A/N: Yay, another update!
realSkyEyes, I just wanted to let you know that your last review had me cracking up. You summed up that chapter perfectly. Glad you are enjoying the story!
musicalcoco, hope you continue to stick with this! Thanks for commenting.
Now, on with the story.
Even though Ola'we had been described to them before they approached, Elizabeth still found herself slack jawed as John maneuvered the jumper within range. It was one thing to hear about an organically built city stretched out beneath the polar waters and another entirely to see it in person. A society capable of creating such a wonder must be advanced indeed—exactly the kind of people they were hoping to run into through their explorations of alien worlds.
"Wow," John whistled, his thoughts apparently following the same trajectory. "That's impressive."
"It's like a real life Gungan City," Rodney murmured in agreement, a decidedly greedy look in his eyes.
Jones, who was standing in the doorway that led to the rear of the ship, turned to smack St. Clair knowingly. "That's what I said!"
Teyla raised an eyebrow from her seat behind Sheppard, and Elizabeth smiled ruefully back at her, not really understanding the reference herself, but sure it was from some movie she hadn't seen.
"I wonder what kind of shielding that is," Rodney continued, ignoring Jones' comment. "It almost looks fluid. And check out those trees! How did they get this all down here?"
"We didn't really get that far," Jones provided. "Estie said something about city growing, but it sounded pretty complicated."
"Yeah, I'd imagine so," Rodney muttered.
As wondrous as the city was, Elizabeth wasn't one to lose focus. They'd been doing this long enough for her to know how often these advanced races were unwilling to help them, or, if they were open to a partnership, ended up being too arrogant and difficult to be of any use. Their goal in this meeting was first and foremost to retrieve their lost people. Any attempt to create a future relationship was secondary.
"No wonder they don't like visitors, if they've been hiding away down here all this time," John said. "Probably haven't talked to anyone from another world in… I don't even know. How long have they been down here?"
"Estie said the city is 10,000 years old," St. Clair piped up from his seat in the back.
"Well, there you go," John said, satisfied that his point had been made.
"Let's just hope they can put aside their fear of outsiders long enough to speak to us," Elizabeth said from her seat behind Rodney. She was all too aware that it could go either way, though in her experience, a society with this level of technology usually had some kind of moral code to go along with it. Hopefully it was one that precluded them from shooting her team on sight.
She turned to Sergeant Jones. "I'm assuming you know where we're going?"
"Yep," Jones said, leaning forward and pointing to a spot off to the right. "The Administration is in that big building in the center of the city. We parked on a platform over there."
"Don't think we'll need your directions." John nodded out the front window as a small ship dropped in front of them. "Seems they were expecting us." The HUD revealed two more ships on either side of the puddle jumper, clearly intended as escorts.
The ships led them in a wide arc around the city's center, weaving them down into a trench between massive coral structures. "They are trying to keep us hidden from view," Teyla observed as they entered a large tunnel beneath the city.
They settled down in a large underground chamber, the water draining out around them as soon as the puddle jumper touched down. Their escorts parked around them, blocking their exit route.
"Well," John said, eyeing the six guards approaching the ship. "They look pissed, but they haven't shot us yet, so I guess that's a good sign."
"Let's remember to be on our best behavior so they don't get any ideas," Elizabeth reminded him.
Ronon led the way out of the jumper, Elizabeth next with John at her elbow, and the rest of the team falling in behind them. The underground cavern was chilly, the dampness from the water that had been filling it a moment ago hanging in the air.
"The Administration feared you would return," one of the guards greeted, his deep voice echoing off the chamber walls. His hair was more yellow than the others, his eyes a slightly darker shade of blue. "My name is Joab, commander of the Guard."
"Joab, it's nice to meet you," Elizabeth answered. "My name is Elizabeth Weir, leader of our people. We have come to retrieve our missing men."
"They are not here," Joab said matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, we know," John interjected, matching Joab's cold tone with his own snarky one. "One of your people nabbed them."
The commander bristled and Elizabeth shot a look at John to settle down and let her do the talking. "We wanted to seek approval from the Administration to search for them," she said, turning back to Joab. "Please. That's all we're asking. We don't want any trouble."
Joab considered this for a moment, scanning them suspiciously before finally giving a curt nod. "Follow me." He pivoted and marched toward an archway in the side of the chamber, the other guards flanking the team as they followed.
They were led through a series of underground tunnels, lit by softly glowing patches of a plant that probably wasn't moss, but looked like moss to Elizabeth. The light glittered off dark crystals embedded in the roughly carved out walls. It felt mystical, as alluring and beautiful as the rest of the city that they'd seen so far.
Joab and the rest of his guards were silent as they walked, and thankfully, no one on her team tried to make small talk, not even Rodney. His amazement at the sights seemed to have dissipated as soon as they'd left the ship, and Elizabeth remembered that he was claustrophobic. Being in a tunnel at the bottom of the ocean with only a thin bubble holding back tons of seawater was a little disconcerting.
Eventually, they reached a staircase that appeared to be carved out of black glass. Obsidian, Elizabeth realized as they began to ascend. At the top, large double doors awaited, and through them, a giant chamber with a huge obsidian table in the middle.
A weasely little man waited just inside the door, wringing his hands a few times before realizing what he was doing and dropping them stiffly to his sides. "Welcome," he greeted without a hint of sincerity. "I am Ardlone, Steward of the Administration." He spotted Jones and St. Clair at the back of the group. "Ah, yes, we already met. Well, for the rest of you then, please sit right over there. I will tell the Administors that you have arrived."
As he scuttled away, his footsteps echoing against the stone into the cavernous space, the team made their way to the far end of the table where he indicated that they should sit. "They've upped their security this time," St. Clair said quietly to Sheppard as he took a seat next to Elizabeth. She noted that the guards were positioning themselves next to the large stone pillars on the outskirts of the room.
They didn't have to wait long before the five Administrators exited the door on the far side of the room, each dressed in a different color of robes. They took their seats, and then the man in the middle, wearing violet, cleared his throat and addressed Jones and St. Clair, who were sitting on one end of the table. "I believe you were told to leave Ola'we and never return, not bring more of your people here."
"Sir, if I may," Elizabeth said, standing. "My name is Doctor Elizabeth Weir, leader of my people. We respect your wishes to be left alone, however, two of our men are still here on your planet."
"Yes," the man practically growled. "We are aware of the unfortunate circumstance, and are working to correct the matter."
Elizabeth caught a look from John, but ignored it. She didn't need his help pointing out the careful phrasing of the man's response. She would get to that. "May I ask your name?"
"You may call me Grand Administrator Tokon."
"Grand Administrator Tokon," Elizabeth repeated, bobbing her head in thanks. The first step in negotiating was to establish rapport, and then trust. "Thank you for speaking to us. We apologize for the situation our presence has caused, and would like to request permission to help search for our men so that we can rectify it."
"We do not require your assistance, Doctor Elizabeth Weir. As I said, we are handling the matter. You should not have returned to Ola'we."
"It is not our habit to leave our people behind," Elizabeth explained, keeping her voice even. Calm was contagious. "Once we have safely retrieved Major Lorne and Lieutenant Kennel, we would be happy to leave as you have asked."
The man dressed in maroon spoke from his seat next to Ardlone. "You will leave now, as your men should have done the first time."
"Hey! We tried to leave!" Jones said loudly.
"We have been more than gracious with them," the maroon-clad Administrator said to the others, glowering at the Lanteans. "They cannot be allowed to stay here. Their very presence puts us all in danger. We should have dealt with them properly the first time they came." His hatred for them was obvious. "I say we execute them as an example to any others who try to enter Ola'we."
The rest of her team was halfway to their feet, prepared to defend themselves, before Elizabeth could wave them back down. Further escalation from their side wasn't going to get them what they wanted.
"Jethro," Tokon barked, giving the man a hard look until he settled. Turning back to Elizabeth, he sighed. "The Administrator of the Guard makes a fair point. If you will not leave willingly, we will have to take measures to ensure you do."
"We're not going anywhere 'til we get our people back," John said, frustration evident in his tone.
"It is not your decision," Tokon barked, motioning toward the guards. "Get them out."
"Wait!" Elizabeth pleaded, trying to get a hold of the situation again. "Please. We all want the same thing here."
"Tokon," the woman in yellow said, raising a hand to halt the guards. Her voice was smooth, her icy white eyes meeting Elizabeth's steadily. "I would hear them. Perhaps they have ways of locating their men that would be of benefit to us. It seems Jethro's guard could use some help."
Jethro's face turned the same shade as his robes, but he kept his mouth shut tightly, allowing Tokon to respond. "We cannot allow them to roam Ola'we unattended, Jushi. We do not know—"
"I will accompany them," Jushi said, cutting him off.
This shocked the others into silence. "Jushi," the woman clothed in blue eventually said, "have you gone as mad as Estie? You know nothing of them!"
Jushi met Elizabeth's gaze once more, her mouth turning up ever so slightly. "Whoever they are, I believe they are earnest," she said, squaring her shoulders in a way that dared her colleagues to challenge her decision. "I will go with them to find their missing men, and once they do, I will ensure that they all leave us. As Administrator of the People, it is my right and responsibility to do this."
The other Administrators began whispering among themselves, throwing suspicious looks back toward the Lanteans as they did. Jushi, seemingly amused by the deliberations going on around her, continued to smile at Elizabeth, who nodded her thanks.
The Administrators quieted down and Tokon once again addressed Elizabeth. "You will be given one cycle of the sun to find your men. Jushi will accompany you to ensure that is all you do. When it has returned to its position tomorrow, you will either leave Tal'we, or your lives will be forfeit. Do you understand?"
One day. On this planet, that was 33 hours. Elizabeth glanced at John, who nodded. It was the best they were going to get. "We understand."
"Jushi," Tokon continued, turning to the yellow-clad Administor. "You bind yourself to these, and so are bound by the same rules. Do you agree?"
"I do," she said.
Tokon stared at her for a long moment, as if disappointed by her decision. "Joab will escort your ship. If any more of your ships are seen on Tal'we, they will be destroyed without question."
Jethro stood first, broadcasting his displeasure about the decision in the look he gave the Lanteans before he turned to leave with a sweep of his robes. Tokon made to leave as well, though the other two Administrators took a moment to speak quietly to Jushi.
"Thank you, Grand Administrator Tokon," Elizabeth said as her side of the table got up.
Tokon turned back toward her, his expression cold. "Find your men and leave us, Doctor Elizabeth Weir. And heed our advice not to return again."
Evan had been hoping to wait in Estie's rover while she talked to her father, but she'd insisted he and Kennel come inside with her. He wasn't sure if she suspected that he would try to hotwire her ship (not that he was even sure he could fly it—he'd been watching her and, however the controls worked, they were not intuitive), or if she just needed him there as evidence to make her father give her what she wanted. Either way, it wasn't like he could protest. She had the gun.
But, man, did he wish he didn't have to be there for the awkward reunion between Estie and her father. He could feel the nervous energy coming off of her as they approached the door of his home, one of the many small coral structures speckled on the outskirts of the city. The air under the bubble covering them was already cold, but as soon as the door opened, Evan swore the temperature dropped a couple more degrees.
The man who greeted them bore little resemblance to Estie other than his coloring. He had a face that Evan imagined was stuck in a perpetual scowl, the wrinkles on his forehead deep from years of practice, much unlike Estie's gleeful wonder. Grunting, he looked the visitors up and down, unimpressed.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my daughter, the one who swore never to speak to me again? And why does she bring strangers to my door without invitation?"
"Rodell." Estie's greeting held a coldness that spoke volumes about her relationship with this man. "These are Lanteans. They came through the Stargate—"
"Bah!" Rodell waved a hand at her. "Of course they are. Why else would you bother to see me but to try and convince me of your theories? Never to say hello or see how I am faring."
Estie took a deep breath. "Hello, father. How have you been? Are the crops doing well?"
His scowl deepened. "Do not flatter me with your words, daughter. If you cared for me, cared for your people, you would have stayed with me. Not abandoned your assignment to become a clerk."
"There is no time for this," Estie said through clenched teeth. "I care for my people, as I have told you before. That is why I left."
"You were always too much like my father," he muttered, shaking his head. "Never learned to plant your feet in the sand to stop you from floating away."
"But I was right!" Estie insisted, motioning toward the captives. "Look! They are proof of it!" She turned toward Evan. "Tell him who you are."
Evan so did not want to be in the middle of this. Any of this. Why was it his job to convince everyone that he existed? He felt like some kind of circus side-show freak, a mythical creature whose sole purpose was to be oohed and ahhed at. But as much as he hated being paraded around, he knew that the sooner they got this journal or whatever, the sooner they could find the temple and go home.
"It's true," he said, biting back the sarcastic comment that wanted to come out. Being snarky would just waste time. "My name is Major Lorne, and this is Lieutenant Kennel. We came through the Stargate from Atlantis."
"I don't care," Estie's father said bluntly, white eyes snapping back to his daughter. Well, at least he wasn't completely freaked out like the Administration. "Why have you come here, Estie?"
She gaped a bit at his reaction to the Lanteans' presence, but recovered enough to reply, as if it should be obvious. "Grandfather's journal."
The older man narrowed his eyes. "I don't have it. I got rid of it years ago."
"So you say," Estie argued, shaking her head.
"Why would I keep such a thing?" he asked with a mirthless laugh. "A symbol of all his wasted years, chasing after a legend that meant nothing. And meanwhile, my mother, trying to do our part for the good of Ola'we. To keep us from losing what little respect we had."
"A legend?!" Estie nearly shouted in response. "Do you not—" She cut herself off, waving frantically at her hostages. "They're right here, Father!"
This was going great. Evan noticed that they were drawing the attention of curious neighbors, who were beginning to peek out of their doorways to watch the scene with wide eyes.
Zeb noticed, too. "Can we discuss this inside?" he mumbled, nodding toward their gathering audience with a look of desperation.
"There is nothing to discuss," Rodell answered loudly. "But if you want to come in, by all means." He stepped aside and swept a hand dramatically into his small home. "After all, this may be the only time I see my daughter since she only comes to me when she needs something."
Estie began to protest, but Zeb herded them all into the house, pulling the door closed quickly behind them.
The house wasn't large, but it was homey, with worn cushions piled in the corners and a table holding various trinkets and gadgets in the middle. One wall held a bookshelf piled with colorful books and loose pages stuffed into every empty space. There were open doorways on either side of the room they were in, leading off to what might have been a kitchen and a bedroom based on the furnishings. Glass globes with glittering lights provided a gentle glow, casting flickering shadows against the rough walls.
"You act as if it was my choice alone to leave," Estie was saying. "Yet you made it clear you did not want me to stay here."
"You acted as though my work was not important! As if feeding our people was not a worthy assignment!"
Evan wandered toward the bookshelf while Estie and her father continued their argument, not really sure where to stand. He almost felt bad for Estie—and thankful that he got along with his family—but their fighting wasn't going to get him and Kennel out of here any faster.
Again, Zeb seemed to be on the same wavelength, as he tried to interject reason. "Estie, we do not have time," he reminded her quietly. "They are coming."
"Who is coming?" Rodell demanded, turning to tower over Zeb. "And who are you?"
Zeb cowered under the older man's gaze, lifting his hands defensively. "I-I am Zeb."
"He believes as I do in a better future for Tal'we," Estie said, moving toward her timid assistant protectively. "He has been helping me search for evidence of the Lanteans, which has been successful, as you could see if you only opened your eyes. And he speaks of the Guard."
Rodell went pale. "The Guard? Estie, what have you done? You didn't take them..." He glanced at Evan again, realization crossing his face.
"Of course I took them to the Administration," Estie said proudly. "They can help our people!"
Rodell's anger bled out of him, and he held a hand out to the wall as if suddenly very tired. "Oh, daughter," he moaned. "You do not know what you have done. It is one thing to bring them here, but to take them before the Administration…"
Evan was starting to feel like he was getting whiplash trying to keep up with this conversation. Glancing at Kennel, he saw the lieutenant was just as confused.
"How did you get here?" Rodell asked. "Surely the Administration didn't let you leave with them."
Estie bit her lip. "They ordered the Lanteans to leave Ola'we and never return, but I couldn't let that happen." She let him extrapolate the rest for himself.
"Estie." Her name caught in Rodell's throat, the fear evident in his voice. "You cannot defy the Administration. They will kill you all!"
Until now, Evan hadn't felt the need to add to the conversation, despite the many questions he had. But that deserved to be addressed. He had already considered the possibility, but that was a little more confirmation than he'd been hoping for. "What do you mean, they'll kill us?" he said.
Rodell's white eyes flicked to him before turning back to Estie with concern. "You must send them away. Beg for forgiveness. Perhaps they will—"
"No, Father," Estie interrupted. "You should know more than anyone, we cannot continue to live this way. Every year, the harvest lessens. And think of Mother." Her voice cracked with emotion. "They are our only hope."
There was a beat of silence, and then Estie's face softened. "If you have any love left for me, please. I need to finish what Grandfather started."
"Uh, I'm still pretty concerned about the whole 'kill us' thing, if anyone wants to expound on that a little more," Evan added.
Rodell ignored his question, waving him out of the way as he searched the bookshelf. "I will be no part of this, from here out," he grumbled, his cranky old man persona snapping back into place. He pulled out a few large tomes, shoving them onto the table and nearly toppling the mess of things he pushed aside with them. "You were never here, do you understand?"
"I understand," Estie said, and Zeb nodded enthusiastically.
Tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth, Rodell felt around at the back of the bookshelf. "I can never quite remember… Ah!" He gave a satisfied smirk, pulling out a small, leather book wrapped up with a cord. For a fleeting moment, a fond look passed over his face as he ran his fingers over the worn cover.
He held it out to Estie. "For your mother," he said softly as she took it reverently.
"Thank you, Father."
Rodell harrumphed and motioned toward the door. "Now get out of here."
Behind the scenes author's note: sometimes my inspiration for a story comes in the form of a line of dialogue. In this case, it was someone saying, "If you talk like Jar Jar Binks one more time, we're going home." Alas, that line didn't make it into the actual story, but that's why there are all the references to Gungan City. :)