A/N: Thanks to those who left a review for my last chapter. When I get stuck (as I did with this chapter) I go back and re-read them to help me keep going. It was really nice to hear that one of my lurker followers is still reading too. Thank you!

Sara POV

The mood in the puddle jumper was sombre as we left for Danisine. This day had taken so long to come around that now it had finally arrived, I found I could barely sit still in my seat. I pulled anxiously at my pony tail and then adjusted the red silk tube-top that hugged my torso. I was dressed with care, and the top matched the red and black satin skirt that I had fashioned together from two pieces of fabric. The material hung to just past the knee at front and back and was held in place by a thin string of decorative beads that circled my hips. My outer thighs were exposed but I had no problems revealing them, nor my shoulders or mid-rift if it meant drawing attention away from other, more intimate parts of my body that I did not wish to have on display.

My role for the day was to appear feminine and subservient, but the clothes I wore served another purpose. In the split skirt I could run, twist or kick at almost any angle I chose, while my arms were also unrestricted and would allow me to punch if necessary. On my feet I wore black knee-high boots, the soles of which were flat and had sturdy tread. I might not look ready to fight, but I was as prepared as I could be under the circumstances.

"This is it." Colonel Sheppard glanced back at me as we entered the gate. I smiled at him. Try as I might, I could not seem to think of him by first name when he was working.

I leaned forward in my seat so I could look out the window as we flew out over Danisine. The iron cage that surrounded the gate seemed to have been extended considerably since our last visit and a number of ships were already parked on the ground area below. Some appeared elaborate and new, while others looked to be in varying states of disrepair. The puddle jumper was one of the smallest of those present.

The Colonel and Rodney guided us down to rest upon the sand in a far corner. "Let's hope she'll be safe here until we get back," the Colonel said as he turned off the engines and got out of his seat. "Is everyone ready?"

I nodded, and slipped my right hand down the side of my boot and felt the reassuring presence of the knife I had concealed there. We had no way of knowing how thoroughly we would be checked as we went through the gate, but because our knives had been allowed inside the complex last time each of us had armed ourselves accordingly.

Marcus got up from the seat beside me and extended his hand to help me to my feet. In anticipation of the heat outside, he had left his leather jacket behind on Atlantis and now wore only a faded black T-shirt with his leather pants. He had been unusually quite the whole morning and I guessed he was worried about Marissa and the part she had to play with Rydan. I followed him down the ramp to join the others outside and immediately felt the heat engulf me like a wave.

Rodney pulled uncomfortably at the leather jacket he wore. "Great," he said, "First thing in the morning and I'm practically cooked already."

"You could always leave the jacket behind?" Colonel Sheppard suggested.

"And expose even more of myself to all of the UV rays out here? Are you serious?" Rodney countered.

"Suit yourself," the Colonel shook his head. "Just don't pass out from heat-stroke before you disarm the perimeter fence. I happen to think being caught by Rydan's guards might be slightly more hazardous to your health that a bit of sunshine."

We approached the gate that would lead us into the compound and discovered there was already a small group of people queuing to get in. At the rear was a pair of men, dressed in what might once have been described as clothes, but now amounted to little more than torn, dirty rags. We took up position behind them, the stench of body odour indicating that neither had bothered to wash for the occasion. I shrank back a little and promptly bumped into someone who had joined the line behind us.

"I'm sorry," I automatically turned to apologize and found myself looking at a man whose entire face was covered by tattoos. Of slim build and average height, he was overshadowed by the statuesque woman who leaned on his arm. She wore her hair parted severely down the middle, one side peroxide blond and the other jet black while in her lip was a metal piercing that matched the numerous others in her right eyebrow. Her male counterpart gave me a lecherous once-over while she fixed me with what could only be described as a death stare.

I quickly looked away, not because I was afraid, but because the last thing any of us needed was a confrontation. Our turn to pass through the gate could not come fast enough, and I was relieved when we got through with our knives still in our possession and were able to put some distance between ourselves and the couple.

Colonel Sheppard turned to us as we walked. "If I'm not mistaken, I've counted five guards already… Let's hope that means there's less than we're expecting inside."

"Maybe they've called in a few extras," Marcus suggested. He did not appear overly bothered by the possibility. "So long as we hold the element of surprise we can probably cope with a few more if we have to."

"Oh, says you," Rodney exclaimed. "Just because you don't have a problem with the possibility of even more armed guards than we were already expecting, let me assure you that I most definitely do."

"Don't forget we have Erik and Ronon who will fight for us… So long as we get to them," Marcus reminded.

Rodney extended his index finger towards him. "You see, as much as I find that idea somewhat comforting, when you say the words 'so long as', I find myself once again filled with reservations."

Colonel Sheppard stepped in to save the conversation. "Just keep it cool, Rodney. There's no need to get worked up until we know for sure exactly what we're up against."

A giant pair of stone gates, set in the side wall of the complex appeared in front of us as we walked. I guessed they must have been closed during our last visit because I had not noticed them, but now they stood open to allow everyone to pass through. We walked between them to find ourselves standing behind the terraced seating of the ring. A steep flight of stone steps led upwards in front of us and we climbed them and emerged at the top, looking out on the ring below.

The reason we had arrived so early was so that we could get seats within sight of Rydan's viewing area and we quickly moved along the rows until we came across empty seats that not only gave us a clear line of sight, but also placed us on a similar height level. Rydan himself did not yet appear to be present, but the throne-like chair that I had seen him use in the greeting hall was empty and placed in position for his arrival.

Marcus took the seat closest to the area, followed by myself, Colonel Sheppard and then Rodney. I looked down at the ring, hoping to catch sight of Ronon or Erik, but although there were lots of people coming and going, I could see no sign of either of them. I watched as a large wooden podium was rolled out and positioned in the centre of the ring. A high wooden beam stretched from one end to the other, and from the beam three rope nooses swung and swayed with the movement of the platform. As the podium found position and came to a stop, the nooses also became still. I stared at them and a shiver went down my spine.

The Colonel chose that moment to lean over to whisper to Marcus and I. "McKay's got the bug in place."

With all of the distractions, I had completely forgotten about the tiny device Rodney had designed to disarm the fence. In the shape of a small half-moon, it attached itself to an exposed power source and awaited activation via hand-held remote. A one-time power surge would then penetrate the wires and travel back to the main power conductor. If this did not actually lower the fence, it would at least disrupt the electricity that flowed through it so that it could be scaled. I guessed Rodney must have attached the bug as we passed into the ring although I had no recollection of seeing him do so.

"I count six guards in the ring," Marcus whispered back. "That's one more than we were expecting, plus the extras outside." He looked again towards Rydan's viewing area and I guessed he was as anxious to catch sight of Marissa as I was to see Ronon and Erik. We waited as the seats around us all began to fill, and soon we became part of the crowd. People on every side laughed, talked and drank as they anticipated the day's attractions. Two seats in front of us, I even saw a woman hoist up her skirt and straddle the lap of her male companion. Although I averted my eyes, the sounds of their vigorous love-making still reached my ears.

Rodney leaned towards Colonel Sheppard as he looked at the couple on horror. "Are they..?"

"Yup," the Colonel replied, appearing more bemused by the situation than offended.

"Oh, that's just… gross," Rodney shook his head. He shifted slightly to inspect the wooden seat beneath him. "Who know what kinds of microorganisms are embedded right where I'm sitting." He raised his hands to his face as another thought dawned on him. "And why did I not think to wear gloves?"

The Colonel smiled. "I think your leather pants will provide more than enough protection from any lingering… uh, residue."

"Residue. Oh, that just does it," Rodney paled visibly. "Excuse me, I think I'm about to throw up."

I stifled a giggle. The situation was so absurd that it was either laugh or be horrified about it right along with Rodney.

I glanced at Marcus to find his expression sober. "Marissa's in position," he said.

My amusement quickly evaporated as I leaned forward to catch sight of her. She stood beside Rydan's empty chair dressed in…well, dressed in practically nothing at all I realized. Her pink gown was gone, replaced with a bikini top so small that it barely covered her breasts, and a scrap of material draped from her hips and left almost her entire left thigh exposed. Her only protection from the hundreds of pairs of leering eyes was her hair, hanging around her torso like a long, dark silk curtain.

"She's wearing her boots," I said to Marcus, thinking of the knife she would have concealed inside them. "At least there's that."

He nodded, but I could see he was worried, especially when Rydan suddenly appeared on the patio beside her. Dressed in tailored black trousers and a white shirt that was open to mid-chest, he strode to the front of the patio. With a single raise of his hand, he brought the entire stadium to silence.

"Welcome everyone, and thank you all for coming here today," he said, his voice loud and clear. "As some of you already know, this is to be a special celebration in honour of the 50th tournament held right here in this very ring. In light of this, I intend to start things off a little differently than usual…"

I followed his gaze to the ring below and saw a man with a thick, dark beard approach the wooden podium that had been rolled into position. He was followed by a line of women, all of who had their hands linked together by iron chains. They were attractive women, well groomed and each dressed in a brightly coloured gown of a similar style to the pink one Marissa had worn.

"I therefore present the women before me for your purchase," Rydan continued. "Each has been especially selected on account of her beauty, and all are guaranteed to be clean and free of disease."

The crowd roared their approval and at Rydan's command, the man with the beard dragged the first woman up onto the podium to stand next to him. My stomach filled with nausea as he looked to the crowd for an opening bid. He received one almost immediately, and then another and another… One by one the other women were dragged up beside the man to meet their fates. Some stared at the crowd defiantly, while others stood with their heads bowed. I noticed that a man sitting in the bottom row below us placed bids on almost every woman to appear, and he quickly accumulated a number of them which he shackled to his side. Two of the men seated in front of us whispered to each other excitedly as they saw the women he had purchased.

"Looks like Trev's re-stocking his stable."

"We should stop in on the way home. I'd like first round with the blond in the blue."

"How 'bout we share her and split the cost? I'll show yer how a real man puts his cock to use."

They broke into laughter and I turned away, left in no doubt as to what kind of establishment 'Trev' ran. I watched the auction with mounting revulsion as each woman took the stand and was sold in turn. Finally, the bearded auctioneer stood alone on the podium and I breathed a sigh of relief that the proceedings were over.

"Wait," Rydan stood up from his throne just as the man below prepared to stand down. "I have one more offering to make… A woman of such exceptional beauty as to make all others before her pale in comparison."

Beside me, Marcus stiffened in his seat.

I looked at him in confusion, but his gaze was fixed solely upon Rydan and what was taking place beside him. With dawning horror, I followed his line of sight to see Marissa being escorted from Rydan's side through the crowd towards the ring below.

"Oh, crap," Colonel Sheppard muttered beside me.

Marcus followed Marissa's progress with his eyes and then began to rise to his feet.

Colonel Sheppard immediately reached in front of me and grabbed his thigh. "Wait," he warned. "Let's not do anything rash."

Marcus flashed him a look of anger but remained seated. I sat between the two of them, my hands pressed to my face in dismay. Not only was Marissa about to be sold in front of us, but our plan to get Ronon and Erik out had suddenly been blown to pieces.

Marcus leaned in front of me. "I'm not going to just sit here and watch her be sold," he warned Colonel Sheppard. "She came back here to help us, in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten," the Colonel replied. "But let's just all take a minute to assess the situation. It's not only Marissa's welfare that's at stake here."

Marcus pursed his lips together and I could see he was thinking about Erik, and the plan we had to rescue him and Ronon. "Damn it," he cursed. "I don't even have anything of worth with me to buy her."

The men argued back and forth while I watched Marissa being dragged through the crowd, her wrists held securely by a guard on either side. Just as she reached the gate that would take her into the ring she caught sight of me. For a moment we stared at each other, both of us powerless to stop what was about to take place. She looked from me to Marcus and from there her gaze never shifted as she was dragged into the ring and placed upon the podium.

"There's nothing we can do for her right now," Colonel Sheppard said, his voice firm with command. "We just need to stay calm and see how things play out. Maybe we can get to her afterwards."

"And if we can't?" Marcus countered. "What then?"

"We'll worry about that when it happens," the Colonel replied. "Everyone, just sit tight."

I glanced at Rydan to see him lounged casually in his chair as he settled back to watch the proceedings below. The auctioneer did not have any difficulty finding a starting bid for Marissa, a price that was higher than some of the other women had sold for. The bidding escalated at an alarming rate, and all the while Marissa looked pleadingly at the crowd as if she hoped they might see the error of their ways. Her efforts had little effect. The men in the crowd took one look at her and dug deep in their pockets at the thought of claiming her ownership. Finally, the bidding slowed and then came to a halt entirely. At almost three times the price of many of the women prior, Marissa was sold to Trev, a man who would put her to work for him.

The two men in front of us smacked each other on the back in eager anticipation. I guessed that the blond who had caught their attention had been cast aside in favour of the more appealing Marissa.

Marcus stared at them both with loathing, but to his credit he held his anger in check as Marissa was led back through the crowd and passed to her new owner. Trev gave her a slow evaluation and then fitted her with a set of ankle chains and tied her to the rest of the women he now owned. To everyone's relief, he then sat back down and appeared to be waiting for the rest of the entertainment to begin.

With Marissa still safely in sight, I turned my thoughts to Ronon and my brother. Our plan to get them out of here, as tenuous as it had been, was now completely in shreds. We had no way of getting to a weapon, or of taking Rydan out of position. For the first time I began to worry that instead of coming here to rescue them both, we might instead be about to watch them die.

Ronon POV

The roar of the crowd echoed all of the way down the stone corridor to our cell. I paced the floor, restless for action, while Erik stood motionless beside the window. Earlier that morning we had been fitted with iron cuffs and every time I moved, the chain that linked them clanked and swayed. At the sound of footsteps approaching, Erik fell back from the window and turned to me.

"Guess this is it," he said as the Rat and two armed guards appeared at our door.

I held his gaze. "I'm ready," I told him.

He came closer as the Rat fumbled with the lock outside. "I can't think of another person I'd rather go through this with…" he extended his hand towards me, "…Brother."

I bypassed his hand and grasped his forearm to pull him towards me. My relationship with Erik was different to the easy comradery that I shared with Sheppard. Instead of kicking back together, we were more inclined to take to each other with stick or baton. Beating the stuffing out of one another was liberating in a way that nobody else but he and I could quite understand, and while it might appear to outsiders that our alliance was an uneasy one, nothing could be further from the truth. The iron cuffs on our wrists clanked as we gripped each other firmly. "Brother."

We let go of each other as the Rat stepped into our cell. "Sorry ta disrupt yer little make-out session," he sneered as he watched us step apart. "Ya holiday's ova, it's time ta earn ya keep."

I glared at him as we left the cell and began the long walk down the corridor towards the noise of the crowd outside. The other cells were empty as we passed and we were the last to exit through the stone archway into the daylight outside. I stared in awe at the sight around me. Gone were the empty wooden bench seats that had overseen our practice sessions. Now every inch of space was occupied by spectators, most of who yelled and cheered while they jostled for a better view of us, the main attraction of the day. The guards waved their guns towards the stone wall behind us and I noticed that along it was a series of evenly spaced iron rings, each embedded in the stone. The other ring fighters – some of who I recognized, and a few who I didn't – were attached to the rings by iron chain, and Erik and I quickly found ourselves tethered alongside them.

With nothing else to do, I searched the crowd for any sign of Sara or Sheppard. I knew they would be there somewhere, but to find them amongst the hundreds of other spectators was not an easy task. I watched as most of them drank and laughed, kissed and groped while they waited impatiently for the tournament to begin. In front of me a topless woman sat on the lap of another while beside them a man fondled their breasts in turn. To my left, a bearded man fell to his knees and brought up the contents of his stomach, already too drunk to stand.

"Hey," Erik caught my attention as he inclined his head over his shoulder. "Behind us."

I turned in the direction he was indicating and after a brief search I suddenly saw Sara. She was looking right back at me, and for a moment our eyes locked and everything came to a stop – including the breath I was drawing. On her face I could see her relief, as well as the worry she felt over my situation. There was no way I could allay her fears from such a distance, but seeing her gave me strength and I held her gaze until I regained my focus. Resolute, I then looked to Sheppard and McKay. Even Marcus, sitting beside Sara was a welcome sight.

"Wish we knew what they were planning, so we could help out," Erik whispered.

"Guess we just have to be ready," I replied as I looked back at Sara. She wore some kind of red top that revealed too much skin. The kind of men who were in the crowd… if anything was to happen to her, I would not be able to get out of my chins to reach her. I had no other choice but to trust that Sheppard would look out for her if the need arose.

In front of me a pair of guards entered the ring, leading a woman and two men in chains between them. They guided the three toward the wooden podium in the middle of the ring. I counted the rope nooses that hung from the wooden rail above and guessed what was about to happen. It was as the nooses were lowered around their necks that I suddenly realized I knew the burly man on the right.

"Check it out," I said to Erik. "Isn't that the guard we did over a few days back?"

He stared at him for a moment. "It is," he replied as he recognized him also. "What was his name…? Jethro, or something.

"Jidder," I replied. "I wondered why we hadn't seen him around."

"Guess he must have pissed off the boss man."

At that moment, Rydan himself stood up above. Because Erik and I were positioned at the end of the curved wall, we could watch as he addressed the crowd.

"The people you see before you are thieves and traitors," he pointed towards the podium. "One conspired to steal from me, while the other two plotted to leave my premises without permission. Their deaths will serve as a warning to any others who attempt to undermine me."

The crowd hissed and jeered as the nooses were pulled tight and a moment later the wooden floor dropped out of the podium. The three bodies twisted and jerked as they hung suspended in the air and the crowd roared with excitement. Jidder was the first to become still, and the other two quickly followed until all three hung motionless.

The guards rolled the podium to the far edge of the ring and I glanced along the row of men beside me to see Teeth staring back. He sneered and raised his cuffed hands to run his finger across his throat in a cutting motion. Whatever Sheppard and the others had planned, I hoped I would get the opportunity to settle things with this man first.

The crowd quietened as Rydan again stood to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the first match of the day," he said as he extended his hand to us below. I looked out to see Red and another man who I did not recognize being released from their cuffs. "Weapons for the fight will be axes," Rydan continued. "Take the chance to inspect the participants and place your bets."

He sat back down, while in the middle of the ring the giant and his opponent swung their axes in preparation. As the bets closed, the odds for the fight were displayed on a board in front of the podium. They favoured the giant to win, although not by much, and Erik and I watched with interest as the fight began.

The first few moves were careful, as they felt each other out for sign of weakness. Red took an early nick to his shoulder and the crowd booed as a thick trickle of blood inched its way down his chest. He countered with a double handed swing towards his opponent's waist. The blow missed, but his next one did not and the blade of his axe carved a deep gash into the other man's side. A wave of excitement ran through the crowd and they got to their feet in anticipation. Red swung his axe again and the man fell to his knees. One final swing saw his axe connect with the side of his opponent's neck and send his severed head rolling to the ground. The rest of his body slumped forward in a pool of blood as the crowd roared their approval.

Rydan stood up and pointed towards Red, standing with axe in hand. "The winner!" He announced.

Red was led back to us and re-tethered to the wall as his opponents body was removed from the ring. When a second fight was announced, a guard came over to release Erik. We exchanged glances as he quickly reached to tie his long hair back from his face.

"Good luck," I told him, and he nodded in response.

I watched him stride out into the middle of the ring and a distinctly feminine cheer went up from the audience as the women present caught sight of him. It might have almost been amusing, had the guard who had just released him not suddenly turned to me.

"You too," he said as he reached to remove my cuffs.

I stared at him, too shocked to obey his request to extend my hands.

He reached out and snatched them towards him. "You dumb or something?" he asked.

I waited until he undid my cuffs and then I rounded on him so that he jumped back in fear. A roar of laughter went up from the crowd as he fumbled for his gun.

"Don't bother," I told him, and I walked past him to where Erik stood in the middle of the ring. He had his back towards me and I watched him slowly turn. The moment he caught sight of me, his face fell and he froze in mid-motion. The noise of the crowd faded into the background as we stared at each other. This was it – our worst case scenario. Whatever the others had planned, I hoped they would decide that now was a good time to put things into action.