Chapter 32: Reunion
General Hammond sighed in profound relief as Daniel came walking down the ramp nursing a wounded ankle; he had stayed almost until the last moment helping Jaffa evacuate.
The eleven uniformed strangers were standing in a corner, quietly waiting. "Doctor Jackson," Hammond greeted him warmly. "Welcome back."
"It's good to be back," he said a little hesitantly. "Did Jack explain what's going on?"
"Yes, but not why," he said. "I can see you had a run-in with a Jaffa."
"It's just a slight burn, sir," he said truthfully. "It's not serious, honestly."
"Did everyone make it out?"
"Sam, Jacob and Varielle stayed behind to finish their energy weapon and destroy the data," he looked incredibly weary. "They should be along shortly." The wormhole cut out.
"Or not," Jack said, looking a little haunted. "Are you alright, Daniel?"
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes." He paused. "What happened here after I left?"
"Well, General Hammond hit the roof, Bletchley hit the roof, the Tok'ra hit the roof… everyone was annoyed."
"They wanted to fire you," someone said to him. "But Hammond yelled at 'em and they went away." The speaker was glared at and he hastily retreated to safe distance.
"What are we supposed to do about them?" Hammond gestured to the assortment of strangers; one was easily seven feet tall and covered in brown fur, and the small band of cloth was clearly as a concession to the need for uniform and identification rather than out of any regard for bodily modesty or heat. Yeren looked quite out of place next to the hulking band of conventional soldiers, all of whom were at least a head taller than her. "We talk to them, I guess," Daniel said. "Try to negotiate."
"We're not exactly in a position of strength here, Doctor," General Hammond said.
"Yes, because trying to kidnap one of them is such a wonderful welcome mat," Jack said with mock cheer.
"Yes, we are," Daniel said. "General, they know almost nothing about the Goa'uld. Biology, history, language, culture, politics, technology - everything we've been learning ever since we opened the Stargate. Not only that, they've got no common history with us I've been able to find, so they can't learn to read all the languages out there and talk to all the people without spending years at it. But they know they need military intelligence, and we've got it. Even just knowing which systems the Goa'uld control and how to find out if someone's been infested…"
"Ah," Jack said, enlightened. "But what do they have to trade?"
"They're over a century ahead of us, technology-wise, and they're willing to share at least some of it. If it's a fair trade. But they're wary. They don't trust our ethics."
"With good reason," Jack said.
"Can you understand their language?"
"Sometimes," Daniel said. "Not well enough to write a treaty or a trade agreement. Varielle is going to have to do the translating until I get a chance to practice."
"How is she?"
"Exhausted," Daniel said grimly. "But alive."
"And them?"
"I don't know. Worried, probably."
"Where is…" The wormhole sprung to life.
"We're getting a signal," the seargent on duty said. "It's SG-1."
"Sam," Daniel said. "Open the iris," Hammond ordered. A few seconds later Varielle, Sam and Jacob stepped through. All three were liberally coated in grime. "General Hammond," Varielle said to him. "I'm afraid there's not much left of your Alpha Site."
"Are you alright?" Yeren asked her in their language.
"Yes," she said briefly. "What do you want me to say?"
"Can you translate for me? Word for word?"
"Alright."
"General Hammond, my name is Yeren. I'm in charge of this team. I'd like to talk to you about several things, such as trading information, the possibility of an alliance, and people in your society who approve of sentients as laboratory test subjects. And I'd like to discuss the last one first. I think you - or more correctly, your people - have a great deal of explaining to do." Varielle finished the translation a few beats behind her superior's speech.
Hammond's face tightened. "May I have a few minutes to see to my people first?"
"Certainly. I'll do the same."
"Will you be staying here long?"
"That depends on your answers."
On the far side of the room, SG-1 were enjoying their reunion and eying the newcomers.
"What are they saying?" Jack asked Daniel.
He strained his ears over the hubbub. "I think they're going to stay and be diplomatic."
"Oh, great."
"Yes, isn't it," Daniel said. "They'd be good allies, Jack."
"Really."
"Yes."
General Hammond sighed in profound relief as Daniel came walking down the ramp nursing a wounded ankle; he had stayed almost until the last moment helping Jaffa evacuate.
The eleven uniformed strangers were standing in a corner, quietly waiting. "Doctor Jackson," Hammond greeted him warmly. "Welcome back."
"It's good to be back," he said a little hesitantly. "Did Jack explain what's going on?"
"Yes, but not why," he said. "I can see you had a run-in with a Jaffa."
"It's just a slight burn, sir," he said truthfully. "It's not serious, honestly."
"Did everyone make it out?"
"Sam, Jacob and Varielle stayed behind to finish their energy weapon and destroy the data," he looked incredibly weary. "They should be along shortly." The wormhole cut out.
"Or not," Jack said, looking a little haunted. "Are you alright, Daniel?"
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yes." He paused. "What happened here after I left?"
"Well, General Hammond hit the roof, Bletchley hit the roof, the Tok'ra hit the roof… everyone was annoyed."
"They wanted to fire you," someone said to him. "But Hammond yelled at 'em and they went away." The speaker was glared at and he hastily retreated to safe distance.
"What are we supposed to do about them?" Hammond gestured to the assortment of strangers; one was easily seven feet tall and covered in brown fur, and the small band of cloth was clearly as a concession to the need for uniform and identification rather than out of any regard for bodily modesty or heat. Yeren looked quite out of place next to the hulking band of conventional soldiers, all of whom were at least a head taller than her. "We talk to them, I guess," Daniel said. "Try to negotiate."
"We're not exactly in a position of strength here, Doctor," General Hammond said.
"Yes, because trying to kidnap one of them is such a wonderful welcome mat," Jack said with mock cheer.
"Yes, we are," Daniel said. "General, they know almost nothing about the Goa'uld. Biology, history, language, culture, politics, technology - everything we've been learning ever since we opened the Stargate. Not only that, they've got no common history with us I've been able to find, so they can't learn to read all the languages out there and talk to all the people without spending years at it. But they know they need military intelligence, and we've got it. Even just knowing which systems the Goa'uld control and how to find out if someone's been infested…"
"Ah," Jack said, enlightened. "But what do they have to trade?"
"They're over a century ahead of us, technology-wise, and they're willing to share at least some of it. If it's a fair trade. But they're wary. They don't trust our ethics."
"With good reason," Jack said.
"Can you understand their language?"
"Sometimes," Daniel said. "Not well enough to write a treaty or a trade agreement. Varielle is going to have to do the translating until I get a chance to practice."
"How is she?"
"Exhausted," Daniel said grimly. "But alive."
"And them?"
"I don't know. Worried, probably."
"Where is…" The wormhole sprung to life.
"We're getting a signal," the seargent on duty said. "It's SG-1."
"Sam," Daniel said. "Open the iris," Hammond ordered. A few seconds later Varielle, Sam and Jacob stepped through. All three were liberally coated in grime. "General Hammond," Varielle said to him. "I'm afraid there's not much left of your Alpha Site."
"Are you alright?" Yeren asked her in their language.
"Yes," she said briefly. "What do you want me to say?"
"Can you translate for me? Word for word?"
"Alright."
"General Hammond, my name is Yeren. I'm in charge of this team. I'd like to talk to you about several things, such as trading information, the possibility of an alliance, and people in your society who approve of sentients as laboratory test subjects. And I'd like to discuss the last one first. I think you - or more correctly, your people - have a great deal of explaining to do." Varielle finished the translation a few beats behind her superior's speech.
Hammond's face tightened. "May I have a few minutes to see to my people first?"
"Certainly. I'll do the same."
"Will you be staying here long?"
"That depends on your answers."
On the far side of the room, SG-1 were enjoying their reunion and eying the newcomers.
"What are they saying?" Jack asked Daniel.
He strained his ears over the hubbub. "I think they're going to stay and be diplomatic."
"Oh, great."
"Yes, isn't it," Daniel said. "They'd be good allies, Jack."
"Really."
"Yes."