It's Never Easy

spacegypsy1

~Chapter Two – Daniel's diplomatic dilemma

~CROCIOUS – P3Q-877

Daniel had to admit they provided a very comfortable bed, in an equally comfortable suite, and just a minute ago he was staring at the beautifully painted ceiling. Unfortunately, however, Daniel found himself, once again, locked up without probable cause. It's just never easy.

Immediately on clearing the Stargate he'd been met by a group of women who'd rushed forward and began chattering away in what could be described as a combination of Latin and some sort of nonsensical Alteran – garbled to be almost unrecognizable. As though these women had not spoken aloud in quite some time.

He'd stood there astonished. Not particularly by the language, nope, more by the deadly looking weapons they'd carried and the appearance of more women equally armed spotted in the trees ahead. Undoubtedly not the villagers as expected.

~0i0~

Understanding any form of Ancient-Alteran and/or Latin should be easy. Should be. Especially for someone who is considered the expert in the field... one would think since they are closely related that it would be unproblematic. However, after days their gibberish version remained difficult to grasp. His brain was on overload though he was able to garner snippets of their chatter. Something about the High Priestess would be returning soon. Obviously their translation of soon was far from his.

For the most part, they understood each other, but at times it seemed as if they were constantly changing the language to confound him. They being the same small band of women from the Stargate that had whisked him away from the 'Gate, with bells on their ankles, bodies wrapped in sarongs of varied color and patterns and decorative veils across their lower faces. And large weapons in delicate looking hands.

A week later he dispensed with diplomacy and used pleading, yelling and demanding. Which they ignored. Not long after that Daniel ended up in a chamber leading to a courtyard and with a flight of stairs into a tower room. Days of wandering had given him a false sense of freedom, however there was no way out of this part of the temple.

Recently his captives took his radio, had already taken his weapons and left him on his own with the exception of the delivery of meals by random non-speaking women of a certain age, kindly in manner and smile but without a word.

The last contact with the SGC, mere hours before his radio was confiscated, recounted his good health but did note his being locked away in nicely appointed rooms with a view of and access to a small walled garden. That contact ended with a 'good luck Dr. Jackson'.

Knowing there had to be some way he got in here Daniel kept meticulously examining the area finding only a broom closet and garden. He'd further studied his surroundings and found that the garden is only accessible from this tower. Afternoon walks verified there was no other entrance or exit with the exception of the long crack that seems no bigger then a few inches wide and maybe five or six feet high and appears to be impassable.

Daniel sighed looking down at the garden. He knew it was a touchy situation coming here. There wasn't much intel, the villagers had been vague, though the concern on their faces and in their voices gave the impression that the situation was very real.

Supposedly they were caught in the middle of a serious struggle for power between these women and bands of mercenaries trying to take control. This, of course, came from a frantic message received from the villagers. Who apparently did not deem it necessary to show up for his arrival as requested. Unless the drove of 'warrior women' half hidden in the forest scared them off.

He knew there would be no snatching him via Asgard technology. Nope. That's rule number one on diplomatic missions – use diplomacy. Daniel knew his only hope was Vala. The Obi Wan of the SCG. At that funny thought his door opened and in walked the regal and apparently THE High Priestess, swathed in glittery finery, wrapped to leave midriff and upper hip exposed. Her hair flowed to her waist and was as black as Vala's. There was no veil and, admittedly, she was stunningly beautiful.

He stood slowly and gave the woman his most practiced glare. Vala would have been proud.

"Gaanesh." The woman said pointing to herself with a little bow.

"Onna matta netario." He smirked delivering the correct inflection of 'This is really unnecessary' with a condescending tone.

She nodded her understanding that he was not a happy captive.

"I'm Daniel." He attempted to dig up some gentlemanly manners.

Gaanesh smiled. "I have been away. I did not intend to keep you so long without explanation. But it is necessary for me to protect us."

Her verbiage was a tad bit confusing but he was able to discern her meaning. "What do you want?" By the tilt of her head he could see she understood.

"You are Daniel Jackson, the ascended one of Oma Desala?"

Stunned into silence Daniel felt unsure and guarded. Finally he admitted, "I was."

"You know the others, Ganos Lal? Orlin? Merlinus? Shifu?"

Annoyed and intrigued at the same time Daniel took a step back, eyes squinting. "I may know of them. They are..."

"Ascended?" She offered.

He sit down on the bed, shocked. "What the hell?" he murmured in English and eyed her speculatively. Then switched back to Ancient. "Yes, they are."

Approaching, Gaanesh seemed to float across the room, garments swishing and swaying. "Daniel Jackson, step father to Shifu and friend of the Alteran, we wish to know more of your times with ascension."

"That's it! I'm done. What the hell is going on here?" He stood so suddenly she almost tripped on her fancy cloth she had to step back so fast! Daniel's voice rose and the ancient language poured out of him like poetry. "Does everyone in the known universe think I can teach them how to ascend in ten easy lessons!?" His voice rose higher. "This is insane! I am NOT the University of Ascension! or Dr. Jackson's School of Transcending to a Higher Plane! What's wrong with you people!?

"Ya know," He continued less loudly but still in a pissy tone, "All I need now is a beard and mustache and I'll be ripe for some idiotic SciFi movie where I crash land on a planet run by Amazonian space chicks. Mitchell would love this!" Growling with discontent Daniel turned away from her and scratched his itchy chin suddenly realizing he did have a beard from days without shaving!

Again he sat in defeat and calmly asked why in ancient Egyptian. He wanted to test her knowledge. "Harm?" He said and immediately felt a rush of memory... Harm? A word that when uttered in perfect ancient Egyptian reminded him of Sha're. She'd used it constantly, every day of the life he lived with her, always wanting to know the why of everything.

Gaanesh looked puzzled. "You mean why do I want to know about your time as ascended?" She'd spoken Sha're's language perfectly.

Totally confounded Daniel uttered, "Huh?"

"We do not need your assistance to ascend. Quite the opposite." She began to move around the room.

Once again he shot up from his perch upon the bed. "Wait a minute! What do you need me for?"

"We want to live amongst the living."

First he uttered a string of curses in English before he quickly went back to her language. "Explain. I'm so confused now I'm at a loss for words. Any words regardless of which language they come in. You're going to have to explain."

Gaanesh became all white light and multi-armed.

"Son of a bitch! You're an ascended? All of you?" He sat and began to mumble as if to himself. "I feel like a jack in the box. I miss Vala, strange, I know. Really, what the hell am I doing here? I should have stayed home and taken her out on a date. Passion Fruit drinks, dancing, Karaoke, and the whole culminating event! This is crazy. Please tell me I'm hallucinating and Vala is here somewhere!"

"The... shall we say rumor... is that Vala Mal Doran has disobeyed and pulled some trickery and is on the run. That is not surprising since she has a reputation as a soldier of fortune."

Realizing she might have super hearing or possibly the ability to read minds Daniel kept his focus solidly fixed on his adventures as Merlin to block Gaanesh from knowing what he was really thinking... two or more can play this game. This is not my first Ascended rodeo. Rescue mission in progress.

Since his birthday had been a days ago Daniel decided that, most likely, Vala is so pissed at him that even if she does rescue him he may be in for a whole lot of annoying rhetoric and... he was looking forward to it. "Wait, what did you mean... soldier of fortune?"

Gaanesh appeared to be indifferent. "A soldier of fortune, ne'er do well, gun for hire."

"You do know Vala's had a tough life?" Her response to that was a little tic of emotion but mostly a stone cold judgmental visage. So on he went with the horror-history of Vala and Qetesh. He became graphic and then pitched in tales of Vala's Ori baby delivery service, her burning and when Gaanesh finally had a look of shock and awe he tossed in Sha're and Amaunet for his own benefit and ended in disappointment that Vala had left because, Daniel said out loud and totally committed, "I had planned to marry her." That last bit shocked him and once again he dropped down to the bed, this time in complete and utter incredulity. Putting his head in his hands he contemplated a life with Vala. And the undeniable fact that he, Daniel Jackson, was actually quite fond of Vala. When the hell did that happen?

He remained quiet and thoughtful for so long that Gaanesh sat cross-legged on the floor and whispered. "I am sorry. Perhaps our intel is wrong."

"Most likely not." he told her that to keep Vala's mission on target. He looked at Gaanesh as puppy faced sad as he could muster. "Let's discuss what you need to get me out of here. And give me some history so I can make an informed decision."

Her features softened so obviously the sad-sack facial antics worked. She smiled. "We wish you to guide us."

His eyes squinted with lack of understanding. "Guide? Guide you where?"

"We have many questions." The woman stood, looking down at him.

Still he wasn't getting her intention. "Let me go, I can..."

"It is not that simple." Gaanesh began to pace.

"I don't know what you want. I don't remember my time as ascended."

"We do, Daniel. We do."

"You do know, well of course you do. They will hunt you down if you interfere in my life, you know that, right?"

"We have labored long and hard to shut down the collective consciousness connection. I have been guarded in my return to the oneness."

"Ah, to be safe?"

"Yes."

"Why do you need me to understand anything? I'm still not sure what you want me to do. I will help as much as I can, Gaanesh, but you must know, I have my own life. I need to.…"

"We are desperate. We will learn and then you may return to the Tau'ri."

"Learn what?"

Gaanesh had wandered across the room. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and spoke softly. "How to become human again."

"Son of a bitch! You want to descend?" This time he slowly rose to face her when she fully turned.

"Yes, all of us." Gaanesh stated matter of factly.

"All. How many?"

"Well over a thousand. More."

Shit, he thought overwhelmed. "Why?" He asked unable to fathom.

"Why did you descend?" She asked.

"That's different!" He proclaimed not know if it really was different.

"In what way? Like you, you wanted to return to help your friends, to help others. We wish to help human's. Not to ignore their plight." The priestess watched him carefully.

All Daniel could do was sigh deeply. Wondering if in fact he could help these people. "Alright, how long?"

"An Earth year. Maybe two."

He laughed out loud. "I can't stay a year. I've finally come to a point where I can have a real relationship again. And that would be with Vala, which is weird, I know, but really who could blame me? She's spectacular. Nothing you can understand. Yet."

Gaanesh remained silent.

"What about the treaty with the other factions on this planet?"

"They are gone." Gaanesh stated with indifference.

"Where?" He demanded.

Gaanesh shrugged noncommittally. "We insist that you stay. It is important to us."

"Nobody lives here, right?" Crap. He realized he was sunk! A bit rattled, Daniel turned to look out the window just in time to see Vala slip through that incredibly thin opening. Immediately he began to mentally recite the Gettysburg Address in a mixture of German and French to keep Gaanesh from knowing. As he watched Vala cross the terrace he realized – somewhere between Now we are engaged in a great civil war, and We are met on a great battlefield of that war - that he wasn't just fond of Vala, he loved her beyond reason.

~TBC