Keys to the World
Title: Keys to the World
Rating: PG for now
By: Jendavis
Spoilers: SGA: The Last Man, FF: Serenity
Pairing: Eventual Jayne Cobb/ Ronon Dex
Genre: Crossover
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't take this too seriously.
Summary: Timelines diverge by converging.
Previous: 1. Man of Steel
2. Keys to the World
"Name's Malcolm Reynolds. This here's Jayne. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, eyes deliberately smiling, like he wasn't at all concerned with his crashed ship, or the fire raging not three hundred yards out. Or the gun pointed at his face. Probably hit his gorram head in the landing. "You mind telling me what the ruttin' hell is going on here?"'
Jayne snorted, and kept his eyes trained on his target. Ronon didn't seem as bent on friendliness as Mal had evidently expected, just glared back.
"You just cost three men their lives."
Jayne just knew someone was going to get shot over something stupid any ruttin' minute.
"From where I was sittin' it didn't like us doin' the shooting," Mal reasoned, his voice just a little too jaunty for comfort. Jayne shifted his weight to his other foot, ready to move if things went they way they were heading.
Mal shook his head and continued. "And I'm rightly sorry about that, but it weren't our doin'. We came into a spot of trouble, wound up having to set down quick-like. Wasn't rightly our intention for that," he gestured towards the massive flames, "whatever that was, to get trashed."
Ronon looked to be considering, before relaxing enough to lower his gun. Decision apparently made, he took a few steps forward. "Don't apologize for that."
"Right," Jayne said, when it was clear that Mal wasn't going to. "Well. You mind, ah. Telling us where we are?"
"Wenra. Main village is standin' empty, three hours east by foot, but the gate's only two."
Jayne scowled. "Gate?"
"Ring of the Ancestors? Stargate?"
"Actually, ah," Jayne floundered for a moment. "We're new to the area," he eventually admitted. "Weren't aimin' to land here."
Ronon nodded, but he was distracted, eyeing their guns with interest now. "You from Earth?"
Jayne shot a puzzled glance over to Mal, finding it mirrored there, and shrugged. "Ain't no one lived there for hundreds of years now." Ronon tilted his head to the side, like he didn't believe them, or wanted them to think he didn't.
"But he knows," River's small voice interjected, startlingly close by, coming from just inside the cargo bay. Her words came quick, either in urging or warning, Jayne couldn't tell. "He knows of the cities and people, and one and another, a monster and half-monster are gone and coming."
Ronon's aim had already come up again, swinging towards her voice, and Jayne adjusted his own grip accordingly.
"Easy," Mal warned, shaking his head and taking one step back. "She ain't no threat to you."
"We danced through space and shimmered time all over the sky until we fell out of it," River explained helpfully as she poked her head around the doorway, before stepping out into the open, her bare feet silent on the ramp. "That's all."
"Hey Albatross?" Mal's voice went a little tighter, same as it always did when he was waiting for her to complicate things. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Kaylee?"
River shook her head, lips pursed, though her eyes never left the flames. "It's space that's wrong, not us. Or just not ours." she replied, continuing down the ramp until Mal caught her by the arm. Seemingly unaware that she'd stopped moving, she continued to stare curiously at Ronon.
"You know who will know what and where happened," River decided, stating it simply enough that it came a hair's breadth away from sounding like an accusation.
Jayne wasn't sure if Ronon was reacting to her words, or to his and Mal's reaction to her presence, but after a moment, Ronon holstered his gun, and asked Mal, "What's wrong with your ship?"
"Navigation went out, then it looked like it was coming back online, just not making any sense. Wound up hitting atmo and getting knocked down here. More or less. We've got people on it, but." He broke off, before continuing reluctantly. "You know anything about ships?"
"Know some who might, a few hours out."
"What would it take for you to get them here to look at her?"
"Few hours."
"Okay, but that ain't specifically what I'm asking after. I'm talking more towards payment."
Ronon shook his head as he considered the ship, not particularly curious, probably just anticipating the next surprise. "I'm heading that way anyhow."
"Well that-"
"Hang on a second," Jayne grabbed Mal's arm and dragged him back into the cargo bay. Shoving River ahead of them, he leaned close and whispered, "Nothin's free and you know it. We ain't even seen what all's out there, and you're thinkin' on trusting the first hun dan we see 'round here?"
"He seems a pleasant character." The smirk dropped from Mal's face. "Look. We ain't got any other options at the moment, an' this wei xian dong wu is offering a solution, like it or not."
"We don't know him, or who he's with. And if those ships come back-"
Mal sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That's why I want you to follow him, dong ma? Stay back and radio if he looks to be bringing back a raiding party or some such. See if you can figure out his angle."
"Or," Ronon's voice called out, "You could just come along with me."
"Quite an impressive set of ears you've got, there," Mal replied, stepping back down the ramp.
Ronon shrugged, apparently not offended by their suspicion. "Offer's not open forever. I need to get moving. Decide now."
---
Jayne stepped off the ramp and onto the first soil he'd felt under his boots in five weeks, but didn't feel as good as he'd expected. Another three hours, maybe four, and he would've been home. Decision made, he just wanted to get this over with soon as possible. It wasn't worth arguing about. So he set to following Ronon.
"Got to make a few stops on the way. Won't take long."
"What for?"
Ronon didn't answer, which wasn't all that surprising, just headed towards one of the bodies littering the ground and picking up the gun that lay nearby. Not checking for other valuables, though. Just the gun.
Jayne drew near, intent on just looking, but he must have been too close, because there was a knife at his throat.
"These men are Wenrala," Ronon growled. "Only kin can touch their bodies. Not us," his face was close enough that he probably didn't notice Jayne's blade poised inches away from his stomach. Jayne had barely realized he'd pulled it himself.
Interesting.
"Just lookin'," Jayne shrugged, using the movement to mask his changing grip on the knife. "Meant no disrespect." He wasn't surprised that it came to this- Ronon had that look about him- but they weren't even out of Mal's eyesight yet. It was downright disappointing.
Another moment passed, and Ronon pulled the knife away, stepping back quickly. Might not have noticed Jayne's knife. Might not have.
Ruttin' awkward, this is.
---
They walked on, and Ronon retrieved two more guns from two more bodies before Jayne asked, "So you're not, what. Wenrali?"
"Wenrala. No." Ronon cut a glance over at him. "I'm Satedan. Different world. Been fighting with them, helping them train."
"Mercenary?"
"We're at-" Ronon brought himself up short, looking suddenly irritated. More irritated. "Do you know the wraith?"
"Huh?"
"The ships, earlier?" Ronon ran a grimy hand over his face. "Wraith darts. All you need to know is that they'll kill you if they get their hands on you. Hunt you if they can't. Doesn't matter who you are, you're food to them."
"Food?"
"They're not human. They feed on your life force."
Jayne sucked on his lower lip. "What do they look like?"
"White hair. Green skin. Some of them have bones for faces. Before you ask, no, I'm not joking."
Jayne considered. Wasn't about to accuse you of having a sense of humor. "You think they're comin' back here?"
"Probably not. But you should radio your crew. Warn them." Ronon fell silent, stepping ahead to give Jayne some modicum of privacy while he activated the comm. unit.
Jayne rolled his eyes, took a breath and tried to figure out where to start. "Mal? Got something you need to hear…"
---
Mal didn't believe a word of it, and Jayne was starting to feel ridiculous for believing it himself. Found himself defending the man he'd just stood off. "He's solid, Mal."
"How do you know?"
"Never asked how many are on our crew," he shrugged, checking up the trail to make sure Ronon was still out of earshot. "Seems smart enough to think it's information worth knowing if he was plannin' something."
"Fair enough. You get to where you need to be?"
"Not yet."
"Check in when you are. Wanna get out in the black soon's possible."
You and me both.
---
The trail was rough, narrow and barely beaten, and Jayne was about to ask how much longer it was to the gate, but one glance at Ronon made him think better of it.
He looked like he'd been running on adrenaline for days and was starting to crash. Tired, dirty. A little bit like Book used to, after a day's fighting had gone on too long, and hadn't ended in his head yet. But he walked on, four semiautomatics strapped to his back, clambering over the increasingly rocky terrain like it was nothing.
Jayne figured Inara would have known what to say to the man, if she'd stuck around. Mal and Zoe would have known what not to say. Didn't seem right that he was the one stuck following this guy, but there it was.
They'd been walking for over an hour, but there weren't any signs of a wall or a gate. Or anything else, either. No people, no buildings, no scabs on the land. Ronon showed no signs of slowing, passing by it all without a second thought.
It was nice a nice piece of world, though. Natural, like. Not terraformed, scarred all to hell. Not like back home, where the fields wouldn't put up nothing without pumping chemicals into it first. Where pulling ore out of the mines meant injecting the hills with worse.
It wasn't the kind of land you fought, here, Jayne figured, but it might be the kind people fought for. There weren't many places like it, not that he'd seen. There was usually just whatever space you were livin' in at the moment, and you carried it with you when you went.
Book would have understood that. Ronon probably wouldn't, but it wasn't anything Jayne was planning on discussing anyway. He shook himself, focused on the trail again. The sooner they got help, the sooner they'd be in the air. The sooner he'd be home, for the first time in four years, and he was already three weeks behind.
Jayne. I don't know when you're going to receive this, but I hope it's soon…this letter finds you in good health and company, out there… blacklung's come down hard on Matty… doesn't have much time left in the world… a few weeks, maybe a month… please, Jayne. You need to come home. Love, your mother.
3. Lost
Rating: PG for now
By: Jendavis
Spoilers: SGA: The Last Man, FF: Serenity
Pairing: Eventual Jayne Cobb/ Ronon Dex
Genre: Crossover
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue, don't take this too seriously.
Summary: Timelines diverge by converging.
Previous: 1. Man of Steel
2. Keys to the World
"Name's Malcolm Reynolds. This here's Jayne. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, eyes deliberately smiling, like he wasn't at all concerned with his crashed ship, or the fire raging not three hundred yards out. Or the gun pointed at his face. Probably hit his gorram head in the landing. "You mind telling me what the ruttin' hell is going on here?"'
Jayne snorted, and kept his eyes trained on his target. Ronon didn't seem as bent on friendliness as Mal had evidently expected, just glared back.
"You just cost three men their lives."
Jayne just knew someone was going to get shot over something stupid any ruttin' minute.
"From where I was sittin' it didn't like us doin' the shooting," Mal reasoned, his voice just a little too jaunty for comfort. Jayne shifted his weight to his other foot, ready to move if things went they way they were heading.
Mal shook his head and continued. "And I'm rightly sorry about that, but it weren't our doin'. We came into a spot of trouble, wound up having to set down quick-like. Wasn't rightly our intention for that," he gestured towards the massive flames, "whatever that was, to get trashed."
Ronon looked to be considering, before relaxing enough to lower his gun. Decision apparently made, he took a few steps forward. "Don't apologize for that."
"Right," Jayne said, when it was clear that Mal wasn't going to. "Well. You mind, ah. Telling us where we are?"
"Wenra. Main village is standin' empty, three hours east by foot, but the gate's only two."
Jayne scowled. "Gate?"
"Ring of the Ancestors? Stargate?"
"Actually, ah," Jayne floundered for a moment. "We're new to the area," he eventually admitted. "Weren't aimin' to land here."
Ronon nodded, but he was distracted, eyeing their guns with interest now. "You from Earth?"
Jayne shot a puzzled glance over to Mal, finding it mirrored there, and shrugged. "Ain't no one lived there for hundreds of years now." Ronon tilted his head to the side, like he didn't believe them, or wanted them to think he didn't.
"But he knows," River's small voice interjected, startlingly close by, coming from just inside the cargo bay. Her words came quick, either in urging or warning, Jayne couldn't tell. "He knows of the cities and people, and one and another, a monster and half-monster are gone and coming."
Ronon's aim had already come up again, swinging towards her voice, and Jayne adjusted his own grip accordingly.
"Easy," Mal warned, shaking his head and taking one step back. "She ain't no threat to you."
"We danced through space and shimmered time all over the sky until we fell out of it," River explained helpfully as she poked her head around the doorway, before stepping out into the open, her bare feet silent on the ramp. "That's all."
"Hey Albatross?" Mal's voice went a little tighter, same as it always did when he was waiting for her to complicate things. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Kaylee?"
River shook her head, lips pursed, though her eyes never left the flames. "It's space that's wrong, not us. Or just not ours." she replied, continuing down the ramp until Mal caught her by the arm. Seemingly unaware that she'd stopped moving, she continued to stare curiously at Ronon.
"You know who will know what and where happened," River decided, stating it simply enough that it came a hair's breadth away from sounding like an accusation.
Jayne wasn't sure if Ronon was reacting to her words, or to his and Mal's reaction to her presence, but after a moment, Ronon holstered his gun, and asked Mal, "What's wrong with your ship?"
"Navigation went out, then it looked like it was coming back online, just not making any sense. Wound up hitting atmo and getting knocked down here. More or less. We've got people on it, but." He broke off, before continuing reluctantly. "You know anything about ships?"
"Know some who might, a few hours out."
"What would it take for you to get them here to look at her?"
"Few hours."
"Okay, but that ain't specifically what I'm asking after. I'm talking more towards payment."
Ronon shook his head as he considered the ship, not particularly curious, probably just anticipating the next surprise. "I'm heading that way anyhow."
"Well that-"
"Hang on a second," Jayne grabbed Mal's arm and dragged him back into the cargo bay. Shoving River ahead of them, he leaned close and whispered, "Nothin's free and you know it. We ain't even seen what all's out there, and you're thinkin' on trusting the first hun dan we see 'round here?"
"He seems a pleasant character." The smirk dropped from Mal's face. "Look. We ain't got any other options at the moment, an' this wei xian dong wu is offering a solution, like it or not."
"We don't know him, or who he's with. And if those ships come back-"
Mal sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That's why I want you to follow him, dong ma? Stay back and radio if he looks to be bringing back a raiding party or some such. See if you can figure out his angle."
"Or," Ronon's voice called out, "You could just come along with me."
"Quite an impressive set of ears you've got, there," Mal replied, stepping back down the ramp.
Ronon shrugged, apparently not offended by their suspicion. "Offer's not open forever. I need to get moving. Decide now."
---
Jayne stepped off the ramp and onto the first soil he'd felt under his boots in five weeks, but didn't feel as good as he'd expected. Another three hours, maybe four, and he would've been home. Decision made, he just wanted to get this over with soon as possible. It wasn't worth arguing about. So he set to following Ronon.
"Got to make a few stops on the way. Won't take long."
"What for?"
Ronon didn't answer, which wasn't all that surprising, just headed towards one of the bodies littering the ground and picking up the gun that lay nearby. Not checking for other valuables, though. Just the gun.
Jayne drew near, intent on just looking, but he must have been too close, because there was a knife at his throat.
"These men are Wenrala," Ronon growled. "Only kin can touch their bodies. Not us," his face was close enough that he probably didn't notice Jayne's blade poised inches away from his stomach. Jayne had barely realized he'd pulled it himself.
Interesting.
"Just lookin'," Jayne shrugged, using the movement to mask his changing grip on the knife. "Meant no disrespect." He wasn't surprised that it came to this- Ronon had that look about him- but they weren't even out of Mal's eyesight yet. It was downright disappointing.
Another moment passed, and Ronon pulled the knife away, stepping back quickly. Might not have noticed Jayne's knife. Might not have.
Ruttin' awkward, this is.
---
They walked on, and Ronon retrieved two more guns from two more bodies before Jayne asked, "So you're not, what. Wenrali?"
"Wenrala. No." Ronon cut a glance over at him. "I'm Satedan. Different world. Been fighting with them, helping them train."
"Mercenary?"
"We're at-" Ronon brought himself up short, looking suddenly irritated. More irritated. "Do you know the wraith?"
"Huh?"
"The ships, earlier?" Ronon ran a grimy hand over his face. "Wraith darts. All you need to know is that they'll kill you if they get their hands on you. Hunt you if they can't. Doesn't matter who you are, you're food to them."
"Food?"
"They're not human. They feed on your life force."
Jayne sucked on his lower lip. "What do they look like?"
"White hair. Green skin. Some of them have bones for faces. Before you ask, no, I'm not joking."
Jayne considered. Wasn't about to accuse you of having a sense of humor. "You think they're comin' back here?"
"Probably not. But you should radio your crew. Warn them." Ronon fell silent, stepping ahead to give Jayne some modicum of privacy while he activated the comm. unit.
Jayne rolled his eyes, took a breath and tried to figure out where to start. "Mal? Got something you need to hear…"
---
Mal didn't believe a word of it, and Jayne was starting to feel ridiculous for believing it himself. Found himself defending the man he'd just stood off. "He's solid, Mal."
"How do you know?"
"Never asked how many are on our crew," he shrugged, checking up the trail to make sure Ronon was still out of earshot. "Seems smart enough to think it's information worth knowing if he was plannin' something."
"Fair enough. You get to where you need to be?"
"Not yet."
"Check in when you are. Wanna get out in the black soon's possible."
You and me both.
---
The trail was rough, narrow and barely beaten, and Jayne was about to ask how much longer it was to the gate, but one glance at Ronon made him think better of it.
He looked like he'd been running on adrenaline for days and was starting to crash. Tired, dirty. A little bit like Book used to, after a day's fighting had gone on too long, and hadn't ended in his head yet. But he walked on, four semiautomatics strapped to his back, clambering over the increasingly rocky terrain like it was nothing.
Jayne figured Inara would have known what to say to the man, if she'd stuck around. Mal and Zoe would have known what not to say. Didn't seem right that he was the one stuck following this guy, but there it was.
They'd been walking for over an hour, but there weren't any signs of a wall or a gate. Or anything else, either. No people, no buildings, no scabs on the land. Ronon showed no signs of slowing, passing by it all without a second thought.
It was nice a nice piece of world, though. Natural, like. Not terraformed, scarred all to hell. Not like back home, where the fields wouldn't put up nothing without pumping chemicals into it first. Where pulling ore out of the mines meant injecting the hills with worse.
It wasn't the kind of land you fought, here, Jayne figured, but it might be the kind people fought for. There weren't many places like it, not that he'd seen. There was usually just whatever space you were livin' in at the moment, and you carried it with you when you went.
Book would have understood that. Ronon probably wouldn't, but it wasn't anything Jayne was planning on discussing anyway. He shook himself, focused on the trail again. The sooner they got help, the sooner they'd be in the air. The sooner he'd be home, for the first time in four years, and he was already three weeks behind.
Jayne. I don't know when you're going to receive this, but I hope it's soon…this letter finds you in good health and company, out there… blacklung's come down hard on Matty… doesn't have much time left in the world… a few weeks, maybe a month… please, Jayne. You need to come home. Love, your mother.
3. Lost