A Life Worth Fighting For, by Audrey Lynne, PG [Not Dead Yet challenge]
A Life Worth Fighting For
By Audrey Lynne
No one knew exactly how many other worlds were accessible through the Ring of the Ancestors, but there were a lot of them. As many as there were stars in the sky, some said, though Ronon Dex privately doubted all of them were habitable. Most of the settled worlds, however, had some folk story among them that involved a child alarming everyone about the Wraith coming, to the point where no one took the threat seriously anymore. They were, of course, culled by the tale's end, stressing the importance of taking all Wraith threats seriously, no matter how often they proved false. Better to be safe than culled.
Sateda, had of course, improved the story. They were more advanced than many of the other worlds the Ancestors had given life to, and while it did mean living under the constant threat of Wraith attack, everyone lived under that threat. Only the Satedans would give the Wraith a fight when they showed, not simply run to caves and hide. An evacuation plan was in place for most of the civilians, for safety's sake, but Ronon knew most of them would stand their ground and fight until the last possible moment. It was in their blood. The military had a weapons cache and all of its members had been training for the inevitable battle since the moment they'd enlisted, but that wouldn't stop anyone who wasn't occupied with another important task, like the hospital personnel, from grabbing whatever they could and helping the fight. The Wraith had overrun the people of this galaxy for far too long, taking what they wanted when they wanted it. The people of Sateda had drawn the line, and they had the means to put intent into action.
No one knew exactly what day the showdown would come, but many chose to treat each day as if it were the day. Ronon found that philosophy easy to live by, but at the same time, he wasn't going to let it interfere with his daily routine. When the Wraith came, he--like everyone in his regiment--would be ready, but to live in fear would mean that the Wraith had won before the battle ever started. And that meant continuing with training and trading missions, just like they always had.
Ronon was rather pleased with himself upon his return from his latest trade. He had been sent to meet a group of mysterious vagabonds. No one knew where they came from or how they traveled about the way they did, but occasionally they contacted other worlds, wanting to trade for items they needed, often food or information. It had been discovered that these people had an impressive arsenal they could use against the Wraith, so Ronon had been sent to make a deal with them, information and a bit of food for weapons. The trade had gone as planned, the deal had been fair, and Ronon had come out with a bonus. Officially, Satedan policy on trades was that after one closed the deal, no one was going to quibble about trades of a personal nature, as long as no public resources were used to make it.
Ronon had no doubt Melena was going to roll her eyes and sigh when he told her he had used those old medical texts she had been planning to get rid of to trade for his new sidearm, but it was an impressive piece of weaponry, and small enough to be a sidearm. In the fight against the Wraith, every little bit helped, and she understood that. Besides, the dealer Ronon had been bartering with was extremely interested in the medical knowledge of other worlds, so it worked out well all-around. Melena would understand--she always did. Ronon knew how lucky he was to have her, and as soon as they had sent the Wraith back to whatever hell they came from, he was going to marry her for sure.
As Ronon approached the hospital, wanting to surprise Melena at the end of her shift, he spotted one of the hospital's engineers outside, leaning against a wall. He grinned and approached her, knowing she'd be impressed with his newest acquisition. "Hey."
"Ronon." Lena Dorian grinned as he walked up to her. "What brings you around--as if I have to ask?"
Ronon snorted. "If you have to ask, you're not as observant as I thought."
"I got it, coming to see your lady." Lena stepped away from the wall, moving to stand in front of Ronon. They trusted each other, of course, or they wouldn't have been having this conversation or any other. Each world had its own cultural habits, however, and most Satedans didn't feel comfortable interacting with another person if their back was to the wall. Even if the other individual was a long-time acquaintance, it never felt right. From an early age, every Satedan child had been raised to know it was best never to let yourself be in a situation where you could be easily trapped. It was just good sense.
"You bet." Ronon stepped back, allowing them both a bit more personal space. He reached for his brand-new holster, pulling out the sidearm. "Check this out."
Lena's eyes widened instantly as she leaned a bit closer for a better look. "Nice." She was obviously impressed. "I've heard about those things. Good bit force there--or is that just talk?"
Ronon smirked. "See for yourself." He switched the gun from its default stun setting to the more powerful guaranteed-to-kill-about-anything mode, and shot it at a patch of dirt a few feet away. The weapon fired its energy burst, leaving a small hole in the ground. He could kick the dirt back in later; the look on Lena's face was worth it.
"I want one." Lena wasn't military, but like all of their people, neither was she afraid of a fight. She kept the hospital's mechanical equipment well in order, but that wasn't all her hands were good for. "What'd you have to give up for it?"
"Some of Mel's old medical texts," Ronon told her. He secretly loved his girlfriend's childhood nickname, but he rarely got to call her that because she said it made her feel ten years old again. Ronon didn't think it was particularly childish; it certainly beat some of the things his mother had called him when he was little. But if it bothered Melena, he wasn't going to push the issue.
"Hmm," Lena mused. "Wonder if any of my old books would get me anything. You know how to get a hold of these guys again? They leery about strangers?"
"They know Sateda; it ought to be fine." Ronon smiled. Small arms dealing was nothing among his people, though it seemed to amuse some of the lesser-advanced cultures they encountered. It rarely caused trouble, however, because the general attitude among established trading partners was that if your people could put it to good use, there was no reason not to trade for it. "The dealer I talked to said they would be staying with the people of Kalara for another few days, then they were moving on again. Couldn't tell you where to find them after that."
"Better get to it while the opportunity lasts, then." Lena looked at the gun again, reaching out to run a finger over it. "Oh, yes, this will do nicely."
Ronon couldn't resist asking, "For what?"
Lena shrugged. "Whatever you need it for. Killing Wraith in particular, I was thinking."
"Killing Wraith is always fun," Ronon agreed. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Lena replied. "Lucky for me, the boss wanted me to see what these people have in the way of equipment design--at least, what they're willing to share." It was generally accepted that these strange travelers were far more advanced than they were admitting, but that was understandable, with the ever-present threat of the Wraith. "I might have to pick up a trinket or two for myself afterward, though." She eyed the gun again. "Can't wait to see what that's gonna do to a Wraith."
Neither could Ronon. "Might get you through a few jammed doors, too."
Lena snorted. "Maybe, if I wanted to patch up the hole it left behind."
She had a point, though Ronon saw it from a different perspective. "You might not care if there's a Wraith on the same side of it as you."
"This is true," Lena allowed. She nodded toward the hospital entrance. "Go on, see your lady. I need to get back to work anyway. And thanks for the tip. Think I'll have to try to get my hands on one of those."
The more weapons of any kind they had on Sateda, the better, as far as Ronon was concerned. "From what the guy said, they have a lot of them. Shouldn't be too hard, if you've got something good."
Lena chuckled. "It's good to have a stash for when you need it." She waved as she turned to walk away. "I'll see you around."
"See you." Ronon smiled as he re-holstered his sidearm and headed to meet his girlfriend. It wasn't easy, knowing the Wraith were coming but not when, knowing each day could easily be his last. But as long as he was breathing, Ronon was going to fight, like all his people. Some gave in, thinking it easier to serve the Wraith than fear becoming their next meal, but Ronon would rather suffer the injustice of having his life sucked out of his body than demean himself by paying homage to them in any form. Sateda was going to show the Wraith that humans weren't all going to roll over and accept being treated as cattle--and as far as Ronon was concerned, if he lost his life in the battle, it would be a noble death. He wasn't dead yet, though, and neither were his people. Every day they had to plan, to gather strength and weapons, was one more step toward victory. When the Wraith came, they would be ready. There were some things that were definitely worth fighting for.
The End
By Audrey Lynne
No one knew exactly how many other worlds were accessible through the Ring of the Ancestors, but there were a lot of them. As many as there were stars in the sky, some said, though Ronon Dex privately doubted all of them were habitable. Most of the settled worlds, however, had some folk story among them that involved a child alarming everyone about the Wraith coming, to the point where no one took the threat seriously anymore. They were, of course, culled by the tale's end, stressing the importance of taking all Wraith threats seriously, no matter how often they proved false. Better to be safe than culled.
Sateda, had of course, improved the story. They were more advanced than many of the other worlds the Ancestors had given life to, and while it did mean living under the constant threat of Wraith attack, everyone lived under that threat. Only the Satedans would give the Wraith a fight when they showed, not simply run to caves and hide. An evacuation plan was in place for most of the civilians, for safety's sake, but Ronon knew most of them would stand their ground and fight until the last possible moment. It was in their blood. The military had a weapons cache and all of its members had been training for the inevitable battle since the moment they'd enlisted, but that wouldn't stop anyone who wasn't occupied with another important task, like the hospital personnel, from grabbing whatever they could and helping the fight. The Wraith had overrun the people of this galaxy for far too long, taking what they wanted when they wanted it. The people of Sateda had drawn the line, and they had the means to put intent into action.
No one knew exactly what day the showdown would come, but many chose to treat each day as if it were the day. Ronon found that philosophy easy to live by, but at the same time, he wasn't going to let it interfere with his daily routine. When the Wraith came, he--like everyone in his regiment--would be ready, but to live in fear would mean that the Wraith had won before the battle ever started. And that meant continuing with training and trading missions, just like they always had.
Ronon was rather pleased with himself upon his return from his latest trade. He had been sent to meet a group of mysterious vagabonds. No one knew where they came from or how they traveled about the way they did, but occasionally they contacted other worlds, wanting to trade for items they needed, often food or information. It had been discovered that these people had an impressive arsenal they could use against the Wraith, so Ronon had been sent to make a deal with them, information and a bit of food for weapons. The trade had gone as planned, the deal had been fair, and Ronon had come out with a bonus. Officially, Satedan policy on trades was that after one closed the deal, no one was going to quibble about trades of a personal nature, as long as no public resources were used to make it.
Ronon had no doubt Melena was going to roll her eyes and sigh when he told her he had used those old medical texts she had been planning to get rid of to trade for his new sidearm, but it was an impressive piece of weaponry, and small enough to be a sidearm. In the fight against the Wraith, every little bit helped, and she understood that. Besides, the dealer Ronon had been bartering with was extremely interested in the medical knowledge of other worlds, so it worked out well all-around. Melena would understand--she always did. Ronon knew how lucky he was to have her, and as soon as they had sent the Wraith back to whatever hell they came from, he was going to marry her for sure.
As Ronon approached the hospital, wanting to surprise Melena at the end of her shift, he spotted one of the hospital's engineers outside, leaning against a wall. He grinned and approached her, knowing she'd be impressed with his newest acquisition. "Hey."
"Ronon." Lena Dorian grinned as he walked up to her. "What brings you around--as if I have to ask?"
Ronon snorted. "If you have to ask, you're not as observant as I thought."
"I got it, coming to see your lady." Lena stepped away from the wall, moving to stand in front of Ronon. They trusted each other, of course, or they wouldn't have been having this conversation or any other. Each world had its own cultural habits, however, and most Satedans didn't feel comfortable interacting with another person if their back was to the wall. Even if the other individual was a long-time acquaintance, it never felt right. From an early age, every Satedan child had been raised to know it was best never to let yourself be in a situation where you could be easily trapped. It was just good sense.
"You bet." Ronon stepped back, allowing them both a bit more personal space. He reached for his brand-new holster, pulling out the sidearm. "Check this out."
Lena's eyes widened instantly as she leaned a bit closer for a better look. "Nice." She was obviously impressed. "I've heard about those things. Good bit force there--or is that just talk?"
Ronon smirked. "See for yourself." He switched the gun from its default stun setting to the more powerful guaranteed-to-kill-about-anything mode, and shot it at a patch of dirt a few feet away. The weapon fired its energy burst, leaving a small hole in the ground. He could kick the dirt back in later; the look on Lena's face was worth it.
"I want one." Lena wasn't military, but like all of their people, neither was she afraid of a fight. She kept the hospital's mechanical equipment well in order, but that wasn't all her hands were good for. "What'd you have to give up for it?"
"Some of Mel's old medical texts," Ronon told her. He secretly loved his girlfriend's childhood nickname, but he rarely got to call her that because she said it made her feel ten years old again. Ronon didn't think it was particularly childish; it certainly beat some of the things his mother had called him when he was little. But if it bothered Melena, he wasn't going to push the issue.
"Hmm," Lena mused. "Wonder if any of my old books would get me anything. You know how to get a hold of these guys again? They leery about strangers?"
"They know Sateda; it ought to be fine." Ronon smiled. Small arms dealing was nothing among his people, though it seemed to amuse some of the lesser-advanced cultures they encountered. It rarely caused trouble, however, because the general attitude among established trading partners was that if your people could put it to good use, there was no reason not to trade for it. "The dealer I talked to said they would be staying with the people of Kalara for another few days, then they were moving on again. Couldn't tell you where to find them after that."
"Better get to it while the opportunity lasts, then." Lena looked at the gun again, reaching out to run a finger over it. "Oh, yes, this will do nicely."
Ronon couldn't resist asking, "For what?"
Lena shrugged. "Whatever you need it for. Killing Wraith in particular, I was thinking."
"Killing Wraith is always fun," Ronon agreed. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Lena replied. "Lucky for me, the boss wanted me to see what these people have in the way of equipment design--at least, what they're willing to share." It was generally accepted that these strange travelers were far more advanced than they were admitting, but that was understandable, with the ever-present threat of the Wraith. "I might have to pick up a trinket or two for myself afterward, though." She eyed the gun again. "Can't wait to see what that's gonna do to a Wraith."
Neither could Ronon. "Might get you through a few jammed doors, too."
Lena snorted. "Maybe, if I wanted to patch up the hole it left behind."
She had a point, though Ronon saw it from a different perspective. "You might not care if there's a Wraith on the same side of it as you."
"This is true," Lena allowed. She nodded toward the hospital entrance. "Go on, see your lady. I need to get back to work anyway. And thanks for the tip. Think I'll have to try to get my hands on one of those."
The more weapons of any kind they had on Sateda, the better, as far as Ronon was concerned. "From what the guy said, they have a lot of them. Shouldn't be too hard, if you've got something good."
Lena chuckled. "It's good to have a stash for when you need it." She waved as she turned to walk away. "I'll see you around."
"See you." Ronon smiled as he re-holstered his sidearm and headed to meet his girlfriend. It wasn't easy, knowing the Wraith were coming but not when, knowing each day could easily be his last. But as long as he was breathing, Ronon was going to fight, like all his people. Some gave in, thinking it easier to serve the Wraith than fear becoming their next meal, but Ronon would rather suffer the injustice of having his life sucked out of his body than demean himself by paying homage to them in any form. Sateda was going to show the Wraith that humans weren't all going to roll over and accept being treated as cattle--and as far as Ronon was concerned, if he lost his life in the battle, it would be a noble death. He wasn't dead yet, though, and neither were his people. Every day they had to plan, to gather strength and weapons, was one more step toward victory. When the Wraith came, they would be ready. There were some things that were definitely worth fighting for.
The End