Chapter 8: Plain talk
Varielle regarded the three people looking at her, the three pale humans who had brought her to this place. The blonde one with the spectacles, who was learning her language with frightening speed; the grey-haired suspicious one who moved like an old warrior, the most dangerous type; the pretty woman with a buzzing mind and a fighter's muscles. A rare combination. None were an average trooper.
"Hello," she greeted them, shaping her words carefully. Their language burbled and flowed. She must sound stilted to them.
"Good morning," the old one greeted her. "How are you?" That meant how was she feeling.
"Alright," she said laconically. She waited. It was easier.
"We'd like to talk to you about where you came from." It took a lot of talking to Daniel to explain that statement. Varielle simply didn't understand enough words and the grammar of that language still eluded her at times.
"Who were they?" she asked. "Like your black friend. The strange ones."
"They're called Jaffa. They serve the Goa'uld."
Varielle blinked. "Who?"
"You've never heard of them?" Another lengthy exchange of languages.
"No," she shook her head. "Never."
"Why were you there?"
"As you were. New places, to see." That met with surprise. "Ah. So you do more - what was the word?"
"Explore."
"Yes. You do other things. Learn? Meet?" She raised an eyebrow. "Fight?"
"We're at war with the Goa'uld."
"You say it as others are not." A long talk. "So there are other humans?"
"Many planets of them," Daniel said.
"I did not know that."
"You thought you were the only ones?" The woman asked. "That your planet was your home?" That took some more explaining.
She shook her head. "I do not know the words. We do not seek war, I can say that."
Nods swapped. "These Goa'uld," she carefully pronounced the word, "they are many?"
"Yes," Daniel said. "But we have allies. Friends," he expanded.
"Your friend - what is name?"
"Teal'c. He is Jaffa, but he's on our side." Another exchange.
"He is not like ones on that planet," Varielle said carefully. She hadn't felt a trace of Force talent in this place; was it possible these people had no Jedi at all? That the ability had been bred out or inhibited somehow, or their species was one of those poor unfortunate ones that had no Force users and they merely looked human?
"He's not working for the Goa'uld," the old one - O'Neill - said.
"Good," Varielle said. "They kill everyone. All my - how you say? Team."
"You don't sound angry," the man said.
"Anger harms all sides," she said. "What?" They looked at each other oddly.
"Are you religious?"
"What do that mean?"
"Never mind. It just sounded like a religious quotation, that's all."
"It is… how you say. It is how I live. Not my people all same." Others besides the Jedi believed that, but not everyone. Not nearly. Fewer still lived by it.
"What were you doing there?" Carter asked. "I mean, you in particular. What was your role?"
"Your place on the team," Daniel explained.
"What is word? You talk of atoms, molecules - but life."
"Biochemist. Someone who studies the chemistry of compounds produced by living things." Among other things, they had gone over a periodic table together, swapping words.
"Yes. I am biochemist. I have… you say, doctor? One who studies a great deal? I think I am one step low."
"Lower. Couldn't they get someone more experienced?"
"Someone older," O'Neill said helpfully.
Another exchange of words. "I was also… what is word? Medic? Not like Fraiser. And was… was one who takes words."
"Messenger. Someone who conveys information."
"Yes. Messenger. If explore is bad, I am to run, go home."
"You're supposed to survive," Daniel said wonderingly. "That's why you were leaving."
"Yes, say my people these - Jaffa? And Goa'uld. I wish go home."
"Where is it?" Carter asked.
"No."
"No?"
"We all know home… what is word, Daniel?"
"The address. The symbols to dial to go home."
"Yes. We all know, but no one say. Never lead anyone home. Never." She looked at them. "I will not say where. I go home alone."
"You don't trust us to keep a secret?" O'Neill asked.
"No. You may lose war." He sniffed. "Or one person, with open of mouth, be ruin of my people. I fight, my people to protect. Not bring in more danger, in another's war."
Looks were exchanged. "You're too ill to walk," Carter finally said.
"I know. I will heal. I wish know what you wish of me. Will you me hold here?"
"No," Daniel said. "You can leave." He meant it.
"Do you speak for… what is name, Hammond? And who say Hammond what to do?"
"No," he admitted.
"Then it not is your word I wish," she said. "But my friends, dead are, because your war. Forget, I will not." Her master, the sergeant, the scientists, all the faces she had worked with, eaten with, trained with, laughed with, mourned with, celebrated with… and yet had not died with. The pain rose again, sorrow and guilt and grief. She pushed it away. "I have a duty. My people, to protect. My team's work, to keep. My team… how you say… their lives, thrown away, are not."
"You want to make sure they died for something," O'Neill said.
"Yes. My friends, they were."
"We'll see what we can arrange," Daniel said. "But some people are going to want answers."
"It wait. Learn your language, I must."
"Why doesn't Daniel just learn yours? He's very good at languages."
"I am also. And if I talk your people will, your language I must speak. Now, sleep, I wish. Please leave."
Varielle regarded the three people looking at her, the three pale humans who had brought her to this place. The blonde one with the spectacles, who was learning her language with frightening speed; the grey-haired suspicious one who moved like an old warrior, the most dangerous type; the pretty woman with a buzzing mind and a fighter's muscles. A rare combination. None were an average trooper.
"Hello," she greeted them, shaping her words carefully. Their language burbled and flowed. She must sound stilted to them.
"Good morning," the old one greeted her. "How are you?" That meant how was she feeling.
"Alright," she said laconically. She waited. It was easier.
"We'd like to talk to you about where you came from." It took a lot of talking to Daniel to explain that statement. Varielle simply didn't understand enough words and the grammar of that language still eluded her at times.
"Who were they?" she asked. "Like your black friend. The strange ones."
"They're called Jaffa. They serve the Goa'uld."
Varielle blinked. "Who?"
"You've never heard of them?" Another lengthy exchange of languages.
"No," she shook her head. "Never."
"Why were you there?"
"As you were. New places, to see." That met with surprise. "Ah. So you do more - what was the word?"
"Explore."
"Yes. You do other things. Learn? Meet?" She raised an eyebrow. "Fight?"
"We're at war with the Goa'uld."
"You say it as others are not." A long talk. "So there are other humans?"
"Many planets of them," Daniel said.
"I did not know that."
"You thought you were the only ones?" The woman asked. "That your planet was your home?" That took some more explaining.
She shook her head. "I do not know the words. We do not seek war, I can say that."
Nods swapped. "These Goa'uld," she carefully pronounced the word, "they are many?"
"Yes," Daniel said. "But we have allies. Friends," he expanded.
"Your friend - what is name?"
"Teal'c. He is Jaffa, but he's on our side." Another exchange.
"He is not like ones on that planet," Varielle said carefully. She hadn't felt a trace of Force talent in this place; was it possible these people had no Jedi at all? That the ability had been bred out or inhibited somehow, or their species was one of those poor unfortunate ones that had no Force users and they merely looked human?
"He's not working for the Goa'uld," the old one - O'Neill - said.
"Good," Varielle said. "They kill everyone. All my - how you say? Team."
"You don't sound angry," the man said.
"Anger harms all sides," she said. "What?" They looked at each other oddly.
"Are you religious?"
"What do that mean?"
"Never mind. It just sounded like a religious quotation, that's all."
"It is… how you say. It is how I live. Not my people all same." Others besides the Jedi believed that, but not everyone. Not nearly. Fewer still lived by it.
"What were you doing there?" Carter asked. "I mean, you in particular. What was your role?"
"Your place on the team," Daniel explained.
"What is word? You talk of atoms, molecules - but life."
"Biochemist. Someone who studies the chemistry of compounds produced by living things." Among other things, they had gone over a periodic table together, swapping words.
"Yes. I am biochemist. I have… you say, doctor? One who studies a great deal? I think I am one step low."
"Lower. Couldn't they get someone more experienced?"
"Someone older," O'Neill said helpfully.
Another exchange of words. "I was also… what is word? Medic? Not like Fraiser. And was… was one who takes words."
"Messenger. Someone who conveys information."
"Yes. Messenger. If explore is bad, I am to run, go home."
"You're supposed to survive," Daniel said wonderingly. "That's why you were leaving."
"Yes, say my people these - Jaffa? And Goa'uld. I wish go home."
"Where is it?" Carter asked.
"No."
"No?"
"We all know home… what is word, Daniel?"
"The address. The symbols to dial to go home."
"Yes. We all know, but no one say. Never lead anyone home. Never." She looked at them. "I will not say where. I go home alone."
"You don't trust us to keep a secret?" O'Neill asked.
"No. You may lose war." He sniffed. "Or one person, with open of mouth, be ruin of my people. I fight, my people to protect. Not bring in more danger, in another's war."
Looks were exchanged. "You're too ill to walk," Carter finally said.
"I know. I will heal. I wish know what you wish of me. Will you me hold here?"
"No," Daniel said. "You can leave." He meant it.
"Do you speak for… what is name, Hammond? And who say Hammond what to do?"
"No," he admitted.
"Then it not is your word I wish," she said. "But my friends, dead are, because your war. Forget, I will not." Her master, the sergeant, the scientists, all the faces she had worked with, eaten with, trained with, laughed with, mourned with, celebrated with… and yet had not died with. The pain rose again, sorrow and guilt and grief. She pushed it away. "I have a duty. My people, to protect. My team's work, to keep. My team… how you say… their lives, thrown away, are not."
"You want to make sure they died for something," O'Neill said.
"Yes. My friends, they were."
"We'll see what we can arrange," Daniel said. "But some people are going to want answers."
"It wait. Learn your language, I must."
"Why doesn't Daniel just learn yours? He's very good at languages."
"I am also. And if I talk your people will, your language I must speak. Now, sleep, I wish. Please leave."