LOSTANDFOUND
July 2007
"Dr. Thatcher, report to the control deck. Brady to the control deck."
Brady glared at the loudspeaker and sighed. She pulled the headlamp from her forehead and took off her glasses. She made a few notes about the piece she had been examining before setting it carefully back on its stand.
She touched her radio. "This is Brady. I'm on the way."
Wiping her hands on her pants, she left her office and locked the door behind her. She entered the control room and crossed to where Amelia sat.
"What's up?" she asked, staring at the shimmering wormhole below.
"You've got a call from General Landry," Amelia said, clacking on her keyboard. She nodded to Brady, indicating that the line was open.
"General?"
"Dr. Thatcher. How are you?"
"Great, sir," Brady said. "Thanks for asking. Um…what can I do for you?"
"I won't waste time," Landry said. "Three days ago, SG-1 received intel that villagers on a planet called Bantinos were in danger from what appeared to be a Goa'uld mothership."
"Bantinos? We've been there before," Brady said, frowning. "That was one of Baal's planets."
"Yeah," Landry said.
"What happened?"
"We lost contact with SG-1 shortly after they arrived on Bantinos. Colonel Reynolds and SG-3 went on a recovery op. They came back with only Vala."
"What about the others?"
"Teal'c and Sam were both off-world on other assignments at the time the call came in. As for Cam and Daniel, there was no sign of them. Vala said the villager who was guiding them took off, but the team continued on. They had some obstacle to go through every few miles. Daniel was working on one so that they could cross a bridge and the next thing she knew, she was hit with a blast from a Zat. By the time Reynolds showed up, Daniel and Cam were gone."
"Why did they leave Vala behind?"
"We don't know. Look, we want you to come here and accompany SG-3, along with Vala, back to Bantinos. According to Vala, every few miles a puzzle had to be solved before they could go any further. She is certain that the only person who can get far enough to find Cam and Daniel quickly is you."
"Really?" Brady asked. "Why? What about Sam?"
"We need someone who thinks like Daniel," Landry said. "I've already cleared it with Dr. Weir and you're set to gate out in an hour."
The stargate closed as General Landry disconnected the call.
"Dr. Weir, I have a favor to ask," Brady said. "Vala was once used as a host for Quetesh, so she knows the ins and outs of the motherships. We'll have plenty of Marine support—"
"Are you going to get to that favor soon?" Weir asked with a smile.
"I need Ronon," Brady said.
"Ronon? Why?"
"Because nobody tracks like him," Brady replied. "I can think like Daniel; I can solve the riddles. But we'll need the best to track whoever took Cam and Daniel."
"Alright," she said after a moment. "Alpha is off call for a couple of days. I'm sure General Landry would welcome the help. I can't order Ronon to go on this mission, but if he agrees, you both have a go."
Brady adjusted her pack on her shoulder as she stepped through the gate on Earth. She smiled up at Walter and waved.
"Brady, nice to have you back," he said.
"Thanks, Walter," Brady said. "Wish it was under more pleasant circumstances."
"Vala, Colonel Reynolds, and SG-3 are ready to embark when you are," General Landry said, greeting Brady and Ronon at the foot of the gate ramp. "Ronon, I appreciate you joining us."
"Not a problem," Ronon said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Brady led Ronon out of the gate room and down the hall toward the locker room. She had barely stepped inside when someone let out a squeal. Ronon watched as a woman wearing a black leather outfit shot across the room so quickly that her pigtails flew behind her. She embraced Brady in a bone-crushing hug.
"Brady! Oh Brady Brady Brady!"
Brady laughed loudly as she returned the woman's hug. "Glad to know I was missed, Vala."
"I'm so glad you were able to come," Vala said. "I remembered what Daniel did with the first two puzzles, but once we got back to the bridge. Look, if you need to get past a living person, I'm your girl. Inanimate objects, on the other hand, are not in my niche."
"Unless they're being lifted," Brady said.
Vala shrugged and smiled. For the first time since they had entered the room, she looked up at Ronon. Her smile turned predatory.
"Ooo…hello there," she said silkily, extending her hand.
"Oh, right. Vala, this is Ronon," Brady said as Ronon accepted Vala's handshake. "Ronon Dex, Vala Mal Doran, Pirate Queen of the Milky Way."
"Former pirate queen," Vala said. "I've been reformed. Well…half reformed," she amended, tugging Brady aside. "No wonder you like Atlantis," she said quietly, looking over her shoulder at Ronon. "D'you think they'd let me transfer? I did quite well when we were there before."
"I doubt it," Brady said with a grin. "Colonel Reynolds," Brady said with a smile as the Marine stepped forward.
"Dr. Thatcher. My men and I are ready."
"We are too," she said. "Lead the way, colonel."
They went to the gateroom and stood at the bottom of the ramp as Walter counted down the chevrons. Brady had never noticed how long it actually took to dial Earth's gate. By the time the wormhole was engaged, she and Ronon were both shifting from one foot to the other.
They walked through the event horizon and scanned the area on the other side. Vala took point, leading the team down the path SG-1 had taken.
"Ok. If a Goa'uld is behind this we're gonna need to get Daniel and Cam out of there fast. What do we know about what's going on with the people here?"
"A few days ago a villager contacted us. What was his name...I don't remember," she said, waving a hand. "But he said a Goa'uld mothership—" She stopped, looking up at Ronon. "He is familiar with the Goa'uld, correct?" she asked Brady.
"I've read mission reports," Ronon said.
"Excellent," Vala said, smiling and turning back to Brady. "Where was I?"
"Villager. Mothership."
"Oh yes. Well this man said that was a mothership orbiting the planet and that a few battalions of Jaffa had already been dispatched."
"Whoa...Jaffa? I thought they had declared their independence from the System Lords."
"Some returned to service. After being enslaved for countless generations, freedom proved to be more daunting than appealing. So anyway, me and the fellas loaded up and went with that guy—what was his name? Bergin? Gerwin? It was definitely an 'er, in'."
"Vala."
"Oh, right. So we're headed back to the village and bam! We slam right into a force field. I thought Cameron had broken his nose, poor dear. Sherman—no, that's still not right...Thurmin! That's it! Thurmin points out this carved statue. Well, you know Daniel...he just stood there staring at the thing for twenty minutes then snapped his fingers. 'Of course!' he said. Then he started pacing off the area until he got to this one specific tree, did something to it, and the field dropped."
"A force field," Brady said contemplatively. "If the planets are littered with force fields and booby traps, how do the villagers know where to go and where not to go?"
"That's what Cameron brought up. We were going to ask Thurmin, but the little rodent had given us the slip. That's when we realized we'd been set up. Ah, here we are."
They fell in line behind Vala as she wound her way around the force field and poked at a skinny tree. The field dropped with a low hum and the team spread back out.
"So we were tossing around ideas while we were walking, and we decided that the path Thurmin took us on was the only one with the traps. It didn't make sense for the whole planet to be rigged, especially if the Goa'uld wanted to keep their human slaves. Cameron figured whoever wanted us dead must have set the puzzles up so that we'd either die on the way or die when we got there."
"Why'd you keep going once you found out the villager betrayed you?" Ronon asked. "Why not just turn back for the gate?"
"Well, it's not as if we decided to just go for a stroll," Vala said. "Cameron wanted to get a scope of the ship—if there was one—and Daniel...well, you don't know Daniel," she said, rolling her eyes and looking at Brady. "He's hardheaded and curious to a fault. The man's a genius, but sometimes he gets in explorer mode and common sense eludes him."
Brady was careful to stare straight ahead and not look at Ronon, even though she saw him look at her.
"Uh-huh," he said. "Must be a pain in the ass when that happens."
"Oh, you have no idea," Vala said.
"Pretty sure I do," Ronon muttered so that only Brady could hear.
"Everybody had their own agenda, but also we all, collectively, would love nothing more than to kick a Goa'uld's ass."
"What was yours?"
Vala looked at Ronon. "My what?"
"Your agenda," he said. "You said everyone had their own. What was yours?"
Vala smiled. "He doesn't miss anything, your tracker," she said to Brady. "Well, unlike Cameron, I could care less about infiltrating motherships. And, unlike Daniel, I don't give a nickel about intricate puzzles."
She smiled again and jogged around the corner.
"And here we go," Reynolds sighed.
When Vala came in sight again, she was standing in the middle of the path with her arms splayed wide. "Ta da!" she sang. "Solidgold intricate puzzles, on the other hand...I care about."
Brady felt her jaw drop as she saw a large gold panel attached to the rock face. "Holy crap!"
"Isn't it gorgeous?" Vala gushed.
"Vala, we need to keep moving," Reynolds reminded her.
"Right," she said, running a hand along the face of the golden tablet. She gave a wistful sigh and began pressing the inlaid jewels, moving them around to certain positions. "Ah. There we are."
There was a metallic screeching sound and Vala gently pulled Brady away from the tablet as it began to slide back further into the rock face.
Sinkholes appeared in the path for several yards in front of the team.
"Land mines?" Ronon asked.
"Yep," Vala said, looking regretfully at the gold tablet. "Not very original, in my opinion. You'd think with unlimited Goa'uld resources one could think of something with a bit more pizzazz."
"Hidden explosives are plenty of pizzazz for me," Reynolds said.
They walked down the path, sometimes chatting, but mostly quiet. When they reached the bridge, Reynolds and the Marines fanned out and watched for any sign of Jaffa or traitorous villagers.
"This is it," Vala said, pointing to a small wooden sign in front of a stone bridge.
Brady and Ronon looked over the ledge and Brady let out a long whistle. "Wow. That's a deep hole."
She crossed to the sign and examined it. "Nothing ornate," she said, running her fingertips over the carved characters in the wood. "Daniel didn't say anything about the inscription?"
"Only that it didn't make any sense," Vala said. "He was getting aggravated. I could tell, because he was quite snippy with me."
Brady had never seen Daniel be anything but snippy with Vala, but she didn't mention it. She turned her attention to the plaque.
"Well, he was right. It doesn't make any sense."
"I say we forget the inscription and take our chances," Ronon said.
"Yes, well...I'd rather not be blown up or anything of the like," Vala said. "Daniel was quite insistent that he solve the puzzle before we went any further."
"Yeah, and it turned out real well for him, obviously."
"Listen, Tarzan—"
"Alright, guys. Relax," Brady said, holding up a hand to stave off a full-blown argument. "Gimme a sec, ok?"
Ronon turned away from Vala and Brady and scanned the tree line. He thought he saw movement in the underbrush and slowly crept forward. He knelt at the edge of the forest and examined the foliage.
"You got something?"
Ronon looked back at Colonel Reynolds. "Footprints. Whoever made them wasn't concerned with covering their tracks. They're heavy, but they aren't fresh."
"How old are they?" Reynolds asked.
"Old enough that they could have been made by whoever took your people," Ronon said, standing. He stepped into the underbrush and looked around, but emerged again and shook his head at Reynolds. "There are no tracks to retrace. These must have come from when they crossed the bridge and fanned out."
Ronon crept to the edge of the ravine and peered over. He looked along the ledge to see if there was an end to the canyon, but it gaped in both directions for as far as he could see.
"Oh!"
Brady's exclamation startled Ronon and he reflexively pulled his gun. The marines, in turn, readied their own weapons, scanning the forest for threats. Ronon sighed as Brady gave a sheepish apology. He holstered his weapon and watched as Brady happily muttered to herself and scooped a handful of soil. She walked to the ledge and daintily tossed the dirt into the air.
"What's with the dirt?" Ronon asked as he approached.
She turned to look at him, a satisfied smile curving her lips. "Look," she said, pointing fifty yards on the other side of the bridge.
Ronon turned his attention to where she was pointing, frowning as he saw the sand lightly skittering across the ravine on an unseen surface.
"What is that?" Reynolds asked.
Brady brushed her palms on the back of her pants and stuck her foot over the ledge. Vala gave a startled cry and Ronon jerked Brady's arm in a bruising grip, hauling her back from the edge.
"What in the hell are you doing?" he demanded, giving her a none-too-gentle shake.
"Whoa! Jeez," Brady said, tugging away from him. "Ronon, relax. It's another bridge."
"What?" Vala asked.
Brady knelt and scooped up more sand. She eyed Ronon as she moved back to the edge, holding up a hand when she saw his jaw clench. She sprinkled the handful of soil over the edge of the crevice, smiling again when it gathered in a small pile on an invisible structure.
"I'll be damned," Reynolds said.
"Not today," Brady said.
She turned her smile to Ronon. He looked annoyed, but he didn't seem to want to strangle her. Brady stripped off her hoodie and heaped sand onto it before gingerly stepping off the ledge. She held her breath as she shook her hoodie from side to side, distributing earth evenly over the invisible bridge.
She began to inch forward and soon she stepped onto the other side of the ravine. Her legs were shaky and she sank to the ground with a sigh as she turned to look back at the others.
"Come on," she said. "Before all the dirt blows away."
Ronon came next, followed by two Marines, then Vala. Finally, Reynolds and the rest of the team made it across and everyone got back on the path.
"Stay alert," Reynolds said. "From here out is unfamiliar territory."
"So," Vala said as she and Brady hiked behind the Marines. "What's the deal with you and hot Mr. Leather Pants?"
Brady smiled. She remembered now why she missed her quirky alien friend.
"There's no deal," she said. "Ronon and I work together."
"Uh-huh," Vala said. "I work with Daniel, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't love to spend hours making hot, sweaty—"
"Easy, Vala," Brady said with a laugh. She sighed and snuck a glance back over her shoulder. Ronon walked beside Reynolds, surveying the forest with the eyes of a hunter.
"Oh, I see how completely wrong I was," Vala said dryly, arching a brow at Brady. "There's certainly nothing there."
"Shut up," Brady said with a grin.
"I bet he's a marvelous kisser," Vala said dreamily. "Ah ha!" she hissed, pointing a finger at Brady. "That's a smirk worth a thousand words."
"Shh!" Brady said. "It wasn't like a kiss kiss. I kissed him."
"That's my girl," Vala said proudly.
"It wasn't anything major," Brady insisted.
"Have you slept with anyone while you've been on Atlantis?"
"Vala!"
"What?" Vala asked. "It's a perfectly good question between friends. Girl talk, and all that."
"No, I haven't slept with anyone on Atlantis," Brady said. "I work with them. It's a bit awkward to have to work with someone who's seen you naked."
"Who's seen you naked?"
Brady's head whipped around and she looked at Ronon, who had closed a lot of the distance between them.
"What?" Brady asked, flushing. "Nothing. No one."
"Lots of people," Vala said. She smiled. "Do they have streakers on your world? Maybe it's just an Earth thing—"
"I was not streaking!"
"A few weeks before Brady left for Atlantis," Vala began, ignoring Brady's squawks of protest. "There was this huge ordeal at SGC. Some Washington bigwig was coming. Anyway," she continued, "right in the middle of this gathering of Generals and politicos, Brady comes bolting down the hallway, stark naked."
Ronon turned to look at Brady, eyebrows raised. A slow, amused grin split his face and her blush deepened.
"I wasn't streaking," she said. "Somebody stole my clothes outta the shower room." She cast an accusing glare at Vala, who laughed unrepentantly.
"One of the gunnies bet me fifty bucks that I couldn't distract the Generals once they were talking about their guns and plans."
"You didn't," Brady muttered. "You almost got me fired."
"Oh, piff," Vala said, draping an arm over Brady's shoulder. "They'd never fire you. You're the SGC's wonder child."
"What's that?" Reynolds called, drawing their attention. He pointed to a glimmering curtain draped across the path directly in front of them.
"Chances are it isn't good," Vala said, tightening her grip on her weapon.
"Wait here," Ronon said. He stepped off the path and disappeared into the dense forest.
"I don't think—"
"Shh!" Brady said, cutting off Reynold's words. "You hear that?"
"Down!" Reynolds shouted.
Vala grabbed Brady's shoulder and shoved her to the dirt. The laser from a Jaffa weapon shot from the trees, catching one of Reynolds's Marines in the chest.
"Get off the path!" Brady called, firing her P-90 in the direction of the staff attacks. She helped Vala to her feet and rushed into the woods. "Ronon!"
The team heard the clanking of Jaffa armor and took cover among the large trees. A small contingent of Jaffa broke the tree line across the path and stopped. Their Prime, a large man with long hair, broke off from the group and stalked toward the shimmering electric field. He barked out a final order and stepped through the field, dissolving.
"It's a transporter," Vala whispered.
The Jaffa crept closer. Brady could see the insignia on their heads.
"Damn," she breathed. "Ba'al."
"Vala, Brady, fall back," Reynolds said over their headsets.
They carefully picked their way away from the treeline. Reynolds jerked his thumb at them, indicating that he wanted them behind his line of Marines.
"And they say chivalry is dead," Vala whispered dryly as they knelt in a thick tangle of limbs and vines.
"It will be if you don't shut up," Brady replied. She gasped as a large hand closed over her mouth, but then relaxed when she heard Ronon's voice in her ear.
"They're closing in on our flanks," he whispered. He moved his hand and spoke into his headset. "Reynolds, you need to pull your men back. They're surrounding us on all sides. We need to cluster."
"Too late," Reynolds responded. The sounds of staff weapon and P-90 fire filled the air. "Get Vala and Brady outta here, Dex! Get back to the gate!"
"Go," Ronon said, firing his gun as Vala and Brady left their cover.
"We can't just leave everybody," Brady shouted, laying down cover fire.
"We can't come back for them if we're dead," Ronon said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along behind him.
"Look out!" Vala called, firing her Zat. She took a hit and fell to the ground.
"Vala!" Brady cried, rushing over to her friend. There was no blood or scorch mark, which meant the Jaffa weren't under kill orders.
"Brady, watch-"
Ronon's warning was cut short as he was hit with a bolt from a taser. Brady whirled to look behind her, preferring to meet the blast that she knew was coming head on.
When she awoke, Brady was in the dark. The first thing she noticed was that it was freezing, wherever she was. The second thing she noticed was that aside from the tank top and cargo pants she wore, all of her gear was gone. Last, but far from least, she realized that she had no idea where anyone else was.
"Well...damn," she muttered into the darkness.
"Is that...Brady?"
Brady's ears perked. "Daniel?"
"What are you doing here?" Daniel called.
"It's ok," she replied. "We're here to rescue you."
"We, who? Who's with you?" he asked.
"Um, at the moment? Nobody. We were ambushed in the forest. I don't know where the others are. But they're here somewhere."
"Oh, good. I was almost ready to start worrying."
"Your sarcasm is duly noted," Brady said dryly. "Where's Mitchell?" she asked hesitantly.
"He's in another cell at the end of the hall. Baal has been alternating interrogation between us. Cam went last, which means they'll be coming for me any time now."
"Wait your turn, Dr. Jackson."
"Major Reynolds?"
"'fraid so," Reynolds said from somewhere in the dark. "I'm two cells from the corner. They dumped Brady across from me and Dex next to her. Parsons and Hewett didn't make it," he added sadly.
"Vala?" Brady asked quickly.
"Alive, but they took her somewhere else. Not sure where."
"Do you guys mind not being quite so chatty?"
"How you doing, Cam?" Brady called with a relieved smile.
"Batting a thousand, Brady. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Rescue mission."
"...Oh," Mitchell said. "Lemme know how that turns out."
There was a long groan from close to Brady's left and she tentatively felt around in the dark. "Ronon?"
Her fingers brushed against thin metal bars. She estimated that there was about eight inches between each one. She reached a hand through but couldn't feel anything but the cold floor.
Ronon swore long and hard in both English and Satedan.
"Where the hell are we?" he demanded.
"Baal's holding cells," Daniel said. "Nice to meet you, by the way. Our mission on Atlantis was a little rushed last year, so we didn't really have a chance to-"
"Why's it so dark?" Ronon interrupted.
"Disorientation," Reynolds explained. "It's a common interrogation method. Your eyes should adjust soon."
"Why's it so cold?" Ronon asked.
"Ooh, I'll take this one," Mitchell said. "The cold's the fun part. The not-so-fun part comes when they take you to this big tank of really hot water and drop you in it. It's a shock to the system, see, so just about the time your skin stops feeling like it's getting jabbed with a thousand tiny needles, they haul you out, take you to Baal to play with for a bit, then bring you back here. Then, not only is it cold, but you're wet on top of it. You dry eventually, but not before you lose all feeling in your hands and feet." He paused. "No worries though, because the next run through the sarcophagus sets you back to right. Then it all starts over."
"I would like someone to make a note," Brady said. "I really, really hate Baal."
"Oh, just give it time," Mitchell said. "It'll get worse."
"You're just a frickin' ray of sunshine, aren't you Cam?"
Mitchell laughed. "My extract team is in lockup with me. On a Goa'uld mothership. On a hostile planet. At least eight miles from the Stargate," he pointed out. He chuckled. "But hey, at least we aren't up against Replicators."
"There's the optimistic Mitchell I know," Brady said.
She flinched as something brushed her hand in the dark, but relaxed as Ronon's fingers curled around her wrist. Her eyes were beginning to adjust and she could just make out the shape of him in the dark.
"You alright?"
"I'm always alright," he replied.
The sound of heavy footsteps was heard coming down the hall and Ronon's grip on Brady's wrist tightened. She heard the Jaffa pass his cell and stop outside hers. Reynolds swore as the swishing sound of a force field dropping disturbed the tense silence.
Cam and Daniel shouted at the Jaffa. There was a scuffle and the sound of something hard and solid striking flesh, followed by the clinking of old-fashioned manacles. Then the Jaffa's footsteps made their way back up the corridor, with Reynolds following behind.
The others were silent for a long while. After what seemed like hours, someone came back down the hall and dumped Reynolds's unconscious body back in his cell. Brady's eyes had adjusted completely and she could make out the shape of two figures standing in the corridor. One was the long-haired Jaffa Prime from the forest. The other was Baal.
"Dr. Thatcher," Baal said, his silky voice invading the darkness. "How lovely of you to pay another visit to me."
"Baal ol' pal, how's it going? Still letting that pesky inferiority complex drive you to make stupid decisions?"
Baal chuckled. "Colonel O'Neill trained you well. Still as fearless as ever, I see...for now." He paused, sighing. "I broke him once, you know. How long do you think it will be before you, like him, beg me to let you stay dead?"
Ronon was on his feet in an instant. He charged across his cell, slamming against the force field that sealed him in. Baal glanced in his direction and waved a hand at his Prime.
"Bring this one," he said. "I don't know him. I wish to see what part he plays in this little reunion of ours."
"Ronon," Brady said quietly.
"I won't break," he said to Baal.
Baal chuckled again. "We will certainly see."
"Baal, where is Vala?" Daniel asked.
"Why Dr. Jackson," he said, turning. "I had almost forgotten you were here. Our dear Vala is in her quarters, awaiting the arrival of an old friend. I am sure she will pay a visit to you once they are...reacquainted."
Baal turned and led his Jaffa down the hall. Ronon grunted and growled like a trapped bear, but in the end he was all but dragged down the corridor behind the Jaffa Prime.
Ronon felt cool fingers trailing over his cheek. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recognized that someone was speaking to him. He cracked his eyes open and turned his face toward the voice.
"What'd I miss?" he croaked.
Brady sighed as relief swarmed her. "You had me scared for a minute there, tough guy. He's awake," she called to the others. She cupped his clammy face in her hand, brushing a drop of water away with her thumb as it trickled down his cheek. "Sorry I got you into this," she said quietly.
Ronon covered her hand with his and squeezed it reassuringly. "If I hadn't come, you'd be in here on your own," he said. "Then you'd have no chance of getting out."
"It's good that you're so humble," Mitchell called. "Thanks for the confidence."
"Hey, you guys have been here for over a day and you're just hanging out in your cells, waiting for Baal to come torture you. I'm not really the sit-and-wait kind."
"No, obviously you're the make-fruitless-attempts-at-escaping-and-waste-your-energy kind," Daniel said.
"Hey, hey, guys," Brady said, nipping the argument before it heated up. "Have the Alpha-Male battle later. Right now, we need to figure out how to get outta here, get Vala, and get off this ship without getting maimed and/or killed."
Ronon sat up and rested his head against his knees, waiting for the room to stop tilting.
"What'd they do?" Brady asked.
"The thing with the water first. After that, Baal asked me some questions about the SGC. Then he brought out this casket..."
"The sarcophagus," Brady realized.
"Baal didn't pull it out for me until my third time through," Mitchell said. "Jackson made it four. Course Baal likes him better'n me. You musta been hell on him for him to put you through on the first interrogation."
"Yeah...hell on him," Ronon said, scoffing a laugh. "How's Reynolds?"
"Still out."
Ronon stretched out on his back next to Brady. She could feel his wet shirt through the bars against her tank top. He inhaled deeply and Brady reached out to wrap a hand around his arm.
"You're freezing," she said.
"I hadn't noticed," Ronon replied between clenched teeth as he stifled a shiver.
"Come here, cranky-pants," Brady ordered, stretching out with her face to the bars. "You need to get warm."
"How are you going to warm me up?"
"Just roll over. Stop being difficult."
Ronon sighed his annoyance and rolled onto his side, bending his elbow and propping his head up on his hand. "There," he said drolly. "Satisfied?"
"I could just let you get hypothermia, you know," Brady said pointedly as she scooted as close to him as she could get.
His clothes were wet, but she hoped that she had enough body heat to keep both of them warm. Ronon sighed again and pressed himself against the bars. He stuck one arm through and put it under Brady's cheek.
"Gimme your hands," he said. He took her wrists in his hands and pulled them through the bars, slipping her arms beneath his shirt.
"Skin to skin contact," Brady said, nodding with a swallow. "Always best."
"Depends on whose skin it is," Ronon said, his voice low.
"You guys do realize you aren't alone, right? We're in a life-or-death situation and you're over there kanoodling."
Brady chuckled. "Good to hear from you, Reynolds."
The major groaned as he sat up. "Believe me, it's good to be heard."
Ronon shivered again and Brady absently rubbed his chest. There was nothing sexual about their embrace, yet she couldn't quite ignore the firmness of his muscles or the way they quivered beneath her touch.
"What happened, major?" Daniel asked.
Reynolds sighed. "He gave me an injection of something. Next thing I know, he's quizzing me on our mission here and who Ronon is."
"Did you tell him about Atlantis?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes," Reynolds said, his voice full of regret. "Yeah, now the bastard knows the SGC has access to a whole other galaxy."
Mitchell swore. "It isn't your fault, Reynolds," he assured the other man.
"Maybe not, but it sure as hell feels that way," Reynolds replied.
"Guess I'm next," Brady said. "Any advice?" she asked the group. Ronon draped his other arm across Brady's hip, holding her close.
"Try to remember that you're a genius and don't do anything stupid," he said.
"Ronon pretty much nailed it," Mitchell called.
"Guys, a little credit please," Brady said. "I'm not going to try to fight the guy without at least knowing how to get off this ship. But I'm not going to just keep laying around watching us get dragged off one by one until we stop coming back."
The tell-tale sound of Jaffa footsteps clanked down the hall. Brady shoved away from Ronon and rolled to her feet as Baal's Prime stopped in front of her cell and opened the door.
"My lord Baal requests your presence," the Prime said.
"Tell your lord Baal I said to stuff it," Brady said, raising her chin.
The Prime started forward and Brady saw Ronon slowly move down the bars, tracking the Jaffa's footsteps. His expression was feral and his gaze never wavered as the Prime advanced toward Brady.
"You will come with me," the man said, raising a Zat.
"Why the formality?" Brady asked. "Why not whack me on the head and take me off to torture?"
The Prime smiled. "My lord wishes to speak with you first," he replied. "Save your bravery for another time, Tau'ri. You will need it."
Brady saw Ronon tense and set his feet. She stepped toward the Prime, drawing Ronon's eye. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and allowed the Jaffa to escort her from her cell.
Daniel, Cam, and Reynolds were shouting at the Prime, but Brady never took her eyes off Ronon, who watched with silent fury as she was led away.
"You have one hour."
Brady stumbled forward into Ronon's cell as Baal's Prime shoved her forward. He slammed the door shut and reactivated the field. Ronon caught Brady by the arms, steadying her.
"What's going on?" he asked. "Why'd he put you in here?"
Brady raised her eyes to his and kept her expression blank. Ronon knew, somewhere deep down, that something was wrong.
"What did you do, Brady?" he asked quietly.
"What's going on over there?" Daniel called. "Ronon?"
Ronon ignored him. "Brady," he said, giving her a gentle shake. "What...?"
"I made a deal with Baal," Brady said. "For the four of you to be released unharmed. You will be taken back to the stargate and allowed to return to the SGC."
"Damn your self-sacrificing, Brady," Ronon said savagely. "Why do you always manage to get yourself-?"
"I only have an hour here, Ronon," Brady interrupted. "I didn't come here to fight with you."
"Why would Baal put you in here?" Ronon asked. "It doesn't make sense."
"It's my other part of the bargain," Brady said. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes as her hands untucked her tank top and pulled it over her head. "I figure if I'm going to stay here, I don't have to worry about the awkward aftereffects of having sex with you."
"Um..."
"Shut up," she whispered, stepping toe-to-toe with him. She looked up into his eyes and brought a hand to his cheek. "Your skin is so soft," she said with a small smile.
Ronon swallowed and cleared his throat. "Brady, this isn't—we have to try to get out of here. All of us."
She shook her head, sliding her hand around to cup the back of his neck. "There isn't any other way out. Vala has already been reintroduced to a Goa'uld symbiote and Baal agreed that my knowledge of the Pegasus galaxy is sufficient for now. When you get home, tell Sheppard to up security. If Baal breaks me, he might show up in our galaxy within the next few months."
"But-"
"Shh," she whispered, pulling his head down to hers. "No more talking."
She brushed her lips over his, lightly at first, then with a little more daring. Ronon started to speak, to stop this madness before it got out of hand, but Brady sighed softly and gently nipped his bottom lip between her teeth. His eyes fluttered closed and he inhaled sharply before catching her face in his hands and closing his mouth over hers. Her tongue begged entry and he obligingly opened his lips for her, nearly losing himself in the taste of her. His hands roamed up her back and he gripped her shoulders, prying her away from him before it was too late.
"Brady-"
His eyes opened just as Brady pulled a lethal looking stiletto out of her back pocket and thrust it toward his neck. He knocked her hand away and shoved her back. She lunged at him, swiping at him with the blade.
"What the hell's going on?" Mitchell called.
"Ronon!" Daniel called.
Brady fought hard, not pulling her punches. Ronon's head snapped to the side as she landed a strike to his jaw. He gripped her hand and giving a vicious twist, making her drop her knife. She elbowed his ribs and he cursed himself for training with her so much.
"Sorry about this Brady," Ronon said as he spun her toward the bars that separated their cells. She reached out to catch herself and Ronon took advantage of her busy hands, cupping the back of her head in his hand and slamming her forehead against the bars.
Brady groaned as she regained consciousness. She brought a hand to her head and felt a large goose egg.
"You ok? I mean, you aren't gonna try to kill me again, right?"
"Not to my immediate knowledge," Brady said peering through the darkness at Ronon. She lay in the floor with her head resting on his outstretched leg. "What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Reynolds called.
She dropped her hand and sighed. "Baal," she said. "He shot me up with something and told me...told me to kill you," she said, looking up at Ronon. "I-I didn't even question it. I just knew I wanted to distract and dispatch. That's what he told me to do." She frowned. "Did you slam my head against metal bars?" she asked accusingly.
"You didn't really give me a choice," he answered, lightly brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You came on like a drunken Ioki saloon girl, then-"
"I beg your pardon?" Brady hissed, sitting up quickly. She closed her eyes and waiting for the nausea to pass. "I did what?"
"You don't remember, uh...trying to seduce Ronon?" Daniel asked.
"No!" Brady said.
"It was a good idea, really," Daniel said. "You said Baal's orders were to distract and dispatch. It's true that the fastest way to distract most men is for a woman to show him her..." There was an awkward pause. "I'm gonna stop talking now."
"That'd probably be a good idea," Mitchell said. "Anyway, Brady, it's a good thing Ronon's bigger'n you, otherwise we would be in a lot more trouble than we already are."
"What you said about Vala," Daniel called. "Was it true? Has she been reintroduced to a symbiote?"
Brady paused to think. "I don't think so," she said finally. "I caught a glimpse of her when they took me down a hallway. She looked like herself, you know. Like as soon as somebody let their guard down, she'd start kicking ass and taking names."
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok. Ok, that's...good. That's good."
"We need to get out of here," Ronon said. "We just need to get Vala, kill Baal, and get the hell out."
"Oh, is that all?" Mitchell asked.
"Not that I'm against killing Baal," Daniel said. "But I'd settle for getting Vala and getting out."
"Agreed," Reynolds said.
"Fine," Ronon said. "Whatever. So...?"
"Anybody got any ideas?" Brady asked.
"Um...actually, I might have one," Daniel said.
The Jaffa Prime came back for Brady exactly one hour after he had deposited her in Ronon's cell. He found her standing in the corner, her thin-bladed knife dripping crimson drops onto the floor. Ronon lay motionless on his back, a dark bloodstain creeping across his shirt beneath the hand that clutched his stomach.
"It is finished then?" the Prime asked. "My lord Baal will be pleased."
He opened the cell and stepped inside, holding out a hand to retrieve Brady's knife. She backed into the corner and changed her hold on the blade's handle.
"Don't be foolish, Tau'ri," he said in a bored voice. "I would hate to have to kill you before I'm ordered to do so."
"Such a sensitive guy," Brady said as the Jaffa approached. "Wouldn't you agree?" she asked as he powered up his Zat.
"Not the word I'd use."
The Prime whirled at the sound of Ronon's voice, raising his weapon, but the Satedan was faster, grabbing the man's wrist and elbowing him in the face. Ronon kicked the Jaffa's legs out from under him and jerked the Zat from his grasp. He shot the Prime and stepped toward the open cell door. Brady hurried after him.
"Come on, come on, come on," Mitchell said, waving them toward his cell. Ronon waved his hand in front of the lock, deactivating the shield. Brady did the same to Daniel's cell while Ronon moved to Reynolds'.
"Hey you," Brady said, giving Daniel a tight hug. Daniel returned her hug, wincing as he pulled his bruised ribs. "What say we get out of here?"
"Let's."
"Vala was in a chamber one level up," Brady said. "Ronon and Daniel, you come with me. Cam, can you and Major Reynolds provide a distraction and buy us a little time?"
"Look who's gung-ho commando all of a sudden," Mitchell said with a pat on her back. "Just this once, kid, I'll let you take over. Reynolds and I will take care of the guards and meet you in the main corridor in ten minutes."
"That's not much time," Ronon said.
"That's all you'll have. Any longer and the rest of Baal's Jaffa will have time to regroup and head after us." He looked at Brady and nodded. "We'll see ya out there."
The groups separated and Brady led the two men down the corridor toward the transport. They went up toward Vala's chamber.
"I hope you know where you're going," Ronon muttered.
"How far is it?"
"Just around the corner up ahead," Brady said.
They hurried down the hallway and rounded the corner, stopping short as a Jaffa came flying out a doorway a few feet ahead, crashed against the opposite wall, and fell to the floor in a heap.
"—bastard!" Vala stormed from the room, blaster in hand, and kicked the fallen Jaffa in the side of his helmet. She straightened and caught sight of Brady and the others, heaving a sigh of relief. "Oh, there you are! Where the hell have you been? Where're the others?"
"They're buying us time to rescue you," Daniel said.
Vala scoffed and shouldered the blaster. "As if I need you to rescue me, Daniel? Really."
"Can you two quip at each other later?" Brady asked. "We need to hit the road before anybody—" Her sentence was cut short as blaster fire exploded next to her head. Ronon grabbed her shoulder and pulled her across the hall.
"Go. Now!" he shouted, giving her a shove.
They ran, ducking and dodging bolts from Jaffa staff weapons. Vala filled them in as they made their escape.
"He wanted to reintroduce a Goa'uld into my body," she shouted. "Can you imagine?" She gave another scoff. "Like hell. So when Baal's clone returned with—"
"Whoa, whoa. Baal's clone?" Brady asked. "When did that happen?"
"You've been gone. Things happen," Vala said. They emerged from a transport and bolted down the corridor with Ronon leading the way toward Cam and Reynolds. "As I was saying, Baal's clone returned with the Goa'uld, they tried to restrain me and I…fought back."
"Big surprise," Daniel said.
"I did a little divide and conquer, and one of the Jaffa caught a blast from the other's staff weapon. I incapacitated the remaining Jaffa and fought with Baal—"
"Long story, short, Vala!" Daniel shouted, swearing as another group of Jaffa appeared at the end of the corridor. He hit the switch that closed the doors as he ran past it.
"I kicked the clone's ass and killed him, then took out the last Jaffa."
"Good seeing you, Vala," Cam said as they ran into him and Reynolds. "Pack it up, children. This place is gonna light up like a birthday cake in about three minutes."
"What did you do?" Daniel asked.
"We put a nice wrinkle in Baal's day," Cam said with a smile. "Hope he's not attached to this ship."
"He's not attached to much of anything anymore," Daniel said. "Well, that one's not, anyway."
"Aw, shit. Another clone?"
"I'm afraid so," Vala said.
"Ladies," Brady interrupted. She waved her hands. "Jaffa, explosion, death. Shall we go?"
"Right behind you, kid," Cam said.
Brady tugged Ronon's arm and together the group ran from the mothership.
Ronon shook hands with Mitchell and Reynolds—fellow warriors, by his estimation. He eyed Daniel silently. Daniel's lips curved into a small smile, which Ronon hesitantly returned. Brady watched the exchange with curiosity, unaware of the age old Alpha-Male sizing up that was taking place. After a moment, Daniel held out his hand and Ronon shook it, slapping the other man on the shoulder before picking up Brady's backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Daniel winced and covered his busted rib, stepping away from the others and putting his arms around Brady.
"They grow up so fast," he said lightly. "Once upon a time it was me getting you out of trouble."
She chuckled. "Yeah, well...Sheppard would probably say I still get in enough trouble. You were a good teacher."
Daniel smiled, his dimples on full display. "Take care of yourself, Brady," he said as he patted her back.
"Always," she said quietly. "I miss you, you know."
"We miss you here too," Daniel said, pulling back and looking at her. "But you're doing your thing in Pegasus. And from what I hear, you're damn good at it."
She snorted. "Of course I'm good at it," she said.
"Time to go, Brady," Mitchell called as countdown sequence began. He gave her a quick hug. "Thanks for coming," he said, smiling.
"I'd been meaning to check in on you guys anyway," she replied with a grin. She looked at Vala, who stood next to Cam, and her smile turned a little more sentimental. She held out her arms for a hug and the brunette rushed forward.
"I'm gonna miss you. I've got to get used to not having you all over again," Vala said, squeezing her tightly.
"It'll be ok," Brady assured her. "If you need me, I'm only a wormhole away."
Vala nodded and stepped back with a watery smile. "I've always been horrible saying goodbye."
"Good Lord, Vala. She's not dying, she's just going to Atlantis," Mitchell said dryly, draping an arm over the alien's shoulder. "You better go before you miss the bus," he added, pointing toward the embarkation room.
Brady left them in the hallway with a small wave and joined Ronon at the base of the gate ramp.
"Ready to go home?" she asked him.
"Chevron seven is locked. Pegasus wormhole established."
"Are you?" he countered, glancing over his shoulder at SG-1 as they watched from the control room.
Brady glanced back and waved one more time before slapping Ronon on the shoulder and jerking her head toward the event horizon. "Come on. Last one through buys drinks tonight."
She strode up the ramp without looking back.
Brady unpacked her bag, tucking her clean clothes into her dresser and tossing the dirty clothes in her hamper. She made up her bed and fell across it, sighing deeply as she burrowed into the soft blanket. The next thing she knew, someone was tapping her booted foot.
"Hey," Ronon said, gently shaking her again. "You going to dinner?"
"Dinner?" Brady repeated groggily. She stretched with a squeak of appreciation as her muscles lengthened. "I didn't mean to sleep so long. I have to go debrief Sheppard." She paused and rubbed her eyes. "That sounded dirty, but that's not what I meant."
Ronon chuckled. "Why don't you wake up a little more before you try to hold an intelligent conversation?" he teased.
She grunted and rolled into her back, draping an arm across her eyes. After a minute she let out a breath and dropped her arms to her side, cracking open an eye and peering up at Ronon.
"It's been a long couple of days," she said with a grin.
"I agree," he said. "Complete with complimentary seduction."
Brady groaned. "I wondered how long it was gonna take you to bring that up again," she said, blushing as she sat up. "One good turn deserves another. Remember Ingram?" she asked teasingly. "Look, at the time all I knew was that I wanted to get you to let your guard down," she explained, picking at her fingertips. She eyed Ronon and shrugged as he stepped closer to her bed. "It wasn't my-"
Her words stopped as he suddenly leaned down to close his mouth over hers. His lips nipped and caressed hers; his tongue lightly traced her bottom lip. Surprised, Brady laid one hand over his and placed the other against his chest, pushing slightly.
"What's this about?" she asked when he straightened. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Not twelve hours ago you were vehemently rejecting the idea of kissing me."
Ronon licked his lips and tilted his head to the side, studying her. "Well, technically that wasn't you, was it? I mean, it was more or less Baal."
"So, what? You just decided-"
"To stop trying to ignore what's going on between us? Yeah, something like that," he interrupted. "For the past year, Brady, I've done everything I can to try not to get tangled up with you. It's dangerous for teammates to be involved with each other."
"You sound like Sheppard," she muttered, glancing at the floor.
"Yeah, well, Sheppard knows his shit," Ronon said. "Look, you don't want to go this road, that's your choice. But if we're not going to take this anywhere," he said, waving his finger between the two of them, "then stop-"
"Shut up and kiss me," Brady said, cutting him off. Ronon stilled and Brady smiled widely. "Were you expecting more of a fight?" she asked, amusement ringing in her voice.
His brows drew together and he watched her suspiciously. "A little, yeah," he said, the corners of his mouth lifting in a ghost of a smile.
He cupped her face in his large hands and drew her to him, lowering his mouth to hers. Brady smiled into the kiss, sliding her hands around his waist and linking her fingers, locking him in place. Their tongues touched and tasted, eager to dance the dance that had so long been denied them. Ronon's hands slid from her face to her neck and he tilted her head back as he stepped even closer to her, pulling their bodies flush against each other. Brady released her hold and moved her hands to his chest, gripping his shirt in her fists. She moaned as Ronon broke the kiss to trace the line of her jaw with his lips.
Their headsets crackled and Sheppard's voice came over the radio. "Anybody from Alpha seen Ronon?"
Brady's head fell back and she swallowed, struggling to speak. "Sheppard wants-"
"I don't care," Ronon said, taking off his headset.
"Um, Sheppard, Ronon was heading to, uh, see Brady," McKay said over the channel.
There was a loaded silence. "Oh," Sheppard replied. Nothing else was said and Ronon deftly removed Brady's headset with a grin.