SGA (Colony AU) fic; Omega World 3/?
John frowned, even as he took a step forward. "Polan - what do you mean by 'the end of all things'?"
"Answer me, and I shall answer you," Polan replied. "Why are you here?"
Teyla stepped forward. "We arrived seeking trade. You water contains something that will benefit our people."
Polan looked at Ronon, who nodded. "We were hoping to come to an agreement," Ronon added, spreading his hands. "But...."
"But we have nothing to ask of you in return," Polan began.
The oldest of the party stepped forward. "Yes, Polan, we do." It was the voice, more than anything else, that marked her as female.
Polan blinked at her. "We do? What can we possibly ask of these people? We are perishing, Koba!"
"That is what we can ask of them. Visitors, aid us to survive this, and our entire water system is yours to use, for all of time."
Rodney frowned. "That's a pretty generous deal. But didn't you just try to blow up the Gate?"
Polan nodded. "To keep our burial place from being desecrated." He shot a wry look at the Gate. "Clearly, it did not succeed."
"And praise the Ancestors it did not!" Koba said. "For now there is hope at the end of all things!"
"Yeah, about that," John said in his lazy way. "You said you were going to tell us what that was all about."
Koba nodded at Polan, who sighed and spoke. "Our world is ending. Our people have not responded in several turns of the moon, and we fear we are the only ones left. There was no growing season this year and only a small one the year before. We exist on game and stores - and both are growing scarce. When they end---"
"So does your people," Teyla said softly.
"No growing season...." Rodney squinted at the sky, then took John's arm and tugged him a couple of steps away. "They're right."
John frowned. "What--"
"I'll have to scan from the Jumper," Rodney interrupted. "But I think this system's sun is in its last contraction phase."
John hissed. "Nova?"
"More than likely," Rodney sighed. "But after Doranda, I'm really not comfortable predicting a tie frame or even saying a hundred percent this is what's going to happen."
"Understood," John said. He thought for a moment, then added, "So - this just became a rescue mission."
Rodney nodded. "The water - the people.... I'd like to somehow salvage the Gate, too."
John walked back over to the Astadalians. "Sir - ma'am - we have much to discuss."
Continue to part four