Disclaimer:All that is from the show, obviously, isn't mine. If it was,
I'd be much happier, have a tutor, and not be worrying about failing french
*nodnod*
Author's Note:Howdy all my devoted fans! Not that I have many...Ah well. Here's a new type of story from yours truly, based on one of my fave TV shows. I'd like to thank Neuropsych, who did my beta reading, and whose stories rock. That seems to be all for now, so, later dudes!
Tora Aykanami
Ode to Joy
A pair of deep brown eyes watched as the Great Ring came suddenly to life. The figure attached to these eyes started, blinking and leaning forward. The figure was hidden in the lush vegetation surrounding the Ring, and thus from the group of four that came through. These brown eyes studied them carefully. One was male, graying hair, commanding manner, had a weapon held ready in his hands and a cover on his head, as well as black disks on his eyes. Another was female, short yellowish hair and an open face as she regarded the terrain with wonder. There was another male, brown haired, a bit shorter than the other, and he also had the discs covering his eyes, but his were clear. The fourth figure was tall and held himself upright. The eyes noted his staff-weapon and regarded him more closely. Jaffa, the being's mind hissed, and the eyes pulled back, barely making the flora brush.
~*~
Doctor Daniel Jackson came through the Stargate with the rest of the team, from the Gate Room to this lushly forested planet. It was a bit of a change. The plants even surrounded the DHD, some vines having curled up around the base of it. Granted he had known this was a tropical planet, but he hadn't been prepared for this many trees. "Gee, more trees," he heard Jack comment sarcastically.
"You aren't still sore about-"
"No. I'm not. Drop it will you?" he cut Sam off. Yup, Daniel thought, still sore about the last mission. Sam only grinned knowingly.
Teal'c stood stiffly as he observed the area. "It would seem that we are being observed," he stated, indicating the bushes which had rustled lightly.
"Are you sure?" Daniel asked. "It was probably just the wind."
"There was no wind Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa replied evenly.
They stood around for a moment, as if reluctant to speak when Jack finally said, "Well then, I guess we should check it out," taking long strides over to the bush in question.
"Be careful Sir," Sam called after him as she moved to follow.
They poked past the bushes with their guns, making sure it was safe before they crossed over. Teal'c kneeled to observe the prints left in the moist soil. "There was indeed someone here. A Tauri by the look of these prints, and walking on the balls of their feet." He said the last with the raise of a brow.
"Well that's interesting. Is he dangerous? Where did he go?" Jack asked in a slightly sarcastic voice.
"I do not know if it is dangerous O'Neill, but it went in that direction. And it is not a male, but a female. The foot is slimmer than a male foot would be." He indicated to their left with his staff weapon.
"Well, it could be a slim guy."
"Unlikly O'Neill."
"Alright then, let's spread out and see if we can find this person, or any other for that matter. Stay close though." Jack moved slightly to the right of where Teal'c had indicated, following his own orders. Sam moved to his right, Teal'c farther to the left, and Daniel closest to the middle.
Daniel heard the other team members making their way steadily through the dense brush, but could not see them. The had only been walking about ten minutes when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, causing him to turn. All he caught was a flash of dark brown hair. "Hey!" he called out, instinctively running in that direction.
"Daniel?" Jack called out, as he and the rest of the group moved to follow Daniel. "What are you doing? Get back here!"
Daniel wasn't paying attention, focusing on following the fleeing entity before him. It seemed feline...No, it was definitely human. He only caught fleeting glimpses of it as it ran before him, so close yet so out of reach. His progress was relatively smooth as he seemed to be on a slightly cleared path of some sort. The shouts of his teammates grew faint as they were hampered by the dense vegetation.
He soon lost all sight of the fleeing being. He also became painfully aware he'd lost Sam, Jack, and Teal'c as well. Flinching slightly, he continued at a walk, calling 'hello's, and 'I won't hurt you's into the empty forest. He ran forward as he heard a cracking branch, then tripping over a log. Looking up, his eyes widened as he came face to face with that which he had been pursuing.
~*~
Colonel Jack O'Neill cursed under his breath. There was no sign of Daniel anywhere. "Well this is pleasant," he said irately as he pushed a thick vine out of his way, batting at it as it came back down to brush his face.
"Sir, I think there's some sort of trail here," Sam said, indicating a clearer strip.
"That looks just like the rest of the forest."
"I believe she is correct O'Neill."
"No she isn't."
"Yes Sir, look. The undergrowth has been cleared a bit, and the ground leveled. And look, there aren't any vines hanging here."
"And there are two sets of prints. It would seem Daniel Jackson and the one we pursue would have come this way."
"And you can always trust Daniel to find the easiest way through," Jack muttered, following the other two as they continued walking, this time on the path. The path they followed was little more than a deer trail, but still, the going was smoother than if they had continued on in the regular forest. They soon came to a fork in the path.
"So, which way now?" Jack said, tapping his gun impatiently.
"The trail of footprints ends here O'Neill," Teal'c pointed out.
"So, which way do we go?"
"Well Sir, I guess that's up to you."
"Fine. Let's see, if I was running away from a harmless group of humans, which way would I go..." he looked with mock indecision at the two paths. "This way," he said, walking straight ahead.
"Are you sure Sir? I mean-"
"Carter."
"Sorry Sir."
~*~
As it turns out, had they taken the left fork, they would have happened upon Daniel and his new...acquaintance.
"Um...Hello," he said uncertainly, looking up. He now understood why he had thought it a feline momentarily. It had the ears and tail of a tiger striped cat, and the tail was lashing wildly from side to side. The ears were pricked forward, and twitching at sounds he couldn't hear. The being seemed almost completely human aside from these traits, and definitely female. Her face was thin and pixie-like, but not gaunt. It had a vaguely feline look to it, her eyes almond-shaped and turned up slightly. They were a dark brownish-gold, honey colored. Her hair dark brown hair was cut evenly at her hips, and unevenly cut bangs fell into her eyes. Her hair was tied back at about mid-back with a thin leather strip. She wore a halter-top that seemed to have been made of a hide of some sort, and a skirt of the same material that came to about mid-thigh. The short cut of both showed of her toned, tanned physique, muscles glinting slightly in the dulled sunlight. She sat in a protective crouch, looking down at Daniel, still lying on his stomach, with a feral _expression. She scowled at him lightly as she shifted half a step back.
"No, wait, I won't hurt you," he said in a soft voice, pushing himself up. She let out a low growl at him as she brought herself lower to the ground in a ready position and pulled back further.
"Okay, okay, I won't do that again," he said, lightly placing himself back on the ground. He crossed his arms under his chin as he watched her shift distrustfully. "Do you have a name?" he asked, trying to make conversation with the girl. He figured she looked to be about early twenties. Well, he also knew looks could be deceiving. She regarded him with a curious, though still feral look at his request, but it shifted back to a scowl. "Okay...A language? Can you speak?" Her brows drew together and she tried to glare at him at the same time. "I guess not..." He continued asking pointless questions, causing her to either just stare or scowl at him. Finally giving up, his head thudded in the dirt. The being watched with apparent curiosity. She had sat down with her legs cross a bit ago, though still hadn't let him up. He let out a sigh as he propped his elbows up, taking off his glasses to clean them. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the girl let out a tentative hum.
He looked back at her quickly, putting his glasses back on and crawling forward on his elbows. "Is that how you communicate? Music? Like birds?" His sudden movement startled her into backing away. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot about your bubble." He must not have startled her too badly, because she let out another hum. This note was clearer than the first, but the same tone. He mimicked her, and her face brightened. She hummed the same note twice, and he mimicked her again. She then hummed a short tune, pausing to look at him expectantly. His jaw dropped. "That was 'Ode to Joy,'" he said in shock, and she was still watching him when Jack, Sam and Teal'c burst through the vegetation behind her.
~*~
Major Samantha Carter had been following Jack as Teal'c followed behind her when she heard the murmur of voices. She stopped, listening, and Teal'c stopped behind her. Becoming aware that the only footsteps he heard were his own, Jack eventually stopped too. "Well?" he said.
"Sir, do you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
He paused to listen. "No."
"It's voices. Off to the side," she informed him, pointing further to the left. The path had been curling around, so she had figured that it might connect with the other path beside it. It seemed she was right.
"So?" he asked her.
"Well, we're looking for people..."
"It sounds like Daniel Jackson is speaking to someone," Teal'c added, having also cocked his head to listen.
"Probably bartering for his release. We better go get him out of whatever trouble he's gotten himself into this time."
Jack started off slowly through the brush, holding his gun at the ready. With a sigh Sam followed, holding her own gun, and Teal'c brought up the rear with his staff weapon. Jack motioned for them to stop as he peered through the bushes. Sam looked over his shoulder to see Daniel laying on the ground before a seated...cat-person...and he was staring at her with wide eyes and gaping mouth. Jack, deciding his friend must be in trouble, emerged from the bushes, gun bared.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to be caught by the bad guys?" He admonished the prone Daniel.
"But Jack, she's not-"Daniel had sat up as the others entered, but was cut off by the native girl jumping back to her crouch in surprise. She backed away, growling at the newcomers, bumping into Daniel in the process. She then jumped away from him, turning to growl once more at the others. She saw Teal's emerge from behind Sam, and her eyes narrowed. "Jaffa," she hissed.
"Jaffa? You can talk?" Daniel asked turning to the girl, who ignored him.
Sam looked from the girl to Daniel, and Jack asked, "Daniel, are you alright?"
"Yes, just don't shoot! Put your guns down, it makes her nervous."
"That would be the point," said Jack, keeping his gun trained on the girl.
"She hasn't made a move to hurt anyone yet, just growling and such, but look: she gets nervous easily. She had been calm before you guys startled her."
"I bet that's why you were laying down before her."
"I'm sure it was just so that she was sure I wouldn't hurt her."
"Oh yes, you look so threatening."
Daniel gave Jack a look, which Jack transferred to Sam when she lowered her gun. He grudgingly lowered his, but it took a few more moments for Teal'c to follow suit.
"It's the most amazing thing!" Daniel bubbled, causing the girl to jump and look at him. "She was humming 'Ode to Joy'!"
Sam blinked. "'Ode to Joy'? As in Beethoven?"
Daniel nodded excitedly. "Yes. Go on, show them," he said, gesturing to the girl. She blinked, cocking her head to the side. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you couldn't understand my...our language."
The girl blinked at him. "I understand you perfectly well," she replied in a mellow, melodious voice with a slight English accent. "I just don't understand why you want me to hum the song again. Do you like it?"
Ch.2 The Introduction A cool spring breeze gently brushed the trees, sending cherry blossom petals through the air in a gentle stream, taking their sweet scent farther than the call of a lonesome heart could call on a dark night. But now was not a dark night. It was a bright day, fading swiftly to sunset. Outside of a humble temple were six freshly dug graves, each with a small bouquet of flowers adorning the turned soil. Inside a preistess sat in front of a shrine, silently calling prayers to the heavens. Her straight ebony hair fell a bit past her waist, and was tied with a strip of white cloth in a low ponytail. Her traditional outfit donned a white shirt and red bottoms, her sandals were by the door, which was open to welcome the sweet breeze. Her bangs swept into her eyes, now closed but normally revealed to be a deep, penetrating brown. Her gentle face held wisdom one her age should not know, age appearing to be from late teens to early twenties. She was pretty, but tried to mask it with feirce piety. Leaning on the wall to her left was a long Kwan-Dao. It's stout wooden handle bore designs of war, pictures of sweet victory and bitter defeat. The blade had prayers for victory etched into it in Chinese. A long red sash hung low, tied just below the blade. Outlined in gold thread was a dragon, flying over clouds. The blade was now clean, but had recently been blooded. The girl thought not of this, thinking only pure thoughts as she prayed.
Author's Note:Howdy all my devoted fans! Not that I have many...Ah well. Here's a new type of story from yours truly, based on one of my fave TV shows. I'd like to thank Neuropsych, who did my beta reading, and whose stories rock. That seems to be all for now, so, later dudes!
Tora Aykanami
Ode to Joy
A pair of deep brown eyes watched as the Great Ring came suddenly to life. The figure attached to these eyes started, blinking and leaning forward. The figure was hidden in the lush vegetation surrounding the Ring, and thus from the group of four that came through. These brown eyes studied them carefully. One was male, graying hair, commanding manner, had a weapon held ready in his hands and a cover on his head, as well as black disks on his eyes. Another was female, short yellowish hair and an open face as she regarded the terrain with wonder. There was another male, brown haired, a bit shorter than the other, and he also had the discs covering his eyes, but his were clear. The fourth figure was tall and held himself upright. The eyes noted his staff-weapon and regarded him more closely. Jaffa, the being's mind hissed, and the eyes pulled back, barely making the flora brush.
~*~
Doctor Daniel Jackson came through the Stargate with the rest of the team, from the Gate Room to this lushly forested planet. It was a bit of a change. The plants even surrounded the DHD, some vines having curled up around the base of it. Granted he had known this was a tropical planet, but he hadn't been prepared for this many trees. "Gee, more trees," he heard Jack comment sarcastically.
"You aren't still sore about-"
"No. I'm not. Drop it will you?" he cut Sam off. Yup, Daniel thought, still sore about the last mission. Sam only grinned knowingly.
Teal'c stood stiffly as he observed the area. "It would seem that we are being observed," he stated, indicating the bushes which had rustled lightly.
"Are you sure?" Daniel asked. "It was probably just the wind."
"There was no wind Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa replied evenly.
They stood around for a moment, as if reluctant to speak when Jack finally said, "Well then, I guess we should check it out," taking long strides over to the bush in question.
"Be careful Sir," Sam called after him as she moved to follow.
They poked past the bushes with their guns, making sure it was safe before they crossed over. Teal'c kneeled to observe the prints left in the moist soil. "There was indeed someone here. A Tauri by the look of these prints, and walking on the balls of their feet." He said the last with the raise of a brow.
"Well that's interesting. Is he dangerous? Where did he go?" Jack asked in a slightly sarcastic voice.
"I do not know if it is dangerous O'Neill, but it went in that direction. And it is not a male, but a female. The foot is slimmer than a male foot would be." He indicated to their left with his staff weapon.
"Well, it could be a slim guy."
"Unlikly O'Neill."
"Alright then, let's spread out and see if we can find this person, or any other for that matter. Stay close though." Jack moved slightly to the right of where Teal'c had indicated, following his own orders. Sam moved to his right, Teal'c farther to the left, and Daniel closest to the middle.
Daniel heard the other team members making their way steadily through the dense brush, but could not see them. The had only been walking about ten minutes when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, causing him to turn. All he caught was a flash of dark brown hair. "Hey!" he called out, instinctively running in that direction.
"Daniel?" Jack called out, as he and the rest of the group moved to follow Daniel. "What are you doing? Get back here!"
Daniel wasn't paying attention, focusing on following the fleeing entity before him. It seemed feline...No, it was definitely human. He only caught fleeting glimpses of it as it ran before him, so close yet so out of reach. His progress was relatively smooth as he seemed to be on a slightly cleared path of some sort. The shouts of his teammates grew faint as they were hampered by the dense vegetation.
He soon lost all sight of the fleeing being. He also became painfully aware he'd lost Sam, Jack, and Teal'c as well. Flinching slightly, he continued at a walk, calling 'hello's, and 'I won't hurt you's into the empty forest. He ran forward as he heard a cracking branch, then tripping over a log. Looking up, his eyes widened as he came face to face with that which he had been pursuing.
~*~
Colonel Jack O'Neill cursed under his breath. There was no sign of Daniel anywhere. "Well this is pleasant," he said irately as he pushed a thick vine out of his way, batting at it as it came back down to brush his face.
"Sir, I think there's some sort of trail here," Sam said, indicating a clearer strip.
"That looks just like the rest of the forest."
"I believe she is correct O'Neill."
"No she isn't."
"Yes Sir, look. The undergrowth has been cleared a bit, and the ground leveled. And look, there aren't any vines hanging here."
"And there are two sets of prints. It would seem Daniel Jackson and the one we pursue would have come this way."
"And you can always trust Daniel to find the easiest way through," Jack muttered, following the other two as they continued walking, this time on the path. The path they followed was little more than a deer trail, but still, the going was smoother than if they had continued on in the regular forest. They soon came to a fork in the path.
"So, which way now?" Jack said, tapping his gun impatiently.
"The trail of footprints ends here O'Neill," Teal'c pointed out.
"So, which way do we go?"
"Well Sir, I guess that's up to you."
"Fine. Let's see, if I was running away from a harmless group of humans, which way would I go..." he looked with mock indecision at the two paths. "This way," he said, walking straight ahead.
"Are you sure Sir? I mean-"
"Carter."
"Sorry Sir."
~*~
As it turns out, had they taken the left fork, they would have happened upon Daniel and his new...acquaintance.
"Um...Hello," he said uncertainly, looking up. He now understood why he had thought it a feline momentarily. It had the ears and tail of a tiger striped cat, and the tail was lashing wildly from side to side. The ears were pricked forward, and twitching at sounds he couldn't hear. The being seemed almost completely human aside from these traits, and definitely female. Her face was thin and pixie-like, but not gaunt. It had a vaguely feline look to it, her eyes almond-shaped and turned up slightly. They were a dark brownish-gold, honey colored. Her hair dark brown hair was cut evenly at her hips, and unevenly cut bangs fell into her eyes. Her hair was tied back at about mid-back with a thin leather strip. She wore a halter-top that seemed to have been made of a hide of some sort, and a skirt of the same material that came to about mid-thigh. The short cut of both showed of her toned, tanned physique, muscles glinting slightly in the dulled sunlight. She sat in a protective crouch, looking down at Daniel, still lying on his stomach, with a feral _expression. She scowled at him lightly as she shifted half a step back.
"No, wait, I won't hurt you," he said in a soft voice, pushing himself up. She let out a low growl at him as she brought herself lower to the ground in a ready position and pulled back further.
"Okay, okay, I won't do that again," he said, lightly placing himself back on the ground. He crossed his arms under his chin as he watched her shift distrustfully. "Do you have a name?" he asked, trying to make conversation with the girl. He figured she looked to be about early twenties. Well, he also knew looks could be deceiving. She regarded him with a curious, though still feral look at his request, but it shifted back to a scowl. "Okay...A language? Can you speak?" Her brows drew together and she tried to glare at him at the same time. "I guess not..." He continued asking pointless questions, causing her to either just stare or scowl at him. Finally giving up, his head thudded in the dirt. The being watched with apparent curiosity. She had sat down with her legs cross a bit ago, though still hadn't let him up. He let out a sigh as he propped his elbows up, taking off his glasses to clean them. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the girl let out a tentative hum.
He looked back at her quickly, putting his glasses back on and crawling forward on his elbows. "Is that how you communicate? Music? Like birds?" His sudden movement startled her into backing away. "Sorry, sorry. I forgot about your bubble." He must not have startled her too badly, because she let out another hum. This note was clearer than the first, but the same tone. He mimicked her, and her face brightened. She hummed the same note twice, and he mimicked her again. She then hummed a short tune, pausing to look at him expectantly. His jaw dropped. "That was 'Ode to Joy,'" he said in shock, and she was still watching him when Jack, Sam and Teal'c burst through the vegetation behind her.
~*~
Major Samantha Carter had been following Jack as Teal'c followed behind her when she heard the murmur of voices. She stopped, listening, and Teal'c stopped behind her. Becoming aware that the only footsteps he heard were his own, Jack eventually stopped too. "Well?" he said.
"Sir, do you hear that?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
He paused to listen. "No."
"It's voices. Off to the side," she informed him, pointing further to the left. The path had been curling around, so she had figured that it might connect with the other path beside it. It seemed she was right.
"So?" he asked her.
"Well, we're looking for people..."
"It sounds like Daniel Jackson is speaking to someone," Teal'c added, having also cocked his head to listen.
"Probably bartering for his release. We better go get him out of whatever trouble he's gotten himself into this time."
Jack started off slowly through the brush, holding his gun at the ready. With a sigh Sam followed, holding her own gun, and Teal'c brought up the rear with his staff weapon. Jack motioned for them to stop as he peered through the bushes. Sam looked over his shoulder to see Daniel laying on the ground before a seated...cat-person...and he was staring at her with wide eyes and gaping mouth. Jack, deciding his friend must be in trouble, emerged from the bushes, gun bared.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to be caught by the bad guys?" He admonished the prone Daniel.
"But Jack, she's not-"Daniel had sat up as the others entered, but was cut off by the native girl jumping back to her crouch in surprise. She backed away, growling at the newcomers, bumping into Daniel in the process. She then jumped away from him, turning to growl once more at the others. She saw Teal's emerge from behind Sam, and her eyes narrowed. "Jaffa," she hissed.
"Jaffa? You can talk?" Daniel asked turning to the girl, who ignored him.
Sam looked from the girl to Daniel, and Jack asked, "Daniel, are you alright?"
"Yes, just don't shoot! Put your guns down, it makes her nervous."
"That would be the point," said Jack, keeping his gun trained on the girl.
"She hasn't made a move to hurt anyone yet, just growling and such, but look: she gets nervous easily. She had been calm before you guys startled her."
"I bet that's why you were laying down before her."
"I'm sure it was just so that she was sure I wouldn't hurt her."
"Oh yes, you look so threatening."
Daniel gave Jack a look, which Jack transferred to Sam when she lowered her gun. He grudgingly lowered his, but it took a few more moments for Teal'c to follow suit.
"It's the most amazing thing!" Daniel bubbled, causing the girl to jump and look at him. "She was humming 'Ode to Joy'!"
Sam blinked. "'Ode to Joy'? As in Beethoven?"
Daniel nodded excitedly. "Yes. Go on, show them," he said, gesturing to the girl. She blinked, cocking her head to the side. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you couldn't understand my...our language."
The girl blinked at him. "I understand you perfectly well," she replied in a mellow, melodious voice with a slight English accent. "I just don't understand why you want me to hum the song again. Do you like it?"
Ch.2 The Introduction A cool spring breeze gently brushed the trees, sending cherry blossom petals through the air in a gentle stream, taking their sweet scent farther than the call of a lonesome heart could call on a dark night. But now was not a dark night. It was a bright day, fading swiftly to sunset. Outside of a humble temple were six freshly dug graves, each with a small bouquet of flowers adorning the turned soil. Inside a preistess sat in front of a shrine, silently calling prayers to the heavens. Her straight ebony hair fell a bit past her waist, and was tied with a strip of white cloth in a low ponytail. Her traditional outfit donned a white shirt and red bottoms, her sandals were by the door, which was open to welcome the sweet breeze. Her bangs swept into her eyes, now closed but normally revealed to be a deep, penetrating brown. Her gentle face held wisdom one her age should not know, age appearing to be from late teens to early twenties. She was pretty, but tried to mask it with feirce piety. Leaning on the wall to her left was a long Kwan-Dao. It's stout wooden handle bore designs of war, pictures of sweet victory and bitter defeat. The blade had prayers for victory etched into it in Chinese. A long red sash hung low, tied just below the blade. Outlined in gold thread was a dragon, flying over clouds. The blade was now clean, but had recently been blooded. The girl thought not of this, thinking only pure thoughts as she prayed.