Tired. So very tired.
Fatigue had set in long ago; worked its hooks deep into each muscle until she couldn't feel any of them anymore. She didn't open her eyes; couldn't have even if she'd wanted to - which she didn't. Through the lethargy that had descended upon her, logic couldn't find a reason to bother any longer. The end came for all creatures, in some fashion, she was no different.
It would have been nice to have gotten the other one, too. The wry thought skittered on the edge of consciousness, melding with the rest of her thoughts into a soft hum that filled her mind.
She could feel the others; dimming pulses of light that still stood out in contrast to the haze that everything else had blended into. Vala was sad to be leaving them, but they would survive.
The tender melody hovered persistently, lulling her into a deeper sense of peace – pushing to the fore the desire to simply give in, to let go. There was nothing to prove; she'd done what she could and that was more than many before had accomplished. Still, there was one matter to take care of…
The fog began to sharpen as she concentrated. Objects and sounds around her seemed to momentarily solidify, but the nature of the matter she had yet to take care of eluded her, and the focus slipped away.
These humans, maybe they would do it. They were a resourceful lot. Vala smiled inwardly at the odd justification she felt at having not judged the species by the examples the Marsi, and various others she'd met, had set.
If anyone could do it, maybe they could.
She forgot what she'd been thinking about then, but the soothing hum didn't allow her to mind. She felt the gentle falling sensation again, and this time she didn't resist.
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The wolf was frustrated. He could feel the energy flowing away from his bond-mate but was not able to figure out how to keep it from vanishing completely. Already the light that was Vala had darkened in his mind. It had gone from a bright flare, almost painful in its intensity, to a soft glow. Soon she would cease to glimmer at all, and the only remnants of her would be that thin shell which contained far more than these humans could imagine – even in Vala's present state. The knowledge, the experience, the raw power. Gone. Or at least fading quickly.
Ca'eles growled his aggravation, matching the thunder he distantly detected coming from the surface. The sound caused Lasha to look over at him; yellow eyes unblinking. In a brief moment of connection, those orbs expressed what he already knew: Lasha was worried too.
They couldn't just join with Vala; she'd drag them into death with her, without her energy starved mind ever recognizing them as more than sustenance. He wasn't concerned with his own existence, but it would be a waste Vala wouldn't approve of – considering there wasn't even a marginal chance of success. Lasha and he existed on comparatively less energy. It wasn't enough.
What they required was a vast power supply but not just any would do. It had to be compatible and sadly few sources, that he'd seen here, were. Electricity would likely kill her in her current state. Whatever was going on in that mess that was now Vala's mind, such an introduction of electrical output would break the processes down further; destroying any connections that still existed.
No, he reasoned, the human doctor had been right about not trying that – even if she didn't fully comprehend why. Ka'rosh were funny when it came to such electrical energy sources. On some they'd thrive, while on others they'd suffer grievous wounds and possibly die. Goa'uld technology was like that, and, thus far, humanity's seemed to be as well.
They needed something more subtle to her nature…
These people weren't much help, Ca'eles decided with a purely mental snarl. Casting an irritated glance at Daniel, he watched as the human took a drink of water. For a moment the wolf's senses stretched out, uncanny in their acuteness.
In the distance Ca'eles heard the thunder rumble once more.
Now he could feel it shake the skies. The lightning flared up brightly in his mind as the smell of moisture in the air grew heavier. The gentle pattering of rain soothed his anger, causing his eyes to close...
Ruby orbs flew open, startled. How could he have been so stupid?
Slanting another glance toward the small group of humans, assuring himself of their preoccupation, Ca'eles crept out the door and padded silently down to the infirmary. Humans wouldn't understand and he didn't have the patience or, more importantly, the time, to deal with them.
Lasha, having traveled to the surface, screeched in echo of the thunder. She knew. She understood. But that didn't mean anyone not of their bond would.
Warily, he entered the infirmary. By scent alone he knew the precise location of each individual in the room. Of those present, only two were awake and on their feet: the woman doctor and a man whom Ca'eles recalled having seen earlier. Some sort of energy specialist, the wolf remembered.
They were deep in a quiet, yet intense, discussion. He could hear the uncertainty in their words clearly. Neither of them knew what to do.
He ignored them. They weren't looking at him, and that's as far as his concern of them went. Knowing well that his movements went unnoticed, he darted to Vala's side through the private room's open door. Once inside, he paused.
Ca'eles really couldn't think about what he was attempting. It was dangerous, for both of them, but that wasn't the problem. He didn't know if this was possible, but it was the only way to move her that he could think of – short of dragging her limp form out the door with his teeth. Not that that method would hurt her, at least no more than she already was, but it was slow and someone would inevitably see them and attempt to stop him. That couldn't be allowed.
Leaping easily on the bed, managing to avoid stepping on the slight form of the Ka'rosh, he connected to her primary energy pathway and without hesitation, pulled.
For a still, seemingly endless moment, nothing happened. Then slowly he felt himself being drawn in. He resisted, prompting another stalemate. Energy clashed, and as it did, memories washed over him in an overwhelming rush.
His life had ended long ago, in reality. The wolf only existed now because of Vala. He remembered when she'd found him near death, after he'd had an unfortunate run in with hunters on his home planet. They'd hunted him for sport. He had understood that even then, although he'd never comprehended the why of the situation. In those hours of being stalked, he'd learned hatred of other creatures.
But Vala was different, and he'd sensed that immediately.
The Ka'rosh had shown up out of nowhere, unseen by those who were attempting to locate his body for a trophy. She'd kept his energy from dissipating, used the power of her race to force it to shape and substance – of a sort.
Vala had offered him a chance at further life, and he'd taken it. He was a wolf, accepted death for what it was and without fear. But something about her offer was enticing. Perhaps it was something about the Ka'rosh, herself, that had truly appealed to him. The first person he'd met who wasn't destroying all she encountered. Ca'eles could sense it through a link she'd established. She had done it so that he could search her mind, to understand the nature of what she was and what his acceptance would mean – for the both of them.
In searching, he saw the precarious balance she'd struck with nature. Saw the courage, strength, and compassion that she had carried with her through the centuries. But, he had to be honest. It wasn't any of those traits that made him agree in the end. Along with all of those things, he'd sensed loneliness.
One of her species was never meant to be alone.