AN- WooHoo!

dodges thrown rotten fruits and vegetables

Okay, okay! I know that it's been FOREVER since my last update on this fic, but I'm back to writing after a long hiatus. Please go to my profile if you want all the info. If there's one thing I hate, it's unneccicarily long author's notes.

Thank you, roseofthegate, for being the best, most patient, and most incredible Beta I could ask for!

Disclaimer- If I owned SG-1, Pete wouldn't have existed in the first place, Sha're would still be alive, we'd still have Rick Anderson in the new season, and I would have a better car. Please don't sue; I'm poor enough as it is...

Chapter Fifteen

Agendas Abound

Keenil Vung watched Daniel walk toward them from the edge of the landing pad. "Dr. Jackson looks eager to get to work," he observed.

Colonel Hendrick slung his P-90 over his shoulder. "Yeah, he does. I can't say I blame him, he's been cooped up with alien monarchs for the last week."

Sheffield spoke up. "I thought that was in his job description?"

Hendrick glared at him. Sheffield wisely shut his mouth. His CO wasn't in a good mood after being cooped up in a small Tel'tak for hours.

Vung stepped out and greeted Daniel as the archeologist got closer to the ship. "Hello, Dr. Jackson. How was your visit to Dethpa, however brief it may have been?"

Daniel picked up the pace as they walked side by side toward the Tel'tak. "Uneventful, although I did get a good history lesson from Selskani."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she explained the Gen'apurtus to me along with some Ancient history."

"Did you learn anything of value?"

"Yes, from an academic standpoint. Not much of it would be very useful right now." Daniel felt a slight tickle at the base of his neck. He slapped it. Stupid skitterflies, he thought. The irritating little insects seemed to be everywhere on Chandomir. They were worse than mosquitoes, but without the itching bite.

"I'm sure the library would be more help at the moment." Vung replied. "Are you alright, Dr. Jackson? You look preoccupied."

"Huh?" Daniel said. He had let his mind wander already…onto Kate and her engagement. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"You look preoccupied." Vung repeated.

"Oh…it's nothing." He slapped at that irritating skitterfly again. "Just…I have a lot of things to think about right now."

"Hmm…" was the only reply from Vung. The Sheni seemed to be watching Daniel closely.

They chatted amiably as they walked toward the ship. They had just broached the topic of Daniel learning some of the Sheni arts when Vung suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared with narrowed eyes at the pavement beneath the ship.

Daniel followed his gaze, but didn't see anything. "What is it?" he asked. That skitterfly was back again and in full force. It made the entire base of his neck buzz slightly, and was very distracting.

Vung shook his head, as if to clear it. "Nothing, I suppose. I thought—DOWN!" He pushed Daniel back suddenly.

BOOM!

The explosion knocked Daniel off his feet. Bits of white-hot metal rained down onto the pavement as he covered his head. He sat up dizzily, wincing when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He looked around and surveyed the confusion. Vung was running toward the charred skeletal remains of the Tel'tak, apparently shouting at the top of his lungs, but Daniel heard nothing. The explosion must have deafened him. Some sort of explosive must have been under the ship.

It was then that he saw the bodies.

SG-3 was no more.

It was a somber group who entered the Meeting Hall that evening. Daniel, whose hearing problem and broken had been mostly taken care of by a Healer in Dethpa, limped into the room and sat next to Vung in the first row of seats in front of the podium. The rest of the delegation from Earth sat behind them in the second row, and the rest sat behind them.

Galdrona cleared his throat from his place behind the speaker's podium. "Ahem, we need to discuss what else can be done. The SGC's Tel'tak has been badly damaged."

Daniel scoffed. Right, if "badly damaged" is a charred carcass of twisted metal.

Galdrona sent a heated look in his direction and continued. "Is there any other vehicle you could use, General?" he asked Hammond.

The General shook his head. "Not unless we use the X-303. It's still in the experimental stage, and I'm not sure how reliable it is," He turned to look at Carter. "Major?"

Carter stood up and shook her head. "I don't think that would work," At Hammond's questioning gaze, she continued. "It's not all that reliable yet, sir. We still need to make modifications to the thrusters; they still overheat within a few minutes in space. Not to mention that it needs to be piloted. You can't just program an autopilot like you can with a Tel'tak. Whoever did it would be going on a suicide mission. If you give me and the team a couple hours, and we might figure something out, but it's still very risky. I'm not sure we can do it very quickly."

General Hammond nodded at her. "Noted. See what you can do, however. These Goa'uld need to be stopped."

"Yes, sir." After a moment of thought, Carter added. "Could I ask for assistance from any of the Sheni here?"

Kate nodded at her. "I would be happy to help, Sam. It's been a while since we worked on a project together." The two old friends grinned at each other.

Daniel stood up and cleared his throat before either of them could gather steam. When it came to science and strategy, it was hard to keep either of them quiet. "Ahem. Is there any investigation going on as to who sabotaged the Tel'tak?"

Price Galqi turned toward him and spoke. "I see no reason for one. It seems obvious that your 'SG-3' wanted this mission to fail."

Hammond shot to his feet at this thinly veiled accusation. "Now, wait just a minute. It couldn't have been SG-3. They have risked their lives in combat with the Goa'uld so many times it makes me want to puke. There needs to be an investigation, your Highness, or we cannot continue to help. I'm not putting my people at unnecessary risk. They're in enough as it is."

Galqi shrugged. "Maybe they weren't trying to kill themselves, General. It could have been a simple delaying ploy gone wrong."

"Why would they do that?"

The prince shrugged again. "You tell me."

Hammond opened his mouth for a scathing retort, but O'Neill wisely shot a worried glance at Hammond before things got nasty. Hammond cooled down a little, but was still seething.

When Hammond didn't continue, O'Neill stood up to take his place in the conversation. "Never accuse me or my people of anything like this without anything more than spiteful assumption, prince," he said the last word with a mocking lilt. "Or you will see exactly how angry I can be."

Galqi narrowed his eyes. "How dare you mock—?"

"SILENCE!"

The startled combatants turned to see Galdrona, his white-knuckled hands flat on the surface of the podium, his eyes flashing with fire. "An investigation is underway, General Hammond, you have my word. Prince Galqi," Galqi visibly cringed as the subject of the king's wrath. "At the moment, I am fully prepared to have my guards escort you out of this meeting by force. As I assume you wish to stay, you will not speak again unless is something of value. Understood?"

Galqi was fuming, but when he saw Kate, Vung, and several other Sheni step forward with their hands on the hilts of their lightstaffs, he backed down. "Yes, King Galdrona. I understand perfectly."

He sat back down, and the members of the Hall released a collective breath.

"Now, then," Galdrona turned his gaze back to Hammond, who noticed that his eyes seemed dimmer, almost tired. "Tell us about this X-303, if you would."

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