Chapter 9
Vala smirked, resting her left cheek on her upturned palm and watching as Liu Shao exchanged a stunned look with Han Yuna, the gray-haired matron of the Han family. Missus Han was apparently fluent in a number of languages, both spoken and written, so had taken it upon herself to evaluate Daniel's abilities. Her test included examples of dialects and texts common to each of the major System Lords, plus a few lesser-known languages.
At the moment, he'd just completed translation number fourteen and was waiting to receive his fifteenth.
"Enough, Yuna," boomed the barrel-chested leader, Han Kazo. "He's proven his worth."
Shao's grin was broad enough to match the one Vala felt like wearing. Of all the amnesiac peasants to stumble across on all the backwater worlds of the galaxy, her fickle luck placed Daniel in her path. While it was clear the Hans might have considered Vala's skills valuable for their needs on a rare occasion, they surely would never have considered hiring her on a retainer without Daniel's extensive linguistic capabilities.
"So... what can Daniel and I do for you?" she smiled, sliding down the bench to link her elbow with the bewildered man's. It was always cute to see him flush with embarrassment like he had the first night they'd spent together. Of course, they hadn't actually spent it together together, as he rather steadfastly refused to share the bed in the apartment with her. Despite his bunking on the floor, she found plenty of other opportunities to tease him mercilessly. In fact, since she'd insisted all good thieves-slash-smugglers-slash-treasure hunters wore ass-hugging leather pants, the blush had become a near-permanent fixture.
One thing was for sure, she hated to see him leave but loved to watch him go.
Unfortunately, he'd purchased a battered long coat yesterday, spoiling the view from the back side a bit, but the front was still nice enough. With a little training, Vala was certain she could turn those shy blue eyes and soft full lips into the tools of a devastating lady-killer. He was already well on his way as it was, with the way Yuna'd started mothering him almost from the moment they met.
"--Was lost forty years ago when the fortress was captured first by Sokar, and more recently Lord Yu," Kazo was saying, and Vala quickly re-directed her attention. "Yu hasn't been the most attentive of Goa'uld for many years now, but there are reports that he is becoming ill and confused. He has foolishly pulled both ha'taks out of the system to battle Ba'al's and Anubis' forces. That is, of course, most fortunate for us."
"What about ground forces?" she asked, leaping into the discussion.
"No more than forty Jaffa. Not all will be stationed at the fortress, though, as there are sure to be patrols at the Chappa'ai and in the towns and mines nearby." He stroked his closely-trimmed beard. "I realize this is a rather risky first-venture--short on cryptic clues but high on danger--but if the two of you can manage this retrieval... well, let's just say it will be a very beneficial relationship for us both."
"If there are guards at the Stargate, how are we to get to the planet?" Daniel asked.
"Ah! The two of you will travel with one of our merchant caravans. That should give you a large enough group to slip out of for the retrieval, and back into for the return. Unfortunately, it's the best we can offer at this time, as ships are becoming increasingly scarce with the War of the Lords raging on and the sudden growth of the Lucien Alliance."
Vala felt her lips curl in a sneer. She'd yet to meet a Lucien she liked. "How goes the War of the Lords? I've been a bit out of touch lately, as some of these farm worlds don't get much in the way of galactic news."
Liu Shao hooked his thumbs in his waistband and leaned back in his chair. "Anubis was greatly set back when Tok'ra spies destroyed his world-killer weapon. Shortly thereafter, the combined forces of Yu and Ba'al cornered his ship and destroyed it, but Anubis escaped. Yu and Ba'al then descended to battling one another again, and Anubis is rumored to be building an invincible army to wipe out them both."
Poor Daniel looked completely lost. Although she'd given him a brief history lesson on the Goa'uld and the hierarchy of the System Lords, it was a lot to take in and apply to the current political stakes of the galaxy. "I'm sorry... 'Tok'ra'?" he asked.
"Sorry, I forgot to mention them," Vala sighed. "They're genetically very similar to the Goa'uld, but their originating Queen imparted a few less of the nastier traits when she spawned them. Their name literally means 'against Ra', who was the most powerful Goa'uld at the time their order was founded." She grinned. "Actually, Ra was the most powerful System Lord up until just a few short years ago, when he was killed in a slave rebellion."
"I see," he blinked. "So they're not just against Ra but against all Goa'uld?"
"Yes," Kazo confirmed. "Of course, any System Lord will deny the Tok'ra, the Jaffa Rebellion, and the First World even exist. It wouldn't do for 'gods' to be repeatedly humbled by their enemies and former slaves, after all."
"I guess not." Daniel shrugged. "Uh, galactic politics must not be my thing."
Yuna smiled warmly. "Perhaps not, but languages are, my boy. You have a real gift for them."
As always, he had trouble accepting compliments as they were intended, his shoulders hunching just a little as he ducked his head and nodded. "So, uh... when do we leave?"
"Four days," Kazo replied. "For convenience's sake, they'll meet you on Katana and you can travel from there. Kien Lu will be the head trader on this particular excursion, so if you need anything, please ask. You have only a five-day window from the moment you set foot on Gishoral until the wagon leaves... with or without you."
"That doesn't leave much time to shop for souvenirs," Vala quipped. "Well, Daniel... we have our naquadah to store and supplies to purchase... I suggest we get to it, then."
"Sure," he answered. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Master and Missus Han."
"Likewise, Master Daniel," Kazo replied as Yuna's plump figure bobbled in a sort-of bow. "Miss Vala."
She kept her arm firmly linked with his until they were through the 'Gate back on Katana. If anyone thought she was behaving possessively, well... she was actually, and had every good reason to, in fact. The attractive, intelligent, and charmingly innocent man beside her had just become her meal ticket. He had a peculiar effect on people, able to make them trust him almost as quickly as he translated languages. It was very, very tempting to teach him how to scam like a true professional, but there was the concern that her lessons might inadvertently damage or destroy his seemingly irresistible naïveté.
"Okay, let me see if I have this right," he began, arm disengaging from hers to join the other one in crossing his chest. It almost looked like he was giving himself a hug. "We're supposed to just walk on in to this Goa'uld fortress and walk back out with the Benuui in hand?"
"I imagine it won't be quite that easy," she cautioned, having not the first clue what the Benuui was. She probably should have been paying attention to Kazo, shouldn't she? "In fact, I think I should probably spend the next four days teaching you to sneak around and shoot stuff."
His jaw clenched stubbornly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have a problem with stealing culturally-significant artifacts for someone's private collection."
As if being attractive, intelligent, and guileless wasn't bad enough, now he was being noble and sentimental! "You're voicing a moral objection? Well forgive me if I don't hold myself to your lofty standards, Daniel."
He stopped in the middle of the road, arms tightening and shoulders hunching further. On anyone else, it'd be gesture of submission, but in the last three days, she'd come to realize it meant he was digging in for a fight. Wonderful.
She tugged his arm to pull him off the side of the road and out of the way of the wagon now making its way up the hill toward the 'Gate. "Look, Daniel, there are really only three ways to earn a living," she explained quietly, ticking them off on her fingers. "There's working yourself to death, working others to death, and taking advantage of everyone indiscriminately."
"Even the ones working themselves to death?" he replied defiantly, slipping the bag containing their naquadah off his shoulder and letting it drop to the ground.
"To a lesser extent, yes. I'd really rather go after the second group, though, especially since I used to be one." She took a deep breath, knowing she might as well tell him about her history before one of the Hans let something slip. "I was once a Goa'uld host, Daniel."
His eyebrows rose. "You mean you..." he began hesitantly, fingers fluttering nervously toward the back of his neck.
"Exactly. Everyone takes advantage of someone, to some extent or another. Even the people who work themselves to death do: the women take advantage of the men hunting and farming, the men take advantage of the women cooking and raising children. The Hans are certainly going to be taking advantage of your language skills--" and so was Vala, but she wasn't about to admit that "--and my expertise and knowledge of the Goa'uld. We have to be smart and savvy enough to take as much as we can get out of them."
His jaw twitched. "I think we've wandered off the original topic. The Benuui is an artifact of historical and cultural significance to the people of Gishoral."
"They're peasants, Daniel, I doubt they care if a culturally-significant whatever goes missing."
"'Culturally-significant whatever?' Were you even paying attention back there?"
No, she'd been too busy admiring his... assets... to listen. "I was busy working out the logistics," she fibbed. "Training you, supplies, infiltration... that sort of thing."
"Oh. Right," he replied sarcastically. "Well, just so you can 'plan' better, let me tell you a little about what we're stealing. It's a religious icon for the people of Gishoral... a statue of their funerary god."
"Than it's probably a statue depicting a Goa'uld who only called himself a god and espoused a religion of gratuitous worship and adoration." She smirked. "Personal experience on that one, darling. Trust me: they're far better off without another icon to their false god."
"But--"
"No 'buts', Daniel... unless it's yours and I have an un-obstructed view of it."
He flushed with embarrassment, and Vala congratulated herself on a job well-done. If only distracting him would always be so easy... eventually he'd get used to her harassment and it wouldn't faze him further.
Ah, well... might as well enjoy it while it lasted.
"Now, come along, darling. I'd rather not get into a shooting match with Yu's Jaffa, but if it comes down to it, I'd like to know you're capable of holding your own."
"Even if I can aim a weapon and fire it," he began, shouldering their earnings, "that doesn't mean I can actually use it to kill someone."
"And the very fact you realize that tells me you'll do just fine," she replied. She extended her left elbow, and after a moment's hesitation, he crooked his right arm around it. The rest of the walk into town was made in silence.
Author's Notes:
Okay, so I STILL haven't come up with a title for this story yet. Oh lovely and loquacious readers, care to lend a helping hand? Except for you, Kay... you've already expressed the opinion that your titles suck ;)
