Stargate Atlantis: Fool's Gold3
The two opponents circled, circled. Each held fighting sticks at the ready. Each bore distinct marks painted upon their faces, ritualized symbols in dark blue that harkened back to a far earlier time, a time of tribes and warriors and roaming bands. Each wore the distinct garb of the Athosians, the man a tanned leather vest and pants, the woman a tanned leather tank top and long slit skirt. Both the man's and the women's hair were tied up in an elaborate braid that was decorated with feathers and beads.
It was very tribal. It was very primal.
It was very boring to John as he stood with the crowd that surrounded the two as they circled, circled. John was becoming impatient but he held his tongue. He knew this was important to Teyla so he respected her wishes and her traditions, however primitive they might seem. He held his P90 cradled loosely in his arms. He could swing it up into action instantly, just in case.
He wished he had brought his Gameboy, however.
The first blow was struck. Halling hit Teyla's stick. She responded in kind. Another hit, a feint, circling, circling as they tested each other's resolve and responses. Stick on stick made a distinctly wooden knocking sound, clacking like Dutch clogs and John tried not to smile as he could only imagine trying to explain that reference.
The sun was a shining ball of gold in the blue, blue sky, blinding and hot. John surreptitiously glanced at his watch, realizing this could take hours. He slid on his sunglasses against the glare of light and rolled back on his heels, suppressing a sigh and resigning himself to wait.
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"Here." Jason crouched in the grass. At last clear of the trees the two men had traveled along a hilly expanse, following along a dry river bed. Jason's fingers dug around, encountering dirt and weeks and mushrooms. "There's something under here." He consulted the scanner. A faint reading was being detected and the Ancient technology was receiving it in wavy lines.
"Move." Ronon waited as the blond man stood. Ronon eyed the area. Angling his foot he gave the grassy hummock a solid kick. Dirt and weeds went flying. A large clod of dirt was dislodged, revealing an oddly shaped metal object. A small blue light blinked, blinked and blinked as it transmitted a faint signal that was inaudible. "What is that?"
Jason shook his head, staring down at the object. "I have no idea. We had better inform Colonel Sheppard and then find a way to turn it off but we need to—"
Ronon stomped on it.
"—keep it one piece," Jason uselessly finished as the machine whined and flew apart. Pieces flew every which way.
"Oh. Sorry," Ronon said, stepping back to view the carnage. Sheepishly he knelt and began to gather the myriad little pieces scattered over the grass and dirt and weeds.
Jason sighed. "So…how good are you at jigsaw puzzles?"
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The blow landed hard, spinning Teyla but she countered with a graceful, powerful kick that knocked Halling backwards. The crowd was utterly silent, watching. The only sounds were the grunts and groans of the two opponents. Both were becoming bruised but as yet no blood had been spilled. Both were dirty from having fallen several times upon the dirt, only to spring up and continue the combat. Both were tired but still fighting, each bearing feral grins although the contest was a serious one.
Where the sticks hit hands and feet followed in a mad dance of combat that demonstrated not only skill but restraint as easily the fight could have produced serious injuries. If not for the skill of the pair blood would have been spilling on the ground. Their movements became faster and faster and more blows landed hard. When one fell the other took the advantage but was quickly countered. What Halling had in strength and size Teyla could match in speed and dexterity.
It was an oddly equal contest, and could take hours.
"So…" John said quietly to the woman next to him, "how do you determine a winner?"
"The first one to yield loses the challenge."
"Ah." John sighed, forcing himself not to intervene as much as he wanted to interrupt if only to end the show. His radio crackled and he tapped his earpiece, shrugging at the glares directed towards him. He eased himself a few steps from the crowd that quickly closed around the two combatants. "Report," he said.
"Sir, we found the source of the energy signature. It's some sort of transmitter," Jason stated, on his hands and knees as he gathered the fragments onto a handkerchief that was spread on the grass next to him. Tiny silver shards and crystals gleamed in the sunlight like broken gems.
"Did you turn it off?" John asked.
"Yes sir. Well, Ronon—"
"Pick up what's left and return here, major," John ordered. He could easily guess the Satedan's solution and the resultant destruction. "McKay will want to examine it."
"Yes sir. It may take some time, sir. There are a lot of little pieces."
John sighed. "Very well. One thing we have is plenty of time. Sheppard out."
A cry made him whirl and shove his way to the front of the crowd as shouts were filling the air. He hoisted his gun, but lowered it with a smirk. Halling was on his knees as Teyla stood behind him, one stick poised under his chin and pressing his head backwards into her. John recalled being held like that and could sympathize with both the pain and the humiliation.
John reminded himself to never doubt again that Teyla had lost any of her skills.
"Do you yield?" Teyla rasped. At his silence she pressed the stick against his throat. "Do you yield?" she repeated tersely.
"I…I yield." The words were bitter, but torn from Halling's throat in a grunt, yet Teyla did not release him.
"Do you acknowledge me as your leader, as the leader of the Athosian people?"
"Yes."
Teyla freed him at last. Halling fell, catching himself as his hands hit the dirt instead of his face. Teyla dropped the stick to the ground. She wiped her sweaty hair from her face. The impromptu tattoos were running along her skin with her sweat. "Very well. All challenges have been met and answered. I , Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan, wife of Kanaan, mother of Torren John have proven my right to lead our people."
Halling coughed as he moved to his feet. "I concur. We are agreed?"
The crowd clapped and cheered. The two combatants turned to each other. They bowed their heads, touched forehead to forehead in formal greeting.
Teyla stepped to John, smiling. "We will have a feast to celebrate, and then we shall speak of the Wraith."
"Great," John said, but before he could say more Teyla was led away by a group of women.
"Sir." Jason and Ronon joined him.
"What did we miss?" Ronon asked.
"Not much. Just Teyla beating Halling's ass." The men laughed. "The signal?"
Jason patted a pocket on his TAC vest. "It's in several pieces, sir, but it has stopped transmitting."
"Great." John eyed Ronon. The larger man merely shrugged. "We are invited to a celebration, and then we get some intel on the Wraith. Let's go. McKay's gonna have a field day with that thing, whatever it is, er was."
"It will give him something to do," Ronon said with a smile.
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John set down his cup of tea, frowning. "And that's it? Nothing?"
Halling shrugged as did several others around him. "Yes, colonel. We count ourselves fortunate that we have not been touched by the Wraith in several months, especially as you were too far to aid us. It was a difficult decision to refuse the Coalition, but despite your apparent abandonment of us we chose to remain loyal to Atlantis, having faith that you would return."
"And so we have," Ronon noted, eying the other man with amusement. Halling was a mess of bruises and cuts. Teyla was clad in her Atlantis BDUs once more, but unlike her former opponent she bore hardly a mark on her.
"We believed the City of the Ancients would return to us, as it belongs here."
"Yes, it does, and yes, we have," John endorsed, glancing round at the Athosians. "We had to act quickly to save our home world and to prevent the Wraith from attacking it. We left precipitously and everyone in the city had little choice but to go with us. We—"
"No, colonel," Teyla corrected. She looked at Halling, at the people crowded in the small dwelling. "I chose to stay to fight with Atlantis. Mr. Woolsey gave me the choice to remain in this galaxy, but I chose to travel with Atlantis and help in any way that I could. Do not interpret that as my choosing them over you. The simple fact is that without Atlantis none of us will ever stand a chance against the Wraith."
John glanced at Teyla, surprised. He had given her a graceful way out of any lingering resentment but instead she had thrown it back at him. He cleared his throat, stood. "Well, you've got our address and an IDC if you ever need us. We should be getting back to Atlantis now. Thanks."
Halling stood. "Very well. We still count Atlantis as our friend."
"And we count New Athosia as ours."
John paused as the team left the village. He watched Ronon and Jason head for the DHD. He turned as Teyla caught up with him and the two began to walk towards the Stargate. "I knew you could take him."
"As did I," she gravely said.
"So why aren't you celebrating like everyone else?" John asked. He had seen her pride, but also her solemnity, and knew something wasn't right. "I mean, you got what you wanted, right? You are still the leader of your people, and we still have an alliance with them. I say it's a win win. Teyla?" he prodded to her pensive silence.
Teyla sighed, met his gaze. Her face was clear of the tattoos. Her skin covered by her familiar Atlantis BDUs. Instead of fighting sticks there was a gun holstered at her side. "Yes. But I…I…" she sighed. "John…"
"What is it?" he asked, baffled.
Teyla sighed again. "I think I have made a mistake."