A/N: Okay, this chapter is really too short. I'll post another one this evening.
The next morning, after his prayers, Tarek sat in his office nibbling on the kretas he had bought for breakfast, reading the newseller's report of yesterday's arrival. There was much discussion as to whether it was a good thing or not. Many were of the opinion that allowing the aliens to freely come and go, repairing their warship, was a mistake.
Despite his defeat, Commander Kalfas was a revered leader. His imprisonment, for as long as it had lasted, had been unpopular with the people of Tagrea. Had Tarek not been there at the man's confrontation with Ashwan, he might have agreed. As it was, his was a minority voice, not given any weight.
That Zuberi Kalfas had escaped from his prison cell had caused a deep pain in Tarek's heart. He knew enough of Tagrean history in the last 300 years to know that civil war was a fearful thing. He couldn't help but feel the commander's hand behind some of the arguments that the Tau'ri were not to be trusted.
While it was true that technically neither Jonas Quinn nor Teal'c was Tau'ri, Tarek could not help but feel that both of the aliens were creatures of the highest integrity. By association, Tarek felt the Tau'ri must also be as honest and straightforward as his two friends.
Sighing, he wondered how long it would be before the warship, Prometheus, was repaired. He knew that once it left, he would be unlikely to ever see his friends again, and that the greatest chapter of his life would be over. He wondered if he could get a message to them, if they would even remember him, or even care.
He shook off his fantasy and turned to grading the third level papers. As his red pen flew through the equations and calculations, he shook his head, despairing of the younger generation.
