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Advent fic: 12th December
TITLE: Dogs Of War
SUMMARY: Ronon thought of that kind of prejudice - that kind of bigotry - running his world, dictating his choices, looking down on his people. Better to fight and lose than to submit tamely to that.
CATEGORY: AU, crossover
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Don't own the rights. Making no money.
SERIES: Fly The Stars - sequel to 'Out Of Temptation'
NOTES: And this is the point where things get...interesting. Sorry, I've been writing my![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
sga_santa story - the damn thing just won't go quietly into the night. I took the details of the Unification war from the Firefly wiki, and added a few of my own details. Most things should be inferrable (is that even a word) from the story, but I can't fit everything in!
Dogs Of War
The workshop was crowded, a press of sweaty bodies and anxious voices. Rumour ran thick and swift among the Athosians, an uneasy news.
"Is it true, then?" Halling asked in a lull of sound. "The core worlds are attacking those who will not submit to their government?"
Faced turned to Teyla, who stood silent and grieving on the counter. "It is true. Verbena is at war, even now."
"We should join with them!"
"Why join a fight that is not ours? Verbena is far from here..."
"It won't stop at Verbena - it's anyone who doesn't want their unified government!"
"And how long can we hold out against them? The core worlds have resources and organisation, and we are many but separate."
"You sound like the Genii," said someone scornfully, "'We cannot win, we must ally ourselves with the core worlds!'"
Ronon stood by the counter as the arguments raged back and forth. He thought of Melena, dying slowly from the plague that refused to take him instead. He thought of the fine, fancy doctors who had finally condescended to see the outlying towns - too late to help her. He thought of that kind of prejudice - that kind of bigotry - running his world, dictating his choices, looking down on his people.
Better to fight and lose than to submit tamely to that.
Above him, on the counter, Teyla was silent, her expression grim and troubled.
Abruptly, she lifted her hands to signal for quiet. Within moments, she had it, conversations breaking off to look at her - the daughter of Athos who best understood this war. "The choice to resist the core worlds or to align with them cannot be made as a planet, or even as the town," she said into the hush. "You will make the choice to resist for you and you alone."
Stunned silence lasted only a moment. Then the room burst into questions and protest, cries of shock and exclamations of surprise.
This was not the way things were done in Athos.
Ronon met Halling's troubled gaze, turned to look at Teyla with a question in his eyes. But she stood with her hands clasped before her, the knuckles white. At that moment, she looked as Taigan had the morning she returned: hope and dread mingled together.
The doors to the workshop burst open and uniformed men stormed in, their weapons up and loaded.
Panic and chaos ruled the workshop for a moment, before the Athosians realised the impossibility of fighting so many armed and trained soldiers. There were a few scuffles, but they were brief and brutally silenced. As the Athosians quietened, a man strode forward, wearing the patches of a captain.
"Teyla Emmagan?"
"I am she."
"Under the Act of Acquisition as stated in the agreements of the Academy, you are hereby ordered to come with us."
The Act of Acquisition? Agreements of the Academy? Ordered?
Ronon stepped in, looming over the man, forcing acknowledgement of his presence. "Where are you taking her?"
"She'll be safe with us." Contemptuous eyes swept the room and the rough assortment of Athosians standing there. "Safer than she will be here."
"Ronon." Teyla held out a hand, and he helped her down from the counter. "I have always known this was coming. Ever since Palatiel." Her expression begged him to understand. "See that they remain safe. You must not put yourself in danger. At the Academy - when I reach it - I will send you a message to let you know I am well." Her smile was pained. "Sateda will be nothing compared to..." She broke off and turned away, looking around the room as though to impress the sight of every man and woman in the room on her memory.
"Teyla--" Halling stopped as a soldier moved warningly.
"Halling. Look after them. If the customers can pay, then service their ship and do it with pride, no matter their allegiance." She turned to the man who was watching her, respect and wariness in his expression. "I believe restraints will not be necessary, Captain." she said and walked through the opened path with the dignity of a Companion.
The door closed behind them, but no-one moved to follow. Instead, they muttered beneath their breath and turned to each other for comfort.
"Do we follow?" Halling asked Ronon. The older man seemed slightly bewildered by the change of events, confused by how suddenly the world had turned about them.
"No. We get on with life."
And so saying, Ronon strode from the workshop.
--
7. Choosing Resistance
TITLE: Dogs Of War
SUMMARY: Ronon thought of that kind of prejudice - that kind of bigotry - running his world, dictating his choices, looking down on his people. Better to fight and lose than to submit tamely to that.
CATEGORY: AU, crossover
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Don't own the rights. Making no money.
SERIES: Fly The Stars - sequel to 'Out Of Temptation'
NOTES: And this is the point where things get...interesting. Sorry, I've been writing my
sga_santa story - the damn thing just won't go quietly into the night. I took the details of the Unification war from the Firefly wiki, and added a few of my own details. Most things should be inferrable (is that even a word) from the story, but I can't fit everything in!Dogs Of War
The workshop was crowded, a press of sweaty bodies and anxious voices. Rumour ran thick and swift among the Athosians, an uneasy news.
"Is it true, then?" Halling asked in a lull of sound. "The core worlds are attacking those who will not submit to their government?"
Faced turned to Teyla, who stood silent and grieving on the counter. "It is true. Verbena is at war, even now."
"We should join with them!"
"Why join a fight that is not ours? Verbena is far from here..."
"It won't stop at Verbena - it's anyone who doesn't want their unified government!"
"And how long can we hold out against them? The core worlds have resources and organisation, and we are many but separate."
"You sound like the Genii," said someone scornfully, "'We cannot win, we must ally ourselves with the core worlds!'"
Ronon stood by the counter as the arguments raged back and forth. He thought of Melena, dying slowly from the plague that refused to take him instead. He thought of the fine, fancy doctors who had finally condescended to see the outlying towns - too late to help her. He thought of that kind of prejudice - that kind of bigotry - running his world, dictating his choices, looking down on his people.
Better to fight and lose than to submit tamely to that.
Above him, on the counter, Teyla was silent, her expression grim and troubled.
Abruptly, she lifted her hands to signal for quiet. Within moments, she had it, conversations breaking off to look at her - the daughter of Athos who best understood this war. "The choice to resist the core worlds or to align with them cannot be made as a planet, or even as the town," she said into the hush. "You will make the choice to resist for you and you alone."
Stunned silence lasted only a moment. Then the room burst into questions and protest, cries of shock and exclamations of surprise.
This was not the way things were done in Athos.
Ronon met Halling's troubled gaze, turned to look at Teyla with a question in his eyes. But she stood with her hands clasped before her, the knuckles white. At that moment, she looked as Taigan had the morning she returned: hope and dread mingled together.
The doors to the workshop burst open and uniformed men stormed in, their weapons up and loaded.
Panic and chaos ruled the workshop for a moment, before the Athosians realised the impossibility of fighting so many armed and trained soldiers. There were a few scuffles, but they were brief and brutally silenced. As the Athosians quietened, a man strode forward, wearing the patches of a captain.
"Teyla Emmagan?"
"I am she."
"Under the Act of Acquisition as stated in the agreements of the Academy, you are hereby ordered to come with us."
The Act of Acquisition? Agreements of the Academy? Ordered?
Ronon stepped in, looming over the man, forcing acknowledgement of his presence. "Where are you taking her?"
"She'll be safe with us." Contemptuous eyes swept the room and the rough assortment of Athosians standing there. "Safer than she will be here."
"Ronon." Teyla held out a hand, and he helped her down from the counter. "I have always known this was coming. Ever since Palatiel." Her expression begged him to understand. "See that they remain safe. You must not put yourself in danger. At the Academy - when I reach it - I will send you a message to let you know I am well." Her smile was pained. "Sateda will be nothing compared to..." She broke off and turned away, looking around the room as though to impress the sight of every man and woman in the room on her memory.
"Teyla--" Halling stopped as a soldier moved warningly.
"Halling. Look after them. If the customers can pay, then service their ship and do it with pride, no matter their allegiance." She turned to the man who was watching her, respect and wariness in his expression. "I believe restraints will not be necessary, Captain." she said and walked through the opened path with the dignity of a Companion.
The door closed behind them, but no-one moved to follow. Instead, they muttered beneath their breath and turned to each other for comfort.
"Do we follow?" Halling asked Ronon. The older man seemed slightly bewildered by the change of events, confused by how suddenly the world had turned about them.
"No. We get on with life."
And so saying, Ronon strode from the workshop.
--
7. Choosing Resistance