Yet another longer-than-usual wait between chapters! Sorry for the delay and hope that you all enjoy this latest installment.
Chapter 10 Stranded
She knew, thought Vala as she steadied the Al'kesh on it's path away from Athena. She knew about the plan all the time. All the while when we were waiting - when I was waiting, bored stupid up in orbit! - Athena knew.
A shot from the Tel'tak behind sailed harmlessly over their heads.
The Gou'ald had played them all – made the allies think that they had one over on Athena – that she was coming to her planet unknowing and unprepared. And all the time, her hidden spy had been sitting among the crew of the Tel'tak, waiting to give them away.
Another bolt of energy whizzed past alongside – the Tel'tak was gaining ground but that was what Vala wanted. She veered the Al'kesh sharply to one side and dropped suddenly. The enemy ship flew too close and had to take evasive maneuvers – for a few moments it was vulnerable as it skewed and showed it's underside to the Al'kesh. Vala fired weapons and scored a direct hit along the bottom of the other craft.
"Well done," Vielkah spoke softly from beside her. "That was it's subspace engine."
"Thanks, sweet cheeks," Vala answered irreverently. "But I'm not done yet. Hold on to your cookies!" and she swung their ship around again, heading straight upwards.
The Tel'tak followed, firing as it came, one of it's energy bolts hitting the Al'kesh hard on it's shield.
"Crap!" Vala swore quietly. "Just as well the shield's already broken!"
Vielkah chuckled softly then moaned.
"Stay still," Vala glanced at her, concerned. "We'll be out of this soon. Where's Jerrun?"
"I'm here," another Tok'ra, a young man, came over from where he had been busily treating somebody else.
"Check her over," ordered Vala. She appeared to have taken charge of the ship now that Vielkah was injured.
Jerrun helped the older Tok'ra woman to settle down on the floor of the bridge. She had multiple small burns and several shrapnel wounds, none of which appeared life threatening. Both Tok'ra lurched as Vala swung the Alkesh about again.
"Sorry," she muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to regain control of the steering. The passengers on board staggered and stumbled once more, as the ship juddered to a halt and dropped downwards again.
"What are you playing at?" demanded Jerrun, sharply.
"This," Vala grinned as the Tel'tak, unable to control it's turn, once again swerved directly in front of them and stalled. "Sitting duck," she remarked succinctly, and fired mercilessly upon the other ship.
The Tel'tak disintegrated magnificently in a tremendous fireball, the energy pulse from the explosion making the Al'kesh rock about in space.
Jerrun struggled to his feet, mouth slightly agape. "Excellent shooting," he managed eventually, and squeezed her shoulder. "Well done. Where did you learn such tactics – as a Gou'ald host?"
"No, darling," Vala smiled, shaking back her blonde curls. She peeped up cheekily as the Al'kesh moved away from the mess of disintegrating starship. "On Muscles' X-box!"
o – o – o – o – o –
The Hammond slowed and dropped out of a subspace window in the middle of nowhere. A single small planet with four tiny moons was the only thing visible close by.
Sam didn't care – that was what she had wanted – a place out of the way where the engineers on board could fix the shield as quickly as possible. She was verging on the edge of furious – to have come all that way, with such a carefully laid plan, only to find that they'd been busted before they even arrived. Sam assumed that was what had happened anyway – there hadn't been much time to talk to Mitchell.
As the Hammond had appeared over Athena's temple Sam had picked up the transmission about a Gou'ald agent, before watching in horrified fascination as Vala flew the Al'kesh wildly out into space, followed by the vengeful Tel'tak.
Sam hoped that her friend was alright, she just had to trust in Vala's more than capable flying skills. She hoped that they were all alright – having to abandon Mitchell, Daniel and the others immediately after arriving had cut her to the quick. She slammed her hand down on the intercom, uncharacteristically hard.
"How long until we can return to the planet?" she asked, curbing her impatience as best as she could.
"We're working as fast as we can, Colonel," the engineer on the other end was panting hard. Sam could just imagine the manic activity that must be going on down there.
"Okay. Tell me if you require help with the Asgard core."
"Yes, Colonel." Whoever was on the other end shut her off.
Sam stood, uncertain. She should remain on the bridge, really she should, but old habits died hard and the Doctor/Colonel knew more about the Asgard core and how it worked than anyone else onboard. "Marks!" she said, sharply. "I'll be in engineering!"
"Yes ma'am!" he replied, not even daring to disagree.
o – o – o – o – o –
Mitchell, like a true military man, had immediately pushed any thoughts of Sam, Vala and the rest of the SGC out of his mind, as soon as the Hammond had disappeared through it's subspace window. He had his own men to consider, and their own plans to carry out.
The two SG teams, with himself and Daniel, headed toward the palace and the oncoming Jaffa and other guards. The Colonel had half thought of retreating initially and awaiting assistance, but the spy aboard the Tel'tak would undoubtedly have told the enemy of the presence of SGC personnel, down on the planet.
"They're coming for us anyway," he told Daniel, grimly. "There's no point in trying to run."
The archaeologist merely nodded as he prepped his own weapon. He remembered the time that he, Vala and Teal'c had been outnumbered once before, when they were hunting for the Ark of Truth. They had shared a look then, Vala and himself - of understanding, acceptance, regret...and something else. Daniel sighed. But Vala wasn't here this time, she was out trying to save her own backside and that of the Tok'ra with her. He hoped that she was okay.
"Come on, Jackson," Mitchell was heading away from him. The sound of gunfire was coming from all around now.
The battle was brief, but bloody. The superior fighting skills of the two teams from the SGC led to many of their adversaries being killed, stunned or seriously wounded. But they never really had any hope of bringing down Athena and taking the temple without the support of the Hammond and the Tok'ra ships. One by one they were captured, two from SG-13 killed, three on SG-19 injured, albeit minor injuries. And Daniel – dashing across a clearing, attempting to save the already mortally wounded Lieutenant from SG-13 – hit by a staff weapon to his left side. He'd remained conscious, but was in severe pain. The wound itself, although large, had partially cauterised itself – blood seeped slowly from under the archaeologist's BDU, rather than gushed.
All the same, Mitchell knew that his friend was done for if they didn't get help ASAP. "Jackson, you damn idiot!" he'd told him.
Daniel grinned back through the pain. "Always, Cam!"
Athena's warriors had rigged up some kind of stretcher to carry the injured man on – Mitchell suspected that they knew exactly who the archaeologist was and wanted him alive. Either for information, or to use as a bargaining tool, or for other, less pleasant reasons. And if Athena knew of the hold that Daniel had over Vala then they really would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
Mitchell sighed deeply as he was manhandled towards the palace.
Daniel, lying pale and in pain on the stretcher alongside him, pulled a face. "Sam will come," he told his CO. "She'll be back really quick, you know she will. And Vala's still around somewhere." His eyes closed. "I hope."
Mitchell hoped too. Squeezing his friend's shoulder he walked on in silence towards Athena's palace and the certainty of imprisonment.
o – o – o – o – o –
Sam lay on her back, underneath the third crystal tray that she'd pulled out, and began to remove the coloured energy devices one by one.
How hard can it be to repair the damn forward shield? she thought to herself. Time was ticking past and the Colonel dreaded to think what was happening back on the planet. Checking her watch, Sam was dismayed to see that almost two hours had passed. Dammit! Cam was waiting for her – him and Daniel and all the others. Even Vala, stuck on the Al'kesh above the planet – they were all waiting for the Hammond to return and resume the battle. Sam sighed, and wiped her arm across her sweaty forehead. If there even is any battle to resume, she thought. What if everyone else had been wiped out? She paused and closed her eyes for a moment, dropping her arms back onto her chest. A gentle touch on her arm roused her.
Teal'c knelt beside her, his face grave yet composed. "ColonelCarter," he said. "Do you require assistance?"
Sam smiled faintly. "Only if you think that you can find the blown crystals so that we can bring the forward shield online again," she told him. "Wherever the Ha'tak hit they've done more than just bring down our defence." She sat up wearily.
Teal'c inclined his head. "Let me," he gently assisted Sam onto her feet. "The Hammond requires it's Captain on the bridge, in readiness for our return to assist ColonelMitchell and the others. I can find the broken crystals as easily as you."
"Thanks, Teal'c." Sam squeezed his arm gratefully. She really did feel that she needed to go somewhere and compose herself. And the Jaffa was the next best experienced person to herself in his handling of Asgard technology.
She was about to say something else when Major Marks voice came over the intercom.
"Colonel Carter? I have a radio transmission from the closest planet that I think you should hear."
"What?" Sam looked incredulously at Teal'c, before turning and running back to the bridge. When she arrived it was to find Marks in deep conversation with General Landry, of all people.
"Sir!" she said, taking over from the Major as she dropped down into her Captain's chair. "How on earth did you find us?"
"We didn't." Landry's gruff voice answered. "Major Marks scanned the closest planet and found that it has a Stargate. He dialled up a connection for you."
Sam looked impressed. "Nice work!"
Marks blushed faintly. "Thank you."
Sam and the General went on to discuss at length what had happened with the Tok'ra and Athena. She told him of Vala and the Tok'ra's escape – she hoped – in the Al'kesh, and of having to abandon Mitchell and the team down on the ground. The look on Sam's face when she told Landry about having to withdraw could have frozen the lava inside a volcano.
"Never mind now." The General's gruff voice brought her back to the present. He spoke with a military man's intellect. "No use worrying about what may or may not be happening with Colonel Mitchell and the others. Keep your mind on your own mission, Colonel. And that has changed now, I'm afraid."
"Sir?" Sam's heart sank.
"Your new orders are to go to Chulak. Bra'tac is there, with a large contingent of ex-Jaffa – you are to rendezvous with him and take as many as you can back to Athena's palace. If she thinks she's beaten us already then she's sorely mistaken."
"Yes sir!" It was possibly the best news that Sam could have heard. Extra troops, plus Bra'tac, plus orders to return to the fight as soon as possible. Her feeling of delight was only increased a few seconds later by Teal'c's voice coming through the intercom.
"ColonelCarter – I have identified the burnt out crystals and replaced them with new ones. We will be ready to leave once preliminary checks have been completed."
"That's excellent news Teal'c, thank you." She grinned widely at no-one in particular, before relaying the information back to General Landry.
"Looks like you have a go then," he told her. "Good luck!" A few seconds later and he ended the transmission.
It wasn't long before the familiar hum of the Hammond's sub light engines starting up emanated across the ship. And it was just a minute or two later before Sam gave the order and they shot away across the galaxy in the direction of Chulak.
o – o – o – o – o –
Round about the same time that General Landry and Sam were talking to each other, Vala stealthily brought the Alkesh back into orbit around Athena's planet. Neither of the defence shields were working but she'd managed to get the cloaking mechanism back online. It wouldn't matter if their shields didn't work, as long as the enemy couldn't see them. Or so she hoped.
Jerryn had set up a small medical area in one of the main areas behind the room where the ring transporter was located. Vielkah had been moved there, along with about half a dozen others who had also been injured. Unfortunately, five shrouded bodies indicated heavier losses.
Vala came in quietly as the young man finished bandaging up the last small burn on Vielkah's wrist. He smiled tiredly. "So, what do you intend to do now?" he asked.
Great, Vala thought, Somebody's left me in charge. I really should have kept my mouth shut and stayed at the SGC! However, she didn't really mean it – her years of being a team player seemed to have overtaken all the other times when she'd been a lone space pirate and entrepeneur.
Crouching next to Vielkah, she gently stroked the other woman's arm. Her eyes flickered open.
"Hey," Vala smiled down at her. "We've mended the cloak, but not the shields. I think that we're safe for the moment, here in orbit."
"Thank you." Vielkah winced as she spoke. "We would not have survived without you."
"Ah, pffft!" Vala flapped her hands as she settled to sit cross legged on the floor. "It was nothing. I could have escaped in my sleep. Piece of pie."
There was nobody from SG-1 to tell her that she meant 'cake' instead of 'pie'. Just a vague feeling at the back of the alien's mind that she hadn't quoted it quite right. "I hope they're okay." Vala realised that she'd said the last part out loud.
Vielkah patted her hand again. "What are you going to do now?" she whispered.
Vala swallowed. "Are you officially putting me in charge of the Al'kesh?" she asked.
For the first time since they'd been together the older woman closed her eyes, when she spoke again it was with the voice of her Tok'ra symbiote, Yanclef. "We are. You have shown admirable qualities, both as a leader and a pilot. You are quick thinking under stress and you're bravery is easily as great as a Tok'ra's."
"Well now," Vala blushed faintly. "There's a compliment for you."
Yanclef continued. "You have the most experience out of all who remain alive on this vessel. You also have experience of the methods of the Tau'ri, and have used their weaponry on countless occasions."
"Oh yes, I've definitely done that." Vala could feel a dopey grin spreading across her face, despite the gravity of the situation. Her stepmother, Adria, had never believed she'd get anywhere in life. Evil old battleaxe, thought the new commander of the Al'kesh. I've proved her wrong. Again.
Vala rubbed her hands together and shrugged her shoulders high, as she often did when excited. It was difficult, sitting down on the floor, but she managed it. She cleared her throat. "I'd be honoured," she told Yanclef.
"Thank you," the Tok'ra's eyes closed and moments later it was Vielkah looking up at her. "Thank you," she added. She paused for a moment. "Do you have a plan?'
Vala snorted loudly. "Do I have a plan?" A wide smile spread across Vala's face. "Do I have a plan?" The dim lighting onboard the Al'kesh brought out the dark silver lights in her eyes as they crinkled up with excitement. "Of course. Of course I have a plan."
TBC...