Adrift Part Six
Title: Adrift
Author: Westdean
Pairing: Carson/John
Rating: PG13
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Slash.
Spoilers: Set after The Tower but with spoilers of the "blink and you will miss them variety" up to The Return: part 1.
Prompt: Written for cosmonaut_elf as part of the icaw ficathon.
She requested a John/Carson pairing. Serious hurt/comfort. Serious, serious Carson whumping. The two of them getting stranded. Lots of blood and rain. John realising that he loves Carson (sort of first time). edics. Written at speed (for me) and therefore probably incorrect in all sorts of canon facts but I don't care because writing this almost broke my brain.
Authors Note: Written unapologetically in British English and betaed to match by my lovely Dons, Geeks and Medics.
All music tracks are from the album Ringleader of the Tormentors by Morrissey.
~SGA~
Part 6
Teyla looked into the open sack of grain. The colour of the corn was pale, betraying the length of time that it had been stored and she could see that the grains were thin, the kernels within would be shrivelled. Did he think her a naïve fool?
“I had thought that the lands to the south were rich and fertile, justifying the prices that you charge. These grains speak of drought and poor soil.”
The oily smile was wiped from the face of the merchant beside her.
“Ah Lady, it was Southland grain that you were interested in? I humbly apologise.”
He motioned with his pudgy fingers and sent a bevy of servants in search of merchandise. Teyla struggled to keep her usual smile on her face. It did not help that she knew that Ronon Dex, leaning nonchalantly against a pillar behind her, would have a smirk on his face. He had predicted that this lot looked as likely a group of fleecers as he had ever seen when they had entered the Trade Hall.
The two of them were on a trade mission on behalf of Atlantis. Life had had to return to a semblance of being normal.
John Sheppard and Rodney McKay were the only ones still on specific search for their lost CMO.
It was sad but unavoidable. Even John was running normal missions now and only following leads when they arose.
Many in Atlantis were accepting that Beckett might be lost. But not John.
Ronon and Teyla had discussed his refusal to accept that Carson might never be found.
“He seems driven.” Teyla had remarked.
“I'm not sure he recognises what is driving him,” had been Ronon's enigmatic reply.
And as usually happened, when the two of them found themselves away from their strange new friends from Earth, they had fallen to discussing the odd priorities of the expedition members. The way that they placed abstract concepts ahead of survival, work and duty ahead of personal relationships. A luxury only granted to people who had grown up away from the threat of the Wraith. Which had left them very vulnerable to the harsh reality of their new home.
This only strengthened Ronon and Teyla's determination to help John and Elizabeth, and all of their friends, to cope with the situation.
So, as soon as they had arrived on this new world, they had started going through the routine that now accompanied every off world mission - visiting taverns and trading posts. Handing out descriptive posters of Carson and his abductors and asking questions.
And as always they had got the distinct impression that some people knew something but were unwilling to talk. A barrier that the promise of reward or threat had been unable to breach.
And now it looked as though this vital grain purchase was to be further delayed. A commotion at the entrance to the hall heralded the arrival of another buyer. His appearance sent their merchant and all around into a panic.
“My Lady,” the man was pawing at her arm, “I value your custom of course, but I must attend to Master Grat. He has the power to ruin me.”
The merchant was gone, chivvying his servants, leaving Teyla and Ronon to gawk amazed - they had never been treated like this before. They watched as their host fawned over the new arrival, a short fat man of local appearance. He seemed no different from the others, a little bit more richly dressed perhaps, his bodyguards slightly burlier.
He was looking around him well satisfied as the merchants in the hall hurried to set out, what were presumably their finest wares, before him. Then he caught sight of Teyla, his face gave a beam of pleasure and he immediately began to make his way over towards her. Teyla felt sure she heard Ronon snigger.
Master Grat looked over Teyla appreciatively.
“It makes a change to see these miserable crooks running about for a change, desperate for my custom,” he remarked conversationally while openly staring down her cleavage. Teyla kept her smile fixed in place with an effort.
“A month ago it was so different. That oily rat there saw fit to try and sell me grain a third adulterated with rice flour, and at full price! Well no longer, I have the advantage now and it was worth every penny. ”
Master Grat now approached the laid out sacks, Teyla accompanied him, also interested to see the new stock. They were a different order from before - these sacks were filled with fat, golden grain. Grat made a grand show of opening his coat and pulling out a scanner. Ronon gave a muted hiss - it was unmistakably of Ancient work. The man ran the scanner across the sacks and looked at the readout.
“They will do. My device says they are of top quality and for once unadulterated.” He spoke loudly for everyone to hear. “Let us negotiate price shall we?”
Teyla looked at Ronon - Master Grat had some explaining to do.
~SGA~
Master Grat had been rather indiscreet in his use of his device and really should not have been too surprised when exiting the bathing chamber of his rooms that evening, to find his bodyguards tied up in a heap on the floor, a formidable looking Satedan stretched out on his bed like a large cat and Teyla thoughtfully fingering the Ancient scanner in her hands.
Grat squeaked with fright and dropped his towel. Ronon just chuckled - this was going to be easy.
~SGA~
Just a few hours later the scanner was lying on the conference table in front of Elizabeth Weir. All the principal members of the Atlantis team ringed the table.
Grat had sung like a songbird. He had traded with a group that were known to sell working Ancient technology. A discreet market among those who could afford to pay - the Athosians had not encountered them before. They had not been around for a long time but had recently started offering items for sale again.
It was risky dealing with them - a choice of the desperate or greedy. Everything was done in great secrecy. Anyone betraying details of the trade was threatened with death and there was enough evidence to suggest that they had carried out their threats on occasion.
If these were the people they were looking for - it explained the reluctance of anyone to give them information.
Teyla held the attention of everyone in the room as she explained this.
Elizabeth was thoughtful. “Did Master Grat say where did he got hold of this?” She picked up the scanner as she spoke.
“Grat described being taken blindfolded through a Ring of the Ancestors to a planet where the traders were based.
“He was able to buy and view from a selection of merchandise - a large selection.” Teyla added.
“So we don't have a 'gate address?”
“No, but Grat gave a very good description of the planet that he visited. It is densely forested and very wet.”
“Well, that's original.” John's voice was laced with irony.
“And,” Teyla continued, ignoring Sheppard, “The Stargate is ringed with a distinct set of standing stones to prevent Wraith darts from coming through.”
“That also matches, oh maybe, a hundred worlds.” muttered John.
“He described a people who live on the planet, who were working with the traders, acting as guards on the Ring of the Ancestors. They are hunters of distinct habits and appearance who believe that to keep themselves free of the Wraith they must keep their home world pure from outsiders - they kill anyone who ventures through the Ring.”
“And yet they are working with people from off world?” Elizabeth sounded doubtful. “Teyla, I appreciate your efforts but there is nothing here to link Carson with these people. True, the time scale seems right and the operation that they are engaged in gives us a motivation but it sounds like quite a risk.”
Teyla had left the best until last.
“Master Grat was also able to give a description of the men that he met. Two of them looked like this.” She unfurled the poster in her hands, It was a sketch of Carson's abductors.
That prompted a reaction. John stood and took the poster from Teyla, staring, as he had a hundred times already, at the people he was hunting for. Rodney scooped up the scanner and began to look at it in detail.
“Well done you two,” Elizabeth's voice was warm and full of gratitude, “I won't ask how you overcame Grat's fear of these men - I'm almost afraid to ask.”
She was looking at Ronon as she spoke. He just shrugged.
“I just smiled at him. And told him I knew fifteen different ways to cut off his...”
“Er yes, thanks Ronon,” John cut in quickly. “So we haven't got a 'gate address. No actual confirmation that Carson is there. And to summarise, this scanner came from a planet which is heavily forested, has a foul wet climate, where we can't use Puddle jumpers and is guarded by hostile natives with murderous tendencies.
“I think that just about covers every planet we've ever visited!”
“Actually only two hundred and ninety five,” murmured Rodney intent on the scanner in his hands, his fingers moving rapidly across the controls, “and I think I can narrow that down a bit.”
Everyone looked at him and waited patiently as he consulted his laptop at the same time as manipulating the scanner.
“This tablet was initialised seven weeks ago - exactly one day after Carson was taken - a nice coincidence don't you think? And there is more. The first thing it was tested on were food items that show a similar mineral trace profile - locally sourced perhaps. In which case, using the survey data base, we have one matching planet with the right climate and a guard ring.
“Well done Rodney” Elizabeth beamed at him.
“You can give me a hug later, though I'd prefer a large portion of blue jello.”
“Do we have anything else on the planet from the survey - was it visited?”
“No, the MALP came back stuck full of enough arrows to supply a small archery tournament. Conclusion - the natives are hostile and nothing else of interest showed up on the MALP scan.”
“Elizabeth?” That was John - he was almost bouncing on his toes, eager to start prepping a mission.
She was never going to refuse him, despite the obvious risk.
“Ready a MALP.”
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