Chapter 7
Mitchell laid on the cot in the cell, staring at the rock overhead. Teal'c sat on the edge of the cot next to him, staring at the wall.
"He did seem kinda concerned, don't you think?" Mitchell asked Teal'c.
"It did appear we had upset him."
Mitchell rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. For two days, the two had had the same conversation, trying to decide if Kedrek's concern was genuine, or an act.
"Wonder how Carter and Jackson are doing?"
Teal'c didn't answer. Mitchell got up and walked to the bars at the front of the cave that made it a cell. This cave had been made into a brig and the other cells had Jakisau in them, a couple more than probably should be in it. Mitchell sighed, leaning on the bars.
He heard someone coming and looked at his watch. It was about time for lunch again. He had to hand it to these Jakisau – they did treat prisoners well and fed them well. Mitchell looked up, surprised to see Kedrek was walking in with two more Jakisau.
One unlocked the door and held it open.
"Follow me," Kedrek ordered.
Mitchell and Teal'c obeyed.
Kedrek led them out of the brig into tunnels. Dozens of Jakisau passed them, some in uniforms like Kedrek was wearing. Mitchell suddenly did a double take. He realized that in the brig all of the Jakisau were wearing one of three uniforms, but Kedrek and these Jakisau were wearing a fourth style of uniform.
"Kedrek."
"Yes?"
"I noticed you and these other Jakisau are dressed in different uniforms than the ones in the Brig."
"The ones in the brig are soldiers of the ambassadors, mostly high ranking officials that would give us away if we let them go."
"And you? Are these uniforms Ambassador Havet's military?"
"No."
Mitchell waited for more, but it didn't come. So he asked.
"So who are you?"
"Gartian."
"And how are the Gartian different?"
"We clean up after the soldiers kill thousands of their own kind by order of their ambassador."
"Clean up? What does that mean?"
Kedrek stopped and spun, running into Mitchell. Mitchell fell back a step, realizing Kedrek was about half a foot taller and several inches wider than Teal'c.
"The dead. We clean up the corpses. And we protect the civilians caught in the cross fire."
"That's... That's all?"
"Yes."
"So you're morticians and..."
"We are nothing of the sort." Kedrek turned, walking on.
Mitchell and Teal'c looked at each other, following him again.
Kedrek led them into a room full of equipment. He stopped at a large metal frame that had a holographic screen in the center. There were dozens of blips on the screen. Most of them were color-coded red, but a few handfuls were colored blue. The rest of the map was a satellite image of the land, showing real time landscape. Kedrek pointed to a group of three. No. That wasn't right. As they moved it became apparent, there were five.
"These are my soldiers bringing in your people. They'll reach this cliff in an hour and have to find a way up it." Kedrek moved his finger to point out an area at the top of a snow-capped peak. "We are here, at the base of the snow mass on Mount Cardion." He moved his finger back toward the five, past them, to a large grouping of red dots. "And these are Ambassador Doshal troops coming behind them." He pointed to a small group between the five and where the Hold was. "And this is another group, assumedly trying to gather intelligence about our Hold." He moved further up the mountain to a long line of blue dots that surrounded the base. "And this is the perimeter line." Kedrek looked at the two. "Your friends are in danger at all times out there, but my soldiers will protect them. That is why you cannot go out there to retrieve them. This is a war, Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c. A war you know nothing about, in terrain you are unfamiliar with. You are welcome to stay here at the Hold while you wait, but you will not leave the Hold. Understood."
"But, Kedrek, if--"
"The alternative is we dial your world and throw you back through the gate."
Mitchell looked down, putting his hands on his hips. He didn't like that option either.
"My daughter is the commander of the group bringing them here. I made sure they were with the best platoon and she and her men are it. I am trying to stress to you that we are doing what we can to get them here and off this planet alive."
Mitchell looked up at Kedrek. He believed him. Kedrek could have ordered Teal'c and he killed at any time, but instead he was trying to impress upon them the danger of the situation.
"Can we at least go to the perimeter?" Mitchell asked.
"No. You are not to leave the Hold. I'll have my aide show you to the mess hall and where you'll sleep. Dismissed."
"But, if we could--"
"There's always the gate."
Mitchell closed his mouth. He turned to the aide and followed her out of the room. He looked back, seeing Teal'c and Kedrek staring at each other. Teal'c suddenly turned and followed Mitchell.
Torrential rain had been pouring down for two hours now and had thoroughly soaked the group. It drowned out the roar of the river they were following, and the roar of the water falling over the cliff ahead. All of them were tired, but Isha was pushing them until they got to the falls where they could get out of sight and rest for a little while one of her men scouted a way up the cliff. At the falls, Isha signaled them to stop and wait, and then picked her way behind them. She returned to the edge, waving them in. They hurried in after her, finding a damp, shallow cave hidden behind the falls. The twins huddled together, staying close to Daniel. He knelt down in the sand and began unwrapping Aina. She started coughing and he picked her up, laying her on his shoulder and patting her back until the fit was over. Once it was, she started crying. Carter watched the two, surprised at how well Daniel was caring for the baby – it was a skill she never knew he had.
Carter turned to the Gartian and noticed Jajul was missing.
"Where is Jajul?" she asked.
Daniel got up and began pacing, whispering to the baby. Dasex glanced at Carter, but the rebels weren't going to answer.
"I asked where Jajul is," Carter demanded.
"I sent him to do reconnaissance at the last ridge. He will catch up with us before nightfall. Areki, this cliff runs for kilometers both ways. Find us a--"
The Gartian and Carter swung weapons in the direction footsteps were running. Jajul burst into the cave, stopping and holding up his hands. They lowered their weapons.
"You finished recon--"
"Doshal soldiers found the village and the soldiers we left in the town square, sir. My last count was twenty-two heading this way at a fast pace; they'll be here in four hours."
Aina's crying grew louder suddenly. Carter looked at her and Daniel. He was trying to feed her a bottle and suddenly seemed very awkward with her.
"Areki, find a way over," Isha ordered.
Carter turned her attention back to the Gartian. Areki slipped back out of the cave. Isha looked back at Carter, Daniel, and the twins.
"Get some rest," she quietly ordered.
"But there's soldiers coming after us!" Wasteq argued.
"They won't be here for another hour at least, and by then Areki will have found us a way up the cliff."
"Don't you need to rest?" Garut said.
She looked away. In a voice softer than any she'd used since they'd met her, she told him, "You rest for a half hour, Garut. I'll wake you and you can watch out for me. Okay?"
Garut smiled a little. "Okay."
Carter and Daniel exchanged a knowing look. Isha would not wake him until she had to, but if Garut believed her, he'd rest. The twins sat down next to each other and closed their eyes. But rest wasn't going to come to Daniel with Aina crying. Carter walked over, holding her hands out.
"I'll take her for a while."
Daniel shook her head.
"You need to get some sleep, Daniel."
Daniel stopped walking. He handed Aina over, which made her start screaming and crying. "You need to get her quiet," Isha ordered.
"We're trying!" Carter snapped.
Daniel looked at the bottle he was still holding.
"Then maybe that goa'uld should go back to taking care of her. She doesn't fuss when he's tending to her."
Carter and Daniel both looked at her. She had sat down in a lotus position and had her hands resting on her knees and her eyes closed. She had pulled her over shirt off and her bare arms glowed with a soft white light. Carter wondered if the Jakisau had once had glowing skin so, like the night plants, they could attract food. It was an evolution that was much use to them anymore and in war, would only get them killed if they didn't cover it up with camouflage paints. Yet, it pained her because it was a beautiful evolution that would never be appreciated until the Jakisau stopped fighting each other.
"What?" Daniel asked, Frank repeating the question.
Carter looked at him with a strange expression.
"What?" Daniel asked her.
"You just sounded like..."
"I've heard you talking to her, goa'uld! Just take the baby and shut her up!" Isha growled.
Daniel took Aina back, his eyes flashing gold. He sat down against the back of the cave and pulled a baby blanket from his backpack. He handed it to Carter.
"Can you wring that out, Sam?" Frank asked.
She did as he asked, watching him. Frank cradled Aina in the crook of his arm, holding her at chest level. He smiled, talking quietly to her. Carter handed the blanket back and watched him carefully wrapped Aina in it. Her screaming quieted back to crying. Frank sat the bottle down and began stroking her face.
"How about a lullaby?" he asked her with his resonating voice.
Her screaming stopped and became mournful crying.
"Anything to shut her up," Garut muttered.
Frank smiled. "Baby's don't have the patience we do to be wet and uncomfortable, Garut. Right, honey?"
Her crying was beginning to loose strength.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word," Frank began singing as he stroked her face. "Papa's going to buy you a mockin' bird..."
Carter sank to her knees, stunned by this side of Frank she'd never seen. He had parenting skills better than anyone she knew. She quickly reminded herself that he'd had centuries to hone them too. But still... The way he cared for the child, as if she were his own daughter... When would this Thu'lo stop shocking her?
"...And if that mockin' bird don't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns to brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa's gonna buy you a billy-goat..."
Aina's crying had stopped. The cave was filled with the lulling sounds of the waterfall and Frank's singing. Carter's eyes began to droop as the song continued; her consciousness of Frank's voice began to fade in and out.
"Hear, oh, hear the night bird call. Soon, oh, soon, the night will fall. And if that billy-goat won't pull, Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull. And if that cart and bull turn over, Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover..."
Carter laid down in the sand, barely hearing the last of the lullaby.
"...And if that dog named Rover don't bark, Papa's gonna buy you a horse and cart. And if that horse and cart fall down, you'll be the sweetest little baby in town. Hear, oh, hear the night bird call. Soon, oh, soon, the night will fall."
Carter never heard the last verse, and neither did anyone else but Isha. She opened her eyes, looking at Frank. He was watching her, his glowing eyes bright against the darkness around him.
"You should get some rest," Isha told him.
"Daniel's sleeping."
"I meant you."
"You don't strike me as one to be concerned about my welfare."
"I'm not. I'm concerned about Aina's. You're no good to her exhausted."
Frank smiled. "So there is something of a soft spot under there. That's interesting."
"As interesting as a goa'uld that cares about his host and an orphan?"
"Yes. As interesting."
The two fell silent, staring at each other. Frank sighed, laying his head back against the cave wall.
"Be vigilant, child, lest the wolf come to the door," Frank told her and then closed his eyes.
A very faint smile crept onto Isha's lips. There was much to learn from this goa'uld. It was a shame he wouldn't be around long enough to teach more.