Chapter Six: Light and Shadow…
With Moya and Talyn following closely beside the Galactica, the Battlestar rejoined the fleet, and they resumed their orderly course out of the Uncharted Territories. However, on board the Galactica, especially in Alpha landing bay everything was slightly chaotic. Every Colonial Warrior hurried down to the bay just to watch the approaching Moya transport pod land and greet their lost Warrior.
Captain Apollo and Starbuck waited alongside Commander Adama and perhaps over one hundred fellow Warriors. Starbuck could see how antsy the Blue squadron leader was. When Apollo heard that Sheba was alive and well on the alien ship after he landed, Starbuck swore that Apollo wanted to turn his Viper right around in the hangar and fly back out to get to her.
"Where's the shuttle now father?" Apollo asked Adama.
Adama listened to a small communicator headset linked to the bridge. Colonel Tigh was reporting scanned information to him on the two alien vessels and the approaching shuttle.
"It's on the final approach," Adama said. "It has no weapons and six life forms. Four aliens and... and two humans."
The three gave each other looks of startled amazement.
"Two humans?" Starbuck said in surprise. "I thought she told you on the bridge that she lost Bojay."
"Maybe it's another straggler she picked up that was left behind from the thirteenth tribe." Apollo suggested.
"Perhaps," Adama said as he spotted Moya's transport coming in for a landing inside Galactica's spacious landing bay. "We'll have our questions answered soon enough."
The transport's engines hummed loudly as it came to rest several meters from the gathered crowd. As the multi-legged craft settled down, the engines were deactivated. Several moments later, a side hatch opened and a boarding ramp was lowered to the Galactica's deck. After another moment of bated breath, a figure descended down on the ramp and huge round of cheers erupted as Sheba walked towards them.
Sheba was beaming with pride to finally be home. She waved to the crowd and was anxious to simply rush over to greet them, but she stopped at the foot of the ramp, turning her attention back to the hatchway of the transport pod.
A head slowly emerged from the shadowy hatchway as John Crichton stepped outside. He looked left and right, smiling broadly suddenly feeling like a family member amongst kin.
Humans!
A LOT OF THEM!!
Aeryn stepped out just behind John. Despite Sheba's assurances, the Peacekeeper side of her was on guard. Aeryn trusted Sheba to watch her back, unfortunately all it would take is someone in authority amongst her people to feel unkindly towards aliens. Then it would be one short trip to a holding cell and perhaps later an examination table to see how their insides worked.
Crais came out next. He too felt defensive about coming to the Galactica, but he'd had a chance to witness the Galactica in action and it was truly a formidable vessel of war... even if it was a human ship. He wanted to learn more about their technology and perhaps gain an ally to battle Scorpius.
D'Argo was next and he instantly felt every human eye fall upon him. He didn't mind, he was used to that reaction, being a Luxan warrior, and with his imposing appearance. He just ignored the looks and walked down the ramp to join the others.
Finally, Rygel made his grand appearance, waving to the crowd like a conquering hero. First impressions were everything to him of course. He hoped to speak to Commander Adama later. Sheba described him as a very intellectual and thoughtful man. It would be nice to meet someone of intelligence equal to his own... For once.
Once everyone had exited from Moya's transport pod, Adama, Apollo, and Starbuck crossed the short distance to greet Sheba and to meet her new friends. Not surprisingly, Apollo reached Sheba first and the female Warrior leaped into his waiting arms. They hugged and kissed, simply overwhelmed , never dreaming that they would be seeing each another ever again.
"I thought I had lost you for good." Apollo whispered in her ear as they continued to hug each other tightly.
"The feeling was mutual," Sheba sobbed quietly. "But I'm back, thanks to my new friends."
They pulled away slightly as Adama and Starbuck final stepped closer after giving the two a moment to themselves.
"Commander Adama." Sheba whispered softly as she moved towards him and the two embraced warmly.
"Thank the Lords of Kobol and these travelers who brought you back to us." Adama said.
Sheba pulled back, smiling at Adama and then at the people standing patiently behind her. "Yes, I owe my friends much."
Her eyes then came back to the last Colonial Warrior standing next to Apollo. She grinned and then laughed.
"Starbuck."
The hotdog pilot and Warrior gave her one of his winning smiles. "I hope you have one more hug in you."
"Do I." Sheba giggled and lunged forward giving him a huge bear hug, that made Starbuck wince in surprise.
Behind them, the crew of Moya, and Crais, watched quietly. Rygel, D'Argo, and Aeryn were moved by the reunion between Sheba and her shipmates. Even Crais was affected, witnessing the deep and open comradeship between the humans. As for John, he was affected the most. In the time that Sheba was among them, she became a trusted and reliable crew member on Moya and a friend to all of them. She was like them, homeless and lost. Now, Moya had finally delivered one of them home, such as it was. In the grant scheme of things, it was just a simple change in area code. From one ship to another ship. But these are her people, her friends.
Unfortunately, even though he was now standing on a ship filled with humans, in a way they were still aliens to John. They were from another world, from another corner of the galaxy. His time with Sheba showed him that she couldn't understand what he was saying half the time any better than D'Argo, Aeryn, or anyone else on Moya could. However, she tried to understand him and listened to his incredible and colorful stories about Earth for hours on end. More than once, Aeryn had become slightly jealous of the attention Sheba gave him, but the former Peacekeeper understood his need to bond with another human. His own kind. Aeryn understood that need as well being outcast with her own people.
"John?"
Crichton turned toward Aeryn. She was looking up at him puzzled, whispering. "Are you crying?"
"Ya," John replied quietly as he wiped a single tear from his cheek. He then took a hold of her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "I also cry at weddings too. I'm such a sucker for happy endings."
***
Samantha Carter had always had this weird dream not long after she joined the SGC. In this dream, she would be in this huge elegant ballroom, wearing a beautiful red evening gown. Her hair was much longer and was combed to one side, hanging loosely about her right shoulder. O'Neill was there too, wearing a blue Union Civil War officer's uniform of all things. From the look of people about her and the room itself, it had to be around the mid eighteenth hundreds.
In her dream, O'Neill would cross the dance floor to meet her. Standing proud and gentlemanly, he would bow slightly to Samantha, and ask her if he could have the honor of the next dance.
She in turn always smiled, and said yes. Offering her hand, he would then lead her through the other dancing couples to the center of the dance floor.
Samantha felt safe and happy while she and O'Neill danced a waltz as an orchestra played some nameless piece of classical music. She was always amazed in how well their bodies moved to the music, considering she'd always had two left feet, and O'Neill, the real one, wouldn't dance even at gun point.
As they danced, they stared into each other's eyes. No word was spoken. There was no need. The love between them required none. When the music stopped, she would then lean into his chest to hold him and all the world felt right.
It was a very nice dream...
Then she woke up.
With a start, Samantha found herself strapped into a chair on a rotating platform. Even her head was held in place by straps. She struggled against the restraints before realizing it was futile.
A beam of light shone down on her from above, but she couldn't see the darkened room beyond. As the platform rotated slowly about, she finally detected movement in the shadows.
"Major, Samantha Carter of the SGC. Is that correct?" came a voice.
Scorpius moved into the light and up on to the slowly spinning platform, while studying his now conscious prize. And a lovely one at that. It was a shame that he had to use the aurora chair on her.
"Assuage my curiosity. What do the letters, S.G.C. stand for?"
Glancing about, Carter now sensed that she was in some sort of an interrogation room. That much was unmistakable. This wouldn't be the first time she was tortured, or faced the threat of being tortured, but something felt different this time around. For one thing, she'd never had a person like Scorpius staring down at her before.
Carefully controlling her breathing and a growing sense of dread, she spoke with exaggerated calm. "Major Samantha Carter. Serial Number: 366349. US Airforce."
Scorpius sighed at the woman's brave, if foolish, front. "Your co-operation is not required my dear. The aurora chair will give me the answers I seek about the Stargate, or anything else that you might have stored up in that pretty head of yours."
Carter flinched against her restrains as Scorpius reached out and gently brushed aside the blond hair that had fallen across her forehead.
"I won't tell you anything," Carter snarled defiantly. She found his touch repulsive.
"The device that you're sitting in will tell me. You won't have a choice in the matter," Scorpius informed her. "You can try to resist, but that will only succeed in dragging the process out that much longer, and with a corresponding increase in suffering and pain for you."
"Go to hell!" she responded.
Scorpius leaned down closer. His face was so close that Carter thought he was going to kiss her, but he simply stared into her eyes. As if he were examining her soul.
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