A/N - Two short fics, both written for the StarGateLand Community on LiveJournal.

Hope

Metallic whistling and hollow thumping sounds surrounded the team in a forest so dense it was impossible to see anything.

John baulked at a nearby tree and called out, "Throwing knives!"

Rodney whipped his scanner out. "We're surrounded!"

Ronon jumped back as a knife thwipped past his chest, then grunted as another embedded itself in his bicep. He pulled it out and fired his gun into a nearby bush.

"You missed," Rodney said.

Ronon growled.

"They're moving too fast."

Several men came towards them, leaping through the trees and darting around on the ground, cartwheeling, somersaulting and rolling. They called out as they came: "Invaders!" "Trespassers!" "Desecrators!"

"What is this?" Rodney asked. "The High School Gymnastics Team?"

One of the attackers ran past and smacked him in the face. He released an 'oomph' sound and staggered, dabbing at his split lip and tasting blood.

"Back to back!" Teyla suggested, and the team did so, all but Rodney shooting their guns into the thick leaves.

Ronon got a knife in the leg and went down. Teyla and John got knocked out by the dancing assailants who vanished into shadows after each strike.

Very soon Rodney was the last man standing. He held up his shaking hands. "Wh-what do you want?"

His reply was the sound of another knife swish and impact. The thump the knife made when it found a target had been far too close. Rodney looked down to find there was a handle jutting out of his stomach. He was only wearing a cloth vest, which was all too easily punctured by knives, bullets, and other terrifyingly numerous scientist killing objects.

Rodney hummed in surprise and then his knees folded. Lucky for him he fell backwards, unlucky for him he didn't pass out before the initial shock wore off and the pain started.

The natives had stopped dancing now and came to the vanquished team. They were clad in tight fitting black suits, masks covering their faces. They were skilled fighters, and would give the Wraith a good match, but even trusting to hope in aggression and fighting prowess would be no match against a culling beam.

One reached down, and pulled the knife out of Rodney, causing him to arch away from the ground with a scream, then his voice lowered into a series of keening whimpers.

Ronon fought them some more, but a blow to the head subdued him and Rodney didn't need any further help to surrender himself to darkness.

xxxxx

Rodney was pretty sure something vital inside him was perforated. It was getting harder to breathe as he continued to bleed into the bandages wrapped around his middle.

In the stone prison cell the team were trapped in, they all hoped for dial in and rescue, or to overpower the captors the next time they came.

Most of their thoughts were with Rodney, and the hope that he didn't die from his injuries or the infection where the throwing knife had stabbed him. Rodney was pale, feverish and weak already, so time was running out.

Without Rodney, Atlantis would be lost. Zelenka was good, but not equal to Rodney. Rodney was their only hope for survival, in combination with Zelenka and the rest of the scientists, they were unstoppable.

The ninja natives stood no chance against the rest of Rodney's team after what they had done to him. There was nowhere to run or dance off to in the enclosed space. Teyla's Wraith fuelled wrath, Ronon's Runner skills, and a furious John Sheppard would make short work of them when they returned.