Chapter 29

"In here, sir."

Vala's eyes snapped open as a shaft of light crossed her face from the open door. When the source of light was revealed to be a lantern carried by another of the heavily armed soldiers, she rolled to her feet in a guarded crouch, attempting to place herself between the newcomers and the still-unconscious form of her friend. The woman made no move toward her or Daniel, instead carefully hanging her light from one of the thin ceiling beams and taking up position in the far corner. As Vala looked on warily, two men entered the enclosure, closing the door behind them.

The first man was several years older than either of his companions, dark hair showing glints of steely gray beneath the harsh lighting of the lamp. Like Balin and Marson, his shoulders and chest were decorated with shiny bits of metal, indicating his status as an officer, and a high-ranking one at that.

"How is your friend?" he began, pulling a chair out from beneath the table against the far wall.

"Sick," Vala answered simply, eyes flitting to Daniel's pale, slackened face.

The man leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. "How did he become ill?"

She sighed wearily, too tired to fight and too emotionally exhausted to lie. "Several months ago, he appeared in the middle of a field on a farm planet with no memory of who he was or where he came from. He stayed there until the two of us met--nearly two months ago--when he agreed to travel with me to other worlds in the vain hope that we might one day find his people or his past. He has always suffered from nightmares, but only today--yesterday, rather--began experiencing flashbacks. I don't know if it's something on this planet causing them, the... the stress of this whole situation gone horribly wrong, or if it's simply a natural step in the gradual return of his memory." She bit her lip, settling cross-legged on the ground and stroking a hand through Daniel's hair. "I don't know, and I don't care. I just want him safe."

"I see," the man answered. "Please forgive my lack of manners. I am Strategos Calius, Polimarkos of Lacana."

"Vala Mal Doran. This is Daniel... well, just Daniel for now."

Calius nodded. "The two of you have a staunch supporter in Syntagos Balin. She seems to believe the two of you would be of greater help to our world if we simply let you leave."

"Daniel has that effect on people. He makes them trust him even when they really have no reason to," she smiled sadly.

"Tarchios Marson has a different story," the strategos continued.

"I'm sure he does."

"He seems to believe it would be better to keep you here, learn from you and study the differences between your people and ours."

Vala sneered. "Marson just wants to filter all the naquadah out of my blood and use it to create more weapons like the ones he used on your enemies. He wants to learn the secrets of immortality and thinks that Daniel's the key to that."

"Is he?"

She heaved a sigh. "He remembers dying of radiation poisoning, like what happened to the people who survived those two weapons only to sicken and die later. He doesn't recall being healed, yet here he is."

"So you are saying that you don't know."

"No, I don't know!" she snapped. "Look, we know that your world has nearly depleted your available minerals, that metals have become increasingly scarce especially after who-knows-how-many years of war. Daniel and I work for a man named Han Kazo, who is one of the few people in the galaxy permitted by the ruling body of System Lords to establish trade relations with the worlds ruled by various rival factions. I can't guarantee anything, but we can at least try to arrange a meeting between your people and the Hans. Compared to most of the worlds out there, your machines and medicines are quite advanced, and would make valuable trade commodities."

Calius leaned back in his chair. "You would have us to engage in barter for what we need? Why, when we can just take what we want?"

Her hands fisted. "Because you stand a chance of angering people who actually have the right to the ores you are stealing. Because Daniel and I won't tell you how to use the Stargate so you'll be lucky to hit on the right combination of symbols to get you to another planet. Even if you do find your way to another world, a different set of symbols is required to get you back... and good luck figuring out the exact combination for that on your own, too."

"And?" he prompted.

"Everyone needs a friend. Even at some of the lowest, most dreadful times in my life, I've always had one or two people on whom I could rely. Since Daniel came into my life, I've had someone whom I respect and care for at my side nearly all the time. He's made me realize that no matter how brave and self-sufficient I think I am, it's always better to split the workload and share the profit than to be greedy and selfish and all alone."

Calius seemed to think on this for a long moment, gazing contemplatively at the pair. Unable to keep eye-contact, Vala resumed her ministrations, stroking the fine strands of dark blond hair and taking in the open, guileless expression of the unconscious man before her. Never before had he looked so vulnerable, so completely helpless. In the last six weeks, he had proven his value time and time again, his innate brilliance solving some ancient mystery, his unwavering courage saving them both in the face of crisis.

It was time she returned the favor. "Look, I'll stay here and provide you with whatever information you require if you'll just allow me to send him through the Stargate to people who can care for him."

"You are afraid for him? His condition frightens you?"

"Yes. Daniel is normally a very strong man, both in mind and body."

"You would sacrifice yourself for him?"

"To save him? Yes."

"You love him."

It wasn't a question. "Yes."

The strategos leaned forward in his chair once more. "People do the most terrible things in the name of hate, yet they also do the most amazing things for love. I do not understand what Tarchios Marson meant when he said you were alien to us. Your people and mine are not so very different at all."

Vala felt her heart flutter. "You'll let him go?"

"I'll let you go," he corrected, then amended, "both of you. Our own race has cursed our planet, and I'll have no part in dooming two people innocent of our crimes. If you can speak with your master and convince him of our need, you would have the thanks of a grateful state, a thankful planet. Do not feel obligated, however, as you owe us nothing. Nothing. We have imprisoned and threatened you and may have even inadvertently caused or worsened the condition of your friend. For that, you have my most humble apologies."

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Vala stammered out a thanks, placing her hands in her lap and lacing her fingers. "What will happen to Syntagos Balin?"

"She will be reprimanded for insubordination against Tarchios Marson." Calius' voice changed, suddenly bordering on amusement. "She did not, as I understand it, help you in anyway." At Vala's look of surprise, he gave a conspiratorial wink. "I know the ways of one of my best students, Miss Vala. She knows the game as well as any and will maintain that she did not disobey her orders or oath in any way, that mere chance had the base guards seeing to a minor crisis on the other side of the complex last night and that bad fortune put Phelagos Nivene in your path."

"And since she didn't tell us where to find our belongings, we were simply lucky to find those as quickly as we did," Vala agreed. "Strategos, you are not at all what I expected for..." She stalled, trying to come up with the appropriate word.

"For a man in my position of power?" he suggested. "Quite so. My many critics say I am too soft to be the Polimarkos, that the leader of the armies of Lacana should be a firmer man. The Speaker of the Senate and I disagree with such assertions. Perhaps, in answer to these complaints, I should bend a little more. I think your Daniel understands this."

"My Daniel," she smiled, liking the way that sounded coming from her lips. "Thank you, Strategos. Da... my Daniel thanks you as well."

The older man returned the expression, motioning for his two guards to step up to either side of the stretcher. He opened and held the door leading out of the shelter so that the soldiers could maneuver the litter back outside and into the early morning air. Interested eyes followed their trek across the clearing to the cave entrance, the fallen boulders having been cleared away from the hole in the cliff-face.

As they stepped into the cool darkness of the cavern, Vala self-consciously cleared her throat. "You know, Daniel and I were blowing smoke about the way the Stargate worked."

"I know," Calius answered. "I have seen the recordings taken of your questioning and discovered a fatal flaw in your, ah... 'ley line' theory. The rotation of our planet on its axis and its revolution around our sun are both very strong arguments against the supposed inflexibility of these lines."

She nodded sheepishly. "You can move your Stargate and its accompanying pedestal to a more secure location," she admitted.

"Which we will begin to do when you two have safely passed through it," he assured her.

Vala stepped up to the pedestal and briefly searched her mind for the coordinates of an uninhabited and relatively mineral-poor planet she'd once stumbled across in her misspent youth, unwilling to trust the locals to not attempt to follow them. When the Stargate activated, shedding its blue radiance upon the walls of the cavern and the awestruck on-lookers, she knelt beside Daniel and gently tapped his cheek.

A bleary eye the color of the event horizon peeked at her. "Let's go," she offered with a smile, carefully pulling him to his feet and draping his arm across her shoulders to help him stagger the dozen steps to the Stargate. She turned back just before the shimmering pool, waved farewell, then stepped into the waiting wormhole.


Author's Notes:
YAY!!! We're finally off this planet!