Disclaimer: I own nothing. I especially own nothing because to get this story going, I took the first fewspokenlinesof this story straight from the episode "The Powers That Be"

A/N: To those of you who read and followed the Janet's Mission series, I have an apology to make. I told y'all I was starting a new series, but as I was writing this, I decided that it would work better as one story with multiple chapters. In many ways, this might make things easier for those who like it. I hope you do. Enjoy! Also, this is the first story I've ever written that has aslightly romantic tone to it, and I'm not sure how it'll come out in the long run. Please be patient, I'm doing my best. This is an AU during and after The Powers That Be

"We could try shooting them," Vala suggested. "You said the priors are human, right? A few well aimed shots might at least get their attention." Daniel shrugged. He was trying to figure out how to spring Vala from the prison she was being held if the results from her maldarren came back against her, but the nagging fear of the priors was tugging at him. At the moment, that's all Vala seemed to want to talk about as well. She seemed to think everything was going to be alright and that an escape plan was not necessary. Mitchell and Teal'c were playing cards near the entrance, leaving Daniel to do the thinking.

"Well…you study enough religions you find that killing the missionaries doesn't combat the overall philosophy." Daniel answered.

"The problem is that what the priors are offering sounds quite good," Vala mused. "Until you get to the whole prostrating and burning people alive bits…

"There's that…and I don't think any of us have read the real fine print yet." What was he talking about now? Vala was confused.

"Meaning?"

"Well, I personally know without a doubt, the priors are bad." Oh, brilliant one, Daniel. Really. He'd be elected President sooner or later for comments like that.

"So creepy…"

"And believe or die is an archaic moral standing. No, the Ori are wrong for doing what they're doing but the part I haven't figured out yet, the part that's really bothering me is…why they're doing it? I mean what do they care if people worship them or not?

Vala had to admit that he had a point. He had asked the question that she had been wondering about herself. She was about to add to the conversation when Azdak arrived. Daniel cursed silently to himself. He had not yet thought of an escape plan that might do them any good.

"We have decided that you are as evil as the parasite that used to live within you," Azdak said. "You will die at dawn tomorrow."

"Oh, come now," Vala said. "It was only a few massages, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that because of you and your parasite, millions of people have been killed. We are poverty stricken, hungry, disease ridden."

"Well, how about this. I take my little devices and you take me to heal those who are sick."

"Why didn't you offer this before your own life was in danger?" Azdak asked quietly.

"Because you wouldn't let me have them before my life was in danger."

We might have. But unfortunately, the ruling stands." And with that, Azdak walked off. Vala slumped in her cell.

"So are you just going to sit here and watch me die then?" She muttered.

"Of course not." Daniel answered. "I say we bust you out of here in two hours when everyone's sleeping and make a run for the escape passage. Then we send another SG Team to deal with the priors.

"Okay, good. Let's do that then." Daniel stole a look at Mitchell. It all depended on whether he was on board with this.

"Works for me." Mitchell shrugged as he threw down an ace to win his hand of gin rummy.

At the allotted time, Mitchell and Vala used Teal'c staff weapon as a crowbar to separate the bars of the cell far enough to fit through. Gingerly, she climbed out of what was formerly her prison. She winced. It wasn't quite wide enough for comfort.

"Do I at least get to go back for my treasure?" She asked.

"No." Mitchell told her. "Time is ticking and it's not a man you can seduce and manipulate. For all we know, someone's keeping watch and knows at this moment that you're out."

The four of them took off at a run.

"Paranoid idiot." Vala muttered under her breath. These people had never been that good with security.

But Mitchell had been right. They were soon being pursued by villagers with staff weapons that Vala herself had hidden to protect herself with.

Feet from the pyramid, Vala was shot in the back. She fell to her face.

Vala woke with a start. She was in a warm, comfortable bed. A bed that Quetesh would've been jealous of.

She couldn't remember anything. The last memory that was floating through her mind was convincing Mitchell to go back to P8X-412. She kept her eyes closed, trying to remember exactly what had happened.

Suddenly, she realized that there was someone dabbing water on her forehead. She grabbed the intruders arm.

"Don't be afraid," A gentle voice said. "I'm here to get you on your feet."

"Where am I?" She asked, keeping her eyes closed. She didn't know what she was going to see.

"You're safe." The voice said. "Open your eyes, you should be able to."

"Not yet. Who are you?"

"My name is Anna." Anna. The name seemed tame enough. Vala cautiously opened her eyes to see a blond girl sitting in front of her. She couldn't have been more than twenty five. Vala sat up.

"Do you have any idea what happened to me?"

"You were running away from those who you once ruled over. One of them shot you in the back with a staff weapon." All at once, it came back to Vala.

"Then how did I get here?"

"You died."

"I what?"

"The staff blast killed you."

"Then how are we having this conversation?" Anna sighed.

"Because I'm dead too. I died two earth years ago."

Vala's head was spinning.

"So if I'm dead, how come I needed to recover after the staff blast?"

"You needed to be restored to what living you would've called "perfect health." Otherwise, you'd always be wary of yourself." None of this really made any sense at all to Vala, but she decided to go along with it.

"So how did you die?"

"I was a rapidly grown clone, but my DNA was mixed so I was a human clone and a gou'ald clone at the same time."

"What?"

"Exactly. Anyway, my structure was so delicate that I was the first successful attempt of many. The man who grew me was cruel, he tried to control the Gou'ald. When I finally learned that I was only an object to him, SG-1 was trying to track him. I killed him and then my systems failed."

"Wait, you were a machine?"

"No, I just didn't know how else to phrase that." Vala couldn't help but laugh.

"You'll be able to walk shortly. You can explore and check out the view then."

"View? All the stories of that dark dreary place or that white fluffy place and there's a view?"

"Stories are stories. No one truly knows what this place looks like until they're dead."

"True."

Anna stood up and helped Vala to her feet and almost carried her to the door of the room. For someone who looked so frail, she was remarkably strong.

"This is one of our reception rooms. It's as close to those fluffy cloud heaven stories that you've heard on Earth. They have told you those, right?"

"Yeah. Mitchell was getting annoyed with me not understand his threats."

They reached the door to the hallway. Outside, the walls were a dull stone. No etching, nothing.

"This is what the rest of our world looks like. Closer to the drear stories. I'd take you all the way out, but as soon as you leave this room, you will no longer be able to make contact with anyone. You'll just slip right through."

Anna turned around and placed Vala back on the bed.

"You still haven't told me about the view you were talking about."

"There are ways to see those you left behind. You may not be able to see those you have lost when you are living – but when you are gone you can see those who are living."

This peaked Vala's never ending curiosity.

"I can see anybody? On any world?"

"Yes," Anna answered. "Anybody, anywhere."