Thanks for all the feedback. Most of this is written already, the chapters just need a bit of fine-tuning before they're ready for posting.

Part Two

'I'm going after him,' Ronon announced as the 'gate opened, turning to suit his actions to his words.

'You will never make it,' Teyla told him angrily as she supported a semi-conscious McKay. 'You must come back with us and we will return with reinforcements. Dr Weir will not allow Colonel Sheppard to remain here for long on his own.'

'There aren't that many,' Ronon tried to argue, surveying the enemy as they drew closer. 'I can take them easily.'

'What's going on? Is there a problem?' Dr Weir's voice came through on the radio, concerned when nobody stepped through the 'gate.

'We are under attack, Dr McKay is injured,' Teyla replied. 'Stand by.' Turning back to Ronon with a glare, the warrior at last gave in and moved to support McKay on his other side before the three of them returned to Atlantis.

'Get him to the infirmary,' Elizabeth ordered the moment she saw Rodney, seeing him into the hands of the newly-arrived medics before returning to Teyla and Ronon. 'What happened? Where's Colonel Sheppard?'

'We have to go back,' Ronon snapped angrily. 'Sheppard got trapped on the far side of the village, he was being pursued.'

'When we arrived the village was being attacked by raiders. We tried to stop them but there were too many and we were unable to save anyone,' Teyla related the course of events as rapidly as possible. She also found it extremely frustrating but she was aware that Dr Weir would not authorise a rescue mission until she had the facts before her. 'Ronon was able to join Dr McKay and myself when we realised there were more of them than we first thought, we had no choice but to retreat to the 'gate. Colonel Sheppard was supposed to join us but in his last contact with us he told us he was being pursued. We waited as long as we could when we reached the 'gate but we had no choice but to come through without him.'

Elizabeth wasted no time making any comment, she trusted Teyla's judgement as much as she trusted Sheppard's and knew every second counted. 'Major Lorne? I need you to get a couple of units to the 'jumper bay as quickly as possible to mount a rescue mission for Colonel Sheppard. Teyla and Ronon will join you, they can give you more details. Weir out.'

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The 'gate opened taking the people lying in wait on the other side by surprise. As they scrambled to their feet hastily reaching for their weapons, they were even more surprised at the sight of two small ships coming through and swooping around them. Forming themselves into a circle from which they could defend themselves from all sides, they waited nervously for what might come next.

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'Roberts and Carlton I want you to go with Teyla and Ronon and start searching for Colonel Sheppard at his last known location,' Major Lorne was issuing his orders hastily, very much aware of the threat they still had to deal with. 'White and Marks will cover the rest of us from the air.'

The battle was over almost before it began. As the enemy saw the approaching soldiers they broke their defensive circle and went on the offensive but moments later, as they saw the kind of firepower the two 'jumpers had, they laid down their weapons and gave themselves up.

'Some of their men are unaccounted for, sir,' Sgt Farrow reported to Lorne after the prisoners were secured. 'They don't seem to be quite the mercenaries Ronon made out.'

'Don't you believe it,' Lorne put the Sergeant right. 'I've seen many brave men become cowards in the face of superior weaponry. Besides, from what you know of Ronon, do you really think he'd leave Colonel Sheppard behind if this was all that was standing in his way?' He waved his arm, indicating the subdued opposing force. 'How many men are we talking?' He returned to more important matters.

'Probably no more than ten, but they're not too sure. They know some were killed in the village, but they have no idea how many are still out there,' Sgt Farrow replied.

'Alright, listen up folks, this is what we're going to do,' Lorne addressed the whole team. 'We're going to send this sorry bunch back to where they came from. When we're done with that, our priority is to find Colonel Sheppard and neutralise any of the enemy we come across. We'll use the 'jumpers to search from the air and give us advance notice of anything we need to know about. Understood?'

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Three hours later the Atlantis team had encountered six more of the mercenaries, easily overpowering them as they tried to get back to the 'gate unseen. Leaving a couple of men to keep the 'gate secure, Lorne had given orders to widen the search area already begun by Ronon and Teyla.

'Teyla, Ronon, this is Lorne. It's going to be dark soon, we'll have to set up camp for the night and begin again at first light.' Lorne knew this decision wouldn't be popular but he had to consider the practicalities of searching an unknown territory in the dark with an unknown number of enemy soldiers trying to track them down.

'Stand by.' Teyla looked at Ronon knowing her team-mate would not consent to giving up the search again, but fortunately she was able to provide a good reason that would hopefully keep Major Lorne happy. 'We have found five bodies, Major. Ronon thinks they were all shot with one of our own weapons. We have also recovered the Colonel's radio. I believe he may be injured – there is blood on a rock which he must have used for cover.'

'Stay where you are,' Lorne responded, partly relieved they had found something at last, partly concerned that Atlantis's ranking military officer could have been losing blood for hours in unfamiliar territory pursued by the enemy. 'I'm on my way.'

'He went that way,' Ronon pointed up the hill as soon as Lorne and two others appeared.

'Are you sure?'

Ronon tilted his head to one side and looked steadily at Lorne who got the message.

'We can use the spotlights from the 'jumpers to provide additional lighting. I don't suppose you happen to know if there's likely to be a moon tonight?' Lorne asked Teyla.

'I believe there will be,' Teyla confirmed. 'The Clar'am were a very superstitious people and considered a full moon to be a sign of blessing from their gods. That is why we chose today to come here.'

'Well that'll make things a little easier.' Lorne spoke rapidly into his radio for a few minutes before indicating that everything was now in readiness.

Ronon took the lead, moving slowly but steadily up the hillside, flashlight in hand and eyes sweeping the ground for any more signs that would help them.

'Several people have come this way recently,' Ronon had stopped abruptly and dropped to the ground as he reached the top of the ridge, Teyla and the others following his lead.

'I do not see anyone,' Teyla searched the area lit by the 'jumpers carefully. 'Just a moment…' Ronon had seen it too as he pulled out his weapon and began to move stealthily in the shadows towards his target, closely followed by Teyla.

Shaking his head at the frustration he knew Colonel Sheppard must also feel with the two of them, Lorne requested back-up from the remaining team before he took the same route as Ronon and Teyla.

By the time he reached them, Ronon had single-handedly dealt with the two men who had been waiting to ambush them, using his knife to silently cut their throats so as not to draw attention to their presence.

'They didn't give me any choice,' Ronon told the frowning Lorne. 'They both came at me, I had to defend myself.'

'Ok, let's move on,' Lorne accepted the explanation, not that he had much choice, but intending to keep a closer watch on Ronon.

They proceeded with the search, covering the ground even more slowly as each of them was also very much on the alert for signs of the enemy as well as for any that would tell them they were close to finding Colonel Sheppard. The night grew chilly as the moon began to rise at last, shedding an eerie glow over the woodland they were searching, while at the same moment the spotlight from one of the jumpers highlighted an opening in the hillside before sweeping on it's way.

'Did anyone else…' Lorne began.

'Yes,' Teyla replied before he could finish speaking.

'The tracks lead in that direction,' Ronon confirmed, 'although someone has attempted to erase them.'

Ronon led them to the entrance they had spotted, falling silent as they followed him inside, flashlights sweeping through a number of unoccupied recesses until Ronon let out a yelp.

'What's wrong?' Lorne asked briskly.

'I've been hit by something,' Ronon raised his hand to the side of his face and studied his fingers as they came away covered in blood. 'It's not a gun, but we need to be careful.'

'I believe I know what it was,' Teyla knelt down and picked up a round stone, just the right size to fit in small hand.

'Who…' Lorne began, breaking off when Teyla put her gun away and began to advance, the light from her flashlight illuminating a rock outcropping behind which they could see a figure preparing to take aim again. 'Teyla, what are you doing?'

Teyla ignored him and spoke to the shadowy form in front of her instead. 'It is alright, we are here to help.'