A Twist in the Myth: Sereclipse

by Kashoku1

SG-1 is no stranger to the odd and unusual, but when they find themselves on a mission to a planet called Spira nothing will prepare them for the technology the world has to offer. Their first encounter with the locals is with a pair of sphere hunters known as Sereclipse, and nothing is the same when they willing to share their amazing technology with the new strangers from Earth.

3. Chapter 3

"Kashoku…" Daniel said softly, making Kashoku pause in unlacing her boots. "Can we just talk about this for a few minutes?"

The two had made it back to their room without any trouble, but now that they were back the tense air between them was all the more evident. Kashoku had spoken the bare minimum since they'd awoken and Daniel had begun to worry that the rest of their time together would continue in this vain. If he could get Kashoku to speak to him, maybe he could find a way to salvage at least their friendship, but as it was…

Kashoku seemed to have every inclination to ignore him. It wasn't until Daniel sighed, looking away in defeat that she set her white boots aside and gave him her attention.

"No offense, Daniel," she began quietly, all formality, "but I really don't want to discuss it. In fact, I think it would be better if we went on as if tonight hadn't occurred at all. That is after all how these things are usually done."

Daniel frowned as he read between the lines. "Look, Kashoku, there's no reason why we have to pretend nothing happened," he reasoned. "This thing between us doesn't have to end tonight. If I appealed to General Hammond, I'm sure I could get some time to help with the treaty."

"And when the treaty is complete then what?" Kashoku asked frustrated, not even trying to humor the idea. "You go back to your life-threatening missions and never return to Spira. Why are you so determined over this?"

Kashoku returned her attention to getting ready for sleep, fluffing her pillow with a bit more force than necessary as she tried to squash down her feelings. "It will be upsetting enough when you return to your planet tomorrow morning, Daniel. Please do not try to draw out the pain by giving us both false hopes."

"Kashoku-"

"Go to sleep. We have very little time before Kage comes in to get us up."

"I thought you locked the door…"

"Believe me when I say that a lock won't do much to keep Kage out."

"It kept her out earlier," Daniel pointed out.

"Only because the inn proprietor would have kicked Kage out had she made a bigger scene that she did. It's morning now and we'll be leaving soon anyway so Kage won't care if she's kicked out."

"How long do you think it'll be before she's in here?"

"Daniel, please, just go to sleep. We'll find out soon enough."

Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but Kashoku had already slipped into bed with her back to him. "Oyasumi nasai, Kashoku," he said after a moment. Kashoku never replied, either asleep already or ignoring him. With a heavy sigh, Daniel lay back in bed and slipped off his glasses. Letting his thoughts drift to the woman in the other bed, he closed his eyes and fell into lake-filled dreams.

"Hey! Get the hell up already!"

"Kage! Don't be so impatient. It's not like we're in a hurry."

"Yeah well the sooner he gets his lazy ass out of bed, the sooner we can finish this damn tour. What the hell's taking him so long to wake up anyway?!"

"Not everyone is as light a sleeper as you are, Kage. Just give him a few minutes."

"I gave him five minutes already when I got the others up!"

Daniel opened his eyes blearily after identifying the voices that had woke him up as Kage and Kashoku's. Well, it was more like Kage's had woke him up, whereas Kashoku's voice was the balm for his ears. Daniel toyed with the idea of not getting up yet, but with Kage sounding as bitchy as she did he figured it would be wiser to get up now rather than later.

Kage caught sight of his movements as he sat up and reached for his glasses. With a growl, she picked up his SG pack and flung it onto the foot of his bed. "Get up and get ready!" she snarled. "You've already kept us waiting long enough."

Kashoku sighed as Kage stormed out of the room. After a brief moment where she appeared to be arguing with herself, she met Daniel's eyes and gave him a strained, apologetic half-smile. "I'm sorry about that… Don't feel you have to hurry because of Kage," she said before following the other woman out.

Daniel smiled to himself. Hopefully that was a sign that Kashoku wasn't entirely closed off to the idea of their friendship at the very least.

"Daniel?" O'Neill poked his head into the room. "Still alive in there?"

"Yeah. I'll be right out, Jack."

"No rush," He said, inviting himself into the room. "Just wanted to make sure the Wicked Witch hadn't set any evil monkeys on you yet."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Somehow I don't think she'd appreciate the comparison."

O'Neill shrugged. "What's another pissed off alien?"

Daniel sighed. "I don't think I have to remind you how beneficial this alliance will be to us, Jack…"

"I get it, Daniel - play nice. Speaking of… How did last night go?"

"Fine…" Daniel said guardedly. He didn't think O'Neill needed to know the details, or how his relationship with Kashoku was now up in the air.

"Is that so?" O'Neill grinned. Daniel was a so-so liar on good days, but to someone who knew him as well as Jack did, it was painfully obvious than the linguist was hiding something. And Jack had a pretty good idea that whatever it was dealt with a certain Spiran woman with big brown eyes. "You two must have stayed up pretty late talking. You're usually not this hard to wake up in the morning."

Daniel was saved from answering as Carter appeared in the doorway. "Sir, Daniel, if you're ready Kashoku's going to show us around Guadosalam soon."

"Daniel?"

"I think I've got everything." Daniel pulled his gear pack onto his shoulders and followed them to the inn entrance where Kage and Teal'c were waiting. Daniel couldn't see Kashoku, but he figured she'd be there soon.

Kage let out a groan the moment Daniel came into sight. "Damn it…"

"Sorry… Did I miss something?"

"Kage Yamino was greatly looking forward to leaving you behind, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c explained. "I believe she is disappointed by your appearance."

"Sorry to ruin your fun then," Daniel said, frowning at Kage.

"Whatever. You'll make up for it later," Kage smirked.

It was then that Kashoku entered the inn, frowning suspiciously at Kage as she joined the group. "Make up for what?"

"For being such a slow bastard," Kage snorted.

Kashoku's frown was immediate. "Kage," she said sternly, "I'm not going to say this again. Be nice or our deal is off."

Kage's jaw dropped as she stared at Kashoku in disbelief. "I didn't even do anything!"

"You all but threatened Daniel just now, Kage," Kashoku pointed out.

"That was so not a threat!"

"Um…" Daniel raised his hand, bringing attention to himself. "It kind of sounded like one to me."

"Shut up!"

"Kage! I'm not calling off our deal yet, but you're seriously making me reconsider right now. Cut it out!"

Kage gave Kashoku a cold look. "I can't believe you're bitching at me before I've even done anything wrong."

Kashoku met the look quietly. "I'm not bitching at you, Kage. I'm simply warning you before you do do something."

"Well that's just great," Kage sneered. "You know what, screw this. I'll meet you in the Thunder Plains."

Kashoku sighed, but didn't protest as Kage stormed out of the inn. It was probably for the best anyway that Kage spent some time away from SG-1. The other woman really hadn't liked Kashoku rooming with Daniel the previous night and she had all too short of a fuse this morning to be worth dealing with.

"I guess we should start our tour of the village," Kashoku said after a moment, turning to SG-1. "Without Kage here, feel free to take as much time to look around as you want. We're not really in a hurry since the later we arrive in Zanarkand tonight, the better the experience will be."

"Should we be expecting something like the Moonflow?" Carter asked.

"Mm, not really. Trust me when I say that the Moonflow and Zanarkand are nothing alike."

"Zanarkand is one of your cities, isn't it? What's it like?" She asked curiously.

"Yes it is. As for what it's like… Let's put it this way - Luca may be the heart of Spira, but Zanarkand is the city that never sleeps." Kashoku grinned mischievously.

"Oh boy," O'Neill sighed heavily, figuring out what Kashoku meant immediately. "I can feel my knees aching already…" He was already starting to regret their approaching visit to Zanarkand and they still had the whole day before they got there.

"I guess it's to be expected that a world with this advanced of a pop culture would have at least one party central to its name…" Daniel said distractedly as they made their way through the Guado village.

"As long as they have someplace I can sit, I don't care," O'Neill shrugged. "The dance floor is really not my scene."

"What would be considered your 'scene', O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned.

O'Neill grinned broadly. "Bars, Teal'c. Preferably ones with lots of hockey games playing on TVs way bigger than my own."

Kashoku smiled. "Well, I doubt we have what you call 'hockey' on Spira, but I think I can do you one better."

"Oh?" O'Neill was curious now. What could beat hockey?

"Yuna's husband Tidus is a Blitzball player for the Besaid Aurochs. They've got a huge game tonight in Zanarkand if you're interested in going."

O'Neill raised an eyebrow at his team, silently asking if they were interested or not. "Carter?"

"It could be fun, sir," Carter grinned. Teal'c inclined his head, signaling that he was fine with the idea.

"Danny? Think you can survive a crowd of sports fans?"

Daniel, who wasn't really a sports person, hesitated for a moment before answering. "I think I can manage," he said. It would be interesting to see what sports the Spiran culture had developed anyway. "Are you sure getting tickets won't be a problem?" he asked Kashoku, a bit disappointed when she refused eye contact.

"It won't be a problem."

"Well I guess it's settled then," O'Neill grinned, kind of eager to get to Zanarkand now that sports plans had been made. Sure, Guadosalam was cool for the first few minutes and all but really it was just a bunch of tree houses. The most interesting things around were the Guado themselves and O'Neill tried not to stare at them too long. They didn't look like the sort who'd appreciate it.

"I think you'll really enjoy the game, Colonel," Kashoku said. "Blitzball can get very violent sometimes."

"I like the sound of it already."

Kashoku laughed. "I thought you would. For all your mutual dislike, you and Kage are very similar."

"And suddenly," he sighed, "I'm liking it a whole lot less."

"It is true that you share a similar temperament to Kage Yamino, O'Neill," Teal'c observed in his usual stoic tone.

"I guess now we know what all our allies feel like when they have to deal with Jack," Daniel said.

"Indeed."

"Hey! I'm not that bad," O'Neill protested. Kashoku smiled as she watched the team interact with one another, Carter turning her head away from O'Neill so he didn't see her amusement, Teal'c smiling slightly, and Daniel outright grinning at the older man's playful annoyance. In a lot of ways, their group dynamic reminded her of her Sereclipse days with Kage. Maybe that was part of why she liked them so much.

The explorers toured Guadosalam for another twenty minutes before O'Neill, who was quickly bored with the tree-like appearance of the village, drew the group to a halt. "So are there any other highlights to this place that we need to see?" he asked Kashoku ever so subtly.

Kashoku frowned slightly as she considered his question. "Beyond the Farplane, I suppose not," she said.

Carter perked up at that. "That's where the souls you get mako from are sent, isn't it?"

Kashoku nodded. "There's a gateway here in Guadosalam that leads to the Farplane." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "If you're interested, we can visit there."

"Wait, you can visit the dead?" O'Neill asked in shock.

"In a way, yes. When you step into the Farplane, the pyreflies react to your memories and form the image of the dead person you think of. During the time of Sin, there were those who felt comfort in seeing their loved ones again. They often visited the Farplane to speak to the image as though the person were really there or could understand what was being said."

"But they weren't…" Daniel said quietly, catching on.

"No," Kashoku sighed. "The Farplane simply gives your memory a physical form – or as physical as an illusion can be."

The group was silent for the rest of the trip to the Farplane's entrance. O'Neill took one look around them and let his fingers drift back to his P-90 purely out of habit. "Okay… This is a bit creepy."

"I know what you mean, sir," Carter murmured beside him.

Ahead was a staircase – what it was held up by was hidden in an eerie mist that pooled up from beneath it – that led straight to a large blue puddle that she assumed was the gateway to the Farplane. There were other smaller versions of the upright puddle lining the gateway, but none of them seemed to be accessible save the one they were slowly heading towards. The vague resemblance to the Stargate and the unnerving noise of the room seemed to have the entire team on edge.

As they ascended the stairs, Kashoku glanced back at the group. "I'll show you the memory of my mother," she said. "That way you can get a feel for what the Farplane is like."

"You don't have to do that," Daniel said feeling guilty. From the way Kashoku had spoken of those who visited the Farplane, he got the feeling that she didn't really like the idea all that much. He didn't want her to do something she didn't want to on account of them. Not to mention that even though the proximity to the gateway lessened its similarity to the Stargate's event horizon, he couldn't shake off the feeling of disquiet it brought him.

Kashoku gave him a brief frown before shaking her head as she saw that Carter shared his hesitant look. O'Neill shifted where he stood, equally unsure about having Kashoku show them her mother's memory. The one time O'Neill had seen Charlie again after his son's death had been enough to last him for the rest of his lifetime. Of course, 'Charlie' had been up and walking around, whereas he got the impression that the dead in the Farplane wouldn't be, but the concept was similar nonetheless.

"If you want to truly see and get a feel for the Farplane, then I do need to," Kashoku said. "The pyreflies are only capable of bringing up the image of someone who has been sent. And as none of you are familiar with anyone from Spira, I'm the only one who can bring forth a memory." Before any of SG-1 could try to talk her out of it, Kashoku stepped through the gateway.

"Well," O'Neill said after a moment, stepping forward and swirling the tip of his P-90 through the rainbow energy that made up the portal, "this will certainly make for an interesting debriefing later..."

"The similarity to an event horizon is remarkable, sir," Carter breathed from beside him. "It would take some studying to pinpoint the exact differences and likenesses, but from a purely spectator point of view-"

"Carter, am I going to have to push you through again?" O'Neill interrupted, referring to the major's first trip through the Stargate.

"No, sir," she said sheepishly.

"Good. Let's save the techno babble for later then. Teal'c, watch our six. Just because we can see where we're going doesn't mean it's necessarily real…"

"Jack, I don't think this is an illusion," Daniel said. His blue eyes were fixated on the land on the other side of the gateway where Kashoku stood waiting.

"Daniel, need I remind you that we're about to walk into these people's idea of Heaven? Now I'm not the most religious guy around, but I'm pretty sure the only person who ever left there ended up going a bit farther down than I'd like to. Carter?"

"Ready, sir."

O'Neill gave the gateway one last wary look. "Let's go then. Don't want to keep the dead waiting..."

The step through the gateway was relatively nondescript aside from the drastic scenery change. A brief look around confirmed that Kashoku was the only other person there as the team spread out along the large chunk of rock that was serving as their ground.

O'Neill let out a low whistle as he peered over the edge. "Long way up," he said as he stepped away.

"This is amazing," Carter said beside Teal'c as they gazed out below them. A large field of flowers and huge waterfalls colored the land underneath them. "Sir, we must be at least 300 feet in the air."

O'Neill chanced another glance back over the edge before stepping away carefully. "Nobody trip."

"Kashoku Yoshiko, what is powering this platform?" Teal'c asked the Spiran who had stood back quietly as they looked around.

"I'm not sure," Kashoku said honestly. "Possibly the Fayth."

Slowly SG-1 gathered around the tiny woman as she stood at the edge of the floating platform. After a moment, the ghostly image of a woman formed in the air a few feet away. The resemblance to Kashoku was immediately obvious from the delicate made-up features to the large brown eyes.

"She's beautiful," Carter said, breaking a long silence.

"Yes," Kashoku agreed, tearing her eyes away from the smiling figure and letting the memory fade. "She was." Kashoku turned to the team and gave them the echo of that smile. "While I know I said we had plenty of time to spare in Guadosalam, we should probably get going. The longer we delay, the harder it'll be to catch up with Kage in the Thunder Plains. I don't want to risk missing her entirely."

"Well we certainly wouldn't want that," O'Neill said sarcastically as they followed her back to Guadosalam.

Kashoku sighed, understanding entirely his attitude towards Kage considering how she had been acting around the explorers. "I know you didn't mean it that way, but I would rather rejoin Kage in the Thunder Plains than in the Calm Lands."

O'Neill raised an eyebrow curiously. "Are the Calm Lands un-calm or something?" he asked only partially joking.

"It's not the Calm Lands that are the problem... It's all the gambling."

"You believe that Kage Yamino will not be able to handle herself should she go alone?" Teal'c asked.

"No, Kage can take care of herself," Kashoku said confidently. "It's more a matter of I'd rather have her there to scare off any potential thieves. It's not particularly dangerous, but you can't let your guard down."

Any protests that were to be made were silenced as a loud rumble sounded ahead.

"Almost there," Kashoku sighed, leading the group closer to the exit of a tunnel they'd entered in Guadosalam. The first sight O'Neill got of where they were headed, he stopped in his tracks.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me. We're going out into that?!"

Kashoku looked back at the hesitant group sympathetically. "Welcome to the Thunder Plains. I'm sure you can see why we call it that."

"I might have a bit of an idea," O'Neill grumbled, staring at the onslaught of rain up ahead.

"Kashoku, I don't suppose we could wait until the rain stops?" Carter suggested.

"I'm sorry," the woman apologized, "but it isn't going to stop. We don't call it the Thunder Plains because it rains often, but because it never stops raining. That's why we have the lightning rod towers – to protect travels from being struck by lightning while they cross the plains during the storm."

"Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, Kash," O'Neill began, "but I left my umbrella at home. The weatherman seems to have incorrectly predicted sunny skies lasting all week… I don't suppose you have a few on hand?"

Kashoku glanced at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what that is."

"It's an Earth invention designed to keep the user dry from the rain," Daniel explained. "Although I really don't think an umbrella would be much help in this storm…"

"Is there no other way to get beyond than across, Kashoku Yoshiko?" Teal'c asked. The Jaffa didn't seem to care if they went through the Thunder Plains or not, but the rest of the team were eyeing the lightning towers skeptically. No one seemed to have much faith in the towers' effectiveness.

Kashoku worried her lower lip, staring out into the rainy plains. "I suppose we could simply take Wing to Macalania…" she said eventually. She smiled slightly at O'Neill's whoop of joy and turned to lead them to the nearest transport sphere. She wouldn't tell the four travelers, but she was glad that they had decided not to explore the Thunder Plains. Whether it was the gloomy atmosphere created by the ongoing storm or something else, Kashoku had never felt comfortable there.

Once everyone was on Wing, Kashoku headed first for the ruins of Lunestis and then a nearby travel agency to find Kage. The entire group was less than thrilled to note that Kage's mood had only slightly improved in the time they'd been separated from her.

"Did you manage to salvage anything from Lunestis?" Kashoku asked as the blonde stepped foot onto the bridge.

Kage scoffed. "Of course not. I didn't even bother looking. Anything that wasn't worth trashing probably got stolen the first night we left it there alone."

"You could have at least looked…"

"If I'd wanted to waste my time, Kashy, I'd have stayed with you this morning," came the sharp reply.

Kashoku programmed Wing to take them to the edge of Macalania and pushed away from the console. "Kage, come with me for a minute," she said as she headed for the elevator. She ignored SG-1's curious looks as Kage shoved away from the wall and followed her off the bridge.

"Well," Daniel said, licking his lips nervously. "That can't end well."

"For her or for us?" Carter asked, already thinking of who Kage would be taking her anger out on if Kashoku called off their deal. Not like Kage had been doing a great job of keeping to her part today anyway…

"Who cares," O'Neill snorted. "She's such a pain in the ass."

"I do not believe Kage Yamino will leave us even if the deal with Kashoku Yoshiko has ended," Teal'c said.

O'Neill exhaled loudly. "Probably not..." The bridge was silent for a few blessed moments. Then, "Think we could hear anything through those doors?"

"Jack."

"What?"

"What?" Kage asked the moment they were out of the Tau'ri's sight. "Was I being 'too mean' again or something?"

Kashoku studied her friend's terse expression. "Kage, you're being childish. This isn't about them."

"Oh bullshit." Kage rolled her eyes and slumped against the wall, crossing her arms tight. "Don't feed me that crap, Kashy. You and I both know whatever we're out here for is about them, just like everything else the past few days has been."

"Fine," Kashoku said frowning. "I would ask why you're being so unbearable today, but since that seems to be becoming a daily thing with you I suppose I don't even have to ask anymore."

"Oh congratulations; caught on to that did you?"

Kashoku plowed on, paying no attention to Kage's words. "The other thing I wanted to ask you was if you'd look out for SG-1 when we get to the Calm Lands." For a few seconds it was silent and then Kage burst out laughing.

"You're not really serious are you?"

"I am actually."

"And why the hell would I want to do that? Let them look out for their own asses!"

"Because if you don't, I'll consider your letting them be taken advantage of as enough of a reason to call off our deal, Kage."

To her credit, Kashoku didn't so much as blink when Kage slammed her fist into the wall next to the brunette's head. Meeting her friend's furious blue eyes, Kashoku raised her chin slightly; she refused to back down this time. It was blackmail to bring their deal into the equation, yes, but as much as Kashoku hated having to resort to that she didn't have much other choice. Kage didn't like SG-1 and no matter what Kashoku had said to the team, there really wasn't any other way to keep them out of trouble aside from skipping the Calm Lands altogether, something Kashoku didn't want to do.

"That is absolute bullshit, Kashoku!" Kage hissed. "They're not fucking children; they can look out for themselves."

"Maybe so, but I don't want them to have to!"

"Why?" Kage asked angrily. "Why the hell do you give a damn if they like it here or not? It's not like it's their fucking planet. No matter what happens they can just go home tomorrow as if the past few days never happened. Why the hell do I have to play baby-sitter for them?"

"For one thing, it's because they're going to become our allies, Kage. For another, they're honestly nice people and I don't want to see them being taken advantage off."

"Okay, first off, they're not our allies. All these people are interested in is our weapons and technology. That's it, Kashoku, and the sooner you realize that the better. Who gives a damn if they get cheated out of a few things in the Calm Lands? They're sure as hell going to cheat us in the long run. Especially with naïve people like you giving them all our best stuff without so much as anything being gained from it!"

Kashoku pursed her lips. "I care about them getting cheated, Kage. And that'll just have to be good enough."

Kage stared hard at Kashoku for a long moment before inclining her head stiffly. "Fine," she ground out. "I'll keep them out of trouble. But I swear, Kashoku, I'd better get something out of this. No more 'if you don't behaves' held over my head, got it?"

Kashoku relaxed her stance slightly and gave her friend a small smile, knowing that anything more would just set the other off. "Thank you, Kage," she said quietly.

"And another thing," Kage scowled. "You'd better not even think about sharing your room with Jackson again tonight. I will seriously bust that door down and throw him out on his ass if you do."

Kashoku's smile faded as Kage turned to storm back onto the bridge. Sharing a room with Daniel again would be pushing them both a bit too much. Not to mention Kashoku didn't think she could deal with another day of Kage in her current mood. Speaking of…

"Hey, Kage?" she called out.

Kage stopped just short of the bridge door and turned, throwing Kashoku an annoyed look. "What now?"

"I don't know why exactly you're so angry today but… if you want to talk about it, I'm still here for you, you know?" Kashoku's thoughts drifted to SG-1 and the bond the team shared. She had thought that her friendship with Kage hadn't faded all that much through the years, but just being around the four explorers had made it painfully clear in a matter of days what she hadn't seen for years. She hoped it wasn't too late to try and break down the wall between her old teammate and herself.

Kage rolled her eyes and turned back to the door. "You are such a pain in the ass," she grumbled before stepping onto the bridge.

Kashoku sighed and followed after her friend. Why did the woman have to make everything so difficult?

"It's… a big forest," O'Neill said unenthusiastically when the Spirans joined his team in front of the main screen. Wing was showing an aerial view of the woods and unfortunately only a bit of its normal luster was clear in the image. The team wasn't all that impressed. "A pretty one, but… still a forest."

"Save your breath," Kage said. "I've been telling Kashoku that for years, minus the pretty part. She's still in love with it for some fucking reason."

"What's not to love?" Kashoku pouted. "It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, a beautiful waste of space," Kage snorted. "We're not spending a lot of time here are we?"

"We'll stay as long as our guests want to." Kashoku smiled eagerly at the team as Wing lowered itself to land. "Are you ready?"

O'Neill cast one last look at the huge spread of the sparkling forest and adjusted his hat. "I guess…" Hopefully they wouldn't have to cover all that ground by foot.

Kashoku spent the short trip down to the hull of the ship telling SG-1 of the forest and its history, her enthusiasm making even O'Neill gain an interest. She had only just begun mentioning Shiva, the aeon whose presence in the now-sunken Macalania temple had kept the forest frozen for hundreds of years, when the ramp door began lowering.

"I've always felt that Macalania is the best part of Spira," Kashoku said softly as the forest was slowly revealed to them. "I've come at least a thousand times and I still can't get over its beauty."

"Personally I don't see what the big deal is. It's just a stupid forest," Kage spoke up.

"Ah but you forget," O'Neill grinned, more enthused now. "It's a blue forest."

Kage stared hard at the colonel. "Is that supposed to make a difference to me or something?"

"No world we have come across before in our travels has possessed trees of such a color," Teal'c explained. "In that way, Macalania is most unique."

"And I'm supposed to care now that I have this information?" she sneered.

"Oh for cryin' out loud!" O'Neill groaned. "Can someone keep her away from me before I give into the urge to shoot her?"

"Hey, if you want to try something, I'll be more than happy to-"

"Kage, Colonel – enough!" Kashoku looked from one to the other in exasperation. "Will you two please just behave for now? You just have to make it through the forest before you can go work off some steam in the Calm Lands. It's not that far. So, Kage, please stop antagonizing Colonel O'Neill; and, Colonel, please stop rising to the challenge. If you ignore Kage's barbs, I'm sure we'll all enjoy this day much more than we have so far. Now, are you two children ready to see Macalania up close and in person or do I have to make you sit in a corner for a while to calm down first?"

O'Neill stared at Kage, the woman arching an eyebrow challengingly in return. "Alright," he sighed. "I guess we can behave."

"Thank you," Kashoku sighed in relief. She wasn't fool enough to believe that their peace would last long but Kashoku would enjoy it while she could.

Kashoku didn't wait around for a response as she hurried down the ramp, Daniel on her heels as he looked around the forest eagerly. Kashoku had been right when she said that the forest was more magical at nighttime, but Macalania in daylight was still stunning. Behind them, Teal'c followed at a much more sedate pace while Kage stayed behind O'Neill and Carter so she could keep an eye on everyone.

"Why do I always get blamed for everything?" O'Neill asked under his breath as he began down the ramp with Carter.

"Well, sir, you did add to the fire," Carter pointed out.

"But I didn't start it."

"I believe that is an improvement, O'Neill," Teal'c said as they caught up with him.

"Something to put in the mission report then," O'Neill grinned proudly.

Kage shoved past him with a roll of her eyes and a muttered "Idiot."

Aside from the attractive surroundings and the occasional jibes exchanges between Kage and O'Neill, not much happened during their trip through Macalania. Or at least nothing had until Teal'c fell in next to O'Neill about a third of the way through the forest.

"We are being followed."

O'Neill didn't miss a stride, simply shifted his gun a little closer and cast his eyes to every nearby nook, cranny, and shadow in between. "Hostile?"

"I am unsure. They have yet to do more than watch until now," Teal'c responded quietly.

"How long have they been back there?"

"Long enough."

Kage snorted a bit ahead of them, clearly having been eavesdropping. "That's it? No 'how do you know'? No one else has noticed anything and you take this guy's word for it that we're 'being followed' just like that?"

"Uh… Yeah. Just like that."

"Look, it's probably just some idiots who got lost and are following us to help get out. Don't hold us up because you're paranoid."

"If that is all they desire, why then would they conceal themselves from us?"

"Because they're idiots," Kage scowled. "Maybe they have too much pride to admit to being lost."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" O'Neill couldn't resist asking. Kage hissed at him and drifted away a few feet, pretending again that she wasn't listening to their every word.

"Any chance she's right and it's just someone lost?" he asked after a minute of walking in silence.

"It is unlikely. I have attempted to locate them many times, but they conceal themselves with great skill."

"Are you sure it's not just your imagination?" Kage asked unkindly.

"Hey, if Teal'c says someone's following us, someone is back there," O'Neill said, defended his friend.

"Just because someone says one thing doesn't make it true," she bit back.

O'Neill stopped in his tracks. "You know, I've had it up to here with you. No one asked you to come along on this tour and frankly, I'm sure we'd all rather have you gone. If you hate us so much, why don't you just leave? Go pick a fight with a toddler or something – I don't care! Just go the hell away before one of us – namely me – does something I'll regret."

"Oh I'd like to, believe me," Kage bared her teeth and leaned in close to O'Neill, "but as long as Kashoku is with you, rest assured that I'll be right here by you. So I suggest if you want me gone so bad, you don't linger anywhere unnecessarily, Colonel. Wakatta?"

"Yeah," O'Neill said darkly. "Capiche."

"Good." Kage smiled thinly and pulled away, resuming the walk as if nothing had happened. "Hey, Kashoku! Can we move on already? You're the only one still enjoying this damn place."

Farther ahead of the trio, Kashoku looked back with barely concealed disappointment. "If SG-1 is ready to leave, I suppose we can head back to Wing…"

"I'd actually like to stay for a few more minutes if that's alright with you," Daniel said quickly.

"Well it's not, so turn your ass around and get moving," Kage huffed.

"It's fine, Daniel," Kashoku interjected, jumping at the chance to linger in Macalania even if she wasn't sure that she wanted his company after last night. "If you want to head back to Wing, Kage, you're welcome to. I'll continue on with Daniel and whoever else wishes to stay if you'll show anyone who wants to turn back the way to the ship."

"Fine, whatever," Kage snorted, turning on her heel and heading back the way they came. "I'm not waiting for stragglers though so if you're coming, move your ass."

Kashoku glanced at O'Neill, who was eyeing Kage's retreating back. "If you really don't want to continue on, I'm sure you'll be capable of avoiding Kage on Wing while you wait for us."

"Still have to deal with her until we reach the ship…" O'Neill exhaled slowly.

"Actually, Jack, why don't you go ahead and follow Kage back," Daniel piped up suddenly.

"…Why?"

"Well, you were complaining about your knees earlier-"

"I was not!"

"-and you've said it yourself trees aren't really your thing-"

"When?"

"On previous missions, pretty much whenever we visit a planet with a forest."

"That's only when we have to walk god knows how far just so you can look at a stupid rock that may or may not have been written on a thousand years ago about the wonders of farming. And that was just twice."

"That happened three times actually, and that's not the point."

"Well maybe I don't know what the point is."

Daniel frowned.

O'Neill lifted an eyebrow encouragingly.

Daniel sighed. "Jack."

"Daniel?"

Daniel opened his mouth, glanced at their company, and shut it. "You're going to lose sight of Kage."

"A blessing, I assure you."

"Jack."

O'Neill's stare remained unwavering however and so it was that Daniel shifted his eyes pointedly towards Kashoku and then back. "Oh. You could have just said so."

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. So much for discretion. "Goodbye, Jack."

"Yeah, sure. See you kids on the other side of the forest. Carter, Teal'c?"

Carter shot Daniel an amused look. "I think I'll accompany you back to the ship, sir. I'd like to take a closer look at Wing's controls anyway if that's okay with Kashoku."

"That's fine," Kashoku said. "Wing could probably just tell you most of what you want to know, but since the characters are all in New Spiran I'd advise asking Kage to help you out so you can understand everything better."

"Do you think she'd actually do that?" Carter asked dubiously.

Kashoku hesitated a moment. "It's worth a shot."

"Great…"

"I will accompany Kage Yamino to Wing as well," Teal'c said. There was a slight smile on his lips as he dipped his head towards Daniel and Kashoku, quietly acknowledging the linguist's unspoken gratitude.

"Keep an eye out for snakes and tree roots, Danny," O'Neill called in parting as they hurried to catch up with their wayward guide.

"I guess it's just us then," Daniel said as he glanced back at Kashoku. The petite woman was staring at him with her large brown eyes narrowed, a frown upon her face. He quickly decided against asking what was wrong. Only an idiot would really think Kashoku was oblivious to what he'd just done. Before he could say anything to bridge the awkward silence though, Kashoku was turning away, continuing deeper into Macalania.

Well you knew it wouldn't be easy… Taking a deep breath, Daniel hurried after the Spiran. "Kashoku, wait! I wanted to talk to you…"

"Obviously," she said stiffly. Then, sighing, "I don't want to talk about last night, Daniel. I thought I made that clear."

"Then don't. If you don't want to talk about it, don't say anything. But at least let me say what I want to."

"Fine. Talk. I don't suppose I could stop you anyway."

"Will you at least listen? It doesn't matter what I say if you don't actually hear a word of it."

Kashoku paused for a moment before half-turning to see Daniel's face. "Alright," she said finally, moving to face him. "I'll listen. What did you want to tell me, Daniel?"

"What the hell took you so long?"

Kage's angry voice sliced through the temporary silence as the three members of SG-1 stumbled upon her.

"I thought you weren't waiting," O'Neill shot back. He wasn't sure whether he should be disappointed or relieved that they found her.

"And listen to Kashoku bitch me out for hours later because you got lost?" Kage sneered. Her gaze slithered over them and each could feel it the moment she registered exactly how many of the travelers were present. Kage's expression darkened. "Jackson's the only one still continuing on?"

"Got a problem with that?"

Words weren't necessary as the Spiran shoved away from a large crystal and stalked past SG-1. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was planning.

"Kage!" O'Neill barked. "Damn it, stop! Just leave them alone for once."

To his surprise she actually listened, though there was no telling how long it would last. "And why the hell should I?"

"We're in the middle of a forest; do you really think Daniel would do anything to Kashoku here?" O'Neill received an arrogant lift of the brow in response. "They're just going to talk for Pete's sake! We're all leaving soon anyway so why can't you just let them have a moment's peace?"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Kashy doesn't want to talk to him?!"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe she does?" O'Neill countered. "You know, they were getting along just fine yesterday until you started riding everyone's back about it. What do you have against Daniel being friends with her anyway? You've been around the guy long enough that you should know he's not out to manipulate Kashoku. Is this some kind of jealousy thing because if it is- Hey!"

O'Neill moved back quickly, P-90 automatically lifted as Kage lashed out at Teal'c. The woman was futilely trying to remove herself from the Jaffa's tight grip where he had caught her wrist when she'd attempted to strike at O'Neill. "That's enough!" O'Neill ordered, having grown tired of her constant attempts to attack him and everyone else under the sun. Kage stilled in the face of the three guns, her muscles taut as she switched her burning gaze from Teal'c to Carter to O'Neill. At least something can shut her up, he thought.

"Teal'c? You alright, buddy?"

"I am, O'Neill." The Jaffa had a few angry red welts on his arm where Kage had clearly dug her claws in, but otherwise he appeared none too worse for wear. A fact that no doubt pissed Kage off more than her being in their line of fire was.

"Good. Now, what the hell is your problem?" O'Neill asked Kage sharply.

"You are!" she spat. "Why don't you just go back to your own planet and bother someone there already? I'm sick of having to listen to everyone – especially Kashy – fall all over themselves just to impress the fucking visitors from another world when you're only here to get our technology and leave anyway!"

"Has anyone ever told you you're a bit paranoid?" O'Neill hissed.

"Kage, we have no intention of ripping your people off," Carter said. "What we have to offer may not be as fantastic as all the things you have on Spira, but we're going to try to keep this a fair deal. We really do want to be allies with your people."

Kage sneered. "Considering all the things I've already seen and heard you drooling over, I highly doubt that you have anything worth even a fraction of what it would require to make this deal fair. You already owe us for the White Mage dress sphere and frankly, I saw nothing on your planet that could equal even that."

"You spent all your time in a holding cell! Of course you didn't see anything interesting!"

"And whose fault was that?!"

"Well if you hadn't been such a pain in the-"

"The Tau'ri possess many interesting things on their world," Teal'c cut in, tightening his grip on Kage in case she decided to attack Colonel O'Neill again. "It is my belief that you will easily find something of equal or greater value if you take the time to look."

"I'm so sure," Kage scoffed.

"Hey, don't diss the cooking before you taste it."

"If it was yours, it would probably poison me."

"I'll have you know that I don't need to cook because unlike Spira, Earth has the wonderful concept that is take-out," O'Neill told her smugly.

"Like I care." Kage struggled in Teal'c's grip again, trying everything to break free save her more harmful methods. Kage didn't exactly have another White Mage on hand to patch SG-1 up if she did anything more than bruise them and she didn't need Kashoku on her ass about injuring the explorers. But seriously, what the hell was this guy made of? Anyone else and she would have been free by now. "Let me go or I swear I'll fry you!" she hissed.

"You know, Kage, you really need to work on those people skills of yours," O'Neill chided. "You'd be amazed how much nicer people will be to you." Kage just glared. "Alright, alright. Hold your horses." O'Neill dug in his gear and pulled out a long piece of stiff black plastic.

"Hands behind your back," he said.

"What?"

"Put your hands behind your back."

"Like hell! What is that thing!?"

"Handcuffs basically," O'Neill said dangling the plastic in front of Kage's face. "You don't think I'm going to let you walk around with free fists when you've been murdering me with your eyes the past ten minutes, do you?"

"You are not putting that on me!"

O'Neill shrugged. "Your call. Teal'c, you think you can carry her back to the ship then?"

Teal'c considered Kage's angry form for a moment, not at all intimidated by the murderous glare. "I believe it is possible, O'Neill."

"Great. So what's it going to be, Kage: handcuffs or Teal'c?" O'Neill's earlier anger was almost completely gone, replaced with his amusement as he gave Kage a broad grin. The disbelieving look on the woman's face was priceless.

"If you even think about picking me up I'll slit your throat, deal with Kashoku be damned," Kage snarled looking up at Teal'c quickly.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and promptly dismissed Kage's threat as though it were nothing. Of course, having once been the First Prime of Apophis, it probably was nothing. "It would appear that Kage Yamino has chosen to accept the restraint."

O'Neill pouted. "Damn. I was hoping for the second option."

"Fuck you!"

"Ah, sir, she is our only way back to the ship," Carter reminded O'Neill quietly. "It might not be a good idea to antagonize her anymore."

"I know. I'm done for now anyway." O'Neill stepped up next to Teal'c and quickly wrapped the restraint around Kage's wrists, though not before pocketing her necklace of magic rings. "Alright, Teal'c," he grinned after tugging the restraint a bit tighter than necessary just in case, "you can let her go now."

The first thing Kage did when she was released was kick O'Neill in the ass. "I hope you like this forest because you can be damn sure I'm going to wander all over the place after this crap," she growled.

Carter shot O'Neill an 'I told you so' look as she followed after Kage.

"She was asking for it," O'Neill said in his defense.

"I believe Kage Yamino would have led us astray whether you restrained her or not, O'Neill," Teal'c observed quietly as they trailed behind the two women. "Daniel Jackson's time alone with Kashoku Yoshiko has greatly angered her. It would be wise to keep an eye on her for the remainder of this trip."

O'Neill sighed heavily. "I'd thought that seemed pretty easy… Damn it. Daniel's always got to stir up trouble for us."

"Much blame in the past has lied with you as well, O'Neill."

"Hey! Only some of those instances were my fault."

"You didn't think this out much beyond getting me alone, did you?" Kashoku asked, turning away from Daniel to continue on.

Twice already the man had tried to tell her something but never yet had he expressed anything with any degree of effectiveness. He was talking – there was no doubt about that - but Kashoku could only follow his words because she had a pretty good idea of what he was leading up to. She was making no moves to help him out though. Kashoku wanted no part of Daniel Jackson's tempting plans to make Them work.

"I'm actually kind of playing it by ear," Daniel admitted as he followed her. "Look… After last night, I tried to forget about this attraction between us since, as you said, it probably wouldn't work out, but… I'm sorry, but I just can't get you off my mind, Kashoku."

"Then try harder. We barely know each other, Daniel, it can't be that difficult."

"I'm not expressing this very well, am I?" Daniel asked. He sighed and gathered his thoughts for a moment before capturing Kashoku in his intense gaze again. "Kashoku, I know we might have agreed that nothing should happen beyond last night but… the more time I spend with you, the more I find myself wanting something more."

"Then look for it elsewhere, Daniel. From what I understood from Colone O'Neill, I am not the first, and I won't be the last."

Daniel could feel his cheeks grow red at that. "You aren't some conquest, Kashoku. This wouldn't be a temporary thing."

Kashoku stared at him long and hard before shaking her head. "I would rather you say nothing than offer me words we both know aren't true. I'm not a child. I do not need sweet nothings from you."

"I'm not really the type to spout out such things, Kashoku," Daniel said honestly. "I'm serious about what I said. All I ask is that you give us a chance to make something out of what we have together. We'll figure out the rest in time."

"Time is a luxury we do not share, Daniel," Kashoku pointed out. "What is it about me that is so different than those that came before me? Did you ever once try and make it work with them?"

"Yes!" Daniel spoke strongly. "I gave up everything on Earth to stay with someone I had met on another planet. I married her!"

Kashoku came to a sudden halt and her eyes locked onto his. "What?" She breathed almost silently.

Daniel swallowed painfully at the thoughts of Sha're. "I let Jack go back to Earth while I stayed to be with her, and I was happy until the Goa'uld came and took her from me."

Kashoku was the first to look away. "I'm sorry…" she said in place of the words she couldn't voice. "I'm sorry that happened to you and your wife, but I could not, and will not, ask you to stay here."

"I'm not going to give up, you know."

"You're just wasting your time."

"I disagree."

Kashoku opened her mouth to speak but footsteps coming up from behind silenced her. She turned curiously to see who had trekked so deep into Macalania only to whip back around towards Daniel as a few bursts of gunfire were let out. The archaeologist jabbed an elbow into his choker's stomach to no avail, simultaneously kicking out at the other assailant who had snatched away his P-90 after the brief struggle. With a growl, Kashoku pulled out both of her guns and fired a single shot beside the man with the P-90's ear, turning her body at the same time to meet the man approaching behind her with her other gun.

"Tell them to get away from Daniel now or I swear you won't be in any position to do anything again."

The man let out a low chuckle, tapping the muzzle of her gun with his index finger. "Your threats could still use some work, Kash." His icy blue eyes glinted confidently under fine dark lashes and it was an easy smirk that he met her angry gaze. "I believe it is you who needs to stand down though. You are, after all, the one who has far more to lose in this situation."

Kashoku smiled slowly. "Considering how highly you view your life, I'm not so sure about that, Ralis."

"Still trying to act like your butch friend?" Ralis shook his head mockingly. "Come on, Kashy, you're far too delicate to intimidate me like that. Now," seriousness crept into his light tone, deepening it with hints of something sinister, "considering how highly you view others' lives... I would drop your weapons before something terrible befalls your dear Daniel. We don't want my friends to have to do something drastic to him, do we?"

Kashoku glanced back towards Daniel as the sound of flesh meeting flesh met her ears, the two men Ralis had brought with him not stopping at restraining the Tau'ri. "Tell them to leave him alone," Kashoku ordered, glaring at Ralis.

"Drop your weapons and I will," Ralis promised.

The moment Kashoku lowered her guns, Ralis was moving.

~*~

"Are we there yet?" O'Neill droned for the twentieth time in the past five minutes.

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Shut up!" Kage screamed, whirling around to face the team.

O'Neill put on his best innocent face. "I was just asking."

"Be silent before I rip that wagging tongue from your mouth," Kage growled.

"You know, that threat would have been a lot more effective if you had the use of your hands," O'Neill said calmly. "But seriously, how much longer do you plan on leading us in circles? I'm an old man; I can't take all this nonstop walking at my age."

Kage rolled her eyes and turned back around. "Please, I'm at least a good thirty years older than you according to Kashy. Don't even pull that old man shit with me. It's not my fault if you're out of shape."

"I'll have you know I'm in very good shape for my ag-"

"Shut up," Kage hissed, ducking behind a tree suddenly. Instinct had O'Neill, Carter, and Teal'c following before they even knew what had startled her.

"There appears to be someone up ahead," Teal'c observed as the sound of joking voices reached their ears.

"No, really?"

"So what's the problem?" Carter asked, exchanging a confused look with O'Neill.

Ignoring the question, Kage slunk forward until she was near the edge of the forest with SG-1 following her warily. Only twenty feet away from them rested Wing, another more elaborate airship beside it.

"I swear every time she holds a performance that asshole tries something within the week," Kage muttered, raking her gaze across the group of guys hanging around the new airship. She failed to spot the one particular guy she was looking for. "Damn it. I can't believe this! I wouldn't have missed him going by if you assholes hadn't made me take detours," Kage said angrily, glaring at SG-1.

"Made you-?" Before O'Neill could get any farther in his protest, Kage broke free of her restraint and hurried back into the forest.

There was a moment of silence following this before Carter reached for the broken plastic. "She pulled it apart like it was nothing."

O'Neill made a face beside her. "So you know that comment I made about the ripping out of the tongue thing..? Remind me never to do that again."

"Do you believe we should follow Kage Yamino, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, staring after Kage and marking the trail she'd made in case they were going to pursue her.

O'Neill glanced back at Wing and reassured himself with the fact that none of the group seemed to be messing with the airship. "Probably," he said. "Better give Daniel a heads up about what's coming his way though. I'm assuming that the 'he' Kage mentioned is looking for Kashoku."

"Another admirer?" Carter asked.

"If Kage doesn't like him, anything is possible," O'Neill snorted. He pulled out his radio and pressed the talk button. "Hey, Daniel?"

Nothing but silence. O'Neill raised the device to his lips again. "Daniel? Yoohoo."

Teal'c shifted his grip on his staff weapon as Jack called for the archaeologist once more. If something had happened to Daniel Jackson and Kashoku Yoshiko, the Jaffa was ready to fight.

"Daniel, I swear if I find out you're playing tonsil hockey right now, a 'priceless artifact' is going to kick the bucket when we get back, I can promise you that!"

"I'm afraid Daniel's a bit busy right now," a smooth voice cut in. "So for the moment why don't you shut up, old man."

O'Neill met Carter's worried eyes. "And who the hell are you?"

"If you don't already know of me, you're not worth my time."

Ralis threw the Earth device behind him carelessly even as the voice coming out of it began to say something else. The sound of it breaking against one of the many Macalania crystals brought an attractive grin to his tanned face splashed with freckles. "Well that was an unnecessary annoyance. Now that we've got a bit of privacy again, how have you been, Kashy?"

"You really have no right to call me that anymore, Ralis," Kashoku scowled beside Daniel.

Daniel wiped a bit of blood away from his split lip. "I take it this is the same Ralis you dumped?"

"The one and the same," Kashoku said. "Here, let me…" Kashoku placed her hands on either side of Daniel's face and activated her white magic, quickly healing the cut and bruised flesh. She had only just finished when Daniel was shoved roughly away from her by one of the two men Ralis had brought with him. Kashoku's re-summoned gun was on the man before he could even pull back. "I wouldn't try that again if I were you," she ground out.

"Nor would I try that, Kashy," Ralis smiled, gesturing towards where Daniel had fallen. Behind him stood the blitzball player's second goon, still holding Daniel's P-90 from earlier. "Didn't we already discuss you putting those toys away?"

Kashoku's answering sneer was almost worthy of Kage. "I agreed only if you agreed to leave Daniel alone. I don't see why I should keep my word when you aren't."

"How coldly you speak to me," Ralis laughed. "What happened to the Kashy who used to adore me?"

"That person never existed, Ralis," Kashoku bit out. "Just like the Ralis you showed me was nothing more than an act."

"That's not at all true, Kashy," he said. "I wasn't faking when I told you I loved you."

Kashoku shook her head in disgust. "You loved something, Ralis, but it wasn't me. Whatever it is you want to say, just say it. But leave Daniel out of this."

Ralis ignored her words and approached Daniel's kneeled form. Grabbing the archaeologist's chin in a rough grip, he jerked his head to the side and trailed a finger along the man's cheek where a bruise had been forming moments ago. Daniel yanked his head away and glared defiantly.

"Don't touch me," he ground out, unable to do much more with the gun at his skull.

Ralis patted Daniel's cheek mockingly and stood up. "I fail to see why you took the time to heal him when you know I'm just going to have to bruise him up all over again."

"If you touch him, Ralis, you'll regret it," Kashoku swore, her gun following Ralis's every movement.

"Now why does that sound familiar..?" Ralis wondered aloud mockingly as he circled Daniel. "Oh yes, I remember now. Didn't I once say something similar to you, Kash? 'If anyone touches you, they'll regret it'? You had done such a good job adhering to that up until now. Imagine my surprise when I saw your ship at the edge of Macalania last night and discovered that you weren't alone here in the forest. And not only were you not alone, but you were entertaining some company." Ralis punctuated 'company' with a swift kick to Daniel's stomach that made the other man double over.

Kashoku's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. The only thing keeping her from firing off a couple of shots into the man's body was the warning look Daniel shot her as he picked himself up.

"What I do with my body is none of your business, Ralis. You hold no claim on me."

Ralis met Kashoku's eyes at that moment and the wild, heated expression in his eyes was enough to silence her if only for a few seconds.

"I hold every claim on you, Kashoku," Ralis said icily. "You just haven't realized it yet."

Before Kashoku could respond, he continued on with his earlier tirade as though she had said nothing. "I had heard all about your earlier escapades with the visitors of course – how you came across them, how you were injured when those Jaffa attacked, and how you returned singing the Earth people's praises. I didn't really care about any of that until I heard how you had already started trading with them. Not even trading, Kashy. Tell me, did you actually give these people one of Spira's White Mage dress spheres?"

Kashoku raised her chin. "I did."

"Of course you did," Ralis sneered. "You always were a naïve little fool. Did it ever once occur to you that these people have nothing to offer us in return for our generosity?"

"Not every act of kindness requires a reward, Ralis," Kashoku said, bristling. "But I suppose that's not something a selfish man like you could ever understand."

"Selfish, but self-satisfied," Ralis acknowledged. "Can you say the same, Kashy?"

"He who is satisfied so early in life soon quits trying and learns nothing."

"No? I thought not."

Ralis circled Kashoku and paused behind her, running his hand through her hair as he bent down to rest his cheek against hers. Kashoku's entire body was tense against him, ready to attack at a moment's notice, but Ralis ignored all of that. Tilting his head slightly so their cheekbones brushed, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and stared straight at Daniel. His voice was just loud enough to be heard by all those present as he spoke to Kashoku in a charming tone that was at great odds with his hostile personality. "You brought back nothing from Earth when you returned. Nothing. If I know you, Kashy, you've probably already promised at least ten other things to these people. At least tell me you earned something for Spira last night when you spread your legs for this man and offered yourself up, something you so rarely even did for your boyfriend…"

In a rare show of vindictiveness, Kashoku smiled and turned her head slightly to see Ralis more clearly. "That was my reward."

Ralis's nostrils flared as anger overtook the blitzball player and Kashoku felt satisfaction flow through her system even as her scalp began to ache from the tight grip on her hair. It wasn't often that Kashoku got to piss someone off so much and for once in her life, she was enjoying it.

"Well then. We'll just have to take compensation from the Earth man ourselves, won't we?" Ralis proposed, trying to lessen his fury. "The least they can do in exchange for dress spheres is help keep our mako supply up, right?" He connected eyes with his friends and nodded towards Daniel. "Shoot him," he hissed, still holding Kashoku close.

The words weren't even all the way out of his mouth before Daniel spun and tackled the man behind him in a fight for the P-90. Kashoku twisted in Ralis's grip and raked her nails down the side of his face, wincing as he gave a sharp pull at her hair and backhanded her. But Kashoku had been expecting the strike and threw her body into the force that was knocking her to the ground, firing a shot at both Ralis and the second man the moment she was down. Ralis managed to shield himself in time, but the other man was not as fast and took the bullet straight in the shoulder.

Behind his shield, Ralis let his gaze drift to where Daniel had managed to disarm the first man and was holding him at gunpoint. Sending a lazy smirk to Kashoku, he began to prepare a black magic spell only to cut it off as he noticed that their fight had caught unwanted attention. It was faint, but he could definitely hear someone making their way towards them at a swift speed.

"Shall we continue this some other time, Kash?" Ralis suggested civilly as he lowered his shield.

"I'd rather not," Kashoku said, keeping her gun trained on him. "Get lost, Ralis."

Ralis chuckled as he wiped blood off of his lip. "Wonderful. It'll be a date then." Without even a glance at the two men he'd come with, Ralis strode off into the woods, though not before tossing Daniel a look that promised something unpleasant for the next time they met.

Kashoku shifted her eyes to the remaining men. "Well what are you waiting for?" she asked sharply. "Get going!"

They had just made it almost out of sight when Kage came upon Daniel and Kashoku. Kashoku smiled at her friend and lowered her guns wearily. "Hey, Kage."

"Don't 'hey, Kage' me," she snapped. "Where the hell did Ralis go?"

"He's gone," Daniel said as he climbed to his feet. "You just missed him and his friends."

"Damn it! Are you at least alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fin-"

"I was speaking to Kashy, not you. As if I give a damn about your health."

Kashoku sighed but climbed to her feet with a smile thrown at Daniel. "I'm fine, Kage. Just a bit exhausted."

"Your face is all red." Kage frowned. "Don't tell me you let that asshole hit you."

"Does it really matter? What's passed has passed. I just want to get back to Wing and rest a little."

Kage wasn't happy but she let her friend off the hook. That didn't mean she wasn't going to kick some serious ass the next time she saw Ralis though. "One little scuffle and you have to rest. You've gotten so fucking soft since you quite sphere hunting, Kashy. Come on, let's go."

As they all headed back towards Wing, Kashoku glanced over to Daniel and touched his arm slightly. "Daniel?"

"Hm?"

Kashoku hesitated a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault that guy was a complete-,"

"I meant about earlier," Kashoku corrected.

Daniel gave her a confused look, glancing at Kage to see if she was listening. Satisfied that the woman was involved enough in her thoughts and mutterings to give them a bit of privacy, he responded. "I'm not sure that I'm following…"

"I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes, either. We'll just take it day by day, and what happens happens."

Daniel forgot he was supposed to be walking and just stared. "Are you sure?"

Kashoku reached out for his hand and tugged him along. "Now you're backing out?"

"No, not at all. I'm just surprised… What changed your mind?"

"Ralis, I suppose," Kashoku admitted. "Seeing him again… It reminded me that I can't just assume everything will end up like that did. Also, I wasn't lying when I said what I did to him." She gave Daniel a mischievous look. "The sex really was a good trade. It would be a shame to pass up on that so soon, especially when there are many more things I can give your world."

As Daniel's face brightened in embarrassment, Kashoku started laughing and that was exactly how O'Neill and Teal'c found them five minutes later. Kage stormed on ahead once they reunited, unable to stand the group any longer.

"Are you two alright?" Carter asked as they came upon her at the edge of the forest.

"We're fine," Daniel reassured her. "Is Ralis's airship still here?"

"You actually just missed them leaving."

Kashoku smiled. "Kage must have been disappointed."

"I didn't even try to talk to her actually," the other woman confessed.

"A good strategy when dealing with Kage," O'Neill nodded. After her little trick with the restraint, he was thinking about employing that strategy a lot more often around her.

"After we rest for a bit, our next stop is the Calm Lands," Kashoku mentioned as they made to board Wing. "Kage should be a bit nicer while we're there."

"Oh goodie," O'Neill said unenthusiastically. "'Only half the bitch of the original.' I can't wait."

As it turned out, Kage actually wasn't as unbearable in the Calm Lands as she had been everywhere else. Apparently when the topic was something she liked – O'Neill had compiled the list thus far as alcohol, fighting, and gambling – she was just the tiniest bit more agreeable. It was good enough for SG-1.

Due mostly to Kashoku's insistence, the next stop was Mount Gagazet, home of blue-furred, lion-like creatures known as Ronso, and its hot springs. The team took one look at the snowy mountain and quickly did what they could to ensure what warmth they'd get out of their SGC uniforms. It wasn't much though considering that the uniforms were designed for moderately hot weather, not cold.

"How far up are the hot springs?" O'Neill asked, trying to keep his teeth from chattering.

"They're at the top with the Ronso Sacred Grounds," Kashoku said. "Don't worry; it'll get warmer the farther up we go."

Carter furrowed her brows. "Don't you mean colder?"

Kashoku shook her head. "No, I know it sounds weird, but it honestly gets warmer the farther up the mountain you go."

"Well that's good to know."

Still, despite the gradually warming weather, Kage and Kashoku had both changed dresses to their Trainer outfits for the added warmth by the time the group came across the Ronso. O'Neill let out a low whistle that was lost in the wind as the team got an eye-full of the beings; they could give Teal'c a run for his money in the Big and Strong department. While Kage and SG-1 hung back a little, Kashoku walked straight up to the Ronso in the center of the group and bowed. "Kimahri, I request passage through Mt. Gagazet with my friends, Kage Yamino and the warriors from Earth."

"Kashoku need no permission from Kimahri to pass through mountain. Kashoku always welcome here." The Ronso spoke in a heavy voice.

Kashoku smiled. "Thank you, Kimahri." She motioned for the others to join her. "This is Kimahri, the Ronso Elder. He was also one of Yuna's Guardians. Kimahri, this is Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson, and of course you know Kage."

"Kimahri is pleased to meet you all. Kimahri wishes safe journey for all."

"Is it okay if we stop by the Hot Springs too?" Kashoku asked.

"Kashoku is welcome to go wherever Kashoku wishes on mountain," Kimahri said.

"We should just skip the Springs, Kashy," Kage said as they continued up the mountain. "There's no point in going since they," she jerked her thumb towards SG-1, "probably didn't bring anything to wear. They've had the same clothes on since they got here."

Carter nodded a little as Kashoku looked back to consider them. "She's got a point. I only packed for a typical week-long mission."

"And I doubt you want us to go in the buff," O'Neill said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't even consider that," Kashoku apologized. "Do you still want to see them?"

"Considering it's just hot water in a hole in the ground, I say no," Kage decided. "Let's just go to Zanarkand already."

"It's not your decision, Kage," Kashoku chided. She looked expectantly at SG-1.

"Doesn't really matter," O'Neill shrugged after glancing at his teammates. "You're the guide."

"Well then-"

"Zan-ark-and!" Kage stressed right in Kashoku's ear.

"Kage!"

"What? They're just hot springs! No one cares so I don't see the problem in moving on."

"Fine! We'll head to Zanarkand." Kashoku sighed and raked her hair back with her hand. "To the city that never sleeps."

The group arrived at Zanarkand not long after the sun set but already the parties were going hard. Everywhere they looked, something wild and crazy was going on at the highest volume possible. Daniel stared around with a mixture of fascination and wariness while Carter was eyeing a few places with interest. Teal'c barely batted an eye at his surroundings and O'Neill…

O'Neill sighed. He really needed a beer, or Spira's closest equivalent.

"Since you were so eager to come, Kage, why don't you lead the way," Kashoku suggested tiredly. She was exhausted from a combination of last night and having to deal with Kage, Ralis, and Daniel one after the other. The dutiful host needed a break.

Kage smirked. "Gladly. There's a pretty good club just a few buildings up – decent music, crazy crowd, kick-ass alcohol. If there aren't any complaints," and didn't her expression just damn anyone who considered it, "we can go there."

Having nothing to lose, SG-1 agreed.

"We've only got about an hour to kill before the blitzball game though," Kashoku reminded them, "so don't drink too much."

Kage frowned. "What game?"

"The one here tonight..."

"Kashy, what the hell! That game has been sold out for weeks. No way you're getting these guys in there without tickets!" She cut Kashoku off as the woman opened her mouth. "And don't even think for a minute I'm going to sneak them in for you!"

"Kage-"

"Hell. No. I'm not dealing with this right now. What I am going to go do is get drunk off my ass and pretend the gateway led to a horde of treasure like I wanted. You can join me if you want; if not, see ya. Have fun with the blitzball game thing." Kage stalked down the street and slipped into a particularly loud building without a single glance back.

"Well that went well." Kashoku pouted.

"We don't have to see a game, you know," Daniel said softly.

"No, don't worry about it. I can still get you guys in." Kashoku gave him a beatific smile. "Just leave it to me. Kage was more of a fall-back plan."

"Yeah," O'Neill began as they wandered towards the club Kage had disappeared into, "I wouldn't let her hear you say that."

"Let's just go ahead towards the stadium and I'll work my magic," Kashoku suggested, changing into a dress sphere SG-1 had yet to see. There was a moment of shocked looks, but it was less than before.

"So, what exactly is blitzball?" O'Neill asked as they began to make their way towards the already bustling stadium.

"That would spoil the surprise now, wouldn't it?" Kashoku grinned.

"Is Kage coming?" Daniel asked, slightly hoping that for this one moment, however brief, he wouldn't have to deal with her.

"Mmm, not with us, anyway. I don't even know where she is at the moment. Kage likes the violence of the game just as much as anyone else, though, so I'm sure she's gotten herself into the game by other means than of our own."

"And what, exactly, are our means?" O'Neill asked.

"Don't worry, it won't be anything illegal," Kashoku laughed. "Stay here; I'll go talk to one of the guards about getting in."

"I wonder how she plans on getting us in," Carter mused out loud.

"With her and Kage there's really no telling," he snorted.

"You know, Kashy hasn't done anything wrong or to annoy you," Daniel pointed out.

"Not directly," O'Neill argued, "because you have to agree that it really all comes down to her and this jealousy, overprotected-ness, thing Kage has over her."

"I guess," Daniel mumbled, believing that really it was just the fact Kage was a nuisance.

It didn't take long for Kashoku to hurry her way back towards SG-1 with a grin plastered on her face. "See! I told you I could get us in with no problem! Come on! It'll be hard enough finding a place. I'm hoping we can find the Gullwings, but we'll be lucky in the masses of people."

"Wait, how did you get us in?" Daniel asked as Kashoku as he bounded off after her.

"I made a trade," she shrugged.

O'Neill raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Any idea what that means?"

"Nope," Daniel shook his head.

It was obvious immediately when they had made it inside the crowded and boasting stadium. It was set up much like a football stadium, but the ambiance was completely different. It reminded Daniel of a concert or a rave setting. It was dark, which he didn't understand at a sporting event, and there were laser lights all over the place. In actuality, it was much like when Kashoku gave her performance in Luca, save for the large clear globe in the center of the stadium. He wondered if that was the 'playing field'.

"Kashy!"

Kashy turned and grinned widely as she returned Rikku's wave. "Hey! Oh, good. I'm glad we found them. Now you all won't be alone."

"Alone? Are you leaving?" Daniel frowned.

"Sort of," Kashoku smile was almost a playful smirk. "I'll be back after half-time. Until then, you can get the Gullwings to help you with any questions you have on the game."

"But, hey!" Daniel called but Kashoku had already dashed off.

"You need to work on keeping hold of your catches there, Danny," Jack said with a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Daniel huffed but didn't let it get the best of him as he followed up the stands to where the Gullwings were. "Any idea where Kashy went off to?"

"Nope," Rikku shrugged through her excitement. "But I do know this is gonna be one heck of a game! I think it's about to start! Look!" She pointed to the sphere as water began to poor into it rapidly.

O'Neill raised an eyebrow. "Water?"

"Blitzball is played underwater," Yuna mentioned.

"Whoa, wait. Like, completely underwater?"

"Un," Yuna nodded. "Each quarter is five minutes long. As you can tell, it's not exactly an easy sport to partake in. It takes a lot of training."

"You mean they hold their breaths for all five minutes?" Carter asked. Even she was astonished by this.

"Yes. That is why the game only lasts twenty minutes total. It takes a lot out on you."

"So, what do you do under the water?" Daniel asked.

"Easier to watch then to tell," Rikku giggled as the players began take seats at the top benches of the water, legs the only thing submerged.

The fans began to scream louder the closer the water got to the top of the sphere. The lights caused the liquid to glow all sorts of neon colors as they danced through the stadium. Suddenly everything went silent as the water stopped. The players stood on the benches at the top of the water before diving in towards the center where three platforms had risen with a ball on the center one. A player from each team took their places on the opposing platforms, setting up much like the opening of a basketball game. A timer appeared on all the screens.

"3," the crowd began to chant, "2, 1, BLITZ OFF!" The ball shot up into the water and the players dashed to fight for possession over the blue object.

"It's like underwater soccer," Daniel mused out loud, both shocked and impressed by the severely taxing sport. "It must take an amazing amount of strength and endurance for this kind of thing."

Yuna nodded, "People train for years for this. But I think that's what makes it so exciting. Only the best of the best really can play. Any child can just kick the ball around at the beach, but only a select few will ever play the real thing."

"Holy crap," O'Neill mused as he watched two players slam up against the sphere fighting for the ball.

"Yunie, that's Tidus!" Rikku pointed worriedly, but it wasn't long before the summoner's husband had violently punched his opponent in the face for possession of the ball. "Alright Tidus! Wahoo!"

"Ralis," Daniel muttered as he realized who the other man was.

"Know him?" Paine asked, speaking out of her silence.

"We've been acquainted," he frowned.

"Ass," she said simply.

"Glad it's a mutual feeling for everyone."

"Damn," O'Neill cringed slightly as red began to mix into water. "I love this sport already! Are there no rules?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Yuna laughed. "Don't worry; no one has ever died before."

"Bummer. It's not a real sport, then."

Halftime came quicker than SG-1 was used to when it came to sports, with a score of 2 to 1, the Besaid Aurochs – Tidus' team – in the lead. An unexpected surprise was in store for not only SG-1, but the entire stadium as a platform was placed on top of the sphere and Kashoku appeared smiling.

"Ikuze, Zanarkand!" She shouted into her microphone.

"Ah, well, I guess our question has been answered," O'Neill remarked. "She does have the crowd; you have to give her that."

"Among other things, sir," Carter grinned mischievously as she watched Daniel.

"Oh, yes," O'Neill smirked, "at least the total bitch isn't here to witness it."

"I heard my name!" Kage griped as she took what should have been Kashoku's saved seat.

"Then you should have also heard we don't want you!" O'Neill groaned.

"I'd watch it if I were you. Kashoku isn't here right now to catch me arguing with you. I've got at least the next 2 minutes to say whatever I want," Kage smirked.

"Not really," Yuna began protesting, "because I'll just tell her what you said."

"You are such a fucking suck up, Yuna," Kage snorted.

"Mm, I guess so."

It wasn't long before Kashoku had disappeared from stage and made her way back to SG-1. "Are you enjoying the game so far?"

"It's not what I expected, but it lives up to all the violence I was promised," O'Neill grinned.

Kashoku laughed, "I'm glad, then."

The second half was filled with just as much, if not more, violence than the first as the two rival teams battled it out. In the end, the Aurochs were victorious by a last minute goal. The fans were mixed in their reactions, and many fights ensued but that was typical among the hardcore fans of blitzball.

"So what's next?" O'Neill asked as they filed out of the stadium careful to avoid getting in the middle of fan brawls.

Kage smirked at him, answering before Kashoku could. "Absolutely nothing. The tour is over. Now get the hell off our planet."

"I don't know, I think I feel like staying longer," O'Neill smirked back. Now that they were almost rid of one another, neither really cared what the other said.

"I guess we should be getting you back to your planet," Kashoku said reluctantly. "Would you prefer to stay the night and we'll take you back in the morning, or do you want to go now?"

O'Neill puffed his cheeks and blew out some air as he thought. "We should probably go ahead and return. The Pentagon is probably driving Hammond nuts wondering how the alliance proposal went."

Kashoku nodded. She was disappointed with the answer, but she understood that they were needed on their planet. She just wished that she could have had another night of freedom, and another night to spend with Daniel.

The flight went by entirely too quickly and they were outside the Cactaur cave before she knew it. Kashoku held on to Daniel's hand as the six of them made their way through the pitch black cave, starting to feel the loss even before he was gone. A slight squeeze of her hand, and she looked up to see the cave widening. They'd reached the chamber with the Stargate.

"Sir, could you shine some more light on the DHD?" Carter had taken the task of dialing up the gate in order to give Daniel a bit more time to say goodbye.

Curious despite herself, Kage wandered over to watch what the woman was doing, and the rest of SG-1 drifted pointedly away from the secret lovers. Daniel smiled down at Kashoku, the flashlight's beam just touching his lips. "I'm going to talk to the General about helping SG-9 out here."

"I know."

"I will come back," he promised. "If it's not to work on the treaty, I'll visit." Daniel's left hand drifted up to cup her cheek and he leaned down to give her a last kiss. "We'll make this work," he whispered, just as the wormhole punched into the room and receded.

She couldn't help it. For the first time, Kashoku really believed it.

"Ja matta."

~*~

"Kashoku! What the hell are you doing?! Stop staring into space when you're supposed to be killing fiends!"

Kashoku snapped to attention as Kage sliced through the fiend that had been about to shoot at her. She grimaced. "I'm sorry, Kage. I guess I'm just a bit distracted today."

Kage scowled heavily. "Today my ass. You've been like this since you rejoined Sereclipse. What's the deal?"

"Nothing, Kage. I'm just out of practice is all." Kashoku tacked a smile onto the end of her words and turned away. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to head back to Wing early. You'll be okay continuing alone?"

"Yeah," Kage said as she stared at her friend's retreating back. Damn it. Now she really was worried. The other Spiran just hadn't been the same since SG-1 went back to their planet. Sure, a lot of stuff had changed – Kashoku quit singing and started sphere hunting again, a team from Earth had to be ferried to the three faction leaders and back every week or so, and Nooj and Baralai had taken a newfound interest in Kashoku – but that didn't explain why the woman's head was always up in the clouds. Even if she was just mooning over Daniel, surely Kashoku would have gotten over it by now, right?

Kage snorted. Who was she kidding? The diva probably was just thinking about the loser. Kage was starting to regret making Kashoku rejoin Sereclipse. It was nothing like the old days, and Kashoku was starting to almost get her killed too.

Something needed to change. She just didn't know what.

The answer came only a few days later.

"Kage! Just who I was looking for."

Kage pierced the Spiran leader with a suspicious look as she lowered the tent flap. "You invited me here, asshole," she greeted.

Gippal grinned. "Have a seat."

Kage plopped down on the proffered chair and crossed her arms. "Alright, what do you want?"

"Couldn't I just be missing the pleasure of your company?"

A snort. "Gippal, I know you've missed me as much as I've missed you, which is not much at all. Make your point or I'm leaving."

"Fine." The leader poured himself a strong drink, grinning slightly when Kage simply took the whole bottle for her own, and settled down. "I wanted to talk to you about your impression of the Earth people."

"They're annoying," Kage said bluntly. "I thought everyone knew that."

He inclined his head. "Everyone knows you feel that way, yes. But that's not what I wanted to know."

"How are the negotiations going?"

"Pretty good. They're going to share what they find on other worlds with us, as well as a few of their own creations in exchange for the dress sphere Kashoku first gave them and additional technology and weapons."

"Sounds like a rip-off."

"Why do you say that?"

"They were too impressed with us, Gippal. The things they drew parallels to their world with were minor, and I didn't hear about a single thing they possessed that was better than any creation of our own. They're weak and in a war they've done well to survive in thus far. By allying ourselves with them, we get pulled into it to save their asses."

"We were already pulled in, Kage," Gippal pointed out. "The Goa'uld came to us. We were relatively lucky that SG-1 discovered us when they did as they can provide us with vital information on them."

"Yeah, but what good will it do us? How often do you think the Goa'uld are going to mess with Spira once we blast them out of the sky a few more times? Not much. Then what do the Earth people have to offer us? Clothing ideas?" Kage sneered. "Face it, Gippal. We go through with this alliance and we'll be getting jack shit for all the help they'll want in return."

"Unfortunately, the alliance is already almost complete," Gippal informed her. "So we get what we get."

"Great," she said angrily, taking a long swig of her drink. "Nice work there, Gippal."

A steady hand on her wrist kept her from drinking any more. "Come now, Kage, you don't really think I'm going to leave it at that, do you?" He smiled. "You aren't the only one who sees the potential disadvantage in this alliance. And so I come to the point of this little meeting."

Kage lowered the bottle and gave him her full attention. "To make the adaptation of Spiran technology to Earth technology smoother, I proposed sending someone of our world to Earth with the schematics. The idea was very warmly embraced by the Earth leaders. The only problem we've had thus far is picking who to send."

"Let me guess, you want me to go?" Kage asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yeah."

"I don't think so, Gippal. I've already had all the encounters with Earth people that I can stand without hurting someone; the people just piss me off. Trust me when I say that sending me would be a bad idea."

Gippal laughed. "Kage, everyone pisses you off. Face it, you're an ornery bitch." He leaned back just in time to miss the bottle swiped at his face.

"Seriously, Gippal, I'm not going," Kage finalized.

"Being the leader of the Machine Faction, which you are a part of, I say you are. SG-9 is leaving in an hour."

"You know I don't listen to orders, so why bother holding your title over me?"

"Look, Kage, it's simple. Just go to the planet, hang around a while, and if it ever looks like we're getting cheated… Do your thing."

Kage lifted a brow. "Which 'thing' would we be talking about? Creating chaos and hurting people or stealing shit?"

Gippal smiled thinly. "Agree to go, and I'll leave that up to you."

"And of course," Kage began with a roll of her eyes, "any blame would fall strictly on me once complaints got back to Spira?"

"Only if I can't manipulate them."

"Hm…" Kage drummed her nails on the table, making a show of considering the idea. Sure, it seemed like it could be a little fun, but Gippal had a habit of making things sound better than they really would be, especially when it was for a job he didn't want to do. Chances were Kage would have to stay longer and put up with more shit than she'd like all for little reward. Grudgingly, she admitted that tempting as the idea of punching Daniel or O'Neill in the face was, it wasn't really worth it.

And then Gippal pulled out the big guns.

"By the way, Baralai and Nooj have already chosen Kashoku as their representative. She accepted about a week ago."

Say what?

"Oh." Gippal smiled innocently. "Guess she didn't tell you."

~*~

"Daniel, would you relax already? You're wearing a hole in the floor."

"Why would Kinsey be coming, Jack? What's he trying to get out of this?"

O'Neill cursed softly as the pencil he'd been balancing on his nose fell to the floor. Again. "Probably the same thing we are – technology."

Daniel ignored him. "He's just going to try and use the representatives to his advantage, to get more from them than we're already getting."

"Yeah, and that's why we're here. To stop him from being a slimy little-"

"You know, maybe he won't try anything," Carter suggested. Daniel stopped pacing, and O'Neill gave her a look. "Much," she amended. "Today is mostly a formality, a representative of the President meeting the representatives of Spira. He could just be trying to feel them out at the moment."

"Or he could be intending to manipulate them immediately," Teal'c added. He stared out the briefing room window at the Stargate. "Regardless, I do not trust his intentions."

"No one likes the bastard being here," O'Neill muttered, trying to balance the pencil again. "We'll just have to be super annoying and hope he goes away faster."

"A wish that I'm afraid won't come true, Jack."

The pencil dropped as O'Neill spun in his chair to face the speaker. "Senator! How was the flight? Enjoy the peanuts?"

Kinsey stared down at the colonel and put every bit of loathing he held for the man into his smile. "Our guests haven't arrived yet?"

"There's still a bit of time before SG-9 is scheduled to dial in," Hammond answered, shooting O'Neill a warning look to behave.

"Lovely. Why don't you tell me about the planet while we wait, Colonel?"

"Oh, it's all in the mission file, Senator. Seeing as how you have it with you, I can't imagine you need me to re-read it to you."

"I'd like to hear a first-hand account, Colonel."

Hammond gave the barest of nods and so, unhappily, O'Neill launched into an abbreviated retelling of SG-1's adventure on Spira. When the klaxons went off to signal an incoming wormhole, the relief in the room was palpable. Kinsey was right behind General Hammond as he headed for the control room and, to keep an eye on him, SG-1 quickly followed.

"Well, Jack," Kinsey spoke, "it would seem as though you and your team have done something right for once." The man was all slime now that it was only seconds from when the representatives Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal had picked were to come through the gate. "If you keep this kind of work up, there may be a future for the SGC after all."

"This treaty wasn't created to get the Spirans' weapons," Daniel said, frowning heavily. "It's to promote peace between our worlds and to learn more about one another."

Kinsey smiled thinly as the gate finished spinning. "You keep telling yourself that, Jackson."

"Receiving an IDC, sir," Sergeant Harriman said. "It's SG-9."

"Open the iris," Kinsey ordered, casting a smug look at SG-1.

"Sir?" Harriman glanced at General Hammond.

"Open the iris, son. Let's welcome our people home."

"Yes, sir."

Hammond and SG-1 made their way down to the gate room, Kinsey hot on their heels.

"I wonder who they sent," Carter murmured to Daniel.

"I don't know... Gippal, Baralai, and Nooj were still deliberating when SG-9 checked in last," Daniel spoke staring eagerly at the open wormhole.

"Great," O'Neill grumbled. "I love surprises."

A full minute passed and nothing came through.

"Where are they?" Kinsey demanded.

Walter shook his head from the control room, unsure what was delaying the team. Finally, the puddle rippled and Major Kovacek's team came through.

"Sorry about the delay, sir," Kovacek said. "We got a little held up back there."

"It's forgiven, son," Hammond said. He frowned at the still gate. "Where are the representatives?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know," Kinsey injected smoothly, his voice hiding poison.

"They're coming, sir. There was a bit of an argument between the representatives before we came through. Tarkman's back there now waiting for them to finish."

Hammond opened his mouth to say something but a ripple of the gate silenced him.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," O'Neill bemoaned as Kage emerged from the wormhole. "I thought we were through with seeing you."

"I assure you, O'Neill, I'm just as pleased with this arrangement as you are," Kage sneered, stalking down the ramp. Behind her, the last two members of the group came through and the gate shut down.

"Kashoku," Daniel breathed, staring in shock at the Spiran waiting at the top of the ramp.

Kashoku's entire face glowed as she smiled at him. "Hello, Daniel. It's good to see you again."