Chapter 6

The village was perhaps the most run-down and dirty place Rodney McKay had ever seen. Even from above he had seen the forlorn appearance of it, but up close it was just terrible. The air reeked of the rotten garbage and sewerage that filled the streets. All the buildings were dilapidated and crooked: testifying to the fact that this village had never been built to high standards.

Sitnalta wrinkled her nose slightly, but prudently kept quiet. Even though it was a sty, it would not do to offend the locals.

Rodney tried to engage a number of people in conversation, but everyone shrank back from him.

"Great, all of them seem afraid of us," he finally exclaimed after the third man ran away when he saw McKay and Sitnalta approaching.

"Perhaps these people have had something terrible happen to them," Sitnalta remarked.

"Well, we didn't have anything to do with it," Rodney said. He then frowned at the woman beside him. "You sound like Teyla," he grumbled.

The blonde woman grinned and he thought he saw the beginnings of a naughty personality in her. Already she had proven to be stubborn, proud and extremely clever. But if she was going to balance that with a sense of humor reminiscent of both John Sheppard and Ronon, he just knew he was in for a bad time with her.

"Teyla Emmagan is a very wise woman," she remarked; still grinning. Rodney nearly groaned. Perhaps he should not have ignored her so much that first week. But somehow he just knew the damage had been done: Sitnalta had learned quickly and completely from his friends. Along with something uniquely her, he also saw Teyla, Ronon and John in her grin.

They came to a crooked building with an open door. From inside came the scent of unwashed bodies, alcohol and vomit. "In here," he told her. A tavern might not be the best place for a woman, but he was not going to leave her out on the street, either. At least when she was with him he could protect her.

Inside the tavern he found exactly what he had expected: a number of rickety tables and a dirty floor. To one side was a splintery bar with an unkempt barkeep. At the tables sat half a dozen men with bleary eyes.

Next to him could feel Sitnalta pushing against him. He felt bad that this was how her first sojourn into the world was turning out. He was just wondering why Teyla and Ronon had told them this was a good world to trade with.

"It's the only place in the galaxy where one can find starlight crystals," a skinny fellow said next to them. Rodney had not even seen him slithering over.

"What?" he asked, not sure what the guy was talking about.

The dirty man lifted his tankard and included the whole tavern in one sweep of his arm. "Everybody wants to know why anyone would like to do business with the Merikki. It's because we have starlight crystals," the man repeated.

Rodney looked at the dirty fellow. Then a disturbing thought hit him. "You are not by any chance a prosperous, advanced society that only pretends to be so awful to discourage outsiders?" Visions of another Genii-like planet danced through the Atlantean scientist's mind.

The dirty man looked around at his fellow bar-flies. "Hey, is the Merikki anything like that?" he asked those slumped at the tables. A few groaned, one uttered a discouraged "Nah."

Then he turned back to Rodney and Sitnalta. "As the people said, the Merikki isn't prosperous." He finished his drink and looked at Rodney in expectation. "But the Merikkai is." He flashed a toothless grin at Sitnalta. Rodney had the insane urge to shoot the ugly little man.

Finally Rodney relented and asked the barkeep for another mug of whatever the ugly little fellow was drinking. Perhaps he could buy information.

As the man took his mug he grinned and went to sit at one rickety table. Rodney slid in next to him, with Sitnalta reluctantly following him.

"Friends of ours disappeared about halfway between here and the gate," Rodney started, hoping the fellow could help with an explanation. But the man only grinned.

"Then they are gone." He leaned towards Sitnalta. "You want to know why everybody is afraid of you?" he asked her. She frowned slightly.

"I noticed they tried to avoid us, yes," she said.

The barfly leaned even closer to her. "You wear the mark of the Merikkai," he said. Then he leaned back in his seat; nearly toppling to the floor in the process.

Sitnalta cocked her head slightly. "I am not Merikkai," she loftily told him.

The man barked with laughter, but Rodney suspected it was more forced than he pretended. Obviously the idea of the Merikkai frightened these people.

"No, of course not," the other man said. "The Merikkai would never travel into the village."

"I am not Merikkai," Sitnalta repeated.

The man's eyes hardened. "Prove it," he said.

It was time to go, Rodney decided. But as he got up to leave, Sitnalta softly laid her hand on his arm. She never took her eyes off the dirty barfly as she glared at him.

"Fine," she told him. She sounded a lot like John.

Again the barfly gave a bark of laughter. Then he turned in his seat and called out to the barman. Moments later a large mug of some vile-smelling brew was placed in front of Sitnalta. The barman put another in front of the barfly. He grinned and winked at the dirty barfly.

Without ever taking her eyes off the disgusting man, Sitnalta picked up her mug. The barfly did so, as well. Then he tilted his head back and quaffed the vile brew.

Sitnalta was right behind him. Rodney tried to warn her, but he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. The rest of the tavern patrons had gathered around the table. One big fellow had placed his dirty paw on his shoulder in an attempt to stay upright.

Just then the barfly placed his mug on the table. The moment his mug touched the table, so did Sitnalta's. She still looked at the barfly. Either they had just proven they were not Merikkai, or they were about to be killed, Rodney mused.

For a moment silence reigned. Then the barfly laughed – the first real laugh. "Welcome, strangers," he told them between barks of laughter. Those around the table cheered.

Minutes later they were outside, on a hill overlooking the village. With firm determination the barfly turned his back on the collection of houses and instead focussed on the rolling hills leading back to the Stargate.

"My name is Urton," he began. "On this planet we do not fear the Wraith. Instead we fear and hate the Merikkai. They're the keepers of the starlight crystals." He gestured at the landscape. "The Merikki mine the crystals and the Merikkai use it for their power rings. Once the Merikkai have taken you, there is no turning back." He sighed once, and then turned back to the sad village. From a pocket he took a dark crystal and handed the piece to Rodney. Without looking at the scientist he started down the slope. "Go to the eastern temple. Perhaps you will find what you are looking for there."

They watched him disappear. Rodney still wanted to shoot him, but he felt angry for his part as well. Whoever the Merikkai were, they weren't nice people.

"Oh, dear," Sitnalta groaned as Urton disappeared. Then she bent over and was violently sick. A bit uncomfortably Rodney patted her on the back.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked of her.

"What part?" she asked as she finally straightened. She looked a bit wan.

"To drink like that," he answered.

Then she grinned again. "Ronon."