FOUR: Ever Decreasing Circles
Tashur
April 13th, 2008
1103 hrs
"It is the decision of this council that the time is not ripe for the revelation of our existence to be made to the universe at large. As a result of that conclusion it is our decision that Doctor Jackson and Teal'c of Chulak should be executed to preserve our current situation."
Daniel stared incredulously at the older woman who had operated as the spokeswoman for the whole of the assembled council, although Daniel figured this decision was probably more down to the fact that the council weren't pushing the timetable forward as opposed to any concern over the continuation of Teal'c and Daniel's own lives. It was a very Tok'Ra position to look at the big picture instead of the little people.
The archaeologist chided himself for mentally boxing the group in as Tok'Ra when he and Teal'c had yet to uncover anything to link them conclusively to the rebel organisation. They could still be Goa'uld, even if the power structure differed from the norm. 'Ah well,' Daniel shrugged to himself since it seemed like he was not going to be living for much longer and thus wouldn't be getting answers to all the questions burning inside him.
Objection, protested Ka'ne. This caused a ripple of murmuring throughout the seated council. These two are known to the Lord and Lady. Would you summarily execute the pair before our leaders are apprised of the situation? What would you have us do if we executed them and the Lord and Lady wished otherwise?
The woman speaking for the council glowered at Ka'ne. The decision of the council is final. They shall be executed at a time of our choosing.
Teal'c simply stood silently through it all, his mind furiously calculating all the angles from what little knowledge he and DanielJackson had gleaned so far. It was clear that the council was somewhat divided, but as Ka'ne kept silent following that last proclamation it seemed that it was a minor division that would not alter the course of the council. They were still to be executed. Keen to stay alive for at least a little longer the Jaf'fa pondered potential escape plans.
Twitching a little at the probable possibility of execution, Daniel cleared his throat. SG-1 had been in similar situations before, even in their first year, and talking had usually helped or, at least, not made things worse. "May I address the council?"
This lead the young man to find himself on the end of every eyeball in the chamber, including Teal'c's. The spokeswoman paused to consider this for a moment or two before nodding and taking her seat. Her partner leant over to talk to her softly, but she held up her hand to forestall him.
"Ah, er ... sorry, I'm not sure how to address you all?" was Daniel's attempt at the beginnings of an eloquent speech. Some on the council at least appeared to be amused by this. It was better than them calling for his immediate death.
"We are simply the council," the spokeswoman assured him.
"Right, the council." Daniel tilted his head in Teal'c's direction and added under his breath to the Jaf'fa, "That doesn't tell us much of anything."
Playing with his glasses he turned back to the waiting assembly of parasites or symbiotes. Not knowing which his audience was made of made Daniel unsure of how exactly to pitch his impassioned speech about letting he and Teal'c live — at least for a little longer than their currently allotted time. "Council," he started, "it is obvious to myself that your drive to remain unknown to the other powers of this galaxy has proven fruitful. Until Teal'c and I stowed away aboard Ka'ne and Ha'la's ha'tak the SGC remained ignorant of your existence. If we give our word not to divulge what we have learnt would that alter your decision to execute us?"
"And would your word to keep our secrets prevail should you learn more of us and decide that we pose a threat to the SGC and the Earth?" was the spokeswomans partner's question from where he sat.
That prompted Teal'c to speak. "Does this mean that you are a threat?"
"Spoken like a true Jaf'fa warrior," smirked Ka'ne as Ha'la rested her hand on his forearm and he continued in a less mocking tone, "In the end it is a matter of perspective. We have aims to alter the balance of power in this galaxy, but how that is achieved and what the end result may look like may not be to the liking of the SGC."
You give too freely, Ka'ne, the spokeswoman reprimanded.
"My question still stands," prodded Daniel.
"As does ours," riposted the spokeswoman's partner.
Yusen stamped her way into the chamber and approached Ha'la, taking the woman's ear to whisper something to her as the council and Daniel remained in their impasse. With Yusen standing behind her Ha'la drew herself to stand. "If I might interject?"
At a nod from the spokeswoman's partner Ha'la pressed on. "Council, it appears that the decision of the council has become a moot point."
Explain.
Ha'la gave the spokeswoman a winsome smile. "Our Lord and Lady are currently on their way here."
P5X-944
1116 hrs
In the end the mystery of the strange, illusioned room was resolved by the limited attention span of some two of the members of SG-2. After a further half hour of unproductive head scratching and brain bending in an attempt to work out why Vala would have journeyed to this place, Mitchell had taken Williams and gone for another survey of the perimeter in the vain hope of discovering something that had been missed earlier. The leader of SG-2 had thus returned to the clearing after such a survey with Major Williams to find Dodgeson and Evans involved in a bit of rough and tumble horseplay. The pair arrived in time to see Dodgeson manhandle Evans into the empty room and shut the door as he caught his breath.
"Sir," he acknowledged ruefully when he spotted Mitchell and Williams.
"Really, Dodgeson, I leave you and Evans alone for about five minutes and I come back to this." Mitchell wasn't truly upset since he had half expected something like this to occur due to the lack of enemy action. Dodgeson and Evans didn't do too well with nothing to do.
Christopher simply raised an eyebrow at the antics of Mitchell's team and shared an amused glance with Major Potter who had watched the whole thing unfold.
"About time to let him out I think," mused Potter, "that way you can have a go at him too, Sir."
Mitchell nodded and Dodgeson pushed himself away from the door to allow Evans to exit the cubicle. Only to find that after a moment or two that Evans hadn't left the room as expected. Cameron reached over and wrenched the door open to reveal to the rest of the waiting team an empty room.
"Shit," was Dodgeson's succinct summation of the situation.
Mitchell poked his head inside the black box, hands braced on the edges of the entrance, as if a second look would reveal a previously undiscovered corner in which Evans would be. "Where the hell did Evans go?"
Turning on the still surprised Dodgeson Mitchell asked what the pair had been playing with that might have caused Evans to vanish.
"Nothing, Sir. I just pushed him in and shut the door."
"The door!" exclaimed Potter in excitement.
"The door?" was Cameron's amused question.
"Yes." Emma gathered herself together in order to explain, suppressing the need to bounce about the clearing like a hyperactive bunny on caffeine as she was wont to do when excited. "What if this thing is like a microwave?"
"A microwave?" Dodgeson was scratching his head in bemusement. Williams meanwhile had a sudden horrible vision of Evans being cooked alive from the inside.
"Get to the point, Major," was Mitchell's practical response.
"Sir. Microwaves are designed so that people can't hurt themselves while using them. To that end they can't work unless the door is shut."
Mitchell pointed to the opened door of the small, black room. "So it what — transported — Evans somewhere?"
"At a guess, Sir," agreed Potter.
Unhitching his weapon that he'd secured upon returning from his survey with Williams, Mitchell cautiously entered the cubicle, Major Williams moving to join him. "Potter and Dodgeson can hold position here," he explained to Cameron.
"Close the door," ordered Mitchell and Williams readied his own weapon.
With a nod Major Potter complied with her orders and pushed the door shut from the outside, wondering as she did so if this would be the last time she'd see either Williams or Mitchell again.
Nakil
2356 hrs
"Hello," purred Vala once her initial surprise had worn off. She figured it was best to start on a pleasant note and become bitchy later if she had to. After all it would be easier to go from nice to nasty than the other way around as people were less likely to believe the nice act after witnessing the less pleasant one.
"Greetings," said the first figure as he stepped out of the shadows to allow Vala to see him, son followed by the others at his back. The itinerant traveller took an involuntary step back as she found herself face to face with a small team of Jaf'fa. The leader grinned at her, "Not what you were expecting?"
Vala could manage only a shake of her head as she pressed back against the device behind her.
"It amuses us no end that people are surprised, especially since Marcouth always makes sure to explain to people like yourself that they will be surprised by us on arrival."
"And your god that I've been betrayed to by Marcouth is—" Vala came to an abrupt halt as she realised that no two Jaf'fa in the room bore the same mark upon their forehead. One even did not wear a sigil at all.
The baritone laugh of the Jaf'fa leader faded and the man favoured Vala with an amused smile. "We seem to have that effect on all our visitors. May I introduce myself?"
The Jaf'fa got a nod for his efforts from the now very confused Vala.
"I am Mal'tec of Vulkur, and I welcome you to the planet of Gra'she'gar. We are currently within the city of Nakil."
"Gra'she'gar? I know that planet, but where from?"
"It was once a stronghold of Qetesh till she was thrown from power. In retaliation she had the planet bombarded from orbit till no sign of life survived."
Vala winced in remembrance of that time, being as she was the host of that damned parasite at the time. "So," she tried in a fake jolly tone, "I guess there is not much to see of it these days." She really didn't need these people realising she was once Qetesh's host. That would probably lead to unpleasant circumstances for her.
"If you would come with me," said Mal'tec, "we can talk on the way."
"On the way where?"
Mal'tec gave the woman a curious look. "Did you not brave the displeasure of the Ori to travel here? We are going to show you where you can begin your new life free of their influence."
"Oh." For a moment Vala was thrown by this response. "Oh! I see now. We're operating at cross purposes. I've still been thinking of you as traditional Jaf'fa who are leading me somewhere to torture and kill me."
"That is not our intention," bit out Mal'tec.
"So I understand. But then I'm not here to start a new life free of the Ori. Granted, that plan sounds grand, bu tI have other things I need to be doing."
"Such as?" Mal'tec was amused by the woman who had arrived in their midst. She was certainly unlike any other refugee that had escaped the Ori before.
"There's a few things I learnt while I was trapped in Ori space. Things that some friends of mine need to know. Will I be allowed to leave this place, or will I be fighting my way out of here?"
The assembled Jaf'fa broke out laughing at this, except Mal'tec who was giving Vala an appraising look. "You would not laugh like that were Yusen in the room," he barked at his men who had the good grace to look sheepish.
Vala raised her chin defiantly. "Well?"
"Come with me." At Vala's hesitation to move away from the device he added, "No harm will come to you."
Left with little real choice Vala opted to agree to the suggestion and indicated that Mal'tec should lead the way. The Jaf'fa leader took her through an impressive complex manned by a mix of Jaf'fa and humans, all happily interacting peacefully, something that was a far cry from the attempts at unity that Daniel had told her the SGC had tried to broker in the past.
"Is this little staged tour done solely for my benefit or do you brainwash all arrivals with this?"
"I must admit that while what you are observing of our situation on Gra'she'gar is not staged, my feet have led us in the way we traditionally walk with newcomers. So in effect you are getting the welcome we normally give."
"And most sign up after seeing this?" queried Vala.
"All so far," admitted Mal'tec with a sideways glance as they walked on.
"A World free of the Ori must be very tempting for people arriving here," said Vala, "although trading that for one controlled by the Goa'uld isn't really a step up."
"Gra'she'gar is not controlled by the Goa'uld," Mal'tec corrected a little coldly.
That caused Vala to come to a halt. "You are free Jaf'fa?"
"In a sense. We are not aligned to those who were based at Dakara however."
"Curious," conceded Vala as the group began walking again, moving towards what appeared to be the centre of the complex. Eventually the group led Vala to a room that reminded Vala somewhat of the briefing room at the SGC and here she was offered a seat.
"So," she began, looking about as her eyes took in every detail. "You're not playing for the Goa'uld, thus I'm not a prisoner, and I've got things to do and places to be."
"An accurate summation," agreed Mal'tec as he sat at the head of the table, various other Jaf'fa and humans wandering in to take seats of their own.
"Can you tell us in more detail what your mission was if you are not someone simply escaping the Ori?" asked one of the seated Jaf'fa.
The thief took a moment to assess the seated Jaf'fa and humans for signs of their loyalties or motivations before deciding to trust them with limited information in the hopes of gaining her freedom. After all, trusting Marcouth had got her out of Ori space, but only to land her here in an unknown situation. "Initially I hadn't planned to be in Ori controlled space at all. I was actually following up a lead on a stash of Goa'uld artefacts and some stupid device transported me elsewhere."
"Shallor, before it fell," guessed Mal'tec.
"That was what Marcouth guessed as well," responded Vala, feeling that she wasn't giving up anything important yet. If she could get them talking she might learn a little more about this band of rebel Jaf'fa and humans. Something to bargain with Landry over.
"So you are a thief hoping to recover something of value and instead you fell victim to one of our devices."
"Your devices?" It was this lot who were ultimately responsible for her predicament in the first place!
Mal'tec frowned and asked, "You would have had to use the device on P5X-944 to reach Shallor. how is it you knew of the facility there? That was only known to a handful of individuals who served Qetesh!"
"Ah." When in a situation like this Vala considered offence the best defence. "How do you know of it?"
"One of our number served Qetesh some time ago and revealed the locations existence upon joining our ranks," explained a human seated further down the table.
Vala began to almost panic at this news and her eyes swept the table populated by human and Jaf'fa looking for a face that was familiar. A hand clamped down strongly on her wrist and her gaze snapped back to Mal'tec who was watching her closely. "Such panic? Curious. I also note that you have not given us your name yet. What is it?"
"Ummm ... Carter, Samantha Carter."
Mal'tec growled in annoyance. "You are not her." His grip tightened as he spoke, "What is your name?"
Vala considered trying another false name, but flagged the option a losing one. "Vala, Vala Mal Doran," she choked out in worry at the turn of the conversation at the table had taken.
"I know that name," croaked another human at the table. He turned to the others as they fixed their eyes on him. "This woman was once Qetesh's host."
"Are you sure?" asked a Jaf'fa to Mal'tec's left.
"I am. Kro'nor talked my ear off at how she once played him by pretending to still be Qetesh."
Vala gave the assembled a weak, watery smile. "I am a thief and a con artist by trade," she said in her defence.
Mal'tec used his free hand to push Vala face down into the hard table top before using that hand to begin pushing and pinching at her neck. Vala protested her rough treatment and tried to lash out only to have her hands pinned behind her back by other Jaf'fa. Eventually Mal'tec was satisfied, released her, and sat back in his seat, the Jaf'fa restraining Vala letting go as well.
"What the bloody hell was that about?"
"We've had a couple of Goa'uld, Ba'al especially, attempt to infiltrate our concerns either themselves or via one of their parasitic underlings. That you were once a host meant we had to check."
It was Vala's turn to growl in annoyance.
"With these pleasantries out of the way," continued Mal'tec, "we can now rest easy in the knowledge that your awareness of the facility on P5X-944 was not down to a spy or a leak within our structure."
"Great. Wonderful," said Vala through gritted teeth.
"Still, that brings us to what you learnt while in Ori space and who you wish to pass that information on to."
"Indeed," said a Jaf'fa much in the manner of Teal'c, "Are you planning on selling this information, thief?"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"A very curious thief then if you do not expect to be paid for your efforts. To whom would you pass this information then that you would forego payment?"
Vala would later swear, usually during drinking sessions, that all those at the table sat forward in eager anticipation. "It seems you at least know of Samantha Carter to be able to foil my ruse."
Mal'tec nodded, ignoring for now the small detail that many in the galaxy knew of Samantha Carter and as such Vala's ruse had been very flimsy in construction. "But you do not claim to be passing that information onto her, surely? Then someone else at the SGC?"
"I plan on passing what I learnt to Daniel Jackson or Teal'c if Daniel wasn't available." Was that too much information? Vala fretted. Could she have parcelled it out better in order to gain her freedom from Gra'she'gar?
A new, hearty laugh arose from Mal'tec. "Then, Vala Mal Doran, it seems that you shall be in our company for some time longer."
Others at the table were beginning to laugh as well as if they had suddenly understood the punch line to a joke. Vala's brows narrowed in confusion and anger. "What is so funny?"
"My colleague Yusen has been escorting Doctor Jackson and Teal'c of Chulak to a meeting of the council at Tashur," Mal'tec offered by way of explanation once he'd stopped laughing.
P5X-944
1203 hrs
The inky blackness of the cabinet interior after the door closed with a click was quickly resolved into a lighter, much larger space. Mitchell and Williams found themselves to one side of a circular chamber, the walls of which were covered in various screens and the twinkling lights of controls that dotted the gaps in between. The low light levels made the room seem like a glow worm grotto, but it was enough to see by and make out the form of Evans who was at the console in the centre of the room busy pushing buttons using a hunt-and-peck method of typing.
"Evans," ventured Mitchell.
The lieutenant looked up and sighed in relief before snapping to attention, "Sir!"
"At ease, Evans. Now, what can you tell Williams and myself about this place?"
Evans filled the two in on the little he had discovered since accidentally finding himself in the chamber. He gestured to the device in the centre of the room, "This isn't of Goa'uld design like the rest of the room and the empty chambers beyond. But I've no idea what it is."
Cameron took a closer look at the object of discussion and realised with a start that it was almost identical to the device that had transported Daniel and Vala into the Ori galaxy and precipitated the invasion that the SGC currently faced. He signalled the two other men to step back from the object as he took a closer look. During the original mishap with Daniel and Vala, the technical bods at the SGC had poured over the machine like locusts in an attempt to find a way to release the pair from the device. Cameron had taken the time to read their report in case his team came across one — a member of his team falling victim to one was not something that he wanted for a mission.
The result of that meant the little that had remained lodged in his brain allowed Mitchell to know enough that even though the device was on and fully powered, that the readouts showed that the receiving device on the other end was not working. It would be safe to touch the device as long as it signalled that the receiver remained inert. Turning his head to look at Williams he instructed the Major to find a way of returning to the surface since he wanted Potter's help with examining the device.
While Christopher went ot examine his and Cameron's entry point to the chamber, Mitchell had Evans show him what else he had already learnt about the newly discovered facility. This had consisted mainly of several empty rooms, suggesting that at some point it had housed various things now long gone. Evans had blinked at that, half commenting, "They emptied this place and left behind that machine you recognised, Sir?"
Mitchell nodded carelessly as he searched another empty room with his weapon drawn. He was a bit annoyed that Evans had already written off ay chance of being surprised by something and told the Lieutenant so. Evans shrugged and explained that he'd already thoroughly searched each chamber a half dozen times after finding himself in the complex and had uncovered nothing save the device in the main chamber. Still, he helped Mitchell in his survey and the pair soon returned to their starting point.
The Lt. Colonel was surprised to see Major Potter and Captain Dodgeson already present, Williams quickly explaining that Potter and Dodgeson hadn't become trapped with them through not following orders and remaining on guard. "I've managed to work out how to operate this thing (this being a panel on the wall where Williams and Mitchell had first found themselves on arrival) which is simply a modified Goa'uld ring device."
"I don't recall any rings," stated Cameron.
Williams shook his head. "I did say modified. You have to agree that the Goa'uld rings are a tad showy, probably on purpose to help sell the idea of being gods. Whoever went to the lengths of creating this facility, they didn't want it found. Hence the rings are actually built into the walls of that small black room above."
"Above?" was Evans' query.
"This whole place is underneath the clearing the stargate is in," explained Williams as he brought a schematic up on a nearby screen. "According to the database this place was the creation of the Goa'uld Qetesh."
Mitchell groaned in disbelief. "Vala."
"Sir?" queried Christopher.
"Vala was once host to Qetesh. This is probably how she knew this place even existed and how to get in. Question is, where is she now?"
"I think I have the answer to that question, Sir," interrupted Major Potter. "Come over here and take a look at this"
The three ambled across the room to where Potter and Dodgeson were, peering over the transportation device in the centre. "I've confirmed that this is essentially the same device that Daniel and Vala encountered a couple of years ago. It has been modified so rather than projecting a mind across galaxies as a means of communication, it has become a powerful transmat device."
"Good, and?"
"Well, Sir," continued Potter at Mitchell's prompting, "It transported people, body and all, and given the power levels involved it has enough juice to send them to the Ori galaxy. I managed to isolate the pattern recognition crystal —"
"Layman's terms, please."
"Essentially this crystal stores a record of whatever is to be transported and sends a copy of that record to the receiving terminal where the device can compare it to the arriving matter to make sure that whatever is being transported is put together at the other end correctly."
"And how does this help us?" asked Williams.
"By being able to access the pattern recognition crystal we can do this," explained Potter as she punched a series of buttons on the device console.
In response in front of the assembled SG-2 and Williams a ghostly, three-dimensional image of Vala sprung into existence.
"Give us a little more warning next time you do that, Potter," barked Mitchell after starting in surprise.
"Sorry, Sir," she answered with a grin on her face.
"So this means that Vala used the device and was transported somewhere in the Ori galaxy. Do we know exactly where?"
"The receiving station isn't signalling back so I've no way of telling where in that galaxy she would have arrived."
Mitchell frowned. "Was Vala the only one travelling in that direction?"
Potter nodded. "She's the last one to have used the device, some several weeks ago, and there was a significantly large time gap before that to not only suggest that she was definitely on her own when she went, but that the traffic on this device was probably the other way."
"Ori coming here," surmised Williams, to which Potter nodded.
"Why would Vala want ot head into Ori space?" was Evans' question.
"Well, what do we know she was up to before she disappeared?" mused Mitchell.
"The last time she crossed paths with SG-1 she had mentioned to Daniel that she had a new lead to follow up that might lead to the whereabouts of O'Neill and Carter," said Williams.
"A lead on O'Neill and Carter? That's almost like looking for the Holy Grail!" Potter was astounded that the self-serving thief was actually helping somebody else, in this case Daniel.
"She does have a thing for Daniel," muttered Williams who politely didn't mention that the good, currently missing Doctor had actually found the Holy Grail and used it against the Ori, "and Doctor Jackson has been a tad obsessive about finding out what happened to the missing pair. Perhaps she thought some appearance of helping might buy her some favour with him?" The Major shrugged his shoulders.
"So she comes here to follow up a lead on O'Neill and Carter, and then what? Simply decides to take a jaunt into Ori space? Come on!" Dodgeson couldn't see the logic to that line of thinking.
"This, you said, doesn't match up with the rest of the facility?" Mitchell asked of Evans as he fingered the device.
Evans nodded. "Then," continued Mitchell, "what if Vala came here expecting to find this place how Qetesh left it and instead found it empty bar this?"
"And she tries it to find out what is going on and is accidentally transported away!" finished Potter somewhat excitedly.
"Then this is a dead end," announced Dodgeson. "We came here looking for Vala, and this thing (here the Captain kicked the base of the device) has transported her completely out of our reach."
Tashur
1422 hrs
"Well, what do you think, Teal'c?"
The Jaf'fa in question turned to survey his roommate, the pair having been escorted back to their new quarters on Tashur. "Disturbing."
"Your prediction about our fate at the hands of the council was a tad wide of the mark," mused Daniel.
"Ka'ne and Ha'la did not possess the influence I believed they had. Perhaps there is even a hierarchy within this council?"
"Still," added the younger man," this Lord and Lady do wield the power we assumed they do. The revelation of their expected arrival has certainly given us a reprieve."
Teal'c favoured the archaeologist with a raised eyebrow. "I believe that such a revelation was not wholly unanticipated."
"Pardon?"
"Yusen appeared to have divined the proclamation of the council before it was made and contacted this Lord and Lady as a means of staying our execution. We have much to thank her for it seems."
"An interesting supposition, Teal'c. But you have to admit that you are biased towards the woman due to your belief that the Free Jaf'fa have some sway there. But by a similar stretch of imagination it is conceivable that Yusen was acting on Ka'ne and Ha'la's orders when bringing news of the forthcoming arrival. A sort of backup strategy if they could not convince the council of their idea."
Teal'c didn't appear to like this idea and scowled. "I concede that it is a possibility."
"So," huffed Daniel in a change of topic, "what do we do while we wait for this exalted couple to show up, twiddle our thumbs?"
"There will be no thumb twiddling, DanielJackson. Perhaps it is best if we can question Yusen herself in an attempt to answer our questions."
The archaeologist blinked. "And you feel she will simply tell us what we want to know?"
"She has been forthcoming so far."
"All she has told us amounts to nothing more that what we could figure out for ourselves if we thought about it long enough. The rest of the time she simply laughs at our guesses!"
"Yusen is currently our best source of information as to the situation we find ourselves in," Teal'c heatedly reminded his team-mate. "We can not afford to ignore such an avenue given the precarious nature of our own continued survival."
"True," agreed Daniel, stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets for want of something else to do with them. The coffee jitters had him on edge. "My question still stands in the absence of Yusen to interrogate."
"Perhaps some thumb twiddling is in order, DanielJackson," the Jaf'fa said with a sly smile.
"Personally, I'd like a 'Plan B'. Along with perhaps a 'Plan C; and a 'Plan D' just in case A and B don't work."
"A contingency plan would be most advantageous," nodded Teal'c.
Daniel arranged himself on one of the provided beds and looked at his Jaf'fa team-mate. "So, to make a plan we need to know if they are Goa'uld or Tok'Ra."
"I have concluded that they are neither. That makes them all the more dangerous as we do not have the advantage of predicting their future actions. None of our plans can afford to rely on anticipating their behaviour or reactions. The Jaf'fa at their command should also prove a formidable hurdle as well."
"Ah," exclaimed Daniel as if in sudden understanding, "this must be one one of those occasions in which we wait for another SG team to rescue us."
"An interesting proposition, one I would happily designate 'Plan D' were it not for that fact that the SGC would have to find us first. We are not at our original location anymore."
"There are the subcutaneous transmitters we're equipped with. I understood that the signal could be picked up in subspace. A SG team could easily already be on the way here."
Teal'c shook his head. "One of my observations of the Jaf'fa here and how things are organised is that it is heavily influenced by the inner workings of the SGC."
"Yes, I had gathered that these were far more than your garden variety Jaf'fa Teal'c. How does this relate to 'Plan D'?"
"My point, DanielJackson, is that given their knowledge of SGC operations they may have a way of circumventing the transmitters we are fitted with."
"Oh."
"Oh, indeed."
"In other words our 'Plan B' had better be good," said Daniel out loud as if reality was finally sinking in now that the truth of the situation had been acknowledged.
"We must escape from here. The impending arrival of this Lord and Lady has only stalled our executions."
"Escape is good," agreed Daniel. Then after a pause he asked, "How?"
Gra'she'gar
1716 hrs
So, she had been searching out leads in order to help Daniel with his slightly obsessive need to find his two missing friends. That hadn't been too bad and it even felt nice to do a good turn for someone other than herself, even if it did contribute to an end goal of tempting Daniel into bed with her. Qetesh's base being completely stripped bare of everything she had expected to find there hadn't be so good. Nor had the nasty surprise of being transported into the Ori galaxy. Vala had definitely not wanted to put herself in any way to close to being under the thumb of her Ori-given daughter.
Now she was being treated as a guest, an amusing one at the very least but still a guest, by a group of Jaf'fa who were far more casual and relaxed that the type she usually had runs in with when out 'liberating' items of value from various planets. She'd been fed, humoured, and told the whereabouts of Daniel and Teal'c and all that she had given up so far was her name. For the sake of her sanity Vala decided that all these things were a good thing and she should simply relax and enjoy the wild ride while it latest.
That last thought was interrupted by the notion that if Daniel was caught up in these same events then there was a good chance that the wild ride may turn out to be a little on the side of deadly. It always did when Daniel got involved in something — as if danger could smile him a mile away and came running. Humming to herself as she was led into the bowels of a ha'tak vessel Vala felt is was probably best if once she passed on to Daniel what she had learnt in the Ori galaxy that she should peck the cutely confused archaeologist on the check and run for the hills till the latest 'ride' was over and she could safely come out again.
"Where are we off to?" Vala asked Mal'tec as the group approached the bridge of the craft, the thief able to feel as the ship took flight.
"Tashur." At Vala's blank look Mal'tec continued, "The planet where your friends are currently in the hospitality of the Council."
"Oh. And this Council, they want to see me too?"
Mal'tec shook his head in amusement. "They are currently unaware that I am bringing you to them."
"Ah. That tells me very little," sighed Vala. "And are Daniel and Teal'c 'guests' of this Council like I am your guest?"
"Indeed, although I gather that a significant faction within the Council wishes to dispose of your two friends before any further security issues come to light."
"Dispose of? As in to kill?" asked Vala incredulously. "And here I thought we were becoming friends."
"They may change their minds once I apprise them of your discovery of the underground railroad."
"For better or worse, may I ask?"
"I do not know the will of the Council," smirked Mal'tec. "I think we should both be surprised when we reach Tashur."
"And how long will that be?"
"Oh, not long. Perhaps an hour or so."
Vala followed Mal'tec and his retinue onto the command deck of the ha'tak and for a moment just simply watched the blur of hyperspace outside the window. "May I ask another question?"
"Of course."
"You don't seem to mind telling me things. Why is that?"
"That is terribly simple, Mal Doran."
"Don't call me that, Vala will do," interrupted Vala.
Mal'tec nodded deeply. "Simply, the Council will either take you into its confidence in which case your knowledge of these matters will become a matter of course, or they will have you executed in which case you will take what you know to your grave with you."
"That's pretty black and white," argued Vala, "Surely there could a little wriggle room for little ol' me?"
"War doesn't always allow for shades of grey, Vala. You would understand that if you were a warrior," Mal'tec gravely intoned in response to the con woman's more playful wheedling.
"And the Council simply operates along those lines for everything?"
"Not everything. Simply matters that pertain to security and the war effort."
"That's the second time you've mentioned a war," Vala pointed out. "Is there something going on I should know about."
Mal'tec's face crinkled in amusement, which drew a slight scowl from Vala at the idea she might be being patronised. "We are fighting the same war that you are."
"Same war? As in against the Ori? That war?" Vala was all surprise.
"Indeed, that war. It would hardly be the Goa'uld since the SGC has effectively broken the back of their dominion. Only a few of the former System Lords such as Ba'al still roam free, and others are far too powerless to pose a problem. No, it is the Ori that the Council fights."
"If that is true then where have you been these last two years, you know those times when the resources of this Council may have just come in handy. Perhaps even saved Dakara from Ori invasion?" Vala was taken aback at just how passionate about this issue she felt given it was miles away from her comfort zone of thieving. Was it simply her stake in things because Ariana was her daughter, or was there more to it than that?
"It takes a good leader to know which battles to fight in order to win the war. Dakara was deemed a battle that we could win, but one that would unnecessarily tip our hand too soon for us to be effective against the Ori in the future."
Vala crossed her arms angrily. "This Council needs a good kick up the arse if that is their attitude. People are dying out there, especially people who could be your allies like the Free Jaf'fa, Tok'Ra, and the SGC."
"There are reasons why others are not aware of our existence, especially those three. But perhaps this council meeting will change things with the knowledge that the SGC and Ba'al now have evidence of us."
"Ba'al knows about you?"
"Indeed, and has rightly come to fear us as a force to be reckoned with," boasted Mal'tec, many of the Jaf'fa on the command deck nodding in agreement with their commander.
"That's a tad arrogant."
"Perhaps," agreed Mal'tec with a smirk, "but then we are Jaf'fa, and taking pleasure in the defeat of our enemies is part and parcel of who we are."
"Defeat. As in Ba'al?" Vala couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. On the planet the SGC has designated P4X-607 Ba'al attempted a surprise attack on one of our many training camps. We wrought destruction on his inferior forces."
"You don't have to talk with such relish."
Shaking his head in bemused amusement, Mal'tec added, "That is where we took onboard two stowaways — Doctor Jackson and Teal'c of Chulak."
Tashur
1756 hrs
"Well, I've not come up with anything. You, Teal'c?" Daniel looked over at the Jaf'fa from his place on the provided bed.
The taller man shook his head instead of speaking. Short of beating people with his fists till he could obtain a weapon and blast his way to some form of escape ship, the Jaf'fa hadn't been able to conceive of a 'Plan B' that would be of some use to the incarcerated pair. He was still convinced that Yusen was still their best means of gathering further information and through her making plans for escape.
Speak of the devil (as the Tau'ri were often prone to say to Teal'c's amusement), mused the Jaf'fa as Yusen entered their quarters.
"Teal'c, Doctor Jackson," she greeted them.
"Ah ... Yusen. To what do we owe this honour?"
The female Jaf'fa favoured Daniel with a grin. "I can see that your appetite for answers has not been diminished by your extended stay with us. I hope that the accommodations have been to your liking?"
"Yes," replied the archaeologist before he realised what he was saying. "Wouldn't you agree they're the best we've ever been offered by our captors, Teal'c?" he asked in an effort to gain a handle on the conversation via humour.
"Indeed."
Yusen favoured them with a smile that suggested she viewed the two men as small children who needed to be patted on the head. "I believe that the pair of you will have questions considering the outcome of the Council meeting. I have been sent there by those I serve to be of service to you in this area."
"So we can ask questions?"
Yusen nodded.
"And you'll answer them?"
Again Yusen nodded to Daniel's query, resulting in an expression on the man's face as if he were a child in a candy store. At this look she said, "Perhaps I should head off a few of those questions by explaining what took place in the council chamber."
"Perhaps you should," agreed Teal'c, also vaguely alarmed by Daniel's reaction.
Yusen took a deep breath and then gestured for the two to take a seat, which they did as they were intrigued by what the Jaf'fa would tell them about their current predicament.
"Despite our formidable numbers, for which I will not provide a figure, Teal'c, the Council is of relatively new formation. It was created two years ago, each of the six pairs of councillors formed from one born of our Lord and Lady, and the other a rebel Tok'Ra operative who has come to our way of thinking.
The Council occupies a central position of power between our Lord and Lady, who rule in a form of dictatorial power akin to our old Goa'uld masters —"
"So this Lord and Lady are Goa'uld?" interrupted Daniel.
Yusen shook her head. "I only used them to illustrated that they wield a form of absolute power.
"They sit as the ultimate source of power within our structure. Alongside the Council is a Jaf'fa Summit. Both are equal in power and prominence. The difference between these two, beyond the background of the members, is the fields in which their power is exercised. The Council is concerned with internal matters within the structure and for the security of that body. The Summit is charged with external issues such as waging war against the Ori, Goa'uld, and other forces which would wish us a mere footnote in history rather than an ongoing, living organisation.
"At the other end of the power spectrum is the rest of our membership, those human and Jaf'fa not involved in the security or warmongering of the Council or Summit. It is they who raise our children, who grow our food, make our clothes, and work for the betterment of our lives."
Daniel was nodding as he listened. "So the impending arrival of this Lord and Lady is important because they have the power to override the decisions of the Council or Summit. While the Council may have decided to have us executed in the name of security, they have to defer to a higher authority that may have uses for us beyond simply being dead."
"Correct. You are indeed lucky that Ka'ne and Ha'la were able to apprise our Lord and Lady of the situation that was likely to develop her on Tashur."
"They anticipated the decision of the Council," surmised Teal'c.
"They did. For two years now we have survived and grown because very few outside of us knew of our existence."
"But Ba'al has learnt of you," pointed out Daniel.
"He did. Eight months ago he came across the Jaf'fa Summit recruiting new members for the war effort against the Ori forces. We were campaigning for new blood from an encampment of his own Jaf'fa forces, the surprise of his arrival for an inspection caught us off guard. There was much recrimination after the event over why this lapse in intelligence occurred.
"Since then Ba'al invested considerable effort in rooting us out, initially believing us to be a faction of the Free Jaf'fa rebellion he hoped he could use Anubis' remaining enhanced (and here the pair could her the venom that Yusen imbued in the word) soldiers to eliminate. Once it was proved we were a greater threat that he had anticipated, signalled by our destroying what enhanced soldiers he had, he appears to have decided on drawing the SGC in to his scheme."
"The attack that we were originally caught in on P4X-607. You believe that Ba'al chose to attack when he knew we would be there to witness your existence?"
"Given that Ba'al knew what forces we can marshall, the numbers of men he pitted against us on P4X-607 was not a serious incursion. Merely enough to draw us into the fight. Had we known of your arrival things may have been different."
"How so?" asked Teal'c.
"The manner in which we fought Ba'al Jaf'fa. We might have simply abandoned the planet, leaving you to believe we were a weaker Goa'uld being driven off. Or perhaps we might have deployed troops bearing only one sigil in order to confuse you into believing that Goa'uld was present on the planet."
"That you not only came to know of us, but slipped on board the ha'tak is perhaps Ba'al's greatest victory against us so far."
Daniel frowned. "You make it sound as if the SGC would automatically be against you. Why would that be if you fight the Goa'uld and Ori as you claim?"
"Doctor Jackson, the Council and Summit under the guidance of our Lord and Lady intend to be the dominant power in this galaxy. We do not believe that your SGC would wish for such a situation to happen."
The two SG-1 members exchange a glance and Daniel sighed in defeat. "True, there are some among those who either fund, control, or monitor the SGC that would not like us to be a minor player on the galaxy-wide stage."
"Not minor, Doctor Jackson. Just simply not the dominant one."
"There's a difference?"
"The Asgaard were part of an alliance of four races were they not?" prodded Yusen.
Daniel nodded. "Yes. Them, the Nox, the Furlings, and the Ancients."
"And do you not suppose that while all four were major players in the development of this galaxy that one of them may have been the dominant force?"
The archaeologist blinked, sat back with a rueful smile and complained half-heartedly, "Why do all you answers have to be so damned reasonable?"
Yusen smothered a giggle as Teal'c gave Daniel a condescending look and remarked that, "Perhaps you are uncomfortable being bested at words by a Jaf'fa?"
"Hardly, Teal'c. With you around I'm always being humbled by your spartan, yet incisive dialogue."
"Indeed."
"See," exclaimed Daniel as he pointed a finger at his Jaf'fa friend. "Why I was always supposed to be the diplomat of SG-1 is beyond me when we have Teal'c around."
"Simply because, DanielJackson, as a Jaf'fa warrior my first instinct is to blast something, not to talk it to death."
Yusen watched the ping-pong like trade of words with an indulgent look as she contemplated the immediate future. Ka'ne and Ha'la had, when deciding to bring these two to Tashur rather than outright killing them on '607, gambled on the Lord and Lady choosing to side with them in ending the veil of secrecy. But would the Lord and Lady really be willing to put the lives of so many humans and Jaf'fa under their command in danger from the Ori and Goa'uld simply to save the lives of these two men? She could only hope that the wisdom that their leaders had shown so far would continue with regard to the coming decision.
P5X-944
1805 hrs
The team had spent a few more hours at the underground facility double checking to make sure that nothing had been overlooked before Mitchell decided to scrub the mission and return to the SGC. The facility would probably, now that it had been stripped of everything but the communications device, never be anything more than a curio for scientific-based SG teams to take a look at every now and then. He'd write up a report about the place, file it, and forget about it. He and Williams had other things to be doing — like finding Daniel and Teal'c. Obviously following Vala would only lead them in the direction of the Ori.
The team began assembling in the correct area for the ring transportation system so that they could make the return journey to the surface and thence back to the gate and the SGC. Seconds later this plan went out the window when Williams noted a sequence of lights activate on the wall where the controls for the rings were.
"Get off the pad!"
"What?" roared Cameron at Williams in surprise.
"Someone has opened the hidden ring room above us," he replied as he pointed at the lights that had lit up.
"Shit," cursed Mitchell and he signalled for the team to drop back from the main room and into the passage that led off into the empty depths of the complex.
Cameron was the last of his team to retreat, taking up a spot close to the floor at the doorway as he watched for the incoming arrivals. On the wall at the far opposite side of the room the lights changed again and suddenly a series of rings descended from the ceiling. A bright light washed out from inside the rings and Cameron could make out a group of several figures now standing in the middle of the rings. He pulled back further as the rings began to return to the ceiling, fleeing down the corridor as he realised that the party that had arrived were Jaf'fa.
"Sir?" queried Evans.
"Company. Didn't get the numbers. At least five," he huffed after the burst of running.
"Any idea who?"
Mitchell looked at Williams. "Jaf'fa."
Dodgeson coughed lightly. "Plan, Sir?"
"I think 'Get-the-hell-out-of-here' sounds good."
"Agreed," seconded Evans with a nod from Potter.
"Care to elaborate on 'Get-the-hell-out-of-here'?" asked Williams.
"Ummm, shoot people till they stop moving. Use the rings. Go home!" spat out Cameron.
"Okay. Concise. Not much can go wrong with a simple plan," summed up Potter with a grin.
"Then let's bag us some Jaf'fa," growled Dodgeson.
The team all flicked their P90s off their safeties and organised themselves into single file, Cameron at their head and Williams at their six. That was when they heard a party of Jaf'fa beginning to explore the corridors. Cursing softly in annoyance Cameron led them in a zigzag route through the rabbit warren of corridors and empty rooms as he tried to bring his team and Williams into a better position with which to gain control of the main room and secure the ring device. Every now and then as they moved swiftly and silently about the place they caught the faint tramping of Jaf'fa on the march.
After an extended pause during which Mitchell consulted the mental map of the complex he had in his head they came upon the corridor that would lead back into the main room. The corridor after a discrete investigation proved to be empty for now.
"Where do you think they are?" asked Potter.
Cameron looked back at her. "I have a horribly uneasy feeling that we now have Jaf'fa in front and behind."
"Looking for us?"
"Probably not," replied Mitchell to Evans' question. "More likely they are making a sweep of the base to check it is clear."
"But the transportation device doesn't work?" Dodgeson was confused.
"No, it works all right," said Potter. "I simply said that the receiving station wasn't signalling back. It could be that that station is only 'on' at certain times rather than twenty-four-seven."
"It better be sending then," muttered Williams. "We don't need more Jaf'fa down here with us." He looked to Cameron. "You know it is only a matter of time before they find us."
Mitchell nodded. "At least now that we've lost the investigating party we should only have to deal with a smaller guard party in the main room. My guess is that they won't be expecting us."
"So we're going in all guns blazing?"
"Do you have a better idea? If we can hit them hard and fast then we can be out of there via the rings before the scouting party behind us can scramble back here."
"And if there is more Jaf'fa above ground at the gate?" asked Potter poking holes in Cameron's makeshift plan.
"Then they'll hardly be less surprised when we burst out of that fake tree than the team in the main room we're going to ambush. Look, we have no choice here. As Williams has so nicely pointed out that we can't play cat and mouse in here forever. We'd be caught eventually. That leaves us with fighting our way out while we still have surprise on our side, or surrendering. And I hardly need point out that the last option is not an option."
Potter nodded, rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not trying to be a spoilsport, Sir. I'm just making sure that you do know what you are asking us to do."
"Understood, Major," replied Mitchell grimly. "I'm plenty aware of what I'm asking. Now, is everyone ready to kick Jaf'fa arse?"
The rest of the group nodded and Mitchell signalled for them to hang back as he crept up the deserted corridor to the open archway that led into the main room. Extracting from a pocket of his BDUs a small mirror on a metal, bendable rod, Mitchell fixed it to the barrel of his P90 and gingerly pushed the barrel forward millimetre by millimetre till the mirror was able to give him a reflection of the interior of the main room.
The set up was consistent with what he expected from Jaf'fa. There were two with staff weapons stationed either side of where the ring platform was, a third by the console that controlled the rings themselves. Another Jaf'fa was currently weaponless, bent over the transportation device, and - from what little Cameron could make out - looking through the same transportation logs that Potter had trawled through earlier. There were two further Jaf'fa in the room, bringing the total to six. One of these was another rank-and-file Jaf'fa with staff weapon, standing with his back to the archway Mitchell hid in. The last was obviously the leader of the expedition and the only one for whom Mitchell could make out the branding sigil upon his forehead. From what it looked like, SG-2 and Williams were up against Morrigan, a Goa'uld who - from what Mitchell could remember - had dropped off the SGC radar after submitting to Ba'al a couple of years ago.
Given that the complex had belonged to Qetesh, why were Jaf'fa belonging to Morrigan holding the place as if they owned it? Dismissing the question for contemplation at a later date when he wasn't trapped in a Jaf'fa infested base with one exit, Cameron gently retracted the mirror and returned it to his pocket before scurrying back to the waiting group.
"Sir?"
"Six," replied Mitchell to Potter's query. "Two by the rings, one at the console, one at the transport device, one close to the entrance and one simply in the centre of the room."
The team nodded in understanding.
"I've got the centre of the room Jaf'fa since he's obviously the leader. Williams, the two by the rings are yours. Potter, the man at the ring controls is yours, Dodgeson the one at the transport device, and Evans you have the man closest to where we'll be taking our shots from so don't miss."
"Sir."
"Everyone aware of the game plan? Hit 'em when I give the order and then assemble at the rings. Potter, you've got the task of setting them to ring us up."
"We're ready, Sir," responded Potter and the team organised themselves quickly for the planned assault.
Moving back into the corridor, once it had been confirmed as still empty, the team edged up to the opening that lead into the main room. Mitchell checked the room again with his mirror to confirm the positions of the targets he'd spotted earlier, finding only his target had moved, walking closer to the Jaf'fa at the transportation device in order to engage in a conversation about something. With a series of swift gestures to the other four Mitchell conveyed the state of play in the main room and they all settle into readiness to pounce into the room on command.
"Now!"
With that the five dashed a short way into the room and took their spots, each lining up their targets efficiently and depressing the triggers of their P90s. Mitchell was none to happy to feel himself being hit from behind by a zat and as he fell to the floor of the room, P90 tumbling from his hands, he could see the rest of the team being taken out in the same way before he lost consciousness.
