Chapter 20: Welcome back
Varielle walked back through the Stargate. She had changed into a kind of brown over-robe and a matching pair of creamy shirt and trousers. Daniel noted she had blasters at hip and boot. "You'd better hurry up," she looked drained. "I had to talk very fast."
"Why?"
"So they wouldn't have time to argue much. Is there anything here you need?"
"Uh, no. I'll just leave a note…"
"May I see?"
He extended it. "Just letting Jack know we're both alive and alright. They'll worry."
"They may not come here."
"We have an off-world base. I was going to toss it through there. And if you don't mind…"
"You'd rather not let me know the address? Well, I would rather not let you know ours…"
"I'll keep my eyes shut if you will."
"Fair enough." She closed her eyes and stared pointedly at the ceiling through her eyelids.
She heard the Stargate start up and dial, and resisted the urge to use the Force to track Daniel's movements. That wasn't fair.
After a moment the room fell silent and they swapped places. Varielle recalled the sequence and dialled.
"Brace yourself," she said.
"Why?"
"Our gravity's a bit heavier, remember? And the oxygen is thinner. For the first few minutes you'll feel terrible."
"Thank you for warning me."
"Sarcasm doesn't become you," she said, "but you are very good at it."
"Too much time around Jack."
"Too much time around pain, I would have said," she remarked. "You are not the vicious type."
"How is you always know what will affect me the most and manage to say it?"
"It's what I do," she sighed. "I was always told it's a gift, to see inside people like that. Sometimes I like it."
"And sometimes?"
"I wish I could give it back." She stepped into the blue event horizon and felt the familiar cold envelop her muscles.
He stepped through after her.
He blinked in the bright white lights.
"I should have warned you," Varielle apologised. "We like to see what's going on."
"Varielle!" A leggy man with chestnut hair, a bushy moustache and an ill-fitting uniform loped over. "Welcome back." Behind him the soldiers in armour carefully slung their weapons, but didn't lose one iota of alertness.
Varielle and Daniel both switched languages. "Daniel, this is my almost-brother Lieutenant Simarell Cordenn. He's a sniper." She had to translate that term. "Among other things. Arell, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson. He's a specialist in archaeology and languages, but spends a lot of his time being diplomatic when no one else does." They greeted as politely as the difference in language and custom allowed.
"Was my sister telling the truth when she said she was alright?" He demanded.
"She needs a lot of rest," Daniel said firmly.
"I'll see she gets it," he said. "Varielle, you were holding out on me."
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"No, you're not," both of them said at once.
"Lieutenant," a voice behind them interrupted. "Jedi Mizabwe."
Both snapped to attention, in Varielle's case with a hastily hidden wince of pain.
"Admiral," they both said politely. Introductions were once again performed. Admiral Filitova Sadderve greeted the new arrival with brusque cordiality.
"Welcome to the Second Republic," she said. "I arranged some quarters and food for you. Varielle said you're trustworthy, and I have yet to find her wrong about peoples' characters. Lieutenant, sort him out and start learning his language. Mizabwe, the Board is waiting."
"What Board?" Daniel asked.
"We also have Boards of Inquiry," Varielle said. "My team is dead. They want answers. No matter how I say it, the last twelve days are going to sound like a bad childrens' story."
"I agree," Sadderve said. "I'll be there to mediate. Good luck, young lady. Lieutenant, why are you still here?"
"Because Daniel hasn't left yet. Daniel, go with my brother; he'll look after you."
"Will you be alright?"
"Yes."
"You're lying."
"It has to be done and it has to be me and no one can help. Go."
The admiral looked over her shoulder, then up at the tall leggy girl beside her. "Woman to woman?" she said, lowering a barrier few even realised was there.
"Yes, I like him. No, he's not married. And it would be a very, very bad idea, not to mention the fact that he just risked losing his entire career because he believed helping me was right and I don't know how to thank him much less repay him."
"And you're as wrapped in duty as ever."
"So are you, or should I bring up Elliotte?"
"I hadn't missed that."
"Missed what?"
"Missed how you find everyone's weak points."
"Why do you think I have no friends?"
Varielle walked back through the Stargate. She had changed into a kind of brown over-robe and a matching pair of creamy shirt and trousers. Daniel noted she had blasters at hip and boot. "You'd better hurry up," she looked drained. "I had to talk very fast."
"Why?"
"So they wouldn't have time to argue much. Is there anything here you need?"
"Uh, no. I'll just leave a note…"
"May I see?"
He extended it. "Just letting Jack know we're both alive and alright. They'll worry."
"They may not come here."
"We have an off-world base. I was going to toss it through there. And if you don't mind…"
"You'd rather not let me know the address? Well, I would rather not let you know ours…"
"I'll keep my eyes shut if you will."
"Fair enough." She closed her eyes and stared pointedly at the ceiling through her eyelids.
She heard the Stargate start up and dial, and resisted the urge to use the Force to track Daniel's movements. That wasn't fair.
After a moment the room fell silent and they swapped places. Varielle recalled the sequence and dialled.
"Brace yourself," she said.
"Why?"
"Our gravity's a bit heavier, remember? And the oxygen is thinner. For the first few minutes you'll feel terrible."
"Thank you for warning me."
"Sarcasm doesn't become you," she said, "but you are very good at it."
"Too much time around Jack."
"Too much time around pain, I would have said," she remarked. "You are not the vicious type."
"How is you always know what will affect me the most and manage to say it?"
"It's what I do," she sighed. "I was always told it's a gift, to see inside people like that. Sometimes I like it."
"And sometimes?"
"I wish I could give it back." She stepped into the blue event horizon and felt the familiar cold envelop her muscles.
He stepped through after her.
He blinked in the bright white lights.
"I should have warned you," Varielle apologised. "We like to see what's going on."
"Varielle!" A leggy man with chestnut hair, a bushy moustache and an ill-fitting uniform loped over. "Welcome back." Behind him the soldiers in armour carefully slung their weapons, but didn't lose one iota of alertness.
Varielle and Daniel both switched languages. "Daniel, this is my almost-brother Lieutenant Simarell Cordenn. He's a sniper." She had to translate that term. "Among other things. Arell, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson. He's a specialist in archaeology and languages, but spends a lot of his time being diplomatic when no one else does." They greeted as politely as the difference in language and custom allowed.
"Was my sister telling the truth when she said she was alright?" He demanded.
"She needs a lot of rest," Daniel said firmly.
"I'll see she gets it," he said. "Varielle, you were holding out on me."
"I'm fine," she insisted.
"No, you're not," both of them said at once.
"Lieutenant," a voice behind them interrupted. "Jedi Mizabwe."
Both snapped to attention, in Varielle's case with a hastily hidden wince of pain.
"Admiral," they both said politely. Introductions were once again performed. Admiral Filitova Sadderve greeted the new arrival with brusque cordiality.
"Welcome to the Second Republic," she said. "I arranged some quarters and food for you. Varielle said you're trustworthy, and I have yet to find her wrong about peoples' characters. Lieutenant, sort him out and start learning his language. Mizabwe, the Board is waiting."
"What Board?" Daniel asked.
"We also have Boards of Inquiry," Varielle said. "My team is dead. They want answers. No matter how I say it, the last twelve days are going to sound like a bad childrens' story."
"I agree," Sadderve said. "I'll be there to mediate. Good luck, young lady. Lieutenant, why are you still here?"
"Because Daniel hasn't left yet. Daniel, go with my brother; he'll look after you."
"Will you be alright?"
"Yes."
"You're lying."
"It has to be done and it has to be me and no one can help. Go."
The admiral looked over her shoulder, then up at the tall leggy girl beside her. "Woman to woman?" she said, lowering a barrier few even realised was there.
"Yes, I like him. No, he's not married. And it would be a very, very bad idea, not to mention the fact that he just risked losing his entire career because he believed helping me was right and I don't know how to thank him much less repay him."
"And you're as wrapped in duty as ever."
"So are you, or should I bring up Elliotte?"
"I hadn't missed that."
"Missed what?"
"Missed how you find everyone's weak points."
"Why do you think I have no friends?"