The system lords evidently had a very good information network going, Daniel decided about a week later. He and Mitchell had been in almost constant hyperspace – which was evidence of just how far out in the boontoolies Metaphous had been situated. And just how far they had to go to get to Paleneus' system of operations. When Fugly exited hyperspace, Daniel was a little shocked to see the size of the armada that was surrounding the single Goa'uld mother ship.
"Think they're nervous?" He asked, looking at the display. There were Hat'ak and smaller assault ships, and all sorts of skirmishers protecting the system lord.
"Looks that way," Mitchell said, sounding satisfied, and completely unconcerned by the amount of foes they were facing.
"Obviously they've heard some unsettling news..."
She nodded, and thumbed the communications toggle, and Daniel didn't need her to tell him to be quiet.
"This is-"
They were fired on immediately. No chance to inform the Goa'uld of who they were, and no chance to talk terms. Of course, there were no terms to speak of – not yet. And there was little doubt as to who they were. Fugly was rocked under the saturating volley of weapons fire, but the shields were more than able to withstand what they sent her way, and the inertia dampeners kept the occupants from being jostled too much.
Talon thumbed the shield-breaker, and then fired. Not the main weapon, but a number of smaller 'guns' that took out the outlying craft that were too far away from the mother ship to be destroyed when it was.
"They're readying their hyper drive engines," Daniel told Mitchell/Talon, watching the display. Obviously, when Fugly didn't blow immediately, the Goa'uld had decided it was time to find a new location. Of course, Talon wasn't about to let them escape so easily.
The main weapon fired, and the mother ship exploded before she had a chance to make her desperate escape. Every ship in the area was destroyed as well, and the shields on Fugly were maintained to keep the debris from battering the ship that was suddenly all alone once more.
Daniel was silent, unable to imagine how many Jaffa had just been killed. Innocent bystanders in... well, no, they weren't all innocent. He knew a lot of the Jaffa enjoyed what they did in the name of their gods. But surely they weren't all like that. How many could have been turned to good purposes had they survived? He looked at Mitchell, who was silent as well. Possibly only because she was communicating with Talon, but Daniel had a feeling she didn't enjoy doing what she was doing any more than he was enjoying watching it.
"Now what?" He asked, softly.
"I send Tao an update of what's happened, and we stay in touch with him. If the system lords want to talk to me, they'll call him, first and tell him to tell me to get hold of them. Then we'll see what happens."
"What if they don't call?"
"Then we go find another target, and consolidate the Jaffa even further. With the armies of Paleneus added to the ones I already have, I control far greater numbers than any one major system lord. There's no way they can allow me to continue unchecked. Already I'm probably unstoppable."
She looked over at him, noticing that he looked pale.
"Are you all right?"
He shrugged. "I will be. I just... it's a lot different to talk about it than it is to see it up close like this."
"I know." She was quiet for a moment, and her eyes unfocused slightly, so Daniel was certain that she was speaking with Talon, and then she looked at him again. "If you want me to, I'll take you home. We can figure out a way to do this by ourselves."
He shook his head.
"No. I'll come with you." He hadn't come all this way just to turn when things got serious. "I'm fine, Melony."
The look she gave him plainly told him that she knew he wasn't fine, but Mitchell didn't press.
"I think I'll go lie down for a while."
She nodded. "Take as long as you need, Daniel."
He got up from his chair, and headed back into the little space that was his bedroom, and flopped down on his bed. What they were doing was important – God, what they were doing could destroy the Goa'uld's terror hold forever. Daniel couldn't enjoy it, but he knew it was Earth's best hope. Not just Earth, either. There were hundreds and thousands of other worlds being terrorized by the Goa'uld. By doing what they were doing, Mitchell and Talon were protecting these worlds as well, and giving them a hope of better things to come.
Daniel sighed, and rolled over, burying his head under his pillow. Why did he feel so old, then?
What Daniel was feeling was old news to Mitchell. Every time she witnessed the explosion that signaled yet another destroyed system lord, she knew she was also witnessing the deaths of countless others. Lives that she'd taken knowingly and ruthlessly. Talon welcomed the deaths of the system lords, and the Jaffa. The symbiote had seen things that Melony never had. Had witnessed evils being done and had vowed revenge, and was carrying out that revenge. He didn't wallow in the deaths, but he felt no remorse, and although he tried to hide the satisfaction he felt from his host, it leaked out. She liked Talon – loved him, even – but she didn't enjoy what they were doing as much as he did. It tended to sicken her and make her feel dirty. Of course, that was the blood of hundreds and thousands of Jaffa on her hands, and she knew it.
She sat in her command chair, sending messages to Tao, and then another to Jack. She didn't feel she deserved to send a message for Brad – she wondered how he'd feel if he knew what she'd just done. If it would sicken him as much as it had Daniel. But she knew if she didn't send one for him, he'd be hurt, and she didn't want to hurt him. The message to Earth was longer than her last one, and she outlined what she'd just told Daniel, telling him to let Hammond know that they were waiting to hear from the system lords, and that she'd keep in touch.
Tired beyond measure, Mitchell programmed the engines and sent the ship into hyperspace, heading them back to Melonyville, where they'd wait to hear if the first steps of plan B were working.
"Think they're nervous?" He asked, looking at the display. There were Hat'ak and smaller assault ships, and all sorts of skirmishers protecting the system lord.
"Looks that way," Mitchell said, sounding satisfied, and completely unconcerned by the amount of foes they were facing.
"Obviously they've heard some unsettling news..."
She nodded, and thumbed the communications toggle, and Daniel didn't need her to tell him to be quiet.
"This is-"
They were fired on immediately. No chance to inform the Goa'uld of who they were, and no chance to talk terms. Of course, there were no terms to speak of – not yet. And there was little doubt as to who they were. Fugly was rocked under the saturating volley of weapons fire, but the shields were more than able to withstand what they sent her way, and the inertia dampeners kept the occupants from being jostled too much.
Talon thumbed the shield-breaker, and then fired. Not the main weapon, but a number of smaller 'guns' that took out the outlying craft that were too far away from the mother ship to be destroyed when it was.
"They're readying their hyper drive engines," Daniel told Mitchell/Talon, watching the display. Obviously, when Fugly didn't blow immediately, the Goa'uld had decided it was time to find a new location. Of course, Talon wasn't about to let them escape so easily.
The main weapon fired, and the mother ship exploded before she had a chance to make her desperate escape. Every ship in the area was destroyed as well, and the shields on Fugly were maintained to keep the debris from battering the ship that was suddenly all alone once more.
Daniel was silent, unable to imagine how many Jaffa had just been killed. Innocent bystanders in... well, no, they weren't all innocent. He knew a lot of the Jaffa enjoyed what they did in the name of their gods. But surely they weren't all like that. How many could have been turned to good purposes had they survived? He looked at Mitchell, who was silent as well. Possibly only because she was communicating with Talon, but Daniel had a feeling she didn't enjoy doing what she was doing any more than he was enjoying watching it.
"Now what?" He asked, softly.
"I send Tao an update of what's happened, and we stay in touch with him. If the system lords want to talk to me, they'll call him, first and tell him to tell me to get hold of them. Then we'll see what happens."
"What if they don't call?"
"Then we go find another target, and consolidate the Jaffa even further. With the armies of Paleneus added to the ones I already have, I control far greater numbers than any one major system lord. There's no way they can allow me to continue unchecked. Already I'm probably unstoppable."
She looked over at him, noticing that he looked pale.
"Are you all right?"
He shrugged. "I will be. I just... it's a lot different to talk about it than it is to see it up close like this."
"I know." She was quiet for a moment, and her eyes unfocused slightly, so Daniel was certain that she was speaking with Talon, and then she looked at him again. "If you want me to, I'll take you home. We can figure out a way to do this by ourselves."
He shook his head.
"No. I'll come with you." He hadn't come all this way just to turn when things got serious. "I'm fine, Melony."
The look she gave him plainly told him that she knew he wasn't fine, but Mitchell didn't press.
"I think I'll go lie down for a while."
She nodded. "Take as long as you need, Daniel."
He got up from his chair, and headed back into the little space that was his bedroom, and flopped down on his bed. What they were doing was important – God, what they were doing could destroy the Goa'uld's terror hold forever. Daniel couldn't enjoy it, but he knew it was Earth's best hope. Not just Earth, either. There were hundreds and thousands of other worlds being terrorized by the Goa'uld. By doing what they were doing, Mitchell and Talon were protecting these worlds as well, and giving them a hope of better things to come.
Daniel sighed, and rolled over, burying his head under his pillow. Why did he feel so old, then?
What Daniel was feeling was old news to Mitchell. Every time she witnessed the explosion that signaled yet another destroyed system lord, she knew she was also witnessing the deaths of countless others. Lives that she'd taken knowingly and ruthlessly. Talon welcomed the deaths of the system lords, and the Jaffa. The symbiote had seen things that Melony never had. Had witnessed evils being done and had vowed revenge, and was carrying out that revenge. He didn't wallow in the deaths, but he felt no remorse, and although he tried to hide the satisfaction he felt from his host, it leaked out. She liked Talon – loved him, even – but she didn't enjoy what they were doing as much as he did. It tended to sicken her and make her feel dirty. Of course, that was the blood of hundreds and thousands of Jaffa on her hands, and she knew it.
She sat in her command chair, sending messages to Tao, and then another to Jack. She didn't feel she deserved to send a message for Brad – she wondered how he'd feel if he knew what she'd just done. If it would sicken him as much as it had Daniel. But she knew if she didn't send one for him, he'd be hurt, and she didn't want to hurt him. The message to Earth was longer than her last one, and she outlined what she'd just told Daniel, telling him to let Hammond know that they were waiting to hear from the system lords, and that she'd keep in touch.
Tired beyond measure, Mitchell programmed the engines and sent the ship into hyperspace, heading them back to Melonyville, where they'd wait to hear if the first steps of plan B were working.