Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games or Stargate Atlantis. Also this won't be entirely accurate, enjoooy.
They flew through the open gate into the new world.
"Rodney, any life signs?" Sheppard asked.
"None so far," McKay said, working the interface of the puddle jumper.
"There does not seem to be much here," Teyla commented, looking out the window. She was right, the land seemed desolate, only a few trees.
"There's a forest over there," Ronan pointed. The forest was the only living thing they could see.
"Let's land over there, more coverage." Sheppard said, turning the ship in the direction of the forest.
The puddle jumper landed and they filed out of the ship.
"Why are we here again?" McKay asked, readjusting his gear.
"To see if there are any civilizations, Rodney." Teyla said.
"Oh, come on, why? Every time we meet these people something always goes wrong." Rodney complained.
"If you have an issue with it, don't come." Ronan replied. McKay scowled at the back of his head.
"I doubt we'll find any good technology here. This place is barren," McKay said.
"It doesn't hurt to try, Rodney." Sheppard retorted.
They trudged through thick foliage. Ronan stuck out his arm and McKay stopped.
"What?" McKay asked, looking confused at Ronan. Ronan pointed to a trap inches near Rodney's foot. "Oh."
"There are hunters in these woods," Ronan said. Teyla came up behind Ronan.
"If there are hunters, they are probably from the neighboring village. Let us see," she said. They continued making their way through the forest, avoiding many traps.
"Someone makes their living off these traps," Ronan commented.
"It's probably how they survive. Over there, there's a gate." Teyla said, pointing to a clearing.
They made it to the gate. Ronan stopped them.
"It's an electric gate. I don't think it's active. Here," he slid through a hidden opening between the gate, and made it to the other side. Sheppard, McKay, and Teyla followed through the gate.
"Now this looks like a village," Sheppard said once he had straightened up. There was a village with old buildings and dirty streets. The village certainly looked poor in health.
"A barren village. Think all the villagers are dead." McKay said, kicking a metal can aside.
"I don't think so. There's a child over there," Teyla pointed behind the buildings.
There was a small girl holding supplies. She was very skinny, and kept her eyes on the ground.
"You think the Wraith caused this village to be in this state?" Sheppard asked.
"It is possible. Maybe it is more regularly culled than others." Teyla said.
"Well, let's go check it out." Sheppard said. They entered the village, and they soon came to see the village wasn't as barren as they thought. There were some villagers, but they hid in the shadows and kept to themselves.
Sheppard searched for the right villager to speak to. He didn't want someone too timid to be able to help them. They were about to go further into the city, away from the forest gate, when someone shouted at them.
"Stop! Who are you?" Sheppard turned around. It was an older teenage girl. She stood by the gate, wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and black boots. Her brown hair was braided down the side. She looked alarmed at newcomers.
Teyla glanced at Sheppard. He motioned his head for her to speak to the frightened girl.
"We mean you no harm, we are explorers." She said gently, putting out her hands. The girl looked confused.
"Explorers? There are no explorers. Come with me." She demanded. Sheppard cocked an eyebrow.
"Might as well do as the lady says, follow her." Sheppard said, and his team reluctantly agreed. They followed her back out to the gate and far into the woods.
"Where are you taking us?" Ronan demanded. She glanced back but didn't answer. Finally, she stopped. She turned around.
"Who are you guys, really?" she asked again.
"We are explorers. We came through the—" Teyla began again, but was interrupted.
"No, see, you can't be explorers. Anyone who leaves their district is shot. So tell me who you are!" she took out a knife and Sheppard's team put up their weapons.
"Whoa! Okay, let's calm down. Put the knife down," Sheppard said. The girl looked stunned.
"Where did you get those? Only Peacekeepers have those," she said, dropping the knife. It landed with a soft thud in the dirt. Sheppard lowered his gun, motioning for the others to do the same. Ronan didn't budge.
"Ronan, down boy." Sheppard said sternly. Ronan's lip twitched, and he dropped his weapon.
"We're not from here. We came through the ancestral gate. We're not from your world." He said and she looked even more confused than before.
"What ancestral gate? What are you talking about, not from my world? What, are you aliens?" she demanded. Teyla looked surprised.
"Have you not seen the ancestral gate?" she asked. The girl shook her head.
"Who are you?" Ronan turned the question on her. She was silent for a minute.
"Katniss Everdeen. Show me this gate." She said.
"How about you tell us what's going on here first. You said you would get shot if you moved between districts?" Sheppard asked. Katniss nodded.
"It's not allowed. We're not allowed to know what's going on in different districts." She said.
"Why not?" Ronan asked. She shrugged.
"What do your people do when the Wraith come?" Teyla asked. Katniss looked confused.
"I don't know what that is." She responded and Teyla looked in shock at Sheppard.
"You've never heard of the Wraith?" Sheppard asked incredulously.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Show me the gate, please." She said. She picked up her knife and slipped it in her boot. "Calm down, big guy. I was putting it away," she said to Ronan who had aimed his gun at her again.
"Come with us. We need to talk." Sheppard said, and they began making their way to the puddle jumper. She followed reluctantly.
When the puddle jumper came into view, she stopped walking. Sheppard turned.
"You coming?" he asked. She stared at it, and the knife was back in her hand.
"How do I know you're not Peacekeepers?" she demanded, holding the knife up.
"I don't know what Peacekeepers are, but we're not going to hurt you." Sheppard said, putting his hands up. "Just come look inside."
Katniss lowered her knife. "Only Peacekeepers and the Capitol have this kind of technology." She said, putting her knife away and approaching Sheppard.
"We're not from here, I keep telling you. Ladies first?" he said, gesturing to the opening of the ship. She entered, looking awestruck. Rodney was already inside, as was Teyla. Ronan and Sheppard followed in after Katniss. Katniss sat down, and looked at them.
"Can you talk here? Is it safe?" Sheppard asked her, taking the seat opposite from her. She nodded slowly.
"I think. Unless they have the forest bugged, but I doubt that." She said.
"Who is they?" Sheppard asked. Katniss blinked.
"The Capitol. They're our government." She said. "I have never met someone who was not from Panem." She said.
"Panem?" Teyla asked.
"It's our country. There are 12 districts. There were 13, but 13 got destroyed in the rebellion."
"Rebellion?" Ronan asked. Katniss looked at him.
"I don't even know all your names." She said suddenly.
"Of course. How rude of us. I am Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla Emmagon, Ronan Dex, and Dr. Rodney McKay." Sheppard introduced them. Katniss nodded.
"There was a rebellion. All the districts were fed up with the way the Capitol ran things. There was the War. In the end, 13 was obliterated off the map, and the Hunger Games were created."
Before they could ask what it was, Katniss shook her head. "You haven't heard? Course not, you're not from here. The Hunger Games is a form of punishment from the Capitol. To punish us for defying the Capitol each district is to submit a boy and a girl to be put in an arena where they will survive and fight to the death. It is televised for everyone to watch, as to remind us who is our leaders, and why we are being punished. There is a victor who later on becomes a mentor to teach the next set of kids. The Reaping is supposed to be today." Katniss said solemnly.
The puddle jumper was quiet. The seriousness of what they heard and the crude horror made everyone dead silent.
"Are you serious?" Sheppard asked. Katniss looked at him intently.
"Never have I seen an adult flinch because of the horror of the games. I mean our people of course, but Capitol people…they enjoy it. Watching us kill each other off. This is our life. We live with it."
"But you do not have to. Why do your people not rebel again?" Teyla asked. Katniss stared at her.
"We barely survived the last war, and see what it did to thirteen? They would slaughter us." Katniss said.
"This is a battle between men and women?" Ronan asked. Katniss stared at him dully.
"Girls and boys between the ages of 11-18. Children killing children. This is our society. There's nothing we can do." Katniss said resound.
"Colonel Sheppard, we cannot let this happen." Teyla said urgently. Sheppard looked at her.
"What do you expect me to do? This is a dictator government, you want me to waltz in and shoot the leader?"
"We have to do something. This is sick and wrong, and you know it, Sheppard." Ronan said fiercely. Sheppard looked torn.
"What is the gate? You said you came through it? Maybe we can escape." Katniss interjected. Sheppard looked at her.
"How many people?" he asked. Katniss was silent. "How many people are in Panem? There are twelve districts? I think this puddle jumper is a bit too small, don't you think?" Sheppard asked.
Silence. Sheppard sighed.
"What's the Reaping?" he asked.
"It's where they choose the name of the boy and the girl out of a big spinning ball. Throughout the year if you need supplies, you can sign up for a Tessarae. It adds your name three times into the reaping ball, but you get your supplies. I haven't let my sister sign up." She said. Sheppard debated.
"Can we speak to your leaders? Would they listen?" he asked. Katniss laughed.
"Are you kidding me? They'd shoot you on sight." She said and Sheppard put his hands on his face.
"Okay, does anyone have a suggestion for what we can do? I'm out of options." He said.
"We should speak with Dr. Weir. Maybe she can give us some insight." Teyla suggested.
Rodney scoffed. "Yeah, that'll help, bring another woman's perspective into this." Teyla rounded on him.
"Excuse me?" Teyla said deadly. Rodney looked startled at Teyla's new tone.
"W-what? No, listen, all I'm saying is that of course she's going to say we take action and fight them! Women are driven by emotion, and compassion is the most deadly of the emotion. They will do anything for who they think is endangered, am I not correct?" Rodney said quickly. Teyla considered this.
"It won't hurt to ask. Katniss, would you like to come with us?" he asked Katniss. She looked shocked that he was asking.
"I can't. My sister will be at the Reaping, I need to support her." Katniss said quickly. John nodded.
"Alright, Ronan, I want you to stay with Katniss. Gather intel, see what living in…what district is this?" he asked Katniss.
"12. We're coal miners," she said with a shrug.
"See how life is in District 12. Whatever you do, do not engage the Peacekeepers. I'm assuming they're your law enforcement?" Sheppard asked. Katniss nodded. "Ronan, behave. Don't do anything rash and stupid, keep your gun on stun." Sheppard said. Ronan rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure." He said and Sheppard nodded.
"Good, we'll be back in an hour." Sheppard said. Teyla touched his shoulder.
"Colonel, may I stay behind as well?" she asked. Sheppard pondered this.
"Yeah, keep an eye on Ronan. Lets move, people, we don't have all day." Sheppard said. Teyla, Ronan, and Katniss all got off. The puddle jumper closed, and it flew into the sky.
"That's incredible. Only the Capitol have ships like those." Katniss commented.
"Just like that one?" Teyla asked. Katniss shook her head.
"Different. But they fly. Come on, I have to get ready for the Reaping. Hide that thing, Peacekeepers will swarm you if a citizen is caught illegally with a gun." Katniss said. Ronan hid his gun in his jacket. They climbed over the fence, and entered District 12.
"Forgive me for asking, but why are your people poor?" Teyla asked as she observed the dirty district.
"The Capitol takes all the coal we mine. We have hardly enough to light our own fires. Basically the Capitol owns everything and we barely manage to scrape by." Katniss said bitterly.
"How long have they been in power?" Teyla asked. Katniss shrugged.
"Longer than I've been alive. They say Panem rose out of the ashes of what used to be America. But that was so long ago." Katniss said. Teyla thought for a moment. Why did that name sound familiar?
"Katniss," someone said and Katniss jerked over to see who had called her name. It was a guy her age.
"Gale," she said and rushed over to him.
"Who're they?" he asked, eyeing Teyla and Ronan suspiciously.
"Friends."
He gave her a look. "You don't make friends." He said seriously and Ronan stifled a laugh.
"Gale, I can't talk about this right now, I have to go get ready." She said. He shrugged.
"Alright, but if they give you trouble…"
"They won't. Go get ready," she said and he kissed her forehead, and left.
"Cute couple," Ronan said once Gale had left. Katniss glowered at him.
"He's my friend." She said shortly.
"You don't make friends." Ronan repeated. Katniss rolled her eyes.
"I do too. Follow me and shut up." Katniss said. Teyla grinned amused at Ronan.
"She's feisty." Teyla said and Ronan smirked.
"You're going to have to wait inside. I don't know how my mother will take visitors. We know everyone in district 12, it's a small district. We'll say you two worked deep in the mines, hardly anyone sees you. Got it?"
Ronan and Teyla nodded. Katniss took a deep breath. She entered her house.
"Mom?" Katniss entered and her mother was sitting at the kitchen table with a younger girl with blond hair.
"Katniss, I don't…" she stared in confusion at the visitors in her house. "Who are these people?"
"I met them at school. They're my friends. Can they stay here until the Reaping?" Katniss asked. Katniss's mother seemed astonished that Katniss had made friends. Katniss must not have been that open to people.
"Of course. Dear, the Reaping is in a half hour, go ready yourself. I shall make our visitors comfortable." The mother stood up.
"Oh no, it is fine. We are fine, we will just wait." Teyla said quickly, not wanting to put any more stress on the mother than was already placed on her. Two daughters up for selection in the Hunger Games. Teyla's nerves would be on end.
"Oh no, it's quite alright. I already have some tea going, let me go heat it up. What were your names?" she asked kindly. Teyla looked at Ronan.
"I am Teyla Emmagon. This is Ronan Dex," she said and the mother smiled.
"Nice to meet you. You can call me Ms. Everdeen." She said and Teyla nodded. Ms. Everdeen left to go warm the tea, and Teyla and Ronan sat on one of the couches.
"This is not right. The Capitol is taking everything from them while they live like lowly peasants." Ronan said in an undertone, fists clenching. Teyla put a soothing hand on his knee.
"Ronan, not here." Teyla warned. The small girl had fixed her attention on Ronan and Teyla. She stood up and walked over.
"Hello," she said simply.
"Hello, what is your name?" Teyla asked pleasantly. The girl with blond hair smiled.
"My name is Prim. I didn't know Katniss had friends." She said simply, sitting on the other couch.
"We met at school. Your sister is very lovely and kind." Teyla said. Prim beamed.
"I know she is. Sometimes other people have a hard time seeing it because she's so quiet all the time. It's only because of Daddy. She does it because of Daddy." Prim said.
Ronan and Teyla exchanged curious glances. "Daddy?" Ronan asked. Prim nodded.
"Daddy died in a coal mining accident. Katniss has been sad ever since." She said and Teyla felt her stomach drop. The poor girl. The poor family, having to live without a father. Teyla could definitely relate.
"I am so sorry for your loss, Prim. How long ago was it?" she asked.
Prim shrugged. "Seven years ago. We're much better now. Except…"
"Except for the Reaping?" Teyla prompted. Prim nodded.
"I…I'm scared." She said in a small voice.
"You most likely will not get picked. Your name is only in once, is it not?" Teyla asked. Prim nodded.
"But what if Katniss gets picked?" she said, her voice trembling.
"We'll make sure that won't happen," Ronan said gently. There was a noise by the entryway.
"Excuse me," it was Katniss's mother. She looked very stiff and angry. "That is not something you promise an eleven year old. Who are you to speak out of term that way against the Capitol?" she demanded. Ronan looked surprised.
"I didn't mean—" he began. Katniss brushed past her mother.
"Mom, it's fine. They didn't mean anything by it. Little Duckling, you ready?" Katniss asked Prim, walking over to her.
Katniss's mother looked uncomfortable. "They have no right promising such things. If they keep talking like that they'll get themselves killed and others hurt." She said sternly.
"Ms. Everdeen, we apologize, we did not mean to offend you." Teyla said quickly. Ms. Everdeen looked at Teyla cautiously.
"You are forgiven. Please, Katniss, do not be late to the Reaping. Go on, girls, go." She said shooing them. Katniss tucked in Prim's shirt and straightened up. She looked to Teyla and Ronan.
"Let's go," she said. They stepped outside into the cold and began following Katniss.
"Katniss, I don't want to go." Prim said quietly, staring at the ground as they walked. Ronan put a hand on her shoulder. Prim looked up, startled. Katniss shot a suspicious glare at him, but Teyla put a reassuring hand on Katniss's shoulder.
"You won't get picked. We won't allow it. Do you trust your sister?" Ronan asked her. She nodded slowly. "Good, then you're fine. Afterwards we can play a game or something, does that sound good?" Ronan said. Teyla watched him curiously. The young girl looked eager, and she jumped into his arms. He swung her up and carried her.
"Thank you. What's your name?" she asked, playing with his dreadlocks.
"Ronan Dex. You're Prim?" he asked. She nodded. "That's a pretty name," he said and she smiled at him.
"Thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder, as if he was the dad she had been missing. Katniss caught Ronan's eye.
"Thank you," she mouthed and he nodded. They made it to the square and Ronan put down Prim. She straightened her shirt and her blond braids.
"I have to go in the line, you guys can wait with the adults." Katniss said to Ronan and Teyla. But then men dressed in white started pushing Ronan, Teyla, Katniss, and Prim towards the light.
"Oh, we are not—" Teyla began. But the guy in white with the gun shoved her.
"Quiet. Get in the line," he said harshly. Teyla glared at him. They went through the line. There was a desk, and people were taking shots of the kids coming through.
"It's to account and make sure every eligible kid attended and is available for drawing." Katniss explained. Teyla looked to Katniss.
"What will they do if they notice Ronan and I are not on the list?" she asked. Katniss shrugged.
"You guys don't look like teenagers, I don't know what that Peacekeeper is on. They'll probably just put you with the adults." Katniss said. Prim was next, and she backed up.
"Prim, its okay." Katniss said. Prim reluctantly stepped forward. They took a prick of her finger, and moved her forward. Katniss was next. Then it was Ronan. Ronan walked up, unsure of what would happen. They pricked his finger.
"Ronan Dex. Next," the lady said. Ronan looked at Katniss in shock. Her mouth was slightly open. He moved and followed Katniss. Teyla looked equally surprised when they read off her name.
"Do they analyze the blood to figure out who you are?" Teyla asked. Katniss shrugged.
"That could be it. But I have no idea how they were able to get your identities when you aren't even from this world. Whatever, just keep moving." Katniss said. They were split into different groups, boys and girls.
"What happens when someone gets picked?" Ronan asked before they were separated.
"Either someone can volunteer to take their place, or they just get chosen. Then there's this whole prepping for the games that's televised, and there's training. Then there's the games." Katniss explained. Ronan nodded. Then he was split off into the guy group, and he watched Prim, Teyla, and Katniss watch as he was led away.
Teyla looked around at the large group of children. She could not believe the government was condoning this, much less hosting it. It was sickening. There was a large screen above the podium, and a man with white hair came on.
"They do this whole why the Hunger Games exist bit." Katniss whispered. Teyla nodded. She listened. It was just as Katniss had described. The citizens of Panem were being punished for having rebelled against the gracious and giving government. This was to show who was really in power, and to enforce peace, that a rebellion like this will never happen again. The screen dimmed and a lady dressed in bright pink tapped over to the microphone.
"Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games!" she bubbled. As the lady spoke, Teyla was astonished that the woman seemed eager, even delighted to get things going. No remorse, no pity, nothing to show the slightest bit of humanity for what was about to happen.
"Let us draw from our girls." She said and she walked over to the spinning ball. She reached down in the ball and plucked a piece of paper from it. She read the name aloud.
"Primrose Everdeen," she said cheerily. Teyla felt Katniss stiffen up, and the world seemed to have gone silent. Prim stopped moving, and looked terrified for her life. She began walking numbly up to the front. After a moment of paralysis, Katniss began to move.
"Prim," she said. Then louder. "Prim! I volunteer!" she said, ripping through the Peacekeepers who tried to keep her back. "I volunteer as tribute!" her voice rang out clearly, and the silence was deafening. The Peacekeepers then proceeded to take Prim back and Katniss began walking up. Teyla felt panicked. She looked to Ronan, he looked pale. Prim was screaming for her sister. "Katniss!" her scream tore through Teyla, she could feel the pain.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone shoot out of the boy crowd. It was Katniss's friend, Gale. He took a struggling Prim as she reached for her sister.
"Keep her safe, Gale!" Katniss pleaded. She was forced onto stage. She stood there, in her simple blue dress, next to the brightly dressed woman. Katniss had said her name was Effie Trinket.
Katniss looked numb, and on the verge of tears. But she did not break down. "What's your name dear?" Effie asked her. Katniss turned her dead eyes onto her.
"Katniss Everdeen," the words barely left her lips. Effie's eyes widened, delighted.
"I bet you that was your sister," she said. Katniss didn't respond, she only stared. "Ah, yes. Now for the boys!" Effie said enthusiastically. She clicked back over to the ball, her heels tapping on the stage very loudly. She reached her hand in again. She pulled out the paper.
"Peeta Mellark!" she called out.
Ronan looked around. Gale had Prim and was with Katniss's mother. He had to stop this, he couldn't let Prim's sister die. He remembered what Katniss had said about volunteering. He turned to see who the boy was that had been called. It wasn't hard to spot him, blond kid, looked deathly terrified. Ronan did not hesitate.
"I volunteer as tribute!" he called out, raising his hand. Again, a brief moment of silence. But this time, there were some murmurs. Ronan guessed that having a family member volunteer for you wasn't so strange, but having a complete stranger volunteer for you? That banked on complete lunacy. The boy looked at him in shock, and Ronan could see the color flooding back into his face. He dare not glance at Teyla. She would no doubt be sending a murderous rage look his way. But he needed to get in, if not to save Katniss, but to see the government. Maybe he could convince them to call this whole monstrous thing off. By convince, he meant shoot their dang heads off.
Teyla felt the world flip around her. She was dizzy. What was he thinking? What had he done? He was such an idiot, she would kill him for this. What would she tell Colonel Sheppard? He would be livid. She restrained herself from running at Ronan and strangling him right then and there.
Ronan walked up past the Peacekeepers and everyone watched him. He felt alive, on fire. There was something about being shoved in arena to survive that lit a fire in Ronan's blood. It did put a damper on things that it was kids he would have to fend off. Now if it were an arena filled with Wraiths, he would have a field day. He would not mind killing off every single one.
He made his way to the stage and he finally caught Katniss's eyes. She looked terrified and alarmed. Of course, they would be against each other. But he would explain to her his plan. She didn't need to be afraid.
"And…who are you?" Effie Trinket looked a bit disgusted by his dreadlocks and crude outfit.
"Ronan Dex," he said curtly. She nodded.
"Did you know…Peeta?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Nope," and he added a little smirk. Effie looked taken aback.
"Well…that is certainly mystifying. No matter, we have our tributes!" she said in a last attempt to rile the crowd into cheers.
"May the odds be ever in your favor," she said sweetly. Katniss and Ronan were taken to the building behind them. Ronan looked out and searched for Teyla. She was watching him in utter horror, and he gave her a meaningful look. She only shook her head. The doors closed, and that was last image he saw of Teyla.