SGA fic: Gaijin 31/40
Dec. 23rd, 2008 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sam_gamgeeGaijin, Part 31/40
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
Rodney was surprised to find Natalia waiting for him in the Gate Room. He knew that Atlantis had trade relations with her people, but he had never been called in to help with them, so for him to be called was surprising. He couldn’t help but grin as he approached her. “Natalia! It’s great to see you!” he said, slipping into the Lapran language and customs as easily as he breathed, and touched her cheek in greeting. “I trust you and your family is in good health?”
“We are,” she replied with a smile of her own as she touched his cheek. “As I hope you and your family are.”
“We are. May I offer you something to eat or drink?”
“I am fine, thank you.”
“To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“Your people need you, Rodney.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, brow furrowing in worry.
“The Korsans have returned to Lapras and they’re exacting what they believe to be their due for the past two cycles.”
Rodney’s mouth set into a firm line and he slowly let out a long breath, trying to keep himself in check and not go storming through the Gate right that second. “How long has it been going on?” he asked.
“A few weeks,” Natalia replied. “But they’re coming down on them hard.”
“And my family?”
“Safe, the last I heard.”
Rodney nodded sharply. “Thank you, Natalia. I have to make plans. Will you be coming with us?”
She shook her head. “I need to get home and make sure we’re ready, just in case.”
“Okay.” Rodney touched her on the cheek again. “Good luck, Natalia. May we meet again in better circumstances.”
“And to you as well, Rodney.” She touched him on the cheek as well before calling out, “I am ready,” and the Gate began dialing.
Rodney spun around and practically ran up to Elizabeth’s office. “We need to go back to Lapras right now,” he told her firmly.
“Why?” she asked him, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.
“Because the Laprans are under attack!” Rodney replied as if the situation was painfully clear to a five-year-old.
“As a general rule, we don’t get involved in other peoples’ skirmishes, Rodney,” Elizabeth told him evenly.
“This isn’t a skirmish! This is tantamount to a hostile takeover! If we don’t do something now, the Korsans are going to severely cripple them. And then they’ll more than likely move on to the Morykons and Nagdalis and do the same thing to them. And even if they don’t, if they hurt the Laprans enough, it’ll cause serious repercussions among the Morykons and Nagdalis anyway. Are you willing to let three societies die?”
“You’re going to have to explain things a little more.”
Rodney sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to remain calm and remind himself that not everyone knew what was going on. “The Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis have a little network set up in which, aside from exchanging goods and services, they also intermarry. The Korsans were once part of this group, but were kicked out when it was realized that they were genetically incompatible with the other three groups. And while this happened generations ago, the Korsans haven’t forgotten it – or let the other three groups forget it either. Once a cycle, they kidnap people from the three tribes and take things as well and the tribes just let them. Let’s just say that my best intentions has come back to bite them in the ass. I helped the Laprans repulse the Korsans and found a way to keep them away from all three peoples. It looks like they’ve found a way around what I did. So, I need to go back and fix it.”
Elizabeth steepled her hands and let out a sigh. “Do you really think you can fix this?”
Rodney nodded quickly. “I believe I can.”
“If things are as volatile as you say, I don’t want you going alone. I don’t want to lose you a second time.”
A corner of Rodney’s mouth quirked into a smile. “And I don’t want to be lost a second time. Now, we don’t have much time. I want John and Lorne’s teams, Carson, and Chuck to go with me.” Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Rodney held up a hand and kept going. “Trust me. We won’t need a lot in the way of firepower and the eleven of us can go a long way in teaching the Laprans what they need to know.”
“And what’s Chuck going to do?” Elizabeth asked. “He’s not exactly battle ready.”
“Carson isn’t either! But they’ve both gone through the simulations numerous times and passed. Chuck can be our tactical liaison for them. He’ll teach them how to communicate more effectively and get information around the camp better.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips together and stared at Rodney for a long moment. “Okay,” she finally replied. “You have a go. But I want regular updates.”
“It’s an eight hour walk to and from the Gate! We don’t have time for that!” Rodney paused and took a couple of deep breaths to control himself. “I’m sorry. The reality is it would be impossible for us to get anything done if we keep in regular contact with Atlantis due to the fact that the village is an eight hour walk from the Gate – and I do mean walk – and the polar instability of the planet disrupts any sort of radio contact unless we’re right next to the Gate or within close range of each other.” He huffed. “I would think that you know me well enough to know that I’m not planning on taking all of my closest friends – Darby aside – into a situation I didn’t think they’d be able to handle. Believe me, we’re going in to deal with a bunch of bullies who’ve never had anyone stand up to them until I got there. I think that when they see that I have back up, that we’re serious, and that we’re equipping the Laprans to defend themselves, they’ll back down.”
“And what about the other peoples? You said there were two other tribes?”
“We’ll have the Laprans teach them as well.”
“And you’re confident it will work this time?”
Rodney nodded. “This time we’ll have more people to help and the Korsans will see that we’re not messing around.”
“You have an hour to prepare and head out. If you miss that, you’re not going.”
Rodney nodded as he headed out of Elizabeth’s office. He clicked his radio onto the main channel and announced, “I need Gate Teams One and Two, as well as Dr. Beckett and Gate Technician Chuck Campbell in the Gate Room ready to go off-world for a few days ASAP.” He gave the Gate tech on duty the address for Lapras before heading to his quarters to prepare.
When he returned to the Gate room with his staff, medical pouch and a small pack, he found everyone else assembled and looking at him expectantly. “We’re going to Lapras. They’re under attack by a group called the Korsans and they need our help,” he told them.
“Then why aren’t more of us going?” Darby asked, curious.
“Because the Lapran population is quite small and the Korsans don’t tend to send large attack groups – just thorough ones. So, with our expertise, I believe we’ll be able to help repel the Korsans and set up the Laprans with a means of defending themselves in the future.”
“So what are we waiting for?” John asked. “Let’s move out. We’re ready, Johnston,” he called up and the Gate began dialing.
Before they went through, Rodney told them, “There’s a very good chance there will be some Korsans guarding the Gate, so be ready as you go through. Right now you have surprise on your side.”
The others nodded silently and started heading out with Rodney bringing up the rear.
When he arrived on the other side, the Korsans guarding the Gate had already been subdued and herded into a small group at the foot of the dais, their staffs at the ready and staring at their captors balefully.
“What do you want us to do with them, Rodney?” John asked.
“Tie them up,” Rodney replied as he descended, never taking his eyes off the Korsans, a few of whom seemed to recognize him. “Their comrades can cut them loose later.”
As the Korsans were secured, Rodney went over to the trap door. He thumped his staff on it and a second later a surprised voice called up, “Go away! We’re prepared to fight!”
“Good!” Rodney called down, recognizing Jillian’s voice. “That’s what I’d expect of you!”
He heard twin gasps. “Is that you, Rodney-kun?” Jillian asked, incredulously.
“If it wasn’t, would I still be up here? Open up and let us in.”
“Who’s ‘us’?” came the wary reply.
“I heard you had a little pest problem and brought reinforcements to help clean things up.”
Rodney heard the door scrape and then swing down to reveal Jillian and Kelly grinning up at him. We’d like to get moving as soon as possible,” he told them as he heard the rest of the group assemble behind him. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“And the next sandstorm is due soon,” Kelly told him.
Rodney nodded and hustled everyone down the ladder before him. After he hit the bottom and cleared out of the way, Kelly affixed the trap door in place. The three of them grinned at each other again as they greeted each other with hands to both cheeks and after each, Rodney pulled them both into a tight hug. They were both surprised, but he could tell that they were touched by it.
Rodney quickly introduced Kelly and Jillian to the troupe he had brought with him and they both bowed to each of them in turn. As they headed out, he quietly said to Jillian and Kelly, “You do realize that they’ll be up there when the storm starts again.”
“We know,” Jillian affirmed. “It’s an acceptable result.”
“Things must be bad if you’re willing to let them die,” Rodney commented.
“You got us thinking,” Kelly told him. “And we realized that while we still hold to our original purposes, sometimes it’s necessary to do the opposite in order to preserve them and carry out their full intent.”
Rodney nodded as they moved out, glad they were willing to adapt some of their beliefs to help them survive. “How’s Kirby?”
“He’s just fine,” Jillian replied with a smile. “I think he’s hoping I’ll give him grandchildren soon.”
“Are you close to giving him grandchildren?” he asked.
Jillian’s gaze darted to Kelly before she vaguely replied, “I think it could be a possibility in the near future.”
Rodney grinned. “That’s amazing! Congratulations to both of you!”
As they headed back to the village, Rodney had Jillian and Kelly fill him in on the details of the attacks and he listened carefully, not wanting to miss any of it so he could give the other Atlanteans the full picture and get their advice on the situation.
When they stopped at the halfway point for a break, Rodney briefed Teyla and the men on Lapran society. They easily took it in stride that, for Laprans, touching was a big NO unless absolutely necessary, so they shouldn’t initiate any sort of touch – only reciprocate whatever the Laprans did. Rodney couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in Chuck and Evan’s eyes when he mentioned that meant him as well. At everyone else’s confused looks, he had to explain that he had been adopted by the Laprans and was considered a full Lapran, regardless of where he was originally from.
John grabbed Rodney’s arm as they headed out from the halfway station and he quietly asked, “What’s going on, Rodney?”
“Well, the Korsans are fighting dirty – dirtier than they used to,” Rodney told him, preparing to go into all the details.
“No, I mean what’s going on with you? Why aren’t you in your mission gear?”
“Because, technically, I’m not at work?” Rodney replied shortly. “Besides, it was never discussed what I’d wear when I was off-world. In fact, me going off-world was never discussed period. Besides, I feel more comfortable wearing this here and I think we can use it to our advantage.”
“So you have some ideas?” John asked.
“I might, but I want to run them by all of you once we get settled.”
John nodded. “Sounds good. So, what did the three of you have to talk about for four hours?”
“Well, I *have* been gone for a cycle. A lot’s happened since I left and they wanted to fill me in. If we’re done, John, I want to spend some time with Chuck and Evan.” Rodney let the others squeeze by so he could bring up the rear with his lovers. “How are we doing back here?” he asked them.
“This is amazing,” Chuck replied, wide-eyed.
“Wait until you get to the village,” Rodney told him with an amused smile.
“Is going off-world always like this?”
Evan and Rodney laughed. “Yes, no, and everything in between,” Evan told him affectionately.
“And I have a feeling you’re going to get a sample of that spectrum while we’re here,” Rodney told him.
“I still can’t believe we can’t touch you,” Evan commented.
“It’s not that you *can’t* – per se,” Rodney replied mischievously. “You just have to be more creative about it.”
“Will we get you in a lot of trouble if we’re caught?” Chuck asked worriedly.
“Mmm,” Rodney replied noncommittally with a shrug. “Maybe? But I think it’ll be worth it.”
The three of them walked the rest of the way with very little conversation and “accidentally” touching as much as possible to save up for the coming days, just glad to be together.
When they reached the village, everything was quiet. Even the yaks were quiet, and Rodney didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see them in his life. As they entered the village, it was quieter than Rodney was used to for dinner time and it scared him. He exchanged glances with Kelly and Jillian as he asked, “Is this normal now?” and they nodded.
The others took everything in, seemingly surprised by the craftsmanship of the tent, as well as the sound of the sandstorm outside. Rodney had the men and Teyla drop their packs in the corner made by the tent wall and the face of the cave, knowing they’d be grateful for the relief.
“Father will want to see you,” Jillian said, breaking the ice, her tone all business.
Rodney nodded and, after telling the others where he was going, went with her to their quarters. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before heading inside and stopping next to Jillian just inside the curtain.
Kirby was sitting on his cot, working on his medicine pouch like Rodney had seen him do so many other times. It made him smile and his chest ache at the same time.
“Hello, Kirby-san,” Rodney said quietly.
Kirby’s head shot up, surprise evident on his face. “Rodney-kun?” he asked quietly as he slowly stood. “Is it really you? I’ve been dreaming you’d come, but continually thought it was just an old man’s foolish desire.”
“I’m really here, Kirby-san,” Rodney replied with a wan smile as he closed the distance between them and cupped Kirby’s face in his hands before pulling him into a tight hug. “I came as soon as I could and I brought help.”
“How did you know?” Kirby asked uncertainly as he pulled away, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to believe or hope that this was truly real.
“Natalia came and told me. We left right after I heard. Come and meet them.”
When the three of them emerged from their quarters, Rodney saw a few other heads peeking out of the other quarters and the rest of his team looking around uncertainly, their hands casually near their weapons. “It’s okay!” he called to the other Laprans. “These people are safe and are here to help us!”
“Is that you, Rodney?” he heard someone call.
“It is!” he called back. “I’m sorry I didn’t return sooner.”
Rodney waited until the others in their borough hesitantly came out, staring at him and his team with a mixture of surprise and wariness, and, in a few faces, a spark of hope. He smiled as he saw all the dear familiar faces, glad that everyone so far was accounted for. As he looked around, though, he saw that two were missing. Jean hadn’t come out of her quarters and neither had Kelly-san. Rodney looked at Kelly with a mixture of hurt, sadness, and surprise and Kelly simply shook his head, the sadness and hurt in his expression now visible.
After everyone had assembled, Rodney said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep my end of the bargain to all of you and keep the Korsans away forever. But I intend to fix that now. I don’t know what I can say to prove to you that I am speaking the truth. I’ve brought with me people from my home world who are more adept at fighting against unwanted intruders much worse than the Korsans and winning – and most times with worse odds than we have now. I promise that this time we’ll make certain that once the Korsans are driven from Lapras, they’ll never be able to hurt us again.”
“Where are our manners?” Kelly asked. “There will be enough time to deal with the Korsans once we get our guests settled in.”
There were nods all around as people started to move. Rodney translated between everyone and made sure the Atlanteans were situated among the families. And while he wanted to have both Chuck and Evan with him, he understood Evan’s desire to bunk with one of his teammates. The plus side of it was that Carson was then placed with Rodney and Chuck and Rodney had a feeling that he’d be doing a lot of translating between the two medicine men.
“How are you holding up?” Chuck asked quietly when Rodney returned from a last round of checking in on everyone and properly greeting the other Laprans.
“I’m okay,” Rodney replied as he ducked into his quarters, Chuck and Carson following him. “There’s a lot going on here,” he waved a hand at his head, “and I need to sort all of it out.”
“Let us know if you need any help,” Carson told him. “Though, I doubt we’ll be of much help, considering how different our cultures are.”
Rodney smiled. “I appreciate it.”
“Dinner will be ready shortly,” Jillian told Rodney and he nodded and passed the information along.
As they ate, the conversation went back and forth between Rodney rehashing with Jillian and Kirby everything that had been going on since the Korsans had come back and Rodney telling Chuck and Carson stories about happier times on Lapras. When they finished, he felt like he was in a better frame of mind and more prepared to face the task that was ahead of them.
After dinner, Rodney met with the other families in the borough to get more information from them about the most recent events. While he did so, the rest of the Atlanteans waited in the commons. He could tell they were nervous as they played cards and waited for him, even though they did their best to hide it.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” Rodney finally said as he approached them and the men put away their cards. “Once a cycle, the Korsans would normally rough up the Laprans at the end of their tenth month festival and take a few people, some livestock and goods, and then leave, moving on to the Morykons and Nagdalis. The three tribes were given a respite at the last festival due to my actions at the festival before, where I rigged the Korsans’ portable Gate dialer to not get a lock on those three addresses and had the Laprans finally stand up for themselves. The Laprans aren’t sure how the Korsans managed it, but they were able to either fix their dialer or they got a new one somehow. And now they’re back and taking what they consider to be their payment for the time they missed and for what we did to them.”
The men looked around nervously. “This place isn’t exactly hopping with excitement, Rodney,” John replied sarcastically.
“There are five boroughs in total in this village,” Rodney told them. “The other four are set up like this one, but this one is the only one that has access to the cave system, and thereby the tunnel to the Gate. According to Kirby, they subdued this borough first and they’ve been systematically working their way through the other boroughs, and bringing their ‘loot’ through only when they know they’ll be able to make it to the Gate in time for the gap in the sandstorm.”
“What’s the layout of the boroughs?” Evan asked.
As Rodney explained the village’s set-up and the Korsans’ methods of attack, they began planning how to fight back and regain lost people and property. Rodney saw Ronon and the soldiers relax as they worked through a plan of attack. While they talked, the Laprans began filtering out of their quarters and into the common area to socialize and play games.
“Is this normal, Rodney?” Darby asked, looking at the Laprans a little warily.
“It is,” Rodney replied. “They spend their evenings out here in the commons talking and playing games. Believe me, they can’t understand a word we’re saying and they really do need the help. This isn’t some elaborate trap set up so these peoples can take Atlantis. If you’d like, I can take a couple of you over to where the Korsans are to show you what I’m saying is true.”
A few of the men nodded and Rodney picked Teyla and John – knowing they’d carry the most weight when they came back agreeing with him. He led them down one of the corridors to the next borough over. As they got closer, they heard voices – some loud and mocking, others quiet and supplicatory. They stopped when they had a good view of the borough, but Rodney promised they couldn’t be seen. John crouched down low near the wall and Teyla stood behind him. Rodney crouched down next to John.
“What are they saying, Rodney?” Teyla asked.
“They’re, uh,” Rodney blew out a breath. “The Korsans are teasing the Laprans. They’re asking them where their bravado is now that their gaijin, their foreigner, is gone. They’re telling them they shouldn’t have kicked them out of the group – that way this never would have happened. And they’re saying that standing up to them will only make it worse from now on.” Rodney felt his nails bite into his palms and forced himself to relax his grip.
One of the young Lapran men said something harsh and spit on a burly Korsan. The Korsan backhanded him hard, sending him sprawling before glaring at the women, stopping them in their tracks from helping their clansman.
Rodney’s harsh bark of a laugh as he realized who the Lapran was, drew John and Teyla’s gazes and John asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Michael basically told him to go to hell. He always was a feisty one.” More to himself, he added, “He’s grown up a lot this past cycle.”
They watched for a little while longer, Rodney translating when necessary, as the Korsans ran roughshod over the Laprans before they quietly slipped away and headed back to Rodney’s borough. They briefed the men, though some still looked skeptical.
Rodney let out a frustrated breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll take two more people to another borough to prove it. I won’t decide who and they can pick which borough we go to.” He closed his eyes and said, “And it had better not be Chuck and Evan.” There were twin sighs on his right.
The second time, he took Carson and Ronon and Ronon picked the borough. They witnessed a very similar setting when they arrived at their destination.
“How long has this been going on?” Carson asked.
“At least a generation or two, maybe more,” Rodney replied.
“Looks like long enough for them to get them whipped,” Ronon grumbled. “No wonder they kicked them out.”
Rodney nodded as they headed back to his borough. “Hopefully, this time we’ll be able to kick them out for good.” He saw the thoughtful look on Carson’s face. “What is it?” he prompted.
Carson shook his head. “I’m just thinking. I’m surprised they kicked the Korsans out of their group, given the groups’ population sizes if it meant keeping the tribes’ genetic purity or general survival.”
“I don’t think the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis thought of it as genetic purity, per se,” Rodney replied. “More like trying to keep out undesirable traits. They really don’t have room for aggression in their lives.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Chuck asked as the discussion died down.
“We have to teach them how to truly fight back for one,” Rodney replied. “While their beliefs don’t exactly condone violence, they’re not exactly against it either – especially when they realize that it’s for a greater good. They did a really good job the last time, but let’s be honest here – I’m nowhere near you guys in this sort of thing.” He paused for a moment as he stood before adding, “And we’ll have to do it without the Korsans knowing we’re here. I wish I was kidding, but that’s the only way it’s going to work.”
Rodney coordinated with the Laprans so he and the other Atlanteans could hide when the Korsans came by and Rodney had them run it a couple of times to make sure they knew what they were doing.
Once that was done, Rodney gathered everyone in the commons. “We are going to start training you all,” he told the Laprans, “so that you can more effectively fight of the Korsans.”
“You do realize they’ve already kicked our asses once this time around,” Korriss said, “and we’d really like to not have it happen again.”
“I know, which is why I’ve brought my friends along – people much more adept than I am at this sort of thing. We have fought against people and things much like the Wraith,” there was a slight gasp from the Laprans, “and we won. Ronon has fought such things for over twelve cycles – both with us and alone – and has killed many of them and saved a lot of lives. Teyla is a leader among her people and has led them to victory multiple times.” Rodney could see a small glimmer of hope in the Laprans’ eyes as he continued on, telling them about the accomplishments of his team. He finished with, “I trust them with my life, as I trust all of you with my life. If you trust me even a portion of that, please trust them the same measure.”
“I trust you with my life,” Kelly spoke up.
“As do we,” added Kirby and Jillian.
Rodney saw a number of other people nodding and murmuring to each other.
“But what good will it do? They’re already inside the village,” Korriss pressed.
“Then we make sure we don’t let them leave,” Rodney replied. “We *can* do this, people. I have faith in each one of you that this time we will be completely victorious.”
The Laprans were quiet for a while, mulling over what Rodney had said and he gave the Atlanteans a small smile as they waited.
“Did you mention the Wraith, Rodney?” John asked casually.
“I did,” Rodney replied with an affirmative nod. “But to the Laprans, they’re nothing more than scary bedtime stories, and I’d like to keep it that way. But they understand the significance of the Wraith as a threat worse than the Korsans, so it’s a good illustrative point.”
Kirby moved among the group and spoke with the Laprans before finally coming over to Rodney. “We’ve made a decision,” he told Rodney. “We’ll do it. We don’t necessarily like it, but we all know the truth behind what you’ve said. We’ll never truly be free unless we stand up to the Korsans and fight back for what is ours. We do worry, however, about what will happen to the Morykons and the Nagdalis.”
Rodney nodded in agreement. “I worry about them too. But we know for a fact that the Korsans will not bother either of them until they’ve finished with us. If we can deal with them once and for all, they won’t be a threat to either the Morykons or the Nagdalis.” He stood and smoothed out his robes before saying to his teammates, “We’d better get started. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
After some brainstorming and planning, the decision was made to first train the people in the borough in which they were staying along with the one borough that hadn’t yet been affected, in the hopes that they would be able to stall for time once the Korsans moved on and give Rodney and the rest of the Atlanteans time to work with the remaining Laprans. Rodney and the rest of the Atlanteans went with Kirby to the other borough to talk to the other Laprans. Surprisingly, they were easily swayed into agreeing for help. Rodney had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with what they had heard about the Korsans from the other boroughs, as well as the number of people Rodney had brought to help and their own summation that if he had been able to do what he had, then that many more people like him would easily get the job done.
They split their time between the two boroughs, spending the mornings and lunchtime with one borough and the evenings with the other. Rodney was surprised at how diligent the Laprans were at learning what the Atlanteans were teaching them. It was arduous at times because he had to translate concepts and actions that didn’t have a corresponding meaning in Lapran, so there was a lot of creative wording on Rodney’s part and some visual aids and demonstrations by the rest of the Atlantean team. But there was definite satisfaction on all sides when the Laprans realized what he was trying to teach them and were able to demonstrate it back.
When the Korsans came through to head for the Gate, the Atlanteans hid and it went off without a hitch. As soon as they passed through and everyone held their breath but no one came back, there was a flurry of activity. Immediately, Laprans were going in all different directions to check on the Laprans that had just been relieved of their tormentors and the Atlanteans were left standing in the middle of the common area, looking completely lost and confused.
Without thinking, Rodney went with Kirby to see if anyone needed medical attention, but half-way to the next borough, he turned around and headed back. “Sorry,” he told them, looking contrite. “It’s just that there’s only Kirby and I and we don’t know who needs medical help or what. I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” Carson told him.
“Honestly, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Rodney replied. “Laprans can be rather shy about personal things like medical problems around people they don’t know. And while you’re a doctor, you’re not a Lapran healer.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m coming,” Carson told him steadily. “You could always use an extra pair of hands.”
“Okay,” Rodney replied with a quick nod. Looking at the rest of the group, he said, “Okay. Here’s what you can do. Go to the other borough we’ve been working with. Find Charlie and tell him I said they’re gone, be ready.” Rodney pronounced the Lapran words slowly and carefully. “Got that?”
They nodded and headed out as Carson followed Rodney down another fork in the village. When they arrived, Rodney found Kirby and quickly received an update. Turning to Carson, he said, “Okay, so far, so good. It’s mostly emotional injuries rather than physical ones.”
Seeing Rodney seemed to do a lot of good for the shell-shocked Laprans. And while they were initially wary at the sight of Carson, when Rodney explained to them who he was, they visibly relaxed and welcomed him warmly – which brought a smile to Rodney’s heart and lips when he saw Carson’s confused responses to their grins and happy words.
As Rodney and Kirby finished checking on everyone, John and Charlie came running up. “I think he needs to speak with you,” John told Rodney, sounding both confused and concerned.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Rodney asked Charlie, and Carson joined them after carefully excusing himself from a one-sided conversation with one of the grandmothers.
“The others are getting antsy,” Charlie told him. “They want to know what the plan is.”
“They know what the plan is,” Rodney replied. “You and your kinsmen are going to desert your borough and spread out among these three boroughs. Most of my kinsmen will do the same – only enough will remain so the Korsans don’t think anything’s remiss when they return. I and the Atlanteans will spread out as well and fight along side all of you when the Korsans come back.”
“They say they’re not ready. The other Laprans don’t think we’re prepared enough.”
Rodney glanced at John before asking Charlie, “What if I asked John what he thought about them? Do you think they’d take his word if he told them he thought they were ready?”
Charlie shrugged. “They might, but it’s hard to tell.”
“What do you think?”
Charlie squinted at Rodney as he rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging. “I don’t really know. I think we’re ready. We’ve definitely improved a lot since you all started teaching us. Whether or not we’re ready to go against the Korsans is something else.”
Rodney nodded in understanding before asking John, “What do you think? Do you think the Laprans are prepared to fight against the Korsans?”
John shrugged in bewilderment. “I don’t really know. I’ve never actually seen a Korsan fight. Do I think the Laprans can hold their own in a fight? Sure – since you said their arms technology is about the same.”
Turning back to Charlie, Rodney said, “He said he thinks you’ll be able to hold your own in the fight.”
“That doesn’t sound very comforting,” Charlie commented. “And the shrug doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence.”
Rodney laughed. “I know, but that’s just John. Come on, let’s go back and I’ll see what I can do.”
Rodney took his leave of Kirby and the four of them headed over to Charlie’s borough. As soon as they entered, there was a clamor of voices, all wanting Rodney’s attention. Rodney held up his hands and shushed everyone.
Once they were quiet, he said, “Look, I know you’re scared. You’re worried that you won’t be able to hold the Korsans back, let alone defeat them. I know how you feel – I’ve been there numerous times myself. But I have to tell you, I’m proud of you – all of you. You’ve done an *amazing* job the past few days of learning everything we’ve taught you. I know it hasn’t been easy. And I believe that you’ll be able to defeat the Korsans.”
There was some quiet scoffing at that as Rodney continued, “You know how I know this? Because you have some secret weapons the Korsans don’t have.” The Laprans looked at him, perplexed. “They may want what you have, but you want to keep it more. Use that to your advantage. Let your anger be a source of power for you and use it to keep yourselves focused and motivated. Whatever you may think or feel, you do not deserve the way the Korsans have been treating you. Your parents and grandparents did not deserve it. They realized a long time ago that the Korsans possessed certain characteristics that, if mixed with your own – as well as those of the Morykons and Nagdalis, over time would hurt all of you – the Korsans included.”
Rodney paused for a moment to let them absorb that thought before continuing, “But instead of taking this news with dignity and working to find another productive way of survival, the Korsans decided to pillage and hurt you – showing you a perfect example of why it was right in the first place to not allow them to intermarry with your people. But instead of standing up to them, your forefathers allowed it to happen. I can’t begin to guess what arguments they used to assuage their guilt over what was happening, but they were wrong. Non-violence is a very noble thing to aspire to, but don’t use it as a cover for cowardice.”
He stopped for a moment before changing tacks and saying, “Look, I know this is a lot to take in and we don’t have much time. But if you want to ever have a chance of not having to worry about the Korsans ever again, you *have* to do this – and I know you can. Now, we have a lot of work to do before they return and we need to be ready.”
Continue in Part 32
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
Rodney was surprised to find Natalia waiting for him in the Gate Room. He knew that Atlantis had trade relations with her people, but he had never been called in to help with them, so for him to be called was surprising. He couldn’t help but grin as he approached her. “Natalia! It’s great to see you!” he said, slipping into the Lapran language and customs as easily as he breathed, and touched her cheek in greeting. “I trust you and your family is in good health?”
“We are,” she replied with a smile of her own as she touched his cheek. “As I hope you and your family are.”
“We are. May I offer you something to eat or drink?”
“I am fine, thank you.”
“To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“Your people need you, Rodney.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, brow furrowing in worry.
“The Korsans have returned to Lapras and they’re exacting what they believe to be their due for the past two cycles.”
Rodney’s mouth set into a firm line and he slowly let out a long breath, trying to keep himself in check and not go storming through the Gate right that second. “How long has it been going on?” he asked.
“A few weeks,” Natalia replied. “But they’re coming down on them hard.”
“And my family?”
“Safe, the last I heard.”
Rodney nodded sharply. “Thank you, Natalia. I have to make plans. Will you be coming with us?”
She shook her head. “I need to get home and make sure we’re ready, just in case.”
“Okay.” Rodney touched her on the cheek again. “Good luck, Natalia. May we meet again in better circumstances.”
“And to you as well, Rodney.” She touched him on the cheek as well before calling out, “I am ready,” and the Gate began dialing.
Rodney spun around and practically ran up to Elizabeth’s office. “We need to go back to Lapras right now,” he told her firmly.
“Why?” she asked him, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.
“Because the Laprans are under attack!” Rodney replied as if the situation was painfully clear to a five-year-old.
“As a general rule, we don’t get involved in other peoples’ skirmishes, Rodney,” Elizabeth told him evenly.
“This isn’t a skirmish! This is tantamount to a hostile takeover! If we don’t do something now, the Korsans are going to severely cripple them. And then they’ll more than likely move on to the Morykons and Nagdalis and do the same thing to them. And even if they don’t, if they hurt the Laprans enough, it’ll cause serious repercussions among the Morykons and Nagdalis anyway. Are you willing to let three societies die?”
“You’re going to have to explain things a little more.”
Rodney sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to remain calm and remind himself that not everyone knew what was going on. “The Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis have a little network set up in which, aside from exchanging goods and services, they also intermarry. The Korsans were once part of this group, but were kicked out when it was realized that they were genetically incompatible with the other three groups. And while this happened generations ago, the Korsans haven’t forgotten it – or let the other three groups forget it either. Once a cycle, they kidnap people from the three tribes and take things as well and the tribes just let them. Let’s just say that my best intentions has come back to bite them in the ass. I helped the Laprans repulse the Korsans and found a way to keep them away from all three peoples. It looks like they’ve found a way around what I did. So, I need to go back and fix it.”
Elizabeth steepled her hands and let out a sigh. “Do you really think you can fix this?”
Rodney nodded quickly. “I believe I can.”
“If things are as volatile as you say, I don’t want you going alone. I don’t want to lose you a second time.”
A corner of Rodney’s mouth quirked into a smile. “And I don’t want to be lost a second time. Now, we don’t have much time. I want John and Lorne’s teams, Carson, and Chuck to go with me.” Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Rodney held up a hand and kept going. “Trust me. We won’t need a lot in the way of firepower and the eleven of us can go a long way in teaching the Laprans what they need to know.”
“And what’s Chuck going to do?” Elizabeth asked. “He’s not exactly battle ready.”
“Carson isn’t either! But they’ve both gone through the simulations numerous times and passed. Chuck can be our tactical liaison for them. He’ll teach them how to communicate more effectively and get information around the camp better.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips together and stared at Rodney for a long moment. “Okay,” she finally replied. “You have a go. But I want regular updates.”
“It’s an eight hour walk to and from the Gate! We don’t have time for that!” Rodney paused and took a couple of deep breaths to control himself. “I’m sorry. The reality is it would be impossible for us to get anything done if we keep in regular contact with Atlantis due to the fact that the village is an eight hour walk from the Gate – and I do mean walk – and the polar instability of the planet disrupts any sort of radio contact unless we’re right next to the Gate or within close range of each other.” He huffed. “I would think that you know me well enough to know that I’m not planning on taking all of my closest friends – Darby aside – into a situation I didn’t think they’d be able to handle. Believe me, we’re going in to deal with a bunch of bullies who’ve never had anyone stand up to them until I got there. I think that when they see that I have back up, that we’re serious, and that we’re equipping the Laprans to defend themselves, they’ll back down.”
“And what about the other peoples? You said there were two other tribes?”
“We’ll have the Laprans teach them as well.”
“And you’re confident it will work this time?”
Rodney nodded. “This time we’ll have more people to help and the Korsans will see that we’re not messing around.”
“You have an hour to prepare and head out. If you miss that, you’re not going.”
Rodney nodded as he headed out of Elizabeth’s office. He clicked his radio onto the main channel and announced, “I need Gate Teams One and Two, as well as Dr. Beckett and Gate Technician Chuck Campbell in the Gate Room ready to go off-world for a few days ASAP.” He gave the Gate tech on duty the address for Lapras before heading to his quarters to prepare.
When he returned to the Gate room with his staff, medical pouch and a small pack, he found everyone else assembled and looking at him expectantly. “We’re going to Lapras. They’re under attack by a group called the Korsans and they need our help,” he told them.
“Then why aren’t more of us going?” Darby asked, curious.
“Because the Lapran population is quite small and the Korsans don’t tend to send large attack groups – just thorough ones. So, with our expertise, I believe we’ll be able to help repel the Korsans and set up the Laprans with a means of defending themselves in the future.”
“So what are we waiting for?” John asked. “Let’s move out. We’re ready, Johnston,” he called up and the Gate began dialing.
Before they went through, Rodney told them, “There’s a very good chance there will be some Korsans guarding the Gate, so be ready as you go through. Right now you have surprise on your side.”
The others nodded silently and started heading out with Rodney bringing up the rear.
When he arrived on the other side, the Korsans guarding the Gate had already been subdued and herded into a small group at the foot of the dais, their staffs at the ready and staring at their captors balefully.
“What do you want us to do with them, Rodney?” John asked.
“Tie them up,” Rodney replied as he descended, never taking his eyes off the Korsans, a few of whom seemed to recognize him. “Their comrades can cut them loose later.”
As the Korsans were secured, Rodney went over to the trap door. He thumped his staff on it and a second later a surprised voice called up, “Go away! We’re prepared to fight!”
“Good!” Rodney called down, recognizing Jillian’s voice. “That’s what I’d expect of you!”
He heard twin gasps. “Is that you, Rodney-kun?” Jillian asked, incredulously.
“If it wasn’t, would I still be up here? Open up and let us in.”
“Who’s ‘us’?” came the wary reply.
“I heard you had a little pest problem and brought reinforcements to help clean things up.”
Rodney heard the door scrape and then swing down to reveal Jillian and Kelly grinning up at him. We’d like to get moving as soon as possible,” he told them as he heard the rest of the group assemble behind him. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“And the next sandstorm is due soon,” Kelly told him.
Rodney nodded and hustled everyone down the ladder before him. After he hit the bottom and cleared out of the way, Kelly affixed the trap door in place. The three of them grinned at each other again as they greeted each other with hands to both cheeks and after each, Rodney pulled them both into a tight hug. They were both surprised, but he could tell that they were touched by it.
Rodney quickly introduced Kelly and Jillian to the troupe he had brought with him and they both bowed to each of them in turn. As they headed out, he quietly said to Jillian and Kelly, “You do realize that they’ll be up there when the storm starts again.”
“We know,” Jillian affirmed. “It’s an acceptable result.”
“Things must be bad if you’re willing to let them die,” Rodney commented.
“You got us thinking,” Kelly told him. “And we realized that while we still hold to our original purposes, sometimes it’s necessary to do the opposite in order to preserve them and carry out their full intent.”
Rodney nodded as they moved out, glad they were willing to adapt some of their beliefs to help them survive. “How’s Kirby?”
“He’s just fine,” Jillian replied with a smile. “I think he’s hoping I’ll give him grandchildren soon.”
“Are you close to giving him grandchildren?” he asked.
Jillian’s gaze darted to Kelly before she vaguely replied, “I think it could be a possibility in the near future.”
Rodney grinned. “That’s amazing! Congratulations to both of you!”
As they headed back to the village, Rodney had Jillian and Kelly fill him in on the details of the attacks and he listened carefully, not wanting to miss any of it so he could give the other Atlanteans the full picture and get their advice on the situation.
When they stopped at the halfway point for a break, Rodney briefed Teyla and the men on Lapran society. They easily took it in stride that, for Laprans, touching was a big NO unless absolutely necessary, so they shouldn’t initiate any sort of touch – only reciprocate whatever the Laprans did. Rodney couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in Chuck and Evan’s eyes when he mentioned that meant him as well. At everyone else’s confused looks, he had to explain that he had been adopted by the Laprans and was considered a full Lapran, regardless of where he was originally from.
John grabbed Rodney’s arm as they headed out from the halfway station and he quietly asked, “What’s going on, Rodney?”
“Well, the Korsans are fighting dirty – dirtier than they used to,” Rodney told him, preparing to go into all the details.
“No, I mean what’s going on with you? Why aren’t you in your mission gear?”
“Because, technically, I’m not at work?” Rodney replied shortly. “Besides, it was never discussed what I’d wear when I was off-world. In fact, me going off-world was never discussed period. Besides, I feel more comfortable wearing this here and I think we can use it to our advantage.”
“So you have some ideas?” John asked.
“I might, but I want to run them by all of you once we get settled.”
John nodded. “Sounds good. So, what did the three of you have to talk about for four hours?”
“Well, I *have* been gone for a cycle. A lot’s happened since I left and they wanted to fill me in. If we’re done, John, I want to spend some time with Chuck and Evan.” Rodney let the others squeeze by so he could bring up the rear with his lovers. “How are we doing back here?” he asked them.
“This is amazing,” Chuck replied, wide-eyed.
“Wait until you get to the village,” Rodney told him with an amused smile.
“Is going off-world always like this?”
Evan and Rodney laughed. “Yes, no, and everything in between,” Evan told him affectionately.
“And I have a feeling you’re going to get a sample of that spectrum while we’re here,” Rodney told him.
“I still can’t believe we can’t touch you,” Evan commented.
“It’s not that you *can’t* – per se,” Rodney replied mischievously. “You just have to be more creative about it.”
“Will we get you in a lot of trouble if we’re caught?” Chuck asked worriedly.
“Mmm,” Rodney replied noncommittally with a shrug. “Maybe? But I think it’ll be worth it.”
The three of them walked the rest of the way with very little conversation and “accidentally” touching as much as possible to save up for the coming days, just glad to be together.
When they reached the village, everything was quiet. Even the yaks were quiet, and Rodney didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see them in his life. As they entered the village, it was quieter than Rodney was used to for dinner time and it scared him. He exchanged glances with Kelly and Jillian as he asked, “Is this normal now?” and they nodded.
The others took everything in, seemingly surprised by the craftsmanship of the tent, as well as the sound of the sandstorm outside. Rodney had the men and Teyla drop their packs in the corner made by the tent wall and the face of the cave, knowing they’d be grateful for the relief.
“Father will want to see you,” Jillian said, breaking the ice, her tone all business.
Rodney nodded and, after telling the others where he was going, went with her to their quarters. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before heading inside and stopping next to Jillian just inside the curtain.
Kirby was sitting on his cot, working on his medicine pouch like Rodney had seen him do so many other times. It made him smile and his chest ache at the same time.
“Hello, Kirby-san,” Rodney said quietly.
Kirby’s head shot up, surprise evident on his face. “Rodney-kun?” he asked quietly as he slowly stood. “Is it really you? I’ve been dreaming you’d come, but continually thought it was just an old man’s foolish desire.”
“I’m really here, Kirby-san,” Rodney replied with a wan smile as he closed the distance between them and cupped Kirby’s face in his hands before pulling him into a tight hug. “I came as soon as I could and I brought help.”
“How did you know?” Kirby asked uncertainly as he pulled away, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to believe or hope that this was truly real.
“Natalia came and told me. We left right after I heard. Come and meet them.”
When the three of them emerged from their quarters, Rodney saw a few other heads peeking out of the other quarters and the rest of his team looking around uncertainly, their hands casually near their weapons. “It’s okay!” he called to the other Laprans. “These people are safe and are here to help us!”
“Is that you, Rodney?” he heard someone call.
“It is!” he called back. “I’m sorry I didn’t return sooner.”
Rodney waited until the others in their borough hesitantly came out, staring at him and his team with a mixture of surprise and wariness, and, in a few faces, a spark of hope. He smiled as he saw all the dear familiar faces, glad that everyone so far was accounted for. As he looked around, though, he saw that two were missing. Jean hadn’t come out of her quarters and neither had Kelly-san. Rodney looked at Kelly with a mixture of hurt, sadness, and surprise and Kelly simply shook his head, the sadness and hurt in his expression now visible.
After everyone had assembled, Rodney said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep my end of the bargain to all of you and keep the Korsans away forever. But I intend to fix that now. I don’t know what I can say to prove to you that I am speaking the truth. I’ve brought with me people from my home world who are more adept at fighting against unwanted intruders much worse than the Korsans and winning – and most times with worse odds than we have now. I promise that this time we’ll make certain that once the Korsans are driven from Lapras, they’ll never be able to hurt us again.”
“Where are our manners?” Kelly asked. “There will be enough time to deal with the Korsans once we get our guests settled in.”
There were nods all around as people started to move. Rodney translated between everyone and made sure the Atlanteans were situated among the families. And while he wanted to have both Chuck and Evan with him, he understood Evan’s desire to bunk with one of his teammates. The plus side of it was that Carson was then placed with Rodney and Chuck and Rodney had a feeling that he’d be doing a lot of translating between the two medicine men.
“How are you holding up?” Chuck asked quietly when Rodney returned from a last round of checking in on everyone and properly greeting the other Laprans.
“I’m okay,” Rodney replied as he ducked into his quarters, Chuck and Carson following him. “There’s a lot going on here,” he waved a hand at his head, “and I need to sort all of it out.”
“Let us know if you need any help,” Carson told him. “Though, I doubt we’ll be of much help, considering how different our cultures are.”
Rodney smiled. “I appreciate it.”
“Dinner will be ready shortly,” Jillian told Rodney and he nodded and passed the information along.
As they ate, the conversation went back and forth between Rodney rehashing with Jillian and Kirby everything that had been going on since the Korsans had come back and Rodney telling Chuck and Carson stories about happier times on Lapras. When they finished, he felt like he was in a better frame of mind and more prepared to face the task that was ahead of them.
After dinner, Rodney met with the other families in the borough to get more information from them about the most recent events. While he did so, the rest of the Atlanteans waited in the commons. He could tell they were nervous as they played cards and waited for him, even though they did their best to hide it.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” Rodney finally said as he approached them and the men put away their cards. “Once a cycle, the Korsans would normally rough up the Laprans at the end of their tenth month festival and take a few people, some livestock and goods, and then leave, moving on to the Morykons and Nagdalis. The three tribes were given a respite at the last festival due to my actions at the festival before, where I rigged the Korsans’ portable Gate dialer to not get a lock on those three addresses and had the Laprans finally stand up for themselves. The Laprans aren’t sure how the Korsans managed it, but they were able to either fix their dialer or they got a new one somehow. And now they’re back and taking what they consider to be their payment for the time they missed and for what we did to them.”
The men looked around nervously. “This place isn’t exactly hopping with excitement, Rodney,” John replied sarcastically.
“There are five boroughs in total in this village,” Rodney told them. “The other four are set up like this one, but this one is the only one that has access to the cave system, and thereby the tunnel to the Gate. According to Kirby, they subdued this borough first and they’ve been systematically working their way through the other boroughs, and bringing their ‘loot’ through only when they know they’ll be able to make it to the Gate in time for the gap in the sandstorm.”
“What’s the layout of the boroughs?” Evan asked.
As Rodney explained the village’s set-up and the Korsans’ methods of attack, they began planning how to fight back and regain lost people and property. Rodney saw Ronon and the soldiers relax as they worked through a plan of attack. While they talked, the Laprans began filtering out of their quarters and into the common area to socialize and play games.
“Is this normal, Rodney?” Darby asked, looking at the Laprans a little warily.
“It is,” Rodney replied. “They spend their evenings out here in the commons talking and playing games. Believe me, they can’t understand a word we’re saying and they really do need the help. This isn’t some elaborate trap set up so these peoples can take Atlantis. If you’d like, I can take a couple of you over to where the Korsans are to show you what I’m saying is true.”
A few of the men nodded and Rodney picked Teyla and John – knowing they’d carry the most weight when they came back agreeing with him. He led them down one of the corridors to the next borough over. As they got closer, they heard voices – some loud and mocking, others quiet and supplicatory. They stopped when they had a good view of the borough, but Rodney promised they couldn’t be seen. John crouched down low near the wall and Teyla stood behind him. Rodney crouched down next to John.
“What are they saying, Rodney?” Teyla asked.
“They’re, uh,” Rodney blew out a breath. “The Korsans are teasing the Laprans. They’re asking them where their bravado is now that their gaijin, their foreigner, is gone. They’re telling them they shouldn’t have kicked them out of the group – that way this never would have happened. And they’re saying that standing up to them will only make it worse from now on.” Rodney felt his nails bite into his palms and forced himself to relax his grip.
One of the young Lapran men said something harsh and spit on a burly Korsan. The Korsan backhanded him hard, sending him sprawling before glaring at the women, stopping them in their tracks from helping their clansman.
Rodney’s harsh bark of a laugh as he realized who the Lapran was, drew John and Teyla’s gazes and John asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Michael basically told him to go to hell. He always was a feisty one.” More to himself, he added, “He’s grown up a lot this past cycle.”
They watched for a little while longer, Rodney translating when necessary, as the Korsans ran roughshod over the Laprans before they quietly slipped away and headed back to Rodney’s borough. They briefed the men, though some still looked skeptical.
Rodney let out a frustrated breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll take two more people to another borough to prove it. I won’t decide who and they can pick which borough we go to.” He closed his eyes and said, “And it had better not be Chuck and Evan.” There were twin sighs on his right.
The second time, he took Carson and Ronon and Ronon picked the borough. They witnessed a very similar setting when they arrived at their destination.
“How long has this been going on?” Carson asked.
“At least a generation or two, maybe more,” Rodney replied.
“Looks like long enough for them to get them whipped,” Ronon grumbled. “No wonder they kicked them out.”
Rodney nodded as they headed back to his borough. “Hopefully, this time we’ll be able to kick them out for good.” He saw the thoughtful look on Carson’s face. “What is it?” he prompted.
Carson shook his head. “I’m just thinking. I’m surprised they kicked the Korsans out of their group, given the groups’ population sizes if it meant keeping the tribes’ genetic purity or general survival.”
“I don’t think the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis thought of it as genetic purity, per se,” Rodney replied. “More like trying to keep out undesirable traits. They really don’t have room for aggression in their lives.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Chuck asked as the discussion died down.
“We have to teach them how to truly fight back for one,” Rodney replied. “While their beliefs don’t exactly condone violence, they’re not exactly against it either – especially when they realize that it’s for a greater good. They did a really good job the last time, but let’s be honest here – I’m nowhere near you guys in this sort of thing.” He paused for a moment as he stood before adding, “And we’ll have to do it without the Korsans knowing we’re here. I wish I was kidding, but that’s the only way it’s going to work.”
Rodney coordinated with the Laprans so he and the other Atlanteans could hide when the Korsans came by and Rodney had them run it a couple of times to make sure they knew what they were doing.
Once that was done, Rodney gathered everyone in the commons. “We are going to start training you all,” he told the Laprans, “so that you can more effectively fight of the Korsans.”
“You do realize they’ve already kicked our asses once this time around,” Korriss said, “and we’d really like to not have it happen again.”
“I know, which is why I’ve brought my friends along – people much more adept than I am at this sort of thing. We have fought against people and things much like the Wraith,” there was a slight gasp from the Laprans, “and we won. Ronon has fought such things for over twelve cycles – both with us and alone – and has killed many of them and saved a lot of lives. Teyla is a leader among her people and has led them to victory multiple times.” Rodney could see a small glimmer of hope in the Laprans’ eyes as he continued on, telling them about the accomplishments of his team. He finished with, “I trust them with my life, as I trust all of you with my life. If you trust me even a portion of that, please trust them the same measure.”
“I trust you with my life,” Kelly spoke up.
“As do we,” added Kirby and Jillian.
Rodney saw a number of other people nodding and murmuring to each other.
“But what good will it do? They’re already inside the village,” Korriss pressed.
“Then we make sure we don’t let them leave,” Rodney replied. “We *can* do this, people. I have faith in each one of you that this time we will be completely victorious.”
The Laprans were quiet for a while, mulling over what Rodney had said and he gave the Atlanteans a small smile as they waited.
“Did you mention the Wraith, Rodney?” John asked casually.
“I did,” Rodney replied with an affirmative nod. “But to the Laprans, they’re nothing more than scary bedtime stories, and I’d like to keep it that way. But they understand the significance of the Wraith as a threat worse than the Korsans, so it’s a good illustrative point.”
Kirby moved among the group and spoke with the Laprans before finally coming over to Rodney. “We’ve made a decision,” he told Rodney. “We’ll do it. We don’t necessarily like it, but we all know the truth behind what you’ve said. We’ll never truly be free unless we stand up to the Korsans and fight back for what is ours. We do worry, however, about what will happen to the Morykons and the Nagdalis.”
Rodney nodded in agreement. “I worry about them too. But we know for a fact that the Korsans will not bother either of them until they’ve finished with us. If we can deal with them once and for all, they won’t be a threat to either the Morykons or the Nagdalis.” He stood and smoothed out his robes before saying to his teammates, “We’d better get started. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
After some brainstorming and planning, the decision was made to first train the people in the borough in which they were staying along with the one borough that hadn’t yet been affected, in the hopes that they would be able to stall for time once the Korsans moved on and give Rodney and the rest of the Atlanteans time to work with the remaining Laprans. Rodney and the rest of the Atlanteans went with Kirby to the other borough to talk to the other Laprans. Surprisingly, they were easily swayed into agreeing for help. Rodney had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with what they had heard about the Korsans from the other boroughs, as well as the number of people Rodney had brought to help and their own summation that if he had been able to do what he had, then that many more people like him would easily get the job done.
They split their time between the two boroughs, spending the mornings and lunchtime with one borough and the evenings with the other. Rodney was surprised at how diligent the Laprans were at learning what the Atlanteans were teaching them. It was arduous at times because he had to translate concepts and actions that didn’t have a corresponding meaning in Lapran, so there was a lot of creative wording on Rodney’s part and some visual aids and demonstrations by the rest of the Atlantean team. But there was definite satisfaction on all sides when the Laprans realized what he was trying to teach them and were able to demonstrate it back.
When the Korsans came through to head for the Gate, the Atlanteans hid and it went off without a hitch. As soon as they passed through and everyone held their breath but no one came back, there was a flurry of activity. Immediately, Laprans were going in all different directions to check on the Laprans that had just been relieved of their tormentors and the Atlanteans were left standing in the middle of the common area, looking completely lost and confused.
Without thinking, Rodney went with Kirby to see if anyone needed medical attention, but half-way to the next borough, he turned around and headed back. “Sorry,” he told them, looking contrite. “It’s just that there’s only Kirby and I and we don’t know who needs medical help or what. I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” Carson told him.
“Honestly, I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Rodney replied. “Laprans can be rather shy about personal things like medical problems around people they don’t know. And while you’re a doctor, you’re not a Lapran healer.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m coming,” Carson told him steadily. “You could always use an extra pair of hands.”
“Okay,” Rodney replied with a quick nod. Looking at the rest of the group, he said, “Okay. Here’s what you can do. Go to the other borough we’ve been working with. Find Charlie and tell him I said they’re gone, be ready.” Rodney pronounced the Lapran words slowly and carefully. “Got that?”
They nodded and headed out as Carson followed Rodney down another fork in the village. When they arrived, Rodney found Kirby and quickly received an update. Turning to Carson, he said, “Okay, so far, so good. It’s mostly emotional injuries rather than physical ones.”
Seeing Rodney seemed to do a lot of good for the shell-shocked Laprans. And while they were initially wary at the sight of Carson, when Rodney explained to them who he was, they visibly relaxed and welcomed him warmly – which brought a smile to Rodney’s heart and lips when he saw Carson’s confused responses to their grins and happy words.
As Rodney and Kirby finished checking on everyone, John and Charlie came running up. “I think he needs to speak with you,” John told Rodney, sounding both confused and concerned.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Rodney asked Charlie, and Carson joined them after carefully excusing himself from a one-sided conversation with one of the grandmothers.
“The others are getting antsy,” Charlie told him. “They want to know what the plan is.”
“They know what the plan is,” Rodney replied. “You and your kinsmen are going to desert your borough and spread out among these three boroughs. Most of my kinsmen will do the same – only enough will remain so the Korsans don’t think anything’s remiss when they return. I and the Atlanteans will spread out as well and fight along side all of you when the Korsans come back.”
“They say they’re not ready. The other Laprans don’t think we’re prepared enough.”
Rodney glanced at John before asking Charlie, “What if I asked John what he thought about them? Do you think they’d take his word if he told them he thought they were ready?”
Charlie shrugged. “They might, but it’s hard to tell.”
“What do you think?”
Charlie squinted at Rodney as he rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging. “I don’t really know. I think we’re ready. We’ve definitely improved a lot since you all started teaching us. Whether or not we’re ready to go against the Korsans is something else.”
Rodney nodded in understanding before asking John, “What do you think? Do you think the Laprans are prepared to fight against the Korsans?”
John shrugged in bewilderment. “I don’t really know. I’ve never actually seen a Korsan fight. Do I think the Laprans can hold their own in a fight? Sure – since you said their arms technology is about the same.”
Turning back to Charlie, Rodney said, “He said he thinks you’ll be able to hold your own in the fight.”
“That doesn’t sound very comforting,” Charlie commented. “And the shrug doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence.”
Rodney laughed. “I know, but that’s just John. Come on, let’s go back and I’ll see what I can do.”
Rodney took his leave of Kirby and the four of them headed over to Charlie’s borough. As soon as they entered, there was a clamor of voices, all wanting Rodney’s attention. Rodney held up his hands and shushed everyone.
Once they were quiet, he said, “Look, I know you’re scared. You’re worried that you won’t be able to hold the Korsans back, let alone defeat them. I know how you feel – I’ve been there numerous times myself. But I have to tell you, I’m proud of you – all of you. You’ve done an *amazing* job the past few days of learning everything we’ve taught you. I know it hasn’t been easy. And I believe that you’ll be able to defeat the Korsans.”
There was some quiet scoffing at that as Rodney continued, “You know how I know this? Because you have some secret weapons the Korsans don’t have.” The Laprans looked at him, perplexed. “They may want what you have, but you want to keep it more. Use that to your advantage. Let your anger be a source of power for you and use it to keep yourselves focused and motivated. Whatever you may think or feel, you do not deserve the way the Korsans have been treating you. Your parents and grandparents did not deserve it. They realized a long time ago that the Korsans possessed certain characteristics that, if mixed with your own – as well as those of the Morykons and Nagdalis, over time would hurt all of you – the Korsans included.”
Rodney paused for a moment to let them absorb that thought before continuing, “But instead of taking this news with dignity and working to find another productive way of survival, the Korsans decided to pillage and hurt you – showing you a perfect example of why it was right in the first place to not allow them to intermarry with your people. But instead of standing up to them, your forefathers allowed it to happen. I can’t begin to guess what arguments they used to assuage their guilt over what was happening, but they were wrong. Non-violence is a very noble thing to aspire to, but don’t use it as a cover for cowardice.”
He stopped for a moment before changing tacks and saying, “Look, I know this is a lot to take in and we don’t have much time. But if you want to ever have a chance of not having to worry about the Korsans ever again, you *have* to do this – and I know you can. Now, we have a lot of work to do before they return and we need to be ready.”
Continue in Part 32
