods,' Mehra whispered over the link. 'Creepy bastard.'

'Stay back. Don't draw his attention to you,' Sheppard told them. It was as he tried to focus in on the female again that something else caught his eye, something further along on the dais, something squirming and writhing in a filthy heap near the girl's feet.

'Holy sh –' He stopped himself, adjusting his enhancers. 'Oh, no.'

'What is it?' Lansha asked, his voice cracking with panic. 'What's wrong? Did Kaliq see them?'

He shook his head. 'No. There's another human there…an incomplete.'

'Let me see,' Mishta said, snatching the enhancers from him. He heard her draw in a startled breath, before murmuring, 'Urgh, that poor soul.'

'What'll happen to it?' he asked.

Neither of his three companions seemed comfortable answering that question. They exchanged looks, as if each urging the other to give him a reply. Eventually Mishta reluctantly spoke up. 'If humans are considered unfit for servitude or…other duties…they are considered…' she licked her suddenly dry lips as she considered her next word, '…sustenance.'

He blinked back at her, wondering if she'd really tried to sugar-coat the horrible truth for him. 'You mean they get eaten.'

She nodded, looking down at her boots.

'But it's not quite that simple, Mishta. Tell him the rest,' Lansha said, gently nudging his sister's arm.

She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. 'Humans are considered a delicacy by some of the wealthier members of several species in this galaxy. They believe a human's blood has…desirable effects…if enjoyed straight from the victim, while they're still alive.'

Sheppard figured he understood that euphemism. He couldn't stop the involuntary curl of his lip as he thought about it.

'Not that I…we…believe that,' she was quick to add.

'That's good to know,' he said, tossing her a tight smile. 'So, what you're saying is that…thing… is gonna be tortured before they eat it?'

'That sums it up quite well,' she agreed.

Nope. That wasn't happening on his watch. Sheppard observed the scene out of the windshield, assessing the environment and the layout of the market and surrounding grounds, 'Don't suppose you have any long-range weapons aboard this craft?'

'What are you thinking?' Juroah asked, pinning him with his piercing lilac gaze.

'See that rise up there?' Sheppard asked, pointing to a hill to the east of the landing area. 'There's enough trees on top of there to give me cover, but it's also elevated enough to provide a clear view of all the craft landed here. I'm gonna hide up there and kill that incomplete before whoever buys it can get it on board their craft.'

'That could endanger your friend,' the old Birajan pointed out.

'I'm the reason that thing is out here. I'm not about to let it suffer for a moment longer than it has to.'

Mishta's eyebrow twitched up and her mouth curled into a faint smile. He knew what she was thinking. This was the John Sheppard she thought he was hiding from her.

'Colonel, there's some kind of… human thing here …Is that one of Akalus' experiments?' Mehra's voice chimed up in his earpiece.

'Yeah…I've seen it…I'm gonna handle it,' he told her.

There was a definite pause before she replied, 'Yes, Sir. Understood.'

He didn't doubt that she did.

'So, that weapon?' he asked again.

His companions exchanged glances as if silently weighing up his request and how to respond to it.

'We don't have all day,' he pointed out.

Grimly, Lansha headed to another of the rear overhead compartments and carefully lifted out a large metallic case. When he flipped open the lid, Sheppard could see it contained the components of a long-barrelled weapon.

'This will be the best option,' he said as he worked, piecing it all together. 'It fires a laser over five hundred metres with great accuracy. It's invisible to the naked eye, leaves almost no visible mark, but will liquify any organ it's aimed at in seconds.'

Construction complete, he handed the weapon the Sheppard. It was light, easy to wield, and when Lansha helpfully showed him how to activate the scope, the clarity of the view took his breath away. 'Nice.'

'We've not had cause to use it ourselves yet. We originally purchased it to kill Akalus, but since he never emerged from Phylacos we had no opportunity to try it out.'

'Now we do,' Sheppard replied, concealing it under his cloak and heading for the hatch.

'Wait. I'll come with you,' Mishta insisted, catching up with him.

'I don't think so,' he instantly responded. 'I'm pretty sure Kaliq will recognise you from a mile away.'

Undeterred, she looked around the craft, dragging Lansha's jacket off him without so much as a by-your-leave, after which she rummaged through the pack she'd brought with her to find a scarf to wrap around her red locks, completely covering them. As a finishing touch, she pulled out a set of tinted goggles and slipped them over her eyes. Outfit complete.

Sheppard supposed from a distance her distinguishing features were adequately concealed. 'You're not gonna take no for an answer, are you?'

She shook her head, pulling the slightly oversized jacket higher on her shoulders. 'No.'

'Which means that apparently I have to,' he sighed. 'Fine. Let's go.'

Keeping the craft between him and the line of sight to where Kaliq stood, Sheppard made his way up the hill with Mishta right on his tail. The steep incline left him short of breath far quicker than it should have, and he tried his best to stifle his wheezes as he trudged up the last few feet and found a spot behind a broad tree bole where they could conceal themselves from view. Mishta squeezed in tight beside him, probably tighter than necessary, but that was no surprise.

'Do you have a good view from here?'

Sheppard, tugged the gun out from under his cloak, rolled onto his stomach and activated the scope, casting his gaze around the whole of the landing area. 'Yep. There's a few spots out of view, but I've got a clear shot of most of the crafts.'

'Can I look?' she asked, not waiting for an invitation before pressing her face in close beside his. He leaned away a little so she could see through the scope. 'Whoa, that's a really clear view.' She turned to face him, their noses almost touching she was so close. 'And now we have time on our hands.'

He asked himself, as he had many times before, why he never saw it coming as her lips locked onto his. For a second or two he was so surprised he didn't react, just lay there, frozen, while she caught the back of his neck in her hand to hold him there as if she feared he might pull away. And he should, because he didn't doubt for a second that if she weren't still at least a little bit hopped up on enzyme she wouldn't be doing this.

He waited it out until she pulled back. 'Wow. You're really pulling out all the stops today, huh?'

'Well, if I left the timing up to you, it would never happen,' she smirked, leaning in to kiss him again.

This time he stopped her, placing his hand over her mouth before she could make contact. 'Do I have to say no? Again?'

'No…you don't have to.'

Okay, he'd walked right into that one. 'I need to concentrate.'

She huffed out a sigh, and rolled onto her back, staring up at the brilliant blue sky. 'And later there will be another excuse.'

His response was icy and straight to the point. 'Yeah. It's called your commitment partner.'

That struck a nerve, and he felt her whole body tense up beside him. He really hoped she could keep her anger in check and not blow his mission. 'Must you always bring him into things?' she grumbled, her mood quickly turning darker. She draped her arm across her face, as if trying to block it all out.

'He seems kinda relevant, don't you think?'

She just sighed again and said nothing.

Feeling bad, he decided to drop that line of conversation, peering through his weapon's scope again as he activated his earpiece. 'Ronon…any luck identifying the woman yet?'

'Can't see past that Kaliq guy…no…wait…' There was a prolonged pause, and Sheppard chewed his lip as he waited for more info. His heart sank as Ronon finally confirmed his fears. 'It's not her…it's just a kid.'

'Dammit!' Sheppard hissed, dropping his forehead to the cold, dewy grass. He'd known he shouldn't, but he'd let his hopes rise anyway. How could he not?

He felt Mishta gently stroke his head, her determined attempts at seduction replaced now with what seemed to him like genuine concern. 'I'm so sorry, John. We won't give up until we find her. I promise.'

But with no leads Sheppard was beginning to wonder if they would find her before his sickness took hold and wiped him out. 'I know,' he sighed, looking up and giving her a half-hearted smile. 'I know.'

'What do you want us to do, Sir?' Mehra's voice asked via the commlink. 'We can't just leave her here with these freaks.'

Sheppard winced at Mehra's lack of tact since from what he'd seen at least a quarter of the folks at the market were Birajan. 'No…we can't.'

'If I might interject here,' Lansha's voice chimed in. 'If we use our bidding plan, we won't be able to use the same scheme if your friend should come up for sale in an auction in the future. One false sale will have everyone on alert for shady dealing for many months to come.'

That gave him pause for thought. He could feel Mishta's gaze burning into him, willing him to make the right choice. He was determined to put the incomplete out of its misery, so how could he even contemplate abandoning a girl to these deviants? She was someone's daughter, sister maybe even girlfriend. And if he could get her home, that would make one family's life complete again. Teyla would want that for her.

'Follow the plan. Bid for her,' he ordered, closing his eyes and hoping he was doing the right thing.

'Lansha is very smart. He'll think of another way we can help your friend should we find her,' Mishta reassured him, before adding, 'Please don't tell him I said that about him. He's arrogant enough without knowing that.'

He peered at her, then huffed out a laugh into his chest. 'Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.'

The laugh unfortunately triggered a bout of coughing that rattled deep in his lungs, tearing at his throat before he could bring it under control. When he moved his hand away from his mouth, there were specks of blood on his palm. Oh, that was not good…not good at all.

'John? Are you all right?'

The look of genuine worry etched into Mishta's pretty features caused his stomach to plummet. He couldn't tell her how bad things were getting. 'I'm all right. It's just a cold,' he lied again, even though he knew she didn't believe him. It was easier than telling the truth.

Mehra informed them when the bidding began. It was a lengthy process with more than twenty items up for grabs before either of the human specimens were ready to be sold. Apparently Kaliq was only there for the humans because Mehra told them he made no bids on anything right up until the point the incomplete came up for auction. But even then, he only made a few cursory offers before conceding to other bidders. According to his eyes and ears at the market, Kaliq was there for one item, and one item only.

And that item was up next.

Sheppard listened as Lansha reminded Mehra and Ronon how to place their bids, advising them not to bid too high too quickly as that was not the Chapellan way. A slow steady increase of around one hundred credits above the previous bid was their usual measured approach. Anything else would draw suspicion.

Mehra and Ronon followed the instructions. There were dozens of bidders, many with deep pockets if the length of time it was taking was anything to go by. But they didn't have to worry about amounts. Whatever they bid, Lansha's false credit details would convince the auctioneer that they had the funds to pay for it.

The wait was agonising. The longer it went on, the more worried Sheppard became that his friends might make a misstep and get caught. In a place like this, that could prove fatal. But they didn't, and at the end of a protracted period of tension, Mehra announced that they had placed the winning bid.

As the auction ended, and Lansha talked them through how to go and claim their winnings, Sheppard returned his attention to the landing area, scouring it and waiting for the winners of the incomplete to make their way back to their vessel.

'This is a difficult shot, John. Would you like me to try? You're shaking,' Mishta said softly beside him. And for the first time he realised she was right, he was trembling. It was slight, but it was another sign of the creeping, insidious sickness reclaiming his body.

'No…no…I can make the shot,' he insisted. He felt responsible for freeing that poor creature onto this godforsaken planet. And just like Mishta's traditions meant she had to take care of him, he felt that meant it was his job to end the incomplete's suffering.

After several impatient minutes of waiting, Sheppard spotted a group of aliens more or less dragging the poor incomplete along behind them on a leash. From time to time, they would kick at it, and their facial expressions suggested laughter, while the incomplete screamed and contorted and thrashed. For a second, Sheppard wondered if this was the right thing…if he shouldn't be killing the aliens tormenting the incomplete rather than the unfortunate wretch itself…but he couldn't imagine any life in which the poor creature wouldn't suffer horribly. Since killing the aliens wouldn't buy a better quality of life for such a defenceless, helpless creation, it seemed the kindest thing to do.

He lined up his shot as best he could, hoping that the thing would keep still long enough for his aim to hit the mark. They were almost back at the craft.

'If you're going to do it –'

'I know,' he grunted. The interruptions really weren't helping. Focus, John, he told himself, watching for just a momentary lapse in the incomplete's struggles.

It came when one of the creature's purchasers punched it hard in the face to quiet it down. The incomplete flopped out on its back, stunned and motionless, and Sheppard saw his moment to strike. A direct hit to the temple meant the poor, hapless experiment would never move again.

After a few seconds of trying to rouse the incomplete, the aliens seemed to realise it was no longer living. One of them pushed at the alien that had punched it, obviously believing it was the blow that had caused its death. Sheppard lowered his weapon, satisfied that his job was done. Necessary as it had been, it didn't feel good.

'We should get back to the others – see what your friends have purchased,' Mishta urged, gently tugging at his sleeve.

He nodded, swallowed down the sense of guilt trying to overwhelm him, and followed Mishta back to the cover of their craft.

oooOOOooo

After surreptitiously scanning a Japhalan child leaving the market as he arrived, Tamrak now wore the young male's image as his disguise as he sauntered around the market, sipping at a ruppath juice he had purchased while seeking out suitable sustenance for himself and the human he carried safely in his pocket.

He'd mostly ignored the bidding going on at the centre of the marketplace, enjoying instead the relative quiet around the various stalls while he browsed the goods available. He bought a hooded coat, and various items of fruit and breads, flasks of water and some dried vosqua meat, all things he knew would last at least a few days, reducing the necessity to approach a market again for at least a little while.

When a squealing sound caught his attention, he found himself inexorably drawn toward the central dais, swept along with the surging interest of everyone else gathered there. Tamrak wasn't sure what he was witnessing at first – a strange pale deformed creature lay on the stage, squirming and convulsing, shrieking out as one of the auctioneer's staff poked it into position at the centre of the stand. Then it dawned on him that this was some kind of human. His master had from time to time managed to break into Akalus' computer systems to peruse his inventory, and this thing reminded him of the experimental humans Akalus had listed for sale as food. Incompletes, that was what he'd heard them called. This was an incomplete.

His stomach turned at the sight of the hideous thing and he backed away again, hunting instead for hygiene supplies, certain both he and his human companion would need to get cleaned up at some point in their journeys. He had brought all of his savings with him, meagre as they were. With such luxury items purchased, the rest of his credits would last them for a few weeks of food supplies if necessary. With luck, he would have her back to her human friends by then. What would happen to him after that he had not even considered. Somehow he would have to build a new life for himself, and that thought truly terrified him.

After finding some arraff wool towels and frimole blossom perfumed soap pellets and storing them in his sack, he felt a shift in atmosphere again. Once more, his attention was drawn to the dais, and this time he saw a young human female being led to its centre, her tiny, fragile frame trembling amidst the cruel staffers, who pushed and pulled her remorselessly until they were satisfied everyone had seen her enough to make informed bids. Tamrak found himself thinking she looked half-famished. He had to wonder where she had been up to this point and what she had been through. She kept her eyes downturned, no doubt overwhelmed by the sheer number of faces and the noise all around her. He wished he had more money so he could bid for her himself, but his pitiful allowance wouldn't even cover an opening bid, of that he was certain.

Glad Teyla could not see this, he carried on, half-watching without getting too close to the action. There were a couple of Chapellans who kept steadily bidding, always topping the previous bid by a small amount, enough to keep themselves ahead. He recognised one of the other bidders as a trader called Kaliq. His master had often had Tamrak take him to the creature's vessel for the various rare and unusual requirements of his experiments. In fact, he had mentioned only yesterday that they would need to call on him again to enquire about cloning technology for his Wraith experiments. Kaliq had a reputation for being able to acquire anything anyone ever needed, legal or otherwise, for the right price. He most likely had a purchaser in mind for this young female and cared little for what future might await her. As long as he received his payment, nothing was too much trouble for him.

His sense of pity and the guilt at being unable to help her proved too much, and Tamrak decided it was time to go. They had enough supplies for the time being, so there was no need to delay their departure any further. He wandered back to their craft, making sure no one actually saw him climb aboard so that they could associate his disguise with this ship. The vessel was one of several outdated craft kept in storage at the Rammarant palace since new ones had been purchased several months ago. The craft were stored in a warehouse at the periphery of the palace grounds which was rarely entered. The ship was dirty and old, but it functioned as well as they needed it to, so it would suffice for now. No doubt news of its being missing would eventually reach the prince, but Tamrak had removed the tracker all Rammarant vehicles were fitted with, so Valkalar would have to rely on eyewitnesses to find out where it was. With any luck, he might have Teyla back to her friends before anyone even realised it was gone.

Tamrak initiated a vertical take-off, lifting up above the other craft just as a bunch of Furrutians came into view, dragging the incomplete human behind them on a leash. He steeled himself, aware there was nothing he could do to help again, and turned the craft about, heading to the east over open land where less people would see their course.

After flying a reasonable distance from the market, Tamrak spotted a copse of trees at the edge of the verdant plains he was crossing, just before the point where the ground became more arid and gradually turned to desert. Taking the craft down, he slowed to a safe speed to weave through the trunks and settle the vessel down in what was a small clearing almost at the centre of the cluster.

He jumped down from the transport and pulled the harvesting device from his pocket, setting it in reverse function and hoping to the great gods of all that was great in Pegasus that is really did work. In a flash of brilliant light Teyla reintegrated before his dazzled eyes, slumping straight to her knees.

Tamrak darted forward, offering support. She assured him that she was fine and got to her feet, leaning against the craft a moment until she regained her balance. 'How long was I in there?'

'Longer than I would have liked,' he admitted, reaching into the craft and pulling out his sack of goods. 'I wanted to get us a safe distance from the palace before letting you back out…and then I realised we would need provisions and it wouldn't be safe for you to be at the market with me so…' He pulled a piece of fruit from the bag and handed it to her. 'This was the first opportunity I had to release you. How are you feeling?'

Teyla took the proffered fruit, turning it over in her fingers as she sat herself down with her back against the craft for support. 'I am well enough,' she smiled. 'And better yet, I am free, thanks to you.'

He sat beside her and passed her one of the flasks of water, and she set her fruit down in her lap to take it from him and loosen off the cap before drinking deeply.

'I'm afraid it's not up to the standards of the sustenance you were served at the palace.'

Teyla stopped drinking, her brown eyes meeting his. He saw no malice, only genuine happiness in that exchange. 'This is more than good enough, Tamrak. Thank you for all you have done for me. I know how hard it was for you to go against Valkalar's orders.' She reached a hand onto his shoulder and leaned over to touch her forehead to his. Tamrak had no idea why she was doing it, but it appeared to be some sign of friendship. In just a few moments, this human had shown him more kindness and gratitude than the prince had shown him in almost a lifetime of servitude. He knew then and there that he had made the right choice in helping her, no matter what the future held for him.

She ate her fruit again and he joined in too, not realising how hungry he was until he started to eat. He shared a few more pieces of food with her, stopping himself when she told him she was satisfied, and they should conserve supplies. If the human could show restraint when hungry, so could he. 'There is a stream running past the trees, I'll refill the flasks and come right back.' He leaned over the side of the craft and pulled out the coat he had purchased in the market. 'Here, put this on to conceal yourself.

Teyla nodded and climbed into the craft to wait for him, pulling on the hooded coat as he'd instructed her to. It felt odd to him to be telling someone what to do. He'd spent his whole life following orders – to have someone willingly follow his advice was a totally new experience for him. He'd learned long ago not to be prideful, because whenever he felt he'd done a good job, Valkalar had torn him down again, destroying his self-esteem. But today, for the first time in a very long time, he allowed himself to feel good about what he had done for this human. He had done some terrible things in the name of Valkalar, particularly to secure this human for him. There was no way of knowing how he would be received by the rebels when he returned Teyla to her friends, and he had no idea what would become of him once his self-imposed mission was completed. He couldn't return to the Rammarant tribe, so there was a good chance he would be alone. But despite his uncertain future, he was proud of this one, selfless and brave act he had carried out.

Perhaps the gods would look favourably on him, just as Teyla had.