Chapter 23

A soft, shocked gasp left Teyla's throat as she watched Rodney fall heavily to the ground. The Groten that slashed at his bio-suit roared as a Caronaa warrior fired their weapons towards it, striking its hide with burning blasts. Unwilling to leave its prey, the beast threw itself upon Rodney's suit and continued its frenzied attack. Teyla ran towards him, all weapons firing at the Groten while being mindful not to hit Rodney. As she closed in, the Groten finally succumbed to its injuries and slipped from the bio-suit to reveal the damage it had wrought upon her friend.

She saw the blood first, bright red against the blue metal of the broken suit and far more than she wished to see. The upper part of the suit had been torn away and Rodney lay unprotected and injured in what remained. His face twisted in agony as he heaved in panicked breaths and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Teyla could hear his frantic breathing and gasps of pain and wished only to be free of her suit to help him.

Teyla sped through the suit commands until the rear hatch opened. She cut the synaptic connections and grimaced as white noise exploded in her head. Disoriented, she staggered from within the suit and towards Rodney, then dropped by his side. She called his name, but he was either unable to reply or hadn't heard her above the din of the surrounding battle. Teyla assessed his condition as best she could, swallowing down the panic that rose within her.

Rodney's left arm was still inside the suit and twisted above his head. It seemed likely that the arm was dislocated if not broken. His face was unmarked but his chest was a mass of slashed cloth, torn flesh and seeping blood. Lodged in his right shoulder was a long and broken tooth, inches deep into his flesh. Rodney's body shook uncontrollably and Teyla worriedly searched for Goh impact but found none. She realised the shaking was probably due to shock. Rodney required urgent medical attention. Teyla looked around the area and quickly realised there wasn't much she could do for him.

The battle raged on around them both. Groten and warriors raged against each other as they stumbled over broken suits and fallen comrades. The air was filled with the sounds and smells of war; and in the air, the Jumpers and Caronaa ships fired down into the area with a ferocious and unforgiving assault. Though it often appeared the Groten numbers were thinning and the tide was turning in their favour, more Groten would arrive from the forest to take the place of the fallen. Some of the creatures made it through the battle and into the village, but there were no ships waiting for them. In their frustration, they ripped the village apart and slaughtered any person unlucky enough to remain unprotected.

"T-T-Teyla?"

She saw Rodney's ashen face turned towards her, his bloodshot eyes gazing at her through a haze of pain.

"Hold on, Rodney, help will come soon."

"I... I did alright, didn't I?"

"You did great, Rodney," Teyla replied, wincing at the words she'd heard John use so many times.

"I took... down a few..." he said and began rambling, most likely to mask his pain, but Teyla was not fooled. "I made a difference, yes?"

"Yes, you did very well. And you will live to tell others of the same. You just have to hold on."

Rodney's eyes fluttered closed and he moaned pitifully. His free hand reached and tightened painfully over hers. "Oh god, it hurts... Teyla!"

She was about to offer him some comforting words when Teyla felt something impact her stomach.

Oh, sweet Ancestors no!

She went rigid, trying not to let Rodney know anything had happened. She felt warmth flood down her front as the Goh bit deep into her skin. She gasped sharply as it punctured through and began its burrowing and Teyla knew she now faced the same excruciating pain John did.

Rodney groaned and let go of her hand, his breathing becoming rapid and uneven. It took the focus from her pain and again she swept the area for help. To her left, Teyla saw Orna running towards her, and she ground her teeth against the pain as she tried to compose herself. The Goh squirmed in her gut and Teyla waited anxiously for the electrical storm that Rodney and John had told her would come.

Only it didn't.

Orna came to a stop by Rodney's side and fired her weapons at a Groten who fancied a sneak attack, its head exploding in a cloud of black blood and ichor.

"I've called one of our ships to come and retrieve you," she said, "but it can only take one of you at a time."

"Rodney is in greater need than I. Make sure he is taken first."

As the sleek white ship came to hover above them, Teyla grunted in pain as the Goh squirmed within her. Orna eyed her suspiciously when she clenched her hand over her stomach. Even through the window of the suit, Teyla could see Orna's eyes widening in understanding. She was about to say something when Teyla threw her a firm glare and said, "I am fine. Rodney is not. Please ensure he is taken to safety first."

Whether it was the stern look or the bite to her voice, Orna nodded and communicated with the ship as it landed behind them. Orna took up a protective stance and fired at any creature who dared to try for the ship or the injured duo. Within moments Teyla watched Rodney disappear into the rear of the craft. The hatch closed, and the ship and her friend were gone.

Teyla drew a sharp gasp of breath as the Goh moved within her. Whatever it was waiting on, it had yet to stun and immobilize her. She drew her hand from her stomach and saw the blood that drenched her fingers and prayed that she would survive this encounter long enough to see John and Rodney saved. She wished Ronon was there to carry her to safety, for she no longer had the strength to stand. In a moment of dizziness, Teyla fell slowly backward as Orna roared by her side and fired relentlessly into the forest.

All that Teyla saw above her were missiles, smoke, and debris. Occasionally one of the ships would fly over, and Teyla wished she was on one. As she lay there, she thought about the Goh that had invaded her body. If she could communicate with it as John had with Primus, perhaps she could explain the situation and prevent more harm to them both. Without it connecting to her mind, this was impossible, and Teyla wondered why it acted so differently to Primus. Perhaps it was injured, or too ill to do as Primus had, which might explain the lack of electrical punishment as seen with previous Goh encounters.

But Teyla was determined to try and communicate with this entity. She thought about the suits and their synaptic interface, thought about the wraith DNA in her genetic makeup. Neither could help her now, but surely the mechanics were not so different? After all, John and Primus could communicate well once the connection was made. She tried to sense the being within her, using the same techniques she used on Wraith. At first, she sensed nothing and her frustration brought tears to her eyes. She might die here; they all might. She tried until her mind tired and she felt her energy dissipate.

Just as she was about to give up, a connection was made. Initiated by the Goh itself, the mind that brushed against hers was neither weak nor ill. It was powerful, more so than any Wraith or Queen. She felt it rifle through her mind and read her thoughts. She sensed a mind so ancient that Teyla could not help but gasp at the magnitude of its presence.

I am Eldus.

The thought was gentle yet filled with authority.

"My name is Teyla, we have come to help you."

I sensed as much from my connection, Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan.

We have been connected since I first entered your body.

This Goh was far different from Primus. Within moments of impact it had managed to read everything about her from her mind, leaving her panting and quite honestly terrified. If this Goh was so strong and powerful, what might it do to her should they disagree?

I will do nothing.

I am not a monster, Teyla. I'm a leader. And as such, I require knowing my allies from my foes.

Now tell me. How is it that you intend to save forty-thousand Goh?

To be continued...