Settling into Sateda took a great deal of work, something for which Shani thought she was prepared but soon learned otherwise. She and Carson spent hours setting up their clinic, which he insisted on calling the infirmary, and she saw the strain in his features with every passing day. Much of his equipment from Kiah had been salvaged, but he was running out of medical supplies faster than he cared to admit. The military men in their number were restless and needing something to do besides clearing warehouses and rubble. Shani often brought tea to the infirmary in the evenings and shared a cup with Carson before he wearily rose to complete his goals for the day.

As a result of his tireless efforts, the infirmary was ready for use within a week. In that time, Shani also set up her home, finding her naïve ideas fading with every passing day. The nights on Sateda were cold and dark, not like what she was accustomed to on Ataliya. Many times, she rolled into her blankets and shivered until she fell asleep. Carson realized what was happening after the first two nights and simply carried more blankets to her home. She smiled her thanks when she saw them and never mentioned it again. The rough surroundings and bland food also gave her a taste of what these people had been through in the last year. Had she really been so pampered that she found their fight for survival difficult?

After a week, her body had somewhat acclimated to the colder climate on Sateda. She had taken several trips to the edge of the city to see the new fields being tilled up. With so many hands to put to work, the labor was evenly distributed though everyone was exhausted by day's end. Sheppard and Lorne included Shani in their discussions, but she did not expect them to listen to her. She was here to learn from Carson, not help decide the best way to lead their people.

She also found new friends in that week. Olina became a constant companion in the evenings, though the Kian woman often sought out Ronon's presence as well. Shani felt for Olina, and she wondered if she'd have the strength to endure after such a betrayal. She also became close to Lindsey Novak-Marks. The newly-married woman from Earth could not have been happier with her husband, but the first year of marriage was difficult at best. Many times, Shani would listen as Lindsey, as she preferred to be called, talked out her issues with adjusting to sharing her home. As a widow, Shani had the benefit of hindsight, though she still could not understand everything that Lindsey feared.

During her second week on Sateda, Carson found Shani in her home. "There ya are."

She turned with a smile. "Carson. What did you need?"

He looked sheepishly embarrassed at his tone with her, something she waved off when he seemed about to apologize. "I came to see if you wanted to join us on a wee mission."

"A mission?"

"Aye." He leaned against the stone wall of the house he'd cleared for her during their first day on Sateda. "Colonel Sheppard is leadin' a group o' us who have the ATA gene back to Lantea to retrieve the last of our Jumpers. He's concerned about havin' 'em on another world after Kiah."

Shani had heard of the Jumpers, had even seen one. "ATA gene? What is that?"

Carson adopted the expression he always wore when explaining something. It wasn't condescending so much as a mode he went into when he taught another person. In fact, Shani found his patience refreshing after being treated as inferior by several men on Ataliya—not that she ever told Javan. "You know about genetics? Why families tend to favor certain traits?" He waited while she nodded, already having given her the explanation of genetics and DNA. After having seen cells through his powerful microscope, she welcomed anything he had to say. He shrugged. "Well, certain people—humans—possess an extra gene we call ATA. Ancient Technology Activation. It is what interacts with Ancient technology to help us use it so effectively. I've not had a chance to test this theory, but I believe that ATA passes from parent to child, just as much as the tendency for blue eyes passes from parent to child. Since your brother also has this ATA gene, then. . . ."

"You believe I may have it?"

"Aye." He smiled again. "An' the only way to easily test for it—outside of a laboratory I no longer have—is to have you try to operate some of the technology. I figured you could take a flight in one of the Jumpers even if it didnae pass to ye."

Shani blinked at the offer. When the Kians had come to Ataliya, they'd brought their wondrous ship. Javan had been privileged to ride in it as he took Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard out to the Ancient ruins he and Elizabeth had explored. But she had not taken the time, too intrigued by working with Carson. "I would love to join you."

"Good!" His smile fully blossomed, and Shani wryly thought that there would be one very happy woman one of these days. She liked blue eyes, but Carson was as much a brother to her as he was a friend. She could admit he was attractive but not be attracted to him. Not romantically, anyway. "We'll be leavin' in an hour."

"I will be ready." She watched as he left her home and looked around. It was little more than a large stone room with a fireplace at one end for cooking. Various pieces of furniture that had been scavenged from Kiah and Sateda filled the area with places to sit and a table to use. But it was a far cry from the luxury she'd lived in all her life. This is what Javan meant, she thought as she finished her lunch and headed for the gate. While this life was harder than most, Shani had to admit that she had never felt so alive.

oOo

At the same time that Carson and Shani headed for Lantea, Ronon and Teyla found themselves sitting across from a man named Hendon. The people of Belkan—this world—possessed a disease-resistant flax seed that Sateda needed. Of course, Teyla did not tell the Belkan that they'd reinhabited Sateda. Instead, she told them that they were from Kiah and had recently suffered the loss of their entire harvest. Now, Hendon demanded so much manpower in exchange for the seed that Teyla feared the Kian and Athosian refugees would be made indentured slaves.

Ronon agreed. Hendon was an arrogant little man who had something they desperately needed. While Teyla argued back and forth, the anger he'd tried to keep hidden kept boiling to the surface. He watched as greed flickered in Hendon's eyes and slammed his hands on the table. Both Hendon and Mattas, the man serving them drinks who asked for technology or weapons, jumped back a pace. As did Teyla.

Ronon leaned forward. "She said her offer is fair."

Hendon stood and looked down his arrogant nose. "I say it isn't."

Knowing that they could not afford to lose this negotiation, Ronon also stood and towered over the man. Folding his arms, he snarled. "Well, I say it is."

Within an hour, an agreement had been reached, much to Ronon's relief. All this talking wore on him, and he gratefully carried several large sacks of seed from the building. Outside, however, Teyla threw the sack she carried to the ground and rounded on him. He blinked at the ferocity in her gaze, wondering if she would now take out Kalle's betrayal on him. "What?"

"I had the situation under control."

"Didn't look like it." Ronon wanted to say that the anger in her voice was barely under control but bit his tongue.

"So you came to my 'rescue?'" Teyla's voice shook. "You have no idea what is at stake during these negotiations. My people depend on me."

That irritated Ronon more than anything. "So do mine!" He leaned forward, getting in her face. "In case you have forgotten, all of us depend on these negotiations, not just you and your people. Besides," he added as he backed away, "they were taking advantage of you."

"No, they were not. That is what I wanted them to think." Shaking her head, she caught sight of someone over his shoulder and motioned behind her. "Gather our things. I will meet you at the gate."

Not knowing if it was a good idea to leave Teyla alone in this village, Ronon instead gathered the bags of seed and dutifully trotted off. He was still angry, but even he could see Teyla's point. However, as a former Runner, he wasn't a man of words. Actions spoke louder than anything, and he realized as he walked through the village that he needed to learn the finer points of negotiation if he wanted to rebuild Sateda. It would take a diplomacy he did not have, and he could not always rely on Teyla. Letting out a deep breath, he dropped the bags next to the Stargate and waited for her to appear.

oOo

Lantea was unlike any world that Shani had ever experienced. They stepped through the Ring of the Ancestors onto a large stone outcropping. A path led down the hill, but no dialing device stood in front of the gate. Carson carried on a whispered conversation with her, telling her of the battle with the Wraith that Atlantis lost and how they'd returned to salvage these ships and bury their dead. It was a sad tale, truthfully, but Shani admired the men around her. The group of five, six including herself, listened carefully as Carson spoke. And she refrained from saying anything as it would have felt awkward and out of place after Carson's voice cracked as he spoke. He had also lost friends that day and had not yet healed from it.

At the bottom of the mountain they climbed down, Sheppard began pulling at branches that appeared to have been blown down by a storm. Shani watched, however, as five Jumpers emerged from the underbrush. Smiles blossomed on faces around her as the men realized that their "secret weapons" had not been discovered. Sheppard immediately began giving orders, but Shani did not listen. A peculiar buzzing sound distracted her, and she looked around. The others did not notice or chose to ignore it, so she tried to act as nonchalant. However, the buzzing grew louder as she stepped closer to the Jumper Carson had been assigned.

He noticed her discomfort. "Wha' is it?"

"Nothing." Clearing her face, Shani smiled at him. "I thought I heard a buzz, but I must have been mistaken."

Rather than concern, excitement ignited in his eyes. "How's the buzzin' now?"

Truthfully, it was almost painful. She struggled to explain it and wound up merely frowning.

"Right," Carson said. He stood directly in front of her and took her by her shoulders. "Listen closely, love. I want ye to closer your eyes an' take a few deep breaths."

"How is that supposed to help?"

"It'll calm you down." He shrugged. "The buzz you're hearin' is the result of the Ancient technology. If you've never been around it before, it can be quite overwhelmin'."

She agreed and, at his encouraging nod, closed her eyes. After several deep breaths, the panic she'd felt rising subsided, and the buzz seemed much quieter. When she opened her eyes, Carson smiled. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good." Taking her wrist, he pulled her toward the front of the cylindrical ship and motioned to a chair. A number of control panels she was not familiar waited for her, and she settled into the chair as she stared at them. The moment she reached for them, however, the panels lit up. Carson's hand on her shoulder kept her from panicking too badly. "Relax, love. It's just the ship comin' alive."

Shani knew the ship wasn't living in the conventional sense, but the idea that it sensed and responded to her presence was unnerving. "Carson, I do not believe this is a good idea."

His hand on her shoulder tightened. "Imagine my reaction when Colonel Sheppard taught me to fly one."

"You can fly this thing?"

"Aye, but not very well." His smile was sad. "I remember tellin' Lieutenant Ford that I was a doctor, not a bloody fighter pilot."

Shani wanted to ask who Lieutenant Ford was and why Carson would say something like that, but the sadness on his face stopped her. Instead, she stared out the window. Just how did he expect her to fly this thing? Without warning, the ship hummed, and she felt it lift off from the ground. "Carson!"

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Easy, now. Settle and think about puttin' the ship back on the ground gently."

Panicked, Shani tried to do just that. But the Jumper didn't respond beyond a hesitant wobble. Trying again, the ship turned in place and wobbled a second time.

The radio that Carson carried with him staticked. "Doc, everything okay over there?" Sheppard asked.

"Aye," Carson replied. "It appears the ATA gene is hereditary, an' Shani's just discovered she has it. We're workin' on basic commands like landin', an' then we'll head to the gate."

Sheppard's response was to send the rest of the group through the gate ahead of him. Outside the window, Shani watched one of the other Jumpers face her. The colonel's voice came through the radio. "Shani?"

"Colonel." She stared at him. "I'm trying to land it, but. . . ."

Just as suddenly as the ship had taken off, it slammed into the ground.

oOo

"Was I afraid?" The semi-drunken voice drifted down the stairs as Ronon followed Teyla. "'Course I was! But my people were counting on me. Now, I was alone, and I was low on ammo, but I managed to take out the three Wraith guards and gain access to their ship."

Internally, Ronon grinned. Of course Solen Sincha would exaggerate details. "Liar!"

Solen jumped to his feet and turned to face him. "What did you say?" When Ronon completed his climb, a grin spread out on the other Satedan's face. "Ronon?"

Ronon rolled his eyes at the men gathered. "There were two Wraith guarding that cruiser, and he wasn't alone." That comment resulted in a back-slapping hug between the men. Turning away from his old army buddy, he said, "Uh, Teyla Emmagan, Solen Sincha. We served in the same regiment in Sateda."

Teyla nodded. "I am honored."

Solen glanced between Ronon and Teyla. "You two make a nice match. Congratulations."

Beside Ronon, Teyla tensed. "We are friends—nothing more." Her tone was icy, and Ronon wondered if it had been a bad thing to bring her here.

Ignoring it, he turned to Solen. "For years I believed I was the only survivor."

"So you don't know about the others?" Solen asked.

"What others?"

"Before the city fell, a few of us managed to make it to the shelters west of the capital. Over three hundred civilians found their way there, too. When we emerged, we realized there was nothing to salvage, so we left—all of us."

Teyla raised her eyebrow. "To where?"

"Some came here, some went to Manaria." Solen eyed Ronon, waiting for his reaction.

"Three hundred." Ronon smiled to hide how that news affected him. He wanted to immediately cry and also shout for joy. But now was not the time. Maybe later, when he told Olina that his people weren't dead as he suspected.

Solen grinned again. "Drink, Ronon, and rejoice—you're not alone!"

With those few words, Ronon's hopes for rebuilding Sateda reached new heights.

oOo

Evan Lorne was not an impatient man. Not normally, anyway. But, as time passed after the first three Jumpers came through the active wormhole, he began to worry. Had something happened? Was his expertise needed? Then, just as he would have activated his radio, Sheppard piloted his Jumper through the gate and banked to the east, toward the new hiding spot for the ships. A full three minutes later, the final Jumper inched through the gate. This time, Doc Beckett sat in the co-pilot's chair while a wide-eyed Shani bit her lip as she followed Sheppard.

The wormhole shut down, and Lorne headed toward their hiding spot. Once there, he watched as the last Jumper carefully landed. Waiting for the reaction, he stood back as the four men Sheppard had taken smirked and pointed. The back hatch lowered, and Shani stormed out. Her perfectly shaped brows were lowered, and normally smooth skin bunched into lines between her eyes. The glare she sent toward the other pilots was eloquent, and they all straightened when she stormed out of the warehouse. Even Lorne watched appreciatively as she lifted her head, squared her shoulders, and strolled away.

Turning back to Carson, Evan frowned. "Ah. . .Doc, what was that all about?"

Carson looked a little frazzled. "She's all yours, Major."

"I'm sorry?"

Beckett turned. "You're a fighter pilot an' can teach her better than I can. As far as flyin' is concerned, she's all yours." Then, he, too, stomped away.

Lorne stared after the pair until a very amused Sheppard reached his side. He straightened. "Sir, what is that all about?"

"Oh, nothing." Sheppard shrugged. "She just crashed the Jumper."

"She what?"

Sheppard smirked, but it was more in amusement at Lorne than anything. "She thought about landing at the wrong time. Thankfully, the Jumper was only a meter or so off the ground. They were shaken up but otherwise unharmed."

Thinking back to his first time flying the Jumpers, Lorne understood. The ships were incredibly responsive to the slightest thought. Thankful Shani hadn't had a stray thought about shooting anyone, he nodded. "Well, the doc just told me he wants me to teach her to fly."

"Might not be a bad idea." Sheppard grinned. "Have fun, Major."

"Right." Lorne watched his CO follow Beckett and Shani and shook his head. If that frustration he'd witnessed was what he'd experience every time he tried to teach her something new, teaching her to fly could be a bit of a nightmare. Of course, she was a beautiful woman as well, so it could be distracting, too.

Deciding not to think about it too hard, Lorne left the Jumpers to the pilots and spent the rest of the day clearing land while trying to keep his mind off of the charming, elegant picture an angry Shani had made as she strode from the warehouse.

~TBC