Beyond the Gate

by Xeir Zith

The last thing Tanith remembered was Cameron cracking a very bad joke and Daniel cracking up in laughter. The next thing she knows is that she has a splitting headache and is in the dark, literally. As she unravels where she is, she finds out things she would rather not know. The SGC and Atlantis learn more of who the Furlings really are, and where they were hiding all that time

20. Tanith 6

Beyond the Gate

Chapter 20 In the SGC

Earth Sol System

SGC at exactly 0800

Six Days Later

Sometimes I hated doing briefings at the SGC, it was so restrictive and crowded on many levels. And here I was walking through Atlantis speaking to Woolsey directly for a few minutes while the gate was dialed to Earth. What I was told at Atlantis had given me a good shock.

There was a lot more Furlings than we first thought, not just on Ascretta! And apparently one of them wanted to talk to me directly one on one and she was waiting at the SGC ? So as I walked down the ramp I spotted General Landry at the foot of the ramp. "General, I wasnt expecting this kind of welcoming committee" I said seeing six air force sentries, they all had their weapons aimed at me. Of course there was the issue of how I was dressed, in this case, almost like an alien cat woman dressed in oriental styled clothing.

"The IOA was taking every precaution, stand down men" Hank replied and ordered the men, they stood down but remained on alert. Foothold situation or not, we were getting somewhere with the disappearances across the world. We started from the gateroom. "So, according to Mr Woolsey at Atlantis you guys have the six year old, he's safe, and sound ?"

I nodded in reply "Yes that's right, my husband, Tharon and Captain Zane rescued him while they were hunting. About a week or so ago" I walked along side Hank, Ori staff in hand. To Hank I must have been a Tok'ra. But I didnt really much like the snakeheads, regardless of their alignment.

"The good news is, the IOA had something to tell the boys mother, and also they're willing to allow the boy to be reunited with his mother. At least, until his mother disappeared from her home" Hank told me, clarifying what we heard from Ben and a few others back on Atlantis a week ago. I smiled as Hank spoke, "Either way, once you find the boys mother on Ascretta, you can reunite the family properly there."

"That's the plan sir, but why have me come back here ?" I asked as we stepped into the controlroom for the stargate. I looked to him as we stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to the briefing room upstairs. "We were searching for the others we found in the Pollicle Zone when you called me back here through Atlantis. Something about the IOA wanting to talk to me, along with a Furling ?"

Hank smiled at me, "Col Mitchell found something you should see, Dr Jackson too. They want your opnion, and also someone wants to meet you." Hank told me. He was cryptic in how he spoke, but I was somehow happy to be on Earth, though sadly without Tharon only made it feel weird.

I looked at the stairs, someone wanted to meet me, and Cam, and Daniel, had stuff they wanted me to see ? Before moving however I looked to Hank, "Sir, one thing. Will I get to see my father ?"

"That's something the IOA worked out, your dad's been informed through Dominic Toretto, the good news is, the last we heard, your dads health is doing fine. Dont worry I can arrange a flight for you if you'd like." Hank said

"Nah, a train would be safer." I replied, an overnight train ride to Long Beach was all I needed. Hank smiled and nodded, somehow the idea of a cat in an airplane, even military, was a weird thought indeed.

"Train it is, anyway, come on, our guest is waiting." Hank went to the steps, I followed him a step behind and as we reached the briefing room, I spotted Cam, talking with Daniel, and there was a woman in a smokey dark red and light red dress seated at the table. That in and of itself would have been expected, however, the woman at the table was infact a Furling, because I could see her very feline ears of a graywhite fur. Her skin was of also the same graywhite. As if she went out into the sunlight she'd get a sunburn.

"Col Mitchell at ease, Dr Jackson. Col Raines is here, why dont you two fill her in on everything. So she can do similar for you guys." Hank said, informing the two that I had returned. Cam stood at attention, Hank waved him to be at ease, and Daniel smiled seeing me. As if the man was relieved to see me. In a way I was relieved to see him and Cam were alright.

Cam however said "If I were a betting man somehow I would have won a hundred bucks if I had bet "Tanith shows up wearing a dark dress"" Came said to me. I smiled at him, He smirked back.

"Its not easy though, the first few weeks, fleas, no conditioner, at least until Atlantis supplied it." I said before turning to our other guest besides me. "I wasnt aware another Furling was found ?"

Cam smiled and pointed at me "Now that's where things get complicated, but lets start with the simple stuff, First off, Tanith, meet Councilor Dila, of the Furling city, Flamelight Spire. One of the dozen stargate addresses we had found and could not connect to. Dila, this is Tanith. The friend of mine who disappeared in the lightning bolt that I mentioned. Former commanding officer of the Iota Site." Cam said introducing me to the guest, a councilor ?

"So there are more Furlings in the Galaxy ?" I asked seeing her, she stood from the table, and like me she was two meters tall, with short, yet thick fur covering the exposed skin in a soft gray white, her tail was long and slender similar to my own and was an equal graywhite in color as the rest of her body.

"That there are, we were not aware that our kindred had traveled to Earth and then used some sort of technology to hide among humans entirely." Dila said to me.

"All these years we've been trying to find you guys in our fight against the System Lords, and somehow, you've been under our noses the entire time, or so hidden away that the System Lords simply gave up looking for you" Daniel said in thought

Dila had explained to him of the Furlings being attacked and defeat by their enemy, soldiers created by the system lord Sokar, The Pollicles. A race of doglike creatures designed to mimic the Furlings. In short, from what I could understand, if you wanted Evil Furlings, look no further than the Pollicles, the dumb mutts did have some technology from Sokar however but it was useless compared to the stuff we had in our armories now.

Dila also explained how each planet was orbited by a city, or shipyard able to make large smaller cities and even large space craft. The planets were used as locations of a Coming of Age Hunt, and also farmlands. And the shipyard cities could also land safely on the planet surface. Ascretta was one such planet, three shipyard cities in low orbit, with the planet below as a place of food and Coming of Age hunts. At least until the Pollicles attacked Ascretta

"Isnt that dangerous ?" Daniel asked then. "Landing a city on land I mean, we always thought Atlantis could only land on water"

"Depending entirely on the capablities of the pilot, it is indeed possible to land a shipyard city on land." Dila replied, her voice was melodic and soft, similar to my own as a normal inside voice "However we have only seven accounts of landing a Shipyard City upon the surface of a world it orbited, as it were, the seveneth of which was at Ascretta, when we lost contact with our kindred there." Dila explained then. To the Furlings, Ascretta was The Homeworld, where we were all from, and then we branched out and went to colony ships in a small area of the Milky Way. From what I could understand at least.

"We found a book with a few poems in it, and then from there we also found a cache of stargate addresses, one of them we knew we'd never be able to connect with" Daniel told me. He explained the stargate symbols, strange lines, not start constellations.

I nodded. "I know of what you speak of, on Ascretta there is such a gate, but it doesnt have any source of power, and its set up to look more like a shrine. Rodney said it was possible, and more then likely that the Ancients had created the two gates as an experiment, and once sure that it worked, they creatd the Milky Way stargate network" I said in reply I then turned to Cam, confusion in my tone and expresison. "Why couldnt you connect to any of the addresses execept for Ascretta ?" I asked him

"Because our stargate was disabled, we had disconnected its systems, and showed it as a musemum piece of a piece of technology from the past long lost. It was not until the arrival of the Fifth Race and their ship, the Odyssey, that we realised we had more allies." Dila explained as she spoke up, she retook her seat and was in thought.

"Let me get this right" I said, "You have a dozen stargate addresses, and only Ascretta connected, so that means there are eleven other Furling worlds out there ?" I asked.

Dila nodded. "That is correct" She said to me. I sat down in shock, this was too much to take in.

"Cam called you a councilor ? We still have barely any sort of governing body, right now its more an outpost than anything with typical rules." I said, I was not exactly in the mood to have a sudden imposing of a government on me if I could help it. But given how Dila was dressed at the moment made me wonder if the Council she spoke of really gave two shits about a colony like Ascretta

Than again, Ascretta was our Homeworld. Which made me smile because it now meant that we who lived on Ascretta could infact dictate exactly what happened in the other eleven worlds! If we wanted to.

Dila nodded. "We have a council, called the Sitting Council, and our elected head then signs off on matters. The seated councilors like myself hold the most power however. And once I brought it to the floor in the council, everyone voted for me to pay this world a visit through the Relic" Dila explained how the council worked, seated councilors were considered a High Councilor while a standing councilor was considered a Low Councilor, standing councilors did not get most votes for certain issues, but did ge to have their voices heard on all topics brought up.

The general rule however was that each planet had its own council, and the heads of those councils would get together once a year to debate and chat and also see how things are going in the overall Furling controlled space of the Milky Way. At least, that was how it worked for the last five thousand years.

"Ever since Ascretta fell out of contact we've been working in a sort of, limping along kind of movement, no new technologies, no new ships, just with what we had, traditions. Coming of Age Hunts, things like that" Dila explained, we did not expand into new zones, and kept to ourselves

"So by the Tauri making contact with you... us..." I said in thought. Apparently some sort of technology was given to the Furlings around thirty years before the Romans conquored Egypt, about three thousand years or so ago. It split the Furlings from being a humanoid cat, into being both human, and a housecat. Two bodies, one soul. So to speak.

So in that case, the cat within myself convinced I grew up in a town called Windsor outside London near a junkyard meant that I was that one soul in two different bodies. So now getting recalled to Ascretta combined our bodies into their original form.

It sort of made sense. "So I was right, the tablet in Tell Basta" Daniel said bringing our attention to the nearby screen, it showed the hologram in action, and then with it was also what happened on the show in Miami. "This hologram acts as the doorway, the wormhole between Earth, her Sites, Atlantis and their Sites back to Ascretta"

"Yes" Dila replied, she stood from the table and regarded the tablet on the screen carefully. "If I could witness this hologram in action personally rather than on screen, I could give a clearer idea of who the hologram is of." She said thoughtfully

"I always thought it looked similar to Tanith." Cam said, I looked at him sidelong in confusion. What the hell did he mean ? I stood from the table to get closer to the screen to take a look.

"What ?" I asked him as I tried to see the hologram of the Furling woman fighting something.

We all sat down as Hank came back. "So what happened the last month ?" Hank asked me.

I looked up as Daniel looked at me. "What, sorry what ? A Month ? Its been a month since I disappeared from Iota ?" I asked in confusion. Dila was there simply as a diplomat looking to strengthen relations between the Furlings and the Humans, it was possible that we could indeed return to earth, make it that the feline people were indeed a real thing and not just costume roleplayers.

Hank pointed at the video on replay, then the stage show. "Two months ago, this device activated, and a freak storm took these actors, twenty five people, plus two members of their audience and a member of their stage crew in a lightning bolt that brought the light beam down onto the stage itself." Hank explained, I stared as I watched the events on the screen. So that was how Munkus and the troupe arrived on Ascretta

I was given a run down of the events, in the days that followed of the month long time between the initial Miami cast disappearing, up to me disappearing, the disappearances were always random, or so it seemed, random people from on the street or similar. In this case, by the time I disappeared, Captain Zane had also disappeared, along with Zack White, who was in front of Zanes car in Michgian when the two men vanished from the earth in the storm.

I shook my head. Blinking rapidly I said "Let me get this right. It has been a month since I disappeared from Iota ?" I repeated to Hank. I still couldnt believe it had been a month since I disappeared, it felt like two weeks, at the most three, maybe three and a half. I lost track of time truth be told.

"Yes" I was told, "Fortunately we got the UAV within fourtyeight hours of sending it, and we also got your letter to keep your personal codes valid at all times. You had made it clear in the reasons you needed access." Hank said to me. He then looked at me and asked, "can you give an accounting of what you can remember ?" Standard procesdure, mission reports and such. I then remembered.

I told them everything I could remember, including having Claire drop in and finding the third stargate. And also finding and meeting the troupe after finding and getting found actually, by Zane and then subsequently patching up Sgt White.

That part of finding the missing Miami cast was the most important thing. Because by that point Daniel had motioned to Dila to pass him a book. He then passed it to me as Hank explained "This book was at Egypt, in the Tell Basta ruins, along with this device." Hank went on to explain that Daniel was only able to translat a small part of the book, but thanks to Dila and her chosen guard Saca, who I would later meet when she woke up. Daniel was able to understand more of it as Dila had translated all of it into Ancient. But I could read the furling perfectly.

I also found the page of the book that had the picture of me in it. Or at least my anscestor. "Is that me ?" I stared at it.

"I believe so" Daniel replied calmly from where he sat. "I think it might be you, is you, a past version more then likely, or just someone who has your looks way back when." He explained. He then showed me two more images. "Do you recognise either of these ? Dila said she was unable to."

Cam told me later after the meeting that he had told Daniel of who he found, and also introduced him to Dila and Saca, while Daniel did an equal one up by showing off the statue in egypt and also the books discovered as well as artwork. Nearly perfect images.

I looked at one of them, it looked familiar. I tapped it. "That's Tunia, I recognise her hair style anywhere. This one though, I dont think I've seen it before ?" The second image was of the statue, Daniel had a few pictures taken of it at various angles, and the angle I was presented with was the best one. I couldnt say, however, who it reminded me of, if anyone. I shook my head. "I got nothing" I said at long last.

"That's what I said" Cam spoke up, it made me smile.

"General have you thought on my request ?" I asked then, I had supplied all the information I could, and just saw the time, if I timed it right and left at that moment, I could be in Long Beach by dinner just by taking the train.

"I did, sadly the IOA requested to speak to you as well. I informed the president of the events going on. He said that you have the freedom to do as you like, how you like, however he did ask that you speak to the IOA suits first. You might be repeating yourself or wanting to kill a few of them. But that's all up to you, I wont stop you." Hank said, it made Cam start laughing, I felt like strangling a IOA agent right then and there!

In truth I really just wanted to be in bed with Tharon at that moment, being with Rodney for a few days was fun, he was nice, I liked him, when he didnt snap his fingers so much. But what I did like was the petting, somehow Rodney's love of cats, and how to properly care and raise a cat made him a good petter and he knew just where to pet me between my ears to get me to begin purring.

I might have made Tharon jealous of all my purring as Tharon and Rodney were working on a means of getting us our own shield code for the Atlantis gate when we wanted to visit from Ascretta. Somehow I found myself missing Rodney.

"About that offer of killing them," I started, Hank had a smug look onhis face as he struggled not to laugh. "Can I hug their throats if they anger me or should I refrain from doing so ?" I said, a joke in my voice, Hank knew what I meant, he also didnt like dealing with the IOA.

He smiled, "Col Raines, as of today you are back on the Marines, you have full military backing to do as you like, but try to keep them alive. It kinda looks bad and the IOA will more then likely try to hunt you for killing one of their own." He said to me. But he had a fatherly tone to his voice as he still smiled.

"What if I kill in self defense ?" I asked. Hank didnt have an answer for that but he knew I found a good loophole, which caused him to shrug. Truth be told I didnt much like the IOA, and I was sure the IOA would not be happy with me, or even how I was now dressed now. Hell if I tried to fit in a set of US Marines dress blues with this bustline, I'd not fit even in the camo jacket! "When do they arrive ?"

"Later this afternoon, you have time to get aquainted with Dila and her guard. I am told her guard is sleeping ?" Hank said looking to Dila, who simply nodded

"You know your way around the SGC, but if I were you, I'd hang on to your staff, the armory guys might take it." Cam spoke up, it made Hank smile too I chuckled

"Thanks, Cam, General, let me know when the IOA arrives, I have stuff I want to think over." I said to Hank, Dila watched me leave. I felt that she and I were going to have a heart to heart chat soon. And I was right.

Not ten minutes after I settled in a penthouse, of a sort, suit apartment on the base was there a knock at my door as I had settled upon a low couch. "It is open" I called out. Dila stepped inside. "I had a feeling you'd come to see me. Dila was it ? Please come in and close the door behind you." I said

Dila smiled as I recognised her, she closed the door as she entered the small apartment. "I do hope you were not waiting too long ?" She said to me. I shook my head. "This, IOA that the human spoke of, who are they ? What am I to expect ?" She asked me.

I stared at her, Dispite the brief I was given at Atlantis, Dila was quite literally on Earth moments before I was. So she had no idea who the IOA were. "Let me guess. You got roped into talking to them too ? Or was it more of a demand over a request ?" I said to her. She looked nervous as she came closer. I could tell she was built similar to myself. A very beautiful catwoman

"The human general was kind in how he worded it, but I could tell he didnt want to be the part of messenger. So call it a demand." Dila said as she took a seat across from me and sat cross legged. "This IOA, what exactly are they ?"

"They basically make the rules here" I explained in short what I could remember, the IOA made the rules even at Iota where I lived for a year or so before arriving, or returning, or something, on Ascretta in that tomb. "I guess you could say that since waking up in that tomb on Ascretta really told me the IOA were just a bunch of people trying to lord over me when they really werent supposed to" I said to Dila.

Truth be told I would gladly take a council telling me the rules and code of conduct over anything the IOA would throw at me. So I knew that if the IOA tried to impose a dress code on us, it wouldnt work because there wouldnt be anything on Earth outside of some of my favorite clothing styles I wore when modeling in Long Beach that would fit me, or Dila, or maybe Saca. And dont even get me started on Zane or Sgt White...

"So what should I do ?" Dila asked, I could tell she was nervous. The Furlings, her people, my people,... our people had, like the Asgard, recognised humans, what I formally was, as the Fifth Race, but the IOA wouldnt treat Dila as a dignitary, no. they'd treat her like prey, a target to devour and spit out when finished. But Dila saw me smile. "Does something amuse you ?"

I smiled as I spoke, listening off what I knew to even upset Richard Woolsey "Just follow my example, the best way to handle the IOA is to have a firm grip on reality, they will try to get under your skin and twist your words to suit their own ends, watch their breathing patterns, observe them carefully for personality changes, brainwave patterns. Espeically their attitudes too. And know this" I leaned towards her, a hand pointing up a finger as I spoke. "There is only one, IOA agent I actually like to work with, his name is Richard Woolsey, and he currently oversees the command of the Atlantis Expidition in Pegasus. I trust him more than any other IOA agent." I smiled wickedly again a joke in my tone "So that said just follow my example, do what I do. We're cats, they're humans, they're our staff so to speak from what I can remember. Humans here love their cats."

A good two hours later and a Airman came to my door, Dila had since left for a catnap in a provided apartment with Saca keeping watch. "Ma'am, the IOA is here to see you and the vistor." The soldier said, he looked upset, like he just got chewed out by the IOA agent when they sent him to get me.

I smiled gently at him. Reaching a hand out ot him, I took him by the shoulder. Looking into his eyes as I spoke, gentle and kind in my words "Relax soldier, dont let those asses get you down, you're better then them because you're a respectful person, they expect you to bend over backwards by doing exactly as they say, but I am expecting you to do as I say, ignore their pompus attitude, they're only humans trying to be an HOA. And failing miserably." I made the soldier smile, he needed my advice. "Where are they at ? And how many am I to expect ?" I lifted my hand from his shoulder.

"There are three of them, and they're in the briefing room waiting for you, and for our other guest from the Furling world." The airman replied jerking his thumb the way he had come. I saw his name tag, Matthews.

I smiled gently again, "thank you, Airman, I will go on my own as I am. Should things get physical, General Landry said I can do it in self defense if I am cornered, and I will more then likely will be. So that said, can you go down to the infirmary and inform them to expect some guests in various states of injury,after you do that I want you to get yourself something to eat and relax, for all I care, you can take that lunch break entiurely off duty if you want, alright ?" I smiled at him, a gentle smile, "You earned it."

"Yes ma'am, thank you Ma;am" the airman said with a quick salute, he then headed off. I smiled as he left. Oh I was going to play with these three agents for sure when this was over. I picked up my Ori staff and made sure my recently aquired pistol was within easy reach, along with a few easy to grab knives, I wasnt planning on shooting someone. No, knifework would be better off. More fun actually.

I left my room and went down the hallway a few dozen meters to where Saca stood guard. I knocked on Dila's door, at the words from within that it was open I stepped inside, "Its time, they're waiting" I told her, she smiled as Saca stepped into view. I looked at the new arrival, a gorgeous tiger patterned of a sort catwoman wore a similar dress to Dila, only in a darker brown and gray.

"Tanith, this is Saca, I chose her as my bodyguard on this visit mostly because, even though Humans are the Fifth Race as recognised by the Asgard, and our people, I still dont trust them just yet." Dila said, introducing me to Saca. I had t oagree, trusting the IOA rightright never worked in the long term. Ever.

I smiled and the two of us hugged in greeting instead of shaking hands "Alright, you told her what I told you ? Follow my example, They will speak to me first, and then try to interrogate you, Just simply follow my example and let me do the talking where possible unless they ask about your world directly. Be precise and to the point, dont let them poke holes in your words. And trust me." I smiled as Dila and Saca both nodded, "This isnt my first playground with them. I've fought Pollicles, many pollicles. These humans are nothing compared to them, but watch and learn" Dila sighed in relief and nodded to me. She trusted me with her life.

Truthfully the three of us were sure to turn heads. I called to a nearby airman, "Soldier, get this lady an Ori staff and a belt of throwing knives, she'll need them before we see the IOA for our meeting." I said, the soldier nodded and lead us to a nearby armory, I let Saca pick her weapon and I also tossed a Ori staff to Dila "You might need this." I cast a look to the airman, who simply didnt bother to check out the weaponry we were taking for the keeps.

Within a few minutes we were in the control room when I stopped, Walter was at the gate controls. He saw me and smiled with a brief nod as I said in his direction. "Chief." we shook hands. Walter was a great guy. Loved his job as the Gateman.

"They're upstairs waiting for you, and by look of them, they're not happy either." He said to us, he nodded in greeting to Dila and Saca. Before we left however he motioned me closer, in a low voice he told me "I dont think they're IOA, they're not acting like it, but General Landry said to let this play out, good luck up there"

I nodded in reply "I saw what they did to Airman Matthews, poor guy was about to fall apart, so I had him go to tell the Infirmary to expect some guests, then for himself to go off duty and get something to eat and to enjoy himself." I said to Walter, who smirked. The IOA were a tough bunch, but they were also weaklings, which was why they brought three of them this time more then likely.

I turned towards Dila, "I'll go up first, Saca can come next if you want her to, its up to you. Either way, just follow my example. And stay calm, they're going to try and get under your skin. But then, they never could figure me out even when I was a human." I smirked as Saca grinned impishly, her sharp teeth glittering.

It was time to see the HOA... so to speak. In truth I felt it was also time to prove a point.

I stepped into the briefing room and counted two men and a woman, all wearing suits, but something told me by their nature they werent just IOA agents, but they were also trained for combat, and for some reason, I felt that Dila, and myself, were their targets. Dila came up behind me as Saca followed her. Saca had a Ori staff slung over her shoulder like a bandolier as Dila had a vambrace of throwing knives. I myself had all my gear, including my Asgard shield. I found myself upset. I had only brought one for myself.

I stopped at the table and looked at the three. Each one, each agent I could tell was slightly nervous. I saw an airman standing by the door next to Hanks office, the doors were both closed, I saw Hank inside, he spotted me and waved. I nodded to the airman, he stood then infront of the closed the door from the briefing room to the hallway, while another airman stood near the stairs. I looked at the three seated at the table.

I could see they were nervous. So I said as a way to break the ice. "Before we get started, does anyone want to return to the surface ?" They looked at me, if looks could kill I'd be a smoldering hole in the cement floor right there. "I take it as a no." I said as I sat on the briefing room table. My Ori staff next to me. Dila sat in a chair seemingly behind me as Saca remainded standing.

With introductions out of the way I decided to break the ice further. "Why is the IOA so intrerested in the Furlings ?" I asked out of the blue, the agents looked at me still silent. I looked at them in turn. I stood from the table and went to the window looking down no the stargate. "You know in the long run this would go so much easier for you to speak." I said simply.

There were some files on the table, one of the Agents was reading one of them. "Lt Col Tanthial Raines, United States Marines. Commander of the Iota Site through the SGC. Reported missing by Col Cameron Mitchell United States Air Force one month ago." Said one of the agents. Dila kept an eye on them and an eye on me.

"Yeah" I nodded. "That's me" I said smugly as I looked their way. "Why ? Wanna read my criminal record too ? Good luck finding it." I said, bunch of idiots the lot of them. I went back to looking over the stargate through the blast proof window. "Lets cut to the chase assholes, what do you really want ?" I said turning from the window to look at them.

"A month ago you were reported missing from Iota site, and now you are reported to be alive on another planet. What we want a full accounting of your actions during that time." Said one of the three agents, the female one. I looked at them. As did Saca, I could see that Saca was watching them intently, as a Furling now I could tell the slightest change in mood. This agents were well trained, but sooner or later they were going to crack.

"That all depends entirely on the reasoning of why you want to know" I replied simply. I turned and leaned against the window. "So why do you want to know ? Answer me that, and maybe I will give you an accounting. Maybe"

"We were informed of your access codes being validated, when at time of your disappearence it was prudent to invalidate and lock out your codes, instead you still have access, why ?" One of the male agents asked, they easily evaded my question. I growled at them.

I gave them a very dirty look as Dila crossed her arms over her ample chest. I was not happy and Dila knew it. They evaded my question so easily. Insisting that I tell them what they wanted to know without telling me why they wanted to know what I knew. "Answer the question, asshole. Why. do. You. Want. to. Know." I said through clinched teeth. "If I have to repeat myself a third time, it will be to a corpse. After which the three of us will leave through that stargate and you will have to come to us to talk." I hissed at them. I smiled wickly, my teeth showing, "However if its the three of you to come visit, that would be a miracle. What I shoot at, always dies."

A slight mood drop was felt as Saca removed a knife from the bandoiler from the SGC armory and inspected it. I spotted in my enhanced vision a bead of sweat appearing on the female agents face. "In the interest of security" Said the female at last. Sounded like a lame reason. And it was.

"National security ? International security ? Or just trying to cover your asses should things go sideways ?" I said in reply, I looked at the three as I crossed my arms over my own chest. I then pointed at Saca. "She wants to do some target practise is my guess. If you keep us much longer, you become the target dummies, so out with it" I said as I moved from the window wall and set my hands on the table. "What do you want ?"

"We told you, an accounting of your actions since your disappearance, why your access codes have not been invalidated for example is one of the reasons we wish for a full accounting." Said the slightly smaller of the male agents

"You did not tell me why" I replied simply as I stood from the briefing room window and moved to the table, I picked up my Ori staff. "And I am of the type that you simply want to keep me longer than required, so if you dont mind explaining exactly why you want a dignitary and her bodyguard to grill as you please... Maybe I will play with you instead of her, hmmm"

Me expression alone told them many things, for one I wasnt kidding around. I meant what I said, When they didnt answer I walked around the table to the coffee pot near Hanks office door and took it, pouring myself a cup of coffee as I spoke. "Let me put it this way. Tell me what we want to know, and you walk out of here unharmed, grill any of us... and I will not hesitate to react in self defense."

I sipped my coffee after addeing three creams and two sugars. "Are we clear ?" I said turning back to regard the three.

"Col Raines, when you disappeared the SGC and Alpha site both sent out Uavs to search for you through every possible stargate address we had visited in the past. We found records of your access codes and that of Captain Artigas being used to access armories that had been set up to fight the Ori soldiers. Why were those armories accessed ?" Asked one of the two men.

"Injuries to party members" I replied truthfully, even Dila was confused, what happened exactly ? "When I awoke on Ascretta I was in a tomb, darkness all around, it was where I found my clothing, my weapons. It was not until I was wandering the planet when I found something that caught my eye. Ascretta was the site of a Ori soldier ambush." I said, I kept out a lot of what I had told Hank and Cam earlier that day.

"The Ori never bothered us, never worried about us." Dila said simply as the Agents looked at her for clarification.

"Who are you ?" They asked her

She looked at me, I nodded, she could tell her name. "I am Dila, the Furling playing with the knife is my bodyguard. And if I am right, you dont want this to be a simple meet and greet." Her feline eyes stared at the three agents. She set her elbows on the table, almost sensual in her actions as her ears flattened to her skull. "Do you ?"

Saca growled, I spotted a bead of sweat, they were playing us! I spotted and also heard Hank on his phone calling the president out of the corner of my eye, telling him to call off the IOA's agents. I was going to have fun up top. And Dila would be safely home. The IOA had a backup plan to try and catnap Dila and myself, but they did not take into account Saca being there.

Fast as lighting one of the male agents fired a dart, it truck Dila in the side of the neck, the Furling woman gave off a sudden chirp of confusion and then sank in her seat before falling to the floor in a limp heap as another dart bounced harmlessly off my asgard shield, I growled upset and struck with my staff, catching the agent in the chin and lifting him out of his chair to the floor. The other I snapped around and caught with my staff in the shin, the man dropped to a knee, reaching for a gun as the woman brought up a tazer and fired it, it wrapped on my hand, but I didnt feel anything as the twenty thousand volts rushed into my arm, all thanks to the shield.

Saca growled as she dragged Dila to the nearby Airman and out of harms way and a half dozen soldiers stepped in ready to fight. Hank had them wait, this was my fight, self defense. So instead of fighting ther half doezen men instead made a barrier between me and the three agents and ensured Saca and Dila were safe.

I rolled my eyes at the female agent. "You really are stupid." I said simply as I gripped the wires of the tazer and span about, pulling the woman closer until I headbutted her dead on, she sank to the floor as the agent on his knees grabbed something, a handcuff like thing anchored to my leg. Causing my leg to suddenly suction like a magnet against the table

I kicked the man in the stomach with my free leg and flipped him over a chair when he bent over with a wooof of lost air as he struggled to breathe through his traumatised solar plexus. Using a sword from my back I tried to cut the handcuff off my leg, briefly tussling with another agent before kicking him away with my free leg. I then managed to cut the handcuff off my leg. "That was a very bad idea, fucker." I told him as he got to his feet. Venom in my voice and expression.

I tossed my Ori staff to Saca. "Hold this form me" I said to her before taking up a boxing stance as the last male agent got to his feet. The woman and the other man were down and rolling on the floor in pain from being hit too hard. The woman holding her head, seeing stars.

The remaining agent and I traded blows rapidly. Almost too fast to follow as we fought.

After a good minute the man backed off, he drew something from his belt, a pair of energy daggers. Rebar lined with electrodes. I growled and rolled my eyes, typical. "Just so you know, Col, its nothing personal!" As he said the word personal he struck, we traded blows once again, and then he smashed into my stomach with one of the electrode rods. I jerked slightly as the asgard shield worked to fight it off. I could still feel the pain.

I broke his pressure and we danced a bit more, I knocked out the woman again before she could go for another tazer with my knee, I let out a brief hiss of pain at the connection. The other male agent had gotten to his feet, but Saca tripped him up and he sprawled on the floor, bleeding from the nose as she nailed him with a solid right hook.

Finally I grabbed the last agent by his hand and broke his wrist before flipping him over and breaking his arm in three places. Forcing him to drop the electrode rods. I leaned onto his back as I pressed him onto the table. He struggled and screamed. "I told you" I said directly into his ear, my face centimeters from his own. He screamed at me to let him go. "That was a very bad idea. Either way you get to walk out of here, but I would see the infirmary first to get patched up. And know this, if the IOA want me, they can come to Ascretta to get me." I growled into his ear.

I let him go, the man tumbled to the floor in a heap, holding his busted arm in one hand. I crouched down, balanced perfectly on the balls of my feet as I regarded the man on the floor. "Because otherwise, you may have just started a war that you really dont want. And it was a very bad idea to try to captanap a Furling dignitary." I told him, the man moaned as he laid on the floor, I stood back up and spotted Hank, he was eating, of all things, popcorn and he was sharing it with Daniel and Cam. "Oh hello, Cam, Daniel, General, didnt see you there." I said as Daniel went to Sacas side to tend to Dila

Dila was out cold. "Is she gonna be alright ?" I asked to Daniel.

He nodded. "Yeah, far as I can tell, she's fine, just completely out cold, looks like even human knock out darts work just as good as a zat. How come you're not knocked out ?" Daniel asked me when he looked my way. I smirked.

I pointed at my necklace. "I guess you could thank Thor for that." I said tapping the gemstone, a shimer appeared as I dropped the shield. I then doubled over and threw up in nearby trashcan from being punched so hard in the gut by the IOA agent. I saw Hank ordering the airmen MPs to arrest the three agents. "Something I need to know ?"

"Yeah, the IOA said they never sent any angets to kidnap anyone, the only thing the IOA want is to talk. They said that they would only do do with Mr Woolsey on base, but he's at Atlantis, these three are impostors." Hank said as Saca with Daniels help gently lifted Dila onto the briefing room table. I stumbled over to the moaning woman on the floor and took her ID. Then I swore.

"I should have known" I growled upset as I sat on the floor, I decked the woman again and tossed her ID back onto her body. "Fuckin hell, they're not IOA at all, these assholes, they're the Trust." I pulled myself to my feet using the briefing room table as support, Cam came to my side to help me sit. I thanked him.

"Good thing you had that asgard shield, otherwise both of you, all three of you would havbe been catnapped" Daniel said, he them grimaced as he spoke, "I cant believe I just said that." He said ashamed.

"Dont be so shy, I woulda said it" Cam told him, I laughed. I couldnt help it

"The Trust wanted to start something, get something." I mumbled, but I was not in the mood for it. I looked to Saca, she was clearly worried, but once I explained to her that Dila was going to be alright. She was relieved to hear such news. But I was still pissed off for Dila to have to encounter this, on her first visit to Earth!

"So what happens now ?" I asked then looking to Hank as I relaxed in my chair.

"I just got off the phone with the IOA, they want to talk to you still, but they want Mr Woolsey present at the same time. Until then you're more then welcome to pay a visit to your dad as you planned." Hank told me. "In the meantime I'll get in touch with Atlantis and have Mr Woolsey come here. With him here the IOA will play nice."

"And these three fucks ?" I asked, jerking my thumb at the arrested 'agents' not caring at that point for my use of the French language in front of Hank

"We'll hold them here, no human access, until you get back from seeing your father. When you can play with them" Hank said simply, "until then they'll pay a visit under heavy guard at the infirmary, and then be placed in the cellblock." He smiled and turned turned to Saca. "I'm sorry this happened" He said

"Dont be" Saca said in reply, "Tanith was right to be on her guard, I merely did as was told to me. I followed her example. I am just upset they knocked out Dila, my charge." Saca was upset for sure by her expression and body movements alone. Her ears were drooped and her tail was slowly waging as if agitated.

"If it comforts you any, we can keep you safe here, in truth, we never expected this to happen, but Tanith had the forsight for it and was prepared. And do not worry, this wont be a declearation or war or anything. We're not that kind of Race" Hank told Saca, who smiled

"Thank you" She replied to him with a small nod of relief. She turned towards Dila.

"I'll call the infirmary and have them send a gurny." Cam said going for the intercom.

"In the mean time, if you'd rather have them with you for their safety," Hank said holding three tickets, train tickets, towards me. "I can even inform the train to expect a medical requirement visit."

"Thank you, General." I smiled, and took all three tickets, Dila was safer with me, and Saca knew that, so the three of us were going to see my dad in Long Beach. It was going to be an overnight trip, but at the very least, Saca and Dila were going to be able to see the surface.

I stood up as the gurny arrived, I then also helped Saca lay Dila on it and also got a blanket. We made sure by the time we got to the surface to hide Dilas ears in her hair to make it look like she was a human as we were given hooded coats to cover our own cat ears and also made sure to hide our tails until we were safely aboard the train.

Ten minutes after boarding the train we were finally alone in a large berth and were able to get comfortable, it was a ten hour train ride to Long Beach from the SGC, and we were in for a nice night of peace.

At least, that was what I had hoped for. And thankfully we got it, The movement of the train lulled me to sleep, I looked at the clock as I began to nod off, it was almost eight in the evning, we'd be in Long Beach at six in the morning ?