SGA fic: Gaijin part 34/40
Gaijin, Part 34/40
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
The Laprans gaped at the Korsans as Rodney replied, “We accept your desire to negotiate. Please let us show you our hospitality while we prepare ourselves.”
“We’re going to *what*?” Henry whispered next to Rodney.
“You heard me,” Rodney told him quietly. “Show them some hospitality. Apparently you’ve never heard the phrase ‘kill them with kindness’.”
Henry grimaced as he and the rest of the Laprans did as they were told. Rodney was only slightly amused that most were the more vengeful Laprans. As he went to tell everyone what had happened, he asked John, Ronon, and Teyla to make sure that both the Korsans, and the Laprans hosting them, behaved.
The Laprans were all shocked when Rodney told them what had happened. And he figured they had every right to be - they had never expected to happen. The elders agreed that they would negotiate - on three conditions. The first being that Kelly would, at that time, take his place among them as the leader of his borough and the second being that Rodney would lead the negotiations. The third didn’t surprise Rodney at all - they wanted some time to prepare.
Kelly easily accepted his position. The Korsans, when Rodney told them of the Laprans’ desire to take some time to prepare themselves, agreed. But only on the condition that Rodney would spearhead the negotiations. Out of frustration and a desire to see the whole thing finished once and for all, he agreed.
“I can’t do this!” Rodney told Kelly later that evening.
“Yes, you can,” Kelly replied. “If you’re able to wrangle all of us into fighting the Korsans, you can run the negotiations.”
“No, I mean, I really can’t do this. I don’t have the knowledge of how these sorts of things work.” His eyes widened and he grinned. “Your prep time will include the next window in the sandstorms. I know exactly what I can do!”
“You’ll miss your own prep time, though,” Kelly replied. “And, out of all of us, I think you’ll need it the most.”
“Oh, believe me. I’ll be prepped.”
True to his word, Rodney prepared along with the rest of the Laprans. He meditated for long periods to clear his mind and to get a grip on himself so that he would be less likely to rip into the Korsans for acting like bratty children and the Laprans for allowing the Korsans to steamroll them for so long.
When the time came, Rodney and John headed to the Gate. Rodney grinned when they reached the end of the tunnel and he heard the wind stop. They had gotten there in perfect time.
He and John quickly went topside and he dialed the Atlantis. After the wormhole stabilized and John sent through his IDC, Elizabeth’s startled, and slightly reproving, voice came through their radios.
“I was beginning to worry, John.”
“Yeah, well, there’s only a tiny window of time the Gate can be used and it’s been kind of busy lately,” John replied. “But we’re all doing just fine - no casualties. Anyway, Rodney’s going to kill me if he doesn’t get to talk, so….”
“Look, Elizabeth,” Rodney started as soon as John trailed off. “I need your help. We have two peoples here who would like to negotiate a peace treaty and they want me to facilitate it.”
“And you’re calling me for this why?” she asked and Rodney could almost see her raised eyebrows and her arms crossed over her chest.
“I know I’m the expert on the peoples involved, but you’re the one who knows how to deal with this sort of thing. The situation is very touchy between them and I don’t want to do or say something that’ll get everyone killed. Besides, if this turns sour, things aren’t going to look good for the Morykons and I don’t want anyone to have to explain to them why we didn’t help when we had the chance.”
There was a lengthy pause and Rodney was certain he could hear her thinking before she sighed. “Okay. I’ll come. But, John, I want you back here. I’m not leaving Dr. Zelenka here alone. What do I need, Rodney?”
“Just yourself and whatever you’ll need for three days and a snack,” Rodney replied. “But make it quick - we don’t have a lot of time here.”
“Okay. As soon as John comes through, we’ll disengage the Gate and then I’ll come through in a few moments.”
“I’ll explain to the rest of the team,” Rodney told John. “And depending on how things go, everyone will probably be back in the next window.”
John nodded. “Good luck, buddy.”
“Thanks,” Rodney replied with a smile as he watched John step through the Gate and a moment later it disengaged.
The wait seemed interminable, even though Rodney knew that it was only about fifteen or twenty minutes before the Gate reactivated and Elizabeth stepped through with her pack on her back.
“Welcome to Lapras,” Rodney said as the Gate disengaged and Elizabeth looked around.
“I think I understand now why sand planets aren’t big among Gate Teams,” she commented as she came down the steps.
“Wait until you get sand everywhere,” Rodney commented dryly. “Then you’ll really understand.” He turned and headed to the hatch. “Come on, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”
Elizabeth followed Rodney down the ladder and waited quietly while he secured everything. As they started walking, she said, “If I hadn’t known you, Rodney, I would have thought you were a native.”
“I hope that’s a compliment,” he replied with a small smile.
“Oh, it is,” she told him with a kind smile in return. “This tunnel is fascinating. I honestly didn’t think the Laprans had the technology to build this.”
“They don’t, but they obviously helped in the building process. They’re really an amazing people, Elizabeth. I know you’ll like them once you get to meet them.”
“You said we had a long walk,” Elizabeth told him, getting down to business. “Tell me about the peoples we’ll be dealing with.”
Rodney gave her the Coles Notes version of what was going on, unable to help the pride creeping into his voice over what the Laprans had accomplished. Elizabeth was quiet most of the time, only asking a couple of questions. When Rodney finished they continued the rest of the way in silence, Elizabeth mulling over what he had told her. As they neared the caves, she gave him a few pointers for how to get things started and what sorts of things tended to help when two groups were so at odds, which helped Rodney feel better as he mentally adapted them to fit the situation at hand.
“Just in time,” Ronon told them, when Rodney and Elizabeth entered the village. Elizabeth was still looking around in amazement as Rodney focused on the fact that all of the Atlanteans were gathered in the common area and the Korsans were nowhere to be seen.
“The Laprans are getting antsy,” Teyla added. “We’ve had to sequester the Korsan delegation in order to keep the Laprans from threatening them.”
Rodney rolled his eyes and let out a huff of air. “Figures. Okay, I’ll go talk to the Laprans and then we’ll get the ball rolling. I’m aiming to get this done by the time the next window happens. I hope I’m not underestimating everyone. I’ll be back shortly.” And he stormed out.
Rodney found Charlie and Henry quietly talking in the next borough over and stormed over to them. “What the hell?” he told them both, his voice quietly furiously. “I told all of you to be good.”
“We were, Rodney-san,” Charlie replied, as both men looked at him bewildered. “We made sure that everyone had duties that would keep us occupied until you returned. What happened?”
“Apparently, my kinsmen thought that some Laprans were threatening the Korsan delegation and sequestered them, to make sure things wouldn’t get worse. If I find out anyone did anything, I’ll have everyone’s hide.”
Both men stared after him as Rodney left to gather the elders so they could begin. Whatever calm he had felt had been shattered and he concentrated on focusing the frustration he felt so he could use that instead during the course of the negotiations.
Once the elders had gathered in Rodney’s borough and were settled into a half circle on one side of the fire pit, he ducked into Jean’s quarters and told the Korsans they were ready. They nodded and quietly followed him out, settling on the other side of the fire pit. The Atlanteans unobtrusively positioned themselves around the perimeter of the common area and looked nonchalantly imposing. Rodney was quietly amused that even Darby, Carson, and Chuck were able to pull it off.
“Welcome, everyone,” Rodney started off. “I want to thank the Korsans for being willing to make this effort. I also want to thank the Laprans for being willing to receive it. Do the Korsans have anything to say in opening?”
One of the Korsans, named Ned, stood and said, “We would like to say that we are surprised that the Laprans have decided to change their tactics in regards to us. This has made us realize that, since we do not want to be locked in an unending fight, we must change our tactics in order to get what we want.”
Rodney bit his tongue for a moment to keep himself from saying anything stupid before prompting the Laprans with, “And do the Laprans have anything to say in opening?” He hoped they’d get the message and be civil.
Kirby stood and replied, “We would like to say that we are grateful that the Korsans have decided to stop the senseless fighting and are willing to consider changing their tactics. We hope that we will be able to come to an agreement that will benefit all of us.”
“Before we go any further,” Ned spoke up, “we wish to know something - we were told that the foreign presence helping the Laprans had only one woman on it. But we see that there are two. We require an explanation.”
“Among my people, Dr. Weir is an expert in facilitating negotiations and treaties among peoples and tribes,” Rodney told them. “I asked her to join us so that I might benefit from her experience and thereby be better able to help all of you.”
“But she will not be leading this negotiation, will she?” Ned asked, his expression a mixture of confusion, horror, revulsion, and anger.
“No, she will not. Nor will she be influencing any of my decisions. She is merely here to guide me if necessary and assist me if we have any trouble.” Rodney looked pointedly at both groups. “I will still be in charge of this negotiation, just as both groups have requested.” After a pause, Rodney continued, “Now, I expect all of you to behave in an orderly and friendly fashion. If you can’t, or won’t, one of my kinsmen will be glad to knock some sense into you.”
Both the Laprans and the Korsans looked around warily, knowing that the Atlanteans were able to hold up that threat.
“Let’s begin,” Rodney said, bringing their attention back to him. “To start with, I want to know what really started this whole thing, because I doubt that simple pettiness over getting kicked out of a club would have done it. There are other peoples out there that I’m sure would have helped you out.”
Kirby stood and said, “Our history says that when it was realized that the Korsans would not be a good match as a whole for either us, the Morykons, or the Nagdalis, representatives from the three peoples gathered to discuss this and come to an agreement. The agreement was that we would politely exclude the Korsans from intermarrying with us, but that we would gladly trade with them and help them however else we could to ensure their survival. Their ancestors agreed, though they were saddened that our ancestors were unwilling to help them procreate. Things ran smoothly for quite some time after that, until the day when a visiting Korsan stole a calf from the yak pen. When the theft was discovered and it was brought to their attention, the Korsans denied it. Before it could be stopped, a Lapran went to Korsa and brought it back without permission from either side. When the Korsans found out, they were furious and demanded restitution for it. When our ancestors refused to give it to them, since it had been the Korsans’ fault to begin with, the Korsans decided that they were going to put pressure on our people until they felt they had been properly repaid for the loss of the calf.”
Rodney inwardly rolled his eyes - the reason really was sillier than a group of people getting huffy over not being allowed to swim in the community gene pool.
Kirby sat down and Ned indignantly shot to his feet. “That is not true and you know it!” he practically shouted and Rodney glared at him. He quieted down as he continued, “That calf was freely given to our ancestors by yours. When it was stolen from us, we lost more than just a calf.”
Rodney quickly interjected, “Let me clarify here. You all decided that it would be okay to wreak *generations* worth of harm on not only these people, but also the Morykons and the Nagdalis, because of a *calf*? Exactly how stupid are you? Sure, you may have lost some meat, dairy items, a few more yaks down the road, and at the end some clothing and whatnot. But think about what *they’ve* lost. They’ve lost family members - brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, parents. They’ve lost clothing and food items. They’ve lost products they could have traded for things they needed to help them *survive*. And this was considered okay to you? You never decided to question it? Or was it never put to you that way? Or was it only that these peoples had done some great nebulous harm to you and that this was how you would get retribution?”
The Korsans glared at Rodney mutinously, but stayed quiet. The leader finally spoke, “And what about the fact that they wouldn’t intermarry with us? That would be a slow death for our people.”
“And there weren’t other people you could intermarry with?” Rodney shot back. “At the last tenth month festival, I saw more than four tribes there. I’m sure that *at least one* of them would have been willing to let you intermarry with them. Maybe even a few of them. Or did they all kick you out of their gene pools too?”
“Rodney,” Elizabeth interjected.
“What?” he asked, whipping around to face her.
“Play nice. I know that tone of voice you’re using and it usually helps if you don’t browbeat anyone right from the start.”
He furrowed his brow. “Then what do you suggest I do?”
“Well, you could start by seeing if it’s possible to salvage their original deal. If that’s not the case, then you’ll have to start fresh with them.”
Rodney nodded. “Okay.” He turned back to the Laprans and Korsans. “Okay, let’s start that over.” To the Korsans, he asked, “Why did your ancestors focus so much attention on these three tribes? I’m sure that it would have been more productive to cut your losses and make a new deal with one or more of the other tribes. And in that vein - why did they go after the Morykons and Nagdalis the same way they went after the Laprans if they had nothing to do with that particular incident?”
The Korsans looked at each other, confused. “We honestly don’t know why,” Ned told them. “The answer to that has been lost to us.”
Rodney sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can see we have some work to do,” he said to himself. Under any other circumstances, he would ask the Laprans why they hadn’t gone to anyone else for help, but he already knew the answer to that question. They thought it was just desserts for something they had done wrong.
With a glance back to Elizabeth, even though he knew she couldn’t understand what he was saying, Rodney told the gathered Laprans and Korsans, “I doubt that this is normal procedure in diplomatic meetings, but we’re going to cut to the chase and scrap everything prior to now and draw up a completely new compromise between your two peoples.”
That drew blank stares from both sides, which slowly turned into stunned shock, and Rodney rolled his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he told them. “I know all of you understood what I just said. We’re going to start over with the negotiations, as if the past few generations had never happened.”
“You want us to forget everything that’s happened to us because of them?” Kelly asked, incredulously.
“Not if it makes you more gullible, no,” Rodney replied shortly, facing the Laprans. “But think of it as a good way of proving yourselves to the gods that you are a good people and living up to the tenets they set out for us. And not only will you no longer have to worry about your families and your possessions, the other tribes will see you as the better people.”
“The way you’re talking, that doesn’t exactly put us in a good light,” Ned said petulantly.
“It shouldn’t!” Rodney said, whipping around to face them. “You’ve preyed on the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis for generations because of a petty feeling of spite. And I have a feeling that because you’ve kept doing it, while you haven’t exactly been kicked out of the group of tribes, you’re not exactly well-liked. Otherwise, I think you would’ve cut your losses at some point along the way and stopped messing around. Redoing the negotiations and putting your peoples back onto the track you were intended for can only increase your standing among the other tribes. And it’ll be a whole lot easier to get what you need this way. I can only see it being a win-win situation for you.” To both groups, he said, “Okay, we’re going to take a short break and I want you all to think about what you want out of this new deal and what stands in your way of getting it. When we come back, we’ll get down to business.”
The groups nodded and started talking quietly amongst themselves. Rodney sighed and sagged down into one of the stools that had been brought out in case it was needed.
“How are you doing?” Chuck asked, handing Rodney a water bottle.
The rest of the Atlanteans came over as Rodney took a long drink before handing it back. “Thirsty and a little tired. I forgot how thirsty bullying people makes me and how much energy it uses.”
“If they’re as volatile as you say, the fact that they haven’t started fighting is a good sign,” Elizabeth told him. She gave him an affectionate smile. “And you’ve hardly even raised your voice. I’m proud of you. So, what’s next?”
“I told them we were going to start making a new deal between their peoples and that their old one is null and void, since it clearly wasn’t working anyway.”
“Rodney….” Elizabeth trailed off, looking exasperated. “You can’t just tell them that their old deal is null and void.”
“Why not?” he asked, his tone begging her to challenge him. “It went out the window the moment the Korsans felt the Laprans did something they shouldn’t have. Okay, granted, they shouldn’t have and the Korsans started it anyway, but that’s not the point. The point is that the original agreement has been dead in the water practically since day one. My actually saying it now isn’t going to end the world. And depending on how things go, it may actually make things better for a lot of people.”
Elizabeth sighed and pursed her lips together for a moment, before saying, “Just be careful. I don’t want you steamrolling anyone because you think you know what’s best for them. I’ve seen some negotiations turn ugly because of one wrong word.”
“Thanks, Elizabeth,” Rodney told her as he stood and stretched his back. “I’ll do my best to be good, even if I honestly think they all need to be smacked around a bit for letting things get to where they are.”
“We should bet on that too,” Evan commented to Chuck and they both laughed.
“Do what?” Rodney asked him, curious.
Chuck, Evan, and his team looked sheepish as Evan said, “We’ve all placed bets on who you would make cry first.”
Rodney rolled his eyes before laughing. “I want a cut from whatever winnings there are. Also,” he looked a little sheepish, “I did kind of mention that I wasn’t afraid to use you guys to keep everyone in line and stop them from hurting each other.”
“We’ll do what we need to do, Rodney,” Evan told him, seriously. “Just let us know what, when, and to whom.”
Elizabeth looked at them all, appalled, but before she could say anything, Rodney said to her, “Give them a break, Elizabeth. I know it’s boring watching us to make sure we don’t do anything stupid and not being able to understand us. You have all of your diplomatic know-how to keep you occupied as you try to follow along, but everyone else needs to have something to do.” Rodney looked between the two delegations and saw they were starting to get a little restless. “Okay, I think it’s time to get back in there.”
“All right,” Rodney said, clapping his hands together once to get everyone’s attention as he rejoined the two groups. “Let’s get started. Now, remember - we’re going to be nice to each other. There will be no yelling or accusations. If someone’s talking, you will let them finish before you start talking - regardless of whether or not they’re completely wrong, wrong, wrong. If anyone gets out of line, my kinsmen won’t hesitate to smack you back into line.”
“Before we begin, there are a few things that stand in our way of having a trade agreement with these people,” Charlie said.
“Okay,” Rodney replied and prompted, “And what would those things be?”
“Well, their family structure is different than ours.”
“The Strontem tribe has a different family structure than you do and you have no problem doing business with them,” Ned told him.
“It’s true,” Rodney agreed. “You can’t claim it as a problem if it’s something that at least one of the other tribes also does differently.”
“What about the way they treat their women?” Henry asked. “They consider them to be nothing more than things. That’s not normal.”
“Okay, that is an issue we need to deal with,” Rodney replied before any of the Korsans could jump on it. “What do you have to say about it?” he asked them.
Ned looked almost apologetic as he said, “That’s the way it’s always been among our people. We think nothing more of it than you do of the status of your women. While we don’t agree with the way the Laprans treat their women, we don’t see it as an obstacle towards us becoming trading partners.”
“And yet you’ve subjected our women to that!” Charlie yelled and Rodney glared at him.
“We will admit that it was quite a shock at first, and that it took some time for them to become used to the disparity, but the women - and men - we’ve taken have become accustomed to it and have become happy with their place in our world.”
“How can you be sure they’re happy?” Charlie asked vehemently. “They could just be saying that out of fear of what you might do to them if they say otherwise. You did, after all, abduct them from their homes and families against their will.”
Before things could escalate, Rodney stepped in. “Let’s try a different tack, shall we, Charlie?” he asked lightly. “Unless you yelling at them is going to change their minds, which I know it won’t, I’d suggest waiting until we had something materialistic that we could use as leverage to maybe get them to make some concessions in various… areas.” To the Korsans, he said, “It is a valid concern - not only for our people, but also for the Morykons and Nagdalis that the people you’ve taken over the cycles are happy and cared for in their new homes.”
“And all we have to offer right now is our word that they are,” Ned replied. “If we ever get to it, I would gladly invite all of you to come to our world and see that they are.”
“And use it as a trap to get more of us,” Henry replied bitterly.
“And leave us open to the devastation that would be caused by you freeing those we’ve taken and taking them and their children with you,” Ned replied.
“Enough!” Rodney commanded. “This is obviously something that needs to be discussed, because not if you’re going to quickly devolve into petty comments. So, issue number one is the fact that the Laprans and the Korsans treat their women differently and distrust each other because of it. The issue has been duly noted, but think about it this way - in the long run, if you’re trading vegetables for cloth and glass, does it really matter? If the Korsans really weren’t taking care of their people, regardless of status, news would have gotten around and the other tribes would have done something to punish the Korsan men if the basic needs of their women weren’t being met. And just because the Lapran women are more assertive than the Korsans are used to, they know it doesn’t mean the end of the world. Think about it for a moment before you answer.”
There was a moment of silence, then some murmuring among the groups.
“We’re willing to move forward,” Ned said, nodding.
“We’re willing to try it for the time being,” Kelly replied.
“Good, because we have a lot of work to do. Before we get started hammering out a deal between our two peoples, is there anything else that needs to be addressed, aside from what’s in the past, so we can cleanly move forward?”
“Well, the fact that they take people in order to supplement their population is barbaric,” Charlie said.
“This is a practice that has happened throughout history on many different worlds,” Ned replied. “We do not need to justify it to you. It can’t be that unnatural if even the Wraith do it.”
“The Wraith do it because they eat them!” Rodney snapped at Ned. “Taking people as a food source is not natural!”
“It’s not like we’re Worshippers,” Ned replied with a look of disgust. “I’m merely pointing out that if even they take people, that there must be something natural to it.”
“We refuse to trade with you if you continue to persist in this evil practice,” Kirby told the Korsans. “There are numerous other ways that you can find people to procreate with.”
“Such as your blessed courtship rituals?” Ned replied with a sneer. “Your ways aren’t much better than ours. You still take people from their homes and place them somewhere they don’t want to be.”
“At least with our way, they have the option of refusing,” Kirby replied shortly. “And I didn’t say you could rejoin our group, just that there were other options. I’m sure that if you actually got your act together and started acting like civilized people instead of barbarians, at least one of the other tribes would be willing to intermarry with your people.”
Ned jumped to his feet. “Do you think that flaunting your so-called ‘intelligence’ over us will win you favor and get you a better part of the deal?”
Rodney held out a hand, stilling the Laprans from moving, as he turned to fully face Ned and crossed his arms over his chest. He could practically hear the intake of breath and collective eye-roll from the Atlanteans and resisted the urge to laugh at the fact that even when the conversation was dominated by another language, they all knew when he was about to go off on someone.
“If you actually listened, you backwoods hippie redneck, you’d see why the Laprans are hesitant to join forces with you in any capacity. You represent to them things they don’t have any room for - excess, unnecessary anger, bullying, and an apparently low intelligence. And, yet, they’re doing their best to get past that and reach out to you, not totally for their own gain, but yours as well. I doubt you have the capacity to understand how well you’d benefit from this treaty if you could actually make this negotiation process work. The other tribes - who barely stand you now outside of what you can offer them - will see that the Laprans, whom you’ve steamrolled again and again, are willing to start fresh with you and start over fresh and they might be enticed to do so as well. Think of how good that would be - not having to go to all the work that comes with planning a raid and executing it, then dealing with the aftermath of having to incorporate new - and, I’m assuming, usually unwilling at first - people into families. You might actually be able to get new blood and other goods necessary to your survival without having to pull the whole caveman routine. True, you might have to lose a few people to the other tribes as a way of playing fair, but in the long run it’ll be better for everyone involved.”
Ned sputtered and sat back down, glaring at Rodney. Rodney took a deep breath and turned to the Laprans.
“I love you all, but don’t think I’m letting you off the hook because your actions haven’t helped this scenario either. If you had actually stepped up to the plate in the beginning and held them accountable for their actions, then we wouldn’t be in this much of a mess this far down the line - if at all. I totally understand that you wanted to keep true to the values given to you by the gods, but you’ve seen that the gods have given you some leeway as well. You should have used it a long time ago.”
Rodney took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now that we’ve established that neither of your tribes is perfect and that there are some things that will need a lot of time and work to fix, can we get on with hammering out a beginning treaty between our peoples?”
Ned huffed. “I will admit that I don’t like some of the things you’ve said about us, but at least you tell the truth. And you don’t beat around the bush, like some negotiators might. I accept for my people.”
“We accept as well,” Kirby said. “We are more than willing to put the past behind us and start fresh with the Korsans, especially seeing as how it would give us a chance to practice what we preach.”
Rodney nodded and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen out of Elizabeth’s pack and a stool so he could make sure he had everything straight as the two delegations negotiated.
As he sat down, Ned looked at him warily and asked, “What do you have there?”
“This is called a pad of paper and this is a pen,” Rodney replied, holding up each of the items. “They allow me to write down things that are said so that I don’t forget them. That way we’ll be able to make sure we know exactly what we’re agreeing to at the end. Don’t tell me you’re superstitious of writing implements.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Ned replied. “I’ve never seen such things. Please, continue.”
Rodney carefully and firmly led the two delegations through their negotiations. They covered everything from goods and services to how the two tribes would act towards and around each other. The Korsans would no longer be allowed to raid the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis - or anyone else for that matter - or there would be harsh penalties for it. They would be cut off from the tribe they had offended, and anyone else who felt they deserved it, and the penalties would escalate from there on a case by case basis. Rodney made a note to make sure that the other tribes were aware of this and knew they wouldn’t have an issue accepting that pronouncement and helping to enforce it. The Korsans didn’t seem to like that part of the deal, but knew they had to comply with it in order to get the other things they wanted. The Korsans would also have no contact with either the Morykons or Nagdalis until the next festival - to give them and the Laprans time to adjust to their agreement first, and iron out most of the more general details.
When Rodney saw that everyone was getting antsy and tired, he called a break for a meal and everyone seemed to sigh in relief. The Korsans and the Laprans clumped together in their own groups as they prepared their meals, the Korsans having brought food that didn’t require cooking.
“You seem to be doing quite well, Rodney,” Elizabeth told him when he approached the gathered Atlanteans. “How do you feel it’s going?”
“I think we’re getting there,” he replied honestly. “It’s going to take a lot of work on both sides to deal with the generations’ worth of animosity that’s been built up, a lot of it on misunderstandings. So it’s going to take a lot of time for them to get past that and to somewhere neutral, let alone into liking each other.”
“Every journey has to start somewhere,” Carson said with a small smile. “How are you feeling? Do you need something to eat?”
“Yeah, food would be a good idea,” Rodney replied distractedly, suddenly drained and tired. He really wanted to spend some time alone with Chuck and Evan, so they could ground him, but he knew that wasn’t going to be happening any time soon.
Rodney was amused, however, at how Chuck and Evan naturally flanked him after they had gotten food from Kelly, who made sure that all the Atlanteans had food, and sat down to eat. He was thankful for the buffer they afforded him. The group ate quietly, conversation topics in short supply, considering how long they had been away from Atlantis and normal surroundings. Elizabeth did pass along a few bits of news, but for the most part they just affirmed the idea of “same shit, different day” that had become routine on Atlantis.
After they had finished and cleaned up, Rodney pulled the two delegations back together to finish up the negotiations and work out the nitty-gritty details of their new trade agreement. By the end of it, he had a much deeper appreciation for both Teyla and Elizabeth and what they did on a regular basis for Atlantis. If he heard one more petty argument about what was equal to what, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. They then agreed on a trial period of three months to see how things went and then they would reconvene to make any necessary changes and go forward from there.
As they wrapped up, Rodney let out a sigh. “Okay, I think we’re done. Now, to cement our agreement, I think we should all share dinner.”
Both groups looked at him like he had grown another head and Rodney rolled his eyes. “Oh, grow up and get over it. You’re going to be trading partners, the least you can do is share a meal.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s up to all of you. My kinsmen and I can wait.”
Rodney withdrew to watch as they glared mulishly at each other for a while before Kelly made the first move and engaged one of the Korsans to help him start a fire for the meal.
“What did you just do?” Elizabeth asked him quietly as the rest of the two delegations quietly joined forces to make their meal.
“I told them that as a way to solidify their agreement, they had to share a meal together,” Rodney replied. “I figured it would be a good way for them to start learning to work together.”
The Atlanteans watched as the Laprans and Korsans worked together to make the meal, usually speaking no more than necessary to each other. But, as Rodney had hoped, by the end of the meal, which they all shared, the tension had started to ease between the two delegations and there were tentative smiles among both groups.
After dinner, Rodney worked with the Lapran elders to figure out how to tell the rest of the Laprans of the agreement, as well as to get them back to their own homes.
When he fell onto his cot that night, Rodney was exhausted, yet happier than he had been in a long time.
Continue to Part 35
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
The Laprans gaped at the Korsans as Rodney replied, “We accept your desire to negotiate. Please let us show you our hospitality while we prepare ourselves.”
“We’re going to *what*?” Henry whispered next to Rodney.
“You heard me,” Rodney told him quietly. “Show them some hospitality. Apparently you’ve never heard the phrase ‘kill them with kindness’.”
Henry grimaced as he and the rest of the Laprans did as they were told. Rodney was only slightly amused that most were the more vengeful Laprans. As he went to tell everyone what had happened, he asked John, Ronon, and Teyla to make sure that both the Korsans, and the Laprans hosting them, behaved.
The Laprans were all shocked when Rodney told them what had happened. And he figured they had every right to be - they had never expected to happen. The elders agreed that they would negotiate - on three conditions. The first being that Kelly would, at that time, take his place among them as the leader of his borough and the second being that Rodney would lead the negotiations. The third didn’t surprise Rodney at all - they wanted some time to prepare.
Kelly easily accepted his position. The Korsans, when Rodney told them of the Laprans’ desire to take some time to prepare themselves, agreed. But only on the condition that Rodney would spearhead the negotiations. Out of frustration and a desire to see the whole thing finished once and for all, he agreed.
“I can’t do this!” Rodney told Kelly later that evening.
“Yes, you can,” Kelly replied. “If you’re able to wrangle all of us into fighting the Korsans, you can run the negotiations.”
“No, I mean, I really can’t do this. I don’t have the knowledge of how these sorts of things work.” His eyes widened and he grinned. “Your prep time will include the next window in the sandstorms. I know exactly what I can do!”
“You’ll miss your own prep time, though,” Kelly replied. “And, out of all of us, I think you’ll need it the most.”
“Oh, believe me. I’ll be prepped.”
True to his word, Rodney prepared along with the rest of the Laprans. He meditated for long periods to clear his mind and to get a grip on himself so that he would be less likely to rip into the Korsans for acting like bratty children and the Laprans for allowing the Korsans to steamroll them for so long.
When the time came, Rodney and John headed to the Gate. Rodney grinned when they reached the end of the tunnel and he heard the wind stop. They had gotten there in perfect time.
He and John quickly went topside and he dialed the Atlantis. After the wormhole stabilized and John sent through his IDC, Elizabeth’s startled, and slightly reproving, voice came through their radios.
“I was beginning to worry, John.”
“Yeah, well, there’s only a tiny window of time the Gate can be used and it’s been kind of busy lately,” John replied. “But we’re all doing just fine - no casualties. Anyway, Rodney’s going to kill me if he doesn’t get to talk, so….”
“Look, Elizabeth,” Rodney started as soon as John trailed off. “I need your help. We have two peoples here who would like to negotiate a peace treaty and they want me to facilitate it.”
“And you’re calling me for this why?” she asked and Rodney could almost see her raised eyebrows and her arms crossed over her chest.
“I know I’m the expert on the peoples involved, but you’re the one who knows how to deal with this sort of thing. The situation is very touchy between them and I don’t want to do or say something that’ll get everyone killed. Besides, if this turns sour, things aren’t going to look good for the Morykons and I don’t want anyone to have to explain to them why we didn’t help when we had the chance.”
There was a lengthy pause and Rodney was certain he could hear her thinking before she sighed. “Okay. I’ll come. But, John, I want you back here. I’m not leaving Dr. Zelenka here alone. What do I need, Rodney?”
“Just yourself and whatever you’ll need for three days and a snack,” Rodney replied. “But make it quick - we don’t have a lot of time here.”
“Okay. As soon as John comes through, we’ll disengage the Gate and then I’ll come through in a few moments.”
“I’ll explain to the rest of the team,” Rodney told John. “And depending on how things go, everyone will probably be back in the next window.”
John nodded. “Good luck, buddy.”
“Thanks,” Rodney replied with a smile as he watched John step through the Gate and a moment later it disengaged.
The wait seemed interminable, even though Rodney knew that it was only about fifteen or twenty minutes before the Gate reactivated and Elizabeth stepped through with her pack on her back.
“Welcome to Lapras,” Rodney said as the Gate disengaged and Elizabeth looked around.
“I think I understand now why sand planets aren’t big among Gate Teams,” she commented as she came down the steps.
“Wait until you get sand everywhere,” Rodney commented dryly. “Then you’ll really understand.” He turned and headed to the hatch. “Come on, we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”
Elizabeth followed Rodney down the ladder and waited quietly while he secured everything. As they started walking, she said, “If I hadn’t known you, Rodney, I would have thought you were a native.”
“I hope that’s a compliment,” he replied with a small smile.
“Oh, it is,” she told him with a kind smile in return. “This tunnel is fascinating. I honestly didn’t think the Laprans had the technology to build this.”
“They don’t, but they obviously helped in the building process. They’re really an amazing people, Elizabeth. I know you’ll like them once you get to meet them.”
“You said we had a long walk,” Elizabeth told him, getting down to business. “Tell me about the peoples we’ll be dealing with.”
Rodney gave her the Coles Notes version of what was going on, unable to help the pride creeping into his voice over what the Laprans had accomplished. Elizabeth was quiet most of the time, only asking a couple of questions. When Rodney finished they continued the rest of the way in silence, Elizabeth mulling over what he had told her. As they neared the caves, she gave him a few pointers for how to get things started and what sorts of things tended to help when two groups were so at odds, which helped Rodney feel better as he mentally adapted them to fit the situation at hand.
“Just in time,” Ronon told them, when Rodney and Elizabeth entered the village. Elizabeth was still looking around in amazement as Rodney focused on the fact that all of the Atlanteans were gathered in the common area and the Korsans were nowhere to be seen.
“The Laprans are getting antsy,” Teyla added. “We’ve had to sequester the Korsan delegation in order to keep the Laprans from threatening them.”
Rodney rolled his eyes and let out a huff of air. “Figures. Okay, I’ll go talk to the Laprans and then we’ll get the ball rolling. I’m aiming to get this done by the time the next window happens. I hope I’m not underestimating everyone. I’ll be back shortly.” And he stormed out.
Rodney found Charlie and Henry quietly talking in the next borough over and stormed over to them. “What the hell?” he told them both, his voice quietly furiously. “I told all of you to be good.”
“We were, Rodney-san,” Charlie replied, as both men looked at him bewildered. “We made sure that everyone had duties that would keep us occupied until you returned. What happened?”
“Apparently, my kinsmen thought that some Laprans were threatening the Korsan delegation and sequestered them, to make sure things wouldn’t get worse. If I find out anyone did anything, I’ll have everyone’s hide.”
Both men stared after him as Rodney left to gather the elders so they could begin. Whatever calm he had felt had been shattered and he concentrated on focusing the frustration he felt so he could use that instead during the course of the negotiations.
Once the elders had gathered in Rodney’s borough and were settled into a half circle on one side of the fire pit, he ducked into Jean’s quarters and told the Korsans they were ready. They nodded and quietly followed him out, settling on the other side of the fire pit. The Atlanteans unobtrusively positioned themselves around the perimeter of the common area and looked nonchalantly imposing. Rodney was quietly amused that even Darby, Carson, and Chuck were able to pull it off.
“Welcome, everyone,” Rodney started off. “I want to thank the Korsans for being willing to make this effort. I also want to thank the Laprans for being willing to receive it. Do the Korsans have anything to say in opening?”
One of the Korsans, named Ned, stood and said, “We would like to say that we are surprised that the Laprans have decided to change their tactics in regards to us. This has made us realize that, since we do not want to be locked in an unending fight, we must change our tactics in order to get what we want.”
Rodney bit his tongue for a moment to keep himself from saying anything stupid before prompting the Laprans with, “And do the Laprans have anything to say in opening?” He hoped they’d get the message and be civil.
Kirby stood and replied, “We would like to say that we are grateful that the Korsans have decided to stop the senseless fighting and are willing to consider changing their tactics. We hope that we will be able to come to an agreement that will benefit all of us.”
“Before we go any further,” Ned spoke up, “we wish to know something - we were told that the foreign presence helping the Laprans had only one woman on it. But we see that there are two. We require an explanation.”
“Among my people, Dr. Weir is an expert in facilitating negotiations and treaties among peoples and tribes,” Rodney told them. “I asked her to join us so that I might benefit from her experience and thereby be better able to help all of you.”
“But she will not be leading this negotiation, will she?” Ned asked, his expression a mixture of confusion, horror, revulsion, and anger.
“No, she will not. Nor will she be influencing any of my decisions. She is merely here to guide me if necessary and assist me if we have any trouble.” Rodney looked pointedly at both groups. “I will still be in charge of this negotiation, just as both groups have requested.” After a pause, Rodney continued, “Now, I expect all of you to behave in an orderly and friendly fashion. If you can’t, or won’t, one of my kinsmen will be glad to knock some sense into you.”
Both the Laprans and the Korsans looked around warily, knowing that the Atlanteans were able to hold up that threat.
“Let’s begin,” Rodney said, bringing their attention back to him. “To start with, I want to know what really started this whole thing, because I doubt that simple pettiness over getting kicked out of a club would have done it. There are other peoples out there that I’m sure would have helped you out.”
Kirby stood and said, “Our history says that when it was realized that the Korsans would not be a good match as a whole for either us, the Morykons, or the Nagdalis, representatives from the three peoples gathered to discuss this and come to an agreement. The agreement was that we would politely exclude the Korsans from intermarrying with us, but that we would gladly trade with them and help them however else we could to ensure their survival. Their ancestors agreed, though they were saddened that our ancestors were unwilling to help them procreate. Things ran smoothly for quite some time after that, until the day when a visiting Korsan stole a calf from the yak pen. When the theft was discovered and it was brought to their attention, the Korsans denied it. Before it could be stopped, a Lapran went to Korsa and brought it back without permission from either side. When the Korsans found out, they were furious and demanded restitution for it. When our ancestors refused to give it to them, since it had been the Korsans’ fault to begin with, the Korsans decided that they were going to put pressure on our people until they felt they had been properly repaid for the loss of the calf.”
Rodney inwardly rolled his eyes - the reason really was sillier than a group of people getting huffy over not being allowed to swim in the community gene pool.
Kirby sat down and Ned indignantly shot to his feet. “That is not true and you know it!” he practically shouted and Rodney glared at him. He quieted down as he continued, “That calf was freely given to our ancestors by yours. When it was stolen from us, we lost more than just a calf.”
Rodney quickly interjected, “Let me clarify here. You all decided that it would be okay to wreak *generations* worth of harm on not only these people, but also the Morykons and the Nagdalis, because of a *calf*? Exactly how stupid are you? Sure, you may have lost some meat, dairy items, a few more yaks down the road, and at the end some clothing and whatnot. But think about what *they’ve* lost. They’ve lost family members - brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, parents. They’ve lost clothing and food items. They’ve lost products they could have traded for things they needed to help them *survive*. And this was considered okay to you? You never decided to question it? Or was it never put to you that way? Or was it only that these peoples had done some great nebulous harm to you and that this was how you would get retribution?”
The Korsans glared at Rodney mutinously, but stayed quiet. The leader finally spoke, “And what about the fact that they wouldn’t intermarry with us? That would be a slow death for our people.”
“And there weren’t other people you could intermarry with?” Rodney shot back. “At the last tenth month festival, I saw more than four tribes there. I’m sure that *at least one* of them would have been willing to let you intermarry with them. Maybe even a few of them. Or did they all kick you out of their gene pools too?”
“Rodney,” Elizabeth interjected.
“What?” he asked, whipping around to face her.
“Play nice. I know that tone of voice you’re using and it usually helps if you don’t browbeat anyone right from the start.”
He furrowed his brow. “Then what do you suggest I do?”
“Well, you could start by seeing if it’s possible to salvage their original deal. If that’s not the case, then you’ll have to start fresh with them.”
Rodney nodded. “Okay.” He turned back to the Laprans and Korsans. “Okay, let’s start that over.” To the Korsans, he asked, “Why did your ancestors focus so much attention on these three tribes? I’m sure that it would have been more productive to cut your losses and make a new deal with one or more of the other tribes. And in that vein - why did they go after the Morykons and Nagdalis the same way they went after the Laprans if they had nothing to do with that particular incident?”
The Korsans looked at each other, confused. “We honestly don’t know why,” Ned told them. “The answer to that has been lost to us.”
Rodney sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can see we have some work to do,” he said to himself. Under any other circumstances, he would ask the Laprans why they hadn’t gone to anyone else for help, but he already knew the answer to that question. They thought it was just desserts for something they had done wrong.
With a glance back to Elizabeth, even though he knew she couldn’t understand what he was saying, Rodney told the gathered Laprans and Korsans, “I doubt that this is normal procedure in diplomatic meetings, but we’re going to cut to the chase and scrap everything prior to now and draw up a completely new compromise between your two peoples.”
That drew blank stares from both sides, which slowly turned into stunned shock, and Rodney rolled his eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he told them. “I know all of you understood what I just said. We’re going to start over with the negotiations, as if the past few generations had never happened.”
“You want us to forget everything that’s happened to us because of them?” Kelly asked, incredulously.
“Not if it makes you more gullible, no,” Rodney replied shortly, facing the Laprans. “But think of it as a good way of proving yourselves to the gods that you are a good people and living up to the tenets they set out for us. And not only will you no longer have to worry about your families and your possessions, the other tribes will see you as the better people.”
“The way you’re talking, that doesn’t exactly put us in a good light,” Ned said petulantly.
“It shouldn’t!” Rodney said, whipping around to face them. “You’ve preyed on the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis for generations because of a petty feeling of spite. And I have a feeling that because you’ve kept doing it, while you haven’t exactly been kicked out of the group of tribes, you’re not exactly well-liked. Otherwise, I think you would’ve cut your losses at some point along the way and stopped messing around. Redoing the negotiations and putting your peoples back onto the track you were intended for can only increase your standing among the other tribes. And it’ll be a whole lot easier to get what you need this way. I can only see it being a win-win situation for you.” To both groups, he said, “Okay, we’re going to take a short break and I want you all to think about what you want out of this new deal and what stands in your way of getting it. When we come back, we’ll get down to business.”
The groups nodded and started talking quietly amongst themselves. Rodney sighed and sagged down into one of the stools that had been brought out in case it was needed.
“How are you doing?” Chuck asked, handing Rodney a water bottle.
The rest of the Atlanteans came over as Rodney took a long drink before handing it back. “Thirsty and a little tired. I forgot how thirsty bullying people makes me and how much energy it uses.”
“If they’re as volatile as you say, the fact that they haven’t started fighting is a good sign,” Elizabeth told him. She gave him an affectionate smile. “And you’ve hardly even raised your voice. I’m proud of you. So, what’s next?”
“I told them we were going to start making a new deal between their peoples and that their old one is null and void, since it clearly wasn’t working anyway.”
“Rodney….” Elizabeth trailed off, looking exasperated. “You can’t just tell them that their old deal is null and void.”
“Why not?” he asked, his tone begging her to challenge him. “It went out the window the moment the Korsans felt the Laprans did something they shouldn’t have. Okay, granted, they shouldn’t have and the Korsans started it anyway, but that’s not the point. The point is that the original agreement has been dead in the water practically since day one. My actually saying it now isn’t going to end the world. And depending on how things go, it may actually make things better for a lot of people.”
Elizabeth sighed and pursed her lips together for a moment, before saying, “Just be careful. I don’t want you steamrolling anyone because you think you know what’s best for them. I’ve seen some negotiations turn ugly because of one wrong word.”
“Thanks, Elizabeth,” Rodney told her as he stood and stretched his back. “I’ll do my best to be good, even if I honestly think they all need to be smacked around a bit for letting things get to where they are.”
“We should bet on that too,” Evan commented to Chuck and they both laughed.
“Do what?” Rodney asked him, curious.
Chuck, Evan, and his team looked sheepish as Evan said, “We’ve all placed bets on who you would make cry first.”
Rodney rolled his eyes before laughing. “I want a cut from whatever winnings there are. Also,” he looked a little sheepish, “I did kind of mention that I wasn’t afraid to use you guys to keep everyone in line and stop them from hurting each other.”
“We’ll do what we need to do, Rodney,” Evan told him, seriously. “Just let us know what, when, and to whom.”
Elizabeth looked at them all, appalled, but before she could say anything, Rodney said to her, “Give them a break, Elizabeth. I know it’s boring watching us to make sure we don’t do anything stupid and not being able to understand us. You have all of your diplomatic know-how to keep you occupied as you try to follow along, but everyone else needs to have something to do.” Rodney looked between the two delegations and saw they were starting to get a little restless. “Okay, I think it’s time to get back in there.”
“All right,” Rodney said, clapping his hands together once to get everyone’s attention as he rejoined the two groups. “Let’s get started. Now, remember - we’re going to be nice to each other. There will be no yelling or accusations. If someone’s talking, you will let them finish before you start talking - regardless of whether or not they’re completely wrong, wrong, wrong. If anyone gets out of line, my kinsmen won’t hesitate to smack you back into line.”
“Before we begin, there are a few things that stand in our way of having a trade agreement with these people,” Charlie said.
“Okay,” Rodney replied and prompted, “And what would those things be?”
“Well, their family structure is different than ours.”
“The Strontem tribe has a different family structure than you do and you have no problem doing business with them,” Ned told him.
“It’s true,” Rodney agreed. “You can’t claim it as a problem if it’s something that at least one of the other tribes also does differently.”
“What about the way they treat their women?” Henry asked. “They consider them to be nothing more than things. That’s not normal.”
“Okay, that is an issue we need to deal with,” Rodney replied before any of the Korsans could jump on it. “What do you have to say about it?” he asked them.
Ned looked almost apologetic as he said, “That’s the way it’s always been among our people. We think nothing more of it than you do of the status of your women. While we don’t agree with the way the Laprans treat their women, we don’t see it as an obstacle towards us becoming trading partners.”
“And yet you’ve subjected our women to that!” Charlie yelled and Rodney glared at him.
“We will admit that it was quite a shock at first, and that it took some time for them to become used to the disparity, but the women - and men - we’ve taken have become accustomed to it and have become happy with their place in our world.”
“How can you be sure they’re happy?” Charlie asked vehemently. “They could just be saying that out of fear of what you might do to them if they say otherwise. You did, after all, abduct them from their homes and families against their will.”
Before things could escalate, Rodney stepped in. “Let’s try a different tack, shall we, Charlie?” he asked lightly. “Unless you yelling at them is going to change their minds, which I know it won’t, I’d suggest waiting until we had something materialistic that we could use as leverage to maybe get them to make some concessions in various… areas.” To the Korsans, he said, “It is a valid concern - not only for our people, but also for the Morykons and Nagdalis that the people you’ve taken over the cycles are happy and cared for in their new homes.”
“And all we have to offer right now is our word that they are,” Ned replied. “If we ever get to it, I would gladly invite all of you to come to our world and see that they are.”
“And use it as a trap to get more of us,” Henry replied bitterly.
“And leave us open to the devastation that would be caused by you freeing those we’ve taken and taking them and their children with you,” Ned replied.
“Enough!” Rodney commanded. “This is obviously something that needs to be discussed, because not if you’re going to quickly devolve into petty comments. So, issue number one is the fact that the Laprans and the Korsans treat their women differently and distrust each other because of it. The issue has been duly noted, but think about it this way - in the long run, if you’re trading vegetables for cloth and glass, does it really matter? If the Korsans really weren’t taking care of their people, regardless of status, news would have gotten around and the other tribes would have done something to punish the Korsan men if the basic needs of their women weren’t being met. And just because the Lapran women are more assertive than the Korsans are used to, they know it doesn’t mean the end of the world. Think about it for a moment before you answer.”
There was a moment of silence, then some murmuring among the groups.
“We’re willing to move forward,” Ned said, nodding.
“We’re willing to try it for the time being,” Kelly replied.
“Good, because we have a lot of work to do. Before we get started hammering out a deal between our two peoples, is there anything else that needs to be addressed, aside from what’s in the past, so we can cleanly move forward?”
“Well, the fact that they take people in order to supplement their population is barbaric,” Charlie said.
“This is a practice that has happened throughout history on many different worlds,” Ned replied. “We do not need to justify it to you. It can’t be that unnatural if even the Wraith do it.”
“The Wraith do it because they eat them!” Rodney snapped at Ned. “Taking people as a food source is not natural!”
“It’s not like we’re Worshippers,” Ned replied with a look of disgust. “I’m merely pointing out that if even they take people, that there must be something natural to it.”
“We refuse to trade with you if you continue to persist in this evil practice,” Kirby told the Korsans. “There are numerous other ways that you can find people to procreate with.”
“Such as your blessed courtship rituals?” Ned replied with a sneer. “Your ways aren’t much better than ours. You still take people from their homes and place them somewhere they don’t want to be.”
“At least with our way, they have the option of refusing,” Kirby replied shortly. “And I didn’t say you could rejoin our group, just that there were other options. I’m sure that if you actually got your act together and started acting like civilized people instead of barbarians, at least one of the other tribes would be willing to intermarry with your people.”
Ned jumped to his feet. “Do you think that flaunting your so-called ‘intelligence’ over us will win you favor and get you a better part of the deal?”
Rodney held out a hand, stilling the Laprans from moving, as he turned to fully face Ned and crossed his arms over his chest. He could practically hear the intake of breath and collective eye-roll from the Atlanteans and resisted the urge to laugh at the fact that even when the conversation was dominated by another language, they all knew when he was about to go off on someone.
“If you actually listened, you backwoods hippie redneck, you’d see why the Laprans are hesitant to join forces with you in any capacity. You represent to them things they don’t have any room for - excess, unnecessary anger, bullying, and an apparently low intelligence. And, yet, they’re doing their best to get past that and reach out to you, not totally for their own gain, but yours as well. I doubt you have the capacity to understand how well you’d benefit from this treaty if you could actually make this negotiation process work. The other tribes - who barely stand you now outside of what you can offer them - will see that the Laprans, whom you’ve steamrolled again and again, are willing to start fresh with you and start over fresh and they might be enticed to do so as well. Think of how good that would be - not having to go to all the work that comes with planning a raid and executing it, then dealing with the aftermath of having to incorporate new - and, I’m assuming, usually unwilling at first - people into families. You might actually be able to get new blood and other goods necessary to your survival without having to pull the whole caveman routine. True, you might have to lose a few people to the other tribes as a way of playing fair, but in the long run it’ll be better for everyone involved.”
Ned sputtered and sat back down, glaring at Rodney. Rodney took a deep breath and turned to the Laprans.
“I love you all, but don’t think I’m letting you off the hook because your actions haven’t helped this scenario either. If you had actually stepped up to the plate in the beginning and held them accountable for their actions, then we wouldn’t be in this much of a mess this far down the line - if at all. I totally understand that you wanted to keep true to the values given to you by the gods, but you’ve seen that the gods have given you some leeway as well. You should have used it a long time ago.”
Rodney took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now that we’ve established that neither of your tribes is perfect and that there are some things that will need a lot of time and work to fix, can we get on with hammering out a beginning treaty between our peoples?”
Ned huffed. “I will admit that I don’t like some of the things you’ve said about us, but at least you tell the truth. And you don’t beat around the bush, like some negotiators might. I accept for my people.”
“We accept as well,” Kirby said. “We are more than willing to put the past behind us and start fresh with the Korsans, especially seeing as how it would give us a chance to practice what we preach.”
Rodney nodded and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen out of Elizabeth’s pack and a stool so he could make sure he had everything straight as the two delegations negotiated.
As he sat down, Ned looked at him warily and asked, “What do you have there?”
“This is called a pad of paper and this is a pen,” Rodney replied, holding up each of the items. “They allow me to write down things that are said so that I don’t forget them. That way we’ll be able to make sure we know exactly what we’re agreeing to at the end. Don’t tell me you’re superstitious of writing implements.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Ned replied. “I’ve never seen such things. Please, continue.”
Rodney carefully and firmly led the two delegations through their negotiations. They covered everything from goods and services to how the two tribes would act towards and around each other. The Korsans would no longer be allowed to raid the Laprans, Morykons, and Nagdalis - or anyone else for that matter - or there would be harsh penalties for it. They would be cut off from the tribe they had offended, and anyone else who felt they deserved it, and the penalties would escalate from there on a case by case basis. Rodney made a note to make sure that the other tribes were aware of this and knew they wouldn’t have an issue accepting that pronouncement and helping to enforce it. The Korsans didn’t seem to like that part of the deal, but knew they had to comply with it in order to get the other things they wanted. The Korsans would also have no contact with either the Morykons or Nagdalis until the next festival - to give them and the Laprans time to adjust to their agreement first, and iron out most of the more general details.
When Rodney saw that everyone was getting antsy and tired, he called a break for a meal and everyone seemed to sigh in relief. The Korsans and the Laprans clumped together in their own groups as they prepared their meals, the Korsans having brought food that didn’t require cooking.
“You seem to be doing quite well, Rodney,” Elizabeth told him when he approached the gathered Atlanteans. “How do you feel it’s going?”
“I think we’re getting there,” he replied honestly. “It’s going to take a lot of work on both sides to deal with the generations’ worth of animosity that’s been built up, a lot of it on misunderstandings. So it’s going to take a lot of time for them to get past that and to somewhere neutral, let alone into liking each other.”
“Every journey has to start somewhere,” Carson said with a small smile. “How are you feeling? Do you need something to eat?”
“Yeah, food would be a good idea,” Rodney replied distractedly, suddenly drained and tired. He really wanted to spend some time alone with Chuck and Evan, so they could ground him, but he knew that wasn’t going to be happening any time soon.
Rodney was amused, however, at how Chuck and Evan naturally flanked him after they had gotten food from Kelly, who made sure that all the Atlanteans had food, and sat down to eat. He was thankful for the buffer they afforded him. The group ate quietly, conversation topics in short supply, considering how long they had been away from Atlantis and normal surroundings. Elizabeth did pass along a few bits of news, but for the most part they just affirmed the idea of “same shit, different day” that had become routine on Atlantis.
After they had finished and cleaned up, Rodney pulled the two delegations back together to finish up the negotiations and work out the nitty-gritty details of their new trade agreement. By the end of it, he had a much deeper appreciation for both Teyla and Elizabeth and what they did on a regular basis for Atlantis. If he heard one more petty argument about what was equal to what, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. They then agreed on a trial period of three months to see how things went and then they would reconvene to make any necessary changes and go forward from there.
As they wrapped up, Rodney let out a sigh. “Okay, I think we’re done. Now, to cement our agreement, I think we should all share dinner.”
Both groups looked at him like he had grown another head and Rodney rolled his eyes. “Oh, grow up and get over it. You’re going to be trading partners, the least you can do is share a meal.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s up to all of you. My kinsmen and I can wait.”
Rodney withdrew to watch as they glared mulishly at each other for a while before Kelly made the first move and engaged one of the Korsans to help him start a fire for the meal.
“What did you just do?” Elizabeth asked him quietly as the rest of the two delegations quietly joined forces to make their meal.
“I told them that as a way to solidify their agreement, they had to share a meal together,” Rodney replied. “I figured it would be a good way for them to start learning to work together.”
The Atlanteans watched as the Laprans and Korsans worked together to make the meal, usually speaking no more than necessary to each other. But, as Rodney had hoped, by the end of the meal, which they all shared, the tension had started to ease between the two delegations and there were tentative smiles among both groups.
After dinner, Rodney worked with the Lapran elders to figure out how to tell the rest of the Laprans of the agreement, as well as to get them back to their own homes.
When he fell onto his cot that night, Rodney was exhausted, yet happier than he had been in a long time.
Continue to Part 35