Written in response to a request at the LiveJournal community "sgarareathon" for an off-world story involving Cadman and Teyla.
"This is one fucked-up galaxy. I mean, don't get me wrong, the Goa'uld got up to all kinds of shit in the Milky Way. But this...this really takes the cake." Laura sighed as she pulled a blood-stained rag from her pocket. Teyla closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the cell wall, keeping her hands out in front of her for Laura to tend. The fight had been arduous, more so than previously, and the physical signs of recent events were beginning to show. Laura was initially gentle as she stroked Teyla's bruised knuckles with the cloth, but she couldn't keep her anger at the situation from surfacing and her touch soon became rougher.
She stopped and sighed when she saw the other woman wince, and tossed the soaked rag to one side and caressed Teyla's hands. It had been Teyla's third fight in as many days, and Laura had no doubt that it would be her own turn soon. She knew that the barbarity and perversion of what they were being forced to do enraged Teyla just as much as it did her, but it was the guilt that overwhelmed her. The knowledge that their defeated would be auctioned off to whichever sex-starved sadistic male offered the most money weighed heavy on her heart.
Laura gave up trying to ease the soreness in Teyla's hands, suspecting that the emotional pain that Teyla was feeling far outweighed the physical. Laura joined her on the bench, mimicking her posture.
"Heightmeyer's gonna have a fucking field day with this. A slave trade ring that forces their stock to fight each other, with the loser getting to go home with the highest bidder. I guess the creeps want a woman who shows a little spirit but not enough to be able to fight back." She sighed heavily once more before closing her eyes. "One fucked-up galaxy."
They hadn't discussed the fate of the women they had defeated in their fights, but they were both well aware of exactly what kind of trade they were involved in. The hungry, almost feral look in the eyes of the audience was enough to reveal what lay ahead. They both knew that eventually they would slip up, that they would come up against the one woman who was fractionally fitter, quicker or smarter than them. When they finally lost there would be dozens of eager hands in the air desperate to win possession.
Laura felt Teyla shift next to her before she spoke. "I am not making excuses for these people, but you have to understand the desolation that comes with living under the shadow of the Wraith. There are times when you feel as though there is no point in planning for the future, because the next culling will never be far away. The only thing that is important is the present, the next few hours or days. This approach to life can often cloud judgement."
Laura snorted. "Are you saying you've offered up some fine Athosian women as part of your negotiations just so you could get some extra beans for your evening meal?"
She thought that she saw a flicker of a smile on Teyla's face, but it quickly disappeared under the now familiar mask. "No. I am simply saying that the social skills interactions of the natives of this galaxy are excusable in some cases. In others, however, they are not. Perhaps when the Wraith are finally defeated we can turn our attention to the atrocities that some of the human beings in Pegasus have been performing."
"Huh. Well I'm not sure how McKay would feel about changing his job title from head scientist to UN peacekeeper, but that would be right up Dr. Weir's street. But that's if we ever defeat the Wraith." And if we ever get out of here, Laura added silently.
Laura watched as Teyla's eyes wandered around the room, observing the misery of the dozen or so women left. The others feared them, knowing that they were skilled fighters who had won with relative ease to date. But there was no doubt there would be new arrivals in the morning, new opponents who could upset the odds.
Both Laura and Teyla were interrupted from their reverie by the sound of the cell door being opened once again. It was always the same guard who came in to choose who would fight; a large intimidating man who reminded Laura of her stepfather in both look and attitude. His eyes drifted across the cell, taking in the appearance and demeanor of each woman. Laura and Teyla held their breath as his gaze sauntered past them, only for it to return and rest on Laura. She felt Teyla grip her hand tightly as he stalked towards them, both knowing that this could be the last time they said goodbye.
"May the Ancestors be with you."
It had become a ritual for Teyla to whisper the words in Laura's ear before each fight. Laura had never been particularly religious, but couldn't help but blurt out "may the Lord be with you" whenever Teyla was wrenched from her side. Their respective deities had yet to disappoint.
As she was led from the cell once more Laura thought bitterly that she would give anything to hear Dr. Heightmeyer's psychobabble again. She would even let Rodney ramble at her for hours about the city's shield if it meant that they were home, safe and sound. She wasn't sure how long she could keep giving her all, just to be dumped back into the cell to prepare for the next fight. At the same time, she couldn't even contemplate the alternative.
Her opponent stepped up to the platform first, and Laura took the moment to glance cautiously around the room. She was starting to recognise some of the faces, men who had taken a shine to her and were waiting for her to falter so that they could claim her as theirs. Her eyes rested on one particular face, covered in dirt and half-hidden under a scarf but familiar all the same. He gave a short nod, and she sighed almost indistinctly with relief: it would all be over soon. She knew what she had to do.
As her opponent struck first, Laura prayed that she had guessed the man's intentions correctly. She fought her survival instincts and allowed the other woman to gain the upper hand, finding herself backed into the corner. She empathised with the determination in her rival's eyes, and wondered whether they might have been allies in another universe. Laura doubled up as a punch landed on her stomach, giving her opponent the opportunity to pummel her face once again. Time seemed to stand still as her range of sight and sound narrowed, tuning out all but the woman clutching her shirt and striking her with all her might.
With the little strength that she had left, she raised her hand in the air to admit defeat before slumping in a heap. The cheering of the crowd was deafening and she closed her eyes, dropping her swollen face to the cool floor and simply awaited her fate. She ignored the shouts of unfamiliar numbers and words, presumably amounts of money, concentrating only on the next breath. Her eyes snapped open when a hand clamped around her arm and pulled her up roughly. She didn't dare look at the man's face as he led her through the crowd and out of the building. Lorne's grip loosened slightly as they made their way to the cloaked Jumper, where he took one last glance around before guiding her through the open hatch.
Lorne looked at her for a long moment, taking in her appearance and trying to read her face. She stared at the floor between them, almost ashamed to meet his eyes. "Come here," he whispered before pulling her into his arms. For the first time in years, Laura cried. Lorne said nothing, he just held her and waited. Finally, she looked up at him.
"Teyla?"
"Sheppard's in there now, trying to find out when her next fight is. The plan's the same. Ronon, Stackhouse and some of the marines are in a Jumper just behind the building in case anything goes wrong."
"And the rest?"
He looked confused momentarily, then sighed as he realised what she meant. "We've been here for a few hours. Ronon's identified the guys in charge, and which building they use to unwind and count their money. We brought enough C4 to rig the whole place. After that Stackhouse will lead a team to free the rest of the...prisoners."
Her hands dropped from his waist as she turned around to look out of the Jumper window. "So...I guess we just wait now." Lorne moved behind her, gently squeezing her shoulder in silent support.
"Yeah. We wait."