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Chapter 18: Bearing Gifts

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Rodney popped his head into Dr Weir's office as she was in deep discussion with Major Lorne and offhandedly announced, "Yeah, sorry to interrupt but I forgot to tell you that I'll be going along with Carson." Almost as an afterthought, he threw out the zinger. "Oh, and I'm taking a naqahdah generator with me." Spinning around, he managed a few speedy steps before Elizabeth's voice halted his running away maneuver.

"Hold it right there Rodney!" Elizabeth steely ordered.

Sighing at having his escape thwarted, Rodeny turned back around and entered the office. Stood there crossing his arms in defiance. He wouldn't be talked out of this.

Pinning McKay with her sharp displeasure, Elizabeth drawled, "I'm sure I misheard you."

"I'm sure you didn't," Rodney peevishly retorted. But then his confident façade fractured as he stepped to Weir's desk with desperation ebbing off his next words. "It's part of the deal John was in the middle of negotiating with these people before…" Rodney couldn't get out the words 'before John had a massive seizure and terrified the entire village'. Itbrought too much fear into his own heart, dwelling on John's illness and how now his friend was alone with people who wanted his death. It all sucked. But he knew he had to focus on John's wishes, seeing that they were carried out. "We need to honor that, provide them with this alternate power source to get their shields up and running."

Major Lorne gave Rodney an incredulously look. "Get their shields running….so we can't get in?! To get Sheppard or to take action if they come after us again."

Rodney paled, stammered, "Oh..I didn't think about that."

Shaking his head at the crazy he had to deal with from his co-conspirators, Lorne snapped, "No, you didn't think that through. We are not helping them fortify themselves against us."

It sounded logical but Rodney couldn't toss away John's intentions. Trusted his best friend too much to not know his plans always had merit. Turning to a more receptive audience, he appeal to the negotiator in Elizabeth, "You're always saying we need allies, this is how we turn enemies into allies. Well, maybe."

The Major snorted at McKay's the-skies-are-always-sunny proposal. "That's too far a stretch even for Dr. Weir."

Not appreciating Lorne speaking for her, Weir shot to her stand-in military leader, "I will decide what's too far a stretch," But then she seemed to sag back in her chair and relented her defiance. "But he's right, Rodney, we can't give them a way to guard themselves against us."

Now Rodney was miffed, anger thrumming through his voice. "Well, unless one of you can get this gate open," he flung a hand back toward the main stargate, "we aren't flying John out of there. And if he can't go through a stargate…he has to stay there." And that wasn't a pleasant thought, for any of them. Rodney's tone turned to an imploring one. "We NEED to be on good terms with these people…well, better terms. We need time for Becket to find the right serum to isolate the modified DNA in John, so it would be great if we weren't all prisoners while we're there."

Instead of protesting Rodney's insight, Elizabeth caught on one word: "We?"

Rodney straightened and got that I'm the smartest man alive aura about him. "Yes, like I said at the beginning of this conversation, I'm going back. I'm the only one who can get the generator to work their shields."

"No," Major Lorne briskly shut down the notion. "We don't need them to have more hostages beside John and soon to be Carson."

"Well tough. I'm going back to John," Rodney stubbornly declared.

Unbeknownst to the bickering threesome, Ronon had been waiting out in the corridor, listening. He boldly stepped into the room and stated, "I'm going too. We need some security for Carson." But no one was fooled, knew it was John he was going to protect, not Carson.

For the first time in their conversation, Lorne conceded, "That I agree with."

Elizabeth came to her feet to grab everyone's attention. "You all seem to forget that I'm in charge here! I decide how this all plays out."

Ronon took a step toward her, his resentment tangible. "What? Are you going to let John die for Atlantis' greater good?! Like you did when Koya had him, fed him to the wraith and we didn't do a damn thing to help him!"

Elizabeth paled, still hated herself for having made that choice. Stiffly repeated the manta she'd used to justify her inaction, "I can't put one life over…"

"He'd do it for you!" Rodney passionately cut across her sedate words. "For any of us. Sheppard would throw away his own life to save Atlantis but would do whatever crazy thing, including taking the ATA, to save the rest of us. We OWE him this, to do whatever we have to get him well and back with us."

Expecting Lorne to balk at that emotional line of thinking and take her side, Elizabeth turned to the Major. "What? That suggestion you're not going to object to?!"

Lorne's expression was as grim as she'd ever seen it. "Honestly, I want to go into that village and treat them all to a dose of extreme prejudice," he frankly expressed before his look softened. "But if John wanted to negotiate this deal with the generator, he must have faith that they could be a worthy ally to us." Because that was the thing with John Sheppard, he had a knack for fairly evaluating people, even the ones willing to let him die.

"I hate to admit this but these people …" that had all eyes curiously resting on McKay. "They might…ok, they do know more about the 2nd stargate than we do. They have this generational download of memories and it's possible that they could be encouraged to tell us how to get our main Stargate open and shut that secondary one."

Seeing Elizabeth was mulling this new information over, Ronon jeered to her, "If you needed a cold-blooded reason to barter with these people for Sheppard's life, that's it."

Though her jaw clenched at Ronnon's words, Elizabth didn't retort back. She knew she had to look at the big picture, every life on Atlantis…maybe Earth could be affected by her actions…or inactions. Sacrificing one of their generators, giving these people a shield to defend even against them, it seemed ludicrous. But then again, it was a John Sheppard idea, so of course it was.

But for all of the times she butted heads with her Military leader, his perception of people and his on-the-fly concocted plans for Atlantis's survival when things looked the direst, they always seemed to have an astonishingly high probability of being right. Her instincts and her heart told her to trust John again in this. "Ok, get the generator ready, McKay. But devise a kill switch in case these "allies" turn again to enemies."

Rodney smiled at her deviousness. "I could tweak something to be an EMF to wipe it out. Course then it's useless to us to take back… " he theorized even as he was leaving the room, talking to himself about his next steps.

Looking to Lorne, Elizabeth expressed her concerns on an armed escort going with Beckett and McKay. "I'm considering allowing Ronon to go with Carson, but I don't want him to initiate any acts of force unless our people are in physical danger."

Glad to be seriously consulted at last, Lorne answered with one word. "Agreed." Then he and Ronon left together, conferring about their plans.

Retaking her seat, Elizabeth tapped into her coms. "Dr. Beckett, having any success with the serum?"

Carson's harried voice came back. "I'm on the right track but I need more time. Can we bargain for them to give us another two hours at least?"

"I didn't get the feeling that would go over well," Elizabeth bleakly retorted. "But we are working on a tactic that hopefully allows you to stay there, safely, to treat John for a few days. Because, as things stand, we can't get him back here right away."

"That's definitely good news in my book," Beckett sighed with relief.

"Our bar for what rates good news is ridiculously low," Elizabeth darkly mumbled before she spoke up, "I'll meet you at the 2nd gate in half an hour, doctor."

With everyone else off now doing what they could to prepare for their trip back to Sheppard, Elizabeth was wracking her brain for ways to sweeten the deal for the ceasefire. Then she remembered the other things Rodney had told her about these people: no electricity, apparently rudimentary medical supplies. The village was reminiscent of the Earth's early 1600's lifestyle, except they had advanced weapons and handed down knowledge. And had been ravaged by the Wraith for generations. So they were a lot like Teyla's people. Picking up her comms, she sought out another of John's teammates. "Teyla, can you come to my office?"

It was mere minutes before Telya stepped into Dr. Weir's office. Elizabeth appraised her of the decisions made for getting John back and allying themselves with the villagers. But was surprised to be asked what her own people would have requested from Atlantis had they needed to form a treaty for peace among them.

"I have not given this much thought, as we were not in contention with the visitors from Atlantis," Telya slowly began. But then she offered, "But, seeing your technology, we would have wanted a way to detect the wraith and have some way to defend ourselves against them. So if Rodney can get their shield working, they would only have need of one of those things."

Elizabeth smiled as she and Teyla came to the same conclusion. "I can send along one of our scanners that detect Wraith presence within a few miles. Of course, they wouldn't know if it worked until a wraith comes. They will have to take it on faith it does as we say it does." Faith, like she was placing in them that John was still alive for Carson to heal.

"That is the way of a treaty, faith needs to be present on both sides," Teyla pointed out. "You have that faith in them, after the lives they have cost us, the way they have treated John in his sickness?" she piercingly studied Elizabeth, knew their leader didn't give much away.

"I don't know…but John apparently trusts them to uphold their side of a treaty," Elizabeth admitted, her own uncertainly slipping past her barriers.

But Teyla was well versed in John Sheppard, so she found herself smiling confidently. "I sometimes pity the people John puts his faith in. They will be worthy of that trust, even if he has to back them into a no-win situation to ensure it."

Elziabeth couldn't help smiling in response. "You're right. John's trust is sometimes less fluffy sentiments and more a sharp surgical weapon."

Teyla smiled back in agreement, but it soon faltered under her worry. "Has Dr. Beckett devised a treatment for John, yet?"

"No. But if all goes as we hope, Beckett will be able to stay with John at the village until he gets one synthesized." Seeing Teyla's tangible worry, she reassured, "John's stubbornness will see him through, like it always does."

"I pray you are right," Teyla replied, wishing she could also go to Sheppard. But she too needed to have faith, not only in John's stubbornness but in Carson's medical skills, Rodney's ability to get the shield working and Ronon restraining himself from killing everyone that dared to treat John poorly.

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Half an hour later, a nervous group surrounded by the 2nd Stargate. Rodney fidgeted, waiting for Kannar to open their gate so he could get back to John. Carson was checking and rechecking his medical equipment and supplies in his two bags, one he would carry and the other Ronon would carry. Major Lorne was there with a five man team, prepped to go if Radek could manage to keep the gate from locking down or find a way to reopen to that address. And Elizabeth was there hoping to get a chance to talk with Kannar, show their good will.

Finally, the gate swooshed open and Kannar's voice came through the radio. "Is your doctor ready?"

"Yes, and we have other offerings of peace," Elizabeth announced, keeping her tone strong but without resentment. "Doctor McKay will be bringing through the generator as Colonel Sheppard negotiated with you. And I am also providing one of our Wraith detection scanners. We can be allies against the Wraith."

Kannar's cold reply back was "Heal our people and we might consider opening further communication. Send through your healer and McKay now."

Elizabeth stated her counteroffer, "And one other man will come to, to help carry supplies and to safeguard my people."

"That's unacceptable," was Kannar's predictable reaction.

Elizabeth's next words were fused with an implacably hard edge. "And it is unacceptable you killed some of my people and are holding my military leader hostage. The protector will be allowed to come through the gate or this whole truce will be in jeopardy."

There was a notable silence after her threat before Kannar made his own ruthless reply. "If he poses a threat, I will deal harshly with him."

"As long as we both understand the consequences of such actions," Elizabeth shot back. "They are coming through the gate now." She gave a nod to Ronon, praying he knew his duty and kept to their stipulations as her three people stepped through the Stargate. She didn't need to look to Major Lorne to know his thoughts were 'I hope you know what you're doing'. So did she.

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Carson wasn't fond of being greeted by armed soldier, espcieally when their weapons were pointed at his chest. It took only Ronon coming through the Stargate behind him for their deadly attention to shift to the obvious threat. He didn't want to say he was relieved Ronon was their target but…it was mostly true. "Where's the Colonel?" he asked, because the barren arid land surrounding the gate looked inhospitable to man or crops.

The man who stepped forward was dark haired, athletic build and had the aura of one in charge, like Sheppard did when he needed to drop his 'good ole boy' persona and be menacing. "I take it you're the healer."

"Dr. Beckett. The sooner I get to the Colonel…"

"My people. You'll be healing them first," Kannar curtly laid down the law. And besides, soon the effects of the drug McKay had infected his people with would wear off. Leaving them thinking that they had no need for this doctor's medicine…or a truce with the people inhabiting Atlantis. They were fast running out of time to pull off this ruse. His eyes flickered to the protector, noted his marking were Satedean. So surely no lover of the Wraith. But Kannar had never seen remnants of their kind ally themselves with anyone else. Sheppard indeed had a way of forging unlikely alliances, prayed he could do it again.

Turning to his soldier, Kannar ordered him to open the stargate to their planet. Giving McKay a measuring look, he said, "That generator better do what you promise it will," or else they'd have turned the tide of thanksgiving back to resentment, fast.

"It will," McKay bragged with a smug smile. Couldn't wait to show his superiourity to the village engineer. Wished he could ask about John's health but knew Kannar couldn't come off sympathetic to them. So said in the way of a threat, "But I'm only hooking it up once I know John's being taken care of by Beckett."

"I guessed as much. Also bargaining high above what you're owed," Kannar taunted.

"It's Sheppard's bad influence rubbing off on me," Rodney praised his best friend's tenacity and prayed it would see John through his latest reckless, sacrificing stunt as it had so many times before.

Kannar gave no reply as they ushered their "guests" through the stargate and then loaded them up into the ship waiting on their planet. The flight to their village was made in silence but it was a tense one, none of his soldiers liking the Satedan's menacing presence and the unsettling way his hand rested on the weapon Kannar had allowed him to keep.

This peace treaty business was torture on his nerves and Kannar fervently wished he could have left it in his father's hands. But in this, his father had been wrong. It was wrong to let his people keep hiding away, putting themselves into extinction faster than the Wraith could reap them. They needed to trust someone, and John Sheppard seemed the best option he'd come across in his years of traveling to other worlds. Now he prayed Sheppard's people were as honorable as the soldier was.

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TBC

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Thank you for the reviews and author and story alerts! And a shout out to Shepfan to say thank you for your compliments and for still enjoying the story!

Have a great day!

Cheryl W.