Chapter Five









The team turned to meet the new threat. Once again, there was the feeling of a snap in his head. Then the air shifted and shimmered, this time coalescing into a young man-probably in his mid to late teens-dressed like the other two. He was tall and thin, with blond hair like the taller of the two boys, but his face looked more like the other.

He held up both hands in a pacifying gesture. "I didn't mean you guys," he said, then gestured to the two younger boys, "I meant them." He stepped around Daniel and Teal'c, moving to the center of the room. Glaring at the boys, he said, "You guys aren't supposed to be in here. She's gonna kill you."

"Who's gonna kill who?" Jack asked. "What is going on here?"

The boy ignored them. "How did they get here?" he asked. There was no answer, and he folded his arms, trying to look stern as he looked from one to the other. "Jevon? Ravon?"

"We thought the program made them," the smaller of the two miscreants answered, reaching behind himself toward the control board, trying to disengage the program.

"But they really came through the Qerert," said the other. He also was attempting to turn off his controls. His voice became mildly accusing, "Somebody left it out."

"And we're not supposed to touch it, Arion," added the first boy virtuously, "Mother said only you can operate it."

Arion looked abashed, and Jack felt his lips twitch. Carter ducked her head, smothering a grin. Daniel was less successful, and even Teal'c's face showed a flicker of amusement. The two younger boys looked smug, having managed to one-up the other. The screens behind them flickered and went blank.

Their brother recovered quickly enough, though. "Then why isn't it still out?" His scowl returned. "You know the ari-hemet wasn't put away."

"Oops," said the taller of the two, (Jevon?). "Anyway, we just put it away. We didn't operate it."

"Told you," said the other to his cohort. Then to Arion, "At least we put it away. You left everything out"

"What is this place?" Carter interrupted, having managed to arrange her face in a more sober expression.

Arion looked at her, considering. "It's Mother's lab," he said carefully, "She teaches Advanced Actions and Consequences."

"Actions and consequences?" asked Jack.

The boy's gaze turned to him. "Yes." He hesitated, then added, "It's a required subject."

"And Arion failed," chimed in Jevon.

He glared at the offender. "Quiet!"

"So this is like a . . . a computer lab?" Daniel asked, "A school?"

"Yes," Arion said, "We're assigned a civilization to guide through its development. There are . . . " he hesitated as if searching for the right word " . . . billions of choices for civilizations, and we have to decide what developments to spend our resources on."

"It's fun," piped up Ravon.

"Ravon," said Arion, warningly.

"Well, it is." He folded his arms in an imitation of his brother, mimicking his scowl.

"Especially the battles," said Jevon, his stance mirroring that of his brothers'.

"So why are you guys here?" asked Jack.

"Arion failed," said Ravon.

"She said he had to make corrections, and re-present his civilization," added Jevon.

"And he was supposed to watch us," Ravon finished, "But he didn't. He left us here and went through the Qerert to see. . . ."

"Be quiet!" Arion snapped, a flush crossing his face. Both younger boys giggled. Arion really did look like a harassed older brother, and it was hard not to smile at the exchanges. Jack almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"What keeps someone like the Gou'ald from coming here and taking over?" Carter asked.

"They can't," put in Ravon, "We're the Aa-kheru, and we won't let them."

Jevon added, "They'd get smashed when the Khesef tells the . . ."

"We have an agreement through the Asgard," Arion interrupted, ignoring his brothers' comments. "The indigenous people are on the main continent on this planet, and are considered under the Protected Planets Treaty. We confine our activity to the islands." He glared at two boys, and hissed, "M'ten!"

"The Protected Planets Treaty?" said Daniel.

Remembering what happened the last time they had inadvertently stepped onto a protected planet, Jack glanced around, half-expecting to find Thor, Freyr or another Asgard there to admonish them. He was relieved to see none of them.

"Sehau," hissed back one of the boys. The other made a face at Arion.

Arion's scowl deepened, and he made a threatening motion toward both. They squealed and ducked back into the cubicles.

"Ah-ah." Jack grabbed Arion, pulling him back. "If your, ah, mom is gonna kill them, you don't want to get in trouble for beating her to it."

"She'll probably thank me for doing it," Arion retorted, but his words were directed more to his brothers than to Jack.

Two faces peered around the walls of their respective cubicles, sizing up the team. Ravon and Jevon looked to each other, then at each of the team, then back at each other. They sidled out of the cubicles, positioning themselves between Carter and Teal'c. They directed angelic smiles at Carter, then grinned at their brother, secure between the team members most likely to be sympathetic toward them.

Carter couldn't help smiling back. They really were cute kids. Well, at least their human representations were cute, she amended, remembering the snap and flickering when they came into the cave. The two boys turned admiring looks on Teal'c, and she would bet last month's pay that the Jaffa was no more resistant to them than she had been. She felt sorry for them, understanding the resentment of a younger sibling to an older, and reached over to ruffle Jevon's hair. He smiled back at her, wide-eyed and innocent, and her heart melted.

Ravon reached out one finger, touching Teal'c staff weapon, then pulled his hand away quickly. He looked shyly at Teal'c, his expression matching Jevon's. He touched it again, running the tips of his fingers lightly down the length of it, then looked up at Teal'c and smiled. The Jaffa's expression softened.

Arion snorted. Jack agreed with the sentiment, if not its expression. You had to feel sorry for the kid, having two brothers who could turn on the charm like that. He let go of Arion's arm, stepped back and turned away from the others, gesturing at Arion and Daniel. Throwing another glare at his brothers, Arion followed, his face sullen.

Jack glanced back at the two boys, then looked at the older one. "Look," he said, "How about we just leave a note for your folks, and they can call us later."

Arion looked back at him. "They're a pain," he said, "They pull that with all the . . . adults."

"Yeah, well," Jack said, "That's the way it works when you're little and cute. They'll grow out of it."

"You aren't human, are you?" Daniel asked.

The boy shook his head. "We're taught to take the form of the races we meet." He smiled ruefully. "Mother likes humans, though, so we're better at doing them than most other species. She says they're more diverse than any others. There's a lot of them around, too."

"Really?" Daniel looked at him with interest. "So you're . . ."

"Aa-kheru," said Arion. He paused, noting their puzzled looks. "Um, I guess you'd call us Watchers. Watchers of the Seventh Arit."

"Seventh Arit?"

"Yeah. There's, um, seven arits, and each has a Watcher, well, two of them actually, and a . . . ," he paused again, thinking, "a Herald, and a Gatekeeper." He stopped and glanced guiltily at Jack and Daniel. "I'm not really supposed to be telling you this. The Okhu get kinda irritated if we tell too much. That's why I kept telling them to be quiet."

"It's okay," Jack reassured him, "I won't tell if you won't." Daniel was looking thoughtful, and Jack glanced back at the others. The two boys were engaged in animated conversation with Carter and Teal'c, coaxing them toward the computer screens.

Arion followed his look, and sighed. "They're gonna get us all in trouble," he said, "Mother doesn't like her work to be used as a game." He smiled again. "Even if it feels like one."

"Yeah, that was some game," Jack said, "Seriously, though, we would like the chance to talk with your, ah, parents. Get to know them." Arion looked at him doubtfully. "Ask the Asgard. They'll give us a good reference."

"You know of the Asgard?" asked Arion, "I didn't think they . . ." His voice trailed off as he studied the two men thoughtfully. "Okay." He headed toward the solo station.

Jack whistled silently as they followed the boy. Arion settled into the chair, and flicked on one screen. He looked back at his brothers, then at Jack. "They really are . . . "

"Brats?" said Jack.

"Brats?" Daniel echoed silently, looking at him curiously.

"Brats?" echoed Arion aloud.

"Annoying, always getting in trouble and expecting you to bail them out," Jack said by way of explanation, "Getting into your stuff, looking cute and innocent, not thinking, etcetera, etcetera."

Arion's smile blossomed. "Brats," he agreed.

"I know what you mean," said Jack, pointedly not looking at Daniel.









"Well, that was . . . different," said Jack, as they walked back to the Stargate. "No Goa'uld, or Replicators tearing up a planet. Just squabbling kids." He kicked at a clod of dirt, then added, "Alien kids."



"Guess sibling rivalry is a universal constant," said Daniel. He paused at the DHD, and punched in the address for Earth. They watched as the vortex exploded, then settled into its shimmering pool.

"Kind of reminds me of when I was growing up," said Carter.

"Yeah?" said Jack.

"Yeah," said Carter.

"It was indeed familiar," said Teal'c.

The others looked at him in surprise. "I thought you didn't have siblings," said Carter.

"I did not." Teal'c paused, and Jack could have sworn there was a glitter in the man's eyes. Teal'c's expression remained impassive as he addressed himself to Carter. "However, it was very similar to many conversations I have heard between Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson." The Jaffa turned and disappeared into the event horizon.

Jack stared at the spot where Teal'c disappeared. He could not ,WOULD not look at Daniel. He turned instead to Carter, who was completely unsuccessful at hiding her grin. Avoiding looks from both men, she quickly followed Teal'c through the gate.

Unwillingly, his eyes met Daniel's, and he knew the expression on the other's face had to mirror his own. "Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack muttered, and stepped into the wormhole.



Fini