Ronon Ficathon: Dead or Alive, PG13
Title: Dead or Alive
Author: Rubygirl29
Rating: PG13
Characters: Ronon Dex, Teal'c, Aris Boch
Written For: The Ronon Thing-a-thon for theeverdream for her prompt: "I really want Ronon interacting with Arish Boch from SG-1 (Deadman Switch). I can totally see them understanding each other's survival lifestyle and the 'we do what we have to do' type of thing. "
Summary: As Ronon waits to depart from SGC after he and Teal'c take down the invading Wraith, he is introduced to an unexpected visitor, Bounty Hunter Aris Boch.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this is late, but I hope you like it. I wish RL would just give me a moment to take a breath.
Dead or Alive
Every muscle of Ronon's body ached. He was bruised, sprained, exhausted. He and Teal'c were in in the infirmary at SGC having their various cuts and contusions attended to. Teal'c looked at him, "You fought well today, Ronon Dex, as I thought you would."
"We make a good team when we're not fighting each other."
Teal'c laughed. "Indeed, we are a force to be reckoned with. You must have fought many battles."
"I was a soldier," Ronon said quietly.
"As was I, but it is not something I care to boast about."
Ronon looked at him thoughtfully. "Sheppard said we had a lot in common. I didn't believe him. I thought he didn't trust me. I was angry."
"I know." Teal'c's lips curved. "Your anger is what saved us. The IOA owes you a debt. I have no doubt that you will be approved."
The next day, he got the stamp of approval and the gratitude of the IOA. It didn't mean much to him, other than he had proved himself worthy of Sheppard's friendship and trust. However, Sheppard was missing, possibly killed by the Wraith, possibly blown to bits by the destruction of Midway. The IOA and SGC believed there were no survivors. Ronon believed he would have felt the emptiness in his heart.
The night before the Daedalus was to return to space to search for the debris field and take Ronon back to Atlantis, he and Teal'c were sitting in the mess discussing the vagaries of being aliens surrounded by natives of another world. They had stories; Ronon's mostly difficult, Teal'c's occasionally amusing, but mostly as hard as Ronon's. Ronon was about to propose they ask the mess sergeant if they had any beer, when the gate activation sounded. He and Teal'c looked at each other. They rose as one, hands on their guns.
"Wraith?" Ronon asked the logical question.
"I do not know."
No further alarms were sounded as they set off at a lope towards the gate room. When they entered, the marines had their weapons trained on a ... Ronon supposed it was a man in some sort of armor, but they weren't firing, and the man's staff weapon was laid at his feet as if it had been carefully placed there.
"Aris Boch," Teal'c addressed the man. "I suggest you raise your helmet. Slowly."
Aris Boch complied. Ronon crossed his arms. The man had a scarred face, a shock of reddish hair, and eyes that looked like they could crinkle with laughter if provoked. "Who is he?" Ronon asked Teal'c.
"He is a bounty hunter. SG-1 crossed paths with him several years ago. I am surprised he is still alive." Teal'c stepped forward. "Aris Boch what is your intention here?"
Boch looked at Ronon, who shifted uneasily, even though thee was no way he was Boch's target. "Just stopping in for some help."
"Help? I don't hunt other humans," Ronon turned away. He had been on the other end of the hunt for too many years.
"He smells alien," Boch said. "Lacking that certain Milky Way ... essence. Relax, I didn't come for that kind of help."
"What then?"
"Roshnah."
"We will cure you of the addiction, but we will not feed it," Teal'c said without emotion. "You must choose. Meanwhile, I will escort you to our infirmary."
"I can offer you something of value," Boch suggested. He licked his lips and his hand had a faint tremor.
"What?"
"News of a Goa'uld stronghold where the last of the System Lords, including your old friend, Ba'al may be hiding."
"May be?"
Boch tried to give an offhanded shrug. "According to reliable sources."
Ronon arched a brow. "I've heard that before." He had his eyes fixed on Boch's shaking hands, on the way a bead of sweat was gathering on his temples.
Teal'c seemed to be considering Boch, his head slightly tilted. "General Landry will want to talk to you."
"I don't suppose I can get some roshnah first?"
"None." Teal'c nodded to the marines. "Escort Aris Boch to the General's office. Do not trust him."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Ronon knew a thing or two about addiction. He'd seen what Wraith enzyme had done to Ford; he knew what it felt like to depend on the enzyme for strength and speed. He'd seen the shakes, the way Wraith worshippers would do anything, even betray their own for that fix. He wondered what Aris Boch would do, how far he would go to get his drug of choice.
He was in his quarters when the medical emergency alert was issued for assistance in General Landry's office. He grabbed his gun and ran, thinking about Teal'c, about the General, about Boch, unstable from withdrawal. It had to be trouble.
He reached Landry's office the same time as the medical team. He held them back and came through first, his gun drawn and scanning the room for danger. Landry was standing at his desk, Teal'c was crouched next to Boch. He was writhing on the floor, doubled up with cramps. Ronon had suffered from withdrawal, but he had never seen anybody crash as quickly as Boch. That roshnah must be one hell of a drug.
The medics heaved Boch on the gurney and headed to the infirmary. Teal'c, Ronon and Landry followed for security, not willing to take the chance that Boch was helpless.
Dr. Lam took one look at them and decided she didn't need warriors cluttering up her treatment area. "Go, sit. I'll be out when I know something definite."
"He is addicted to roshnah," Teal'c rumbled. "It is a Goa'uld substance they use to control rebellious populations."
"I'll take that into consideration." She vanished behind the curtains.
They waited. Eventually, Dr. Lam returned. "I've sedated him, but here is the question. Do we force him into cold turkey withdrawal and do what we can to keep him comfortable and alive, or do we give him the roshnah and bring him back to, what is for his body, a normal state?"
"Stop giving him drugs," Ronon said. "You'll never be able to trust him if you don't."
Teal'c's viewpoint differed. "Give him the roshnah and investigate the lead on Ba'al."
Landry sighed. He missed O'Neill and Carter. Mitchell and Jackson were off-world on a mission. He considered his daughter. "What do you think?"
She looked surprised that he would ask instead of choosing one of the options out of hand. "Going cold turkey is in his best interests in the long term, but it could also kill him. He's been addicted for most of his adult life. I don't know enough about the drug to speculate on what will happen to him, physically or mentally, once the drug is out of his system."
"So what is your answer?" Landry asked gently.
"I will give him the roshnah in a lower dose. You can investigate the Ba'al rumors. When he returns, we can begin the treatment process."
Ronon shifted his shoulders. "That won't work."
Lam blinked at him. "And you know this, how?"
"Aidan Ford. Got addicted to Wraith enzyme. Turned renegade. Went crazy. He'd do anything for the drug. You'll never be able to trust him. Why do you trust him now?" He asked Lam, clearly irritated by the fatal human tendency to trust first, ask questions later.
"I don't. That's why I'm sending a gate team out to investigate. Carolyn, keep Boch comfortable, but no roshnah until we hear from SG-12. Teal'c, I want you with them."
Teal'c gave a compliant nod. After Landry had left, he turned to Ronon. "Ronon Dex, you may be gone by the time I get back. May you journey safely and find Colonel Sheppard safe. It is an honor to have fought to save the world at your side."
Ronon smiled. "It was an honor. Next time you need help, you know where to find me."
"Indeed."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Ronon sat in the infirmary, his gun slanted across his knee, watching Aris Boch. Lam had sedated him heavily, and he was still restless. Ronon felt a small degree of pity for him. His own withdrawal from Wraith enzyme had been mild in comparison. He wondered what it was like to live your life in constant need and craving burning in your veins. Couldn't be easy.
Boch opened his eyes. They were bloodshot, but lucid. He seemed puzzled to find Ronon guarding him. "I thought you weren't one of them."
"I'm not from here."
"Then where?"
"Place called Sateda. It was destroyed by ... it was destroyed." Ronon shifted uneasily. He didn't know how much he could tell Boch. "You?"
"Around."
"I got that part." Ronon's lips quirked slightly. "You're a bounty hunter."
"The best in the universe."
"It's not something to boast about." Ronon's amusement turned deadly cold. "I've been hunted, tracked, captured. Had a price on my head."
"Really? How much?"
"Not money. Eternal life."
"Never heard of that one. If I had, you'd have been hunted and brought in dead or alive."
"Then it's good you never had to hunt me. Those that did are dead."
"Now that sounds like boasting to me, Ronon Dex."
"Not a boast. The truth. You don't want eternal life. You want roshnah. You'll hunt for it, kill for it. I got that. I don't know why you can't stop."
"My people have been enslaved by the Goa'uld for years. They addicted all of us to roshnah, to make us slaves. To use us. To keep us from becoming too strong."
"They never ... you know ... the worm thing?"
"We are immune. We can't be implanted. That's why they drug us. Enslave us. I prefer to set my own terms. I hunt for them, but for every bounty I bring in, I am one step closer to my freedom."
Ronon folded his arms and slouched easily in his chair. "These people here, they find ways to help whether you want it or not. I had ... this tracking thing in me. I ran for seven years from my enemies. I killed them, never had a chance to bargain with them. Every day was a death sentence, but I wouldn't let them get to me. Then I met these people. They took the bug out of me. They took me in, healed me. Gave me a place to be human again. They could do that for you if you let them."
Boch was pale and he seemed weary, defeated. "As long as I'm out there my people have a chance for freedom.
"What happens if you die? My enemies don't give up, but I'm fighting and I'm not fighting alone. I'm stronger with these people than I ever was on the run."
Boch looked at him. "Maybe. But I like hunting."
"So hunt, but do it for the right reasons. Not because you need the drug." Ronon stood up. "I have to go. I've got a friend to find and a war to fight. Can't think of anything better than that."
"Good luck with that. Maybe someday our paths will cross again, Ronon Dex."
"Probably not."
Boch laughed. "We should hunt together. We'd make a good team."
Ronon thought of Sheppard, who had his loyalty, and Atlantis. "I have a team. I'm not leaving them."
Boch lay back on his pillows. "If you change your mind ..." He almost sounded hopeful.
"Doubt it, but I never thought I'd be here, either." Ronon held out his hand in a rare offer of courtesy. "Good luck with all that."
"Thanks. I might give it a try."
Ronon hoped that he would. He left the infirmary, nodded to Dr. Lam, and picked up his duffel from his quarters. The gate team was waiting for him. From the Alpha site, to the Daedalus, to find Sheppard and home.
The End
Author: Rubygirl29
Rating: PG13
Characters: Ronon Dex, Teal'c, Aris Boch
Written For: The Ronon Thing-a-thon for theeverdream for her prompt: "I really want Ronon interacting with Arish Boch from SG-1 (Deadman Switch). I can totally see them understanding each other's survival lifestyle and the 'we do what we have to do' type of thing. "
Summary: As Ronon waits to depart from SGC after he and Teal'c take down the invading Wraith, he is introduced to an unexpected visitor, Bounty Hunter Aris Boch.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this is late, but I hope you like it. I wish RL would just give me a moment to take a breath.
Dead or Alive
Every muscle of Ronon's body ached. He was bruised, sprained, exhausted. He and Teal'c were in in the infirmary at SGC having their various cuts and contusions attended to. Teal'c looked at him, "You fought well today, Ronon Dex, as I thought you would."
"We make a good team when we're not fighting each other."
Teal'c laughed. "Indeed, we are a force to be reckoned with. You must have fought many battles."
"I was a soldier," Ronon said quietly.
"As was I, but it is not something I care to boast about."
Ronon looked at him thoughtfully. "Sheppard said we had a lot in common. I didn't believe him. I thought he didn't trust me. I was angry."
"I know." Teal'c's lips curved. "Your anger is what saved us. The IOA owes you a debt. I have no doubt that you will be approved."
The next day, he got the stamp of approval and the gratitude of the IOA. It didn't mean much to him, other than he had proved himself worthy of Sheppard's friendship and trust. However, Sheppard was missing, possibly killed by the Wraith, possibly blown to bits by the destruction of Midway. The IOA and SGC believed there were no survivors. Ronon believed he would have felt the emptiness in his heart.
The night before the Daedalus was to return to space to search for the debris field and take Ronon back to Atlantis, he and Teal'c were sitting in the mess discussing the vagaries of being aliens surrounded by natives of another world. They had stories; Ronon's mostly difficult, Teal'c's occasionally amusing, but mostly as hard as Ronon's. Ronon was about to propose they ask the mess sergeant if they had any beer, when the gate activation sounded. He and Teal'c looked at each other. They rose as one, hands on their guns.
"Wraith?" Ronon asked the logical question.
"I do not know."
No further alarms were sounded as they set off at a lope towards the gate room. When they entered, the marines had their weapons trained on a ... Ronon supposed it was a man in some sort of armor, but they weren't firing, and the man's staff weapon was laid at his feet as if it had been carefully placed there.
"Aris Boch," Teal'c addressed the man. "I suggest you raise your helmet. Slowly."
Aris Boch complied. Ronon crossed his arms. The man had a scarred face, a shock of reddish hair, and eyes that looked like they could crinkle with laughter if provoked. "Who is he?" Ronon asked Teal'c.
"He is a bounty hunter. SG-1 crossed paths with him several years ago. I am surprised he is still alive." Teal'c stepped forward. "Aris Boch what is your intention here?"
Boch looked at Ronon, who shifted uneasily, even though thee was no way he was Boch's target. "Just stopping in for some help."
"Help? I don't hunt other humans," Ronon turned away. He had been on the other end of the hunt for too many years.
"He smells alien," Boch said. "Lacking that certain Milky Way ... essence. Relax, I didn't come for that kind of help."
"What then?"
"Roshnah."
"We will cure you of the addiction, but we will not feed it," Teal'c said without emotion. "You must choose. Meanwhile, I will escort you to our infirmary."
"I can offer you something of value," Boch suggested. He licked his lips and his hand had a faint tremor.
"What?"
"News of a Goa'uld stronghold where the last of the System Lords, including your old friend, Ba'al may be hiding."
"May be?"
Boch tried to give an offhanded shrug. "According to reliable sources."
Ronon arched a brow. "I've heard that before." He had his eyes fixed on Boch's shaking hands, on the way a bead of sweat was gathering on his temples.
Teal'c seemed to be considering Boch, his head slightly tilted. "General Landry will want to talk to you."
"I don't suppose I can get some roshnah first?"
"None." Teal'c nodded to the marines. "Escort Aris Boch to the General's office. Do not trust him."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Ronon knew a thing or two about addiction. He'd seen what Wraith enzyme had done to Ford; he knew what it felt like to depend on the enzyme for strength and speed. He'd seen the shakes, the way Wraith worshippers would do anything, even betray their own for that fix. He wondered what Aris Boch would do, how far he would go to get his drug of choice.
He was in his quarters when the medical emergency alert was issued for assistance in General Landry's office. He grabbed his gun and ran, thinking about Teal'c, about the General, about Boch, unstable from withdrawal. It had to be trouble.
He reached Landry's office the same time as the medical team. He held them back and came through first, his gun drawn and scanning the room for danger. Landry was standing at his desk, Teal'c was crouched next to Boch. He was writhing on the floor, doubled up with cramps. Ronon had suffered from withdrawal, but he had never seen anybody crash as quickly as Boch. That roshnah must be one hell of a drug.
The medics heaved Boch on the gurney and headed to the infirmary. Teal'c, Ronon and Landry followed for security, not willing to take the chance that Boch was helpless.
Dr. Lam took one look at them and decided she didn't need warriors cluttering up her treatment area. "Go, sit. I'll be out when I know something definite."
"He is addicted to roshnah," Teal'c rumbled. "It is a Goa'uld substance they use to control rebellious populations."
"I'll take that into consideration." She vanished behind the curtains.
They waited. Eventually, Dr. Lam returned. "I've sedated him, but here is the question. Do we force him into cold turkey withdrawal and do what we can to keep him comfortable and alive, or do we give him the roshnah and bring him back to, what is for his body, a normal state?"
"Stop giving him drugs," Ronon said. "You'll never be able to trust him if you don't."
Teal'c's viewpoint differed. "Give him the roshnah and investigate the lead on Ba'al."
Landry sighed. He missed O'Neill and Carter. Mitchell and Jackson were off-world on a mission. He considered his daughter. "What do you think?"
She looked surprised that he would ask instead of choosing one of the options out of hand. "Going cold turkey is in his best interests in the long term, but it could also kill him. He's been addicted for most of his adult life. I don't know enough about the drug to speculate on what will happen to him, physically or mentally, once the drug is out of his system."
"So what is your answer?" Landry asked gently.
"I will give him the roshnah in a lower dose. You can investigate the Ba'al rumors. When he returns, we can begin the treatment process."
Ronon shifted his shoulders. "That won't work."
Lam blinked at him. "And you know this, how?"
"Aidan Ford. Got addicted to Wraith enzyme. Turned renegade. Went crazy. He'd do anything for the drug. You'll never be able to trust him. Why do you trust him now?" He asked Lam, clearly irritated by the fatal human tendency to trust first, ask questions later.
"I don't. That's why I'm sending a gate team out to investigate. Carolyn, keep Boch comfortable, but no roshnah until we hear from SG-12. Teal'c, I want you with them."
Teal'c gave a compliant nod. After Landry had left, he turned to Ronon. "Ronon Dex, you may be gone by the time I get back. May you journey safely and find Colonel Sheppard safe. It is an honor to have fought to save the world at your side."
Ronon smiled. "It was an honor. Next time you need help, you know where to find me."
"Indeed."
^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Ronon sat in the infirmary, his gun slanted across his knee, watching Aris Boch. Lam had sedated him heavily, and he was still restless. Ronon felt a small degree of pity for him. His own withdrawal from Wraith enzyme had been mild in comparison. He wondered what it was like to live your life in constant need and craving burning in your veins. Couldn't be easy.
Boch opened his eyes. They were bloodshot, but lucid. He seemed puzzled to find Ronon guarding him. "I thought you weren't one of them."
"I'm not from here."
"Then where?"
"Place called Sateda. It was destroyed by ... it was destroyed." Ronon shifted uneasily. He didn't know how much he could tell Boch. "You?"
"Around."
"I got that part." Ronon's lips quirked slightly. "You're a bounty hunter."
"The best in the universe."
"It's not something to boast about." Ronon's amusement turned deadly cold. "I've been hunted, tracked, captured. Had a price on my head."
"Really? How much?"
"Not money. Eternal life."
"Never heard of that one. If I had, you'd have been hunted and brought in dead or alive."
"Then it's good you never had to hunt me. Those that did are dead."
"Now that sounds like boasting to me, Ronon Dex."
"Not a boast. The truth. You don't want eternal life. You want roshnah. You'll hunt for it, kill for it. I got that. I don't know why you can't stop."
"My people have been enslaved by the Goa'uld for years. They addicted all of us to roshnah, to make us slaves. To use us. To keep us from becoming too strong."
"They never ... you know ... the worm thing?"
"We are immune. We can't be implanted. That's why they drug us. Enslave us. I prefer to set my own terms. I hunt for them, but for every bounty I bring in, I am one step closer to my freedom."
Ronon folded his arms and slouched easily in his chair. "These people here, they find ways to help whether you want it or not. I had ... this tracking thing in me. I ran for seven years from my enemies. I killed them, never had a chance to bargain with them. Every day was a death sentence, but I wouldn't let them get to me. Then I met these people. They took the bug out of me. They took me in, healed me. Gave me a place to be human again. They could do that for you if you let them."
Boch was pale and he seemed weary, defeated. "As long as I'm out there my people have a chance for freedom.
"What happens if you die? My enemies don't give up, but I'm fighting and I'm not fighting alone. I'm stronger with these people than I ever was on the run."
Boch looked at him. "Maybe. But I like hunting."
"So hunt, but do it for the right reasons. Not because you need the drug." Ronon stood up. "I have to go. I've got a friend to find and a war to fight. Can't think of anything better than that."
"Good luck with that. Maybe someday our paths will cross again, Ronon Dex."
"Probably not."
Boch laughed. "We should hunt together. We'd make a good team."
Ronon thought of Sheppard, who had his loyalty, and Atlantis. "I have a team. I'm not leaving them."
Boch lay back on his pillows. "If you change your mind ..." He almost sounded hopeful.
"Doubt it, but I never thought I'd be here, either." Ronon held out his hand in a rare offer of courtesy. "Good luck with all that."
"Thanks. I might give it a try."
Ronon hoped that he would. He left the infirmary, nodded to Dr. Lam, and picked up his duffel from his quarters. The gate team was waiting for him. From the Alpha site, to the Daedalus, to find Sheppard and home.
The End