It's Never Easy
spacegypsy1
Rescue mission? Really? Vala has to rescue Daniel from captivity? A romantic tale with a bit of adventure.
~Chapter One – Vala Volunteers
~SGC
"I don't want to hear it!" Vala blurted out in a vain attempt to stop General Landry from saying something horrible.
Mitchell, using his deep drawl of supposed understanding, attempted to placate her. "We're just as confused and anxious as you, but..."
"NO!" She shouted, slapped the conference table and told them. "He can't not be here. It's his birthday in two days. We're...I... well... I mean we have plans! You don't understand what's going on! He can't be missing!"
"Just because we've lost contact with Dr. Jackson does not mean he's..."
Head dropping to the conference table in what she had long ago learned the Tau'ri call 'head desk', Vala interrupted General Landry, "Oh my gods!" She moaned and then her head shot up, hair flying, looking wild, eyes firing a look of disturbing dangerousness. "This is just not happening. He promised he'd be back early. It's a peaceful planet now he said! Just a short easy diplomatic trip to help the holy ones work with the not so holy ones he said! It's for the village elders he said! Meet, greet, talk to the holy women, make a plan to shoo out the not so holy people he said! " Out of her chair she came, angry, hurt and confused. The force of movement sent the vacated chair sailing back into the wall. Her voice trembled. "SG-1, SG-2, SG-3 and SG-4... we have to storm that obviously not so holy place and get him out of there! Now!"
"Ms. Mal Doran!" Landry also stood suddenly. "As we all know this is a very delicate situation – the planet is in turmoil and we are not going to go in guns blazing against one faction and 'rescue' Dr. Jackson when they have made no demands or even acknowledged that they are holding him captive."
Eyes growing large with a look of regret Vala mumbled. "Really, why don't you get it! Daniel is M. I. some other letter with a meaning for something or the other."
"Vala, sit down." Mitchell ordered, his hand coming to gently touch her arm. "General Landry has something important to discuss with you."
"Me?" Intrigued she grabbed her chair and pulled it close plopping down into it and batted her lashes at the general as if it would suffice as an apology.
"You know P3Q-877?" Landry asked, those bushy brows of his looking stern.
"Well, of course." She answered, "Crocious, old merchant planet once a hide out for thieves, robbers and other ne'er do well sorts of humans and other humanoids, and some bipedal odds and ends – I hung out there long ago. Then the Lucian Alliance stepped in. It got so crazy not even the worst of the ne'er do wells would stop there, including me. And it had to be really bad if I wouldn't go there. You know, Muscles," She turned to the Jaffa, "like under new management, but worse. It's like it became a famous beehive of, of..."
"Scum and Villainy?" Teal'c offered.
"YES! Anyway, eventually Crocious was abandoned by the Alliance, got hammered, as Mitchell would say, by the Ori," She took a quick look at Mitchell and winked. "What people survived, or so it is rumored some survived, were left to scratch out an existence until lately, as you know, the scum and villainy has returned after it supposedly became a temple nation for some thousand or so refugee monks who are trying to bring back the merchant ways without the bad guys. Well not monks, actually monkettes, holy women or so Daniel thought. I don't know why you people don't listen to me! I told you I needed to go with Daniel. They fooled him for sure! And now he's missing, probably tortured or seduced by... by... a legion of evil nuns! Why? Why? Why did this have to happen now?"
Sam, who had remained quiet and thoughtful until that point narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why is now different?"
"Ah. Er. Ahm. Umm, well, because... because this week is his birthday and no one really wants to be tortured, kidnapped or abandoned on their birthday. That's why." Even though she was emphatic Sam still eyed her with suspicion.
Landry took a quick sideways look of exasperation towards Mitchell before taking a deep breath and addressing Vala. "Even though our intel reports Dr. Jackson is in no apparent immediate danger we are planning a covert mission to P3Q-877 where..."
Once again Vala shot out of her chair, this time with a look of utter excitement. "Me! Pick me! I'm the only one who can pull that off. I know the layout, the secret passage and the lingo if we get stuck escaping the planet... you know blending in and hiding out, and... with no undo respect... or... or something like that or whatever you say that means I don't mean to be interrupt but, however, I told you and Cameron that..."
With his bushy brow scowl Landry glared so she sat and in an effort to communicate her acceptance of his unspoken order Vala ran her fingers across her mouth in a 'zip it up' fashion.
"Yes, Vala." Mitchell said, "General Landry has a mission for you."
~0i0~
CROCIOUS – P3Q-877
Vala landed the cloaked ship she'd procured, not far from the Stargate and disembarked without incident. With practiced stealth the ex-thief proceeded towards the familiar lush forest shrouded in a thick mist. The dark earthen path far to the left of the Stargate thankfully wasn't completely hidden.
Taking a deep breath, she scanned the area then jogged off taking the barely visible path that appeared to have been unused for quite some time. Hopefully, she thought, that was a good sign.
Aware that the serenity of the forest gives a false sense of safety, Vala watched and listened for signs of others then picked up the pace.
The dirt path lead on for an hour, rising ever slightly, and ended at another path which was carved into the rock of the mountain. It took a steep ascent towards the largest temple of the fortress above.
Having long ago escaped through the narrow pass and the insanely narrow crevice Vala paused to check the few items she'd stashed on her body, knowing better than to bring a pack. It seemed like so long ago – those hours spent stuck in the ridiculously tight passage mere feet from the path to freedom, finally shucking the pack full of treasure, pulling it through and then having to abandon it when she'd had to run for her life.
Most likely it would be run for their lives this time. "Hopefully," Vala whispered aloud, "Daniel will be fit to run, because, according to General Landry, we are not going to be transported out of here." Once again checking her stash, Vala kept mumbling to the rocks as she trudged upward. "Diplomatically speaking, Dr. Jackson needed to be abducted by some, well, ne'er do well. That, of course, would be me. Vala Mal Doran, ner'er do well, space pirate, thief, con-artist extraordinaire, mercenary, contortionist, and no longer a member of SG-1 as rumor has it, I disobeyed some high up Tau'ri Earth person, stole, cheated, lied and got the boot. I don't understand the boot part. No one gave me a boot. And why would there be only one boot? How very disturbing."
~0i0~
Short of breath, labored due to the thinner air and the tortuous climb, as well as her propensity to chat aloud incessantly, Vala propped a hip against the rocks and stared at the small opening that lead right into the courtyard she remembered.
Removing both Zats stashed in the back of her waistband, she hooked one to the left side of her belt, then the other to the right. "No Tau'ri guns allowed per General Landry," She huffed out the words in irritation. No need to mention that clever little slim mini-blaster she procured... stole from the ex-Alliance acquaintance who helped her steal, damn, borrow the ship.
The slit in the stone could be no more than seven feet in length but she stopped within the first few feet, face turned to the terrace. The wall pressed into her cheek and she stalled having a little panic attack. She hated small spaces. Taking a deep breath, she moved on. After all it's Daniel who needs to be rescued. Daniel who asked her for one thing for his birthday. One thing. A date. A real honest to goodness date. A smile erupted on her lips remembering how he'd stumbled over the words. How she'd been stunned into silence for all of three seconds. And how too excited to contain her joy she'd launched herself at him and kissed him! Then, unexpectedly, he'd kissed her right back!
"I'm on my way, darling." Vala whispered and shuffled sideways across the claustrophobic passage lamenting, "Why is it never easy?"
~0i0~TBC