John stepped backwards toward the rest of his team. If what Ronan said about these people never letting strangers leave was true they were about to be facing a lot of trouble.
"Can we make it back to the gate?" John murmured.
"No, it would be better to just put down your weapons," Ronan kept his hands in the air.
"I would prefer to not get captured at all," John kept his P-90 raised.
"That is not possible stranger," a voice called from the trees somewhere John's left.
"Let us leave and we won't come back. We didn't know that you didn't welcome strangers," John called trying to spot the person speaking so he could attempt to negotiate his way off the planet.
"It matters not, outsiders are not allowed to leave," the voice replied this time sounding from his right.
"I didn't know the Telosians were so cowardly that they hid in trees," Ronan called.
"Are you trying to make them angry?" Rodney snapped.
"No," Ronan watched as a figure dropped out of the trees landing lightly in front of John.
John stared at the woman in front of him in awe. Dark blue eyes stared at him coldly from a face the color of porcelain. Her black hair was intricately braided with thin bands of leather around her head. A silver band wrapped around her left arm from shoulder to elbow, the only decoration on the brown leather armor she wore.
"You dare call me coward, Satedan," the woman looked past him to Ronan. Her voice was strong and confident. She did not seem to even notice the gun John held pointed at her. She held no weapon in her hand and the only one John could see was a dagger hanging at her waist.
"That's not what he meant," John lowered his P-90 so that it pointed at her abdomen instead of her chest.
"I was not speaking to you outsider but to the Satedan," her blue eyes flashed onto John for only a moment.
"What is your rank that you would seize a friend of the Telosians?" Ronan asked.
"I am Nuhtal. You should have known not to come here, Specialist Ronan Dex" she replied.
"I was never told the address for your planet," Ronan answered.
"The Ketal will decide your fate. You are our prisoners, come peacefully or we will take you by force," the Nuhtal started to turn.
"Now just a minute. We just want to leave, our people will come looking for us if we don't come back," John raised his gun.
"Your people will not be able to dial the gate as it has been disabled," she looked at his gun.
"What about my men at the gate?" John asked.
"They are being held by my men who await orders. You will come even if we are forced to bind you. You are vastly outnumbered and would only die by attempting to force your way back to the gate which would be a worthless way to die," the Nuhtal looked at him.
"Yeah but if we get back to the gate we can leave so I don't think going back to the gate to be worthless," John countered.
"Ah, I see your scientist did not examine the controls to the gate before you began to roam our woods. That would explain why you left your men behind."
"Why would I examine the controls?" Rodney demanded.
"To make sure that the gate was capable of dialing out," Ronan muttered.
"Well of course it can dial out, unless..."
"Rodney?"
"Well it could be possible that the gate could be modified so that it could only be dialed," Rodney answered, "But then it would be impossible to leave unless they have two gates on the same planet."
"Your scientist is not as ignorant as he appears," she turned away from them.
"Let's try to talk about this," John reached out and grabbed her arm. Before he could realize that he had made a huge mistake he was lying on his back with a gun quite similar to Ronan's pointed at his face. The Nuhtal had one knee pressed into his chest and held the gun in question.
"You will come with us. Alive or dead, it matters not. Outsiders do not leave our world. Now will you come quietly or should I kill you now?" her blue eyes flashed at him.
"I'll come," John held his hands up.
"If you should change your mind once you are let up you will be killed so I ask again will you come quietly?"
"May his dishonor be mine," Ronan said. The Nuhtal looked away from John. He saw a look of surprise cross her face before it was hidden behind a emotionless mask.
"You understand what that means Specialist Ronan Dex?" the Nuhtal asked.
"Yes."
"Very well," the Nuhtal stood and put the gun in a holster on her back that John hadn't noticed before. She turned away from them and at a word several soldiers stepped forward and bound their hands behind their backs.