Sheppard woke the following morning long before the sunlight penetrated the thick red drapes around his bedchamber. He had no other way to refer to it than that. Mara had rolled away from him during the night, sleeping with the satin sheets pulled up and covering her. Now that he was could think without the haze of lust over him, John realized his actions the previous night had not been very diplomatic. With a feudal society, he could wind up in serious trouble should this encounter ever be discovered.

But something else crowded in on his reservations. He felt good. Not just in a purely carnal way, either. The tension that had lurked in the back of his mind had eased, and he actually felt like he'd managed to put a portion of his time on Kiah to rest. Specifically, his time with Gisli. Even though he knew that Mara and Gisli were two different women, he had equated them in his mind.

Rolling his eyes, he rose and dressed, careful to stay quiet and not wake Mara. The last thing John wanted was to have that awkward morning after encounter. Not when he would likely leave her world that day and never return. Still, something about what Mara said last night bugged him. He hadn't slept with her because he wanted to marry her. He'd been down that road with Gisli and had been betrayed. John Sheppard's belief in the institution of marriage had been soundly trounced after his failure with Nancy and then Gisli's actions. But these people seemed to have unreasonable expectations of him. With that in mind, he headed for the Chamberlain's offices.

"We need to talk."

Otho, the Chamberlain, glanced up from his desk. "Colonel Sheppard. Yes. Come in, please."

John glanced around as he walked further into the room. The place was stacked with scrolls and books. "It seems that, uh, certain people around here have, uh, gotten the wrong idea about me." When Otho stared blankly, John sighed. He hadn't wanted to spell things out for the man. "Uh, Mara came to visit me last night."

Otho let out a sharp breath. "You must forgive her forward behavior, Colonel. She doesn't have much time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I have many duties here in the Tower, the most important of which is as royal geneaologist." Otho stood and gestured around the room. "These scrolls record the bloodlines of the Lord Protector's family going back twenty generations. It's my duty to study them in order to determine the best possible match for every member of the Royal house so that we may retain the integrity of those bloodlines. This is necessary because only one of the Royal blood can control the Throne Chair, which in turn controls the weapon that protects us from the Wraith. But is suspect you know some of this already. Most people, when they see the Throne Chair activated for the first time, react as thought they've seen some kind of magic, but you—you didn't bat an eye. What's more," he continued as Sheppard started glancing around for a quick exit, "you have in your blood the very gene for which our Royal family has been so selectively bred all these generations." He picked up the device he'd used to scan Sheppard and his team when they were in the village. "I scanned you shortly after we met, remember?"

"Right." John listened carefully, his mind already whirling. These people controlled a city very close in size to Atlantis. McKay had said there was a ZPM here. If they could find the ZPM and get it for themselves, they could conceivably reestablish contact with Earth.

"Colonel, you must understand how important this is to us." Otho met his eyes. "Over the centuries, despite our best efforts, the bloodlines have deteriorated. The ability of each new Lord Protector to control the Throne Chair—it is no longer a certainty."

"Well, then, maybe it's about time to start thinking about a new system of government."

"You have observed the inequalities of our society and you disapprove." Otho nodded. "I can hardly blame you."

"Well, you didn't seem to have much of a problem with that in the village." John couldn't let the man go without mentioning the drone attack that had destroyed a home.

"I must maintain the image of my authority in front of the villagers. It is my duty. But believe me, between the two of us, you are in a better position to change things." Otho met his eyes. "The gene in you is stronger than it has been in any recorded member of the Royal family for three hundred years."

Suddenly, the light came on in Sheppard's head. "You sent Mara to my room." What kind of society was this? They would prostitute out their women just for the Ancient gene?

"I didn't have to," Otho answered, putting that thought to rest. "She understands the situation perfectly well. Right now, Tavius is next in line, but the possibility that his sister might one day bear children with superior genetic make-up to him or his progeny, that will always be a threat."

"So, if the old man dies?" John asked even though he knew the truth.

"Precisely," Otho replied. "And his condition grows worse every day."

Wondering if it were possible to get some technology out of this, Sheppard thought of an option for these people. "I know someone who may be able to help with that."

Hours later, John and his team returned to Sateda with several Jumpers, drones, and the promise of new technology. Beckett had come through the gate, discovering that the Lord Protector had been poisoned. It turned out that Otho, the Chamberlain, had murdered the Lord Protector in exchange for Mara. Sheppard knew that he wasn't the first man Mara had been with, but it surprised him that she had so callously thrown Otho aside when he arrived. No wonder the Chamberlain was ready to imprison him. To John, it just proved how treacherous and fickle women like Mara and Gisli could be. He didn't include Teyla, Shani, or any of their women in that number because they had bigger things to think about than seducing the next best thing. It was one reason why John hadn't wanted to settle on a world with another society. He refused to be used and betrayed like that again.

Back on Sateda, he made his way to his small one-room home after debriefing Lorne. That man had just returned from a flying lesson with Shani, and the two of them had exited the Jumper smiling into each other's eyes. John rolled his eyes when no one could see. So it was Lorne's turn. As much as he liked Javan and trusted Elizabeth's opinion of the Ataliyan leader, John couldn't help but wonder if Shani would do to Lorne what Gisli had done to him. His perception of women had been altered, and he wasn't sure what it would take to get it back.

oOo

When Evan arrived for their fourth lesson in the Jumper, Shani noticed the tension in his shoulders. He actually stalked through the door, his chin lowered and brow wrinkled. Still, his smile appeared for her, and he seemed to relax marginally once in the Jumper. Small talk was kept to a minimum, however, and she looked out the front window while trying to figure out how to bring up the topic.

Evan solved her problems for her. "Would you like to try flying the Jumper today?"

Shani glanced at him, surprised at the hesitation in his voice. A quick glance told her that he wasn't ready to teach anything. Another idea came to mind and she pointed. "Actually, I wondered if we could walk for a bit."

Evan blinked and then looked out the window. A stream babbled through the field below them, leading directly into and out of a large pond. The grass was only about knee-deep, and a gentle breeze made it look like waves. He nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea."

Shani smiled as he set the Jumper down near the pond. A few moments later, she felt the cool breeze on her face and hurried to loose her hair from the bun she typically kept it in while working with Carson. The feeling of the wind through her hair was freeing, and she missed standing at the edge of her village with the warm desert wind in her face. Now, however, she took a few steps and simply enjoyed the alien beauty around her.

The pond rippled in the breeze, the surface broken by a fish. Evan chuckled. "Dr. Beckett will love this!"

Shani turned with a surprised expression. "Why?"

He pointed. "The doc loves to fish."

Rather than replying, she just nodded. Within a few moments, Evan had headed for the pond and circled it, his face looking calmer than it had when they left the city. When he came to Shani's side again, she pointed toward the distance and started strolling. He fell into step beside her, walking silently for a time. Finally, she glanced at him. "What happened in the city?"

Evan huffed and rolled his eyes. "Solen happened."

She blinked. "Solen Sincha? The Satedan that arrived yesterday?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "The man's an alcoholic, and he's gonna get worse before he gets better. But he was up in my face today about how we're not preserving the city. How we're disrespecting the dead and destroying what his people created."

Shani's eyebrows rose. "I thought you were working with Ronon to ensure that Satedan customs were followed."

"We are." Evan stopped walking and faced her. "Shani, I kind of understand where he's coming from. He lost everything: his family, his home, his career. It's gotta be rough to come back here and see someone he doesn't know rebuilding. Some people just don't react well to that and want things to be the way they were. And we just can't do that here."

She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "But you are doing what you can to see that happen."

"Yeah." He sighed deeply and shook his head. "But it's apparently not enough."

A smile crept across her face. "You will succeed. Of that I am sure."

His grin appeared, but it was tinged with regret. "Yeah. That's what we thought on Kiah." He blinked. "Don't mind me. I'm just tired."

"And you're allowed to be." Shani squeezed his arm before she let go of his arm. "Evan, out of all the people here on Sateda, you work the hardest. I see things from a healer's perspective, but you have the weight of our safety on your shoulders. For a man like you, it is always harder. You must think about more than simply providing shelter for so many. You must also consider the most defensible position possible. Give yourself some time to breathe."

Evan's eyes narrowed. "You been talking to Beckett?"

"Should I be?"

"No. It's just that he'd say something like that." Turning back toward the Jumper, he sighed. "When I left Earth, I always thought I'd be going back one day. It wasn't easy, but I could manage. Then, Atlantis fell, and I wound up on the Alpha site with Sheppard. I guess I just didn't think much about Earth and not being able to get back there. There was just too much to think about. But coming here really brought it home to me."

"What you lost when Atlantis fell?"

Evan was silent for so long that Shani wondered if he would answer her. Finally, he shook his head. "No." He swallowed a bit, appearing to struggle with his emotions. "When Kolya attacked Kiah, I did what was necessary. I pressed on because I needed to. But, here, on Sateda, I'm seeing what we left behind. The setting is different, but I kind of understand what Solen's going through. I wouldn't want someone else going into Kiah and rebuilding it. They might not do things right."

Shani wanted to understand, but she had barely begun to get a picture of what these people had endured. She could not imagine what it must feel like to build a village from nothing and then have it destroyed. She had heard stories of how Evan had acted quickly to save his people from greater destruction, but she had not seen how that affected him. Until now. And she did not know what to say.

oOo

Olina made certain to be at the gate when Ronon returned from his mission. The four people stepped through the wormhole and glanced around. Major Lorne and Colonel Sheppard had instituted a "gate watch" where the soldiers took shifts guarding the gate. Anyone who came through faced armed men and suspicion. Now, however, the soldiers relaxed as Colonel Sheppard waved them aside. He appeared calmer than when he left, though Ronon looked irritated.

Olina's heart sank. The last two days had been eventful. When Solen Sincha arrived, she had taken it on herself to see him settled and welcomed in Ronon's absence. She had not mentioned Ronon, however, and wondered if that had been a mistake. But she refused to make more of her friendship with Ronon than was really there, even if she wanted more.

Now, he glanced her way and nodded, indicating something. Hoping it meant he would seek her out, Olina made her way home and prepared a simple dinner. As it cooked, she thought about what she would say. How should she tell Ronon that Solen had come back and was considering leaving Sateda yet again? She had been on hand when Solen and Major Lorne had their argument, and she had been impressed that neither man threw a punch.

When Ronon did appear, he had bathed and now looked as fresh as he ever did. Olina smiled as the firelight caught his green eyes and made the color of his skin that much warmer. It also deepened the shadows under his eyes, and she hated the thought that she could make them worse. "How did the mission go?"

Ronon rolled his eyes. "Fine." He accepted a bowl of stew from her. "Thanks."

"You are welcome." Olina fixed her own meal and sat across from him as he wolfed down the meal. The sun began to set, and she heard the hum of a Jumper overhead. As it faded, she sighed and tried to find a topic of conversation.

"How are you?" Ronon asked, ending her search for a topic.

"I am well." She smiled at him, surprised to realize that she really was okay for now. She still had moments when she wanted to weep for her father, but she had begun to put much of that behind her. Now that the intensity of the emotions had faded, however, she realized exactly how empty her life really was. Not wanting to dwell on that, she reached for a different topic. "Shani began teaching me to spin wool today."

Ronon blinked. "You can do that?"

"Yes." She chuckled at his nonplussed expression. "Apparently, I have a gift for it. As does Lindsey. Shani's brother has provided wool for us to use, and Shani said he will send her a loom for making fabrics as well. We will be able to provide many of our people with blankets and cloth for their needs."

"That's good." He finished his meal and met her eyes. "I'm sorry you have to be here like this."

"What do you mean? I am well, I have a home, and I have friends."

"But it's not your home." His voice was soft, telling her that he meant what he said from the very center of his being.

Olina reached across the table and took his hand. "If you had not taken me under your wing and brought me here, I do not know what I would have done. This may not be what I am accustomed to, but I am happy to be here."

"Good." He looked uncomfortable again.

Olina pushed to her feet. "Should we take a walk?" She motioned to the door. "There is something I wish to show you, as well."

Ronon stood with her and, after helping her wash the few dishes, let her lead the way. Olina turned toward Solen's home, knowing that she would likely regret this. But Ronon deserved to know. As they walked, she cleared her throat. "There was something that happened while you were gone."

Ronon stopped walking. "Are you hurt?"

"No, nothing like that." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "A man named Solen Sincha came through the Ring."

A light sparked in Ronon's eyes, and he looked around. "Where is he?"

Olina pointed, and Ronon took off at a quick pace. She followed behind and was not disappointed to see the two men embrace in a brotherly hug. Finally, Ronon stepped back and motioned. "Uh, Solen, this is Olina."

"I know." Solen grinned, his eyes sparkling. "We met while you were gone."

"Right." Ronon nodded and glanced around the small home. "So, you're stayin' here?"

For the first time, Solen looked a bit uncomfortable. "Ronon, I know what you're trying to do. I respect it. But. . . ."

"But you're leaving?"

"It's not Sateda." To his credit, Solen didn't bring up the disagreement he'd had with Lorne just that afternoon. "These people. . . ."

"These people are survivors," Ronon interrupted. "Just like we are."

"Yeah." Solen shrugged. "But this may not be my place."

"But you are Satedan." Ronon frowned. "You belong here."

"No, Ronon. You belong here." Solen met his friend's eyes. "This is your home, not mine."

"It will never be again if you don't let it." Ronon's soft reply surprised both Solen and Olina. "The Sateda we knew is gone. It will never be that way again. But it can be great if men like you give us a chance."

Silence filled the room as Solen absorbed what Ronon had said. Both men were accustomed to the loss of their home, but neither of them had ever entertained the idea of rebuilding. Ronon had clearly come to grips with the idea, having built Kiah. Solen, however, did not have the history of betrayal and the burning desire to regain what had been so recently lost. Sateda had fallen years ago, as opposed to months.

Finally, Solen nodded. "I'll give it a try." He held up a finger. "But I make no promises on how others might react to what's happening here."

"Others?" Ronon asked.

Solen grinned. "Did you think I was alone in my desire to help rebuild Sateda?" He held his arms out to his side. "Ronon, my arrival is only the beginning!"

~TBC