I am sorry for the delay in updating, but real life has gotten in the way of my creative exploits. Thanks to everyone who's still reading and for your positive reviews.
Chapter 15: Negotiations begin.
John stood on the bridge of the Hilarian supply ship with Rulan and Jolan beside him. Down below, he could see original Hilaring, which never failed to fill him with awe. The sheer wonder of seeing a planet from space was a feeling he could never quite get used to.
As a child, John had always harboured a deep desire to fly, but he could never have fathomed the extraordinary turn his life would take. Standing on the bridge of a spaceship in another galaxy, surrounded by people from distant worlds, was a reality that had never even flickered in his wildest dreams. And the thought of being married to one of these people was a twist he could never have predicted.
The ship had reached its destination two hours ago, and the time for parting was near. Soon, it would be time to transport Rulan, Jolan, Teyla, and the other civilians down to the planet below. The impending separation weighed heavily on John's heart, casting a shadow over the otherwise awe-inspiring view of the planet. He was not looking forward to saying goodbye to his wife and son, not knowing when he would see them again.
Rulan, with his piercing blue eyes and a thoughtful expression, and Jolan, with his mischievous smile and curly brown hair, seemed to share his absolute wonder at the planet below. They constantly asked John questions when they weren't gazing at it. Rulan was intelligent, and John could see he would make an excellent negotiator for his people.
John hadn't had a chance to get to know these people the first time they'd met, but when he studied their features, he realised that despite their deformities, Jolan and Rulan were good-looking people; they both had cheeky, mischievous personalities, too. They were dressed in clean grey pants and tunics, contrasting the rags he'd seen them wearing when they first met. These two didn't have the same deformities as some of the others John had seen, and he wondered if the two groups of people on the original Hilaring planet had interbred at some point in the planet's history. Their unique characteristics piqued his interest, and he was drawn to them. He'd like a chance to know them better if circumstances were different.
"General Sheppard, I want to thank you for everything you've done for Jolan and me. I promise to take good care of Teyla and your son in your absence," Rulan said, his voice filled with gratitude and a hint of sadness, interrupting his thoughts.
John knew Teyla didn't need any looking after, and she'd be annoyed if she thought anyone was looking out for her. He knew that the only people she consented to look after her were him and Ronon, and only because she loved him dearly and she loved Ronon like a brother.
Ultimately, they decided Carson would stay with Halling and Teyla on Hilaring. Although he'd never admit it to Teyla, he was glad Carson would be there to keep an eye on her.
Rodney had transferred the holographic doctor's program to a data module, and Carson would take it to the planet. Carson hoped Dave would be able to help heal the locals.
Carson expressed interest in studying the two tribes of Hilarians on the planet below. Although he missed Jasmine, Carson said he would manage if he didn't see her for another few weeks.
John looked at his watch and knew it was time to say goodbye. He looked at Jolan and Rulan and smiled, "If you'll excuse me, I must say goodbye to my wife and child."
Voth had allowed them to use his office for their goodbyes. The room was dimly lit, casting a sombre mood over the scene. John took a deep breath before walking in to say goodbye to his wife and son for who knows how long.
"Goodbye, Sweetie," he said, touching his forehead with hers in a traditional Athosian greeting.
"Goodbye, Honey. Do not worry. I will be alright, and I am positive we will see each other again soon," Teyla reassured, her voice filled with determination.
Her demeanour was serene as usual, but he couldn't ignore the tears running down her cheeks. So much had happened in the last few years that he was seriously considering retiring when this was all over. He had no idea where they would live but sometimes longed for a peaceful life. Now wasn't the time to have those thoughts, though, so he tucked the thought in the back of his overcrowded mind to mull over another time.
John kissed his son on the top of his head and smiled at the unruly black hair. He'd barely had a chance to get to know his son, and now they'd be separated for an unknown period - hopefully only a week at most.
He took his wife's hand and walked to the bridge, where Rulan, Carson and Jolan were waiting.
The other civilians on the ship were already on the planet below, having been transported a few hours before.
"Good luck, Carson, " John said, shaking the doctor's hand.
John smiled at Teyla as the transporter beam was activated. He would miss her and Halling, but he knew he had a job to do. When that was over, and they were reunited, he was definitely going to take his family on vacation to Earth.
oOo
Two days had passed since Kannar had agreed to help Lorne infiltrate the ancient city of New Hilaring. Unfortunately, he'd slipped into a coma, and Jennifer was convinced he wouldn't make it. Fillion and Rollnok refused to help them, stating they'd rather die than help an enemy; they both sat in their Jail cell, refusing to eat and drinking only a small amount of water. However, Lorne had no idea when Atlantis had become an enemy of these people.
Sillian had offered to contact the enemy on New Hilaring and tell them it was safe to send others through the stargate. Lorne wasn't sure he wanted to put Sillian in a position where he might get himself killed. Still, O'Neill suggested it was their only hope of reducing the numbers on the other side of the stargate so Sheppard and his team would have a chance of reclaiming the city. He was positive Sheppard would have recruited allies to help in the cause, so perhaps O'Neill was right, and they should still give the plan a chance.
"So, what do you think?" Sillian asked, interrupting his contemplations.
Lorne made a decision of immense consequence. He would follow the plan and use Sillian in Kannar's place.
"I believe it's our only option, so I suggest we all get a good night's sleep, and we will enact the plan in the morning," Lorne suggested. The outcome was uncertain, but he knew he needed to try it.
Lorne was keenly aware of the plan's potential risks. He knew he needed to be at his best before they executed it because the consequences could be dire if he weren't. In the worst-case scenario, they could face the unbearable loss of lives, a thought that only added to the tension.
"I agree," O'Neill said with a nod, "I need a good night's sleep myself, so how about we reconvene at 0800 hours tomorrow morning."
"Right, I'm going to bed," Lorne announced before standing. I'll see you both at 0800 tomorrow morning."
Lorne quickly left Sheppard's office and headed to his quarters. Although he knew he needed a good night's sleep, he suspected he wouldn't sleep well because tomorrow would be another difficult day.
oOo
Teyla watched as John and the bridge of the Hilaring supply ship disappeared as she was caught up in the transport beam. She didn't know how long it would be until she saw her husband again, but Teyla knew there was crucial work for her to do, so she needed to focus on that.
Carson, Rulan, and Jolan were transported beside her, and Halling was in her arms. She found herself outside a wood cabin, which she assumed was the original cabin that Lorne and Ronon had discovered ten thousand years ago. They were supposed to meet some people assisting the local populations there, and Minister Toth was also supposed to meet them to make the introductions. Despite the challenges of her new role as a mother, Teyla was determined to fulfil her mission.
She quickly glanced at her surroundings and realised it was early morning as the sun was still climbing in the east. She suspected the day would be warm, so she needed to get inside with Halling immediately.
She'd started towards the cabin when she heard a sound behind her. She quickly whipped around and was surprised to see some of Rulan's people pointing weapons in her direction.
Carson and Jolan had their hands in the air while Rulan approached his people, the tension in the air palpable. Teyla was acutely aware of the need to tread carefully in this unfamiliar territory.
"Silous, it is good to see you again."
"What is happening, Rulan? Why have you brought more outsiders, although I recognise this man? "Silous said, pointing to Carson. " He was with the almighty one when he visited us."
Carson smiled and lowered his hands, "My name is Dr Carson Beckett."
Silous was shorter than Rulan, and his face was more grotesque. Half his nose was missing, and his grey hair was matted and filthy, as were his ragged clothes. It was clear this man needed help. She wondered where the doctors from Hilaring were because surely they were here to help these people.
"Silous, these people are friends and are here to help us," Rulan answered gently.
"Like the others who have invaded our city?" Silous asked, and Rulan could sense his scepticism and fear.
"Yes, they are also here to help us," Jolan replied, and Teyla could sense his determination as he spoke.
"And who is that woman and child?" Silous asked with suspicion.
"My name is Teyla, and this is my son Halling?"
"And why are you here?"
Teyla sensed Silous' anger, and she knew it was time to find a way to appease the man before someone got hurt.
"I assure you we mean you and your people no harm. I would happily address any questions you may have if you can find a place for me and my son to rest."
Rulan spoke before Silous could reply, "How about we head to our meeting cave, and Teyla and Carson can answer any questions you need?"
"That would be acceptable, "Silous replied, "and the doctor can come too. But I do not want to talk to other outsiders."
For the first time, Teyla noticed Minister Toth and a few Hilarians had witnessed the entire exchange.
"I accept your terms, but it is time I fed my son. Will you allow me to do that?"
Minister Toth stepped forward, and Teyla sensed he was about to worsen the situation, so she held up her hand, hoping he would get the message and stand back. She was relieved when he nodded and took two steps back.
"You will follow me," Silous instructed before walking away. His friends, however, stayed where they were and continued to point knives at them.
"Please lower your weapons, "Rulan implored, "Teyla and Carson will come with us willingly, and they will explain what is happening."
The men looked at him with hesitation and slowly lowered their weapons.
Once the men had lowered their weapons, Teyla turned to Minister Toth and said, "Please return to your cabin. I will let you know when you are needed."
The minister looked hesitant at her request but ultimately bowed his head and left, taking his friends with him.
She watched as Toth walked off before turning to Rulan and Silous. "Please lead the way, and remember that Halling will need to be fed soon."
Rulan and Silous walked off ahead of her, and she followed with Carson beside her. She knew it would be a long day, and these people would not be as easy to negotiate with as she first thought.
"How are you doing Luv?"
"I am alright, Carson, but I will be glad when this mission ends and I can return home."
"You and me both," Carson replied, and Teyla could see how exhausted he was.
Teyla trudged on in silence, longing to rest her aching body. She'd given birth less than a week ago, and her body still longed for rest. Halling constantly demanded to be fed, and considering she was the only one who could feed him, she still struggled to get a solid night's sleep. Carson helped out where he could, but there was only so much he could do.
Carson stopped and put his hand in his pocket, and Teyla wondered what he had in there. Their bags were in the cabin, having been transported down before them, so they didn't have anything but the clothes on their backs with them.
"What is in your pocket, Carson?" She asked, stopping beside him.
"I still have the data module containing the holographic Doctor in my pocket. I am hoping it will help these people."
"I suggest you do not let them know about Dave because the locals will probably want to destroy him or worship him as some kind of god," Teyla replied thoughtfully.
"You're probably right, Luv, but I suggest we get going because Silous is staring at us, and he doesn't look too happy."
Teyla took a deep breath before starting to walk towards Silous. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was glad Carson was with her. Despite her strength and resilience, she was still dealing with having a newborn baby and was pleased with his support in a difficult situation. His presence was a comfort she hadn't realised she needed.
Ten minutes later, they arrived in a large clearing before a large cave opening. The air was filled with the earthy scent of the surrounding trees. In front of the opening was a large table with chairs scattered around. The furniture was made of wood from the forest trees.
"This is our meeting area," Rulan announced. You can feed your child if you want to go into the cave. A few women are inside to assist if you would like help."
"No, I can manage alone," Teyla replied wearily.
Teyla approached the cave only to be greeted by two women in ragged clothes. Their faces were dirty and deformed, with scars and bruises that told stories of their past. But their blue eyes shone, a stark contrast to their worn-out appearance.
"My name is Gia," one of the women said, her voice warm and welcoming. And this is my daughter, Lila." Gia said this, pointing to the young woman beside her. Lila's eyes sparkled with curiosity and kindness.
"We would be happy to help with your child," Lila offered, her eyes open. Teyla could sense Lila's amazement at the baby lying in her arms.
Teyla bowed her head graciously, "I will be alright for the moment, but I may need your help later."
Gia's wrinkled face lit up, and her stooped shoulders seemed to straighten a little as she said, " You may use my sleeping mat to feed your child while we prepare a meal for you and your friends."
Gia led Teyla to a small cave off to the side of the larger cavern. The cave was surprisingly warm, and on the floor was a mat of brightly coloured fabric filled with feathers.
"You may feed your baby here, miss", Gia offered, "take as long as you need. When you finish, you may join us for a meal."
"Thank you, Gia. You are most generous," Teyla said warmly, making Gia's wrinkled face light up even more.
Once Gia had left the room, she found a spot on the mat and settled in. Though they had little, these people were a shining example of generosity and warmth, starkly contrasting the other tribe's demanding nature. John shared with her the story of their arrival on the planet and how these people offered what they could to John, Carson, Rodney, and Ronon while the other tribe only made their demands.
She suspected the negotiations between the two tribes would be long and arduous, but she was determined to make a difference.
It wasn't long before Halling was happily suckling. Halling had slept for most of the morning, something she was extremely thankful for, and she hoped that once he'd finished eating, he would settle down so she could have a meal with these generous people and get to know them.
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to think about what had happened to her over the last few weeks and what was to come in the future.
oOo
Lorne felt rested after a good night's sleep. He was surprised he slept because of everything that was happening.
After grabbing a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee, he strolled into General Sheppard's office at 0800 hours to find General O'Neill and Sillian already there. Zelenka was also there, ready to lift the lockdown on the gate. He was surprised that armed troops were also already stationed around the stargate.
"We were waiting for you before we began," O'Neill said, grinning.
"Gee, thanks," Lorne replied with a roll of his eyes. He wasn't sure the plan would work, but as O'Neill had pointed out, it was all they had.
"Okay, " O'Neill began, "Sillian, do you know what you'll say?"
Sillian nodded, and although he seemed worried, he was optimistic as he spoke: "Yeah, I'll tell them we have control of Atlantis, and it's safe for you to send more people through. But what if they insist on using a video feed?"
"Do not worry. I have disabled the video feed, and we can say it's broken, "Zelenka reported, grinning from ear to ear.
Sillian took a deep breath, "Diall up the gate them, Colonel Lorne?"
Lorne sensed Sillian's nervousness but secretly prayed the man could pull off what he intended to do because if not, they would be back to square one.
They entered the control room, where Lorne addressed Amelia, "Amelia, please dial the gate to New Hialring?"
As Lorne stood and watched the Chevrons light up on the gate, a feeling of apprehension overcame him, and he still wondered if they were doing the right thing. But then he remembered something Sheppard had told him soon after arriving on Atlantis. 'Don't ever second guess yourself. You will make stupid decisions, but your gut instinct is usually right.' All good in theory, but what about the times that instinct is wrong?
Lorne shook himself. There was no time to second-guess his decision, so he watched as the eighth symbol lit up and the wormhole engaged.
Before anyone could say anything, an audio transmission came through the active wormhole.
"Atlantis, what took you so long to contact us? We feared you were defeated."
Sillian looked at Lorne and shrugged, and if Lorne were to guess, he'd assume that Sillian didn't know who this person was.
"This is Sillian, who I am speaking with."
"Never mind who I am. Where are Jannar and Bannar? I would even settle for speaking with Kannar."
Luckily, Sillian didn't seem phased by the question, "They are on the mainland visiting the ancestor ruins there."
"Well, when they return, tell them to contact me because until they say it is safe, I will not send anyone through the gate. Oh, and you have a day."
"And who am I speaking with?" Sillian asked.
"I Am Lannar. Banner, Jannar and Kannar are my mother's sisters sons."
Lorne felt bewildered as the gate shut down. What were they supposed to do now? And what constituted a day for these people? Was it different to Earth or Atlantis time?
He was about to speak with O'Neill when his com activated. "Lorne here," he said, tapping his earpiece.
"It's Keller here."
"This better be good news Doc?"
"I am sorry, but Kannar has just passed away."
"Not what I wanted to hear," he snapped, breaking the connection.
He turned to O'Neill and Sillian, who were staring at him, "Kannar has just passed away, so if any of you has any good ideas, I'm all ears. Or, in the words of an old friend, 'we are totally screwed.'
oOo
When she heard a loud noise, Teyla awoke with a start, and for a moment, she was disoriented, wondering where she was. It took her a while to realise she was lying in a cave on Gia's sleeping mat. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she was puzzled to find that Halling was not beside her, which was strange because the last thing she remembered was feeding him. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep.
But her mind buzzing with questions, Teyla was determined to find answers. She knew she had to get up and start her search.
She threw off the blanket, her heart racing, and dashed out of the small cave into the larger cavern, only to find it empty. Panic gripped her as she sprinted outside and saw Carson sitting with Gia, who had Halling in her arms. Thankfully, Halling was fast asleep. There was no one else at the table.
"Where is everyone?" Teyla asked, her eyes darting around the clearing.
"Don't worry, Rulan, Silous and Jolan have gone hunting, and the others have returned home to their families. Lila is asleep now; she hasn't been well lately." Carson explained from where he was sitting.
Teyla's profound realisation that these people had families was a surprise. But why not? Any civilised group would have people who share life with each other, whether you call them families or not.
"Gia was just telling me she was present at the birth of Jolan. She was even present at Rulan's birth. She is the midwife for these people."
"Yes, Jolan's mother and Rulan's wife died in childbirth, so I have helped Rulan raise him. Rulan was very upset after his wife died, so I helped look after Jolan for many cycles until Rulan was strong enough to care for him on his own." Gia explained with sadness in her wrinkled face.
That was certainly a revelation to Teyla; she never realised Jolan was Rulan's son.
"So tell me, Teyla," Gia began, "where is Halling's father?"
There was a smirk on Gia's face, and Teyla suspected Carson had told her the truth about John. However, she thought she'd follow the people's mistaken belief that John was their god and see how Gia reacted.
"Halling's father is the almighty one, and he is in the heavenly realms now," Teyla told her with her eyes shining.
"Oh, yes, he is a beautiful god," I can see why you would want to have a child with him, especially when he's growing yellow, Gia said, her bright blue eyes twinkling. "I had wanted to wash his feet, but he wouldn't allow it."
All Teyla could do was sit there and blush. It was true that John was very attractive despite his age.
A look of horror crossed Carson's face, and Gia burst out laughing.
"Do not worry, Teyla. Carson told me everything. I know who you are and where you come from, and although I can't understand everything I've been told, I do understand that John is as human as I am. He just grew up on another planet in another galaxy."
Teyla was relieved she would not have to explain everything to the woman.
Initially, she thought these people would be backward and challenging to work with, but she was pleasantly surprised at how intelligent and friendly they were. Perhaps they wouldn't be a problem at the negotiating table.
Well, that was something she'd find out tomorrow when they got the two tribes of people sitting at the negotiating table together, trying to resolve a long-standing conflict over territory - in particular, the ancient city - and resources.
TBC…
Don't worry. There'll be plenty of action and adventure in the following few chapters.