A/N #1: It's still Monday in my time-zone ...
A/N #2: This chapter covers the same time-span and events of the previous chapter, but while that chapter is from Daniel's POV, this chapter is from Sujanha's, which allows us to get her perspective on these events, see some new events that Daniel was not present for, and learn more about Malek.
Injured much more severely than she had realized by the falling stones, which unknown to her had broken several ribs and caused internal damage, as well as by the crystal shards, lodged in her feet, now infected wounds, Sujanha was deeply unconscious by the time she and Kelmaa were rescued and brought aboard the Oshrocco. She had no knowledge of the surprise the revelation of her blending with Malek had caused among her senior staff, healers, and others; of being attended to by healers; or of being moved to a private room off a private, secured hallway away from the larger wards.
Sleep had progressed to unconsciousness in the depths of Vorash as her condition had worsened, the unrecognized severity of her wounds sapping her strength and her life's blood, but hours later on the Oshrocco, once the combined efforts of Malek and Kaja had done much to healing her injuries, unconsciousness had progressed back to sleep, one this time full of dreams. Furling dreams were not unconscious and uncontrollable like human ones. Rather, those dreams usually involved some memory of the past as it had happened, in which the dreamer was a conscious participant even while asleep.
There was something so terribly ironic about the dream Sujanha found herself within that day, night, afternoon. (She had no idea exactly what time of day or even what day it was by now. Time had a different meaning in that void of sleep and dreams.) Somehow, she knew she was safe, and she already knew that she could not be truly alone again (not any time soon, at least) with Malek with her now. And yet, within this dream, she was totally alone, and the place that her mind associated with safety and peace, healing and home, with rest … was Drehond.
Drehond, the home of her childhood, a fortress against attack, a respite from the maneuverings at the capital, the place from which she was banished never to return as long as she lived and not even after she died and crossed the Seas of Night.
It was horribly, heart-wrenchingly, and cruelly ironic.
The dreamscape was a circular stone chamber with thick sealed windows that looked out upon a hellish, fiery landscape and a single door on the opposite side of the room from the windows, which led down a step staircase that was only lit by the light of a row of lamps set into the wall, smoothly carven from the very rock. It was not a large room, and there was only one piece of furniture, a comfortable bed piled high with blankets and pillows, everything that would make an invalid more comfortable. The room was quite warm, almost soporifically so, as if Sujanha could almost fall asleep within the dream.
Sujanha found herself sitting upon the bed, a blanket tucked around her shoulders and her knees pulled up to her chest, her physical capacities undiminished in this dreamland. Resting against the head of the bed, she looked out upon the fires of Drehond, a mountainous world with towering peaks that disappeared into noxious clouds and valleys through which ran rivers of fiery lava. Down some valley walls spilled lava-falls, terrible in their beauty. Far in the distance, a volcano had recently exploded, and plumes of smoke, dust, and ash were spilling into the atmosphere, further poisoning the air for any who were not the Dovahkiin.
"What is this place?" A male voice—the multi-toned voice of a symbiote—suddenly asked. "And how am I here?"
It seemed to Sujanha like she had been alone for a long time in that familiar room where she had spent so much time of her convalescence on Drehond—though I was rarely alone. Zin … Malek's voice and his appearance in Loknu's form, which was a surprise of its own, gave the dreaming woman a start within her own dream.
Though if he were to appear separately, how else would he appear?
A symbiote cannot survive on its own outside of the water or a host.
Sujanha turned her head and gave a nod of greeting. "This is Drehond, the homeworld of the Dovahkiin, a race allied with my people. Furlings dream differently than Zukish … humans … do, a more conscious dream, a reechoing of the past in some ways. This is my dream, and somehow you have joined me." She corrected herself from using the Furling term for humans before remembering that Malek would understand Furling now.
Malek seemed interested and puzzled. (His face was more expressive here than it had ever seemed in those hours before the earthshakes had hit.) If we're dreaming, we both survived. It would be too cruel to have passed beyond the Seas of Night and to find myself here of all places once more. He paced the edge of the room, touched a stone wall with one hand, pinched the corner of a blanket at the foot of the bed. "This is a dream? It feels real."
"Trust me. This is a dream. My people have very precise memories, and I spent enough years in this room in the past to remember it in exquisite detail." Sujanha had not been on Drehond in … 46 years and was confident that she could still find her way around the palace, the main city, and the surrounding tunnels proverbially blindfolded. This is a dream, a very cruel one, but a dream.
(Where did the boundary lie between her mind and Malek's? How much of her inward thoughts would he perceive? How much of the thoughts and emotions that this dream of Drehond provoked would he pick up on? That whole awful story was not one that she wanted to explain yet, or would he know those memories, now that they were blended? Did he know everything that she knew because of the blending, or could he just access it if he searched?)
That comment got her a somewhat puzzled and somewhat intrigued look. Malek paced around the room again, and then he finally sat down at the far end of the bed, stretching out long legs alongside hers and leaning against the footboard. "Interesting," he mused and then paused, frowning thoughtfully. "The pain is gone. I have spent my strength healing, and someone else was aiding us, and yet we suffered, but here the pain is gone."
That is how it always is.
Dreaming was a brief respite from the day by day, hour by hour pain that was a fixture of her life. Sujanha understood now that she had been much more severely injured by those falling stones than she had first thought. Those injuries combined with the general shock to her system and the stress her body had been put through, well, needless to say, waking would be less than pleasant. She expected an attack worse than she had had in years.
"It will return with a vengeance when we awaken," Sujanha warned. "Dreaming is only a brief respite. Are our injuries healed?"
"The worst of the damage—anything that posed a risk to our lives—is healed," he replied. Sujanha finally noticed how tired he looked. Malek's hair was mussed, and there were heavy dark circles under his eyes. His shoulders were slumped, and he looked young and exhausted as he spoke. "I have some fine work left to do, mostly from the crystal shards that tore up your … our feet, but I needed to rest first lest I heal something wrong."
The memory of the host reflects the current condition of the symbiote?
"Thank you for saving me … us," said Sujanha. Deciding how best to talk to and interact with her new symbiote was still a work in progress. They were blended, but they were separate and still learning about each other.
"Thank you for becoming my host," Malek replied. "I was willing to die with … Loknu"—his voice wavered on the name of his previous host—"but … I am glad not to be dead. I know this will be an adjustment for us both." He paused and then asked quietly, seriously, "How do you live like this?"
Sujanha knew what he was asking. ("I have spent my strength healing, and someone else was aiding us, and yet we suffered," he had said.) She knew the pain that he would have felt before sleep mercifully took him. Exhaustion was sometimes a gift. "What choice do I have?" She asked with a shrug. "If I do not live, I only linger in darkness and despair until death comes. For some reason, I lived when so many others poisoned like I was perished in utter agony. I dishonor their memories and the chance I have been given if I do not live. My people believe in a life beyond death, and one day I will find peace."
There was another long silence as Malek absorbed those words. "My people will wish to speak to me as soon as possible," he finally said. "My work is valuable. They will not wish to lose me."
"Even if I were not Supreme Commander, I would not be allowed to stay on your homeworld as others of my people have done," Sujanha warned. My health would make things difficult even if my parentage and position did not.
"I understand. Your … parentage makes that impossible. Am I allowed to use that as an explanation for the High Council … the Tok'ra High Council?" That Malek understood what she was not saying showed that he could access her memories, but that beat of hesitation made her think it was not an automatic knowledge.
I will have to specify now, too.
Sujanha thought for a moment and then shook her head. "My parentage is known but to a few outside our Empire or our other allies, and I would not wish it otherwise. I am third in line to the throne of a vast empire, and behind me are only children, far too young to rule. My rank becoming known could make me even more of a target than a ranking military commander is. The Tok'ra have had spies in their ranks before and might have one again."
Spies. That and the question of how the earthshake had occurred hung between them.
"The earthquake," Malek scowled, picking up on her thought, apparently. "I think we would all like an explanation for that."
"There could be a natural explanation, but the timing is suspicious."
For the dreamer, much time or only a little could seem to pass within those dreams, but the dreamer usually had little sense of how much time had passed in the real world once they awoke, unless a chronometer was nearby. Many hours or, perhaps, even some days after closing her eyes on Vorash in that inky, oppressive darkness, Sujanha awoke to find herself in a private room onboard a Furling mercy ship. (What ship, she did not know. That it was Furling was evident to her experienced eye. Ship-classes and their distinguishing features and capabilities, she knew in minute detail.) Her brother, his attention fixed upon a tablet in his lap, sat beside her bed.
Anarr looked up as soon as he sensed her gaze. "It is good to see you awake." There was a deep well of relief and sincerity in his voice. Despite the issues that lay between them, they did not wish the other ill.
Sujanha stared back at him from dull, half-lidded eyes. The lingering pain and shock from her injuries made her feel foggy, dull, and slow of mind. "Elder Brother," she blinked several times, trying to rouse herself from her stupor. "What day is it?"
"Early on the 37th. You were gravely injured. Even with the help of your symbiote, it has taken much time for you to heal enough to wake."
*It was the 35th when I came to Vorash,* Sujanha told Malek to give him a sense of how much time had passed. She gritted her teeth together until her jaw ached to silently ride out a painful tremor that coursed through her body.
"Forgive me for having to deal with this now of all times," Anarr continued with barely a pause, "but we must speak and quickly."
What? Why?
It had to be personal for him to be needing to speak to her directly, especially with her in such a state. Fleet business was Algar's concern for the time being.
"The High Council?" Sujanha guessed.
What else?
Anarr nodded. "An emergency meeting has been called for later today. I think that you can guess by whom." His lip curled in a silent snarl. Despite their rift, Anarr would instantly unite with her against unmerited outward opposition or attack against her, and Sujanha would do likewise.
"And the king, has he spoken?" She asked weakly.
"Beyond prayers for your recovery, no. He has concerns, as I do, but he will render no judgment until he actually speaks with you and your symbiote." Anarr's voice was scathing by the end, rendering judgment against the High Council for not doing what the king was choosing to do. There was no justice in hasty judgment without all the facts.
"Good," Sujanha shifted again, trying vainly to get more comfortable. Dull though she felt, she had thought enough about her situation in the tunnels to be able to reply, after she dredged up the right words to convey what she thought. "I knew what the outcome of my choice could be when I made it. I have devoted my life to the Empire, but I refuse to sacrifice my honor, and I am not so conceited as to think that the Fleet cannot survive without me at its head. Algar is my greatest lieutenant. He is ready to lead if that is deemed best."
"Do you intend to step down?" Anarr asked bluntly.
"I do not know," she whispered. "I must rest first before I think of such things. I know the likely reasons why the Council will want me out, and I think I can counter them all."
Though am I just trying to justify staying in my own mind?
It is so hard to remember a life without war.
What would I be outside the Fleet? (Some sense told her that Malek had heard that thought and was troubled by it.)
Anarr's golden eyes sharpened, a hunter's look. "Explain … please. I know that you are weary, but this meeting is unexpected and coming quickly. I must have more information since you cannot be there yourself."
"The main points I expect them to raise are the risks of having a High Councilor whose impartial judgment was threatened and whose loyalty to the Empire could be impaired by the presence of a symbiote. I expect the issue of my health will also be raised, but that would be an old argument."
"Such concerns are legitimate," Anarr acknowledged.
"And I have never argued that they were not," Sujanha replied without heat, "just questioned … how they raised such concerns: when I am not present to speak for myself."
Anarr gave a snarl of agreement.
*I do not understand yet fully how your system of government works, but I think I must agree, as well.*
"My health has largely been stable for some years, notwithstanding periodic flare-ups. Even our people get sick. Anyone not an Iprysh who was injured like I was in the tunnels would have been severely injured and needed time to heal … not just me."
Anarr nodded. "Agreed."
Daniel's presence has done much to help me and lighten my load somewhat. He is a good boy. She found his presence and assistance almost indispensable. He had a different viewpoint on some issues, a different way of approaching matters that she found helpful. He was also just good company.
"About the other issues, further time to reflect might make me change my opinion, but for the moment I do not deem that Malek's presence threatens my loyalty to the Empire or my impartial judgment as Supreme Commander and High Councilor."
"Because…" Anarr prompted, surprisingly gently.
"The way the blending is … Malek and I can speak together. We can know what the other knows; but I cannot make him think in a certain way, or he me. Granted, he has better access to me to speak and try to persuade, but his role is one of influence, not direct change. I am not forbidden from having advisors."
Malek stirred from just listening silently and asked for control. Consciously switching control was a very strange feeling, similar to taking a large step back and to one side and allowing Malek forward. Feeling her head move and her voice sound independent of her control was even stranger, even though she trusted Malek. Anarr seemed to instantly realize when his sister's symbiote took control, straightening and shifting from his formal mien with his sister back into the Supreme Commander.
"I am grateful to your sister, Supreme Commander Anarr, for this chance to live," Malek began. Exhaustion was weighing upon both host and symbiote. They had little energy and had expended much just in the conversation with Anarr. "I thought I would die with Loknu in those tunnels. I have no wish to influence your sister towards positions that she has no wish to hold. Any knowledge that I possess that can be used to speed the downfall of the Goa'uld is hers gladly. Any advice, any council that I can give her will be gladly shared. What she does with that knowledge and council is her own decision, not mine."
As soon as he had spoken, Malek pulled back, and Sujanha retook control. "Does that give you what you need for now?"
"It does." Anarr rose and bowed respectfully to his sister. "Rest now."
Sujanha's eyes slipped shut as soon as the door slid shut behind Anarr. Within moments, she was asleep.
Few updates from Uslisgas reached Sujanha in her sick-bed. She judged that the healers were probably limiting her visitors and what they could talk about in order to limit her stress levels while she healed. That being said, there was a brief update through Ruarc later on the 37th that the High Council had indeed called a vote to remove her from office, and that the vote had failed 7 to 4. Her bodyguards were incensed about the whole situation. Daniel was also displeased, they said. Someone, it seemed, had explained the whole complex political situation to him. Sujanha herself was angry but too exhausted to get too worked up about the vote … for now.
I still might end up retiring, and they might get their way in a manner of speaking after all.
And the High King has not yet ruled. Whatever her decision, Ivar's ruling would determine all. She would not circumvent his will, even if only a suggestion.
On the 39th, Daniel was allowed to see her for the first time, now that her healers had stopped limiting visitors. (Now they only limited the amount of time one could visit, as if Sujanha couldn't dismiss people herself when she grew tired.) He seemed accepting of Malek's presence and not concerned or afraid, at least visibly so. Given the atrocities that had happened to his wife and brother-in-law and what his teammates had gone through on Midgard, the normal interactions with the Tok'ra operatives who had brought intelligence to Sujanha since before the war begun had been good for him … normalizing a symbiote's presence.
The exact cause of the earthquake on Vorash was still undetermined. That being said, after much work and many interviews, most were inclined to believe that its suspicious timing was coincidental, not indicative of sabotage or of a yet undiscovered spy within the Tok'ra ranks. Still, both the Furlings and Tok'ra were on high alert and would be for some time.
Several days after her rescue, once Sujanha was strong enough to stay awake for several hours at a stretch without dozing off unintentionally in mid-conversation, the expected meeting between Sujanha and Malek and the Tok'ra took place. As much as she liked most of the operatives who had ever been sent to her with intelligence (a few notwithstanding), dealing with the High Council was much more frustrating. The discussion centered on Sujanha's status as a host, considering her position within the Furling Empire, and how Malek's position within the Tok'ra ranks would need to be adjusted.
That meeting went on for several frustratingly and exasperatingly long hours that taxed the patience of all. Sometimes Sujanha wondered if it was a universal principle that governing bodies like High Councils could never do anything quickly. It was sometimes all that Sujanha could do to hold on to the threads of her fraying temper. Being sick never improved her control, and some of the questions, ridiculous, pointed, or other, did nothing to help. Even having Jacob-Selmak on her side did little to help. (There was only so much one person could do.) Malek was just as displeased by the questioning, which he thought could have at least waited a few more days, and occasionally made muttered mental comments about some councilors. The result of the meeting was that the Tok'ra would have free access to their operative whenever possible for consultations, but Malek would be available for no missions, and most, if not all, work that he did would be done in Furling or Furling-controlled territory.
Fourteen days after the earthquake on Vorash that had changed her life forever, Sujanha was released from the care of the healers onboard the Oshrocco and given leave to return to Uslisgas. In her most dismal thoughts, Sujanha wondered to what she was returning. The High Council had already attempted to unseat her without ever hearing more than second-hand testimony from Anarr, and she might face more political opposition than ever before. High King Ivar's judgment would determine whether she would ever return to the front lines. The military was her life's work, the only life by and large that she had known since her childhood. If she was forced into retirement, she had no idea yet what she would do, instead. And now she had Malek to think of, too, to do right by.
Ragnar and Ruarc, her faithful bodyguards, her companions at her brother's command for centuries, met Sujanha and Daniel by the Stargate on Ushuotis, over which the Oshrocco had been in orbit for some days. It was time to leave Avalon, perhaps never to return. Sujanha turned to look back at the sand dunes one last time before stepping through the Stargate. Only time would tell if she would ever return.
It was late in the evening on Uslisgas, and the great hall in which the Stargate was housed was deserted. The room was eerily quiet, and their footsteps seemed all the louder for its silence. The lights were low, and the great statues of long-dead heroes cast lengthy shadows across the floor. The figures represented here were an inspiration to Sujanha and a burden both, a reminder of all that had been lost during the Great War, a reminder of the cost that her decisions could have, a reminder of the weight that rested upon her shoulders as Supreme Commander. Perhaps, it is "had rested" that I should say now. Sujanha had built herself a reputation for brilliance … unorthodox brilliance, one might say … during the Great War, but now she had that reputation to live up to.
There was a flicker of a mental request from Malek, and Sujanha stepped backwards, mentally not physically, and let her symbiote take control. All that was familiar to her, all these sites that she had seen thousands of times in her life, they were all new and wondrous and completely, utterly foreign to Malek. As they made their way outside, she saw her city with fresh eyes, as she had not looked upon Uslisgas in a very long time.
Malek's wonderment increased as they stepped outside under the canopy of twinkling stars and looked out upon the Acropolis and the lights of the city far below. He was utterly amazed, and his thoughts were spilling across to her even while he was not deliberately trying to speak to her. His wonder was largely centered on the sheer size of Uslisgas and its above ground nature.
Daniel stepped up beside them. Malek had stopped dead at the head of the steps that led down the broad plain that stretched across the Acropolis. Malek glanced at him and then, bowing his head, slipped back to give Sujanha control.
"I am not sure," Daniel began slowly, looking up toward the sky, "that we ever fully value all that we have until we either lose it, almost lose it, or see it through someone else's eyes."
Very true.
"I think you are right," Sujanha replied softly. "Malek is amazed. Uslisgas, it is so large, so many people, and it is all above ground, no more hiding. Even during the Great War, we never had to hide like the Tok'ra do."
Daniel nodded, and there was silence for several long minutes. Finally, Sujanha turned around, looking at Ragnar and Ruarc, who were waiting quietly a few paces away. "Let us all return home," she said. "I will determine tomorrow's activities tomorrow."
"Of course, commander," Ruarc replied.
The two departed for their own quarters, and Daniel and Sujanha beamed out into the countryside to her house. Spring was in full swing on Uslisgas, and the flowers in Sujanha's small garden were in full bloom, scenting the air with their fragrance. She intentionally had them beamed to the walk that led up toward the house to give Malek a look at the garden. The door slid open as they walked up the path, and the automated caretaker's voice greeted them as they stepped inside.
*What was that?* Malek asked, radiating mental surprise.
*An automated caretaker—an advanced program, though not to the level of an artificial intelligence—that runs some systems within my house. Daniel compares it to an 'auto-pilot' in earth terms.* Not that the comparison would necessarily mean anything to Malek, unless Jacob had mentioned something somehow.
Sujanha returned the greeting and then asked for any messages that had come in for her since she was last in her home … almost two weeks earlier. There were only a handful of messages. Most people who contacted her needed the Supreme Commander of the Furling Fleet. Those messages went to Headquarters and were now Algar's problem for the moment, not hers.
I'll deal with all this tomorrow.
"Do you need anything from me tonight, Commander?" Daniel asked.
*Is the programming accessible?* Malek seemed quite interested. Some of her memories, answering his question in part, were floating up, drawn by her mental attention to the subject.
*Just a moment.*
"Sujanha," she replied out-loud.
"Pardon?" Daniel's brow furrowed.
"You may call me by name in private, if you wish, Daniel," Sujanha said, giving him a small smile. It was a body language gesture she rarely used, considering her teeth. "You have lived with me for quite some time and proven yourself quite invaluable to me. You need not call me by any title in private unless you are more comfortable doing so."
"Sujanha, then," Daniel replied. "Do you need anything from me tonight?" He asked again.
Sujanha shook her head. "I will show Malek where everything is and then retire to rest. Rest well. I will see you tomorrow."
"Sleep well." With that final farewell, Daniel headed upstairs.
*As to your question, the answer is both yes and no.*
There was a flicker of amusement from Malek. *That sounds like some political matters with the High Council some days.*
Sujanha gave a rumbling laugh at those words. *And on ours some days, as well. To explain, I can access the main programming to view but not to edit, not that I could anyway. I can make minor edits to my caretaker's programming alone, like to give certain people automatic access or update language packets, so, in the beginning, it could speak in English for Daniel's sake.*
That got an interested mental hum. *Would I be allowed to see the programming?* Malek asked.
Sujanha blinked. *Probably. The programming, or rather a variant, is used onboard our ships, so access to the source codes is somewhat limited. My credentials may have been temporarily suspended, I don't know. Is programing another of your talents?*
Malek gave a mental laugh. *An off-duty hobby more so, though it occasionally has its uses.*
*Tomorrow then. Let me show you where everything is, and then we may rest,* Sujanha answered. *Tomorrow is a new day, but tonight, it is growing late, and I am weary.*
Quickly but thoroughly, Sujanha gave Malek a tour of the house, pointing out the kitchen with the cold box that hopefully actually has food in it as well as the sitting room that looked out upon the garden. Towards the back of the house were her private office and study space as well as her library which contained a modest collection of books, maps, star charts, and a handful of her favorite pieces of art and sculpture gifted to her by friends, family, and allies alike. The sight of all the books drew appreciative comments from her symbiote, and she promised that they could return at leisure the next day so that he could read and browse to his heart's content.
Sujanha slowly took the stairs up to the second floor. Malek's presence and healing abilities were helping, sometimes more than others, but these steps would probably be always painful to climb. Her room was off to the left of the staircase, while Daniel's room and the unoccupied third room that she still needed to clean out—perhaps now I will have the chance—was off to the right of the staircase.
Her room was simply laid-out and simply furnished. Her bed stood near the window, and under the window that looked over the garden was the chair where she draped her clothes and against which she propped her leg braces. A wardrobe and small desk completed the furniture. There was also a door that led off to her private bathing chamber.
*Simple, but it suits my purposes.* Sujanha noted, activating the lights and shutting the door behind herself.
A picture flashed across their shared mind, an image of a small crystal chamber with no door, furnished only with a bed and a chest. *These were the quarters Loknu and I had on Vorash,* said Malek, a note of grief touching his mental voice at the mention of his previous host's name. *Your home, this room, is elaborate compared to it.*
It was quick work to ready herself for bed. The awkwardness of doing so with a 'male' symbiote has long-since passed, though since symbiotes had no sex and usually took on the gender of the host, they were going to need to sort some things out soon, perhaps even tomorrow. Laid-up in bed on the Oshrocco or dealing with international politics while in considerable pain had not been the time to attempt the culturally complex discussion of sex, gender, and pronouns.
*I usually wake early,* Sujanha said once she had climbed into bed and finished shifting around until she found a position that was reasonably comfortable for the moment. *The pain rarely lets me sleep past dawn.*
The emotion that seemed to leach across from Malek—they were getting better at keeping surface thoughts and emotions to themselves so that not every idle thought leaked across to the other—was almost affront. Not being able to fully heal her was a source of great frustration for him. Some things, especially an 'injury' so old, could not be healed.
*Do you object if I get up if I wake before you?*
*No,* Sujanha replied, shifting again to ease a slight ache in her hip, *As long as our body seems rested. There might be tea and food for the morning meal in the cold box, or there might not. If he rises before us, Daniel might see to that. We might have to order food from the city or just go into the city to eat.* She hoped that wouldn't be necessary.
*Rest well then.*
When Sujanha woke the next morning, she was not in bed, but downstairs in the kitchen, and Malek was eating breakfast—a bowl of porridge topped with nuts and a mug of tea. Daniel was a few paces away, leaning against one of the cabinets. His hands were clutching his own mug of tea. His hair was mussed as if he had forgotten to comb it after getting out of bed. His glasses were crooked, and he was talking enthusiastically and quickly about … something.
Malek paused abruptly as Sujanha suddenly awoke, somewhat startled, before she could even figure out what he was talking about. It was strange, waking up in another place from which she had gone to sleep. Sleepwalking was never something she had been prone to, for no other reason was that she probably couldn't manage the staircase without her leg braces on.
Are my braces on?
Yes, Sujanha realized a moment later that she could feel them wrapped around her legs. She was wearing day clothes, and her fur felt brushed out. All her normal morning routines felt finished. That was one advantage of blending, Malek explained. She didn't have to be awake for him to know what to do. (But she knew him well enough now to trust that he would not go rummaging around in her memories at will.)
*When do you get up?* She asked.
*About the sixth hour.* Malek answered. *And there was food and tea in the cold box. Your bodyguards' work?*
*Or my housekeeper. May I have control?*
Malek pulled back and gave her control. It was still an odd feeling, switching control back and forth between host and symbiote. Everything seemed muted with Malek in control, everything from the tart taste of the tea to the pain in her limbs, and then everything flooded back in with a rush as she retook control.
Daniel titled his head. "Good morning, Sujanha." There was a slight upward lilt on her name, as if he was pretty sure (but not totally sure) about who was in control. Without the head tilt or glowy eyes and multi-toned voice, the latter two of which she considered rather ridiculous, body language was a much bigger key in distinguishing who was in control.
"Good morning, Daniel," Sujanha replied. "Did you sleep well?" The form of address would confirm Daniel's guess if nothing else did. Malek still called him Doctor Jackson.
He shrugged. "Well enough. My brain was running too much. It took me a long time to go to sleep. Too much to think about these days."
"What are your plans for the day, now that we are back in Asteria for a time?" Sujanha asked. I have a feeling I know in large measure.
"Abydos and Ardea today," he replied. "If I have any time left, I have a list of subjects to research at the Great Library. If not, I'll go to the library tomorrow." He always had one thing or the other he wanted to research in his spare time.
Daniel departed shortly after. Sujanha leisurely finished their breakfast. For once, there were no demands on her time, no reports to read, no forms to sign, no battles to plan. Malek's presence gave her some good first steps for how to fill that much free time. When she had set her dishes in the sink to soak next to Daniel's—whose turn is it to do the dishes? They generally took turns, but she couldn't remember whose turn it had been last before the Vorash earthquake had occurred—Sujanha went to her study. There were a handful of things to do, and then the library, or however Malek might prefer to pass the time!
*Let me deal with those messages that have come in for me quickly first. Then we need to speak on one matter that there has never been a good moment to discuss, and then we may find more enjoyable matters to pass the time.*
Malek readily agreed.
There were only a handful of messages for Sujanha to send replies to. Three were personal. The fourth was simply a message from her housekeeper, summarizing the work that she had done on her last visit several days earlier.
*What do we need to discuss?* Malek asked once Sujanha had finished her work, closed the holographic screens, and settled back in her desk chair.
*How you prefer to be addressed.* Sujanha answered. *We know that symbiotes have no sex, and your last host was male…*
Malek picked up the train of her thought before she could even finish speaking. (Speaking mentally? Thought-speech?) *Oh, I see. And my last two hosts before Loknu were female. I have no preferences as to the gender of my hosts, and I simply assume the gender of my host for as long as our blending lasts. It is simpler that way. Whatever words you use to refer to yourself in your own language are perfectly acceptable for me, as well.*
*'She' then,* said Sujanha, *In some situations, this discussion can be tricky … culturally, and there was not a good opportunity to speak of this before. I wanted to have the matter dealt with so that I may inform the others when the time comes.* She paused and rose from her chair. *But now, books.*
Leisure time had not been easy to come by among the Tok'ra or, really, for Sujanha either, though some of that for the Commander was more from choice than necessity. Malek's taste in book was far different than hers, primarily falling towards scientific and technological fields—bio-chemistry, data analysis, and programming—while hers were mainly historical and strategic. Though more than a few books on random subjects have crept into my library over the years. Granted, many were gifts. Sujanha put in a request for such books from the Great Library and then returned Malek control so that he … she … could explore the library at her leisure.
Telling Malek about her collection of books and relating stories about the trinkets that she had collected or been given, stories which sometimes prompted a return story from Malek, was a good way of continuing to get familiar with each other and their habits. The two would be in this for the long haul, as the Midgardians said, and forming a partnership was going to be critical, especially if Sujanha could return to the Fleet in the future.
Over the next several days, Sujanha and Malek spent a considerable amount of time in the library, rarely emerging except to walk around, eat, or sleep. Malek's skill set, which her taste in books was largely centered around, had proved vital as an operative and as an analyst before, and she took advantage of the time to read up on Furling studies and advancements in those fields.
Despite her symbiote's interest, Sujanha found little enjoyment in those books but was glad for Malek's interest and passed the time playing mental games of Zareth, a Furling strategy game that was, according to Daniel, "a mutant combination of chess and Stratego on a 3D board," against herself. Sometimes Malek grew distracted from her reading by those matches, and they ended up playing mental matches against each other, which was a test of how well they could keep their minds separate to avoid giving away their moves and strategies.
Ragnar and Ruarc were frequent visitors, stopping by to see how Sujanha was and whether she needed anything or had orders. That she was on medical leave and not currently in command of anything and, therefore, not in a position to give them orders was taken more as a suggestion than a rule. They reminded her that their original orders from Anarr were to guard her, not the Supreme Commander of the Fleet, so her medical leave and the current transferral of power to Algar did not change their assignment in the slightest.
*Your brother was careful in how he phrased their orders,* Malek noted with interest once.
*He usually is,* Sujanha replied, *He has learned to navigate the tides at court and council better than I have since he was raised here, while I was not. I learned those skills for another court and council*—there was a flicker of deep-seated grief tinged with bitterness—*to which I may never return.*
Malek considered those things. There were flickers of memory floating through their mind, drawn up by Sujanha's mention of the topic (memories which she tried to reign in) and her emotions that always pulled back preferably buried memories to mind. *One day I will ask, but not now.*
Sujanha sent her a well of gratitude, forcing her mind back to the original topic before she had sent it off-track. *We are not immune to political controversies, especially, and sometimes learning how to phrase things … carefully is wise.*
That Ragnar and Ruarc, with frequent success (that got more frequent as the days passed), were able to correctly guess which of them was in control based purely on body language and word choice was also a benefit of their visit. Granted, they knew her habits better than most from long acquaintance, but even Daniel could figure it out well, as well. And that meant that they could, at least for now, use less noticeable ways of distinguishing who was in control.
By the morning of the fifth day, Sujanha was starting to become restless. Counting her bed-rest on the Oshrocco, she had never spent this much time sitting around and not working since her medical leave after the Great War. Malek had already read through a good chunk of the stack of the books sent from the Great Library and had studied the house caretaker's programming. Over breakfast, Sujanha had been wondering what else could be invented for them to do, but the door chime going off as Malek and Daniel were finishing their tea saved her from having to continue that endeavor.
Malek gave Sujanha back control, and she asked, "Who is it?" addressing the caretaker.
"Ruarc." was the reply.
"Let him in!" Sujanha ordered, adding half to herself. "I need to change the settings to let them in automatically."
*Or you could let me do it…* Malek answered.
*As you wish.* Sujanha had no doubts about Malek's ability to do that. The settings for updating automatically approved visitors were simple, and Malek was absorbing knowledge about the system like a sponge and could probably now do much more complicated updates that Sujanha would have usually needed a technician to do. *Maybe later today, once we know what Ruarc needs.*
Footsteps sounded in the hall, and then Ruarc appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. "I bring a message or, rather, a summons."
A summons?
Has the Council decided to try to unseat me for a third time now that I am actually able to speak before them?
Sujanha gave him a look, waving him to a seat at the table. "Speak!"
"The High King wishes to speak with you after Judgment today, now that you have had time to rest and regain your strength. It is time, he says, to put this political controversy to rest."
Oh. Much better.
"One way or the other, it is time it ends," Sujanha agreed. She glanced across at the chrono hanging on the wall. With both Daniel and her at somewhat loose ends, they were on a somewhat different schedule. It was currently about half past the 8th hour. Judgment began at the 10th hour and lasted, generally, for four hours. Mindlessly, she tapped her claws on the table, thinking.
*What is Judgment exactly?
*High King Ivar deciding legal matters brought before him.*
"Do you want to attend Judgment?" Ruarc probed.
It would be good to go again.
I always enjoyed hearing the discussions.
"My seat is Algar's at the moment," replied Sujanha automatically.
"True," noted Ruarc, "but with the Crown Prince absent…" He let his voice trail off, making the insinuation clear. In her current circumstances, the seat that would usually have been open for Sujanha as Supreme Commander of the Furling Fleet belonged to Algar, but the seat reserved for the highest-ranking member of the Imperial Family present at Judgment could be hers.
"Yes," Sujanha acknowledged the point readily enough, "but the High Council has been in enough turmoil over me these past weeks. The High King would probably prefer if I did not appear and risk making things worse."
*Chief Minister Janth's issues with me seem to have progressed beyond our originally political disagreements straight into a personal vendetta,* she noted silently to Malek.
*Only knowing him through your memories and other words, I could not say for sure,* Malek replied, mental tone clearly communicating the distaste for Janth, which her more measured words did not.
"It is your choice." Ruarc noted. "However, with the Crown Prince and your brother off-world, the seat at the king's right hand is yours by right of birth, not simply by appointment as the High Councilors and the High Chancellor hold their chairs."
*Did you used to go?* Malek asked.
*Quite frequently when my duties allowed, though I have not been since soon after Daniel arrived.*
"True," Sujanha replied.
*Given what you both have said, I think that, since you have the right to go by birth and since you are only on medical leave, not in disgrace, none of the other High Councilors have reason to complain about your presence.*
*In politics, you do not always need a reason,* Sujanha countered grimly.
There was almost the feeling of Malek rolling her eyes. *Very well, no legitimate reason. You also have popular support. Are you in favor with the king?*
*I would not say that we are close, but yes,* Sujanha replied.
*Thinking from a purely political perspective, then, anyone who had the temerity to risk speaking against your legitimate presence in public would risk damaging their names before the public and the king.*
*Their names?* Sujanha asked, confused, wondering what cultural reference she had missed.
*Their reputation, the two concepts are equated in the Goa'uld language,* Malek clarified.
*Ah.*
*Making a point could also be useful.*
Sujanha gave a mental snort. *I would certainly enjoy making the point, especially if Janth is present, but I don't want to give myself momentary pleasure now and a mess to deal with later, but … if I will serve no more with the Fleet, it would not matter.*
"Very well," Sujanha continued aloud after several minutes of discussion with Malek. "I have not been in quite some time. Do you wish to come with me, Daniel?"
Daniel had been glancing back and forth between Ruarc and Sujanha as they spoke, evidently confused. "Uh, explain to me what I'd be going to, and then I'll decide." His voice lilted up at the end as if he himself wasn't sure whether he was making a question or a statement.
"Your pardon, Daniel. My duties have prevented me from attending Judgment since soon after you arrived, and the issue never came up otherwise." Sujanha paused, thinking of how best to explain. "Once some time ago, you told me of Midgard and its past empires. You spoke of the Romans and of Caesar. Judgment is like 'Appeal to Caesar.' Anyone from across the empire, no matter their race or status, can bring a matter before the King for judgment, not just court cases. These cases can vary from the political to the mundane. Usually, some members of the High Council are available to give advice to the king, if warranted, and there are also seats for the monarch's spouse and for the highest ranked member of the royal family present."
Daniel gave an excited grin. "Sure! I'll come! When does it start, and how long does it last?"
"Judgment happens on the third and seventh of every week. It starts at the 10th hour and lasts until the 14th hour usually. Visitors are not required to stay the whole time. Portions of the palace are open to the public, and Ruarc could show you around, if you would prefer."
At half-past the 9th hour, Sujanha and Daniel beamed to the Acropolis and were met by Ruarc and Ragnar, and together the four made their way into the sprawling complex that was the Furling Imperial Palace with all its associated buildings. Like with the Hall of the Stargate, one could not beam directly into the palace complex for security reasons, though one could beam out or from one place within it to another. Out of long habit, Sujanha led them towards a less-used path that would lead them to the same destination as the gathering officials and plaintiffs were heading: the Throne Room. Throughout her life Sujanha had never been fully comfortable with the attention she had drawn at the Furling court, especially within the last one hundred years, and typically used caretakers' entrances and caretakers' halls to traverse the palace more privately when she had to do so on foot.
"It's huge!" Daniel murmured in awe, eyes wide and head on a swivel, once the group had passed within the outer defensive wall and had passed the gate-guards.
It needed to be once upon a time. Her family—the Imperial Family—had once been much larger before most had been wiped out during the Great War by battle-wounds, grief, disease, or poison. The palace complex had once housed offices aside from the family's living quarters before the empire had expanded. The High Council had once met here in a building within the complex, not so now. Now there are only seven of the blood left.
*I grieve with you,* her symbiote murmured.
Sujanha led them onward past outbuildings and gardens, through another gate, and into the lower levels of the palace itself. She felt herself relax once they were inside. The stone passageways were narrow and lamp-lit, reminding her of Drehond, which she remembered fondly and sadly. A handful of caretakers passed them, giving way to let them pass with kind words and respectful bows. Whatever the political nests Sujanha managed to rouse, her support among the people had never wavered.
From the caretakers' levels, the four rode up a lift several levels until they emerged into the palace proper. The architecture was somehow straightforward and elaborate simultaneously. Somehow the architects and designers had managed to keep the evolving collection of artwork and decorations styles from across the galaxy from turning gaudy and simply ridiculous. The long shadows and towering ceilings gave the space (in Sujanha's opinion) a weighty air.
Sujanha, with Ragnar at her heels, took a different corridor at that point, heading toward the main floor of the throne room, leaving Ruarc and Daniel to take one of the staircases up to the balconies that ran the length of the massive room. A large crowd had already assembled in the hall below the multi-level dais that ran the width of the room as Sujanha entered through a side-door. News concerning the events at Vorash and the resulting High Council meeting had spread across the city, and there was a beat of dead silence at Sujanha's entrance, which put her teeth on edge at the weight of eyes upon her back, and then conversation returned, and her name was murmured on many lips.
*Keep your head up. Let them talk.* Malek encouraged her.
The dais had two levels. On the first and larger levels stood the eleven chairs for the High Council members, five on one side and six on the other of the central dais. There on the central dais stood three chairs: the monarch's elaborate throne; Sunniva's former seat, draped in mourning colors, on his left hand; and another seat on the king's right hand, the seat which Sujanha would take.
(Sunniva had been the highest ranked member of the Furlings to die from the Enemy's poison. No one had ever conclusively figured out how the poison had been brought onto Uslisgas itself, since Ivar's mate had never left their homeworld during the war.)
Several High Councilors were already present. *Chief Scholar Inga, Chief Engineer Iarum Disoze.* Vaazrodiiv was also present to Sujanha's pleasure. Janth was there, which was less pleasing and also pleasing simultaneously. He had been speaking to Disoze but had turned at the new pitch of conversation. He was almost bristling, and his dark eyes were flashing.
I am going to enjoy this too much, I think.
Sujanha met Janth's eyes as she took the stairs up to the first level of the dais at a deliberately slow pace and gave him a smile that was also deliberately full of teeth. I respected you once, though we disagreed, but that was before your attacks turned personal. Trust me, I will not forget. Janth bristled further and then deliberately turned back to his conversation, neglecting to render even the most perfunctory of greetings to Sujanha, who could only be present as a member of the Imperial Family. *Nor will I forget,* added Malek.
I am certainly enjoying this too much.
Malek scoffed at that. He felt Janth deserved it and more.
(The pitch of conversation picked back up behind them. However angry, what Janth had done was very shortsighted and foolish, a deliberate snub that would win him no favors among the people.)
Vaazrodiiv rose deliberately at that point, her own eyes flashing with anger. And just as deliberately as Janth had turned his back, Vaazrodiiv, in full view of the entire room, bowed low, lower than she would have to any of her fellow High Councilors, lower even than she would have to a member of the Furling Imperial Family. Her bow was, in fact, proper for greeting a highly respected member of the Dovahkiin Royal Family, an acknowledgment of the position Sujanha had once held on Drehond. Would have held. Her actions were a deliberate sign to the crowds and a pointed thrust against the Chief Minister Janth.
*I like her!* cackled Malek.
Sujanha stopped on the first dais and bowed back deeply, acknowledging respect with respect. She then turned and bowed toward the empty queen's throne and then took the stairs up to the upper dais and took the seat at what would be High King Ivar's right hand once he arrived. Vaazrodiiv had not retaken her seat. With some minutes left before Ivar would arrive and Judgment would begin, she stepped up towards the center dais, stopping on the middle step and crouching down deliberately so that she was below Sujanha's level and looking up at her.
"Your Imperial Highness," she began with a deep nod of respect. Her translator was off, and she spoke in her own tongue.
Sujanha smirked, her black eyes flashing with repressed amusement. "Chief Armorer, I think your point has been strongly made, but be careful that you do not anger the Great Queen in the doing."
*She is distantly related to the ruling family on Drehond, the homeworld of the Dovahkiin. I do not wish her to face political censure for siding with me even in a case such as this.*
*That is a risk?*
*I hope not, but I don't want to risk it. I am about as far out of favor with Sariiz as it is possible to be.*
There was a flash of surprise from Malek. *What did you do?* That was not one story Sujanha had told her symbiote yet, and Malek had not gone looking through her … their … memories for the answer.
*That disaster is a very long story for another day.*
Vaazrodiiv flashed Sujanha a toothy grin and then studied the points of her claws with deliberate nonchalance. "I hide nothing from her if asked, but I hope that even the Great Queen would be horrified by the events of these past weeks." She made a flick with her left paw, a Dovahkiin gesture for warding off evil. "If anyone deserves to be unseated from the Council, it is not you," she said with a hiss and a spat. "Your brother and I burned everyone's ears for even allowing that vote."
"I was rather … surprised in some ways and not in others," Sujanha lowered her voice so that it would not risk carrying. This was one of those times where it would have been quite convenient for it to be physiologically possible for her to actually speak Dovahkiin. "I think Janth and I have progressed beyond our original respectful political disagreements."
Vaazrodiiv gave Sujanha a look. "You are only now realizing this?"
No more could be said, as the noise of the guards coming to attention meant Ivar was about to enter. It was the 10th hour. The Chief Armorer returned to her seat just before Ivar entered from a side door. Like Sujanha and Anarr, he was one of the Maskilim, though of desert descent, instead, and stood much taller than Sujanha would if she had been standing, though she was shorter than average because of her Asgardian blood.
Sujanha shifted her weight, preparing to rise, but Ivar, who from the look on his face seemed pleased to see her (she thought), made a motion as he came up the dais stairs for her to stay seated. With a word of greeting and a nod from senior to junior, the High King took his seat and then brought the meeting to order.
Over the next four hours, cases were judged slowly and carefully, one by one. The cases ranged from theft to property rights to inheritance struggles. There was no hurry or rush to judgment, just methodical testimony and detailed questions, sometimes from Ivar and sometimes from one of the High Councilors. Sujanha gave her opinion freely if Ivar leaned over to ask a question in her ear but asked no questions herself. To her, he seemed to seek her opinion rather often, and she wondered idly if the king was trying to quietly make a point of his own.
A show of support?
Of trust in my council?
When Judgment had finished and the crowds had been dismissed, Ivar rose and, turning to his cousin, extended his hand. "May we speak in private, my lady?" It was a courteous reiteration of his previous command.
Sujanha nodded and rose, accepting the outstretched hand. Spotting Ragnar in the deep shadows by a nearby exit, she met his eyes, and he nodded. Once her audience was concluded, Ragnar would find her.
Once they exited the throne room, Ivar, cognizant of Sujanha's physical condition, beamed them upstairs to his private sitting room, where he set something down quickly on a table, and then led them through an inner door into his study, in which he sometimes held small meetings or private audiences. It was a small room with simple furnishings: a desk, several chairs, and a small table piled with stuff in a manner that would have seemed haphazard to almost anyone looking at it but somehow had some organization scheme in the king's mind alone. Although it was essentially summer, a blast of heat, spilling out from a running furnace in one corner of the room, rolled out as Sujanha and Ivar entered. The king was of desert stock and liked it hot in his personal quarters, and Sujanha, who still often missed the heat of Drehond's tunnels, found it pleasant.
"You provoked quite a controversy," Ivar began once they had both taken a seat on opposite sides of his desk. The way he was addressing her made it clear that this was not a formal audience. Full sets of formal versus informal pronouns were a definite linguistic advantage of Furling over some other languages.
With that knowledge, Sujanha raised her chin and met her cousin's eyes levelly. "What good is honor if you are not willing to sacrifice to do the right thing to maintain it?"
"I am not criticizing you," Ivar replied. "Far from it, merely noting the end result nonetheless." He frowned. "I was quite displeased by the vote called against you, in fact. There are good reasons that the High Council is now a separate body, though I do not always agree with the decisions that it makes."
(The separation of powers was not complete, but his point stood regardless.)
That separation was more for curbing the powers of corrupt kings in worst case events, but it does make it more complicated for you to just expel one of us.
(Malek was listening with interest but staying quiet.)
Sujanha's ears flicked back momentarily, and she made a face that revealed a hint of teeth. "Once Janth and I were able to constrain our issues to respectful disagreements on politics or other matters, but that is true no longer."
"Much was said in your defense when the vote was called," Ivar noted.
Sujanha gave a smile full of teeth. "Vaazrodiiv told me."
Her cousin gave a rumbling chuckle. "I am sure the recordings will be available if you wish to see what exactly happened at a later date." (*This I want to see,* Malek inserted.) His tone turned serious. "You were unable to speak on your own behalf, which was unconscionable on its own, though your brother and the Chief Armorer spoke admirably in your stead. That being said, the issues that were raised, which were said to be serious enough to unseat you, were largely reiterations of the reasons from the previous vote with extra evidence and some extra issues raised."
Sujanha had not heard exactly what had gone on at that High Council Meeting, but Ivar had barely said anything, and she was already feeling the urge to cringe on behalf of those who had called the vote against her.
Ivar continued, "Their concerns are with not without merit, but since you are still on medical leave, they were not worth calling such a disgraceful vote before you could testify."
Sujanha stared back at him seriously. "Leading the fleet has been my life's honor, my king. You know that. But I value the welfare of the empire highest of all. The vote against me was not weighted enough that I feel it necessary to retire on that basis alone, but if you think it wisest that I do, I am, as always, yours to command."
*And some who voted against you may have been swayed by the Chief Minister's rhetoric without your first-hand testimony at hand,* Malek mused, *Assuming he has such skill.*
*He does. He is not the most skilled that I have heard, but he can speak circles around many if he so tries.*
"I know you would be willing, and I respect you for that. Maker willing, however, we won't have to get to that point," Ivar replied. He opened a screen on a tablet on his desk. The angle was wrong for Sujanha to see what it said. "There was no opportunity for you to speak at the High Council meeting, but I want to hear what you have to say on these matters, and whether you feel capable of continuing at your post given your new circumstances."
"I would need to know what was said to give rise to the vote being called, first," Sujanha noted, voice wry.
Aside from it largely rehashing the past.
Ivar made a choked noise that was half a laugh and half a groan. "There is that. Now," he paused and looked back again at his tablet, "Let's see …"
Not long before the 16th hour, the audience concluded, and Sujanha was dismissed. With the aid of her comms, it took little work to track down Ragnar, who was wandering the palace halls, puttering away the time until she was finished. After Sujanha had updated him on the meeting, which she had thought had gone well, and after he had sent a summons to his brother, the two went down to the side-gate under the defensive wall around the palace complex to wait for Daniel and Ruarc to rejoin them. They had not been waiting long at all when the two appeared nearby in a flash of light.
"How did your meeting go?" Daniel asked once he got within polite speaking distance.
"Well enough," she replied. "The High King and I spoke for some time. He asked many questions and was pleased with my answers, I think. He has not yet decided, but I deem he will rule in my favor."
"When will you hear?" Ruarc asked.
"Tomorrow. One way or the other, this will be over by tomorrow. What time is it?" She changed subject abruptly at the end.
"The 16th hour, almost exactly," Ragnar rumbled, double-checking the time on a chrono he pulled from a pocket.
"I want to stop at Headquarters before I return home. I am missing my pocket chrono and a book. I think I must have left them in my office when I left for Vorash."
What was supposed to be a brief trip to Headquarters quickly became an extended affair. Despite her political conflicts with the High Council, Sujanha was extremely popular with both the Fleet and Army. As soon as news spread that she had arrived, what seemed like half the building congregated to greet her, ask after her health, and inquire when she was going to return. Algar was not unpopular by any means and was an extremely competent and reliable lieutenant, but Sujanha was … Sujanha. By the time the four were able to escape Headquarters, almost two hours had passed.
"Will you have need of us tomorrow, do you expect?" Ruarc asked once they were back outside in the courtyard.
"Likely not," Sujanha replied. "But if something unexpected occurs, I will send word for you, and as soon as I hear word from the High King, I will let you know, one way or the other."
"Then we will bid you goodnight, Commander, Daniel. We will return to our quarters," said Ruarc, and after bowing, the two brothers departed.
The sun was starting to set, staining the sky in brilliant colors of red and gold, by the time Daniel and Sujanha returned home after a long day of business on the Acropolis. It had been a profitable day, though, and she thought her meeting with the High King had gone well, and she thought it likely that she would be soon allowed to return to the fleet, no matter the opinions of some on the High Council. There were leftovers still in the cold box, which made pulling dinner together easier. Daniel and Sujanha ate quietly together and then parted ways. Daniel, with a mug of tea in one hand, headed upstairs to his room to work on his journals, and Sujanha returned to her library.
Slipping backwards—it was still somewhat of a strange feeling—Sujanha gave Malek back control. If she was to return to the fleet, they would need to figure out a system that would work long-term for them both, but for now the goal was to share control equally while Malek was still getting used to her new host's culture. Not everything could be learned by blending, learned from her memories.
*Since you, for one, never took up the fascinating study of biochemistry,* Malek teased her host as she took a seat in a comfortable chair and retrieved a book on that subject from a nearby table.
*I never had the opportunity for studying any other skills but war,* Sujanha replied seriously before adding in a lighter tone. *Not that if I had, bio-chemistry would not have been it.*
*What would you have studied if you had had the opportunity?* Malek probed gently. This was fast becoming a serious conversation.
The question gave Sujanha pause. *I honestly have no idea.* The Great War had robbed her of a normal childhood and a normal life, or as normal a life as a member of the Imperial Family could have. It was an issue that Malek could understand and sympathize with, though biochemistry, data analysis, and programing had been useful for the Tok'ra war effort as well as being her own personal hobbies. (Though, which had come first, the necessity or the hobby?)
*And for that, I am sorry.*
*It is what it is,* Sujanha replied. It was one of her typical answers to the problems of her life. *I do enjoy the strategic planning aspect of my position as well as mentally matching wits with my opponents, though.*
Malek let the conversation drop at that point. She had strong opinions, but every host was different, and she was learning when to push and when not to push when it came to talking about Sujanha's past. She focused his attention on the book she was reading, various stray thoughts and mental notes floating through their shared consciousness as she read. Sujanha settled down to rest.
About an hour passed in that manner. Then, unexpectedly, the house's caretaker (what Daniel called the "auto-pilot") suddenly announced that Ruarc, who had long ago returned to his own home with his brother, was coming up the walk. Their mental closeness served Sujanha-Malek well, as Malek was setting her book aside and rising, instructing that Ruarc be allowed in, before Sujanha could even fully verbalize the request.
He's supposed to be off-duty! They were going home for the night.
If it had been anytime but now when Sujanha was on medical leave, Ruarc's unexpected appearance late in the evening would probably have preceded disastrous news. But now? Sujanha had no idea what could have happened to prompt his visit.
*Here,* Malek said as she stepped out into the hallway outside the library and pulled back, giving Sujanha back control. *I'm assuming this is something you need control for.*
*Likely,* Sujanha replied, her mental confusion about what was happening easily noticeable.
Ruarc's countenance as he stepped through the door instantly removed any concerns in Sujanha's mind that something had gone wrong. "Is Daniel awake?" he asked, giving a hasty bow of greeting. "The Commander just forwarded me the best of news from Risa's group and requested that I bring it out immediately."
Risa? Sujanha's black eyes went wide. Oh! Risa was the half-Furling, half-Lapith Chief Healer of the 'Goa'uld Removal' Project. If there was good news from her group, that meant … they must have finished the procedure! A new procedure had long been in development with healers and scientists from across Asteria and from the Asgard and Tok'ra in order to create a safer and more reliable method of extracting Goa'uld symbiotes from unwilling hosts. That means Sha're may soon be free if this news is what I think it is.
Sujanha stepped away toward stairs that led upstairs. "Daniel, come down, please!" She shouted, pitching her voice to carry the greater distance.
There was a brief silence and then the clatter of footsteps from the upstairs hallway. A few seconds later, Daniel hurried downstairs, boots unlaced and glasses slightly askew. His face was puzzled and worried both. "What's wrong?" He blurted out.
"Nothing is wrong," Sujanha replied. There is very good news for your family, I think. (Malek was radiating quiet pleasure and relief. Something about her past with a previous host—a detail that she had never shared—had given her much sympathy with Daniel's situation.)
"I have news, Daniel, very good news," said Ruarc. "The procedure to free Goa'uld hosts has been declared ready for use. As soon as the High King passes judgment upon the Goa'uld for their crimes, their hosts, including your wife, can be freed."
*Watch him!* Malek snapped urgently.
Hearing Ruarc's news, Daniel had physically staggered, throwing out a hand to steady himself against the wall. Sujanha stepped towards him, concern in her eyes, slipping one paw under his elbow. The boy was looking quite shaky.
"The darkness is almost over for them, your wife and brother both," she said quietly. "Healing can soon begin."
For you all. The capture of his wife and brother-in-law and their imprisonment had left scars on Daniel, as well.
