Fighting Passions - Ronon Dex - Stargate Atlantis

The Tower PT. 1

We're on a new planet waiting for someone to come talk to us, McKay as always is impatient. "If we're hoping these people have something to trade, we are wasting our time. From the looks of it, they barely have enough to feed themselves, and their technology..." He picks up a scythe, "well, let's just say this about sums it up." 

"Establishing good relations with our neighbors is not just about trade." Teyla reminds him. 

"Right, but do we need to make friends with every primitive agrarian society in the Pegasus galaxy?" 

"Rod..."

"What?" 

Sheppard walks out of the hut holding a vegetable. "Alright, that's enough. They can't all be planets with cool technology and open-minded women."

"I don't see why not!"

"Because life doesn't work that way, Rodney!" I exclaim.

Before the stubborn scientist can respond to me, a local man approaches us. "Greetings. I am Eldred." 

"I am Sheppard. This is Ronon, Teyla, Allison, McKay." We all wave at the man. 

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting but it's harvest time and we must prepare our tribute for the Tower."

"The Tower?" I question.

"You must come from a distant land indeed if you have not heard of the Tower. I don't know of anyone who is not under its protection."

Teyla speaks up this time. "Protection from what?"

"The Wraith." He answers as if it is the most obvious answer.

"Is this Tower close by?" 

"I will show you. Come."

We all take the hike with Eldred from the village to wherever he is taking us. 

"It looks you might be wrong about them." I turn to McKay. 

"We'll see, I doubt it." 

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We finally come to a stop and Eldred points out the Tower, which is immensely familiar to us all.

"Is it my imagination or does that look a lot like..."

"The central spire of Atlantis." Teyla answers.

"Looks like I'm right," I smirk at McKay.

"About what?" Ronon asks us.

"That these people may prove to be more than he thought." 

"Shut up."

I just laugh with Ronon as we begin our trek back to the village. 

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"How exactly do the people in the tower protect you from the wraith?" Sheppard asks Eldred.

"They have a great weapon capable of annihilating the Wraith ships which descend from the sky." He answers.

"What kind of a weapon?" Rodney and I question in sync.

"Thousands of bright lights rise up from the ground beneath the Tower, swarm the ships and destroy them." 

All of us stop and stare at the man, and Teyla and I share a look. 

"Really?" I ask.

"Thousands of bright lights?" Sheppard adds.

Eldred nods in answer. 

The Ithosian woman asks another question. "And you have seen this?" 

"I have never seen a Wraith ship, they have not come for many generations, but there are times that the Lord protector sees fit to..." He pauses and swallows like he is fearful. "Demonstrate this power to his people."

"We'd really like to meet this Lord Protector." Sheppard requests.

"That may prove difficult. Only members of the royal court are allowed in the Tower." 

Teyla being the great diplomat steps in. "Perhaps they would consider making an exception just this once."

"I'll do what I can." 

We smile and thank him as he walks away, then Ronon asks, " You know this weapon he's talking about?" 

I nod. "They're drones. We used them to protect both Atlantis and Earth before, and it would be nice to get our hands on some more."

"Ali's right." McKay starts. "And not only that, if these people have working drones they must also have ZedPM."

"Eldred said the Wraith have not come in a long time. Perhaps this technology is no longer operational." Teyla suggests.

"I'll know more if I can get a little closer, take some readings." 

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McKay is allowed to go around and get some readings while the Colonel goes and talks to Elizabeth in the jumper, leaving Ronon, Teyla and I to wait outside.

Soon enough some soldiers come to speak to Eldred while we observe.

"Who are they?" Sheppard asks from behind us.

"Soldiers from the Tower." Ronon answers.

That's when the soldier backhands the farmer and we all rush in to intervene, yelling for them to calm down.

"Who are you?'" The soldier asks.

"Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. Who are you?"

"I am a constable of the Lord Protector's guard. And this village scum dared to defy me."

A/N: ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏ sᴏʀʀʏ ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ!! ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɪssᴜᴇs ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴀɴᴅᴇᴍɪᴄ. Pʟᴇᴀsᴇ sᴛᴀʏ sᴀғᴇ, ᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴀ ᴍᴀsᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ʙʟᴍ! ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪsʜɪᴘʙᴇʟʟᴀʀᴋʙ12