August 25, 2001 – P5G-898
"Torren, get ready. I think we have an easy one coming," the woman barked to her associate in their run down, wooden shack.
She spotted a man walking down the tree lined path that led to town from the chappa'ai, so she only hoped that someone else didn't rob him before they had the chance. His gray hair gave away his age, but that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. He was obviously new around here, so she hoped he would be caught off guard and this would be a quick job. She had Torren hiding with a club around the corner, waiting for the man to enter. When he was close enough, she set the trap.
"Help me, please! My daughter's hurt; she's bleeding everywhere! Please!"
The man looked directly at her, and she could see the suspicion on his face. He approached her carefully, and when he got to her, she pointed into the house.
"Thank you so much, she's right in here."
When she went in behind him, she saw the man pull on Torren's club and punch him in the jaw, breaking it, and knocking him unconscious. She tried to kick him from the side, but he blocked the kick, grabbed her arms, pulled them behind her back, and pushed her face first against the wall.
"That was pretty stupid lady. I don't have anything for you to steal, but I do have a lot of ways I could kill you. "
He grabbed a piece of cloth off of the nearby table, tied her hands up behind her, and threw her to the floor.
"Your man can free you when he wakes up. If I see either of you again, I won't be so forgiving next time."
After he walked out the door, the woman sat there stunned, first, by the fact that they were unsuccessful, and then that he didn't rob them after taking them down, even when he admitted he had nothing of value.
This man was coming to help a child he didn't know, was attacked, subdued them with no more force than was necessary, and didn't take anything from them.
He was quite a looker, too.
She sat thinking about it and was quite ashamed of herself, though that wasn't anything new.
...
Jack spotted the wooden walls that surrounded the small trading post and made his way through the gate and entered. There were booths loaded with miscellaneous merchandise scattered all over, so Jack looked through the crowd for a vendor selling weapons, preferably zats. He found a stand and started talking to the owner, Brodus.
"Brodus, here's the deal. I'm looking for any jobs you might need done in exchange for some of your wares here, specifically the zat'nik'tels. If you don't need any work done, tell me your price, and I'll find the work elsewhere."
"The only work you will find around is as a courier. I am not currently in need, but many others are. Do you see the booth just at the end of town before you exit back into the forest?"
"Yes," Jack replied.
"The vendor there has a statue, a golden statue with what appears to be the head of a dog on it. I would be willing to trade a zat'nik'tel for it."
"One? For a golden statue? I was thinking more like ten. I can just imagine how many deliveries I would have to make to get it. I wonder if any of the other vendors are more reasonable."
"Alright, but ten is too much, and I don't even know if have that many. I will trade five zat'nik'tels for the statue. I can't do more than that. The buyer I have lined up isn't paying that much for it."
"Fine, I'll do it for five of them. I'll be back, Brodus."
Jack made his way to booth that had the statue, and made a deal with Tyren, the owner, to make seven deliveries in exchange for the statue. Not many were dumb enough to do the job venturing through the thieves that awaited in the forest between the towns, so Jack wondered if that was a fair price or not, but he quickly pushed it from his mind. He got two deliveries done before dark, the only trouble being a scrawny guy who tried to grab the merchandise and ended up running away with a broken nose.
The next morning was met with similar success, as the first two deliveries were completed without incident. Then, as he strolled along the dirt path on the way back from his fifth trek, he came face-to-face with two Jaffa and their staff weapons.
"You are the Tauri O'Neill. My lord Apophis will be most pleased."
"Oh, for cryin' out loud. Don't you guys ever get the hint? How many times do we have to kick your lord's ass before you realize he's nothing but a pitiful little snake?"
The Jaffa struck Jack across the face with his staff weapon and knocked him to the ground.
"Enough!"
All of a sudden, the other Jaffa was enveloped in a zat blast, so Jack grabbed his knife and shoved it in the stomach and twisted it in the symbiote pouch of the one that was towering over him. The blood and gore covered his hand and shirt sleeve.
As the large Jaffa fell to the ground, Jack looked up and saw the woman from yesterday. She was quite attractive, with long dark hair and what sounded like an Aussie accent. But why was she here?
"What the hell? You again? Thanks, I guess. But you came at a bad time. I still haven't been paid for running these errands."
"I'm not here to rob you. Are you injured?" she asked as she pulled out a healing device.
"Whoa! Who are you? You're not Tok'ra, are you?"
Jack would probably have preferred she was a Goa'uld, because if she was Tok'ra, then Jacob might catch wind of what was going on and jeopardize the whole mission, and Earth for that matter, by blabbing to Carter.
"No, I'm not. My name is Vala Mal Doran. I was host to the Goa'uld Qetesh. The Tok'ra removed her from me, but I can still use their technology. Are you hurt?"
"No, no thanks. I'm fine. All of the blood belonged to the Jaffa. Speaking of which, we had better get out of here before more Jaffa show up."
"There is no need to worry. There are always Jaffa here for various System Lords. They come here to shop and trade. The Goa'uld don't bother this place. You were just unfortunate that these Jaffa recognized you."
"Ok, I'd still like to get back to town." Jack stood up, and they started walking back.
"So, why the sudden change of heart? Yesterday you attack me, today you save me. Why?"
"I want to apologize for yesterday. I've been living like that since I was freed from Qetesh, mainly because I'm good at it. And after the horrible things I did as Qetesh, I felt like this was a fitting way of life for me, going to sleep at night ashamed of my actions.
Then yesterday, I saw the darkness and pain inside you, and yet you ran to rescue a child you didn't know, treated your attackers much better than you should have, and didn't take anything from us while you walk around with nothing. I figured that if you can overcome that and be a good person, then I can try to do the same. In fact, I was hoping that maybe you would help me with that."
Jack tried to size up this woman. He could see the truth in her eyes, but he was still wary of her.
"Vala, I'm not a good person. I've done horrible things without having a Goa'uld in my head. You've picked a poor role model. But, if you're not going to attack me, or steal from me, then you're welcome to come with me for a while."
"Great, now what's your name, gorgeous?"
"My name's Jack, and don't call me gorgeous again."
With Vala, and her zat, accompanying him, Jack finished up his deliveries and went back to collect his statue. Tyren had other ideas.
"I've decided that seven deliveries were not enough in exchange for the statue. If you want to do seven more…"
"Excuse me?" Jack asked in a dangerously low voice, while his furious eyes glared at the man.
Tyren knew right away he was in trouble. He reached for the zat in his waistband, but before he had a chance, Jack was behind him with his knife at his throat.
"Don't mind the blood, Tyren. That was just from a Jaffa that got in my way a few hours ago."
Tyren's eyes widened even more while Vala looked on with a smirk on her face.
"If you want to draw another breath, you will take me to my statue. Now."
So Jack got his statue and traded it to Brodus for five zats. As they left, Vala offered Jack to stay at her place tonight. It would be a lot better than camping outside again, but he knew he was going to have to lay down the law. Her flirting has grown more and more overt throughout the day.
"Vala, listen, you seem to be a lovely woman, and for some reason, I think I buy your story about why you want to accompany me, but…I'm not free."
Hopefully she believes that one, though really, I'm not free I suppose. I wonder if I'll ever be free of her.
"I'm not one to get my rocks off for fun. If you want, I'll stay at your place tonight, but just to sleep. Now, what about your buddy who came after me with the club yesterday?"
"Oh, he was just a business partner, helping me steal and con people, not a romantic interest. He ran away when I told him that I wouldn't heal his broken jaw, and that I was going to seduce you and have you around to protect me," she admitted, looking sheepishly at Jack.
"Yes, well, whatever. As long as we don't have to worry about him coming back for revenge or anything."
They sat in Vala's small cottage, for lack of a better word, ate, and talked. Jack got a little more background on her and decided to have her help him find a ship. He would talk to her about that in the morning.
August 27, 2001 – P5G-898
The next morning, after fending off Vala's advances, Jack finally got her to sit down, and they started eating their meager breakfast.
"Vala, here's what I need next. I need a ship with a working hyperdrive and cloak. Weapons and shields would be nice, but I have to be able to fly it and hide it. You seem comfortable around here. Does anyone ever show up with a ship for sale?"
"There is one vendor, but he only comes around a few times a year. He usually has a beat up ship that needs some work that he trades for naquadah."
"Raw naquadah? Or refined?"
"However he can get it."
"Well, naquadah isn't usually laying around. I'll have to go through hell to get it. It would probably be easier to get raw naquadah."
"It would be, but we would never be able to carry enough to pay for the ship."
"Crap. Hey, what do you mean 'we'?"
"Come on, Jack, you said I could accompany you. I can handle myself in dangerous situations. I can fight. I can help you."
Then, in a low voice, practically purring, she added, "I can also make it worth your while, if you let me."
"For cryin' out loud! How many times am I going to have to shoot you down before you stop?"
"Alright, but at least let me help you get the naquadah. I have access to some of Qetesh's memories, so I know where the Goa'uld usually keep their refined naquadah."
"Ok, you can help, but if you sell my ass out, I'll hunt you down and make sure you regret that decision."
Looking in his eyes, Vala knew he was dead serious and absolutely capable of following through on his promise. The thought scared her, but also thrilled her, a shock jolting down her body settling between her legs. She'd already decided not to screw with this man, though, so there was no need to worry.
"Jack, I told you, I'm giving that up. I know I still act a fool on occasion, but I'll earn your trust."
"Now, I'm thinking it might be easier to get the refined stuff at the refinery than to wait until it gets transported to a ship. How do they refine the naquadah?"
"They have facilities worked by human slaves. They are usually located on stronghold planets where the Goa'uld has a larger presence. It would be hard to get to one without being located, and if captured, we would almost immediately be brought before the Goa'uld in charge."
"Damn it. Ok, let me think. How heavily are the gates usually guarded?"
"It depends on who the Goa'uld is, but not too many, probably a group of four."
"Do you know the location to any of these planets? Maybe one that used to serve Qetesh? It can't be a Goa'uld I've dealt with before, or a Tok'ra."
"The facility that was once Qetesh's now belongs to Ba'al. I know that location and the surrounding area very well. I don't know of any Tok'ra in his ranks, but it is possible."
"Well, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting Ba'al before. I think it's worth a shot. Do you have any shock grenades?"
"No."
"Let's go see what old Brodus wants for his."
They made a delivery for Brodus in exchange for the shock grenade and headed back to the house.
September 20, 2001 - Washington, DC
Seated around the table in the harvester were Mollem, Borren, and three other Aschen in deep discussion.
"I'm a bit concerned by the amount of chatter we are hearing, but I don't think it's cause for alarm. Also, we have lost track of Colonel O'Neill, with no sign of him for months now. Again, I don't believe we have a problem, but it does make me want to speed up our timetable just to be safe," Mollem proposed.
"I'm inclined to agree. Normally, we like to take some time to build trust with the people first, but I don't think we have a problem with that. We will start replacing all of the vaccines with the final stage immediately," Borren replied in agreement.
"Very well. I will continue to keep a close eye on leaks or suspicious activity. This meeting is adjourned," Mollem stated.
November 7, 2001 – P5G-898
Vala had told Jack it would probably be a few months before Tav'ek returned with a ship for sale, and going to collect the naquadah now would only attract thieves trying to steal it. As a result, they decided to stay for a while, Jack running deliveries until he had enough to start trading on his own. He eventually opened a small booth in the town, and was known for being fair but driving a hard bargain. He hadn't enjoyed himself like this in a long time, although the melancholy of his life back on Earth would rear its ugly head every now and then.
In the couple of months that Jack and Vala worked the booth, Jack was able to acquire many more zats, some staff weapons, a hand device, several crystals that may be required to repair the ship they find, and several other items that may come in handy for future ops.
Vala still occasionally got too flirty for his liking, but she would stop now with just a glare from him. He caught her stealing from the booth a couple times, which made him wonder how much he could really trust her. She insisted that she intended to repay him for the items, but they always say that, right?
Eventually, they caught word that Tav'ek was on his way and would be there within the week, so they geared up to go get the naquadah.
"Ok, I'm ready. We'll throw the shock grenade through the gate before we head through. Are you sure you want to come? This isn't going to be fun, especially if we get caught. You can stay here and run the booth with whatever I don't take with me."
"That's ok, Jack, I want to come with you and help."
November 7, 2001 – Qetesh's Former Base
They stepped through the gate, and Jack saw the Jaffa laid out on the ground in front of him. Jack took an extra zat off of one of them and zatted them all three times.
"Sweet. I want to get in the trees. Point me in the right direction."
Vala pointed to the west where the facility was, and they headed off that way. They found a little cave about a two clicks away from their destination, and since it was getting dark, they decided to camp in the cave for the night.
The next morning, they made their way to the large, stone facility with the typical Goa'uld gold décor inside and out. Jack zatted away the Jaffa guarding the entrance, then let Vala lead the way. They crept down a hallway where Vala saw a grate covering an opening into a room the floor below them. She took off the grate and began to crawl in there when Jack started firing his zat down the opposite hallway. He took out the two Jaffa facing him but was hit by a zat shot from behind. Vala hurried into the room and replaced the grating behind her before disappearing into the level below. The Jaffa that disabled Jack disarmed him and began dragging him away.
When he woke up, he realized he was being dragged by a Jaffa, and there were two more walking him them, so he decided against making trouble when there was no escape at the moment. The walk took most of the rest of the day before he was brought into a different building, Ba'al's headquarters he presumed. The Jaffa threw him into a cell and hit a button to turn the gravity around. He fell face first on the floor.
In the morning, he was taken to see Ba'al.
"I am your Lord Ba'al. Who are you? Why have you come?"
"Ball? As in bocce?"
"Silence!" Jack was sucked up against the wall and pinned there.
"I will ask you again human, who are you?"
"I'm Ralph Wiggum. My father is the chief of the Springfield Police Department."
"Why have you come here?"
"I was out exploring, and I think I managed to hit the wrong symbol on the chappa'ai. I'll happily turn back around and head home."
"I will find out why you are here, and you will suffer until you tell me."
Ba'al released a knife that flew at Jack and stabbed into his shoulder.
"It will take a lot more than that," Jack growled through gritted teeth.
"There is much more where that came from." Ba'al smirked and released the acid that burned through his chest.
…
Crap. Not again. Where the hell is Vala? I guess I found out about trusting her. I hope we'll get to a point where the sarcophagus doesn't work anymore. Damn it, here they come.
…
It had been eight days since Jack was taken by Ba'al. He'd lost count of how many times he had been killed and revived in the sarcophagus. He barely remembered who he was, and yet, what he did remember, he wished he didn't. The room spun again, and he closed his eyes, expecting to be dragged away again. Instead, he was joined by Vala.
"Who? Vala? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I've been trying to come up with a rescue for you, but my best plan just got thwarted, and I was thrown in here."
Jack tried to shake out the cobwebs. She didn't abandon him. He could hardly believe it. Everyone abandoned him, and this woman attacked him and tried to steal from him several times. But here she was. He guessed he could trust her now. If they ever got out of here, anyway. He quietly whispered in her ear.
"Did you get the stuff?"
She whispered back, "Yes, I hid it along our path back to the Stargate. All we have to do is get out of here."
"Yes, well, let's work on that then." He sighed and sat down heavily on the floor, his face haunted, a symbol of pure misery.
In a matter of minutes, the room spun around again, and the two Jaffa elected to take Vala. The Jaffa behind her now had his back turned to Jack, and Jack saw an opportunity. He took the Jaffa's hand that was holding his zat and squeezed it, sending a shot out of the zat and incapacitating the other Jaffa. Then Jack grabbed his head with both hands and snapped his neck, quickly and efficiently. The Jaffa dropped lifelessly to the floor.
"You weren't kidding when you said you have a lot of ways to kill people," said Vala, with an impressed smirk on her face.
Jack, however, said nothing. He wasn't proud of it, and he sure as hell didn't want to talk about it.
"You know the way out I presume?"
She nodded.
"Lead the way."
They made their escape from Ba'als compound, taking out a couple more Jaffa on the way. They rushed through the forest, grabbed the naquadah, and dealt with the Jaffa at the gate. When they got up to the DHD, Jack looked up and saw something in the brush behind the gate. He crept around the back and saw a tel'tak parked there. He called Vala over, checked to make sure it was unoccupied, and had her take a look.
"Make sure it hasn't been sabotaged. I'll cover you from out here."
After a few minutes, she gave him the all clear, saying the ship was fully functional, just as about a dozen Jaffa started running at their position. One staff blast hit Jack in the shoulder as he dove into the ship and told Vala to take off.
"Take us back to the trading post to get our gear, and then we'll have to head out. I have a couple days at most before I start having severe withdrawal from the sarcophagus. Hey, you think you can fix up my shoulder?"
"They took the healing device when I was captured. Sorry."
"No big deal. I'm used to it. Let's just get this show on the road."
November 15, 2001 – P5G-898
Back at Vala's cottage, they hurriedly loaded up their gear into the Tel'tak parked about 20 feet away. Then, as soon as they were done, they took off. Jack put in the coordinates for Earth, and they jumped into hyperspace.
"So, what are we looking at here, almost two days?"
"Yes, about 41 hours to get to your coordinates."
"Vala, I never got to thank you for coming back for me. You went above and beyond, and I really appreciate it. You're still a pain in my ass, but I'm proud to call you a friend."
"I have a feeling you would have done the same for me. But thank you. I don't have many friends, or any really, so that means a lot," she replied with tears moistening her eyes.
Then after a minute to regain her composure, she climbed onto Jack's lap and snaked her arms around his neck.
"So, does this mean…"
"No!"
"Ok, ok. What now?"
"Well, for now I need to stay awake for the next 40 hours, because if I sleep, I have no idea what kind of condition I'll be in when I wake up, or even if I'll wake up."
"Vala, we are going to need a cover story for you when we get there. The first person we are going to see is Janet Fraiser. She's a doctor, and I need one. She's also one of very few people I can trust, so you can tell her most of the truth if you want. Besides, she won't believe your cover story anyway. Just don't, under any circumstances, tell her about the ship or the weapons. We arrived via the Stargate with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
To everyone else, we met in Perth, Australia when I was on vacation. I don't care what else you tell them, as long as none of it is the truth."
They talked a little more, ironing out the cover story, and then ate something, though Jack didn't get much down. Jack went to sit up front, looking out the window to distract himself and keep himself awake. He'd started getting chills, though he didn't know if his shoulder was infected or the withdrawal was starting.
They eventually exited hyperspace just outside the solar system and immediately cloaked in the hope that no one would notice their brief appearance on radar.
A couple more hours to go. God, I feel like hell. I hope Janet is set up to treat patients by now.
As they approached Earth, Jack was in a bad way. He was shaking violently, which was aggravating his shoulder that he now knew was infected. He could barely stand, but he had to stay aware enough to land the ship. Vala didn't know where to go. He wanted to be able to land by his truck and drive to Janet's, but that was out of the question now. He was barely conscious as he guided the cloaked ship into the parking lot of a closed down commercial building about a half mile from Janet's house.