14: Joint Operation
October 26th, 2023
"So, run this by me again." John crossed his arms, leaning back against the nearby wall as he regarded Daniel. They were in the archaeologist's workshop deep in the SGC, and Daniel himself was busy packing a small bag. He had thrown in some odds and ends, among them his toothbrush and a comb. He was leaving, and John was still not certain as to why he was in such a hurry. The whole thing had come up suddenly, and this also happened to be right on the verge of what was likely to be an important mission.
"What do you want to know?"
"What I want to know is what relevance you think this has," John said. "If McKay is in hiding because he thinks he's being targeted, then that's worth investigating, sure. But will it truly help our current circumstances? Surely it can wait a day or two?"
"You want to wait and see?"
"I think we should look at what the makalvari want with us first," John said. "That's all. Then we can come back, find McKay and get to the bottom of whatever conspiracy he's sprung open."
"Look, I don't want to waste any time. You know as well as I do that there's something truly sinister going on behind the scenes. Someone funded the construction of the Broadsword, someone backed McClintock's posting here, someone diverted funds from the SGC before that stuff happened with the Field Marshall. And now we know for sure that a trusted colleague of ours is convinced he was targeted by some big conspiracy, one that backed his research into Project Arcturus."
"Yeah, about that." John narrowed his eyes. "I had no idea he went back to Atlantis after I was recalled."
"You two didn't keep in touch?"
John gave a shrug in response. Sure, he considered Rodney McKay a friend, to an extent, but John had never been one to seek out former colleagues and team members. Outside of work, he tended to keep to himself and that is simply how he had been for a long time now. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he felt that it may have had something to do with losing so many of his friends in Afghanistan. He came back to the United States with very few people left to actually hang out with, and from then on he had become increasingly insular when not on the job. A psychologist would suggest such a thing was unhealthy and the result of some wartime trauma. John figured they might be right, at least partially.
"No, not really. Rodney was never one to seek out friends, and I'll be the first one to tell you I'm not the most sociable person." He paused, mulling it over. "I just don't get why you're so eager to go find him. You really think this has something to do with what's going on? Because I'm not really sure what it is that's going on."
"Someone had the Broadsword built, John," Daniel said, and from his tone it was clear his mind was made. He was determined to follow through on his find, and John knew that there would be no point in trying to talk him out of it. "A three-mile-wide battle-station with guns all over it and sophisticated sensors and surveillance systems. It could sit in orbit of Earth and listen in to a conversation taking place on the planet hundreds of miles below. As far as I can tell, it was built with oppression in mind and it was kept a secret even from us. I used to think our security clearance was pretty high, but obviously it's not high enough. There's a whole level above us, and they haven't got science and exploring the stars in mind."
"You sound passionate." That was nothing new where Daniel was concerned.
"Because what's going on affects all of us," the archaeologist said. "We have to look into whatever leads we have, and we haven't got many. Call it a hunch, but I think Rodney's our best lead on the whole thing. And the timing couldn't be better."
John quirked a brow, curious as to what he meant. Seeing the change of expression, Daniel continued:
"Think about it, John. We know these 'Void Demons' are real. We know they've been in hiding for a thousand years because the old alliance, that is the Calsharans, Nomads and makalvari, collectively beat them back. We know they work to subvert entire civilisations and divide them. It's the oldest strategy, divide and conquer. We don't know what their end goals are, we can only assume they're nothing good. I believe that it goes beyond mere subjugation and destruction. You saw that creature on Sanctuary, Cruzek. He used to be one of their minions, before Visala apparently got hold of him."
"Yeah, how could I forget the gremlin?" He recalled all too vividly what had happened on Sanctuary, within the heart of the Nomad city. The creature that served as custodian to the AI Construct, Cruzek, had once been a minor minion to the Void Demons. At least, that was what little they had been able to gather about him, before the Calsharans and then the Void Demons themselves had laid waste to the city. They had lost the Construct; that is, the digital AI copy of the Ancient inventor, Janus. Visala's plan, the one she had put into place one-thousand years previously, had intended for them to make use of the Janus AI like she had in that first war. Obviously, things had not worked out that way.
"And you saw that other one," Daniel added.
Again, John recalled the so-called 'Herald', the figure who had pursued them to the stargate on Sanctuary, deep underground. It had, for all intents and purposes, had the look of a 'demon'. He had not been able to examine it too closely, but the threatening features had certainly stood out. It was the same kind of creature Jonas said he had seen on Langara, hinting at the enemy's manipulations of his people's government.
Daniel must have been thinking along the same lines, given what he said next:
"Jonas saw that thing on Langara, speaking with the Kelownan Prime Minister. That thing is just a representative, a 'Herald'. You could liken it to the Ori Priors, or at least that's what I think. We don't know nearly enough about them to make any solid conclusions. The fact that it was speaking with the Kelownan leader certainly indicates 'subversion' of some kind. The same with the Nomad Overseer, Torrant. He was working with a Herald, perhaps even the same one. What does that tell you?"
Putting it all out on the table like this did make things clearer, even if actual solid answers were few and far between.
"They're corrupting governments," John stated, his voice hollow. "Probably bending them to whatever schemes they have in mind."
"Promising power and glory, I bet." Daniel's implication was readily apparent now. "It's not a stretch to assume they're here on Earth, in some form. Maybe Rodney found something he shouldn't have? You read his report."
"Yeah, I did." John had read through it this morning, and after doing so he had been somewhat confused. He had always figured McKay as an eccentric, yet that report had been far-fetched even for him. John had encountered plenty of craziness over the years, it came with the job, but McKay had put forth a number of claims that were backed up with nothing more than his word. Project Arcturus had started at an Ancient laboratory years ago, where McKay had come across a prototype weapon harnessing a new form of energy. The whole thing had ended in a disaster, with McKay obliterating most of the solar system despite having assured everyone that the experiments were perfectly safe. John had almost died in that mess, and it had taken him a while to regain that same level of trust with McKay as he had before that fiasco.
And so, like any determined scientist intent on making their mark on history, McKay had pursued that research on a smaller scale. At one point, he thought he had found it, building a machine that drew energy from parallel universes. And again, that had gone awry, albeit far less catastrophically. After that mess, McKay had put aside the research to focus on more pressing projects, such as anything that might have been able to aid in the fight against the Wraith. When Atlantis had ended up on Earth, McKay had been among the first to go back with it to the Pegasus galaxy, as had John. With the Wraith threat finally neutralised, both had been recalled back to Earth and reassigned. John had been unsuccessful in pushing for a return for himself, whereas Rodney, it seemed, had succeeded. He had succeeded, only to hurry back home suddenly after destroying his own research. The report had made that clear, even if his reasoning was vague.
"So, he continued on Project Arcturus in some way, came across something that horrified him and destroyed his own research." John shook his head, unable to quite believe it. "That doesn't sound like Rodney."
"No, it doesn't."
"And Woolsey helped him hideaway?"
"Only because Rodney, at least in Woolsey's eyes, was gradually sliding off the deep end." Daniel paused for a moment, giving this some further thought. "I mean, I suppose it had to happen eventually. You know what he's like."
"Oh yeah, I know." John was still trying to wrap his head around all of this. Daniel, already dressed in his civvies, was rearing up to leave. In Daniel's case, he wore a set of grey slacks, a plaid shirt and a brown jacket, which more or less made him the very picture of an 'archaeology professor'.
"I already spoke to Janssen," Daniel said, as if suspecting John was about to attempt to persuade him to stay behind. He had been right in that suspicion, and John found himself going quiet for a moment as he allowed Daniel to elaborate. "He said I could look into it, as long as I report in every day. Woolsey told me where I could find Rodney, but there's no way of knowing if he's still there. I'm going out on my own, so whatever the makalvari have for us, you're going to have to sort it out without me."
"I'd prefer to have the whole team on hand."
"You'll have Jonas. He's almost as good as me." Daniel offered John a wry smile as he said this. John, who did not know Jonas Quinn terribly well, was not sure what to make of the man. Sure, Jonas had been with SG-1 for about a year, back when Daniel had been temporarily ascended. It still seemed strange to think about such a thing, remembering once again that he was talking to a man who had 'died' more than once. He had to wonder how Daniel felt about that, for as far as he could tell, the archaeologist seemed normal enough.
"It was Jonas who found the report. He thought sifting through the past might net us something useful for the present. Sort of like archaeology, I guess." Daniel, with one finger, adjusted his glasses slightly. "He's a good man."
"I'd still rather have you watching my back."
"That's a nice sentiment and all, but I need to look into this. I have a good hunch that it could help us."
"A hunch, huh?"
"What?" Daniel seemed surprised at John's skepticism. "You've never followed your gut before?"
"I always follow my gut, Daniel. Probably explains why I get into so much trouble." He checked his watch then, an SGC-assigned digital one he had around his left wrist. "Look, the meeting is in half an hour. You sure you don't want to hang around and see what the go is?"
Daniel picked up his bag and slung it around one shoulder. He shook his head as he started for the door.
"Sorry John, but I've already booked a flight out of here. Rodney's over in the Ozarks, if you can believe it."
"No, not really." John turned to Daniel as he walked by, headed for the door. "He was never much of an outdoorsy type."
Daniel stopped at the doorway, turning around to look back at John. He appeared thoughtful, if a little uncertain.
"I'd suggest you come along, since you know him better than I do. But I know that won't happen."
"There's a war going on out there," John countered. "I feel like that's a little more important than an AWOL physicist." Sure, he felt a little bad in saying this. However, it was the truth. He had a solid assignment ahead of him, regarding the makalvari and whatever they had uncovered from the Calsharan data-pad. He could not afford to leave now on a thin lead to find McKay, even if he considered the man to be a friend. Granted, McKay was a friend whom he had not spoken to in seven years. God only knew what the man was like now, and judging from that report, he may very well have become a little unhinged. McKay was a genius, or at least he proclaimed himself to be one. Many geniuses, from what John had seen, tended to be a little crazy.
"If you do find him, bring him back." John met Daniel's level gaze. His request was sincere. "We could use his brains around here."
"Bring back Rodney McKay?" Daniel twitched his brows. "You know, most people would prefer it if he stayed out there."
"Yeah, well, I'm not 'most people', am I?"
"That's true." With a small wave, Daniel started out of the doorway. "I'll see you in a few days, John."
"Sure thing." John removed himself from his leaning posture, watching as Daniel disappeared into the corridor, footsteps receding as he departed. For some reason, John felt as if the 'few days' estimate in this case was grossly underestimating things. That was his gut feeling, anyway, and it was a feeling that gave John a growing sense of foreboding. Whatever the makalvari had for them, it was not likely to be good. The 'sure thing' was anything but 'sure'.
John loitered a little longer in Daniel's workspace, where the shelves were packed full of old books and the desk was covered in pages and pages of notes. It was almost like a library in here, even if some of the tomes on offer struck John as a little dense. Thick volumes about ancient mythologies, mingled in with texts about philosophy, with even some science-related books thrown in for good measure. Daniel was a sponge for new knowledge and over the past eighteen months, John had come to rely upon him when he had questions concerning any of the more unusual finds they encountered on other planets.
Part of John did want to go out and find Rodney. He considered heading off with Daniel, chasing him down the corridor, but he knew doing so would only be going back on his word to the General. He had to stay behind and see just what kind of business the makalvari wanted their assistance with. All the while, he could only hope that Daniel did not meet with any trouble of his own.
There was someone waiting for Daniel. A large man in a black top and green regulation trousers was standing by the elevator when Daniel arrived, and the archaeologist was pleasantly surprised to see this old friend up and about.
"Teal'c?" He stopped before the elevator doors, regarding the burly Jaffa with a cocked brow. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"The doctor cleared me for release," Teal'c stated. "Jonas informed me of what you intend to do. I would like to accompany you."
"You want to come along?" Daniel paused, mulling it over. "I don't know, Teal'c. I mean, I'm just going to see McKay. He's not really you're friend." With that thought in mind, he added: "You know, he's not really my friend either."
"Yet you believe he may be of some help?"
"It's a possibility. Or we could be running headlong into some dead-end. Either way, it's worth checking out. We need a break, and right now I'm willing to follow whatever leads I find, no matter how flimsy."
Teal'c gave a nod of his head.
"You do not need to be alone on this mission, Daniel Jackson. I will come with you."
"I suppose I can't convince you otherwise?" He already knew the answer to this question. Teal'c simply narrowed his eyes slightly, enough to indicate that there would indeed be no arguing about it. Daniel supposed there was no harm in it. If Teal'c wanted to come along, then by all means. At least the Jaffa was unlikely to complain if they found nothing of interest. Besides, the two of them had not worked together for years, and it would be good to have an old friend with him. It would almost be like old times. Almost.
"All right, Teal'c. Get your things. We're heading out to the Ozarks."
Teal'c's expression suggested that he was not entirely familiar with that name.
"The American heartland. A good place to get lost, and I think that's exactly what McKay's done here. Did Jonas tell you why we think this might be a good lead?"
"He explained it to the best of his abilities, and as straightforwardly as he was able. I understand the situation is complicated."
"Like you wouldn't believe. Dark powers behind the scenes and all, you know, real dour stuff." Daniel hit the button on the panel by the elevator, calling it down. "You're not getting a bag?"
"I have nothing to bring, Daniel Jackson. My belongings remain on Chulak."
"Right, of course." Daniel supposed this should not be a surprise. "Then we'll just have to buy you some decent civvies, I guess. We'll do that on the way. I was thinking a nice leather jacket would work well on you?" This latter part he added as a half-joke, and Teal'c delivered his familiar cocked eyebrow at the suggestion.
The elevator doors slid open then, allowing the pair entry. Hitting the button for ground level, the doors closed and the pair's journey into a deepening conspiracy began in earnest. Whereas Daniel was not expecting much in the way of trouble, Teal'c had the nagging feeling that trouble was all that awaited them.
Aithris and Natalia returned from their trip to the Nomad settlement, and almost as soon as they arrived they were being sent off to the latest meeting. John was in the conference room when they came in, as was General Janssen. The General was seated at the head of the table, as expected, and to his right was the Colonel. It was the others seated there that were somewhat more unusual, in particular the familiar figure of Captain Kav'rak, once again adorned in his deep green, almost black uniform with its many coloured ribbons and medals pinned to the lapels. And Kav'rak was joined by two other makalvari, regular soldiers judging from their more rugged outfits. They were his escort, and they appropriately stood at either side of the room keeping an eye on things, ready to leap into action at a second's notice.
Jonas Quinn was seated near John, dressed in uniform and with a very eager look to his face. He almost seemed excited, and he listened carefully to everything that was said, jotting down notes into a small notebook of his when something he thought to be important was mentioned. The whole setup was certainly unusual.
The meeting had only just started when Natalia and Aithris came in, refreshed after returning from off-world. Aithris wore a snug-fitting uniform now and he sat down next to Jonas, receiving a suspicious look from Kav'rak as he did so. Nomads were distrusted even by the makalvari, and as Aithris took his place, Kav'rak was quick to voice his displeasure.
"I do not think it would be appropriate for someone of his kind to be a part of this," the makalvari Captain explained, speaking in his familiar and raspy tones. There was an element of petulance to his voice, as if speaking in the presence of a Nomad insulted him. Natalia was about to say something as she went to sit down next to Aithris, but it was John who interjected then, doing so firmly:
"He's part of the team, Captain. He's here because he's as involved in this as the rest of us. If you have a problem with that, we can call this whole thing off." He awaited the Captain's reply. None came immediately, instead Kav'rak just shifted his eyes to the General, seemingly unwilling to argue the point with the Colonel. Behind him, one could make out the top of the stargate through the windows overlooking the embarkation room. Things were quiet down there, even with the increased security presence now that they had an alien guest in the base.
"I must protest, General," Kav'rak said. "The Nomad kind and the makalvari have a very uneasy history—"
"Then you're just going to have to start fresh here," Janssen interrupted. Judging from his voice and the frown he gave, he was in no mood for the Captain's arrogant, even superior, attitude. "I arranged this meeting because you told us you have something of interest for us. So, how about we get to the point instead of wasting each other's time? Surely you can see the benefit in an expedient approach?"
"You have the intelligence provided?" Kav'rak asked. Janssen nodded. In front of him were copies of a slim file, and he passed a few around to each of those seated at the table. Natalia, trying to relax now that she was back home, was quick to open the copy she was handed. Inside were a series of high-resolution photographs, some aerial and some from ground level, showing a forested landscape as well as a sizeable grey structure she could only deem a 'fortress'. This fortress was situated upon a rocky hillside somewhere, judging from a couple of the images. Among the items was a map, the writing upon it in an alien language she did not recognize. She had to assume it was the makalvari language, displaying a somewhat more flowing script than anything Calsharan in origin.
"What are we looking at?" John asked, sifting through the handful of images in his copy.
"That is Dalabrai," Kav'rak explained. "It is a colony of ours on the edge of our domain. The map shows the town of Blaskane and its surrounding region, a mostly forested and mountainous area. The planet has seen border skirmishes with the Calsharans for the past several years and has, in the recent conflict, become a major focal point. There are unique medicinal plants that can be found in abundance on Dalabrai, and they do not grow anywhere else. As a result, it is a strategically important world. To us and to the Calsharans."
"What does this have to do with us?" Again, John asked the crucial questions. He watched the Captain with a suspicious gaze, as suspicious as the way in which the Captain regarded him in turn. Natalia had the strong inclination that trust was at a significant low here, and she could only wonder how desperate things had become for the makalvari if they were seeking human help.
"I'm getting to that, Colonel," Kav'rak said, somewhat more sharply than he had likely intended. "That data-pad you recovered from the Calsharan defector contained information pertaining to their latest special weapons project. Specifically, it is a project that we abandoned some time ago, with its major research facility located on Dalabrai. That is the large concrete structure you see in a couple of the images provided."
"I'm beginning to see where this is headed," John muttered, although he spoke loud enough for everyone else to hear him. Natalia was already getting a good idea of just what the problem might have been for the makalvari, and she found herself looking at the photo of the cruel fortress-like structure on the hill. Almost like a castle, albeit without the fancy spires and battlements. Just an oversized bunker, really, built for functionality instead of form.
"To put it simply, the Calsharans have adopted this facility for use in research in something we believed to be purely theoretical." Kav'rak's voice became grave. "A means of destructive power that our own scientists believed to be infeasible, but it seems the Calsharans have reached a different conclusion. They have even made progress, it seems, no doubt aided by the fact that they are slightly more advanced than we are."
"Slightly?" John allowed this question to linger, receiving an irritated scowl from the avian-like alien. They all knew that the makalvari were advanced, certainly, yet the Calsharans still had a significant edge. There was also what Jonas had told them of the makalvari home-world, of how on the surface it had seemed comfortable and advanced, yet there had been signs of decay in terms of overall luxuries and technology. They were a people who had been beaten and bloodied more than once in the past, having had the misfortune to fall into the sights of the Goa'uld, the Replicators and even the Ori. The Calsharans had had it fairly easy in comparison.
"What kind of project?" Jonas asked.
"A powerful bomb is the most obvious conclusion," Kav'rak said, and his tone was level, as if he chose each word carefully. "One built on a theoretical principle that would make it unlike any fission or fusion warhead. The Calsharans intend on constructing something capable of ripping a hole in space-time itself, if they can get it to work. As I said, our own scientists did pursue a similar field of research some time ago but it was abandoned, deemed a waste of time and money. The defector you found obviously did not want his people to succeed with their research. I can only surmise they are conducting it in that facility, in a region well under their control, because it puts it well away from any Calsharan world."
"Uh-huh." John did not believe this, but he did not say as much. Natalia had a similar feeling, and just like John, she kept it to herself out of courtesy.
"You're worried that if the Calsharans succeed, then they could use this energy source to conquer the galaxy?" Jonas looked positively fascinated, despite the unfortunate possibility he had just described.
"More or less," Kav'rak said.
"So, that means it affects everyone, not just the makalvari." Aithris had been listening carefully, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun. "I am curious, however. Your people evidently know of the Ancient Zero-Point Modules, which draw energy from subspace. One of them, rigged in such a way, could create a devastating subspace detonation. What could be so much more different regarding this energy source?"
"According to the data recovered, it operates on a slightly different principle. The energy output is even greater, if more volatile. I am no scientist, but the copy of the decrypted data I provided the General here should do a better job of explaining it than I can."
"Does it happen to involve drawing energy from parallel dimensions?" John asked. Natalia looked to him, surprised to hear this question, confused as to where it might have come from. The Colonel was no scientist, although Natalia had often got the impression that he liked to pretend to be less intelligent than he actually was.
"I am not sure," Kav'rak replied, and it was there that Natalia detected a hint of unease in the alien's voice. He did a good job of covering it up, although it was apparent that he had not expected this line of questioning. "As I said, I am no scientist. I am a soldier, same as you are, Colonel Sheppard. I have been sent here to get the assistance of the humans of Earth to put a stop to this Calsharan weapons project. Jonas is right about it affecting each and every one of us."
"Surely your own people can deal with this?" Janssen was the one to ask this, and the question seemed to get him an irritated glance from the Captain. "We have made it clear we don't wish to draw the ire of the Calsharans."
"Yes, you have." Kav'rak's voice was laced with vitriol as he said this. His opinion on Earth's 'partial neutrality' stance was plain as day. "However, given the sensitive nature of this information and what it means, it has been kept secret from the greater makalvari population and the majority of our military. Only a handful know about it, and they wish to keep it that way. Morale is already dropping in the face of the enemy onslaught. The news that they are attempting to create a new and devastating weapon would only hurt it further."
"In other words, you want us to do your dirty work?" John frowned, and he gave the images before him another look. "This research facility, is it near the stargate?"
"No, not at all."
"Who built it?" Jonas again. Kav'rak turned to him, seemingly confused by the question. "The facility. Did your people build it?"
"As a military stronghold, yes. That photo you have there is an older one, from when the planet was under our full control. There is no telling what modifications the Calsharans have made to it in the meantime. We need to reach it and destroy their research. Ensure that none survives."
"I figured." John leaned forwards a little, eyes fixed upon the alien Captain. "Thing is, if there's no stargate, how do we get there? Because I'm assuming flying in is out of the question."
"The Calsharans have the planet blockaded. Teleportation is impossible, as they have blanketed the world in a net of interference to prevent just that. If we are to go ahead with this mission, we will need to travel to the facility on the ground. The stargate remains in our control, for the time being. It is located near the town of Blaskane." Kav'rak picked up his copy of the map, pointing to the cluster of roads and small rectangles that signified the town in question. "From there, we can find transport to the facility."
"Sounds like fun, thing is there is no 'we'. You see, 'we' haven't agreed to anything." John turned to General Janssen, who had his hands under his chin and his eyes staring straight ahead. He appeared to be contemplating the proposed mission very carefully.
"You do not wish to assist us?" Kav'rak put the photo aside. "I must say, I am disappointed. We are allies, are we not? Helping us in this matter would only strengthen our relationship. Not to mention, our Regent has assured me that if you do assist us with this matter, we can promise all the help necessary when it comes to fighting any foes of Earth, be they Calsharan or otherwise." He added a little extra enunciation to the 'otherwise', his implication obvious: if they wanted help with the ancient 'Void Demons', then helping the makalvari with this situation would be part of the deal.
"So, we can't fly to the facility," John said. "We can't teleport down. That means we need to get there on foot. How are we going to do that?"
"For the time being, we have the stargate in an outpost near Blaskane," Kav'rak explained. "We move it around frequently to keep our supply lines open. It won't be in this spot for much longer, so we will need to depart soon if we intend on keeping this edge. Blaskane is a warzone and it has seen more than one chemical weapons attack carried out by the Calsharans. We will need proper protective gear, as the vapours from the more recent gas attacks do linger in places."
"Chemical weapons?" John's eyes widened slightly. "You're kidding. This whole thing keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"
"The Calsharans have a command post on the other side of the town," Kav'rak stated, and he moved his finger to a spot on the eastern edge of town that was circled as he held up his copy of the map. "From there, they have commandeered one of our own magnetic rail trains to transport troops and supplies to and from the town. It runs out to a landing zone some distance from the town." Again, he shifted his finger to where another point was marked, up in the northeast of the region. "From there, it is a short trek to the weapons facility." Once more, he moved his finger to another marked point, not far from the previous one. "The terrain is mostly hills and forest, so there will be plenty of cover from Calsharan air patrols."
"A maglev train, huh?" Natalia was the one to say this, finding herself curious. "One you guys made?"
"The Calsharans have taken command of it," Kav'rak said. He put the map down, regarding the team before him with a grim expression. "It will not be an easy task, reaching the facility, but I believe a small enough team can slip through the fighting and board this train. That will render our journey much easier. We could even sabotage the landing zone before we head for the facility, in order to disrupt the Calsharan response should our presence be discovered."
"Right now, Captain, we haven't decided on anything," John said. "In fact, we're going to need—"
"What we're going to need, Captain Kav'rak, is a few hours." It was General Janssen who spoke then, interrupting the Colonel. He shot John a hard glance, one that more or less told him to keep his mouth shut for now. "We would be happy to aid our allies and strengthen this alliance between our peoples, but we will need some hours to prepare and to do some intelligence gathering of our own."
Kav'rak's expression lit up noticeably, although he was quick to hide it. He had likely been sent here with failure as one option he could not afford. John looked to the General, watching him with some disbelief, not to mention a good degree of annoyance.
"Intelligence gathering?" Natalia asked.
"I feel that one of our own teams could go on ahead and get the lay of the land," the General suggested.
"That is acceptable," Kav'rak said, nodding.
"And when we know what we're walking into, your team can move in." He turned to Colonel Sheppard, who had narrowed his brow into a hardened frown. He did not agree with the General's acceptance of this mission, yet he did not protest outright here and now. Not when Kav'rak was still here.
"I must relay this to my superiors," Kav'rak said, and he rose from his chair. "I will return in one hour. My orders are to accompany SG-1 on this mission and to serve as a guide when we are on Dalabrai."
"Oh, great." John had no love for the makalvari Captain. If Kav'rak had detected his sarcasm, he did not show it. Instead, he offered the humans (and one Nomad) seated at the table a respectful nod of his head before he swivelled around and strode out of the room. His two armed bodyguards followed close behind. Once the trio were well out of earshot, John set his attention firmly upon the General.
"Are we really going to play their game?" John asked.
"If we have to," Janssen answered. "I know you don't agree, Colonel, but the fact is we need their help. The IOA agrees, at least on this part. They want us to do whatever necessary to cultivate this new alliance and helping them out with this situation is simply part of that. I know what the Captain has told us has its inconsistencies, and I have no doubt they have their own agenda, but we will simply have to play along."
"He was lying about it being a Calsharan operation." Jonas chipped in then with a confident smile, causing the others to look his way. "I mean, he isn't human and reading his body language and facial expressions isn't as easy, but I got the impression that he gave us a cover story for this research facility. I suspect that it was a makalvari operation before the Calsharans took over, and I also suspect that the Captain means to recover the Calsharan research in order to assist what his own people have done."
"I thought as much," John said. He did not know Jonas particularly well, but he had seen enough of him to know that the man had a knack for detail. A photographic memory even, at least according to his personnel file.
"The Captain is a very good liar," Jonas continued. "He has the mark of someone who has been doing it for a very long time. Back on his home-world, he's a major player in their royal court. Lies and deceit are probably par for the course over there."
"Do you think he was being genuine about helping us in turn?" John asked. "I mean, about helping us when it comes to the other enemy, you know the one?"
"I can't be sure about that." Jonas shook his head. "I do think that he wants it to be genuine, he simply isn't in the position to make it so. It's his superiors who decide how much help to give us, the Captain is simply the go-between. One thing I did notice was how uncertain he came across when he spoke of joining us on the mission. Given his place among the royals back on his home-world, I suspect that the good Captain has been away from actual combat for a long time. Maybe his superiors conspire to get rid of him by sending him on this mission?" He gave a quick shrug. "I don't know, don't quote me on that. But it is something to think about."
John turned back to the General.
"You still think we should play along?" He asked him. General Janssen met his gaze, once again having adopted his familiar, world-weary expression. He put his hands under his chin, thinking over it carefully, although he did not say anything in reply. As much as his instincts told him that the whole thing was a farce to drive some makalvari agenda, he also knew it was not something they could simply ignore. Even John knew this, and no matter his doubts this was a mission they would have to see through.
After an extended and somewhat awkward silence, the General finally spoke again.
"I'll arrange for that recon team," he said. "The rest of you, I suggest you prepare for a serious outing. See this as an intelligence gathering opportunity, for both the Calsharans and the makalvari. Find out everything you can about them, friend or foe. And find out everything you can about whatever's going on in that weapons facility, because I'd bet good money it's the kind of thing that might bite us in the ass further down the line." After a quick pause, the team members watching him expectantly, the General added one more thing: "Dismissed."
As everyone began to leave their seats and file out of the room, the General turned to John once more, stopping him for a moment before he could walk away.
"Colonel, before you go, I have word from our lab boys about something you might find useful on the mission."
"What is it, sir?"
"It's probably best you see for yourself. Go down, tell them I sent you and ask them about the 'chameleon'. They'll understand."
John nodded in acknowledgment of the instructions. He then followed the rest of the team out of the conference room, a few of them speaking quietly amongst themselves as they left. As for Janssen, he rose from his seat and walked over to the windows that overlooked the embarkation room. The stargate was activating, its inner wheel spinning and chevrons lighting up. Kav'rak was down there with his bodyguards, waiting patiently with his hands clasped behind his back, posture straight despite the double-jointed legs of his species.
Kav'rak had his back turned. That changed then, however, as if he could feel the General's eyes burning into him. He turned his head, looking up first to the control room and then to the windows above it. The General and the makalvari Captain made eye contact, both their faces set firmly, some unsaid communication occurring between them. If the makalvari sought to screw them over in anyway, then Kav'rak would be the first to face the General's wrath. Yet, it was clear that Captain Kav'rak cared little for whatever 'wrath' the humans of Earth had to offer them, the disdain on his avian-like features clear as day even to a human with a limited familiarity of makalvari body language.
Janssen could only hope that something might happen that would take this aristocratic Captain down a peg.
