It took them two days – forty-two hours to be exact – to reach the planet designated as Melonyville. During that time Daniel had sought out Mitchell – which wasn't hard to do on the little ship – and had tried to apologize to her for the way he'd acted after the destruction of Paleneus' ship and armada. Melony hadn't allowed him to, though.
"I don't take it personally, Daniel," she'd told him, her gray eyes serious and a little sad. "You should never apologize for being upset at the death of someone else. Certainly not to the person who killed them."
"What you're doing is necessary..." Daniel had said, realizing that she was feeling her own measure of guilt for the deaths she'd caused. He remembered then that she'd been doing this for months, now. It had to be hard on her. Only a cold-blooded killer would be enjoying what they were doing, and by now he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't a cold-blooded killer. She just normally hid her feelings under a mask of other emotions. Or maybe he'd been too busy learning how to run the ship's systems that he hadn't even noticed until then.
She'd nodded. "It is. Or I'd never be doing it."
"Brad's a lucky guy."
Mitchell had smiled, then, and a little of the sorrow in her eyes faded with the compliment.
"Thank you, Daniel."
He'd kissed her cheek, and had gone over to pour them a couple cups of coffee, then the two of them continued the chess game they'd started the day before. Things pretty much back to normal on the little ship.
..........
By the time they reached Melonyville, there were already a dozen subspace messages waiting for her. The messages couldn't be received while they were enroute – Fugly was an amazing ship, but some things just weren't possible – but they were waiting for her when she'd pulled the ship into normal space near the barren planet.
A huge Jaffa came onto the view screen as Mitchell brought up the first visual message, and Daniel didn't need Melony to tell him that this was her First Prime, Tao.
"The major system lords have been sending me messages, my Lady," The Jaffa said in the message. "They seek a treaty with you and wish for you to contact them."
Daniel was surprised to hear Mitchell called 'My Lady' but when he thought about it, it made sense. Talon was the symbiote, and while almost always the symbiote took on the sex of the host, Melony always referred to him as a he. Which made Daniel always think of him as a he. Of course, the Jaffa merely saw the outside, and since Talon was probably the only one that ever spoke to the army of Jaffa, chances were they thought of Mitchell as their goddess, and not a god. And they probably didn't have any idea that Talon's host was just as in control as the symbiote. It was unthinkable, after all.
"That didn't take long," Mitchell said, switching to the next message, which was similar. Apparently every time one of the system lords had sent him a message, Tao had sent her one. As near as Daniel could tell, a large majority of the major system lords must have heard of the fate of Paleneus and Metaphous, and were trying to do whatever it took to keep them from being next.
"So... either they're trying to talk treaty, or they're setting you up for an even bigger ambush?" He asked.
She nodded.
"I'm going to assume ambush, simply because I can't imagine them allowing me to stay alive with the armies and the territories I control."
"Not to mention, they've tried ambush already once."
"There is that." She shrugged. "Don't worry, whatever they throw at us, we'll handle."
"Who's worried?"
Mitchell smiled, and aimed the little ship towards the planet.
"I could use a hot shower. How about you?"
"And a chance to sleep without the ship moving under me," Daniel said.
"You can't feel the ship moving under you."
"I know... but it feels like I can feel it."
She didn't bother to argue with him, she gave him a look that plainly said she thought he was bonkers. They were both laughing when the ship came to a gentle landing in the ravine that held the hidden hanger and research lab.
"How long are we staying here?" Daniel asked, as he walked through the shield that kept intruders out of Talon's secret place.
"A day or so." Mitchell said. "We'll get a little rest and have a couple hot meals and showers, then I'll call the system lords and see what they want to do. Then, once we know a time frame, we can call the SGC and make them aware of what's going on so the gate room can be cleared for our arrival."
"If we arrive."
She smiled. "We'll arrive."
She'd already made herself a promise that he'd arrive back to the SGC in one piece, even if she had to carry him there herself. She'd grown really fond of Daniel in the last couple of weeks, and where she'd once thought of him kind of as a nerd, she now knew he was intelligent and not as hopeless as she'd once assumed. He'd eventually make some woman very lucky. Not her, because she was madly in love with Brad, but someone. If she could keep him alive.
"Anything you need me to help you with?" He asked, knowing that she had a few things she needed to take care of. He knew more about the ship, now, and thought that he might at least be able to take a little of the load off her. Mitchell shook her head, though.
"I'm going to change a few characteristics of the shield breaker device to override the protection it gives the ship, but that's not anything you can help me with. Why don't you get a shower and take a nap? I probably won't be far behind."
Who was he to argue? Daniel wanted a shower more than anything, and his body – which was slightly achy from sleeping on the piece of crap cot that had been his bed for the last couple of weeks – definitely remembered how soft and comfortable that great big bed of hers was.
"If you think of something I can help with, let me know." He said, picking up the bag holding his last clean uniform and heading for her room.
She made a noncommittal grunt, and headed for a panel on the wall that held all the diagnostic tools she'd need to make the changes to her ship, then headed outside once more.
[He really was a good choice for this mission]
Yeah, he's doing a lot better than I thought he would.
Talon knew she was worried about Daniel's safety, though. His host couldn't hide that from him, no more than he could hide his thoughts from her.
[Don't worry. We'll get him home alive]
Who's worried?
[Uh huh]
There was a faint surge of amusement from Talon, and Melony grinned, even though there wasn't anyone around to see her smile. Between the two of them, they'd get Daniel home. It was okay to be a little cocky, she supposed.
"I don't take it personally, Daniel," she'd told him, her gray eyes serious and a little sad. "You should never apologize for being upset at the death of someone else. Certainly not to the person who killed them."
"What you're doing is necessary..." Daniel had said, realizing that she was feeling her own measure of guilt for the deaths she'd caused. He remembered then that she'd been doing this for months, now. It had to be hard on her. Only a cold-blooded killer would be enjoying what they were doing, and by now he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't a cold-blooded killer. She just normally hid her feelings under a mask of other emotions. Or maybe he'd been too busy learning how to run the ship's systems that he hadn't even noticed until then.
She'd nodded. "It is. Or I'd never be doing it."
"Brad's a lucky guy."
Mitchell had smiled, then, and a little of the sorrow in her eyes faded with the compliment.
"Thank you, Daniel."
He'd kissed her cheek, and had gone over to pour them a couple cups of coffee, then the two of them continued the chess game they'd started the day before. Things pretty much back to normal on the little ship.
..........
By the time they reached Melonyville, there were already a dozen subspace messages waiting for her. The messages couldn't be received while they were enroute – Fugly was an amazing ship, but some things just weren't possible – but they were waiting for her when she'd pulled the ship into normal space near the barren planet.
A huge Jaffa came onto the view screen as Mitchell brought up the first visual message, and Daniel didn't need Melony to tell him that this was her First Prime, Tao.
"The major system lords have been sending me messages, my Lady," The Jaffa said in the message. "They seek a treaty with you and wish for you to contact them."
Daniel was surprised to hear Mitchell called 'My Lady' but when he thought about it, it made sense. Talon was the symbiote, and while almost always the symbiote took on the sex of the host, Melony always referred to him as a he. Which made Daniel always think of him as a he. Of course, the Jaffa merely saw the outside, and since Talon was probably the only one that ever spoke to the army of Jaffa, chances were they thought of Mitchell as their goddess, and not a god. And they probably didn't have any idea that Talon's host was just as in control as the symbiote. It was unthinkable, after all.
"That didn't take long," Mitchell said, switching to the next message, which was similar. Apparently every time one of the system lords had sent him a message, Tao had sent her one. As near as Daniel could tell, a large majority of the major system lords must have heard of the fate of Paleneus and Metaphous, and were trying to do whatever it took to keep them from being next.
"So... either they're trying to talk treaty, or they're setting you up for an even bigger ambush?" He asked.
She nodded.
"I'm going to assume ambush, simply because I can't imagine them allowing me to stay alive with the armies and the territories I control."
"Not to mention, they've tried ambush already once."
"There is that." She shrugged. "Don't worry, whatever they throw at us, we'll handle."
"Who's worried?"
Mitchell smiled, and aimed the little ship towards the planet.
"I could use a hot shower. How about you?"
"And a chance to sleep without the ship moving under me," Daniel said.
"You can't feel the ship moving under you."
"I know... but it feels like I can feel it."
She didn't bother to argue with him, she gave him a look that plainly said she thought he was bonkers. They were both laughing when the ship came to a gentle landing in the ravine that held the hidden hanger and research lab.
"How long are we staying here?" Daniel asked, as he walked through the shield that kept intruders out of Talon's secret place.
"A day or so." Mitchell said. "We'll get a little rest and have a couple hot meals and showers, then I'll call the system lords and see what they want to do. Then, once we know a time frame, we can call the SGC and make them aware of what's going on so the gate room can be cleared for our arrival."
"If we arrive."
She smiled. "We'll arrive."
She'd already made herself a promise that he'd arrive back to the SGC in one piece, even if she had to carry him there herself. She'd grown really fond of Daniel in the last couple of weeks, and where she'd once thought of him kind of as a nerd, she now knew he was intelligent and not as hopeless as she'd once assumed. He'd eventually make some woman very lucky. Not her, because she was madly in love with Brad, but someone. If she could keep him alive.
"Anything you need me to help you with?" He asked, knowing that she had a few things she needed to take care of. He knew more about the ship, now, and thought that he might at least be able to take a little of the load off her. Mitchell shook her head, though.
"I'm going to change a few characteristics of the shield breaker device to override the protection it gives the ship, but that's not anything you can help me with. Why don't you get a shower and take a nap? I probably won't be far behind."
Who was he to argue? Daniel wanted a shower more than anything, and his body – which was slightly achy from sleeping on the piece of crap cot that had been his bed for the last couple of weeks – definitely remembered how soft and comfortable that great big bed of hers was.
"If you think of something I can help with, let me know." He said, picking up the bag holding his last clean uniform and heading for her room.
She made a noncommittal grunt, and headed for a panel on the wall that held all the diagnostic tools she'd need to make the changes to her ship, then headed outside once more.
[He really was a good choice for this mission]
Yeah, he's doing a lot better than I thought he would.
Talon knew she was worried about Daniel's safety, though. His host couldn't hide that from him, no more than he could hide his thoughts from her.
[Don't worry. We'll get him home alive]
Who's worried?
[Uh huh]
There was a faint surge of amusement from Talon, and Melony grinned, even though there wasn't anyone around to see her smile. Between the two of them, they'd get Daniel home. It was okay to be a little cocky, she supposed.