SGA Plot Aberrant: StarGate Atlantis - S1: E4: The Storm/The Eye

[Siva Talia Ilia Moore]

As she went though the gate, she looked around and then shook her head slightly, this was insane, pure chaos actually, though she doubted that particular judgment slightly, and she rethought the wisdom of trying to wait out the storm here, a empty planet would have been a better idea then this, this could become a lot of trouble, but she wasn't in charge, and didn't really want to be. "Ok, I hope someone knows where we're going to stay in this mess, cause this is what I think this has a potential to be a major pain."

[Bannon]

Wreathed in bitter bad attitude and a faint aroma of expensive tobacco, Bannon followed directions and stayed with the mooing herd as they exited the stargate. He also kept a tight hand on his doctor's bag, in case the creepy little basket-case decided she wanted to inspect it again. Thankfully, his last barb had driven her back over to the Moreau woman, so hopefully that'd be all he had to put up with her for this trip.

The bustle and noise beyond the gate, though... this was interesting. For several reasons.

The indigents here had obviously constructed a town near the gate, or else moved the gate near to their town. Did they not worry about the Wraith or other threats? Enemies could come through the gate in minutes, as easily as friendlies. He scanned the crowds as he moved away from the gate under the barked directions (and didn't they so love barking?) of the soldiers. The people here didn't seem frightened, or nervous about visitors. They just stood and stared at the mix of men in uniform and civilians like they were trying to figure out what the hell this circus was about.

Bannon could relate. He'd been wondering that ever since O'Neil had cajoled him into taking a trip to another galaxy.

The mystery (and Bannon was a suspicious bastard enough to register it as Odd with a capital O) was assigned some brainpower, even as he used the rest to simply soak up impressions and scents from the bazaar. What was being traded? How did people dress? Did they barter or was some currency in use? The inveterate traveller in Bannon observed, catalogued and filed away his impressions of this place for later reference as he stood in the crowd of SG personnel.

[Dawn OOC]

The scientists weren't going anywhere. They huddled tightly together, clutching their possessions and staring at the natives. Some of those stares were pure interest, particularly from the social scientists, but others were wary or just scared. There was plenty to see. Most of the people were dressed in rustic-looking garb, just a rough-woven set of pants and shirt, but here and there other clothing was in evidence, such as the group in what would have been called 'desert robes' on Earth. A couple wandered by in what looked like Victorian garb, the whiskered man lifting his hat in a polite greeting, keeping his female companion on the far side of his body. She watched them with frank interest but remained on his arm, her skirts sweeping through the dust. Another small group wandered to the edge of their party and stopped; they wore leather and had advanced-looking firearms strapped to their hips. Tattoos and braids added to the post-apocalyptic appearance of the quintet. The leader was smoking something from a thick cigar, his expression one of boredom as he watched the Lanteans disembark.

It appeared that anything and everything was available here; clothing, food, furs, machinery - the list was endless. There didn't seem to be a universal currency; people were swapping items, though once Bannon caught sight of a handful of coins being passed over for a caged bird of some kind. The rest of his questions went unanswered for now.

[SalmonMax]

Keller inhaled through his nose as he filed out of the gate and dutifully moved off in the direction barked at him. The smell of the planet was so wonderfully different. The indifference of the populace to their appearance was something that tickled Max. We're so used to being the center of attention...but here we're just one more oddity. He suspected that didn't sit well with everyone.

It was interesting to see such a vibrant, developed community in this galaxy though. How did they protect themselves? He noticed the ones with guns and nodded to himself, but it wasn't enough. Wraiths were very tough customers, and they raided from their 'darts.' Guns wouldn't help much.

Hmm.

He glanced around, looking for Inoue and her guardian.

[Sven Lorakson]

Everyone safely through, Tanner took a moment to assess his surroundings. Like some of his compatriots he looked at the bazaar from a tactical standpoint, but he had a bit more personal experience on which to draw. This wasn't a city, it was a crossroads. The bazaar and a few permanent residents were the extent of what was here. That is why there were so many different cultures, different styles of dress visible to even a casual examination. Practically everyone here, vendor or customer, was a transient, stopping through to pick up or unload some goods. No wonder they had been willing to put up with another group of people; part of him was willing to bet that less than a mile from here, the edge of the bazaar was a tent city, occupied by people lacking either the funds or the inclination to pay for room in an actual building. This was likely where they were headed now, though he wasn't in charge and hadn't been given that part of the briefing.

He wondered how many permanent residents this planet had, or if it avoided Wraith cullings by having this area be the only place occupied. While there was a high population density right here, if this was all there was it just wouldn't be worth the effort, especially if there was a high variation in occupancy.

[Adrian Moss]

Cartwright and Rivets finished their arch through the crowds. In a way, it was remarkable just how unremarkable they were treated. No one bothered them, or really got out of their way. It was a strange sensation for two soldiers used to parts of their home world were foreign soldiers were feared and given greater space. At a good stopping point, Cartwright turned to Rivets,

"Check your gear," Cartwright said, then did exactly what that. Rivets followed suit, and nodded when everything was accounted for. Soldiers didn't hump stuff with extraneous things hanging out, to get snagged, or stolen.

They finished their circuit and reported back to Bates.

"Looks good sir," Cartwright reported.

Cartwright and Rivets was soon assigned a group of Squints to herd along.

[Evana]

"Huh," Evana paused as she exited the gate and moved along with the crowd, eying the post-apocalyptic quintet. "I think I'm over dressed."

"There's a first time for everything." Major Sheppard smirked as she smirked back at him.

"Ha. Ha." She mocked with a monotone. "I'm going to get with Bates and see about locating our contact here. I know they gave us permission to stay but I'd like to make sure we do it properly, I'd hate to violate any local mores or stigmas or interfere with trading for that matter."

"Alright, just, stay out of trouble?" He ordered her.

As everyone began trying to get situated Evana moved through the crowd with a measure of purpose. Having found what she was looking for she grinned inwardly and tapped Doctor Bannon on the shoulder. "Hey there Banny." She offered a polite and chipper greeting that the good Doctor could only have refered to it as 'school girlish'. "Would you uh, like to help me with something?"

"Are you going to simply order me to accommodate you should I refuse?" He asked icily, reviewing some notes he'd already taken on the local culture. He not eve bothered to acknowledge her aside from his reply.

"Certainly not." The blue haired woman replied.

"Then," Bannon mocked a moment of consideration, his expression the whole time remained unchanged. "No."

"Come on, it'll be an interesting opportunity for you observe the cultures first hand. We're going to meet with our contact here." She nodded in the direction of the congested Bazzar. "It'll be fun."

"I don't do fun." Was his reply and it came as swiftly as her statement ended. "Nor do I have the desire to go anyplace, with anyone. Especially with you. Now go away, whatever that stripper musk is you're wearing it wreaks."

"Alriiiight..." she paused for effect. "If you'd prefer to be here when Captain Tanner decides it's time to review the camp rationing and tent assignments and daily list of chores and various other activities I know he has planned, considering this is not a vacation, then I'll leave you to enjoy the festivities. I wasn't aware you were such a team player, good on ya. I'll be over there taking in the local culture. The anthropologist in me is simply dying to explore. Ciao."

Bannon sighed as the manipulative woman had done it to him again. "Wait." When Evana spun about face her white-blue hair whisked over her shoulders. She cocked an eyes brow of matching hue that offered a silent 'hmm?' "The last thing we need is you causing trouble for us with your misguided attempts to breed with everything present that possesses a pulse. Note that I agree to this only for the sake of keeping you from causing us unneeded problems."

"Oh, of course." Evana conceded. "I understand completely, Doctor. I'm a bad, bad, woman. Now come on, you can even hold my hand." She smirked and offered him her hand.

"I'd rather sample every unmarked vial in this bazaar than get whatever diseases you may have contracted through your promiscuity on me." He walked past her, still never one making eyes contact with her. "Now stop wasting my time and let's be off."

Without another word the two disappeared into the bazaar in search of Yirya's tent...

[Dawn OOC]

In retrospect, her place wasn't hard to find. Evana had known it was a supplier of liquor so it was easy enough to follow the scent of yeast once they were close enough. Also, it was one of the larger tents and the sound of people having a good time was as good as directions.

Evana shoved open the door/flap with one hand and coolly scanned the interior. Due to the light material, plenty of residual light leaked into the area. The place was full of people, all of them drinking and having fun. More of the leather-decked people were here, only they seemed to be in mixed company with people not as into the leather treatment. In particular, one large native caught the eyes, as did the woman seating next to him. She was pretty, but it was more that she had a quiet grace which appealed to even Bannon - not that he'd admit it. They made an odd couple, but clearly one in love.

Another group became Evana's focus. They were all wearing dark blue suits that she recognized from a briefing: the Genii were here.

And so was Yirya. Or so Eva assumed the man behind the bar was their contact. He was the only person not drinking and having fun; in fact, he wished he were anywhere but here. But like many of the locals, he had no reaction to Eva's arrival.

[Evana]

Lovely, the Genii were here. Her mind absorbed as many of the mannerisms as it could as she waded through the throng of patrons. "Try not to talk Bannon, we don't need an interstellar incident due to your brand of 'hello'."

She adapted to the crowd as well as she could, not unaccustomed to having to assimilate to cultures the icy haired woman approached the man with the dour expression. "Pardon me, we're looking for Yirya." She asked politely. "I'm a friend of Bates, my people and I are the ones who will be staying in the bazaar for the next few days and I was hoping to speak with him. Is he available?"

[Bannon]

Bannon did, indeed, remain silent. But that was mainly because he was cataloguing the bar's inhabitants and whether or not the various hidden needles, disguised aerosols and various other gadgets designed (by him) to dispense emergency medication to the needy - or ugly - would be sufficient to the task. Ever since an incident in a Cape Town bar five years ago when he'd had the snot beaten out of him by some Sandline mercenaries, Doctor Bannon had, in addition to some krav maga courses, taken rather a serious interest in using his strengths to protect himself. Nobody on the Atlantis contingent (many of whom desired nothing more than to strangle the good doctor) knew it, but Bannon was rarely more than a hand-movement away from being able to incapacitate the burliest of attackers. Biology was, after all, the way the body worked. And the way it broke down.

So he shadowed Evana silently, his leather case in hand (he'd left his pack with the troops back at the gate - no sense in risking being robbed on a reconnaisance), and remained quiet as the blue-haired tart worked her wiles on Mister Cheerful behind the bar.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

An cold blue eye flickered, noting the icy-haired prima-donna heading off to meet the contact, Doctor Douchebag in tow. Why'd she took Bannon of all people, Yseult did not know, unless she was looking for a fight to happen, and if that was the case, Evana was being very inconsiderate not inviting her along. But, whatever, she dismissed them for now, though an ear was attuned to her radio if case back-up was needed, then scanned their surroundings, head panning in cool arcs, icy eyes hidden behind her shades.

The town was far more cosmopolitan than Shithole, Afghanistan, though it was lacking the prevalence of satellites dishes sticking up from each and every shack. There were a lot of styles of clothing passing through the bazaar - the sight of a navy blue uniform had her tightening her hand on the grip of her P90. There were issues that still had to be settled with those Genii. Putain blue jobs. That this place was a crossroads was easy to see. Why the wraith hadn't picked it clean for a bloody snack yet was the question. The Manarians must've had some sort of defenses or an ace-up their sleeves...

"What's keeping the fucking Wraith clear of this place?" she muttered sourly, scanning the heights and sky above the town for a hint or clue.

Eyes lowering, Yseult noticed the frank, tedious appraisal of the squad of Mad Max wannabes. Not wannabes... They wore their side-arms with casual ease, moved and stood with a brash confidence that spoke of long familiarity with violence. She had seen the type before - mercenaries of some sort, probably.

She lit a cigarette with a quick flip of her lighter, and studied them right back, her expression cool and flat, though she didn't limit her awareness of her surroundings to just them. There was one bit of good news, though - the sight of the leader's cigar revealed there was at least some people in the Pegasus Galaxy who cultivated tobacco, or a reasonable facsimile.

[Dawn OOC]

“I’m Yirya,” the man said bluntly, his eyebrows rising. “I’m not sure what you people want of me,” he grumbled, his eyes dropping to Eva’s cleavage as his hands continued to work on cleaning the bar. “I told you, you can stay in the bazaar.”

“Well, we were wondering where in the bazaar we could stay,” Eva said, managing a smile.

He stopped leering long enough to blink up at her. He wasn’t short as much as permanently hunched over, his back bent from years of folding over his work. “Anywhere you can find to stay,” Yirya replied. “Like everyone else staying here.”

Bushy eyebrows smashed together as he glared past Eva to Bannon. There seemed to be no reason for his annoyance, but he appeared annoyed at the man anyway. Then he turned his eyes back to Eva – or rather to her breasts.

* * *

A woman sauntered up to Moreau, her green eyes locked on the other woman. There was something intent and almost sexual about her, but Moreau knew that look from other worlds. Without saying a word, the woman pulled back her sleeve to display a dazzling array of bracelets. “Looking for something in particular?” she asked.

And she wasn’t the only one getting approached by business-minded locals. They were starting to slowly close in, their wares in hand.

[Adrian Moss]

Rivets kept to his position on the perimeter, watching the locals but taking no action. The most he did was to eyeball any of those who came close with his closest approximation of 'Not Interested. Go Away.'

He scanned the crowd in a varied pattern, never looking quite the same way twice. There wasn't much to see, and less to do. If there was trouble, he'd be ready. In an abstract way, he wished for some kind of barrier between the locals and the his protectees. It was the same way that soldiers wished for more cover fire, heavier artillery, and perfect intelligence. He believed in Santa Claus to, but never wished for anything he couldn't buy for himself at the local PX.

[Evana]

Bannon rolled his eyes inwardly, as to not offend Yirya accidentally as Evana soaked up the gawking like a dry sponge desperately in need of some dampness. If it held his attention Evana seemed more than pleased with offering Yirya an even better view of what held his interests. She leaned against the bar resting on her elbows in a manner that squeezed her breasts together and hiked them up a little more into view.

"That's understandable," she began. "And we are certainly grateful for the opportunity to stay. We just want to make sure we don't violate any local customs or social mores during our stay and I was hoping that, perhaps, you could help me with that. I'd like to think my people are a well behaved lot, but I'd hate unintentionally piss someone off on the count of ignorance." She tilted her head slightly, lowering her icy-blue seductive eyes to meet his wandering ones, not at all seeming offended by his oogling. "That's where I was hoping you could help me. Just a few moments of your time, in addition to the ones you've so graciously used to flatter me already. The ladies and I would surely appreciate it."

Attempting to employ Empathy to appeal to his better nature, or at least his cleavage oogling one, to soften him up for further conversation. Evana's Dice pool is 6 to manipulate through Empathy, plus or minus anything the ST throws in.

[Dawn OOC]

Yirya seemed pleased for the first time that either of them had seen. For a long moment, he stared down at the offered cleavage, all but visibly drooling. Evana finally repeated her question, putting just enough snap in her tone to catch his ear. "Just stay in the bazaar," he said, not even pretending to look her in the eyes - which was a shame, because they were pretty, too. "And don't offend anyone."

"That's what I'm trying to avoid," Evana said, managing to sound patient. "Where are we not allowed to be?"

"Don't go outside the walls," Yirya said, nodding. "Don't steal and don't kill anyone, and you'll be fine."

* * *

The last of the Lantean crew had cleared the gate and it snapped shut behind them. The group in leather moved to the DHD - using elbows where they deemed it necessary - and started to dial a gate address.

The vendors' interest remained on the crew; already the offers were rolling out, further dazing the newcomers. "Get away," Bates growled and began to clear away the vendors. His greatest fear at the moment was thieves and kidnappers. They couldn't afford to lose gear or people - and while it may have surprised some to learn this, he was more concerned about the people than the gear. Some hawkers pushed close to Inoae, attempting to flatter her into buying and Bates caught her by the arm and hissed, "Don't talk to them." With a squeeze to emphasize his statement, he pushed her roughly toward Yseult. "Damnit, Evana," he muttered to himself, "get back soon."

[Siva Talia Ilia Moore]

Siva was simply checking her equipment on the edge of the group when she felt a pinch and she turned to look at a middle aged man who seemed to be looking her over, and his gaze seemed almost acquisitive. Slightly disturbed she looked at the man and frowned at him, which simply had him chuckling for a moment, then speak something in a language she didn't understand, but she found him disturbing and irritating.

"Whatever you want, pinching people is inappropriate for initiating conversation, I make allowances for wherever your from, perhaps, but do it again and I'll have to take steps." She looked at the man for some sign of understanding and he responded in Lantean tongue, but the words he said were outright insulting, at least to her.

"I do not understand your tongue, woman."

"Fortunately for you, I understand yours, what do you want, I'm busy."

"You are quite lovely, healthy and capable it appears, I wish to approach your keeper to discuss purchase."

"You want to approach my what for what?"

"Your keeper, it would be worth a great deal to me to breed you to my offspring."

"What!? Listen up, I'm not for sale, especially not for sexual or breeding purposes, and I belong to myself, not to anyone else."

"Of course you do, every woman belongs to herself, but her offspring and breeding rights are int he hands of her Keeper."

"Ok, I think we have a cultural misunderstanding here, among my people, a woman is her own Keeper." she calmed slightly, she still didn't like it, but at least he

"How unseemly and barbaric, but I suppose I can discuss the matter with you, as distasteful as the idea is, one must adapt to the needs of the Bazaar after all, but finding a price for such a matter, that both of us would agree on would be much harder."

"I'm not for sale."

"Surely you are, your are of breeding age, healthy and intelligent, you must bear offspring in the next 10 to 20 cycles, or you will not bear any at all."

"I have said it twice now, I'm not for sale, I am needed here, at my duties, with my people."

The man frowned, then blinked. "I have said nothing about leaving your people, I am only seeking to increase our offspring, that of your house and mine, or are you incapable of bearing offspring, if that is the unfortunate case, I will ask one of the others of your house, or your people as you call them."

Beginning to become a bit more flustered and irritated, and a bit embarrassed, she was blushing slightly. "Listen, I don't know how to explain it to you, other then as follows, we don't have keepers, we don't sell ourselves or breeding rights, and we consider the advances you've just made very impolite, non of the others is likely to speak to you any differently, and some of us would have slapped you by now for your suggestions."

The man considered for a moment, then shrugged. "So be it, other methods will be considered then."

[Adrian Moss]

Rivets didn't want trouble. Trouble was bad. Trouble tended to get people higher up in the ranks interested in what you were doing. Attention equaled trouble. Such was the Circle of Shit-Happens.

The Private migrated over to were one of the natives was flustering one of the Squints. That was bad. It was the kind of bad you didn't want your Sargent delegating you for. He migrated over to were the two were talking, or more to the point, he moved to place his 'space' between the merchant's and the Squints.

Rivets drew himself up into what could easily be construed as standing at attention next to the Squint.

"Doctor, is there a problem here?" he said, keeping his gaze on the native.

To the merchant, he added, "I would hate for there to be any misunderstandings."

Translate (Body Language): She's with US. Her well being and happiness are now my highest priority. Don't do anything you will find yourself regretting in the next sixty seconds.

Translate (Eyes): If I kill you my sole regret will be ... well nothing.

[Dawn OOC]

"There are no misunderstandings. Your woman has made the inferiority of your culture very clear to me," the merchant said, shrugging. Behind him, two men mirrored Rivets, their body language telling him that their merchant had the same veil of protection that Rivets had granted her. "Are all of your people so uneducated?"

"Excuse me?" Siva hissed, her eyes widening with anger and outrage. "Uneducated?!"

"Yes, I selected you for several reasons, but instead of thanking me, you react with insult," the merchant replied, arching an eyebrow. "I will be sure to remember this to my people, and record it in the annuals." He shook his head. "Try to offer someone an honor..." He turned and started to walk away.

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoue stumbled back into Ysuelt, righting herself enough to put her protector between her and the angry male. She might be crazy, but she remembered Pain perfectly. She saw the altercation with another of the hive's many females and the hivemate male that moved to protect her. Which was proper, but the hivemate female wasn't acting as a female should. She wasn't a Keeper or the Queen, but she was a female and some human male was approaching her for mating. That wouldn't do. Females chose males, that was the proper way and this human was being rude to one of her hive's females.

She stamped passed Yseult and Rivets, to the utter shock of those that knew the usually catonically docile Lantean, and yanked on the man's coat. He turned back, blinking into the angry face of a beautiful blonde slip of a woman. Are all their women this well-bred? Without Keepers and appropriate breeding procedures?

He barely had time to finish the the thought before the woman spoke, her accent and words sounding bizarrely archaic for such a young woman. "No. You do not approach my hive or a female in that manner, human male. You cannot offer her honor. She can bestow it on you by choosing you for service to her." Her eyes narrowed, hands on her slender hips, "Or by not having you tortured and killed for acting out of your place. You will come with me now for my queen to decide your fate for insulting her hive."

She pointed to the porta stellae, as she had named it when asked what it was called while teaching Yseult Lanten, obviously expecting to march the startled man back to Atlantis to answer to Weir for having propositioned and upset Siva.

[Adrian Moss]

Rivets hadn't known that the Sargent's Special Case knew that many words. He was both minutely surprised and proud. This kid know all about the Unit, and Unit Integrity, even if her talk about queens, hives, and breeding rights rang in the vacancy of his mind. Simply put, those words didn't matter. Their intent did.

"Specialist Amara, it's Weir's orders that we let this ... dishonor pass, but your complaint will be passed up the chain of command."

Though he never took his eyes off the man, his attention focused on him.

"Now sir, I suggest you move along before this Lady orders me to kill you. That would be ... unfortunate, don't you think."

[Evana]

Yirya seemed pleased for the first time that either of them had seen. For a long moment, he stared down at the offered cleavage, all but visibly drooling. Evana finally repeated her question, putting just enough snap in her tone to catch his ear. "Just stay in the bazaar," he said, not even pretending to look her in the eyes - which was a shame, because they were pretty, too. "And don't offend anyone."

"That's what I'm trying to avoid," Evana said, managing to sound patient. "Where are we not allowed to be?"

"Don't go outside the walls," Yirya said, nodding. "Don't steal and don't kill anyone, and you'll be fine."

"You've been a doll, sweetie, thank you." With a seductive wink and a practiced smile that could collapse governments, Evana pushed off the bar. "I certainly think my people and I can handle that. Yirya, it certainly has been a pleasure, but I must get back. Again, thank you for you time."

One out of the tent her runway strut became a determined stride that Bannon seemed a bit surprised by. She slipped into 'on the clock' mode and her personality did it's usual one-eighty. She tapped the com in her earpiece. "Rules are simple mates, I just got done speaking with Yirya. Handsome man, with excellent taste..."

"Evana, focus..." Shepard offered.

"Alright, the deal is simple..." She talked while she walked, conveying her brief but informative encounter with the people beyond the camp as she and Bannon made their way back.

Assume if you hae a Rank (not Backing) of 1 or greater then any information that Evana and Bannon has been passed on to you. This saves me from repeating the same things that were just said over and over. After all, that's what communications are for.

This is a short post to keep things moving...

[Siva Talia Ilia Moore]

"Stop!" Her tone was now quite hard, it was one thing to run this fellow off, or even make it clear that his attentions were not welcome, it was something else entirely to threaten his life. "I appreciate the defense, I really do, but no one is killing anyone for a misunderstanding, that is completely and entirely unacceptable to me." She put her hands firmly on her hips and there was strong hint of command in her voice as she said in, as though she fully expected to be obeyed, and be obeyed at once, this was an attitude she had taken to bring her younger siblings up short when she had to take care of them, though of course it hadn't always worked.

Once she was clear in her words to them, she turned to him and bowed slightly. "Sir, I appreciate the honor you attempted to offer me, and I will attempt to regard it with the spirit it was intended, but my peoples traditions are much different, please consider this a respectful refusal and continue on your way." She wouldn't have been this polite in getting rid of him, if the other two hadn't blundered in and suggested killing a man for what was a cultural misunderstanding, and she was still unhappy with the matter, but now at least she understood that he meant it as an honor, so she was inclined to give him a pass, as long as he didn't bring it up again.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

“Looking for something in particular?” the merchant schmoozed, baring an arm with a variety of bracelets up to the elbow.

Yseult gave them a quick, cursory glance, then snorted, a pair of grey-blue plumes of smoke flaring from her nostrils. She never bothered with bracelets - they caught on things and rattled. "No," Yseult growled, then on second thought, watching the Mad Max Men step through the StarGate, reconsidered. "I could go with a pair of combat gladii." Noting the puzzled look on the woman's face, Yseult grunted, "Swords. Never mind. No trades now." As the woman backed away, a speculative look in her canny eyes, Yseult turned to the civies with a dark look. "No trading now! We bivouac first, then you guys can lose your junk getting ripped off by the natives."

The sociology geeks looked resentful at having their curiosity going unsatisfied, but subsided under the big woman's glower. Yseult smirked, catching the pretty little squint's misunderstanding with the native, but didn't move to interfere. Getting her sensibilities shocked wasn't going to hurt her and it might serve as a warning to the others. She remembered having an Arab prince offer a team member ten sheep for her, once. God, how they had laughed. She'd have broken the short, round, tub of lard...

Then Rivets went on point like a loyal guard dog and Tub o' Lard's (as she mentally named him) back-up did the same. Before it went any further, Tubby turned away with a huff, his tail tucked between his legs, though he pretended to condescension at the unsophisticated barbarians from the Milk Way Galaxy. Yseult began panning back to keep on eye on the rest of squints and make sure they weren't off trying to get bought when Inoue stalked between her and Rivets and pulled a bunch of crazy out of her ass and tossed it Tub o' Lard's feet.

She watched Inoue haul the man up the ramp to the Stargate, ignoring Rivets, half amused, half impressed by her moxie, and half surprised at her initiative (and yes, she knew that was a half too many, Inoue caused crazy all around her too). Pity she'd have to let him go, she kinda wanted to see Weir's face when Inoue dragged Tub o' Lard in front of her. As the squint was making her lovey-dovey, apologetic snit, Yseult caught up to Inoue with several long, strong strides.

"Let him go," Yseult said as they stood in front of the gate.

Inoue looked up at her Kee - at her Y-seult Mor Reau, pale brows crinkling in confusion, her hand tightening on the transgressing male's sleeve. Did she not understand? Y-seult didn't suffer insults, though now that she thought about it, sometimes Yseult just laughed or didn't find the insults insulting, for some reason. There was still much to this Hive she did not understand.

Yseult grinned crookedly at Inoue's surprising intransigence, privately glad she was showing a backbone, even if it was at an annoying time. "We are not wasting the commander's time with this shitbag. Let him go. Now."

Sullenly, Inoue complied, giving the male a glower before she sidled back into her place a step back and to the side of Y-seult. Yseult gave Inoue a satisfied nod, the turned back to Tub with an unpleasant smile as she finished her cigarette and ground it under her heel. The man couldn't help but notice yet another well-bred female, though this one was unusually muscular - a waste that, a woman had no need for the strength of a man.

"Now, you... Fuck-off. If you try to buy another one of us, all you are going to do is buy yourself a world of hurt. Understand?" Yseult told with mock-cheer, but her icy-blue eyes glinted with dark promise. Woman or no, she still looked strong and fierce enough to rip either of his man-at-arms to pieces. He nodded, and withdrew when Yseult's lips curved in a smirk and shooed him away with a wave of her hand.

Inoue watched the male leave - unharmed! - then looked up at Yseult. "Why is Siva regarded so lowly in the Hive that a human male can touch her and give her insult without suffering punishment for it?"

Yseult glanced down at her irritating charge and sighed. "For one thing. we can't take him back to the Commander. The Storm, remember? And for another, it was just a pinch on the ass and some culture-clash. Insulting yes, but not something the squint is going to die from. And maybe now, she'll watch her back some."

Her earpiece crackled to life and she listened to Evana's update, then caught Bates' eye. With a flick of her eyes, she suggested either side and slightly back of the StarGate to set up camp. The space was clear and they'd see anyone coming through the Gate (or leaving) without being in the way.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis continued to keep a soldierly calm and composure... barely. The people thickening about, shouting, hawking goods, he kept feeling more and more like something would repeat itself. A car bomb, a blaze of AK-47s, an IED sending them about the Humvee. Curtis forced the reeling mind of his to concentrate, or he would make it into a complete psychiatric case for Keller to handle at an inconvenient time.

And he had to repeatedly keep the scientists from moving past him, breaking the imaginary line where they would be relatively safe from kidnappers, thieves, any sort of malefactor who could use the crowds as cover and the alleys as an escape route.

The word from Captain Evana was a godsend, in his view, and he used the news as a club to badger reluctant biologists and botanists and sociologists (especially Dr. Fitzgerald) back towards the general direction of the Stargate, closer to the other portions of the group, until the exact camping grounds were set.

[Dawn OOC]

Bates nodded to Yseult and turned. "Alright, we're camping around that area," he ordered in English and pointing. People began to shuffle to the side, most of the civilians still looking lost.

"Looks like you have things in hand, Captain," Sheppard said as the group began to find some order.

"Yes, sir," Bates replied with a curt nod.

"Then I need to get back," Sheppard replied, heading for DHD. Bates walked next to him as Sheppard added, "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"You make that sound limiting," Bates remarked casually, then smiled at the look he got from Sheppard. "Be careful at home, sir. We'll see you in a couple of days." Sheppard clapped him on the shoulder; then the StarGate was active and he was slipping through it. Bates subtly sighed as his commanding officer disappeared and the full weight of command fell on his shoulders. Turning to his people, he shouted, "Alright, let's go! Everyone pitch in! Let's get moving."

Things were going well until they started to set up tents, when it became apparent that there wasn't enough room for everyone's tent. There was barely going to be room for people to lay down in their sleeping bags all at once. Bates growled something under his breath before pulling all of the senior military personnel over to the side. "I need an alternate suggestion, and fast," he said quickly to the gathered people. "We can't fit here, and I don't want to split us up. Suggestions?"

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis went over things in his head. The military tents were meant for one person. They could uncomfortably squish in pairs, but the space was very very limited anyway. Surrounding them in the bazaar were the tents and temporary buildings of the vendors, although these probably had been up for some time indeed.

Highly competitive merchants, no doubt. And some certain hard cash in their pockets might be better sooner for them rather than later.

"Well," he finally mused. "Depends on how much the merchants make in a week here. Since you asked, sir, there's the possibility of paying some of the other vendors to stay home for a few days, and occupy their spaces. Or something that would be good incentive for them to do so."

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Yseult glared at the cramped camp in disgust - naturally, they were given space in the Bazaar and yet, none of it was enough for their needs. Face blank, the large woman listened to Curtis' option, eyes narrowing on the surrounding stalls. It might give them enough space - though who knows at what cost, but they'd never set up a proper perimeter abutting up to the rest of the tents, a perimeter to keep the merchants (and other visitors) out and the squints in.

She nodded sharply at the city walls and stretched her broad shoulders. "Try for a camp outside of town - farmer's field or in the green belt or some shit. Not prime, down-town real estate so the price should be better - it better be - and we can set a proper camp." She smirked, eying the anxious civvies. "More control in who comes in and who goes out, too. We can set up a rotation for visiting town."

[Adrian Moss]

While his eyes roamed over the crowded bazaar, he snuck a look over the the gathering of the people in charge. He saw no decision being made, no orders being issued, so he went back watching thing. He had an idea. Surprisingly it didn't die of loneliness. It's lifeline was that it made basic military sense and was easy to implement. Weighing the pro's and con's (no small task), he made a decision - give this up to someone else who might make more use of it, or shut it down. It was ingrained in him to avoid attention, but the situation seemed to call for uncommon measures.

Rivets made his way switching back and forth in his direction as he made his way toward the meeting. In a whispered voice to Sgt.Yseult, he said,

"Sargent, we could team up four of the squ/civilians with a trooper. Have them move and camp as a group. The spare troop would be a Rapid Reaction Force."

His shrug was barely noticeable.

"Just a thought."

[SalmonMax]

Dr. Keller, who'd been trailing Yseult and Inoue for some time, caught up to the buff female sergeant and said in a low voice, "Intervention time. I'd do it myself, but she has her own sensibilities of gender roles, and accepts your authority. Just go up, tell her you'll handle it from here and have her hang back a ways while we smooth this over."

[Dawn OOC]

“What do you suggest we use for pay?” Bates asked Curtis bluntly. “I don’t have the local currency, and given how lightly we packed I’m sure we don’t have much for barter.”

Yseult’s suggestion seemed to please him more, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he focused on Rivets. “It’s a thought,” he said “but one of last recourse. I don’t want to split us up if we don’t have to. Seems like we’d be asking for trouble.”

When Dr. Keller joined them, Bates’s eyes narrowed. “Inoae!” he snapped, pulling the woman’s head around and ordering. “Come here. No, don’t look at Moreau. Come here.” When Yseult didn’t stop her, Inoae stepped up to the captain. He pulled a deck of playing cards out of his BDUs and said, “Put these in order and return to me. Now.”

With the idiot-savant taken distracted, the soldier returned his attention to pressing issues. “Anyone else got an idea?” he asked, his dark eyes going to Evana.

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoue scurried away from Bates and back to a point where her Ysuelt Moreau was between her and him, sitting on a the low stone wall that seemed to encircle the bazaar and the porta stellae. She pulled the cards from the package, carefully looking through each of them. There were two colors, four shapes, numbered cards from one to ten, three different cards per shape with poorly drawn depictions of humans on it, and two cards with humans drawn on them, one colored and the other black and white and both with stars in the corners. There were many different ways to put the cards in order, but this was a test from the queen's angriest male and that meant that there was only one correct way, if she was lucky. There might not be any correct way; that was more like the tasks Pain would give her, just to remind her of how stupid and worthless she was.

She laid the cards out carefully, using small stone to weight them down while she considered each one in turn. The numbered ones were easy enough to understand. The poorly drawn humans were harder. Each set had a letter: J, K, and Q. She knew English enough now to know how to put them in alphabetical order, but then why those three letters? They must mean more than just the letter. She studied the pictures carefully. Some of them had weapons. Those must be males, then. She pulled them out, bit her lip as she considered, then pulled out the others of the different shapes that had the same letters. That left the pictures with the Q's. She smiled as she understood that much at least, she knew that English word well: Queen! The letters must show rank!

Okay...The Queen was obviously the most powerful and important card....perhaps the shapes represented different hives? And the colors....perhaps alliances? The cards would be a kind of war-game, then, which made since she often saw the warriors of her hive playing with them in the mess hall. Lu Ten Ent Ken Ing had played by himself when he watched her sometimes....war practice and easy to carry around!

That meant, then, that the queens should be protected by her males and her drones. So, the K and the J must be males, with different ranks, and the numbered cards were numbers of drones. She laid the queen cards down carefully to start four new piles, then went back to the conundrum of the K and the J.

Mmmm...ranks....Lu Ten Ent...Sar Gent...Kap Tain! Kap Tain is a high rank, is Kap Tain Bates' rank and he serves the queen directly. Okay. Now, J......I don't know any J ranks...perhaps that's the scientists? Okay...then....

She frowned at the cards and then began to stack them. Queens on the bottom, then Kap Tains as the queen's personal guard, then J's for whatever they did in the war game, then the drones, starting with the the one and going up to the ten. Strength first, with the scientists to help the drones, then the queen's guard, and then the queen herself.

Alright. Now how do the shapes and colors rank? They're all the same except for those. Except....

She shuffled back through the cards to find the males that had weapons. That has to show they were stronger than the ones without them....right?

She peered at each card for a long time before finally deciding that the reds were more armed than the blacks, and the hearts more than the diamonds. She placed the colored figure with the stars in the corners on top of the diamonds pile, and the hearts on top of that. Then she looked the blacks over again, and nearly fell off the wall. She'd almost missed it!

The black-heart queen! All the other queens only have flowers, but she has a...a staff of some sort! She has her own weapon, or at least something the others don't! I am so stupid! She quickly went back through all the cards again, just to make sure she hadn't missed anything else so obvious, then put the black and white star-man on the black flowers, and the black hearts on top of them, then the blacks on top of the reds.

She was done.

She eyed the deck warily, but she knew she couldn't dither. She had been ordered to sort them and return now, so she was already late. She scooped up the cards and carefully fitted them back into their casing, then made her way reluctantly but quickly back to Kap Tain Bates. She knelt to the side of him, out of the way of the other hive members he was speaking with, head down and the deck held out in her hands like an offering to a vengeful god. She was used to that pose; she could hold it for hours with something much heavier than the miniature war game without twitching a single muscle in pain or fatigue.

Intelligence + Academics Roll

Malachite *rolls* 6d10: 1+3+9+2+1+8: 24

2 suxx

[Dawn OOC]

Evana shrugged. "Let's ditch this hole and find something better."

Bates nodded idly, his face pensive with thought. He allowed the officers and civilians to discuss it another moment, long enough that Inoae returned and took up position next to him. " Rivets, Moreau, Evana - find us a new home. Everyone else, let's make sure everyone's still packed-" - by which he meant the squints were still packed - "and get out of here," he said. The soldiers nodded and moved to check the crowd. Bates glanced at Inoae; for a moment, she thought he was going to take the cards, but he moved away from her.

The girl followed, still on her knees. When the captain saw that, he snapped, "On your feet, for God's sake." Inoae settled back several paces from him, the cards still held out in an offering. With his blonde ghost, the captain stepped into the middle of the civvies and whistled sharply. The scientists looked at him and Bates said, "We're leaving the bazaar and heading to somewhere with more space. Be ready to go in five."

It was only then that he turned and took the cards from Inoae. As the crowd milled around them, he thumbed through the cards, his expression stony and unreadable. He gave her a look that she couldn't read; she wasn't sure if he was pleased or upset. Silently, he put the cards back in the box and that back in his pocket, and went back to waiting for the squints to be ready.

[Adrian Moss]

Rivets popped to attention and looked to the Captain. Barring any other direction, he moved to the point position. That was the place you sent grunts after all. In the great circles of modern command, you put your privates on the outside, next to an officer, or the Sergeant. If he, or she, stumbled across something, it wouldn't be a catastrophe. Likewise, you kept someone in command close, because you couldn't always rely on your grunt to think things through. That wasn't his job.

He picked the clearest route out of town, with the widest avenue to move the squints through. That accomplished, he waited. It wasn't like he was choosing the actual direction. It was just that when they called on you to do something, it paid to be right there were you were needed. If they couldn't remember your name, all they had to do was motion toward you and say, 'Hey you, do (insert command)', and voila, you had something to do.

Rivets wasn't smug about it. He really didn't have the capacity for an over-inflated sense of self-worth. He was simply well-trained, which in his mind was the thing that factored in the most.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis returned back to check over the scientists, mentally hitting himself for forgetting the lack of assets to exchange. It was simple, and you forgot about that you dolt! Frustrated, his checking nearly turned to double-checking, before he cooled down and got set to move. This probably lowered people's estimations of me.

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Moreau glanced at Inoae then gave Bates a flat, level stare as she fell in behind Evana, taking up rear-guard as she, Evana, and Rivets worked their way through the bustling city and out the gates. That thing with the cards irritated her. Sure, Inoae was an aggravation, but she was her aggravation. As fucked-up mentally and emotionally as she was, Inoae wasn't a retard - seeing Bates distract with a ploy that would only work on a toddler - if that - annoyed her.

Moving instead of dithering around was an improvement though. Her combat boots gliding easily over the cobblestones, worn smooth from countless feet and carts, Moreau deftly avoided the rank presents left behind by beasts of burden, icy blue eyes scanning their surroundings, keeping a covert eye on they back-trail, in case they picked up any undue interest while meandering the bazaar around the StarGate.

Their progress was slowed when they reached the gates, a broad, stone arch, a sigil carved into the keystone, with people going both in and out. The guards - dressed in black leather and polished half-plate - gave them a curious-bordering-on-suspicious glance, fingering their truncheons, but didn't accost them. Yseult returned the look with one that was curious-bordering-on-contemptuous. They radiated all the authority of mall security.

The road outside the town was lined by carriage yards, stables, and rough taverns - a trade hub indeed - the smell both fresh and pungent to those raised in an industrialized world. Beyond them, the land sloped down in rolling hills, tilled into broad, terraced fields, bordered by low, stacked stone walls, and dotted with tended copses of trees, probably for firewood and charcoal. Under the high sun and a soft breeze, the fields rippled with a variety of crops, a fair number of people attending to them, this close to the town.

Further away, the road from the city crossed another road, this one wider, of hard-packed dirt, beyond which the land began to slowly rise once more, the copses of trees growing closer and closer together into a true - if not thick - untended forest. Yseult rolled her broad shoulders, gaze panning over the fields, then nodding towards the less cultivated land further away.

"So, we look for a field already harvested that we can just occupy or rent for a favour or some shit, or do we make the civvies hike it down to those forested hills? We might not have much for trading, but we can blow up tree stumps just fine and crap, but I rather save the firepower for those who deserve it."

[Adrian Moss]

In Rivets' simple mind there were the three basic elements to any encampment: Sight, Security, and Sustenance. You had to be able to see around you. You had to be able to keep whatever you were guarding safe, and you needed food, ammo, and water, in reverse order. Without water, you could cook out any position in a matter of days.

Any site that didn't have at least two of these covered was in big trouble. A field could provide security, but it was shit on visibility, and there was no water close by. The problem was, the ground sloped down to what must have been the local waterway. The lower the land, the less the visibility. Rivets wasn't too worried about it. His officers knew what they were doing. All he had to do was follow orders.

[Dawn OOC]

When they saw the terrain, Bates sent out soldiers, keeping half to guard. They went out in twos and threes and were gone for a while. After they'd passed from view, Bates took the cards out again and thumbed through them more slowly, trying to make sense of the order. At lease she can count, he mused to himself. That was more than he'd thought she was been capable of, and these cards indicated that she could think logically.

"Interesting," he murmured, all too aware that the girl was still shadowing him and watching with eager eyes. It wasn't an excited eager as much as an tense eagerness, rather like a beaten dog bringing back a bone in what it hoped was the right way. The squints were getting restless, he allowed them to take off their packs and sit down.

When the troops came back, there were several suggested sites. Out of the best ones, Bates choose a camp, got everyone on their feet and started the mile slog to the camp. It was just as the Private had said, he noticed with satisfaction. It was next to a small river that tumbled down a waterfall when the ground dropped downward suddenly into a massive sinkhole. When one stood on the edge, one could hear the water falling a long way. There was a hill behind them that would provide a height vantage for surveillance, and the ground next to the river was flat and wide enough for their camp. They weren't at the top of the hill, but Bates could station men at the crest to watch. The river, the hill, and the cliff would offer some security. He didn't like all the foliage around, but it was the best of what was available.

"Alright," he grunted, "make camp. Dr. Bannon, test the steam to see what needs to be done to make that drinkable. Moreau, Rivets, secure the hill. Evana, see that the civilians don't put up a tent upside down." The threat of Evana should make the squints extra careful, Bates thought to himself with satisfaction.

A soft tread behind him reminded him of his shadow. "Inoae," he said, summoning her. She practically jumped to his side. If she hadn't been so damned damaged, she'd have made a good soldier. "Look around the area, see if you can find some edible wild food." He wasn't sure if she'd find anything, but it was harmless for her to look. "Don't touch it; bring Dr. Bannon to it after he's done with the river. Or any other scientist he says can confirm if the food's edible. And stay within eyesight of the camp and don't cross the river." They had enough food, but Bates believed in long-term preparation. If she found anything, then they could bring it back to Atlantis, too.

[Evana]

"Dandy," Mr. Judd complained to himself, a bit more loudly than intended. Once a few other civies looked in his direction as they continued to remove their gear from their packs, he offered up more for their inquisitive looks. "Just dandy. We're dragged half away across God-knows-what and end up in God-knows-where-on a camping trip for God-knows-why. This is bullshit." He fumed while wrestling his tent from his pack, nearly loosing his balance in the process. "And on top of it, the sent us the closet to dom to 'help'," he drop what was in his hands to accent the quotation with his fingers. "Us.

"Carl, shut up, please?" Doug Hadder, nothing more than a petty engineer, had heard enough. "Look, we're all screwed here, okay? Us, them, Atlantis at the moment with the storm. Just try to make the best of it and we'll all be home soon. Besides, Bates made the right call, no one pitches tents faster in Atlantis than Evana." It was a moment of levity as everyone shared a laugh ay Doug’s wit. Both the men and women needed it. It had been a hard enough day already, it was nice to see a lighter side of it.

"Very witty, Mr. Hadder." Evana voice was a cool accent that washed over the crowd, unintentionally she silenced them all at once. Sometimes it was staggering the amount of bearing she brought to a situation, like she was fifty feet tall and ready to trample everything. "Oh, come on, don't give me the whole 'oh crap we just got caught' treatment. What? I can't laugh at myself? Mr Hadder is right ladies and gentleman, today has been one large suck on a sour lemon, so if all of you sharing a laugh at my expense with keep the morale up, then I suppose I can take on for the team." She suddenly glared at Carl, the kind of glare that made dried paint bubble up on a surface. "What we don't need is people bitching and complaining in some pissy attempt to drag everyone's mood down into the Abyss with them. Look people, we all signed up for this, even me. Frankly I'd prefer to be back in Atlantis, naked and writhing in satin sheets. Instead I'm out here with all this," She waved her hand dismissively, her accent becoming thicker. "Nature."

She clapped her leather-gloved hands to get their focus, stepping over thier gear as she did and surprisingly keeping her footing despite the heeled boots she always wore. "So come on people, we only have a couple hours of light left. We either get this done, or you're stuck doing it in the dark." She suddenly smirked and pointed at Mr. Hadder. "Not a word, you know what I meant."

She strutted off tapping her finger to her ear piece. "Civilians are getting restless guys. Let's, if we can, try to stay off their case for a bit. That means treating them like human beings if at all possible. Think you can hadle that Moreau, Tanner?"

[Teagan Shae Ammer]

Inoue nodded and started exploring the area, mentally mapping the area and moving in the spiral pattern that Darkness had taught her. Cap Tan Bates had told her not to touch the food, so instead she marked the plants next to each edible plant or group of plants: one bend for edible fruit, two for edible leaves, three for edible roots or tubers. Combinations far enough apart for those that had multiple edible parts, and another set of marks to indicate which plant around the one she marked was the edible one(s).

It took a little while to find all the edible food in the area that Cap Tan Bates had specified. When she was done, she went in search of Dok Tor Ban On. Most of the tents were already pitched by the time she was done and he was sitting outside his own crisply put up tent, holding a picked flower with gloved hands and studying it carefully. She shook her head, "Not edible. Eating the petals will make you ill and see things for little time. Leaves will make you sick for longer. Maybe kill. Touching is fine. Smelling is mostly fine, but must be careful of pollen. Pollen can be...like petals, sometimes not, sometimes worse. Different for each person." She took his free hand and pulled on it a little, to show him that he should stand. "Come, Cap Tan Bates orders us to get food. I have found food, you must come with me to collect it."

Survival Roll

Malachite *rolls* 5d10: 9+2+10+2+9: 32

4 successes!

[Sgt. Yseult Moreau]

Yseult flicked her earpiece, snorting and rolling her eyes at Evana's request. "Oui, Captain," she drawled, lips curling into a smirk. "It is being difficult, but I will manage. The civilians, I will be treating them as I treat any when I am being home on R et R." Yseult turned to spit than nodded at Rivets. "Let's go, Private."

Moreau and Rivet ascended the hill with swift and professional skill using a leapfrog pattern a dozen yards apart, one of them moving ten yards ahead, then pausing to cover the other taking the lead. The rustle of Yseult's gear was muted with the smoothness of her movements, aided by the relatively sparse undergrowth, combat boots digging into the turf as she scaled the incline with ease.

Reaching the crest, Yseult scanned the far side with a narrow, icy gaze before turning around to look back the way they came and over their camp. She nodded, satisfied. "Good lines of sight, though the canopy blocks it some. Keep watch," she ordered Rivet, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at a tree, grown large on unobstructed sunlight on the crest. "I'm going to get a higher vantage point."

She took several quick steps then jumped, planting her foot against the trunk and flexed, boosting herself higher to grab the lowest branches. With the raw power of her arms, she hauled herself and her gear gracefully through the boughs, strong hands gripping the bark surely. High above the ground, she found a perch in a fork in the trunk, strong thighs keeping her steady as she pulled out a scope and held it to her eye.

"Better," she purred, the additional height letting her see further, as well as letting her look down at a steeper angle, enabling her to pierce the canopy better. She leaned back against the trunk and tapped her earpiece. "Bates, crest is secured." Merde, just let me spend my watch here, no squints underfoot...