Canto II: The Capture
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."- Attr. to Edmund Burke
Ah Melancholy, Tamer of mankind,
Who spreads o'er all thy soft autumnal shade,
Who can afflict the strongest stoic mind,
And to the Goths and Emos lends its aid.
Let not thy pleasing influence yet fade,
For thou art crucial to my little tale
And are the reason poor McKay's betray'd,
And ev'ryone "sense-motive checks" (1) did fail-
An inadvertant, often cursed betrayal.
"A lovely letter!" Teyla said,
"I pray, compassion take,
And let the elder come aboard
For dearest Carson's sake."
You'd think that Teyla of them all
Would have the strength to think,
But Beckett (by his wraithen maid)
Had forged a mental link.
He sent her visions sad and clear
Of some old Scot's demise,
Impressing this would be his fate
Unless they compromised.
She argued and she long implored
Against the harden'd crew,
Who thought it all to be a trap-
Too touching to be true.
With effort and persuasion great,
She made a fervent plea,
Until the least emotional (2)
Were just as moved as she.
But all were silent- who could tell
His kin without a tear,
Though Carson's death had been nearby,
He was not buried here!
Proud Carter (once a Mary-Sue)
At length spoke up and cried
"At least allow his relative
To see the place he died!"
They all concurred- in everything
The lovely Colonel charm'd,
But in their haste to welcome him,
The bulk had come unarm'd.
It was a most unhappy turn
Of Fortune's heartless wheel, (3)
The gate was opened cordially--
And in the Wraith did steal!
This was a shock to all the team-
With horror and surprise
They saw the fiends, like Romans(4) bold
Had carried off their prize.
McKay they grabbed (and Ronon too!?)
And even had the luck
To take the guy who manned the gate-
The poor, unpitied Chuck!
"Who's Chuck?" The less-obsessive cry-
No fear, I won't despise,
For I'm a newbie just like you
And deeply sympathize.
He's but a humble red-shirt tech,
Though with his fan-girls too,
Including thee, O Patroness-
I added him for you.
Lament, ye nymphs, your tragic fate,
Like fortune, I won't bend,
And pitiless, I leave the tale
Cliffhanging at the end-
TO BE CONTINUED…
(1)See the RPG Dungeons and Dragons.
(2)(cough) Ronon! (cough)
(3)Referring to the Medieval concept of fortune, not the popular gameshow. (Really!)
(4)Alluding to the abduction of the Sabine women.