Section 4: Deals
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For the next arn, everything around D'argo melted away until only he, Chiana, and the healer existed. Clamping down on his emotions, he helped the old Qujagan woman clean and bandage his lover's many wounds. And he wasn't going to think about it. No, because if he thought about it he would take on the planet single handedly until he found those who had done this to her. And then he would rip them apart alive until their screams drained away with their lives.
"I've done all I can," the healer's soft voice said. "Her bandages need to be changed every few arns. It would be better if she sleeps. There is much pain."
D'argo nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Blue blood was already beginning to seep through the first bandages they had tied. If not for her shallow breathing, Chiana almost looked like she was merely sleeping.
"Is it safe to move her?" he asked. The healer shrugged.
"There is much pain," she repeated. "It would hurt, but she needs care more." The healer's hand ghosted along the side of Chiana's face, careful not to disturb her wounds. "May Ekan look gladly upon you, child," she whispered. With a sad smile for D'argo, she stood and left.
"I talked to Pilot," said Rygel. "Norianti will be ready when we get back to Moya."
"Good." D'argo looked up at the humans that had found Chiana. "We should take them with us," he said.
"Right, just what we need. Four more humans to get us into trouble."
Before D'argo could reply, the human that had carried Chiana spoke again. "Will she be okay?" he asked.
The Luxan looked back at the still Nebari before answering. "She should be eventually. We need to get her back to our ship though," he turned back to he humans. "You should probably come with us."
"Do you mind if we have a little chit-chat before you start making the honeymoon plans?" the gray-haired man sitting by the door asked. D'argo nodded briefly, missing neither the cold glare nor the sarcasm. They had the time to spare, and he had questions of his own - like how the hell four humans with guns got to this end of Tormented Space. Not to mention the fact that they appeared to find all of this normal. They were very different from the majority of the humans D'argo had met on Earth.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced yet," said the man who had carried Chiana. "My name is Daniel Jackson from the planet Earth. This is Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c." They all stood as he indicated each in turn. Both his voice and motions were gentle; Jackson obviously didn't want to offend them. He wore a weapon on his thigh though, and appeared more than capable of using it. O'Neill was the wary gray-haired man well armed with a guarded expression. D'argo recognized his rank as important and nodded to him in acknowledgement. The woman was also well armed but her face was softer and more open. The dark skinned man was Teal'c who had stood silent and motionless by the door since they had arrived. The perfect soldier. D'argo didn't like him.
"You said you were D'argo and - "
"Dominar Rygel the Sixteenth of the Hynerian Empire," Rygel interrupted Jackson. D'argo rolled his eyes and got to his feet, moving so that he was between Chiana and the strangers. "As you should know since we were on your planet half a cycle ago."
The four humans looked at each other, clearly surprised. "You were on our planet?" asked Daniel Jackson.
"Yes, for over a monen," Rygel continued coldly. "That's where we learned to speak your language. What I want to know is how you got here."
"We would have known if you had landed on our planet," said O'Neill, not believing them. "We would have been the first to know."
D'argo and Rygel exchanged a look, each asking the other, How could they not know? "This can't be good," D'argo said in his own language so the humans couldn't understand. Not only should they have been recognized from the TV, but there was no way the humans could have gotten out here without the wormhole that Pilot and John had effectively collapsed forever.
"Dominar," Jackson said eliciting a surprised but nevertheless smug smile on Rygel's lips, "when do you think you were on Earth?"
"At your Christmas," Rygel replied, more warmly than before. D'argo fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"You shouldn't have the capability to get here," he added. The humans glanced at each other again. D'argo could see that they were a very close- knit group. He wondered if they would help him get John and Aeryn back. Since Chiana had been his only other reliable fighter, it would be nice to have the extra firepower.
"Jack, I think we should tell them," said Jackson quietly. "I think we can trust them, and they might be able to help."
O'Neill glanced briefly at his subordinate, then at Chiana then back at D'argo who calmly met his gaze. This was not the time to flinch.
"We came here through the stargate," said O'Neill.
"And what's that?" D'argo had never heard of it.
"It's a device that creates a wormhole between two places in space," Carter explained.
"Wormhole?" Rygel glared at D'argo as if it were his fault. The Luxan sighed heavily himself.
"A subspace - "
"We know what wormholes are," D'argo cut her off, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Did they ever know! "Where is this device? Is it a ship?" he asked.
"No," said O'Neill. "It's a metal ring. The one here is in a junkyard."
"Where you found Chiana?"
O'Neill nodded.
"Can you work it?"
Again, the four traded looks. "No," Carter replied. "The device we normally use to dial home with is missing. And we don't have a power source to do it manually."
"So you are stranded," said Rygel. "Four humans who know about wormholes stuck on this hostile planet. D'argo's right. You better come with us if you don't want to get yourselves killed."
"Why? What's the danger?" asked O'Neill.
"Two of our friends were kidnapped by the government here. We found out it's because they are unknown aliens. One of them is human," said D'argo meeting the other man's eyes. "He has also had a price on his head for the last three cycles because he knows about wormholes. You are in a lot of danger, and not just from the people here."
"And you'd be willing to help us?" asked Carter. She traded another look with O'Neill. "At what price?"
D'argo grinned. "You help me break my friends out. Chiana's too injured to help, and Rygel's too small to hold a decent weapon."
"I am not small! I am well proportioned," declared the Hynerian with a sniff.
D'argo snorted. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." He turned back to the humans. "That leaves just me."
"It seems like your getting more out of this deal than us," said O'Neill. "Not that I doubt you, which I actually do, but we help you in exchange for . . .?" he lifted his eyebrows, "Nothing?"
Now that he thought about it, D'argo admitted that it did sound like half the deals he and Moya's crew kept getting handed. "Crichton knows about wormholes. He's the only one that does in this part of space. From what we know about your planet, you shouldn't be able to be here. He might be able to get you back."
"Oh that's easy," Rygel grumbled. "Just have to reform a collapsed wormhole."
Ignoring him, D'argo added, "Or we'll find you a power source for your machine."
"And if we don't help?" asked O'Neill.
D'argo again looked at Rygel and saw the sad understanding there. "Then you walk away now. We won't stop you. I'll rescue my friends on my own, and you will have to find your own power source without getting captured yourself." His Hynerian friend looked away. D'argo turned back to O'Neill whose sarcastic expression had changed to understanding. "What will it be?"
"Looks like you made yourself a deal," said O'Neill.
"Thank you."
"So what's next? Your ship?" The human commander was all business now.
"Yeah," D'argo replied, this time turning to gather Chiana carefully in his arms, his returned anger warring with the urge to cry for her pain. "Pilot, Stark, and Norianti are waiting for us."
"I though you said you were alone?" queried Jackson.
"To fight, yes. Pilot can't leave Moya, and Stark and Norianti are a little . . ."
"Insane," Rygel finished while D'argo was still searching for nicer words. "Crichton unhinged was more stable than those two."
"Rygel, shut up," D'argo sighed as he followed the Hynerian from the room followed by their mysterious human allies.
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For the next arn, everything around D'argo melted away until only he, Chiana, and the healer existed. Clamping down on his emotions, he helped the old Qujagan woman clean and bandage his lover's many wounds. And he wasn't going to think about it. No, because if he thought about it he would take on the planet single handedly until he found those who had done this to her. And then he would rip them apart alive until their screams drained away with their lives.
"I've done all I can," the healer's soft voice said. "Her bandages need to be changed every few arns. It would be better if she sleeps. There is much pain."
D'argo nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Blue blood was already beginning to seep through the first bandages they had tied. If not for her shallow breathing, Chiana almost looked like she was merely sleeping.
"Is it safe to move her?" he asked. The healer shrugged.
"There is much pain," she repeated. "It would hurt, but she needs care more." The healer's hand ghosted along the side of Chiana's face, careful not to disturb her wounds. "May Ekan look gladly upon you, child," she whispered. With a sad smile for D'argo, she stood and left.
"I talked to Pilot," said Rygel. "Norianti will be ready when we get back to Moya."
"Good." D'argo looked up at the humans that had found Chiana. "We should take them with us," he said.
"Right, just what we need. Four more humans to get us into trouble."
Before D'argo could reply, the human that had carried Chiana spoke again. "Will she be okay?" he asked.
The Luxan looked back at the still Nebari before answering. "She should be eventually. We need to get her back to our ship though," he turned back to he humans. "You should probably come with us."
"Do you mind if we have a little chit-chat before you start making the honeymoon plans?" the gray-haired man sitting by the door asked. D'argo nodded briefly, missing neither the cold glare nor the sarcasm. They had the time to spare, and he had questions of his own - like how the hell four humans with guns got to this end of Tormented Space. Not to mention the fact that they appeared to find all of this normal. They were very different from the majority of the humans D'argo had met on Earth.
"I don't think we've been properly introduced yet," said the man who had carried Chiana. "My name is Daniel Jackson from the planet Earth. This is Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c." They all stood as he indicated each in turn. Both his voice and motions were gentle; Jackson obviously didn't want to offend them. He wore a weapon on his thigh though, and appeared more than capable of using it. O'Neill was the wary gray-haired man well armed with a guarded expression. D'argo recognized his rank as important and nodded to him in acknowledgement. The woman was also well armed but her face was softer and more open. The dark skinned man was Teal'c who had stood silent and motionless by the door since they had arrived. The perfect soldier. D'argo didn't like him.
"You said you were D'argo and - "
"Dominar Rygel the Sixteenth of the Hynerian Empire," Rygel interrupted Jackson. D'argo rolled his eyes and got to his feet, moving so that he was between Chiana and the strangers. "As you should know since we were on your planet half a cycle ago."
The four humans looked at each other, clearly surprised. "You were on our planet?" asked Daniel Jackson.
"Yes, for over a monen," Rygel continued coldly. "That's where we learned to speak your language. What I want to know is how you got here."
"We would have known if you had landed on our planet," said O'Neill, not believing them. "We would have been the first to know."
D'argo and Rygel exchanged a look, each asking the other, How could they not know? "This can't be good," D'argo said in his own language so the humans couldn't understand. Not only should they have been recognized from the TV, but there was no way the humans could have gotten out here without the wormhole that Pilot and John had effectively collapsed forever.
"Dominar," Jackson said eliciting a surprised but nevertheless smug smile on Rygel's lips, "when do you think you were on Earth?"
"At your Christmas," Rygel replied, more warmly than before. D'argo fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"You shouldn't have the capability to get here," he added. The humans glanced at each other again. D'argo could see that they were a very close- knit group. He wondered if they would help him get John and Aeryn back. Since Chiana had been his only other reliable fighter, it would be nice to have the extra firepower.
"Jack, I think we should tell them," said Jackson quietly. "I think we can trust them, and they might be able to help."
O'Neill glanced briefly at his subordinate, then at Chiana then back at D'argo who calmly met his gaze. This was not the time to flinch.
"We came here through the stargate," said O'Neill.
"And what's that?" D'argo had never heard of it.
"It's a device that creates a wormhole between two places in space," Carter explained.
"Wormhole?" Rygel glared at D'argo as if it were his fault. The Luxan sighed heavily himself.
"A subspace - "
"We know what wormholes are," D'argo cut her off, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Did they ever know! "Where is this device? Is it a ship?" he asked.
"No," said O'Neill. "It's a metal ring. The one here is in a junkyard."
"Where you found Chiana?"
O'Neill nodded.
"Can you work it?"
Again, the four traded looks. "No," Carter replied. "The device we normally use to dial home with is missing. And we don't have a power source to do it manually."
"So you are stranded," said Rygel. "Four humans who know about wormholes stuck on this hostile planet. D'argo's right. You better come with us if you don't want to get yourselves killed."
"Why? What's the danger?" asked O'Neill.
"Two of our friends were kidnapped by the government here. We found out it's because they are unknown aliens. One of them is human," said D'argo meeting the other man's eyes. "He has also had a price on his head for the last three cycles because he knows about wormholes. You are in a lot of danger, and not just from the people here."
"And you'd be willing to help us?" asked Carter. She traded another look with O'Neill. "At what price?"
D'argo grinned. "You help me break my friends out. Chiana's too injured to help, and Rygel's too small to hold a decent weapon."
"I am not small! I am well proportioned," declared the Hynerian with a sniff.
D'argo snorted. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." He turned back to the humans. "That leaves just me."
"It seems like your getting more out of this deal than us," said O'Neill. "Not that I doubt you, which I actually do, but we help you in exchange for . . .?" he lifted his eyebrows, "Nothing?"
Now that he thought about it, D'argo admitted that it did sound like half the deals he and Moya's crew kept getting handed. "Crichton knows about wormholes. He's the only one that does in this part of space. From what we know about your planet, you shouldn't be able to be here. He might be able to get you back."
"Oh that's easy," Rygel grumbled. "Just have to reform a collapsed wormhole."
Ignoring him, D'argo added, "Or we'll find you a power source for your machine."
"And if we don't help?" asked O'Neill.
D'argo again looked at Rygel and saw the sad understanding there. "Then you walk away now. We won't stop you. I'll rescue my friends on my own, and you will have to find your own power source without getting captured yourself." His Hynerian friend looked away. D'argo turned back to O'Neill whose sarcastic expression had changed to understanding. "What will it be?"
"Looks like you made yourself a deal," said O'Neill.
"Thank you."
"So what's next? Your ship?" The human commander was all business now.
"Yeah," D'argo replied, this time turning to gather Chiana carefully in his arms, his returned anger warring with the urge to cry for her pain. "Pilot, Stark, and Norianti are waiting for us."
"I though you said you were alone?" queried Jackson.
"To fight, yes. Pilot can't leave Moya, and Stark and Norianti are a little . . ."
"Insane," Rygel finished while D'argo was still searching for nicer words. "Crichton unhinged was more stable than those two."
"Rygel, shut up," D'argo sighed as he followed the Hynerian from the room followed by their mysterious human allies.
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